Entertainment
What James Earl Jones can teach us about activism and art in times of crisis
James Earl Jones starred in “The Great White Hope,” exploring a boxer’s life reflecting race and cultural struggles, symbolizing a different form of activism.
Dominic Taylor, University of California, Los Angeles
The death of James Earl Jones has forced me to consider the end of an era.
Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier and Jones were giants in my industry. They were Black performers whose ascents to stardom occurred in the tumultuous 1960s, when I was an infant. All three were politically active, although each operated in a significantly different way.
In 1967, there were more than 150 riots fueled by racial tensions in U.S. cities. Many Americans worried that the nation would implode over racial conflict, and President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed the Kerner Commission to study the sources of racial turmoil.
At the time, Jones was an actor of growing renown on television and the theatrical stage. He had performed in “Danton’s Death” on Broadway and was featured on NBC’s “Tarzan,” among other projects.
Jones found himself grappling with a question that has roiled many artists, then and now: In troubling times, what is an artist to do?
He didn’t give rousing speeches, as Belafonte did. Nor did he hand-deliver cash to student activists in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer, as Poitier had done.
Instead, Jones decided to work on a play about a boxer, “The Great White Hope,” which had been written by Howard Sackler at Arena Stage, a Washington-based theater company in the growing regional theater movement.
Embodying Black power
While cities were burning all over America, why would an actor hoping to make a difference sign on to play a boxer? If they aren’t willing to put their life on the line, shouldn’t they at least work on a play about the Civil Rights Movement, racism or police brutality?
However, “The Great White Hope” wasn’t a simple, sentimental sports drama. Sackler based the play’s protagonist, Jack Jefferson, on boxer Jack Johnson, who became the first Black heavyweight champion in 1908.
African Americans riotously celebrated Johnson, who had captured the title just 45 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. In the face of virulent Jim Crow racism, Johnson stood as a man who, if given a fair shot, could beat anyone.
In his book “A Beautiful Pageant: African American Theatre, Drama and Performance in the Harlem Renaissance, 1910-1927,” theater historian David Krasner argues that Johnson’s victory was one of the key events that fueled the Harlem Renaissance, the Black intellectual and cultural movement that birthed jazz music, the poetry of Langston Hughes, the writings of Zora Neale Hurston and the sculptures of Augusta Savage.
The confidence Johnson inspired was contagious: If a Black man could handily beat a white man in a boxing ring, there was no reason Black artists and writers couldn’t fashion groundbreaking works, plumbing their lives and their histories – as Hurston did – to become champions of Black culture.
The play is written in three acts, and it follows Jefferson and his fictional white lover, Eleanor Bachman, from 1908 to 1915. After Jefferson wins the title, the government hounds the couple, in part because of their interracial romance. Officials eventually detain them as they enter Ohio under the Mann Act, a law ostensibly enacted to halt prostitution but often used to intimidate interracial couples. The government tells Jefferson that it will drop the charges if he’s willing to throw a fight to an inferior white boxer.
Jones won a Tony Award for his portrayal of a Black man possessed with talent, confidence and strength, whose biggest problem was that he simply refused to stay in his lane. https://www.youtube.com/embed/IVyvwZ_Yh0g?wmode=transparent&start=0 A scene from the 1970 film version of ‘The Great White Hope,’ which also starred James Earl Jones.
A different kind of fighter
Boxer Muhammad Ali was also a big fan of Jones’ performance.
Ali had been stripped of his heavyweight title in 1967 because he was a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, refusing to enlist after being drafted. When Ali saw “The Great White Hope,” he felt like he was looking in the mirror.
“You just change the time, date and the details and it’s about me!” Life magazine quoted him saying.
It’s strange to think about how historical events can be distilled into emotions like fear, love, jealousy and righteousness. But James Earl Jones was somehow able to hold a Black boxer who loved a white woman in conversation with someone unable to bring himself to fight in Vietnam.
Jones probably knew that a performance on a stage seen by a few thousand people would do little to end the Vietnam War, racial inequality or police brutality.
But I think Jones was looking to change the culture. He was trying to change the country’s understanding of what it means to fight – and what a freedom fighter is.
Is a fighter someone who knocks out their opponent? Or someone who follows their heart? Is a fighter someone who takes up arms at the behest of their government? Or is a fighter someone who’s willing to risk their livelihood for their values?
Sometimes, activism can be as simple as making art to the best of your abilities – or, as W.E.B. Du Bois wrote, “to use beauty to set the world right.”
Dominic Taylor, Acting Chair of Theater, School of Theater, Film and Television, University of California, Los Angeles
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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actors & performers
‘Sanford and Son’ Star Demond Wilson Dead at 79, Report Says
Demond Wilson, known for his role as Lamont Sanford on the classic sitcom “Sanford and Son,” has passed away at 79 from cancer complications. He contributed significantly to television and film, also serving as an ordained minister. Wilson is survived by his wife and six children.
Last Updated on February 1, 2026 by Daily News Staff
HOLLYWOOD — Demond Wilson, best known for playing Lamont Sanford opposite Redd Foxx on the 1970s sitcom “Sanford and Son,” has died, according to TMZ. He was 79.
Wilson died Friday morning at his Palm Springs home from complications related to cancer, TMZ reported, citing his son, Demond Wilson Jr. The family did not specify what type of cancer he had.
Demond Wilson Dies in Palm Springs at 79, TMZ Reports – STM Daily News Podcast
Wilson starred on “Sanford and Son” from 1972 to 1977, playing the grounded, often-exasperated son to Foxx’s junkyard owner Fred Sanford. The show became a defining sitcom of its era, known for Foxx’s catchphrases and Wilson’s straight-man timing.
After “Sanford and Son,” Wilson appeared in series including “Baby … I’m Back,”“The New Odd Couple,”and guest-starred on shows such as “All in the Family,”“The Love Boat,” and “Girlfriends.” His film credits included “The Organization” (1971) and “Me and the Kid” (1993).
Born Grady Demond Wilson in Valdosta, Georgia, on Oct. 13, 1946, he was raised in Harlem and began acting as a child, later studying at the American Community Theater and Hunter College. He also served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968, where he was wounded.
In later years, Wilson became an ordained minister and focused on faith-based outreach and reentry support work, founding Restoration House of America in 1994.
He is survived by his wife of more than 51 years, Cicely Loise Johnston, and their six children.
Sources:
- https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/demond-wilson-dead-lamont-sanford-and-son-1236647050/
- https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/demond-wilson-dead-sanford-son-153658639.html
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Entertainment
Funny, Tender, Goofy: Why Catherine O’Hara Stole Every Scene From SCTV to Schitt’s Creek
Catherine O’Hara, a beloved actor and comedian, passed away at 71. Her career spanned over 50 years, showcasing her unique comedic timing in various roles, including Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice and Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek. O’Hara’s influence and creativity left a lasting legacy in comedy, inspiring many.
Ben McCann, Adelaide University
Funny, tender, goofy – Catherine O’Hara lit up the screen every time she showed up
Catherine O’Hara, the beloved actor and comedian who has died aged 71, occupied that rare position in contemporary screen culture: a comic actor, a cult figure and a mainstream star.
Her work spanned more than 50 years, from improv sketch comedy to Hollywood features and off-beat TV classics.
She was celebrated for her unmatched comic timing and chameleon-like character work. Her roles were often absurdist and quirky, but they hid a razor-sharp humour.
Born and raised in Toronto in a close-knit Irish Catholic family, O’Hara was one of seven siblings. She once remarked humour was part of her everyday life; storytelling, impressions and lively conversation helped hone her comedic instincts.
After high school, she worked at Toronto’s Second City Theatre, a famed breeding ground for comedy talent, and sharpened her deadpan improvisational skills.
Big break
O’Hara’s break came with Second City Television (SCTV), a sketch comedy series that rivalled Saturday Night Live in creativity and influence. Alongside contemporaries Eugene Levy, John Candy, Rick Moranis and Martin Short, she defined her distinctly smart, absurdist comedic voice.
O’Hara was not merely a performer on SCTV; she was also a writer, winning an Emmy Award for her contributions. This dual role shaped her career-long sensitivity to rhythm, language and character construction.
Unlike sketch performers who rely on repetition or catchphrases, O’Hara’s humour emerged with a different comedic logic. Audiences laughed not because the character was “funny”, but because the character took herself so seriously.
Though briefly cast on Saturday Night Live in the early 1980s, O’Hara chose to stay with SCTV when it was renewed, a decision she later described as key in letting her creative career flourish where it belonged.
The transition to film
By the mid-1980s, O’Hara was establishing herself as a screen presence. She appeared in Martin Scorsese’s offbeat black comedy After Hours (1985), and showcased her comic range in Heartburn (1986).
In 1988, she landed what would become one of her most beloved film roles: Delia Deetz in Tim Burton’s left-field Beetlejuice (1988).
Delia – a pretentious, New York art-scene social climber – allowed O’Hara to combine physical comedy and imbecilic dialogue (“A little gasoline … blowtorch … no problem”).
Burton once noted
Catherine’s so good, maybe too good. She works on levels that people don’t even know. I think she scares people because she operates at such high levels.
She went on to play Kate McCallister, the beleaguered mother in the holiday blockbusters Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). Audiences loved the fact that this rather thinly written role became the films’ beating heart.
Working with Christopher Guest
Another distinctive phase of O’Hara’s career was her work with writer-director Christopher Guest on a series of largely improvised mockumentaries that have become cult classics.
Three standouts were Waiting for Guffman (1996), where she plays a desperate local performer in a small-town theatre troupe, and A Mighty Wind (2003), where she teamed up with old pal Levy as an ageing folk duo.
Her best turn came in Best in Show (2000), in which she and Levy played a couple competing in a national dog show. Her character Cookie Fleck remains one of the finest examples of improvised comedy on film. https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ay1cJ1QMOms?wmode=transparent&start=0
Her relentless monologues about former lovers are objectively inappropriate, yet O’Hara delivers them with such earnest enthusiasm that they become strangely compelling.
Her gift for improvisation glittered in these films: these eccentric characters were often laugh-out-loud funny – but O’Hara never mocked them.
Late success
She returned to TV in Six Feet Under (2001–05) and guest appearances on The Larry Sanders Show (1992–98) and Curb Your Enthusiasm (1999–2024). More recently, she appeared in prestige shows such as The Last of Us (2023–) and The Studio (2025–).
But it was the role of Moira Rose, the eccentric, ex-soap opera star in the Canadian sitcom Schitt’s Creek (2015–20), created by Eugene Levy and his son Dan, that would become O’Hara’s most significant late career move. And what a role it was!
Written for O’Hara’s unique talents, Moira was a larger-than-life character with a bizarre, unforgettable vocabulary, dramatic mood swings and a wardrobe that became nearly as famous as the character herself.
Feminist media scholars have noted the rarity of such complex roles for older women, particularly in comedy, making O’Hara’s performance culturally significant.
The show became a global streaming blockbuster during COVID lockdowns and O’Hara’s multi-award-winning performance became a social media phenomenon, spawning memes and viral clips.
There are so many standout moments – her drunken meltdown after losing her wigs, her audition for The Crows Have Eyes 3 and the show’s moving finale where she performs Danny Boy at Alexis’s graduation.
An enduring legacy
O’Hara had a remarkable ability to play flamboyant, self-absorbed characters who were often uproariously funny.
Many comedians and actors have cited O’Hara as an influence for her fearlessness, her ability to blend absurdity with emotional truth, and her steadfast commitment to character integrity. She influenced performers like Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
O’Hara also refused to chase conventional stardom. Rather than choosing projects designed to flatten her eccentricities, O’Hara favoured collaborative environments that valued creativity over control.
For her, comedy was always an art of intelligence, empathy and generosity.
Ben McCann, Associate Professor of French Studies, Adelaide University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Entertainment
Catherine O’Hara and the Late-Night TV That Stayed With Me
A personal reflection on watching Catherine O’Hara on SCTV during late-night television and how those early performances shaped a lifelong love of character-driven comedy.
Catherine O’Hara and the Late-Night TV That Shaped a Generation of Comedy Fans
From a personal point of view, one of my earliest memories of Catherine O’Hara doesn’t come from a movie theater or a prime-time sitcom. It comes from the quiet glow of late-night television, long after most of the house had gone to sleep.
As a youngster, I remember staying up late enough to catch Second City Television (SCTV), which aired after Saturday Night Live and Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. That meant it didn’t come on until around 1:30 a.m. Pacific Time, deep into Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Even at that young age, I knew I was watching something different. The humor felt sharper, stranger, and somehow smarter — and Catherine O’Hara stood out immediately.
Even before I understood why it was funny, I understood that it mattered.
Late-Night Television as a Classroom
Looking back now, it’s clear that late-night television quietly shaped my taste in comedy. SCTV didn’t feel like it was aiming for the widest possible audience. It felt like it trusted the viewer to catch up. Catherine O’Hara’s performances weren’t just about delivering punchlines — they were about inhabiting characters completely, no matter how absurd, subtle, or offbeat they were.
That kind of comedy asks you to pay attention. And for a kid watching far past his bedtime, it was oddly captivating. I didn’t have the vocabulary for “character work” or “commitment to the bit,” but I recognized authenticity when I saw it. O’Hara had it in abundance.
Seeing the Through-Line Years Later
As the years went on, Catherine O’Hara kept showing up in new places — and each time, something clicked. In Beetlejuice, there was that same fearless weirdness. In Home Alone, she brought warmth and panic and humanity to what could have easily been a one-note role. She grounded the chaos without ever dulling it.
Then came Schitt’s Creek. By the time Moira Rose entered our cultural vocabulary, it felt less like a reinvention and more like a full-circle moment. The bold choices, the musicality of her voice, the unapologetic commitment — it all traced back to those SCTV performances from decades earlier.
Moira Rose didn’t come out of nowhere — she came from years of late nights, sharp instincts, and fearless comedy.
Why Those Early Moments Matter
What I didn’t realize at the time was that those 1:30 a.m. viewings were teaching me how to appreciate comedy that lingered. Not everything had to land immediately. Not every joke needed a laugh track. Some performances simply stayed with you.
Catherine O’Hara’s work did exactly that. It stayed. Through different decades, formats, and genres, her performances carried a consistency of intelligence and heart. For many of us who grew up sneaking glances at late-night television, she became a familiar presence — someone who trusted the audience enough to go all in.
A Personal Goodbye
With news of her passing, those memories feel closer than ever. Not just of Catherine O’Hara the icon, but of Catherine O’Hara the performer who helped shape how many of us learned to watch comedy. She wasn’t just funny — she was formative.
Late-night television doesn’t always get credit for the role it plays in shaping taste, curiosity, and imagination. But for those of us who were there, watching quietly while the rest of the world slept, it mattered. And Catherine O’Hara was a big part of why.
— STM Daily News
For more on her early career in comedy, see Forbes retrospective on Catherine O’Hara’s career history and influence. [oai_citation:3‡Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahabraham/2026/01/30/how-catherine-ohara-became-beloved-across-three-generations-from-sctv-to-home-alone-to-schitts-creek/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Learn about the cultural impact and awards for Schitt’s Creek Schitt’s Creek Wikipedia overview. [oai_citation:4‡Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schitt%27s_Creek?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
See a broad overview of her life and legacy from PBS NewsHour PBS retrospective. [oai_citation:5‡pbs.org](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/catherine-ohara-emmy-winning-actor-and-comedian-of-schitts-creek-fame-dies-at-71?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
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