38 May 30 • 2019
jn
38 May 30 • 2019
jn

DEADWOOD RETURNS 
The Western series Deadwood was 
set in the 1870s in the famous South 
Dakota town. It ran on HBO 
for three years (2004-06) 
before being abruptly can-
celed despite getting great 
reviews (ratings were so-so 
and it was a costly program 
to produce). Right after the 
cancellation, HBO and show 
creator David Milch, now 
74, had talks about winding 
up the plot lines via two tele-
films, but they never could 
come to a solid agreement. 
The successful re-booting 
of many TV shows led to 
renewed talks and, on May 
31, HBO will premiere a 
two-hour Deadwood movie 
that advance reviews say is 
a great wind-up of a very 
good show. All the still-living 
stars of the original series 
returned, including Robin 
Weigert, 49, as Calamity 
Jane; Timothy Olymphant as 
(real) lawman Seth Bullock; 
and John Hawkes as Sol 
Star (1840-1917), a real 
Jewish Deadwood mer-
chant who was Bullock’
s 
best friend. Star served as 
Deadwood’
s mayor in the 
1880s. 
Sadly, this movie marks 
the end of Milch’
s creative 
life. In 2015, he was diag-
nosed with Alzheimer’
s and 
there’
s a great article in the 
May 27 issue of the New 
Yorker (also online) about 
how he is coping with the 
disease. It seems like his 
family is his anchor. His 
wife, Rita Stern, has stood 
by him through his drug 
addiction and an incredibly 
bad gambling addiction that 
wiped them out financially. 
His daughter, Olivia Milch, 
24, who co-wrote Ocean’
s 
8, helped her father with the 
Deadwood movie script. 
Ask Dr. Ruth, a documentary about the 
famous sex and relationship counselor, 

will premiere on Hulu on June 1. Dr. 
Ruth Westheimer, 90, talks candidly 
about her whole life, including surviving 
the Holocaust, and fighting and getting 
wounded in Israel’
s War of Independence. 
The film got very good reviews when it 
played many recent film festivals, includ-
ing Sundance. The film is 
full of interesting details, 
like her original name, 
Karola Ruth Siegel, and her 
height (4 foot-7 inches). But 
the most interesting thing, 
to me, is how she just 
shines with an infectious 
joy of life.
 

PLATT ALL OVER 
THE PLACE
Broadway star Ben Platt, 
25, who won the Tony 
in 2017 for best actor 
in a musical (Dear Evan 
Hansen), is now on a 
limited tour in which he 
is promoting his debut 
solo album, Sing to Me. 
He was in Detroit May 4. 
The album consists of 12 
original songs, all written by 
Platt. Many of the tunes are 
soulful pop ballads detailing 
Platt’
s journey as an openly 
gay man searching for love. 
Platt came out publicly this 
year. He came out as gay 
to his parents when he was 
12. He told a recent concert 
crowd he told his parents, 
on the phone, when he 
was in Israel and they were 
home in Los Angeles.
Last February, it was 
announced that Platt would 
co-star in The Politician, an 
upcoming Netflix series. It’
s 
described as a “music-driv-
en” satirical comedy about 
a wealthy politician from 
Santa Barbara. The series 
is being produced by the 
same three guys who 
produced the hit musical 
series Glee. One of those 
producers is Brad Falchuk, 
48, who married Gwyneth 
Paltrow, 46, last year. 
Paltrow is reportedly in talks 
to be in the show. Barbra 
Streisand, 77, is also reportedly consid-
ering appearing in The Politician. ■

NATE BLOOM

COLUMNIST

David Milch

Robin Weigert

Dr. Ruth Westheimer

Gwyneth Paltrow

celebrity jews
arts&life

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Check out the first two episodes of 

“
Sissy’
s Kitchen,
”
 where you’
ll learn how to make 
Matzah Lasagna 

and 
Black and White Macarons;
 

watch them on YouTube by searching 

“
Sissy’
s Kitchen”
 or view them on our website,
 

thejewishnews.
com.

Kitchen

Sissy’s

thejewishnews.
com: 
https://thejewishnews.
com/2019/04/18/sissys-
kitchen-black-and-white-macarons-recipe/

https://thejewishnews.
com/2019/04/11/sissys-
kitchen-matzah-lasagna-recipe/

The DJN teamed up with local 
Chef Sissy Yellen to create two 
kosher for Passover recipes you 
can serve all year round!

