Kathryn Morris UK

Cold Case Cast Catch-up – September 2017

The nights are starting to draw in. Summer is definitely over. Instead of running about outside settle in and read about the continuing careers of the Cold Case cast that aren’t Kathryn in September 2017’s Cold Case Cast Catch-up.

In the August CCCC-up I mentioned Jeremy Ratchford (Nick Vera in CC) appearing in a short film called Radio 88. We had hint that the film would be premièred in mid-September at a film festival. That may or may not have been correct. However, on the 18th of September the 11 minute film was made available on YouTube as part of a promotion for a new very high definition Panasonic camera. You can watch it in full HERE. The cinematographer/producer Johnny Derango (Small Time Crime also starring Jeremy) is key to the film, hence the link to the camera equipment. The story involves a young woman (Cyrina Fiallo, Temporary) making the final broadcast of a small radio station created by her father (Jeremy) and an equally young English man (Paul Holowaty, Hollyoaks) trying to see her again and get his record played.

It is not a promotion for a European hatchback car, it’s a movie by James Gray (Lost City Of Z) and it stars John Finn (John Stillman in CC). The Brad Pitt (Lost City Of Z) starring sci-fi epic Ad Astra has been given a release date. You’ve got plenty of time to save your pennies for a cinema ticket because that date, in the US at least, is the 11th of January 2019. That makes it a futuristic film, I guess Brad (we’re on first name terms) plays an Army Corps engineer looking for his long-missing father. Mr Tommy Lee Jones (Men In Black) is the man lost on an mission to find aliens 20 years previously. Ruth Negga (Preacher), Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games), and Jamie Kennedy (The Hunger Games) also star. James Gray is directing and co-wrote the feature.

Tracie Thoms (Kat Miller in CC) made her promised return as Monica Walker in Criminal Minds just a few days ago now. It sounds like it might have been a really emotional one. In the previous season finale Tracie starred as the wife of one of the main characters. The dropping of that actor from the show meant he wasn’t going to be coming back. This première episode of the 13th season dealt with that. As we know a character key in a major plot development in a top rated TV show is not enough for Tracie. That’s a Wednesday for constantly working Tracie. Next up is another short film. This one is called Top Ramen, a 20 minute drama about two girls forced to look after themselves when their mother (presumably Tracie) is arrested at a protest demonstration. Long-time TV producer, mostly of reality shows like Hell’s Kitchen, Rebecca Hertz is making her directing debut with Top Ramen. No news on a release yet. If that wasn’t enough Tracie spent a couple of days at Dartmouth to star in a performance of Antigone In Ferguson. The piece is a series of dramatic readings and gospel songs about the shooting by police in Ferguson, Missouri of Michael Brown in 2014. The text is from the original 2,500 year old tragedy Antigone by Sophocles, which has plenty of parallels with more recent events. Tracie spent time with students at Dartmouth College after performing. Of course that is not enough for Tracie, oh no. A YouTube video of Tracie and others performing a cover of the P!nk (is that right?) song Dear Mr President was posted the other day. You can watch it HERE.

Cold Case Cast Catch-up – August 2017

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The summer holidays, and possibly the summer itself based on the current weather forecasts, might be coming to an end but some people have been working. August 2017’s Cold Case Cast Catch-up peruses the on-going careers the others in Cold Case.

I need to start things off with an apology. Last month‘s CCCC-up I accused Tracie Thoms (Kat Miller in CC) of not doing much in July for me to post about. I was wrong to doubt. I should have known better. Sorry Tracie. If I had only checked my own notes properly before hand I could have avoided this hurt.

Let’s rectify this egregious error immediately.

In the middle of July Ms Thoms worked on a short film called Are We Good Parents? This is the work of writer/director/producer Bola Ogun. Bola looks like she’s been a one woman film industry in the past 10 years having worked as a production assistant, assistant director, writer, voice actor, actor, and is now moving into producing and directing her own films. Initially this appears to be with a series of short film. One of those films, The Water Phoenix, premièred at the LA Shorts Fest earlier this month. Are We Good Parents? stars Brit actor Sean Maguire (Robin Hood in One Upon A Time) and Gabrielle Skye, alongside Tracie. In England Sean is still best known for stints in kid drama Grange Hill and soap opera EastEnders. He’s since moved to LA and had a string of guest roles in shows you may have heard of like CSI: NY and Cold Case? He was in Two Weddings from season 7. Are We Good Parents? is currently in post-production.

To get more up to date: Waaaaay back in Feb 2016 (see here) I posted about a feature film called 9 Rides by Matthew A. Cherry At the time the film was looking for a little extra financing via Kickstarter to… errrr… get finished. It went on to debut at the SXSW festival in March of the same year. A week in to this August it was announced that the film had been acquired by Gravitas Ventures and Flourishing Films, presumably for distribution in some form. For some reason the site hosting that announcement is no longer available so I can’t verify details. 9 Rides is about an Uber driver on New Years Eve. I believe Tracie plays one of several sets of passengers the driver transports during the course of the film. We’ll have to wait to see if anything comes of this news.

Tracie looks to be returning to the scene of the Criminal Minds in September. She is set to reprise her role as Monica Walker, wife of a main character, in the première episode of season 13 of the show. This is based on the IMDb listings. However, I see that the actor playing the husband Damon Gupton has been dropped from the cast. Tracie’s appearance, assuming it happens, may have a bearing on his character’s departure. Another one to wait and see.

More Love will be heading Tracie’s way as the Judd Apatow created Netflix comedy drama Love has been given a third season. Gillian Jacobs (Community) and Paul Rust (co-creator and writer) star as a mismatched couple in the warts-and-all relationship-based show. Season 3 is due to air early next year.

Moving on from Tracie. Recent birthday boy Jeremy Ratchford (Nick Vera in CC) has been making a short film called Radio 88. The 12 minute-long piece by Kim Noonan and John Salcido centres on the closure of a radio station and a man trying to get to the studios in time to meet ‘the love of his life’. Jeremy is listed as playing ‘Danger’ Dickie Defozzio, at a guess I’d say he’s a radio DJ. A première date of 11th September this year is given for the work, presumably at a film festival, but I have yet to determine which.

Did I miss anything?

Cold Case Cast Catch-up – July 2017

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It might be the summer holidays for many but KM UK doesn’t rest and neither does the business called show. On that note we bring you the July 2017 Cold Case Cast Catch-up to look at the on-going careers of the non-Kathryn major cast members.

Let’s get this started with John Finn (John Stillman in CC). John has been added to the cast of an upcoming Brad Pitt (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button) and Tommy Lee Jones (Men In Black) movie called Ad Astra. Translating that title from the original Latin to English gives us the phrase ‘to the stars’. Brad is to play an astronaut sent across the galaxy to search for his father (TLJ) who went missing whilst on a mission 20 years previously. At the time of writing John is only the third member of the cast listed and has the character name ‘Stroud’. Director James Grey (The Lost City Of Z) is taking the helm on the project that was first announced a year ago. Brad apparently introduced James to the book of The Lost City Of Z and wanted to work with him on it but that didn’t quite happen. Filming was due to start in July so could already be under way. No release date has been mentioned but I think we can assume it will be next year at the earliest.

In what has been a quiet summer I rely on Tracie Thoms (Kat Miller in CC) to help me out with some news to report. You know, a new movie, TV show guest appearance, a stage show, or a night or two of her one-woman show. She’s let me down The best I can come up with this month is the showing of the musical Falsettos in cinemas across the USA. It is becoming increasingly common for stage productions to be filmed and shown (sometimes live) on cinema screens so more people can see it. I guess every girl needs a break, even Tracie.

Cold Case Cast Catch-up – June 2017

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Can you believe we’re half way through 2017 already? It’s surprising how much has happened and how little time it’s taken. Our Cold Case cast that aren’t Kathryn continue to be busy and in our latest monthly catch-up with their on-going careers I hope to keep you updated.

Keeping it real with Tracie Thoms (Kat Miller in CC) after the news in April (here) that she would be recurring in the Lifetime network show UnREAL. The previous season, number two, started airing over a year ago now. The show was renewed for a third around that time. With the first being a June baby as well the expectation was the pattern would continue. Unfortunately for the fans this is not going to be the case. Season 3 of UnREAL will now drop in early 2018. UnREAL is a behind-the-scenes drama set around a TV dating show. Sheri Appleby (Roswell High) and Constance Zimmer (House Of Cards) lead the cast. Tracie is due to play Zimmer’s (as Quinn King) ‘lesbian friend’.

The movie Gifted came out in the UK a couple of weeks ago. John Finn (John Stillman in CC) stars in the film, presumably in a relatively minor role. I don’t think the film was a huge success at the box office, and was easily dismissed for being ‘worthy’ or ‘saccharin’, I certainly saw many favourable reviews of the piece. Chris Evans took a break from his regular Captain America duties to lead this relatively small film which also stars the young Mckenna Grace (Designated Survivor), Lindsay Duncan (Rome), Jenny Slate (Parks And Recreation), and Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures). Chris is raising his gifted niece (Mckenna) and has to fight relatives and ‘the system’ to do the best for her.

Bit of late breaking news on Jeremy Ratchford (Nick Vera in CC). Late as in it happened a while ago. Apparently he was a guest star on final ever episode of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, a recent spin-off in the series. The show had a Russian element and Jeremy played a ‘Boris’. In mid-May, a couple of days after the cancellation was announced, the show came to an end in a back-to-back double episode finale. CM:BB was a short-run mid-season show. Gary Sinise lead a team of FBI agents working abroad. Isn’t that what the CIA is for? The two seasons didn’t rate very highly so it was brought to a close.

Cold Case Cast Catch-up – May 2017

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Make way for May 2017’s Cold Case Cast Catch-up. News of the careers of the other major Cold Case actors must be heard.

Let us begin with John Finn (John Stillman in CC). John (there’s been a lot of John in this post already!) has found himself in a film called Bent. It’s a thriller about a jailed police officer (framed of course) out for revenge on those that helped put him away, who gets caught up in solving a connected murder. Karl Urban (Dredd) leads the impressive cast, with Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), and Andy Garcia (The Untouchables). John is currently listed as playing ‘Driscoll’, which doesn’t give too many clues as to the nature of the character. No release date yet.

If you were to walk into a room that contained a certain Jeremy Ratchford (Nick Vera in CC) and shout “Is there a certain Jeremy Ratchford here?” he might very well run away. Or, he might reply in a rather affected tone “I am that man.” If he did it would help me out greatly in linking to this next item. I Am That Man is a movie returned to our revenge theme. It is the directorial debut of British actor Matthew Marsden. He’s had quite a career already having had short stints in two of the UK’s biggest soap operas (Coronation Street and Emerdale) and gone on to star in some major American films (Black Hawk Down, Rambo (2008)) and TV (NCIS, Castle, Two And A Half Men). And, he was in Anacondas: The Hunt For The Blood Orchid with a certain special someone’s special someone. Not being a complete fool (he is British after all) Matthew has cast himself in the lead role. Alongside him are Christine Lakin (Family Guy), presumably as his wife, and Jeremy as Mike Spence. Filming only started early in May so we probably have a bit of a wait for a release.

Tracie Thoms (Kat Miller in CC) returned to the small screen in America just the other day in the Starz network’s new drama/sci-fi/fantasy series American Gods. It is available via Amazon Prime in some other countries. They are throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at this one. Lots of big special effects, big imagery, and big names in the acting world. Relatively unknown Ricky Whittle (another Brit, Hollyoaks) is the latest ex-con in this post who, on his way to his wife’s funeral, meets Ian McShane’s Mr Wednesday. Things take a turn for Ricky’s ‘Shadow Moon’. That big name cast includes one of the hardest working actors today Gillian Anderson (The X-Files), Crispin Glover (Back To The Future), Emily Browning (Sucker Punch) and Pablo Schreiber (The Brink), Peter Stormare (Fargo), and Cloris Leachman (Young Frankenstein), to name just a few. Tracie starred as a police detective (don’t know where they got that idea from!) in ‘Lemon Scented You’, the fifth episode of the 10 part run.

In other Tracie news the Broadway musical Falsettos that she appeared in has been nominated for several Tony Awards. The Oscars of the theatre, the Tony Awards 2017 ceremony is due in a couple of weeks time. It has already won several awards and is nominated for more. Break a leg!