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Adam Lambert dishes on auditioning for 'A Star is Born'
A star was born.
It just wasn't Adam Lambert.
The American Idol alum was a guest this week on the "Brenda, Call Me!" podcast with Courtney Act and Vanity, where he revealed that he auditioned for the role of Ally's (Lady Gaga) best friend in the 2018 A Star is Born remake (h/t NME):
"It’s funny, I auditioned for that part in A Star Is Born? It was so funny to me, because they told me about it and they were like ‘She’s going to have like a gay best friend’ and I was like ‘Okay, that could be cute’ and then I got the script and it was like… he was a Latin American character, like he was a Latino character.
You know his name was Latino, a lot of the slang that he was using, he was calling her ‘Mami’ and all this stuff and I was like ‘Now how is this gonna work? Should I just not go to the audition? This is not my part.'"
The character's name is Ramon. The role went to Anthony Ramos, who has also starred on Broadway in Hamilton and will star in this summer's feature-length musical film In The Heights. In A Star is Born, Ally and Ramon work together at a catering hall before Ally catches the eye of rockstar Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper). Ramon is by Ally's side as their romance develops and her solo star rises.
The Cooper-directed film was nominated for eight Oscars, winning for best achievement in music written for motion pictures (original song) for "Shallow." Gaga became the first woman ever to claim an Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA and Golden Globe because of her leading role.
Lambert has been plenty successful on his own, though. The 39-year-old stepped in as the lead vocalist for Queen—touring together on five separate occasions though a studio album has not been put out by this version of the legendary rock band. As a solo artist, Lambert has released four albums—most recently Velvet last March—was nominated for a Grammy in 2011 ("Whataya Want From Me").
During his conversation on the podcast, the Broadway veteran discussed his experience touring with Queen and teased a musical he is in the process of writing.
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TODAY'S BEST
Ellen DeGeneres Sets Career Comeback Following Comments About Missing Daytime Show
Ellen DeGeneres is making some new career moves three years after the end of her eponymous talk show. Deadline reported on Thursday, July 24, that DeGeneres has signed with WME to represent her in all aspects of her career, except for comedy tours. The update comes after her longtime manager, Eddy Yablans, moved from CAA to become a partner at LBI Entertainment in December 2024. Yablans will continue to represent DeGeneres for LBI Entertainment and Yorn, Levine, Barnes. The TV personality’s new representation seemingly hints at a Hollywood comeback, especially after she shared that she misses hosting The Ellen DeGeneres Show “a lot” during a Sunday, July 20, interview with Richard Bacon. During the event, held at the Everyman Theatre in the English town of Cheltenham, she also admitted that she’s unsure if the show’s format would work in the U.K. “I mean, I wish it did, because I would do the same thing here,” DeGeneres shared, per the BBC. “I would love to do that again, but I just feel like people are watching on their phones, or people aren’t really paying attention as much to televisions, because we’re so inundated with information and entertainment.” Michael Rozman/Warner Bros. Though she didn’t confirm what her next project will be, DeGeneres noted that she’s handling the next phase of her career “very carefully.” She said, “I just don’t know what that is yet. I want to have fun, I want to do something. I do like my chickens but I’m a little bit bored.” After breaking TV barriers with her self-titled ’90s sitcom, Ellen, DeGeneres became a daytime TV staple with the launch of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2003. The show ran for 19 seasons until it ended in 2022, following the aftermath of allegations that the show fostered a toxic workplace environment. DeGeneres released her final comedy special, For Your Approval, in 2024, and moved to England with her wife, Portia de Rossi, that same year. During her Sunday conversation with Bacon, DeGeneres confirmed that the couple had moved across the pond due to President Donald Trump‘s re-election. “We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, ‘He got in,'” she explained. “And we’re like, ‘We’re staying here.'” DeGeneres went on to gush about life in England, calling her new home “absolutely beautiful.” She continued, “We’re just not used to seeing this kind of beauty. The villages and the towns and the architecture — everything you see is charming and it’s just a simpler way of life. … It’s clean. Everything here is just better — the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here.” DeGeneres has shared several glimpses of her life abroad with fans via Instagram. “Our sheep keep coming inside,” she captioned a June 16 clip of her and di Rossi’s farm animals inside of their house. “To be fair, we do have a piece of furniture that looks like a sheep, but that one doesn’t try to eat our rugs.”
Pelicans' exec makes team's stance on Zion Williamson crystal clear
It’s wild how quickly the NBA narrative can flip. A year ago, Zion Williamson was in every trade rumor possible. People were questioning his health, his work ethic, even his future in New Orleans. And the Pelicans? They didn’t really deny any of it. It felt like both sides were one step away from walking. But things have shifted this offseason — quietly, but clearly. The Pelicans could’ve pulled the plug. Zion’s contract gave them outs, and the trade market might’ve still brought back some real value. Instead, they stuck with him. And based on what one of their own just said, they’re not just keeping him around — they’re still betting big on him. In a recent interview with Spotrac’s Keith Smith, an anonymous Pelicans executive made it crystal clear. “Zion is still our guy. We’re all in on him. We think he’s going to have a huge year. We’ve had some bad injury luck and some things that just haven’t worked out. This partnership hasn’t even come close to reaching our best yet.” That’s not something you say if you’re halfway in. They backed it up with their offseason moves, too. They traded CJ McCollum and brought in Jordan Poole, a high-usage creator who can take pressure off Zion. They drafted Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 pick, a dynamic young guard. They added Kevon Looney, a reliable veteran who brings playoff experience and toughness. Those aren’t tear-it-down moves — those are “let’s try this another way” moves. Of course, Zion’s health is still the question. That never really goes away. He played just 30 games last season, but in those games he looked solid: 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night on 56.7 percent shooting. The explosiveness was there. The playmaking was sharp. And the hope for New Orleans is that this time, he can finally sustain it. What’s interesting is how the front office is trying to create a better environment around him. Joe Dumars has stepped in to lead basketball operations and is reportedly building a closer relationship with Zion — dinners, real conversations, not just surface-level stuff. It feels like, for once, the team is trying to meet him halfway. It’s a risk, sure. But it’s a calculated one. The West is brutal and the margin for error is thin. Still, if Zion can stay healthy for 60 games, and if Poole finds a rhythm and guys like Trey Murphy and Herb Jones keep improving — this team has a shot to be in the mix. The quote from the exec says it all. They could’ve hit reset, moved on, cleaned house. But they didn’t. They’re still in. And now it’s on Zion to hold up his end of the deal. After everything that’s happened, they’re telling the world they still believe. Now it’s time to find out if they’re right.
Lakers’ Shake Milton Already Finds New Home Days After Release, Signs 2-Year Deal
Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Shake Milton has found a new home. More news: Lakers’ Luka Doncic Has Reportedly Already Agreed to Massive Contract Extension With LA Days after the Lakers waived him, Milton will take his talents overseas. The 28-year-old is signing a two-year deal with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews shared the news via X. More news: Lakers Insider Urges Team to Make Major Change to Starting Five Milton spent most of the 2024-25 season with the Lakers after being acquired in a trade in late December from the Brooklyn Nets. Milton was reportedly in advanced talks to sign with the team as early as Thursday morning. The two sides were discussing a possible deal, and both parties came away satisfied with the talks. The former 2018 second-round pick will take his talents overseas for the first time in his professional career. Milton started his career with the Philadelphia 76ers after he was drafted and traded by the Dallas Mavericks. He has played for five other NBA teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Nets, and the Lakers. In 30 games for the purple and gold this past season, Milton averaged 3.9 points per game, 1.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.3 steals per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from beyond the arc in 11.5 minutes of action. He started in one game for the Lakers. Overall, in his NBA career, Milton has played in 359 games, averaging 8.1 points per game, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from 3-point range. The Lakers waived Milton in order to make room for former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. More news: Lakers Confident in Luka Doncic Signing Massive Long-Term Extension: Report For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
Bucks executive opens up on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors
The Milwaukee Bucks' decision to waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard sparked even more Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors on social media. There were already reports that Antetokounmpo was considering his options and potentially forcing his way out of Milwaukee, and the Lillard move did little to alleviate the situation. Nevertheless, the weeks have gone by, and Antetokounmpo is still a Buck. More importantly, the team believes that's not going to change any time soon. "We have no indication that anything is really changing as far as our relationship with the player we think is the best in the world," a Bucks front office executive told Spotrac's Keith Smith. "We rebuilt on the fly, in a really challenging situation, but we think we did it as well as it could be done." Antetokounmpo trade rumors have cooled off around the league, and while anything can happen in the NBA, that doesn't seem likely at this point. "Do I think the star guys like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) or LeBron (James) are going to go anywhere? Nope. Is it possible? Sure is," said a Western Conference executive. Giannis chose to stay in Milwaukee with one of the most lucrative contract extensions in NBA history. He was overly critical of the team's effort last season, and another early playoff exit may have driven him to the edge. Even so, he's talked about how he wants to win "the right way," as opposed to chasing rings. That said, with head coach Doc Rivers' long list of questionable postseason performances and a championship window that could be closing right before their eyes, Giannis trade rumors will flood social media again if the Bucks get off to a slow start during the 2026-26 campaign.
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