Hollywood Weekly September 2017

TH 69EMMYS

SEPTEMBER 2017

AWARDS

BORN

THIS WAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: MATTHEW MITCHELL

TAKES HOME TWO MORE EMMYS

JAMEE NATELLA THE PRODUCER WITH THE MOST ENDURANCE WINS

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 1

SEPTEMBER 2017

A LETTER FROMTHE EDITOR In our 2017 Emmy edition of Hollywood Weekly Magazine, we are honored to showcase Ms. Jamee Natella. Great producers, like an unyielding distance runner, have to pace and balance themselves in order to succeed in the end. Jamee Natella is such a producer. Not only is she a completely engaged mother with her 9 year-old son, she is the Founder of Blueyed Pictures, a PRATHER JACKSON company “serving both advertising agencies and clients” with offices in London, Tokyo, and right here in the entertainment capital of the world… Los Angeles.

HW is also pleased to introduce two new beautiful Hollywood faces, actress Rachael Brooke Smith and Debbie Sherman. Ms. Smith has appeared in a variety of films, including The Nice Guys, Bomb City, Chalk It Up, Iron Man 2 and Center Stage 2.

On the small screen, Rachele was featured in such hit shows as Scream Queens, Glee, Anger Management, How I Met Your Mother, Entourage, and Two and a Half Men. In Cold Moon, a chilling tale of supernatural vengeance, Rachele is Belinda Hale, an insouciant sheriff ’s daughter nicknamed Miss Pie. A Southern California native, Debbie Sherman parlayed a B.A. degree in business to found a successful Cross fit gym. Her passion for singing and acting eventually led her to show business. Today, scripts are streaming in and she’s taking on roles in everything from horror/thrillers to political dramas.

Scandinavian Talent Agency IMA Content brings the world to the Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival 2017. IMA Content has been selected to co-produce The Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival this year with Hollywood Weekly Magazine. This is an exciting, relatively new, international film festival in Hollywood that is unique in many ways. With visitors streaming in from all over the globe this young festival’s fourth year in town is proving to be a glamorous and star-studded event. Established and new talent alike will be donning their red carpet best and rubbing elbows with industry heavy weights on September 23rd.

And not to be outdone, nominations and winners from the 69th Emmy® Awards are the highlight of this edition and featured in a ceremony hosted by Television Academy Chairman and CEO Hayma Washington along with Anna Chlumsky from the HBO series Veep and Shemar Moore from CBS’ S.W.A.T. Enjoy,

Prather Jackon Prather Jackson

PUBLISHER

PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Prather Jackson VICE PRESIDENT Bernice Harris Michael D. Coxson MANAGING EDITOR Prather Jackson MARKETING & SALES Launy Rhem AFRICA OPERATIONS Egor Efiok Award Winning Filmmaker & Director General Of Callywood Studios +447932399204 / +2348063167990 ASIA OPERATIONS Joyce Penas Pilarsky HWM Asia Ambassador Email: info@joycepilarsky.com Bench Bello HWM Asia Operations Email: bench@hollywoodweekly.press Mobile: +639273895559 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Nitara Osborne MUSIC EDITOR Dick Michaels LIFE & STYLE EDITOR Niki Shadrow-Snyder RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT Alberto Arellano PRODUCTION MANAGER Hector Santacruz FEATURED WRITER

Nitara Osborne, Jenny Werth Alex A. Kecskes

WEB DESIGNER Howard Chan ART DIRECTOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Karina Pacheco CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Viktorija Pashuta

VP CORPORATE ACCOUNTS STRATEGY & PLANNING Rudy Germany DISTRIBUTORS NEWSWAYS DISTRIBUTORS GOLD KEY MEDIA NEWS INFLIGHT, INC

KEEP UP WITH HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY AT: www.hollywoodweeklymagazine.com FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @hollywoodweeklymagazine (323) 456-5004

WEEKLY

69EMMYS AWARDS TH

NOMINEES AND WINNERS

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JAMEE NATELLA

DEBBIE SHERMAN

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BORN THIS WAY 12 TWO MORE EMMY’S FOR

24 FROM BUSINESS TO SHOW BUSINESS DOLLY PARTON 26 I BELIEVE IN YOU CHILDREN’S SONGS

RACHELE BROOKE SMITH

OH, “MOTHER!”

THE PRODUCER WITH THE MOST ENDURANCE WINS

ON DOLLY RECORDS, PARTNERSHIP WITH SONY MUSIC NASHVILLE

CINEMATOGRAPHY

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THE ACTOR, WRITER AND PRODUCER OF YOUR OWN MOVIE.

THE CREATIVE COALITION 2017

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HONOURING THE INDEPENDENT FILM INDUSTRY

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IT’S NOT YOUR FATHER’S HORROR FILM.

IMA CONTENT

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BRINGS THE WORLD TO THE HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY MAGAZINE FILM FESTIVAL 2017 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 3

Fashion Credits: Hollywood Weekly Magazine Photography: Matthew Mitchell Hair & MakeUp: Trish Gossett Fashion Styling: Mike Sam Talent: Jamee Natella Location: Sanctuary at Soledad Goats in Mojave Desert Dress Kut from the Kloth www.kutfromthekloth.com Belt Carlos Felchi www.carlosfelchi.com Boots Frye www.thefryecompany.com Cuff Eleven13 www.etsy.com Earrings Twisted Silver www.twisted-silver.com Ring Twisted Silver www.twisted-silver.com 4 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

JAMEE NATELLA THE PRODUCER WITH THE MOST ENDURANCE WINS

R

BY NITARA LEE OSBOURNE unning long distance is a combination of acquired skills and natural-born ability. A big part of the success with distance running is pacing oneself, and being able to balance this along the entire journey of the run. You don’t want to start off running too fast because you will tire easily, and lose the physical capability to finish even when your mind desires to continue. To the contrary, you don’t want to run too slowly, as you would substantially decrease your chances of winning the race.

A great producer, like an unyielding distance runner, understands how to pace and balance themselves in order to succeed in the end. Jamee Natella is such a producer. Not only is she a mother who is totally “present” and connected with her 9 year-old son, she is the Founder of Blueyed Pictures, a company “serving both advertising agencies and clients” with offices in London, Tokyo, and right here in the entertainment capital of the world… Los Angeles.

Jamee serves as an Executive Producer along with Executive Producer Michael Labellarte. Michael runs the day-to-day operations, and because Jamee sold a portion of her company in what was a closed deal, she works when her time is requested, but willingly rolls up her sleeves and always puts 100% into fulfilling the task at hand. She made the global company into the success that it is today, and like any great “runner” who is a part of a team, she handed the baton off in order for her to be able to pursue other endeavors.

Producing is still very much a prevalent part of Jamee’s life, as she is making the smooth transition from focusing on producing commercials to producing films.

And like the adrenaline-filled distance runner with a rapidly beating heart, Jamee’s heart beats with excitement when she thinks about her philanthropic work with sustainability and the environment.

Her down-to-earth personality makes you feel like you’re talking to your best friend next door.

The multi-interests lady that she is, then transforms into super mom to her fourth grader as they continue to work together on their children’s book I Am Sam. How amazing is that? To have a mom who is as busy as Jamee is, not only create quality time with him, but even goes above and beyond by creating a whole world within a story with her little boy.

Regardless of all of the tasks on her plate, she is still very much in demand as a producer. She evolves into this powerhouse that brings stories to life with a phenomenal team of people. Jamee chooses to win regardless of what she’s up against, steadily pacing her momentum along her journey and balancing every significant variable in her personal and professional life in order to be complete.

HW: You’re well-traveled, a successful entrepreneur with all of your accomplishments in the film industry as a producer, and you’ve been in front of the camera as well. What is it within you that pulls you to be a producer?

JN: I’m more successful as a commercial producer than a film producer. I feel like I still have further to go as a film producer just because it is oftentimes HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 5

hard to get material that I really love into production.

I like true stories and things that have a purpose.

Sometimes those are not what people want to see or they’re not great for sales over a box office weekend.

But what draws me to producing is that I like putting things together. I like solving problems. I like listening to people. I like bringing people together. I find it rewarding when I’m bringing a team together based on their area of expertise.

HW: That’s a very fair and honest response. Do you feel “called” to be a producer or is it simply that individual projects draw you in?

JN: There are two parts to that question. First, I enjoy every single client. I can always get a good take-away from every client. The other part is that I still own a portion of Blueyed Pictures. I have overhead and a responsibility to find and supply work for those working for me. So, there are times when I may not relate to a particular product or understand it, but I move forward with the client regardless. However, I never take on something that I don’t want to do. I like both my clients and those working for me. This is how I find balance in that.

HW: That takes loyalty and heart.

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JN: Thank you for saying that. Now that I get hired outside of my company as a freelance producer, I’m independently producing. Like J.L. Ranch Family with Hallmark. After this I will be producing a movie called Nightmare 19 with Julianne Moore’s brother -- Peter Moore Smith -- who wrote the project. Those types of projects really inspire me. Have I answered your question?

HW: Yeah, you sure did. So, when you were offered to be the head producer of the Japanese talk show Teatime, was there any hesitation to take the job?

LIKE THE ADRENALINE-FILLED DISTANCE RUNNER WITH A RAPIDLY BEATING HEART, JAMEE’S HEART BEATS WITH EXCITEMENT WHEN SHE THINKS ABOUT HER PHILANTHROPIC WORK WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

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JN: Oh, there was a lot of hesitation… I never lived in Tokyo. I didn’t speak the language. And I wasn’t really understanding the culture. I think the project that I was asked to produce was our American version of The View. It was educating the Japanese culture on western situations, ways of thinking, or new trends that were coming through. And I just didn’t have a good understanding of their culture.

HW: How did you overcome that obstacle?

JN: I was really lucky. My boss Hirozo Isozaki was very encouraging and wanted to invest in me. Part of the reason he hired me, or perhaps what he simply appreciated about me, was that I was teachable and young enough to have the energy to work hard. (chuckles) Like I said, he needed me to bring western knowledge to the Japanese culture, so it was important for me to immerse myself into Japanese culture so that I can bridge the gap between the two. He paid for me to learn the language. He even brought me to the countryside and had me live with a Japanese family for two months. He made me take a Japanese driver’s test so I can understand the roads and the signs. By understanding the language, I understood the phonetics and I understood the culture of my environment.

HW: That must have been an empowering feeling. To be learning? To have support like that?

JN: It totally was. When I lived there, there were only three TV stations. It wasn’t until a couple of years later that Rupert Murdock came in and created Star. So, I didn’t really have the opportunity to speak English.

Immersion proved to be the best way to learn a language. It’s hard for me to believe that I speak fluent Japanese, but I studied it for seven years, and now I have a lot of business from commercial clients from Japan. Pioneer. Toyota, Mitsubishi, Lexus. All of these people were Japanese clients. Once again, I did have hesitation, but when you have someone who believes in you, the sky’s the limit. You can do anything.

HW: Tell me about it. Belief is a powerful thing.

How has traveling expanded your career – outside of bringing you all of these amazing clients?

JN: I draw a lot from experiences. I’ve been to a variety of countries. Egypt, Russia, India…Travel opens my

eyes to other cultures… and other crew. The way people do things – the way they approach things is somewhat done differently. This makes me look at and approach things from a different perspective. This expands my mind. In California we have stagnant locations. We’re lucky that we have beautiful oceans and a very healthoriented lifestyle here. But you go to other cultures, there are tall buildings… even go to some different states – like Florida. You go there and it’s kind-of like a retro-flashback to the 70s or early 80s. That kind of look and feel is just different from how things are in California.

HW: True. We have such a cultural melting pot right here in the United States. We don’t even have to go to other countries to experience diversity.

JN: Yeah, and I love being around people who are not American because they are different from me.

HW: Your global production company – Blueyed Pictures -- first opened its doors in 1998 in Japan. What was the reason for creating your production company there before opening the doors in Los Angeles?

JN: Okay, so I was producing a TV show for three years. Before I produced that TV show, I worked at Warner Bros., Touchstone, Alpine pictures and various commercial production companies. People knew that I had moved to Tokyo and people heard that I was producing. Back then… you know, Japan was very foreign to people. They didn’t really know how to execute production there. They didn’t know how to put together multilingual crews. English wasn’t a universal language there. So, they didn’t know how to pull permits. For instance, you couldn’t film on train tracks.

They just didn’t allow it. The safety of the people came first instead of putting public transportation within filming above that.

HW: Well, that’s understandable.

JN: Totally was. But I had solutions. And so many people wanted to film things there. I was getting calls from friends and colleagues that wanted to bring production to Japan. They wanted to produce something in Tokyo, but just didn’t know how. So, I jumped right in. “I can help pull permits. I can help put a crew together. Sure, I’ll do a budget for you.” And it became so time-consuming that it ended up becoming more of a work opportunity than the job where I was at.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 7

I LIKE LISTENING TO PEOPLE. I LIKE BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER. I FIND IT REWARDING WHEN I’M BRINGING A TEAM TOGETHER BASED ON THEIR AREA OF EXPERTISE.

HW: You were the solution to the problem that was begging to be solved all along?

JN: Exactly. So I had this idea that I could really make a business out of this. There was a need to create a service production company where I could help people produce projects. That was the start of Blueyed Pictures in 1998. There was an opportunity to create a service production company to execute production and to educate the western culture and production into the Asian market. And that’s what I did.

HW: And your other offices?

JN: London was the second location that I opened.

And LA was the third. I literally moved back to the United States to Los Angeles the exact day of 9/11.

HW: Scary timing.

JN: Right? Well, Blueyed Pictures became a partner with BBDO ad agency, which is owned by Omnicom Holding Group. Back then, agencies didn’t have production companies inside of ad agencies. So, this was a big deal. I became partners with BBDO West and acted like an in-house production company.

It’s common to have a production company in an ad agency now, but back then I was one of the first, if not the only one.

HW: I want to pivot here just a bit and talk a little more about people. You are about “business,” but at the end of the day, you care about people. That’s clear with every word that you’ve shared. I read online that you mentioned the importance of developing strong business relationships. What advice would you give to up-and-coming filmmakers that could improve upon how to effectively and genuinely network?

JN: Okay, um… I have worked with this next generation, the Millennials. It takes a certain characteristic within a person to have a certain work ethic. I really look for that. I feel like this newer generation – they are willing to work, but they also carry with them the stigma of

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that sense of entitlement. We live in a culture where we can achieve a lot. That’s what America is about. With what we do, we are all here with one goal – to create or execute a story, right?

HW: Right.

JN: My advice is to simply develop a good relationship with whomever you’re working with. I say be nice to everyone because you don’t know who’s going to come around 10 years later and ultimately be making all the decisions.

HW: That’s great advice. I agree. Pivoting once again, you have a cause that you’re absolutely driven and passionate about. Share with us just what ignites a fire underneath you outside of film production.

JN: Yeah, absolutely. (deep and excited breath) Sustainability is important to me. I really believe in taking care of the planet. And I have this massive passion about water. And the way the advertising industry has “done a number” on us with bottled water… I think we need to look at the infrastructure of tap water and how to rebuild it and make it safe for us to drink. Whether the problem is eight yearold pipes, leakage, or droughts in the cities that have access to water… or whether the problem is simply the way that they test the water coming through the pipes… let’s figure out a solution so that we can drink our water again.

HW: Many people don’t think about this. Their solution is bottled water. End of story.

JN: Exactly. But people need to be open to alternatives.

With a team of people, we are creating a movement so that we are changing the way people think about tap water so that they aren’t buying bottled water.

Educating people about water. Making it so that they feel comfortable about the water they are drinking. A portion of everything that we are doing goes back into rebuilding the pipes for the city and where the water bottle is sold. I’m not actually in the business of selling water. It’s actually a type of bottle that educates people about the tap water that they are using to fill it in.

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I can’t openly discuss it at this point, but let’s just say the environment is very important to me. These types of endeavors are part of what makes me feel complete.

HW: Keeping your personal and professional life in mind and those in your environment, what would be your biggest accomplishment to date?

JN: Um… hmm… I would say my biggest accomplishment in life – like I said before, we all draw from experiences… and I really live by those experiences because they make me happy and put a smile on my face… so I would say my biggest accomplishment is my son, Sam. I put a lot of time and effort into who he is and he teaches me to be human again.

HW: That’s pretty powerful and profound. Thank you for opening up and sharing another side of who you are with all of us.

JN: Thank you. My pleasure.

The producer of a project brings a team of people together to execute one common goal, the creation of a story. She must constantly consider how she can give, support, and push everyone with the perfect balance and at just the right pace. In the end, it’s the endurance of the producer that is responsible for the whole team crossing the finish line and winning. And Jamee Natella has brought several teams to victory.

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THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A SERVICE PRODUCTION COMPANY TO EXECUTE PRODUCTION AND TO EDUCATE THE WESTERN CULTURE AND PRODUCTION INTO THE ASIAN MARKET

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B

orn This Way’s John Tucker and Rachel Osterbach back stage after they presented awards in three categories at the Emmy’s Creative Arts Awards. Los Angeles, Calif., Sept.

12 – A&E Network’s critically acclaimed and award-winning original docuseries Born This Way’s honors keep adding up – showing that disability is a winning theme.

This series starring a cast with disabilities, which received six Emmy nominations this year, won two Emmy’s at Saturday night’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Casting for a Reality Program and Cinematography for a Reality Program – after bringing home the Emmy for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Series in 2016.

A Focus on Diverse Casting Show creator Jonathan Murray, the innovator behind the first-ever reality-show, The Real World, and many other hit shows including Keeping Up with the Kardashians, said the cast members of Born This Way remind all of us that “every individual has something to contribute.”

“In thinking about the show, we wanted to focus on the ability within the disability and I think that is what is exciting to see,” said Murray. “We also are very proud of the fact that our cast is very diverse. Born This Way has a cast that includes people who are African American, Hispanic and Asian. This is a breakthrough for those minority communities as well.”

This is the first year the Television Academy presented an award for Casting for a Reality Program, which Sasha Alpert and Megan Sleeper won for Born This Way. “Everyone experiences powerful stories,” Alpert said. “By not including a diverse group of people, we are limiting our ability to tell compelling stories. If we make television that doesn’t embrace the various populations around us, we limit the narratives we tell.”

Also during Saturday’s first half of the two-night Creative Arts Award presentation at the Microsoft Theater, Bruce Ready, Born This Way’s cinematographer, took home the Outstanding Reality Cinematography Emmy. The awards on Saturday evening were presented for reality, documentary and animated programs.

Making More History Born This Way cast members Rachel Osterbach and John Tucker made history when they became the first individuals with Down Syndrome to present at any major awards ceremony when they presented awards in three categories at the Creative Arts Emmys.

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Sasha Alpert and Megan Sleeper accept their award at the 2017 Creative Arts Emmys./Invision/AP

THIS WAY”

“BORN

Produced by Bunim/Murray Productions, Born This Way, an unscripted reality show on A&E, follows a group of seven young adults with Down syndrome along with their family and friends in Southern California. Because its focus is on showing their everyday lives, including employment, efforts for independent housing, loves and more, Born this Way breaks down stigmas surrounding disability.

TAKES HOME TWO

MORE EMMY’S FOR CINEMATOGRAPHY AND FIRST-EVER EMMY FOR CASTING

“Rachel and John graced the stage like true professionals to rousing applause,” said Gail Williamson, a talent agent who focuses on clients with disabilities at Kazarian, Measures, Ruskin and Associates Talent Agency. “When doctors told their parents about the diagnosis of Down syndrome and listed what they thought their children’s future would be like, they never thought to include they would be presenters at the Emmy Awards some day.”

“In an evening that emphasized ‘inclusion’ and ‘diversity,’ it was powerful to have Rachel and John, who both have Down syndrome, included in the diverse group of award presenters,” Murray added.

Increasing Disability Inclusion in Television The Ruderman White Paper on Disability in Television shows that disability often is absent from mainstream film and television – both the depiction of and, even when a character has a disability, the actor often does not. According to the report, an actor pretending to have a disability plays more than 95 percent of characters with disabilities. Furthermore, according to a recent report by The Media, Diversity, & Social Change (MDSC) Initiative at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, only 2.7 percent of all speaking or named characters in film were shown to have a disability in 2016 (up from 2.4 percent in 2015). None of the leading characters were from an underrepresented racial/ ethnic group or the LGBT community.

“By winning the Emmy for casting, A&E’s Born This Way has broken the glass ceiling for people with disabilities of all backgrounds,” Mizrahi added. “Programs like Born This Way that feature people with disabilities, or that tackle disability issues, in a positive light can be successful both critically and financially. Audiences want to see strong, capable role models with disabilities. By focusing on showing these young individuals’ everyday life choices regarding employment, living independently and dating, Born this Way breaks down stigmas surrounding disability.”

Murray agrees that shows like Born This Way and more diversity in Hollywood are good business.

“Hollywood has been really, really slow to recognize the diversity of this country,” he said. “I think it is catching up fast now. And I think it’s realizing that diversity is good business.

I don’t think it’s necessarily because it is altruistic. I think they are recognizing that TV shows will do better if they reflect what the country is.”

The Born This Way cast on the red carpet at the 2017 Creative Arts Emmys. Invision/AP

RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for people with disabilities, has been honored to consult during the creation of Born This Way and congratulates the entire team for its hard work in achieving this continued recognition.

Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, RespectAbility’s president who herself has a disability and who knows what it means to raise a child with multiple disabilities, said: “I am thrilled that the Emmy’s see the value in showing real people with disabilities and their powerful lives on TV. For generations TV-viewers saw people with disabilities through the lens of the Jerry Lewis telethon. Though it was well intended, it showed people’s inabilities and used a lens of pity. Born This Way is empowering and uplifting. It shows, as one member of the cast frequently says, that the public should not ‘Limit me.’”

According to the U.S. Census, one in five Americans has a disability. Currently 70 percent of working-age people with disabilities are not working – even though most of them want jobs and independence. The numbers are even worse for people with Down syndrome. According to the National Down Syndrome Society, there are more than 400,000 people with Down syndrome. Many studies show that people with disabilities, including those with Down syndrome, can work successfully and live relatively independently. The individuals on Born this Way prove that since several are productive employees and one is a business owner herself.

JONATHAN MURRAY “BORN THIS WAY”

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi: 202-365-0787, jenniferm@ respectability.org Lauren Appelbaum: 202-591-0703, laurena@ respectability.org

“We have a long way to go in how television shows people with disabilities,” Mizrahi said. “For almost five decades, the Jerry Lewis telethon stigmatized people with disabilities by showing what people with disabilities CAN’T do. Now is the time to show what people with disabilities CAN do.”

Recently, Born This Way was chosen as one of six honorees for the 2016 Television Academy Honors, an award that recognizes “television programming that inspires, informs and motivates.”

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 13

Rachele Brooke Smith in Chalk It Up (2016)

Alan Thicke, Julia Duffy, Glen Powell, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Rachele Brooke Smith in Scream Queens (2015)

Still From Gumshoe movie

RACHELE BROOKE SMITH R

By: Alex A. Kecskes

achele Brooke Smith has appeared in a variety of films, including The Nice Guys, Bomb City, Chalk It Up, Iron Man 2 and Center Stage 2. On the small screen, Rachele was featured in such hit shows as Scream Queens, Glee, Anger Management, How I Met Your Mother, Entourage, and Two and a Half Men. In Cold Moon, a chilling tale of supernatural vengeance, Rachele is Belinda Hale, an insouciant sheriff ’s daughter nicknamed Miss Pie.

HW: Thank you for taking the time for this interview.

You’ve done a lot of TV and film work. But let’s rewind and go back to what inspired you to become an actor.

RS: I grew up as a super competitive gymnast. But after I broke my hand and had six surgeries, I finally summoned the courage to quit gymnastics. That threw me into a 14 year-old’s depression. My entire identity was shot. I sat in my room and cried a lot. Then I saw the movie Center Stage, which was the first dance film I’d ever seen. I was so inspired by the story of this girl who was told she wasn’t good enough and had the wrong body type. The dancing and her performance lit me up. After the movie was over, I just sat there and refused to leave. Later, I kept watching that movie to inspire me through the difficult times and through my acting classes.

HW: Every actor has a different story about their first big break. Tell us about coming to Hollywood at 18, and the struggles and challenges you faced in landing the lead in Center Stage 2.

RS: My plan was to attend my dream performing arts college. But I didn’t get in. So I auditioned for this program at the EDGE Performing Arts Center in L.A. and got in. I was 18, had two weeks to move to L.A. and didn’t know anyone. The EDGE program was 7 to 8 hours a day of acting, dancing and singing. During my first year, I couldn’t have an agent or do auditions. When I finished the program, I performed in their year-end show and got a dance gig. As for acting, I was turned down by agents who said come back when you have a reel. So I went back to EDGE’s studio to dance away my depression, and then I saw this sign on the wall: auditions for the lead in Center Stage 2. I almost didn’t go, having been turned down by

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HW: How are you like Belinda and how are you different?

RS: Of all the character’s I’ve played, I love Belinda and her Southern charm. I feel in a past life, I may have grown up in the South. Belinda is so happy, so full of life, with all this energy and eagerness to find the good in everyone. As for how we differ, Belinda can sometimes be insecure and self-deprecating, whereas I’m on the opposite end of that, being more empowering with selflove.

HW: As an athlete and dancer, you once said you love action and fight scenes, that you dream of becoming an action superhero. Can you into that a bit?

RS: After doing Center Stage 2, the films that really empower me have these badass female characters, like those played by Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson.

They’re my heroes. I even have a Wonder Woman poster on my wall. I love fighting and I go to boxing classes on a regular basis. I was in an action TV show called Wisdom of the Crowd, where I got to kick a lot of ass. I was also the lead in Atomic Shark. I love pushing myself to the limit, to drive through that feeling of exhaustion.

HW: How do you stay so physically fit? Can you talk about some of your fitness hacks? Your disruptive dare?

“I REALLY BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE THE ACTOR, WRITER AND PRODUCER OF YOUR OWN MOVIE. SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO WRITE TODAY?”

so many agents. But I finally summoned the courage to go. And suddenly, there I was on this big Sony studio lot, feeling so small and flushed with self-doubt. But I was able to disrupt the doubt and go for it. I had to audition six times for the role. Then an agent who had turned me down two months earlier called and said Sony wants to book you in the lead for Center Stage 2. I was in my car and almost got in an accident.

HW: What attracted you to Cold Moon, a ghostly noir murder mystery in a sleepy southern town?

RS: Every project I’ve ever been in began with me saying this is what I want and being really loud about it. I love southern characters and studied them, especially those in the movie The Help. I was on a red eye flight from Atlanta after filming The Nice Guys. I was exhausted, reading the Cold Moon script and I couldn’t put it down. I decided then and there that I wanted the Belinda Hale role.

HW: Did you audition for the role of Belinda and what was that like?

RS: I did. The day after reading the script, I was on Skype with the director and producer and read for the role. They both said that’s Belinda.

RS: Disruptive dares are online challenges that help people improve physically. I have a passion for brainbody health. And I believe you become what you eat.

I’m fortunate to have my entire family in medicine. My dad is a brain surgeon, my mother is a nutritionist and my brother is a neuroscientist. I’m also into Keto, which is a high fat, low sugar, low carb diet.

HW: If you could rewrite your life story up till now, what would you change and what would you keep?

RS: I’m really grateful for every challenge I’ve faced. It’s made me stronger than I ever thought I could be. I wouldn’t have the drive, passion or will to keep going and fighting without those challenges. I remember my first day working with Christopher Lloyd. I was very intimidated. But I was committed to not let his energy affect me, because I knew that he was very much a method actor playing a grumpy old man. So I wouldn’t want to change anything. Like going on six auditions instead of one or two for Center Stage 2. That strengthens you physically and mentally. It gives you the ability to not let doubt or fear stand in your way, to act from an authentic, genuine place.

Rachele Brooke Smith Actress / Filmmaker / Entrepreneur Represented by BRS Gage / TheModelSmith.com rachelebrooke22@icloud.com http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2855957/mediaviewer/rm4453632 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 15

16 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

LENNIE JAMES

attend the Creative Coalition’s 2017 Spotlight Initiative Gala Awards Dinner hosted by the Nordstrom Supper Suite with Grey Goose Vodka at STK

JASON ISAACS

attend the Creative Coalition’s 2017 Spotlight Initiative Gala Awards Dinner hosted by the Nordstrom Supper Suite with Grey Goose Vodka at STK

JUSTINE BATEMA attend the Creative Coalition’s 2017 Spotlight Initiative Gala Awards Dinner hosted by the Nordstrom Supper Suite with Grey Goose Vodka at STK

JOE MCCANTA

attend the Creative Coalition’s 2017 Spotlight Initiative Gala Awards Dinner hosted by the Nordstrom Supper Suite with Grey Goose Vodka at STK

Colin Farrell, Yorgos Lanthimos and Nicole Kidman attend the “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” premiere party hosted By Grey Goose Vodka and Soho House

T

oronto International Film Festival, GREY GOOSE Vodka celebrated game-changing film in Toronto’s Yorkville district during opening weekend with The Creative Coalition 2017 Spotlight Initiative Gala Awards Dinner honouring the independent film industry.

The dinner took place at the modern and chic restaurant STK to celebrate this year’s honourees including Bill Pullman (Independence Day, Battle of the Sexes), Matthew Newton (Who We Are Now), Brian d’Arcy James (Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House, Molly’s Game) and Zachary Quinto (Star Trek: Who We Are Now). Other notable attendees included: Julianne Nicholson (August: Osage County, Who We Are Now), Lennie James (Les Miserables, Snatch) and Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Death of Stalin).

Meanwhile at Soho House Toronto, Grey Goose hosted a private dinner for the premiere of The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Guests gathered on the club’s second floor Pantry

Jimmy Smits, Zachary Quinto; Julianne Nicholson and Matthew Newton attend the Creative Coalition’s 2017 Spotlight Initiative Gala Awards Dinner hosted by Grey Goose Vodka

The Creative Coalition 2017 Spotlight Initiative Gala Awards Dinner HONOURING THE INDEPENDENT FILM INDUSTRY restaurant and congratulated Nicole Kidman (dressed in Valentino with Chloe Gosselin shoes and Fred Leighton jewelry), Colin Farrell and Director Yorgos Lanthimos as they arrived.

Guests at both gatherings enjoyed a collection of bespoke GREY GOOSE cocktails including the vibrant GREY GOOSE Director’s Cut, the rich and expressive Star of Film Noir espresso martini cocktail and the signature GREY GOOSE vodka film serve, the effervescent GREY GOOSE Le Fizz.

Soho House and French luxury brand GREY GOOSE vodka have co-hosted film industry events and parties for nine concurrent years during the Toronto International Film Festival, as part of their ongoing support of the film community. Both the film industry and GREY GOOSE share the same daring spirit and passionate pursuit of the extraordinary, after all “if you can imagine it, it can be done.” (François Thibault, GREY GOOSE creator and Cellar Master).

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 17

69EMMYS AWARDS TH

NOMINEES AND WINNERS

N

ominations for the 69th Emmy® Awards were announced today by the Television Academy in a ceremony hosted

by Television Academy Chairman and CEO Hayma Washington along with Anna Chlumsky from the HBO series Veep and Shemar Moore from CBS’ S.W.A.T.

Patricia McLaughlin at the 2017 Creative Arts Ball.

Sharna Burgess and Artem Chigvintsev perform at the 2017 Creative Arts Ball

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“It’s been a record-breaking year for television, continuing its explosive growth,” said Washington. “The Emmy Awards competition experienced a 15 percent increase in submissions for this year’s initial nomination round of online voting. The creativity and excellence in presenting great storytelling and characters across a multitude of ever-expanding entertainment platforms is staggering.

“This sweeping array of television shows ranges from familiar favorites like black- ish and House of Cards to nominations newcomers like Westworld, This Is Us and Atlanta. The power of television and its talented performers – in front of and behind the camera – enthrall a worldwide audience. We are thrilled to once again honor the very best that television has to offer.”

This year’s seven Drama Series nominees include five firsttimers distributed across broadcast, cable and digital platforms: Better Call Saul, The Crown, The Handmaid’s Tale, House of Cards, Stranger Things, This Is Us and Westworld.

Nominations were also spread over distribution platforms in the Outstanding Comedy Series category, with newcomer Atlanta joined by the acclaimed black-ish, Master of None, Modern Family, Silicon Valley, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Veep.

Saturday Night Live and Westworld led the tally for the most nominations (22) in all categories, followed by Stranger Things and FEUD: Bette and Joan (18) and Veep (17). Leading the nominations in totals by platform were HBO (110), Netflix (91) and NBC (60).

First-time Emmy nominee Milo Ventimiglia was joined in the Lead Actor in a Drama Series category by Other notable nominations included Lead Actress in a Drama in which first-time nominee Claire Foy joins nominees Viola Davis, Elisabeth Moss, Keri Russell, Evan Rachel Wood and Robin Wright. Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Robin Beauchesne and the hairstyling team from Westworld at the 2017 Creative Arts Ball.

Artem Chigvintsev, Mandy Moore, Sharna Burgess, and Kathryn Burns at the 2017 Creative Arts Ball

Kim Estes and guests at the 2017 Creative Arts Ball

Angela Bassett at the 2017 Creative Arts Ball.

A general view of the atmosphere at the 2017 Creative Arts Ball

Paul Witten at the 2017 Creative Arts Ball.

Martin Childs and Michele Clapton at the 2017 Creative Arts Emmys.

Patrika Darbo at the 2017 Creative Arts Ball

Alex Gitler at the 2017 Creative Arts Ball.

Kristine Ling at the 2017 Creative Arts Ball

Myriam Arougheti and guest at the 2017 Creative Arts Ball

included first-time nominee Donald Glover, new nominee in this category, Zach Galifianakis, joining Anthony Anderson, and Emmy winners Aziz Ansari, William H. Macy and Jeffrey Tambor. Counterpart nominees in the Lead Actress in a Comedy were Pamela Adlon, Jane Fonda, Allison Janney, Ellie Kemper, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tracee Ellis Ross and Lily Tomlin.

Multiple nominees included Aziz Ansari, Riz Ahmed, Ty Burrell, Alec Baldwin, Ann Dowd, Donald Glover, Ewan McGregor, Matthew Rhys and Liev Schreiber.

Five-time Emmy winner John Lithgow received his 12th nomination, three-time Emmy winner Jessica Lange received another nomination for FEUD: Bette and Joan, while first-time Emmy nominees in the Limited Series or Movie categories included Robert De Niro, Carrie Coon and Reese Witherspoon.

Stephen Colbert

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 19

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE - 2017

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE - 2017

Ewan McGregor as Ray Stussy/Emmit Stussy Fargo

Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein Genius

Felicity Huffman as Jeanette Hesby American Crime

Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright Big Little Lies

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes Sherlock: The Lying Detective (Masterpiece)

Riz Ahmed as Nasir “Naz” Khan The Night Of

Reese Witherspoon as Madeline MacKenzie Big Little Lies

Carrie Coon as Gloria Burgle Fargo

John Turturro as John Stone The Night Of

Robert De Niro as Bernie Madoff The Wizard Of Lies

Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford FEUD: Bette And Joan

Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis FEUD: Bette And Joan

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES - 2017 Donald Glover as Earn Marks Atlanta

Zach Galifianakis as Chip Baskets / Dale Baskets Baskets

Anthony Anderson as Andre Johnson black-ish

Aziz Ansari as Dev Master Of None

William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher Shameless

Jeffrey Tambor as Maura Pfefferman Transparent

69

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES - 2017 Pamela Adlon as Sam Fox Better Things

Jane Fonda as Grace Hanson Grace And Frankie

Allison Janney as Bonnie Mom

Bob Odenkirk

Kevin Spacey

Liev Schreiber

Matthew Rhys

as Jimmy McGill Better Call Saul

as Ray Donovan Ray Donovan

Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson This Is Us

as Francis Underwood House of Cards

as Philip Jennings The Americans

Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson This Is Us

TH EMMYS AWARDS

Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson black-ish Lily Tomlin as Frankie Bergstein Grace And Frankie Ellie Kemper as Kimmy Schmidt Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer Veep

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES - 2017 Robin Wright as Claire Underwood House of Cards

Viola Davis as Annalise Keating How To Get Away With Murder

Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings The Americans

Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II The Crown

Elisabeth Moss as Offred The Handmaid’s Tale

Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores Westworld

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OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES - 2017

Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Ford Westworld

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES - 2017 Louie Anderson as Christine Baskets Baskets

Matt Walsh as Mike McLintock Veep

Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy Modern Family

Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump Saturday Night Live

Tituss Burgess as Titus Andromedon Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Tony Hale as Gary Walsh Veep

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES - 2017 Vanessa Bayer

Leslie Jones

Kate McKinnon

Kathryn Hahn

Judith Light

Anna Chlumsky

as Various Characters Saturday Night Live

as Various Characters Saturday Night Live

as Shelly Pfefferman Transparent

as Various Characters Saturday Night Live

as Raquel Fein Transparent

as Amy Brookheimer Veep

OUTSTANDING CHILDREN’S PROGRAM - 2017 Girl Meets World

School Of Rock

Disney Channel Michael Jacobs, Executive Producer Frank Pace, Co-Executive Producer Matthew Nelson, Co-Executive Producer Mark Blutman, Co-Executive Producer Jeff Menell, Co-Executive Producer

Nickelodeon Jim Armogida, Executive Producer Steve Armogida, Executive Producer Jay Kogen, Executive Producer Scott Rudin, Executive Producer Eli Bush, Executive Producer Richard Linklater, Executive Producer Steve Skrovan, Co-Executive Producer Suzie V. Freeman, Co-Executive Producer Sarah Jane Cunningham, Co-Executive Producer Harry Hannigan, Producer Chris Arrington

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 90th Celebration NBC Brad Lachman, Executive Producer Bill Bracken, Co-Executive Producer Matt Lachman, Producer

Once Upon A Sesame Street Christmas HBO Brown Johnson, Executive Producer Ken Scarborough, CoExecutive Producer Benjamin Lehmann, Supervising Producer Karyn Leibovich, Producer Stephanie Longardo, Producer Mindy Fila, Producer

Star Wars Rebels Disney XD Simon Kinberg, Executive Producer Dave Filoni, Executive Producer Henry Gilroy, Co-Executive Producer Kiri Hart, Producer Carrie Beck, Producer Athena Yvette Portillo, Producer

NOMINEES & WINNERS OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE - 2017 Big Little Lies

“You Get What You Need” HBO Yves Bélanger, CSC, Director of Photography

Black Mirror: Nosedive Netflix Seamus McGarvey, ASC, Director of Photography

Fargo

The Night Of “Ordinary Death”

HBO Fred Elmes, ASC, Director of Photography

The Young Pope “Episode 1”

HBO Luca Bigazzi, Director of Photography

“The Law Of Vacant Places” FX Networks Dana Gonzales, ASC, Director of Photography

“Routine: Kairos” ABC Derek Hough, Choreographer

Dancing With The Stars “Routines: On Top Of The World & Carol Of The Bells” ABC Mandy Moore, Choreographer

So You Think You Can Dance

“Routines: The Mirror & Send In The Clowns & She Used To Be Mine” FOX Travis Wall, Choreographer

Atlanta

FX Networks Donald Glover, Executive Producer Paul Simms, Executive Producer Dianne McGunigle, Executive Producer Hiro Murai, Producer Alex Orr

black-ish

ABC Jonathan Groff, Executive Producer Kenya Barris, Executive Producer Anthony Anderson, Executive Producer Laurence Fishburne, Executive Producer Helen Sugland, Executive Producer E. Brian Dobbins, Executive Producer Corey Nickerson, Executive Producer Gail Lerner, Co-Executive Producer Courtney Lilly, Co-Executive Producer Jenifer Rice-Genzuk Henry, Co-Executive Producer Hale Rothstein, Co-Executive Producer Kenny Smith, Co-Executive Producer Laura Gutin Peterson, CoExecutive Producer Vijal Patel, Co-Executive Producer Emily Halpern, Co-Executive Producer Sarah Haskins, Co-Executive Producer Lindsey Shockley, Supervising Producer Peter Saji, Supervising Producer Michael Petok,

Master Of None

Netflix Aziz Ansari, Executive Producer Alan Yang, Executive Producer Michael Schur, Executive Producer David Miner, Executive Producer Dave Becky, Executive Producer Igor Srubshchik, Executive Producer Andrew Blitz, Co-Executive Producer Eric Wareheim, Supervising Producer

Modern Family

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY - 2017 Dancing With The Stars

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES - 2017

So You Think You Can Dance “Routines: Unsteady & This Is Not The End” FOX Mandy Moore, Choreographer

The Real O’Neals

“Routines: Born This Way & West Side Story & Boyfriend” ABC Fred Tallaksen, Choreographer

ABC Christopher Lloyd, Executive Producer Steven Levitan, Executive Producer Paul Corrigan, Executive Producer Brad Walsh, Executive Producer Danny Zuker, Executive Producer Abraham Higginbotham, Executive Producer Jeffrey Richman, Executive Producer Elaine Ko, Executive Producer Stephen Lloyd, Executive Producer Vali Chandrasekaran, Executive Producer Chuck Tatham, Executive Producer Jeff Morton, Executive Producer Andy Gordon, Co-Executive Producer Jon Pollack, Co-Executive Producer

Sally Young, Producer Christy Stratton, Consulting Producer

Silicon Valley

HBO Mike Judge, Executive Producer Alec Berg, Executive Producer Michael Rotenberg, Executive Producer Tom Lassally, Executive Producer Clay Tarver, Co-Executive Producer Dan O’Keefe, Co-Executive Producer Chris Provenzano, CoExecutive Producer Graham Wagner, Co-Executive Producer Jamie Babbit, Co-Executive Producer Jim Kleverweis, Co-Executive Producer Carrie Kemper, Supervising Producer Adam Countee, Supervising Producer Aaron Zelman, Supervising Producer

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Netflix Robert Carlock, Executive Producer Tina Fey, Executive Producer Jeff Richmond, Executive Producer David Miner, Executive Producer Sam Means, Co-Executive Producer Dan Rubin, Co-Executive Producer Allison Silverman, CoExecutive Producer Leila Strachan, Co-Executive Producer Eric Gurian, Co-Executive Producer Meredith Scardino, Producer Dara Schnapper, Producer Jerry Kupfer, Produced by Veep HBO David Mandel, Executive Producer Frank Rich, Executive Producer Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Executive Producer Lew Morton, Executive Producer Morgan Sackett, Executive Producer Peter Huyck, Co-Executive Producer Alex Gregory, Co-Executive Producer Georgia Pritchett, CoExecutive Producer Jennifer Crittenden, CoExecutive Producer Gabrielle Allan, Co-Executive Producer Ian Maxtone-Graham, CoExecutive Producer Steve Hely, Co-Executive Producer Ted Cohen, Co-Executive Producer David Hyman, Co-Executive Producer Rachel Axler, Supervising Producer Billy Kimball, Supervising Producer Dale Stern, Producer Erik Kenward, Consulting Producer Dan Mintz, Consulting Producer

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 21

Showpo O

ne of Australia’s most successful online fashion retailers founded by millennial entrepreneur Jane Lu, celebrated their official launch in the US with a private kickoff event on Thursday, August 24, 2017 at NeueHouse Hollywood. Showpo’s CEO, Jane Lu, attended along with some of Los Angeles’s most stylish fashionistas and Hollywood scenesters. Among the crowd was Corinne Olympios from The Bachelor and The Bachelor in Paradise, as well as Danielle Lombard and Jasmine Goode, also from The Bachelor and The Bachelor in Paradise. Other notables attendees included Ashlee Lian from E!’s What Happens at the Abbey, and Durrani Popal from Dash Dolls.

22 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Makes Their U.S. Debut with Reality Starlets and Fashion Influencers

ABOUT SHOWPO Showpo is an established Australian– based fast fashion brand that produces on-tend clothing at affordable prices.

The brand started in Jane Lu’s garage in 2010, and has since grown into an online global empire now shipping to 80 countries. Currently boasting a $30 million run-rate, the company is en route to meeting $75 million in sales by 2020.

Showpo’s main driving force of awareness and sales is by social media with over 2 million Instagram followers. https://www. showpo.com/us/

ABOUT JANE LU

While model and DJ Sam Blacky spun, guests enjoyed delicious hors d’oeuvres and two signature cocktails, the Bondi Beach and the Sunset Boulevard. Chic Studios and La Mienne provided hair and beauty bar touch ups, while other guests perused the Showpo gifting suite.

The 31-year-old transitioned from a business analyst at KPMG and EY to a fashion savvy entrepreneur, social media expert and owner of the Showpo empire. Lu has been nominated for numerous awards, taking the title of Cosmopolitan’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015 and Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia in 2016. Lu has been covered by various Australian business and fashion outlets including Elle, Entrepreneur, Mashable, and Daily Mail.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 23

HW: Many actors have a love/hate relationship with auditions. What mindset do you adopt when you audition?

DS: Auditioning is an animal all its own. But things are a bit different now. Ten, fifteen years ago, you always auditioned in person. Your agent would call you to attend a casting call, you’d audition in front of a panel and that’s the way it was. Now, I mostly audition via video. They’ll send me the material and I’ll tape myself or have someone tape me doing that character. It lets me audition for more gigs because I live in Orange County (CA) and getting to L.A. can be crazy. It also frees you to do your best take, to be in the moment and put your best foot forward. In terms of mindset, you’re not going to get every part and that’s okay.

It doesn’t mean you’re not good enough or you’re not right for the part. Sometimes, it just doesn’t click.

By: Alex A. Kecskes

HW: Thank you for taking the time for this interview.

Your background could be described as nothing less than eclectic--fitness gym founder, singer, actress, South Africa AIDS volunteer. Let’s start with your love of singing and acting. When did that begin?

DS: I’ve always loved singing, acting and anything in the entertainment field. Starting at a young age, I’d put on little plays for my family and make up songs. In school, I was in choir and drama. And I had excellent teachers who gave me the confidence to follow my dreams. After college, I was in a girl duo, where we wrote, created and shot a music video. Then I got married, had my two beautiful daughters, and when they grew out of needing mommy 24/7, I had the opportunity to get back into acting with The Vault.

HW: Some actors will work with only certain directors, others prefer to be in majors over indies, and still others choose action over drama. What do you look for when accepting a role?

DS: I’m open to different directors and genres. It challenges me to do something new every time. I think it’s great that some people like to stay in their wheelhouse, but being in a horror movie is totally different from being in a drama.

The character and what surrounds you are always very different.

HW: In The Vault, you worked with James Franco, Taryn Manning and Francesca Eastwood in a horror/thriller described as The Town meets The Sixth Sense. Can you tell us about the film and the challenges you faced?

DS: I loved this script. When I first got it, I thought it was just another horror film. But it’s not. So I was excited to work on it. Like you said, it’s a combination horror/thriller, so as the movie starts out, you’re unaware of this supernatural element. There’s this bank robbery with action and you think it’s a thriller, but after it gets going, you get these creepy vibes. And as the movie plays out, you realize it’s not just a bank robbery but all these other things. It’s this twist and turn of events that shock you throughout the movie.

HW: You’ll also be in Day of the Dead: Bloodline, a remake of the 1975 George A. Romero zombie classic with Sophie Skelton and Johnathon Schaech. What can you tell us about being in this survivalist horror/thriller?

DS: This is horror, full out, with all the blood and guts people look for in these movies. So you’re getting your zombie fill for the day. It’s fun to be part of this franchise because it has such a huge following and people are really excited about it. I play Linda, someone who doesn’t know about zombies. She suddenly comes to the realization: okay, there are zombies everywhere. We worked in a huge studio in Bulgaria, which was amazing. I was in these outdoor city scenes with things exploding, and I worked with the stunt crew to do my own little stunt. The directors and actors were great. Jeff Gum is a good friend who I’d worked with before.

Debbie Sher FROM BUSINESS TO SHOW BUSINESS

24 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NATIVE, DEBBIE SHERMAN PARLAYED A B.A. DEGREE IN BUSINESS TO FOUND A SUCCESSFUL CROSSFIT GYM. HER PAaSSION FOR SINGING AND ACTING EVENTUALLY LED HER TO SHOW BUSINESS. TODAY, SCRIPTS ARE STREAMING IN AND SHE’S TAKING ON ROLES IN EVERYTHING FROM HORROR/THRILLERS TO POLITICAL DRAMAS.

HW: Later this year, you’ll join Forest Whitaker and Eric Bana in the political thriller The Forgiven, set in postApartheid South Africa. What attracted you to this film?

DS: This film is very close to my heart. I feel blessed to be part of it. It’s a story that needs to be told. My character Linda is married to Hansi, who is part of the area’s jailing system. Initially, she pretends that the white-black turmoil coming to a head is not happening. But she eventually has to come to terms with it.

HW: Interesting character arc for you.

DS: Like you said, playing different roles. My role in Day of the Dead is completely different than my part in The Forgiven, so it was a big transition. All three films—one in June of last year, one in July and one in December—are not too far apart, so it was cool to make the jump from each character. But just reliving Apartheid and letting peoples’ voices be heard is so amazing. The cast and crew were exceptional. And I’m so excited to see what Forest Whitaker brought to the Desmond Tutu role, how everything comes to life. For me, doing my research and speaking to people who went through that turmoil was really a heavy experience. I can only imagine what it was like for those who lived it, the racism and what they felt.

I’m excited for people to see this film and the hard work that went into it. I feel I grew so much as an actor from Roland Joffé’s kind and patient direction. This was my first time in South Africa, so I was able to experience the culture and do some AIDS volunteer work while there.

HW: What were you like in high school? Nerd, class president, somewhere in between?

DS: I did drama. I was a cheerleader for four years.

Honestly, I was such a goody two shoes. I was always super scared of authority, very structured, turning everything in on time, getting a 4.0, and never being late to anything. I’m a bit more free spirited now, but I’m still very disciplined with a type A personality.

rman HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 25

DOLLY PARTON

C

ountry music icon Dolly Parton will be all over television this weekend as pre-orders begin for her first children’s album I Believe In You, available here. Parton first appears on the ACM Honors on Friday, September 15 where she will accept the Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award before heading to the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 17.

Parents, fans and all those young at heart can be the first to get their hands on Parton’s new children’s album, I Believe In You, by placing a pre-order on or after September 15. Those who pre-order will receive an instant download of the album’s first track “I Believe In You.” The album will feature 14 new songs, all written and performed by Dolly Parton with the spirit and heart of children in mind. Proceeds from the album will benefit Imagination Library, which was established in 1995 to honor Parton’s father, who never had the chance to learn to read or write.

A digital release of the new album on Dolly Records/ RCA Nashville will be available September 29, and the physical album will be available worldwide October 13.

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I BELIEVE IN YOU TRACK LISTING: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

I Believe in You Coat of Many Colors (new recording) Together Forever I Am a Rainbow I’m Here A Friend Like You Imagination You Can Do It Responsibility You Gotta Be Makin’ Fun Ain’t Funny Chemo Hero Brave Little Soldier Bonus track spoken audio: Coat of Many Colors (book read by Dolly Parton)

ABOUT DOLLY PARTON: Dolly Parton is the most honored female country performer of all time. Achieving 25 RIAA certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards, she has had 25 songs reach #1 on the Billboard Country charts, a record for a female artist. She has 41 career top 10 country albums, a record for any artist, and she has 110 careercharted singles over the past 40 years. All-inclusive sales of singles, albums, hits collections, paid digital downloads and compilation usage during her Hall of Fame career have reportedly topped a staggering 100 million records – which includes sales of her 2016 chart-topping disc Pure & Simple, her first number one album on the Billboard Country Album charts in twenty-five years. She has garnered eight Grammy Awards – including a 2017 win with Pentatonix in the Country Duo/Group Performance category for their collaboration on her iconic 1973 hit “Jolene” - 10 Country Music Association Awards, five Academy of Country Music Awards, three American Music Awards and is one of only five female artists to win the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award. In 1999 Parton was inducted as a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. She has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and became a member of the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001. Broadcast Music Inc. honored Parton with their Icon Award in 2003, and in 2004 the U.S. Library of Congress presented her with their Living Legend Award for her contribution to the cultural heritage of the United States. This was followed in 2005 with the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor given by the U.S. government FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DOLLY PARTON, VISIT:

for excellence in the arts. The honors keep coming. The 2016 made for television movie, Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love is nominated in the “Television Movie” category for the 69th Annual Emmy Awards. The film also won in the TV and Cable category at the 68th Annual Christopher Awards, which also includes the Movieguide Epiphany Prize for Television.

The film served as the follow-up to her highly rated 2015 film Coat Of Many Colors, also broadcast on NBC, which won the Academy of Country Music’s Tex Ritter Award. In 2017, Dolly will release “I Believe In You,” a collection of children’s songs on Dolly Records through her partnership with Sony Music Nashville.

ABOUT DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY: Founded in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting organization that has, to date, mailed more than 100 million books to children in Australia, Belize, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States.

Each month, the program currently mails more than one million specially selected, high-quality, age-appropriate books to registered children from birth until they start Kindergarten in participating communities. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading in children, preparing them for school and inspiring them to dream.

Recent studies suggest participation in the Imagination Library is positively and significantly associated with higher measures of early language and math development.

Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

www.dollyparton.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/DollyParton

Tumblr: OfficialDollyParton.tumblr.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/DollyParton

Google+: Plus.Google.com/+DollyParton

Twitter: Twitter.com/DollyParton

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 27

A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. From filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream), mother! stars Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer in this riveting psychological thrille… MORE

Release date: September 15, 2017 (USA) Director: Darren Aronofsky Screenplay: Darren Aronofsky Cinematography: Matthew Libatique Music composed by: Jóhann Jóhannsson, Clint Mansell

Oh, “Mother!”

It’s not your father’s horror film.

A

BY ALEX A. KECSKES

28 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

visceral psychological thriller, Darren Aronofsky’s Mother! leaves you logically untethered, uniting metaphor and allegory in film that, some say, reinvents the horror genre.

Set in a remote house rebuilt after a fire, Mother! begins with a once famous writer, known simply as Him (Javier Bardem) and his wife, Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) who dutifully works to remodel their home. One night, an unexpected visitor arrives. Known as only as Man (Ed Harris), he charms his way into staying the night, stroking Him’s ego by saying he’s a big fan. Next to arrive is Woman (Michelle Pfeiffer), an acerbic interloper with

AS FILMMAKERS, WE CAN SHOW WHERE A PERSON’S MIND GOEAS, AS OPPOSED TO THEATER, WHICH IS MORE TO SIT BACK DARREN ARONOFSKY

AND WATCH IT.

Clearly, this is not your father’s horror film.

It draws you in with an exploration of gender roles and an attempt to define the creative mind stuck in what we initially perceive as writer’s block. It ends with a vastly expanded allegorical scope of blood drenched horror, leaving you spellbound until they roll credits and your less film savvy friends tug at you to leave the theater.

an icy persona that rubs us the wrong way. The conflict begins when Mother’s unease with her visitors clashes with Him’s eagerness to let them stay.

THERE’S A POINT WHERE YOU REALIZE YOU’VE BEEN IN THE EYE OF A HURRICANE AND NO MATTER WHICH WAY YOU TURN, IT’S BAD. Slowly, the film starts unraveling, drifting inexorably toward a conclusion you still don’t quite understand.

There’s a point where you realize you’ve been in the eye of a hurricane and no matter which way you turn, it’s bad. Spoilers here would explain much, but let’s just say you’ll put away the popcorn and Coke to start biting your nails. Like a jerky, spook-filled fun house ride, mother is full of unexpected surprises, some of which are skillfully foreshadowed by Aronofsky. Like when Mother puts her hand on a wall to reveal a tight zoom of a dying heart.

Or when she bends down to find a blood spot on the floor. The film expands and turns inside out, becoming more metaphorical as it catapults us to its white-knuckle conclusion.

Lawrence does a fine job depicting a wife obsessed with cleaning and turning a husk of a house into a livable home, or Paradise as it’s called. And Bardem dutifully portrays the tortured creative, feeding not off the inspiration of others but their praise.

Lawrence is clearly at the epicenter of Mother!, underscored by cinematographer Matthew Libatique’s claustrophic close-ups as Mother navigates a rat maze of disturbing discoveries. Feiffer and Harris morph into the houseguests who never leave and things get dicey when their adult children arrive. Allegorically, Lawrence embodies the spirit of Paradise, with Feiffer and Harris as the first Man and Woman. Mother! takes this concept to modern day, with Mother’s concern for her home symbolizing a stewardship of our planet.

Aronofsky tortures us with a refusal to square peg Mother! into anything resembling a traditional horror film. Shot entirely on a 16mm handheld camera, with only three angles, there’s a unique movement and flow to the Mother!, its mise-en-scène pressing drama, humor and horror into tight corners and spaces.

As the film reaches its climax, we find ourselves tumbling gravity free in the dark ether of Aronofsky’s choosing.

Some Aronofsky’s fans will consider Mother! his magnum opus. Non fans will argue over its merits, its meaning, and realize this filmmaker has redefined what it means to watch a horror movie.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 29

PHOTO BY ALI BEN BIKRI

S TALENT MANAGER / PRODUCER MARIA VASCSAK IMA CONTENT

THE INTERNATIONAL ANGLE BECAME A NATURAL INGREDIENT IN HER BUSINESS.

candinavian Talent Agency IMA Content brings the world to the Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival 2017 Scandinavian agency IMA Content has been selected to co-produce The Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival this year with Hollywood Weekly Magazine. This is an exciting, relatively new, international film festival in Hollywood that is unique in many ways. With visitors streaming in from all over the globe this young festival’s fourth year in town is proving to be a glamourous and star-studded event. Established and new talent alike will be donning their red carpet best and rubbing elbows with industry heavy weights on September 23rd.

The incredible woman behind this growing, buzzed about enterprise is Maria Vascsak. It isn’t easy nowadays, but Vascsak can certainly be called a pioneer with her establishing of this agency a mere 4 years ago in Sweden.

Vascsak’s sought after and accomplished talent can be found in Stockholm, Los Angeles and New York. IMA Content focuses on bringing professional talent from Scandinavia to the international market as well as working locally.

IMA Content believes in actors that are well rounded and diverse. They have actors that work in different countries around the world all the time, and seamlessly take on roles that aren’t even in their native tongue.

Maria Vascsak, who is Swedish with Hungarian heritage and also speaks the language fluently, has called Paris, Brussels, Monaco, Menlo Park California and Mahwah New Jersey home at one time or another. Therefore, the international angle became a natural ingredient in her business.

IMA Content is a modern Scandinavian talent management and production agency with an international roster of actors, directors and storyboard artists. IMA is made up of 100 years of creative experience who together form the most unique content around. IMA is represented in Stockholm, London, New York and Los Angeles.

IMA has a very special relationship with Hollywood Weekly Magazine and its Film Festival.

30 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

SCANDINAVIAN TALENT MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTION AGENCY

IMA CONTENT BRINGS THE WORLD TO THE

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY MAGAZINE FILM FESTIVAL 2017 -Even though Swedish actors and artists really have helped to put Sweden on the map lately – we still live in a pretty small country. I was sure that the international angle would be crucial for me, the agency, and first and foremost for my talents. I also think that the industry is changing; we’re seeing more diversity and inclusion.

As a Talent Manager today, I think you need to look at the whole world as your playing field, and not just the country that you’re based in, Maria Vascsak continues.

Vascsak basically commutes between Stockholm-Los Angeles-New York City-London in order to see her network face to face. This also happens to be a huge part

of the success of IMA Content; Maria’s close collaboration with her talent. She chooses just the right number of clients in order to have the right amount of time to work closely with each one, custom fitting her management to each individual’s needs. If you ask any of her actors about this, they will tell you that they feel as if she only works with them and no one else as she is constantly on top of each aspect of that talent’s particular requirements.

IMA Content, with Maria Vascsak at the helm, has grown substantially over a short period of time. It has proven over and over that the concept of boutique agency, close and particularly personal relationships with the talent, combining production and collaboration within the film industry, is the way of the future. Vascsak, undoubtedly, always seems to be a step ahead…

PHOTO BY DANIEL GUAL

IMA Content saw the incredible potential of networking through Hollywood Weekly Magazine and The Hollywood Weekly Film Festival early on. The extraordinary synergy between these entities has been lucrative on many levels.

So much so that the main hosts chose for the event, Mikael Spreitz and Angelika Roberts are clients of IMA Content as well as Elise Rovinsky who will be presenting.

ACTOR MICKE SPREIZ IMA CONTENT

PHONE: +1 (917) 717 9091 MAIL: INFO@IMACONTENT.COM WWW.IMACONTENT.COM

ACTRESS ANGELIKA ROBERTS IMA CONTENT

FOR NEWS AND UPDATES ABOUT OUR CLIENTS AND PROJECTS FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/IMACONTENT TWITTER: WWW.TWITTER.COM/IMACONTENT INSTAGRAM: WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/IMACONTENT/ VIMEO: WWW.VIMEO.COM/IMACONTENT IMDB MANAGEMENT: WWW.IMDB.ME/MARIAVASCSAK

W W W . I M A C O N T E N T. C O M

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 31

PHOTO BY RIC SECHREST IMA CONTENT’S ACTRESS ELISE ROVINSKY

Scandinavian actor Mikael Spreitz is well known for The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest and The Girl Who Played with Fire where he played the role of Ronald Niederman. Spreitz has a background as a martial artist competing for Sweden, a silver medalist at the European championship in 1985. In 2013 Spreitz founded Fighterhjälpen, a non-profit charity foundation that supports children with cancer. He is based in Los Angeles.

Angelika Roberts, also from Scandinavia, is well known for Zero Tolerance and “Den Utvalda” among several other Swedish TV –series and stage performances as well as her work at The Drew Carey Show in Los Angeles.

The festival’s audience is an attractive and affluent one that comes back year after year to enjoy the festivities and networking. During this Gala evening, the opportunity is given for companies and organizations to participate in order to strengthen relationships, meet new customers

Angelika Roberts is a graduate of The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York, Roberts continued her education in Los Angeles with renowned teachers; Barry Papick (who coached Sean Connery, Jamie Foxx, Lindsey Lohan to name a few), Jeraldin Baron and Susan Peretz.

Roberts is based in Stockholm.

Elise Rovinsky, based in New York City, was most recently seen in “How To Tell You’re A Douchebag”, which premiered at Sundance and later screened at the Stockholm Film Festival. She is currently working on the new series “Gray Ground” in which she has a recurring role.

REPORTER SIMO BENBACHIR

IMA Content is a modern Scandinavian talent management and production agency with an international roster of actors, directors and storyboard artists. IMA is made up of 100 years of creative experience who together form the most unique content around. IMA is represented in Stockholm, London, New York and Los Angeles.

IMA has a very special relationship with Hollywood Weekly Magazine and its Film Festival.

32 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

PHOTO BY OMAR ALTRUK

IMA Content was fortunate enough to secure couturier Hicham Benslimane as the designer for host Angelika Roberts for the Hollywood Weekly Film Festival.

Cutting cloth and sewing it together into something beautiful wasn’t enough for couturier Hicham Benslimane, he went to study in Paris, and because Paris is always a good idea – not to mention, an excellent place to start – Hicham studied Fashion Design, Marketing and Management, making him a true jack-of-all-trades.

Moving between Paris and Los Angeles, Hicham’s training was extensive and his career promising from the start. “As a creative, I wanted to show that I’m different from all other designers in the industry, and this is what made me unique,” he explains.

HICHAM BENSLIMANE / ROYAL LEGACY

and partners. The audience is broad because, as we know, film is something that touches and appeals to most people one way or another. The festival offers businesses to be associated with strong brands within the entertainmentand cultural industry.

Collaborating with IMA Content and the Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival this year again is jet setting journalist, Simo Benbachir.

Aside from being thе firѕt and only Mоrоссаn TV rероrtеr frоm Afriса and the Middle Eаѕt tо interview many international celebrties еxсluѕivеlу in Lоѕ Angeles, and to cover EGOTѕ, Simo iѕ using his over еightееn уеаrѕ оf vаѕt еxреriеnсе in thе media induѕtrу to influence thе media world in a fаѕсinаting wау.

Among the several mеdiа hоuѕеѕ Simо hаѕ wоrkеd with are 2M; thе second Moroccan TV сhаnnеl, Nеѕѕmа TV and B-Bеirut (LBC SAT) whеrе he соvеrѕ current glаmоrоuѕ international events. He also works for Dubai TV (Al Arаbiуа Nеwѕ Engliѕh).

Benhachir was awarded with the Brukmer Honorary Award as one of the best African TV Reporters based in Los Angeles. He is featured on the cover of Belgian magazine (Kastiani) which nominated him as a Star of journalists. He was also chosen to be on the cover of Moroccan magazine Version Homme as the most influential Moroccan showbiz reporter.

PHONE: +1 (917) 717 9091 MAIL: INFO@IMACONTENT.COM WWW.IMACONTENT.COM

It was earlier on in his fashion career that Hicham found himself working alongside some of the industry icons.

Interned for jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Elie Saab and Max Azria, his apprenticeships benefited his career. “You teach yourself to do things, they [the design-houses] take your designs and offer you techniques and tips that you need to improve on,” Hicham started, “When you take up an internship somewhere, they take you because they know you have something that you can offer.” Of all the greats, Hicham found that his favorite design-house to have worked with was Givenchy. “Givenchy implemented many of the designs I created and I’m very proud of that,” Charbel elaborated, “I feel like it was the design-house that had the same style-spirit that I have.”

With an atelier in Paris and LA, Hicham joined forces with business women Majida Housni and found a permanent home for his couture and ready-to-wear collections at the world-famous Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills. Hicham and Majida kicked off their career and launched Royal Legacy Beverly Hills. His immediate rise to stardom though came after Paris Fashion Week back in 2011 where he won the Emerging Best Designer award! Boasting an impressive clientele list, Charbel is making waves internationally and locally. JLo, Eva Longoria, Erica Mena, Myriam Fares are just a few of his international clientele.

Still, his dream is to one day dress Charlize Theron.

With September 23rd fast approaching, Maria Vascsak and her team are thrilled to be able to bring you the Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival and even more excited about the prospect of a busy year ahead with several projects already booked.

FOR NEWS AND UPDATES ABOUT OUR CLIENTS AND PROJECTS FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/IMACONTENT TWITTER: WWW.TWITTER.COM/IMACONTENT INSTAGRAM: WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/IMACONTENT/ VIMEO: WWW.VIMEO.COM/IMACONTENT IMDB MANAGEMENT: WWW.IMDB.ME/MARIAVASCSAK

W W W . I M A C O N T E N T. C O M

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 33

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HOSTS FOR THE EVENING SCANDINAVIAN ACTOR

MIKAEL SPREIZ Mikael Spreitz has a multifaceted career, on his resume he can write actor, television personality, bodyguard and special lecturer.

Spreitz is well known for The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest and The Girl Who Played with Firewhere he portrayed Ronald Niederman.

Spreitz has a background as a martial artist competing for Sweden, multiple swedish champion and silver medalist at the European championship in 1985.

In 2013 Spreitz founded Fighterhjälpen , a non-profit charity foundation that supports children with cancer.

SCANDINAVIAN ACTRESS

ANGELIKA ROBERTS Angelika Roberts is a graduate of The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York, Roberts continued her education in Los Angeles with renowned teachers; Barry Papick (who coached Sean Connery, Jamie Foxx, Lindsey Lohan to name a few), Jeraldin Baron and Susan Peretz.

Roberts has appeared in Swedish TV-series and feature films and she has starred in many short films, industrials and commercials.

Past productions on stage include works of Shakespeare, Strindberg, Oscar Wilde and her own pieces. Roberts has starred or co-starred in numerous very popular open-air summer theater productions and children’s theatre.

Roberts is well known for Zero Tolerance and “Den Utvalda” among several other Swedish TV –series and stage performances as well as her work at The Drew Carey Show in Los Angeles.

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Architects for Animals

“Giving Shelter” Architects & Celebrities Including Clint Eastwood, Jay Leno & William Shatner Accept Challenge to Help Homeless Cats Architects for Animals “Giving Shelter” Event October 19 in Southern California’s Culver City to Benefit Local Non-Profit FixNation

ABOUT FIXNATION FixNation is an award-winning Los Angeles-based non-profit that supports TrapNeuter-Return (TNR) programs for homeless cats.

The organization provides free spay and neuter services for homeless cats as well as low-cost services for pet cats. Founded in 2007, FixNation has cared for nearly 150,000 cats to date. Details at fixnation.org.

O

ne of this year’s most innovative design events, Architects for Animals® “Giving Shelter” exhibit, returns to the Herman Miller Showroom in Culver City on Thursday, October 19th 2017. The event is expected to be a sold-out fundraiser for LA-based non-profit FixNation, which provides free spay/neuter services for the city’s skyrocketing population of homeless cats.

“Giving Shelter” Exhibit & Cocktail Reception Thursday, October 19th, 2017 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm HermanMiller Showroom 3641 Holdrege Avenue Los Angeles CA 90016 $50 General Admission

LA’s top architecture and design firms as well as individual architects and designers have been invited to design, build and donate one-of-a-kind and functional outdoor dwellings for cats. Shelters will be displayed at a cocktail reception attended by the public, VIPs and media representatives. Also on display: cat food bowls decorated by feline-loving celebrities such as Jay Leno, Beau Bridges, Elvira, William Shatner, Clint Eastwood, Eric Dickerson, Tricia Helfer and Morgan Fairchild, which will be available for purchase via an online auction.

“These cat shelters are absolutely remarkable,” says FixNation’s Co-Founder and Executive Director Karn Myers. “They will help raise awareness about homeless cats and provide practical solutions that can be implemented throughout our community.”

This year’s event has added significance as the organization honors Myer’s late husband, Mark Dodge. The couple cofounded FixNation 10 years ago.

Los Angeles is home to one of the nation’s largest populations of homeless felines, an estimated one to three million cats.

FixNation is a model for successful TrapNeuter-Return (TNR) and humane colony management programs across the country and around the world.

“Many communities use lethal methods in an attempt to control the population of stray, abandoned and feral cats. Such methods are not only horribly cruel, they simply don’t work,” explains Myers. “We founded FixNation because we believe TNR is a much more effective and compassionate alternative. Our mission is to manage colonies of homeless ‘community cats’ and gradually reduce their number through humane sterilization.”

Participating design firms this year include: Abramson Teiger Architects; d3architecture; ES-EN-EM; HLW; HKS; HOK; Knowhow Shop; Kollin Altomare Architects; RNL; and Standard Architecture | Design.

ABOUT ARCHITECTS FOR ANIMALS® Architects for Animals® by Feral Design Group LLC is an awareness raising initiative that plans one-night events benefiting select animal welfare organizations. Participating architecture and design firms as well as individual architects and designers design, build and donate creative outdoor shelters to provide animals with refuge from the elements.

Details at architectsforanimals.com.

36 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

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DR. SCOTT GLENN, ED. D THE UNSTOPPABLE FORCE OF A MOVING TRAIN

W

BY NITARA LEE OSBOURNE

hen a train is in motion it moves forward regardless of what attempts to stand in its way. It doesn’t swerve or make sharp turns because it’s on a mission to arrive at the desired destination. According to the Minnesota Safety Council.Org, “… the average freight train traveling at 55 miles an hour may take the length of 18 football fields to stop.” Eighteen football fields.

It’s safe to say that it is a challenge to stop a moving train, just as it is impossible to stop a persistent and ambitious individual from reaching his goals. Like a train, Dr. Scott Glenn, Ed. D has a tremendous amount of momentum, and he’s moving forward in the direction of his desired destinations while enjoying the journey and the people along the way.

Whether he is scoring shots on the basketball court, sprinting across the finish line in track & field, or being a two-time All-American and a Hall of Famer in college football in his earlier years, or serving in the United States Marine Corps, he seemed to be born with the innate desire to be in motion.

With the beating heart of a champion and the sharp mind of an academic, his Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Government, his MBA in Business Administration and Marketing, and his Doctor of Education degree, makes it clear that he will stop at nothing to excel on many levels.

DG: Most of my books are “learning books.” Non-fiction selfhelp. When I write books, I want people to learn from them.

Then I just thought to myself that I wanted to do something that was exciting. Something that was on my mind. And something that I could make entertaining.

HW: I’m intrigued. Tell us more about how your project started coming to fruition.

DG: I started thinking about Heroes from Heaven in about 2012… maybe 2013. I was just picturing what was going on in the world. This film project is a thriller-fantasy about a world leader who is considered to be evil by association and must decipher if he should continue to live a personal hidden and unwanted life of world hatred and destruction, or surrender to his true will of faith and obedience to The Almighty Love, God. HW: That sounds like the type of film that has the potential to appeal to that huge and growing demographic that is hungry for this very content.

Speaking with such an accomplished man leads one to be drawn into his world of belief and hope to see not only how he rose to such great heights of success, but to discover what’s next on the horizon for Dr. Glenn.

DG: I was thinking I know a lot of people will like it. There’s nothing out there like it, so I might as well write it. I wrote the book and then I had it turned into a screenplay. Whenever I picture stuff… and envision it… it happens.

HW: You are a man of many talents. An athlete. Highly educated. And author of seven books. Not just one, but seven books.

HW: You’re a moving train that can’t be stopped. Why this particular story?

DG: (Smiling, humbled) I also co-authored a couple of books and published numerous articles.

38 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

HW: See what I mean? Many talents. You are just full of surprises. And now you are ready to turn one of your books into a movie. Heroes from Heaven. Why did you choose this particular book to adapt into a screenplay?

DG: This story stood out to me as the one that I wanted to adapt into a screenplay not only because of the vision that I had years ago, but because I took what I saw in the world at the time and what I thought was going to happen in the future. Back in 2012… 2013 when I started to write this

book, in this fiction piece I talked about tearing monuments down… women being disrespected, and terrible leadership.

And guess what? It’s happening now.

HW: Like a prophetic connection?

DG: More like I just saw the future through my past with faith.

And people are reading the material now, asking me, “When did you write this?” And this was originally written several years ago. I just find the current state of events and what I had written years ago to have an intriguing connection.

HW: You’re a leader. Leaders make things happen. Part of being a leader is creating a wonderful team by finding those who are the best fit for your vision. How did you find the screenwriter for this project?

DG: I talked to several screenwriters. I did my homework. I talked to people out in Hollywood and Austin, Texas. You just have to do your homework. Plus, I’m a college instructor. I teach Advertising and Promotions, Economics, and Business, so when I talk to different people, I “know” when they are honest with me and when they are not. It’s an instinct. And Claire Hutchinson -- the screenwriter that I went with and who helped to change the story of the book -- turned out to be great.

HW: Are you looking to pitch this project to established producers or are you looking to produce and direct this yourself?

DG: Honestly, I have a few in mind that I am already in contact with, but I want the best producer and director best suited for this project. Whoever that may be. After the successful book tour I had at Barnes & Noble, traveling around the country to states along the East Coast, Texas, and Burbank, California,

How long does it take a train to stop?

Retrieved from:

I met a lot of amazing people. I’m currently adding some of these people to my team, but I’m taking my time to get those involved who are the best fit. I’m also in the process of looking for funding still. The doors are open, but I want to close them soon because I want to get this project underway. I have a sound business plan that continuously gets adjusted because it’s an evolving process, but I’m ready to move forward.

HW: Do you see this as a film made for streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, cable television, or for a theatrical release?

DG: In my eyes, the sky’s the limit. In the business plan, we discuss those different possibilities. Depending on the producer who gets on board of this project will more than likely determine the fate of which medium the project ends up. As I said before, the business plan is a continuous evolving work in progress. I’m open-minded to what can happen.

HW: It’s people like yourself that producers want to work with.

Already successful. Hard-working, and open-minded. Thank you for sharing your latest endeavor with all of us and for being an inspiration to so many creatives and entrepreneurs.

DG: Thank you for having me. And it’s always a pleasure to inspire others.

Talking about success is one thing, but actually living a successful life by being in a constant forward motion to fulfill one’s dreams is another emotional space to be in altogether. Dr. Scott Glenn, Ed. D is a moving train who is on a journey to many places. The film Heroes from Heaven is sure to be yet another achievement on his multi-page set of accomplishments. Anyone who jumps on board with him is sure to enjoy the journey and arrive at several destinations of success.

Dr. Scott Glenn, Ed. D is an author, educator, motivational coach, and an actor.

His IMDB page is listed under Scott Glenn for review.

His legal representation is Gordon Firemark. http://www.firemark.com (310) 443-4185.

Reference: Minnesota Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (n.d.).

https://www.minnesotasafetycouncil.org/OL/stop.cfm HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 39

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LA THEATRE BEAT Here are the new shows burning up our theatres this month:

STEVE ZALL AND SID FISH

“A TALE OF TWO CITIES”

depicts the plight of the French peasantry in the years leading up to the revolution, their brutality toward the former aristocrats, and the parallels with life in London. Written by Charles Dickens, adapted by Mike Poulton, and directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott, it runs September 3 through November 19 at the A Noise Within in Pasadena. For tickets call 626-356-3100 or visit www.anoisewithin.org.

“LINER NOTES” Rita Wilson appears for eight shows only, joined by guest songwriters to be announced, performing in a cabaret setting for a relaxed and intimate experience. Written by Rita Wilson, it runs September 7 through September 17 at the Audrey Skirball Theater at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310208-5454 or visit www.geffenplayhouse.org.

“BLACKBIRD” the play depicts a young woman meeting a middle-aged man 15 years after being sexually abused by him when she was 12 years old. Written by David Harrower, and directed by Don Bloomfield, it runs September 8 through October 1 at the MET Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-960-4412 or visit www. blackbirdhollywood.com.

“FARRAGUT NORTH” loosely based on former Governor Howard Dean’s 2004 Democratic primary election campaign for U.S. President, the play is about the lust for power and the costs one will endure to achieve it. Written by Beau Willimon, and directed by Sherry Coon, it runs September 8 through October 14 at the Westchester Playhouse in Westchester. For tickets call 310-645-5156 or visit www.kentwoodplayers.org.

“LOST IN YONKERS”

“The Dream on Royal Street”

“DAYTONA” Joe and Elli were childhood friends who have been married almost 50 years now, trying to forget the past…until the day an unexpected visitor arrives, fracturing the relationship. Written

by Oliver Cotton, and directed by Elina de Santos, it runs September 9 through October 30 at the Rogue Machine Theatre (in The Met) in Los Angeles. For tickets call 855-585-5185 or visit www.roguemachinetheatre.com.

“UNDER THE JELLO MOLD” is a one-woman show about dealing with her mother during the final act of her life. Told in anecdotes, characters, and even a little song, the show is full of laughs and a lot of heart. Written by Jennie Fahn, and directed by Tom Cavanaugh, it runs September 9 through November 12 at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. For tickets call 800-838-3006 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3053655.

“WALKING TO BUCHENWALD” a soon-to-be-

centers around two brothers whose mother has died, who are forced to live with their grandmother and their mentally challenged aunt, while their father is off trying to pay off a loan shark. Written by Neil Simon, and directed by Larry Eisenberg, it runs September 8 through October 22 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-763-5990 or visit www.thegrouprep.com.

married couple, Schiller and Arjay, take Schiller’s parents on their first trip to Europe. Both couples learn what it means to be American in a world that no longer admires the U.S. and an unexpected trip to a concentration camp that leads to a shocking conclusion. Written by Tom Jacobson, and directed by Roderick Menzies, it runs September 9 through October 14 at the Atwater Village Theatre in Atwater Village. For tickets call 323-882-6912 or visit www.openfist.org.

“MARION BRIDGE” This comedy-drama follows three

“GREY NOMAD” a comedy about two retired couples who

headstrong sisters who converge on their ancestral home to find they have everything and nothing in common. Written by Daniel MacIvor, and directed by Don Boughton, it runs September 8 through September 24 at the Son of Semele Theater in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-422-3462 or visit www.sonofsemele.org.

have dedicated their lives to Rving around Australia. It captures the unique sense of camaraderie and almost supernatural devotion to a lifestyle of perpetual circumnavigation led by free range, baby boomers.

Written by Dan Lee, and directed by Iain Sinclair, it runs September 11 through October 8 at the Skylight Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 866-811-4111 or visit www.australiantheatrecompany.org.

42 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

“Shout, Sister, Shout”

“So Long Boulder City”

“Tilda Swinton Answers an Ad on Craigslist”

November 5 at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-663-1525 or visit www.FountainTheatre.com.

“FIXED” is the story of a ladyboy masseuse working in Filipinotown. When his forbidden love affair sparks tensions between the city’s hottest political family, two families must come together to understand the power of desire, identity and honor. Written by Boni B. Alvarez, and directed by Rodney To, it runs September 17 through October 22 at the Echo Theater Company - Atwater Village Theatre in Atwater Village. For tickets call 310-307-3753 or visit www.

EchoTheaterCompany.com.

“VINO VERITAS” two middle-aged couples attend a

“Welcome to Your Alternative Reality”

“A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY UNIT AT MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER OF NEW YORK CITY” Sitting bedside at Memorial Sloan Kettering has never been so entertaining. While their ailing mothers share a hospital room, Karla and Don discover truth in the old cliché that opposites attract…and repel…and attract. Written by Halley Feiffer, and directed by Trip Cullman, it runs September 13 through October 8 at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-208-5454 or visit www.geffenplayhouse.org.

“AIN’T MISBEHAVIN” with memorable songs such as “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Black and Blue,” “This Joint is Jumpin’,” and “I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling,” this revue is sometimes sassy, sometimes sultry with moments of devastating beauty that are simply unforgettable. Written by Richard Maltby, Jr. and Murray Horwitz, with music by Thomas “Fats” Waller, and directed by Ken Page, it runs September 16 through October 8 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in La Mirada. For tickets call 562-944-9801 or visit www.lamiradatheatre.com.

“PLEASE EXCUSE MY DEAR AUNT SALLY” this features an unconventional narrator — the cell phone belonging to a troubled teen. As the phone gets sucked into a journey from pockets to purses, it offers a fresh and unique perspective on human interaction and relationships. Written by Kevin Armento, and directed by Peter Richards, it runs September 16 through October 8 at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-9604429 or visit www.plays411.com/PEMDAS.

“RUNAWAY HOME”

Three years after Hurricane Katrina, a 14-year-old runaway embarks on a journey to pick through the wreckage of what used to be her life, rhyming, stealing and scamming her way through the still-destroyed neighborhood. While the rest of the country’s attention drifts, the community’s residents are left to repair the damage from the inside out. Written by Jeremy J. Kamps, and directed by Shirley Jo Finney, it runs September 16 through

friend’s Halloween party where the foursome share a bottle of South American ceremonial wine made from the skin of blue dart tree frogs.

This tribal truth serum, causes unbridled honesty that stretches the bounds of their friendship and their relationships forever. Written by David MacGregor, and directed by Michael Karm, it runs September 21 through October 15 at the Theatre 40, in the Reuben Cordova Theatre in Beverly Hills. For tickets call 310-364-0535 or visit www. theatre40.org.

“THE 39 STEPS” a would-be hero is unwittingly lured into a nefarious plot regarding the “39 steps” by a bewitching female spy.

When she is murdered in his apartment, he is forced to run for his life while trying to clear his name. Written by John Buchan, and directed

by Kevin Chesley, it runs September 22 through October 29 at the Actors Co-op Crossley Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-4628460 or visit www.ActorsCo-op.org.

“STUPID KID” After 14 years in prison for a crime he swears he didn’t commit, Chick returns home to find his flat-broke family under the thumb of his dangerous uncle Mike. This tale of a family isolated by shame, explores the power, guilt and the limits of maternal love. Written by Sharr White, and directed by Cameron Watson, it runs September 22 through November 12 at the Road on Magnolia in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-761-8838 or visit www. roadtheatre.org.

“THE VIEW UPSTAIRS” is a provocative new musical about a historic 70s New Orleans bar The Upstairs Lounge. When a young fashion designer from 2017 buys the abandoned space, it sets off an exhilarating journey of seduction and self-exploration. Written

by Max Vernon, with music by Max Vernon, and directed by Michael A. Shepperd, it runs September 22 through October 29 at the Celebration Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-957-1884 or visit www.celebrationtheatre.com.

“THE DANCE OF DEATH” On an isolated island, a couple live a bitter life, their marriage soured by hatred. As their 25th anniversary approaches, the two face off in a fierce battle of wills, and ensnare a cousin in the couple’s wicked game. Written by August Strindberg in a new version by Conor McPherson, and directed by Ron Sossi, it runs September 23 through November 19 at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-477-2055 Ext. 2 or visit www.OdysseyTheatre.com.

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44 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY