SNL's Kumail Nanjiani and Wonder Woman Gal get candid about personal lives

Kumail Nanjiani and Gal Gadot interview each other on 'Actors on Actors' 

The Wonder Woman wowing the box office — Gal Gadot and Saturday Night Live's most recent host, Pakistani-American actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani interviewed each other on the show 'Actor on Actor', getting candid about their personal lives and struggles. 

They also shared the experiences of their recent projects. Here's how their conversation went:

Nanjiani: So how did you end up playing Wonder Woman? How did that happen?

Gadot: It's kind of one thing led to the other. I never planned on becoming an actor, and then I had this opportunity where this casting director flew to Israel; she was looking for a new Bond girl. I did the audition, didn't get the part, but through this experience, I was like, "This is so much more interesting than going to law school."

Nanjiani: You were in law school?

Gadot: Yeah, I know. Thank goodness life interrupts and comes in the way. It was weird because I didn't know they were auditioning me for Wonder Woman. I knew I was auditioning for this secret project.

PHOTO: VARIETY

Gadot: I read that you didn't want to be an actor either. What are you doing here?

Nanjiani: I don't know what happened. Huge mistake. My parents wanted me to be a doctor.

Gadot: They wanted me to be a lawyer. We have so much in common.

Nanjiani: We're both immigrants. We play immigrants in our movies.

Gadot: We both get asked all the time, "How do I pronounce your name?"

Nanjiani: So I decided pretty early on the fact that I didn't want to be a doctor because the stakes are so high. Like if we mess up, we get another take. With a doctor, the worst-case scenario is much worse, right? And I sort of fell in love with comedy. From the stand-up, it went into writing and then into acting. The first thing I acted in that I wrote for was a show called Michael and Michael Have Issues. I was like, 'Oh, my God, this is going to be my life. This is going to be great' — it lasted six episodes. Really, I've been in the right place at the right time over and over.

PHOTO: VARIETY

Gadot: I get really emotional and excited when it's little kids. To them, I'm not Gal. To them, I'm Diana. I'm Wonder Woman. It's funny how this movie was so broad, touched different people, different ages, different cultures. I got photos from people that I work with or friends that their grandparents went to see it with their wheelchair and everything. It's been really overwhelming. Right now, in the eye of the storm, I enjoy it and I appreciate the amazing feedback. But I think that it's going to take me time to really digest and realize what's happening.

Watch the full interview here:

Wonder Woman Gal and SNL's Kumail get candid on interview with each other

The Wonder Woman wowing the box office — Israel's Gal Gadot and SNL's most recent host — Kumail Nanjiani, Pakistani-American actor and comic, interviewed each other on the show Actor on Actor.

The candid conversation gives insight into the personal lives and struggles of both actors.

They also share the experiences of their recent projects.

Nanjiani: So how did you end up playing Wonder Woman? How did that happen?

Gadot: It's kind of one thing led to the other. I never planned on becoming an actor, and then I had this opportunity where this casting director flew to Israel; she was looking for a new Bond girl. I did the audition, didn't get the part, but through this experience, I was like, "This is so much more interesting than going to law school."

Nanjiani: You were in law school?

Gadot: Yeah, I know. Thank goodness life interrupts and comes in the way. It was weird because I didn't know they were auditioning me for Wonder Woman. I knew I was auditioning for this secret project.

Gadot: I read that you didn't want to be an actor either. What are you doing here?

Nanjiani: I don't know what happened. Huge mistake. My parents wanted me to be a doctor.

Gadot: They wanted me to be a lawyer. We have so much in common.

Nanjiani: We're both immigrants. We play immigrants in our movies.

Gadot: We both get asked all the time, "How do I pronounce your name?"

Watch the full interview here:

Michael Jackson's impact on art revealed in new show

Pop legend Michael Jackson's "huge impact" on contemporary art will be explored in a new exhibition in Paris and London next year.

The "groundbreaking" show claims it will tell the "untold story" of how the king of pop became "one of the most influential figures in art of the last half century", inspiring artists from Andy Warhol to David LaChapelle and Grayson Perry.

Works featuring Jackson by some 40 artists including Gary Hume, Maggi Hambling, Catherine Opie and Yan Pei Ming will be brought together for the first time in "Michael Jackson: On the Wall" at the National Portrait Gallery in London in June, before the show travels to the Grand Palais in Paris in November.

Jackson is credited with helping turn the music video into an art form, and of popularising the robot and moonwalk dance moves.

Curator Dr Nicholas Cullinan, who runs the London gallery, said the show takes "an entirely new and quite radical approach by exploring the cultural impact of a unique figure through contemporary art."

Jackson was trying to revive his waning controversy-dogged career when he died aged 50 in 2009 from an overdose of the anaesthetic propofol on the eve of a comeback tour.

By then he had sold more than 184 million records and CDs, with his 1982 album "Thriller" still the biggest seller of all time.

Cullinan said the exhibition "breaks new ground in its subject matter" and in the range and origin of the artists involved, all fascinated by "what Jackson represented and what he invented".

"It is rare that there is something new to say about someone so famous, but here that is the case," Cullinan added.

Selena Gomez most-followed on Instagram, Ronaldo climbs

LOS ANGELES: Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo muscled his way into Instagram's top-followed ranks this year as he documented his career and growing family, but pop star Selena Gomez still reigned supreme on the social media platform.

Ronaldo, who was named Forbes' highest-paid soccer player this year with $93 million in earnings, climbed to No. 2 with 116 million followers on Instagram, up from 82.8 million followers and the No. 6 slot last year.

Gomez remained the most-followed person on Instagram with 130 million followers this year, up from 103 million last year.

Ronaldo, 32, a striker for Real Madrid, has posted numerous photos and videos on Instagram this year both on and off the soccer field. He notched three of the ten most-liked posts on Instagram this year, all documenting his growing family.

The athlete announced that he was a father to newborn twins born to a surrogate mother in June, in a post that garnered more than 8.2 million likes. His most popular post clocked more than 11 million likes in November, announcing the birth of his baby daughter with his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez.

In 2010, Ronaldo said he became father to a son and had full custody. The mother's identity was not publicly announced.

Facebook Inc-owned Instagram has more than 500 million daily active users and 800 million monthly active users. The platform allows users to post photos, videos and this year introduced instant 'stories,' where posted videos and photos disappear after 24 hours.

Singers Ariana Grande and Beyonce held onto the third and fourth most-followed spots with 115 million followers and 108 million followers respectively this year, while reality star Kim Kardashian West held onto the fifth spot with 104 million fans.

Beyonce's February photo announcing her pregnancy with twins was the most-liked photo on Instagram this year, with more than 11.1 million likes.

Taylor Swift dropped from No. 2 to No. 6 after the 27-year-old disappeared from social media earlier this year after a highly publicized breakup with British DJ Calvin Harris and feuds with Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

She returned to Instagram in August with a scrubbed Instagram profile and promoted her new music on her feed.

Among the data compiled by Instagram between Jan. 1 and Nov. 17, the most popular hashtag used was #love, the city most featured in posts was New York and the most-Instagrammed location was Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

US radio host Garrison Keillor fired over claim of improper behaviour

Author and radio personality Garrison Keillor listens to US President Barack Obama speak at a campaign rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US October 23, 2010. — Reuters FILE

LOS ANGELES: Veteran US radio host Garrison Keillor, creator of the folksy show "A Prairie Home Companion," has been fired over an accusation of inappropriate behaviour, Minnesota Public Radio said on Wednesday.

"Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) is terminating its contracts with Garrison Keillor and his private media companies after recently learning of allegations of his inappropriate behaviour with an individual who worked with him," the organisation said in a statement. It gave no details.

David O'Neill, a representative of Keillor did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Associated Press reported that Keillor said in an email he was fired over "a story that I think is more interesting and more complicated than the version MPR heard," but he gave no details.

Reuters was not able to independently confirm the allegations.

Keillor, 75, an author and humourist, is best known as the creator of "A Prairie Home Companion," which he hosted from 1974 to 2016.

MPR said it would end rebroadcasts of "The Best of A Prairie Home Companion," hosted by Keillor, as well as distribution and broadcast of his show "The Writer's Almanac."

It said the allegation relates to Keillor's time as a producer of "A Prairie Home Companion." MPR was notified last month and retained an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation.

"While we appreciate the contributions Garrison has made to MPR and to all of public radio, we believe this decision is the right thing to do and is necessary to continue to earn the trust of our audiences, employees and supporters of our public service," Jon McTaggart, president of MPR, said in the statement.

Junaid Jamshed's son will touch your hearts with this emotional tribute to his father

Babar (left) pictured with his late father Junaid Jamshed. 

Junaid Jamshed passed away in a tragic plane crash last year, leaving behind him, a vast legacy.

His son, Babar, has recorded a song to pay tribute to his late father.

The song, called Meray Baba [my father], has touched hearts of the many fans of the musician-turned-evangelist.

Syed Zeeshan Ahmed is the man behind the video.

The tune has been mixed, mastered, and composed by Kashan Admani.

Babar has a few naats including Yeh Subhe Madina and Mera Dil Badal De to his credit.

Avengers: Infinity War trailer marks beginning of the end

The much-awaited trailer of Avengers: Infinity War was finally released on Wednesday and it is everything you hoped for.

Directed by Russo brothers Infinity War, which marks the beginning of the end of the first arch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, features all of the Avengers we have encountered in the last 10 years.

The trailer begins outlining a plan for the Avengers— assembling Earth's mightiest heroes — and then showing how Thanos is going to tear them apart. The villain also possesses two Infinity Stones, one which he is seen taking from Vision (played by Paul Bettany).

"In time, you will know what it will be like to lose," Thanos (played by Josh Brolin) warns the Avengers and other shot shows him taking over the Earth and pummeling Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr).

The shots from Wakanda are also shown, where Black Panther (Chad Boswick) commands his forces to stop the invasion. The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Black Widow with blond hair (Scarlett Johansson) and Captain America (Chris Evans) are also present there which could be a reference to a post-credits scene from Civil War when Cap asked Blank Panther to take Bucky under his protection.

The ending of the trailer references an Easter egg spotted in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, showing that Asgard and the Guardians are in the same cosmic universe. An Odin-like Thor, who lost his eye during a battle with his sister Hela in Ragnorok, meets Guardians of the Galaxy. 

The movie is expected to release in May 2018.