Mary McNamara is a culture columnist and critic for the Los Angeles Times. Previously she was assistant managing editor for arts and entertainment following a 12-year stint as television critic and senior culture editor. A Pulitzer Prize winner in 2015 and finalist for criticism in 2013 and 2014, she has won various awards for criticism and feature writing. She is the author of the Hollywood mysteries “Oscar Season” and “The Starlet.” She lives in La Crescenta with her husband, three children and two dogs.
Latest From This Author
Movies and TV shows have fetishized close friendship to the point that the real, often fraught rhythms of such relationships have been lost. Not so in ‘Merrily We Roll Along.’
March 28, 2024
Many will shame royal watchers for speculating about the Princess of Wales’ health. But catastrophic missteps by the royal communications apparatus created this mess.
March 22, 2024
The Max series inspired by Amy Chozick’s 2018 book “Chasing Hillary” is more like the love child of “Scandal” and “The Sex Lives of College Girls” than a real portrait of reporting.
March 14, 2024
After a doctored image and unsatisfying apology, the palace fell into a pattern familiar from Princess Diana and Meghan Markle: making a difficult situation worse.
March 12, 2024
“Oppenheimer” won several top awards, including best picture, director and lead actor, while lead actress went to Emma Stone for “Poor Things.” Billie Eilish won best song after Ryan Gosling performed “I’m Just Ken.”
March 10, 2024
‘Dune: Part Two’ is a vivid, sand-in-your-mouth vision of Frank Herbert’s classic. Unfortunately, it turns ‘Part One’s’ most indelible character into a human baby monitor.
March 5, 2024
For the first time in 25 years, I spent a weekend alone at home without kids, husband or work. In the process, I was reminded that I am not just the sum of my responsibilities.
March 4, 2024
The Princess of Wales’ absence from the public eye has sparked wild speculation online, revealing more about the Windsors’ strange celebrity than Kate’s health.
Feb. 29, 2024
We often see cataclysmic events as having two parts: crisis and aftermath. But sometimes, as we’re learning now, the aftermath is an even bigger crisis.
Feb. 27, 2024
Join The Times for our live coverage of the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards as we offer analysis of the Netflix telecast and report from the ceremony at L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium.
Feb. 24, 2024