Home//Closer Weekly/October 5, 2020/In This Issue
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020Farewell to a Sixties Icon“Becoming a sex symbol overnight shocked me.”—Diana RiggShe had a long career in the theater, but Dame Diana Rigg, who died at 82 on Sept. 10, will always be remembered for her contributions to pop culture. In 1965, she became a sex symbol and a feminist icon as Emma Peel, the sleek martial arts expert on The Avengers. Despite her popularity on the show, she left in 1968 after she was refused a suitable raise. “The cameraman on The Avengers was paid a lot more than me,” she noted. “All I wanted was equality.” Diana’s other notable roles included Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, the only Bond girl to marry Agent 007 in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and the ruthless Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones from 2013 to’17.…1 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020THE CAST’S FAVORITE EPISODES1. In “Barney’s First Car,” the deputy buys a used clunker from the widow “Hubcaps” Lesh.2. The boys go to great lengths to avoid telling Aunt Bee that her pickles stink in “The Pickle Story.”3. Aunt Bee pretends to fall for insufferable dry cleaner H. Fred Goss so that Andy will start dating in “Wedding Bells for Aunt Bee.”4. In “The Ball Game,” Mayberry turns against umpire Andy when he makes a bad call at Opie’s game.5. After Gomer gets a traffic ticket from Barney, he turns the tables on the deputy in “Citizen’s Arrest.”…1 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020ENTERTAINMENTRules of EngagementBased on James Comey’s best-selling memoir, A Higher Loyalty, the two-part Showtime miniseries The Comey Rule depicts the collision course between the former FBI director and President Donald Trump during his first months in office. The four-hour political drama stars Jeff Daniels as Comey and Dublin-born Brendan Gleeson as the president. “It’s hard to imagine a bigger acting challenge than playing Donald Trump,” says writer/director Billy Ray. “You have to have presence, and a singular kind of dynamism...you have to be spectacularly talented.”TUNE IN! The Comey Rule debuts Sept. 27 at 9 p.m. ET on ShowtimeMariah Finally Tells All!The notoriously private five-time Grammy winner opens up about her life’s journey in her new memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey, written with Michaela AngelaDavis. “This book is composed of…1 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020I’m Still LEARNING EVERY DAYMayim Bialik is a rarity among former child actors. Not only did she have a positive experience as the star of the early 1990s sitcom Blossom, but as a young adult she avoided the personal troubles and addictions that too often follow early success in Hollywood. Even odder still: although Mayim left acting and earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience, she returned because working on a TV series like The Big Bang Theory had better hours than academia! “I was raised with parents who were teachers, so I always had them with me for summer vacations and stuff. Believe it or not, a sitcom schedule allowed me to have that with my kids [Miles, 14, and Frederick, 12],” Mayim, 44, explains to Closer. Although The Big Bang Theory ended its 12-season…5 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020I’m Ready TO SING AGAIN!If there’s one thing Celine Dion can’t bear, it’s disappointing her fans. So when the superstar singer postponed her Courage World Tour earlier this year due to the pandemic, she felt absolutely heartbroken. “It left her in tears,” says an insider. “Celine hated letting down her fans, but she obviously had no control over the situation.”Now, Celine’s ready to conquer the stage once again. She recently announced new tour dates starting in March. “I know how difficult this year has been for so many of us, and we are all looking forward to better days ahead,” says Celine, 52. “I can’t wait to sing and dance with all of you again!”TAKING TIME FOR FAMILYPerforming and engaging with her fans has always been Celine’s greatest passion, but the time off has…2 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020WENDIE MALICK I Still FeelLIKE A KID!Wendie Malick has a simple antidote to life’s stresses. “Go outside!” she enthuses to Closer. “It’s so good for you. Get out to a park or someplace with trees. Go for a walk, shut everything off and just be.”As the actress, best known for her roles in the television comedies Hot in Cleveland and Just Shoot Me!, approaches a new milestone this year, she takes a similarly sanguine approach. “The fact that I have a 70th birthday coming up is sort of surreal to me because I don’t feel it,” admits Wendie about her Dec. 13 birthday. “I still have two living parents — my mother is 92 and my dad is 100 — so I think that’s part of the reason I still feel like a kid. I think…2 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020HER Little BUDDYJoy calls Gatsby her “beloved furry daughter.” The pooch, whom she adopted in 2014, loves to hang around the Today nutrition expert’s kitchen hoping for a treat. “Every day is National Dog Day at the Bauer house!” says Joy.BINDI IRWINA True Roo-Mance“Taking a moment to relax with our beautiful kangaroo mama,” wrote the newlywed in a post from the Australia Zoo. “Such a peaceful moment with the birds calling in the background.”AMY ROBACHHorsing AroundThe Good Morning America host was sitting tall on a recent horseback ride. “Back in the saddle,” gushed the journalist and cancer survivor, who makes a really fine cowgirl!BRIAN COXCalling Cat LoversThe Scottish actor teamed up with PETA to urge people to adopt and spay their pets. He has two felines, Pishi and Princess.…1 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020Make-Ahead HEALTHY MEALSAs the days get cooler, we’re no longer craving the fast and simple toss-together recipes we enjoyed during the summer. The only problem: By the time evening rolls around, we often don’t have the time or the energy to prep and cook a roast or a soup. Enter the new cookbook Skinnytaste Meal Prep, which is filled with nourishing dishes that can be prepared in advance to minimize their time to your dinner table. “This might involve pre-chopping veggies for a stew or stir-fry, or boiling rice or quinoa ahead of time so it’s ready for a meal during the week,” explains author Gina hom*olka. “It’s preparing meal components when you have some downtime so they’re ready to go when you’re in a pinch.” Try one of these tasty, good-for-you…4 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020MAYIM’S UNIQUE JOURNEYEARLY DAYS Mayim, who was born in San Diego, Calif., was named for her great-grandmother Miriam.BABY BETTE She remembers that she wore a red wig and sang “Golden Slumbers” by the Beatles during her audition for 1988’s Beaches.TEEN DREAM Blossom, which also starred Jenna von Oy, Michael Stoyanov, Ted Wass and Joey Lawrence, ran from 1990 to 1995. Mayim became a role model as the smart and spunky title character.A FINE MESS In 1994, she co-starred with Michael J. Fox in Don’t Drink the Water, a TV movie by Woody Allen, about a family of tourists trapped behind the Iron Curtain.GOOD ADVICE Mayim returned to acting in 2009 with a recurring role as a guidance counselor on The Secret Life of An American Teenager.MODEL MOM She wrote a 2012 book…1 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020My LIFE at 80The director of One Million Years B.C. did not take Raquel Welch’s ideas seriously. “I really did feel demeaned,” admits the actress, who was told not to think. At the time, she also thought the fur bikini she had to wear for the role was a “silly costume.”Today this 1960s sex symbol, who turned 80 on Sept. 5, is having the last laugh. “I’m a woman of a certain age and I’ve been there, done that,” she says. “I have a lot of experience in, well, various areas.”This hard-earned wisdom has allowed Raquel to carve out a happy life for herself — even though she had to keep her 80th birthday celebration low-key. “Normally, she would go to Craig’s [in West Hollywood],” says a friend. “Instead she celebrated at home…2 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020MY LIFE IN 10 Pictures“I would rather five people knew my work and thought it was good, than five million who were indifferent.”— Colin FirthGROWING UP, Colin Firth didn’t like going to school. “I just thought it was boring and mediocre and nothing they taught me seemed to be of any interest at all,” said the British-born star. “I always took it to be something of an obstacle to what I really wanted to do, which was to act.” And that’s exactly what he’s been doing for nearly four decades, with great success. He worked steadily through the ’80s, but it was his role as the dashing Mr. Darcy in 1995’s BBC television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that made Colin a household name — and reluctant heartthrob. “I think it’s quite extraordinary that…4 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020The Andy Griffith Show MEMORIES of MAY BERRYEven when it was No. 1 in the ratings, The Andy Griffith Show did not get a lot of love or respect from TV critics. Despite deft writing and a talented cast lead by the title star as Sheriff Andy Taylor, the series drew middling reviews during its eight-season run, from 1960 to 1968. It was also never an Emmy magnet like The Dick Van Dyke Show.But no matter where they lived, TV viewers of the turbulent 1960s responded to the small-town nostalgic feeling of The Andy Griffith Show and made it a consistent Top 10 hit. “Though it was shot in the ’60s, it had a feeling of the ’30s,” Andy once said. “It was, when we were doing it, of a time gone by.”Six decades later, Sheriff Andy…3 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020HOROSCOPESLibraSEPT. 23 – OCT. 22When you keep secrets from a sweetheart or loved one, it can cause mistrust. So, if you have something to say, don’t hold back.ScorpioOCT. 23 – NOV. 21Life is up for review with change on the horizon. Think carefully about your next moves, especially if they’ll affect those close to you.SagittariusNOV. 22 – DEC. 21Your love and work lives could connect when you least expect it, Sag. So get organized and use your free time to reach out to others.CapricornDEC. 22 – JAN. 19When it comes to your career, look out for chance meetings and significant introductions — the right people will take you to the top.AquariusJAN. 20 – FEB. 18Life can fall into place, but it’s up to you to pay attention to opportunities and…2 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020HOW TO KEEP YOUR HOME GERM-FREEBRUSH UP: The National Dental Association suggests replacing your toothbrush every three months and cleaning it thoroughly at least once a week to help prevent virus and bacteria buildup. To clean, boil your toothbrush for 3 minutes or soak the head in an antibacterial mouthwash for no longer than 15 minutes.CLEAN YOUR GADGETS: Our phones and other tech accessories (like earbuds) are big carriers of germs such as staph or flu viruses. In March, due to the pandemic, Apple revised its iPhone cleaning guidelines to endorse using a “70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes.” You can also try a UV-light sanitizer like HoMedics UV-Clean Portable Sanitizer ($79.99; homedics.com).TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES: A University of Arizona study found nine different strains of bacteria —including E. coli and Klebsiella…2 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020The Art of ORGANIZATIONBABY STEPS: Don’t feel like you need to tackle an entire room at once. Instead, start with mini projects — like a single drawer — and move your way up. These areas are less time-consuming but still give you the same reward.CONQUER CLUTTER: No matter what the project is, the first step is to evaluate the space and eliminate the things you don’t need. With a pared-down supply, you can then decide on a functional container system that fits your specific space and lifestyle. Once items start spilling out of the system you have in place, they won’t have a home and that’s where the clutter begins.LABEL IT: A labeling system offers a road map to where items live. It’s also a guilt mechanism for when you try to put…1 min
Closer Weekly|October 5, 2020FLASHBACKMoulin Rouge!Is it too soon for a remake of 2001’s Moulin Rouge!? High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens doesn’t think so. Dressed in a gown nearly identical to the one that Nicole Kidman wore to play Satine in the Baz Luhrmanndirected musical, she seemed to be auditioning for the role. “One day I’ll fly away,” she wrote, quoting Nicole’s big number. Perhaps, Vanessa!Gloria SteinemJulianne Moore transforms into early feminist Gloria Steinem in The Glorias, a new film scheduled for release on Sept. 30. It’s based on Gloria’s memoir, My Life on the Road.Track SuitsAlso known as warm-up suits, these two-piece outfits were created for athletes in the 1960s. By the mid-1970s, they became the first “athleisure” look — acceptable in the gym and the grocery store. Track suits have gone…1 min
