8 Epic Virtual Reunions That Worked Like Stress-Busters For Us Amid The Coronavirus Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic might have increased the distance between you and your friends but there has been a brighter side to it as well. Thanks to technology, the world saw a silver lining amidst the crisis as several reunions, live gigs and live chats took place.
Many film stars, singers and cast members of old shows and films chose to pass their time by doing something meaningful and entertaining their fans.
While going out and living a life of normalcy still remains a distant dream, celebrities are doing all it takes to entertain and keep their fans engrossed. In a span of one month, the world and the fans witnessed what no one had anticipated.
From the cast of popular movie Contagion reuniting to spread an important message to Backstreet Boys hosting a live concert from their homes, people have proved that where there is hope, there is life! In case you missed witnessing these epic reunions, here's a quick recap!
1. Stars from the popular comedy series 'The Office', John Krasinski and Steve Carell reunited virtually over video chat amid the coronavirus pandemic to celebrate the show's 15th anniversary.
In a segment on Krasinski's YouTube show 'Some Good News,' the two reminisced about some of their favorite scenes, iconic jokes and moments from the workplace mockumentary series. The hugely-popular comedy debuted on NBC in March 2005 and ran for nine seasons before ending in 2013.
Recalling how he'd been a 23-year-old waiter when they shot the pilot, Krasinski said: "So Steve, this week marked a huge anniversary for you and I. We were on a little show called 'The Office' and it turned 15 years old this week."
"After the pilot, I went back to waiting tables because I was sure nothing was going to happen with it. We all kind of came into it with that vibe. I remember none of us had done anything huge," Krasinski added with a laugh.
"It's such a happy surprise that after all these years people are still tuning in and finding it today, it's pretty cool," Carell said.
Showing few bloopers and memories from the season, Carell further mentioned that, "I think most of the memories have to do with things that we shared as a cast. When we were doing Fun Run and it was about 105 degrees outside." Looking back at their time together, Carell added, "some of the most fun memories, personally or professionally, are intertwined and connected with that show." to which Krasinski also agreed.
2. 'Contagion' Cast collaborate with scientists to unveil series of coronavirus PSAs
With the aim of disseminating evidence-based information about the coronavirus, the cast of 'Contagion' in collaboration with scientists from Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health and Participant unveiled a series of PSA videos.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, in the YouTube videos cast members Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, and Jennifer Ehle explore the key tactics to slow the spread of the respiratory illness, such as social distancing, how to properly hand wash and ways to decipher the information in this difficult period.
All of the PSAs were written with guidance from the medical experts who advised Steven Soderbergh on Contagion, including Dr. Larry Brilliant, Mark Smolinski, Laurie Garrett, and Dr. W. Ian Lipkin. The film's original screenwriter, Scott Z. Burns, also contributed to the authoring of the projects.
3. Camila Cabello & Shawn Mendes
As a part of Fox Star's 'iHeart Living Room Concert for America', singers Camila Cabello & Shawn Mendes teamed up together to deliver a performance to honor the front line responders amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The 23-year-old star shared the video clip of the performance on Instagram, which saw both the singers performing from their home.
In the shared clip, the duo performed an acoustic version of Cabello's 'Romance' single 'My oh My'. The 'Havana' singer is seen singing the song, while Shawn played the guitar.
4. Farida Khanum joined a live Instagram jam-session with Rekha Bhardwaj and Vishal Bhardwaj
In a rare performance, Pakistani ghazal legend Farida Khanum sang a heartwarming rendition of her iconic ghazal, ¡°Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo¡± as part of an Instagram live with singer-couple Rekha and Vishal Bhardwaj.
The octogenarian joined the session by the singer-filmmaker couple and said she was thrilled to be a part of this. ¡°I never thought we could be so close to each other like this. I feel like I am sitting with both of you right there,¡± Khanum said from her house in Lahore, Pakistan.
The singer was then asked if she could begin the session by crooning ¡°Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo¡±, written by poet Fayyaz Hashmi and composed by Sohail Rana.
As Khanum began singing the love ballad, Rekha put her arm around Vishal, with the couple watching the performance with a smile.
¡°How fortunate are we that we are on this live with you right now,¡± Vishal said.
5. Backstreet Boys perform 'I Want It That Way' at the coronavirus benefit concert
As a part of Fox Star's 'iHeart Living Room Concert for America', the widely popular band Backstreet Boys teamed up via video chat to perform their hit song 'I Want It That Way.'
The concert is a benefit program to provide support and relief for Americans affected by the coronavirus.
The performance was kickstarted by Brian Littrell. Singing the opening lines of the "You are my fire, my one desire," from his home in Atlanta and was later followed by the other four members Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, AJ McLean, and Howie Dorough.
The performance video was shared by online content creator Austin Kellerman on his Twitter. Kellerman said, "Well done, Backstreet Boys. [?] #iHeartConcertonFox."
6. Tom Felton and Jason Isaacs, who played Draco Malfoy and father Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series had a virtual reunion as they came forward in support of the British Red Cross.
In the over 20 minutes long video, the blond duo discussed how they are lucky to have homes and food during their quarantine and what they are doing as they practice social distancing and self-isolation.
Isaacs said that he has subscribed to "every single streaming service," and they went on to discuss their recent watch, Tiger King, Netflix's new documentary.
7. Justin Bieber and Tom Holland hosted a 3-minute Instagram live chat together!
This 3-minute interaction left fans wanting for more.
Apart from exchanging their quarantine stories, they showered each other with love. They also expressed how they love each other¡¯s work. ¡°Dude, thank you for saying what you said about my documentary,¡± Bieber said, referring to Holland¡¯s review of Seasons. Fans on social media had an immediate melt-down! Well, it's totally understandable.
8. Justin Bieber and Drew Barrymore
Well, no one saw this coming.
Drew, for the first time ever was seen on an Instagram Live as she chatted with Justin Bieber.
Justin thanked her for letting him use her visage to market clothing for Drew House, the label he founded under his middle name. She happily accepted the thank you!
'I just love it and I love the new line! It's so good! It's so cool and optimistic and I'm so honored to be a part of it,' Drew gushed.
'And I love watching you and your wife [Hailey Baldwin] and the way you love each other and I'm just happy to be around you guys' circle from afar and we have the Drew in common.', gushed Barrymore.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website, the total number of active COVID-19 cases has reached 1,649 in India as of date whereas the death toll has risen to 41. Globally, according to World Health Organisation data, 40,598 have died and 823,626 have been infected so far due to the respiratory infection.