Celebrities Making Headlines in Boston This Month – November 2016

Photograph by Claire Folger

Cambridge tech heavyweight HubSpot is giving the West Coast a run for its money, bringing A-list celebs such as Alec Baldwin, Anna Kendrick, Serena Williams, and Michael Strahan to Boston as part of its massive Inbound conference, which begins on November 8.

Casey Affleck (pictured) might just accomplish something this awards season that his big brother, Ben, hasn’t been able to do: win an Oscar for best actor. The younger Affleck sibling returns to the big screen with Manchester by the Sea, which hits theaters November 18. Produced by Matt Damon and filmed entirely on the North Shore, the film drew raves on the festival circuit, particularly for Affleck’s powerful portrayal of a troubled man who must take care of his nephew and reconnect with his family after his brother dies.

The ’90s are officially back: Boston alt-rockers Letters to Cleo have reunited for a long-awaited new album and tour, which wraps up November 19 at the Paradise Rock Club—one of the few local venues from their heyday that’s still standing. (Here’s hoping they stop by the Stoked pizza truck for a wood-fired pie from their former bassist, Scott Riebling.)

Five years after he shed his Celtics jersey, Shaquille O’Neal graces the Garden for the Sports Museum’s 15th annual fundraising gala on November 29. In addition to Shaq, the event will honor Laila Ali (daughter of Muhammad Ali), as well as local sports heroes Drew Bledsoe, Wayne Cashman, and Bill “Spaceman” Lee.

— Overheard —

Photograph by ABC/Bob D’Amico

“I had a little [empty] ketchup bottle with some vodka in it and I would sell special slush.… My slush cart had a line down the block.”

—Grey’s Anatomy star (and Everett native) Ellen Pompeo, on her days as a teenage scam artist at Fenway Park