CT’s celebrity news and sightings, October 2025

The fall season brought visits to the Nutmeg State from big names like Ryan Reynolds and Malala Yousafzai, who both inspired students with their stories.

Here is Connecticut’s celebrity news this October:  

Ryan Reynolds visits CT high school to see ‘Les Misérables’ play rehearsal

Actor Ryan Reynolds visited Staples High School recently to give the next generation of actors some encouragement.

He visited the Westport high school on Oct. 20 to see a dress rehearsal of the production of “Les Misérables” by the Staples Players, the school’s student-run high school theater organization wrote on its Facebook page. Reynolds “loves” the story of “Les Misérables,” which revolves around a former convict trying to find redemption, the post added. During his visit, the actor took photos with the students behind the school production.

While at the school, Reynolds gave some “insight about his life and career” to the students, the Facebook post added. Reynolds has had movie roles, including in the “Deadpool” superhero film series, 2010’s “Buried” and 2022’s “Spirited.” – Joseph Tucci

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai praises New Haven pizza

New Haven

Soon after Malala Yousafzai took to the stage of the Shubert Theatre in New Haven on Oct. 26, in front of hundreds of guests, “Succession” actor Arian Moayed asked, “How are you feeling right now?” The Nobel Peace Prize winner said she was feeling “really excited” and that she had just tried one of New Haven’s “famous” pizzas, which was “delicious.”

However, Yousafzai refused to say if she had visited a place like Sally’s Apizza, Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana or Modern Apizza, knowing that there is a debate about which one is the best.

Yousafzai was at the Shubert Theatre for a book tour stop to celebrate the release of her new memoir, “Finding My Way.” The memoir, released on Oct. 21, is a personal reflection of her life’s journey. During the New Haven event, which featured a number of students and young people, Yousafzai talked about her struggles with mental health while attending the University of Oxford, sometimes having flashbacks of her near-death experience at the hands of the Taliban.  Yousafzai is best known for winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her advocacy of women’s education. – Joseph Tucci

Bryan Adams visits Frank Pepe Pizzeria with his band

Canadian singer Bryan Adams and his band dined at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana this October.

The New Haven-based pizzeria posted a picture with Adams in it to Instagram, featuring an image of pizza peel with Adams’ signature.

“Thanks for the pies,” the singer wrote.

Adams ordered an original tomato pie with no cheese, olives and onions, according to a spokesperson from Frank Pepe’s. His band also ordered six other small pies, including red mozzarella, margherita and spinach, mushroom and gorgonzola pizzas. – Jayden Nguyen 

Ben Affleck stops at Zeneli Pizzeria during Yale Family Weekend

New Haven

Ben Affleck visited Connecticut in October and decided to sample the offerings at Zeneli Pizzeria in New Haven.

Affleck, who was in New Haven for Yale’s annual Family Weekend – his daughter is a sophomore at the school – stopped by the Wooster Street restaurant to pick up a to-go order of two margherita pizzas.

Jeshar Zeneli, one of the three brothers who owns the popular Neapolitan pizza joint, said that in the hectic afternoon rush, he didn’t recognize Affleck until he was giving the actor his change. – Nathaniel Rosenberg

NFL legend Terry Bradshaw visits one of CT’s most acclaimed hotels

Madison

Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw stopped by one of Connecticut’s most acclaimed hotels in October.

Bradshaw, who won four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s before embarking on a successful career in sports broadcasting, was photographed clutching a football at the Madison Beach Hotel in Madison, alongside John Mathers, the hotel’s general manager.

“You never know who will touch down in Madison. We were thrilled to welcome Terry Bradshaw to Madison Beach Hotel,” the hotel wrote in an Instagram post. “Thank you for choosing to spend your time with us in Madison.” – Nathaniel Rosenberg

Rob Gronkowski and Camille Kostek visit CT vineyard

Clinton

Rob Gronkowski, better known simply as Gronk, visited Chamard Vineyards in Clinton in October, the vineyard wrote on its Instagram account. He, along with his girlfriend, Killingworth native Camille Kostek, were photographed with staff.

“We had a special guest join us at Chamard this past weekend! Great meeting you, Gronk,” the vineyard’s Instagram post reads.

Gronkowski was a tight end for the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has been retired since 2022, according to NFL.com. He won three Super Bowl games (in 2015, 2017 and 2019) with the New England Patriots, as well as one in 2021 with the Buccaneers. – Joseph Tucci

CT’s Nara Smith named one of the ‘hottest influencers on the planet’

The Hollywood Reporter released its second annual “The Creator A-List” in October, featuring Connecticut TikTok creator Nara Smith.

Smith was one of 44 social media influencers, comedians, models and multihyphenates selected for the publication’s list. The Hollywood Reporter based its list on follower counts, brand deals, agency affiliations and a “rare mix of originality, charisma and creative instinct,” according to its list.

Smith, who has 12 million followers on TikTok, was selected to the list for her showcasing her “glam-meets-homestead lifestyle” in her videos with “dreamy voiceovers” on TikTok and building a “tradwife empire,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. – Jayden Nguyen

Shonda Rhimes talks living in Connecticut on ‘Call Her Daddy’

TV’s Shonda Rhimes talked about how much she “loves living in Connecticut” during her guest appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.

Rhimes, who created award-winning shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” “How to Get Away with Murder” and “Bridgerton,” moved to Westport from Los Angeles in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, she purchased a Westport mansion previously owned by Melissa & Doug toy company founders Melissa and Doug Berstein for $15.75 million.

She told podcast host Alex Cooper in the episode that released in October that after living in Los Angeles for 30 years, she finds that she “does not miss (Los Angeles) at all” when she’s in Connecticut. – Jayden Nguyen

Julia Roberts brings Yale to the big screen while featuring other CT landmarks, too

New Haven

A new movie set at Yale University, starring Julia Roberts alongside an all-star cast, debuted in the U.S. in October, though it is dividing some New Haven businesses over its portrayal of the city.

“After the Hunt” stars Roberts as a celebrated philosophy professor on the verge of tenure who becomes entangled in a #MeToo scandal when her prized pupil (Ayo Edebiri) accuses her close friend and fellow professor (Andrew Garfield) of sexual assault, an accusation the film never definitively resolves.

Though largely shot in London, the movie features several Yale and New Haven landmarks, including shots of Roberts and Edebiri arguing on Yale’s Beinecke Plaza, or at least a convincing facsimile of it. Venturing into New Haven, the movie includes footage from the popular bar Three Sheets and of Tandoor New Haven, a diner-turned Indian restaurant on Chapel Street. – Nathaniel Rosenberg

Brian Williams dinning spotted in CT

Greenwich

TV journalist and former “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams was seen at Tony’s at the J House in Greenwich’s Riverside. – Susie Costaregni

Report: Martha Stewart’s Foxwoods restaurant opening delayed until next year

Announced earlier this year, lifestyle guru and former Westport resident Martha Stewart was set to open her restaurant, The Bedford by Martha Stewart, inside Foxwoods Resort Casino this fall. However, the timeframe for the restaurant’s opening has since been delayed.

In a profile on the expansion of celebrity-owned at Foxwoods like Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s Momosan, Forbes revealed that Stewart’s new restaurant is slated to open in March 2026.

The Foxwoods website lists the restaurant as “coming soon.” Representatives from Foxwoods did not respond to requests for comment. – Andrew DaRosa

Lin-Manuel Miranda congratulates CT actress joining ‘Hamilton’ cast

After watching “Hamilton” for the first time in 2017 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in Manhattan, Lauren Celentano walked up to the stage and touched it, hoping to “manifest” that one day she would be part of the show. Eight years later, she’s finally in the “room where it happens.”‘

The Cheshire native said she first auditioned for the Broadway show, which is centered around the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, almost three years ago. “Hamilton” staff had occasionally been checking on her availability to join the show over the past two years, but due to her contracts with “Moulin Rouge!” and later “Death Becomes Her,” she wasn’t able to join initially. However, with her run of “Death Becomes Her” on Broadway ending this October, she finally was able to accept the role.

While attending Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, she signed up for a class called “Hamilton,” where students read a biography of Hamilton and compared it to the musical. She mentioned the class in a recent Instagram post, which the show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, took note of and jokingly commented, “the freshman sem class was leading to this. There will be a quiz on your first day of rehearsal.”  – Joseph Tucci

‘Gilmore Girls’ fans worldwide return to CT for The Firelight Event

Guilford

Under a white tent in the middle of the town green in Guilford, fans from around the world gathered to celebrate their love of “Gilmore Girls” for a weekend.

The Fan Fest Society’s The Firelight Event returned to Guilford for a second year in a row from Oct. 17-19, with panels, trivia, tastings, karaoke and other “Gilmore Girls”-themed events for fans. The festival drew guests from around the world, including Germany, Michigan, Delaware and Utah, to celebrate the 25-year-old show.

“It feels like Stars Hollow,” actor and “Gilmore Girls” on-set dialogue coach George Anthony Bell told fans outside the event tent.

Bell was one of several cast members to attend. Other stars from the show who held meet-and-greets or made appearances include Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore), Emily Kuroda (Mrs. Kim), Aris Alvarado (Caesar), Kathleen Wilhoite (Liz Danes), Olivia Hack (Tana Schrick), Vanessa Marano (April Nardini), Nick Holmes (Robert Grimaldi), Matt Newton (Jack Springsteen), producer and writer Stan Zimmerman, and costumer Valerie Campbell. – Jayden Nguyen

Ace Frehley, Kiss guitarist and former CT resident, dead at 74

Founding Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley died in October at 74. He died at home with his family after a recent fall, his agent confirmed to the Associated Press.

Frehley, who was often seen with a Gibson Les Paul that shot fireworks from the headstock and smoke from the pickups, was responsible for penning a number of hits for the group including “Cold Gin,” “Shock Me” and “Rip It Out.” An inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Kiss, Frehley took up the mantle of “The Spaceman” with the group, which he played in from 1973 to 1982 and then again from 1996 to 2002.

Frehley lived in Wilton during the height of the band’s success. In his autobiography, “No Regrets: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Memoir,” Frehley talks at length about living in the Wilton estate. “When Kiss wasn’t on the road or recording an album, I liked to retreat to Wilton and just hang out with my friends,” Frehley said in the book. – Andrew DaRosa

Musician and singer Gerry Polci featured on CT radio show

Greenwich

Musician and singer Gerry Polci, a member of the popular pop band The Four Seasons, was the featured guest on Dennis Dion Nardone’s weekend radio show on WGCH 1490 a.m. Greenwich. – Susie Costaregni

The Stray Cats cancel Foxwoods show, whole tour citing ‘serious illness’ with Brian Setzer

After canceling the first show of its fall tour, The Stray Cats have pulled the plug on its fall tour, which includes a tour stop at Foxwoods’ Premier Theater on Nov. 7.

“I’m heartbroken to share, due to serious illness, I am unable to perform and very regrettably have to cancel our Stray Cats tour. I know this affects so many people and I am devastated to have to deliver this news. I’ve been trying everything I can to go on and do these shows, but it is just not possible. I’ve been looking forward so much to being on stage with my band mates again and playing for all of our amazing fans, and I’m gutted,” reads a statement on the Foxwoods website.

A similar statement was shared on The Stray Cats Facebook page this weekend in regards to the cancellation of its first fall tour show in Mount Pleasant, Michigan with vocalist and guitarist Brian Setzer citing “serious illness” for the cancellation. – Andrew DaRosa

Connecticut’s Anika Noni Rose to feature in Disney’s ‘Zootopia 2’ movie

Tony Award-winning actress and Connecticut native Anika Noni Rose is playing a new Disney character that’s small in stature but big in personality.

The actress announced on her Instagram account in October that she will be voicing a mouse who plays the “Squeal of Fortune” game show in Disney’s “Zootopia 2,” set to release on Nov. 26. The mouse becomes the “lucky winner of an almost-new car,” according to a news release by Disney.

“Zootopia 2” is an animated film that is centered around a rabbit detective, Judy Hopps (played by Ginnifer Goodwin) and a fox, Nick Wilde (played by Jason Bateman), investigating a snake that is turning the “animal metropolis upside down,” according to Disney+. It is a sequel to 2016’s “Zootopia,” which Rose called “one of her favorite animated movies” on Instagram.  – Joseph Tucci

This article originally published at Ben Affleck and Ryan Reynolds: CT’s celebrity news and sightings, October 2025.