Al Franken says he punched up the script for a new Chris Rock project
After announcing his resignation from the Senate in 2017 over numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, former Senator Al Franken is apparently getting back into comedy writing.
Franken on Monday confirmed to The Wrap that he recently did punch-up work for a new script written by Chris Rock. "We did what was called a table read and it was a lot of fun," Franken said. "Like eight comedy writers, kind of talking about and punching up a script that he and a couple of other guys wrote."
It hasn't been confirmed what project this was, although Rock's camp confirmed it wasn't his upcoming Saw reboot. Before being elected to the Senate, Franken was a writer and performer for Saturday Night Live, and Rock is a former SNL cast member.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This news comes a week after The New Yorker published a sympathetic, somewhat controverisal profile of Franken, who eight women have accused of inappropriate touching or kissing. In the article, Franken says that he regrets resigning from the Senate and describes becoming "clinically depressed" after he did so, also saying that "the idea that anybody who accuses someone of something is always right - that’s not the case. That isn't reality."
Franken ended the phone call when The Wrap asked Franken if his intention now is to return to a career in entertainment, telling the outlet, "I'm in a studio now doing a podcast."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Saving for a down payment on a house? Here is how and where to save.the explainer The first step of the homebuying process can be one of the hardest
-
Music reviews: Zach Bryan, Dry Cleaning, and Madison BeerFeature “With Heaven on Top,” “Secret Love,” and “Locket”
-
Book reviews: ‘The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives and Divides Us’ and ‘Family of Spies: A World War II Story of Nazi Espionage, Betrayal, and the Secret History Behind Pearl Harbor’Feature The pursuit of ‘mattering’ and a historic, devastating family secret
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
A peek inside Europe’s luxury new sleeper busThe Week Recommends Overnight service with stops across Switzerland and the Netherlands promises a comfortable no-fly adventure
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
