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RAYMOND, Minn.
— No Christmas meal is complete without dessert, and in many homes, it’s virtually become a tradition of its own to top the holiday pies and treats with Cool Whip.It may surprise many to know that the food scientist who invented the popular whipped topping started life as a child in Raymond, Minnesota. He had a big role in developing the quick-setting, modern version of Jell-O we know today, which is certainly another holiday favorite for many Midwesterners.
ADVERTISEMENT
The late
William A. Mitchell
was a prolific inventor of many popular convenience foods and treats.
Cool Whip
,
Tang
and
Pop Rocks
candy are the best-known among them. He invented powdered egg whites, which can be found on grocery shelves today under many labels.He is often praised as one of the most prolific inventors during his career with General Foods in New York.His first product of some renown was called “Mitchell Mud” by U.S. infantrymen in World War II. He developed the tapioca substitute due to the disruption of cassava supplies during the war, according to accounts of Mitchell’s career.His career with General Foods spanned 35 years, and coincided with America’s growing love for convenience foods. His best-known inventions became part of popular culture in the 1960s and 1970s.
William Mitchell
Mitchell was born Oct. 21, 1911, in Raymond, Minnesota, to William and Florence (Fletter) Mitchell. It’s believed he was born on a farm in Woods Township, Chippewa County, according to research by Bob Larson at the Kandiyohi County Historical Society.Larson said he could not find any records indicating what brought the family to rural Minnesota. Nor could he find any records indicating that other relatives were living in the area, or other family who may have stayed.The family shows up in census data as living in Colorado in 1920, although they may have moved years earlier.
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It may be just an urban legend, but some in the Raymond area believe William Mitchell was no more than 3 months old when the family moved, according to Diane Macht of Raymond. She helped found the Raymond Museum, and said it is difficult to find much information about the Mitchell family’s local roots.Unfortunately, she said many are probably not aware of Mitchell or his ties to the area. The community of Raymond has not really made a point of celebrating him as a native son, she said. “For us at the museum, it’s a bit of an oddity,” she said. “I’d love to have more information.”Accounts of Mitchell’s life describe his childhood years in Colorado as the most formative in his later career. Magazine and newspaper stories of his life describe him as a hard-working youth. As a teenager, he ran the sugar crystallization tanks at the American Sugar Beet Company in Colorado, according to a Wikipedia page on Mitchell.The young Mitchell hopped a train to get to Cotner College in Lincoln, Nebraska, to begin his college studies, according to an
account of his life in the Smithsonian magazine
by author Emily Matchar. He earned a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Nebraska. He went to work at the Agricultural Experiment Station in Lincoln, where he was badly burned in a lab explosion, according to Matchar’s article in the Smithsonian.Mitchell and his wife of 60 years, Ruth, were parents to two daughters and five sons. Their youngest daughter, Cheryl Mitchell, also became a food scientist and is well-known for developing plant-based milks.Mitchell invented Pop Rocks while working as a research chemist at General Foods, according to
his obituary,
which described the carbonated treat as “the hit candy craze of the ’70s.” He held more than 70 patents, but Pop Rocks “gave him a measure of fame and was the most personally satisfying,” the obituary reads.
ADVERTISEMENT
Pop Rocks candy was invented in 1956 and patented in 1961. Mitchell was looking for a way to make instant carbonated soda by somehow trapping carbon dioxide into candy tablets, according to the
website of the current Pop Rocks
brand. That experiment did not turn out, and the formula was shelved for 20 years. According to the company, another chemist came across the formula, reworked it a little and turned it into Pop Rocks.
Pop Rocks candy is shown May 4, 2021, in New York. Valentyn Semenov / Olesya – stock.adobe.com
For the uninitiated, the Pop Rocks company describes the candy as this: “small pieces of hard candy that have been gasified with carbon dioxide under superatmospheric pressure. When these gasified sugar granules come in contact with moisture, in someone’s mouth or in water, milk, soft drinks, etc., the candy dissolves and the gas retained inside the carbon dioxide bubbles is released, causing characteristic crackling and fizzing sound.”Startling but not dangerous, the popping candy became the subject of “exploded kid” rumors as early as 1979, four years after the product went to market, according to the Pop Rocks website.General Foods took out ads, wrote letters to schools and sent Mitchell on the road in a publicity tour to explain that Pop Rocks “generate less gas than half a can of soda and ingesting them could induce nothing worse in the human body than a hearty, non-life-threatening belch,” the Pop Rocks FAQ web page reads.
A full-page ad in the form of a letter from Pop Rocks inventor William A. Mitchell to parents, and including a photo of him surrounded by children, was published in dozens of newspapers, including on Feb. 4, 1979, in the Washington Post as shown here.Washington Post archives
A full-page ad in the form of a letter from Mitchell to parents, and including a photo of him surrounded by children, was published in dozens of newspapers on Feb. 4, 1979. In it Mitchell notes that with seven children and 14 grandchildren of his own, safety is a real concern of his.“My seven kids grew up with Pop Rocks. I invented it in 1956 and I would make a little bit of it every once in a while to have it around the house for birthday parties and other fun occasions,” the letter reads in part. “I became very popular around our neighborhood!”Within a year, the candy had disappeared, according to an Arizona Republic story.
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“General Foods withdrew (Pop Rocks) from the market because it didn’t fit in with the long-term corporate strategy,” Paul Steidler, an account executive for Clarke & Company, said in the Arizona Republic account by Linda Helser.The story published March 5, 1987, was written about the limited reintroduction of the candy in Arizona. Clarke & Company was the public relations firm promoting the candy at that time.According to Helser’s account, the candy had disappeared in 1980, and a Buffalo, New York, company in April 1985 obtained the rights to produce and distribute Pop Rocks.
According to the Pop Rocks website, the candy was briefly discontinued in the mid-1980s. It is again a national brand, and Pop Rocks Inc. today is based in Atlanta.Mitchell also developed the flavored drink known as Tang in 1957, but it was not a commercial success at its start. That came later, after NASA sent Tang into orbit in 1962 with astronaut John Glenn aboard a Mercury spacecraft.It was in 1967, or five years after John Glenn’s historic space flight, that Mitchell patented a quick-set form of Jell-O, according to “How Stuff Works.” The new Jell-O could be made with cold water instead of hot water.Not all of his products met with fame. A coffee substitute known as Dacopa, made from dahlia tubers, did not find success.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mitchell died at age 92 on July 26, 2004 in Stockton, California. His wife, Ruth, had preceded him in death on June 2, 1999 at age 85.
The flavored drink Tang was invented by William A. Mitchel, who was born in Raymond, Minnesota, in 1911. Tang found commercial success after it was sent into orbit with John Glenn aboard a Mercury spacecraft in 1962. Tang is on display on a shelf at the Cash Wise Foods supermarket in Willmar, Minnesota, on Dec. 23, 2024. Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune
RAYMOND, Minn.
— No Christmas meal is complete without dessert, and in many homes, it’s virtually become a tradition of its own to top the holiday pies and treats with Cool Whip.It may surprise many to know that the food scientist who invented the popular whipped topping started life as a child in Raymond, Minnesota. He had a big role in developing the quick-setting, modern version of Jell-O we know today, which is certainly another holiday favorite for many Midwesterners.
ADVERTISEMENT
The late
William A. Mitchell
was a prolific inventor of many popular convenience foods and treats.
Cool Whip
,
Tang
and
Pop Rocks
candy are the best-known among them. He invented powdered egg whites, which can be found on grocery shelves today under many labels.He is often praised as one of the most prolific inventors during his career with General Foods in New York.His first product of some renown was called “Mitchell Mud” by U.S. infantrymen in World War II. He developed the tapioca substitute due to the disruption of cassava supplies during the war, according to accounts of Mitchell’s career.His career with General Foods spanned 35 years, and coincided with America’s growing love for convenience foods. His best-known inventions became part of popular culture in the 1960s and 1970s.
William Mitchell
Mitchell was born Oct. 21, 1911, in Raymond, Minnesota, to William and Florence (Fletter) Mitchell. It’s believed he was born on a farm in Woods Township, Chippewa County, according to research by Bob Larson at the Kandiyohi County Historical Society.Larson said he could not find any records indicating what brought the family to rural Minnesota. Nor could he find any records indicating that other relatives were living in the area, or other family who may have stayed.The family shows up in census data as living in Colorado in 1920, although they may have moved years earlier.
ADVERTISEMENT
It may be just an urban legend, but some in the Raymond area believe William Mitchell was no more than 3 months old when the family moved, according to Diane Macht of Raymond. She helped found the Raymond Museum, and said it is difficult to find much information about the Mitchell family’s local roots.Unfortunately, she said many are probably not aware of Mitchell or his ties to the area. The community of Raymond has not really made a point of celebrating him as a native son, she said. “For us at the museum, it’s a bit of an oddity,” she said. “I’d love to have more information.”Accounts of Mitchell’s life describe his childhood years in Colorado as the most formative in his later career. Magazine and newspaper stories of his life describe him as a hard-working youth. As a teenager, he ran the sugar crystallization tanks at the American Sugar Beet Company in Colorado, according to a Wikipedia page on Mitchell.The young Mitchell hopped a train to get to Cotner College in Lincoln, Nebraska, to begin his college studies, according to an
account of his life in the Smithsonian magazine
by author Emily Matchar. He earned a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Nebraska. He went to work at the Agricultural Experiment Station in Lincoln, where he was badly burned in a lab explosion, according to Matchar’s article in the Smithsonian.Mitchell and his wife of 60 years, Ruth, were parents to two daughters and five sons. Their youngest daughter, Cheryl Mitchell, also became a food scientist and is well-known for developing plant-based milks.Mitchell invented Pop Rocks while working as a research chemist at General Foods, according to
his obituary,
which described the carbonated treat as “the hit candy craze of the ’70s.” He held more than 70 patents, but Pop Rocks “gave him a measure of fame and was the most personally satisfying,” the obituary reads.
ADVERTISEMENT
Pop Rocks candy was invented in 1956 and patented in 1961. Mitchell was looking for a way to make instant carbonated soda by somehow trapping carbon dioxide into candy tablets, according to the
website of the current Pop Rocks
brand. That experiment did not turn out, and the formula was shelved for 20 years. According to the company, another chemist came across the formula, reworked it a little and turned it into Pop Rocks.
Pop Rocks candy is shown May 4, 2021, in New York. Valentyn Semenov / Olesya – stock.adobe.com
For the uninitiated, the Pop Rocks company describes the candy as this: “small pieces of hard candy that have been gasified with carbon dioxide under superatmospheric pressure. When these gasified sugar granules come in contact with moisture, in someone’s mouth or in water, milk, soft drinks, etc., the candy dissolves and the gas retained inside the carbon dioxide bubbles is released, causing characteristic crackling and fizzing sound.”Startling but not dangerous, the popping candy became the subject of “exploded kid” rumors as early as 1979, four years after the product went to market, according to the Pop Rocks website.General Foods took out ads, wrote letters to schools and sent Mitchell on the road in a publicity tour to explain that Pop Rocks “generate less gas than half a can of soda and ingesting them could induce nothing worse in the human body than a hearty, non-life-threatening belch,” the Pop Rocks FAQ web page reads.
A full-page ad in the form of a letter from Pop Rocks inventor William A. Mitchell to parents, and including a photo of him surrounded by children, was published in dozens of newspapers, including on Feb. 4, 1979, in the Washington Post as shown here.Washington Post archives
A full-page ad in the form of a letter from Mitchell to parents, and including a photo of him surrounded by children, was published in dozens of newspapers on Feb. 4, 1979. In it Mitchell notes that with seven children and 14 grandchildren of his own, safety is a real concern of his.“My seven kids grew up with Pop Rocks. I invented it in 1956 and I would make a little bit of it every once in a while to have it around the house for birthday parties and other fun occasions,” the letter reads in part. “I became very popular around our neighborhood!”Within a year, the candy had disappeared, according to an Arizona Republic story.
ADVERTISEMENT
“General Foods withdrew (Pop Rocks) from the market because it didn’t fit in with the long-term corporate strategy,” Paul Steidler, an account executive for Clarke & Company, said in the Arizona Republic account by Linda Helser.The story published March 5, 1987, was written about the limited reintroduction of the candy in Arizona. Clarke & Company was the public relations firm promoting the candy at that time.According to Helser’s account, the candy had disappeared in 1980, and a Buffalo, New York, company in April 1985 obtained the rights to produce and distribute Pop Rocks.
According to the Pop Rocks website, the candy was briefly discontinued in the mid-1980s. It is again a national brand, and Pop Rocks Inc. today is based in Atlanta.Mitchell also developed the flavored drink known as Tang in 1957, but it was not a commercial success at its start. That came later, after NASA sent Tang into orbit in 1962 with astronaut John Glenn aboard a Mercury spacecraft.It was in 1967, or five years after John Glenn’s historic space flight, that Mitchell patented a quick-set form of Jell-O, according to “How Stuff Works.” The new Jell-O could be made with cold water instead of hot water.Not all of his products met with fame. A coffee substitute known as Dacopa, made from dahlia tubers, did not find success.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mitchell died at age 92 on July 26, 2004 in Stockton, California. His wife, Ruth, had preceded him in death on June 2, 1999 at age 85.
The flavored drink Tang was invented by William A. Mitchel, who was born in Raymond, Minnesota, in 1911. Tang found commercial success after it was sent into orbit with John Glenn aboard a Mercury spacecraft in 1962. Tang is on display on a shelf at the Cash Wise Foods supermarket in Willmar, Minnesota, on Dec. 23, 2024. Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune
Soon after the city of Detroit filed its $18 billion bankruptcy case in July 2013, Jerry Rosen found that he had filled up a legal pad with notes, leaving only the tabula rasa of the cardboard backing. On this blank slate, Rosen, who likes to doodle, drew a box around “ART.” Dollar signs danced over arrows pointing to “State” on one side and “Pensions” on the other.The art in question was the collection of the municipally owned Detroit Institute of Arts. It was the city’s greatest asset, and emergency manager Kevyn Orr had already hired Christie’s to appraise its value. By his scrawling, though, Rosen — who was chief judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and chief mediator in the case — had mapped out a way to effectively recapitalize the collection, which would be leveraged to save the pensions of city employees, to activate philanthropists, and to send creditors away feeling whatever they did.“I felt very strongly there’d be nothing left of Detroit but dust and legal bills” if the collection were sold, Rosen explains in a phone interview. “I was trying to find a way to leverage the art collection without selling it.”The art stayed in the museum as Rosen worked “the rope line of people that we had to get on board.” Those people became a source of inspiration through their sacrifice and avoidance of rigid barriers in their negotiations process. “All demographic backgrounds came together to rescue an iconic American city.”With the court’s chief bankruptcy judge, Steven Rhodes, presiding through 16 months of excruciating complications, and with Rosen’s surefire mediation and dealmaking, the “plan of adjustment” was established in October 2014, saving the city and the art. In fact, even Rosen made a contribution to the collection — his original sketch now hangs at the DIA itself.Rosen likes espionage novels, and his next step was literary. After New Year’s bells rang in 2015, he spent about five months wrestling with a tangled plot and colorful characters. “It was cathartic,” he says. “I needed to sort of get it all out.”There followed “half-hearted” attempts to find a publisher, but the work sat for years. Then, as the case’s 10-year anniversary drew near, he shared the manuscript with R.J. King, the editor of DBusiness, like Hour Detroit an Hour Media magazine, who encouraged him to publish it.Even after the long delay, Rosen thought the writing “stood up pretty well.” He kept the first-person narrative — “I wanted to write it as it was at the time” — and updated the epilogue.The result is Grand Bargain: The Inside Story of Detroit’s Dramatic Journey from Bankruptcy to Rebirth, published by Hour Media (grandbargainbook.com).“It’s the first telling from the inside of how Detroit was rescued from the brink of oblivion,” Rosen says.In a cover blurb, Mayor Mike Duggan writes, “Gerald Rosen will go down as a very important figure in Detroit’s history, and anyone who reads his book will understand why.”For his part, Rosen, 73, says he is disproving F. Scott Fitzgerald’s assertion that “there are no second acts in American lives.” The bankruptcy “set the stage” for a revitalization of Detroit. Leaving the bench in 2017, Rosen co-founded the JAMS Detroit office with three partners, providing judicial arbitration, mediation, and alternative dispute resolution services. Rosen even serves on the national board of JAMS.And now there’s the matter of book promotion, and perhaps the decade-long seasoning will pay off. He reflects on the too-frequent examples of polarization, dysfunction, and incivility in society. “We need a story about people coming together.”This story originally appeared in the December 2024 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our digital edition will be available on Dec. 9.
Anurag Kashyap made a terrific debut in Malayalam with Aashiq Abu directorial Rifle Club, which released in theatres on December 19, 2024. Anurag Kashyap recently spoke about reaching out to Aashiq Abu and working with a stellar cast, all the while praising Malayalam cinema. The acclaimed filmmaker-turned-actor, however, said that he had missed two big chances in Malayalam cinema before he finally made the debut with Rifle Club.
Anurag Kashyap missed acclaimed Malayalam filmsIn a recent interview with The Gulf News, Anurag Kashyap spoke about finally getting to collaborate on a Malayalam film as an actor. However, he said he had earlier missed out on Rajeev Ravi ‘s Thuramukham and Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikattu.“One was Thuramukham, by Rajeev Ravi. He offered me the role, and waited for me to play the role of Nivin Pauly’s father (which was portrayed by Joju George) and then there was Jallikattu where Lijo wanted me to play the hunter. And they believed in me more than I believed in myself that I could pull it off. I got scared. But this time, I got a little more confident. I said ok ‘Let me reach out’,” Anurag Kashyap said during the interview.On the other hand, Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikattu, which stars Antony Varghese and Chemban Vinod Jose, was selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars. Anurag Kashyap on getting cast in Rifle ClubDuring the interview, Anurag Kashyap also said it was he who first reached out to the makers of Rifle Club upon seeing the announcement on Instagram.“I just saw the announcement – they are going to make it. I reached out on Insta and asked ‘Would you like an actor from the north’ and then they reached out to me. I literally asked for the role without knowing what the film was about. Rifle Club sounded so cool,” he said, adding that he was confident of Aashiq Abu and writer Syam Pushkaran.Anurag Kashyap played the role of an arms dealer in the action thriller, which had an ensemble cast including Vijayaraghavan, Dileesh Pothan, Vani Viswanath, Surabhi Lakshmi, Darshana Rajendran and rapper Hanumankind.
The thriller film marked the Malayalam acting debut of both Hanumankind and Anurag Kashyap. The director was recently seen in the Tamil film Maharaja, which starred Vijay Sethupathi in the lead role.
Static Media
It’s truly a testament to Kingsley Ben-Adir’s talents that in a show as abysmal as Marvel’s “Secret Invasion,” he still managed to squeeze a gem of a performance out of it. There’s a lot that went wrong with “Secret Invasion,” but Ben-Adir as the disillusioned Skrull, Gravik, brought a level of gravitas to the freedom fighter who believes the best way forward for Skrull liberation is to make Earth only hospitable for the alien race. It’s only a shame Gravik dies at the end of the show, thereby preventing him from really making a mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a better project, but it shows how Ben-Adir is so often the best part of whatever he’s in.
After making a mark in the theatre world, Kingsley Ben-Adir started appearing in an assortment of British television, as he himself was born in London, England. Now, he’s starred in major TV shows and movies shown around the globe. His filmography may not be as lengthy as other actors, but to be honest, it’s already pretty tough narrowing his roles down into a top 10. This list will inevitably change as he continues giving superb performances, but for now, here are the best Kingsley Ben-Adir movies and TV shows that should be on your radar based off his performance as well as the overall quality of the project.
Vera (2011 – 2025)
ITV
With someone so clearly talented as Kingsley Ben-Adir, it feels like the roles should’ve always been lined up for him. But as is so often the case, Ben-Adir really struggled to find work at first, especially right out of drama school. His very first recurring role was as Dr. Marcus Sumner in the British show, “Vera,” which remains one of his standout roles.
The long-running series follows Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn), a Detective Chief Inspector who probably should retire at this point in life, but her obsessive mind forces her to continue solving one riveting case after the next. Dr. Sumner was a pathologist who often aided Vera in her cases. Ben-Adir appeared on four seasons (or series, if you prefer the British parlance) of the show before leaving for good after 2018, and he proved he could hold his own against far more experienced actors and remain captivating.
“Vera” was a pivotal role for Ben-Adir to get so early in his career. When speaking with The Standard, Ben-Adir admitted to crying after hearing he got the part. “I couldn’t get arrested in this country [before that],” the actor said. “I couldn’t get a job on the telly.” All these years later, getting work doesn’t seem to be a problem for him.
Noelle (2019)
Disney+
After skipping across the pond following “Vera,” Kingsley Ben-Adir found himself in a Disney+ Christmas movie with “Noelle.” The movie centers on the titular Noelle (Anna Kendrick) who tracks down her brother, Nick (Bill Hader), after he runs away following the stress from trying to be the next Santa Claus. To do this, Noelle befriends Jake Hapman (Ben-Adir), a private detective still coming to terms with his divorce.
It’s not easy playing a straight man to such a wacky counterpart. While Kendrick and the more Christmasy characters have a lot of fun moments, Ben-Adir is there mostly to react and have his epiphany that Christmas magic is actually real. Ben-Adir helps ground the movie and offer some real sentimentality amid the holiday chaos.
Reviews for “Noelle” were pretty mixed, as it’s a charming yet formulaic Christmas movie, and we’ve probably seen better ones elsewhere. But much like “Secret Invasion,” Ben-Adir helps elevate the affair. If nothing else, his scenes and character arc of going from a cynical divorced detective to someone with a bit more optimism make the film kind of worth seeing.
Soulmates (2020)
AMC
“Soulmates” is a fascinating anthology miniseries that deserved way more attention when it came out in 2020. It’s basically “Black Mirror,” except with romance instead of science-fiction where in the not-so-far-off future. There’s a company called Soul Connex that promises to match people up with their soulmates, and each episode explores a different dynamic of people wrestling with this concept. Kingsley Ben-Adir appears opposite “Succession” star Sarah Snook in the very first episode.
The two play a married couple pre-Soul Connex, but Nikki (Snook) is just too curious and takes the test to see if her soulmate is out there. This naturally causes a great amount of tension between her and her husband, Franklin (Ben-Adir). Also just like “Black Mirror,” the episodes tend to have some devastating finales, and this one is no exception.
Science fiction definitely has a role to play in “Soulmates,” but the emphasis remains on human dynamics. Having two great actors like Ben-Adir and Snook play off one another allows the show to kick off with a bang because through all the tech gimmicks, any episode lives or dies by the emotion it makes viewers feel. It’s no wonder why “San Junipero,” often considered the best “Black Mirror” episode, puts a relationship front and center, and even though “Soulmates” was only meant to be a miniseries, we would’ve loved to see more of it.
The Comey Rule (2020)
Showtime
There are a lot of expectations when it comes to portraying a former or current President of the United States. For a period of time, they become the most powerful person in the world, and everyone knows how they sound like and have probably heard plenty of impressions. The trick, especially when it comes to a serious drama as opposed to a “Saturday Night Live” sketch, is to make them come across as a real person as opposed to a parody. Kingsley Ben-Adir absolutely nailed every aspect of Barack Obama on “The Comey Rule.”
The Showtime miniseries centers on James Comey (Jeff Daniels) in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election and his decision pursue the investigation into Hilary Clinton’s emails. Obama doesn’t have a huge role to play, as much of the show focuses more on Donald Trump’s (Brendan Gleeson) campaign and early months into his first term, but his scenes deliver a powerful impact in part thanks to Ben-Adir’s performance.
Despite being British, Ben-Adir delivers a spot-on Obama voice that doesn’t parody the president’s cadences like so many others are prone to do. Despite the fact Ben-Adir is significantly younger than Obama should’ve been in 2016, you won’t even mind, because it’s just that good.
Barbie (2023)
Warner Bros.
There were plans for a lot of actors, including Bowen Yang, Dan Levy, and Ben Platt, to become Kens in “Barbie.” We’ll always wonder what might’ve been, but honestly, it’s hard to complain about the crop of Kens we got, all led by the ever-charismatic Ryan Gosling. Among those Kens is Kingsley Ben-Adir as Basketball Ken, who’s also very passionate about explaining why “The Godfather” is a Very Important(™) movie.
Ben-Adir is probably mostly known for his dramatic work. He’s not normally known for being a silly guy, but in “Barbie,” he got a chance to show a completely new side of himself, which was more than welcome. It was even more of a delight considering “Barbie” came out around the same time as “Secret Invasion,” so around the same time people could see Ben-Adir try to wipe out humanity, they could also see him dressed as a cowboy wearing a crop top.
It may not have been the biggest part of his filmography, which is why “Barbie” can’t rank too high, but Ben-Adir was ecstatic to be part of such a monumental film. When speaking with the “Zach Sang Show” about the “Barbie” script, Ben-Adir proclaimed, “I’ve never read anything that good. I was like, ‘This is kind of genius. Are they really gonna give [director and writer Greta Gerwig] money to make this?” Thank goodness Gerwig did get the money for this.
The OA (2016 – 2019)
Nicola Goode/Netflix
The unceremonious cancelation of “The OA” after two seasons remains one of the most controversial decisions in streaming history. Fans gravitated toward the puzzle box storytelling, which primarily focused on Prairie Johnson (Brit Marling) who returns after having disappeared for seven years, and she can now see after previously being blind. Of course, that really doesn’t sell the series, as there are so many moving parts to the point this could’ve been something really special in Netflix’s catalog had it been allowed to continue.
Kingsley Ben-Adir doesn’t show up as Karim Washington until the second season, but he added an interesting new wrinkle within the show as private investigator Karim Washington. Karim tries to solve various puzzles of his own, which puts him on a collision path with Prairie, who agrees to help him with a case.
Karim added yet another layer of depth to the series, and Ben-Adir brought him to life wonderfully. The actor even got some shoutouts for his performance, in particularly, like in IGN’s review of “The OA” season 2, “Marling is capably backed up by Ben-Adir. Karim initially comes across as your typical no-nonsense detective, but he becomes something more.” It’s only a shame we didn’t see more of Karim in another season of “The OA,” but perhaps the cancelation allowed Ben-Adir to pursue other projects to help him advance his career further.
High Fidelity (2020)
Phillip Caruso/Hulu
Speaking of unfair cancelations, “High Fidelity” is another streaming show that deserved far better. It was canceled after just one season despite critical acclaim, and while the final episode works as a solid sendoff, there was so much more potential with these characters.
Zoë Kravitz played Robyn Brooks, a record store owner who’s still processing her latest breakup with Russell “Mac” McCormack (Kingsley Ben-Adir). Ben-Adir is fantastic as Robyn’s ex-boyfriend, still imbuing him with a warmth to the point where he’s not just an ex-boyfriend the audience is meant to hate. We understand where he’s coming from even though he broke the protagonist’s heart, and that kind of character work should’ve carried the show to another season easily.
“High Fidelity” is a rare reboot that works. It finds a way to make a story we already know about from the 2000 film with John Cusack (which Jack Black thought might kill his music career) and makes it feel fresh and exciting, exploring new angles of relationships. Not for nothing, but Ben-Adir played so well off of Kravitz, I just wanted to see more of them together.
Peaky Blinders (2013 – 2022)
BBC Two
It’s one thing for an actor to consistently be the best thing in whatever he’s in, even if the project as a whole leaves something to be desired. It’s another thing for that actor to really show what they’re capable of by getting roles that really let them sink their teeth into something with true depth. There are many reasons why “Peaky Blinders” has remained such a popular show, and even though Kingsley Ben-Adir only appears in five episodes before his character gets killed off, he made the most of his short arc on the drama series.
Ben-Adir plays Colonel Ben Younger, who’s first introduced on season 4’s “The Duel,” one of the best “Peaky Blinders” episodes bar none. He’s the head of the army intelligence officers monitoring Ada Shelby (Sophie Rundle) and even gets into a relationship with her. Ben has conflicting loyalties in the show, and Ben-Adir brings the requisite depth to portray a character struggling with where his allegiances lay.
It’s not always the biggest performance, as much of Ben’s conflict comes through via subtle body movements. But such dichotomies is what makes Ben-Adir such a compelling performer.
Bob Marley: One Love (2024)
Paramount
When does someone go from merely being a great actor to a genuine movie star? It’s tough to pin down, but I think Kingsley Ben-Adir proved himself more than worthy of the latter title with 2024’s “Bob Marley: One Love.” He portrays the eponymous singer with a resounding amount of depth in a film that outperformed all expectations. “One Love” crushed “Madame Web” at the box office, which came out around the same time, ultimately grossing $180 million worldwide and creating a new record for the highest opening numbers on Valentine’s Day ever.
This could be attributed to biopics simply having a moment in the sun, so a movie about the life of the ever-popular Bob Marley was bound to do well regardless. Still, it’s hard to argue that Ben-Adir takes what could’ve been a by-the-books performance and brings something truly special to it. The actor earned particular praise among outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter noting, “Ben-Adir’s finely tuned performance captures the mystical relationship between Marley and his music as well as his kinetic stage presence.”
It’s all the more impressive considering Ben-Adir actually sings in the movie, which isn’t always a guarantee with these kinds of biopics. He worked with a vocal coach and worked hard to get Marley’s mannerisms just right. It’s a tour de force role, proving Ben-Adir is more than capable of leading a movie.
One Night in Miami… (2020)
Prime Video
How do you step into a role based on a real person that already has one incredible performance attached to it? Denzel Washington was nominated for Best Actor for the titular role in Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X.” Even pushing that aside, there’s so much to who Malcolm X was as a person that it’s daunting for any actor to step into those shoes. Yet Kingsley Ben-Adir doesn’t miss a beat portraying the civil rights icon in 2020’s “One Night in Miami…,” bringing the necessary gravitas while doing enough to differentiate his interpretation from Washington’s.
Ben-Adir has quite the history of portraying real-life people, from Bob Marley to Barack Obama. But it’s his role of Malcolm X that stands out the most in this fictionalized story of him meeting with Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) following one of Clay’s boxing wins to discuss the Civil Rights Movement and their respective roles in advancing it. Ben-Adir gets plenty to chew on here, as /Film’s review of “One Night in Miami…” noted how he plays “the Nation of Islam minister as soft-spoken and bookish when he needs to be, but also prone to precise outbursts. This is not the fiery Malcolm X delivering a sermon — it’s the private Malcolm.”
That vulnerability to Malcolm X was a driving force for Ben-Adir making the character his own, as he told Harper’s Bazaar, “He was suffering in silence, and I thought that was our way in. I thought it was a route to try and create something more tender and potentially heartbreaking [in the film].” It remains Ben-Adir’s best performance to date and a sign that the actor can do truly great things and will probably win an Oscar one day.
Universal Pictures
Since breaking through with his second feature “Memento” in 2001, Christopher Nolan has been one of the most critically celebrated and commercially popular filmmakers on the planet. He’s been nominated for eight Academy Awards (winning Best Picture and Best Director in 2024 with “Oppenheimer”) and currently ranks seventh on the list of highest-grossing directors of all time (not adjusted for inflation). Career-wise, you can’t do it much better than Nolan: he kicked off with two indies, dipped his toe in the studio waters before tackling a major franchise with “Batman Begins,” didn’t overstay his welcome with said franchise, and is now a brand name himself à la Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas. With his track record, he can make just about any film he wants at the studio of his choosing.
Now that he’s about to embark on feature number 13 (a currently untitled film starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Zendaya), you’d think we could look back over his 26-year career and find at least one film that drew a smattering of critical and audience opprobrium. By this point in their filmographies, Spielberg had elicited critical disfavor with “1941” and “Hook,” while Lucas had taken the heat for being the producer of “Howard the Duck.” These movies all receive a splat at Rotten Tomatoes from critics (though users give “Hook” a favorable 76%).
So what about Nolan? Does he have a stinker in his oeuvre?
Tenet is Christopher Nolan’s least fresh film at Rotten Tomatoes
Warner Bros.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Nolan’s most poorly reviewed feature is 2020’s “Tenet,” the sci-fi/action epic that is to date his biggest box-office disappointment — but with an asterisk considering that it was released amid the Covid pandemic. But at 70% fresh with critics and a 76% rating with RT users, it’s a far cry from the invective unleashed on films like “Hook” and “Howard the Duck” (or even “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace”).
If you look over the negative reviews for “Tenet,” you won’t find many pans. Just about everyone has to admit that Nolan’s gravity- and time-defying set pieces are mind-blowers, while his sense of scale remains unsurpassed amongst his peers. According to the naysayers, the sometimes cool-around-the-heart Nolan failed to fully engage the audience’s emotions this time out. The characters played by John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki, and Robert Pattinson too often feel like chess pieces being moved in counterintuitive ways across the board. A.A. Dowd of The A.V. Club likened the experience of watching “Tenet” to the solving of a Rubik’s Cube that “reveals little more than the complexity of its design.”
While I agree that “Tenet” is definitely the most emotionally chilly movie in Nolan’s filmography so far, I believe this is by design. I actually like that it’s cut like a diamond, and so dizzyingly multifaceted that you need to watch it a second time to fully understand how it all fits together. Regardless of how you feel about the movie (/Film’s Chris Evangelista found it frustrating), if that’s what counts as a misfire for Nolan, he’s likely to remain in extraordinarily high demand for years and years to come.
Warner Bros.
I’ve been watching and loving “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy for the past 20 years. Growing up alongside these films, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to travel to New Zealand and see the filming locations of Middle-earth with my own eyes. This November, after saving up for years, my long-awaited dream finally came true. During a two-week tour with incredibly friendly and expert guides Julie James and Josh Roach from Red Carpet Tours and a fellowship of over thirty passionate fans, we went across the entire country, gaining exclusive access to private lands, insider insights into the making of the films, and even reenacting our favorite scenes with props in the very same spots where filming occurred.
I saw firsthand how the locations perfectly embody J.R.R. Tolkien’s vision of Middle-earth. New Zealand, with its lush forests, snowy glaciers, rolling hills, and sprawling mountains, is breathtaking — a country Peter Jackson captures so magnificently in his sweeping, awe-inspiring landscape shots. In many ways, New Zealand is the true star of the trilogy. More than anything, though, the tour opened my eyes to just how much care and craft went into this monumental series. When Tolkien first imagined his fantasy world, who would have guessed it was actually located over 11,000 miles away from his England home?
“I want to see mountains again, Gandalf, mountains!” Bilbo says in “The Fellowship of the Ring,” and now, after seeing the real-life faces of The Misty Mountains, The Lonely Mountain, and even Mordor for myself, I truly understand the lust for adventure and excitement that comes from stepping outside your door into the great wide world. New Zealand was the farthest away from home I’d ever been, and I invite you along my unforgettable, long-expected journey.
The simple joys of The Shire
Static Media/Warner Bros.
The real-life Hobbiton set is surrounded by bright green hills stretching as far as the eye can see, reminiscent of the English countryside that inspired Tolkien. Many of the hills have the facade of a hobbit hole (44 in total), each with a unique personality that Weta Workshop lovingly crafted with fine detail. Several hobbit holes have stands with fake bread, honey jars, or pastries, while others featured chessboards in their yards or tiny hobbit clothes hanging from a drying rope. One home was designed to look like it belonged to a fishmonger, with a table for wrapping their fresh catches, while others had mailboxes adorned with intricate etchings of flowers or bumblebees. In the middle of Hobbiton, there is a seesaw, swings, and a maypole where young hobbits can frolic.
I was moved to tears and reminded of the Tolkien quote, “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” The hobbits’ home had a warmth, comfort, and sense of compassion that I feel is so lost in our divided and fast-paced society. With consuming work obligations, little time to see friends, and families often spread across the country, contemporary adult life can feel so stressful and isolating. Gazing out at those quaint hobbit holes, I saw a close-knit community where everyone could contribute something meaningful — working with their hands instead of rotating between computer, iPhone, and television screens all day long. The hobbits could easily walk to The Green Dragon (an actual pub on the premises) for a crisp pint with their best buddies, then unwind in their snug hobbit holes. These characters have a slow, simple, and nature-filled way of living that I yearn for, especially while living in a city. Being in The Shire reminded me that I need step away from the grind sometimes and enjoy the world around me.
The thrill of conquering Edoras
Static Media/Warner Bros.
Edoras, a key location in “The Two Towers” and “The Return of the King,” was filmed on the steep, jagged Mount Sunday, offering a 360-degree view of towering, snow-capped mountains and wide, grassy plains. Climbing it was scary for me because I have approximately zero athletic skills, but it was worth every step. When I reached the peak and felt the wind in my hair, like Éowyn in front of The Great Hall, I was not only proud of myself for conquering my fears, but I got an overwhelming sense of strength and connection to nature. It’s a feeling that only being in such an incredible location can give you.
Standing on the mountain, I immediately thought how helpful it must have been for the actors to be here rather than in a studio with a green screen. It would have been much easier to immerse themselves in their heroic roles, racing toward Rohan or watching for the beacons of Gondor, while actually feeling the blustering wind or the hot sun and taking in these stunning surrounding vistas. Being in the middle of such majestic landscapes affects you both mentally and physically, and we see that shine through in their performances. The arduous climb also made me appreciate the strength of the cast and crew for navigating this rocky, windy, and inclined terrain; many of the locations we visited were surprisingly difficult to maneuver.
Peter Jackson’s commitment to filming on location in New Zealand is a large part of why the films have held up so well for the past two decades. The details, scope, and unpredictability of these gorgeous vistas give the fantasy world of Middle-earth tangibility and texture, as well as a sense of danger and epic wonder that can only be captured by the natural world. Despite “The Hobbit” trilogy also largely being shot in some of the same locations, the effect is largely lost on those films, which frequently have a more glossy, studio-shot look to them.
Family farms became a part of film history
Static Media/Warner Bros.
Speaking of “The Hobbit,” we did visit some of the locations from that trilogy, too. Many sites we visited are farms that have been owned by families for generations. All of the landowners we spoke to were fascinated by the logistics and infrastructure involved in filming. Part of Ian Hayman’s farm included the dazzling Lake Tekapo with bright turquoise water which was used for the Lake-town refugees. But Peter Jackson had to work with the New Zealand government to lower the lake and expose more of the shoreline to accommodate the 700 extras.
The refugee camp took months to build, and there were still pieces of fake wood from the set scattered around all these years later. They were surprisingly light, and finely detailed with grooves and lines. In the end, the set was only used for 13 minutes of footage. It was exciting to see how Jackson and his crew put so much effort into bringing scenes to life, even if they ended up being brief on screen.
Another perk about having an entire film crew show up at your home? The craft services! Ian Hayman joked that it was “like going to a wedding every day.” Warrick Denzie, owner of the property near Piopio that was used for Trollshaw Forest, said his family also got to indulge in the feast on a daily basis. His sons would even take samples to share with their friends on the school bus. The Denzies’ property has rows of massive limestone cliffs that were originally seen as eyesores, but they were exactly what caught Jackson’s eye.
Locals helped out in a big way
Static Media/Warner Bros.
Priscilla Cameron owns the farm that would become the site of The Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where golden-hued grass stretches all the way to the horizon. Just as the Rohan soldiers come together in the movies, the entire New Zealand community rallied to create one of the most epic, action-packed battle scenes ever.
In the tiny town of Twizel, the production team literally knocked on the doors of local homes and even hotels to find 1,500 extras. Cameron even ended up playing one of the orcs, as did many of the locals we came across. The New Zealand Infantry also played orcs; “They finally got to be in a battle,” Cameron joked. Peter Jackson traveled to a Wellington cricket game to gather sounds of the orcs stomping, growling, and the men shouting “Death!” — which the crowd had to practice saying without the ‘I’ sound typical of the New Zealand accent.
Ads were placed in equestrian magazines and local newspapers to encourage people to bring their horses. Although Peter Jackson originally wanted 500 horses and riders for Rohan, he ended up with 286, most of whom were young women who had to transform into bearded men. Coordinating all these extras and animals was no easy feat, especially since the horses had to spend three days training for the charging scene. The crew had to make sure the horses would move at the same time and wouldn’t fight with each other. This was all for a close-up shot that only lasts a few seconds. We never think about this when we see it on screen, but there is so much manpower and time put into every shot in “The Lord of the Rings.”
Andy Serkis was inches from death
Static Media/Warner Bros.
Another fascinating aspect of visiting the real-life locations was seeing the differences in how they appear on screen. What’s just outside the frame often becomes as exciting as what’s in it, and vice versa. The famous “Get off the road!” forest is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the bustling city center of Wellington. Nearby the breaking of the fellowship riverside, other tourists were innocently strolling by, unaware they were footsteps away from cinema history. There were often conservation areas or walking trails right near the filming locations.
Some locations were quite precarious. The hill the Uruk-hai ran down screaming “Find the halfling!” was very steep and slippery, making it remarkable that the actors in bulky armor, prosthetics, and heavy makeup could actually navigate it and run down without slipping (which I did several times while trying to get my picture).
But one of the most dangerous locales was where Gollum tries to catch a fish in “The Two Towers.” The area is filled with tons of pointy, wet rocks. Maybe the hobbit feet gave Elijah Wood and Sean Astin some cushion, but I couldn’t believe that they simply walked and performed the scene without wincing or having to look down at their feet! What was even more impressive was that Andy Serkis, while writhing in his white suit trying to catch a fish, was literally inches away from falling off a deadly cliff into a freezing waterfall. The location opened my eyes to how much Serkis truly threw himself into the role, and just how much athleticism was required overall to be a part of this trilogy.
Forever under The Lord of the Rings’ spell
Static Media/Warner Bros.
Like my Middle-earth heroes, I feel a great sense of accomplishment having journeyed from The Shire to Mordor across the gorgeous country of New Zealand. The locations the entire production team discovered were hidden gems that were perfect for bringing Middle-earth to life. It’s genuinely awe-inspiring to see how Jackson brought so many people together to create a film that will stand the test of time. I can’t wait to watch “The Lord of the Rings” again (extended editions, duh!) now that I’ve been to the locations — something I’ve dreamed about ever since I first saw the films all those years ago. Seeing how the films were made didn’t break the magical spell “The Lord of the Rings” has over me; instead, it only made me more awestruck by the effort every single one of the filmmakers put into it. One of the tour members described the films as “miracles,” and in many ways, they are. It took an incredible amount of planning, ingenuity, and teamwork to put Tolkien’s saga onto film, and I feel lucky to have experienced even a little part of that in person.
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Stephen Akintayo has released two books designed to reshape investors’ approaches to real estate worldwide.
With decades of expertise, the author said his new publications are a toolbox of practical strategies, equipping readers to navigate diverse property markets and confidently tackle cross-border investment challenges.
The first book, The Global Real Estate Investment Handbook, offers a rare deep dive into property markets across Africa, Europe, Asia, and America.
According to the CEO of Gtext Group and Investment Limited, the Handbook explores market dynamics, investment opportunities, and regional differences, providing readers with a truly global perspective.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Akintayo described the book as one of a kind, addressing common misconceptions such as the notion that “foreigners cannot own property for life in Dubai” or that “U.S. regulations hinder citizens from owning real estate.”
He noted that the book is packed with case studies, comparative analyses, and strategic advice, simplifying the complexities of international property investment.
US market focus
The real estate expert also revealed plans to include enhanced visuals and project examples in future editions for a more comprehensive learning experience.
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Kolkata, Dec 24 (PTI) Amitava Ghosh, honourary scientist of the Indian Institute of Engineering Science & Technology (IIEST), highlighted the growing interdisciplinary nature of science and technology during his convocation address at Jadavpur University here on Tuesday. Speaking as the chief guest, the 84-year-old Ghosh told students that their future work would often require multitasking. Also Read | UK Royal Mail Scandal: Managers Faked Deliveries To Receive Bonuses, Says Report. “Those of you in the fields of science and technology will find the disciplines becoming increasingly interdisciplinary, with boundaries becoming blurred. The knowledge acquired during your student years will not fully suffice in the future; you will need to continue your education throughout your working lives at a level not currently experienced,” Ghosh added. A recipient of the prestigious INSA (Indian National Science Academy) Distinguished Professorship award for his work, Ghosh also reflected on the drastic societal changes since the 1980s, noting that even science fiction writers could not have predicted the advent of mobile phones and the internet. Also Read | Reliance Industries Stock Falls 23% From Highest Level in July 2024, Records Longest Losing Streak Since COVID-19 Market Slump. “Consider how AI is altering most activities—healthcare, legal practice, education, research and development, planning, civic administration, and management,” he observed. In his address, vice-chancellor Prof Bhaskar Gupta said undergraduate degrees were awarded to 519 arts students, 1,017 engineering and technology students, and 108 science students. Post-graduate degrees were awarded to 996 arts students, 438 engineering and technology students, and 204 science students, he added.(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)