Most Magazine - Celebrity OCT'15 ISSUE NO.1

AGNES OLECH HBO’s // TRUE DETECTIVE

DIRECTV’S // KINGDOM

AMY PAFFRATH V H1’s // DATING NAKED NBC’S // HEROES REBORN

QUAD webb-lunceford BRAVO’S // MARRIED TO MEDICINE

QUEEN OF SCI-FI

SYFY’s MGM’s // MR HOLLAND’S OPUS

DEFIANCE P hotography by JOE PUGLIESE

ABC FAM I LY’s // S HADOW HUNTERS

CELEBRITY DEBUT ISSUE OCTOBER 2015 | mostmagpub.com

CELEBRITY DEBUT ISSUE OCTOBER 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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HBO’s // TRUE DETECTIVE

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38 Photography by: ROGER SNIDER Article by: KELLY PRICE & DARCY THARP

BRAVO’s // MARRIED TO MEDICINE

58 Photography by: PERFECT PICTURE PUP Article by: LILLY WILLNER

ABC FAMILY’s // SHADOWHUNTERS

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SYFY’S // DEFIANCE

Photography by: RICKY MIDDLESWORTH Article by: KIA VANG

VH1’s // DATING NAKED Photography by: JOE PUGLIESE,

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Article by: DENISE SMITH

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Photography by: IRVIN RIVERA aka: GRAPHICS METROPOLIS Article by: MIA HANSON

DIRECTV’s // KINGDOM

28 Photography by: JEAN CLAUDE VORGEACK Article by: BRIAN PRICE

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64 Image by: JOE PUGLIESE

70 MGM’s // MR HOLLAND’S OPUS

70 JEAN LOUISA Photography by: COVENTRY AUTOMATIK Article by: DENISE SMITH

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NBC’s // HEROES REBORN

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Photography by: SAMI DRASIN Article by: SABINA BLOOM

DESIGNER // PROM & EVENING DRESSES

90 Photos courtesy of: JOVANI.com Article by: DARCY THARP

90 Image by: JOY WONG

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A 2015 TOP-RATED CHARITY // VETERANS

100 Photos courtesy of: CINDY SCHEPERS Article by: ERICA SPAETH

EMMY’s + GOLDEN GLOBES’ // MUA

110 MOST MEDIA GROUP CELEBRITY // FASHION // FITNESS

Photos courtesy of: JOHN HONG, JOY WONG, JENN COLLINS & KRISTINA McMANUS

LETTER FROM ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER AND MANAGER EDITOR all is normally the time of year that things slow down after the fun of summer activities and just before the holidays.

Here at MOST Magazine, we did not get the memo. We are busy and expanding. We are proud to offer our new magazine, MOST Celebrity Magazine. We will cover all things celebrity.

Our focus will be on exclusive interviews with popular TV and movie stars, musicians, movie directors, anyone that is lighting up social media, we will strive to share their stories with you. We will talk about all aspects of entertainment and keep you current on lifestyle trends. Just as our MOST Fashion and MOST Fitness magazines, every article in MOST Celebrity will capture your attention with work from the top photographers from across the globe.

We proudly start our new magazine with the simply beautiful Julie Benz on the cover. Denise Smith learns about being Rita on Showtime’s Emmy award-winning Dexter and her current role on the SyFy series, Defiance. We are loaded with talented women in this debut issue. Brian Price interviewed Joanna Going from another Emmy winner, Netflix’s House of Cards. Ms. Going played First Lady Trisha Walker, and just to prove she is not a type cast, she currently plays a heroine addicted prostitute. Stars from Emmy winning programs are everywhere in this issue.

From HBO’s True Detective we bring you Agnes Olech. Ms. Olech shares the story of her family’s immigration from Poland, what happened when her fiancé proposed and of course her role as Vanessa Chessani on the most recent season of

True Detective.

Success stories from a whole different perspective are part of our exclusive article with the non-profit agency, Hope For The Warriors ® (HFTW). Providing services to Gulf War veterans and their families, HFTW has successfully assisted thousands of Vets providing support programs and connecting them with community resources. Sergeant Ryan M. Harshman (Ret) shares the details of his post-deployment struggles and how Hope For The Warriors ®

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helped him and his family. All of us here at MOST Magazine thank Sergeant Harshman and all

veterans for their service and sacrifices.

We also have morning star, Danika Yarosh.

Ms. Yarosh had a successful run on Showtimes’ Shameless, and now plays Malin on NBC’s Heroes Reborn. This premier issue is completed with interviews of Bravo’s Quad Webb-Lunceford and DIRECTV’s Katherine McNamara from Maze Runner.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize our amazing Publisher, Cameron Habashian. Cameron’s work ethic and talent are extraordinary. Our staff achieves higher goals every day under his guidance and tutelage. With every idea, Cameron amazes us with his creativity. His vision and foresight enliven each issue. He finds the perfect balance of content and photography.

I am honored and proud to work with him creating amazing magazines. But Cameron is so much more than a gifted publisher. He is surrounded by a loyal and talented staff because of who he is. He leads us with honesty, vision, and understanding. It is important to him that all of us at MOST Magazine learn, benefit and receive proper credit. He sacrifices everything for the work we do.

Thank you Cameron for the opportunity to work with you on this wonderful family of magazines, and for your leadership, which you deploy with an incredible amount of patience. You are a gentleman and valued friend. What you have done here at MOST Magazine is spectacular. You honor me with the trust of deploying your vision and working at your side.

Cameron, our debut issue of MOST Celebrity Magazine is dedicated to you.

Respectfully, Managing Director & Associate Publisher

MOST MEDIA GROUP STAFF Publisher/Editor in Chief:

Cameron Habashian Managing Editor & Associate Publisher:

Kelly Price Managing Editor & Art Director:

and

CONTRIBUTORS

Associate Director of Fashion:

Helene France Contributing Hair/Makeup Associate:

Rachelle Dalton Marcela Urioste

Jenna Belt Managing Editor:

Darcy Tharp Director of Photography:

Kim Mizuno Fashion Director:

Melody Minagar

Social Media Marketing Manager:

Brian Price Social Media Strategists:

Yvonne Fyne-Nsofor Arielle George Edna Jones Erica Spaeth Mayelee Watts

Fashion Creative Art Director:

Frank Berlin Director of IT & Creative Solutions:

Rajiv Ghangrekar

Editors/Proof Readers:

Sabina Bloom Mayelee Watts Kia Vang

Contributing Designer:

Miriam Jave Fashion & Celebrity Associate Director:

Rachel Alexandra Greiner Travel & Leisure Associate Director:

Natalya Guminska-Anderson Culture & Lifestyle Development Manager:

Melissa Wilson

Contributing Writers:

Sabina Bloom Jason Cloninger Elizabeth Price Denise Smith Austin Thomson Lilly Willner Kia Vang Erica Spaeth Brian Price Mia Hanson

You will find related information to this and previous issues by following us at:

Most Magazine

MostMag.tumblr.co

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Photography by RICKY MIDDLESWORTH www.rickymiddlesworth.com

ABC FAMILY’s

SHADOWHUNTERS ACTRESS

SINGER // DANCER

By Kia Vang

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“ felt the lights and the energy of the audience and something hit me like a brick wall. I just knew.

This is what I had to do for the rest of my life and I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life.”

Katherine McNamara never imagined herself in this situation and though every calling in life may not be right, this one certainly hit her well. Let’s just say, this go-getter has had her stars aligned in the right paths.

MOST Celebrity caught up with the star of the new ABC Family Show, Shadowhunters, and tells

us what it’s been like living in her thriving shoes.

The previous girl part of Disney Channel’s Madison High says, “It was like a dream come true being cast

by Disney,” much like any other little girl waving their wand while saying the phrase “and you’re watching Disney Channel”. However, she’s branched far from Disney and has been cast into rising movies you’ll be sad to miss.

Being an actress had never been an intention for Katherine as she was actually a ballet dancer and softball player growing up. She had every intention of going into the finance industry when she was younger, however, when she was around age ten, she ran into a family friend who was directing a community theatre production and needed a dancer. Katherine told us that she was “the kid who would try anything,

so why not audition?”

At such a young age, the current nineteen-yearold has already accomplished more than what any ordinary adult her age has reached. Being able to work at her own pace from when she was in school, this all paid off for Katherine.

At just fourteen years old, she graduated high school – with honors – and went on to receive her Bachelor’s of Science before she was even legal! Talk about a serious accomplishment!

Much like any college kid, Katherine didn’t sleep much during her undergrad degree, however, she tells us, “it was all worth it

in the end.”

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Photography by Ricky Middlesworth www.rickymiddlesworth.com

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atherine received her degree in Business Administration and tells us that she initially planned on pursuing a degree in musical theatre but had to switch majors due to university policies.

As such, a business degree was the right move as it was a natural choice for switching majors. The knowledge she’s gained from this degree has already begun to serve her in running and managing the business side of her career. Not to mention, Katherine is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Applied Economics! What more can this girl accomplish?

It’s very evident that education has always been a top priority for Katherine, as she prides herself on dedicating herself to her studies. Already, she’s been a huge influence to young girls across the country and since schools are in session, we asked Katherine for some helpful advice of getting through the school year. If you’re in middle and high school, here are five pieces of advice Katherine has for students: STAY FOCUSED So many kids take school for granted and aren’t focused on the actual learning process.

The things you learn and even the grades you get in middle and high school can have a large influence on the rest of your life. It is important to make school a priority.

POSITIVE ENERGY

TAKE CARE OF YOU I know it sounds redundant, but get sleep, drink water, eat well, stay active, and make sure you are feeling good.

If you take care of yourself, you will be more energized and better able to focus and get your work done effectively and to the best of your ability.

Be sure to surround yourself with healthy energy as well. Create a group of friends that support each other and celebrate successes. That positive energy will create healthy relationships that will encourage all of you to do your best and be successful.

You will also have a support system to be there when you fall.

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DON’T STRESS In middle and high school, everything seems like the end of the world. Most of the things you worry about never actually happen so don’t sweat the small stuff.

You have lots of time to make decisions, make mistakes, and so much to learn - take your time and enjoy the ride before real life begins.

BE YOURSELF Don’t let yourself be stifled by what you think people expect of you. Go for it!

Be you! Let your inner light shine. Everyone has something special that only you can offer to the world.

Share your gifts! Show the world how special you are.

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oal-driven and hungry for more, Katherine McNamara shares with us more information on what it’s been like as a rising star in the works of new shows and projects anxiously waiting to air.

The new one that’s been consuming her time has been ABC Family’s new show, Shadowhunters.

Along with changing her hair color once more, Katherine has had various prep work for this show, among working her way through the book series, which she in fact, thoroughly enjoys reading.

In addition, she’s had to do rigorous physical training to become a Shadowhunter that is required for the show to work. Among the training she’s doing, Katherine tell us that she’s also had to work with a great deal of weapons and gymnastics for stunts and other special effects. Though she’s not alone, Katherine states that her cast has all been motivating one another to eat well, work out, and stay on track in order to be the best they can be.

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mong her busy life, Katherine smiles and even admits that she is a “super type-A driven individual, so down time isn’t necessarily [her] forte”. Her daily agenda has been looking pretty similar as her days consists of: waking up, working out, going to work (filming), and sleeping – while somehow finding time to eat and do laundry as time allows. However, she’s always loved challenges and one of her goals before turning thirty is to take a long trip throughout Europe as she wants to see all the history, the art, the culture, and of course, we can’t forget the food. “I feel as though I have so much to learn about the world that a trip of that nature would be a good place to start.”

Katherine is inspired when she knows she has to force herself to grow and learn, whether it is her personal life or her work life.

The challenges are limitless and this busy-bee is ready to continue on!

In the midst of her hectic lifestyle, Katherine doesn’t forget about her fans nor does she forget to support things she feels strongly about. She’s been an advocate for anti-bullying before and has actually been a victim of bullying, and understands what kids are going through. She was always the different kid in her school because of her studies and work schedule and can see that “we have to realize how much more incredible the world would be if we celebrated each other for our differences rather than let them polarize ourselves from one another.” Realizing we’re just like one another, Katherine continues to grow appreciative and thankful for the support her fans have given her.

Beyond all of her upcoming productions, Katherine’s goal in her career is to have the opportunities to do what she loves for a living and make great art that moves people. “In this world of technology, it’s so easy to become disconnected from humanity and the beauty of human emotions.” Katherine hopes to be a part of projects that “remind us how to feel raw, real, and vivid emotions” as she wants to be challenged, pushed, and wants to surprise people with what she’s capable of – “I’m not afraid of a challenge – I rise to meet it.”

However, being a celebrity has its ups and downs and Katherine believes that the most rewarding part about her job is getting to live all of the amazing experiences and meet so many lovely people along the way. Whether it be the fans she meets on social media and in person, or the people she works with on set with everyday, it’s all an energizing life that she’s been enjoying. The most challenging thing that she struggles with as of late, is finding enough hours in the day to accomplish every thing she sets out to do – “I’d love to have an extra hour in the day or even an extra day in the week to play catch up.”

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Photography by Ricky Middlesworth www.rickymiddlesworth.com

M OST Celebrity

asked if there was a celebrity in particular that Katherine is dying to work with, but her response was just that the list was endless as she wants to do everything; take risks, make mistakes and learn from every experience.

“No one becomes an actor to play it safe. I’m ready to work hard and am excited to see what happens next.” And the world is just as excited as Katherine

is to see what she puts out next. But for now, the world awaits as Shadowhunters comes out along with Universal’s R. L. Stine’s film, Monsterville , and Maze Runner: Scorch Trials, all featuring Katherine McNamara.

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Photography by IRVIN RIVERA aka GRAPHICS METROPOLIS www.graphicsmetropolis.com

VH1’s

DATING NAKED ACTRESS // RENAISSANCE WOMAN

By Mia Hanson

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hat doesn’t Amy Paffrath do? Best known for her work with VH1 on the hugely popular series Dating Naked, which is currently in the second season, the St. Louis native will also be seen in the upcoming films Do Over and Freshwater, which will release later this year. In addition, the gorgeous blonde is also the face of the beauty brand, SIBU, and works as a host for BiteSize Entertainment shows like Hollywood Today Live and The Girl Spot.

Paffrath’s past credits include roles in films like The Purge: Anarchy, Dumbbells and I Kissed a Vampire. Her small screen credits include guest-star roles on shows like Kickin’ It, 2 Broke Girls, Sullivan & Son and Hot in Cleveland to name a few. She also kicked off the “after show” trend hosting the hugely popular MTV Jersey Shore After Hours. Paffrath has used her hosting skills for a variety of broadcast outlets, including Fuel TV, TV Guide Channel and Direct TV. Early in her career, Amy hosted two shows, Created by U and In the Mix, both on Direct TV. She also worked for E! Entertainment TV, hosting E! News Now, co-hosting The Daily 10 and even filling in as co-host on E!’s sister network show Attack of the Show on G4.

Paffrath resides with her husband in Los Angeles.

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Photography by Irvin Rivera www.graphicsmetropolis.com

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We are about halfway through the season of “Dating Naked,” what can we expect during the rest of the season?

It just keeps getting more and more intense! Kerri is struggling with her feelings for Chris, Chris is into Fallon, and then Kerri has Mason who just swept her off her feet. It’s an emotional roller coaster and there’s a lot more twists and turns to come!

We know you have recently started a blog about fashion, what prompted that?

Can you tell our readers a little bit more about it?

I did! My sister just moved to LA and I wanted us to have a project to work on together. I’ve always been in to fashion and taking my time to get ready and being thoughtful about my style. I have a great friend, Renee Farias, who is an awesome photographer who agreed to shoot us for the blog. I have so many talented friends who are designers or have jewelry lines. So were featuring people we know and love and who also have amazing products. It just came together really organically. It’s just my sister and I, having fun finding our voice and sharing our perspectives, all the while supporting our friends in the process.

Everyone wins! Check it out a tobystyle.tumblr.com Who are your favorite fashion designers, both when shopping on a budget, and when budget is no object?

I really like Bobi Los Angeles for basics. The quality and cuts are amazing.

The fabrics are soft and wearable. It’s just a great everyday chic and comfy line.

Readers can take 15% off their entire order on BobiUSA.com using code AMY15.

Betsey Johnson makes the cutest party dresses. They aren’t crazy expensive but they will make a statement! I like Levi’s & JOE’s for jeans. They just fit well. Shoedazzle and Dolce Vita have great heels for every budget. If I’m splurging, I really love VINCE for their leather pieces and wedges, Miu Miu for interesting heels, Joie for silk tops, Alexander McQueen for red carpet statement looks and MacDuggal gowns as well. I also love the fun patterns that Ted Baker uses. I like bright fun interesting clothing, no matter who’s the designer.

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Photography by Irvin Rivera aka Graphics Metropolis www.graphicsmetropolis.com Instagram: @graphicsmetropolis Photography Assistance by Darwin Abad Instagram: @darwincapturefx Make Up Artistry by Joseph Adivari www.josephadivari.com Instagram: @josephadivari Styling by Brandon Nicholas & Art Hunter www.stylingbyb.com Instagram: @brando.nchls Hair by Matilde Campos www.TiLdeByMatiLde.com Instagram: @tildebymatilde

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Photography by Irvin Rivera www.graphicsmetropolis.com

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What do you think are the six most important items that every woman should have in her closet?

We know you are involved in several charities, tell us a little bit more about them and why you are involved.

A well tailored pair of jeans, an LBD dress you feel amazing in, a maxi dress that can be dressed up or down, a great leather jacket, a statement bag, one solid, bright colored pair of pumps.

I’ve been on the committee for the Los Angeles Walk to Defeat ALS ever since my dad passed of the disease in 2009. It’s something that has deeply affected myself and my family and I had to take action. I’m committed to raising money for this cause until no other families have to suffer from the devastating effects of ALS. I host an annual fundraiser to raise money for the walk and this year I’m doing a star-studded karaoke event! It’s a positive way to channel a negative experience.

I really enjoy the planning process and production elements to having these events.

The past two have been very successful!

I’m also an Angel Pal to a cool kid who lives in foster care with ChildHelp. He recently celebrated his 13th birthday so I’m taking him to the Magic Castle! I come from a large family being one of 7 kids. It breaks my heart that some children get lost in the system and have no consistent contact with their families.

I want to be that stability for this child.

He’s an awesome kid and I’ll help guide him through life the best I can!

www.amypaffrath.com SOCIAL MEDA: @amypaffrath PODCAST: Tell Me Something Good, available on Podbean FASHION BLOG: AtoBstyle.tumblr.com MORE: Dating Naked on amypaffrath.com Photography by Irvin Rivera www.graphicsmetropolis.com

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Photography by BENJO ARWAS www.benjoarwas.com

ACTRESS

By Brian Price

F

resh off her role as First Lady Tricia Walker on Netflix’s House of Cards, Joanna Going has sunk her teeth into the role of a lifetime. On DirecTV’s Kingdom Joanna plays Christina Kulina, a heroin addict and prostitute. Yes, that’s right this is the role of a lifetime! Christina Kulina is a mother of a broken family, who’s lost connection with her two sons and former husband.

First impression of the show maybe mixed martial arts, but it’s really a show of personal relationships built within the world of mixed martial arts. Some people like Joanna, can relate the show to Friday Night Lights, a family drama focused on the connections made between many different characters. Although Kingdom may not necessarily be a family show, it shares the same concept, reaching out to the audience in a way that they can relate too. Set in Venice, California, you’ll never know what is coming next for the Kulina family - in and out of the ring.

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oanna Going has a long list of acting credits, just take a peek at her IMDB page and you’re sure to recognize a favorite. A true veteran of the film industry, Joanna started in soaps, and since then has been in dozens of movies, television roles and a number of theater performances. Here are just a few of the acting credits under her belt that you may recognize: Love & Mercy, Mad Men, Dark Shadows, and Runaway Jury.

Now it seems that Joanna has finally found her role in television, and it’s far away from the networks. Her recent work on projects through Netflix and DirecTV have provided her with more freedom in the roles that she plays. Joanna describes a trust in the showrunner, in the material, and the actors that embody all of the characters they play.

Joanna explains that “The actors, crew and

producers commit out of love of the material.”

Since many of these shows, off the traditional platforms are not dependent on advertising sales as revenue, they are afforded the freedom to take risks. With groundbreaking shows like House of Cards, Kingdom and so many others breaking the traditional molds of television expectations, networks are able to re-adjust there longstanding formulas.

Joanna cites Empire as a recent example, probably because she just spent ten hours straight binge-watching the entire first season.

“Five years ago Empire wouldn’t have even been on network television,” she says; Empire one of the most watched TV series of 2015!

Eventually like every actor or actress, Joanna grows tired of the characters she plays, most lacking the complexity and dimension she seeks. It took coming back to her career, after pressing pause for her daughter’s childhood, for Joanna to find the roles she was meant to be playing.

“It took getting older to get beyond that in my own head.

When I had my daughter I took a step away from the business and I had to come back when I was pushing 50.”

One show you may recognize her in is Mad Men. Joanna played Arlene, a soap opera diva. “It was a really rich

character I had a lot of fun with. And then it opened up something for me, I’m a different kind of actress now because I’m a different age now with different experiences.”

Lucky for us, Joanna has pushed full steam ahead since then and has been able to give us portrayals of characters that we have never seen before. Her character Christina Kulina is a perfect example. Joanna gives dimension to the characters she plays. As soon as you watch, you will know exactly what we are talking about. What everyone is talking about!

Joanna opened up a little about Hollywood, and the business of equality among men and women.

Everyday we are seeing more and more people speak out about the underwhelming equality of roles and pay for women in the acting business, especially in California.

“I think the young women speaking out today are going to have a huge impact on the industry and I stand behind them. At the same time I have to say it’s disappointing in ten episodes on the show we didn’t have a female director.

As long as we keep handing them what they’re asking for, they’re going to keep asking for it.”

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nce we got her talking, Joanna had plenty to share for our readers about this issue and how to feel comfortable in your own skin. The actress says

“Dress for yourself and walk in the room and introduce yourself. Bring you to the room, and then bring you to the part. One of the things I’ve had fun with on our show, the part of Christina has given me a chance to play house; she dresses around the house, for business and for men. Don’t get me wrong. I love makeup. I like dressing up, but I don’t live my life by that.” Which is perfect advice for any woman. There is always a time

and place for everything, including makeup. Joanna finished with some advice for our readers. “Start with you, be wise when you’re walking into

the room for a character. Don’t stand for it. Don’t give them what they want when they only want to see a body. Have more to offer, get educated.”

We couldn’t agree more Joanna.

Photography by JEAN-CLAUDE VORGEACK www.jeanclaudephoto.com

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or a woman who has portrayed many characters it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Joanna Going isn’t just an actress, but is heavily involved with her community. Joanna takes charge not just in her roles, but also in her life. For many years now Joanna has been looking for ways to help her community.

She connected with PATH (People Assisting The Homeless), an organization who’s mission is to eradicate homelessness in the Los Angeles area and beyond.

Joanna got involved as a liaison between her daughter’s school and the main shelter, where they provide temporary housing to people on their way to secure a permanent solution. “This organization

After making her Instagram public and joining Twitter, Joanna began connecting with fans like never before.

“The live tweeting is a trip that I had to learn fast and furious. I just got thrown in the deep end with that, but it’s a wild experience.” Not surprising in the least, Joanna

was grateful to connect with fans who have been gobbling up the show with such a ferocity. In fact it has rated as a number one drama on iTunes!

Don’t worry if you don’t have access to DirecTV, you can find Kingdom on iTunes and now Amazon Instant Video.

But you have to act fast because the next season comes out this fall! You can catch Joanna and see what all the buzz is about when Season 2 of Kingdom airs October 14th, 2015!

works on all levels, finds people in the street to get a bed for the night or working through the organization to get interim housing.” Her daughter’s school

supported a family, who was moving into a permanent apartment.

Many of the single people or families moving into permanent housing from PATH don’t have the necessary items to fill an apartment; pots and pans, furniture, food, etc. If you want to join the fight to eradicate homelessness, please check out www. epath.org for more information. Joanna credits her involvement with PATH to advice given to her by a friend, “It was last summer, young Mr. Jonas was telling me that I should go public, and he seems pretty wise with these kind of things.” As the saying goes, “ The rest is history.”

As Kingdom took off, Joanna joined the social media world, both hesitant and excited to see what it offered.

She knew that joining social media would both open a world to connect with her fans, and it would become a window to the organization she is so passionate about. “Its kind of surreal. It is really nice to get

the feedback and hear from people. To know that even with the limited access that the work is coming across. The immediate reaction was so exciting.”

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www.agnesolech.com

HBO’S

TRUE DETECTIVE ACTRESS FACEBOOK: Agnes Olech INSTAGRAM: @agnes olech

Styled by Ariella Masjedi E: ariella@thisisemilyandmeritt.com P: 310-666-0407

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By Kelly Price & Darcy Tharp

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hat’s in a name? Well, your identity for one and a whole lot more. The name of the month for MOST Magazine is Agnes Olech.

The Polish actress immigrated to America when she was ten years old. As a child in this new country, she “hated her Polish name.”

Now she loves it and wears it with pride. “It’s

such a big part of me; it’s strong, it’s unique,it’s classic, and now I think it’s really, really cool.”

It is for sure. A name we will hear rolling off many more tongues in the near future. She, like her father, achieved her own American Dream. Without speaking English, he moved the whole family to the US. Agnes’ dream was realized in Hollywood where she found fame and recognition.

Most recently seen in HBO’s True Detective as Vanessa Chessani. She has also appeared in numerous television shows including; Workaholics, Castle, New Girl, Rules of Engagement, Intelligence, and various indie films. This amusing, sweet, and recently engaged actress chatted about her career and passions; and we discovered she is just a bit superstitious, or at least believes in bad luck (wait until you hear the story of the ring). She also has a great sense of humor.

However, when asked would she consider stand-up comedy, she guffaws, “No way! I’d

have to have a few margaritas to do it!”

www.agnesolech.com

Corset: Ender Legard

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Dress: Narcisso Rodriguez Corset: Ender Legard Trousers: Maje Jewelry: Isharya

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ut first, how did a girl born in Bielsko Biala, Poland land among the stars in Los Angeles? It was all due to her father, whom she describes as the backbone of the family, “I really admire

my parents; they risked everything for their family; they left their families and jobs for dad’s American dream for his family to have opportunities.

It must have been really difficult.

I couldn’t do it now.”

When Agnes was only five, her family moved to Germany, as conditions in Poland weren’t stable, and her father still had German citizenship. However, after a visit to Sacramento, he decided that the US was the place to be and entered the green card lottery. Miraculously, he won five green cards!

Our family left everything behind and moved to America.

Agnes says, “I now realize that it was amazing, winning the

lotto, to get these magical green cards when I was ten years old.”

Having yet to learn the English language he found employment specializing as a SAAB mechanic and later opened a successful auto shop. Her parents still live in Sacramento. There are now four kids in the family, as her mom had another son when she was 40. Agnes is thankful that her father moved her family.

“I have no clue what I would be doing if I was still living in Germany or Poland; it’s the best thing that could have happened.”

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hanks to her background and a traditional household growing up, Agnes speaks fluent Polish and basic, conversational German.

“When we came home from school, mom would make us speak Polish. She was very strict about it.” In terms of learning English, Agnes

says it happens naturally when you are young, through TV, radio, and being in school and hearing it all around. Asked how she got into acting, Agnes told us that she always had a crazy imagination growing up. In high school drama class she fell in love with the feeling of making people laugh, and realized that she really wanted to act. When senior year of high school came around and most were making plans for college, Agnes told her parents she wanted to go to LA to pursue acting. “It must have been super scary

for my parents, for their young daughter to move out to this crazy city of LA.” Parents want to see

their children go to college, and there weren’t any performers in Agnes’ family. Realizing a parallel, Agnes supposes that, “Maybe my parents

immigrating was a model for me venturing out.

They were so used to going country to country, and I thought, hey I’m young, I can do it.”

Agnes did make the move obviously, and ended up working really hard the first few years.

“I was really on my own and doing what I could to survive. I did commercials and a bunch of indie films but nothing on the big scale. As anyone knows in this business, unless you have an ‘in’, know someone, or have a family member, you have to work extra hard. But once you get your first TV credit, the auditions happen more and people trust that you can do it and you get bigger roles and bigger credits.” This is why when asked if “killer confidence” is enough for a woman to succeed in Hollywood, Agnes replies that it’s a big part of it, but you have to have talent to back it up and the ability to portray a role. “It’s

one thing to be confident in life, and another thing when there are fifty people around you and you have to do twenty takes, but at the end of the day you have to have talent and I think that comes from working and training. We are always our own worst critic they say.”

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That is most certainly the truth, and Agnes got deeper telling us her philosophy to live by. “Life is too short to hold on to

negative thinking. It weighs you down, and you don’t need the baggage. Plus you learn more when you’re open, and that’s hard to do because I think naturally as humans we kind of right away form an opinion, and if you don’t do that, life is so much easier.

Sometimes I’m too harsh about everything. I have learned not to be so critical of myself, others, and situations.”

In a world often about looks and comparison to others and competition, it’s refreshing to find someone who works at keeping a positive attitude and not judging others or holding on to grudges.

Those must be just a few of the qualities that her new fiancé, Luke Albright loves about her. Describing their relationship, Agnes says he is her rock and best friend, and that he just gets her. “He’s my

partner in crime. He’s my bestie; we do everything together, we’re weird, silly, annoy each other, and really know each other.”

They just got engaged two weeks ago, when he proposed while on vacation in Puerto Rico, on the tiny island of Vieques. However, there was just one tiny problem, or rather a too tiny band problem.

Agnes was so excited and overwhelmed, with the adrenaline of the moment that she pushed the ring onto her finger, even though it was a whole size too small! “I got the ring stuck on my finger!

He had walked me to the edge of this cliff, and I was in flip flops, and the waves were crashing. I kind of knew something was going to happen since it was our anniversary, but I didn’t think he was going to propose right at that moment because he didn’t have a box.”

Turns out he had a tiny pocket in his swim trunks that she didn’t know about! She says she remembered thinking if it doesn’t go on, it’s bad luck, so she just shoved it on. “We tried everything to

getit off, from butter, olive oil, coconut oil, icing my hand, and some things required a couple shots of tequila, but nothing worked! The worst case scenario was to have it cut off, but I am superstitious and thought that would be bad luck.” After watching YouTube videos demonstrating how, they managed to finally get it off with dental floss. Agnes said it was one of the worst pains she’d ever had,

“I laugh about it now, but I was literally in tears, I can’t believe this is happening. It was all because I had to get it on at that moment.

I had to!”

www.agnesolech.com

Blazer: Theory Necklace: DylanLex

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ell it is likely most women would understand and do the same in that situation.

Speaking of women, we had noticed that in True Detective, the lead detective this season is a woman, Rachel McAdams, starring alongside Colin Farrell, and Vince Vaughn, which was nice to see. We asked Agnes if she had the opportunity, what historical female would she love to portray.

Turns out she had auditioned for the TV Lifetime movie, the Life of Marilyn Monroe, but didn’t get the part. “It is so much harder to play an actual

person, especially when the world knows about her; and especially someone who is an icon. I was so nervous for the audition; it’s such a huge thing to fill another person’s shoes. You are going to have so many critics on you, right from the start. And if you don’t look exactly like them, people will judge you for that too. That was one of the most challenging auditions of my life. My heart was pounding, I remember.”

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e would have chosen her for the part if it was up to MOST, but it is likely that with her talent, she will win a similar role in the future! We asked her to talk about a few other unique projects she has done, a web series and a photo shoot for a Peterbilt calendar. She says she loved doing the web series, Butterfinger the 13th, alongside Rob Lowe whom she describes as “so freakin funny!” She explained that if you’re lucky and have good quality material and a great production behind you, it can be fun to do a webisode. But a negative can be that nowadays everyone can make a webisode, so you have to have a celebrity (such as Rob Lowe) on it to give you recognition and make it stand out. Fortunately she got on a good one saying, “For me it was awesome.

Outside of acting, which she says doesn’t feel like a job, but rather it’s a passion and just fun, Agnes also cares deeply about animals and the environment. Her grandma back in Poland had a big farm, and she described how she would always get in trouble for sneaking lunchmeat to barn cats and dogs. “I would go out and play with the

chickens and the pigs. I’m surprised I didn’t get any diseases, but I never got hurt or anything, and I’m talking a lot of pigs; I would go hang out with them. I was always sad when the butcher would come, and I was never allowed to watch. I remember crying on my mom’s shoulder. It was heartbreaking to me, but my grandparents lived in a small village in Poland and animals had to be slaughtered.”

I loved the entire experience.”

www.agnesolech.com

One of her favorite photo shoots was for a Chrome and Elegance calendar, which channels modern reimagining of the classy calendars from the golden age of trucking made famous by Peterbilt. The calendar was shot in Yakima WA, which just so happened to be a town close to where one of our staffers is from, so we wanted to know what she thought of the area. “It was

really pretty and calm, the mountains and the area were gorgeous, and I really liked the people out there.

We had a full production, and the whole town would come by and scope out what we were doing. It was something for people to see but the community was offering help as opposed to LA, where people would say, “Get off my street!” She described how they

set up in a giant warehouse and people blocked off dressing rooms for them out of apple crates, making all kinds of rooms in the warehouses for make-up, etc.

“It was really surreal, really freakin’ cool, and people would come by and say, ‘hi’ and be involved.”

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gnes said she would bring home strays growing up, and now she and Luke are foster parents. “We had a foster kitten this summer that

we both really fell in love with, and my fiancé said, ok you can keep it, but I didn’t, knowing it would be too many animals with already two dogs and two cats. And one of our dogs being sixteen years old. We are trying not to be foster failures so we can keep fostering and f inding homes for these little guys.” She also really supports the non-profit,

“Rebuilding Warriors,” which was started by her friend, Jeff Anderson, whom she met on the set of Intelligence.

He works with German Shepherds from a young age and trains them to be service dogs. He then donates them to veterans who come home from war and are suffering from PTSD. The K-9’s are a great therapeutic relief for those suffering from the emotional side of warfare.Her desire to help good causes expands beyond dogs, as she is also a self-proclaimed tree hugger.

We shocked her by asking if she had ever chained herself to a tree or something like that, and she responded with a gasp,

“Oh my God no! I really just love nature and care about the environment, and love bike rides through Griffith Parkand can’t imagine a world where that may become rare. I think there is more than one way to be a tree hugger. Every day things count, like the types of cleaning products we use to how we dispose of our waste. It’s heart breaking to think about how much we have damaged the world and the Amazon and all the unnecessary chemicals we use in everyday products. I’m all about eco-friendly products.

Don’t trust a product just because it’s on a shelf, know what’s coming into your home and how it effects your health and environment.”

She is right, and it’s something for us all to keep in mind.

As for when we will see Agnes on screen next—she has an indie movie going to production right now called Monumental which she is excited about, and otherwise, she says that she is just going out there and hopefully getting more TV roles. We look forward to seeing what roles she lands, and for those of you who haven’t caught up yet with all the True Detective episodes this season, Agneslet slip that the ending is pretty shocking.

Photography by Roger Snider www.rogersnider.com

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Photography by PICTURE PERFECT PUP www.pictureperfectpup.com

BRAVO’S

MARRIED TO MEDICINE BCBG CONTRIBUTOR // MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER ENTREPRENEUR // PHILANTHROPIST

By Lilly Willner

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f you’ve heard of Quad Webb-Lunceford, you know she is a fiercely independent woman who speaks her mind. If you haven’t, then you’ll catch on pretty quickly. She currently has 75.4 thousand devoted twitter followers and is a fan favorite on Bravo’s Married to Medicine. As a former medical sales representative who balances reality television with her own business, Quad is taking the world by storm.

“I stay true to myself,” she says about working on the show. “I don’t put on any airs for the camera.” While

maintaining her sense of self is an important aspect of Quad’s life, she also knows that sometimes her words and actions can be taken out of context. “I’m part of an ensemble cast, therefore the viewers don’t always have

the opportunity to see who I am entirely. Sometimes they don’t see the back story of situations or the history of why relationships have changed.”

And it’s not all smooth sailing. “I can tell you reality TV isn’t easy!” She says. “In fact, it’s one of the most challenging things I’ve done thus far.” Part of what makes it such a challenge is the way the cast is forced to communicate with each other. “In real life if you’re having an issue with a person, you can choose not to

engage in their company anymore. However, in reality TV and being a part of an ensemble cast you’re forced to be around those you don’t care to spend time with.” Quad also explains her state of mind when it comes to working on the show. “I definitely feel that while you’re on a reality TV show. It’s not wise to trust anyone,” she says. “There’s someone always gunning for you when you’re on the top. However, within the cast I do believe there are a couple that will stand up for what’s right, like Dr. Jackie and Dr. Simone.”

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ut, that’s not to say that is necessarily how she approaches friendships outside of the show. “As for me in real life, my

friends and I love and respect one another,” she says. “There are no motives, angles or competition; we celebrate and support one another.” But the idea of opening up and letting new people in would require a lot of trust on Quad’s part, trust she might not feel like giving. “At this point for me

to acquire a new friend, they would really have to prove themselves to me,” she says.

“One can say it’s unfair, but that’s where I am now.”

As much as Quad enjoys working on the hit Bravo show, she is focused on her future. This show isn’t just fun and games for her, she is finding away to use it to her advantage. “I’m using reality TV as a

vehicle to advance my career in other areas of entertainment,” she says. “As you can see I’ve established Picture Perfect Pup (a successful dog apparel and accessories company). This platform has aided me in launching a successful business and afforded me priceless advertisement.”

She is also a brand contributor for fashion label BCBG. It’s one of her favorite clothing brands. “BCBG is fashion forward, sophisticated, and sexy,” she says. “It’s a

brand for every woman from the boardroom to the runway and everything in between!”

She encourages readers to visit www.bcbg. com and click on Quad Webb-Lunceford under “contributor” to “be inspired”.

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www.quadisverybusy.com

Additionally, Quad writes about love and marriage. In an age of divorce, it might seem like reality television might tear a married couple apart, Quad is sure that this is not the case.

“My husband loves to see me on TV,” she says. “He always talks

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n addition to her company, she also runs a successful blog where she writes about an array of interesting topics. One of those topics is health, an important subject for Quad. “Health and fitness are important to

me because it encourages good health and a better quality of life,” she says.“Exercising along with healthy eating prevents and lowers the risk of congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, stroke and many other diseases.”

But Quad knows it can be hard for women to start making changes.“Women who want to work out

but don’t know where to start should start by simply walking a few blocks daily gradually building cardio, strength, and conditioning in efforts to incorporate more active exercises,” she says.

about how smart, entertaining, and funny I am. Over the past three years he recorded every interview I’ve had. I am a firm believer that exploring new things and places together helps build the bond stronger.”

Quad first met her husband in a grocery store. “My first

impression was this is an intelligent man who knows what he wants,” she says. “He asked if I was married, so that gave me insight that he was a respectful and had admirations for marriage, which was an attraction for me.” After years of a successful marriage, Quad has a word of advice, “My advice to other married couples is simple, don’t take yourself too seriously, have fun. Celebrate life with one another, be a good listener, and always protect and respect your spouse’s feelings.”

Photography by Picture Perfect Pup www.pictureperfectpup.com

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uad also makes sure to take time out for her thousands of fans and supporters.

“It feels amazing to be loved and supported by so many,” she says. “I try to answer every email, direct message, tweet, and when I have time we have Instagram discussions. What’s most heartfelt for me is when they tell me how I’ve inspired them to chase their dreams!”

But, besides focusing on her personal life and her multi-faceted career, Quad makes sure to devote herself to important charities. One of her favorites is Canine

Companions for Independence (CCI),

a non-profit organization that provides trained assistance dogs to people with disabilities. “I attended a charity event

where a CCI volunteer was telling her story of how the organization helped to improve her sister’s quality of life,” she says. “After hearing and seeing the demonstration I was so inspired I got involved immediately. For me, CCI was a no-brainer. Every year I donate and conduct a fundraiser in honor on CCI.”

www.quadisverybusy.com FACEBOOK: quad.webblunceford TWITTER: @AbsolutelyQuad INSTAGRAM: @absolutelyquad

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While it may seem like Quad is just someone featured on a reality show, the truth is she is so much more than that. She is incredibly hard working and dedicates herself to her business and her marriage. She knows exactly what she wants and she won’t stop until she gets it. Often times these reality shows can break the people that they feature, but something tells me that Quad is going to be just fine.

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Photography by JOE PUGLIESE www.joepug.com

QUEEN OF SCI-FI

SYFY’S DEFIANCE COVER STORY // ACTRESS

By Denise Smith

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es, Julie Benz is just as cool as you think she is. The star of hit shows such as Defiance, Dexter, Desperate Housewives, and Angel. MOST Celebrity spoke with the actress about her love for the fans, meeting Jack Nicholson, and her latest project, Circle.

Julie grew up in the warm community of Murrysville, a small suburb of Pittsburg. Along with her brother Jerry and her sister Jennifer, they spent most of their childhood on the ice. Training for their ice skating, eight hours a day, the siblings would travel to and from Detroit, Michigan to train with coaches. Although they spent most of their young lives in the rink, it was important to Julie’s parents, that the kids regularly attend school and have normal childhood experiences such as attending school dances.

At the age of thirteen, Julie suffered a stress fracture that would force the young talent to retire from the sport. Once ranked 12th in the United States in ice skating, she soon lost her love for the sport. Julie would then go on to channel her desire to perform into acting. With her unique blend of quirky cuteness, the actress would set her sights on a career in film.

The aspiring thespian attended New York University, studying with the Tisch School of the Arts. Nestled in the heart of Greenwich Village with New York City as her campus, Julie embraced her time in college learning her craft and taking part in student films.

One of the few students, auditioning and acting professionally, she would gather real time experience as well as technical training while at Tisch.

After completing college, Julie made the move to Los Angeles and started landing various film and television roles. This drive and determination would lead her to a small part as a receptionist in the Academy Awarding winning film, As Good As It Gets. Directed by the talented Jim Brooks, starring with the incomparable Jack Nicholson, as well as Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear and Cuba Gooding Jr., she recalls one of her first encounters with the movie legend, saying “I was trying not

to be nervous, he’s just an actor, it’s not a big deal, be cool, don’t be a dork, be cool, and in walks Jack and he’s like ‘Hi, I’m Jack.’”

A consummate professional, she introduces herself and prepares to rehearse what will become one of the most iconic scenes in the film. Swiveling in her chair with nervous energy, the director encouraged her to use her energy in the scene. Recognizing that she is undoubtedly not cool, at all, she stands up mid-scene, “The

room starts to spin and there is this bright light on Jack and I couldn’t remember my next line and all I could say was, “Oh my God, you’re Jack Nicholson.” All goes silent on set, Jack lowers his gaze and says, “Yes, honey, I am.”

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rawn to action-oriented projects, Julie starred in such films as Rambo, Saw V, and the Punisher: War Zone. Although she has accomplished a great deal of success in both movies and television, there seems to be one common thread in her career - it is her predilection for dying or coming pretty darn close to it! This actress tends to “play characters that

you care so much for and are shocked when they’re killed off, or they are really evil and you have to kill them off.”

As a pregnant vampire on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel, she has to scarf herself for her

human child. Julie begins to build her legion of fans playing on these two shows as Darla, Angel’s sire and long-time love in the cult classic. And Darla builds a legion of fans, that still follow today, dedicating websites to all things Julie and the characters that she portrays. Yep, pretty cool.

We talked to Julie about her time on the Emmy award-winning show Dexter. The actor played Rita, a single mother and love interest to Michael C.Hall’s title character, Dexter. “Rita came at a time in my life

where I needed to play a real woman who was struggling with her life, even though she was a lesser part of the storyline, she was an integral part.” Remembering her

time on the hit show, she felt Rita represented hope while bringing light and love, to Dexter. “She allows the audience to fall in love with him.” According to Entertainment Weekly, her death is still ranked as one of the most shocking deaths of all time in TV history.

At hearing the news, her character would be killed off, two things go through the actress’ mind, “Oh my gosh,

I just lost my job and the second being, who’s going to raise baby Harrison?” Method to the end, Julie

came to love the character that she played and the story she was telling.

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Photography by Katharine Hauschka www.katehaus.com (left)

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ulie currently stars as Mayor Amanda Rosewater on the hit SyFy series, Defiance. This futuristic tale set in the year 2046 follows a noteworthy cast who reside in the border town of Defiance.

After the arrival of alien races on Earth, the town unites to protect their home. We find Julie’s character back in the mayor’s office,

“There’s a real outside threat to the town, many of the town’s people have left, and they are running low on weapons.”

Now in its third season we can expect a more dramatic season and more action because it’s all about survival. Dubbed the Social Media Czar for their show, the cast live tweet the show every Friday night, “We invite our fans to a party where we are all in it together.” Fans today are looking for that next level connection.

“It’s a show about aliens,” the star deadpans, “it lends itself to a bit

of sarcasm and snark.”

Her passion for the work rings clear,

“We love what we do, we love the world that we have created with Defiance and each one of us loves, not only our characters, but all of the characters of the show.” She goes on to say, “To be able to share our passion with the fans who are just as passionate about the shows as we are, to have that live connection, it shows the fans that we as actors are committed and proud of what we have made.” With a steadfast dedication to the fandom,

“We have some of the smartest, funniest and wittiest fans out there!”

Photography by J-Squared Photography www.jsquaredphotography.com (right)

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o stranger to Comic-Con, Julie has been a fixture at the international convention, labeled a “pop culture phenomenon.” Fans make the trek to San Diego, California, dressed as their favorite characters from comic books and video games. While discussing uber-fans, she states, “Back in the day

it was this embarrassing thing that you went to, and you didn’t tell anybody, but twenty years later, it’s a whole different scene.” The actor notes with pointed experience; now it is about pop-culture and genre that has become mainstream.

With more people watching more shows like The Walking Dead than regular television, “Genre fans are the best fans in the world, they are enlightening, dedicated, and passionate.” Julie takes pride in geeking out with them saying, “These people love to dress up like the characters, I get to dress up every day for work, I can relate.”

The star’s newest project, Circle written and directed by Aaron Hann, with additional writing by Mario Miscione, was an amazing acting experience for Julie. The young filmmakers inspired by the Reginald Rose classic, Twelve Angry Men. “Imagine fifty actors in a room, sitting in a circle, no props, no blocking, just dialogue where every minute and half someone gets killed. You’re fighting for your life.” An intelligent and smart script shot it in ten days in a warehouse, on a shoestring budget. “Being stripped away of all the excess that we have as an actor is exciting and challenging,” the star states. MOST is looking forward to seeing how Julie fares in this intriguing new psychological thriller.

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alling Los Angeles home, the actor loves cooking, exercising and spending time with her husband Rich Orosco. The two married in Los Feliz, with a Mexican Cinco de Mayo themed wedding, and have been married for three years.

They never leave home without their furry sidekicks Bamboo and Sugar, who make for the perfect tote sized travelers.

Whether she’s binge watching Game of Thrones, shh...don’t spoil it for her, Bloodlines, Transparent, or reading a great book, Julie is just the perfect down to earth person that we want to make our Facebook friend!

Julie Benz is a charming and talented actress who has been carving out a successful career for herself. From her professional turn on the ice to encouraging us to join the fight every Friday night on the unpaved streets of Defiance, she has remained approachable, funny, and always gracious. As our time with this witty talent so quickly comes to an end, we quietly ponder engaging in one of those “I’m not going to hang up, you hang up,” but think not to.

MOST Celebrity’s new bestie is quite simply, as good as it gets.

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INSTAGRAM: @JulieBenzMFT TWITTER: @JulieBenz

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www.jeanlouisakelly.com

CLASSIC FILM STAR of UNCLE BUCK and

MR HOLLAND’S OPUS ACTRESS // SINGER // DANCER of STAGE // FILM // TELEVISION

By Denise Smith

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t fifteen, Jean Louisa Kelly was living the dream. A Broadway baby, she was starring in the Tony Award-winning Sondheim classic, Into the Woods, living in the village in New York, and taking the subway to school a couple days a week. On Sunday nights after the matinee, she would take the Amtrak train up to New England to see her family and then return to New York Tuesday morning for the show. This was a strong start for this captivating talent.

Growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, New York was a culture shock. Her mother taught her how to use the subway as she was learning it herself. “It was probably as scary for my mother as it was for me.” Her mother was a piano teacher who taught Jean Louisa and her siblings to read music. Even though her home town was small, it was an amazing source of talent for a creative young person. “I had wonderful teachers in voice and dance, and we had a strong theater community.” When the Irish beauty looks back, she sees how fortunate she was to grow up in a cocoon of rural beauty with its wonderful cultural engagements.

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“

o the thing you don’t want to do first,”

her father always encouraged. While her mother instilled the importance of practicing,

“My discipline and work ethic come from them and they also gave me the gift of independence.”

What must it have been like to encourage your fourteen-year-old daughter to go to New York and pursue her dreams?

“What belief they must have had in me.”

The actor counts herself blessed, having started her career at a young age. “I never

had to make that terrifying leap after college because I already had an agent.” Humbled, she remarks, “it is still a tough business… every audition requires courage, and you never know what is going to happen.”

In 1989, after her Into the Woods run, the actor was cast as Tia Russell in the cult classic, Uncle Buck. This timeless film, about a lovable bachelor slob, played by the late Mr. John Candy, would be the first experience with film and television for the starlet. “It was like being shot out of a cannon,” the actress states. She had to learn a whole new set of rules and cultures on the film set. “It is such

a complex organism, and there was a learning curve for me, but everyone was understanding.”

She remembers Mr. John Candy fondly, being a kind, hilarious and lovely person.

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aving reached a level of success in two mediums, we talked to the actor about the differences between the stage and the silver screen. “I heard someone say that

with the stage, you have to ‘act’ what you are thinking.”

With film, “ You just have to ‘think’ it.” She feels that films

are so much more intimate because of the close up.

Uncle Buck was written and directed by the hugely

talented and gone too soon, Mr. John Hughes. Hughes created such films as The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s

Day Off, Home Alone, Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink. “John loved to play and improvise, frequently with Mr. Candy. Multiple takes would go off the cuff, and the cast felt encouraged to do so. I think Mr. Hughes had a very sensitive ear for honesty, combined with a great sense of humor and a big heart…what a combination.”

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ith the success from Uncle Buck, came Jean Louisa’s next role. She was cast as Rowena Morgan, in the musical gem, Mr. Holland’s Opus, starring Richard Dreyfuss. “The film was like a great gift dropped from

above: great script, director, producers, and cast and a thrilling role of a lifetime.” The film tells the story

of a frustrated composer who finds fulfillment as a high school music teacher. At a pivotal moment in the film, Jean Louisa’s character sings the George Gershwin classic, Someone to Watch Over Me. This was a poignant moment in cinema that remains a fan favorite to this day.

The multi-talented actor starred in the American TV situation comedy, Yes Dear, from 2000 to 2006. She played Kim Warner, a mother of one, determined to be perfect in all things. A mother herself to Sean and Josy, we asked Jean Louisa to speak to those mothers who are struggling to be perfect in all things. As mothers, we try to do everything perfectly and generally, fall flat.

“I periodically get a smidgeon of understanding that perfection is an illusion, an idea outside of myself,”

the actress candidly states. The perfect part is being honest about who she is, and at the moment, she is doing the best she can.

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n 2014, touched by the inspiring story of Cory Weismann, the college basketball player who suffered a devastating stroke, she lends her talents to the telling of his true life story.

In the film, 1000 to 1, The Corey Weismann Story, this extraordinary young man perseveres and finds new meaning in his life both on and off the court.

The family never gave up and continued to show up for life on life’s terms.

She feels it takes such courage to keep the faith and seek strength from within in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

It has been a long time dream for the singer-songwriter to make music.

Her first children’s album Color of Your Heart is an attempt to give a voice to feelings and experiences. Inspired by her children Josy and Sean, they forced the actor, in a good way, to think about life and the lack of tools for living it.

At times, she feels like the blind leading the blind. “I have been trying to stay

one step ahead of them learning how to deal with situations and feelings, and the songs came about as an expression of that process.” She is hopeful that children will find words for some of what they are enduring.

Jean Louisa’s latest EP, entitled Willing, just released in April, explores much of the same topics as the first album but on a more adult level. Not as light as the first album, she wrote some of the songs while working on Color of Your Heart and determined that they did not belong on a children’s album.

With an absorbing sound, her music is uplifting and hopeful.

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ean Louisa met her husband James Pitaro in the Hamptons through a mutual friend after graduating from college. Fresh out of college the two found that they had loads in common and spent time together having fun. They now live in Los Angeles and love to hang with their kids. The family of four enjoysthe simple things such as movies and hikes. Always encouraging her kids to explore their gifts and develop the skills to express them, they are into soccer, gymnastics, and music. The close-knit family just adopted a rescue dog who is doing a fine job of keeping them on their toes.

Jean Louisa is inspired by people who keep their hearts open and keep trying. Ms. Kelly is a warm-hearted talent, living by example, setting a standard for all to follow. So what is up next for the songstress, getting the kids signed up for camp and writing five more songs for her up and coming album.

Most importantly, she will need to figure out what to feed her family for dinner tonight.

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NBC’s

HEROES REBORN ACTRESS

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By Sabina Bloom

chool is starting and our quality “Netflix and chill” hours are quickly giving way to hours in a textbook. Now, when you are looking for a go-to fix in the hour-long periods between class and sports practice, MOST recommends Heroes Reborn. For many reasons is this our show of the season, but the most important is Danika Yarosh.

You might know Danika for her roles on Law and Order, Shameless, or Retribution, but she is best known for her role as Malina on Heroes Reborn—a character that she has often times found similar to herself.

Danika says, “She’s at an age where she’s rapidly learning things about

herself and where she fits in to the world. There are responsibilities to take on at a much larger level and at the same time she’s learning to find a balance between strength, courage, and vulnerability.”

Acting, Danika tells MOST, is about telling the truth.

Danika attributes her true passion and understanding for the art to her upbringing. She says, “Well, to be honest, my upbringing has been

pretty unorthodox, but I couldn’t be more proud,” she continues on, “[My siblings and I are] all definitely very driven, independent, and supportive of each other and I think that’s something that would translate into any career, really.” But Danika can do more than act.

She has a life-long passion for dance. “Once a dancer, always a dancer! It will always be one of my favorite forms of expression,” she tells MOST. When asked if there have been on-set dance breaks, Danika responded “Haha, always!”

Now that school is starting, those 8:00am wake-ups have us in desperate need of some style tips. So whom does Danika turn to when she is looking for inspiration? Her list includes: Alexa Chung, Aymeline Valade, Jane Birkin, Daria Werbowy, Kristen Stewart, and Cara Delevingne. “I look up to people who are completely unafraid to express themselves freely,” she says. And what do we need to keep on the side of our backpacks for those between-class bathroom runs?

Danika says Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel in Roleplay. “I can’t

leave the house without it!”

What do MOST readers have to look forward to from Danika in the next five years? She hopes to continue in film, “I just hope to be working with actors and directors who love what they do,” she says.

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By Sabina Bloom

MOST As the second youngest of four siblings, are your siblings pursuing similar goals? How have they influenced your career?

DANIKA My older sister Mani is actually an incredible actress.

I’ve always really looked up to her and her work, so that in itself has been an influence. She’s been taking time off to attend NYU, but whenever you have a family member with whom you share a passion with, it definitely pushes you in your work to take bigger steps.

MOST You stated in an interview with Bellus Magazine that dance is, “A great way to let loose and express yourself.”

Is dance still a part of your life?

DANIKA It definitely is! I mean I’m not a competition dancer anymore, and with work and all, I have less time for it, but I still try to fit in a class or two whenever I get the chance. Once a dancer, always a dancer! It will always be one of my favorite forms of expression.

MOST How do you feel that your upbringing shaped your career?

DANIKA Well, to be honest, my upbringing has been pretty unorthodox, but I couldn’t be more proud. My parents have always gone above and beyond to support my siblings and me. They’ve always encouraged us to go after our passions and to never give up, even when it seemed ridiculous to everyone else. We’re all definitely very driven, independent, and supportive of each other and I think that’s something that would translate into any career, really.

MOST Who is the most inspirational figure for you in your field?

DANIKA Any female that breaks the status quo and stands up for herself!

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By Sabina Bloom

MOST What work do you feel has shaped your career the greatest?

DANIKA Honestly, the fact that I’ve been so lucky to play with such different characters in my work has been, and is what continues to shape it.

Photography by Sami Drasin www.samidrasin.com

MOST

MOST

You stated in an interview with Bellus Magazine that dance is, “A great way to let loose and express yourself.”

Is dance still a part of your life?

What characteristics of the individuals that you are currently playing do you see in yourself ? How do you get into character?

DANIKA

DANIKA

It definitely is! I mean I’m not a competition dancer anymore, and with work and all, I have less time for it, but I still try to fit in a class or two whenever I get the chance. Once a dancer, always a dancer! It will always be one of my favorite forms of expression.

Well, with Malina for instance, she’s at an age where she’s rapidly learning things about herself and where she fits in to the world. There are responsibilities to take on at a much larger level and at the same time she’s learning to find a balance between strength, courage, and vulnerability.

That’s something with her that I really connect with. The point of acting is to tell the truth at all times, no matter the circumstances. So I always look for similarities between a character and myself or shared personal experiences and I play the truth.

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By Sabina Bloom

MOST School seems a high priority for you based on recent interviews.

What are your long-term academic goals?

DANIKA I’d really love to go to a university eventually. I might take a bit of time off before then, but that’s my goal.

MOST We noticed that you reposted the Star Wars trailer; will you be going to the premiere in costume?

DANIKA Haha, oh you know it!

You’ve gotta go all out for the full experience.

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Photos courtesy of JOVANI.com www.jovani.com

ALWAYS BEST DRESSED

EVENING and PROM DRESSES DESIGNER

By Darcy Tharp

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ressing pageant winners and prom queens for decades, the beloved, world-renowned brand, Jovani Fashions was founded in 1980

by Jacob Maslavi and his sons, Abraham and Saul. Based in the heart of New York City’s garment district, the company initially started as just a 10-person operation, designing and manufacturing 15 styles of dresses for specialty boutiques. Today, it is still a family run business, now with over 50 employees and continues to produce its own designs, advertising, and marketing. It is best known for making fashion-forward and classic designs that women and girls all over the world admire.

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Jacob started Jovani Fashions with a vision of creating a glamorous world of designer dresses. As an entrepreneur at heart, Jacob made his dream became a reality, and his sons, Saul and Abraham have continued their father’s vision by expanding their brand of eveningwear to fit every aspect of a woman’s life. The unique styles and creative twists on the classics that Jovani is known for have made it a go-to designer for special occasions around the world.

With the growth of the eveningwear market, Jovani grew their collection to beyond just evening dresses. In 1996, the fashion house brought on American designer Sherri Hill to assist in the expansion of their prom and pageant market, and she remained with the company for the next 12 years. Jovani now has a variety of collections that range from prom dresses, it’s more affordable prom line JVN, mother of the bride, cocktail, pageant and wedding dresses.

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ith such a wide selection available, Jovani is not just a one-time shopping experience. Instead, Jovani continues to follow women through every major life experience. From bar mitzvahs to prom, nights out on the town and galas, Jovani is a perfect choice for any woman to make a glamorous statement wherever she goes.

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As an internationally recognized brand, presently available in over 2,000 stores worldwide, including the likes of Harrods and Neiman Marcus along with specialty boutiques, Jovani Fashions is the epitome of glamour and always will be. Jovani’s head designer, Julie DuRocher attracted attention within the fashion world for her runway show held at the 2012 Brooklyn Fashion Week.

In 2014, Jovani introduced itself to the Russian market with a 60 piece collection featured at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Russia.

The allure of Jovani is recognized by celebrities including Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Jewel, who have all worn the brand’s signature pieces for various red carpet, charity, and social events.

In the same year, dresses worn by Country music star Miranda Lambert were exhibited in The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Jovani collection has also had editorial exposure in such major publications as WWD and has also been featured on prime-time television shows such as The Voice.

In 2014, XFactor’s Fifth Harmony was chosen as the celebrity face for the brand’s 2014 campaign.

The powerhouse group agreed to represent the Jovani 2014 prom line and to participate in a contest in which the group would perform at the winner’s prom.

In April 2015 Persian Diva Googoosh wore a Jovani evening dress in her concert in Montreal Canada.

Over one million unique visitors frequent Jovani.com ( Jovani’s non-commerce based website) each month to see and be inspired by the latest Jovani fashions.

As a family owned company, Jovani has continued to run as such, although their customer base and demand has grown exponentially with retail sales of over $125 million per year, making it the largest prom retailer worldwide and a major player within the evening apparel market. As President, Chairman and CEO, and Vice President, Director and CFO, respectively, Saul and Abraham Maslavi are devoted to managing the operation of the business and affairs of the corporation to promote long-term shareholder value.

The company’s main focus is to provide an amazing product that is not only affordable when compared to the quality, but to also bring out the inner beauty of all women who wear these fabulous dresses. www.jovani.com

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I was lucky in my life to crown two of my friends and both of whom I dressed by bringing them up to Jovani, helping them pick their dresses. Over the years I’d go up there to visit, and they were truly like family to me, and Saul and Abraham used to hold my boys and play with them. I loved them all.

But then we moved to Florida, and I hadn’t seen them in about 20 years, until just recently.

by Norieta Stephanos of My Crowning Closet

F

ormer Mrs. New Jersey and Mrs. American Queen, Norieta Stephanos, started off dressing her friends and fellow pageant contestants and is now the owner of My Crowning Closet in Jupiter, Florida, providing high quality gorgeous evening wear for prom queens and pageant winners. She sat down with MOST Fashion Magazine to tell us how it was all because of one designer who changed her life and inspired her to follow her dreams.

Jacob was like a father to me. I actually wound up in his showroom by accident when I was looking for another gown designer in a building with my friend. We got off the elevator, and I looked in the window of a showroom and was like, “Oh my god , you have to be kidding me!” And it turned out it was Jovani. He kind of took me under his wing, and he just would not let me leave without this blue dress. I had said to him, “So what do you think? Should I do this pageant?” He told me, “Remember

how big your heart is, keep it with you, and with my gown you’re going to win.”

And I did! (Mrs. New Jersey) And he had my picture on his desk until he died. He had two young sons, a little younger than me, and I used to go up there once a week and bring other girls.

It was at the market in Atlanta where we go every year and look at all the designers and put your orders in.

I happened to be coming up these long winding stairs on the last day, and my purse was falling off and I was laughing at myself, when I saw Abraham, one of Jacob’s sons laughing at me! I ran over to him and I was like, “ You don’t

special, in my heart, just something about him, and he would not let me leave without that blue gown. That was the first time I won Mrs. New Jersey.

The reason it was so good was because I had only done one other pageant when I was just a teen and now I was older and married, etc. So that was why I had my reservations; I was like, “I don’t know,

there’s competition, I’m not that good, I’ve only done one pageant.” It turned

out that the competition was brutal, but I won by a mile. I knew I had the most beautiful blue gown, and I just felt great; and it’s all thanks to Jacob for insisting I buy that gown and follow my heart.

remember me do you! I’m Norieta!”

He was so excited and it was so nice; I got to meet his family and nephews.

It was perfect timing because everyone had heard about the two boys who had gone missing in Florida, and one was my 14 year old nephew who had gone fishing on a boat with a friend and was lost at sea and we haven’t been able to find him.

Hugging Abraham, I felt like I was home with family, and I was telling him how much his dad meant to me.

His dad was the reason I started my business and started my store. He always gave me that inspiration. He was always an entrepreneur. They are a great family run company and all their wives and nephews and everyone works there. He was like my second father, my dad, so special.

From the moment I walked into the showroom, I had that funny connection with him, you know you don’t get that a lot in your lifetime. I felt something

I won Mrs. American Queen in their gown as well. And then I went on to do a lot of other pageants, and I had so much fun dressing myself and was always helping everyone else. It was just fun for me to dress everybody and go to the pageants not expecting to win, but then I would and it was funny because I was always older than everyone because I started late. My whole court was like 21 years old and I was almost 50, but Jacob’s gowns always made me feel like I could do it.

Jovani Fashions is just such a wonderful company; they are incredible. He did so much for me; was such a wonderful guy, and the sons are raving geniuses with hearts of gold.

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4-STAR CHARITY from CHARITY NAVIGATOR. GREAT NON-PROFITS 2015 TOP-RATED CHARITIES. CNBC’s TOP TEN CHARITIES that SUPPORT VETERANS.

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Written by Erica Spaeth

H

ope For The Warriors® is a non-profit organization that serves post-9/11 active duty, National Guard, and reserve service members and veterans from all branches of the military. Programs also support the entire military family, families of the fallen, and military caregivers. Hope For The Warriors® was founded by military wives in 2006 based on gaps in needs and services other organizations were not filling.

With families facing injuries, deaths, and multiple deployment cycles, something had to be done to “educate communities about the needs of the military families that lived amongst them,” said Hope For The Warriors® President, Robin Kelleher. “We now provide

comprehensive support programs for service members, veterans, and military families nationwide that are focused on transition, health and wellness, peer engagement, and connections to community resources.”

Hope For The Warriors® works with approximately 3,000 to 3,500 new families each year. When a new family is introduced, each staff member instills them with hope and helps form a trusting and understanding environment. “This trust and understanding is further

enhanced by the opportunity we provide service members and military families to work one-on-one with a member of our clinical staff,” Kelleher said. “This individual attention provides continuity, stability, and comfort—all critical to healing.” www.hopeforthewarriors.org

One of the popular Hope For The Warriors® programs is Team Hope For The Warriors®.

This is a special program designed to combine recreational opportunities with access to clinical health services. “It really highlights the holistic approach,” Kelleher said. Another beloved program is A Warrior’s Wish® . “Wishes are granted for severely wounded service members to instill a sense of hope and enhance the quality of life for our nation’s heroes,” said Kelleher. In addition, Hope For The Warriors® offers a variety of outdoor activities. “Fishing, sailing, kayaking, and

hunting with family members, other service members or veterans, and our staff are therapeutic ways to manage some of the stress faced on a daily basis,” said Kelleher. All events offered to service members are also available for their spouses and children.

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e spoke to veteran Sgt. Ryan M. Harshman, USMC (Ret.) to get a service member’s perspective on services and programs offered by Hope For The WarriorsŽ.

Harshman served in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) from 2003 until 2014, during which he deployed five times, including to the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

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“After my last medical evacuation (MedEvac) in 2012, I did not do so well with getting back to the normal me,” Harshman said. His wife, Maggie,

called their good friend Chris, who was able to get Harshman out of the house and involved in some activities. “We went to play

some golf followed by an introduction to the Hope For The Warriors® staff at Camp Lejeune. Subsequently, I was ‘ voluntold ’ by Chris that I was playing in the Scarlet & Gold Invitational, a celebrity golf tournament.” Harshman says he was “hesitant at f irst, but I soon crawled out of my protective shell and mingled with peers of multiple professional talents.” www. M O S T mag.com //

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ccording to Harshman, Hope For The Warriors® was able to help him get his confidence back. “Being around peers from a small

community helps dramatically, and allowing outsiders to humble themselves brings compassion and a passionate drive to us.” When asked if he was still receiving services, Harshman replied, “We are a family; I hope only to serve Hope For The Warriors® as they serve the wounded, fallen, and their families.”

Harshman is grateful not only for the benefits Hope For The Warriors® has provided to him, but to his family. Harshman has been sober for two years and eight months with the help of Hope For The Warriors®.

“Sure, that may have been possible one day down the road, but I needed an adjustment quickly. Having listening ears to problems and realistic goals set for the near future only made that adjustment quicker and healthier,” Harshman said.

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Harshman also told us that his family all loves the Run For The Warriors®, a nationwide race series dedicated to the men and women wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as their families, and families of the fallen. Harshman also enjoys Drive for Hope, a series of NASCAR races through-out the country where service members network with NASCAR professionals in occupations that complement the service members’ post-military career goals. And lastly, Harshman participates in the Scarlet & Gold Invitational, an event that honors our nation’s heroes through a celebrity golf outing.

“There is no monetary value placed on the positive experience I obtain from Hope For The Warriors® or what I witness from other service men/women and their families,” Harshman said.

His entire family has completed the run together. Harshman shared with us that “in 2014 I stayed back to keep an eye

on our youngest, Liam. He at the time was two years old.

When he saw his mother he ran up to her and completed the last 300 yards of the run. Having all four of us cross the finish together was very emotional and it will always be remembered.”

Hope For The Warriors® also helps veterans get back on their feet when re-entering society. This is done in a lot of ways, including helping them get jobs after completing their service.

“Hope For The Warriors® has always been there for my family and me, but the person I became after transitioning

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From active duty to civilian life did not allow me to seek help

or guidance,” Harshman said. “Finally, one of my mentors and brothers, Hope For The Warriors® staff member Travis Hanson, calmed me down, listened to what I had to say, and vigorously told me what I needed to do.

The support I get from Hope For The Warriors® and its mentorship is the driving force of my success.”

Although Hope For The Warriors® is an organization created to help service members, one of the key ways that veterans recover is by seeing others like them recover and thrive the way they did when they first got involved with Hope For The Warriors®.

“The absolute best thing about the help I’ve received and continue to receive is the ability to instill Hope For The Warriors® professional characteristics in others like me,” said Harshman. “Someone has to start off somewhere at sometime, and I was that someone at one time. The feeling of seeing a positive difference for someone and possibly their family is extremely rewarding and lifts the spirit. I am honored to call Hope For The Warriors® my family because, in my opinion, only family can allow you into their lives and we allow them into ours.”

To contact Hope For The Warriors®, you can visit hopeforthewarriors.org or call them toll free at 877-246-7349. They can also be accessed through the Department of Veteran Affairs or the Department of Defense.

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www.hopeforthewarriors.org FACEBOOK: HopeForTheWarriors TWITTER: @hope4warriors INSTAGRAM: @hope4warriors

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his past summer, I spent a good amount of time volunteering with Hope For The Warriors® and it completely changed my life. I made friends with service members and veterans and was able to spread awareness about this amazing organization. Also, volunteering with Hope For The Warriors® has enhanced my personal patriotism and national pride. I feel a greater connection to my country after spending time with the amazing Hope For The Warriors® staff and the service members, veterans, and families that they support.

I have made connections that I intend to keep for life and could not have asked for a more supportive community to spend part of my summer with. I encourage you to look into this organization and lend a hand; you will not regret it. It is a great way to give back to your country and also make lifelong memories.

Volunteers are crucial to Hope For The Warriors® success.

To sign up to volunteer, contact them at: Volunteers@HopeForTheWarriors.org Text the word WARRIORS to 20222 to donate $10 to Hope For The Warriors®.

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EMMY’s and GOLDEN GLOBES MAKEUP ARTIST

riginated from Indonesia...

Archangela Chelsea Yusuf is currently pursuing her career as an Indonesian and Los Angeles based celebrity makeup artist. Her work has been featured on different celebrities on red carpet for Emmy’s and Golden Globes and also for different TV stations such as FOX (The Real), TMZ, ABC (Good Morning America), Sundance TV, and PopSugar.

Her work can also be seen on different local and international publication including Variety, Papercut Magazine, Composure Magazine, Attract Magazine, Just Jared, VogueItalia, People, Hydrogen Magazine, The Observer, The Wrap, Dress Code Russia Magazine, and Nationalist Magazine. Some of her celebrity clienteles include Karmin, Sarah Rafferty (SUITS), Charlie Weber (How to Get Away with Murder), Cary Elwes (Princess Bride), Haley Ramm (X-Men), Bianca Santos (The DUFF), Jeannie Mai (The Real), Naomi Grossman (America’s Horror Story), Veronica Dunne (K.C. Undercover), Chriselle Lim (Fashion Blogger), Daniella Alonso (The Mall Cop 2), Tahj Mowry (Baby Daddy), and many others.

She is also actively involved in fashion shows. Some of the fashion shows that she was involved in include

America’s Next Top Model and Lanvin Fashion Show.

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www.archangelachelsea.com archangelachelsea@gmail.com

[ bottom left ] Photography by Jenn Collins (www.jenn-collins.com) Makeup by Archangela Chelsea Yusuf Model: Virginia from Industry Model Management [ top & center ] Photography by Joy Wong (www.joywong.com) Makeup by Archangela Chelsea Yusuf Hair by Gellisa Fevrier Model: Abigail Shield [ top right ] Photography by Kristina McManus (www.kristinamcmanus.com) Makeup and hair by Archangela Chelsea Yusuf Model: Paige [ bottom right ] Photography by John Hong (www.johnhongstudio.com) Makeup and hair by Archangela Chelsea Yusuf Model: Xen from Hollywood Model Management

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