At the age of 6, Mara Wilson landed the role of a lifetime as Matilda, the plucky heroine from the Roald Dahl novel that was adapted into a popular film in 1996. Even though Wilson was very young, she still remembers her time as Matilda, who uses her powers (and brains!) to defeat the despicable school headmistress, the evil Mrs. Trunchbull. The shoot took place during an innocent summer in Los Angeles. There was an endless supply of Popsicles to keep the child actors cool between takes. The late author’s wife, Felicity Dahl, and daughter, Lucy, visited the set. Danny DeVito, who played Matilda’s crooked car salesman dad, performed double duty as the director.

All these years later, Mara is still mistaken for Matilda or called Matilda by fans. She’ll tell them, “That’s not who I am!” Still, the two share some similarities. Mara’s parents, who met at Northwestern University, raised all their children to be voracious readers like Matilda. “I loved the book,” Wilson, now 25, says. “It was strange to me, because this was something I used to go around quoting to my brother.” Nevertheless, she almost lost the part. Her agent was on the phone one day with her mother, talking about all the scripts they had passed on, including Matilda. “Send us that one,” Suzie Wilson said

Big Daddy Kane (né Antonio Hardy) hasn't released a solo album since 1998, but retirement is the last thing on his mind. In fact, don't call it a comeback—he's been here for years. Widely acclaimed as one of hip- hop's greatest MCs, Kane first grabbed the public spotlight alongside the Juice Crew, a 1980s-era rap collective whose iconic roster featured producer Marley Marl along with lyricists MC Shan and Kool G Rap.

As everyone from Slick Rick to MC Lyte reigned supreme during hip-hop's New York–centric heyday of the late 1980s and early ’90s, Kane held his own by delivering rhymes—punctuated by clever quips—that seamlessly veered from rock-the-mic braggadocio and playful romance (he dubbed himself “Dark Gable”) to sociopolitical commentary. And while Kane sparked controversy among rap purists for collaborating with R&B artists, he also crafted a blueprint for his protégé, Jay-Z.

The Daily Beast caught up with Bridesmaids director Paul Feig on the MTV Movie Awards red carpet last night. He talked about women in comedy, the ceremony's host Rebel Wilson, and his latest female-centric comedy, The Heat, which stars Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. Here are six questions (and answers) culled from our conversation.

A&E’s Bates Motel, the Psycho prequel overseen by Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights), hasn’t just attracted an audience—4.5 million viewers tuned in to the pilot. It has already been renewed for a second season of Oedipal strife between Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and his overbearing mother, Norma (Vera Farmiga), set against the backdrop of a seemingly idyllic Pacific Northwest logging town that hides more than a few secrets.

Sound familiar? The Twin Peaks allusions are very much intentional here, as is the ominous mood lingering over the action, which so far has seen Norma murdering a would-be rapist and covering up the crime, Norman discovering a human smuggling and prostitution ring, and Norma’s other son, Dylan (Max Thieriot), keeping watch over an enormous pot field. Not to mention that a local cop (Mike Vogel) may or may not have an Asian girl chained up in his basement.

Yusef Salaam remembers well the number he was assigned when he was transferred from juvenile detention to an adult prison in upstate New York in 1995. The number was 95A1113, a combination of the year and the date he arrived at the jail that would be his home for his last two years behind bars.

Salaam was one of the “Central Park Five,” a group of young African-American and Latino teenagers convicted in 1990 of severely beating and raping a white woman as she jogged in New York City’s Central Park. Each served time for the crime. The only problem was they weren’t guilty.

James Franco Heads to the Bush

The award show kicked off with James Franco heading to Australia—“So this is the real Oz, home of my favorite singer, Russell Crowe”—to fetch Rebel Wilson. “Rebel, you’ve been chosen,” he tells her. “To be Tom Cruise’s new wife?” she asks. Sadly, no—to host the MTV Movie Awards. 

Pitch Perfect’s Off-Key Mashup

In this week’s top music video picks, we take a journey through psychedelic landscapes, dramatic westerns, and gorgeous mansions. From hip-hop to electronic and indie rock, and featuring artists like Cassie and James Blake, see which music videos are becoming viral.

Ghost and Gale: "Take Me To The Fire"