Nigerian Superstar Regina Daniels Graces the Cover of Hollywood Weekly's January/February Edition

Celebrating Diversity In The Entertainment Industry

WEEKLY

®

January/ FEBRUARY 2020

VANESSA WILLIAMS

MICHAeL BUBLé

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

GRACE, BEAUTY AND GRIT.

BEDSIDE READING

BOOKS TO DEVOUR

THE OFFICIAL HWMFF AWARD WINNERS

REGINA DANIELS NOLLYWOOD A-LIST CHILD STAR

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 1

HW NOMINEES for BEST PICTURE At The 92ND ACADEMY AWARDS

BEST PICTURE NOMINEES

THE IRISHMAN FORD V FERRARI Martin Scorsese, Robert De Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and James Mangold, Producers Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers

JOJO RABBIT Carthew Neal and Taika Waititi, Producers

JOKER Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers

LITTLE WOMEN Amy Pascal, Producer

MARRIAGE STORY Noah Baumbach and David Heyman, Producers

1917 Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Jayne-Ann Tenggren and Callum McDougall, Producers

ONCE UPON A TIME...

IN HOLLYWOOD David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino, Producers

PARASITE Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers

More Nominees in Next Issue

BEST SCREENPLAY WINNER "FREE YOURSELF" BY KELLY LACOMBE BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENPLAY “THE HUMAN BRIDE" BY LUCIA BRACCALENTI HW SPECIAL SCREENWRITER AWARD "LENA'S RULES" BY KEN COMER BEST ANIMATION “ANACRONTE” RAUL KOLER, EMILIANO SETTE, DIRECTORS BEST DOCUMENTARY “REAL TRUTH ABOUT” PAUL EFRON BEST DRAMATIC SHORT “TRADE” ALYCIA COOPER, DIRECTOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY “THE DOLL” DANTE JAMES, DIRECTOR HWMFF AWARD FOR INDUSTRIOUS EXCELLENCE GORGE GOODENOUGH BEST COMEDY “THE FIDDLING HORSE” DIRECTOR, CJ WALLIS HW AWARD FOR ARTISTIC BRILLIANCE "WHAT'S EATING RALPHIE MAY” JEREMY BONDS, DIRECTOR BEST FEATURE FILM “ROAD TO REDEMPTION” JETA AMATA, DIRECTOR MOST OUTSTANDING HUMANITARIAN CAUSE RENO OMOKRI MOST OUTSTANDING CHILD STAR OUTSIDE OF USA REGINA DANIELS MOST CREATIVE HUMANITARIAN CLERGYMAN APOSTLE CHIBUZOR GIFT CHINYERE HW SPECIAL HERO AWARD JIM ZULEY

Held at the Historic Warner Bros. Studios

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

W

elcome readers to our Film Festival edition of Hollywood Weekly Magazine. This Issue of HWM is celebrating our 6th Annual HW Film Festival that took place on November 2nd at Warner Bros. Studio. With brilliant short films, animation and feature length masterpieces from Akon, Andy Kindler and Zachary Quinto, this year’s HWM Film Festival went down in Jackson Publishing history as our GREATEST Film Festival to date. We send out a Special Thank You to Warner Bros. Studio for their graciousness and hospitality in hosting our 6th Annual Film Festival.

One of the most beautiful moments of our Film Festival came at the very end, when Eric Zuley was honoring his father, Jim Zuley. Everyone got out of their seats and approached the podium in front of the stage, trying to get near this great man. One of our esteemed guests, Nigerian Director Jeta Amata, our Film Festival Winner for Best Feature (“Road to Redemption” produced by Egor Efiok), threaded his way through a crowd of guests and landed right in front of the podium. Jeta Amata and Jim Zuley are from two different parts of the world, and they probably would have never come together if it hadn’t been for our HWM Film Festival. But Jeta and Jim Zuley were there together. And they discovered they have a lot of respect for each other. At the podium, Jeta reached out his hand to Jim Zuley. Seeing Jeta’s extended hand, Jim Zuley immediately moved toward Jeta, shaking his hand vigorously, and these two men shared an incredible moment of artistic support, compassion and humanity.

This issue of Hollywood Weekly Magazine features Regina Daniels on our cover, who was also our 2019 HWMFF winner for Most Outstanding Child Star. According to Producer Egor Efiok, “Regina Daniels’ acting debut was at age 7 and she’s now risen to A-List stardom in the Nigerian Entertainment Industry. She is also a huge philanthropist and has used her Regina Daniels Development and Charity Foundation to change the lives of many . Her future is very bright. Hollywood, watch this space!”

Thank you again to all of our readers around the world. We are who we are because of YOU. Wishing you all peace and happiness!

Anthony Ewart

@ALEXANDRINEPOET

VICE PRESIDENT Bernice Harris Michael D. Coxson SENIOR BOOK CURATOR Jane Ubell-Meyer ASSOCIATE EDITOR Anthony Ewart DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES & ASST TO THE PUBLISHER Jordan O'Quinn-Campbell MARKETING & SALES Launy Rhem CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Barbara Burke Victor Migalchan Alex A. Kecskes Rebecca Miller ART DIRECTOR Damian Aragon GRAPHIC DESIGNER Clemmy Le Busque PRODUCTION DESIGNER Denise Chavez VIDEO EDITOR/ PRODUCER Israel Aleman CHINA OPERATIONS Victor Migalchan victor@hollywoodweeklymagazine.com (213) 220-3052 (424) 371-9900 INDIA OPERATION Ike Sinha Country Director Art4Peace Awards Hollywood Weekly Magazine B1/1565 Vasantkunj New Delhi-110 070 Mobile +919599068592 ASIA OPERATION Joyce Penas Pilarsky HWM Asia Ambassador Email: info@joycepilarsky.com Bench Bello HWM Asia Operations hollywoodmagazineusa@gmail.com Mobile +639273895559

Associate Editor

@ANTHONYEWART

PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Prather Jackson

CALL: (424)371-9900 EMAIL: HollywoodWeekly@gmail.com

DISTRIBUTORS CoMag MADER NEWS NEWS INFLIGHT, INC

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

8

The Yanfan Foundation

12 Nollywood A-List Child Star VANESSA WILLIAMS 16 HWMFF HONORS 24 RENO OMOKRI MICHAEL BUBLé 32 PRINCE NED MUNIR NWOKO 38 REGINA DANIELS Grace, Beauty and Grit

Exclusive Interview

A Lawyer With Untrameled Passion

Regina Daniels

6 ANNUAL HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY FILM FESTIVAL STELLAR GALA TH

BY JORDAN O’QUINN-CAMPBELL On November 2, 2019 Hollywood Weekly Magazine hosted its 6th annual Film Festival at the historic Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank. The event attracted people from around the world including Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and China. There were several foreign dignitaries and talented actors, producers, and screenwriters in attendance. Some of the special guests included: President Goodluck Jonathan (who sent a representative), Vice President Atiku (who sent his son, abba, to represent him), Zik Zulu Okafor, Ejike Asiegbu, Producer/Writer Egor Efiok, Director Jeta Amata, Vanessa Martini, Joan Brown McCarthy, Producer Tess Cacciatore, Akon, Reno Omokri (“Most Outstanding Humanitarian Cause” Award Recipient), Regina Daniels (“Most Outstanding Child Star Outside of the USA” Award Recipient”, and several other stars.

Awards were given to the best shorts, features, screenplays, comedies, thrillers, dramas, and science fiction films. The festival was hosted by Eric Zuley and Dante.

Eric Zuley, as you know now from our HWM Cover, is

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the son of Jim Zuley, who is featured on the Cover of this HWM edition. Jim and Eric created eZWay Promotions, which is a company that prides itself in being the top ten social media influencers in the world. They are well on their way to becoming major International Promoters.

Our Hollywood Weekly Film Festival began with a red carpet and lunch at nearby Claim Jumpers in the TNT building, near Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank.

Everyone arrived, chatting over lunch and drinks.

Networking and business connections were the buzz of conversations; everyone talking about their upcoming film and television projects. People were also able to rub shoulders with foreign dignitaries and international stars. Everyone was in high anticipation for the award ceremony. Actors, producers, and screenwriters were interviewed about their films and photographed on our TWO Red Carpets! One red carpet and stepand-repeat was located at our pre-Award lunch and another Red Carpet and step-and-repeat continued at

Warner Bros. Studios.

Larry & Marsha Covin grace the red carpet with music icon, Sheldon Reynolds, from Earth, Wind & Fire.

Once the red carpet and interviews were over everyone made their way into the lavish main theatre venue of Warner Bros. Studio. The theatre contained a huge screen with seating accommodations for over 200 guests -- and we SOLD OUT! There were 30-minute panels that included a Q&A by Film Festival Winners like Writer/Director Alycia Cooper and the cast for her Award-winning short film “Trade,” and Director Jeta Amata and Producers Egor Efiok and Tess Cacciatore for their Best Feature Film Winner “Road to Redemption.” The amazing night ended with Host Eric Zuley Honoring his father, Jim Zuley, with a Special Award from Hollywood Weekly for all the work he has done in helping his son, Eric, build his eZWay Empire, and being the kind of Father we can all love and admire. This was a night of Film, Fun and Love, which was our goal at Hollywood Weekly Magazine right from the start. Mission Accomplished!

Egor Efiok with Sheldon Reynolds

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 7 Photos

By Daler Olimjanov

The Yanfan Foundation Title Sponsor 6th Annual Hollywood Weekly Fiilm Festival November 2, 2019

The first Westerner Branded at the Legendary Shaolin Temple of China in Henan Province, the main temple of the Shaolin school of Buddhism to this day and the birth place of Kung Fu. Born in the southern port town of Brindisi, Italy, Franco Testini, whose official title is His Majesty Abbot Shi Yanfan, acrossed the Mediterranean into the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, China, and became the Shaolin Temple’s first ever appointed Western Ambassador.

Held by the Chinese government with the approval of the National Religious Affairs Administration and the China Buddhist Association, Shaolin Temple in Henan partially revived an ancient ceremony that had not been practiced for over 300 years.

His Majesty Abbot Shi Yanfan was at the helm of a long and grueling ceremony, after which he was officially anointed with the title of an Abbot. On May 24, 2007, many highly respected and honorary Abbots were called to witness this historical event. On the last day of the ceremony His Majesty Abbot Shi Yanfan was chosen to become the first ever non-Asian to receive the ancient ceremonial branding signs that consisted of searing nine circles on the top of the head with sticks of incense - called the Jieba.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the 2,500 year old Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, China has unveiled its secrets that help promote natural self-healing of the body, increase inner strength, and reduce stress and pain. An unprecedented tribute to the most ancient martial arts and Eastern philosophy in the world.

Today, in order to spread the legendary Shaolin Culture around the world His Majesty Abbot Shi Yanfan was commissioned to be the Cultural Ambassador of Songshan Shaolin Temple Henan Province, China’s to promote the understanding, the revival, and preservation of legendary Shaolin heritaDge on a global scale.

77th Annual Golden Globe Awards with Moët & Chandon

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Credit: Michael Kovac & Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Moët & Chandon

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 11

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REGINA

DANIELS:

FROM A CHILD STAR TO AN EMERGING MEGA STAR

BY ZIK ZULU OKAFOR

T

o many of her fans in Nigeria, Regina Daniels is a child prodigy. At only seven she made her debut appearance in Nigeria’s movie industry known as Nollywood in a movie titled Marriage of Sorrow.

It was however in the movie, Child of Miracle, that Regina stirred the soul of movie fans with her professional performance that delineated a child’s crystal understanding of character interpretation and delivery of dialogue. It was a movie that had some of Nigeria’s leading stars including the amazing super star, Ini Edo, a hugely gifted Mercy Johnson and pretty Chika Ike. But perhaps her career in the movie industry is providential.

First, her mother is an actress. Then Regina attended Hollywood International School, a school that bears the name of the world’s biggest movie industry. So, while at home her mother remained a constant mirror in her face to see the biggish picture of a fast growing Nollywood and off to school she adorns the Hollywood school uniform with the echoes of the US staggering movie industry. So, the acoustics around her was movie.

She indeed had to be an actress.

Born October 10, 1999, the fifth in a family of six children, Regina hails from Delta State, one of the 36 states that make up her country, Nigeria, plus the Federal Capital, Abuja. She grew up in Asaba the state capital and began her acting career in this town reputed as the source of the famous River Niger. The state is also a massive destination for Nollywood productions.

Today, Regina, a reticent young woman of a posh aura is one of the fastest growing stars in Nollywood with an impeccable

pedigree. Having starred in over 25 movies, she stands tall among her peers. Some of the movies she starred in include The Enemy I know, Merry Men, Python Girl, The Bat Man, Wipe Your Sorrow, Royal Covenant, Queen Rebecca, Hanging Coffin and Jaja the Great among others.

The former student of Igbinedion University in Edo state, Nigeria and now admitted into the Aldersgate College, Solano in the Philippines, also produced The Jericho and Twins Apart.

Having grown up in Asaba, Regina had seen children of the rustic folks and their perpetual struggle to break away from the shackles of poverty. Supported by her mum, she set up the Regina Daniels Development and Charity Foundation to lend a little hand to these children living below the bread line. Through this Foundation she has given scholarships and organised skill acquisition and empowerment programmes for both children, the youth, adults and women.

In early 2019 Regina Daniels got married to a billionaire businessman, Prince Ned Nwoko. Together, they are now re-writing the story of Nollywood, forming strategic partnerships, investing in movie productions, promoting tourism and music.

Indeed Regina sponsored The Artiste of the Year Award at the 2019 Headies, one of the biggest and most respected music awards in Nigeria.

For her professional race, for her endurance, phenomenal growth in her career and commitment to charity, HWMFF is delighted to give accolades to this glittering star as the Most Outstanding Child Star Outside of United States 2019.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 13

OUR STORIES Prince Ned Nwoko Foundation (PNNF) is a duly registered Non-Governmental Organization(NGO) operating according to the Laws and decrees that establishes such organization, in pursuant of the new world order, PNNF is poised to help in advancing and improving the living standards of those within the organization’s sphere of contact. This is guaranteed by the quality of our programmes.

PNNF provides a well-focused platform free of political, religious, ethnic or gender bias, using the media, arts and artists as catalyst for change, reorientation and refocus of our social values and standard of living, through strategic social enlightenment crusade, training, development and empowerment of our youths, women and the less privileged of our society, using the tool of education, culture and tourism development to achieve our set objectives.

The programme department of the organization after due research and consultations, working in synergy with related professionals, conceived, developed and are ready to execute her seven cardinal programmes, conceptualized to help achieve our vision and mission.

These programmes are scheduled for execution weekly, monthly and annually with the mandate to touch the lives of the ordinary or common people of our dear nation. With special focus on the youths, the passion of the founder and president. “No Youths No Future”. This slogan includes youths by age and youths at heart. For us to achieve our set goals, all hands must be on deck.

We Welcome you on board……..

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OUR OBJECTIVES • To ensure an integrity and trust based network of women and youths entrepreneurs who are viable partners for local or foreign investors.

• To develop capacity in form of training and empowerment packages.

• To create a synergy for research, development and education in order to improve the integrity of our raw materials.

• To identify viable products and services that are marketable locally and globally.

• To structure the informal sector within our local communities to be attractive for financial institutions and grant organizations in order to WIN. • We negotiate with various on behalf of our members.

• To provide useable data of our members, products, product hubs, technical partners and scope of work, as well as provide various measurements via social and economic matrix for success levels.

• To advocate on various issues that affect our members, the environment and their businesses.

• To move our members from the bottom of the pyramid to an active middle class.

For more information, visit: www.nednwokofoundation.org

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 15

THE GRACE, BEAUTY AND GRIT OF

VANESSA WILLIAMS

By Allison Kugel

V

anessa Williams is a creature unlike any other. It’s as though she came here to impart the ins and outs of living life on one’s own terms. From unwitting societal lightning rod during the 1980s to multi-platinum selling recording artist; and Broadway, film and television star, Vanessa Williams slayed the male-dominated Hollywood dragon long before the #MeToo movement happened. You can tell from talking to her that, both, the scars of past judgment she endured, and the fruits of her sweet success have made their impact. Both created indelible imprints.

In more recent years, Williams stunned audiences with sultry scene-stealing characters on hit series like Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty. Her recent film starring Orange is the New Black’s Uzo Aduba, Miss Virginia, tackles the socio-economic and educational inequities that urban students of color endure, showcasing a more socially conscious film portrayal.

Vanessa Williams’ exotic beauty strikes you dead on arrival, but Williams does not lead with her looks. She prefers to enter a conversation with intellect, boldness and strength.

Williams is now preparing to take her Broadway-honed stage skills across the pond to London’s West End, where she will be starring in a production of City of Angels, opening at the Garrick Theatre in 2020. She’s also added fashion designer to her packed resume, launching the sexy and sophisticated Vanessa Williams collection for HSN, and fresh on the heels of a multi-album deal with BMG, Williams is working on new music to reflect a collection of musical genres she is currently passionate about.

A renaissance woman for the ages, Vanessa Williams’ life is nothing if not purposeful.

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Allison Kugel: Something told me to read your 2012 memoir, You Have No Idea, which I read cover to cover yesterday. I’m so glad I read your book, because it was the missing piece to really understanding you. The one constant theme throughout your life, it seems, is that you are a natural born rebel!

Vanessa Williams: (Laughs) Yeah.

Allison Kugel: That quality plays out in one way when we’re young, but changes as we get older. How do you express that side of yourself now?

Vanessa Williams: It’s now about being unafraid to take chances. In terms of my career, I just signed on to do City of Angels on the West End [of London]. It’s not a lot of money, but it is an opportunity to work on the West End. It’s always been a dream of mine to live overseas, and to study in London.

I’ll be working at the Garrick Theatre. We start rehearsals in January, we open in March, and the show will be running until the end of July. There are no guarantees, in terms of leaving my life in the states behind, but it’s something that excites me. At this stage of my life it’s all about asking myself what I want to do that I’ve never done. The challenge of it excites me, and doing the same thing bores me.

Allison Kugel: When nude photos of you surfaced during your 1984 reign as Miss America and you were forced to relinquish your crown ten and a half months into your year-long reign, you were counted out there for a while in your twenties.

Do you ever pat yourself on the back these days and say, “I did it!”? Broadway, films, television, platinum-selling recording artist and on and on… do you feel vindicated?

Vanessa Williams: No, I really don’t. I don’t think that, because there’s always that next goal, like, “but I want to originate a role on Broadway;” “but I want to do a movie musical.”

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 17

There is always something yet to be done. It’s not that I’m never satisfied, but there is always another goal on the horizon. When you’re an actor, it’s like being a gypsy. You jump into another circle of players, and it’s great. Then when it’s over, it’s heartbreaking, but then you’re ready to move on to the next circle. That’s what excites me and that’s what will always propel me to say, “Ok, what’s next?”

Allison Kugel: Clearly, you value adventure over routine.

Vanessa Williams: Well, I look at some people who have been on the same show for eleven or twelve seasons, and it’s a great cash cow. It’s great to have that kind of consistent salary where you can budget and put money away. God bless everyone who has had a series on the air for ten years, but there is an energy that keeps you kind of hungry when you are always looking for the next thing and you don’t know what that next thing is.

Allison Kugel: I want to go back a bit and talk about the beginning. I think people may forget because it was so long ago, but you broke through a pretty significant glass ceiling in your twenties by being crowned the first African American Miss America. You became this societal lightning rod at the time. In 2008, when President Obama was elected as our first African American president, did you feel a connection or kind of kinship with him, since he broke a barrier in a similar way?

Vanessa Williams: Oh, absolutely, in terms of his safety, and his presence was worldwide. But there is an expectation that comes with that honor of breaking barriers. It’s also a tremendous fear, not only for yourself, but for family members; because there is such division, which doesn’t seem to leave us. I thought it was over in the 1980s and it wasn’t; I thought it was over in the 2000s and it wasn’t; and, obviously, it’s still apparent now. So, there is a specific fear and uncertainty that you have, but you have to be brave and you have to continue to do what you were chosen to do, and the job that is before you.

Allison Kugel: Had you ever had that conversation

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with President Obama about that?

Vanessa Williams: I met him right before he began his run for president. I’ve been on the Special Olympics international board for years, and I was on Capitol Hill with the Special Olympics meeting people and trying to raise money for our group. I met him right off the heels of that wonderful speech he’d given at the Democratic National Convention, and word was out that he was someone to watch. I gave my little spiel about how we needed more funding for the Special Olympics. I could see the appeal, and then he announced. When he announced that he was going to run for president, I was definitely in his corner. My mother was coming from the perspective of having lived through Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. being assassinated, and Kennedy being assassinated, and she was fearful for his life. That’s the generation that she grew up in. I felt that it could happen, and she also, of course, had some issues with it. It just showed the fear that was due to where my mother’s generation had come from.

Allison Kugel: What have you learned about love? What’s been your greatest love lesson?

Vanessa Williams: I’m lucky to have four children, and there is nothing like that love; a love like that never ends. Once they’re out of the house, you’re still, as a mom, always available. You’re still always worried (laughs) and concerned. And you’re still always extremely proud, no matter their age or what they are doing.

Allison Kugel: How do you take care of your body, mind and spirit; and what’s your feel-good routine?

Vanessa Williams: My feel good is waking up with a good cup of coffee and doing a crossword puzzle in the sun. That starts my day off perfectly. And when I get a chance to explore and travel, I love to horseback ride, wherever I am, and go to the stables and find a horse and go on an adventure and explore the terrain on horseback. Spending time at home is also a joy for me. I’m on the road traveling so much, so my happy place is kicking off my shoes and hanging out at home.

Allison Kugel: You’re a practicing Catholic and you attend Church regularly, but in your most quiet and intimate moments, whom or what do you pray to, and what do you pray for?

Vanessa Williams: Hmm... it depends on what it is. I pray to God and my ancestors and my guides, and everyone who has been with me along my journey. As far as what I pray for, it depends on what I want or need at that particular moment; whether it’s guidance, whether it’s “show me the way,” or whether it’s protection for one of my children. It depends on what my particular need is at that moment.

Allison Kugel: What do you think you are here in this life as Vanessa Williams to learn, and what do you think you are here to teach?

Vanessa Williams: I absolutely love to teach, in the literal sense, and I’ve done it for three years in a row at NYU (New York University). I’ve taught Master Classes at Syracuse University, where I went for musical theatre. I also teach women’s groups. It’s teaching strength and to be aware, because you never know when and where something is going to happen for you. Whether that’s your talent, whether it’s an opportunity… just be open to who comes into your life and what they can bring.

offer help. I think I’m here to learn to keep moving ahead.

On this earth we have setbacks, struggles and obstacles. You have to be able to say, “What is this teaching me?” so you can move through it and move ahead in your life. Avoiding something or trying to deny it won’t get you anywhere.

Allison Kugel: Speaking of giving advice to other women, back in 2011 and 2012 you worked on Tyler Perry’s film Temptation with Kim Kardashian while she was going through the separation from her ex-husband, Kris Humphries. The two of you spent some time together during filming. Did she seek your advice about weathering scandal and a media firestorm?

Vanessa Williams: She’d just broken up with Kris [Humphries] and the press was all over the place, so Tyler made it very easy for her to hide from the press on set. Basically, it worked on the set, keeping the press away.

Then we flew back to LA together.

I just needed to be the sounding board for her at that point. Sometimes you don’t need to talk. You just have to let them talk, and you have to listen. She talked

Allison Kugel: And you’re here to learn?

Vanessa Williams: That as women, for sure, we are a community, and to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or for help. Look for a mentor.

I’ve learned that there are many people that are willing to be teachers and to help you along in your life, so don’t be afraid to ask because there will always be somebody there to HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 19

about all the stuff that was happening and her fear of being judged, but that it was something she felt she needed to do.

My advice to her was that you go through the storm, but the dust will settle, and you’ll get an opportunity to see clearly, and it will be a different day; and you’ll feel better and you can move on.

Allison Kugel: Do you consider yourself a trailblazer for women?

Vanessa Williams: I think my history has made me a trailblazer, unknowingly. I’ve always just been myself and that’s how it played itself out.

Allison Kugel: What makes you feel most beautiful?

Vanessa Williams: The sun and the warmth makes me feel beautiful. Every time I land someplace that’s warm, it makes me feel like I’m connected to nature. And that’s without hair and makeup and wardrobe, and all that stuff. It’s just the breeze, the water, and heat that makes me feel like my most natural self. And then being around children. Whether it’s my children who are all grown up… there’s a connection that I have with kids. Maybe because both of my parents were elementary school music teachers, but there is a connection that me and my kids have with young kids that I absolutely love. My connection with children makes me feel so alive.

Allison Kugel: You recently launched your own clothing line, Vanessa Williams, which is available through HSN. The collection is versatile, imaginative and sexy, yet understated. And I love how you incorporate animal prints and patterns with different looks.

Vanessa Williams: Thank you. It’s another opportunity to be creative and I’ve got a great manufacturer, so the quality is fantastic. It’s an extension of what I love, which is putting my stamp on things. I love fashion, and I’ve been fortunate to work on amazing shows, both on television and on Broad20 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

way, where I’ve worked with incredible costume designers and been exposed to fantastic fashion through stylists. And I’ve settled into what my own personal style is, along with what resonates with other people. When I design, I keep my eighty-year-old mother in mind, and then my children; my girls are from age 19 to 32. Everyone’s got their own sensibility, and there’s one piece for everyone to enjoy.

Allison Kugel: When will you be recording your next album?

Vanessa Williams: Now! I just finished recording a children’s album, which will be out next spring. And I’m working on a new album for BMG that will be out next year. We’re leaning towards mood and tropical music for this next album, and there will be more projects to come.

Allison Kugel: Let’s circle back to your upcoming show on London’s West End, City of Angels. You’re a Broadway veteran, but this will be your West End debut!

Vanessa Williams: This will be my “junior year abroad” that I never got the chance to do! In college, I was supposed to go to London and then I became famous that September. So, it’s my delayed junior year abroad, thirty-six years later (laughs). And it’s getting a chance to show my stage talent on another respected stage. My children are not at home, so it’s an opportunity to tick another thing off the bucket list.

Shop the Vanessa Williams collection at HSN and pre-order tickets to see Vanessa Williams star in City of Angels at the Garrick Theatre in London’s West end. Visit VanessaWilliams.com.

Allison Kugel is a syndicated entertainment columnist, author of the memoir, Journaling Fame: A memoir of a life unhinged and on the record, and owner of communications firm, Full Scale Media. Follow her on Instagram @theallisonkugel and at AllisonKugel.com.

Photo Credits: Rod Spicer, Mike Ruiz, Gilles Toucas

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Photo by Wayne Hoggatt

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HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 23

RENO OMOKRI, ABBA ATIUKU, ZIK ZULU OKAFOR, EJIKE ASIEGBU, EGOR EFIOK & JETA AMATA SHINE AT THE

2019

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

By ANTHONY EDWARDS Reno Okokri was honoured with Hollywood Weekly Magazine’s “Most Outstanding Humanitarian Cause” Award at their recent HW Film Festival on 2nd November 2019, at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank – California.

Flanked by Nollywood veterans Zik Zulu Okafor and Ejike Asiegbu, #TableShaker Reno, delivered a moving acceptance speech, as he passionately talked about his #FreeLeahSharibu campaign which he is taking around the world. He was given a standing ovation at the end of his speech.

Reno also revealed to the audience that he has already been to 36 countries and has met with various world leaders including the British Prime minister. Reno dedicated his award to HE Goodluck Jonathan and HE Atiku Abubakar, who both sent representatives to witness this iconic moment.

Abba Atiku was present to represent his father and also gave a speech.

At the same event, the “Hollywood Meets Nollywood” film, “Road To Redemption,” directed by Jeta Amata and produced by Egor Efiok, Tess Cacciatore, Vanessa Martini and Joan McCarthy, won BEST FEATURE FILM 2019.

The film teaches awareness about the dangers of Vesticovaginal fistula (VVF) and stars musician Akon, Brenda Strong (Desperate Housewives), Zack Amata, Fred Amata, Viva Bianca, Yvonne Nelson, Margaret Avery and many other top stars.

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Abba Atiku, Reno Omokri & Egor Efiok.

Pastor Reno Omokri is a #1 Bestselling, acclaimed, author and lawyer. Widely known for his #FreeLeahSharibu campaign, Reno is also the pastor of the Mind Of Christ Christian Cener in California and Abuja. His book, FACTS VERSUS FICTION, is Amazon’s #1 Bestseller.

The Zeegor Movies team endorsing Reno Omokri’s #FreeLeahSharibu campaign

British Prime Minister, endorsing Reno Omokri’s #FreeLeahSharibu Campaign.

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Director of Road To Redemption, Jeta Amata, holding his Best Feature Film Award.

2nd left (Nollywood actor Charles Esu) and 1st right (Nollywood director, Taiwo Oduala).

Producers of Road To Redemtion (Best Feature Film), Tess Cacciatore & Egor Efiok.

Director and producer of Road To Redemption (Winner, Best Feature Film), Jeta Amata and Egor Efiok.

From left: Ejike Asiegbu (Vice President of Zeegor Movies), Egor Efiok (Vice President of Zeegor Movies) and Zik Zulu Okafor (President of Zeegor Movies).

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Books to Devour

by Jane Ubell-Meyer, Founder of Bedside Reading

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elcome to 2020. This is the time of year when I recommend that we evaluate our lives, not only to look forward but to look inward, as well. Three of our authors speak to these disciplines. Rohit Bhargava, a WSJ bestselling author of Non-Obvious MegaTrends. As I started reading his book, I was reminded of how I, and perhaps all of us, could take a new look at ourselves to see if we are wired for a “growth mindset” or a “fixed mindset”. Do you notice the smallest of details? And can these details change our lives? Another visionary author is PJ Jackson. She’s an incredible empath who is taking the ancient concept of the labyrinth to tap into our true selves. Our third author Tim Tigner, who has had more bestsellers than we can count, explores the concept of immortality in his spell binding bestseller, The Price of Time.

The Body Double by Emily Beyda

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dark, glittering debut novel, The Body Double is the suspenseful story of a young woman who is recruited by a stranger to give up her old life and identity to impersonate a reclusive Hollywood star.

A strange man discovers our nameless narrator selling popcorn at a decrepit small-town movie theater and offers her an odd and lucrative position: she will forget her job, her acquaintances, even her name, and move to Los Angeles, where she will become the body double of the famous and troubled celebrity Rosanna Feld.

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The Prophecy by Kim Sakwa

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ierce and feared, 16th-century Highland laird Greylen MacGreggor has yet to meet his match—until Dr. Gwendolyn Reynolds falls through time and into his arms. Get spellbound by this time travel romance.

Vicious by L.J. Shen

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hey say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true. The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares. He is a brilliant lawyer. A skilled criminal. A beautiful liar. A bully and a savior, a monster and a lover.

Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. Now, he came for me in New York, and he isn’t leaving until he takes me with him.

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The Prize by Geoffrey M. Cooper

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hat does it take to win a Nobel Prize?

Deceit? Fraud? Maybe even murder? When she finds a drug that has the potential to treat Alzheimer’s disease, Pam Weller is certain she’s made the discovery of a lifetime.

But her success threatens the supremacy of Eric Prescott, a leading figure in Alzheimer’s research, who sees his chances at a Nobel Prize slipping through his fingers. His lust for the prize and the accolades that come with it drive him to concoct a plot against Pam that threatens her career, her freedom, and even her life.

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The Birth Mother by Seymour Ubell

n a business trip, a high-powered fifty-six-year-old American entrepreneur visits his partners in China.

After their meeting, his Asian mentor invites him to an orphan- age, a trip that will change the course of his family’s life forev- er. Without hesitation, he and his wife fall in love with Anglo/Asian twin girls and become their adoptive parents. The children grow up in a world of twists and turns with multiple coincidences and synchronicity. The story takes us on a journey them from China to Europe to America and back to China where their unusual birth mother enters their lives. This powerful story is filled with drama at every turn as the daughters face internal and external challenges. The Birth Mother is a story filled with love, pathos, tragedy, and triumph. A surprise of the season!

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The Pale-Faced Lie by David Crow

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n this riveting memoir, David Crow presents a searing account of his experience growing up on the Navajo Indian Reservation with a mentally ill mother and violent father, an ex-con from San Quentin who groomed him to be his partner in crime. When David ultimately found the courage to change his life, he unwittingly triggered a plot of revenge that forced him into a deadly showdown with his father. Raw and palpable, “The Pale-Faced Lie” is an unforgettable testament to the power of forgiveness and the strength of the human spirit.

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The Moments Between by Natalie Banks

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ragedy strikes the life of Claire DuPont when her husband of nine years is killed in a train accident on his way home from work, leaving her alone with two small children.

One morning, six months later, she awakes to find him alive and there with her in the house, like he had never been gone.

With her head spinning she picks up her phone only to see the date is actually three months before the accident ever occurred.

Bewildered but grateful, she writes it off as a very vivid, bad dream. But as time goes on, she realizes that events are unfolding exactly the way they did in her dream. Racing against time, she desperately tries to change the inevitable but finds herself helpless to change anything. Unwilling to give up, she vows to stop at nothing to save her husband before it’s too late.

Lost Tomorrows by Matt Coyle

The Changemaker: The Art of Building Better Leaders

by Deke Copenhaver

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eadership is never easy.

Almost all leaders deal with both triumph and tragedy, oftentimes in equal measure. The fact of the matter is that leadership insists on constant rejection of the status quo. True leaders demand continuous reflection and improvement of those around them, and even more importantly, of themselves.

True leaders are Changemakers. You will learn to become unafraid of doing omething different in the service of a good cause and how to spark a movement that others can’t help but rally around. The Changemaker is a roadmap of sorts, designed to deliver comprehensive, common sense leadership strategies to people from all walks of life.

phone call thrusts Rick Cahill’s past and all its tragic consequences into his present. Krista Landingham, his former partner on the Santa Barbara Police Department, is dead. When Rick goes to the funeral in the city where his wife was murdered and where he is seen as guilty for her death in the eyes of the police, he discovers that Krista’s death may not have been a tragic accident, but murder. Hired by Krista’s sister, Leah, to investigate, Rick follows clues that lead him to the truth, not only about Krista’s death, but about the tragedy that ruined his life.

In the end, Rick is left with a decision that forces him to confront the horrific actions he’ll need to take to exact revenge and achieve redemption.

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Vivid Vision by Cameron Herold

any corporations have slick, flashy mission statements that ultimately do little to motivate employees and less to impress customers, investors, and partners.

But there is a way to share your excitement for the future of your company in a clear, compelling, and powerful way, and entrepreneur and business growth expert Cameron Herold can show you how. “Vivid Vision” is a revolutionary tool that will help owners, CEOs, and senior managers create inspirational, detailed, and actionable three-year mission statements for their companies.

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I Know How This Ends

by Amy Impellizerri

n the spring of 2020, a very special class is graduating from high school. This class of students has just one thing in common. The class is comprised completely of 37 survivors – of children whose pregnant mothers were in and around the World Trade Center on 9/11, but whose mothers survived, and gave birth within the next few months. These 37 students are part of a longitudinal study known as “Operation Steel Survivors” and their very public commencement is now scheduled for Carnegie Hall in Manhattan.

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Conversations With Our Authors Q: So many people go through personQ&A with al and emotional PJ Jackson, author upheavals in their lives--loss of a loved of The Labyrinth one, loss of a job, Influence: Awaken an illness, etc. What the Wisdom Within is the best way to embrace change?

A:No matter what comes your way, you must believe there is a reason for it.

Life is a journey where you are given challenges to learn and to grow. The number one way to cope with change is to expand your self-awareness. You must accept the notion that inside this challenge there is a blessing. If you can learn to love the opportunity to grow, then you can embrace anything that is put in front of you.

Q: Why are so many people fearful of change?

A:People don’t fear change, they fear the unknown.

Not knowing what will happen next fills you with anxiety which, left unchecked, ultimately turns into fear.

Without change you become complacent and your youthful curiosity is lost. A great way to look at change it is to step back and observe the changing of the seasons. Each season has its ups and downs, yet you know what to expect. You also know the season will change again, and you can easily find joy in what will happen in the next season. It’s the same 30 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

with life. Ask yourself, “What can I do with this change to make my life more joyful?” Look at change as an adventure, and trust that no matter what happens, you’ve got this!

Q: It is now 2020, what’s your best advice on how to approach the new year?

A:The best advice to approaching the new year is to focus on you and do these three things. First, put in the time to find yourself and understand your true purpose.

Second, be kind to yourself, you are the most important person you will ever meet.

And third, give yourself permission to hire a coach. No matter what you are trying to improve in your life; your health, your relationships or your self-worth, you don’t need to do it alone. You can’t be the best you until you invest in you, so make 2020 the year of YOU! It’s not selfish, it’s self-care.

Q&A with Tim Tigner, author of The Price of Time Q: Should scientists be searching for the Fountain of Youth?

A: No, because it would be a disaster if they found it. The population would explode beyond sustainable limits, forcing governments to enact artificial means of limiting life. We’re much better off with a natural balance.

Q: Do you think we’ll ever achieve immortality?

A:I don’t think it’s possible to indefinitely stave off death. To stop our bodies from wearing out. Biological systems can be patched and propped up, but those are temporary and isolated fixes. On the other hand, one could argue that for most intents and purposes, Shakespeare is immortal. He’s still part of the zeitgeist, still shaping and affecting lives.

Q: Setting aside the population issue, would the human race be better off if we were immortal?

A:While the idea of preserving wisdom is enticing, the answer is no. The refreshing effect of the circle of life is crucially important because it brings fresh minds into management positions, minds that matured in themodern environment. If that weren’t the case, Caesar might still rule the world, which would be covered with temples to Zeus and Apollo. Also, the whole world would likely resemble the Middle East, where history andgrudges drive endless cycles of destructive behavior. We’re much better off with a biological cycle that givesus fresh starts and clean slates.

Q&A with Rohit Bhargava, author of Non Obvious Megatrends Q: How can professionals succeed in the midst of what you call the modern believability crisis?

A: I believe it’s harder to be trusted today than ever before. Part of the reason is that we are surrounded by fake news, fake brands and fake leaders too. That’s the modern believability crisis, and it’s having a serious impact on business. Building trust with your customers and your team is hard because they are all skeptical. One key to doing it is being willing to share the unexpected truth. For example, we trust the waiters who tell us the truth about what’s great on a menu and what isn’t much more than we trust the one who says, “you can’t go wrong, everything’s great.” If you want to succeed, you need to start with trust and that comes from proactive honesty.

Q: Do you really believe anyone can learn how to predict the future?

A: I do! But it’s not just based on wishful thinking. I’ve conducted hundreds of workshops for leaders at many different levels within an organization and I’ve discovered that you can teach people the same five basic habits and they can learn how to see the details in the world around them and put them together in a way that allows them to see the trends as they are happening. The five habits are being curious, being observant, being thoughtful, being elegant and being fickle. Putting them together allows you to build a disciplined habit of collecting ideas the way most people collect frequent flier miles.

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PRINCE NED MUNIR NWOKO:

A Lawyer with an Untrameled Passion for the Creative Industry and Tourism.

BY ZIK ZULU OKAFOR. Prince Ned Munir Nwoko is a Nigerian Lawyer and one of the most renowned African Lawyers in Britain and indeed Eurppe. Often described as distinguished and accomplished, he is also a politician and business magnate of immense influence.

firm, Linas International Limited, was engaged by the 774 Local Government Areas, LGAs, in Nigeria to help disentangle their complex and intricate case with the federal government over the latter’s deductions from their statutory allocations to pay foreign loans. Led by the cultiBorn on December 21, 1960, into vated Prince Nwoko, Linas won all the revered Idumuje- Ugboko Roy- the cases in a landmark legal feat al family in Delta state, Nigeria, that led to the full refund of the Nwoko seemed destined for a ped- funds to the LGAs. estal of honour from his childhood.

His academic prowess saw him to As a political maestro, Nwoko in a the University of Keele in Stafford- landslide victory, won the election shire, United Kingdom. Here he ac- for the Federal House of Represenquired his first degree in Law and tatives and was a member of the History. legislative house from 1999 to 2003.

Although the Appeal and Supreme Nwoko would proceed to the presti- Courts voided his initial victory at gious 190 year old institution in the the High Court to represent the Delheart of London, the Kings College, ta North Senatorial District at the for his post graduate degree in Law Senate in 2019, Nwoko’s home in after which he was called to the En- the Federal Capital territory, Abuja, glish Bar as a Barrister of the Lin- remains a Mecca for many political coln Inn and subsequently re-qual- figures in Nigeria. To the political ified as a Solicitor of the Supreme class, he represents a fountain of Court of England and Wales. Prince knowledge and an uncommon comNwoko then set up his Law firm, mitment to the cause of the electorNed Nwoko Solicitors. His firm ates and ordinary people of Nigeria. gained international acclaim for its management and verification of for- This international lawyer has also eign debts of third world countries emerged as one of Nigeria’s foreand their component states. most creative entrepreneurs. His investments in Nollywood, Nigeria’s Prince Nwoko indeed took the movie and entertainment industry centerspread of Africa’s media and and his sheer empowerment of the global news for his heroic role in the film makers are undoubtedly pheParis Club refund of excessive de- nomenal. He has single handedly ductions in Nigeria’s repayment of hosted over a thousand Nollywood her foreign loans. In 2009, following stars and practitioners both in his Nigeria’s exit from foreign debts, his Abuja and country homes in Delta 38 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

state and has strived continually to partner with them in their creative endeavors.

Dr Nwoko’s contribution to the development of tourism, his dedication to philanthropy and charity in his country remains inestimable.

His home, Mount Ned Nwoko in Idumuje Ugboko is a purpose-built tourist haven daily attracting local and international visitors and listed by the state and federal government as a national monument. Through his Foundation, the Prince Ned Nwoko Foundation, he has continued to provide training, development and empowerment of youths, women and the less privileged of the Nigerian society using the tool of education, culture and tourism development to achieve his laudable goals.

The intensity of Nwoko’s commitment to tourism, Nigeria’s hospitality bloc and cultural endowments , is indeed historic. He is the Chairman of Project Tourism which his company, Linas International Limited launched in collaboration with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, NTDC to project Nigeria’s tourism and cultural endowments through profitable creative projects.

In 2019, Nwoko married one of Nollywood’s fastest rising stars, Regina Daniels. Together, through their creative projects drive , investment in the media and strategic movie

financing, they have become a confluence of the promises and possibilities of Nollywood and the media arts.

Nwoko is the founder of the proposed first sports University in Africa, STARS, an acronym for sports, technology, arts and research science . Stars delineates his yearning and zeal for the education of sports men and those working in the sports arena.

For his pedigree in philanthropy, service and iron-cast integrity, the Federal University of Petroleum Effurun, Delta state, Nigeria, awarded him an Honourary Doctorate degree. The Commonwealth University College in Belize also bestowed on him an honorary Doctorate degree while he was placed on a pedestal of honour in 2019 as Human Rights Champion of the Decade by Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria for sponsoring bills that promote human rights including the National Public Funds Recovery and Reward bill that gave birth to the whistle blowing policy in the fight against corruption in his country, Nigeria.

For all these and more, Hollywood Magazine Weekly is delighted to honour this distinguished lawyer , businessman, politician and benefactor of the creative industry its most esteemed Award of Distinction for his invaluable contribution to Entertainment and Tourism.

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Zeegor Movies is a movie production company set up fundamentally with a vision to produce world class movies that meet all global professional benchmarks. Zeegor sets its full gaze on Hollywood with unwavering aspiration to produce movies using renowned actors and directors in the American movie industry.

Founded by two Nigerian and a British Nigerian trained film makers, Zeegor is poised to partner with the finest studios didtribution channels available in Hollywood in its quest to actualise its staggering aspirations.

Meet the troika behind Zeegor.

ZIK ZULU OKAFOR is a Nigeria Media Merit Award winning journalist, a foremost intellectual, screenwriter, producer and a former National President, Association of Movie Producers, AMP. EJIKE ASIEGBU (aka the man with the golden voice) is a former National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN. An extraordinary and audacious actor with a voracious appetite for challenging roles, Asiegbu remains iconic among legends of Nollywood and Africa’s television histrionics.

EGOR EFIOK is a British born Nigerian film maker, an incisive writer and creative thinker. Egor, based in London, is also a Hollywood Award Of Excellence filmmaker and has worked in partnership with many Hollywood writers and producers. She is also the former DG (Director General) of Callywood Studios in Cross River State. Bouncy, sprightly and fiercely focused, Egor is the portrait of a professional film maker.

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by Anthony Ewart