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by Christian P Lopez

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Readers, Spring-time is approaching in Los Angeles & the weather is… well its hot… like it is every season (sorry world no suprises there). Unlike our weather however our magazine is winding up content with more exclusives that get better & better each page that you turn. This issue we feature Model “Puma Dumar”, who is also an actor with many other hidden talents. His many gifts are quite surprising & his story teaches us a lesson. Puma used his base as an outlet to accomplish many things outside of modeling, such as being involved within his community, coaching wrestling for 5-12 year olds & being an active board member in his community counsel. Be prepared to be inspired & uncover his story on page 8. We also get up, close & personal with many actresses in this issue, a big plus for the #metoomovement. We cover Vivica A Fox on her new plans & projects, Andie Macdowell who is featured in the movie “Love After Love’ (critically acclaimed to be a must watch by many major movie reviewers) plus we have an exclusive inside look at Jennifer Morrison’s debut film (as a director) for “Sun Dogs”, yes “Winona Kirk” from “Star Trek” & “Zooey” from “How I Met Your Mother”, worked up a legendary production & you don’t want to miss out on the details. Be sure to check out “Sun Dogs” on Netflix (after the read of course) & a big thank you to all the hardworking writers who worked so hard to bring you these stories, & thank you for choosing Hollywood Weekly as your go to entertainment source.

Enjoy,

Prather Jackson KEEP UP WITH HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY AT hollywoodweeklymagazine.com

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Publisher/Editor IN CHIEF Prather Jackson VICE PRESIDENT Bernice Harris Michael D. Coxson MANAGING EDITOR Prather Jackson FEATURE EDITOR Adrienne Papp MARKETING & SALES Launy Rhem AFRICA OPERATIONS Egor Efiok Award Winning Filmmaker & Director General Of Callywood Studios +447932399204 / +2348063167990 ASIA OPERATION Joyce Penas Pilarsky HWM Asia Ambassador Email: info@joycepilarsky.com Bench Bello HWM Asia Operations hollywoodmagazineusa@gmail.com Mobile +639273895559 GRAPHIC DESIGNER Christian Patrick Lopez ASSOCIATE EDITOR Nitara Osborne MUSIC EDITOR Dick Michaels LIFE & STYLE DIRECTOR Niki Shadrow-Snyder PRODUCTION MANAGER Alberto Arellano FEATURED WRITER Alex A. Kecskes Barbara Burke WEB DESIGNER Prather Jackson ART DIRECTOR Karina Pacheco CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Johnny Nunez Michael Kovac DISTRIBUTORS MADER NEWS GOLD KEY MEDIA NEWS INFLIGHT, INC

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by Christian P Lopez

No Gossip, Strictly Entertainment

8. The Many Sides of Puma Dumar by Barbara Burke 14. Love After Love: Andie Macdowell

by Allison Kugel 18. Hotter Than Ever Vivica A. Fox: Disarmingly Real by Allison Kugel 24. Sun Dogs: Jennifer Morrison’s Must Watch Debut Film by Alex A. Kecskes 30. The Lullabys Reine Swart by Alex A. Kecskes 32. Road To Success by Tatiana Davidov 40. EZ Way And American Cancer Society Make A Difference by Dante Obligacion 46. Allois Transcending Surrealistic Dreams Hollywood Style by Barbara Burke 50. Real Deal Advice I’d GIve Myseld by Dr. Jai HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 7

The Ma

Sides Puma Du

by Barbara Burke 8 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 8 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

ny

Puma Dumar/Hollywood Weekly

of mar

Feature Editor Adrienne Papp HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 9

"Our country’s poor education systems

are my

main concern" 10 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Puma Dumar/Hollywood Weekly

" 90th Oscars Host Jimmy Kimmel HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 11

“

Puma is charismatic.” said Violet Scott, an event producer and founder of Jade Earth Events, LLC. “He’s devoted and debonair.

I have had the pleasure of working with him Puma at Erotik Cherry Delites on February 9, 2018.”

An aspiring actor, an accomplished model, an aficionado of R&B and of all music and genres that are hip and feelin’ the vibe, Isaiah “Puma” Dumar is up and coming. He is an emerging talent to watch.

Hollywood Weekly sat down with him to catch up and see where he is headed.

HW: “You are an accomplished model and have succeeded in that space. What are your other areas of interest?”

PD: “Singing is one of my favorite hobbies and I sing a lot.

I grew up listening to a lot of R&B and that still is my favorite genre of music.”

HW: “Why does music speak so much to you?”

PD: “Everyone I know is involved in making music. Music is life. It is in the soul and it keeps people smiling and alive.

I love music. I’ve been around IT since I was young. I played the tuba as a child. My parents are old school and strict, so I listened to a lot of old school, R&B and clean music. I wasn’t allowed to listen to a lot of rap inside of my house. My sister listened to a lot of 90s R&B, so she introduced me to that. My male friends and rest of my family growing up introduced me to rap. Rap is hard to avoid.”

12 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Puma Dumar & Friends/Hollywood Weekly

HW: “What have you done in the music space and what are your aspirations?”

PD: “I write music, but I don’t have any official music recorded on the Internet. I had a podcast for a couple years called The Elevation Station and The Elevated Podcast, that’s probably the only thing on YouTube of me that I posted.”

HW: “What are your experiences in modeling?”

PD: “Docherty is the agency in Pittsburgh that I model with.”

Puma’s agent, Debra Docherty whose agency operates out of Pittsburgh and Cleveland, is most impressed with him.

“I have known Puma for a year.”

He was a model for University Tees and did some work social media modeling for Dick’s Sporting Goods.” She said.

“Puma’s very ambitious and built for modeling. He booked his first job in Cleveland and took a Greyhound bus to get there.” Docherty is impressed with Puma’s attitude and motivation “His greatest potential is that he is good-humored, he’s

interesting and he catches a person’s eye. He’s definitely got potential and I’m proud to be his agent in Pennsylvania and Ohio.”

Resuming the convo with Puma, Hollywood Weekly found out more details.

HW: “Where did you grow up?

Did you attend university?”

PD: “I grew up on the Northside of Pittsburgh. I went to Slippery Rock University for Physical Education with a minor in Coaching and my third year, I switched my major to Applied Philosophy. Later that year, I decided that would be my last year at SRU. I still further my education every single day, but college was slowing me down at the time. I played sports in middle school and high school, participating in wrestling, football and tennis, and I played flag football in college.”

HW: “I heard you are very interested in social justice issues. What is your biggest such interest?

PD: “Our country’s poor educa-

tion systems are my main concern because that’s the root of the problems in our society. I work at The Pittsburgh Project, an after school program that I grew up in since I was in the second grade. I do that to have a direct mentorship over the youth in my community. A lot of my own mentors come from TPP. I know the impact it had on me was different than had I just attended the public school system without it. I also serve as a Board Member for My Community Citizens Counsel.”

HW: “Why do you have such a significant interest in helping the next generation?

PD: “I try to be involved in my community as much as possible. I coach wrestling for five to twelve year old children at the after school program I grew up in known as The Pittsburgh Project. I was in acting classes and plays there when I was younger. The help of adults in those programs helped to shape what I am today.”

HW: “And now for the big news – I hear you’re expanding more and more into acting?”

PD: “I have web series’ coming out soon. I was in acting classes in school and my after school program when I was in elementary school. I like entertaining people, making people laugh and stress less. Ever since I started modeling, people tell me I have the look and doing radio showed me that people like my personality. The Docherty Agency liked me a lot for my personality also. I went out to LA a year ago to pursue my modeling and music career (I was managing my friend,

Matic Santana, who raps). I moved back to Pittsburgh to build my entertainment network even more than before. I plan to travel the world with entertainment, but I want to start by going back to California.” Family, friends, and food are important to Puma. “My Mom is a Chef.

Freda the Dessert Diva!” He said, smiling as if he’d just tasted one of her creations.

Affable, talented and ambitious, Puma is definitely going places. “I met Puma when he was working as a model.

While working on my film, He reached out to me for a round of auditions and gave a great cold reading that my staff and I enjoyed. We gave him the part instantly.”

Producer-Director Brett Allen said. “Puma brings an element of professionalism with him on set every time while heightening his performance and taking direction very well.

I will be using him again soon and can’t wait to see what other roles he may play whether it be theater or film.”

Puma Dumar/Hollywood Weekly

Dion Dupree of X.O.D. Network Owner and C.E.O. of Grind Mode Music Management LLC, couldn’t agree more.

“As a music company and television network owner, a talent like Puma is a well-respected and appreciated.” Dupree said.

“He exemplifies professionalism and passion. I am able to confidently focus on the deliverables knowing he is experienced during camera time and able to produce high quality imaging needed to enhance our works.”

Hollywood is waiting and Hollywood Weekly is proud to introduce Puma Dumar.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 13

Andie Macdowell photo by Sam Jones

Love AfterLove Andie MacDowell

by Allison Kugel 14 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 14 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

pressure to entertain the audience, or is your allegiance solely to bringing out the truth of this character?

Andie MacDowell: I don’t think about it as entertaining the audience. I think it’s about touching your audience. When I read a book or watch a movie, I feel what the characters are feeling. Sometimes when I watch a movie, I almost feel like I’m in the movie. It’s more along the lines of being honest. And this character, Suzanne, she is so beautifully written. It’s about taking someone on the same journey that these characters go on. In the beginning of the film, she has such confidence and she is very lucky in her life. You see her drinking and having fun with all these people, and there is so much love around her. Then she goes through complete devastation from the loss of her husband, and then it’s the slow road back, including her learning how to have sex with another man. Our director, Russell Harbaugh, is a true artist and I think this movie looks like a piece of art. Although there is nudity throughout the whole film, it’s done in such an artistic way that it makes the story that much richer because you just feel like you are watching these people’s lives.

Nudity in this film feels human A

ctress Andie MacDowell’s appeal is in her ethereal glow.

From her crown of dark cascading curls to her porcelain complexion and delicate features, MacDowell’s sweet yet sultry sensuality captivated movie-going audiences with hits like Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Green Card, Groundhog’s Day and Four Weddings and a Funeral. She has always played the woman of great desire who orbits just outside of the male lead’s reach... that is, until he figures out how to win her over.

As Andie tells it, her “it girl” status throughout the late eighties and the whole of the nineties was a thrill ride, but left her feeling torn between an A-List movie career and being a hands-on mother to her three children.

It was then she resolved to stop making movies backto-back, but to choose her projects more carefully, kicking the tires first to be sure the role was worth time away from her family.

Over the last eighteen years, MacDowell has continued to work steadily, choosing roles that move her, make her think, and those that al-

low her to unpack her more provocative side. In 2015’s Magic Mike XXL, MacDowell played Nancy, the flirtatious older woman who unapologetically has her way with Joe Manganiello’s character. It’s safe to say that at this stage in MacDowell’s career she is doing anything but playing it safe on screen.

In her latest film, Love After Love, MacDowell tackles the role of the beautifully confident Suzanne, a wife and mother of two grown sons (played by Chris O’Dowd and James Adomian). She is loving her life (including her sex life) until her husband’s declining health and his death leaves her and her family reeling with grief, bitterness, and fear, as they try to regain their equilibrium.

Andie and I sat down for a frank discussion about growing older in Hollywood, embracing each stage of life, the #MeToo movement, finding her spiritual center and the enigmatic definition of happiness.

Allison Kugel: When you’re making a movie like Love After Love where the subject matter is heavier and about loss, do you feel

AK: I watched your interview on Off Camera with Sam Jones and you were talking about being sick HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 15 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 15

and tired of women being objectified on film, but there is a difference in how nudity is presented in Love After Love.

AM: Nudity in this film feels human, and similar in the way men’s and women’s nude bodies are depicted. The forms and the shapes and how we were laying on the bed. It’s shown as being real and a part of life.

AK: You can see your humanity in the way it was filmed.

AM: And that’s the difference. It wasn’t how women are usually seen. I think women have quite often been used in movies as an object for men. And, you know what, there’s a lot of naked men in this movie. It’s part of the story, and the way it’s presented, you don’t even think about it in that way.

AK: You’ve said that you were starving for this type of a role. Beyond the need to no longer be typecast, did playing Suzanne in Love After Love allow you to work out events and emotions from your own life?

Was it therapeutic for you?

AM: I have such a well and a huge depth of life experience that I haven’t had the opportunity to use on film. I saw so much that I could do with this character. She has all these different parts of herself. She has this lusty confidence; she’s a self-assured woman that’s not ashamed that she had an open marriage. And then she crumbles. But she is heroic in taking care of her husband, and then devastated at losing him and you then see her destroyed.

And then she is trying to start over, and she has that humbling experience of having sex with the person she works with. In the scene where she loses it on the young actress, I really wanted to play that part of things, the ability to be cruel because you’re in pain. We do that as mature women. We’re fed up as mature women and we lash out sometimes.

It’s a true moment in the film.

AK: Do you feel a sense of relief that the kinds of roles you’re getting to play now are more character-driven, as opposed to the young female lead that you played in the nineties?

AM: I’m thankful for all the jobs I’ve had, and I’ve gotten to do some great parts. I don’t 16 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

have any regrets, and I think those roles suited me at that age and time. I think as you get older, you are a character (laughs). You have a lot more depth by the time you’re my age, because you’ve had to struggle. My life has not been a piece of cake. I understand what it is to have a complex life, because my life has been complex. By the time you’re my age, you see things differently and I think you have more to offer in a way.

AK: How did you feel about being cast as Chris O’Dowd’s mother in this film, playing the mother of an adult child?

AM: I am old enough to be his mother. And I just played another character, recently, where I tried to look even older. I don’t have a problem with looking older. I think I can play ten years older and ten years younger. At some points in the film I looked older than at other times. I think that happens all the time, in real life too, depending on how you’re feeling. I think when you’re sad you look old. I looked younger in the beginning of this film, because I’m happy. And I looked older later in the film because I was damn tired and sad! I think you age like ten years when you’re that sad.

AK: This movie is about grieving and finding your way back after the loss of a loved one. What are the things that you turn to when the ground starts to shake beneath your feet? How do you come back to center?

AM: Oh, I’m always looking for center. I hike a lot and I like to be in nature around trees. I love to ride horses…

AK: Me too!

AM: Do you? They say that it has a physical effect on you.

AK: I believe that. I always say that riding horses is my yoga. People are always bugging me to do yoga and it’s not really my thing. Riding gives me that meditative state.

AM: I should be riding right now. It’s soothing and calming, it lowers your cortisol levels. It’s good for everything. Being around animals in general is really comforting.

TO BE CONTINUED......

Andie Macdowell photo by Sam Jones text by Christian P Lopez

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 17

Vivica A. Fox photo by Blake Little

by Allison Kugel 18 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

ind, conscientious, courageous and refreshingly candid, Ms. Vivica A. Fox has proven that as Hollywood careers go, second acts are often the sweetest. The multihyphenate actress-directorbeauty entrepreneur-author is embracing life and not looking back, except to pull from her well of wisdom for her new memoir, Every Day I’m Hustling. And if you know Vivica like I got to know her during our conversation, you’d think the book’s title quite fitting. She enjoys hard work and has no plans to slow down.

Born Vivica Anjanetta Fox on the outskirts of Indianapolis, she went by Angie Fox, one of four siblings being raised by divorced mother who worked overtime to provide for her children.

Her childhood home was hectic but loving and provided fertile ground for Vivica to aspire for things grander than her midwestern upbringing.

After high school, she made her way to Southern California to attend college, all the while seeking out opportunities in Los Angeles to model and act wherever she could. It was in LA that Angie became Vivica A. Fox. She worked her way through the ranks on sitcoms and daytime soaps, and in 1996 got her breakthrough role opposite Will Smith in the classic blockbuster, Independence Day. Next came a string of fan favorites including Set It Off, Soul Food, Two Can Play That Game, Kill Bill Volume I and II, and a string of subsequent roles in film and television, including Larry David’s sharp-witted houseguest, Loretta Black, on Curb Your Enthusiasm and Skye in the campy Sharknado franchise. Her eclectic career has kept her on the move for nearly three decades.

In 2016, Vivica joined the cast of the smash hit television series, Empire, playing conservative suburbanite Candace, Cookie Lyon’s (Taraji P. Henson) older sister and character foil.

During our interview we covered everything from movie stardom and maternal instincts to social media drama, setting boundaries and finding love.

Allison Kugel: When are you Angie and when are you Vivica? When do you take off the Vivica and become Angie from Indianapolis?

Vivica A. Fox: Well first off, that’s Angie Fox from 38th and Emerson in Indianapolis (laughs)! I’m Vivica Fox when I hit that red carpet and I’m ready to slay the game. That’s what I do. But I love that I have in my life, and in my journey, learned when to be Angie Fox. And that’s mainly when I’m with my family, time off, hanging out with my godchildren, having my Me Time and learning to take Me Time. That’s when I’m no makeup, baseball cap, chilling and blending in.

Allison Kugel: Do you prefer yourself that way?

Vivica A. Fox: Oh my gosh! To be honest with you, the older I’ve gotten, the more I prefer it. I work so much; I’ve been so blessed and so busy lately that I enjoy when I can have that Me Time.

In fact, today I don’t have to be on. That’s what I really love about being with my godchildren.

When they see me, I’m just G.G. or G-ma. G.G. stands for Gorgeous Godmother. G-ma, I don’t know where they got that one from, but I have five godchildren. Two of them call me G-ma and the other ones call me G.G. They like hanging with me. Not the drama or the glamour, they just want me.

Allison Kugel: I love the part in your book where your godson, Christian, sees you all done up as Vivica A. Fox, and he gives you that side eye like he doesn’t recognize you, and you say, “It’s okay, I’m just wearing my Vivica costume.” Then he asks, “You’re still my G.G., right?” And you reassure him that it’s still you.

Vivica A. Fox: It’s funny because he was just a baby the first time he saw me like that, and he was like, “Who are you!?” He was so used to seeing me in my tracksuit and baseball cap. But now at seven, he kind of likes it when he sees the reaction I get from people. He’s done a couple of red carpet events with me and he knows the difference between the two.

Allison Kugel: Coming from the Midwest, your father was a school administrator, your mother worked for a pharmaceutical company, so you really had no ties to entertainment, or Los Angeles for that matter. What gave you that spark of courage, that spark that made you believe that you could become a successful actress?

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 19

20 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Vivica A. Fox photo by Blake Little

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 21 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 21

Vivica A. Fox photo by Blake Little

22 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Vivica A. Fox: I was introduced to the world of fashion and modeling by Madame King, my late auntie. She had her own beauty salon back in the day. She was the first one to cut my hair and put me on a runway. I was kind of bitten by the bug at thirteen. From that point forward, I just fell in love with magazines and fashion. Then I went to go see Michael Jackson in concert, and Diana Ross in concert. I had never seen African Americans being so fabulous, and I was like, “Where do they live? That’s where I’m going! That’s what I want to do.” I decided that during my senior year in high school. But I had to trick my mama (laughs) and tell her I was going to college in California, and I did go to college. But I would be sneaking up to Hollywood and going to modeling agencies. I had a girlfriend who was an actress, and I used to read lines with her. She would say, “You’re pretty good at this, you should try it.”

Allison Kugel: Your book is part memoir and part motivational guidebook for success. Tell me about your mentor, or mentors…

Vivica A. Fox: My mentor would have to be a good friend of mine, and my first acting coach, Sheila Wills. I’m her two daughters’ godmother.

Sheila, I met when I was doing [the daytime soap opera] Generations. She took me under her wing, and she would work with me with auditions. I would go into those auditions and just nail them.

I attribute my success to her. She would say, “Vivica, you’ve got to stay ready. You got to be ready. You’ve got to take care of yourself.” And people who inspired me to be who I am would be Diana Ross and Pam Grier.

Allison Kugel: Do you know that you’re incredibly sexy? Is that something you’re aware of?

Vivica A. Fox: Well, okay now!

Allison Kugel: I’m not pulling your leg. You really do ooze sensuality. Do you know that?

Vivica A. Fox: Thank you! I appreciate that. Got to keep it tight and right, girl (laughs)!

Allison Kugel: More so now, than twenty years ago, in my opinion…

Vivica A. Fox: Maybe because… No, not maybe!

Because I am comfortable in my own skin. I’m very comfortable with me. I have embraced my womanhood through my pluses and my minuses.

I’m good with me right now, so that’s what you’re seeing. My spirit is happy, more than anything else. It’s taken awhile, and that’s something I want to share with people. My book is a motivational memoir. I, too, have fallen down and had to figure out how to get back up and create new chapters for myself. I want to encourage, enlighten and inspire other people.

Allison Kugel: Why did you choose to share your journey with menopause in the book?

Vivica A. Fox: It’s part of life. It’s going to happen.

And it’s like you just asked, “Do you know that you’re sexy right now?” But do people also know that for the last few years, that’s what’s been going on in my life? I embraced it and I got in front of it. I didn’t let it define me or make me want to whittle away. I don’t know why with women, we can’t talk about our bodies and what we go through, share it with others, and not feel like we have to hide that from people. I’m sharing it, and I got in front of it and took care of myself. I really feel like it made me take good care of myself.

Allison Kugel: And being that your image is sexy, you weren’t afraid of putting that out there…

Vivica A. Fox: No, not at all. You’re going to have naysayers and people that are going to try to come and say something, and they can. But I’m still me. It doesn’t change who I am. I’m still all woman.

Allison Kugel: When it comes to social media feuds and this clap back culture we’re living in, when do you take the high road and not respond, and when do you feel the need to clap back?

Vivica A. Fox: I will clap back occasionally, but to be very honest with you, if it’s not necessary, I don’t like that. I’m not one of those people who became famous by being a controversial celebrity. Normally, I’ll click on who that person is and see if they’re even worth it. If it’s somebody that you can tell is wanting to make TheShadeRoom or seeking attention, I just block them. They’re not worth it. When I clap back, it’s when somebody comes at me or I have to set the record straight.

TO BE CONTINUED........

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 23 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 23

C

hicago born and raised, Jennifer Morrison studied Theater and English at Loyola University, then acting at the Steppenwolf Theater Company. Her movie debut came in 1994, playing the daughter of Richard Gere and Sharon Stone in “Intersection.” Various film and television roles followed, including the lead in “Urban Legends: Final Cut.” She rose to prominence as Dr. Allison Cameron in the television series “House,” which earned her a prestigious Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. She has also had key roles in “Star Trek,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Warrior,” and as the unforgettable Emma Swan in “Once Upon a Time.”

In “Sun Dogs,” Morrison directs a uniquely poignant comedy/drama—her first feature—about a young man who is determined to be a military hero but follows a misguided adventure that ultimately leads him to the most unlikely realization of how he can courageously “save lives.”

HW: Thank you for taking the time for this interview. Why did you choose “Sun Dogs” as your first feature film to direct?

Jennifer Morrison: I responded to the script and I care about the characters. I loved the overriding message of looking for your purpose and realizing that the smallest things can make the biggest difference. But ulti24 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 24 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Jennifer Morrison & Michael Angarano Courtesy of Netflix and Caviar

"Sometimes

success is connection or love or hope"

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 25 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 25

Sun Dogs Poster Courtesy of Netflix and Caviar

26 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

mately, when you’re trying to direct your first feature, you struggle to find great material. I was very lucky that the scriptwriter liked my short film and was willing to option this script to me.

HW: What challenges did you face in directing your first feature?

JM: It’s interesting when you’re setting out to make something like this, you have no idea of the challenges you’re facing, which makes it possible for you to face them. Some of it was just sheer determination mixed with naïveté and sort of the perfect storm. The greatest challenges I ultimately faced were trying to get the money, find the producers and put it all together, which is its own journey. Another challenge was that I originally conceived of doing this project in hiatus between seasons 5 and 6 (of “Once Upon a Time”), I thought I’d be doing post in Vancouver and that that would make it possible. But it turned out that one of the financial partners had post facilities in L.A., and those facilities, given in kind, made the budget work. So post work had to be in L.A. The challenge then was how do I star in a television show and edit a film in two different countries. It was really wild. But it forced me to rely on people in a very particular way. I developed an amazing relationship with my editor. We had formed this long-distance shorthand to work remotely. I flew 70,000 miles between L.A. and Vancouver in three months. I had to take the 6 a.m. flight out of Vancouver, be in the editing room for six hours and back on the 8:30 p.m. flight and start working the next day. I was not sleeping more than four hours a night. But you learn a lot doing that. It forced me to be creative in a way that I looked for solutions in the edit. It also forced me to have a different

"

perspective because I had to find a way. It’s a process that helped me grow tremendously.

HW: Why did you cast Michael Angarano and Melissa Benoist in the key roles of this emotionally complex story?

JM: Michael was the first one I cast. There were six guys who wanted the role and they were all wonderful. I felt I could have made six different movies based on those six different actors. But Michael was exactly what I imagined when I read the script. I was just lucky enough that he loved the material and he was willing to bet on this film and me. He jumped on board really early. And the next two puzzle pieces were Ed O’Neill and Allison Janney. It was incredible that they believed in me and the project, and they were absolutely stunning to work with. Melissa was kind of late in the game. She was the last person cast because Tally was a tricky role. What actress was going to seem streetwise enough to scam this guy to get by and make money yet be naive enough to fall for Ned and not see what was really going on. It required a real delicate balance in performance, personality, and energy. My casting director, Tamara Notcutt really liked Melissa. When you watch “Supergirl,” you don’t think she’s the girl to play Tally. But we had a great conversation and Melissa was so sweet and down to earth talking about her life’s journey and what’s she’s been through. She had this amazing mix of innocence and worldliness. She was just the right person for this film.

HW: Most directors say they wish they had more time or a bigger budget? What do you say now?”

JM: More time. But to have more time, you need a bigger budget. I didn’t want more

We shot Sun Dogs in 18 days with no overtime

"

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 27 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 27

money. I didn’t want my first feature to have this huge burden of money on my shoulders, feeling like if I don’t make all this money back, I’ve failed. The more I could do for less money, the better I’d feel about it. We shot “Sun Dogs” in 18 days with no overtime. I would have loved more time. It was absolutely brutal to try to achieve what we did in 18 days. It forced me to have a very clear plan, be incredibly prepared, and leave no time to stray from the plan, which had to work. It was priceless to have learned that and something I’ll take with me for the rest of my career.

JM: I loved all the scenes with Ned and Bob. I love that scene in the desert between the two of them with this real moment of Bob being the dad. I also love the scene with Ned and Tally in the trailer when Tally starts to reveal her past and what she went through with her mom. It’s a very sweet and tender scene. And I love that moment in the kitchen with Allison and Michael, where she says get the credentials and she has that glimpse of him as a little boy saying I’ll save you. These moments feel relational and familial and are universally relatable.

HW: What do you look for in a film you decide to direct?

JM: I’ve been trying to figure out how to articulate that. I have these reactions to things that are a bit intangible. I will grab on to something so intensely that I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t imagine not making it and feel absolutely possessed that I have to make it. Right now, I’m chasing the rights to something that’s not a great script but I see the movie that I think it should be. So I can’t explain why it grabbed my heart that way, but I feel I have to find a way to make the movie I see in my head.

HW: “Sun Dogs” speaks to the heart on many levels. What do you see as the film’s core message?

JM: It’s that we can all have hope and that we can ultimately find a place and purpose in this world. It might seem absurd or small in one person’s perspective but it might be massive in the way it impacts someone else.

We live in a culture where we’re so caught up in what the American dream is or what success looks like, and we’ve kind of lost the human element along the way where success isn’t always dollar signs. Sometimes success is connection or love or hope. We’re rewarding or acknowledging that right now. So it was nice to express that in a way that was palatable and relatable.

HW: When you see that movie in your head, do you also see the people you want to cast in it?

JM: Every once in a while. I usually see the lead character. It’s almost like the way you feel when you read a great book. You see the book in your mind as you read it. And you kind of see the form of those people in those roles.

HW: As Marie, you had a small role in “Sun Dogs.” Why did you choose to act in this film?

JM: The financiers wanted me to be in it. I was trying to avoid being in it. It was a very small sacrifice—two scenes in one day—but my hat’s off to these directors who star in their own films. It’s just so much to juggle.

HW: What was your favorite scene in “Sun Dogs” and why?

28 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

HW: You have this impressive body of work as an actor, what finally drove you to pursue directing?

JM: It felt like kind of a natural progression.

I started directing theater when I was really young—in high school and college. I also directed some theater in L.A. I spent so much of my life on sets and you start to pick up some of the technical stuff and pay attention to certain things. I started looking at films differently, shot by shot because you’re living inside of them. I realized you could learn a lot by doing that. I’d watch Scorsese’s films, then watch his references. And I’d repeat that with the Coen brothers. Basically, I’d take all my free time on sets and educate myself about Allois being interviewed at the 2018 LA Art Show - Photo by Jörge

filmmaking. Then more people would start telling me I should direct. I didn’t want to start with a feature, so I started with a short film called “Warning Labels.” I was so lit up creatively doing it that I couldn’t imagine not pursuing more directing at the point.

Jennifer Morrison On Film Set Photo Courtesy of Netflix and Caviar

HW: What do you like about superhero and sci-fi films and would you ever want to direct one?

JM: Absolutely. What a great way to reach the world. Look what “Black Panther” is doing right now. Films like these offer a huge platform because they’re interesting and layered and they speak to what’s going on in diversity, integration, and women’s rights.

HW: Can you go into “Fabled,” the next film you’ll be directing?

JM: It’s a digital pilot. I did this as a director for hire. Zosia Mamet and her husband approached me with this film that dismantles the patriarchal ideas in fairy tales and looks at them from a more female-driven perspective. They felt I had a depth of knowledge of the fairy tale world.

HW: Do you still pal around with “Once Upon a Time” cast mates Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas?

JM: We text and talk but we’re all being pulled in different directions. We are forever family and forever bonded.

HW: In addition to directing, your acting dance card seems pretty full, with four films coming out this year. How and when will you have time to unwind?

JM: I’m working really hard to figure that one out. But I love what I do. I haven’t seen “Back Roads” yet, so I’m excited to see that at Tribeca. I just wrapped on “Superfly” and they already have a release date of mid-June.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 29

Reine Swart photo courtesy of Reine Swart

by Alex A. Kecskes 30 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

est known for films like “Die Pro,” and “Detour,” actress and filmmaker Reine Swart has appeared in a number of popular TV series, including Syfy’s “Z Nation,” “Dominion,” BBC’s “Jamillah and Aladdin” and National Geographic’s “Origins.” She also stars in “The Empty Man.” Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Swart currently resides in Portland, Oregon. ,She earned a degree in Industrial Engineering at the University of Pretoria. In the horror thriller “The Lullaby,” Swart is Chloe van Heerden, a 19-year old who struggles with being an unwed new mom while being haunted by horrific visions surrounding her child.

Alex Kecskes: Thank you for taking the time for this interview. “The Lullaby” is an intense, unsettling thriller. What drew you to this film?

RS: In South Africa, it was called “Siembamba,” a very famous lullaby there. The lullaby has these terrible words and its history drew me in from the beginning. It was an interesting topic to research and a story that hadn’t been told on film.

The other thing was the psychology behind everything. You can view it as post-partum psychosis, which is the way I saw it.

It’s an intriguing and very scary mental illness.

AK: Did you audition for this lead role? If so, what was that like?

Reine Swart: I looked at the sides and I’ve always been in-

trigued by anything that’s a bit sureal. When I got the audition, I thought I’d misunderstood what they wanted because when I arrived in the casting room, all the girls were really pretty with lots of makeup. But I showed up without makeup, my hair was a mess, and I had this gown on. I looked like I was just getting out of bed. So I told myself, I’m just going to do this the way I see it. And it turned out that I did understand the sides and they were impressed enough to give me the role.

AK: What did you draw from to imbue Chloe with such a troubling mix of rage and vulnerability?

RS: I’m a very calm person, though I can be strict in real life.

But I’m not really quarrelsome.

So it was a challenge for me to be the opposite of how I am. I had researched people like Andrea Yates who suffered from post-partum psychosis and had killed five of her children.

You’re not in your right mind at that point. What she did was so terrible but she needed medical attention. It was the same with Chloe. I couldn’t judge her because she needed help.

AK: There were a number of disturbing scenes in this film.

What scene did you find most challenging?

RS: The rape scene was very unsettling for me. As was the scene where Chloe hurts the baby. When I read that in the script, I had to call my mom and ask her to read those parts and talk about them. She told me that one of her friends had post-partum psychosis. Thankfully her friend’s child is still alive.

AK: You were covered in blood a number of times in the film.

Did you ever look in the mirror and say who is that?

RS: I didn’t recognize myself.

I looked completely different. I had dark hair. I didn’t feel like myself at all.

AK: While “The Lullaby” is unmistakably a horror film, do you feel it makes a social statement?

RS: I feel that despite the horror portrayed, we shouldn’t judge people. If someone has a mental illness like Chloe, we shouldn’t take it lightly because it’s really scary. If it was me and it was real life, I wouldn’t be able to live with that.

AK: You have a diverse and extensive body of work. What advice would you give a young aspiring actor?

RS: I took a lot of workshops and acting courses. It’s so important to network and to let people see your work, especially directors who come to these courses and workshops. I sometimes see people that are very talented.

You shouldn’t just email everyone. You need to get out there, meet people and network.

AK: You earned a degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pretoria. What made you switch careers to acting?

RS: I was acting while I was studying engineering. My parents just wanted me to get a degree. I’m very grateful to them for making me pursue that, but in my final year, I got a lead role in a South African soap opera.

So I finished my degree and I feel certain I’d be able to play a terrific industrial engineer.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 31

Rodney Allen Rippy photo courtesy of Tatiana Davidov

Road to Success byTatiana Davidov

32 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Rodney Allen Rippy!

Who doesn’t remember this cute kid with an infectious smile? Rodney became an overnight sensation and a national spokesman for the Jack in the Box back in the 70s. I was a kid back then myself, but from what I’ve learned - he was the biggest child star of that time!

This kid guest-starred at many iconic TV shows, appeared on national magazine covers and performed with some of the biggest entertainment legends of the era. Rodney even recorded an album with Bell Records, and in 1973 at a tender age of five he became the youngest person ever to be on the Music Billboard Charts with the song “Make Life a Little Easier.”

By the way, this record still has not been yet surpassed by anyone! Kids were wearing yellow sweatshirts with his face in the front, and to top it all the Mattel Toys

have produced the replica talking doll of three-year old Rodney. How cool is that?

Well, time flew by. Rodney grew up. He still has got it - the same smile, great personality, integrity and the drive of a Man who works his hardest to follow his heart and pursue his goals and dreams.

Why don’t we take a look behind the scene, and find out what is he doing today?

Born and raised in Long Beach, California, Rodney upon graduating from California State University, Dominguez Hills, has earned his Bachelor Degree in marketing with a minor in advertising. He has established an independent production company, and his acting resume has quite a few cool gigs over the years.

My first question pops up automatically: “So, Rodney, is it still ‘too big-a eat’?”

The younger generations won’t know what’s behind

this phrase. These words were referring to a Jumbo Jack Burger, which was bigger than his three-yearold face back in a day. And little Rodney was really trying to get a bite out of it right in front of the camera.

That video was made from his unrehearsed audition tape with just one take! The production company was so impressed with the genuine charisma of this kid, that they literally had closed the casting right away. This audition tape was used as an actual commercial and it became an instant hit.

Rodney’s first commercial is still available on YouTube and has currently 274,000 views. Those words ‘too big-a eat’ instantly have become the national catchphrase in 1973.

Anyway, back to the story. Rodney shrugged his shoulders without answering and just smiled back. I guess over the years he just HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 33

Rodney Allen Rippy photo courtesy of Tatiana Davidov

34 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

got used to this question.

By the way, he still has this same cute childish smile!

Skillfully he just switched the subject and started talking about his dream to someday own a restaurant or gourmet burger stand with his name on it. Let’s hope it will happen, and one day everyone will be able to eat a real burger from Rodney’s kitchen. Definitely, it’s never too big-o eat, or to dream!

Tatiana Davidov: What prompted you to even think about television, weren’t you timid or scared at all?

Rodney Allen Rippy: One afternoon I was watching “The Little Rascals” TV show. I was all by myself in the living room watching this show and laughing at Buckwheat. My Mom came in the room to see why I was laughing so much and she asked: “ What’s funny?” I told her that it was Buckwheat on the screen, and my Mom said: “What, do you think you can do that...you know...be on tv?”

I didn’t even hesitate and said “Yes!” My Mom posed, looked at me surprised with my reply and then asked if I would be afraid or shy at all with all those cameras and lights, and I said “No!” Mom looked at me again, walked over and picked up the Yellow Pages phone directory.

Back in the 70’s, there was an entire section for agents and talent coaches for acting, dance, music. What do you know, before the after-

noon had passed she had located a talent agency, and rest is a history now.

I’ve watched few times that tape with Rodney’s audition on Youtube; and every time I see a kid, who is so natural, with such a charisma and mischief. No hint of fear in front of the camera! This kid even managed to show off his good manners on tape, saying he couldn’t talk with his mouth full! I was surprised to learn that it was absolutely unrehearsed!

T: Millions of viewers were taken by the phenomenon of Rodney Allen Rippy, this pure and absolutely natural three-year-old, and almost overnight you became a household name for decades to come. So what happened next?

R: The Jack In The Box series of commercials was the launch of my career. Almost instantly I started working with the greatest names in Hollywood like Mel Brooks, George Burns, Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, just to name a few. I had guest appearances on shows like The Odd Couple, Laugh In, Police Story, Marcus Welby, MD, The Six Million Dollar Man, VEGAS, and few other ones. I did commercials for the Chevrolet Corporation, King Vitamin Cereal, Nehi Soda and so much more.

Besides being a guest-star in many popular television shows, Rodney also appeared frequently on talk shows such as “The Tonight

Show” with Johnny Carson and “Dinah’s Place” with Dinah Shore. He also had a co-starring role on the CBS Saturday morning show for children “The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine”. Rodney made his big screen debut in the Mel Brooks comedy “Blazing Saddles” in 1974. He portrayed a young Sheriff Bart aboard his parents’ buckboard wagon after a brutal Sioux nation attack. When the chief, portrayed by Brooks, allows the pioneers passage, with a fierce look in his eyes he said the only line, “Thank you.”

Fun trivia fact - In a Peanuts newspaper comic strip dated July 3, 1974, Snoopy awakens from a dream in which he “had been invited out to dinner by Rodney Allen Rippy!”

T: We know now that entire country fell in love with little Rodney. You were so popular that Mattel Toys even made a talking doll replicating 3-yearold Rodney! I just want to know if you still have this doll?

Without any words, Rodney swiftly gets up and brings out an old tattered memory box, full of priceless memorabilia. And there it was - little Rodney vintage doll with 7 pre-programmed phrases! By the way, this doll is a pretty rare collectible item nowadays. There was a lot of cool stuff in that old box, indeed memories of the era: laminated magazine artiHOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 35

cles, rare pictures, Jack in a Box happy meal toys, famous yellow sweatshirt with Rodney’s’ face on it, and that very same Bell Records vinyl record of the song he sang. Rodney was growing up in the limelight of such pressure and responsibilities to be a spokesman for a large fast-food chain at such young age. He felt at ease in front of the camera and kept telling his parents that he was having big fun doing it.

my father Fred were always my biggest supporters. They didn’t come from the entertainment industry.

We were just a normal family, and I was blessed with this opportunity to represent brands, meet and work with Hollywood royalty while never losing focus on the joys of just being just a kid!

They had a lot of love and guidance for me and my sister and brother, and that helped all three of us to become who we are today.

T: What was going on in your mind, how did it affected you in your day-today life.

R: My parents wanted me to have as normal childhood as possible, so I attended public school. I never felt like there was anything different between me and any other kid in the neighborhood. I grew up with chores, and I had to eat my vegetables just like all the rest of my friends.

T: How are you handling being a celebrity in a dayto-day life?

R: My outlook on life is simple. The work that I do is just a moment in time. I take a role to portray someone I am not and when the Director says CUT…..I go back to daily life. It’s a fun job and I’m happy to be a part of an industry that entertains, inspires people all around the world.

T: What did your friends were telling you? Were they nice to you or where they teasing?

R: My friends would say ‘I saw you on TV,’ and for me, it was just another day at work.

T: You always talk with such tenderness and love about your Mother! I bet she was your greatest supporter and influencer.

Please, tell me more about your parents.

R: My mother Flossie and 36 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

T: What’s now? What projects are you involved with nowadays?

R: Currently, I’m involved in a production of a comedy web series “Howie Goes To Hollywood” created and directed by prolific writer Elissa Hofelt. It will be airing in the late April. It’s a fun project, and I truly enjoy being a recurring character.

T: I heard two fans from that show are going to start a GoFundMe page for you to get a star on the walk of fame, is it true?

R: Yeah, I’ve heard that too.

It’s actually three wonderful actors I worked with on “Howie Goes To Hollywood” - Andre Kincaid, Drunnette Peterson-Hall and Derrick Tuggle. We all got along, and they knew my work when I was a kid, so they asked me? Do you have a star? I said NO, and they started this campaign which is beginning to snowball. It’s such a sweet gesture. I’m going to continue working and doing my thing, and if it happens, then great, that will be an icing on a cake.

Well, the interview was nearing its end. I have managed to ask Rodney a lot of serious and fun questions and get some good and straightforward answers. As I have imagined - Rodney is sharp, smart, funny, charming and very talented. From the times of being a cute child star he has matured through his unique life journey into a multitalented and diversified achiever, who is ready and capable of taking on and fulfilling different entertainment projects. One day there will be a star with his name on the Hollywood Boulevard walk of fame, that’s for sure.

The best is yet to come!

Rodney Allen Rippy photo courtesy of Tatiana Davidov

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ric EZ’ Zuley celebrated his birthday Saturday at an eZWay benefit in Orange County to raise money for the American Cancer Society. He divulged his newest innovative and ground breaking technologies to a sold out audience, as well as his latest achievements in the digital sphere. The crowd was star-studded and all ears as EZ’ offered up the advantages of utilizing his branding expertise and infinite capabilities in this new digital millennium. This collaboration was the perfect storm.

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This memorable benefit offered speakers from a wide range of fame and philanthropy. The festivities included live entertainment, raffle giveaways, expert advice from prominent CEO’s and a unforgettable performance by the legendary original Soul Train Dancers.

Kate Linder of “Young and the Restless” fame, was the evenings honorary recipient of the eZWay Achievement Award commemorating her contribution to the Television industry as Hollywood royalty.

Pepper Jay CEO of “The

Actors Reporter” shared valuable lessons in the fine art of addressing and maintaining your live audience and how to keep them focused at all times. This was incredibly well received and acknowledged by the masses. Pepper is a decisive force in Hollywood.

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Global” was showered with attention and accolades while offering the latest advantages that her Network offers in the realm of channels, content and far reaching capabilities. She was no doubt in the right place at the right time. Everyone was on the edge of their seats understanding the opportunities before them including

Kate Linder Receives The eZ Way Achievement Award 2018 photo by Adam Douglas

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 41 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 41

“Roseanne” cast 42 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 42 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

eZ Way Red Carpet photo by Adam Douglas

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 43 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 43

the prized Tvtogo application.

Tanya Brown, sister of Nicole Brown Simpson an extraordinary motivational speaker in her own right, shared the art of surviving catastrophic events, moving forward and saving souls by winning victories for humanity. She has absorbed the positive aspects of her sister Nicole and was able to quantify stellar results by enlightening the audience with style and grace, one of the highlights of the evening.

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Lori Boody Director of the American Cancer Society of San Diego was on hand to relish in the money that was raised by eZWay to advance the cause and make a monumental humanitarian difference.

Evan Disney, the Magic Castle Magician shared his comical magic techniques in his own inimitable way and was quite entertaining.

The night ended with a show-stopping performance of energy and choreography by the original Soul Train Dancers who once again cemented their legacy as the legendary Kings and Queens of Soul.

Other speakers included: Al Harris & Raquel Sanchez, Michaelene Gail Holder-March, Dave Vanhoose and Jeffery Standsfield.

Celebrities included: Lester P. Speight, Donna Spangler, Kate Linder, Katherine Kovin-Pacino and husband Bill, Micah Fitzgerald, Shea Vaughn, Reatha Grey, Tracy Repchuck, Allison Hilderbrandt Larson, Dr. Bridges, and the Women of Achievement Beauty Queens.

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This was truly an event encompassing a multitude of positive aspects; a room full of like-minded individuals with networking for the visionaries of tomorrow. The 16’ foot Red Carpet and elongated Media Walls were a perfect addition to carry on the legacy of eZWay. The event was broadcasted live by Advantage Video Systems and Voice America. Join the eZWay fan base and get connected to the wave of the future and position yourself for everlasting success.

44 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

eZ Way Red Carpet photo by Adam Douglas

eZ Way Red Carpet photo by Adam Douglas

Woman Of Achievement & Actor Lester P. Speight photo by Adam Douglas

Barbara Burke

46 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Allois Photo by Jรถrge

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY โ ข 47

S

urrealism had a great effect on me because then, I realized that the imagery in my mind wasn’t insanity. Surrealism to me is reality. ~ John Lennon “Art to me is like a dream. If you can go into a painting and dream the dream, the artist had when painting it, then you either buy it or have regrets.” said Joanna V. Cassidy (Who Framed Roger Rabbit; Blade Runner), a Hollywood collector who thoroughly revels in the art of Allois, one of Southern California’s most renowned surrealists whose unique, specialized works fly out of each exhibit where she shows, including, most recently, the L.A. Art Show and the L.A. Fashion Show. “I bought the painting Olive and Leila II because it has a twinkle and a wonderful story, and that particular day, I was thinking about past lives.” Cassidy said.

“I almost felt that was me in another lifetime.”

Each of Allios’ dreamy pieces have an accompanying allegory. The story behind Olive and Leila says: “My name is Leila. Olive is my butler. He is also my tutor, my confidante and, above all, he is my hair stylist. As a woman, I carry all my memories with me. These memories are intertwined between the curls of my golden hair. Some memories are dear to me; some others pain me a lot. Every night, Olive brushes my hair with his magic comb and makes all the ugly memories hide and wrinkles disappear. To make this magic work, we both must wear our medallions. They provide a paramagical connection between Olive and me during the ritual. These necklaces were custom ordered by Olive from Locus Graham IV, jewelry designer employed by Empress Leila. In our Floating Kingdom, such luxuries do not come free, and Olive had to pay dearly to acquire them. Being a true Gentleman, he never told me how many of his nine lives he had to forfeit to keep me young and happy. I know that Olive loves me. (Allois and Jörge)” Allois’ images speak to viewers and collectors because they engage all of a person’s senses. One can almost sense how it would feel to touch Leila’s soft, luminescent golden locks, how fragrant the scents she wears must be, how joyous Oliver and Leila feel, and how peaceful and playful their lives and relationships 48 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

are.

Allois’ masterpieces beckon a viewer to lean in, to experience, to observe, to immerse oneself in each piece. Her impressive oeuvre represents a visual aspect of her ongoing project “The Floating Kingdom.”

When illustrating collectible edition of the stories by Edgar Allan Poe and Ray Bradbury “THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER/USHER II,” published by Gauntlet Press in 2010, Allois came upon an idea of bringing out and describing the world opposite to Usher II - the world that reflects the gentler, brighter side of our existence.

“The Floating Kingdom is our parallel reality, intersecting with us through our horizons, not through dark corners and the travails of troubled souls. The Floating Kingdom lies in plain sight. That is why it is so difficult to see and to describe. It fully reveals itself only in our happiest moments, when we are at our best and oblivious to anything around us.” Allois told Hollywood Weekly. “Our two worlds reflect each other. Only a select few from this world are allowed to visit the neighbors. Further, only a few characters from the Floating Kingdom assume a duty to look after our well-being. They protect us from spiraling down into misery and despair.”

Allois is on a visionary, creative mission to bring The Floating Kingdom and the brighter,

gentler side of ourselves into the beautiful realm of human art.“I know Allois’ work protects me and it reminds me to totally love my life.” Cassidy said. Many knowledgeable and discerning Hollywood collectors are enthralled with Allois’ works. Clare Grant Green (Black Snake Moan; The Insomniac) and Seth Green (Austin Powers; Buffy the Vampire Slayer) thoroughly enjoy their two Allois works.

“Olive & Leila was the painting that drew us to Allois.” Clare said. “It’s of this fancy cat combing a noble woman’s hair. At first, we just saw an image of this very fancy person and her care-taking cat and it was obvious they had a relationship. But, when we read the story, we realized Allois had an even deeper meaning behind the painting and just fell in love with it. It’s a fun world to visit.”

The Greens also have another lovely work by Allois – Kingdom. It is a huge painting depicting a crowned feline creature of Royal proportions. Like all of Allois’ creations, the images are ethereal, throwing the viewer into an other-worldly aura.

The inviting story accompanying the Kingdom series is reassuring and intriguing: “No Man is an Island… each man is a tower in his own Kingdom! I am Sir Lancelot du Lac, I am the keeper of the keys to your towers of loneliness. Be kind to me and I will unlock your Tower of loneliness and I will set you free!

You will be The King of your land!” (Allois and Jörge).

Allois is a prolific, profound artist. Her works are concurrently intricate and expansive. To view her works, one can stop by Flower & Hewes at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica. Soon, she will exhibit her works at the historical Copper Beach Inn in Ivorytown, Connecticut.

She will soon be exhibiting in other venues, including at the new BG Gallery in Santa Monica. Allois is also illustrat-

ing another forthcoming book.

Her talents and creations are varied and vast.

Her works focus on relatable creatures positioned in realms that are from another reality, perhaps a parallel universe; perhaps times past or future. However, it is their endearing familiarity that excites and invites one to reach out, to experience and to eagerly await her many forthcoming creations.

“Empress”, 2017

by Allois Oil on wood, 48 x 36 in

VISIT ALLOIS.COM

(left) Martin Luther King’s Daughter, Bernice King (right) Alex Ayzin “Rotary’s Presidential Peace Conference in Atlanta in 2017”

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 49

Real Deal Advice I’d Use Myself

By Dr.Jai

DEAR DR. JAI: I finally met someone that I feel really connected to. Only problem is there are a few deal breakers that I feel I can’t ignore anymore. How many deal breakers does it take before you call it quits? signed ~leaveorstay

DEAR LEAVE OR STAY: Thank you for writing as this can be a troubling decision for anyone in a developing relationship. Sometimes love is blind but, we have to pull the blinders off so that we can make healthy relationship choices.

It is a beautiful thing, when you find someone that you truly can connect with. But, sometimes this connection is rushed by emotions and initial attractions that leave us saying “They are the one”, way too fast. So, you have a few red flags that you have noticed? Give yourself a pat on the back. Acknowledging these red flags early on is so important, it shows you are in touch with what is best for you and what you need in a partner.

So, many times I have heard clients tell me that they ignored these flags hoping they well go away. But, let’s face it… if you paint a school bus pink it will still be a school bus right? Taking action on moving forward and continuing or ending the relationship is a whole other thing to be proud of. So, are you ready? I’m going to give you some JRDA (Jai’s Real Deal Advice). I would first determine if these are red flags that are truly deal breakers.

Are they something you can live with or 50 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

is it something that is completely against your moral code. If you answered the latter than I would contemplate cutting ties.

I believe if you have more than three red flags, you aren’t evenly yoked in other words, you would have to really observe why you are with this person and if this is a relationship that can or will have longevity. You can only determine what is enough for you, but, always rely on your intuition. Remember “YOU GOT THIS” All will fall into place! Follow your intuition, trust it and believe in your choices!

Blessings to you and may you find your happily ever after”. ~Dr. Jai

contact@askdrjai.com

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