Special Edition: Effie T. Brown, Marilyn F. Booker, Roxanne Taylor

MONTHLY Special Edition

Effie T. Brown Marilyn F. Booker

®

Roxanne Taylor

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Welcome readers to our Special Edition of Hollywood Monthly. This Issue Honors Powerful Women in Hollywood and Corporate America. Effie T. Brown. Roxanne Avent-Taylor. Marilyn F. Booker. All names you've heard before; we delve into the motivations and inspirations of these incredible women to understand their philosophy for success. One important key point with all three of these women is they do what they love, and they care about what they do -- and then, of course, Effie, Roxanne and Marilyn are all brilliant individuals. That helps, too. We are proud and honored to have all three women on our Hollywood Monthly Cover. Truly a beautiful trifecta of talent.

This issue also features Atty. Tre Lovell. A name you may not be familiar with, but you will be. I believe Tre's story will restore your faith and optimism that there are still good people in this world who care when you've been wronged, and are strong enough to stand up for you in the face of true evil. No spoiler alerts, but Tre Lovell is the John Steinbeck "Hero" that Mr. Steinbeck never created for a novel.

Somehow he must have known that Tre Lovell would eventually be created in the real world. And he was right.

I pay homage to a musical Hero of mine who recently passed away, the enormously talented and Gentle Giant of love songs, James Ingram. Keanu Reeves was asked

by Stephen Colbert what his thoughts are on what happens when you die. Keanu responded: "The people who love you will miss you." Possibly the most beautiful answer to that question ever given. And so true. I love James Ingram, and I miss him.

Michael Buble, pretty fair to say, is a Hero to everyone. Once again, Allison Kugel gives us an intimate portrait of a musical icon for the ages, because Michael Buble embraces the music of the ages, and somehow makes it all sound so gorgeously current.

As always, we thank you, our readers, for your continuing support and love. We are who we are because of YOU. We wish you all happiness and peace!

Anthony Ewart, Associate Editor MONTHLY Special Edition

Effie T. Brown Marilyn F. Booker

CALL US AT (424) 371 9900

®

On The Cover Effie T. Brown Marilyn F. Booker Raxanne Taylor

Roxanne Taylor

EMAIL hollywoodweekly@gmail.com

PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Prather Jackson VICE PRESIDENT Bernice Harris Michael D. Coxson SENIOR BOOK CURATOR Jane Ubell-Meyer ASSOCIATE EDITOR Anthony Ewart DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES & ASST TO THE PUBLISHER Jordan Campbell MARKETING & SALES Launy Rhem FEATURED WRITER ANTI AGING EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Adrienne Papp CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Allison Kugel Anthony Ewart ART DIRECTOR Damian Aragon I.T. CONSULTANT Jacob Kovatch CHINA OPERATIONS Victor Migalchan victor@hollywoodweeklymagazine.com (213) 220-3052 (424) 371-9900 INDIA OPERATION Ike Sinha Country Director Art4Peace Awards Hollywood Weekly Magazine B1/1565 Vasantkunj New Delhi-110 070 Mobile +919599068592 ASIA OPERATION Joyce Penas Pilarsky HWM Asia Ambassador Email: info@joycepilarsky.com Bench Bello HWM Asia Operations hollywoodmagazineusa@gmail.com Mobile +639273895559 DISTRIBUTORS CoMag MADER NEWS NEWS INFLIGHT, INC

S U M M E R

E D I T I O N

Marilyn F. Booker

Effie T. Brown

Q &A

Reflecting the Truth of Now

4

7 Hollywood Spotlight

Roxanne Taylor

Catch your favorite TV episodes

Hidden Empire Film Group

18

10

Michael BublĂŠ Exclusive Interview

Attorney Tre Lovell Grasping The

Golden, Moral Compass

22

30

Hollywood Icon James Ingram

38

Is Love" that there's nothing you can know that isn't known, and nothing you can see that isn't shown. But Effie T. Brown is the exception to the Gospel of Mr. Lennon. We all think we know who Effie is, but we only see the surface. Media events. Film circuits. Sound bites and social media posts. Only Effie's close friends and loved ones know who the real Effie T. Brown is. I was lucky enough to be granted clearance to interview Ms. Brown in her home. My pay grade may get bumped up as a result of it.

Effie T. Brown

Reflecting the Truth of Now

I

by Anthony Ewart

n preparation for my article on Producer/Executive Producer extraordinaire Effie T. Brown, I assembled a team of interns. The task was to search the internet and gather all the articles written about Ms. Brown.

We worked diligently. Day and night.

Three shifts. I set up cots and blankets.

Someone found a hibachi on Amazon

4 • Hollywood Monthly

for a decent price. Our commitment paid off with two journalistic jewels.

Soraya Nadia McDonald's 2015 Washington Post feature on Ms. Brown was sensitive and thorough, and on RogerEbert.com we enjoyed Matt Fagerholm's 2018 piece on her, as well.

John Lennon wrote in "All You Need

The woman I met at the front door was an enchanting hostess who greeted my Publisher and I with an electric smile so full of life it woke me up and stayed with me, like a sweet, lingering sting from sipping hot ginger tea with honey. So graceful were Effie's steps as she led us through her gorgeous home that she seemed to float in front of us. Now and then her arms would extend to her left and right as she pointed out things to eat or drink, or observe -- I chose to observe.

The colors in her home are glorious.

And wood everywhere. Not as in Monty Python's "I'm a Lumberjack," from "And Now For Something Completely Different," but wood furniture.

Large wood furniture. As in "The BFG" kind of interior decorating. Spielberg may have consulted Effie while filming the screen adaptation of that classic children's novel.

We finally arrived at a large beautifully polished wooden table where I was sure J.R.R. Tolkien's Elf Queen Galadriel would be joining us, fresh from her journey up from Lothlorien.

Effie's sweet dog roamed around us the whole time, smelling and vetting us before retiring outside to take in the sun as we took our seats. Directly in front of me, on a wall facing the table, was a huge, floor to ceiling movie poster of Charlton Heston's 1971 masterpiece "The Omega Man." I said I loved the movie and Effie and I spent a few

minutes before she sat down having a fanboy/fangirl moment gushing over the great Richard Matheson. And then Effie sat down right in front of me...

Her beautiful dark skin glowing. Radiant. And her eyes... A song lyric immediately came to my mind, and my imagination took over. In the empty chair next to me Curtis Mayfield materialized, as if he were beamed down from the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Jerry Butler appeared in the chair next to him, and then the rest of "The Impressions." They were singing "Gypsy Woman." And then the line from the song came -- her eyes were like that of a cat in the dark. Exactly!

Full of strength and beauty and mystery. I was experiencing the energy, firsthand, of the real Effie T. Brown. We reflected on her life, and as we talked Effie never lost her smile, regardless of the landscapes her memories carried us to that afternoon.

That's the thing about personal reflection on things from our past, unlike reflecting on events happening now, it

can't affect you anymore...at least, not the same way.

One of the things Effie spoke about was a well-known story about two pivotal movies in her life that led to career in film and television. One was James Cameron's "The Terminator," the other was Ridley Scott's "Alien."

What Effie experienced in those movies, which she would have seen while still in elementary school, was a sense of female empowerment. The heroes in these films were women. A woman saved the day. A girl could save the world. Females can save the Universe!

Here were characters that Effie identified with. Strong female characters young Effie could relate to...in elementary school. To imagine a young child looking at the creature from "Alien," one of the most terrifying, monstrous creations ever witnessed by film audiences (of course, it was just another doodle for H.R. Giger), but to be more enamored with the female heroine than she was scared of the actual monster in the movie says a lot about who Effie is, and who she has been her

entire life. We can assume Effie's initial reaction to Cameron's "The Terminator" was the same. It wouldn't surprise me if she had written letters to James Cameron back in 1984, asking why he didn't name his movie "Sarah Connor Saves The World!"

Effie Brown, that smart, brave little girl grew up to be a powerful Producer in Hollywood, and then a respected Executive Producer. Her films and television projects have been critically acclaimed and financial successes. Effie has been quoted as saying she can build a film from the ground up. This is not news in Hollywood. It's been duly noted, which as you know, is the name of her powerhouse production company, Duly Noted, Inc. HBO praised Effie as someone who can "mold a low budget film into a critically acclaimed success." Listening to Effie tell me the list of upcoming projects from Duly Noted, Inc. reminded me of why film trailers are sometimes the most fun part of the movie experience, especially when these are new projects coming from the Producer of classics like "Real Women Have

HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY• 5

Curves," "Stranger Inside" and "Rocket Science." On the horizon: a project involving science fiction Royalty Octavia Butler; a film exploring the relationship between Sammy Davis Jr. and screen icon Kim Novak; and Effie's soon to be released "We Real Cool," starring the beautiful Kiana Lede. This a sensational reworking of "Anabasis," by the Greek writer Xenophon (370 B.C.), about the 10,000 Greek mercenaries stranded in Mesopotamia who had to travel through deserts and mountains fighting a multitude of bloodthirsty armies from various kingdoms to make it back to the safety of the Black Sea. Sol Yurick's 1965 novel "The Warriors," was based on Xenophon's true account of the story, which of course was turned into Walter Hill's classic1979 film adaptation. I'm looking forward to another Duly Noted, Inc masterpiece on this one.

Effie T. Brown is just as much a realist as she is an optimist. On her website for DulyNotedInc.com, Effie explains her philosophy very succinctly: "It is our lack of conformity, multicultural aesthetic and obsession with great content that separates us." Sophocles famously stated that he wrote about men as they should be, whereas Euripides wrote about men as they are. Euripides was the first Greek writer to try and explore the true emotions of female characters; he wrote about women with respect and honesty, despite the dark paths the emotions of his characters sometimes took, as in his iconic "Medea," where the true price of breaking the heart of a Sorceress is meticulously dramatized through scorching dialogue and unbelievably tragic choices, even for Greek audiences of the time, which was 431 B.C. The fantastic writer Rod Serling was always described as a modern-day Euripides, and I think the same comparison can be applied in under6 • Hollywood Monthly

standing Effie T. Brown's beautiful blend of artistic, social and aesthetic output in Hollywood. With 56 Producer credits on her impressive resume, one shining constant is in every Effie T. Brown Production: it is always about showing the truth of her characters, male and female, in all their beauty, and all their faults and always within the context of examining the society in which these characters exist -- but, just as the great Aesop used animals in his stories to reflect human behavior, and Rod Serling used science fiction and fantasy to create allegories reflecting society, Effie T. Brown will continue to use genre in film and television to accurately reflect who we are today.

And maybe by genuinely reflecting the truth of now Effie can guide us into a better tomorrow...which is all she really wants to do.

Marilyn F. Booker Q & A with Hollywood Weekly Magazine

HW: Marilyn, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak to us. Inasmuch as you are an accomplished professional woman who happens to be an African American person of color, please tell us about your academic background. How did you land the job at such a prestigious company as Morgan Stanley?

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me as well. I really appreciate the opportunity to speak with you. My journey to Morgan Stanley was not a traditional path. In fact, if you had asked me prior to my joining Morgan Stanley if I would ever work in financial services, the answer might have been no – this was not a part of what I thought was my master plan. It was an opportunity that came along and I was prepared to seize that opportunity.

When I talk to the many young people who I mentor, I always tell them to be prepared!!

To do your best because you never know what opportunities will come your way because of your excellent work. Opportunity is when luck meets preparation – so be prepared!!

My story – I graduated from Spelman College and went back home to Chicago to go to Law School. I was practicing law in Chicago for a number of years and later decided I no longer wanted to practice. I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my career, but I knew what I didn’t want to do.

So I went to a dear friend, Jim Lowry, and asked for career advice. Jim was a McKinsey trained consultant and branched out to run his own management consulting firm. He offered me a job and said that if I didn’t like it after 6 months, he would help me transition to something else. 6 months turned into 2 years and my very first client when I joined his firm was Morgan Stanley. We were hired to help Morgan Stanley design its first diversity program. After 2 years of consulting with Morgan Stanley, I was offered a full time position to be the firm’s first Diversity Director and the rest is history.

HW: We often hear that professional women working in corporate america have a glass ceiling in terms of their job growth. I understand you are quite

accomplished in that regards, what accounts for your success?

I know very few, if any people who get to where they are alone. I think success is often a function of who you surround yourself with. The people who have your best interest at heart and will be your champions. I have been fortunate to have amazing people in my corner. And I learned early on that it takes a diverse group of people advising me to give me the best advice – having a group of people who all look alike, think alike, talk alike does not provide the setting for the best, most well-rounded guidance. I have always accepted that mentors and advisors, come in all shapes and sizes. Just because someone looks like you does not mean you can trust him or her. And just because someone does NOT look like you does not mean you CANNOT trust him or her.

You need a rainbow of people around you and supporting you!! Just like firms need diverse workforces for better decisions, you need a diverse group of advisors and mentors so that you can get better advice and make better decisions too!

HW: Tell us about your various jobs during your tenure at Morgan Stanley.

What aspect of your personality, and skillset have you seen improve that you can attribute to the culture at Morgan Stanley?

I started at Morgan Stanley as its first Head of Diversity. I was in that position for over 17 years but along the way I had other responsibilities. I was the firms’ EEO officer, I ran HR policy, I was the Head of Work-Life and Supplier Diversity. I ran Recruiting. I was fortunate to have a broad experience.

That is one of the things I valued about my firm – there were always opportunities to do more.

Along the way, I was very clear that in every role I’ve had at the firm, my primary objective was to level the playing field. Period.

In my opinion, diversity runs through every aspect of every firm and it is not about giving advantage to one group over another.

It is about ensuring that the game is the same for everyone so that everyone has the exact same equal opportunity to be successful and the game is not rigged in favor of some to the disadvantage of others. And once there is a level playing field, then merit rules and may the best woman HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY • 7

most part, did not have a significant presence in this industry.

And now running a wealth management business, I have incorporated teaching and giving financial guidance to populations of people who otherwise might not have that guidance. You don’t have to be rich to need to know how to manage your money – in fact, those with the LEAST financial means often need the most help.

And it is my goal to provide that help, one community at a time.

or man win.

HW: Now in relation to your current duties, what areas or responsibilities does your job title encompass?

I celebrated my 25th Anniversary at Morgan Stanley on January 3, 2019. I am a Managing Director and the Head of Morgan Stanley’s Urban Markets Group. In that role, I have 2 charges – first I run a wealth management business and a part of that practice is directed towards the inner city, urban community. This means that I work in underserved communities and take to them the services of a world class firm like Morgan Stanley, services that many otherwise might not have access to.

The second charge of my business is to teach financial education. I travel and teach financial management concepts and help people with limited to no knowledge about this learn how to make financially wise decisions about their money – how to budget, how to save, how to invest, how to plan for the future, how to leave a legacy.

And I always start by saying it’s not how much money you make, but what you do with the money you make.

If you make millions of dollars and you spend the exact same millions of dollars, you are broke – the basic concepts of saving and investing are the same regardless of the amount of money involved. It does not matter what your socio-economic status is, with education you have power – power to change your circumstances. So I try to empower people to take control of their financial lives.

8 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY

HW: Let's discuss some of you charitable work. What are you passionate about? Why? I am passionate about helping people and making a difference. In any way that I can.

I love to teach and I am fortunate to incorporate that into my job where I travel all across the country teaching financial education. There is no aspect of our lives where money is not a factor. So we need to embrace it, understand it and appreciate it. And for a number of reasons, this is something that is often not talked about in the Black community. So I am trying to do my part to change that.

When I think about my professional journey, what drove me is that passion of always wanting to give back and make a difference in the lives of others. That is the rent that I pay for my existence on this earth. And, I have ALWAYS been fortunate to incorporate my passion to help others into my day job. Before I made the move to Wall Street, I practiced law. Some of the most memorable and instructive experiences of my life took place during my early years as a public defender on the south side of Chicago – a town now more INFAMOUS for the number of murders per day than for its reputation of being the Windy City.

I sat in many a jail cell at the ripe young age of 23 doing my best to keep young boys of color out of the criminal justice system and away from that vicious cycle of crime and poverty. And I carried that passion forward to Wall Street where I was the first diversity officer for my firm and my mission was to play a role in opening the doors of Wall Street to people who for the

HW: If you had the opportunity to have all of the candidates currently running for President of the United States of America address one topic that you feel would enhance our world, what would that topic cover?

Economic Equality. Money makes the world go round and until there are the equal opportunities for full and total economic parity, there will always be oppressed and disadvantaged people.

HW: Since we recognize your time is important which you have been most gracious about sharing with our magazine, what would you like to discuss that we may not have covered?

I would like to close on what I think are important life lessons – gems that I have picked up along my journey that I believe have shaped who I am and why I am. Feel free to pick and choose what you would like to print! But here we go!!

I am well aware that I am where I am because I stood on someone else’s shoulders. Very few if any people got to where they are on their own. Since we stand on the shoulders of others, we have a RECIPROCAL responsibility to live our lives and do our work so that others may stand on our shoulders. So be KNOWN as the person who is willing to give a hand UP to those who come after us.

Don’t believe your own press clippings.

There is a HUGE difference between having confidence in yourself and having an oversized ego. The UNTOLD secret is that it is important that people LIKE you.

There are many more talented people in this world than exceptional career roles.

Most would prefer to work with a talented person who is confident as opposed

to a talented person who is a jerk. So be NICE – and treat all people with dignity and respect – from the person who cleans the toilets to the CEO. Strive for excellence and ALWAYS be over-prepared. You will get to where you want to be through excellence, hard work and sacrifice. And there is no substitute for excellence – no short cut or easy way.

This MEANS you are prepared 24/7. I am sure you have heard the expression “opportunity is when luck meets preparation” Preparedness will allow you to take advantage of opportunities that appear on your horizon.

Integrity and Ethical behavior. Have it! Period! No matter how well or poorly we fare, we must face ourselves every day in the mirror of truth and decide if we are living right or living a lie. When all else fails all we have is our integrity. Integrity and trust are very easy to lose but difficult if not impossible to regain. Lesson – the easiest lie to remember is the truth!

Don’t let ANYONE to rain on your parade.

Black, white, blue, or green – there will be people who try to do just that – who will try to create category 5 hurricanes along your way, do not let them. Do not get distracted by the detractors. Negative people will

try to make you believe there are certain things you cannot do. Be confident in your abilities and whenever someone tells you there is something you CANNOT do, develop even more resolve to do it, do it well and prove them wrong. Stay your course and keep YOUR eyes on YOUR prize!

All they can do is say no! What I mean by this is don’t be afraid to ASK for something – don’t be afraid to PURSUE something. If you don’t ASK you never KNOW. And if you don’t DO, you never LEARN. If you get that no or if things don’t turn out the way you want, then move on.

Enjoy the journey! Life is too short and it is NOT a dress rehearsal. You do not get to hit the do over button. Life is a spectacular ride – have fun!! Once you stop having fun and enjoying what you do, it’s truly time to move on.

You cannot be afraid of failure – you cannot ALLOW the fear of failure to paralyze you. Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want. Or as Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work!”

So you just have to keep moving forward.

Running a money management business, I have to say, make sure your financial life is in order. Money problems can be a top stressor in our lives. If your financial life is in disarray chances are so is the REST of your life, INCLUDING your professional life. There are plenty of other distractions out there just WAITING for you – don’t let this be one of them.

Exercise impeccable judgement. Do not allow your decisions to be SWAYED by popular opinion. Many times in organizations people will follow the crowd. Do NOT allow this to happen to you. Be rational in your approach, weigh all sides of any situation and make decisions that are based on doing the right thing.

We all face challenges every single day and it becomes a function of how we handle those challenges. One of the things I do is I remind myself that Life is NOT fair – it just isn’t! So I don’t handicap myself by expecting it to BE fair. I am always prepared for the worse and then grateful for the best. And I know that being prepared for the worse involves asking the “what-if” questions and being very thoughtful about everything that I do and being prepared for those consequences – be they positive or negative.

Thank You!

HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY • 9

Roxanne Avent-Taylor's

Hidden Empire Film Group

Q

by Anthony Ewart

ueen and Pharaoh.

Queen and King. Empress and Emperor.

Whatever Royal title you bestow upon Producer Roxanne Avent-Taylor and her husband, Writer/Director Deon Taylor, they are building a Cinematic Kingdom with their production company Hidden Empire Film Group (HEFG). Like the other amazing women featured on our Hollywood Monthly Cover, Roxanne apples her social sensibilities to her work -- she just happens to do it in a very entertaining way, via the power of cinema.

10 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY

It's beautiful to see a wife and husband working successfully as a team in any business, but it's especially relevant and beneficial for us, as an audience, because the business of the couple in question is the art of show. When any working process is enjoyable it shows in the finished product. It's always about the results. Roxanne and Deon are in love, married and award-winning filmmakers. Thus you have the fruit and proof of their celluloid labors of love.

Deon Taylor has shown an

incredible versatility as a writer and director of various genres.

His comedy/horror "Meet the Blacks" (2016) ranks with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright's "Shaun of the Dead" as a classic in this hybrid genre.

Deon's 2018 "Traffik" covers the action-drama genre to perfection. His dialogue makes one think of Paul Schrader, and his direction on this dark subject matter brings to mind the great Sidney Lumet.

The list of successful film and television projects in Roxanne's

vast Kingdom (HEFG) is plentiful, and growing. But this is what you would expect from someone who learned about Hollywood firsthand by working in the Directors Guild so early in her career. Roxanne has also developed soundtracks for various independent films while working as a Label Manager for Taylor Made Muzic. A talent in movie production, an ear for music, and a visual aesthetic to marry the two together in film. That's a talent Stanley Kubrick had. Not bad company to be in. Stanley Kubrick also mastered comedy and drama, like Mr. Deon Taylor.

Hidden Empire Film Group is a little misleading as a title...they're not hidden at all. With the quality of cinematic content Roxanne and Deon are producing, they couldn't hide from us if they tried.

HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY • 11

12 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY

HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY • 13

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.

Scan to visit Books That Make You HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY 13

16 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY

HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY • 15

t h g tli our

Spo

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

18 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY

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 MONTHLY • 19

Spotlight

(L-R): Andri Korotun, Deedee Benkovich, Bulet Rush, Shihan Lu, Victor Migalchan, Vivi Lin, Maggie Le, Troy Montgomery

Movieverse Entertainment launches TV comedy "My American Family"

By Prather Jackson

US-based production company Movieverse Entertainment recently announced the launching of their new TV show "My American Family,” a comedy drama that deals with issues of immigration, American Dreams and humanity.

The show begins with a Mexican American family whose lives are turned upside down after an international student who comes to the U.S. to pursue his American Dream stays in their house.

Movieverse has also announced an open casting calls for actors whose talents align with characters in the show.

Victor Migalchan (Producer/Director, Creator of the show): "The idea for the series came from real life. We hope to use our story to tell what the American dream is in today's era and how unique it is. No matter how time may cange, people's desire to pursue their dreams will never change. Although in today's political situation, there might be more twists and turns, but as long as people persist in their dreams and support each other, they will make it.

Our story has tears and joy, and most importantly, warm friendship, affection and love. No matter where we come from we can pursue our dreams in the United States. The American dream depends on each one of us. I also got a lot of inspiration from Vivi Lin's new show "Zero to Hero," which is about secrets of success

from giving. I am very grateful to China and the Chinese culture and I’d like to take this chance and give back to the Chinese community by telling great stories of how east meets the west Tang Zhiliang (Executive Producer, Co-creator): "It is my pleasure to work on this show. I've produced many award-winning tv shows and programs in China, and this time it is even more exciting as we are connecting many cultures and combining different storytelling methods. We strive for perfection. Our team has analyzed both US and China Entertainment Markets, and we see huge potentials for success. Our goal is to create authentic and interesting content, to unite people around the world and most importantly to promote traditional values, such as family, loyalty and friends ."

Vivi Lin (Producer/TV Journalist, co-creator):“My main goal in “My American Fam-

ily” is to make Hollywood reflect more Asian representation. We rarely see Asians playing an important role in American films and TV series, although this situation is slowly changing, as we can see from ”Crazy Rich Asians" and Netflix's "Fresh off the boat”. Therefore, I’d like to integrate the stories of Chinese culture, Asian and Chinese new immigrants into this TV series to make the story more exciting, more diversified and more international. Like “My American Family,” my other new TV show, "Zero to Hero,” is also aiming to help people succeed in life. It’s a talk show to explore the secrets behind success. I’ve interviewed a series of successful individuals who started from scratch, including a convict-turned Hollywood star, a self made billionaires, world's most successful female entrepreneurs, athletes and other successful people, analyzing the underlying reasons of their success from the scientific perspectives of psychology and brain science the . ."Deedee Benkovich (Producer/Writer):“Our show is unique, even though we did get inspirations from successful shows, such as "Fresh off the Boat," "Modern Family," "Blackish," and "New Girl." “ Bulet Rush (EMMY-winning Producer):“According to my understanding of the Emmy Awards, this show has the potential to win an Emmy as it uses humor to tackle deep social issues. Our goal exactly - to take "home an Emmy. “ Andre Korotun (Teletriumph-Award winning Editor): “The challenge of making this project is pretty big, but we are confident that we will make a show that the audience will absolutely love.”

Troy Montgomery (Producer/ Member of PGA): "As a member of the American Producers Association and a native American, I am very happy to be part of this diverse team.

(L-R): Shihan Lu, Bulet Rush, Deedee Benkovich, Victor Migalchan, Vivi Lin, Andri Korotun, Troy Montgomery, Maggie Le

Mara-Joanne Derinor

My Black is Beautiful

“Mara is a writer who demonstrates with Grace and passion the history of her experience--the hopes and dreams that shapes lives. She is a young voice that we will hear from for years!”

-Danny M. Hoey, Jr., Author of the Butterfly Lady.

About The Author Mara-Joanne Derinor, also known as Belle La Poet, is a Haitian-American poet, writer, song-writer, dancer, director, and choreographer. She completed her Bachelor’s in Nursing and Dance at Barry University. She is currently a Registered Nurse. She is recognized by many for her hard work. Her poetry and flash fiction has been recognized and published in Barry University’s Newspaper.

Two of her poems written about the history and culture of Haiti titled “A People” and “Unity” were both published by Haiti: Then and Now” (HTN) in 2017. Her poem “The Last Dance” and her choreographed ballet piece were featured in Indian River State College’s Dance Ensemble January 2018. Her poetry, visual art projects, songs, and short films are all creative masterpieces put together to raise awareness on different social issues such as anxiety and depression, domestic violence, social injustice, Black Lives Matter Movement, self-esteem, and self-love.

Contact: Mderinor@gmail.com

@ Belle_La_Poet

https://www.amazon.com/My-Black-Beautiful-Mara-Joanne-Derinor/ dp/1626329982

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 Bublé

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 22 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY

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 NBC special, 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 24 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY

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 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 MONTHLY • 25

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 26 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY

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 MONTHLY • 27

HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY • 29

Attorney Tre Lovell Grasping the Golden, Moral Compass

30 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY

By Anthony Ewart

I

use poets as a point of reference to understand people. I imagine the poets I love orbiting you, slowly. The power of their brilliance form fixed points so I can triangulate an image of your Soul in light particles. In the case of (pun intended) Atty. Tre Lovell, he is William Blake and Robert Frost and Robert Browning; he is E.E. Cummings and Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes. It’s easy to see the Soul of Tre Lovell.

It’s in his work. It’s how he runs his Law Practice.

Life is more enjoyable when you keep things honest. Telling the truth has its rewards. Mainly peace of mind. But also, a sense of being plugged directly into the order of the Universe. This is not a Universe of chaos, it’s a Universe of order. If this was a Universe of chaos planets would not have orbits, and Earth would be spinning into the Sun while we all listened to David Bowie’s “5 Years” and sang R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” No, those songs are awesome, but we live in a Universe of order. Which means treating people with kindness and respect. Having fair business dealings. Understanding that trust is stronger than money. This is the world Tre Lovell wants to live in. And the truth is he’s been fighting for all of us to live in this world for many years -- setting case precedent in law that will affect fairness and justice in the legal system forever. I think it’s time I introduce you to the story of Tre Lovell.

Now, before you start wondering how a “nice” Attorney with a “conscience” can survive in the legal arena, which in many ways can

be compared to the ancient Roman amphitheaters, let’s just say in court, mild-mannered, compassionate Tre Lovell is transformed into General Maximus Decimus Meridius from Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator.” Our story begins shortly after he started his own law firm. Tre was contacted by a woman with an incredible story.

She, along with 143 other Plaintiffs, were victims of a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme that ruined their lives.

They were being represented by a large, international law firm who suddenly decided to drop the entire case. 144 plaintiffs completely abandoned without care or concern for the consequences or the outcome of their civil suit. The Plaintiff’s elected a representative to go out into the world and find an Attorney (or Attorneys in a large law firm), to represent them.

The setting was a Starbucks on a rainy afternoon. The kind of afternoon where career-changing decisions are made without notice, or any attention drawn to itself.

Monumental decisions. The kind of decisions author Malcolm Gladwell wrote about in “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.” Tapping into the adaptive unconscious Freud and Jung spoke about. That unknown area of our brain where intuition lives, like an eternal fire, always ready to snap out a flame of wisdom to us like a solar flare, when we need it. Somewhere in Tre Lovell’s adaptive unconscious he realized that this case was important. He already knew the merit was there. Tre’s father was a City Attorney in Vegas. He was, in fact, at the time (the 60’s), the youngest City Attorney in the Nation. Tre comes from amazing lineage of decency and a strong sense of social justice.

But there was something else. The

intuition for Tre to take this case was counterintuitive as a practical business plan for a solo practitioner.

Tre Lovell sat in that Starbucks across from Kathy Avilla. A woman who personally lost over $600,000 in the Ponzi scheme. She had told Tre who the victims were and what they had lost. Now she was about to tell him what he would be up against if he took the case. There were 25 defendants. They all came with varying degrees of corruption and guilt and they were spread out around the world in different countries. This meant Tre wouldn’t just be going up against one law firm, he would have to fight multiple law firms and track down Defendants hiding abroad -- all by himself. Yes, this was a case that needed to be taken on, but Tre would be betting it all (gambling his career and livelihood), on a case that could financially bleed him dry.

Enter General Maximus Decimus Meridius into the Flavian Amphitheatre.

So, now you know our Hero.

Atty. Tre Lovell. Gladiator. To refresh your memory, a gladiator’s job was to fight another gladiator to the death, or near enough to it to satisfy the thirst of the Emperor at the moment. Death takes many forms. Albert Brooks showed us in “Defending Your Life” that a comedian dying on stage could end up in purgatory. And then there’s financial death, which many times leads to physical death. Black Thursday, October 24th, 1929. The Great Crash of Wall Street. Many believe stock brokers were jumping out of windows like people trapped in a burning building.

According to the New York Times, from Black Thursday to Black Tuesday, October 29th, when HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY • 31

“

“

Tre Lovell is a fighter.

A Gladiator.

But he is first a human being

the New York Stock Exchange completely collapsed, the number of Stock Brokers who jumped to their deaths were, unfortunately, two poor souls. There were, however, 100 cases of suicides and attempted suicides recorded from October 29th until the end of 1929 as a result of the financial Crash. The Crash gave birth to the Great Depression and the ensuing hell that chapter of our country brought on American families. Only God knows the tally of souls who took their lives as a result of trying to survive through that nightmare.

But let’s return to the 144 victims of this multimillion dollar Ponzi scheme who collectively found their way to Attorney Tre Lovell. They had been betrayed twice. Originally by the culprits of the Ponzi scheme. Then, equally as tragic and shameful, their case was abruptly dropped by the large law firm handling their case. They were dismissed with the same level of cruelty the organizers of the Ponzi scheme perpetrated when lulling them into that false sense of security that would cost them 32 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY

A Gladiator. But he is first a Human Being. When he looked in the eyes of Kathy Avilla, he saw a woman hurt to her core. A woman standing with a tornado behind her, reaching out her hand. Hoping someone would help her. Help her and her friends...

It’s the humanity of the moment that spoke to Attorney Lovell, not the Gladiator within -- although the Gladiator would make his appearance. The decision was clear on the right thing to do. The only question was the attack. Financially, he could never go the distance with these large firms. Not all 12 rounds. Tre would have to go for a knockout.

Round 5 or sooner. Burgess Meredith (or any real boxing coach) will tell you there’s only one way to accomplish that. Plant your feet in the middle of the ring and control that fight. Be aggressive, chase your opponent, keep pushing forward until you have them on the ropes.

Then pray you’ve loaded your right hook and left uppercut with all you need for a knockout.

The evidence was overwhelming. The guilt of the Ponzi scheme was established by the large Law Firm who eventually dropped Kathy Avilla and the other 143 clients. Why would this Law Firm drop the case if they’ve already proven the key defendants were running a Ponzi scheme? Only they can answer that.

But if you think they left Atty. Tre Lovell a hand wrapped case with a red bow on it, you’re wrong. There were 25 defendants. Dispersed throughout the world. You’d have to be Dog the Bounty Hunter to find these guys -- or Atty. Tre Lovell.

Systematically he went after the culprits one at a time. Wherever the trail took him. He tracked them down throughout the Caribbean in such places as the Dominican

everything. Everything. What does it mean to lose $100,000? $200,000?

Half a million dollars? How many families living in homeless shelters right now owned their own homes a year ago? How many of us are living check to check and hand-to-mouth?

Financial death isn’t a boogey man, you’re very familiar with its face. Like a neighbor. A neighbor you try to avoid but you know, sooner or later, they’ll end up on your porch. But it won’t be bad casserole they’ll be delivering to you.

Attorney Lovell would risk his own grizzly financial fate if the powerhouse law firms representing the Defendants of the Ponzi scheme decided to drag the case out. Filing motion after motion, extension after extension, bombarding Lovell with paperwork. If Tre took this case he’d have to win soon or he would literally run out of money as the years passed. He would end up being the architect of his own Great Crash. So, why do it? Why would anyone take such a potentially harmful risk to their career and financial future?

Tre Lovell is a fighter.

Tre Lovell’s well-deserved wall of accolades, including his article in Forbes Magazine

Republic, Turks & Caicos, and Saint Vincent & Grenadines Islands, as well as in Canada and here in the states. Lovell would rent a conference hall for all his Plaintiffs where many would attend in person and others would call in on a conference line. If you’re wondering about due diligence on the part of the Plaintiffs, there was an actual resort being built in the Dominican Republic. All of the investors/plaintiffs had to make a trip there to sign the paperwork for their stake in the property. The defendants in America who introduced the Ponzi scheme to the Plaintiffs didn’t have the proper real estate/broker creden-

tials to carry out the transaction. It had to take place in the Dominican Republic. That, alone, could have raised some red flags. But they were going to actually see the property they were investing in. They weren’t buying swamp land in Florida, sight unseen. Some Plaintiffs may have felt more reassured about the resort deal after the trip.

1,200 vulnerable souls was the tally of victims in this Ponzi scheme...

It was 2008 by the time Kathy Avilla was caught by the Ponzi bait.

For three years the Defendants made millions of dollars off of innocent victims who willingly handed over their life savings for a

better future. And the resort in the Dominican Republic? Still under construction. By the time Kathy saw the property in 2008 it probably didn’t look much different than it did in 2005. But she couldn’t have known that. In July of 2008 she gave the Defendants $649,000 for her stake in the Dominican Republic Resort: One-Month-Later, in August of 2008 Kathy received a letter saying all the equity in the resort was gone, and the Dominican Republic resort was no more. Her entire inheritance and any savings she had was completely wiped out.

Quite a letter to get. I’m not sure my legs would have supported HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY • 33

me upon hearing that news. Even a chair wouldn’t have helped me -- I would have slid right out of it onto the floor. Where I would have stayed until friends or neighbors came to check on me. Even then I’m not sure I would have been able to get up.

The Diaz Firm, the large Law Firm from Florida who initially represented the Plaintiffs, began working on the case. Tragically, at this time there were only 720 Plaintiffs. 480 Plaintiffs were too damaged, too broken, too beaten to take on the momentous task of finding these Defendants and taking them to court. 480 human beings who, to this day, have never received any compensation or justice for the horrendous act of having their lives and their families obliterated by a Ponzi scheme designed to squeeze out and collect every drop of equity they had to their name. Are they alive? Have they died? Could Lady Justice really be this blind?

720 Plaintiffs were ready and willing fight these Ponzi Defendants 34 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY

with the Diaz Firm. But as you already know, Atty. Tre Lovell only met 144 Plaintiffs. What happened to the other 606 Plaintiffs? It makes you wonder how much human suffering is outside the protection of the law. Criminal Defense Attorneys are paid upfront for their expenses in preparing for their cases.

Common knowledge. But how much does it cost for human compassion?

Month after month the 720 Plaintiffs had to make installment payments on their retainer to the Diaz Firm.

If you’ve been reading this article up until now, even you can understand that the Plaintiffs probably had a hard time consistently paying their Attorney fees -- something to do with them losing all their money in a Ponzi scheme. Still, somehow, collectively, they were able to pay the Diaz Firm over a million dollars before they were so cruelly abandoned by them. But it did not come easy. And there were many casualties.

Month after month, plaintiffs

struggled to make their legal payments in hopes of recovering at least some of their life savings, while the Diaz Firm routinely informed Plaintiffs of who and who would not be represented due to lack of payment. More and more Plaintiffs faded from the case.

Hundreds of them. Disappearing from life into the financial blackhole that had claimed so many of their fellow victims. What a long road Hell on Earth is... Only one Plaintiff out of the 720 who signed up with the Diaz Law Firm received any form of financial recovery from the Ponzi Defendants. Which meant that by the time Kathy Avilla met Tre Lovell, out of the initial 1,200 Plaintiffs, 1,199 had received absolutely nothing in their case against the Ponzi Defendants.

And now there were only 144 Plaintiffs left. They were betting everything. Their lives, their future, it was all on the line, and in the capable, reassuring hands of Tre Lovell.

Kathy told me the moment she knew Tre would be her Attorney. It

was at that fateful meeting in Starbucks. She had just recounted her terrible story of betrayal, greed, pure evil and human loss at a catastrophic level. She said Tre lowered his head and said, “My God, this could have happened to my parents.” Kathy’s instincts were correct. What led her to Tre? Synchronicity at God’s behest? One thing was clear: this Universe decided that these 144 human beings had endured enough pain in their lives. It was time for compassion. It was time for love.

From the very first group meet-

ing with the Plaintiffs, Attorney Tre Lovell stood on stage and his sincerity shined. Plaintiffs marveled at his patience in explaining facts of the case to them. He laid out his plans for going after the Defendants, step by step. Answering any and all questions as he went along. Not to speak ill of the Diaz Firm in Florida, but I can only go by what I’ve been told: the kindness, sympathy, and basic human compassion that Tre showed these Plaintiffs when interacting with them was something they had never seen or experienced

“

We all live by a moral compass.

When we trust it, it will never fail us... in the end

with any other attorney.

To date, Attorney Tre Lovell is now part of an exclusive group of Attorneys in Los Angeles who have won Multimillion-dollar lawsuits for their clients. The exact figures can’t be disclosed, because there are still Ponzi fish left to be caught in Attorney Tre Lovell’s net of justice.

Out of the initial 1,200 Plaintiffs, the 144 individuals who survived and were somehow able to hang in there long enough to meet Atty. Lovell have all received some form of compensation. But there are

still Defendants out there. And a lot more money due to the Plaintiffs.

The victories Tre Lovell has already accomplished in this Ponzi case have landed him in the history books of lawsuits. Resolution is getting as much money recovered for all of his clients as he can, but there’s a moral payoff here. Remember, Tre’s father was the youngest City Attorney in the Nation when they lived in Vegas.

We all live by a Moral Compass.

When we trust it, it will never fail us... in the end. Meaning, you may question the sanity of doing the right thing sometimes, especially when a happy ending seems so many lightyears away.

But if you admit you have no idea how the future will play out by taking this moral path, and you trust your decision to follow your moral compass, then you will live with no regrets. To the brilliant author, Philip Pullman, with all due respect, a “Golden Compass” holds no value -- a true treasure is a “Golden Moral Compass,” just like the one in Attorney Tre Lovell’s hand.

HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY • 35

Learn from anywhere in the world More than 20 core video lessons go beyond traditional techniques to unleash your full potential

Margiehaberactingstudio.com

Hollywood

Icons

The Man with the Golden Voice

By Anthony Ewart

T

here will be endless biographies written about Mr. James Edward Ingram. But that’s not how you remember James Ingram. You remember him through the moments you spent with someone while his songs were playing. Almost a musical, mental snapchat moment immortalized in your soul and the soul of the person

38 • HOLLYWOOD MONTTHLY

you experienced that beautiful moment with.

James Ingram was the most altruistic singer I’ve ever heard. His voice lived for the song. It supported the melody. It gave life and meaning to the lyrics. James Ingram, the man, became the Supporting Actor -- he gave the spotlight to his voice, and made it Lead Actor. What an incredibly giving artist he was. It was all about the song. The story...

That’s really what James Ingram was. A great storyteller. He took us

into tales of love and heartbreak that we all connected with. James Ingram could give confidence to a lovesick, junior high school student. He could make a husband married 30 years look at his wife as if he was seeing her for the first time.

That was the magic of James Ingram. We believed him and the beautiful lyrics he chose to share with us, many of which he wrote himself.

When thinking about the

sincerity and integrity James Ingram brought as an artist, it brings to mind another famous “James” who captured the trust and heart of America. James Maitland Stewart. You may know him better as “Jimmy Stewart.” One of the most loved Stars in Hollywood, Jimmy Stewart always put his art first. He inhabited the characters he played with sincerity and believability. And we believed him.

James Ingram sang a variety of

songs in different styles and tempos and rhythms, but for me, and I know many others, his love songs have imprinted themselves in the atoms of my cells. Hearing his song, by chance, on a radio, through sheer synchronicity, is the Universe comforting me with love.

All artists want to leave a legacy of their work behind. James Ingram has left a body of work that will be enjoyed by his fans and students of music forever. And I don’t say that word lightly. But the truly

lasting legacy of James Ingram is the ripple effect the beauty of his voice will have on us for the rest of our lives. His tone. The vibrations of his sound. That feeling of love and happiness. That’s what will live on.

That is the ripple effect of James Ingram. And what a beautiful ocean of sound he gave us.

HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY • 39