Wikipedia

Rob Delaney

For other people with the same name, see Robert Delaney.

Rob Delaney (born January 19, 1977) is an American comedian, actor, writer, and activist. He is best known for co-creating and starring as Rob Norris in the sitcom Catastrophe (2015–2019), and Peter Wisdom in the superhero films Deadpool 2 (2018) and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024).

Rob Delaney
Delaney in 2012
Born (1977-01-19) January 19, 1977 (age 47)
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Citizenship
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actor
  • writer
  • activist
Years active2003–present
SpouseLeah Delaney
Children4[note 1]
Websiterobdelaney.com

Delaney has also appeared in the films Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Bombshell (2019), Tom & Jerry (2021), Home Sweet Home Alone (2021), The School for Good and Evil (2022), Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), and Love at First Sight (2023).

Early life

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Delaney was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 19, 1977, the son of Nancy and Robert Delaney. He grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts.[3] He is of Irish descent.[4] He attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and graduated with a degree in musical theater in 1999.[5]

Career

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Twitter

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Delaney came to the attention of the public via Twitter, where he began posting in 2009.[6] By 2016, he had over 1.2 million followers. While other comics were hesitant to share their material on social media, he is considered one of the first comedians to use social media to publish jokes.[7] He credited Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan with his rise in popularity after Linehan began responding to his tweets.[8] In 2010, Paste magazine named Delaney one of the 10 funniest people on Twitter.[9] In May 2012, he became the first comedian to win the award for "Funniest Person on Twitter" at The Comedy Awards.[10]

Writing

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Delaney has written articles for Vice[11] and The Guardian.[12] His book Rob Delaney: Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage. was published by Spiegel & Grau in November 2013.[13][14] His memoir A Heart That Works, about the loss of his two-and-a-half-year-old son Henry to brain cancer, was published by Spiegel & Grau in 2022.[15]

Acting

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Television

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Delaney and Sharon Horgan being interviewed about Catastrophe in 2015

In December 2011, Comedy Central announced that Delaney would shoot a pilot for a variety show, called @RobDelaney.[16] However, the series was not picked up. Instead, Delaney moved on to co-write and co-star with Sharon Horgan in Catastrophe,[17] that began airing in the UK on January 19, 2015, on Channel 4. The show follows their characters after they get together following a brief affair while he is in the UK on business, and then moves there permanently after he learns that she has become pregnant.[18] It debuted in the United States on Amazon in June 2015.[19] The program ended after four seasons.[20] Channel 4 aired the concluding episode on February 12, 2019, while Amazon announced the US release date to be March 15 of the same year.[21] The series earned him his sole Emmy nomination, for "Outstanding Comedy Writing".[22]

Since moving to the UK in 2014,[23] Delaney has appeared on several British panel shows, including Have I Got News for You,[24] Would I Lie to You?,[25] 8 Out of 10 Cats,[26] The Big Fat Quiz of the Year[27] and Room 101.[28] In 2016, he appeared on Travel Man as a guest host for the Spanish city of Seville,[29] and in March 2021, he was the guest announcer on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.[30]

Film

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In the film Deadpool 2 (2018), Delaney played Peter Wisdom, an average middle-aged man who has no superpowers and joins Deadpool's X-Force.[31] As part of the film's promotion, a Twitter account was launched in Peter's name.[32][33]

Throughout 2019, Delaney had a series of cameos in Hollywood blockbuster films. He reteamed with director David Leitch and actor Dwayne Johnson for Hobbs & Shaw, in which he appeared as Agent Loeb.[34] He appeared as a theater director in Paul Feig's comedy-drama Last Christmas.[35] Both movies went to No. 1 at the UK box office.[36][37] He also appeared opposite Anne Hathaway in The Hustle as Todd and the Fox News drama Bombshell co-starring Charlize Theron.[38] He filmed a cameo as Elvis Presley in Dexter Fletcher's Elton John musical biopic Rocketman, which was omitted from the theatrical cut.[39] It was also reported that he would appear opposite Reynolds another time, in Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.[40] However, he did not appear in the final film. In September 2019 he was cast in The Good House opposite Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline.[41]

Personal life

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Delaney resides in London with his wife Leah;[42] they have had four sons together.[43][44] In February 2018, Delaney revealed that their two-and-a-half-year-old son Henry had died the previous month, having received extensive treatment for a brain tumor since 2016.[45][46] The film Deadpool & Wolverine, in which Delaney stars in as Peter, is dedicated to Henry's memory.[47] The couple's fourth son was born in August 2018.[48][49] In 2020, Delaney wrote about getting a vasectomy.[50] Since 2024, he has been a UK citizen.[51]

Delaney has publicly shared his experience with multiple health concerns, including depression and alcoholism.[52][53] In 2002, he blacked out while driving and drove into a building owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. He broke his left wrist and right arm, and had both of his knees gashed to the bone. This prompted him to stop drinking.[54][55]

In 2018, Delaney became the first presenter on the CBeebies Bedtime Stories programme to tell a story in Makaton, which he used to communicate with his late son Henry.[56]

On Sara Cox's show Between the Covers, Delaney chose the short story collection A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin as one of his favorite books.[57]

Delaney is an atheist.[58]

Political views

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In June 2017 he endorsed the Labour Party in the 2017 general election, despite being unable to vote as a non-UK citizen (but longtime resident).[59] In November 2018, he supported a petition organized by Labour campaign group Momentum calling on Labour MPs to vote against the EU withdrawal agreement which had been negotiated by Theresa May's government.[60]

In November 2019, Delaney joined other public figures in signing a letter supporting Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, describing him as "a beacon of hope in the struggle against emergent far-right nationalism, xenophobia and racism in much of the democratic world" and endorsed him in the 2019 UK general election.[61] In December 2019, along with 42 other public figures, he signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party under Corbyn's leadership in the 2019 general election. The letter stated that "Labour's election manifesto under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership offers a transformative plan that prioritises the needs of people and the planet over private profit and the vested interests of a few".[62][63]

In June 2024 in the run-up to the 2024 United Kingdom general election, Delaney again expressed his support for Jeremy Corbyn, this time backing his campaign to be re-elected as the MP for Islington North, as an independent candidate following his departure from the Labour Party.[64]

In 2016, Delaney became a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.[65][66][67]

Filmography

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Key
† Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film

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Year Work Role Notes
2007 Wild Girls Gone Whipped Cream Ass Man
2014 Life After Beth News Anchor
2018 Deadpool 2 Peter Wisdom
2019 The Hustle Todd
Rocketman Elvis Presley Deleted scene[68][69]
Hobbs & Shaw Agent Loeb
Last Christmas Theatre Director
Bombshell Gil Norman
2021 Tom & Jerry Henry Dubros
Wrath of Man Boss Blake Halls
The Good House Peter Newbold
Ron's Gone Wrong Andrew Morris Voice
Home Sweet Home Alone Jeff McKenzie
2022 The Bubble Marti
The School for Good and Evil Stefan
2023 Northern Comfort Ralph
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One JSOC
Love at First Sight Andrew Sullivan
2024 Argylle Deputy Director Powell
Deadpool & Wolverine Peter Wisdom

Television

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Year Work Role Notes
2009 Coma, Period. Dan Humford 10 episodes
Outer Space Astronauts Commander Cake Episode: "One Year Ago"
2010 This Week in Comedy Himself Episode: "Karen Kilgariff/Rob Delaney"
2011 The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest Himself 6 episodes
2012 Key & Peele Various 3 episodes
First Dates with Toby Harris Brad Episode: "Ex-Girlfriends"
2013 Rob Delaney Live at the Bowery Ballroom Himself Television special; also executive producer
Cougar Town Guide Episode: "Have Love Will Travel"
Burning Love Kirk 3 episodes
2014 The Michael J. Fox Show Clete Matthews Episode: "Biking"
2015–2019 Catastrophe Rob Norris 24 episodes; also co-creator, co-writer, and executive producer
2016 Travel Man: 48 Hours In Himself Episode: "Seville"
2018 Action Team Victor Episode: "Super Mega Robot"
Trust Lansing Episode: "Kodachrome"
Danger Mouse Night Knight (voice) Episode: "Daylight Savings Crime"
Bitz & Bob Bevel (voice) 41 episodes
2021 Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Guest Announcer 2 episodes
The Great North Brian Tobin (voice) 2 episodes
No Activity Magnolia (voice) 2 episodes
Birdgirl Brian O'Brien (voice) 6 episodes
Between the Covers Himself Episode #2.2
Fairfax Grant (voice) 4 episodes
2022 Big Nate Various voices 23 episodes
Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway The Devil 3 episodes
The Man Who Fell to Earth Hatch Flood 8 episodes
2023 The Power Tom 2 episodes
Black Mirror Mac Episode: "Joan Is Awful"
2023–2024 Invincible Nuolzot / Séance Dog (voice) 3 episodes [70]
2024 Bad Monkey Nick/Christopher Main Cast
TBA Dying for Sex † Neighbour Guy Upcoming miniseries

Audio

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Year Title Role Notes
2024 The Mysterious Affair at Styles Alfred Inglethorp Audible original[71]

Notes

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  1. ^ One child is deceased.[1][2]

References

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  1. ^ "Rob Delaney announces death of two-year-old son from cancer". The Guardian. February 10, 2018. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  2. ^ VanHoose, Benjamin (December 8, 2020). "Rob Delaney on Death of Son Henry, Nearly 3 Years Later". People. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  3. ^ "How 'funniest person on Twitter' Rob Delaney revived the TV romcom – The Boston Globe". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
  4. ^ "Irish American Bostonian Rob Delaney named the 'Funniest Person on Twitter'". IrishCentral.com. May 7, 2012. Archived from the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  5. ^ Delaney, Rob (November 5, 2013). "Rob Delaney: A Beautiful, Shimmering Red Flag". Esquire. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  6. ^ Friar, Christine (April 27, 2012). "Rob Delaney Talks Abortion, Comedy And That Famous Green Speedo With 'Vice'". HuffPost. Archived from the original on April 30, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  7. ^ "Rob Delaney, From Free Twitter Jokes to Comedic Stardom". #TheLabNYC. June 19, 2013. Archived from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  8. ^ Holt, Kris (July 4, 2012). "Rob Delaney to The Daily Dot: 'I had to be good at Twitter'". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on December 11, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  9. ^ "The 10 Best Comedians of 2010". Paste Magazine. December 6, 2010. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  10. ^ "Rob Delaney: First comedian to win 'funniest person on Twitter'". mashable. May 7, 2012. Archived from the original on November 3, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  11. ^ "Articles by Rob Delaney". Vice Magazine. Archived from the original on April 17, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  12. ^ "Rob Delaney Profile". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  13. ^ Gilbert, Matthew (November 16, 2013). "Book Review: Rob Delaney by Rob Delaney". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  14. ^ Ryan, Kyle (November 4, 2013). "Rob Delaney: Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  15. ^ Gachman, Dina (November 12, 2022). "Rob Delaney Wants You to Know How He's Feeling (It May Ruin Your Day)". The New York Times.
  16. ^ "Comedy Central preps Twitter show". c21media.net. December 8, 2011. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  17. ^ "Catastrophe a new C4 comedy created by Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan" (Press release). Channel 4. Archived from the original on January 16, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  18. ^ "Star Wars' Carrie Fisher in new Sharon Horgan comedy Catastrophe – first look". Radio Times. 2015. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  19. ^ "'Catastrophe' renewed for seasons 3 and 4". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  20. ^ "Sharon Horgan teases Carrie Fisher tribute and emotional ending in final ever episode of Catastrophe". Radio Times. Archived from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  21. ^ Wright, Megh (February 12, 2019). "Catastrophe Returns to the States for Its Final Season Next Month". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  22. ^ "Rob Delaney". Television Academy. Archived from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  23. ^ O'Malley, Katie (January 20, 2017). "Catastrophe's Rob Delaney Explains The Differences Between US And British Healthcare And It's Blummin' Brilliant". ELLE. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  24. ^ "Have I Got News for You – Episode 6". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on August 25, 2016. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  25. ^ "Would I Lie to You?". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  26. ^ "8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown – S7 – Episode 1". Radio Times. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  27. ^ "Big Fat Quiz of the Year sparks backlash for booking no female comedians". Metro. December 18, 2020. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  28. ^ "Room 101 – Series 6 Episode 7". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  29. ^ "Travel Man: 48 Hours in Seville review – Richard Ayoade reigns in Spain". the Guardian. March 26, 2016. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  30. ^ Seddon, Dan (March 6, 2021). "Deadpool 2's Rob Delaney shocks Takeaway fans with Dirty Dancing confession". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  31. ^ Deadpool 2, IMDb, Full Credits Cast List Archived August 2, 2019, at the Wayback Machine retrieved August 2, 2019.
  32. ^ "Peter W. (@PeterW_1974) on Twitter". Twitter. Archived from the original on April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  33. ^ "'Deadpool 2': Standout Character Has His Own (Dad) Twitter Account". The Hollywood Reporter. April 19, 2018.
  34. ^ Hobbs & Shaw, IMDb, Full Credits Cast List Archived November 12, 2020, at the Wayback Machine retrieved August 2, 2019.
  35. ^ Myers, Kimber (November 6, 2019). "'Last Christmas' Is A Bad Holiday Rom-Com That Squanders Its Dazzling Stars [Review]". theplaylist.net. The Playlist. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  36. ^ Gant, Charles (August 6, 2019). "UK box office report, August 2–4: are Hobbs & Shaw fast enough for The Lion King?". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  37. ^ Dalton, Ben (November 18, 2019). "'Last Christmas' ends 'Joker' UK box office reign with £2.6m debut". www.screendaily.com. Screen Daily. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  38. ^ "Roger Ailes Biopic Adds Deadpool 2's Rob Delaney to Cast". comingsoon.net. Coming Soon. December 6, 2018. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  39. ^ Clarke, Patrick (June 18, 2019). "Rob Delaney reveals he was meant to play Elvis in 'Rocketman'". NME. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  40. ^ Allen, Ben. "Rob Delaney confirms he WILL star in Pokemon: Detective Pikachu alongside Ryan Reynolds". Radio Times. Archived from the original on September 8, 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  41. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 8, 2019). "Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Beverly D'Angelo & More Move Into Amblin Partners' 'The Good House'". Deadline Hollywood. Deadline. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  42. ^ Delaney, Rob [@robdelaney] (August 22, 2014). "@markhoppus Hi Mark, I live in London now if you ever need a place to stay or just want to talk" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Twitter.
  43. ^ North, Kyle (November 5, 2013). "Rob Delaney explains why Phoebe Gloeckner's A Child's Life is "the North Star"". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  44. ^ Delaney, Rob [@robdelaney] (May 7, 2015). "UK • Can you share this tweet with your grandfather & any stupid cousins? http://t.co/cqp7jFfrAF" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2021 – via Twitter.
  45. ^ "Rob Delaney announces death of two-year-old son from cancer". The Guardian. February 10, 2018. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  46. ^ VanHoose, Benjamin (December 8, 2020). "Rob Delaney on Death of Son Henry, Nearly 3 Years Later". People. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  47. ^ France, Lisa Respers (August 20, 2024). "Ryan Reynolds reflects on tribute to Rob Delaney's late son in 'Deadpool & Wolverine'". CNN. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  48. ^ "Rob Delaney reveals birth of fourth child months after son's death". The Guardian. December 30, 2018. Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  49. ^ DeSantis, Rachel (March 5, 2019). "Rob Delaney Feared He Wouldn't 'Bond' with His New Baby After His 2½-Year-Old Son's Death". People. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  50. ^ Delaney, Rob (August 12, 2020). "'Could I feel what they were doing? Yes': Rob Delaney on the pain and pleasure of his vasectomy". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  51. ^ "Deadpool star Rob Delaney reveals why he has become a British citizen | Virgin Radio UK". virginradio.co.uk. Virgin Radio UK. July 11, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  52. ^ On Depression & Getting Help Archived May 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Robdelaney.tumblr.com (February 26, 2010). Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  53. ^ Delaney, Rob (October 1, 2010). "Comedy". Vice. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  54. ^ Delaney, Rob (2011). "Take a Stroll... With Rob Delaney: Helping You, Helping Me". Vice. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  55. ^ Freeman, Hadley (September 17, 2012). "Rob Delaney: 'Twitter has rocketed me to a whole new level of standup'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 30, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  56. ^ "Delaney to read and sign CBeebies story". BBC News. November 13, 2018. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  57. ^ "Between the Covers: Favourite reads from Vick Hope, Rob Delaney, Rick Stein and Rachel Parris". BBC. May 17, 2021. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  58. ^ Constant, Paul. "Yes, a Bird Is an Animal". The Stranger. Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  59. ^ Milne, Oliver (June 8, 2017). "Who are celebrities voting for in 2017 General Election? The A-Z of famous names supporting Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dems and Greens". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  60. ^ Ramiro, Joana (November 19, 2018). "This comedy star just supported a Momentum petition to bring down May's Brexit deal". Left Foot Forward. Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  61. ^ Neale, Matthew (November 16, 2019). "Exclusive: New letter supporting Jeremy Corbyn signed by Roger Waters, Robert Del Naja and more". NME. Archived from the original on November 26, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  62. ^ "Vote for hope and a decent future". The Guardian. December 3, 2019. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  63. ^ Proctor, Kate (December 3, 2019). "Coogan and Klein lead cultural figures backing Corbyn and Labour". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 11, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  64. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com.
  65. ^ Baker, Peter C. (November 25, 2022). "There's Nothing Decorous About Rob Delaney's Grief". The New Yorker.
  66. ^ Delaney, Rob [@robdelaney] (April 9, 2020). "I'm a lifetime member of DSA & have been for 4 yrs now but I just made this fun badge & so can you! https://t.co/iQybEGsYvC https://t.co/OW0DfCtd8G https://t.co/dzhejyor1V" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 9, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Twitter.
  67. ^ Delaney, Rob [@robdelaney] (September 22, 2020). "I am a Democratic Socialist & I'm working hard to recruit your nieces & nephews.🌈 https://t.co/p7TRuCLkwA" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Twitter.
  68. ^ Clarke, Patrick (June 18, 2019). "Rob Delaney reveals he was meant to play Elvis in 'Rocketman'". NME. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  69. ^ "Rob Delaney's role cut from Rocketman after actor permanently dyed hair black". Metro. June 16, 2019. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  70. ^ "Invincible Season 2: Release Date, Trailer, Cast & More". Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  71. ^ Shafer, Ellise (October 2, 2024). "Peter Dinklage, Jessica Gunning, Himesh Patel and More to Star in Audible Adaptation of Agatha Christie's 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
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