Mike Roe, Journalist & Writer

Vanity Fair • December 2nd, 2021

We Still Love ‘30 Rock,’ but Its Foundation Is Shaky

In 1997, Tina Fey interviewed for a job at Saturday Night Live. “It seemed promising, because I’d heard that the show was looking to diversify,” she wrote in her 2011 memoir Bossypants. “Only in comedy, by the way, does an obedient white girl from the suburbs count as diversity.”It’s a passage that neatly sums up Fey’s comic sensibility, as well as what some believe are her blind spots—both of which were abundantly evident in 30 Rock, her beloved NBC sitcom. For seven seasons, 30 Rock won the he...

TheWrap • June 15th, 2024

INTERVIEW: UFC CEO Dana White Shows Off His Unfiltered Approach on ‘Fight Inc.’: ‘Nobody Tells Me What to Do’

The Roku docuseries “Fight Inc.” follows boisterous UFC CEO Dana White and his team, along with several of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s fighters, as the mixed martial arts promotion celebrates its 30th anniversary. White spoke with TheWrap about the show, which digs into how fights get built — and what happens when injuries, personal problems and controversial comments get in the way.


White was first installed as CEO in 2001 when his friends Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta acquired the UFC...

LAist • March 10th, 2022

Why Disney Employees Want The Company To Do More About Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Law

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.Disney has come under fire, both from outside the company and within, for its response to Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education bill,” which LGBTQ+ advocates have nicknamed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.Disney CEO Bob Chapek tried to quell that discontent during a shareholder meeting Wednesday, but critics both inside and outside the compa...

TheWrap • May 15th, 2024

INTERVIEW: Paul Walter Hauser Joins MLW Wrestling, May Play Mick Foley On Screen

Paul Walter Hauser has become an in-demand actor, from his Golden Globe and Emmy-winning turn in “Black Bird” to playing other real-life figures in movies like “I, Tonya” and “Richard Jewell.” But he’s found a new passion to pursue in between his latest TV and movie appearances — professional wrestling.


He’s about to wrestle in his biggest match yet, literally: a 40-person battle royal for the MLW promotion at “Battle Riot VI” on Saturday, June 1 in Atlanta, with the winner getting a shot imm...

LAist • June 1st, 2023

These LA Comedians Prove ‘Sober Comedy’ Isn’t An Oxymoron

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.Audiences know to expect a two-drink minimum at most comedy clubs. Even small indie comedy shows often offer beer or act as BYOB events. But for many comics, the clubs and being on the road can put them in a vulnerable position.Comedian Laura House, who is open about her alcoholism, called it the perfect storm.“I'm traveling, I'm on the...

TheWrap • November 5th, 2024

INTERVIEW: Megyn Kelly Says She Refuses to 'Sell My Soul' to Help Republicans

Megyn Kelly came out as a strong supporter of Donald Trump in this year’s election, including speaking at a rally in support of the GOP candidate on Monday — but that doesn’t mean that she is always going to support the actions of Republicans. In an interview with TheWrap, the conservative host explained why she still calls out moments like Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally last week, criticizing its “brotastic” atmosphere and how its speakers turned off women on an episode of her “The Megyn K...

TheWrap • August 3rd, 2024

Meta Offers Millions to Awkwafina, Judi Dench, Keegan-Michael Key to Use Their Voices for AI

Facebook parent company Meta is in talks with name talent including Judi Dench, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key and others to use their voices for the company’s MetaAI assistant, according to media reports citing anonymous sources. The actors are being offered millions of dollars for the use of their voices.


Meta has been in stop-and-start negotiations with talent representatives because there have been disagreements on how the actors’ voices will be used. The news was first reported by Bloombe...

LateNighter • December 13th, 2024

What SNL's Michael Che Means When He Says 'It's the '90s' - LateNighter

When Michael Che joked during Saturday Night Live‘s Weekend Update that National No Bra Day was “a huge flop,” the audience laughed uneasily. As co-anchor Colin Jost protested, Che cheerfully replied, “The ’90s are back, Colin!”


Che has made some version of “It’s the ’90s” or, more specifically, “It’s the ’90s, Colin” his go-to response whenever the audience gives that awkward, “we’re not on board” reaction to an edgy joke. It’s both an excuse when a punchline bombs, and a playful challenge t...

TheWrap • July 21st, 2024

Los Angeles Magazine Editor-in-Chief Resigns Amid Charges of Payment Problems | Exclusive

Shirley Halperin has resigned as editor-in-chief of Los Angeles Magazine just a year after joining the publication amid rising complaints that it has failed to pay overdue bills to freelancers and vendors, TheWrap has learned.


In a statement to TheWrap on Saturday, the magazine’s president and publisher Christopher Gialanella wrote, “We are proud that Los Angeles Magazine will have a profitable year in a challenging media environment and circulation is way up. We will be announcing our new Ed...