Keeping Up with Megan Fox

What's up with American actress and model, Megan Fox?

Megan Denise Fox was born on May 16, 1986 in Oak Ridge Tennessee and raised in Rockwood, Tennessee.  Her father, Franklin Thomas Fox, a parole officer, and her mother, Gloria Darlene (née Cisson), a real estate manager, divorced when she was just three years old.  Megan's mother eventually remarried and Megan and her sister were raised by their mother and stepfather, Tony Tonachio.  

At the age of five, Megan studied dance and drama.  At 10, she moved to Port St. Lucie, Florida, where she continued her training and completed her schooling.  At 13,, Megan began modelling after receiving awards at the 1999 American Modeling and Talent Convention in Hilton Head, South Carolina.  She eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.

Megan made her acting debut as a spoiled heiress in the 2001 romantic comedy Holiday in the Sun. The film was released direct-to-DVD.  Although she is widely known for her 2007 role as Mikaela in the action film Transformers and its 2009 sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.  She also starred as Jennifer in the 2009 comedy/horror film Jennifer's Body.  Although Megam is primarily regarded as a film actress, she does have some television credits.  

From 2002 to 2003, Megan Fox starred as Ione Star in Ocean Ave. a low budget Swedish-American daytime soap opera.  She also appeared as Cassandra Ridgeway in  three episodes of the short-lived sitcom The Help.  From 2004 to 2006, Megan portrayed Sydney Shanowski on the ABC sitcom Hope and Faith.  From 2016 to 2017, she had the recurring role of Reagan in 15 episodes of the Fox TV comedy New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel.

Megan Fox 2009
PHOTO CREDIT: About nicolas genin | Flickr

On June 24, 2010, Megan married American actor and rapper Brian Austin Green in a private ceremony at the Four Seasons Resort on the island of Maui in Hawaii.  They had three sons together: Noah Shannon Green (born 2012), Bodhi Ransom Greem (born 2014) and Journey River Green (born 2016).  Megan filed for divorce in 2015, but the couple reconciled.  However, on April 25, 2019, Megan filed for divorce a second time.    

Brian Austin Green

Megan and rapper, songwriter and actor Machine Gun Kelly (real name: Colson Baker) are an item right now.  They met on the set of their upcoming film, Midnight in the Switchgrass and Megan has appeared in his music videos.  On Friday, June 25, 2021, the two were spotted walking hand in hand after attending a Yungblud concert at Whisky A Go-Go in West Hollywood, California.  Last weekend, The heavily-tattooed Machine Gun held a surprise rooftop concert in Venice Beach, California.

Machine Gun Kelly (PHOTO CREDIT: 
Erik Drost on Flickr

On June 28, 2021, Megan Fox appeared on Today, NBC's morning show, to promote her latest film movie, a horror flick called Till Death.  Her three children crashed the interview, after they awakened.  They had fallen asleep on the living room sofa after watching a movie.  Megan stated that she wishes she could put her children "back into that two, three-year-old period because it's hard to watch them grow up so quickly."

END NOTES

* Megan admits to suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder and low self-esteem.  

* Megan has had plastic surgery.  She had a nose job because of the width of her nose profile.  She also had a cleft, a vertical dent at the front tip of her nose.

* In 2010, Megan was the victim of a gang of  criminals known as the Bling Ring or or Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch.  They targeted her because of her prominence in the fashion industry and robbed her home for her possessions.

SOURCES:  

CNN (CNN.com), "Megan Fox's kids crashed her 'Today' interview," by Lisa Respers France, June 29, 2021;  People, "Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly Walk Hand-in Hand Together After Attending Yumgblud Concern in L.A. (msn.com), by Nicholas Rice, June 2021; Life & Style (life and style/ emag,com); "Plastic Surgery: See Megan Fox's Transformation Right Before Your Eyes," May 7, 2021; Wikipedia; Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

- Joanne

Y&R Report (June 19, 2021): The Latest on The Young and the Restless

Hey Y&R fans, every second Saturday TV Banter discusses the latest happenings and provides commentary on your favourite daytime drama. Note to U.S. readers - SPOILER ALERT: Here in Canada, I watch the show on Global TV which is one episode ahead of CBS.  I will inevitably refer to incidents you haven't seen yet.  Read at your own risk.  If you are the curious type, though, you may prefer to discover some things in advance.

Hi fans,

As regular readers know, I have been writing this column for many years now.  The pandemic has been long and difficult, so I have decided to take a break for the summer.  I need to recharge my batteries and work on my second novel.  This column will return on Saturday, September 18, 2021.  Don't forget to mark that date on your calendars.  Thanks for your continued support and readership.  It is much appreciated.  If you would like to contact me during the summer, I will respond to your emails.

So, Ashland Locke is dying and it appears that Princess Victoria Newman wants to gain control of his media empire.  Is Ashland really dying or is it just a ruse, a ploy to manipulate everyone and get what he's really after?  Why would he make that up that story about his dire medical condition and what would he have to gain from it?  Victoria has proposed a merger between Ashland's company and Newman Enterprises.  He has accepted her proposal.  Is this ruthless media baron so smitten with Victoria that he would readily agree to the merger.of their two companies?  Are the two playing games with each other?  Victoria doesn't have any romantic interest in Ashland, so she is definitely using him for her own advantage.  She admitted to Billy that she has a plan.  Ashland couldn't be that naive, could he?  Maybe it doesn't bother him because he's dying anyway and he wants to enjoy his final days with Victoria.  Another possibility is that Ashland will recover his health by some miracle cure.  He won't die and the whole dynamic of the situation will change.  

I haven't discounted the possibility that Tara will eventually marry Jack in order to remain at the Abbott mansion and lead an extravagant lifestyle.  However, that scenario does seem rather creepy, given that Jack is the grandfather of Tara's child.

As I've suspected, Little Miss Tara is not as sweet and innocent as she appears to be.  She's cold and calculating. She wants Summer out of the picture so she can enjoy a happy family life with Kyle and Harrison.  Tara wants it all, including the Abbott mansion.  It's been a while, but she's finally ripped off her mask.  Summer saw the real Tara for the first time when Tara threatened to keep Kyle away from Harrison if Summer did not accept the job with the fashion house in Italy.  

In some ways, Tara is a more formidable opponent for Summer. than Sallly Spectra.  Sally is openly aggressive and forthright.  Meanwhile, Tara is  soft-spoken and she has an angelic face.  She keeps her claws hidden.  As Summer discovered, Tara pounces unexpectedly,  She launches surprise attacks.

Both Tara and Sally have sharp claws and they are both very dangerous and determined.  Still, it's hard to believe Summer would have allowed herself to be intimidated so easily.  She could have found a way to alert Jack and Kyle to Sally and Tara's threats and manipulations.  At least she has called upon Phyllis for support.  Snowflake's mother is worldly and tough.  Phyllis has seen through Miss Tara from the beginning.  She has never trusted her.  When they lock horns, Phyllis will put her in her place.

I must say that it's still hard to believe that Tara would turn out to be a villain and that Ashland would become a much more sympathetic character.  I don't think Sally and Tara's plan will work.  I can't see Summer moving to sunny Italy and I haven't heard that Hunter King, who portrays Summer, is leaving the show.  So, what is going to happen?  Only the writers know for sure.  All we can do is keep on watching.  They've got us hooked.

Will Noah Newman return to Genoa City soon?  He has been mentioned a few times lately and Victor and Adam would like him to join their new company, Newman Media.  As Y&R fans know, Noah has been working in London, England.  When last seen, the character was still being portrayed by Robert Adamson.  If he returns wilto Genoa City, Noah willl have to become involved in a storyline.  Right now, I can't think of a storyline where he would fit in.  I'll have to give it some more thought.

Is Chance coning back?  Y&R continues to tease us bout his return.  Somebody seems to be watching Abby and spying on her.  My guess is that the stalker is the bad guy that Chance is pursuing.  I think Chance will show up and capture the bad guy, but that Mariah will fall and lose the baby in the upheaval.  Sad to say, but I can't see that baby being born and  I expect that Abby will be devastated, as she was when she had a miscarriage.  A new actor will begin playing the role of Chance.  Chance will do his best to comfort Abby, but she will be inconsolable for a long time.  Of course, this is all speculation, but it makes sense to me.

The writers are making a huge mistake with the Amanda storyline.  They are getting bogged down in the details of Sutton's  history.  There have been endless, repetitive conversations about people we've never seen.  The storyline would be much more interesting if it were more focused on the present with the interaction of Amanda's family.

VIEWER FORUM

If you have any comments on Y&R, please email them to me with "Viewer Forum" in the subject line. I will be happy to publish your comments and reply to them  You do not have to use your real name. 

My email address:  jmadden16@yahoo.ca

I recently chatted with longtime Y&R viewer, Helen in Scarborough, Ontario.  Helen doesn't believe that Ashland has mellowed so much that he is willing to forgive Victor for forcing him to sign a contract when he was having a heart attack.  Helen also had something to say about Moses Winters.  Moses has focused all his energy on becoming a doctor.  The teenager has seemed so certain about his  vocation.  Yet, when Dr, Nate had an allergic episode after eating crab meat, Moses became quite upset and wondered if his strong reaction meant that he was not cut out to be a doctor.  Devon tried to reassure him, but for the first time, Miles questioned whether he was meant for a career in medicine.  Helen pointed out that Moses paid a visit to Victor's office and sat behind the desk there.  Could it be, Helen asked, that Moses is destined for a business career like his father, Neil?

Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL

Richard Burgi (Ashland Locke)

Do you think Ashland Locke is rally dying, or is he making the whole story up?  Is he faking it to fool everybody.  What do you think, fans?  Respond to the poll below and let me know.

Is Ashland Locke really dying?

Yes, Why would he make up a story like that? What would he have to gain from it?

No. He's faking it. I don't trust him.

I don't know.

Other

Please Specify:

That's all for now.  Have a great summer and stay safe.  See you in September.  Enjoy the Daytime Emmys.  I am really looking forward to the show on Friday, June 25th. 

- Joanne

Dub Taylor: The Great Unknown Character Actor

"Acting is the most embarrassing business in the world.  You never know when you're going to eat."

- Dub Taylor, as quoted in his Los Angeles Times obituary, October 5, 1994

"I don't care about winning an Oscar.  I'm just an actor who can play parts and make people believe them."

- Dub Taylor, as quoted in Augusta.com

As filmmaker Mark Ezra Stokes said of Dub Taylor, "He pops up in everything."  Most people have seen Dub Taylor's face in movies and on television, but they don't remember his name.  Dub was never a handsome leading man, but he was a legendary character actor who made his mark on the American entertainment scene.  He often played grizzled sidekicks in Westerns,.  His career spanned decades in motion pictures and on television.  Walter Clarence Taylor, Jr., known professionally as "Dub," was born in Richmond, Virginia on February 26, 1907, the third of the five children of Walter and Minnie Taylor.  The U.S. census of 1920 recorded that Walter Jr. had two older sisters, Minnie Margaret and Maude, a younger brother, George, and a little sister named Edna.  

When Dub was five years old, his family moved to Augusta, Georgia where his father, Walter Sr., worked as a cotton broker.  One of Dub's best friends In Augusta was Ty Cobb Jr. and he would sleep over at the Cobb home. Dub also spent some of his early years in Oklahoma and in South Carolina, where he attended military school in Greenville.

Dub began his show business career in vaudeville, playing the harmonica and the xylophone in New York City.  During his nearly six decades as an actor, he appeared in about 150 motions pictures, bit he never played a leading role in any major film.  His first film appearance was in the 1938 Frank Capra classic You Can't Take It With You in which he played the part of ex-football captain Ed Carmichael.  He won the role because of his ability to pay the xylophone.  In another Capra classic, 1939's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur, Dub portrayed a reporter.

Dub also originated the role of Cannonball in The Taming of the West (1939), a role he continued to playin many films.  "Cannonball" was the comic sidekick to "Wild Bill" Saunders, played by Bill Elliott.  Although Dub Taylor frequently portrayed heavyset cowboys and hillbillies, his roles were many and varied.  He was certainly a prolific TV actor.  

Through the years, Dub Taylor made numerous guest appearances on television.  Some of these include the Death Valley Days (nine episodes from 1954 to 1967); I Love Lucy ("Lucy Goes to the Rodeo, Season 5, Episode 8, Air Date: November 28, 1955); four episodes of The Andy Griffith Show (one episode in 1960, twio in 1963 and one in 1968); Dennis the Menace (three 1960 episodes in which he portrayed Opie Swanson); Perry Mason (1961); The Twilight Zone (1962); Hazel (three episodes from 1962 to 1963 in which he portrayed Mitch Brady); 77 Sunset Strip (1963); My Three Sons (1963), Dr. Kildare (1963); My Favorite Martion (1964); The Wild Wild West (1965, 1967); The Monkees (1967); That Girl (1967); Gunsmoke (seven episodes from 1966 to 1970); The Odd Couple (1971); Hawaii Five-O  (1971); The Mod Squad (1968, 1971); The Partridge Family (1971); Alias Smith and Jones (1971); Bonanza (six episodes from 1967 to 1971); Love American Style (three episodes from 1970 to 1973); Emergency! (1973, 1974); McMillan and Wife (1977); Little House on the Prairie (four episodes from 1980 to 1981 in which he played Houston Lamb); The Cosby Show (1988); Designing Women (two episodes, the first in 1989, the second in 1990, in which he played Daddy Jones); Law and Order ("Scoundrels,' Season 5, Episode 9, Air Date: November 30, 1994).

Dub Taylor in scenes from 1955 I Love Lucy episode

The 1994 Law and Order episode, in which he portrayed Arthur Kopinsky was Dub Taylor's last television acting appearance.  His final film appearance was a cameo role as a hotel clerk in the film 1994 film Maverick, starring Mel Gibson, James Garner and Jodie Foster.

According to the IMDb and Family Search websites, Dub wed Florence Gertrude Heffernan wed on April 21, 1931.  They remained married until Florence's death in on October 10, 1987 at the age of 81.  The couple had two children, including a daughter, Faydean Taylor Tharp and a son, Walter Clarence Taylor III, known as "Buck.".  Buck appeared with Dub in Conagher, a 1991 Turner Network television film, a Western, starring Sam Elliott, a friend of Buck's, and Elliott's wife, Katharine Ross.  

Dub Taylor died of congestive heart failure in West Lake Village, California on October 3, 1994.  He was 87 years old at the time of his passing.           

END NOTES

* Here's how Dub Taylor explained why he is called "Dub."  As a boy, he was nicknamed "W" for Walter.  The "W" was eventually shortened to just "Dub."

* Dub portrayed Ivan Moss, the father of a gang member, in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway (Ivan was the one who told the police where to find Bonnie and Clyde).  In Back to the Future III (1990), Dub played Levi, an old fellow in the Palace Saloon.

Dub in Bonnie and Clyde

* Dub was an avid hunter and he often visited Mexico

* Dub was known for his trademark bowler hat.

* For six seasons (1985-1991), Dub made weekly appearances on the long-running TV country-music show, Hee Haw.  He was mostly seen in the Lulu's Truck Stop skit.

* Dub was the gravelly-voiced man in the Hubba Bubba bubblegum commercials in the early 1980s.  Dub also appeared in a 1994  "Dip Off" commercial for Pace Foods in which he and two other contestants use Pace Picante Sauce in their dips, while another competitor used a "Mexican sauce" as a secret ingredient.  Dub's character declared that the sauce was actually made in New York City.

* A feature length documentary about the life of Dub Taylor, That Guy: The Legacy of Dub Taylor, had its  premiere on April 14, 2007 at Morris Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia..  The documentary was directed by Mark Ezra Stokes.  According to a press release for the film, "Taylor's recurrence in popular films, without gaining notoriety among the average American moviegoer," is what fascinated Stokes about Dub.  Dub's son, Buck, and his grandchildren, Matt and Cooper, were interviewed for the film."

* Buck Taylor, born May 13, 1938 in Hollywood, California, is a veteran actor and an artist.  He is a graduate of North Hollywood High School, where he was a skilled gymnast, although he failed to qualify for the 1960 Olympics.  Buck served in the United States Navy for two years.  He creates water colour and acrylic paintings of cowboys, horses and native Americans.

From 1967 to 1975, Buck portrayed deputy Newly O'Brien on the long-running CBS series Gunsmoke.  Newly O'Brien arrived in Dodge City as a gunsmith, but later became a deputy marshal.  From 2018 to 2020, Buck has played Emmett Walsh in four episodes of the Amazon Prime series Yellowstone. The series stars Kevin Costner and it chronicles the fortunes of a ranching family in Montana.

Buck Taylor

SOURCES: Los Angeles Times obituary, "Dub Taylor, Character Actor," by Myrna Oliver; October 5, 1984; Futurepedia (backtothefutur.fandom.com/wiki), "Dub Taylor; Augusta.com; James Works Entertainment Press Release, "World Premiere of That Guy: The Legacy of Dub Taylor, April 14, 2007 at Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, Georgia;" Wikipedia; Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

- Joanne

Y&R Report (June 5, 2021): The Latest on The Young and the Restless

Hey Y&R fans, every second Saturday TV Banter discusses the latest happenings and provides commentary on your favourite daytime drama. Note to U.S. readers - SPOILER ALERT: Here in Canada, I watch the show on Global TV which is one episode ahead of CBS.  I will inevitably refer to incidents you haven't seen yet.  Read at your own risk.  If you are the curious type, though, you may prefer to discover some things in advance

Hi fans,

Tara Locke is nicely ensconced in the Abbott mansion, isn't she?  She really enjoys living there and she is certainly in no hurry to move anywhere else.  Her husband, Ashland, is ruthless and controlling, but methinks Little Miss Tara has an agenda of her own.  It seems as if she's still sweet on Kyle Abbott, despite her expressions of regret about how her actions are causing so much grief for Summer.  However, I think Tara may wind up in a marriage of convenience with Jack.  Here's why: Now that Ashland knows about Harrison's true paternity, he's angry and vindictive.  Despite his ruthless business reputation, Locke truly loves Harrison.  He will do everything in his power to win custody of the little boy from Tara.  He's already changed the grounds of the divorce suit to adultery.  The custody battle is going to be bitter and nasty, especially since Ashland feels so betrayed.

Tara seems to like older, wealthy men, and Jack Abbott certainly fits the bill.  As for Jack, he would certainly marry Tara in order to protect Harrison and Tara from Ashland.  He would love to have his sweet little grandson around him all the time?  They could be one happy family and Tara could be the Lady of the Abbott Manor.  Kyle would certainly approve that setup.  It would get him off the hook with Tara and he would be free to marry Snowflake, who feels left out.  Not only that, but his biological son would be living in the the Abbott home and Kyle would be able to see him as often as he wanted.  Everyone would be happy, except Ashland; but what about the welfare of an innocent three-year-old?

Unfortunately, the biggest loser in this divorce and child custody battle will be Harrison.  The adults profess to love the child and they want to protect him.  Instead, they are confusing poor Harrison by putting him in the middle of their tug-of-war.  He's far too young to understand what's happening.  Now, he's been told he has a father and a daddy.  It's all too much for the child.  The adults in Harrison's life could write a manual on how to mess up a little kid.

Meanwhile, Princess Victoria Newman also has her own agenda.  Much to her mother Nikki's disapproval, she's decided to cozy up to Ashland Locke.  It's not that Victoria has any romantic feelings for powerful media mogul.  She is still hooked on Billy Boy Abbott.  Victoria hasn't fooled anybody by bringing a plant to Billy and Lily and wishing them well.  Yet she sees some personal and business advantage in being on friendly terms with Ashland.  To put it bluntly, she intends to use Locke.  Loke is not stupid and he will know that Victoria is just using him.  However, he will probably use her for his ow purposes too.  Maybe it won't matter to him.  He will just enjoy the attention of a woman who just happens to be Victor Newman's daughter and the CEO of Newamn Enterprises.

According to an online spoiler, Elena is going to have some competition in her quest to win Dr. Nate's heart - when she's not daydreaming about Devon.  At first, I thought the good doctor was bonding with Lola, but it doesn't seem that way now, especially since Genoa City's favourite chef is in Miami for the time being.  Now I think Nate's new love interest will be Amanda's half-sister, Imani Benedict.(Leigh-Ann Rose).  There seemed to be a spark when Imani was introduced to Nate recently.

Kudos to Y&R for its wonderful tribute to Kristoff St. John and his character, Neil Winters.  The episode was very tastefully done and it captured the very essence of Neil, his love for jazz music, his habits and his hangouts.

CAST NEWS

Y&R's Daytime Emmy Nominations

The 48th Annual Daytime Emmys will soon be upon us.  They air on Friday, June 25 on CBS.  Don't forget to mark that date on your calendars.

Here is a list of Daytime Emmy nominations for Y&R.

Mellissa Claire Egan (Chelsea Lawson) has been nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Marla Adams (Dina Mergeron) and Courtney Hope (Sally Spectra) have both been nominated in the category of Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Bryton James (Devon Hamilton) has been nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

Alyvia Alyn Lind (ex-Faith Newman) has been nominated for Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series.

Y&R has been nominated for Outstanding Writing Team for a Drama Series, Outstanding Directing Team for a Drama Series and Outstanding Lighting Direction for a Drama or Daytime Fiction Program.

The little boy who plays Harrison Locke on Y&R

Kellen Enriquez, the blond, curly-haired tyke who plays 3-year-old Harrison Locke on Y&R, is already making his mark.  Kellen is a newcomer to soaps and not much information is available about him at this time.  He is believed to be about four years old.  It is thought that he was born in 2017.  All I know that anyone could overdose on his cuteness.

Jess Walton (Jill) announces some terrible news

Jess Walton, who plays Jill on the Y&R, recently revealed some devastating news on social media.  Her husband John's cancer has returned.  John James and Jess married in 1980 and have two children together.  John is an author and an expert  in grief conselling.  He founded the Grief Recovery Institute, which provides training for grief specialists worldwide.

John had successful surgery for a malignant tumour on his neck and he was deemed cancer-free..  Unfortunately, his situation has changed and Jess has asked for the thoughts and prayers of her fans.

Y&R REPORT READERS' POLL

I have listed Y&R's nominees for a Daytime Emmy.  Now I want to know what you think, fans.  Who deserves the Emmy most?  Respond to the poll below and let me know. 

Which of the following Y&R Daytime Emmy nominees best deserves to win?

Marla Adams (Dina Mergeron)

Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea Lawson)

Courtney Hope (Sally Spectra)

Bryson James (Devon Hamilton)

Alyvia Alyn Lind (ex-Faith Newman)

I don't know.

Other

Please Specify:

Created with PollMaker

NOTE TO READERS

If you have any comments on Y&R, please email them to me with "Viewer Forum" in the subject line. I will be happy to publish your comments and reply to them  You do not have to use your real name.  I really need your input.  I really need to hear your opinion.  I want to know if you agree or disagree with me. 

My email address:  jmadden16@yahoo.ca

That's all for now.  Please remember that the next edition of Y&R Report will appear in this space on Saturday, June 19, 2021.

Take care,

Joanne