Ellen Page in lesbian military drama Lioness

Ellen Page in lesbian military drama Lioness

Cinematographer turned director Reed Morano will direct Ellen Page in the upcoming biographical film about US lesbian and Marine Lance Corporal Leslie Martz and her deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan

Ellen page in Lioness

American cinematographer turned director Reed Morano has been named as the director of the upcoming Ellen Page movie Lioness.

Lioness will tell the true story of US Marines Lance Corporal Leslie Martz and her deployment to Iraq, and Afghanistan where she gathered intelligence about Taliban rebels by befriending their wives.

Martz was appointed to lead a Female Engagement Team during her Afghan deployment which aimed to foster women’s rights in the country and build bridges between US military personnel and Afghanistan’s women and girls.

However Martz was in the closet to her bosses to avoid being fired under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and began to find herself torn between her desire to impress her superiors while remaining loyal to the Afghan woman and children she had come to see as friends.

Morano has not directed a major LGBTI themed film before. However she has worked on a number of similarly themed films in recent years as cinematographer including 2013’s Kill Your Darlings, starring Daniel Radcliffe as beat poet Allen Ginsberg, and 2014’s The Skeleton Twins, starring Bill Hader as the gay half of a brother and sister pair of twins.

Page, who is openly lesbian, also portrayed a woman in a same-sex relationship in this year’s film Freeheld which tells the true story of New Jersey police detective Laurel Hester (played by Julianne More) and her battle to have her pension benefits transferred to her domestic partner after she is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Lioness will begin filming in early 2016.

Uzo Aduba wins second Emmy for Orange is the New Black role

Uzo Aduba wins second Emmy for Orange is the New Black role

emmy for orange is the new blackActress Uzo Aduba has won her second Emmy award for her portrayal of Orange is the New Black character Suzanne ‘Crazy Eyes’ Warren.

Uzo Aduba wins second Emmy for Orange is the New Black role.
The star, who in 2014 picked up an Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy, has won her second award this year for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama for her work as the same character.

Aduba’s character Suzanne Warren, known as Crazy Eyes, initially proved popular with fans for her pie-throwing and crush on Piper Chapman. Her role has been expanded since her recurring status in Season 1 to a regular in Seasons 2 and 3.

In an emotional acceptance speech, one of the speeches of the night, she said of the show’s creator, Jenji Kohan: “if I could say thank you a thousand times it would not be enough to cover the amount of thanks I feel.”

She continued, through tears, to thank as many people as she could including Netflix, her fellow cast members, her personal team and her family.

She said of them all: “I love you mostly because you let me be me.”

Aduba ended by highlighting her strong relationship with her sister, adding: “I am humbled to call myself your sister.”

Jennifer Beals on “The L Word”

Jennifer Beals on “The L Word”

 

Interview with Meredith Vieire.
From the Meredith Vieire show

Jennifer Beals on "The L Word"

Jennifer Beals talks about the impact The L Word had on her and on fans. #FeelRealGoodJennifer-Beals.com

Posted by The Meredith Vieira Show on Friday, September 18, 2015

Good to hear Jennifer again on the L Word!!

Really nice!