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Joy Harmon Said Wives and Girlfriends Were Prohibited from the “Cool Hand Luke” Set and the Cast 'Couldn't Talk to Me'

Joy Harmon is best known to audiences for her role as Lucille in Cool Hand Luke

NEED TO KNOW

In a 2024 appearance on the Vanguard of Hollywood podcast, Harmon talked about getting the role and shooting the film
Harmon died on Tuesday, April 14 at age 87

Joy Harmon's experience on theCool Hand Lukeset was far from the usual.

In a 2024 interview with theVanguard of Hollywoodpodcast, the actress, who died on Tuesday, April 14 at age 87, looked back at her most memorable role, as Lucille, The Girl, who sensuously washed a car in an iconic scene in the 1967 film.

"I had to go to Warner Brothers with my agent. My agent at that time was a man from France, so he would always go with me, but he didn't come into the audition, but I had to wear a bikini. So, I had a coat over a bikini, and Paul Newman and the director and the producer were there. I didn't know anything. I just didn't have lines, and so I just talked to them, and then I got the part," she said.

"I had to go up to Stockton, and my dad couldn't go because he was busy working, so he was in touch with me constantly, and I flew up by myself. Then the next day, I did the movie, but there was a rule that the wives or girlfriends could not be on set. They wanted the guys not to be around women for a long time, so they couldn't talk to me, the cast. They just kept them separate, because they wanted their reaction, I guess."

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"I saw Paul Newman when I got there, but when it started shooting, I never saw him, and I worked just with the director, and that's about it. I just did it, and I thought, 'Oh, you know, there's no lines.'"

"But to this day, I don't know how many years ago that is, but I still get fan mail and people that stop in the bakery just to say hi, I don't know how they know about my bakery, but that's how it works, and they send me pictures and I sign them, and it's not justCool Hand Luke, but other movies, but basically, it'sCool Hand Luke."

Harmon was married to filmmaker Jeff Gourson from 1968 to 2001; the pair shared three children, Jason, Julie and Jamie. She pivoted from Hollywood to baking in 1973 after sharing treats she had baked with coworkers on film sets, includingGroucho Marx. Harmon was working at her Burbank bakery,Aunt Joy's Cakes, up until the day before she was hospitalized.

Per the Aunt Joy's Cakes website, the bakery “started in the kitchen of her home in California. The name originated when Joy Harmon began supplying cakes to her niece's coffee shop. Whenever she made a delivery her niece would cheer, ‘Aunt Joy's cakes are here!'”

Gourson confirmed Harmon's death in a statement exclusive to PEOPLE. He shared that Harmon "died peacefully and surrounded by family."

"She was a wonderful person, who always loved baking," Gourson said, "Even back when she was acting, she'd bake cookies and bring them to set, and later she opened her bakery and went to it every single day. She loved that place."

"She also loved animals. She lived above Burbank in Shadow Hills and there were all these peacocks that would come around, the chickens, the squirrels, the peacocks would come right up to her because she'd feed them. So she loved people, she loved animals, and she loved baking. We'll miss her dearly. We miss her already."

Read the original article onPeople

byAsher Jeferson

in

April 19, 2026

Joy Harmon Said Wives and Girlfriends Were Prohibited from the “Cool Hand Luke” Set and the Cast 'Couldn't Talk to Me'

Joy Harmon is best known to audiences for her role as Lucille in Cool Hand Luke NEED TO KNOW In a 2024 appearance ...

Federal judge blocks Nexstar-Tegna TV station merger until antitrust lawsuit is settled

A federal judge has blocked a$6.2 billion mergerof local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna until an antitrust lawsuit is resolved.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Troy L. Nunley in Sacramento, California, made the ruling late Friday afternoon, finding that eight attorneys general andDirecTVwere likely to prevail in their legal bid to stop the merger.

The deal,announced last yearand approved by the Federal Communications Commission, would create a company that owns 265 television stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia, most of them local affiliates of one of the “Big Four” national networks: ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

Nunley had already issued an emergency order blocking the deal for three weeks. On April 7, he heard arguments over whether that block should be extended until a lawsuit brought by attorneys general in eight states and DirecTV is resolved.

The attorneys general, all Democrats, and DirecTV contend the merger will lead to higher prices for consumers, stifle local journalism and that the deal runs afoul of federal laws designed to protect against monopolies.

Nexstar’s attorneys told the court the deal has already been reviewed and cleared by the FCC and the Department of Justice. They said the FCC order commits the company to expand local journalism and programming, not shrink it.

The merger needed the approval of the Republican Trump administration’s FCC because the government had to waive rules that limit how many local stations one company can own. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in March that the company had agreed to divest itself of six stations.

In his emergency temporary restraining order, the judge noted that the merger would make Nexstar the owner of two or even three of the “Big Four” local affiliates in 31 local television markets. Once that occurs, Nunley wrote, multichannel video programming distributors such as DirecTV would have to comply with Nexstar’s demands for higher broadcast fees or risk leaving subscribers potentially unable to watch things like Sunday NFL football games.

byAsher Jeferson

in

April 19, 2026

Federal judge blocks Nexstar-Tegna TV station merger until antitrust lawsuit is settled

A federal judge has blocked a$6.2 billion mergerof local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna until an antitrust lawsu...

Jon Rahm overcomes rocky start to take LIV Golf Mexico City lead

Jon Rahm used a strong back nine during Friday's second round to take a narrow lead at the halfway point of LIV Golf Mexico City in Naucalpan, Mexico.

Rahm -- who backdoored his way into a top-40 finish last week at the Masters by shooting 4 under in the final round to finish at 1 over -- overcame a rocky front nine to shoot 4 under on the back nine, post 67 at Club de Golf Chapultepec and sit at 10-under-par 132.

The Spaniard was in second place after the opening round at 6 under. He's now one stroke clear of Matthew Wolff, Tom McKibbin of Northern Ireland and Harold Varner III, who are all tied at 9 under.

"I was even par on that 9th tee, and I thought, ‘Well, if I hit a good tee shot on 9, I'm going to give myself a birdie chance,'" Rahm said after the round. "If I keep hitting good drives like I've been doing so far, I was going to give myself really good chances at 10, 11 and 12, so I think I told (caddie) Adam (Hayes), ‘If we can get one or two before we get to the par-5s, I think we're in a good spot,' and kind of took it that way."

Rahm, who started on the first tee at the shotgun-start event, opened with a bogey, which set the tone for an even-par front nine with three birdies and three bogeys. That included a ball into the water at No. 8, which led to a second consecutive bogey.

He changed the tune by starting his back nine with a birdie on the par-4 10th hole, kicking off a bogey-free final half of his round. Rahm racked up four birdies to put himself in pole position as he seeks his second 2026 win and sixth straight top-five finish to begin the season.

Wolff, McKibbin and Luis Masaveu of Spain (who is in fifth place at 8 under) each shot 6-under 65 to shoot up the leaderboard.

Wolff navigated a number of tough situations with par saves to come away with a bogey-free round.

"I was a bit all over the place, to be honest. I told my caddie after I finished up, I said, ‘I would have never guessed that that round would be bogey-free.' I feel really good with the putter, so I think that helped a lot," Wolff said. "... Overall, obviously I'm really happy, but definitely would like to tighten the ball-striking up a little bit. But it's day by day. Hopefully I can leave that bad ball-striking behind and hit it good the next few days."

Australia's Marc Leishman had the low round of the day, posting a 7-under 64 to move past his 3-over opening round to move into a tie for 11th at 4 under. He eagled Nos. 7 and 12, finishing 5 under at the three par-5 holes during his Friday round.

First-round leader Victor Perez of France followed up his career-best 9-under 62 by shooting 2 over on Friday. He's tied for sixth at 7 under along with Canada's Richard T. Lee and England's Tyrrell Hatton.

Bryson DeChambeau, aiming to become the first player in LIV Golf history to win three straight individual events, posted his second straight even-par 71 and is in a tie for 31st.

--Field Level Media

byAsher Jeferson

in

April 18, 2026

Jon Rahm overcomes rocky start to take LIV Golf Mexico City lead

Jon Rahm used a strong back nine during Friday's second round to take a narrow lead at the halfway point of LIV Golf Mexico City in...

NBA referee Ben Taylor injured, replaced by alternate during Warriors-Clippers play-in game

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Referee Ben Taylor left the play-in tournament game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers with an injury on Wednesday night.

Taylor walked stiffly off the court and went up the tunnel behind one basket at Intuit Dome with 8:51 left in the third quarter. He was replaced by alternate referee Sean Corbin after a brief delay.

The NBA sends a fourth alternate referee to every postseason game for exactly such a situation.

Taylor is an 11-year NBA veteran referee, while Corbin is in his 31st season on the job.

The ninth-seeded Clippers led the 10th-seeded Warriors 61-53 at halftime of the elimination game.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/NBA

byAsher Jeferson

in

April 17, 2026

NBA referee Ben Taylor injured, replaced by alternate during Warriors-Clippers play-in game

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Referee Ben Taylor left the play-in tournament game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clip...

Demi Lovato reunites with Selena Gomez, Joe Jonas at tour's first show

Demi Lovatokicked off her new tour by going down memory lane with two Disney Channel reunions.

The "Heartattack" singer reunited with her "Princess Protection Program" costarSelena Gomezand "Camp Rock" costarJoe Jonasat an April 13 show at the Kia Center in Orlando.

Lovato and Jonas, who briefly dated in 2010, performed a surprise duet of their "Camp Rock" classic "This Is Me" for the first of 18 shows, part of her "It’s Not That Deep" tour. Lovato was previously a surprise guest at the opening concert for the "Jonas20"anniversary tourat New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on Aug. 10, where they also sang "This Is Me."

Though Gomez did not join the pair on stage, she was notably in attendance, singing Lovato's praises on social media.

"I am in tears,” Gomez wrote in herInstagram Storyon April 13, tagging Lovato. "This was hands down one of the best shows. Oh and the VOCALS? Psh *blown away."

The "Only Murders In The Building" actor then shared a photo of the pair embracing and posing backstage.

Gomez also shared a photo of her in the audience, dancing and wearing an "It's Not That Deep" merchandise hoodie.

Joe Jonas, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato arrive at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 28, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Demi Lovato andSelena Gomezfriendship

Before they were pop stars, Lovato and Gomez were costars at age 7 on "Barney and Friends" for two seasons.

Demi Lovato and actress Selena Gomez pose together as they arrive at the Teen Choice Awards in Los Angeles, Aug. 7, 2011.

Their paths crossed on Disney Channel, where Gomez starred in the show "Wizards of Waverly Place" while Lovato starred in the "Camp Rock" movie franchise and the "Sonny with the Chance" sitcom.

The pair costarred in "Princess Protection Program," a Disney Channel original movie, in 2009, the same year Gomez made a guest appearance on "Sonny With a Chance."

Though the duo seemed to have drifted apart as adults. In a 2014 episode of "Watch What Happens Live," Lovato explained to Andy Cohen why she chose to unfollow Gomez on X (known as Twitter at the time), saying, "I think it’s just one of those things where people changed and people grow apart."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Demi Lovato reunites with Selena Gomez, Joe Jonas at tour's first show

byAsher Jeferson

in

April 17, 2026

Demi Lovato reunites with Selena Gomez, Joe Jonas at tour's first show

Demi Lovatokicked off her new tour by going down memory lane with two Disney Channel reunions. The "Heartattack" singer...

2026 NFL Draft sleepers: Which players could be this year's hidden gems?

Inan NFL draft classthat appears short on top-tier talent, unearthing gems in the middle-to-late rounds might yet again provide the greatest return on investment.

Ahead of the first round beginning next week in Pittsburgh, several NFL general managers have backed an emerging consensus: The 2026 crop doesn't measure up to recent years in terms of blue-chip players or first-round prospects. But that doesn't mean there aren't difference-makers waiting to be discovered. With many decision-makers lauding this class's depth at edge rusher, linebacker, and wide receiver, there are plenty of opportunities to bring potential starters aboard on Days 2 and 3 of the draft.

With that in mind, here are the top sleepers in the2026 NFL Draft: