All posts tagged: Icon

Eighties comedy icon Rick Moranis met with standing ovation after decades away from Hollywood

Eighties comedy icon Rick Moranis met with standing ovation after decades away from Hollywood

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Rick Moranis received a warm welcome at his Comic-Con debut following decades out of the spotlight. The 73-year-old joined a panel event on Friday 24 July to promote Spaceballs: The New One, a forthcoming sequel to the 1987 Mel Brooks Star Wars parody. He was met with a standing ovation from fans – and an on-stage bow from his co-stars, including Josh Gad, Keke Palmer, Lewis Pullman, and Daphne Zuniga. “You made our childhoods better,” said moderator Kevin Smith as fans chanted: “Rick! Rick! Rick!” Moranis rose to fame on the Canadian sketch show SCTV in 1980 after which he went on to become one of the most recognisable faces of Eighties cinema, starring in films such as Streets of Fire (1983), Ghostbusters (1984), Little Shop of Horrors (1986) Spaceballs (1987), and Ghostbusters II (1989), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), …

I worked at Harvey Nichols at the height of its success. Here’s why the store became a British fashion icon

I worked at Harvey Nichols at the height of its success. Here’s why the store became a British fashion icon

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Constantly namedropped in Absolutely Fabulous – one of the sharpest and funniest sitcoms of the 1990s – London’s most iconic fashion department store is up for sale following a significant downturn in business over the last five years. Sadly, the retail pressures of a declining luxury goods market and the removal of VAT-free tourist shopping post-Brexit appear to have done for the once-indomitable Harvey Nichols. Founded in 1831 by Benjamin Harvey, it was originally a linen shop positioned on the corner of Knightsbridge and Sloane Street in the heart of London (Getty Images for Harvey Nichols) Founded in 1831 by Benjamin Harvey, it was originally a linen shop positioned on the corner of Knightsbridge and Sloane Street in the heart of London. Following some …

Wonder Woman icon Lynda Carter, 74, looks ageless in uncanny then-and-now photos

Wonder Woman icon Lynda Carter, 74, looks ageless in uncanny then-and-now photos

Published by Daniella Wilson

It’s been more than half a century since Lynda Carter captivated audiences with her unforgettable portrayal of Wonder Woman. Performing in the hit TV series between 1975 and 1979, the actress became one of the most iconic stars of her generation. In a high-waisted blue and star leotard and orange bandeau with gold breast plates, Lynda was a vision of female empowerment and striking beauty all at once. Now, more than five decades on from landing the career-changing role, Lynda is celebrating her 75th birthday – and she looks just as glamorous as she did as Wonder Woman aged 24. © Disney General Entertainment Con Wonder Woman Landing the role in the show couldn’t have come at a better time for the actress, who had spent several years touring with a band but had just $25 to her name when she found out she had the lead after actress Joanna Cassidy had dropped out of the role. The show ran for three seasons and made Lynda an unforgettable force. Reflecting back on the time decades …

The Breakfast Club icon Anthony Michael Hall reveals how he survived toxic Hollywood

The Breakfast Club icon Anthony Michael Hall reveals how he survived toxic Hollywood

Published by Daniella Wilson

’80s film icon Anthony Michael Hall recently celebrated 50 years in the entertainment industry, after getting his start in acting at just eight years old. The legendary actor landed his first major gig in National Lampoon’s Vacation at 14, and went on to become a defining star of the ’80s thanks to his work with John Hughes. Anthony, who has acted in everything from The Breakfast Club and Weird Science to Sixteen Candles and Edward Scissorhands, explained to Fox News Digital just how he survived five decades in the notoriously toxic industry.  “Having a thick skin, and just being game and just wanting to work with the best people you can,” he explained when asked how he had lasted so long in Hollywood. “Just being persistent and tenacious. And thank God I was born with a hard head. But you have to have a thick skin.” © Getty ImagesAnthony shared that having thick skin helped him survive Hollywood “You have to really want and love what you do. So I think that’s it,” he continued. “Stay humble, stay focused, keep your eyes on the road, …

Peaky Blinders icon Cillian Murphy offers emotional tribute to late co-star Sam Neill

Peaky Blinders icon Cillian Murphy offers emotional tribute to late co-star Sam Neill

Published by Daniella Wilson

Cillian Murphy has paid an emotional tribute to his late former co-star and friend Sam Neill, who has died aged 78. The New Zealand actor, who was also familiar to fans for his role in Jurassic Park, passed away in hospital in Sydney, Australia, on Monday 13 July. Cillian Murphy and Sam Neill worked together on the first two seasons of Peaky Blinders from 2013 to 2014. Murphy played the show’s lead, Tommy Shelby, while the late actor starred as Chester Campbell, a ruthless police inspector who had been tracking the Shelby family for two seasons. Neill’s character was killed in the season 2 finale, when Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, shot him in a phone booth. Now, Murphy has paid tribute to his late friend, saying (via Deadline): “Like everyone who knew and worked with Sam, I admired him and adored him in equal measure. “He was one of the kindest, funniest and gentlest people, and one of the finest actors. RIP.” The pair had remained friends over the 12 years since Neill …

The sex ed icon who won’t go quietly

The sex ed icon who won’t go quietly

Published by Sam Flores

Surveying the massive archive of tapes tightly nestled in her Manhattan apartment, Robin Byrd — the New York cable-access icon whose hour-long, X-rated variety program, “The Robin Byrd Show,” lit up metro-area television sets every week — pulls a few softcore gems. “Here’s one with Heather Hunter,” Byrd says, as the frame cuts to a split-screen between the 70-year-old Byrd and archival footage of a naked young woman, gyrating in front of the camera while miming her makeup routine. “Julie Bond was my first transsexual,” Byrd continues, smiling with pride, before a cut to Bond shimmying to the lens. Just then, Byrd’s longtime co-producer and husband of many years, Shelly, enters the room. “I always thought it would be a good idea to get up close and personal with Jeff Stryker,” Byrd muses. “So we did an interview in bed in my hotel in Vegas. Then we had sex, and Shelly filmed it!” This is only the first scene in Jyllian Gunther and Stephanie Schwam’s beguiling new documentary, “Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story.” …

Anjelica Huston’s transformation from teen model to ultra-private icon as she turns 75

Anjelica Huston’s transformation from teen model to ultra-private icon as she turns 75

Published by Daniella Wilson

Happy birthday Anjelica Huston! The Oscar-winning actress celebrated her milestone 75th birthday on July 8, and we can confidently say, the striking beauty that made her Hollywood debut nearly six decades ago is still going strong. Over the years, the star has given us several iconic performances, ranging from the dramatic to the sardonic to the campy and melodramatic. Take a look at her life in photos, from her beginnings as a teen model with a spread in Vogue and walking the runway, to her status now as a living legend carrying on her family name… © Getty Images 1968: A teen model in the pages of Vogue Born to director and actor John Huston and prima ballerina Enrica “Ricki” Soma, Anjelica was thrust into the spotlight from a young age. In fact, at just age 17, she and her mother were photographed for Vogue by family friend Arnaud De Rosnay, her early introduction to the world. © Getty Images 1969: Anjelica’s acting debut under John’s tutelage She made her screen debut at 18 in …

Dirty Dancing icon Jennifer Grey mourns death of ‘brave’ mom one week after cancer diagnosis

Dirty Dancing icon Jennifer Grey mourns death of ‘brave’ mom one week after cancer diagnosis

Published by Daniella Wilson

Jennifer Grey is mourning the loss of her “gorgeous and talented” mother, Jo Wilder, who died on July 4, 2026, aged 94. The Dirty Dancing icon, 66, said that her mom died “on her own terms,” one week after she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Paying tribute to her beloved mother on Instagram, the actress shared a carousel of photos of her from her younger years, including snapshots of her and a young Jennifer. Jennifer’s loving tribute to her late mom © InstagramJennifer Grey’s mom, Jo Wilder, died aged 94 “My mother, Jo Wilder, passed away on July 4th at 94 — by her own choosing, on her own terms, exactly as she lived,” Jennifer began. “A week earlier, she learned she had lung cancer. True to who she was, she chose grace over fear, understanding that leaving this world with dignity is an honor, not a tragedy.” Jennifer continued: “She was gorgeous and talented — a promising young actress on the New York stage in her youth. She used to say she never fully answered that calling; …

Why the Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo Is Still A Pop Culture Icon Today

Why the Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo Is Still A Pop Culture Icon Today

Published by Jenni Sidey

When Kahlo returned from France to Mexico after many months abroad, she found Rivera was romantically involved with another woman, and she left their home in Mexico City’s San Ángel neighborhood for Casa Azul. By late 1939 they agreed to divorce, prompting one of her largest canvases—The Two Fridas, a double self-portrait with a European Frida and a Mexican Frida whose exposed hearts are connected by an artery as they hold hands. When Kahlo’s health suffered after the divorce, Rivera reached out to Kahlo’s physician, Eloesser, for advice, and he suggested they reconcile as companions. The pair remarried in San Francisco in December 1940. Kahlo remained mostly in Mexico City after that. Her work was shown in group exhibitions in Mexico and the United States in the 1940s, including “Twentieth Century Portraits” at the Museum of Modern Art in 1942 and “Exhibition by 31 Women”at Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century gallery in 1943. In 1943 she took a teaching position at Mexico City’s School of Painting and Sculpture (commonly known as “La Esmeralda”), moving …

British TV icon Sue Johnston reveals Diane Morgan bought her a robot

British TV icon Sue Johnston reveals Diane Morgan bought her a robot

Published by Daniella Wilson

This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. From Brookside and The Royle Family to Riot Women, Sue Johnston has been one of television’s most prolific actors for 45 years. Now 82, she takes the lead in BBC Two’s comedy Ann Droid, which follows a fearlessly independent woman forced to live with a robot companion, played by series co-creator Diane Morgan. It’s a role close to Johnston’s heart, she says. So much so that she’s now got a robot companion of her own… What’s your relationship with technology? It scares me because I’m old. I’m hopeless with my phone. One of my biggest frustrations is not being able to talk to a human – it befuddles me that there’s hardly anybody on the tills in Sainsbury’s. One day you’ll probably all have robots – you might even marry one and nobody will think twice. But I won’t be here, and I don’t want to be. Would you ever consider a robot companion of your own? I have one! Diane bought me a robot cat at …