ADVERTISEMENT JUNE 2, 2020 US $9.99 JAPAN ¥1280 CANADA $11.99 CHINA ¥80 UK £ 8 HONG KONG $95 EUROPE €9 RUSSIA 400 AUSTRALIA $14 INDIA 800 OUTSTANDING C & ALL OTHER C OMEDY SERIES CATEGORIES MICHAEL SCHNEIDER VARIETY’S EMMY® EXPERT Michael Schneider has covered the business of television for over 25 years creating content & commentary that TV award voters trust. IN THE RUNNING WEEKLY COLUMN & NEWSLETTER AWARDS HQ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AWARDS HEAT VIDEO SERIES EMMY DAILY VIDEO SERIES MY GUILTY PLEASURE VIDEO SERIES “THE BIG TICKET PODCAST” SPECIAL EPISODES AWARD SEASON ARTICLES DISTRIBUTED ACROSS VARIETY PLATFORMS READ. WATCH. LISTEN. SHARE. INSIDE INDYA MOORE BOWEN YANG COUPLES IN LOVE DRAG GOES DIGITAL POWER OF PRIDE Cara Delevingne ON THE PATH TO ACCEPTANCE , EMBRACING HER PANSEXUALITY AND INSPIRING YOUNGER FANS By Ramin Setoodeh P.24 POWER OF WOMEN 2020 HONOREES CATE BLANCHETT PATTI LUPONE JANELLE MONÁE PREVIOUS VARIETY POWER OF WOMEN HONOREES PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS LAVERNE COX JENNIFER GARNER ONE-HOUR SPECIAL CELEBRATING TIFFANY HADDISH GIGI HADID NICOLE KIDMAN THE BRAVE WOMEN SERVING ON THE FRONTLINES OF THE PANDEMIC WATCH ON LIFETIME & FACEBOOK BLAKE LIVELY HELEN MIRREN NATALIE PORTMAN TUESDAY, JUNE 9 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET HOSTED BY ROBIN ROBERTS MUSICAL PERFORMANCE BY ANDRA DAY NEW STAGES Platinum-selling radio personality, reality-show star and rapper Da Brat, who takes on a new role in the touring production of “Set It Off,” comes out at 46. P.42 P.2 4 Taking Pride CONSULTATION: MARA ROSZAK/A-FRAME; SHIRT: SCOUT LA; JEWELRY: LIZZIE MANDLER LIZZIE MANDLER JEWELRY: SCOUT LA; SHIRT: MARA ROSZAK/A-FRAME; CONSULTATION: in Herself @IAMHONESTLYBEAUTIFUL Cara Delevingne talks about her pansexuality, discarding labels and inspiring others. By RAMIN SETOODEH P.3 4 Bucking the System A new generation of gender- nonconforming performers fights for its place in the industry. By MEG ZUKIN P.4 4 Celebration of Love Variety sits down with some of showbiz’s enduring LGBTQ couples. Plus: The Power of Pride List. (THIS PAGE) PHOTOGRAPH BY DONTE MAURICE; WARDROBE: JESSECA DUPART; MAKEUP: NIKIA DEJOIE @MRSMAKEUP_ARTIST; HAIR: EBONY BURGESS EBONY BURGESS HAIR: NIKIA DEJOIE @MRSMAKEUP_ARTIST; MAKEUP: DUPART; JESSECA WARDROBE: DONTE MAURICE; BY PHOTOGRAPH (THIS PAGE) (COVER) PHOTOGRAPH BY BEAU GREALY; WARDROBE: MARYAM MALAKPOUR/THE ONLY AGENCY; MAKEUP CONSULTATION: MOLLY R STERN/A-FRAME; HAIR R STERN/A-FRAME; MOLLY MAKEUP CONSULTATION: AGENCY; MALAKPOUR/THE ONLY MARYAM WARDROBE: GREALY; BEAU BY PHOTOGRAPH (COVER) VARIETY 3 CONTENTS TOP BILLING P.1 1 13 THE WRITE STUFF Under Threat Playwright Matthew López on Larry Kramer, Terrence As people take to the streets around McNally and Mart Crowley the U.S. to protest against racism and police brutality, Black journalists 14 VENUE VEXATION are increasingly finding themselves Studios increasingly look at the targets of aggression. streaming options to launch films in limbo due to COVID-19 18 IN THE RUNNING New streamers are starting to muscle into Emmy contention 19 THE BIG TICKET “Cheer” breakout Jerry Harris talks about his newfound fame and staying humble EXPOSURE 21 DEVOUR A look at fashionable Pride collections that benefit LGBTQ advocacy groups 23 DIRT Recording artist Pharrell sells his Laurel Canyon home FOCUS 59 ASIA-PACIFIC UPDATE Variety checks in on the in- dustry’s status in the region EIN/NETFLIX; ELLIS: AMY MAYES ELLIS: AMY MAYES EIN/NETFLIX; ARTISANS 67 COLOSSAL TALENT A new biography underscores the importance of “King Kong” composer Max Steiner P.2 2 68 FANTASY CREW Barry Sonnefeld Bruce McDonald gives his pro- puts Telluride duction crew lots of leeway property on block on key “Dreamland” sequence 69 CUTTING EDGE Post-production work is thriv- ing as editors work from home REVIEWS “There has been a lot of progress, 71 TV but more needs to be done. We “Space Force” P.7 1 aren’t at a place where LGBTQ 72 MUSIC people can’t be fired or denied “RTJ4” service because of who they are or “Space Force” who they love.” 73 FILM review Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, on “Shirley” why the organization is so vital P.74 PROTESTER: LARRY W SMITH/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK; SONNEFLED’S HOUSE: AURELIE SLEGERS/TELLURIDE PROPERTIES; SPACE FORCE: AARON EPST AARON FORCE: SPACE PROPERTIES; SLEGERS/TELLURIDE HOUSE: AURELIE SONNEFLED’S W SMITH/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK; LARRY PROTESTER: 4 VARIETY PLAYWRIGHT ACTIVIST WarnerMedia Entertainment honors the Legacy of Larry Kramer. TRAILBLAZER In the path he forged, others have made their way. HBO IS PROUD TO HAVE COLLABORATED WITH LARRY KRAMER ON THE NORMAL HEART (2014) AND LARRY KRAMER: IN LOVE & ANGER (2015) Untitled-1 1 6/1/20 11:18 AM FIELD NOTES and creeds who are being targeted while simply doing their jobs.” Reflecting Diverse Voices Dozens of on-the-ground report- ers were assaulted, shot by rub- ber bullets and arrested for simply Starts in the Newsroom doing their jobs, as was the case with CNN’s Omar Jimenez. There’s been a lot of discussion both at our organization and I’m ON SUNDAY MORNING, I led a vid- “Having to speak up in front of a sure elsewhere about how the main- eoconference with our editorial newsroom of your mostly white col- stream media is too heavily focused team to brainstorm ideas and map leagues and editors is a very scary on the violent aspects of the pro- a strategy for our continuing cov- thing to do,” says Jackson. “Having tests — which have been disrupted erage of the outrage and protests to point out blind spots in the work by police violence and opportunis- sparked by the May 25 death of of well-intentioned and more expe- tic looting — rather than highlighting George Floyd. The unarmed black rienced reporters is uncomfortable, the reasons why all of the peaceful man died after a white Minneapolis but it is also an opportunity for demonstrators are standing up for police officer jammed his knee into me to effect change in our cover- justice and police brutality against his neck and held it there for nearly age and in our industry. I am fortu- Black people. 9 minutes as he lay handcuffed on nate to be able to share my voice in But, honestly, those of us who the ground. Three other beat cops a way where I feel safe and heard, are seeing the shocking images on at the officer’s side did nothing to and as a result, I’m able to use my social media of police brutality being stop him as Floyd pleaded for his voice to amplify other Black voices played out before our very eyes have life, saying, “I can’t breathe.” — to help frame the narrative to a hard time turning away from the As various story ideas were remind people reading or watching violence that has ensued. being pitched in our meeting, why Black people are standing up The explosion of widely felt Angelique Jackson, a Black journal- in the first place. anguish over the death of Floyd ist on our staff, stopped us in our “And covering these protests clearly underscores a deep-rooted tracks with a passionate, instruc- has been really emotional for me rebellion against the systemic rac- tive plea of her own. I asked Jack- because this means that while I am ism that has existed in our coun- son and other reporters who had working, I am focusing on process- try for centuries and is evidenced in thoughts on how we could better ing as both a Black person — and our recent history with the senseless inform our coverage to convey them grieving for the loss of more Black killings of Black men and women to our readers. I feel it important to lives — while also worrying for the whose lives were cut short, including amplify their voices here: journalists in the field of all races those of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, 6 VARIETY FIELD NOTES Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, Alton when you are one of only a few we call on in the newsroom.” Sterling in Louisiana, Eric Gar- people at the table who look like In our search for talented report- ner in New York, Sandra Bland in you, who bring a similar set of life ers of color, she advises, “Let’s look Texas, Stephon Clark in California experiences, it can sometimes feel outside of our traditional profes- and Michael Brown Jr. in Missouri, like a very lonely gathering. sional circles and cultivate in-house to name just a few. “I can only speak for myself, talent in a way that promotes richer The current crisis that has but in my years as an on-air host/ diversity in race and socioeco- erupted comes at a time when reporter and writer, I have often nomic class, which means starting we are also battling a global pan- been one of only a few minority at the root of the pipeline and hiring demic, which has claimed more [reporters] on staff. And I have bit- interns not just from colleges that than 370,000 lives — of which ten the insides of my cheeks raw at are known journalism schools.” more than 100,000 are in the U.S. the insensitivity I have endured; I I couldn’t agree more. — and has caused rampant illness have also been heartened by those And, as I try to do my part and unemployment among a dis- who have helped me navigate these in helping diversify our work proportionate number of Black spaces. It behooves any publication environment, let me conclude by and Brown Americans. to leverage the voices and work of speaking to a macro problem in Our Artisans editor Jazz Tang- their minority journalists.