Everybody’s talking about Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, as the film finally hits screens after a pandemic-enforced delay.
The new all-singing and all-dancing Amazon Prime Video original movie about a teenager who wanted to live out his drag queen ambitions at his school prom, hails from humble beginnings.
Starting life as a BBC Three documentary in 2011, producers followed the real-life story of Jamie Campbell from Sheffield, who was told he would not be allowed to wear a dress for his year 11 prom, despite wanting to.
It captured the imagination of writer Tom MacRae and songwriter Dan Gillespie-Sells – the lead singer of The Feeling, who turned the story in to a musical which, initially, was only ever supposed to get a two-week run in a Sheffield theatre.
“It’s amazing that when we just got commissioned to do two weeks in Sheffield for a show that had no star names, no story, no new songs and basically no publicity budget,” MacRae told Sky News.
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“And we thought we’ll have two weeks, we’ll do a nice show and have fun. Everything that’s happened from the back of that all those years ago – it’s still hard to take in.”
MacRae credits an unlikely group of people for the show’s success too – saying he’d lost hope after a disastrous dress run and was unsure if anyone would even see the musical, but was vindicated when punters queued round the block to see this new piece of work.
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“I worked out it was our cleaning ladies who’d heard us rehearse and they told their friends, ‘you’ve got to see the show’.
“So as everything took off, I could say, hand on heart, we owe it all to the cleaning ladies at the Sheffield Crucible Theatre and just the people of Sheffield who had come and supported us.”
That short run in Sheffield though was all they needed to send the story stratospheric, with MacRae saying it was in that space of time that a West End show and a movie had been agreed.
Jamie Campbell, who inspired the show and film, says he never dreamed anything like this would be possible.
“I just didn’t think it would get to this point – but now it feels amazing,” he told Sky News, the morning after the film’s premiere.
And while the story centres on Jamie and his mission to wear a dress to his school prom, he says the story is much more than that – it’s about helping people take control of their own lives.
“The dress isn’t just a dress – the dress is almost like a metaphor for anything that you want to do,” he said.
“You might not want to go to a prom in a dress, but you might want to do something else, and I hope people take the power to do whatever that something else is and just go for it and not be scared and ashamed, and not to live for other people. It might be scary, but just go for it.”
And what about seeing the likes of Oscar-nominee Richard E Grant in a film based on his life? Or BAFTA and National Television Award winner Sarah Lancashire? Or Corrie royalty Shobna Gulati?
“It’s just madness,” Jamsaid.
“Sarah Lancashire (who plays Jamie’s mum in the film) is an absolute icon, I love her and was so happy with the portrayal as well.
“Richard Grant – he’s a national treasure, so for him to come in and play Loco Chanel (the drag queen mentor), so beautifully and so respectfully as well… I have a lot of love and respect for him because he wanted to do it justice, and I think he did do that.
“And I mean Shobna Gulati, who plays Ray (Jamie’s mum’s best friend), she is absolutely incredible as well, so funny and so very talented – it’s just been absolutely incredible.”
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Shobna Gulati: It’s so moving to watch on-screen representation
Gulati is a special member of the film’s cast, having previously performed the musical in the West End as well as currently touring the UK with it.
Best known for playing Sunita for 12 years on Coronation Street, Gulati says that diversity in this film is something truly worth celebrating.
She told Sky News: “It’s so moving to watch on-screen representation.
“I’ve been in the industry a long time and to be a part of this process, bringing this story, at this moment, means everything to me.
“Watching the kids dancing and everybody on that screen, I thought ‘I’ve never seen that before in my life’… and I’m just so happy to be there celebrating with everybody else.”
The story’s diversity is undoubtedly part of its success, with the stage show choosing to cast people from a number of ethnically diverse backgrounds and put them centrally in the narrative – something underlined by Jamie’s best friend, Pritti Pasha.
Pritti is a Muslim teenager who wears a hijab and is rarely made-up – a complete antithesis to the bombastic Jamie.
She’s played in the film by Lauren Patel, who told Sky News: “Any kind of story that one provides a bit of joy and a bit of comfort to people, and anything that makes people feel seen, deserves to be told.
“I think that the lovely thing about the representation in this film is it’s all just a small part of these very 3D characters to me. Jamie and Pritti, and the fact that it’s set in working class Sheffield and stuff, they’re all just small pieces of this whole little Jamie puzzle.”
But the biggest piece of the Jamie puzzle is Max Harwood, who makes his film debut in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie as the titular character.
He told Sky News that he was proud to be part of such an openly queer film, but that the story could easily relate to others with bold ambitions.
“I think that the specificity of it is incredibly, incredibly important, but actually what I love so much about this story more than anything… is that this story has such universality about it and that it can be for everyone.
“Gone are the days where hopefully queer films are sidelined and not in the mainstream and in a subsection of movies… this film is a family film for everyone.
“The lead character just happens to be queer, and it happens to be a story about him wanting to be a drag queen – it could easily be a story about him wanting to be a doctor or a surgeon. I hope that people can see and relate to the different things in it.”
But something everyone agrees on is the unbridled joy that this film exudes – and ultimately why the cast, crew and creatives want you to see it.
In a statement released to the media, Parks And Recreation star Plaza, 40, said: “This is an unimaginable tragedy.
“We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”
Baena, a director and screenwriter, worked with Plaza on 2014 horror film Life After Beth and 2017 historical comedy The Little Hours.
The couple had been in a relationship since about 2011 and married in 2021.
Previously, Plaza told The Ellen DeGeneres Show she and Baena “got a little bored one night” during the COVID pandemic and decided to wed after celebrating their 10th anniversary.
She said after finding a wedding officiant online to perform the ceremony in their garden, she “created a very quick love altar in our yard” where they married.
Baena wrote 2020 thriller Horse Girl, starring Alison Brie, and 2022 dark comedy Spin Me Round, both of which he also directed.
He also co-wrote the 2004 comedy I Heart Huckabees alongside director David O Russell, which boasted a stacked cast that included Jude Law, Jason Schwartzman, Dustin Hoffman, Naomi Watts, Lily Tomlin and Mark Wahlberg.
Baena created the anthology comedy series Cinema Toast, which had an episode directed by Plaza and another starring Community actress Brie.
On X, Hollywood actor and comedian Marc Maron wrote: “Very sad about the tragic loss of a true artist and sweet guy.”
Sundance Film Festival, where Baena’s directorial debut Life After Beth premiered in 2014, wrote: “We extend our heartfelt thanks to Jeff Baena for sharing his stories and contributing to the lasting memories we’ve built together.
“Jeff, we’ll miss your wit, humour, and daring vision. Rest in peace, friend.”
Plaza had been announced as a presenter at Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony earlier this week before her husband’s death.
Director Brady Corbet, who won best director for his film, The Brutalist, said in his acceptance speech: “My heart is with Aubrey Plaza and Jeff’s family.”
Plaza was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2023 for her role in the second series of HBO dark comedy White Lotus and is also known for Disney+ series Agatha All Along, and films including Megalopolis, My Old Ass, Ingrid Goes West, Dirty Grandpa and Emily The Criminal.
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed it attended the residence where Baena died and said a coroner will lead the investigation.
If you are in need of support, Samaritans run a helpline which is open day and night, 365 days a year, on 116 123. You can also email jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
RuPaul has said his “heart is broken” following the death of former Drag Race winner, The Vivienne.
The drag queen and TV presenter said on Instagram on Monday he joined the entire Drag Race universe in mourning the loss of The Vivienne, whom he called “an incredibly talented queen and a lovely human being”.
The Vivienne, whose real name was James Lee Williams, won the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019.
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The 32-year-old’s death was confirmed by their publicist Simon Jones on Sunday evening.
Danny Beard, who won the reality show in 2022, called The Vivienne “a proper entertainer” and “one of the most passionate, talented, geeky, girls I’ve ever known” and their death meant “there’s a piece missing now”.
Cheddar Gorgeous, that year’s runner-up, said on Instagram they had lost “a peer, a friend and an icon”, adding that “the entire world of entertainment grieves” and it was “impossible to make sense of such sadness”.
Bagachipz said on social media they would “talk to you before I go onstage for every single show I do”, calling The Vivienne a “powerhouse when you hit that stage”.
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The Vivienne, 32, rose to prominence in 2015 after becoming the UK Drag Ambassador for the American series of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
The show sees drag queens competing in front of a panel of judges to become the next drag superstar.
The Vivienne, whose drag name came from their love of designer Vivienne Westwood, later competed in the first UK series of the show in 2019, going on to win it after lip-syncing in the final to the Wham! hit I’m Your Man.
Williams, who was born in Wales, also came third on the 2023 series of Dancing On Ice.
A spokesman for Cheshire Police said officers were called to a house in Chorlton-by-Backford, near Chester, at 12.22pm on Sunday following reports of a sudden death.
The force said there were “no suspicious circumstances”.
Emilia Perez and The Brutalist were the big film winners at this year’s Golden Globe Awards, with Shogun and Baby Reindeer leading the field for TV.
Emilia Perez, an operatic musical which tells the story of a Mexican drug lord who changes gender, was named best comedy or musical, best non-English language film and also won best song, while star Zoe Saldana picked up the award for best supporting actress.
Accepting the film’s top award, trans actress Karla Sofia Gascon, 52, told the audience: “The light always wins over darkness. You can maybe put us in jail. You can beat us up. But you never can take away our soul or existence or identity… I am who I am. Not who you want.”
Postwar epic The Brutalist won the awards for best drama, best actor for star Adrien Brody – who plays a Hungarian architect attempting to build a life in the US after the Second World War in the film – and best director for Brady Corbet.
There were also acting wins for Demi Moore (The Substance), Sebastian Stan (A Different Man), Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here) and Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain).
Moore, 62, gave an emotional speech as she collected her statuette, saying it was the first award of her 45-year acting career and that she was “in shock” to beat the likes of Wicked star Cynthia Erivo and Challengers actress Zendaya.
“Thirty years ago, I had a producer tell me that I was a popcorn actress,” she said, adding that it made her feel that while she could make box office hits, she would never be “acknowledged”. When she came across the script for The Substance, however, she said it felt like the universe telling her, “you’re not done”.
The Wizard Of Oz prequel blockbuster Wicked, the most talked about film of the year, missed out on acting awards for its stars Erivo and Ariana Grande, but took home the cinematic and box office achievement prize.
In his speech, director Jon M Chu said: “In a time where pessimism and cynicism rule the planet, that we can still make art that is a radical act of optimism that is empowerment and that is joy… this means so much to all of us.”
Baby Reindeer and the other TV wins
In the TV categories, Japenese historical drama Shogun dominated, picking up three acting awards for its stars Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai and Tadanobu Asano, and also the prize for best drama.
Baby Reindeer also had a successful night, with a supporting gong for actress Jessica Gunning, and the award for best limited series.
The series, about a comedian and barman who is stalked by an older woman, was a huge hit and criticially acclaimed, but has more recently made headlines for facing a lawsuit from a woman who says the show identified her as the “real” Martha, the character played by Gunning.
Accepting the award, creator and star Richard Gadd told the audience that people often ask him why such a dark show has been so successful.
“I think in a lot of ways, people were kind of crying out for something that… spoke to the kind of painful inconsistencies of being human,” the 35-year-old said. I think for a while now, there’s been this kind of belief in television that stories that are too dark and complicated won’t sell and no one will watch them.
“So I hope that Baby Reindeer has done away with that theory. Because I think right now, when the world’s in the state that it’s in, and people are really struggling, we need stories that speak to the complicated and difficult nature of our times.”
Gadd missed out on the acting award in the show’s category – which was won by Irish star Colin Farrell, 48, for his portrayal of Batman villain Penguin in the series of the same name.
Farrell, who wore heavy prosthetics as he campaigned to be the new kingpin of Gotham in the show, joked on stage that he had “no one to thank” and that he “did it all by myself”.
The ceremony in Los Angeles was hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser, who made jokes about everything from Ozempic, the drug being used for weight loss by Hollywood stars, to Sean “Diddy” Combs – who has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking and racketeering and is currently in jail awaiting trial after being arrested last year.
“Welcome to the 82nd Golden Globes, Ozempic’s biggest night,” Glaser said as she opened the ceremony.
She also referenced the huge A-list support for Kamala Harris in the election – and how it didn’t translate to a win.
“You could really do anything… except tell the country who to vote for,” she said.
Ahead of the evented, authorities said they had implemented “increased security measures” following the vehicle attack in New Orleans and Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion on New Year’s Day.
A heavy police presence surrounded the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles, with a wider and more enforced perimeter than usual around the hotel.