Celebrating Diversity In The Entertainment Industry
May 2019
Top International Women Leaders
ÂŽ
91st Academy Awards Highlights
Exclusive Interview with
Michael Buble
Dr. Marcia Ann Mims Coppertino
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Welcome readers to our May issue of Hollywood Weekly Magazine’s “Top International Women Leaders.” We’re proud to feature Dr. Marcia Ann Mims Coppertino on the Cover. A philanthropist and entrepreneurial guru, Dr. Coppertino shares her wisdom and experience gained from over 40 years in the business industry. We’re proud to present her inspiring stories and accomplishments in this issue.
PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Prather Jackson VICE PRESIDENT Bernice Harris Michael D. Coxson SENIOR BOOK CURATOR Jane Ubell-Meyer ASSOCIATE EDITOR Anthony Ewart
This HWM Issue also launches our National American Acting Teachers Campaign. Just as glorious interstellar nebulas create our celestial stars, acting teachers across our country are producing cinematic Hollywood Stars. We celebrate the teachers who taught our favorite stars their craft. In this first installment we feature the Margie Haber Studio, Diana Castle’s The Imagined Life, and the Braden Lynch Studio.
DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES & ASST TO THE PUBLISHER Fal Adams
This is also our Oscar recap Issue, so the timing of this new American Acting Teachers Campaign could not be more perfect. We have all the magical, glamorous moments from Oscar night perfectly captured by our featured writer, Adrienne Papp.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Maggie O’Brien Victor Migalchan Dr. James Kellenberger
We’re also very proud to feature an interview with the legendary Rita Moreno, a woman whose singing and dancing in “West Side Story” mesmerized me as a little boy. It’s surreal to have this incredibly talented artist in our Publication. I’m thrilled to feature this Icon in our Oscar issue. As always, everyone at Hollywood Weekly Magazine thanks you, our readers, for your overwhelming support. Wishing you all the Happiness! Anthony Ewart, Associate Editor Celebrating Diversity In The Entertainment Industry
May 2019
Top International Women leaders
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91st Academy Award
On The Cover
Dr. Marcia Ann Mins Coppertino
Highlights
Exclusive Interview with
Michael Buble
Dr. Marcia Ann Mims Coppertino
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Dr. Marcia Ann Mims Coppertino A Bundle Full of Energy and A Wealth of Knowledge and Experience Who Catalyzes Start-up Successes and Furthers the Greater Good
S
By Barbara Burke
he’s a dynamo, not a diva. She’s a bundle-of-energy, a wealth-of-knowledge, and a detail-oriented business expert with a plentiful portfolio and a huge heart. She’s Dr. Marcia Ann Mims Coppertino, a highly intelligent, in-
novative, intuitive, extensively-experienced, expansively-educated, entrepreneurial expert and business advisor who is always willing to share her acumen with anyone dedicated to succeeding at business endeavors that make a profit, make a difference, or both. She’s a
philanthropist in the truest sense of the word. She’s an optimist who views the world as full of possibilities. However - importantly, she sagely advises business clients to prudently prepare for all possible pitfalls. She’s honest about the foundational, preparatory and precautionary actions that one must perform in order to launch a successful for-profit or non-profit enterprise. And, when she takes on a client, she’s behind them every step of the way, ensuring that she soars and helping her to prudently prepare for the future. Dr. Coppertino serves as the Director of Operations and Major Fundraiser of Corporations and Professional Executives at Coopertino and Associates Consulting Group, a firm that offers premier business development, branding and business management services. Academically, Dr. Coppertino achieved a terrific trifecta - she holds doctoral degrees in science, psychology and comparative religion. Born brilliant and bound to make a difference, as a mathematician, she tutored students in geometry at the age of 14 and that acumen informs her business analytics. Dr. Coppertino has more than 40 years in the business industry, including acting as business manager for over one-hundred firms. Indeed, she served as West Coast General Manager at Jackson Hewitt Financial Services, where she opened more than 40 offices for its parent company, Cendant Corporation, and trained over 300 agents to become professionals in the financial world operating under a $20-million-dollar operating
budget. With Dr. Coopertino’s guidance, Jackson Hewitt has gained a stellar reputation in the Southern California tax sector. The Secret to Success: Starting and Maintaining Proper Perspective about One’s Prospects and Prospectus “You have to start out wisely when you launch either a for-profit or a non-profit organization, so, when you seek our counsel, we ensure that you have a solid idea and that you have the capability to succeed in whatever endeavor you wish to pursue,” Coppertino told Hollywood Weekly Magazine. “Everything happens in the spiritual world before it happens in the business world and therefore, we dig deep with our clients and provide them with an extensive questionnaire that probes into both their capabilities and their potential for success.” Dr. Coppertino noted that details matter a lot when one begins to launch a business, as do ethics. “The ultimate goal is to go into business with dignity, and, when the time comes, to exit with dignity,” She said. “Business formation is all about those factors and it’s about personality because no one has an edge in business without personality, without an energy – energy is a force field, and when you get down to it, business is all about attraction – you only get one shot at a first impression and it has to be fabulous.” In order to assess the likelihood of an entity launching successfully, remaining viable and expanding, Dr. Coopertino emphasized that her firm helps clients choose an ideal name for their corporate entities.
It all starts with a deep dive and delving into details. “We have our clients consult with a trained psychologist to ensure that they have the capacity to build and sustain viable business DNA,” She said. “We also ask that key personnel have a blood test to ensure that their overall physical health is optimal.” Starting a business takes emotive energy, mental acuity and physical stamina, she emphasized. Dr. Coopertino noted that before one opens an entity’s doors, she must also have a vision for an exit strategy because “one never knows when something will happen, such as a sudden health issue or another emergency.” Simply stated, when one begins an entrepreneurial endeavor, one must play a long game – business formation has no place for platitudes, long-shots, compulsivity or myopia. An entrepreneur must ensure that she is not short-sighted simply because she is convinced that she has a winning or novel business concept or because she aspires to do good in the world. Dr. Coppertino noted that, in order to be effective in any business endeavor, one must have a clear corporate vision and a solid business plan, informed by prudency and probity, expedited by experts, and buoyed by positivity. Dr. Coppertino and her colleagues copiously catalyze all such efforts for their clients. “At our initial consultation, we spend three hours with a client and have a high-quality conversation about how tenable her business idea is and about her overall strategy,” She said. “If we’re helping to launch a for-profit entity, we
assist the client in ensuring that she has full funding in place and is in full compliance with all regulations. Similarly, when we assist a client in launching a non-profit entity, we help to put her in a posture where she is well-known to the community at large and we help to ensure that she succeeds in dayto-day operations.” Dr. Coppertino’s firm rigorously reinforces its clients’ efforts throughout an entity’s entire lifecycle - from developing business plans, to successfully operating and growing an enterprise; from ensuring that all business formation documents are properly completed and are timely filed, to funding operations; from introducing a new entity to a community, to growing it globally. The Coppertino firm offers a full menu of business development support, including branding and management services, and operational consulting and mentoring services that ensure that clients employ best business practices and obtain optimal success. “My father was a pastor and he told me that he would not open a church without having an attorney and an accountant and the means to operate the effort.” Dr. Coppertino said. Those same principles are pivotal when one is starting any entrepreneurial effort or expanding an existing firm, she noted. When launching an entrepreneurial enterprise, one needs the support of a full bench. Accordingly, she explained that the firm provides clients with consulting attorneys, accountants and seasoned business veterans “to confirm and verify that clients employ best business practices, to HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 7
assure they comply with all regulations and to build our clients’ good faith reputation in communities.” Dr. Coppertino, a ponderous, practical pragmatist, is an expert in helping clients secure necessary funding as well. If the client has the right concept and vision, “funding can be acquired.” She said. Combining business strength, business knowledge, and business expertise, Dr. Coppertino and her firm assist a wide range of businesses to serve the community and beyond. Dr. Coppertino serves as an advisor, counselor and mentor to political, faith-based, corporate and non-profit business entities and she specializes in business failure recoupments and offers her expertise to clients needing backto-business success services. “I consult clients about reputation damage control, business turnaround restructurings, and how to revive non-productive, non-successful business entities,” She said. “I assist businesses as they seek to get back to financial health and to achieve good standing in the business community or, if necessary, I assist them in permanent closing an entity and employing well-defined exit strategies.” For the Greater Good. When Dr. Coppertino is not helping businesses launch and succeed or wind up their affairs, she tirelessly supports charities, especially those that focus on children, animals, foster care clients and the elderly. Non-profit entities that she has developed, assisted, advised or counseled include 1,000 Women In White, followed
by 100 Men In Black Global March for Peace, Faith and Family, efforts that involved 25 countries and 47 U.S. states and for which Dr. Coppertino’s efforts garnered her well-deserved recognition in 2015 from the current Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, the Honorable Eric Garcetti, and City Council members. Eclectic Avocations and Focusing on the Next Generation “What are your avocations?” Hollywood Weekly Magazine asked Dr. Coppertino. “I am an operatic classical sacred music soprano and I sing arias,” She said. “I also have been a master tailor, seamstress, dressmaker and couturier my entire life. I sponsor Cheap Chic Couture at the Paris Hilton each year, an event that features a three-hour seminar for people regarding how to refurbish old clothing and I serve as
the Director of FOR THE END, an upscale funeral and couture burial attire. I also scuba dive.” Dr. Coppertino thoroughly enjoys spending time with her four children and seven grandchildren. She’s all about the next generation – whether it be helping to launch an entity or energizing the next generation of people who will further the greater good and succeed in business, as exemplified by the fact that she is in the fundraising stages in order to establish a school in Uganda that will bear her name. Contributing locally, but thinking globally, that’s Dr. Marcia Mims Coppertino.
Dr. Coppertino and Carmelita Pittman
Dr. Coppertino speaks at an event
Dr. Coppertino with youth
HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 9
Phil Lord, Rodney Rothman, Domee Shi, Peter Ramsey, Becky Neiman-Cobb, Christopher Miller, and Bob Persichetti pose backstage during the live ABC Telecast of The 91st Oscars® Photo by Nick Argro
2019 Highlights A Night at the Oscars 2019 By Adrienne Papp
cury, which was nominated for five awards, including Best Picture.
No hosts? No problem. On Hollywood’s Big Night there was plenty of excitement, beginning with the dynamics of Queen (plus Adam Lambert) kicking off the Academy Award ceremonies with full bore version of the classics “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” in a salute to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the biopic based on the life and legacy of the band’s late original lead singer Freddie Mer-
That performance energized the show, and then, instead of a traditional single host, Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler made an opening appearance, three of Hollywood’s most beloved and funniest personalities deftly spinning off a number of light hearted jokes and when they left it seemed like someone missed an opportunity to enlist the three to host this years’ Oscar ceremony. Maybe next year.
10 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
As the awards unfolded, it turned out that there was something for everyone this year, predictable wins and upsets, and some truly touching acceptance speeches. When the biggest award of the night was announced, Universal’s “Green Book” received the best picture Oscar in something of an upset. “Roma,” the black and white Mexican import had been gaining momentum and was a favorite going in, but did win for Best Foreign Film, and Alfonso Cuaron took home
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (R) and Jimmy Chin pose backstage with the Oscar® for best documentary feature during the live ABC telecast of The 91st Oscars®
Evan Hayes poses backstage with Jason Momoa and Helen Mirren with the Oscar® for best documentary feature during the live ABC telecast of The 91st Oscars® Photos by Matt Sayles and Matt Petit
the best director trophy for the film about his life growing up in Mexico City. In another upset, Olivia Colman surprised everyone, including herself, by winning the best actress award for “The Favourite,” where Glenn Close had been a favorite going in for her role in “The Wife.” Part of the favoritism was based on the fact that Close had been nominated seven times but never won. Rami Malek won the best actor honor for his dynamic performance as Queen’s Freddy Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” while Regina King predictably won for best supporting Oscar for her performance in “If Beale Street Could Talk,” and Mahershala Ali took home the trophy as best supporting actor for “Green Book.” An excited Purple clad Spike Lee finally won an Oscar for best-adapted screenplay for his “BlacKk-
Mahershala Ali backstage with the Oscar® for performance by an actor in a supporting role during the live ABC Telecast of The 91st Oscars®
Klansman, jumping into long-time collaborator Samuel L. Jackson’s arms in a moment of unbridled celebration and giving an impassioned, memorable speech, while Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie and Peter Farrelly earned Oscars for best original screenplay for “Green Book.” In the technical categories, box office blockbuster “Black Panther” earned the costume design honor and a win for production design while “Vice” won for makeup and hairstyling. “Bohemian Rhapsody” won for film editing, sound editing and sound mixing and “First Man” won for visual effects. Diversity was celebrated on the telecast, as seven of the Oscar recipients were black, a record for a single ceremony. Mahershala Ali was the second black actor to
win two Oscars, along with Denzel Washington. It was also a night for women, with no mention of the #metoo movement that cropped up so often last year, and women making appearances onstage often as presenters and winners. For best original song, Lady Gaga won for “Shallow” in the remake of “A Star Is Born,” while Ludwig Göransson was honored for the score of “Black Panther.” The duet of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper onstage performing the song was a highlight of the night, with a level of intimacy that prompted two standing ovations, and a yell from the crowd for them to “kiss.” Gaga’s speech was almost as passionate as her performance, as she implored people who were watching to never give up on their dreams. In terms of diversity, we’ve come HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 11
a long way from #OscarsSoWhite. On Sunday, the academy awarded Oscars to a wide range list of winners. Three of the four acting winners were people of color: Regina King (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”) and Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”). Mexico’s Alfonso Cuarón (Best Director and cinematography, for “Roma”) led a list that included a diversity of winners for documentary feature, animated feature and animated short. The first African-American women to win best costume and production design, Ruth E. Carter and Hannah Beachler of “Black Panther,” broke through in that category. The gender diversity in the tech categories was notable too. In recent years there had been a concern with keeping the award show relevant, with the myriad of distractions that an audience can have in other formats. ABC was determined to have things move at a faster-pace during the telecast and it seemed to pay off, as the audience for Sunday’s ceremony grew nearly 12% over 2018 levels. The 91st Oscars averaged 29.6 million viewers compared to 26.5 million a year ago, when viewership hit an all-time low, according to Nielsen. The program ran smoothly and clocked in at around 3 hours and 20 minutes, shorter than the 3 hours and 32 minutes the telecast had averaged from 2010 to 2018.
Hannah Beachler backstage with the Oscar® for achievement in production design during the live ABC Telecast of The 91st Oscars®
After winning the Oscar® for music written for motion pictures (original song), Lady Gaga poses backstage during the live ABC Telecast of The 91st Oscars® Photos by Matt Petit
12 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
Regina King poses backstage with the Oscar® for performance by an actress in a supporting role during the live ABC Telecast of The 91st Oscars®
Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart backstage with the Oscar® for achievement in production design during the live ABC Telecast of The 91st Oscars®
Peter Farrelly accepts the Oscar® for original screenplay during the live ABC Telecast of The 91st Oscars® Photos by Matt Sayles and Matt Petit
HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 13
Jennifer Lopez backstage during the live ABC telecast of the 91st Oscars®
Ludwig Goransson poses backstage with the Oscar® for achievement in music written for motion pictures (original score) during the live ABC telecast of the 91st Photos by Matt Sayles and Aaron Poole Oscars®
14 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
Jamie Ray Newman poses backstage with the Oscar® for best live action short film during the live ABC telecast of the 91st Oscars®
Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb pose backstage with the Oscar® for best animated short film during the live ABC Telecast of The 91st Oscars®
ulia Roberts and Linda Cardellini backstage during the live ABC Telecast of The 91st Oscars®
Shannon Dill, Alex Honnold, Cassandra McCandless, Jason Momoa backstage with the Oscar® for best documentary feature during the live ABC telecast of The 91st Oscars® Photos by Matt Petit HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 15
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of y s e isod today's p e t ates mas on l e h th TV dra ght c t a C ite otli r p o S v fa
TV | FAM
“Say Mess to the Dress” - When Clem’s mother-in-law, Rose, asks her to wear “Uncanny Valley of the Dolls” -- Holmes and Watson discover that the murder of a her old wedding dress, Clem is touched, but afraid to tell her it’s not her robotics engineer may be connected to his groundbreaking secret research in the area style. Also, Nick tries to prove his athleticism by taking Ben’s advanced spin of real-life teleportation. Also, when Detective Bell is shut out of a required class he class, on FAM, on the CBS Television Network. Pictured (L-R): Brian Stokes needs in order to complete his master’s degree and join the U.S. Marshal Service, he Mitchell as Walt, Odessa Adlon as Shannon, and Nina Dobrev as Clem. Phois shocked to discover the course instructor has personal reasons for denying him to: Cliff Lipson/CBS ©2018 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved access, on ELEMENTARY, Monday, August 13 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured Jon Michael Hill as Detective Marcus Bell JEFF NEIRA/CBS ©2018 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
16 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
Spotlight
TV | MacGyver
TV | The Big Bang Theory
“The Laureate Accumulation” -- Pictured: Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar), Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch). When competitors Pemberton (Sean Astin) and Campbell (Kal Penn) charm America on a publicity tour, Sheldon and Amy try to bring Nobel laureates Kip Thorne, George Smoot and Frances Arnold to their side. on THE BIG BANG THEORY, on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. TV | Arrow
LAUREL TEAMS UP WITH OLIVER — Laurel (Katie Cassidy) learns about some damaging information that affects Emiko (Sea Shimooka). Always looking to protect his sister, Oliver (Stephen Amell) invites Laurel to help investigate, which makes Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) happy as her friend is now working with the team. Patia Prouty directed the episode written by Sarah Tarkhoff & Elizabeth Kim HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 17
client to arrive and for the client to go home, we do all the in between.
LOUIS PERRY
THE ULTIMATE SELF-PROMOTER He’s different; he’s big, he’s loud, and he’s funny, He is Louis Perry. If the name sounds familiar, it is possible you have seen him on a news report on KCAL9, CBS2, NBC, or FoxNews. If he looks familiar, you may have seen him in over three dozen magazines or newspaper articles, or perhaps in a fight on TV at the corner of the ring as an inspector for the California Athletic Commission or you have received one of Louis Perry packages in the mail or what he refers to as his promotional packages. Louis Perry is the ultimate self-promoter; he is everywhere, and not even a publicist could do what he has done for himself. Louis Perry is on TV, Newspapers, Radios, Magazines, and has ten thousand followers on his weekly blast. According to Louis Perry, that’s the way he wants it with lots of exposure, to be seen, to be heard, and to be read about by the world. When I walked into Louis Perry’s office at Kadima Security Services headquarters to which he is the President and Founder. His office walls are full of photos of the who’s who, from him 18 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
with three United States Presidents Bush, Clinton, and Reagan; Vice President Al Gore; Top Boxers; Top MMA Fighters; Robert S. Mueller III, Special Counsel; Pope John Paul II; Stanisław Dziwisz, Archbishop of Kraków; and the list goes on. When Louis visited Poland, he visited the concentration camps in Auschwitz to pay his respects to his Jewish Brothers and Sisters as he refers to his Jewish clients who have embraced him and named him “The Undercover Jew.” He is grateful for the clients that have entrusted him with being their security providers such as movie stars, politicians, the rich of the rich and even everyday folks call on Louis Perry. Kadima Security Services is slowly becoming the most sought-after company for the high profile, the Jewish community, and according to Louis: “The credit goes all to my team!” As my team at Kadima is like a puzzle, all the pieces fit and fall into place. We have a solid team; we care about our customers, and our customers know they can trust us as our goal from start to finish is for the
When I asked Louis what the future holds, Louis stated: “Whatever God tells me to do, I will be the best at it. I have a great blessed life; I love people, I have a wonderful wife, three wonderful kids, a granddaughter, three amazing dogs, and a wonderful company with a great team and a great assortment of clients. I am blessed, and I completely want to keep doing what I’m doing.” I also asked Louis: “what does he do for enjoyment?” and he stated: “I like to assist people to find their dreams and path in life; to watch people smile, and mentoring our youth. It’s my way of giving back, and it gives me enjoyment to see others progress and I love spreading in many ways that I choose to do so!” lastly, he stated: “Life is beautiful and through hard work and a solid relationship with God is my answer!”
Louis Perry with President Clinton
Louis Perry with Odell Becham Jr.
HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 19
too bad for me, I answer my own phone,” and we shared a laugh. In reality, Buble’s music is important to millions around the world who glean such joy and comfort from his flawless interpretation of some of the most iconic music of the 20th century, as well as original music written and performed by Buble. His original works have swiftly gone on to achieve classic status in the soundtrack of our lives.
Michael Buble
Leans in with Love and Laughter
M
By Allison Kugel
ichael Buble’s first order of business when we began our conversation was to immediately put me at ease around his enormous celebrity. The multi-Grammy and multi-Juno Award (Canada’s answer to the Grammy awards) winning singer who sells out the world’s largest stadiums, has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, and singlehandedly made us re-visit our 20 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
love affair with the great American songbook, set out to calm my excitable sensibilities with his seamless charm and wit. Upon picking up his call, a woman came on the line asking me if I was ready to speak with Michael. Two seconds later Michael, himself, came on the line and opened with, “She doesn’t really work for me. I just have her do that to make me sound more important,” as he let out a chuckle. My reply? “Well,
The year 2019 marks a boon of personal and professional success, and a packed schedule for Buble. His family’s much publicized heartbreak as they fought for their son Noah, as he battled pediatric liver cancer, set Buble on a new course of humility which was evident =throughout our conversation. Now, with Noah’s health much improved, Michael Buble re-emerged with a new album, aptly titled Love (or simply, the heart emoji) on which he collaborated with mega-music producer, David Foster; a sold-out worldwide tour and his seventh upcoming musical television special, set to air on NBC on March 20th. My conversation with Michael Buble is one of his most authentic and reflective, to date. We cover the subjects of parenthood, success, spirituality, love, humor, and of course, the music. Allison Kugel: Hello Michael. How are you? Michael Buble: If you hear kids screaming in the background, Oh My God, so sorry about that. My daughter is running around screaming. Allison Kugel: Aww, when I do my interviews from home, I have my
nine-year-old running around in the background, so I get it! Michael Buble: Boy or a girl? Allison Kugel: A boy. Michael Buble: You’re probably like, (whispering) “Shhh, Stop it (laughs).” Does he know the deal with what you do? Allison Kugel: He knows I interview people. It’s funny, I had him with me one day for “Take Your Kids to Work Day.” I was trying to impress him, saying how I interview all of these amazing people and showing him where my work is published, and his response was, “I’m bored.” Michael Buble: (Laughs) My kids love it. They’re actually coming with me now on tour. Allison Kugel: Is your wife on tour with you as well? Michael Buble: They all come along. I set it up so that they come on tour, and when my wife (Argentine actress, Luisana Lopilato) has a film, I schedule it so that for those weeks I take that time off and I take the kids on set to watch her. It’s a lot of fun. Allison Kugel: I have to tell you, I was watching footage of your upcoming NBC special (airing Wednesday, March 20th, 10 pm ET/PT), and you always reduce me to tears. You probably hear stories like this all the time, but when my son was a newborn, I had a routine with him every night, where before I put him down in his crib, I would pick him up in my arms and slow dance with him to your music. When I hear Home or Quando Quando Quando, I just lose it, because I think back to that beautiful time.
Michael Buble: That’s great. He’s your boyfriend. It sounds so strange to say that, and whenever I say that, people are like, “That sounds weird,” but it’s not. Obviously, not in that way, but it is romantic. He’s going to love you forever. You’ll be the love of his life and he’s the love of your life. Allison Kugel: I’m banking on it. Michael Buble: I love my boys and I’m close with my boys, but it’s not the same as with my daughter. Everyone told me it would be different, and I was like, “No, no it won’t be.” And it’s different. She looks at me with those big blue eyes and I’m toast. Allison Kugel: You must hear stories like mine all the time. Do people constantly share with you how your music has been weaved into their most important memories? Michael Buble: Oh, for sure. It allows me to have an even greater sense of fulfillment when people come up to me and tell me how my music has impacted or affected their lives.
More than anything, I think I have had servicemen and servicewomen tell me that they’ve gone through scary things and been away for long amounts of time in places that were obviously not comfortable for them, and that songs like Home brought them a ton of peace and got them through a tough time. I think when people say things like that to you, as an artist, it gives you a sense of understanding that what you do matters. I don’t mean “matters” in a sense of being more important than the jobs of other people. But when you’re missing people and you’re away from your own family, there is power in music. There is power in sharing songs like that and allowing people to interpret them in their own way. I’ve heard the same stories from people who have gone through terrible breakups and people who have been legitimately lonely. They’ve said to me, “The song Haven’t Met You Yet is getting me through.” And then Christmas comes up and I’ll hear from people that that’s all their kids listen to in the car, or it makes them think of
My goal in life is to be kind, and to do what I do with integrity, and just to know myself their grandfather who they lost. It’s a testament to the power of music. Melody is the voice of God, I think. Allison Kugel: I’ll tell you what I have always found fascinating about you, and I’m a fan of music from earlier times. I’m forever listening to music from the 1940s, 50s and 60s. What’s so interesting about you is that you came along in the very early 2000s when everything was hip hop, and rap/ rock. What made you believe that you could even break through as somebody who was crooning these songs from a bygone era? Michael Buble: It was probably stupidity (laughs). I mean, thinking that I might have success was probably naiveté. But honest to God, I think I was blinded by the love of the music. And by the way, I love all kinds of music. I love rock, R & B and rap. For me, if it’s good, it’s good. It doesn’t matter who did it or where it came from. I hoped that I could trust my instincts. Allison Kugel: I’ve been listening to this author and speaker named 22 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
Dr. Joe Dispenza. He studies the patterns of the human brain and how we create our own reality. He essentially talks about how anybody who has ever achieved something great, has been able to believe in a vision and believe in a life for themselves that they couldn’t’t yet perceive with their physical senses. When I read that you, from the age of two, knew you were going to be a singer, slept with your bible at night and prayed for it, and you held strong to that vision for all of those years before it actually materialized in your life, I put you in that great category. Does that make sense? Michael Buble: Yeah, it does, and there’s a few people like Eckhart Tolle with The Power of Now, and some of these other philosophers who also talk about that. There is a Canadian writer [Malcolm Gladwell], he wrote a book called The Outliers. His whole premise was that to truly become great at something, you need to put in ten thousand hours of work. And if you find anyone who’s become truly great at what they do, they have put in that
amount of time. There are little parts of what you were talking about that mix with the practical application of doing things enough and focusing enough. You learn by osmosis and your experience helps you to grow. Then by the time you get your opportunity, you’re ready. I think that probably had a lot to do with it for me. Number one, I loved it. I had a passion for the music and the songs, and all of that. But I did the work; I practiced, I sang, and I studied. I took it all in and I digested it as much as possible and downloaded it as much as possible in every kind of genre. I get what you’re saying. You’re talking about visualizing. I have a friend who tells me often that he used to walk down the street and say to himself, “I have a million dollars.” Not, “I want a million dollars,” but, “I have a million dollars; I am successful.” Allison Kugel: You’re living it and believing it, rather than wishing for it. Michael Buble: Yes, but this is a difficult conversation, because I think for people who have had the success and who have done that, they can confidently say to you, “Yes, it works. It worked for me, I did that.” For most of the people who don’t have that, I think they look at it as pish posh. Allison Kugel: I think people afraid to relinquish their faith over to something that may leave them empty handed. It’s the fear of, well, if I really invest myself in this process and I really believe, and it doesn’t materialize in my life, I’ll be devastated. Therefore, I’m going to remain skeptical. Michael Buble: There’s times where I think to myself, “My God, I worked at visualizing and praying and want-
Photos courtesy of Elissa Ayadi
ing, and putting out all of that stuff to the universe, and it worked.” But then there’s a lot of times where I have to say to myself that I was just so lucky, so lucky. I mean, a million dominos had to fall in the most perfect way for this to have happened in my life. The question that I really ask myself is, if I had to do it all over again, would I be brave enough? Allison Kugel: Mmm, okay. I’ll ask you the question. Knowing everything you now know about the music industry, about the odds, about everything you’re aware of; if you had to start from square one, would you have the courage to do it all over again? Michael Buble: No. Allison Kugel: You don’t think so?
Michael Buble: I don’t think so. Allison Kugel: Wow. Well thank God that’s not an option! Michael Buble: It’s a hard question to think about, because reality doesn’t come into it. I came home yesterday with my wife and we had to take our son to his checkup, the scans and everything (Buble is talking about his son Noah, who is currently in remission from pediatric liver cancer). We take him every three months for checkups, and it’s really scary. My wife and I actually talked about this and we said, “My God, look at what we did.” Here we were, she was twenty-three years old and I was thirty-two. We met in Argentina and we fell in love. Everyone told us that it was impossible. They told us not to do it, because it was too far
away, the whole long-distance relationship thing. And we did it. We got married. Everyone said, “That’s crazy. That’s not going to work. And whatever you do, don’t have kids, because that’ll be murder.” And then we had kids. And then there’s what happened to our family (referencing son Noah’s cancer diagnosis). One of the first things a doctor told me at one of the hospitals we’d gone to, was to stay strong and help each other through this. A friend of ours, when we had asked why the doctors keep telling us that, this friend of ours who works with families going through things like this, said, that something like 92% of couples who go through this… Allison Kugel: Get divorced… Michael Buble: Get divorced. And HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 23
that you don’t have the power to completely shield them from the pain and discomfort of life. Michael Buble: And you don’t have the power to shield them from yourself. For sure, I thought to myself, “He’s going to be better than I am!” I am so flawed. I’m so flawed and so impatient, and there are so many things about me that I don’t like or that I wish I could improve on. And then you go, “Oh my God, he’s acting exactly like me.”
Photos courtesy of Elissa Ayadi
many of the 8% who don’t, have [more] children. And of course, my wife and I thought here we are with a beautiful daughter. We were in the car yesterday and I looked at her, and said, “Would you do it all over again?” She then answered, “Of course I would do it all over again. I wouldn’t want anything different. You guys are the greatest joy of my life.” But then my question to her was, “But would you be brave enough to do it all over again?” And then she said, “I don’t know.” And I 24 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
would have to say the same thing. I don’t know. Allison Kugel: Any of us could say that. It’s like when you have a baby. You bring that baby home from the hospital, and the thought that goes through your mind is that you are going to give this kid a perfect existence, and you’re going to shelter him or her from any pain or discomfort. And then life happens, and you feel completely out of control because you realize
Allison Kugel: You do your best and nobody gets through life without bumps and bruises. Turning things over to the enormity of your career, when you’re on that stage looking out over the massive crowd of 20,000 or 30,000 people who are there to watch you perform, do you ever have an out-of-body experience, like you’re looking at this famous guy singing his heart out on stage and you’re just like, “How did I get here?!” Michael Buble: It’s weird, I used to [feel like that] years ago. I don’t anymore. It’s really strange to say this, but after what I’ve gone through and what my family has gone through, I actually talk about it during my shows. I feel so deeply connected to all those beautiful souls in the audience; I don’t feel there is a difference between us. The truth is, they’re singing just as much as I am. We laugh together, we dance together, and we cry to together. The truth is, I would never have gotten through what I got through without them. I don’t care what people think of me. My goal in life is to be kind, and to do what I do with integrity, and just to know myself. But I’ll never use the word “fan.” I think it’s a shitty word. Allison Kugel: It is a shitty word.
Michael Buble: It’s short for “fanatical,” and I think that’s negative. I don’t think these are fanatics. I think these are beautiful human beings who need as much love, and who give as much love, as anybody else. When I’m standing there on stage, it’s emotional for me. Sometimes I can control that emotion and sometimes I can’t. But you’re asking me how I feel, and it’s overwhelming. I feel overwhelmed… and grateful. I didn’t know if I was ever going to come back. Allison Kugel: When you took that hiatus to deal with your son’s health, you really thought that could be it? Michael Buble: Yeah. Allison Kugel: What was the impetus for you to come back? Michael Buble: He was better. We didn’t know how it was going to turn out. My heart was broken, I don’t know. It wasn’t that I ever fell out of love with music. I just didn’t know if I had it in me to go out there and be joyful. It just wasn’t something I could turn on. Allison Kugel: And you returned with an album dedicated to love. The album’s title is a heart emoji, and features some of the most beautiful love songs. Is that because you were so filled with love and gratitude for your son’s healing? Michael Buble: It’s because I was in a bubble, looking out at the world, and I saw a lot of negative things happening around the world. I realized that I had an opportunity to put beautiful things out there. Allison Kugel: Which is so important, because we need as many
people out there as possible lifting collective consciousness. Michael Buble: Sometimes I feel like I’m just one small person, but I feel like there is a lot of power that one person can generate. We can all make a difference, and it usually comes in those random acts of kindness and putting love out there. I felt that if I didn’t do something that was being true to myself and true to how I felt about what the world needed, then I was one of the assholes that was making the world worse. I sat with my producer, David Foster, who had bene retired. And he wasn’t going back. This was a year before we ever got into the studio. I said, “Are you ever going to work again?” He said, “No, I don’t think so. I love being retired. I don’t think I could ever go back in the studio. What about you?” I said, “David, if I ever go back, I just want it to be joy. I want it to be bliss, and I want to work with people I love, put out beautiful music and make people fall in love.” I think both of us in that moment had this epiphany. After that day, he said to me, “Well, Mike, man, if I ever come back, it would be with you.” And then a year later we found ourselves in the studio doing it. Allison Kugel: What do you think you are here in this life as Michael Buble to learn? Michael Buble: Listen, I don’t know yet. I’m still learning a lot. What scares me is I’ve learned so much more in the past five years than I had in all my previous years combined. The reason I am reticent to give you an answer is because I can’t imagine what I will learn in another five. What I’ve learned is how much I don’t know. Life moves quickly, and… I think I sound like Ferris Bueller right now (laughs).
Allison Kugel: (Laughs) I was just thinking that! Michael Buble: (Laughs) I think just waking up in the morning and focusing on being kind. It sounds weird, but just be kind, be loving, forgive and try to get through this very short life. And especially when you have kids, you hope your actions are louder than your words. Allison Kugel: Dare I now ask, what you feel you are here to teach? Michael Buble: I do have an idea, but it’s really personal to me and I don’t want to get preachy. But I do, and I think you do to. I can hear it in the way you speak. I think you have a good, solid idea of what you are doing here. Allison Kugel: I’ve been studying this stuff for quite some time. I hope I don’t sound too airy fairy. Michael Buble: It’s okay to be airy fairy. I have my faith and I try never to put it in people’s faces, because there’s a lot of people who don’t believe the same things I do, and that’s okay I don’t know who’s right, I really don’t. I can keep it simple and say I don’t know what there is or what there isn’t, but I feel in some way we are all connected. I know that each one of us gets to play a part in bringing goodness and humanity into the world. I feel like sometimes, because of the job I have, it can be magnified. If I can do that as best as I can, that can be my legacy.
HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 25
Instyle
Last night, amongst the Paris Fashion Week soirees was a standout event hosted at the esteemed Hôtel de Crillon. Globally renowned fashion icons including Coco Rocha, Caro Daur, XeniaAdonts, Jessica Kahawaty, Erica Pelosini, Nina Suess, Amina Muaddai, GiorgiaTordini, Jordan Grant, Donia Ciobanu, Charlotte Groeneveld, Larsen Thompson, Maja Malnar and Bettina Looney gathered to celebrate the launch of Nigora Tabayer’s newest fine jewelry collection, The Eye Collection. Guests were treated to a VIP dinner followed by a show-stopping performance by international sensation, Caroline Vreeland, who performed a four-song set including two songs from her upcoming album. The Eye Collection is an exclusive line, composed of a series of customizable, pave diamond script letters as well as an eye design available in green emerald or blue sapphire. Each stone is hand picked to capture feminine power, emotion, and connection with the divine. The collection also features one bespoke, customizable bracelet with iconic logo clasp closure. Nigora, who has previously collaborated with a number of top fine jewelry brands, finds her inspiration from her mother’s jewelry collection. Her favorite piece? A symbol of protection mimicking the “evil eye”, intended to deflect envious onlookers. Nigora’s mission behind her newest collection was to create a design that not only captivates, but also speaks to the wearer.
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Instyle
Mel B engaged in talks at 10 Downing Street about how the government can help women who are financially trapped in abusive relationships. The Spice Girl, arrived in a dress by Canadian Fashion Designer Dalia MacPhee. She revealed a shocking report which revealed that two thirds of women who manage to leave abusive relationships are often left destitute by their former partners.
She then kicked off International Women’s Day at the Women’s Aid x Skylon Charity Gala Dinner in London’s Royal Festival Hall wearing a Black Jumpsuit also by Canadian Fashion Designer Dalia MacPhee, and auctioned off the dress from the day prior for Women’s aid
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ALL OF LA is Invited to a COMPLIMENTARY Sneak Preview of Winner of The Best Experimental Feature Film award from The Downtown LA Film Festival, 2018! Saturday, April 13, 2019, 10:30 am The Laemmle Town Center Theater 17200 Ventura Blvd, Encino LOWER LEVE LEVEL
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY JOY SHANNON
Saturday, April 20, 2019, 10:30 am The Laemmle NOHO Theater 5240 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood Saturday, April 27, 2019, 10:30 am The Laemmle Royal Theater 11523 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles Produced by Joy Shannon and Miriam Holder-Jacobs. Co-Produced by Jonathan Burnett and Associate Produced by Joy Parris
Starring Sharena Walker and AJ Garrett. 98 minutes.Q&A will follow. Arrive early, seating is limited.
www.mydeadselfie.com | info@mydeadselfie.com
SCENE PAGE BY: NIKI SHADROW SNYDER
The Funbox Influencer Event The Funbox LA, The Oaks Mall Staff Photography
Circus Vargas Presents “Greatest of Ease” Circus Vargas, Burbank House Photography
Lisa Vanderpump Cats’ opening night red carpet Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles Photo By: Matthew Murphy Manish Arora’s band of misfits Autumn/Winter 2019 Show Paris Fashion Week Photo By: Yannis Vlamos 30 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
Keyana Franklin - KIDZCON Creator KIDZCON Media Day MAGIC REEF, Los Angeles Photo By: KIDZCON Tommy Hilfiger & Dee Hilfiger Vanity Fair Oscars After Party, Los Angeles. Dolby Theater, Los Angeles, CA Getty Images
The Stanley Brothers Meet the modern-day Frontiersmen: Hemp Can Help Humanity Los Angeles, CA Photo By: WKC Rocks Kylie Jenner White Fox Photo Shoot Los Angeles, Private studio Photo By White Fox
Malin Akerman & Constance Zimmer, H&M USA & The Environmental Media Association (EMA) Partnership Launch Event H& M, Los Angeles Photo By: Getty Images
HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 31
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Books to Devour by Jane Ubell-Meyer, Senior Book Curator, Founder Bedside Reading® This season is the time I stock up on summer’s great books and head off for a lazy day at the beach. Ifyou’re planning your summer vacation reads we’ve include new voices, authors you need to know, andexcellent choices in the children’s and YA world for dedicated readers and parents!
Destination: LONDON
The Athenaeum Hotel, London
The Athenaeum Hotel is located in the heart of London’s Mayfair neighborhood—opposite Green Park and within minutes of Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park—the Five-Star Athenaeum Hotel & Residences is a favorite destina-tion for travelers (myself included!) who are looking for a luxurious, quirky yet down-to-earth experience. Recently renovated, the hotel offers 134 guest rooms, ten suites, and fourteen Townhouse residences. Apparently, I am in good company! The Athenaeum has hosted Hollywood’s elite, including the late great Elizabeth Taylor, Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, Natalie Portman, Kim Kardashian, and Samuel L Jackson. (Fact: Steven Speilberg edited E. T., Close Encounters and Raiders of the Lost Ark from his hotel suite right here!) When you enter the hotel you are greeted by Jim, the doorman who has stood at his post for the past 25 years. Jim knows every visitor who has ever passed through his doors—and he never forgets a name. Once inside, The Athenaeum’s private, members-only lounge boasts one of the best views of London you’ll find anywhere. During the summer The View’s doors open up and you can step out on to their inviting terrace. And what would a visit to the UK be without your daily tea ritual? The hotel has been awarded the Tea Guild’s highest award for their Afternoon Tea, considered by those in the know to be the among best tea purveyors in London. Another indulgence, and well worth it! Try the Dragon Pearl Jasmine tea and their delectable treats including scones, sandwiches, and desserts. Then it’s time to shake off the jetlag with a proper afternoon rest. Climb between the sheets for a luxurious nap before treating yourself to an exquisite meal at The Athenaeum’s restaurant, cooked up by Michelin-starred brothers Chrisand Jeff Galvin. Kudos goes to the hotel’s GM, Joanna Taylor- Stagg, who has created an inviting, warm environment with a friendly and caring staff. And don’t forget to cap off the day at the bar. Do ask for their signature drink! You’ll find me at the end of the night, tucked in a corner with my newest fa-vorite book. Follow @ TheAthenaeumHotel for a peek at #athenaeumlife and tips on how to #lookatlondondifferently! Next Destination: THE HAMPTONS Those fabulous white sandy beaches at the tip of New York’s Long Island. A destination for HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 33
celebrities, the media and New Yorkers trying to escape for a weekend of fun. Our Summer Begins Memorial This summer’s Bedside Reading books will be placed in our favorite Hamptons hotels: 1770 House, Baker House 1650, Baron’s Cove, Mill House Inn, Southampton Inn, The Hedges, The Maidstone Hotel, Topping Rose House, White Fences Water Mill, and at Hotel Indigo & Hyatt Place East End. Do not miss these books! We have memoirs, beach reads, personal empowerment guides, mystery thrillers, cookbooks, health and wellness resources, and new romance novels to choose from. Want these titles? Go to Bedside-ReadingHamptons.com Day Weekend!
Travel + Children Summer is when parents travel with their children. What’s going to make them happy? Can’t answer that one, but we do have some reading recommendations for the whole family! Teens (and adults, too!) will enjoy The Crisanta Knight Series, whether starting with the latest installment, To Death and Back, or heading back to the very beginning with Protagonist Bound. Curious? Find out more in our exclusive Q&A with the series’ author, Geanna Culbertson. Q: What’s the base concept of your series? A: Told from the perspective of Cinderella’s daughter, this tale focuses on the kids and siblings of fair-ytale characters, all of whom live in a magical world called Book, where they train to be main characters in future stories. Q: Tell me more about the story’s lead heroine. A: Crisanta Knight is a bold, sassy princess-in-training who’s all about taking fate in her own hands, not living the clichéd fairytale archetype her realm’s Author has planned for her. Her strength, character, and feistiness give the series witty humor, great action, and genuine heart with positive messaging.
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planned for her. Her strength, character, and feistiness give the series witty humor, great action, and genuine heart with positive messaging. Traveling with children can be a blessing as well as a challenge. As parents, we’re always learning. It’s all about how you guide and teach your children to become responsible adults. Two books have come to the forefront in parenting guides: The Power of Presence by Joy Thomas Moore and Raising Charitable Children by Carol Weisman. Read our Q&A with Joy Thomas Moore about her excellent how-to on transmitting messages to your kids that will stick with them for life. Q: Who is the target audience for The Power of Presence? A: The audience is any parent or caregiver who wants to raise a healthy, happy, and successful child in today’s world. The guides throughout the book are single women who have navigated parenting’s sometimes perilous waters and who have raised successful and amazingly centered and caring young people. Q: What are the seven pillars, that you explain in the book, that are key to successful parenting? A: Presence of Mind; Presence of Heart; Presence of Faith; Presence of Courage; Presence of Resources; Pres-ence of Connectedness; Presence of Values Q: What is one of the most enduring lessons you have learned as a parent? A: This not only applies to parents but to anyone who has meaningful interactions with a child: Kids need to know that you care before they care what you know. Carol Weisman, MSW, CSP, mom, and author of Raising Charitable Children provides some key advice for just that! TIP 1: Bring your child along when you donate your time. Whether participating in a charity walk or a visit to a sick neighbor, make it a family affair. TIP 2: Share your philosophy of giving with your child. For instance, maybe you give to street people, maybe you don’t. Whatever you do, explain how you have reached your decision. TIP 3: For your child’s birthday, let him or her pick a charity that expresses what your child cares about and make a donation. Do NOT make this in lieu of a gift. Let it be a pure joy. For the parents who want to start the lessons early, author Laura Bryne has created Tater Tot on the Chase!, a fun, beautiful and yet important book with lessons we can always teach our children: • • •
Finish what you start Mistakes are okay Aways practice patience and kindess—great lessons for any child.
Happy reading! Cheers to a great summer! Enter to win a few of our favorite books? BedsideReading.com/win We do want to hear from you: HW@bedsidereading.com
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Books That Make You… Reminisce about the LA Times Festival of Books By Bree Swider
This year the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books showcased many talented authors from all over the world at the University of Southern California, April 13th and 14th. LATFoB is the largest books and storytelling event in America. It started in 1996 and is now world-renowned. Writers, poets, artists, filmmakers, musicians and emerging authors all gathered to celebrate literary culture. Books That Make You participated in the event with many talented authors and enthusiastic readers. Here is a lineup of just a few of the premiere authors and their books that were showcased. Konni Granma
IGHT SPOTLOK BO
Susan Shofer Susan Shofer appeared at the LA Times Festival of Books with her new edition of The Divorce Recovery Ladder. This guidebook serves as an informative tool to help readers through the messy divorce process and beyond.
Konni Granma’s recent novel, The Lonely Hearts Bar, made its debut at the LA Times Festival of Books. Readers couldn’t wait to grab their copy of this one-of-a-kind novel-meetsscreenplay story.
Laurie Finkelstein
Author Laurie Finkelstein attended the LA Times Festival of Books with a fan-favorite, Next Therapist Please. Laurie’s award-winning novel is a comedic take on mental illness with a romantic twist.
Barbara Morriss
Barbara Morriss gave us a sneak peek at her soon-to-be released novel, A Promise in Autumn. Readers took home exclusive advanced copies of the historic romance novel.
Laurel Anne Hill
The award-winning novel, The Engine Woman’s Light, was featured at the festival with author Laurel Anne Hill available for autographs. Readers and reviewers can’t get enough of this young adult steam punk adventure.
Naomi Brett Rourke
Contributor, Naomi Brett Rourke showcased Straight Out of Tombstone at the LA Times Festival of Books. Straight out of Tombstone is a collection of seven stories that breathe new life into the dusty old west.
Mark J. Rose
Mark J. Rose launched his newest book, Virginian, the third installment in the Matt Miller in the Colonies series. Fans of the sci-fi meets history novels are thrilled to see what happens next.
Dr. Ken Best
Holistic chiropractor, Dr. Ken Best, shared advice from his book, 11 Ways to Face Life’s Challenges. His core message is “everything comes down to stress.” His book helps people to address belief systems that can cause imbalances.
Yanique Beliard-Michel
Just released memoir, Unique in America by Yanique Beliard-Michel, was available at the Los Angeles Festival of Books. Yanique’s story of immigrating to the U.S. is captivating readers everywhere.
Tara Botel Doherty
Author Tara Botel Doherty attended the LA Festival of Books and participated in interviews and book signings. She gave readers an exclusive first look into her not-yet-released novel, Growing Up Hollywood.
Robert Yehling
Robert Yehling, author of Voices joined us at The LA Festival of Books. Voices is a father-daughter-lost daughter relationship story set to 50 years of rock and roll. “Reminds me of a great musical time.” — the late Marty Balin, Jefferson Airplane.
A.G. Billig
The talented author A.G. Billing made an appearance with her book, I Choose Love: A Journey from Fear to Love. Helping people everywhere discover the secret to finding happiness and true love.
Jenna Busch
Fans of superheroes and comic books couldn’t get enough of Wonder Woman Psychology: Lassoing the Truth. Contributor, Jenna Busch shared this powerful psychologic book on the history and creation of the pop culture icon, Wonder Woman.
Mike Robinson
Dreamshores, by Mike Robinson is a nail-biting, fantasy novel filled with twists and surprises. Interviewers and readers alike were enthralled with the unpredictable plot.
Debra Tash
Debra Tash attended the festival with her dystopian novel, Last Call America: Last Call Before Darkness Falls. This highly-rated novel is a Books That Make You favorite.
Love books? Want to win books? Want to join us on a totally bookish adventure? Visit www.BooksThatMakeYou.com to discover more.
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purchasing carbon offsets. The company will donate offsets on all of its domestic flights on all trips including staff travel. It will invite clients to offset and make a donation to Offsetters.
This company that pioneered women-only adventure travel today offers more international itineraries than any of its competitors in the women-only sector. But to Jennifer Haddow, owner and guiding director, more important than the size of her company is its on-going, two-fold mission wrapped around the word kind: to support climate justice and to support women to take their place as leaders in the world of outdoor adventure travel. Climate Justice Wild Womenkind’s initial campaign focuses on the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia. Wild Women Expeditions will invest in a conservation economy through a planned contribution of $10,000 to this valuable resource and by
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The primary recipient will be the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project. The setting is a temperate rainforest of 1,000-year-old Western red cedar and Sitka spruce that spans the Pacific Coast of British Columbia and is part of the world’s largest remaining, pristine, coastal, temperate rainforest. Here, too, are the traditional (since 7190 BCE) territories of the Heiltsuk First Nation. The forest teems with life, including the S pirit (Kermode) Bear, a white (thanks to a recessive gene) relative of the American black bear that also resides here, along with cougars and wolves. In the surrounding water are flitting dolphins and the blowing mists of humpback whales. (For details see Great Bear Rainforest Kayak Adventure, an eight-day kayaking and camping journey with July 8 and July 15 departures in 2019. See https://wildwomenexpeditions. com/trips/great-bear-british-columbia/
“Our adventure in the Great Bear Rainforest celebrates the spirit of the international campaign to bring attention to this endangered coastline and its iconic wildlife. If we want to see precious places like this protected, we need to go there and enjoy them and show the world their tremendous value,” said Haddow. “We support the end to the trophy bear hunt and making sure that threatened species such as sea wolves are targeted in a positive way by tourism.” The campaign also celebrates a new IMAX film, “Great Bear Rainforest: Land of the Spirit Bear.” This 41-minute film debuted on Feb. 15, 2019.
Women Rising In such diverse countries as Morocco and Thailand, Wild Women Expeditions’ outreach to women – as guests on trips, as guides on these trips, as workers in their communities – is making a difference in the lives of the women themselves. The key is empowerment that can lead women to taking on leadership positions. For example, two itineraries being introduced this year focus on the Berber culture of the women of Morocco. Morocco is known for being one of the most progressive states in the Middle East and North because of its sup-
port for women’s rights. Despite these advancements, women’s education in Morocco still lags behind and over 80% of women are illiterate. By casting Moroccan women as, among others, drivers and guides for these trips, Haddow hopes that both guests and locals will be empowered. “On our Morocco tour we put the stories of women in the spotlight while empowering them with opportunities to benefit from tourism and play a leading role,” she said. Wild Women Expeditions tours in Morocco will help empower women by: Working with a female Berber entrepreneur who owns the transportation company for these tours and who hires female drivers; Engaging Berber Moroccan women as tour leaders are hiring female guides; Supporting trek guide training for Moroccan women;Visiting women’s cooperatives where locally made items are sold; Basing in a riad in Marrakech that employs women trained by the Amal Centre for disadvantaged women (http:// amalnonprofit.org/) Conversing over a women-hosted dinner in Casablanca through Al Hidn, an association that empowers illiterate widow women in rebuilding their lives through a series of educational programs as well as providing them with financial and educational support to keep their kids in school; Supporting the Henna Café, a social enterprise project for women in Marrakech; Using accommodations that reflect the company’s commitment to women’s empowerment, such
as the Kasbah Toubkhal that co-founded the Education for All program for girls’ education (an additional 5% of the revenue from a group stay here is donated to this local project); Donating to the Education for All campaign as a project partner; Being mindful of the environment – through women – with an overnight at an eco lodge owned by a local woman and part of an ecotourism initiative focused on empowering local women in the Riff: See: http://www.gitetalassemtane.com/en/qui-sommesnous/ For details on two itineraries being offered see: https://wildwomenexpeditions. com/trips/medinas-to-mountains-northern-morocco/ and https://wildwomenexpeditions.com/trips/mosiac-of-wild-morocco/ Wild Womenkind extends a hand to both women and wildlife. On Elephants, Treks, and Temples Tour Wild Women Expeditions supports an elephant project run by the Karen Hill Tribe women to protect elephants that had been abused in an exploitative riding camp. The company is a funder of the first elephant hospital in Thailand and it supports the campaign of the Asian Captive Elephant Working group, a leading coalition of elephant experts and conservationists.
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edly throughout the 1960s as she fought to be cast in roles that didn’t box her in to antiquated stereotypes. Though film roles for a leading lady of color were far and few between at the time, Rita Moreno turned her attention to television and music, taking home a Grammy Award in 1973 for Best Children’s Album during her stint on the popular children’s television program and, The Electric Company. Then came a Tony Award in 1975 for her work in the Broadway production of, The Ritz. Soon, two primetime Emmys followed in 1977 and 1978. Moreno was hard at work establishing herself as a bonified triple threat. She cemented an indelible legacy as one of the world’s most versatile and talented performers. Throughout the ensuing decades, Moreno continued to take on roles on her own terms, proving her staying power for six decades. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, she played Sister Peter Marie Reimondo in HBO’s first original and groundbreaking dramatic series, OZ.
Rita Moreno Legacy of a Hollywood Pioneer and Humanitarian By Allison Kugel
Multi-award-winning actress, singer and dancer, Rita Moreno, blazed an iconic trail as the first mainstream Hispanic actress to grace Hollywood when she exploded onto the big screen as Anita in 1961’s classic film, West Side Story. The 40 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
role earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, crowning her the first Hispanic performer to ever win an Academy Award. But even after taking home Hollywood’s top prize, Moreno’s career started and stalled repeat-
Moreno currently stars as Abuelita Lydia Riera, the hilarious and spicy grandmother on the new incarnation of Norman Lear’s television creation, One Day at a Time, now streaming its third season on Netflix. The show’s official premise is, “Two Cultures, One Familia.” It’s an updated twist on the 1975 hit series starring Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips, Valerie Bertinelli and Pat Harrington, but with a twist. The reboot centers around a Hispanic American family, no doubt Lear’s way of thumbing his nose at some of the more racist rhetoric
flung through 2016’s presidential campaign. In 2014, Actor Morgan Freeman presented Moreno with the Screen Actor’s Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, calling her “a world class actress, singer and dancer,” and just as significantly, “a fighter, who battled to break free of racial and sexual barriers that plagued Hollywood’s golden age.” Before there was Rosie Perez, Salma Hyek or Jennifer Lopez, there was the inimitable Rita Moreno. Recently, Moreno got the call from Steven Spielberg, for a forthcoming remake of the film that made her an icon, West Side Story. Moreno will play a role in the film as well as Executive Produce. I recently sat down with Rita Moreno to discuss her one-of-a-kind career and journey. Allison Kugel: When you won your Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1962 for the film, West Side Story, you thought you would then transcend racial stereotypes with the parts you would be offered. Rita Moreno: And I was very disappointed (laughs). Not only disappointed, but it really, really broke my heart. Allison Kugel: I feel you. I’ve experienced it as a journalist, not in terms of ethnic discrimination, but the bewilderment of hitting a peak and then stalling. Your famous quote about this phase of your career was, “I showed them. I didn’t work for seven years.” Rita Moreno: When I say, “I showed them,” of course, I’m being facetious.
Allison Kugel: Of course. And in this business, it’s very hard to turn down work. Writers write, Actors act, etc. It’s what you do, and you crave it. Rita Moreno: Not only crave it. It pays the rent. Allison Kugel: Yeah, and then there’s that! (Laughs) Any regrets about taking that stance? Rita Moreno: I think it was a very good decision on my part, because the only thing that was being offered, really, were gang movies, and they certainly weren’t as interesting as West Side Story. I think it would have depressed the heck out of me to go back to that stuff. It paid off in the sense that I had peace of mind and I didn’t feel like I was being insulted. Allison Kugel: Let’s talk about the amazing Norman Lear and the One Day at a Time reboot on Netflix you’re starring in. Rita Moreno: Isn’t he something?! Allison Kugel: I think he is a genius! Rita Moreno: He is a genius, you’re right. He’s still going strong. He’s going to be 96, and he can speak and he can walk (laughs). He’s a remarkable man, and a lovely, lovely person. Allison Kugel: All in the Family is my favorite sitcom of all time. Rita Moreno: Oh, it’s one of my favorite shows too! Allison Kugel: The way he has tackled race, gender, religion, sexuality... on and on, has helped to re-shape our society. The original
One Day at a Time with Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips, Valerie Bertinelli and Pat Harrington that premiered in 1975 was very progressive in that single motherhood was much more taboo at that time. With this updated version, there’s an extra layer to the story in that the family are Hispanic Americans. After all you went through in terms of fighting for roles that accurately represent Hispanic people, do you feel a sense of vindication at portraying a positive representation of a Hispanic family on television? Rita Moreno: Vindication implies that I’m still angry. No, I don’t feel any sense of vindication. I’m just so happy and so proud that Hispanics have more representation. I think we’re still not there. I think we are underrepresented. But feeling vindictive is a waste of time, don’t you think? Allison Kugel: Wrong choice of words. Perhaps a better way to put it would be, “a sense of wholeness.” I was watching an episode earlier, and there’s a scene where your character, Lydia, is talking about the racial slurs she had to endure in her generation. When her daughter and granddaughter ask her for specifics, Lydia summons up the courage to say the word “spic” out loud. The context of the scene is that she is disempowering that word that was so painful for her. To be able to stand there and say it, and disempower the word... Rita Moreno: What was so remarkable about that scene is that kids don’t even [fully] understand that word. It’s bizarre. Lydia is carrying on and on about the word “spic,” HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 41
and everybody in the room is like, “Yeah, so?” It was a terrible word in my time. I love that! Allison Kugel: I have to give so much credit to the show’s creator, Norman Lear. The courage to look something in the eye and stare it down, man, and incorporate comedy into it is amazing. Rita Moreno: That’s a wonderful way to put it, yes. You’re right. Allison Kugel: What do you hope viewers of the updated ODAAT will learn about Hispanic American families? Rita Moreno: It’s what I think they are learning, because we have now gained an American audience as well. We always, of course, had the Hispanic community watching the show. People who are not Hispanic are learning that family is family, is family. It’s universal. That’s what Norman was hoping for. You want the universality of the situation to work on people, and that’s what has happened. The moment of, “Oh My God. We’re like that too!” Just add in some spice and some deliciousness, which is the Hispanic nature of the show. Allison Kugel: If you live in a smaller town in the United States, where you are only surrounded by people who are just like you, it’s so easy to dismiss other types of people, because you don’t have to get to know them. Once you get to know people who are different from you and you see their humanity, it becomes much harder to be dismissive. Rita Moreno: Yeah. And I find that a lot of people who watch our show just love Lydia. She’s so outrageous and so big. Children love Lydia. Go figure! 42 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
Allison Kugel: Because your character is that bridge between what was and what is. You’re teetering on the edge between the old school stuff that you came of age with, while trying to embrace the world we’re living in now. Rita Moreno: She’s familiar with what she calls “JouTube.” (Moreno puts on a Cuban accent) and “SnapChap.” (Laughs) But she’s familiar with it, which is terrific. It’s because we have a room full of young writers who are all into that kind of stuff. For the new season, there’s an episode that guest stars Gloria Estefan. It’s hilarious. She plays my sister, and all I can tell you is we hate each other. The whole episode is centered around a funeral of an aunt, and Gloria’s character comes to town to attend the funeral. Gloria is absolutely, deliciously funny! And of course, we’re both over the top as we’re trying to do air kisses that are about three feet apart. Allison Kugel: When you hear other Hispanic performers speak, and I know I have heard this from Jennifer Lopez, they always refer to you as the gold standard of excellence and inspiration. You were the performer who made them believe that this career was achievable for them. Have you had a chance to speak to any of the younger Latino actors and singers about your influence on them? Rita Moreno: I’ve heard it from Jennifer, and I’ve heard it from Rosie Perez, and also from Andy Garcia. Allison Kugel: As someone who emigrated to the states from Puerto Rico as a young girl and
who wanted to be a performer, who did you look to as a blueprint? Rita Moreno: Well, you know what? No, there were no role models when I was young and in the movies in my late teens. There was nobody. So, I chose one for myself. I chose Elizabeth Taylor because she was close to my age and she was brunette (laughs); and she was beautiful and gorgeous. I made her my role model. But, you know, there was just nobody that looked like me in a public [space]. The Hispanic community very often calls me La Pionera, the Pioneer. Allison Kugel: How do you define yourself as a human being? Rita Moreno: I’m a family person before anything else. I have a daughter, Fernanda Louisa, that I’m insane about. And I have two grandsons, and that is where I live. They are in my heart all the time. I adore them, and I don’t have much family; I never did because I left Puerto Rico with my mom on a ship, and that was the end of family. I never saw them again. I had a brother that I never saw. His name was Francisco. Allison Kugel: And there was no contact after you left Puerto Rico? That was it? Rita Moreno: No, and I attribute that to my mom. For whatever reasons, she just stayed away. I don’t know how to explain it, because I don’t understand it. By the time I did try to find him, I couldn’t find him. About a month or two after my book came out (Rita Moreno: A Memoir/Celebra Books), I heard that he died. I have a half-brother, Sam Alverio, because that’s my true [last] name. I’m Rosa Dolores
Alverío (she speaks her full birth name, punctuated with the pride of a strong Puerto Rican accent). I speak to him on the phone now and then. That’s about it. Like many Hispanic people, I’m sure I have tons and tons of distant cousins. Allison Kugel: How do you find peace in your heart regarding the brother who passed away? Rita Moreno: I just have to tell myself that it’s not my fault. My mom, for whatever reason, she always had difficulties with men. I had four stepfathers. It doesn’t make me happy, but that’s the reality of the situation. Allison Kugel: Let’s talk about the upcoming remake of the film West Side Story. That’s a hell of a segue! Rita Moreno: Isn’t that astonishing though? Talk about coming full circle. Allison Kugel: How did you be-
come involved as Executive Producer? Rita Moreno: [Steven Spielberg] always wanted to do the film, and he was a good friend of Robert Wise, who co-directed the original film with Jerome Robbins. When the original West Side Story film came out [in 1961] Steven was crazy about it, and that’s when he got very close to Robert Wise. He said he just hounded him about how the film was shot. It’s something he always wanted to re-do. The interesting thing is that he’s not updating it. It will still take place in 1957. It’s Romeo and Juliet. What’s wonderful about the young girl that he chose for the remake (17-year-old newcomer, Rachel Zegler) is a young girl. Natalie Wood was a woman. I was a woman, playing Anita. I was really, way too old for that role. But that’s how it happened, then. Tony Kushner is doing the script. He wrote Angels in America. They both thought that the original part of Doc (the candy
store owner in the 1961 film played by Ned Glass) was not fully realized, which I think is true. They both agreed that they weren’t terribly interested in that role for the remake. One, or both of them said, “What about Rita Moreno as Doc’s wife?” So, the storyline in the new film will be that Doc passed away, and now it’s Valentina who runs the candy store. They offered the Executive Producer credit to me, because Steven feels that I am the bridge to this movie. Allison Kugel: You’re offering all this first-person insight into what went on during the filming of the original movie. Rita Moreno: Exactly. He’s asked me a lot of questions, and he will probably ask even more. We talk about the shots all the time, because, you know, the director of the original film, Bob Wise, was really an editor. He was a great, great editor. He did Citizen Kane with Orson Welles.
Toi is also excited about her non-fiction television drama: ‘The Commissioner,’ which investigates the hearts and minds of “life prisoners” as they appear before the California Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) for parole consideration and exploring the struggles of the Commissioner assigned to determine their fate. As an ongoing writer for several national newspapers and magazines throughout the US and
TOI MOORE Adult Coversations According to God’s Words Celebrity author Toi Moore is excited to present to us her twelfth book, Adult Conversations; According to God’s word, which will be released during the spring of 2019. This book addresses sex and relationship questions and answers from a BIBLICAL and CHRISTIAN viewpoint. Christian leaders from the; Church of God in Christ, Baptist, and Christian faith-based foundations are giving you real, raw, and unbiased opinions according to God’s word. Information provided is intended to help, strengthen, and guide relationships, while giving suggestions and advice as to how someone can grow and learn from their own personal experiences. Questions addressed are those that many want to know, but may be afraid to ask. A portion of the proceeds made from each book will be donated to each leader’s church/congregation who participated. 44 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
Canada including; Billboard and Upscale, Toi has over 350 bylines to her name. The author has penned several screenplays, sitcom’s, television and reality shows, which she is shopping for production. Toi is also a public speaker on topics connecting to her books. For more information, visit her website: ToiMoore.com and find her books on Amazon.com.
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Excerpt from the Book “Hollywood Her Story” Written by Jill S.Tiejen. P.E. and Barbara Bridges Hollywood: Her Story is a lavishly-illustrated documentation of women involved in every facet of the movie business since its inception. The year was 1896, the woman was Alice Guy Blache, and the film was The Cabbage Fairy. It was less than a minute long. Guy-Blache, the first female director, made hundreds of mivies during her career. Thousands of women with 48 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
passion and commitment to storytelling foollowed in her footsteps. working in all aspects of the mivie industry, they collaborated with others to create memorable imges on the screen. This book pays tribute to the spirit, ambition, grit and talent of thesse filmakers and artists. With more than 1200 women featured in the book, you will find names that everyone knows and loves-the mive legends. But you will also discover hundreds and hundreds of women whose names are unknown to you: actresses, directors,
stuntwomen, screenwritters, composers, animators, editors, producers, cinematographers and on and on. Stunnnung photographs capture and document the women who worked their magic in the movie business. Perfect for anyone who enjoys the movies, this photo-treasury of women and film is not to be missed.
Sharesz T. Wilkinson
The Speech Improvement Company
Award-winning International Change and Communication Expert A member of the Forbes Coaches Councils, Sharesz T. Wilkinson has appeared on numerous platforms as an international speaker and inspires audiences around the world with her extensive multicultural, international knowledge and life experience. She represents one of the most experienced speech firms in the world, which has worked with some of the biggest names in business, politics, and entertainment as well as Fortune 100 companies. An expert on how to create clarity during challenging times, she brings in analytical skills, a high level of clarity and succinctness, combined with her comprehensive, creative and strategic approach. She receives e xcellent reviews in facilitating t angible desired results in a short period of time. She is the author of the book “Obstacle Buster TM – How to Create Big & Bold Shifts for Lifelong Success”. Some of her latest achievements include • WEF 2018 award for “Exceptional Women of Excellence’ and Plenary Speaker • International Judge for the “Maldives Business & Customer Experience Awards 2018” • Mentored for Influencer Inc.(USA), The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women (UK) and Rotary Education Fund (MY) • ‘Humanitarian Fellow Award’ by Rotary Her contributions were featured on various platforms such as Forbes, VoiceAmerica Influencers and more. Contact: info@authorstwilkinson.com
Revellers from the Vila Isabel samba school. Photo by: Pilar Olivares
Brazil Carnival
A reveller from Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school. Photo by: Pilar Olivares
50 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
A reveller from the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school. Photo by: Pilar Olivares
A reveller from the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school performs during the first night of the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome. Photo by: Pilar Olivares A reveller from the Sao Clemente samba school performs. Photo by: Pilar Olivares
Performers from the Portela samba school. Photo by: Silvia Izquierdo
Members of the Mangueira Samba School perform. Buda Mendes/Getty Images
A member of the Paraiso do Tuiuti samba school. CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/ Getty Images
Revellers from the Mocidade samba school. Photo by: Pilar Olivares HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 51