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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 14 November 2019
'Life Isn't Everything' toasts director Mike Nichols

By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL The decade of the 1960s number that brought down
Associated Press brought Nichols almost the house. Nichols cut it be-
"Life isn't everything: Mike nothing but success. He cause doing so streamlined
Nichols, as remembered by and partner Elaine May the show.
103 of his closest friends," released bestselling com- And the show always
Henry Holt and Co., by Ash edy albums and starred in came first. That's why he
Carter and Sam Kashner a Broadway show. Each of fired Gene Hackman from
The subtitle of "Life isn't ev- his initial plays as a direc- "The Graduate," replaced
erything," a captivating tor — "Barefoot in the Park," Mandy Patinkin with Jack
oral history of the late direc- ''Luv" and "The Odd Cou- Nicholson in "Heartburn"
tor Mike Nichols, is no joke. ple" — brought him a Tony and abandoned the Neil Si-
But just how did the man Award, and more hit plays mon-scripted "Bogart Slept
behind popular movies like followed. Likewise, his first Here" with Robert De Niro
"The Graduate," ''Working two movies, "Who's Afraid after a $3 million investment
Girl" and "The Birdcage" of Virginia Woolf?" and "The when it just wasn't working.
plus Broadway hits like "The Graduate," were popular (Rewritten and recast, the
Odd Couple" and "Monty with audiences and critics. project eventually became
Python's Spamalot" find As the 1970s dawned, even "The Goodbye Girl.")
time for so many people? Nichols knew he couldn't Friends remember Nichols
"He had that incredible ca- keep flying so high. "He kept as a pal, a confidant, just
pacity for friendship that saying, 'I've got to just get the best company. They
makes you think you're this failure out of the way,'" and others were drawn to
absolutely unique, that no- recalls a friend. The disap- him because he was smart,
body matters to him in the pointments came in a bar- cultured, thoughtful and
same way that you do," rage — "Catch-22," ''Carnal caring. Being wildly suc-
actress Anjelica Huston re- Knowledge," ''The Day of cessful didn't hurt. Neither
calls. the Dolphin" and "The For- did the fact that he could
An Oscar and eight Tony tune" — and Nichols went be quite mean — at times
Awards tell only a small part back to focusing on the sarcastic and humiliating.
of the tale behind Nichols' theater. He didn't make a "He always knew when he
achievements in the per- movie for eight years until misbehaved," says actress
forming arts. Add four Em- 1983's "Silkwood," which put Candice Bergen, "and he
mys and a Grammy plus him back on track. regretted it." Adds another
numerous lifetime achieve- Professionally, what stands friend and admirer, actress
ment honors. The fortune This cover image released by Henry Holt shows "Life Isn’t Ev- out in the memories of Emma Thompson: "We're
erything: Mike Nichols, As Remembered by 103 of His Closest
he amassed allowed him Friends” by Ash Carter and Sam Kashner. Nichols' many colleagues not talking about some sort
to enjoy the good life with Associated Press is his ability to guide actors of saint here. We're talking
perks like a jet and Arabian to discovering their char- about a person who was
horses. Berlin, by themselves, just — the new surname came acters and developing very, very aware of his own
But Nichols never forgot a few months ahead of from his father's middle their performances. He also foibles and failings."
how it might have turned World War II. They joined name, Nikolaevich — was could discern what works The occasional criticism of
out. Born Igor Mikhail Pe- their father, a Russian Jew- attending the University of and doesn't work in a story. Nichols helps make believ-
schkowsky in 1931, he was ish physician, in New York Chicago when he began a In the musical "Spamalot," able the unbelievably high
7 when he and his young- to await their mother's pas- move toward theater, im- a cow delivered a torch praise that permeates "Life
er brother left their native sage. Years later Nichols prov and comedy. song under a street lamp, a Isn't Everything."q

People magazine names John Legend as 2019 Sexiest Man Alive

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. MA" to signify the singer's Chris Hemsworth, Adam
LOS ANGELES (AP) — R&B many honors: an Emmy, Levine, Channing Tatum
crooner John Legend has Grammy, Oscar, Tony and and David Beckham.
been named the Sexiest now, Sexiest Man Alive. "I want to thank Blake
Man Alive by People mag- Legend tells the magazine Shelton," Legend said. "I
azine. in an issue out Friday the observed every move he
The Grammy-winning sing- honor comes with some made, every utterance
er known for his silky-smooth pressure after following Id- that came from his mouth
vocals was revealed as this ris Elba, who was last year's and I think some of it
year's winner Tuesday night winner. He jokes it "is not fair rubbed off on me."
on NBC's "The Voice." He and is not nice to me!" Legend said his wife is
serves as a coach on the The 40-year-old Legend proud of him.
singing competition series is a 10-time Grammy win- "I've finally impressed her,"
with Gwen Stefani, Kelly ner. He scored an Oscar in he said.
Clarkson and Blake Shelton. 2015 for co-writing the song This Nov. 2, 2019 file photo shows John Legend at the 2019 LAC- The couple's children? Not
Shelton, who was named "Glory" from the film "Sel- MA Art and Film Gala in Los Angeles. so much. Teigen posted a
Sexiest Man Alive in 2017, ma." He won a Tony Award Associated Press video of the reveal of their
announced Legend's hon- for his co-producer work daughter asking to turn off
or on "The Voice." The coun- on "Jitney" and took home in which he also played the cookbook author Chrissy "The Voice" and go back
try singer then handed Leg- an Emmy as a producer on role of Jesus. Teigen. to a movie. Teigen titled
end some short shorts with NBC's live version of "Jesus Legend has two children Other recent winners in- the post "The kids ... do not
bedazzled letters "EGOTS- Christ Superstar," a project with model-television host- clude Dwayne Johnson, care."q