Alex Godfrey

John Davidson, on Facebook this evening. A prince.

A slur was shouted at the Baftas – but what followed was ... The BBC Tourette syndrome furore shows that the stigma exposed by the I Swear film is ongoing

“The misplaced criticism arises partly from a failure to understand the realities of coprolalia. It arises, too, from the ways in which we now think about racism and diversity.” My Sunday @theobserveruk.bsky.social column online early on Thursday: observer.co.uk/news/columni...

I was at the Baftas – and while hearing the N-word was unsettling, all anger should be aimed at the BBC | Jason Okundaye By failing to remove John Davidson’s tic from the broadcast, editors let down both black and disabled people, says Guardian assistant Opinion editor Jason Okundaye

I was at the Baftas – and while hearing the N-word was unsettling, all anger should be aimed at the BBC | Jason Okundaye

Thanks. I totally went overboard for the first few questions. It definitely got more interesting when I let them talk!

a woman with pink hair is wearing a teddy bear sweater and making a funny face ALT: a woman with pink hair is wearing a teddy bear sweater and making a funny face

🪩 #KpopDemonHunters Podcast Special 🪩

Empire’s Alex Godfrey catches writer/director duo Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans on Golden form – diving deep into the movie’s origins and its subsequent success.

Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/6Ixs...

Guilty as charged

Catherine O'Hara was amazing forever, but even in the last couple of years alone it seemed she was having the time of her life, scene-stealing like there was no tomorrow. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Last Of Us, The Studio... she just WENT for it, every time. A gigantic force.

10 years ago I interviewed Dexter Fletcher. I asked him about Alan Rickman, who'd been a proper guardian angel to him, saving his career and possibly his life. I've stuck a bit here, but there's much more on, erm, Tumblr - it's a sweet read about a beautiful man.
mrgodfrey.tumblr.com/post/1420114...

Fact or Fiction - leo leigh

If you want to know more about eccentric table-tennis genius/hustler/superstar Marty Reisman - obviously a major inspiration for Marty Supreme - Leo Leigh's brilliant 2014 feature documentary about him is here, now for free. It's an hour long and you'll have a great time with it.

Skeksis Dinner - The Dark Crystal - The Jim Henson Company YouTube video by The Jim Henson Company

Christmas lunch.

Thanks so much - very very nice of you to say. Really appreciate you reading it and I'm glad you liked it - thanks.

Me too.

Improvised on the spot, too.

Thanks JK. It was a dream. He was too, I spoke to him a couple of times over the years. He loved what he did so much.

When I interviewed Spinal Tap and Marty DiBergi this summer, none of them broke character, for the whole hour. Except Rob Reiner, once, losing it when Michael McKean's David St Hubbins talked about minimalism. I didn't use this in the feature and hadn't published any audio, but this is joyful.

Reading about Rob Reiner & his wife Michele, I am heartsick.

I think of this line from Stand By Me: “Two men got into an argument. One of them pulled a knife. Chris, who had always made the best peace, tried to break it up…”

Rest in peace. Life is not fair, but we do the best that we can with it.

Seeing a lot of people reporting on this and I don't know why anyone would think for one second that this unverified Instagram account is actually Daniel Day-Lewis. As if he would chose this as his profile photo.

Writing about Boogie Nights. PTA really went for it with the John Holmes recreations.

Cult cinema hero Udo Kier: ‘I like the film, it’s very brutal' He has worked with everyone from Andy Warhol to Lars von Trier – as well as gone underage drinking with Rainer Fassbinder and chatted up hustlers with River Phoenix

I spent a glorious hour talking to Udo Kier in 2019. He was at home in the desert with his dog, Liza Minnelli. He talked about meeting gigolos with River Phoenix (for research). He told me about directing himself as a paraplegic transsexual telephone sex-worker. Obviously I loved him.

Cult cinema hero Udo Kier: ‘I like the film, it’s very brutal' He has worked with everyone from Andy Warhol to Lars von Trier – as well as gone underage drinking with Rainer Fassbinder and chatted up hustlers with River Phoenix

I spent a glorious hour talking to Udo Kier in 2019. He was at home in the desert with his dog, Liza Minnelli. He talked about meeting gigolos with River Phoenix (for research). He told me about directing himself as a paraplegic transsexual telephone sex-worker. Obviously I loved him.

I saw a video from the guy who shot Tom Baker's MBE investiture the other day. "I was Tom's photographer for 15 years," he said. I just think people should check over automated subtitles. They're often a bit mad. If you don't have the audio on this might seem pretty wild. Even Tom looks shocked.

Incredible. Congrats! Looking forward to it.

Had the time of my life writing this for our new issue: The Tim Burton and Paul Reubens collaboration, mostly on Pee-wee's Big Adventure, but also beyond, including the years when Reubens was very publicly shamed and Burton stood by him. I had a nourishing talk with Burton for it. On sale tomorrow.

⚔️ ISSUE PREVIEW ⚔️

Empire's #TheOdyssey issue lands in stores and online tomorrow. Here's a look at what's inside this month's pages...

ORDER: greatmagazines.co.uk/empire-janua...

READ MORE: empireonline.com/movies/news/...

Had the time of my life writing this for our new issue: The Tim Burton and Paul Reubens collaboration, mostly on Pee-wee's Big Adventure, but also beyond, including the years when Reubens was very publicly shamed and Burton stood by him. I had a nourishing talk with Burton for it. On sale tomorrow.

Glorious writing. Best thing I've read on the film.

Rachel was so great, I don’t quite know what The Observer will be without her

Next week's issue is a whopper. 12-page cover story on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, an incredible coup by @nickdesemlyen.bsky.social, many months in the making. Trojan-horsing some excellence onto the newsstands. And that's just the start of the huge 2026 preview we put together. You're welcome.

🚨NEW PODCAST SPECIAL🚨

Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean talk Anemone with Empire’s Alex Godfrey — and director Ronan Day-Lewis joins separately to discuss taking on the project as his directorial debut.

Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/5aX4...