The Nutty Professor

CHICAGO – The person in the middle of The Slap seen around the world – upon Chris Rock by Will Smith at the 94th Academy Awards – was Will’s wife of 24 years, the actor and musician Jada Pinkett Smith. She had shaved her head due to a diagnosis of alopecia, and Chris Rock raised Will Smith’s ire by making a joke about Pinkett Smith appearing in “G.I. Jane 2,” a reference to her military grade style. Jada Pinkett Smith was photographed in 2008 by Joe Arce and interviewed in 2015 by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com.

CHICAGO – Jerry Lewis had a long and winding life, dying last week at the age of 91. Through that life he had many show business lives – including the inevitable addictions – surviving all of the them with his signature comic style. He also was featured in over 70 films, and HollywoodChicago.com remembers three of them.

LAS VEGAS – For Jerry Lewis, the “King of Comedy” wasn’t just a mere nickname, but an apt description for his long career and influence. He went from being the most popular entertainer of an era, to notable and studied filmmaker, to charity spokesperson and finally to comic legend. Jerry Lewis died in Las Vegas on August 20th, 2017. He was 91.

CHICAGO – After what many considered to be a rather dull and boring host in James Franco and an overly perky and strangely excited job by Anne Hathaway, the 2012 edition of the Academy Awards will be hosted by a completely different talent: actor/comedian Eddie Murphy. Rumors spread this past weekend that Murphy was in the running for the position and the Academy confirmed the speculation was true this morning when they officially named Murphy the host.

CHICAGO – The Hollywood Celebrities & Memorabilia Show yields many surprise guests, and it is the actresses who often have the most interesting stories. Tippi Hedren (”The Birds”), Stella Stevens (original “The Nutty Professor”) and Karen Lynn Gorney (”Saturday Night Fever”) shared their insights.

Rating: 1.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Tom Shadyac was on top of the world. He had directed several blockbuster comedies including “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “Bruce Almighty.” “The Nutty Professor,” and more. When he got into an accident and found himself the victim of a syndrome that made him welcome coming death, he reached that revelatory moment that often happens to people in horrible situations as he reassessed not only his value system but that of the entire world. He chronicled his journey for “I Am,” a well-intentioned documentary that is just too unfocused, scattered, and philosophically thin to matter.

CHICAGO – Jada Pinkett Smith was photographed close up on Oct. 28, 2008 by the HollywoodChicago.com lens while on the red carpet at the North American premiere of her directorial debut “The Human Contact” at the 2008 Chicago International Film Festival.