Entertainment

When 'English Teacher' wanted to tackle jocks in drag, Stephanie Koenig said, 'Pick me, coach'

Published

2 years ago

September 2, 2024

When 'English Teacher' wanted to tackle jocks in drag, Stephanie Koenig said, 'Pick me, coach'

Stephanie Koenig first met Brian Jordan Alvarez 11 years ago, when they were both cast in a UC Santa Barbara student film, although both were already out of college. Their friendship was instant.

“We were making each other laugh so hard, and you could just feel it,” Koenig said in a recent video interview. “It was kismet. I remember leaving that night and going to my car, and I knew that I had met a good friend and something really special was happening.”

It’s still happening, except on a much bigger stage. When Alvarez created “English Teacher,” the new FX comedy in which he plays a gay teacher navigating the politics of a high school in Austin, Texas, he picked his frequent web comedy collaborator Koenig to play fellow teacher Gwen Sanders.

The daffy-but-sharp best buddy of Alvarez’s Evan Marquez, Gwen is infused with can-do optimism and an energy that would be right at home in a classic Hollywood screwball comedy. Koenig also wrote one of the season’s best episodes, “Powderpuff,” which runs Monday after the pilot (both episodes will be available to stream on Hulu). It gleefully demonstrates one of the series’ strengths: a deft ability to wrap a hot-button issue — in this case, drag — in a friendly package without watering anything down.

In FX’s “English Teacher,” Stephanie Koenig stars as Gwen Sanders alongside her friend and frequent collaborator Brian Jordan Alvarez, who plays Evan Marquez.

(Steve Swisher/FX)

Koenig, fresh off her strong supporting dramatic performance as the go-along-to-get-along Fran in Apple TV+’s “Lessons in Chemistry,” now has a major platform to show off her considerable comedic chops, including a knack for physical comedy that feels like a natural outgrowth of countless hours as a competitive dancer growing up in Rochester Hills, Mich.

Asked whether she and Alvarez share a sense of humor, Koenig deadpans: “No, we don’t.” But it’s pretty obvious they’re on the same comedy wavelength. After a decade of collaborating, including multiple web projects, the besties are now sharing the spotlight, and the classroom.

Asked what makes Koenig funny, Alvarez flipped the script in a video interview: “What doesn’t make her funny? Everything she does is funny,” he said.” “She just has these thoughts that you see in her eyes, and it just makes you laugh and laugh.”

He also praised her abilities as a performer. “She and I often talk about how the best acting is something that we wouldn’t be able to re-create if we were prompted to; [its] just some little series of expressions that come from real thoughts that the camera picked up on,” he said. “She does so much of that. She’s so free on camera, but she’s also so reliable.”

A woman with red hair in a green suit leans on a wood fence.

Plus, he adds, “her writing is exceptional.”

Indeed, it’s her writing that drives “Powderpuff.” It stems from a tradition popular in Texas (and in the Midwest, where Koenig grew up), in which high school girls face off on the football field, and the football players dress up as cheerleaders.

Drag shows have become a conservative bête noire in Texas, condemned by some as a bad influence on today’s youth. But in “English Teacher,” it’s a student LGBTQ+ group that complains, arguing that the jocks are cross-dressing as a joke and undermining students who are actually trans or nonbinary.

So when the football players come to Evan for help, he decides that the guys are going to be “authentic and respectful in their performance” while going “full out.” Enlisting the help of a local drag queen named Shazam (played by real-life drag superstar Trixie Mattel), he gets the guys to go beyond just wearing dresses and applying makeup. Meanwhile, the school’s football coach, Markie (Sean Patton), brings in Gwen to coach the powder-puff players. Except after he hears about the girls’ fears and listens to a true-crime podcast, the practice turns into self-defense demonstrations that end with some variation of “boom, you’re dead.” “Powderpuff” intercuts these sessions with the drag lessons in a dual-montage sequence set to Laura Branigan’s ’80s anthem “Gloria.”

Two coaches standing in front of a group of girls with their fists in the air on a green football field.

“It’s a beautiful image to see a bunch of jocks dressing in drag and just dancing,” Koenig said. “It was all just very exciting. When it was time to do the outline and pick who was going to write the specific episode, I was like, ‘Pick me, coach.’”

The episode also demonstrates the series’ refreshing tendency to zig when you expect it to zag. “What the show does so well is take a topic that people have opinions about, but then it goes the opposite way that you’d expect,” Koenig said. “It’ll take a left turn. This episode was obviously something that was going to work with that approach.”

There’s also a little behind-the-scenes irony in the gridiron scenes. Where Gwen is portrayed as inept in the ways of football, Koenig and her sister actually learned to play from their father (“He wanted boys, but he got two girls,” she said).

As a youngster, however, Koenig spent most of her time practicing jazz dance. She studied drama at Michigan State University, and after graduating in 2009, she moved to New York, figuring she would try to crack Broadway as a means toward a film career.

“I waited in those non-equity lines at 4 in the morning in the freezing cold,” she said. “I was living in a railroad apartment in Queens and just was like, ‘This is it.’” Then, her boyfriend at the time gave her some valuable advice. If she really wanted to act in movies and television, move to Los Angeles. She did when she was 23.

“I don’t have any regrets,” she said. “But I do wish somebody had told me earlier: ‘No, no, no, just go straight to L.A.’ You have to be here for such a long time to get your footing, and to move here when you’re 23 is playing catch-up.” (In fact, the shoot for this story took place at the Escondite in downtown L.A., where she worked as a server while trying to catch her break.)

A woman with red hair in a green suit leans against a framed image of buildings.

She met Alvarez soon after she arrived, picked up roles in shows including “The Offer” and “The Flight Attendant” and wrote and directed a spy movie spoof (2021’s “A Spy Movie,” starring herself and Alvarez) for the web. A pilot collaboration with Alvarez came close to getting picked up but fell short. Then came “English Teacher.”

In a sense, both Koenig and Alvarez are poster children for the YouTube age. They got their work out to a loyal audience chunk by chunk, including the absurdist comedy series “Stupid Idiots” (written and directed by Koenig, starring Koenig and Alvarez). When it was time to make bigger moves, they were polished and ready.

“I’m so grateful for YouTube,” Koenig said. “We were able to find our own fans. I’m grateful that I didn’t work really early on in the industry, because I had to use my voice in order to be seen and get work. I had to direct and write. I had to put myself in my own things and just show what I could do.”

Movie Reviews

‘Michael’ Review: A Perfect Puzzle With Major Missing Pieces

Published

2 hours ago

April 24, 2026

Press Room

‘Michael’ Review: A Perfect Puzzle With Major Missing Pieces

Lionsgate

SPOILER NOTICE:

The following movie review does not contains direct spoilers for the film Michael, however general information in regards to the plot, characters, key climax points, biographical information and themes explored in the film will be heavily discussed. Please read at your own discretion, or after seeing the film in theaters.

There have been, so far, four films that aim to depict some portion of the beautifully tragic life of late pop music pioneer Michael Jackson, otherwise known to the world as The King Of Pop.

You’ve got The Jacksons: An American Dream, the near-perfect 1992 ABC miniseries that gave MJ, his brothers and verbally abusive father Joe Jackson equal screen time in order to make for a proper origin story. Then there’s Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story, an abysmal 2004 VH1 TV movie that acts as a spiritual sequel yet truly should’ve never been made. Almost a decade ago we got Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland, the 2017 Lifetime Network attempt to cover his final years of life, told from the perspective of two bodyguards employed by him for merely two-and-a-half years.

Today (April 24), the world finally gets to see Michael. The 2026 true-to-form biopic boasts the biggest budget compared to the previous three projects, distribution handled by the renowned Lionsgate Films, a director’s chair occupied by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Brooklyn’s Finest) and MJ’s own nephew, Jaafar Jackson, starring in the titular role alongside a glowing supporting cast that includes Colman Domingo (Rustin), Nia Long (Love Jones), Miles Teller (Divergent) and Larenz Tate (Menace II Society) just to name a few. Not to mention, it’s got full backing from The Jacksons family and 100% musical clearance to assure his biggest hits are heard on the big screen.

With all that said, you might be expecting a masterpiece that borrows the best aspects from the original and rights the wrongs of the last two. Unfortunately, that’s not the case when it comes to Michael. Thankfully though, there’s so much more to love about this film in addition to a very strong potential for more.

Yes folks, we may very well be getting the first-ever sequel to a biopic sometime in the near future.

RELATED: You, Me & Tuscany Review – Sappy, Sweet, C+ Rom-Com

Before we get ahead of ourselves by discussing a potential sequel, let’s first start off with what you get out of Michael. The film covers Joe’s formation of The Jackson 5 in 1966 and ends with MJ’s iconic 1988 Wembley Stadium stop on the Bad Tour. The filler in-between covers their Chitlin’ Circuit days, the Motown era, run-ins with Gladys Knight and The Pips, finding his voice with Off The Wall, the epic creation of Thriller, the Motown 25 NBC special and the infamous Pepsi burning incident. Each of these scenes are done with great detail and a passion from all involved to get it as close to the real-life moments. However, what’s missing stands out like a sore thumb.

Both Rebbie and Janet are nowhere to be found — they each requested their likeness not be depicted — and neither is MJ’s longtime muse, Diana Ross. It was reported that actress Kat Graham was actually casted in the part, only to later have her scenes cut completely due to legalities. Off The Wall also gets painted as his solo debut of sorts, completely ignoring the four successful solo albums that preceded it when he was just a preteen. Also, while it’s perfectly clear who the movie is about based on the title, it does feel a bit off to see the closest people in his life demoted to barely-speaking supporting characters, save for Domingo’s powerful portrayal as mean ol’ Joe, Long as the ever-caring Mrs. Katherine and longtime bodyguard Bill Bray played by KeiLyn Durrel Jones.

On the positive side, Michael ultimately does more good than confusion. Jaafar is simply captivating when it comes to embodying his late superstar uncle, nailing everything from those easily-recognizable voice inflections to the classic dance moves. The film ends in 1988, right before MJ invests in Neverland Ranch, so don’t expect the heavy topic of his acquitted child sexual abuse allegations from 1993 and 2003 to be brought up either — well, yet anyway.

If in fact a “Jackson” sequel is in the works, we can only hope his full story is told with care, respect and most importantly the truth. Other important aspects we’d hope to see be depicted include an honest look at his vitiligo journey, the toll he suffered mentally as a result of the trials, the marriage, the kids, the dichotomy of balancing unprecedented riches against a substantial amount of debt and, yes, the prescription drug abuse that ultimately ended his life.

Overall, for everything Michael lacks there is something just as good to love about the film, and the potential for a sequel gives us hope that the best is still yet to come.

Watch the trailer for Michael below, and see for yourselves how The King Of Pop’s story began as his latest biopic hits theaters starting today:

Entertainment

Stagecoach 2026: How to watch Friday’s livestream with Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman

Published

4 hours ago

April 24, 2026

Press Room

Stagecoach 2026: How to watch Friday’s livestream with Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman

Choosin’ to stay home instead of trekking out to Indio for this weekend’s Stagecoach festival? Don’t worry, you’ll be able to listen to all the country music your heart desires. You can get your country heartbreak on with Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman and Cody Johnson, and then rock out with Counting Crows. If you prefer EDM, you can catch Diplo and Dillstradamus (Dillon Francis and Flosstradamus) as Friday’s closing acts.

The festival will be livestreamed on Amazon Music, Amazon Prime Video and Twitch beginning at 3 p.m. On Sirius XM’s The Highway (channel 56), you can listen to exclusive interviews and live performances along with a special edition of the Music Row Happy Hour. The station Y’Allternative will also be covering the festival on Friday evening.

Here are updated set times for the Stagecoach livestream Friday performances (times presented are PDT):

Channel 1

3:05 p.m. Noah Rinker; 3:25 p.m.; Adrien Nunez; 4 p.m. Ole 60; 4:25 p.m. Avery Anna; 5 p.m. Chase Rice; 5:55 p.m. Nate Smith; 6:50 p.m. Ella Langeley; 7:50 p.m. Bailey Zimmerman; 8:55 p.m. the Red Clay Strays; 10 p.m. Cody Johnson; 11:30 p.m. Diplo

Channel 2

3:05 p.m. Neon Union; 3:25 p.m. Larkin Poe; 4 p.m. Marcus King Band; 4:50 p.m. Lyle Lovett; 5:35 p.m. BigXthaPlug; 6:30 p.m. Noah Cyrus; 7 p.m. Wynonna Judd; 8 p.m. Counting Crows; 8:50 p.m. Sam Barber; 10 p.m. Dan + Shay; 10:45 p.m. Diplo featuring Juicy J; 11:05 p.m. Rebecca Black; 11:45 p.m. Dillstradamus

Sirius XM Music Row Happy Hour

1 p.m. Avery Anna; 2 p.m. Nate Smith; 2:30 p.m. Josh Ross; 3 p.m. Cody Johnson; 3:30 p.m. Gabriella Rose; 5:15 p.m. Nate Smith; 7:50 p.m. Bailey Zimmerman; 9:30 p.m. Cody Johnson; 11 p.m. Diplo

Sirius XM Y’Allternative

5 p.m. Ole 60; 6 p.m. Larkin Poe; 7 p.m. Marcus King Band; 8 p.m. Sam Barber

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: The Mortuary Assistant – HorrorFuel.com: Reviews, Ratings and Where to Watch the Best Horror Movies & TV Shows

Published

14 hours ago

April 23, 2026

Press Room

Movie Review: The Mortuary Assistant – HorrorFuel.com: Reviews, Ratings and Where to Watch the Best Horror Movies & TV Shows

Forget the “video game movie” curse; The Mortuary Assistant is a bone-chilling triumph that stands entirely on its own two feet. Starring Willa Holland (Arrow) as Rebecca Owens, the film follows a newly certified mortician whose “overtime shift” quickly devolves into a grueling battle for her soul.

What Makes It Work

The film expertly balances the stomach-churning procedural work of embalming with a spiraling demonic nightmare. Alongside a mysterious mentor played by Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire), Rebecca is forced to confront both ancient evils and her own buried traumas. And boy, does she have a lot of them.

Thanks to a full-scale, practical River Fields Mortuary set, the film drips with realism, like you can almost smell the rot and bloat of the bodies through the screen.

The skin effects are hauntingly accurate. The way the flesh moves during surgical scenes is so visceral. I’ve seen a lot of flesh wounds in horror films and in real life, and the bodies, skin, and organs. The Mortuary Assistant (especially in the opening scene) looks so real that I skipped supper after watching it. And that’s saying something. Your girl likes to eat.

Co-written by the game’s creator, Brian Clarke, the movie dives deeper into the demonic mythology. Whether you’ve seen every ending or don’t know a scalpel from a trocar, the story is perfectly self-contained. If you’ve never played the game, or played it a hundred times, the film works equally well, which is hard to do when it comes to game adaptations.

Nailed It

This film does a lot of things right, but the isolation of the night shift is suffocating. Between the darkness of the hallways and the “residents” that refuse to stay still, the film delivers a relentlessly immersive experience. And thankfully, although this movie is filled with dark rooms and shadows, it’s easy to see every little thing. Don’t you hate it when a movie is so dark that you can’t see what’s happening? It’s one of my pet peeves.

The oh-so-awesome Jeremiah Kipp directs the film and has made something absolutely nightmare-inducing. Kipp recently joined us for an interview, took us inside the film, discussed its details and the game’s lore, and so much more. I urge you to check out our interview. He’s awesome!

The Verdict

This isn’t just a cash-grab; it’s a high-effort adaptation that respects the source material while elevating the horror genre. With incredible special effects and a powerhouse cast, it’s the kind of movie that will make you rethink working late ever again. Dropping on Friday the 13th, this is a must-watch for horror fans. It’s grisly, intelligent, and genuinely terrifying.