Shahnaz Husain by Hollywood Weekly Magazine, LLC

Celebrating Diversity In The Entertainment Industry

Matt Damon

MANSION

Shahnaz Husain CHAIRPERSON MANAGING & DIRECTOR OF THE SHAHNAZ HUSAIN GROUP

Megan Thee Stallion

4 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS

Marvin Spruill

COUNTRY SOUL SINGER

GRAMMY AWARDS

Michael Matthews

DIGITAL RADIO TRACKER

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR W

e welcome readers to our special coverage of the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. This year’s event was hosted by award winning “The Daily Show" Host and Comedian Trevor Noah. We congratulate all of the winners. We are also honored to have on our cover Ms. Shahnaz Husain, named one of the world's greatest women entrepreneurs. She is the Chairperson and Managing Director of The Shahnaz Husain Group. She has been awarded many prestigious awards for her beauty care products. The innovative Starlight Range of formulations for skin and hair care was launched in Beverly Hills. It was especially created for film and television stars. And not to be overlooked, the first-ever media empire, Ebony, is getting its own documentary. Lisa Cortes will direct the film and Academy Award and Emmy Award winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams will produce, via One Story Up. Cortes will also produce, as well. Finally, we would be disappointed if we failed to acknowledge The Al Hirschfeld Foundation’s celebration of Black Culture. “Amplified Dignity” is an online exhibition celebrating Black History. As always, thank you for your tremendous and steadfast support. We truly join each of you as we celebrate the cultural diversity of the entertainment industry.

Best wishes,

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SHAHNAZ HUSAIN

Chairperson & Managing Director Digital Radio Tracker Country Soul Singer

HW's Favorite Authors Grammy Nominations TH

Award Ceremony Rise and Impact

Black History Month

Pacific Palisades Mansion

Serious Side of Stand-Up Comedy Brave Villiams: Golden Heart

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Q&A with

Shahnaz Husain Shahnaz Husain is the Chairperson & Managing Director of The Shahnaz Husain Group

Your Ayurvedic beauty care products have been selling worldwide. What is the response to Ayurveda in the USA? Due to the “back to nature” and “total wellness” concepts sweeping the world, there has been an increasing demand for holistic and organic systems like Ayurveda. We have extended our salons and retail outlets in the USA, UK, Europe and other countries. Speaking on international platforms and selling India’s ancient civilization in a jar, I have held press conferences all over the world. In fact, after attending President Obama’s summit for entrepreneurs and my MIT lecture, Press Conferences were held at the Indian Consulate in New York. The response to Ayurveda is so encouraging that I strongly believe that India will lead the international cosmetic world with Ayurvedic cosmetic care. In fact, Ayurvedic products have taken the international markets by storm. According to the Washington Post, “Shahnaz is a name to reckon with. To her exclusively goes the credit of bringing the therapeutic values of herbs out of the mist of antiquity and combining them with scientific research and practice. Shahnaz Husain has done so much for India’s image in the West that she has earned the sobriquet of the country’s Beauty Ambassador.” 4 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Please tell us about your Starlight Range, which you launched in the USA. My innovative Starlight Range of formulations for skin and hair care was launched in Beverly Hills in the USA. It has been specially created for film and television stars, keeping in view their professional stresses and occupational hazards, like exposure to bright arc lights and other external aggressors. I have been propagating the Ayurvedic principles of health and beauty across the globe, and my unique concept of holistic beauty care has caught on worldwide.

I believe you were offered a Hollywood film. Please tell our readers about it. In the midst of my hectic business commitments, taking Ayurveda to every corner of the globe, I was offered the role of Empress Nurjehan opposite Pierce Brosnan in the role of Emperor Jehangir, in a Hollywood film! It was entitled “Taj Mahal – A Lover’s Story.” They wanted me to move to Los Angeles, as the film needed an 18-month to 2-year shooting schedule. They said they would build a replica of the Taj Mahal on the sets of the film. However, I had to refuse the role, because I could not leave my business for so long.

Did you also work on a formulation that astronauts could use in outer space? Yes, while working in our R&D Units, we formulated a product with Ayurvedic ingredients, called Shaspace, which astronauts could use in space. It contains Ayurvedic ingredients, known for their powerful benefits when the body is under both physical and mental stress. The formulation was given to Nasa for trials and testing.

Tell us about your experience at the Washington Summit for Entrepreneurs which you attended? It was an honour for me to represent India and attend Summit on Entrepreneurship, held in Washington DC. It was particularly significant in terms of woman empowerment. In his speech President Obama said that woman power would create a beautiful, healthy and educated world. I also attended a huge sit down breakfast, where both Mrs Hillary Clinton and Dr. Judith Rodin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation were present. The Rockefeller Foundation is one of the world’s largest philanthropic organizations. I spoke about woman empowerment and received a standing ovation. I recalled my journey from one herbal salon to a global chain of franchise salons and how I started a network by encouraging ordinary women to start salons in their own homes in a small way, thus achieving financial independence.

Shahnaz Husain receives the Padma Shri Award from the President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

You became a Case Study and a Subject at Harvard Business School. How did that happen? I was invited by Harvard Business School to lecture on how I established an international brand without any commercial advertising. Even at a time, when the demand for the product is sustained through commercial advertising, I have never relied on it. So, I became a Case Study for Brand Creation. Now I am a Subject and part of the curriculum at Harvard for “Emerging Markets,” in recognition of the international market for Ayurvedic Beauty Care created by me.

Shahnaz Husain seen with Harvard Professor Geoffrey Jones at the Harvard Conference HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 5

Shahnaz Husain seen after receiving the World's Greatest Woman Entreprener Award from the U.S. based Success Business Magazine, becoming the first woman to receive the Award in 104 years. 6 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

What about your lecture at MIT? I lectured at the Sloan School of Management at MIT. The audience comprised of graduate students, MIT faculty, aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders. It was fascinating to see representatives from so many different lines and fields….. from fashion and jewellery, to environment, crockery, metals, textiles and so on. The program started with an audio visual on my career. After I was introduced to the audience, I spoke on woman empowerment and the positive impact of innovative entrepreneurship. I highlighted our product innovations, including my Chemoline formulations, which help to alleviate the effects of chemotherapy on the skin and hair. I spoke about my journey from one herbal salon to a global network of franchise ventures and also how I established an international brand name without commercial advertising. I mentioned the Indian context and said that education, vocational training and financial independence are absolutely necessary for woman empowerment, to make women self-reliant. While advising aspiring entrepreneurs, I told them “You were born to be leaders. Why should you be a follower? Be a leader and lead from the front. You may start small, but think big. Think that nothing is impossible. You can be what you will yourself to be.”

Have you thought about applying Artificial Intelligence? Artificial Intelligence (AI) is ideal for us, as our Ayurvedic beauty treatments are customized. We prepare a data base, taking individual details into account, like country, climate, skin tone and texture, allergies, blood picture, past and current treatments, etc. Artificial Intelligence helps to formulate z product for each individual, according to personal skin or hair profiles. A customer from anywhere in the world can buy a personalized product online. In a world dominated by Artificial Intelligence, Ayurvedic Inheritance is India’s gift to the world.

Have you launched any new products post Covid-19? Actually, beauty brands across the globe have responded quite positively by predicting future demand for products and have started manufacture of hand sanitizers, hand washes and related products.

For instance, we have launched a new Germ Free series of herbal products, from hand sanitizers and hand washes, to hand creams, moisturizers, gadget sprays, surface sprays, floor and toilet cleaners and so on. Consumers also prefer products that are reputed to be organic and hygienic.

You have received several prestigious Awards. What about Awards in the USA? Which one is your favourite? I have recently received two prestigious awards in the British Parliament for “Pioneering Ayurveda Worldwide” and the “Ayurveda Excellence” award. I also received the Padma Shri Award, a high civilian Award in India. But, my favourite is when I became the first woman in 104 years to receive the “World’s Greatest Woman Entrepreneur Award” from Success, the New York based business magazine. I have received other Awards in the USA, including the Golden America Award for Quality Excellence in New York, the “Woman of the Millenium”Award from Global Indian Congress, USA and the Woman of the Year Award from the Governor of California, USA.

What is your contribution to Corporate Social Responsibility? I wanted to make a positive contribution towards empowering the less privileged and physically challenged to make them financially independent and self-reliant. I started my free beauty training courses for the speech, hearing and visually impaired. I also wrote a book on beauty, which has been put into Braille for the students. We are also offering free vocational training in beauty and career opportunities to acid attack survivors. I am involved in Government Skill Development Projects by Training and Certifying under-privileged women in the beauty and wellness industry. Over 40,000 women have been trained. We have created Study Material and Class Plan and also distributed free Toolkits to help them start their own business, without relocating from home. I also formulated my Chemoline Range, based on Ayurveda, to alleviate the effects of chemotherapy and radiation on the skin and hair. The products are given free of cost to cancer hospitals in India and abroad.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 7

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Michael Matthews Founder of DigitalRadioTracker.com Inc.

BY ANTHONY EWART It is easy to forget that there was a time when Independents (an Indie recording artist, musician and music entrepreneur) struggled for the attention of mainstream audiences. It was not easy. Even the term “indie” made people feel that their songs would be cheaply made and did not have enough worth or merit to be picked up by a major label record executive. No one paid attention to the Indies because, well, honestly, can anything good come from independent music makers who are independently working outside of a major label system on tiny budgets? The answer is yes.

don’t have the time or the resources to scan internet radio stations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But they are very much aware that stars like Justin Bieber, Soulja Boy, Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran, Carly Rae Jepsen to name a few were discovered on the Internet. Andy Samberg was also an internet star discovery before achieving fame virtually everywhere.

DRT does the work for you. They have a customized all-inclusive, superior tracking technology software that monitors radio airplay detection of songs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. An amazing Thanks to the advent of technology that things are accomplishment but not surprising since it was created drastically changing. Major record executives realized, by two music promoters who know the music business which should have been obvious to them, that there so well creating Digital Radio Tracker was simply a are “many talented individuals” who are not included matter of, as Michael Matthews told me, “Filling in the or part of the mainstream music scene. The shift in how voids that Tom and I saw from our years of experience the music industry big guys are viewing independent in the music business. We knew exactly what was artists and musicians starting from humble beginnings needed.” Indeed, they did know and they have been is vastly changing because of such new industry report- refashioning the music business with DRT since ing systems as DigitalRadioTracker.com. August of 2011. Major music producers and executives are now searching for the next great “unknown singer or musician” that they can “discover.” These executives and producers know that “original musical talent” blossoms and flourishes around the world, the trick is finding that next great musical artist. That is where “DigitalRadioTracker.com, Inc.” has been shining so brilliantly since it was created by Michael Matthews in 2011.

What is amazing about DRT’s song tracking technology is that it requires no special encoding or fingerprinting. Matthews explains “The system’s unique database logs songs that are played on all the radio stations that DRT monitors. The system captures the original version of a song and records the date and time it is played. Any subsequent versions of the song are also captured and logged. DRT follows songs like the credit bureau follows you -- close. DRT creates a file and all versions DigitalRadioTracker.com Inc. also known as DRT is a along with the original is stored in the system where the leading global internet radio monitoring company which individual data can be pulled and reviewed.” tracks radio airplay of songs played on over 5000+ radio stations on this planet! These stations (major to This is incredibly important because other monitoring independent) are comprised of an array of FM Terrestri- companies have never provided this level of informaal, Satellite and College as well as thousands of digital tion. Music executives, radio promoters and the artist streaming radio stations...and that is the key right there. themselves have no idea how each version or mix of There is a diamond sea of undiscovered talent unknown their song is doing. This is a huge void that DRT has to mainstream music executives and producers who filled. 8 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

So, if you have the world’s greatest radio tracking system of course you are going to have the world’s “truest” charting system, and DRT does both. DRT monitors and tracks songs streaming at Internet Radio, Terrestrial FM, College and Non-Commercial stations all over the world and provides artists, musicians, publishers, producers, songwriters and record executives’ airplay reports and charts of their songs released. There are nine categories of music charts listed on DigitalRadioTracker website. DRT Global Top 200 Airplay Chart. DRT Global Top 150 Independent Airplay Chart. DRT Top 25 International Airplay Chart. DRT Global Top 50 Pop Airplay Chart. DRT Global Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart. DRT Global Top 50 Country Airplay Chart. DRT Global Top 50 Gospel/ Inspirational Airplay Chart. DRT Global Top 50 Adult Contemporary Airplay Chart and the DRT Global Top 50 Rock Airplay Chart. As I stated, this is truly a diamond sea of talent. All the songs on these massive charts have iTunes and Spotify links. It is a truly impressive collection and a goldmine for music producers, record executives and promoters searching for the next great singer, musician and band -- Superstar.

This is, of course, just the surface of the worldwide phenomenon that is DigitalRadioTracker. It all began with a conversation Michael Matthews had with Tom McGee, both of whom come from a background in radio and records. Matthews realized that most of the songs they were promoting were being played on digital radio and small-market FM stations. It was a kernel of a discovery, like the beginning of Ravel’s “Bolero,” that blossomed into the full symphonic glory that is now DRT. Through due diligence Matthews and McGee learned no one was monitoring these radio stations. It seemed incredulous. People were listening to these stations and discovering new artists but yet had no voice. For a record promoter any and all information about your client is crucial, valuable intel in the shaping of that client’s career. Yet information about songs being played online were being ignored. This was beyond an untapped market or undiscovered niche. This could be a game changer. DRT can truly be described as a company that has filled the voids existing in the music industry and HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 9

strengthened the business as a whole. As stated earlier, the information gathered by DRT is utilized by artists, record labels, publicists, managers, promoters, radio station programmers, DJs and other music industry professionals. Data collected by DRT is vital to booking shows and tours, selling merchandise or promoting songs to other radio stations. One extremely useful benefit all music artists are in agreement with is that the DRT Reports can assist them in collecting royalties on their music and further build their fan base. DRT Reports reveals invaluable information that can help develop promotional strategies for musical artists and assist them in monetizing their brand. DRT covers the waterfront as far as genres of music it tracks. Pop, R&B/Hip-Hop, Country, Gospel/Inspirational, Adult Contemporary and Rock. For all you Sarah Vaughan and B.B. King fans DRT also monitor a small number of Jazz, Americana and Blues stations as well. Budding singers/songwriters in college should also find a sense of hope and inspiration that DRT tracks an array of college radio formats around the world too. And that is what DRT is truly all about at its heart. Making sure all voices are heard. If your garage band can end up on a radio station somewhere on this planet, 10 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

odds are, with over 5,000 radio stations being tracked, DigitalRadioTracker is tracking your stats. You matter. Matthews and McGee understand that technology has changed the landscape of the music industry. It is now a global industry and every day DRT receives requests from new radio stations wanting to join its community. The good news is with DRT monitoring over 45 million song titles a week in more than 125 countries globally it does not discriminate on the size of a radio station or its listener count. And with Matthews and McGee building a strong broadcasting community that monitors and represents a true voice as to what music is actually being played they have developed a unique system where all music industry professionals can access DRT’s database and radio stations interested in being monitored by DRT can register for a FREE account on DRT’s website. The kernel of an idea that Michael Matthews had all those years ago when he noticed most of the songs he was promoting were being played on digital radio has now filled more than a void in the music industry. Launching DRT has redefined and revealed the true understanding and comprehension of the music industry.

Photos by Curtis Matthews

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 11

MARVIN SPRUILL COUNTRY SOUL SINGER

Maya Angelou said you may not remember a person's name, but you will never forget the way they made you feel. The unanimous feeling on how Country Soul Singer/Promoter/ manager loves country music. Whether he's singing to you an old Hank Williams song or just talking to you. His charm is magnetic and as deep as his sincere love for country music. Marvin Spruill is a people person, which means he is a music person. To Marvin music and people are not mutually exclusive. Stories and songs are part of human evolution. Stories and songs bind us together socially. We are composed of stories as much as we are composed of atoms. And no musical genre gets into the DNA of human stories like country music. Truth is an agenda in country music. Writers of country music like Willie Nelson and singers like Ronnie Milsap are emotional surgeons -- Truth Doctors, healing you or strengthening you through the power of music. Spruill is a born storyteller. He was only in high school when he won a school talent contest and wowed his peers singing a Charlie Pride song who was one of Marvin's favorite country soul artists. From the very beginning, Marvin had a lifelong love for Charlie Pride, the first African-American Country singer who was accepted and respected by his professional peers and the public. The sweet idealism of Marvin Spruill as a young teenager, he truly believed that if Charlie Pride could become a successful country music singer then he could as well. Marvin never doubted his talents. He was raised on R & B, Gospel Music, and Country Music, but Marvin loved listening to country music that was broadcast on the Grand Old Opry on Saturday nights. He said, "It had a different, strange sound that I loved." That was the music, but it was the lyrics and the stories woven in the songs that really resonated with Marvin. 12 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

In ancient Greece stories were sung by the great poet, Homer. He was a poet who sang his stories for those lucky enough to hear Homer sing excerpts from The Iliad" and "The Odyssey." Marvin is a singer of stories, true, emotional stories about everyday people which earned him the nickname "Hillbilly Jim" as a young man. His mother understood Marvin's connection with country music because she loved the song Coal Miner's Daughter by Loretta Lynn. On Saturday nights the family would spend quality time and watch Hee Haw. Marvin's father was confused by the posters of country music artists on Marvin's wall, but country music was in his blood. Marvin always sang country and put his own soulful twist in the songs. The way Ray Charles did in his landmark "Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music" (1962), an album Willie Nelson personally stated had a huge influence on him as an artist and it did for many of his professional peers at the time. To put into perspective the kind of writer Willie Nelson is and why this statement means so much for the acceptance of all people singing what they love, Nelson wrote "Crazy" for Patsy Cline, probably one of the best known classic country songs from one of the best singers of any genre. Nelson was influenced by the way Ray Charles sang country music, as stated in his title, these were modern sounds. Marvin Spruill has spent a lifetime sharing his own modern sound of country and western music. Charlie Pride had his soulful sound. Even Lionel Ritchie had his own unique soul sound. As a music promoter, Marvin Spruill finds talented young Country Soul singers and provides them with venues and audiences to enjoy this resurgence of country soul. Marvin worked with a young country artist Jocie Johnson who opened up for David Allen Cole and appeared with Dwight Yoakam

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 13

and he worked with the songstress Vicki Vann and many more. The best example of true breakout success is Lil Nas X's with his chart-topping song "Old Town Road" a collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus. This song spent 19 weeks dominating the Billboard Top 100. That was a legendary accomplishment but not unexpected or surprising to Marvin Spruill who has seen incredible talent in the African-American Country Music scene for many years. Spruill was only 18 years old when he had reached out to Ernie Bivens of Ernie Bivens Promotions out of Nashville. Marvin with his quick wit broke into song and Ernie really liked Marvin's sound. The scout was so impressed with Marvin he eventually would pick Marvin up from his home in North Carolina and personally drive him to Nashville, Tennessee to record Marvin's unique country soul sound. Marvin remembers fondly the scout waking him up as they entered Nashville saying, "Look, Marvin, there's the Grand Old Opry." Marvin has had many wonderful moments like that with people who have recognized his talent and offered to help him. It is important to Marvin to give back, by reintroducing Country Soul Music back to the millions of fans who love Country. Just as many country music fans think country music is getting too pop, it has also strayed very far from its roots which initially incorporated elements from African-American music and instruments. The banjo, which is a staple instrument for hillbilly, folk, and country music, was created by African-Americans, who were trying to recreate their musical instruments from Africa. The banjo was introduced to mainstream America in the 1900s and is also a centerpiece for bluegrass music. Folk and blues are 14 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

the precursors to country and rock music so you can't help but feel the influence and African-American music in most genres you hear today. Country music was a part of Marvin's roots, so you can imagine how painful it is when someone told him he can't sing country music because it's not his music. It's painful because Marvin thought about all the good country soul music this poor person is missing out on. Instead of getting mad Marvin may belt out a classic hillbilly or country song and let the listener hear what Marvin calls Country Soul Music. We should remember that the great Bob Dylan said when he heard African-American Folk Singer Leadbelly's song "Cotton Fields" it literally "changed his life right then and there." Dylan said this country soul sound "transported him into a world he had never known." That is the power of Country Soul Music. In 2021 Singer/Promoter Marvin Spruill and Actor/ Writer/Entrepreneur Rodney Allen Rippy will be co-executive producing their first Country Soul Music Awards, where Marvin will have a special posthumous Icon Achievement Award for his idol from those old days listening to the Grand Old Opry, the late great Charlie Pride. With the recent passing of Charlie Pride, there is no doubt that his music will live on forever because of his millions of fans who loved him. Growing up in Williamston, NC Marvin loved listening to Ronnie Milsap and even traveled 100 miles to a Ronnie Milsap performance at the Raleigh Durham fairgrounds and his biggest hit at that time was Stranger In My House. Believe it or not, Marvin managed to talk his way backstage where he met Ronnie

and presented him with an antique radio. Marvin had worked in the tobacco fields and had picked cucumbers yet he never let go of his dream to sing country music. But if you know Marvin then you know, as I mentioned, he is a people person, so the Country Soul Music Awards will be inclusive of all races, cultures, ages and those who love real, down-home country music. Country Soul Music is already out there, but like Bob Dylan discovering Leadbelly, it's all about giving mainstream audiences the opportunity to hear music that could very well change their lives for the better. Country Soul Music sure worked out well for Bob Dylan. Marvin on a visit to the Grand Ole Opry at the end of the night Marvin went up and stood center stage and as he closed his eyes, he imagined what it must felt like to perform there. As you can imagine, it wasn't always easy for Marvin to follow his dreams, he'll never forget some cold nights where he had no choice but to sleep in a cardboard condominium. Marvin still pressed forward and he's been a member of the California Country Music Association, The Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association. From the tobacco fields to the Grand Ole Opry, Marvin Spruill is Relentless Country Soul! Music promoter and manager. Marvin is also launching The Country Soul Music Magazine to keep country soul fans up to date on all the latest artist. If you would like to contact Marvin he can be reached at mdsentertainmentinc@gmail.com HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 15

Hollywood Weekly - Page Turners Our glorious Spring books are here! Let’s get some fresh air—Forget Spring Cleaning! Go for Some Spring Reading! Our page turners are below! Jane Ubell-Meyer, Founder Bedside Reading Follow us on Instagram @bedsidereading ❁ Contact: Jane@bedsidereading.com ❁ Visit: BedsideReading.com

Beauty Beyond the Threshold: How International Volunteering Saved My Life by Tiffany Mosher

Her Turn by Allison Jones

For anyone struggling with depression, anxiety, finding joy in life, living with purpose, or even just bad days, this book is of Tiffany's Mosher's story of hitting rock bottom; one woman’s journey to recovery and self-discovery. Readers will go on adventures through heartache, loss, and despair as well as find themselves repairing homes in Puerto Rico and North Carolina, building schools in remote villages in Nepal, laughing with generous people, crying tears of joy, and reflecting on their own lives. Beauty Beyond the Threshold brings hope to those who are feeling sad, depressed, and anxious. There is so much beauty beyond the threshold and the path to discover it is by taking that first step outside of your comfort zone.

Eight Years by Donna Schwartze For seventeen years, Millie’s life was perfect. Then her beloved dad died, and she discovered the secret he never wanted her to know. Now a CIA agent, Millie has been using her position to uncover clues that will lead her to the truth. She’s almost there. Unfortunately, the final step on her journey will take her right through a terrorist organization. Enter Mason—the Navy SEAL whose team is tasked with protecting her. From the moment they meet, his target is Millie. He knows pursuing her is strictly forbidden, but he’s drawn to her sweet sensuality like a heat-seeking missile. Millie does everything she can to resist him, but Mason’s gentle confidence keeps drawing her closer. She knows she has to hide her ultimate goal from him, but he seems to have the disturbing ability to see right through her. If he finds out what she’s really up to, he could ruin everything. She knows she should run from him, but something keeps pulling her closer. Can she give up knowing the truth to find her happily-ever-after? Or will she risk everything to find out who she really is? 16 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Addie Snyder’s first novel is becoming an overnight sensation. Unprepared for being thrusted in the limelight, she is desperate to shelter her brother, Owen, who has Down syndrome. After her father abandoned them when Owen was just a baby, she is his sole guardian after her mother passed away. She must protect him from the harsh world, but how can she do that with public events coming up? An unlikely ally in her cold and emotionless publicist, Jameson Ford. As a former Navy Seal, Jameson has his own demons, but there is something about Addie that defrosts his icy wall. Together, they navigate the twists and turns as her book becomes a world-wide phenomenon. Her life becomes even more complicated when her long-lost father arrives threatening to take Owen away from her and her distant relatives trying to hoard in on Addie’s success. But, through the drama, Addie maintains her humor while popping chocolate kisses as if they were Xanax and seeking solace behind her computer creating stories that fill her soul. Even though all of her dreams are coming true, no one can prepare her for what lies ahead. It’s true when they say, be careful what you wish for.

Don't Lie to Me (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Book 1) by Willow Rose Every Parent’s Worst Fear! A 12-year-old girl goes missing at camp, and her body is found months later in a sleeping bag. When a second child is kidnapped, FBI profiler Eva Rae Thomas is determined to get to the bottom of the tragedies, but the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous it gets for her — and everyone she loves…

Throwing Shade: A Humorous Paranormal Women’s Fiction by Deborah Wilde

Moms Don’t Have Time To: A Quarantine Anthology by Zibby Owens Essays by 60+ authors featured on the podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books inspired by five things moms don’t have time to do: eat, work out, breathe, read, and have sex.

The Desire Factor, How to Embrace Your Materialistic Nature to Reclaim Your Full Spiritual Power by Christy Whitman There is no limit to the amount of happiness that we, as human beings, can experience. There is no limit to how much love, laughter, excitement, or satisfaction we can feel. This universe is unendingly abundant, which means that it has the ability to yield to us whatever experiences we desire. Why, then, do some people manifest their desires so fluidly and naturally, while others are living lives of struggle, mediocrity, or quiet desperation? Hard work alone does not guarantee a positive result. In fact, pushing forward with determination and effort when things are not going as planned usually only makes a bad situation worse. Energy – not action – is the source of all manifested things, and The Desire Factor is the definitive guide to achieving energy mastery. The Desire Factor provides one of the most current, comprehensive, and easy to apply explorations into the realm of energy, and shows readers how – by purposefully calibrating the energetic frequency of their dominant thoughts, moods and expectations – they can bring any desire into physical form.

She’s ditching her shapewear, owning her hormones, and letting her magic fly free. Underestimate her. That’ll be fun. It’s official. Miriam Feldman is killing it in the midlife crisis department. She’s mastered boredom, aced invisibility, and graduated Summa Cum Laude in smiling and playing nice in her post-divorce life. But when a drink with a “good guy” goes sideways, Miriam snaps, and in a cold dark rage unleashes a rare and powerful shadow magic. To make matters worse, her best friend goes missing and Miri is thrust into a world of hidden magic, vampires, and a legacy of hatred aimed directly at her. Hard to say which is more dangerous, this spiderweb of supernatural power plays, the grumpy French wolf shifter she’s teamed up with, or Miri herself, kicking butt and rediscovering the woman who got lost along the way. But lines get blurred in the shadows, and if she’s not careful, she could lose everyone she loves. She’ll have to turn her invisibility into strength and pray they never see her coming. Forty isn’t the new twenty. It’s better.

The book is built around 7 universal principles, each of which assists readers in connecting with and deliberately harnessing the divine energy stream that sources all things. Each principle builds upon the last one, and together, they provide a clear path – not just toward the manifestation of objects, experiences and conditions you desire to create in each important area of your life – but toward the personal evolution your desires are guiding you to embrace. Order your copy of The Desire Factor today, and you will gain access to 4 powerful live coaching sessions, the Hologram process, Activating The Faith Portal Meditation, and a Peace & Grounding Process, as well as upcoming bonuses and updates available only to The Desire Factor members for a bonus worth $900 for a $15 book! HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 17

Conversations with Our Authors Complicit by Amy Rivers A tangled web of deception and duplicity where predators are shielded by respectability and no one is safe. Kate Medina had been working as a forensic psychologist and loving every minute until a violent attack left her shaken to the core. Retreating to her hometown where it’s safe, she accepts a job where the prospect of violence is slim to none. As a high school psychologist, Kate tends to the emotional needs of the students. It’s not the career she envisioned for herself. Five years later, a student disappears, leaving the school in crisis and Kate at the helm of another traumatic event. Roman Aguilar, the lead detective, reaches out to Kate for assistance. Kate’s position at the school and her training makes her an ideal ally, but her complicated relationship with Roman puts them at odds. When the girl’s body is found, changing the focus of the investigation to homicide, Kate finds herself in the middle of a situation she never anticipated. What started as her desire to help puts Kate directly in the crosshairs of an enemy who remains largely in shadows. As her past and present collide, Kate is dragged into the middle of a dangerous game where only one thing is clear-no one can be trusted.

Q&A with Amy Rivers Q: Why do you write about such disturbing subjects? A: I’ve always been fascinated by human behavior. While serving as the director for a sexual assault services program, I experienced first-hand the complexity and wide-ranging spectrum of reaction, behavior, and demeanor of victims, perpetrators, and the professionals assigned to their cases. I write fiction, but I feel a strong sense of responsibility to represent cycles of violence seen in sexual assault, domestic violence, and other forms of interpersonal conflict in a realistic light so

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that any perspectives or insights readers may glean are based firmly in reality. As an author, I want to engage and entertain my audience, but I also want to help build understanding and empathy in the world. Q: What is something most people don’t know about you? A: I’m an open book so it’s not that hard to get to know all my secrets. That being said, I suppose most new readers wouldn’t guess from the subject-matter of my suspense novels that I am a hopeless romantic. I want everyone to have a happy ending

and I’m a sucker for grand romantic gestures. But my eyes are wide open. The world can be a harsh place, and while it might feel nice to curl up and daydream, I want to be an active participant in making the world a better place. Avoiding, ignoring, or simply denying reality doesn’t make it go away. I choose to tackle hard subjects, but always with hope. (And if Mr. Darcy shows up at my door, you won’t find me complaining).

Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst Three generations of women in the Ferrari family must heal the broken pieces of their lives on a trip of a lifetime through picturesque Italy from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst. Workaholic, career-obsessed Francesca is fiercely independent and successful in all areas of her life except one: family. She struggles to make time for her relationship with her teenage daughter, Allegra, and the two have become practically strangers to each other. When Allegra hangs out with a new crowd and is arrested for drug possession, Francesca gives in to her mother’s wish that they take one epic summer vacation to trace their family roots in Italy. She just never expected to face a choice that might change the course of her life. Allegra wants to make her grandmother happy, but she hates the idea of forced time with her mother and vows to fight every step of the ridiculous tour, until a young man on the verge of priesthood begins to show her the power of acceptance, healing, and the heartbreaking complications of love. Sophia knows her girls are in trouble. A summer filled with the possibility for change is what they all desperately need. Among the ruins of ancient Rome, the small churches of Assisi, and the rolling hills of Tuscany, Sophia hopes to show her girls that the bonds of family are everything, and to remind them that they can always lean on one another, before it’s too late.

Q&A with Jennifer Probst Q: Which of the three lead characters in Our Italian Summer can you relate to the most? A: All three of them are so different – Allegra is 18, Francesca in her forties, and Sophia is 70. I loved getting into each of the woman’s mindsets to really explore but I probably relate to Allegra the most because I remember how it was to be 18 and want your life to begin. How hard it is to balance family and school/friend relationships. How love feels so intense

and passionate and painful. It was fun to go back to that age and allow myself to feel everything for the book. Q: What inspired you to write OUR ITALIAN SUMMER? A: My mother was turning seventy, and had dreamed of travelling to Italy her entire life. We decided to take an epic trip with me, my Mom, my Godmother, and my fifteen year old niece. Three generations of women for fifteen days

in Italy. It was an experience of a lifetime and inspired Our Italian Summer. Q: What’s Next? A: My next beach novel releases in April called Forever in Cape May. And I’m thrilled to say my second women’s fiction book--set in gorgeous Positano, Italy--comes out February 22, 2022 – The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti.

The Burden of Hate by Helen Starbuck Hate is a heavy burden Revenge. Hate. Fear. Not exactly traditional wedding gifts. When convicted killer Ian Patterson escapes from prison, operating room nurse Annie Collins and fiancé assistant district attorney Angel Cisneros are forced to face these realities head on. The wedding plans are in motion with Angel’s mother laser focused on micromanaging her first-born’s wedding into the event of the century. But when events begin to unravel, including the mysterious disappearance of the priest, questions and fears begin to rise. Where is Ian Patterson? Will his quest for revenge toward the two people responsible for sending him to prison—Annie Collins and Angel Cisneros—bring them face to face to settle this once and for all? In this suspenseful continuation of Annie and Angel’s saga, everything will come into question. When it comes to wedding vows and murder, how far would you go for someone you love?

Q&A with Helen Starbuck Q: What’s the story behind your story? The story that sparked the idea for my mystery series was a patient that I helped care for many years ago and this was the catalyst that set the series in motion. It’s not about that patient, just the clinical symptoms. Annie Collins, the narrator and main character in the series, is an operating room nurse and her friend Libby Matheisen is ill. Annie must find out why she is ill and

commits suicide. I like the theme that the decisions we make have consequences that we may not expect. Over the course of the series, the consequences of Annie pursuing answers to Libby’s death ultimately result in Annie and her lover being targeted and nearly killed by the person responsible for her friend’s death. Q: How do you research your books? As a mystery and romantic suspense writer, research is important. To learn about

forensics and crime scene investigation, I’ve attended The Writers’ Police Academy, which was an eye opener. I’ve taken shooting classes to understand how to handle and shoot a handgun and consulted experts (e.g., a homicide detective, an emergency room doctor and nurse, a coroner, a firearms instructor, and a person who grew up on a ranch in Wyoming to help me get the details right. HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 19

MEGAN THEE STALLION RECEIVES 4 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS for Best New Artist Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance & Best Rap Song In the wake of releasing her critically acclaimed debut album, Good News, Megan Thee Stallion has received 4 GRAMMY nominations: Best New Artist, Record of the Year ("Savage Remix"), Best Rap Performance ("Savage Remix") and Best Rap Song ("Savage Remix"). Megan has also been honored as Apple Music’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year and received Best Rap/Hip Hop song for ‘WAP’ with Cardi B at this year’s AMAs, where she gave her first electrifying performance of ‘Body’. Since its release, Good News has reached #1 in 12 countries, and occupies #1 album on Apple Music’s Top 100: USA, as well as #1 track with ‘Body’. Notwithstanding, Good News has earned the second biggest debut for a rap album on Spotify at 6.9m streams. As well as fans everywhere taking on the ‘Body’ choreography challenge, Good News has been receiving outstanding reviews globally. These accolades follow Megan’s five BET Awards, including Hip Hop Artist Of The Year as well as an MTV VMA Award for ‘Savage’, GQ’s Rapper of the Year and an honor by TIME in the TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

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The 78th Annual

Golden Globe

Awards

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Photos by: NBC HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 23

THE EMPIRE OF EBONY

Lisa Cortés to Direct Documentary on the Rise and Impact of the 1st Black Media Empire

A supporter holds up an issue Ebony magazine featuring Barack Obama before a speech at a campaign event billed as a town hall meeting August 19, 2008. | Photo: Sara D. Davis/Getty Images (Getty Images) | Source: Theroot.com By Tonja Renée Stidhum The first-ever Black media empire, Ebony, is getting its own documentary. Lisa Cortés (All In: The Fight For Democracy, The Apollo) will direct the film and Academy Award and Emmy Award winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams’ (The Apollo, Life Animated) will produce via One Story Up. Cortés will also produce, as well.

rise of Ebony and Jet and their growth into a brand with a readership base in the millions which has had an undeniable effect on American culture. This will include the important role these publications played in illuminating key moments in American history that went unreported by the mainstream media.

Here’s what you can expect from the doc, per the press release sent to The Root:

With access to Ebony and Jet’s extensive archives, the film will also chronicle the media empire’s revolutionary effect on not just the media landscape but American culture, consumerism, and history. The Empire of Ebony will provide a powerful testament to the visionary entrepreneurship of the Ebony media empire and a dynamic story of Black struggle and triumph in America.

The Empire of Ebony will take an expansive look at The Johnson Publishing Company and their titles Ebony and Jet. The film will explore two of the most influential publications in the history of American media all the way from the media empire’s beginnings as a small publishing company, started by John H. Johnson and Eunice W. Johnson with a five-hundred dollar loan, to its incredible growth into a publishing juggernaut with an unparalleled cultural impact. The film will chart the

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“Growing up, Ebony and Jet were in every Black household and they were everything! You could start reading at home and finish at the beauty parlor, barbershop, or at your Auntie’s house,” Cortés said in a statement. “In the pages of these magazines I

saw Black people who inspired me to dream and create. I’m so excited to be working with the incredible team at One Story Up anchored by Roger Ross Williams, and honored that Linda Johnson Rice has entrusted me to tell this story for the first time. Through a visual archive spanning seventy-five years of the most important moments of African American life, The Empire of Ebony will be a revelatory story of entrepreneurship, innovation and Black love.” The celebration of Ebony’s legacy has also been documented in literary form by Lavaille Lavette called Ebony: Covering Black America, which is described as “a celebration of the treasure trove of the magazine’s rich history, glamorous covers, groundbreaking cultural impact, and authentic coverage of Black American life from the magazine’s inception to the present.” Of course we can’t help but wonder if the documentary will explore “the fall” along with “the rise.” In fact, it has been quite a rollercoaster ride of rises, falls and rebirths with the magazine being recently purchased for $14 million by retired Milwaukee Bucks forward Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman and the very recent appointment of its new CEO, Michele Gee. It looks like this is the time to do a retrospective of our legacy Black publications because it was announced last October that HBO Max would be developing a drama series based on Essence Magazine’s origin story. “The lasting impact Ebony and Jet has is undeniable. With these publications, the Johnson Publishing Company changed the entire American press landscape and completely revolutionized the way Black Americans were able to see themselves in popular culture, media, and advertising,” Williams said in a statement. “We’ve seen numerous documentaries about other publications like Rolling Stone, Playboy, and The New York Times, but have yet to see something about such dynamic magazines like Ebony and Jet. I’m thrilled to be able to collaborate with Lisa, Linda, and Brenda through One Story Up to bring this project to life and shine a well deserved spotlight on this influential and powerful media empire.”

SUBMIT YOUR FILM GET REVIEWED (424) 371-9900 HollywoodWeekly@gmail.com

The Empire of Ebony, which is currently in production, is produced by Alyse Shorland and executive produced by Linda Johnson Rice, chairman and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company, and One Story Up’s Emmy Award-Winning Geoff Martz (The Innocence Files, Between The World And Me), Brenda Robinson, Regina K. Scully, Patty Quillin, Nion McEvoy, Leslie Berriman, Julie Parker Benello, Chaz Ebert, Jason Delane Lee, Yvonne Huff Lee, Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Jenifer Westphal, Joe Plummer, Charles D. King, Poppy Hanks, Steve Cohen, Paula Froehle, Jim Swartz, Susan Swartz, David Fialkow, Nina Fialkow, Barbara Dobkin, Eric Dobkin and Katrina vanden Heuvel. Co-Executive Producers include Malcolm Jenkins, Melony & Adam Lewis, Marni Grossman and Robert Pasin. Additional producers include Impact Partners, in association with Chicago Media Project, MACRO, The Lagralane Group and Artemis Rising Foundation.

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AL HIRSCHFELD FOUNDATION presents "AMPLIFIED DIGNITY," online exhibition celebrating

BLACK HISTORY

he Al Hirschfeld Foundation celebrates Black History with its latest online exhibition, Amplified Dignity: Black Dancers Drawn by Hirschfeld. Now live at AlHirschfeldFoundation.org/exhibitions though March 13, the exhibition features Hirschfeld's reflections of legendary 20th Century artists including Sammy Davis Jr., Josephine Baker, Nicholas Brothers, Bunny Briggs, Judith Jamison, Hinton Battle, Maurice Hines, and Honi Coles.

the 2020 Apple Awards. A special episode dedicated to the works featured Amplified Dignity: Black Dancers Drawn by Hirschfeld will be available starting February 2, 2021 from AlHirschfeldFoundation.org/podcasts, iTunes and other popular podcast sites.

"To be rendered by Hirschfeld is to be immortalized in the fraternity of American popular art," says dance educator, choreographer and dramaturg Melanie George, who has curated Amplified Dignity. "These drawings encapsulate a history of individual and collective opportunity and excellence, as well as disenfranchisement and marginalization. The exhibit contains a mix of well and lesser-known artists, and nameless groups of dancers, who have contributed to the history of dance in America. The images demonstrate reverence for the people and art of New York, especially during the Harlem Renaissance era. The intent is to place these dancers at the center of the cannon, not on the margins. A rightful place, as the foundation and evolution of dance in America is intertwined and indebted to innovation and performances by Black people in America." Amplified Dignity is the latest exhibition in The Al Hirschfeld Foundation's Black Art Matters series. Having launched last summer with Lost in the Stars: Black Theater Makers Drawn By Hirschfeld, upcoming exhibits in the series will celebrate black film artists and musicians, and the 80th anniversary of the artist's iconic representations of the African-American experience in the 1930's Harlem As Seen By Hirschfeld., Go behind the lines of Hirschfeld's art with "The Hirschfeld Century Podcast," nominated as "Best NYC podcast" by

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ABOUT CURATOR MELANIE GEORGE

ABOUT THE AL HIRSCHFELD FOUNDATION

Melanie George is a dance educator, choreographer, scholar, and dramaturg. She is the founder and director of Jazz Is... Dance Project and an Associate Curator and Scholar-In-Residence at Jacob's Pillow. As a dramaturg, she has contributed to projects by David Neumann & Marcella Murray (on the Obie Award winning Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed), Raja Feather Kelly, Ephrat Asherie, Susan Marshall & Company, Machine Dazzle, and Urban Bush Women among others. A highly sought after teacher and choreographer of the neo-jazz aesthetic, Melanie is a featured in the documentary UpRooted: The Journey of Jazz, Dance. Melanie has presented her research on jazz improvisation and pedagogy throughout the U.S., in Canada and Scotland, and founded the global advocacy website jazzdancedirect.com. She is the former Dance Program Director at American University, and has guest lectured at Harvard University, the Yale School of Drama, and The Juilliard School, among others.

The mission of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation is to promote interest in the theater and visual arts by supporting non-profit museums, libraries, theaters and similar cultural institutions. The Foundation fulfills its mission through grants and exhibitions of Hirschfeld's art . The Foundation maintains an extensive collection of Hirschfeld artworks and lends and/ or donates pieces to institutions all over the world. Another primary mission is arts education, which the Foundation does primarily with the Hirschfeld Arts Curriculum. Created in conjunction with the New York City Board of Education, The Hirschfeld Arts Curriculum is an innovative visual/ performing arts education program based on Hirschfeld's art to engage students K through 12 in a variety of arts activities. Our programs encourage writing, reading, researching, observing, movement and performance to learn about the arts, its history, and the opportunities for education and employment in the arts field. The web based Al Hirschfeld curriculum is easy to use, and is intended to be a free resource for teachers and students. www.AlHirschfeldFoundation.org

Sammy Davis Jr in Stop the World I Want to Get Off, 1978 © The Al Hirschfeld Foundation. All rights reserved. www.AlHirschfeldFoundation.org. Press contact: Keith Sherman & Associates info@ksa-pr.com 212.764.7900 28 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

ABOUT THE ARTIST Al Hirschfeld's drawings stand as one of the most innovative efforts in establishing the visual language of modern art through caricature in the 20th century. A self-described "characterist," his signature work, defined by a linear calligraphic style, appeared in virtually every major publication of the last nine decades (including a 75-year relationship with The New York Times) as well as numerous book and record covers and 15 postage stamps. Hirschfeld said his contribution was to take the character, created by the playwright and portrayed by the actor, and reinvent it for the reader. Playwright Terrence McNally wrote: "No one 'writes' more accurately of the performing arts than Al Hirschfeld. He accomplishes on a blank page with his pen and ink in a few strokes what many of us need a lifetime of words to say." In 1945, Hirschfeld celebrated the birth of his daughter Nina by placing her name in the background of a drawing. What the artist described as an innocent prank soon became a personal trademark and national obsession, as he began hiding numerous NINA's throughout his drawings for years to come. He is represented in many public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the National Portrait Gallery, and Harvard's Theater Collection. Hirschfeld authored several books including Manhattan Oases and Show Business is No Business in addition to 10 collections of his work. He was declared a Living Landmark by the New York City Landmarks Commission in 1996, and a Living Legend by The Library of Congress in 2000. Just before his death in January 2003, he learned he was to be awarded the Medal of Arts from the National Endowment of the Arts and inducted into the Academy of Arts and Letters. The winner of two Tony Awards, he was given the ultimate Broadway accolade on what would have been his 100th birthday in June 2003. The Martin Beck Theater was renamed the Al Hirschfeld Theater.

Whoopi Goldberg in Whoopi Goldberg, 1984

Bunny Briggs in Black and Blue, 1989

MATT DAMON’S PACIFIC PALISADES MANSION!

For the first time in decades, Matt Damon will be making a move without his best friend, Ben Affleck. They moved their families together to Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades - even on the same street - back in 2012. Matt and wife, Luciana, purchased their luxurious home for $15 million, and have now put it on the market for $21 million. This time it appears Affleck will be staying in Los Angeles to be near his three children while the Damon home goes on the market and the family moves to their six-bedroom penthouse at the Standish in Brooklyn Heights, New York, which they purchased in 2018 for a record-breaking $16.745 million. This may be the first time so many miles have separated the two best buddies since their school days.

The Damons have excellent taste in homes from their stunning Spanish-style Miami Beach home, which they sold to move to California, to the magnificent contemporary now for sale, the Damons have been living in tropical climates with lush year-round landscaping and a 365-day, indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Their current 13,508-square-foot home has seven bedrooms and 10 baths, inside a private-gated entry. The home’s focus is the center atrium soaring to 35 feet with mahogany ceilings and light pouring in through clerestory windows branching out to the open-plan living. California-style formal rooms open seamlessly via movable glass walls allowing for vanishing thresholds between living and landscape. The house contains a chef ’s kitchen in mahogany with bluestone countertops, the master suite has its own private terrace, dual dressing rooms, massage room and bath. Also included is a game room, bar office, staff quarters, wine storage and tasting room, and a media room. Outside is a pool, spa, children’s play area, a waterfall, koi pond and Hawaiian-style covered lanai for dining and lounging among tropical plantings.

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When it comes to celebrities, Pacific Palisades has turned into the 21st-century Hollywood when it comes to where they choose to live. Its huge population of film industry, sports and music stars practically guarantee rubbing elbows with several when shopping at Palisades Village. A few include Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Billy Crystal, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John Goodman, Steven Spielberg, Kate Hudson and Diane Keaton, who might be checking out paint colors for her next house flip.

Photo by Kelvin Bullock

Damon’s filming activities experienced a pause with the advent of the pandemic, but his latest film, The Last Duel, which was filmed in France and Ireland and is about a 14th-century fight to the death, will be released in October. He and his cohort-in-film, Ben Affleck, appear together once again in the movie. The two also co-wrote the screenplay and were the producers. The listing agent for the Damon home is Eric Haskell of The Agency, Beverly Hills. Photo credit: Alexis Adams • Source:TopTenRealEstateDeals.com HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 31

RAYLENE HAREWOOD Reveals the serious side of stand-up comedy By Alex A. Kecskes Canadian born Raylene Harewood began working in the professional theatre scene at age 16. She moved to Vancouver at 19 to pursue an acting diploma at Studio 58. After graduating, Raylene continued working in theatre as well as film and television. She has appeared in such popular TV series as The Magicians, Charmed, Supernatural, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and as Ms. Fleckberg in The Healing Powers of Dude. Her movie credits include The Babysitter and Cranberry Christmas. In the inspirational All Joking Aside, Harewood is Charlene Murray, a struggling stand-up comic dealing with personal issues and a hard-nosed has-been comic who, as her mentor, pulls no punches. Thank you for taking the time for this interview. What attracted you to this script and the role of Charlene? Raylene Harewood: How passionate she is and the fact that, unlike some many stories about comedy, there was no romance. Did you audition for the role? Harewood: I had a part in The Magicians that Shannon Kohli had cast me in. She asked if I wanted to be in a feature she was directing and I said yes. So I went in for a primary audition and then a call back where I did a chemistry read with Brian Markinson. I also had to read a couple of jokes. And from there, I got the part. Were there aspects of the role you found more challenging? Harewood: I’d never suffered from a serious illness, so having to portray Charlene’s anxiety about her medical condition was challenging. I also found it hard to read a joke someone else had written and try to come off funny. It’s really tricky. I watched a lot of comedy and stand-ups and everyone had their own rhythm and style of speaking. But it was a collaborative process. The writer and producer had no problem with me putting my two cents into the delivery. Actually, one of the best pieces of advice I got when working on this film was from Richard Lett who said the setup of the joke has to be worth 32 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

the punchline. So if you spend too much time on the setup, the punchline better be worth the wait. What have you learned about stand-up comedians that surprised you? Harewood: I would have to say how truly vulnerable you feel when you’re up on stage. You’re talking about your life and it’s really an art. Mostly, what you’re talking about is your own experience and the way you see something. Performing before a live audience is not easy. The comedy is all you. I liked stand-up before but after this, I have a whole new appreciation for the work it takes to be good at it. The goal when you’re up there is to make people laugh. You have to think on your feet. Had you ever tried doing stand-up in a small open-mike club? Harewood: I did. In preparing for the film, I wrote my own jokes, took my closest friend, and did a five-minute open-mike routine. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. And I hope I’ll never have to do it again (laughs). So did you apply what you learned from your open-mike ordeal to your performance in the film? Harewood: Yeah. It was really helpful. I pulled what I needed from that experience.

In the film, Bob warned Charlene, “You gotta be funny every 14 seconds.” Do you think doing stand-up is more demanding than acting? Harewood: I think it would depend on the act. Many comedians are also actors. Although, when you’re acting, you have to bring up more vulnerable parts of you. Like you have to let the audience in completely. You have to be in the story and that’s really hard as well. Do you think stand-up comedians have to bare their souls a little bit to really connect with the audience? Harewood: I think something in their act has to be real and vulnerable. But I don’t think you need to bare too much beyond that. It’s not acting in a dramatic film where you’re crying and letting out all sorts of emotions. You’ve done both film and TV. What surprised you about working in this business? Harewood: Good question. I think I’m continually in awe of what a ‘machine’ the business is. And how passionate everyone is in making the magic happen. I also like the team aspect of this business. We all bring our specific skill sets to achieve a goal.

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FEATURES FROM BRAVE WILLIAMS: GOLDEN HEART “Be comfortable in your own skin.” Brave Williams is just getting started. She’s a singer, spoken word artist and now an actress. Most importantly, she’s a good soul. She’s young, vibrant, and a bright smile in a room too often full of frowns. She’s somewhat of a homebody, satisfied with sitting at home, lighting some candles and getting lost in a good book. But she is also a planner in moments of solitude. She writes down her plans and how she will carry them out. Audiences will see her play Shelby Quinn in the indie film, Love Dot Com, this summer. The movie has mass appeal, mostly because of Brave’s natural talent on screen. A few years ago, she was on R&B Divas: Los Angeles, but she was destined to do much more than reality television. Brave’s body of work and her work ethic will inspire generations. She grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. Because of her mixed-race heritage (Czech and black), the kids at school would bully her. “My sister and I experienced a lot of bullying and situations that tested our courage. At the time it hurt, however, it later taught us strength and helped us to develop an enduring mind frame. I wouldn’t have changed it for the world,” she says. The name “Brave” did not come from this moment, but instead in another display of strength. When she was 13, she spoke at an open mic in Baltimore. She was speaking a truth way beyond her years. The audience called her “Brave” for saying what everyone else was too afraid to say out loud. “My sister and I experienced a lot of bullying and situations that tested our courage.” Spoken word was where Brave felt most comfortable artistically. She could speak her truth and people would listen. She would write and rap. She didn’t find out until much later that she had the gift to sing. She would listen to an eclectic group of artists for inspiration. “It was a lot of Tupac, Maya Angelou, and Jill Scott. When Jill Scott came out, that changed my interest in music and made me want to turn my poetry into songs. When I first started in music, I was a rapper. I was constantly rapping and doing poetry. It wasn’t until I turned one of my raps into a song, I discovered that I could sing,” she says. She still considers herself to be a poet and is in the early stages of writing a book. Like anything, she wants to take her time to make it right. Publicists want to write it for her, but she believes writing it herself will give her more time to make it perfect.

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“The entertainment business is multiple marathons. In order to get across your first finish line (whatever that is) working hard, focus, and prayer are the needed tools…” In the late 2000s, Brave created the R&B vocal girl group, RichGirl. While the group was short-lived, Brave received the blessing to go solo. She started her own label and ended up securing a distribution deal with Empire Records along the way. “It was important for me to have my own label because as an artist, it gave me the power and control to create my destiny,” Brave says. The digital revolution has changed the relationship between record labels and artists significantly. Brave not only has artistic freedom, but the ability to gain more widespread visibility of her music in the digital space via her distribution deal. Brave has learned to be patient with her career. She believes what is for her will be for her. “Nothing in life is a sprint. The entertainment business is multiple marathons. In order to get across your first finish line (whatever that is) working hard, focus, and prayer are the needed tools. Your mind is your greatest enemy and asset,” she says. “Everything that is meant for you will attract to you as long as you do your part.” Acting is a fairly new category for Brave. The biggest challenge has been letting herself go to be in the present. “Acting challenges me as an artist because it forces me to be authentic as my character. I have to turn off my mind and ask, what would the character do? Being an artist can be tough as we often overanalyze, overthink, and simply try to control our immediate situation. Acting releases that,” she says. While playing Shelby Quinn in Love Dot Com, Brave found similarities between herself and her character. “I related to her stubbornness. It was hard for her to not get out of her own way and appreciate what was in front of her,” she says. “That used to be a trait I exuded often growing up. Being a Taurus, I have to work on not being stuck in a particular mindset, as life is forever evolving and you have to be willing to keep an open mind.”

In the age of social media, it can be hard for young artists to find their footing and become their authentic selves. There is the constant lure of following the pack to stay relevant. “In 2019, I feel like it is much harder for you to be an individual. Girls want to look like the Instagram models they see and want to start doing those type of things to gain attention,” Brave explains. “It’s not even who they are—they are just doing it because the next girl is doing it. I would simply say: find out who you are, be confident and show the world that person.” “I used to be all about my work, and I still am, but I am now open to the idea of finding that special person.” Brave is busy finishing up her debut album, Brave Williams, and filming the film, Available Wife, which made us ask if she was dating anyone. “I have opened myself up to the idea. I used to be all about my work, and I still am, but I am now open to the idea of finding that special person. The energy you put out into the universe will come back to you. There was a long period of time where I wasn’t putting that energy out. It simply wasn’t important to me. But now I have graduated to another level. If “Prince Charming” happens to hit my shopping cart in Whole Foods, I’ll take it.” As cliché as it may sound, being yourself is never a bad thing. Your life becomes more joyful in the process of finding the authentic you. Stylist: Sinceré Armani | Makeup: Jamaya Moore | Photographer: Paul Greene | Editor: Year 2139 Corp.

Early on, it is important for young artists to carve out their own paths. Brave struggled with her confidence early in her career. “Your journey is sincerely your journey. You have to make sure you don’t get distracted by someone else or things you see or from the images you click on. You have to make sure you aren’t chasing an idea of what you think you should look like, sound like, or act like. You need to hone in on who you are and simply give that because everything that is meant for you will attract to you as long as you do your part,” Brave says. “I wish someone had told me that. As an artist, we’re like sponges. You build on the idea in your mind that, ‘When I meet this person, I’m sure they are expecting me to look and act like this or the song needs to be this as opposed to what I really want to sing in my heart.’ So, I got to a point where I was able to find my own voice and confidence in who I am. I put my foot down and said, ‘You don’t have to be someone you’re not.’”

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