‘Modern Family’ cast reaches pay deal
The stars of “Modern Family” have reached new contracts to keep working on the Emmy-winning comedy, ending a dispute that had threatened to spill over into a courtroom.
A 20th Century Fox spokesman confirmed Friday evening that the deals had been reached and that shooting on the ABC series’ fourth season will begin Monday.
The deals cover stars Sofia Vergara, Ed O’Neill, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
Five of the actors sued Fox on Tuesday, asking a judge to rule their contracts on the Emmy-winning show are illegal and should be invalidated. O’Neill joined the case later in the week.
Exact terms of the deal were not released.
“Modern Family,” a popular comedy that airs on ABC, has won Emmy Awards for outstanding Comedy Series the past two years. Several of the stars, including Burrell, Bowen and Stonestreet have won individual Emmys for their work on the show.
The show was recently nominated for 14 Emmy Awards, the most of any sitcom.
Metallica tour off to a hot start
Metallica vocalist James Hetfield had warned things could get perilous at the start of the band’s fifth tour of Mexico, saying “We’re very focused on how dangerous this show is.”
The audience of more than 22,000 believed it too. Many of the fans were visibly terrified Saturday night as the band re-enacted its burn-down-the-stage performance from 1998’s “Cunning Stunts” video album.
At one point a technician fled across the stage like a human torch in a Mexico City show that featured explosions, pyrotechnics, laser lights and the odd giant coffin.
Hours earlier Hetfield said the tour would cover the band’s 31 years of performing.
Metallica has scheduled seven more shows at Mexico City’s Sports Palace before heading to dates in San Francisco and Edmonton, Alberta.
The birthday bunch
Blues guitarist Buddy Guy is 76. Movie director Peter Bogdanovich is 73. Singer Paul Anka is 71. Jazz saxophonist David Sanborn is 67. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is 65. Actor Jean Reno is 64. Actor Ken Olin is 58. Actress Delta Burke is 56. Singer-songwriter Kate Bush is 54. Actor Laurence Fishburne is 51. Actress Lisa Kudrow is 49. Country guitarist Dwayne O’Brien (Little Texas) is 48. Actress Vivica A. Fox is 48. Actor Terry Crews (“Everybody Hates Chris”) is 44. Director Christopher Nolan (“Memento,” “Inception”) is 42. Actor Tom Green is 41. Drummer Brad Hargreaves (Third Eye Blind) is 41. Actress Hilary Swank is 38. Actress Jaime Pressly (“My Name Is Earl”) is 35. Actress Yvonne Strahovski (“Chuck”) is 30.