Ellen Barkin Steps Away from “Animal Kingdom” Due to Health Reasons!

ellen barkin illness

A talented actress and producer from the United States, Ellen Barkin.

‘Diner,’ a film she starred in back in 1982, was where Barkin first gained widespread recognition. In the years that followed, she appeared in films including ‘Tender Mercies,’ ‘The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension,’ ‘The Big Easy,’ ‘Johnny Handsome,’ and ‘Sea of Love.’

Man Trouble, Into the West, This Boy’s Life, Bad Company, Wild Bill, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas are just some of the movies she has acted in since then.

What Happened to Ellen Barkin and Why She’s out Of the Animal Kingdom?

ellen barkin illness

The shocking death of Janine “Smurf” Cody, the matriarch of the criminal Cody family, in season 4 left Animal Kingdom viewers reeling. Smurf found out she had melanoma at the beginning of season 4, and it has already spread to her lymph nodes and bones.

Smurf is facing mortality for the first time, and she wants to go out the way she wants to. Smurf starts a gunfight in the fourth season’s penultimate episode that is meant to kill her, but Pope saves her instead, prompting Smurf to implore Pope to do the job.

If he doesn’t fire, she’ll shoot him.

A lot of her fans were taken aback when it turned out to be her grandson J who pulled the trigger on the fatal shot instead of Pope. John Wells, the executive producer of Animal Kingdom, recently discussed the show’s shocking decision to kill off Smurf with Entertainment Weekly.

He continued, “I think a large part of the problem on any show is to try to keep it seeming real for the audience in the sense that you don’t know precisely what’s going to happen.” “From here on out, the Codys will have to fend for themselves without mom.”

It would appear like Smurf was murdered in order to provide a bit of a plot twist and keep viewers on their toes. Wells implied, towards the interview’s conclusion, that Ellen Barkin, who voiced Smurf on the series, was fine with the decision to close Animal Kingdom.

She was “surprised it lasted this long” since “in the movies, you generally do three months and then you’re done,” he explained. However, she grasped the concept, enjoyed the story, and showed genuine enthusiasm during the filming of the sequence. The excellent closing scene in Macbeth.

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What Exactly Is Animal Kingdom?

ellen barkin illness

After his mother passes away, the protagonist, now 17, moves in with his criminally-inclined, matriarchal cousins, the Codys, played by Smurf.

When his mother dies of a heroin overdose, Joshua “J” Cody relocates to Southern California to be with his “freewheeling” cousins, as TNT states in the concept. For many years, J has avoided his grandmother, Janine “Smurf” Cody, who is the family matriarch.

J learns quickly that Smurf and “her boys” are kept apart because they rely on meticulously plotted armed robberies and other illegal acts to support themselves. Smurf’s three sons—the mentally unstable ex-con Pope, the hyperactive drug user Craig, and the suspicious Deran—are among the most wanted criminals.

“If J wants to keep living, he’ll have to show his loyalty to his alluring grandmother, who rules with a love that verges on being incestuous.”

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Where Do I Find Animal Kingdom?

ellen barkin illness

Airing on TNT on Sundays at 9 o’clock, Animal Kingdom is a family-friendly show.

Seasons 1-4 is available online through TNT’s website for subscribers of participating TV providers or on Hulu with a paid subscription.

Rubal
Rubal is a dynamic and talented entertainment writer, passionate about all things pop culture. From celebrity gossip to film and television reviews, his writing is always engaging and informative. In addition to his work as an entertainment writer, he is a fitness freak and an optimistic guy. You can find him working out at the gym and listening to his favorite songs when he's not busy writing.