Entertainment
Don Cheadle Replaces Anthony Hopkins In An Obama-Backed Revival
By TeeJay Small
| Published

If you’ve been keeping up with entertainment industry trends in recent years, you may already know that Barack and Michelle Obama have launched a production company called Higher Ground. This company generally partners with distributors and streamers such as Netflix to bring inspirational stories to new audiences, with such projects under their belt as Leave The World Behind, Waffles and Mochi, and Michelle Obama’s Becoming. Now, thanks to an exclusive report from Variety, we can confirm that the former President and First Lady will be making their Broadway production debut with a revival of Proof.
Proof is a play written by David Auburn, which originally premiered back in 2000. The story follows a brilliant mathematician as she struggles to piece together her genius father’s unpublished works from the years leading up to his death. As she unravels his semi-coherent ramblings regarding theoretical mathematical proofs, she is assisted by one of his up-and-coming grad students. The original play won a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award, and it even received a film adaptation in 2005.

Per Variety, the Obama-produced revival of Proof will star The Bear‘s Ayo Edebiri in the lead role, with Marvel’s Don Cheadle portraying her father. This is sort of ironic casting, considering the 2005 film adaptation almost exclusively starred Marvel talent as well, before they joined the Disney-owned franchise. 2005’s Proof had Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins in the lead roles, with Jake Gyllenhaal portraying the grad student.
Having recently downgraded their overall deal with Netflix into a first-look deal, it seems as though Barack and Michelle Obama are experimenting with new and exciting storytelling avenues. If the Broadway revival of Proof does well, it could serve as the basis for a motion picture remake with a new cast. While discussing their decision to revive the story, the Obamas explained “Proof is exactly the kind of story Higher Ground was built to champion, a play that asks profound questions about brilliance, doubt, and what we inherit from the people we love most.”

Higher Ground has already taken home numerous Academy Awards for its previous works. To date, the production company has earned six Emmy Awards, three Grammys, and an Oscar. If Barack and Michelle Obama manage to strike gold with their reimagining of Proof, it could make them the very first President and First Lady to earn the coveted EGOT status. That’s not usually the sort of thing politicians pull off in their retirement, but then again, sitting politicians have been doing much stranger things in recent years.
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5 Things That Surprised Me About Having a Third Child


Hello beautiful people! How are you? I’ve missed you all so much. I’ve spent the past six months on mat leave snuggling with the newest member of our family, Evelynn. After having my son, Emiliano, I wrote four things that surprised me about having a second child. So, I thought it would be fun to now share five things that have surprised me as a new mom of three…
1. The random milestones are just as beautiful as the big ones. With my first daughter, Ella, I couldn’t wait to see her hit her first few milestones, like rolling over or sitting up on her own. Now, as a mom of three, I still get the excitement for those moments. But you know what’s equally amazing? Seeing their startle reflex for the first time — when they wiggle their tiny arms like they’re trying to grab the air, as I gently lower them onto the changing table. I love listening to their snort-like grunts while they nurse. And once they get the hang of walking, I cherish their footsteps pitter-pattering down the hallway. With each baby, I’ve noticed new milestones that melt my heart.

My mat-leave uniform: oversized T-shirts, maternity leggings, and a baby on my boob 🙂
2. The urge to feel like I have it together has dropped significantly. As a recovering people pleaser, I’ve always struggled to ask for help. With my first baby, I did everything on my own. With my second, I started accepting help whenever family and friends offered. But during my pregnancy with Evelynn, I quickly realized that Max and I would need all the help we could get. So, I actually reached out to my mom with a list of chores I was struggling to get done before going into labor — including washing our bedroom sheets and cleaning the toilets (!). Part of me felt nervous asking because the chores felt so personal (again, the toilets!). But I imagined what it would feel like coming home to a disheveled home two-days postpartum, with a newborn, toddler, and four-year-old all vying for parental attention — and the anxiety I felt outweighed the embarrassment of asking. When I returned home from the hospital, my mom and grandma had knocked everything off the list – and coming home from the hospital to clean sheets was BLISS. You can always count on women to get shit done.
My aunt Annette, a true saint who always offers to help with my kids!
3. My desire to help other moms out has risen significantly. Last month, I texted a new friend who has a toddler and five-year-old. She mentioned she was sick, and without skipping a beat I offered to drop off soup for dinner. Now I’m not sharing this to brag, just to say that I felt an immediate need to help because I know how bone-achingly hard it is to be sick with two little kids. Over my five years as a mom, I’ve been so lucky to get support from other moms — by putting away a load of clean dishes when they stop by, or taking one of my kids to the potty at a restaurant so I can finish dinner. Paying these good deeds forward feels like an easy way to honor all of the women who have helped me.
4. The more kids you have, the more clearly you realize how you want to spend your time. Having three kids under five leaves me with around 30 minutes of personal time during the day. I’ve realized I like to be outside working in our veggie garden, or lying in bed reading funny novels (I flew through this one). It feels satisfying to know exactly what brings me energy and joy during this busy season.
5. Seeing the similarities between all your kids is a whole new high.
Seeing your new baby make the same eyebrow smirk that their two older siblings made as babies is magic. (Of course, you can experience this with two kids or if your kids have cousins, too.)
Now I’d love to know, what surprised you after having your first or second or third (or fourth??)? Please share below, I’m all ears! And sending love to those who are wishing or trying for a baby. xo
P.S. Three word that changed how I parent, one thing that surprised Joanna about parenting, and what’s the best age gap between siblings?




