By Susan Hornik

60 YEARS OF SONG
Would you believe Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee to Hollywood career spans six decades, more than 125 million albums, and 11 straight years with number one hits? It’s another banner year for the iconic singer. Not only is he co-judging ABC’s uber popular series American Idol, but he’s also this year’s winner of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. PBS will air a concert of his music this May.

“When you mention Gershwins and your name happens to be next to it or associated with it, it is the best honor you can have,” Ritchie enthused at a recent PBS press event. “I can’t imagine anything more recognizable in our nation’s history than those particular songs that they wrote. It is just amazing.”

With so much music experience, Ritchie is thoroughly enjoying his time as an Idol judge.

“I love the experience of giving back to them and also to America, because when parents say to me, ‘We make this the family hour, when ‘American Idol’ comes on, because this is something we can all learn from as a family,’ I think it’s a beautiful thing.”

GOT GAME
While being one of the contestants in CBS’ “Celebrity Big Brother” house was incredibly intense at times for Todd Bridges, ultimately he enjoyed the experience and thought he played a great game.

“I didn’t expect it to be that hard! It was much more difficult than I expected!” he told exclusively INDUSTRY. “But at the end of the day, I’m happy, it was really fun. I got a chance to show who I am, and not how the media has portrayed me. Fans got a chance to see the real me, and that’s a very good thing. It’s definitely difficult to be away from family, cut off from the rest of the world, and so I was glad to be out!”

Bridges has been working on his production company, which he started last year. “It’s called Predator Apex Entertainment. We’ve got a bunch of comedy, serious and action films written. And I have my life story that is coming up. We would do it as a miniseries. I think it would help a lot of people, hearing everything I have been through.”
The former child actor has weathered many turbulent times in his life, getting over childhood trauma, kicking a drug addiction, and several run-ins with the police.

CROWNING KRISTEN
At the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Kristen Stewart was all smiles as she received the American Riviera Award, which honored her career leading up to this year’s extraordinary performance as Princess Diana in SPENCER.

Upon receiving her award from Charlize Theron, Stewart told festival guests: “Thank you for acknowledging me at this time in my life. I’m in such a good place to receive it.”
Theron looked thrilled to be able to present to Stewart.

“You have a real commitment and it shows in everything you do. It’s been so fun to watch the trajectory of your career…. Your most recent film, ‘Spencer,’ I have to say is my favorite work of yours to date. It’s not an easy task to take on the most iconic figure in modern history, but you let us into this character. You gave us a glimpse into her soul in the most tactful and heart wrenching way.”

MOSS MAKES BIG MOVES
Elisabeth Moss is proving she can do it all. For her latest project, a mystery thriller for Apple TV+ called Shining Girls, she is executive producing, directing, and acting. “The thing that I’ve found that I really enjoy about directing something that I’m acting in is that I have an intimate knowledge of the character and the scripts that I just wouldn’t have otherwise,” said the former Mad Men star.

“Having read the first script of this show two years ago and then having had all that time to think about it, and then obviously working as an executive producer on the show and working closely with (showrunner) Silka Luisa on the casting and the hirings and all the little bits that we’ve all gone through together, when I land in a directorial position, it feels like I know more about this character and this story than I ever would have if I had just approached it a couple months before and shown up for my costume fitting.”

After “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Moss was ready for a change. “For me, I just feel like I wanted to try doing something new. I wanted to try doing something that wasn’t the show that I had been doing for four years. I wanted to see how that went.”

BOBBY OPENS UP
Few have fought harder to stay alive than R&B megastar and Grammy Award-winner Bobby Brown. With more than 20 million records sold as a member of New Edition, and a solo career of selling more than 12 million records, the singer will now be the focus of an A&E Biography series premiering in May.

Bobby Brown: Every Little Step, which the singer is also executive producing, will focus on the singer’s wife and family. “I’m living a life that I could only dream of with my beautiful wife and my kids,” he said at the recent Television Critics Press Tour. “It’s just been a wonderful time and I’m really proud of the direction my life is going.”

He continued: “I started in this business at the age of 14. I’m 53 now. So there’s been so much, almost 40 years of entertainment that I’ve been a part of. And I’m proud of it. I’m proud of all of the ups and all of the downs.”

Brown said his involvement in the docu-series was therapeutic for him. “Being able to look back on all of the good times and all of the bad times gave me a sense of comfort.”