Little Known Facts with Ilana Levine

Arianna Davis stars as series regular ‘Madonna’ in the new NBC cheerleading comedy Stumble opposite Kristin Chenoweth and Taran Killam. 

Filling the current void of cheerleading media which dominated the early aughts and 2010s, Stumble is being prioritized by NBC as its next big comedy. Arianna’s character, a curvy, Black college cheerleader with a chronic illness, is a breath of fresh air in the on-screen cheerleading space which has long been devoid of diverse representation.

Arianna is a true triple threat – in addition to acting, she is a professional dancer who started dancing at just two years old, as well as a singer-songwriter.
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Frances Turner is a dynamic performer who brings complexity and authenticity to every role.

Turner stars opposite Walton Goggins in Prime Video’s hit series Fallout, from creator Jonathan Nolan. Currently in its second season, Turner returned as 'Barb Howard', the pre-apocalyptic wife of Goggins’ 'Cooper Howard' and key player in Vault-Tec Corporation. After its first four weeks, season two already ranks as the sixth most watched season ever on Prime Video and is even higher rated than season one. 

Turner is also known for her work on Prime Video’s The Boys, NBC’s New Amsterdam, and her standout turn as a series lead in The Man in the High Castle, produced by Scott Free and created by Frank Spotnitz. Additional credits include ABC’s The Finest, directed by Regina King, and Netflix’s After film franchise.

Before embarking on her acting career, Turner built a successful foundation as a corporate attorney. A graduate of Cornell University and Georgetown University Law Center, she practiced law at a major firm before transitioning to the screen.

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Jonathan Tolins is the showrunner and executive producer of the critically acclaimed CBS drama ELSBETH, which returns for its third season.  

Tolins has been an executive producer on THE GOOD FIGHT on Paramount+, co-executive producer on “Schmigadoon!” and co-producer on “Queer as Folk,” along with producer credits on EAST NEW YORK, BRAINDEAD and PARTNERS on the Network. Other TV credits include the Tony Awards, the Academy Awards, “Grease Live!” and “A Christmas Story Live!”

Additionally, Tolins was a producer and co-writer with Seth E. Bass for the films “Martian Child” starring John Cusack and “The Twilight of the Golds,” based on his Broadway play and starring Brendan Fraser and Faye Dunaway.

Tolins is best known as the author of one of the 10 most produced plays in America in 2016, “Buyer & Cellar,” which won the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Solo Show and was named “Best Unique Theatrical Experience” by the Off-Broadway Alliance during its record-breaking run at the Barrow Street Theatre. The show also enjoyed a London engagement at the Menier Chocolate Factory, a run at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and was shown on the WNET series “Theater Close-Up.” Other plays by Tolins include “The Last Sunday in June,” “Secrets of the Trade,” “If Memory Serves” and “The Forgotten Woman.” He was also represented on Broadway by additional material written with his husband, Robert Cary, for the revival of “On the Town.” Together, Jon and Rob also wrote the book for the new musical “Take the Lead,” which premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in the spring of 2025

Tolins is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Writers Guild of America. He has written articles for Opera News, Opera Monthly, TheaterWeek, Time magazine and the Huffington Post.
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Dawn Porter is an acclaimed American documentary filmmaker and founder of Trilogy Films, known for her storytelling on social justice, history, and cultural icons. Her celebrated documentaries, including Trapped, John Lewis: Good Trouble, and The Lady Bird Diaries, air on platforms like HBO, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, CNN, PBS and others. Another film from Porter’s recent work, Luther: Never Too Much, highlights the life and legacy of Luther Vandross. Produced with Sony Music Entertainment, Jamie Foxx’s Foxxhole, and Colin Firth’s Raindog Films, this intimate portrayal of the Grammy-winning artist was recently released in theaters and premiered on CNN/MAX on January 1, 2025. Her recent work, The Sing Sing Chronicles won the Best Documentary Emmy at the 46th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.

Porter’s achievements are widely recognized. A three-time Sundance film festival Alum, her film Gideon's Army was nominated for an Emmy and an Independent Spirit Award and won the prestigious Ridenhour Prize as well as the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award. Trapped also earned a Silver Gavel, as well as a Peabody Award and the Sundance Special Jury Prize for Social Impact Filmmaking, while John Lewis: Good Trouble won the 2021 NAACP Image Award. She received the Critics' Choice Impact Award in 2022 and Gracie Awards in both 2022 and 2023. Recently, Porter was awarded the National Humanities Medal by former President Joe Biden, elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and received the IDA Career Achievement Award.
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Dawn Porter is an acclaimed American documentary filmmaker and founder of Trilogy Films, known for her storytelling on social justice, history, and cultural icons. Her celebrated documentaries, including Trapped, John Lewis: Good Trouble, and The Lady Bird Diaries, air on platforms like HBO, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, CNN, PBS and others. Another film from Porter’s recent work, Luther: Never Too Much, highlights the life and legacy of Luther Vandross. Produced with Sony Music Entertainment, Jamie Foxx’s Foxxhole, and Colin Firth’s Raindog Films, this intimate portrayal of the Grammy-winning artist was recently released in theaters and premiered on CNN/MAX on January 1, 2025. Her recent work, The Sing Sing Chronicles won the Best Documentary Emmy at the 46th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.

Porter’s achievements are widely recognized. A three-time Sundance film festival Alum, her film Gideon's Army was nominated for an Emmy and an Independent Spirit Award and won the prestigious Ridenhour Prize as well as the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award. Trapped also earned a Silver Gavel, as well as a Peabody Award and the Sundance Special Jury Prize for Social Impact Filmmaking, while John Lewis: Good Trouble won the 2021 NAACP Image Award. She received the Critics' Choice Impact Award in 2022 and Gracie Awards in both 2022 and 2023. Recently, Porter was awarded the National Humanities Medal by former President Joe Biden, elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and received the IDA Career Achievement Award.
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