DONALD GLOVER

Dominique Fishback Originally Turned Down A Different Role On “Swarm”

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Dominique Fishback initially declined a role in Donald Glover’s newest series for Amazon Prime Video, Swarm. The two explained how she was cast to play the show’s central antihero, Andrea “Dre” Green, during a new piece for The New York Times. Glover revealed to the outlet that he initially proposed the role of Marissa, which eventually went to Chloe Bailey, for Fishback.

“I was like, ‘You want to play the murderer? Uh, really?’” he recalled saying. “She felt very sweet, like someone you wanted to take care of, but she wanted to do the opposite, which I completely understand even in my own career. She wanted to branch out, and I was excited to allow her to do that.”

Dominique Fishback With Donald Glover & Chloe Bailey

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 14: (L-R) Chloe Bailey, Donald Glover, and Dominique Fishback attend the Los Angeles premiere of Prime Video’s “Swarm” at Lighthouse Artspace LA on March 14, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

When asked about the decision, Fishback explained that she was sick of playing the same type of characters. “I’m used to being a character that’s loved or easy-to-like and, no lie, you get comfortable with that — I like that! But I had to get out of my own way in order to be the artist, the actor, that I came here to be,” she said.

As for Fishback’s inspiration for the performance, she recently discussed how Charlize Theron and Heath Ledger impacted her during an interview with ET. “When I was younger, I watched Monster with Charlize Theron… And I watched Heath Ledger do the Joker and you see all of these people get to really tap into different characters,” she explained. “I was like, ‘Man, I want to get the opportunity to really just stretch myself as an actor and explore the human psyche in ways that I would never do.’ … And, I feel like I got that freedom to do so at Dre’s expense. She’s so angry.”

Swarm debuted on Amazon Prime Video on March 17, 2023. In addition to Fishback, the show stars Chloe Bailey, Damson Idris, Billie Eilish, and more. Check out a trailer for the series below.

Dominique Fishback In The “Swarm” Trailer

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Donald Glover Recounts Fan Asking Him To Sleep With His Girlfriend

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Swarm is Donald Glover’s latest project, and it’s taking social media by storm following its premiere on Amazon Prime Video earlier this weekend. The show specifically explores celebrity stan culture and what happens when it goes too far. Seeing as the actor – also known by his musical moniker, Childish Gambino – has spent a fair amount of time in Hollywood, he’s no stranger to obsessive followers going above and beyond to get his attention. In fact, the Atlanta star recently revealed that a fan once asked him to have sex with his girlfriend.

“There was one time after a show, a guy asked me to sleep with his girlfriend,” Glover recalled. When presumably asked if he took the fan up on the offer, the multi-talent jokingly replied that he was busy at the time. He later followed up by saying, “I was like, ‘I don’t know if this is a good idea.’”

Glover’s Take On Stan Culture

As it turns out, Glover isn’t the only member of the Swarm team who has had an unusual encounter with an over-enthused fan. Damson Idris, who plays Khalid in the popular new series, also had a story to tell. “Someone once ran up to me and began to let me know exactly why we’re married. Why we have a bunch of kids together, and the food I ate that morning with her,” the actor recounted.

While the seven-episode project may be a serial killer satire, it focuses on the same type of toxic attachments that lead to celebrities having these types of run-ins. Swarm follows Dre, played by Dominique Fishback, a fan of singer Ni’Jah who is clearly based on the real-life music icon Beyoncé. It explores how the main character’s parasocial relationship with the vocalist sends her to strange and dark places.

Amazon Prime Video’s Swarm Trailer

The show has an all-star cast that features the likes of Billie Eilish and Chloe Bailey (who made waves thanks to her steamy sex scene with the English actor in the first episode). In the clip where Gambino and Idris were asked about their wildest stan experiences, their co-stars all shared things that they believe deserve to have stans. The R&B singer said she believes The Karamo Show and Legos were underrated. As for Fishback, she feels as though Brooklyn deserves more love. Nitrine, on the other hand, believes that New York pizza is stan-worthy. Have you turned into Swarm yet? Tell us in the comments below.

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‘Beyhive: Don’t Kill Us,’ Donald Glover Asked At The Premiere Of The Beyoncé-Inspired ‘Swarm’

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Donald Glover Childish Gambino Beyonce Lion King Premier 2019
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Between the bee-inspired name and the focus on obsessive fans, it seemed pretty clear from the get-go that Donald Glover and Janine Nabers’ new series Swarm (which just released on Amazon Prime Video today, March 17) was inspired by Beyoncé and her enthusiastic fan base, known as the Beyhive. Glover (aka Childish Gambino) means no ill will, though, and actually took a moment to address Bey’s fans in regards to the show.

In a clip from the Swarm premiere event in Hollywood earlier this week, Glover spoke to the audience, saying, “I am so happy that you guys are here, able to enjoy this, and uh, yeah… like, um… Beyhive: don’t kill us. It’s not that bad. It’s actually, like, pretty cool.”

There are probably no hard feelings between Glover and Beyoncé over the show, and if you’ll remember, the two actually have a history together: They voiced Simba and Nala, respectively, in the 2019 remake of The Lion King.

Meanwhile, Swarm took over the internet in the hours after its release for multiple reasons: Chlöe has an NSFW sex scene minutes into the first episode, Billie Eilish plays a kiss-happy cult leader in a different episode, and another moment nods to Halsey and Michael Jackson.

Donald Glover’s Craziest Fan Interaction Involves A Man Asking Him To Sleep With His Girlfriend

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Donald Glover Writers Guild Awards 2023
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Donald Glover, also known by his music moniker Childish Gambino, is back in the spotlight. The singer, producer, actor, and comedian’s latest television series via Prime Video, Swarm, is all the rage on social media. Not only does the series have its own original soundtrack, but it has been a gem of hilarious online memes. The series has even spawned a few social media spats (thanks to a not-so-subtle jab at singer Halsey), but it also gave us Billie Eilish’s debut acting role and co-star Chlöe’s first on-screen sex scene.

The series, based on stan culture, might have actually been inspired by a few not-so-normal interactions Glover himself has had throughout his career. While attending the premiere event for Swarm, when asked by Prime Video about his craziest fan interaction, his answer did not disappoint.

“There was once after a show, a guy asked me to sleep with his girlfriend,” said Glover. Although the follow-up question was not included in the video, it is safe to say the interviewer asked something to the effect of, “Well, did you?” Glover jokingly answered, “I was busy,” before adding, “I was like, ‘I don’t know if this is a good idea.’”

Watch the clip below.

Swarm is streaming now on Prime Video.

Paris Jackson Jokes About Halsey, Race, & Blackness In Donald Glover’s “Swarm”

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People are storming the internet with reactions to Swarm, and they can’t get over Paris Jackson. The celebrity daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe has come into her own as an adult, and she’s expanding on her entertainment career. She’s a talented musician and has built her acting résumé bit by bit, leading her to a role in Donald Glover’s Prime Video feature. The series is the talk of social media as first takes are being shared far and wide. Damson Idris and Chlöe’s sex scene is a hot topic of conversation, but Paris’s inclusion also has tongues wagging.

The first episode already shows that Swarm has all the makings of being Glover’s next hit. Jackson portrays “Hailey,” a woman who works at a strip club and goes by the moniker “Halsey.” During a scene, Hailey tells Dominique Fishback’s character “Dre” that she had to leave her last relationship because her partner didn’t like that she was Black. Dre didn’t know Hailey was a Black woman and questioned her about it. Hailey further reveals that her father is half-Black, which is why she chose her stage name. In real life, both Halsey and Jackson have addressed their racial identities as biracial women. Many also thought this scene was a jab at the singer.

Paris Jackson & Chlöe Relate To ‘Swarm’

Swarm is a take on the dark side of fandom, and Glover has explained that the series was inspired by the BeyHive. Eminem coined the term “Stan” decades ago, but it has carried on as fanbases have only intensified. Chlöe, who stars as the lead character’s sister in the series, knows all too well how those fans can be supportive and pestering. In her interview with Screen Rant this week, Chlöe talked about relating to Swarm and the core theme of the show.

“Well, I need the stans and so does my sister. The ones who are the ride-or-dies and fighting for us and defending us and buying the albums and things like that. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here,” said the hitmaker. “What I think is really special about the show is that when people actually get to watch it from the surface, that’s what it seems like it’s about. But it’s really a show about mental health, and a story of sisters, and what happens when one doesn’t have the other; the lengths that she goes to honor her sister and to protect her and to fight for her.”

A Mental Health Message

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 14: (L-R) Dominique Fishback, Donald Glover, Chloe Bailey, Janine Nabers, and Damson Idris attend the “Swarm” Red Carpet Premiere and Screening in Los Angeles at Lighthouse Artspace LA on March 14, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for Prime Video)

“That’s what this show really is about, and that’s what truly drew me to it. Because mental health is a serious thing, and it’s real. We all have our different ways of expressing ourselves, and Dre does [in an] interesting, demented way. But her heart has good intentions.” Check out Paris Jackson above.

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Chlöe Credited Her ‘Swarm’ Sex Scene Partner Damson Idris With Making Her Feel Comfortable For Their NSFW On-Screen Action

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chloe
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Viewers streaming Donald Glover’s heavily anticipated stan culture satire Swarm were greeted with an unexpected sight as the show started streaming: pop star Chlöe‘s first-ever sex scene. While the singer has openly flaunted her sexuality in music videos for singles like “Have Mercy” and “Treat Me” (and fielded complaints about it online), this was her first time having simulated sex on camera and she credited scene partner Damson Idris (of Snowfall acclaim) with helping her overcome her initial nerves.

In an interview with Deadline at SXSW earlier this month — which has since resurfaced, for obvious reasons — Chlöe explained why she was nervous to film the scene in the first place, despite her sometimes racy image, and how Idris helped her feel more comfortable during filming.

“As open and liberal as I am about my body, I was very scared because I haven’t had that many partners,” she recalled. I’m not like that—like that sexual and open. Damson made it really comfortable; you know, there were limited people on set. It was a closed set.”

Damson kept things light, which helped her ease into what might otherwise be an embarrassing situation.

“We literally had a bouncy ball in between us, and you know, we were making a joke out of it, so it took all of the nervousness away from that,” she said. “I have to give a lot of kudos to him as a man for making me, as a woman, feel comfortable literally being raw and naked.”

The singer wasn’t the only one drawing attention during the show’s first season. Billie Eilish received praise for her acting (and smooching), while fans were gagged at a Halsey joke delivered by Paris Jackson. Meanwhile, Chlöe is also booked for some lighter fare onscreen; her gospel-inflected comedy Praise This is due to hit Peacock on April 7 (talk about RANGE). She’s also dropping her debut solo album In Pieces on March 31.

Swarm is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Donald Glover’s Hot New Show ‘Swarm’ Takes A Shot At Halsey Via Paris Jackson

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halsey's black???
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The first episode has only been out for a few hours, but it looks like Donald Glover’s new show Swarm is already the internet’s favorite show to dissect, discuss, and debate. He might just have another hit on his hands. Fans have been enamored with the acting of the show’s stars like Billie Eilish, flustered by co-star Chlöe’s first-ever sex scene, and grooving to the psychedelic soundtrack, which features new Childish Gambino tracks like “Sticky.”

Another moment that has viewers gagging is a joke in the show in which Paris Jackson compares herself to Halsey. During a conversation between Jackson’s character Hailey and the show’s protagonist, Dre, portrayed by Dominique Fishback, Hailey mentions that she had to “run away” from a relationship because her partner didn’t like that she was Black. Of course, we’ve all seen Paris Jackson (who’s had to address this topic in the past in real life), and Dre is understandably a little thrown by this assertion.

“You’re Black?” she asks incredulously.

“Yeah,” Hailey replies. “My dad’s half.”

“Half what? Black?”

“Yeah,” Hailey says, winding up for the pitch. “That’s why my stage name’s Halsey. You do know who Halsey is, right?” Here’s the clip:

I’ll give you a minute to process Halsey being Black, in case that’s a revelation for you (Halsey’s father is Black, while her mom’s Italian). Honestly, it’s a pretty good joke, playing on a shared attribute between Halsey and Paris, as well as a discussion that both have had to have probably more times than they want to remember.

Meanwhile, it’s clear that Swarm is already becoming the next Euphoria, which may owe to its satirical premise of an out-of-control, serial-killing stan of a famous pop star. The funhouse mirror version of fan Twitter is, of course, already fan Twitter’s favorite new toy, and you can check it for yourself now on Amazon Prime Video.

Childish Gambino Drops “Swarm” EP With KIRBY To Accompany New Amazon Prime Video Series

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Donald Glover has explored no shortage of creative ventures over the years, though his latest endeavour may just be one of his best. On Friday (March 17), Amazon Prime Video dropped off Swarm, the 39-year-old’s new TV series that features plenty of celebrity favourites, including Paris Jackson and Billie Eilish. If that’s not enough to convince you to check it out, minutes into the first episode, a raunchy sex scene between Chloe Bailey and Damson Idris has had Twitter talking non-stop.

Swarm tells the story of Dre (played by Dominique Dishback), a young woman with a dangerous obsession for a fictional pop star named Ni’jah. Throughout the episodes we see the troubled lead go to great lengths to defend her idol, voiced by singer-songwriter KIRBY. To accompany his new project, Glover and his musical collaborator shared a six-track EP today, allowing fans to live on in the chilling cinematic universe even after they’re done binge-watching.

Childish Gambino and KIRBY Bring Ni’jah to Life on “Sticky” from Swarm

As Billboard notes, this marks Glover’s first musical effort since 3.15.20, which arrived as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning. The California native connected with Ariana Grande and 21 Savage on “Time” and “12.38” respectively. Other fan favourites from the 12-song tracklist include “Algorhythm,” “19.10,” and “35.31.”

Of course, Swarm isn’t the multi-talent’s first time diving into the world of television. He’s previously appeared on shows like 30 Rock, Girls, and Community. Additionally, he created and stars in FX’s Atlanta alongside LaKeith Stanfield and Brian Tyree Henry. As for film credits, Glover’s face has been seen in Magic Mike XXL, The Martian, and Solo: A Star Wars Story, among others.

Thus far, the new show appears to be making a positive impression on viewers. Thankfully, all seven episodes landed at the same time, filling up the weekend plans of many eager viewers. At the time of publication, Rotten Tomatoes critics have scored it at an 83%, though we’re still waiting for audience reviews to start rolling in.

Check out “Sticky” from Childish Gambino and KIRBY’s Swarm EP on YouTube above. Afterward, tell us your thoughts on the show and its groovy soundtrack in the comments. If you’re in need of more release recommendations, make sure to check back later this weekend for our R&B Season playlist update.

Swarm Tracklist:

  1. Something Like That
  2. Agatha
  3. Big World
  4. Adventure
  5. Hahaha
  6. Sticky (feat. Childish Gambino)

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