Celebrity Extra: Katie Holmes
By Dana Jackson
Q: I recently started rewatching the Netflix show "Suits," the one Meghan Markle acted in before she married Prince Harry. Are they going to have new episodes or just reruns? -- K.L.
A: "Suits" is the latest series to amass a huge audience after Netflix began making the original episodes available to its subscribers. It ran for nine seasons on the USA Network, ending in 2019, and was then made available to subscribers of Peacock and Amazon Prime Video. However, this past June, the streaming giant Netflix acquired it, and the ratings soared, making it "one of the biggest shows on the planet," according to TVLine.
"Suits" is just one of several series that expanded its audience by millions once it hit Netflix. Other notable ones include "Lucifer" and "Manifest." Gene Klein, executive producer of "Suits," told TVLine that he's not currently aware of any planned revival of the show with new scripts and new episodes (once the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild strikes get resolved), but that he wouldn't be surprised if he got a call someday with a proposal. When asked if Markle would be among the returning cast members, he concluded that he didn't believe it was possible.
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Q: Is it true that Katie Holmes was almost cast as the lead in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"? How many years was this before "Dawson's Creek"? -- C.L.
A: Yes, according to a recent story by TV Insider, Katie Holmes is one of several now-famous stars who were almost part of the "Buffy" universe. This was around 1996, before "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" premiered on UPN the next year, but Holmes reportedly turned down the role because she chose to finish high school instead. Sarah Michelle Gellar was subsequently chosen, and it's hard to imagine anyone other than her in the role. Meanwhile, in 1998, Holmes debuted as Joey on another series, "Dawson's Creek," and went on to become a big star in Hollywood.
Future A-lister Ryan Reynolds said he turned down the chance to play Buffy's wisecracking pal Xander because he "didn't want to play a guy in high school." Reynolds had just come out of high school in real life and said it was "awful." The part ended up being perfectly cast with actor Nicholas Brendon.
Katie Holmes ("Dawson's Creek"). Photo Credit: Depositphotos
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Q: How is Madonna doing after she nearly died a few months ago? Was she in a coma? -- H.H.
A: Madonna was rushed to the hospital after being found unresponsive at her home on June 24. Fortunately, the singer-actress lived to see another day, but had to postpone her tour, which was set to launch a few weeks later. She spent several days in intensive care, where she was intubated for a serious bacterial infection, but she appears to have made a full recovery. She plans to reschedule her U.S. tour dates to follow the European leg of her tour, which begins in October.
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.