Hollywood Weekly Travels From London to Paris

Letter From The Editor

THIS MONTH we are excited to showcase Willie Nelson 90 at the Hollywood Bowl. Throughout 2023, Willie celebrates his 90th birthday with multiple projects and events including a two-night star-studded concert, Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90, in April at the famed Hollywood Bowl.

The coronation of King Charles III in London was celebrated with great pomp and ceremony.

Queen Camilla, who initially took on the title of Queen Consort, was also crowned Queen, alongside King Charles. This is a huge deal because unlike a queen regnant who possesses and exercises sovereign powers, a queen consort or queen regent, a title usually given to the spouse of a monarch, does not have any real authority; she only shares her spouse's and/or child's ranks or titles, but does not share in their sovereignty.

The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, flew into England from America, to attend his father, the King's coronation. He arrived at Westminster Abbey, just as his father, King Charles III, was officially crowned.

The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture. The Royal Family is all about serious responsibilities like pomp and circumstance, figureheads for the land of hope and glory. It was a nostalgic moment for me, as I witnessed a great display of all these responsibilities today.

Hollywood Weekly returns to the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Every year it welcomes celebrities, actors, international stars and influencers on the red carpet. Who is going to have best look this year?

Enjoy!

Prather Jackson Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Prather Jackson

VICE PRESIDENT

Bernice Harris

BOOK EDITORS

Jane Ubell-Meyer

ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER

Hailey Ashley

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Alex A. Kecskes

Carmelita Pittman

LIFE & STYLE EDITOR

Niki Shadrow Snyder niki@projectpopdrop.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Denise C.

AFRICA CORRESPONDENT & AMBASSADOR

Egor Kelly Egorefiok@gmail.com

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LATIN AMERICA

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Twitter: @ hollywoodweekly

BEN AFFLECK'S

From award-winning director Ben Affleck, AIR reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.

Matt Damon plays maverick Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro and Affleck plays Nike co-founder Phil Knight with Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Julius Tennon as James Jordan, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, and Matthew Maher as Peter Moore – among others.

Directed by Ben Affleck • Written by Alex Convery • Produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber, and Jason Michael Berman Starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Matthew Maher, Marlon Wayans, Jay Mohr, Julius Tennon, with Chris Tucker & Viola Davis

THE VOICE: SEASON 23

THE FOUR-TIME Emmy Award-winning musical competition series "The Voice" returns with the strongest vocalists from across the country invited to compete in the show's newest season, which premieres March 6.

Grammy Award-winning hip-hop star Chance the Rapper and platinum-selling singer-songwriter Niall Horan claim their red chairs alongside returning coaches Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton as they vie to discover and coach the next singing phenomenon. The competition is tougher than ever as Shelton goes for the win in his final season.

The show's innovative format features five stages of competition: Blind Auditions, Battle Rounds, Knockouts, Playoffs and Live Performance Shows.

TED LASSO

I N THIS NEW COMEDY from executive producers Jason Sudeikis and Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Whiskey Cavalier, Cougar Town), Sudeikis (Saturday Night Live, We're the Millers, Horrible Bosses films) stars as Ted Lasso, an idealistic all-American football coach hired to manage an English football club - despite having no soccer coaching experience at all. Based on the beloved character Sudeikis made famous online, Ted Lasso is the first television series that Sudeikis has signed on to star as a series regular since Saturday Night Live. Produced by Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, the comedy series is also executive produced by Jeff Ingold.

MRS. DAVIS

AN EXPLORATION of faith versus technology and an epic battle of biblical and binary proportions. The series "has a dark satirical edge and focuses on a world where almost all decisions are made via algorithm. Containing secrets within secrets, each season will center on a particular mystery or dilemma, that will be resolved by the end of the cycle."

THE WINCHESTERS

SUPERNATURAL star Jensen Ackles and Danneel Ackles team up with Supernatural writer Robbie Thompson for this thrilling prequel to the long-running hit series. Before Sam and Dean, there were their parents, John and Mary. Told from the perspective of narrator Dean Winchester

(Ackles), THE WINCHESTERS is the epic, untold love story of how John Winchester met Mary Campbell and put it all on the line to not only save their love, but the entire world. When John returns home from fighting in Vietnam, a mysterious encounter sparks a new mission to trace his father's past. In his journey, he crosses paths with 19-year-old demon hunter Mary, who is also searching for answers after the disappearance of her own father. Together, the two join forces with young hunter-in-training Latika and easygoing hunter Carlos to uncover the hidden truths about both their families. Their investigation leads them to a rare book emporium, whose owner Ada takes an interest to the occult and could provide the missing pieces to their puzzle. But secrets run deep for both the Winchesters and Campbells, and despite the best efforts of John's mother Millie to protect her son from pursuing a dangerous life of demon hunting, John and Mary are both determined to work together to uphold their families' legacies while beginning to form a family of their own.

VELMA

VELMA is an adult animated comedy series telling the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the unsung and underappreciated brains of the ScoobyDoo Mystery Inc. gang. An original and humorous spin that unmasks the complex and colorful past of one of America's most beloved mystery solvers, executive producer Mindy Kaling will voice the titular character. Charlie Grandy, Howard Klein and Sam Register also serve as executive producers. VELMA is produced by Warner Bros. Animation.

THE BACHELOR SEASON 27

AFTER a heartbreaking departure from Gabby and Rachel’s season of The Bachelorette, Zach Shallcross’ journey to find love will continue when he steps in as leading man for the upcoming 27th season of The Bachelor. Following an emotional realization about his future with Rachel, Shallcross made the difficult decision to end his journey on The Bachelorette. An endearing 26-yearold tech executive from Anaheim Hills, California, Shallcross stole Bachelor Nation’s heart with his quiet charm, wit, and openness to finding lasting love. A family man at heart, Shallcross splits time between Texas and Orange County, and with the Bachelor mansion not too far away, Shallcross is eager to begin his journey back home in Southern California. The charismatic California native will begin handing out roses when the new season premieres.

PARIS IN LOVE

PARIS HILTON, fashion icon, entrepreneur, and global DJ phenom, prepares to add a new title to her collection… bride. Finding love with Carter Reum, a successful venture capitalist, has brought Paris into the next phase of her life. However, Paris is about to discover the road to the altar has a few unexpected twists and turns along the way. With the help of her family and friends, the former "Simple Life" songstress hopes to find her own brand of "happily ever after," in an unforgettable fairy-tale, PARIS IN LOVE.

PARIS IN LOVE gives fans direct access to an authentically real side of Paris that only her closest friends and family have so far seen, all while navigating and balancing the struggles of adulthood, including a demanding work schedule and plans for her future. In the midst of the preparation and planning for quite possibly the hottest wedding of the year (no pressure), Paris's mother Kathy Hilton, of recent "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" fame and her socialite turned entrepreneur sister Nicky Hilton Rothschild will support her as she experiences a rollercoaster of emotions, including pre-wedding jitters.

The docuseries will follow Paris through all the major milestones and highlights of planning a wedding. From her engagement party in New York, to bridal dress shopping, hunting for the perfect venues for the three-day celebration, the joint bachelor-bachelorette party in Las Vegas and the bridal shower hosted by Kathy Hilton – viewers get a first-hand look at all the details that go into planning the most high-profile party of the year.

MANIFEST

In this character-driven mystery-drama from executive producers Jeff Rake, Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rapke, a commercial plane inexplicably disappears on a trans-oceanic flight and, more mysteriously, returns five years later after being presumed lost at sea. While no time has passed for those on the flight, years have gone by for their loved ones at home who have learned to live with their loss. Both a high-concept event mystery and a relationship drama about interrupted lives, MANIFEST centers on the supernaturally fractured Stone family: On the flight are Michaela, a guilt-ridden police officer considering

SHRINKING

JASON SEGEL (How I Met Your Mother) and Harrison Ford star in SHRINKING, a comedy about a grieving therapist who starts to break the rules and tells his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives…including his own.

her engagement; her brother, Ben, a Type-A father struggling with what he can't control; and Cal, Ben's terminally ill 10-year-old son with months to live. Landing five years later (but only five hours later for the travelers), they're reunited with Jared Vasquez, Michaela's onetime fiancé, now a married detective; Grace Stone, Ben's wife tentatively embracing the miracle of her family's return; and Olive, Cal's twin sister who's now five years older, but still shares a bond with him. As the story unfolds through the lens of these and other passengers and flight crew wrestling with their interrupted lives and relationships, the government continues to investigate how and why this anomaly happened.

I KNEEL

DAMON ELLIOTT & DIONNE WARWICK

Timing perfection as producer son earns Oscar nomination after winning a 2023 Grammy and legendary mother is working on a brand new album having sold 100 million worldwide

DAMON ELLIOTT & MOM DIONNE WARWICK have collaborated on one of the most exciting gospel songs coming out this spring, I KNEEL, with the added caveat of a Mothers Day 2023 release on May 14th on the Kind Music label.

In fact, Elliott, an accomplished seasoned producer, won a Grammy in February producing White Sun’s “Mystic Mirror” record of the year, also helmed is putting the finishing touches on icons DIONNE WARWICK and DOLLY PARTON first-ever collaboration, “Peace Like a River,” which came out late February, was featured on Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, a slew of other outlets and featured on release day on Times Square’s Jumbotron: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=AlWWmCKrTu4

In fact, son Damon has gone from hit to hit the first three months of 2023 culminating with the title song of the hit movie, 80 for Brady, as well as an 2023 Oscar nomination producing “Applause,” written by lauded Diane Warren and sung by Sofia Carson which earned a standing ovation at this year’s Academy Awards. And together, Damon and Dionne are just finishing up their coproduction of the current sold-out tour starring the best and brightest in live performance, the national arena tour, HITS! THE MUSICAL (release/details after signature). Let’s set something up today with both DAMON and DIONNE to make mid-May deadlines!

WOMEN

By Alex A. Kecskes

ADAPTED BY SARAH POLLEY from Miriam Toews’s eponymous novel and inspired by true events, Women Talking portrays a fight for freedom against tyrannical odds. Set in 2010, on a Canadian Mennonite farm, men have taken advantage of the colony’s cult-like confines to prey on women. Under the cloud of spiritual obedience, males have enslaved the opposite sex, keeping them uneducated and subjugated.

Through their tears, pain, and anguish, we discover the violent acts many women have suffered. Some have been drugged with cow tranquilizers and raped, only to be later accused of lying or of succumbing to delusions and evil spirits. We later learn that the attacks are sometimes incestuous—father/daughter and brother/sister.

When a little girl is raped, her mother attacks the rapist, who is quickly taken to a nearby city to keep him from “harm.” While bailing out the rapist, the men command the women to forgive the accused under pain of hellish damnation. Outraged, the women hold a vote to choose one of three options: stay and do nothing, stay and fight, or leave the colony. With a tied vote for leaving or fighting, three families of women are forced to decide.

The group’s singular male entity, August (Ben Whishaw), who received an academic education outside of the colony, has returned to take minutes of the meetings. His role gives rise to how the women have been contemplating the fate of their male children and where they hope to steer this misguided colony.

Perhaps most aggrieved is Agata (Judith Ivey). Her eldest unmarried daughter, Ona (Rooney Mara), is pregnant after being raped. And her other daughter, Salome must come to grips with her four-year-old, who was raped and infected with a sexually transmitted disease. As the women continue talking, we learn that Greta’s (Sheila McCarthy) older daughter Mariche (Jessie Buckley), is married and suffers the abuse of her dangerously violent husband. And yes, her younger daughter, Mejal (Michelle McLeod), also survived an attack.

Mariche’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Autje (Kate Hallett), provides somber voice-over advice to Ona’s unborn child. These insightful soliloquies underscore the hopelessness and rage harbored but many women in this dysfunctional colony. And yet, it is through Autje that we learn how many of these women feel about their plight. What’s

TALKING

An exploration of violence, forgiveness, and human nature

compelling here is the tragic weight of words so painfully uttered. Dramatically, intellectually, dispassionately, sometimes harrowingly, the verbal fencing and outbursts are always emotionally arresting in expression and nuance. So often, much of the film centers on how the three families wrestle with the demons of repression. At one point, the film foreshadows the course the women ultimately take. A move that, for some, may seem acquiescent and, for others, inevitable.

Indeed, these ‘women talking’ delve deep into the underlying morality of violence, the burden of forgiveness, and the very nature of what it is to be masculine. Arising out these are perhaps the most important and inescapable truths—the responsibility of men in the colony who have failed to deal with the attackers in their midst. And, of course, beneath this lies the sense of guilt and shame borne by many women who remained mute. It is this death of self, this abandonment of one’s spiritual core that is most visible in the faces of these women. And it is here where the conflict arises as they each come to terms with their

ingrained faith, which, in some ways, has tethered them to the very horrors they have endured. Thankfully, Ona has gone beyond the boundaries imposed so unjustly by the colony. She regards leaving as less heretical and more liberating to create a society free of male influence.

The soundtrack amplifies and underscores not so much the words but the feelings one extracts from each argumentative exchange. It moves lyrically from character to scene and back to character, accenting poignant moments. But perhaps, most notably, no more talented cast could have been assigned to this film. With sentiment and acute insight, every emotion, every outburst is displayed with power and bravura. Supporting these fine performances is the poignant lighting and cinematography, which often telegraph each character’s emotions as they moved through scene after devastating scene.

All told, Women Talking strikes a high note in revealing the transformative power of language. Its ability to clarify, to assuage, and to educate. But perhaps most importantly, to heal.

WILLIE NELSON 90

THE STAR-STUDDED, TWO-NIGHT CONCERT CELEBRATED WILLIE NELSON’S 90TH BIRTHDAY AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL

APRIL 29 AND 30, a sold-out crowd of ecstatic fans enjoyed eight hours of all-star performances during Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90, A Star-Studded Concert Celebrating Willie’s 90th Birthday at the Hollywood Bowl, with a celebration “headed for the concert history books” according to USA Today. Honoring the legacy of 12-time GRAMMY Awardwinning country music giant Willie Nelson, the scene at the Hollywood Bowl transcended genres, with Associated Press remarking “The parade of partners illustrated one of the night’s themes: Willie brings people together.”

Nelson was joined by an incredible lineup of performing artists including Allison Russell, Beck, Billy Strings, Bob Weir, Booker T. Jones, Buddy Cannon, Charley Crockett, Chris Stapleton, Daniel Lanois, Dave Matthews, Dwight Yoakam, Edie Brickell, Emmylou Harris, Gary Clark Jr., George Strait, Jack Johnson, Jamey Johnson, Kris Kristofferson, Leon Bridges, Lily Meola, Lukas Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Margo Price, Miranda Lambert, Nathaniel Rateliff, Neil Young, Norah Jones, Orville Peck, Particle Kid, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Shooter Jennings, Snoop Dogg, Stephen Stills, Sturgill Simpson, The Avett Brothers, The Chicks, The Lumineers, Tom Jones, Tyler Childers, Warren Haynes, Waylon Payne, Ziggy Marley and surprise guest, Keith Richards.

The event, promoted by Live Nation-Hewitt Silva and produced by Blackbird Presents, featured spectacular once-in-a-lifetime performances and unforgettable collaborations, in a night hailed by Variety for its “savvily assembled mixture of talent and song choices… that paid tribute to a songwriting mastery that began in the Eisenhower era and will end well into the legal weed era.”

Some of the weekend’s highlights included welcoming Kris Kristofferson back to the stage; Stephen Stills reuniting onstage with Neil Young to perform "Long May You Run;” Chris Stapleton’s rendition of “Always On My Mind;” Willie and Snoop Dogg’s "Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die;” Jamey Johnson, Lukas & Micah Nelson, Shooter Jennings and Roseanne Cash performing “The Highwaymen;” Willie and Keith Richards’ duet for “We Had It All” and “Live Forever;” and so much more.

The star-studded celebration also featured special tributes and presentations by comedians Chelsea Handler and Gabriel Iglesias, as well as actors Ethan Hawke, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner, Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson. The house band was led each night by GRAMMY Award-winning Music Director Don Was, and also featured Audley Freed, Benmont Tench, Gabe Witcher, Greg Leisz, Mickey Raphael, Terence Higgins, Tom Bukovac, Alfreda McCrary, Ann McCrary and Regina McCrary.

Photo Credit: Randall Michelson

Photo Credit: Randall Michelson/Hewitt Silva-Live Nation

Photo Credit: Joshua Timmermans

Photo Credit: Randall Michelson/Hewitt Silva-Live Nation

STAGECOACH FESTIVAL

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The biggest country music event in the world, Stagecoach Festival, celebrated their 15th anniversary with another epic weekend in the desert. The Goldenvoice festival yet again delivered a once-ina-lifetime line-up for country fans who flocked to Southern California to catch their favorite artists in person as well as ones from around the world via the Amazon Music livestream.

On Friday, headliner Luke Bryan played an incredible, hits-strewn set on the Mane Stage, reminding fans why he is one of the most celebrated superstars in country music. Before Luke took the stage, Jon Pardi wowed the crowd; his set ended with him being invited to be the 225th member of the Grand Ole Opry while on stage, letting Stagecoach’s attendees celebrate the momentous occasion with him in style. Pardi is the first Californian ever to be inducted into the Opry. Fan favorite BRELAND brought out Danielle Bradbery during his set, while Elle King, Priscilla Block, and Riley Green had audiences singing along to every word. ZZ Top delivered an absolutely epic set headlining the Palomino Stage, while Trixie Mattel kicked off Stagecoach’s much-loved Late Night Palomino series, keeping the party going strong. The night also saw a fantastic set by acclaimed mash-up DJ Girl Talk, which had the Honky Tonk packed from wall to wall.

Saturday wrapped with Kane Brown’s pyro-packed set that lit up the desert sky and had a special appearance from his wife and fellow artist Katelyn Brown. Brown’s performance punctuated his arrival as a live force to be reckoned with, creating one of Stagecoach’s most legendary headlining sets. Just before him, Old Dominion played a perfect set of their hits and threw in a brilliant cover of Harry Styles’ “As It Was.” Legendary artist Bryan Adams headlined the Palomino Stage in style, while artists like Kameron Marlowe, Lily Rose, and Stagecoach favorite Nikki Lane wowed fans across the festival. Nelly wrapped up the night with his own Late Night Palomino set, bringing out BRELAND for their duet of “High Horse” while Dillon Francis had fans dancing well into the night at the Honky Tonk.

Nikki Lane

The festival was closed out on Sunday with an amazing set by acclaimed headliner Chris Stapleton. Before his set, Brooks & Dunn brought their hits to the Mane Stage, reaffirming their unstoppable legacy in country music in addition to bringing out Lainey Wilson for their song “Cowgirls Don’t Cry.” Tyler Childers brought his signature country blues sound to his headlining set at the packed wall-to-wall Palomino Stage, while country artists and stars of the acclaimed TV show Yellowstone - Ryan Bingham, Luke Grimes, and Lainey Wilson - all played extraordinary sets throughout Sunday, with Wilson covering 4 Non Blondes’ iconic “What’s Up?.” The evening was wrapped up in style by frequent Stagecoach performer, and this year’s Honky Tonk curator, Diplo with his own Late Night Palomino set.

Celebrity chef Guy Fieri once again brought Flavortown to the desert with his biggest Stagecoach program to date. He was joined for cooking demonstrations by ZZ Top, Old Dominion, Bailey Zimmerman, Yellowstone’s Taylor Sheridan and Lainey Wilson, and more throughout the weekend at Guy Fieri’s Stagecoach Smokehouse, which was packed with fans each day of the festival.

Luke Bryan

Sweet Nothin's

Laney Wilson Turnpike Troubadours

Kameron Marlowe

VanCamp Emily

On Miranda’s Victim and working in TV/Film

Thank you for taking the time for this interview. Miranda’s Victim is an immensely powerful film. What drew you to the role of Ann Weir?

go through those very difficult scenes, which she handled incredibly well. It was beautiful to watch how she performed those scenes.

Photo by Women’s Health Australia

By Alex A. Kecskes

Known for her lead roles on the WB series Everwood, the ABC dramas Brothers & Sisters, and Revenge, Canadian-born Emily VanCamp also starred in the hospital drama, The Resident. She later starred as Sharon Carter/Agent 13 in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War.

VanCamp is the third of four daughters born to Cindy and Robert VanCamp. Her father is an animal nutritionist and her first job was working for her father, delivering food to clients in and around her hometown. VanCamp started studying dance at age three, and at 11, attended a summer training program in Montreal. A year later, she was accepted at the l’École supérieure de ballet du Québec, the training program of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and moved in with a local French Canadian family. In 1998, VanCamp took acting classes, found an agent and, after working on a few commercials, was cast in the Canadian children’s horror anthology television series Are You Afraid of the Dark?

In the gripping historical crime drama Miranda’s Victim, VanCamp is Ann Weir, sister to Trish Weir who was kidnapped and raped by Ernesto Miranda. Trish endured the gauntlet of two trials where her attacker was initially set free for evidence gained without first being ‘Mirandized’—the Miranda Rights Law, which grants specific rights to any arrestee being questioned by police.

Emily VanCamp: Well, first of all, I’m one of four girls in my family. I just can’t believe this story has never been told. You hear about the Miranda Rights law and most people have no idea where it all stems from. For me, it was a very powerful story, one that was bravely told. Abigail (Breslin) did such an exceptional job portraying Trish. It felt like such an important story to tell and the Miranda Law was such an important element of the story. It was just something I wanted to be a part of and a wonderful experience all around. You look at the incredible cast they assembled and Michelle (Danner), who is such a wonderful director to work with. It was quite difficult on Abigail but Michelle created such a safe space to tell this story. We were all very grateful for that.

What did you draw from to play the sister of a rape victim? Do you know someone who was a victim of sexual assault?

VanCamp: Unfortunately, we all know someone that was assaulted in some way. I drew from stories and hearing experiences of tragedies. You draw from the bonding experience with families, which is something that I know very well.

What did you find most challenging about the role and being in this important film? VanCamp: I looked at it as being there for Trish (Abigail) and Michelle. Abigail did all the heavy lifting and I just wanted to be there to support her. It was not an easy role to play for her and I wanted to support her if it all became too much. But she got through it and she really shines.

Do you believe the judicial system still places an excessive burden on the victims of sexual assault?

VanCamp: I think there are many flaws to the judicial system, even to this day. But hopefully, a film like this can shed some light on that. Through art and film, we can create reform and change.

Aside from some of the life and death scenes in The Resident, was acting in Miranda’s Victim as emotionally draining for you as it was for viewers to watch?

VanCamp: I wouldn’t say for me, but it was difficult for Abigail. It was really remarkable to watch her

In the film, both Trish’s husband and her mother fell far short of supporting Trish’s courageous act to come forward. Do you feel this is a societal problem? That shaming is still an issue for some people?

VanCamp: I do. Back then, it was deeply controversial, especially for Trish’s mom. She was just so cruel to her daughter. It was also a journey for Ann in that she was the one in the family supporting her journey. And having Trish go through her story twice in her life. Those were really hard scenes to watch. And Josh (Bowman) who played her husband Charles—and who is actually my husband—was a strange thing to see, doing those scenes with Abigail. That was challenging and hard to watch.

What do you see as the core message in Miranda’s Victim?

VanCamp: OMG, there’s so many. But more than anything to support in every way possible those who suffer assaults and abuse. At its core, the film is about survival, strength, and courage. Those were the feelings I was really drawn to.

You’ve amassed an impressive and varied body of work. What have you learned about this business that surprised you?

VanCamp: Oh my. It’s so many things (laughs). It’s a really funny business. And it can be an incredibly difficult one. It’s all about working hard and at the end of the day, not taking it too seriously. You have to enjoy the work. That’s’ really what it comes down to, for me anyway. A lot of it is managing people. It’s certainly my passion and my great love.

I have to ask you about Revenge. What was that series like for you?

VanCamp: Oh, I became so close to the cast. It was a very special time. We were all young and without families. I have very fond memories of it. And, obviously, I met my husband on that show.

Any advice for young actors eager to make it in this business?

VanCamp: First of all, you really have to love it because it’s not an easy business to navigate. Keep your head on your shoulders. Stay strong and make sure you love it.

Emily VanCamp photo by Walter Thomson

Director/Filmmaker

By Alex A. Kecskes

Founder of the Creative Center for the Arts and the Los Angeles Acting Conservatory, Michelle Danner is wellestablished as a film director and acting coach/mentor.

MICHELLE DANNER

Her current coming-of-age action thriller, The Runner stars Cameron Douglas, Elisabeth Röhm, Eric Balfour, and newcomer Edouard Philipponnat as a troubled teen forced to go undercover to expose a drug kingpin. The film screened at 28 festivals around the world winning countless awards.

Danner is currently in post-production on the courtroom drama Miranda’s Victim, which tells the true story of Trish Weir (played by Abigail Breslin) who was kidnapped and brutally raped by Ernesto Miranda (played by Sebastian Quinn). The subsequent trials went all the way to the Supreme Court and led to the creation of Miranda Rights.

A dedicated mom of two (one is an aspiring filmmaker), Danner still has her “day job” – overseeing the faculty of the Los Angeles Acting Conservatory, and conducting her weekly acting class. A longtime student of legendary acting teachers like Stella Adler and Uta Hagen, Danner’s eclectic approach (which she calls “The Golden ToolBox”) allows actors the freedom to employ a wide variety of techniques.

Raised in a show business family, Danner also continues to run the boutique Cinema at the Edge film festival. She is currently preparing to direct a new one-person play--Bonnie Culver’s Norris--starring Anne Archer, which is based on the memoirs of Norman Mailer’s widow.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview. Was there a film or director that inspired you to become a director?

Michelle Danner: I’ve always liked film, starting at a young age. Mostly, it’s the storytelling, the power of words, and literature. And it inspired me to be a storyteller. I grew up in Paris. My father was the first president of the William Morris Agency in Paris in 1964. So I grew up playing under his desk and watching all these actors, singers, and entertainers come in. They’d talk about their careers. My passion for literature made me read a lot and want to tell stories. In terms of who inspired me. There was Mike Lee, Nancy Myers, Martin Scorsese, Sam Mendes, and Todd Phillips.

In directing, you wear many hats. Which hat do you like the most?

Danner: For me, it all goes hand-in-hand because the director is the captain of the ship. They sign the painting. So you look at the painting and you see all the elements come together. I like all of it.

Can you talk about your eclectic approach using the “Golden Toolbox”?

Danner: I studied with many talented

actors—Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, and others. Everyone taught a different philosophy about acting. So I believe that whatever is valuable and helpful for an actor, they have to decide which tools work best for their instrument, their sensitivity. As opposed to ‘I’m a method actor so I’ll just do this and that.’ Today’s actors have to learn all the different techniques and what speaks to them the most. And what tool will be most valuable to put into their personalized toolbox—which becomes their “Golden Toolbox.” It’s not one thing. You try things and you explore and it’s a process.

What do you look for in a script?

Danner: Compelling, powerful characters, and a story that really grabs you. Like Miranda’s Victim. When I was approached to direct that, I knew immediately that it was a story I wanted to tell. No one really knew how Miranda Rights came to be and who it happened to.

In terms of an acting career, what’s the first step a student should take and the last step they should take?

Danner: The first step they should take is to really study the craft. Then I would say really live the life around you

On directing, acting, and the “Golden Toolbox”

because life offers you a lot of clues on how to move forward. And nothing is clean-cut or cookie-cutter. And success is not automatic. Some people call it luck; I say, you create your own path. I know that filmmakers and actors should read a lot. Reading feeds your soul, your imagination, and your instincts. It connects you to an inner life. I’m a great believer in watching, reading, and doing.

What surprised you the most about teaching acting?

Danner: Great question. No one’s ever asked me that. It’s so rewarding. It’s about the process. Every time you work with actors, you see them grow, and you see the light bulbs go on. It’s incredibly rewarding to feel that you’re giving something. To pass on the knowledge that I have feels like I’m contributing.

The Runner is an action-packed thriller. What drew you to the script?

Danner: I was watching a film late one night about children forced to go undercover all wired up. It moved me a lot, so at two o’clock in the morning, a three-page treatment just poured out of me. I called a writer friend and asked if they could write the script for me. I felt it was an important story to tell.

Okay, biggest challenge in filming/ directing Miranda’s Victim?

Danner: It was a period piece—back in 1962. It’s difficult to shoot periods. But the biggest challenge that comes to mind was shooting the film during the covid restrictions.

How do you approach casting? Do you look for internal driv e or external talent?

Danner: I cast instinctively. I just know. I follow my gut. I work with casting director Nancy Bishop. I have relationships with a lot of actors.

David Lynch says all film is entering into someone else’s dreams. What’s your take on the art of filmmaking?

Danner: I love that. I think that we’re all so much more alike than not. So stories and humanity are universal. People are moved by the same thing. What’s important for me about storytelling is that it reminds people about humanity.

What were you like in high school? The girl most likely to…?

Danner: The girl most likely to cast you in a play (laughs). I love this question. No one’s ever asked me this. I grew up in Paris and the kids used to call

me the little American girl and pull my hair. But I started to write and I adapted The Queen’s Necklace--the novel by Alexandre Dumas--to a home play and I cast everyone from the school. It was a huge theatric event and it went very well. So I went from the bullied girl in school to the popular girl because everyone wanted to be in my production. Teachers loved me but I also turned the school upside down because I’d cast every one in my plays, which called for rehearsals and performing.

Cannes FILM FESTIVAL

Cannes Film Festival is about to start. Every year it welcomes celebrities, actors, international stars and influencers on the red carpet. Who is going to have best look this year? It is a strong fashion competition between designers yearly. Designer GUZAL, is going to present her 2023 red carpet gown in Cannes. She is a member of UNESCO, celebrities, red carpets designer, and shows latest collections in Milan & Paris Fashion Weeks.

01

Is fashion a passion for you?

Fashion is my life. I love to dress to Impress.

02

How did you get started? How did you become a designer?

I consider myself a very lucky person to have chosen the fashion industry. At the age of 15 I started learning to sew. And at the age of 16, i got a job in an atelier, where they sewed highquality clothes. I studied and at the same time worked as a student in this atelier. I felt all the clients, what they want and fulfilled their requirements. Later fate directed me along this path of life.

03

How to be aware of fashion?

A professional in this field requires deep and systematic knowledge.

04

Who do you think is the most stylish celebrity?

I used to love Jennifer Lopez's style. But over the years, I became interested in the style of Sheikha Moza. My style and view on fashion has changed dramatically. I stopped creating very revealing outfits and began to look at fashion in a different way. It must be always a something special to imagine behind.

05

What is the craziest thing you would like to do in Hollywood? Dress up everyone. I always wanted women to wear my clothes and feel happy. This was and is my purpose in life.

06

Who do you design your outfits for?

I create a collection for women who love themselves.

07

How should the most stylish lady look like this summer 2023?

A woman should look in summer, and all year round happy. Then the woman is always in trend, because her eyes are shining.

08

What fashion weeks do you attend?

I present my collections in Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks, red carpets in Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Zurich Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival.

09

What are your special fashion tips for our readers? My most important advice: every woman should feel what suits her best in terms of character and charisma.

10

What are the latest fashion trends?

A hood in elegant looks, various bows, slits on the sleeves, knee socks and much more are in fashion. Classic suits in different and even bright colors.

11

What are the most fashionable colors for the upcoming season? This season, all bright colors are in trend.

12

How to be more stylish this summer 2023? Fashion is a changeable phenomenon. This is a certain taste in clothing and other industries that is popular at a particular time. Cut, color, style and even details can become fashionable.

Credits for pictures

Designer: Guzal @guzaljon

Photo: Michel PERIE Photographie • @michel.perie.photographie

Model: Miss Europe Continental Switzerland @queenissima

Model: Samantha Mpiana @mpianaaaa

Model: Rachel Berry @paris_rachel

Makeup: Larisa Abramovich @larisa_Abramovich_life

Hair: Naumenka Natallia @naumenka_hairstyles

Retoucher: Regina Morozova • @regina.morozova.retoucher

2023 CORONATION OF

KING CHARLES III

How Being The Biographer Of An African Queen Inadvertently Led Me To Cover This Iconic Event

By Egor Kelly

THE CORONATION of King Charles III in London today, May 6, 2023, was celebrated with great pomp and ceremony.

Queen Camilla, who initially took on the title of Queen Consort, was also crowned Queen, alongside King Charles. This is a huge deal because unlike a queen regnant who possesses and exercises sovereign powers, a queen consort or queen regent, a title usually given to the spouse of a monarch, does not have any real authority; she only shares her spouse's and/or child's ranks or titles, but does not share in their sovereignty.

The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, flew into England from America, to attend his father, the King's coronation. He arrived at Westminster Abbey, just as his father, King Charles III, was officially crowned. It was the first time the 38-year-old sat in public with his family since he criticised his father, King Charles III, his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, his brother, Prince William (the Prince of Wales) and his brother's wife, the Princess of

Wales, in his memoir, Spare.

Prince Harry sat in the third row of today's ceremony and did not have any formal role at the event. He was seated alongside Princess Eugenie's husband, Jack Brooksbank, together with Eugenie, Beatrice and Mr Mapelli Mozzi.

Prince Harry's wife, American actress, Meghan Markle, stayed back at home in Montecito, California, with their two children, Archie and Lili.

The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture. The Royal Family is all about serious responsibilities like pomp and circumstance, figureheads for the land of hope and glory. It was a nostalgic moment for me, as I witnessed a great display of all these responsibilities today.

I was born in the UK and have witnessed the pageantry and tradition of the Royal Family from the wedding of Prince Charles (now King Charles) and the late Lady Diana Spencer (the beautiful Princess of Wales) in 1981, to the births of their sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, respectively, to the Golden,

Diamond, Sapphire and Platinum Jubilees of Queen Elizabeth II (of blessed memory).

Having witnessed all of the above, I am no stranger to the Royal Family events, but I must confess that this particular coronation of King Charles III was my own personal pièce de résistance and my soppy self actually shed a tear when the crown was placed on his head (video on Hollywood Weekly TV). In typical British fashion, I shouted along with the crowd, "God save the King"! Oh, how I missed seeing our lovely Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. This was my first time not seeing them together at a royal event. Prince Philip had already passed on when Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee last year and it was a sad and solemn day not seeing him standing beside her, as usual. She passed on herself a few months after. May their gentle souls find rest.

Back to the tale of how I inadvertently got to cover this iconic event. I received a phone call from Queen Barbara James, a Nigerian (Efik) queen, at 6am this morning.

She informed me that she had just arrived in London to attend King Charles's coronation and she wanted me to meet her at her hotel, The Dorchester, in an hour. I am her biographer, so although this was an impromptu meeting, it wasn't unusual.

I arrived at her hotel in record time, only to be ushered into a waiting black cab. Queen Barbara joined me a few minutes later and informed me that I was accompanying her to Westminster Abbey for the coronation and she wanted me to take photos for her book. I was initially alarmed, as I was underdressed. I just had on jeans and trainers. However, like a true professional, I took it in my stride and rose to the occasion.

We arrived at a private wing of Westminster Abbey where Queen Barbara met with some other VIPs. I captured photos of her with Baroness Wilcox of Newport, Simon Davenport KC and Royal Perfumer, Anastasia Brozler. I also captured trails of the now viral Red Arrows display which trailed red, white and blue smoke, as they flew over Westminster Abbey.

Everyone gasped in awe. It was such a breathtaking sight to behold.

Looking very beautiful and regal in her yellow Oscar De La Renta dress, Queen Barbara James aptly represented Nigeria as she celebrated the coronation with friends. As someone who lived in London for 20 years, it is no wonder that Queen Barbara loves the tradition of the Royal Family. Despite

being an Efik Queen, she will always be a Londoner, in the true sense of the word, itself.

I know how much Americans love reading about the British Royal Family, so I have gone all out to make Hollywood Weekly readers have a feel of the coronation from start to finish. Read excerpts below by Chris Clayton. The ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey, with the King becoming the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned there since 1066. Queen Camilla was crowned alongside him before a huge parade back to Buckingham Palace.

The formal celebrations started with a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey at 10:20 BST.

The procession moved along The Mall to Trafalgar Square, then down Whitehall and Parliament Street before turning into Parliament Square and Broad Sanctuary to reach the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey.

Outside the palace gates, there was a Guard of Honour, comprising about 160 members of the three armed services, with another 1,000 personnel lining the route.

Almost 4,000 invited guests, including armed forces veterans and NHS and social care staff, were in stands outside Buckingham Palace, with thousands more people in viewing areas along the route and official screening sites nearby.

More than 2,200 people from 203 countries were in Westminster Abbey, with processions there before the King arrived involving faith leaders and representatives from some Commonwealth countries.

The King arrived at the abbey wearing a red velvet robe of state. Underneath he was wearing trousers rather than the more traditional breeches and silk stockings worn by kings before him.

The ceremony began at 11:00 and was punctuated with music selected by the King, with 12 newly commissioned pieces, including one by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Greek Orthodox music in memory of the King's father, Prince Philip.

The King's grandson, Prince George, was among the pages, alongside Camilla's grandchildren, Lola, Eliza, Gus, Louis and Freddy.

There were several stages to the service, which lasted a little under two hours, with female clergy and religious leaders from other faiths playing an active part for the first time.

STAGE 1: THE RECOGNITION

King Charles was presented to "the people" - a tradition dating back to Anglo-Saxon times. Standing beside the 700-year-old Coronation Chair, the King turned to face the four sides of the abbey and be proclaimed the "undoubted King" before the congregation was asked to show their homage and service.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby made the first declaration and the congregation shouted "God Save the King!" and trumpets sounded after each recognition.

STAGE 2: THE OATH

The Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledged the multiple faiths observed in the UK by saying the Church of England would "seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths may live freely" and then administered the Coronation Oath - a legal requirement.

He asked King Charles to confirm that he would uphold the law and the Church of England during his reign, and the King placed his hand on the Holy Gospel and pledged to "perform and keep" those promises.

The King also took the Accession Declaration Oath stating that he was a "faithful Protestant".

STAGE 3: THE ANOINTING

The King's ceremonial robe was removed and he sat in the Coronation Chair to be anointed, emphasising the spiritual status of the sovereign who is also the head of the Church of England.

The archbishop poured special oil from the Ampulla - a gold flask - on to the Coronation Spoon before anointing the King in the form of a cross on his head, breast and hands.

The Ampulla was made for Charles II's coronation, but its shape harks back to an earlier version and a legend that the Virgin Mary appeared to St Thomas a Becket in the 12th Century and gave him a golden eagle from which future kings of England would be anointed.

The Coronation Spoon is much older, having survived Oliver Cromwell's destruction of the regalia after the English Civil War.

The oil itself was produced for the coronation using olives harvested from two groves from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, and consecrated at a special ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the city.

A screen concealed the King from view while he was anointed, because this is considered to be the most sacred part of the service.

STAGE 4: THE INVESTITURE

Literally the crowning momentand the only time King Charles will wear St Edward's Crown in his life.

The crown is named after a much earlier version made for the AngloSaxon king and saint, Edward the

Confessor, and said to have been used at coronations after 1220 until Cromwell had it melted down.

It was made for King Charles II, who wanted a crown similar to the one worn by Edward but even grander.

King Charles III was only the seventh monarch to wear it after Charles II, James II, William III, George V, George VI and Elizabeth II - who last wore it at her own coronation in 1953.

First the King was given a shimmering golden coat to wear called the Supertunica, and presented with items including the Sovereign's Orb, the Coronation Ring, the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross and the Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove.

Then at 12:01 the archbishop placed St Edward's Crown on the King's head and the abbey bells rang for two minutes, trumpets sounded and gun salutes were fired across the UK.

A 62-round salute fired at the Tower of London, with a six-gun salvo at Horse Guards Parade. Twentyone rounds were fired at a further

11 locations around the UK, including Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, and on deployed Royal Navy ships.

STAGE 5: THE ENTHRONEMENT

The King then moved to his throne where, traditionally, a succession of royals and peers would have paid homage - but the Prince of Wales was the only person to do so this time. Instead, the archbishop invited people in the abbey, and those watching and listening at home, to pledge allegiance by saying the words: "I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God."

CROWNING THE QUEEN

After the homage, Queen Camilla was also crowned and enthronedalthough she did not have to take an oath.

He was crowned with Queen Mary's Crown - originally made for Queen Mary's coronation alongside George V - but it was modified to remove some of the arches and reset with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds.

COMMUNION

In the final part of the service the King and Queen took Holy Communion -the principal act of worship of the Christian church.

THE DEPARTURE

They then left their thrones and entered St Edward's Chapel behind the high altar - there Charles removed St Edward's Crown and put on the Imperial State Crown before joining the procession out of the abbey as the national anthem was played.

CORONATION PROCESSION TO THE PALACE

The King and Queen returned to Buckingham Palace along the reverse of the route by which they came, this time travelling in the 260-year-old Gold State Coach that has been used in every coronation since William IV's.

The Princess Royal was among those riding behind the coach, while the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte, were among the royals in the three carriages and first car following.

Nearly 4,000 members of the UK's armed forces took part in what the Ministry of Defence has called the largest military ceremonial operation of its kind for a generation.

They were joined by representatives from 39 Commonwealth countries and the British Overseas Territories. Most marched ahead of the King along the 1.42 miles (2.29km) route and, as the front of the procession reached the palace, the back was still at Downing Street.

The King and Queen arrived at the palace shortly after 13:30 and received a Royal Salute and three cheers from the military personnel who had been on parade.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE FLY-PAST

It has become customary since the coronation of Edward VII in 1902 for the new monarch to greet the crowds in The Mall from the Buckingham Palace balcony - King Charles and Queen Camilla continued the tradition and appeared shortly before 14:30 with the royals who had taken part in the procession.

The day ended with a fly-past, although unsuitable weather conditions meant it was be limited to helicopters and the Red Arrows display team.

I'd like to say a big thank you to Queen Barbara James for the opportunity to witness and cover this iconic event. Thank you too, Queen Barbara, for allowing me "news bomb" and "photo bomb" this opportunity for Hollywood Weekly. I know Mr. Prather Jackson would be laughing out loud now reading this. I am laughing myself.

Congratulations to King Charles III and as we, the British, would say, "Long live the King"!!!

Happy Spring Everyone

My name is Kheris Rogers. I am a 16 year old Author, Activist and Business Owner.

I would like to talk to you about my children’s book “Shine Bright”, which addresses racism and colorism. It reflects my true life experiences when I was 10 years old and was bullied for my dark skin complexion. This book is my way of helping kids who are the age I was when I was first bullied to cope and to believe in their beauty and abilities (even when the world doesn’t).

“Shine Bright” is available wherever books are sold and is published by HarperCollins.

My business, Flexin in My Complexion is the apparel line I launched after being teased for having dark skin. My grandma always proudly said we’re “Flexin in Our Complexion”, my sister posted me on social media after I’d been bullied and said she’s “Flexin in her Complexion”. I had launched my T-shirt line by the time my sister posted me. Was getting baptized while she did it. We sold out in 10 minutes! Apparently lots of people could relate to my experience and it made them not feel “alone”. This is when I knew my purpose.

I launched my foundation, the Kheris Rogers Foundation, to provide support to Black boys and girls. Our first event was a “Back to School” event where we gave away over 1000 backpacks and supplies!

ROGERS

My foundation just came off a 2-month social justice campaign with a free teen summit in February and a multigenerational community round table celebrating Women’s History Month. We reached hundreds of bots, girls and women with messages of hope. How to navigate social media. Mental health awareness. Entrepreneurship. And loving the skin you’re in, even when the world doesn’t.

Turns out I’m the youngest designer (so far) to present during New York Fashion Week and we are hoping to return this fall. I also walked the catwalk for other designers who I love and can’t wait to

collaborate with more amazing artists and creators for New York, Paris and London fashion week events (possibly Milan, we’re working on it

I’m available for interviews and television appearances, now through September, to discuss the issues that I advocate around, as well as fashion, beauty, music and GenZ thingz��.

My publicist Dream (Jeanine Taylor) will follow up soon. She’s at 213-399-5301(text only) or jeanine@jcec.com.

Thanks for reading!

Kheris

Douglas Vermeeren KEEPING UP WITH

WE ARE EXCITED to have had the opportunity to catch up with a Hollywood Weekly Magazine favorite, Doug Vermeeren. Last time we spoke with Doug he was staying busy working on various projects including ‘Operation Broken Sniper’, as well as horror films ‘Bring Me a Skin for Dancing in’, and ‘The Video Tape’. In true Doug fashion, he is continuing to stay busy and even took time out of his cruise to the Bahamas to tell us about the new and exciting projects he is working on, and we can’t wait to share the details!

If I were to truly tell our readers about every individual project Doug has his hand in, I’m fairly sure I would run out of space on the page. With his

vastly diverse skillset, it seems Doug has yet to turn down a challenge and continues to break barriers within the entertainment industry. From acting, producing, and stunt work, to public speaking, podcasts and directing, I am left wondering, is there anything he can’t do?

Each time we speak with Doug, he greets us with his warm, inviting energy. His positive energy and cando attitude are simply contagious. But what stands out most about Doug, and always has, is his genuine passion for what he does. He not only puts his time and energy into these projects, but he really does put his love in first and foremost, and it’s abundantly clear. I believe that truly

is what continues to separate Doug from the rest, and if I had to guess, it may be a part of his secret to success.

Per usual, there are so many great new things he’s working on. One of the projects Doug is excited to be a part of is called ‘Recreating 1912’, which is extremely unique and intriguing. This project attempts to use modern day technology to create a film from the silent film era. Meaning all stunts, props, filming methods, etc., will be used in an effort to re-create and re-capture the early history of film. With Doug’s lifelong love of films, I am personally beyond excited to see what he does with this one, and I am sure he won’t disappoint. You can look out for this

one around April of next year.

Doug’s busy schedule also includes an action thriller titled ‘A Bullet with Her Name on it’, which he begins shooting in March. The 2023 summer film takes us on a journey of a hitman hired by the government to hunt down and murder a very surprising, and unlikely target. The edge-ofyour-seat, action packed thriller is a perfect fit for Doug, and there’s no doubt his rugged side, and raw talent will shine through in this role.

He is also excited to share with us that he will be featured in the film ‘Bullets, Blades and Blood’. Which is a story of revenge, featuring an excovert military operator who goes out on a personal mission when his family

is kidnapped, and possibly murdered.

Doug shares with us “I’m excited for all of the projects that I’m involved in for many different reasons, and in many different ways.” He continues “One of the things I am most thankful for, is just being able to work again since the COVID-19 restrictions have bene lifted. I am also extremely excited about being able to work with and be surrounded by so many incredibly talented people who love what they do and are great at it”.

When we asked Doug what challenges he’s facing with these projects, he said “Honestly, this is a difficult question to answer, I am not experiencing any specific difficulties on any of the projects”. He goes on to share “I think one of my biggest challenges in general is just keeping my schedule sorted. I have an amazing team that helps keep me on track, and I am extremely thankful for them.” He continues by telling us “I think for most actors it’s all about finding the balance where you can be doing a fantastic job on your current project, while also being able to spend time and energy looking at future projects. I am beyond grateful that so many filmmakers are considering me for their projects right now. It’s not always like that and I’m sure that most actors can relate.”

Doug also opens up and digs a little deeper with us when we asked about what’s going on in his personal life. He shares with us “Professionally, I have a lot of great upcoming opportunities over the next two years. These are all projects I am really excited about, and I am looking forward to what will come next. Personally though, it can be a bit complicated. I have great family and friends, and I’m staying busy. However, right now I’m single so we will see what happens next in that department…”

Although Doug’s raw talent and true passion for what he does have given him so much success, he also shares “There are so many people that helped me with the success that I have been experiencing. I am lucky enough to have the support of so many great family members and friends. But there are also people

within the industry who have been so helpful and kind to me”. He goes on to tell us “Those people have given me great advice, as well as helped open doors for me. But most importantly, they helped me see where I was lacking, and allowed me to be aware of my weaknesses.” He continues by saying “Those conversations haven’t always been easy to hear, but they have been crucial in my growth. Of course, no one likes to hear about their deficiencies. It can even be painful to hear, but oftentimes those conversations have ended up being powerful opportunities for me.”

Coming so far from the little boy messing around with his grandfather’s 8mm video camera, we asked Doug what he would say to his childhood self if he could go back, and his answer is surprising “Most of the time when people ask this question, it comes with the idea that you would go back and tell yourself something that would change your present or future. The reality is, I love my life. I love what’s happening and I love where things are going.” He continues by sharing with us “So, I don’t know if I would give myself much advice. I would simply say ‘Just keep going, believe in yourself, try your best and have fun’.” His answer isn’t one I’ve ever heard be for and left me feeling that if only we could all be so easy on our past selves, I believe the world would be a much lighter place.

You can keep an eye out for Doug’s new project, Awakening the Orbs Archive, which starts shooting this month. The film is being directed by award winning director Aaron Glanfield, and Doug is really looking forward to being a part of it. The feature film which takes place in post-apocalyptic earth, tells a story of humanity fighting for its survival, while at the same time trying to track down and protect a magical power it desperately needs. There is no release date as of today, but Doug promises to keep us updated.

Recently, Doug has also landed a spot on the TV series ‘Operation Majestic’ which will premier this summer on CTV in Canada. The series tells a story of a UFO conspiracy and a secret organization called Majestic, who exhaust all their efforts trying to hide information from the public.

Doug plays a character by the name of Nick Tyler who is torn between loyalty to his agency, and a dangerous truth that must be exposed. The show gives an early 90’s X-files vibe, and Doug tells us he is really looking forward to start shooting in the spring.

It seems there’s never a dull moment in Doug’s life. Whenever we get to steal a few moments of his time, he always has new, and incredibly exciting projects to discuss with us. It left me curious, what’s his dream role?

Doug lets us in a bit more, and shares with us “There are a few dream projects that I would love to be a part of. I am a huge James Bond fan and have been since I was a kid. So, I would be thrilled to do anything they asked me to do in the James Bond series.” He continues by telling us, “I would also love to do something for

Marvel, or Star Wars. I have always been a massive fan of both of those franchises as well, and I would be incredibly honored to be a part of a legacy like that in some way.”

Although Doug possesses a generally quiet and shy demeanor - to me, these big dream answers are no surprise. His success up until now speaks for itself, and really shows that his ability to continue dreaming big and shoot for the moon is destined to land him amongst the stars.

If you would like to contact Doug for future projects, you can find him directly on his website, www. DouglasVermeeren.com on Facebook @Douglas Vermeeren, on Instagram @douglasvermeeren, search for him on IMDB, or go directly to his blog www.douglasvermeerem.com/blog.

What do you get when you mix Silicon Valley, big money, and magic? You get Dan Chan – The Millionaires’ Mentalist and a whole lot of corporate entertainment!

Based dually in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, Daniel Chan and his family of magicians have been thrilling audiences for years with their baffling illusions and mind-reading tricks. With over 7500 shows under his belt, Dan Chan has been in high demand by corporate clients worldwide looking for something unique and memorable for their events. Chan got his start in the entertainment industry, billing himself as “Dan Chan The Magic Man,” but later pivoted to “Dan Chan, Master Magician.”

He’s performed over 500 virtual shows since 2020 and received media attention from publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Hustle, CNBC twice, and Business Insider four times. Buzzfeed even dubbed him “Silicon Valley’s Favorite Magician.”

So, how did this magic man get started?

THE MILLIONAIRES’ MENTALIST

DAN CHAN

PERFORMS FOR CORPORATE CLIENTS WORLDWIDE ON ZOOM!

DAN CHAN HAS PERFORMED FOR CORPORATE CLIENTS SUCH AS AMAZON, APPLE, FACEBOOK, GOOGLE, AND MANY OTHERS.

DAN CHAN’S BEGINNINGS

Chan started his career at PayPal in 1999, which later merged with X.com, a company founded by Elon Musk. “So technically, I was at PayPal before Elon Musk,” Dan reminisces. He worked at PayPal before it became the multi-billion dollar company it is today and before his coworkers were dubbed the Paypal mafia; before they founded Yelp, YouTube, LinkedIn, and many other recognizable global brands. “I worked at PayPal so early that I was granted stock options for joining so early. I stayed 13 months and vested ¼ of my options, if I had stayed and held, I would have been worth 5 million dollars. Instead, I sold very early on,” he lamented.

After leaving PayPal, he became one of the top corporate entertainers worldwide, performing for corporate clients worldwide. In fact, he takes great pride in the fact that he has performed for a client list from A to Z, including Amazon, Apple, Bank of America, Buzzfeed, Charles Schwab, Disney, eBay, Facebook, Golden State Warriors, Goldman Sachs, Google, Grammarly, HP, Intel, Kaiser Permanente, LinkedIn, Merrill Lynch, Netflix, Nike, Oracle, PayPal, Quora, Ritz Carlton, SalesForce, Twitter, Uber, USCG, VISA, Walmart, Yelp, and Zillow. Google alone has hired him over 60 times!

His wife Kat’s client list reads very similarly.

THE CHAN

FAMILY

Chan met his wife Kat while he was already several years into his performing career. When asking Kat how she got into the business, she says, “I got tricked into it!”

Kat fondly recalls their chance meeting when Dan performed a card trick in order to get her to sign her name and number.

“I can’t believe I fell for that,” she said, to which Dan chimed in, “I swear, I only did that trick for her!”

Dan invited her to watch a magic show - his own - and later began to teach Kat magic and balloons. Kat excelled at balloon twisting and went from creating simple dogs to incredibly intricate balloon creations such as airplanes, motorcycles, and even an 8’ tall dragon for the Nelson Atkin’s Museum of Art.

Dan proposed to Kat in 2005 at an event they were performing –The annual Allen and Company Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. After entertaining the tech titans, media moguls, and their families at the event, Dan got down on one knee and popped the question.

The couple has since welcomed the birth of their son James in 2007 and their daughter Grace in 2009. Both kids began learning to follow in their parent’s footsteps – James as a magician and Grace as a balloon artist.

Grace recently returned from the Family and Variety Entertainers Convention in Las Vegas. She swept all the categories she competed in, winning 1st place for small, medium, and large balloon sculptures.

James started juggling at 5 years old and has already been featured on ABC7 News, Kids Say the Darndest Things, and Access Daily with Penn & Teller. Most recently, he was featured in the Netflix feature ‘ME TIME’ starring Jimmy O. Yang, Kevin Hart & Mark Wahlberg. At only 13 years old, James auditioned and got into the Magic Castle’s Junior program – the most prestigious magic society in the world. James now performs solo magic shows for families, schools, and corporate events. While he still needs his mom to drive him to events, he’s excited to be making up to $1000 per appearance.

“The shows are a lot of fun, I get to save for college, and it totally beats working at McDonald’s,” James jokes.

THE PANDEMIC PIVOT

Dan and Kat began homeschooling both James and Grace in 2019, even before the pandemic. The family was performing so much that they pulled the kids out of school as clients requested them for their unique talents. James even jokes, “I was getting work burned out, and I was only in fourth grade!”

Homeschooling allowed the kids to have a flexible schedule and to take events with Dan and Kat in New York, Las Vegas, and Chicago.

In 2020, when the pandemic hit and Zoom became the new normal, Dan and James quickly pivoted to performing Zoom shows for their corporate clients. The two have performed over 550 virtual shows since the beginning of the pandemic. In December of 2020, they even set a record of 52 shows in a week and 12 shows in a day all because of embracing the medium of virtual.

Now attending American High School as a freshman, James has decided to scale back on performances during the 20222023 school year to return to traditional schooling but still fill his weekends and evenings with as many shows as possible.

As for Dan, in the last twelve months, he has done university, private and corporate shows in the Bay Area, New York, Chicago, Orlando, and Las Vegas - four times!

THE FUTURE OF MAGIC

So, what’s next for The Millionaires’ Mentalist?

Dan is constantly innovating. One of his newest illusions involves a spectator feeling his heartbeat in a most magical

way. He explains, “I’ve always wanted to do things that other performers aren’t doing, and this illusion is just one of those things.”

Today, Dan is reaping the benefits of his innovation and pivot. He’s in high demand by corporate clients worldwide looking for something unique and different to entertain their audience.

The reason for this demand is Dan’s differentiation. His magic is sophisticated and geared toward an intelligent audience. When you watch one of his mentalist acts, it’s purely about reading minds and connecting. It’s for this reason, he’s recently rebranded himself to “The Millionaires’ Mentalist” to reflect his unique brand of magic better.

Dan’s commitment to excellence has recently led to a successful partnership with Californios, a Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco. With this collaboration, Dan is looking to the future and exploring more opportunities to partner with renowned restaurants and venues. With these shows to his credit, the collaboration will dazzle and delight the guests. He hopes more of these collaborations will also establish his reputation with foodies.

And with a recent performance for Elon Musk in Bel Air, Dan’s come full circle from his Paypal days – proving that anything is possible with a little bit of magic!

Ready to be amazed? Check out Dan Chan’s website for more information on his upcoming shows. And if you can’t make it to one of his in-person performances, how about some Zoom magic?

THE END OF THE ROAD BEGINS.

Fast X, the tenth film in the Fast & Furious Saga, launches the final chapters of one of cinema’s most storied and popular global franchises, now in its third decade and still going strong with the same core cast and characters as when it began.

Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have outsmarted, outnerved and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever faced: A terrifying threat emerging from the shadows of the past who’s fueled by blood revenge, and who is determined to shatter this family and destroy everything—and everyone— that Dom loves, forever.

In 2011’s Fast Five, Dom and his crew took out nefarious Brazilian drug kingpin Hernan Reyes and decapitated his empire on a bridge in Rio De Janeiro. What they didn’t know was that Reyes’ son, Dante (Aquaman’s Jason Momoa), witnessed it all and has spent the last 12 years masterminding a plan to make Dom pay the ultimate price.

FAST X

Dante’s plot will scatter Dom’s family from Los Angeles to the catacombs of Rome, from Brazil to London and from Portugal to Antarctica. New allies will be forged and old enemies will resurface. But everything changes when Dom discovers that his own 8-year-old son (Leo Abelo Perry, Black-ish) is the ultimate target of Dante’s vengeance.

Directed by Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans, The Incredible Hulk), Fast X stars returning cast members Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Jason Statham, John Cena and Scott Eastwood, with Oscar® winner Helen Mirren and Oscar® winner Charlize Theron.

The film also features an extraordinary new cast including Oscar® winner Brie Larson as Tess, a rogue representative from the Agency; Alan Richtson (Reacher) as Aimes, the new head of the Agency who doesn’t hold the same fondness for Dom’s crew as his predecessor, Mr. Nobody; Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad) as a Brazilian street racer with a powerful tie to Dom’s past; and legendary Oscar® winner Rita Moreno as Dom and Mia’s Abuelita Toretto.

Fast X is produced by Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Justin Lin, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Samantha Vincent. The executive producers are Joseph M. Caracciolo, Jr., David Cain, Chris Morgan, Amanda Lewis and Mark Bomback. www.thefastsaga.com

Genre: Action Thriller

Cast: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jason Momoa, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, John Cena, Jason Statham, Sung Kang, Alan Ritchson, Daniela Melchior, Scott Eastwood, with Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Brie Larson and Rita Moreno

Directed by: Louis Leterrier

Screenplay by: Justin Lin, Zach Dean, Dan Mazeau

Based on Characters Created By: Gary Scott Thompson

Producers: Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Justin Lin, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Samantha Vincent

Executive Producers: Joseph M. Caracciolo, Jr., David Cain, Chris Morgan, Amanda Lewis, Mark Bomback