Other prizes at Freedom from Torture event include rare Mary Wollstonecraft book illustrated by William Blake
Margaret Atwood, Zadie Smith and Ian McEwan are among a number of literary stars auctioning off the chance for readers to name characters in their next novels to raise money for survivors of torture.
The auction is part of Freedom from Torture’s 10th anniversary literary festival, which brings together leading authors and survivors for a celebration of storytelling, featuring a poetry competition and live readings at the London Library on 11 November.
La actriz Jenna Ortega (Rancho Mirage, California, 24 años) es ya uno de los rostros más reconocidos de Hollywood. Poco a poco, la intérprete, que saltó a la fama mundial fundamentalmente por su papel protagonista en la serie Miércoles, el spin off de La familia Addams de Netflix, ha logrado que su rostro expresivo y su presencia lánguida y llena de personalidad sean protagonistas de otros títulos, cada vez más asociados al miedo (Scream VI, 2023) y a la temática surrealista o fantástica (Bitelchús Bitelchús, 2024). Ahora, además, la intérprete, cuya próxima película como protagonista, Nasty, se estrenará en 2027, ha sido elegida como portada de noviembre de la edición estadounidense de la revista Vogue. En la entrevista con la publicación, Ortega ha hablado de sus proyectos actuales y de los inminentes, así como de temas más personales, como el trastorno obsesivo compulsivo que sufre desde muy pequeña, cuando ya se dio cuenta de que ella no hacía las cosas como los demás.
Behind his countless roles in film and television productions, actor James Woods has experienced his share of "takes" and "wraps" just as endings and new beginnings have occurred in his creative and personal life.
Now, during what he's referred to as his lifeâs "second act" after his notorious Hollywood blacklisting and then later the Pacific Palisades fires in January 2025, which still has him and his wife Sara displaced due to their homeâs smoke damage, Woods seems to have settled into a life of songwriting serenity.
His third album, "The Killerâs Wife," is what became a concept record released under his own label, Breakheart Music. Created in collaboration with musical artist Bob Wayne and four-time Grammy winner Shooter Jennings, the album draws on Woodsâ early years as an actor on the road. At its heart is a true story that he initially treated as fiction: his past relationship with a young woman and mother whom he later discovered was married to a serial killer. That extraordinary saga inspired both the albumâs title and its featured song.
"Iâm not gonna reveal her privacy and her story. I have no way of knowing where she is now or anything, but I heard that she has a fine life, and she carried on, and she overcame this incredible moment in her life. But I always thought about this question. It intrigued me. Why didnât he murder her?" Woods explained to Fox News Digital, describing the inspiration behind the album.
"And knowing her, I thought, âThereâs something about her unbelievable purity of spirit that I think was more powerful than his satanic evil.â And considering the state of the world, I thought, well, now weâve got an epic, literally spiritual battle for the survival of the species, really, as a big idea behind the album."
Woods describes "The Killerâs Wife" as "a musical parable into the dark heart of evil and the glorious triumph of good."
Other songs on the album explore that theme in different ways. "The Hearts of Men" came to Woods as he was reading Matthew 24:12 in the Bible, a passage that speaks of the hardening of human hearts as wickedness spreads. "One in the Chamber," which Woods calls his favorite track, came to him at the last minute and speaks to the need to be prepared for the violent times in which we live.
"Bob does it like a beautiful ballad â itâs so pretty â and everybody said, âThis song is so beautiful.â And then you realize what itâs about as youâre singing it, you know, and thatâs what I love about our music and why people are really responding to it," Woods said. "It has just such a unique flavor."
A serendipitous encounter at Dan Tanaâs, the iconic West Hollywood restaurant, brought Woods and his wife, Sara, together with Jennings and his wife, Misty Swain. Tana, who died last year, was a close friend of Woods. The two couples were the only diners in the restaurant before the dinner rush, and the chance meeting led not only to an unlikely friendship but also to a remarkable musical journey for everyone involved.
Sara has even become Breakheart Musicâs art director, creating all three album covers and every photograph used in the releases.
During dinner, Jennings asked Woods whether he had ever considered writing lyrics, telling him to send some along if he ever did. That night, Woods went home and wrote "Misty Morning" in the Notes app on his iPhone in just 20 minutes. Then he heard nothing from Jennings for nearly a month.
"I thought and said to Sara, âOh, what an idiot. I just ruined a good friendship.â And then all of a sudden, I got this song back (âMisty Morningâ), which is like one of the most beautiful songs ever. And my whole life changed."
Jennings described Woodsâ first album, "Hear the Thunder Crack" released in October 2024, as an "expansive poetic journey" and told Woods that it was, in fact, the actorâs autobiography.
Wayne later came on board at the suggestion of Jennings, to sing on Woodsâ second album, "Tombstone Opera," which Woods described as a kind of "Sergio Leone revenge tale." The project marked another chapter in his second act, one that continued even after the Palisades fires.
Both albums reached the Top 10 on Apple Musicâs country album charts and have sold several thousand physical copies.
Like its predecessors, "The Killerâs Wife" was recorded at Hollywoodâs iconic Sunset Sound studio and follows Woodsâ steadfast rule against using Auto-Tune or artificial intelligence. In addition to writing the lyrics, Woods lends his own voice to the songs performed by Wayne, adding spoken-word passages layered throughout the music.
"It is unusual to have a spoken part, but in this album, it really serves a lot of the songs," Woods explained.
The record is available on CD and vinyl through jameswoods.com. The vinyl edition, custom-made by Memphis Record Pressing, features translucent colors and sand-like, opaque elements evoking the seaside, along with a bright-red blood splatter representing the places where the serial killerâs victims were buried.
"One of my favorite things about working with James Woods is how cinematic his writing is. With âThe Killerâs Wife,â he really found such a unique way to unfold this mini-opera, and paired with Bobâs amazing musical structures, this album explores so much sonic space that we hadnât in the beginning," Jennings said.
For Woods, now 79, this musical chapter follows a remarkable acting career that included roles in Oliver Stoneâs "Salvador" (1986), Martin Scorseseâs crime drama "Casino" (1995), and Rob Reinerâs "Ghosts of Mississippi" (1996), among many others. Woods left MIT during his senior year in 1969 to pursue acting.
Numerous award nominations and accolades followed.
After being effectively sidelined by Hollywood around 2018 because of his outspoken conservative views and public support for Donald Trump, Woods found a new project in the book "American Prometheus," the biography of Robert Oppenheimer. The project eventually became Christopher Nolanâs Oscar-winning film "Oppenheimer," released in 2023, and helped put Woods back on the map as a producer.
Although Woods was reportedly advised to remain "invisible" during the filmâs release â he wasnât even invited to the Producers Guild Awards â he eventually discovered something unexpected. What initially felt painful also helped him realize that he no longer cared about the Hollywood world as much as he once had.
"Itâs important to understand, I loved being an actor. I loved my years in the film and television industry," he said, recalling roles such as his performance in 1979âs "The Onion Field." Whether based on real events or fictional stories, he explained, such projects often addressed the cultural and political issues of the day.
"And at the same time, I understood that my role as an actor was to take another personâs words and directorial concepts, knowing I was there to serve that."
"Those masters, not the people, but the story," he clarified.
Acting, as he has been quoted as saying, "is now a DEI exercise."
Simply put, Woods said he has turned toward "happier things" and spending time with talented musicians, whom he describes as true "magicians" and among the most jubilant people he has ever been around.
"I have this observation I made once. I thought, you know, whenever you look at statues anywhere in the world, they usually celebrate one of two kinds of people: warriors and poets. And I thought, you know, if you got a choice to do one or the other, Iâm tired of being a warrior for a cause, getting in the political fray. I want to celebrate art and poetry and music and things I love, and things other people love," he said.
"So, I want to talk about happier stuff. I want to talk about the creation of art. And I want to talk about how we create art, because I love what weâve created, and I think the people who are hearing it are loving it ⦠and I want to celebrate it," he continued.
El actor John Goodman, de 74 años, considera que empezó a madurar pasados los 55, cuando decidió dejar el alcohol y empezar a bajar de peso. En ese proceso sufrió altibajos: “Perdía 60 libras (unos 27 kilos) en un verano y luego las recuperaba todas —llegando a ganar 70 u 80 libras—, y eso terminó por agotarme”, ha recordado en una entrevista en The New Yorker, publicadael pasado domingo. “Tomé medidas para no tener que pasar más por eso. Llegué a pesar casi 400 libras (unos 180 kilos). Después de dejar de beber, seguía comiendo de una forma compulsiva, casi como si fuera una adicción”, continúa. El actor, que ha participado en más de 90 películas, explica en la revista estadounidense que decidió dejar el alcohol porque se sentía “muy inmaduro” y el consumo solo “perpetuaba esa inmadurez”. “Quería vivir permanentemente en un ambiente al estilo de Animal House (Desmadre a la americana, 1978)”, señala en referencia a la famosa comedia estadounidense.
The partnership aims to expand access to the cinematic retelling of the Indian epic, leveraging JioHotstar's technology and reach to bring the film to audiences across the country in the highest...
Daler Mehndi was performing at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair on Sunday night when Subodh Uniyal interrupted him and criticised his conduct on stage
Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan and Carla Gugino are also featured in the latest look at David Fincher's follow-up to 2019's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.'
Olivia Wilde returns to the screen and the director’s chair with 'The Invite,' a comedy about secrets, desire and the cracks that emerge when a couple believes they know each other a little too well. The film, in which she stars alongside Penélope Cruz and which is already generating Oscar buzz, marks the return of one of the most controversial figures in recent Hollywood history.
An actress turned director, outspoken feminist and central character in one of the entertainment industry's most talked-about sagas, the 42-year-old filmmaker has gone from being the young doctor on 'House' to embodying the contradictions of an industry that applauds women for breaking the rules, but does not always forgive them for doing so on their own terms.
If there is one thing Wilde has made clear during the promotional tour for 'The Invite,' it is her fascination with Penélope Cruz. The director and actress has even joked that she has not washed her hands since touching those of the Madrid-born star, who plays a free-spirited woman capable of turning her neighbors’ relationship upside down. The couple next door are played by Wilde herself and Seth Rogen.
The two have displayed their easy rapport throughout recent promotional appearances, with Wilde at one point describing her co-star as “the sexiest woman alive.” In one scene, Cruz unexpectedly kisses Wilde. The filmmaker has admitted that she completely lost her composure, her mind went blank and she fell hopelessly in love with her co-star.
Wilde is one of the filmmakers who has openly spoken about the difficulties she encounters when casting her films and trying to find actresses who have not undergone cosmetic procedures.
“As a director, I now am constantly searching for actresses who can still move their faces. And it’s not easy!” she said. “I don’t blame them. I’m a product of the same machine, I’m under the same pressures; I get it.”
“I just pray for technology to allow treatments that just aren’t so aggressive. Like, there’s something so medieval about all these things. Can’t someone come up with something better than Botox?” she continued.
For Wilde, the issue is also personal. In recent years, her own public appearances have been met with cruel remarks about her looks, her age and speculation about possible cosmetic procedures.
In 2026, photos of the actress became fodder for mockery on social media, particularly because of her extreme thinness. Wilde herself responded with humor, acknowledging that in those viral images she really did look “like a little dead sarcophagus man.”
On Jan. 6, 2021, the world woke up to an image that would dominate headlines for months: Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles walking hand in hand. Wilde was directing her second film, 'Don't Worry Darling,' and Styles, the former One Direction member, was one of its stars.
The couple’s 10-year age gap, the singer’s global fame and Wilde’s recent separation turned the relationship into a media phenomenon. The spiral soon became impossible to stop: Shia LaBeouf’s departure from the project, rumors that the film’s lead actress, Florence Pugh, had a strained relationship with Wilde and was unhappy with the displays of affection between the director and Styles during filming, and the supposedly viral incident in which Styles appeared to spit on Chris Pine at the Venice Film Festival.
Wilde has since acknowledged that she perhaps should have pushed back against some of the allegations. At the same time, she has recalled that she was experiencing moments of great happiness in her private life.
“ It was like a tornado was right outside the door, and if you were inside you were like, ‘It’s so nice,’” she said. “And you open the door and be like, ‘Ah,’ like a fucking like cow and a tractor would fly by.”
Wilde grew up in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., in a household where current affairs were effectively a member of the family. Her parents, journalists Andrew and Leslie Cockburn, hosted dinner parties attended by guests as prominent as Mick Jagger, Steven Spielberg and writer Salman Rushdie.
Her mother worked as a war correspondent and went on to become a renowned investigative journalist before taking her career in a different direction. In 2018, at the age of 66, she ran as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, with her daughter’s public support. She lost to the Republican candidate, but her trajectory left Wilde with a powerful example of political engagement and reinvention.
The role that changed everything for Olivia Wilde, who was born Olivia Cockburn and later adopted the surname Wilde in homage to Oscar Wilde, was that of internist Remy Hadley, better known as Thirteen to both Dr. House and the millions of viewers of the medical drama.
Joining the show's fourth season turned her into an international star and one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actresses. After starring in big-budget films such as 'Tron: Legacy' and 'Cowboys & Aliens,' both of which met with limited critical and commercial success, Wilde later said she felt exploited and objectified by the film industry.
“I had become numb to the fact that every meeting I went on — with men and women, by the way — I was going to be judged on my physical appearance,” she said.
Wilde’s feminist commitment predates the controversies that would later put her at the center of the headlines. In 2017, when the #MeToo movement brought the industry’s abuses of power into the spotlight, she joined the growing chorus of voices calling for change. She also became one of the public faces of Time’s Up, the initiative launched by women in Hollywood to combat sexual harassment and promote safer workplaces, and spoke at the 2018 Women’s March in Los Angeles.
“This business belongs to all of us,” she said that year, advocating for an industry in which her peers could work without fear and without having to compete for opportunities that had historically been denied to them.
Wilde’s debut as a feature-film director came in 2019 with a low-budget comedy that quickly achieved cult status among a generation of moviegoers: 'Booksmart.' The film, which follows two high school students on one final night of partying before graduation, was a hit with both critics and audiences.
Wilde had long wanted to stop being just another cog in the industry and take a more active role in the creative process.
“I always assumed acting was the way in, because for many young women … they’re told, ‘You love movies — you should be a movie star,’" she told 'Variety.' "No one tells a little girl, ‘Why don’t you become a director?’ It’s just not a part of the conversation. But if a little boy says he loves movies, it’s like, ‘Maybe one day you’ll direct. Maybe you’ll be the next Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese.’”
“Romantic and insane.” That is how Olivia Wilde describes her first great love story, which began in 2003 when she was just 19 years old.
At Burning Man, the unconventional arts and music festival held in Nevada’s desert, the young Wilde said “I do” to her boyfriend of only a few months, filmmaker Tao Ruspoli, the son of an Italian prince. By her own account, it took only seconds for her to realize that the ceremony might have been a little too impulsive.
“Immediately, I was like, 'Wait, what the fuck did I just do?'” she remembers thinking.
The marriage ended in divorce in 2011, although the two have remained on good terms.
The same year she finalized her first divorce, in 2011, Wilde met the man who would become the father of her two children: actor Jason Sudeikis (from 'Ted Lasso'). The two met at a 'Saturday Night Live' party, where Sudeikis was working at the time, and went on to build a family with their children, Otis and Daisy.
In November 2020, after several years together and a long engagement, they ended their relationship, setting off a custody dispute that would later make international headlines. In April 2022, during a film industry convention in Las Vegas, Wilde was interrupted onstage when a person approached to hand her legal documents related to the custody case.
Although Sudeikis maintained that he had no knowledge of how or when the papers would be served, Wilde described the incident as “incredibly traumatizing.”
In her day-to-day life, Wilde is often spotted on the streets of New York wearing far simpler outfits, the kind that are easy for ordinary women to take inspiration from. The look pictured here is a perfect example: a blazer, a basic T-shirt, an oversized bag, trousers and sneakers.
It is the sort of outfit anyone might wear to the office or while running errands.
On the red carpet, Wilde has also earned international attention for her distinctive sense of style. Her looks strike a balance between understated elegance, as seen in this high-necked black Saint Laurent gown with structured shoulders, and a more daring sensibility, whether through sheer fabrics or outfits that showcase her sculpted midriff.
Tailored suits are another staple of her wardrobe, further proving her flair for sharp suiting. The architect behind a style that has grown increasingly sophisticated and eye-catching over the years is Karla Welch, who also styles Tracee Ellis Ross and Sarah Paulson.
The actress is also a favorite of fashion houses with markedly different aesthetics, including Chloé (pictured here in one of the brand’s designs), Saint Laurent, Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton and Valentino.
Her regular appearances at international fashion weeks, particularly in Paris and New York, have made her one of the celebrity names every brand wants seated in its front row.
Earlier this October, Wilde answered the call of fashion’s designer and label of the moment, stepping out in an updated tweed suit by Matthieu Blazy for Chanel. Elegant yet contemporary, the look demonstrated how her trademark bohemian, '70s-inflected style can also take a decidedly classic turn.
It seems that for Wilde, neither in fashion nor in life, much is beyond reach.
La actriz Glenn Close (Greenwich, 79 años) ha grabado un vídeo para sus fans tras los comentarios de preocupación que recibió el pasado 15 de octubre, cuando posó con un bastón en la premiere de La Bola Negra en Nueva York. Con una tirita triangular en la frente, que le evita fruncir el ceño, y una explicación tranquila, ha dicho que no hay nada de qué preocuparse. “Quería pasarme por aquí para agradecerles todo su cariño y explicarles por qué uso un bastón: lo necesito porque me han hecho una sustitución completa de cadera. Resulta que mi cadera izquierda estaba en muy mal estado, así que ahora mi objetivo principal es mantenerme en plena forma para poder afrontar con energía cualquier desafío que se me presente”, comienza el mensaje.
Los directores de la película 'La bola negra' Javier Calvo y Javier Ambrossi posan junto a la actriz estadounidense Glenn Close y, a la izquierda, el director salvadoreño Julio Torres durante la alfombra roja del filme el 15 de octubre, en Nueva York.
Evangeline Lilly (Fort Saskatchewan, 47 años) lleva años alejada de los focos, desaparecida de las grandes producciones y gestionando una vida que durante un tiempo no le perteneció. La actriz, que saltó a la fama mundial gracias a su papel de Kate Austen en Perdidos, decidió dar un paso atrás en su carrera tras el estreno de Ant-Man y la Avispa: Quantumanía (2023), momento en el que dejó de acudir a alfombras rojas y eventos de Hollywood. Tres años después, la intérprete canadiense ha concedido una entrevista a CBN News en la que ha revelado los motivos que le llevaron a tomar la decisión de parar su carrera.
The controversy began on Sunday night during a cultural programme at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in New Tehri, Uttarakhand
Eric Dane falleció el pasado 19 de febrero, apenas 10 meses después de ser diagnosticado con esclerosis lateral amiotrófica (ELA), a los 53 años. El actor, conocido mundialmente por su papel en Anatomía de Grey, aprovechó sus últimos meses de vida para concienciar y pedir más investigación para la enfermedad. Después de conocer el diagnóstico y su inevitable final, el intérprete se centró en el que fue su último proyecto: escribir sus memorias en las que poder relatar su vida, los capítulos más difíciles y otras anécdotas personales. Será el próximo 3 de noviembre cuando se publique su libro póstumo, My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments.
Erik von Detten se convirtió en uno de los actores favoritos de las adolescentes en el año 2000 tras interpretar al galán de melena rubia de la película Princesa por sorpresa (2001) que engañaba al personaje interpretado por Anne Hathaway. Este mes ha sido demandado por engañar, esta vez en la vida real, a un matrimonio de ancianos. La pareja formada por Sheila Greenberg y Norman Greenberg, de 85 y 97 años respectivamente y residentes de San Diego (California), alega que el actor de 44 años los convenció para invertir más de dos millones de dólares (1,7 millones de euros) en monedas de oro a través de tres compras realizadas entre 2020 y 2021 a un precio muy superior al del mercado. En su denuncia, a la que han tenido acceso medios estadounidenses como Variety y People, alegan haber sido víctimas de una estafa en la que han perdido en total 900.000 dólares (800.000 euros).
Login
