NKD Mag - Issue #44 (February 2015) by NKD Mag

NKD NAKED MAGAZINE FEATURES: 4 - PEYTON MEYER 8 - CIERRA RAMIREZ 14 - RACHAEL BELL 16 - RYAN BEATTY 20 - THE CAST of OPEN HEART 28 - PIPER CURDA 32 - DANIELLE BRADBERY 38 - TYLER BLACKBURN 48 - BIANCA SANTOS 52 - CHELSEA KANE 58 - MICHAEL J. WILLETT 62 - HARVEY GUILLEN

DESIGNER:

CATHERINE POWELL

EDITORS:

JORDAN MELENDREZ CATHERINE POWELL

PHOTOGRAPHER: CATHERINE POWELL

WWW.NKDMAG.COM

WRITERS:

MERISSA BLITZ JOANNA BOURAS SHELBY CHARGIN TARA DEVINCENZO ALYSSA GIRDWAIN STACY MAGALLON JORDAN MELENDREZ CHRISTINE O’DEA SHINA PATEL CATHERINE POWELL KATELYN THOMPSON TANYA TRANER

PEYTON MEYER Words by SHELBY CHARGIN Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Part of what makes Peyton Meyer perfect for his character, Lucas Friar, on Girl Meets World is his ability to connect with the life Lucas has led. Much like his character, Peyton is no stranger to moving around the country, all while trying to be a regular kid. The first 12 years of his life were spent in Las Vegas before he moved to Los Angeles with his mother to pursue acting. “The first thing I booked was Girl Meets World, but then right before we started filming I booked another show on Disney called Dog With a Blog.” Booking both shows, and seeing them both find success sealed his spot in the Disney Channel family. The past year has been a whirlwind for Peyton, as he went from a normal teenager to being recognized almost everywhere he goes. But there isn’t much he can’t handle. Peyton found joining the cast of Girl Meets World to be a bit nerve-wracking because of the success of its predecessor, Boy Meets World. But he also felt a lot of confidence in the role. “I read a lot about Boy Meets World before we started filming, and I knew that it was a big deal because my oldest brother, who’s 4

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seven years older, grew up watching Boy Meets World,” Peyton says. Peyton’s sense of ease has a lot to do with the show’s crew, as Girl Meets World’s writers are the original writers of Boy Meets World. “I knew exactly what this was going to be,” Peyton says. “I knew all the Boy Meets World fans were going to love it and have faith in the new show.” Like his confidence in the writers, Peyton’s confidence in himself really plays into the relationship he has with Lucas. “He actually reminds me a lot of myself,” Peyton says. “He moved from his hometown in Texas to New York City, and I felt like I knew exactly where he was at. It’s tough finding new friends at a new school. I felt really connected to him in that way.” The second season of the show will bring a lot of new light to the characters and their differences from the original casts. Lucas’ relationship with Riley Matthews (Rowan Blanchard) is often compared to the early stages of Cory and Topanga’s love affair in Boy Meets World, but Peyton is quick to notice the differences. “I feel like Cory and Topanga were kind of an immediate love relationship, whereas Lucas’ and Riley’s relationship is more of a friendship building into a love relationship,” he says. Girl Meets World began filming season two this past fall, and after only a few episodes, Peyton can already feel the tone shifting a bit. “It’s been really a huge transition for Lucas. I think my character has kind of changed the most so far into season two,” he reveals. “ There’s a whole new side of him that no one’s ever seen before. It’s really interesting.” The anticipation for the show

itself, and its future guest stars, has enhanced Peyton’s experience working on the show. “It blew up a little bit more than I expected,” he admits. “One week I could walk down the street and not have to worry about anything, and then the next week I had kids staring at me [in public].” These incredible experiences for him extend onto set, where he has been able to learn tremendously from his co-stars. “Ben [Savage] and Danielle [Fishel] … I probably learn something new from them once a week,” he says. “They were in our same exact shoes, you know? They teach us a lot.” One thing Ben and Danielle, who played Cory and Topanga, did not have to deal with, however, is social media. Prior to booking Girl Meets World, Peyton had very little interest in social media. He didn’t like putting himself out there and posting photos every day. But he quickly realized how is helps him connect with fans. “It’s a way for people from Washington to connect with you in Los Angeles,” he says. “I got much more involved with it.” Although it is a great tool to chat with his fans about the show, and he loves that part of it, he still feels strongly about experiencing life. “Even to this day I’ll tweet like three times a week sometimes. I don’t like getting on their everyday. I like spending my day with my family and having fun, not just be sitting on the phone,” Peyton says. He’s still trying to find the balance between updating and over-sharing, but he thinks he’s getting better at it. Part of finding his balance comes with learning how to spend his time when shooting for Girl Meets World isn’t in session. For Peyton, the time between seasons means doing other work.

From filming a project called Gibby in San Francisco to doing schoolwork, his breaks have been just as busy as his regular schedule. He did have an awesome time and special experience filming Gibby though; he got to work with a monkey. “It’s really hard, but it’s amazing what that monkey can do,” he says. Despite his busy schedule, Peyton makes a point to keep school his top priority. However, finding a balance hasn’t been easy. “I learned a lot last year. I don’t really have a lot of time to myself when we’re filming,” he says. “I’m up at 5:00 a.m. and home at 5:00 p.m. every day.” To compensate, he makes a point to allot extra time for school while on set to avoid falling behind. Despite the strides he’s taking in his career, his mind is still focused on going to college in the future. Peyton hopes to instil good morals in his audience, both with his personal choices and Lucas’ actions. He hopes Girl Meets World can follow in the footsteps of its parent show and become a method of teaching young kids about tough times. “I feel like you can learn something every episode,” he says. He’s not afraid and hopes to get into more mature topics as he and his costars get older. “Hopefully down the road we can touch the subjects like alcohol,” he says. As far as long-term goals, Peyton wants to continue excelling in his field. He hopes to book some guest star stints and another movie during the next Girl Meets World hiatus. And, like every other teenage boy in America, he’s crushing on Selena Gomez and would love to work with her. Just like his character on the show, Peyton is a well-rounded, normal teenager. He just happens to have a really cool job. NKD NKDMAG.COM

Cierra Ramirez Words by MERISSA BLITZ Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Hair by JENNIFER BRENT for EXCLUSIVE ARTISTS MANAGEMENT using AVEDA Make-Up by JORDAN LONG for EXCLUSIVE ARTISTS MANAGEMENT using LAURA MERCIER

“Ever since I can remember, I’ve always loved to perform,” Cierra Ramirez says as we sit in the Trump SoHo’s SoHi room, overlooking the Hudson River. Cierra grew up in Houston, Texas, and when she was 6 years old, she started taking voice lessons, performing in county fairs and competing in singing competitions. “I never really thought about acting until a competition came up in L.A.,” Cierra says. “I flew out there originally for singing, but [acting] was another one of the categories. And I thought to myself, I’m there, might as well just try it, and I ended up falling in love with it.” That’s where she found her agent, and she has been working with him ever since. Cierra finished high school in Houston, getting the full high school experience that she cherishes to this day. She was also able to be around her family, the most important thing in her life, and they ended up moving to Los Angeles with her while she pursues her career. “I didn’t expect them to be as willing to support me in what I wanted to do, so I’m very lucky,” Cierra says. “I feel very blessed that I am able to have my family there with me in L.A. as well.” Cierra’s dad was actually the person who influenced her to start singing. He believed in her since she was 6 and knew that there was

a fire burning inside her, propelling her to succeed as an entertainer. Currently, music is on the back burner for Cierra while she continues her role as Mariana Foster in ABC Family’s The Fosters. Mariana and her brother Jesus (Jake T. Austin) were adopted by a lesbian couple, Stef Foster (Teri Polo) and Lena Adams (Sherri Saum), and they have to acclimate to living with Stef ’s biological son, Brandon (David Lambert), as well as foster children Callie Jacob (Maia Mitchell) and Jude Jacob (Hayden Byerly). The second half of the second season of The Fosters started back up in January. Cierra reveals that there are some pretty crazy storylines coming up, and Mariana is going through an identity crisis. “She was very interested in finding out her background and what that meant to her,” Cierra explains. “So that led to her obviously meeting her birth mother.” Mariana’s mother, Ana, is the only Latina role model that she has in her life — and she hasn’t been there long. Mariana could have used such a presence when the girls on the dance team were bullying her because they thought she was only selected because of her ethnicity. Mariana even dyed her hair blond to counteract their accusations. Cierra says Mariana is about to make some decisions that could affect her

position on the dance team. “It turns out [Mariana is] not all about the nails and all about the hair. She’s actually pretty smart,” Cierra says. “She’s taking up coding as well, so she’s a little smarty.” Mariana is turning into a character that viewers will aspire to be like — someone who’s strong and smart as well as girly and fun. Cierra is taking on a big role to portray such a character, and she hopes she’s doing it justice. “I’m 19, and I, too, am making my own mistakes,” she admits. “It’s kind of weird for me. I’m so honored. I feel like it’s a pretty hard position, but I’m doing the best I can. So hopefully I’m doing a good job.” Cierra is also trying to portray the daily struggles of someone who has been through foster care. “Going into the series, I didn’t know much about the foster system and that was the beauty of it,” she explains. “I’ve learned so much.” The cast was able to go to Washington D.C. to visit the White House for the Congressional Caucus on Foster Care, which brought up topics about the foster care system that Cierra hadn’t been aware of before. She says it opened her eyes to the life that her character Mariana was leading. “I love being able to represent such a big part of the world like that, and they’re not really represented on TV,” Cierra says. “The best 10

“I’m 19, and I, too, am making my own mistakes.” NKDMAG.COM

reward at the end of the day is to see that it touches lives, and it’s kind of making a difference. It’s kind of surreal being a part of something like that.” Cierra says she enjoys keeping up with what fans are saying and how they’re reacting to the storyline, because she considers herself a fan, too. “I’m a huge Brallie fan,” Cierra says about the romantic connection between the show’s characters Brandon and Callie. “So I know fans are expecting so much, especially after the finale. That was such a cliffhanger.” “It’s going to be interesting, especially with that storyline, because I feel like they’re both evolving as characters,” she adds. “And they’re both going through their own stuff.” Mariana has a beau in sight, Matt, who has been helping her get through a lot of recent hard times. “I really like Matt for her because he’s a really good influence on her, and he really woke her up when it came to the blond hair,” Cierra says. “He kind of helped her realize that she is perfect the way she is, and she doesn’t have to be someone else for others to like her.” But in terms of her personal life, Cierra is thinking about her plans with her beau, who lives in Louisiana. “We’ll be off on hiatus, it’s a Saturday. I will be with my boo,” Cierra says with a chuckle. “We’ll be watching Netflix.” NKD NKDMAG.COM

RACHAEL BELL 14

Words by ALYSSA GIRDWAIN | Photos by CATHERINE POWELL | Hair & Make-Up by SARAH JOFFE

Rachael Kathryn Bell is a gracious and genuine light in an industry that can sometimes reek of uncomfortable uncertainty. This is obvious even over the phone, and I might go as far to say she smiles when she talks. Or maybe that’s just how she gets when talking about her passion for acting. Rachael grew up in Butler, Pennsylvania, where she began acting classes in the seventh grade. After garnering the attention of a visiting agent through her vivid characters in monologues, she was signed the following year. “I am so in love with the journeys of getting lost in a character,” she says. Then the whirlwind began. Rachael’s agent introduced her to her current manager, and she began traveling across the country to Los Angeles every fall and spring for auditions. After landing the role of Addison on Suite Life on Deck, the spinoff series of the popular Disney sitcom Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Rachael was introduced to the television world. “[Suite Life on Deck] was my first set that became a family,” she says, “A lot of the fan base I do have is from being Addison.” The show ran for three years. Making the leap from living in the East to the West was eased by the loving support of her parents and an independent mindset cultivated from a young age. Her brother is much older than her, so she didn’t have a sibling to grow up with or depend on — hence why she cultivated individuality from the get-go. She moved to Los Angeles as a recent high school graduate, barely 18 years old. Acclimating to a place on your own can be a challenge, but Rachael was aided with a valuable familiarity with the sunny city. “When it was time for me to move here, I felt like I was coming to my second home,” Rachael says. “The friendships that I’ve created here over the years are really the best part.” Rachael gets the giddiest when talk-

ing about her most recent project, the faith-based film Pass the Light, which is should open in select theaters in February. The film centers on Steve Bellafiore (Cameron Palatas), a high school student who decides to run for office against the hateful and intolerant congressman Franklin Baumann (Jon Gries). Rachael plays Louise, a member of “The Force,” a group Steve creates at school that opposes bullying and promotes inclusion. In the film, they help work with the homeless shelter in town, take care of the school and create jobs to build a better community. His “Pass the Light” campaign promotes a loving God rather than a harsh, selective one. “The God that is in this film, that I personally believe in, is the one that is accepting and loving of everybody, regardless of race, or your sexual preference, or the mistakes you’ve made in your life. His love covers all of that,” Rachael explains. “I think that’s quite different from a lot of faith-based films that are more so harping in on what you exactly need to be to have God’s love.” Her character Louise, who Rachael says represents a personal piece of art, is all about being a strong woman. She is assertive and ready and willing to stand up for what she believes, regardless of the time or place. “This is such a passion project for me because I am constantly trying to love others and be more accepting, be more understanding of people and things that I don’t understand,” Rachael says. She is growing with her characters, and if what is shown on screen is any indication, others will learn the same the lessons. “Sometimes it’s hard to speak up when you know you’re going to have people attacking you,” Rachael says. “Louise gave me more strength and insight to stay what I believe in and stick to it.” The entertainment industry can get feisty and biting at times, and Rachael is taking this newly acquired

strength to combat whatever harsh comments or judgments she may face. While filming, Rachael found another family — this time in the other “Force” members, through hijinks from co-stars. (Brendon Eggertsen, who plays Francis, was once brought on set flung over someone’s shoulders, much to the joy of the rest of the cast.) The intolerance that the character Franklin Baumann exhibits has become a stereotype — really, a misconception — of passionate Christians. “I’ve grown up in the church, and I’ve seen how much exclusion can happen,” she says. Rachael’s hope is that the film sparks a much-needed dialogue about religion and the love of God. By challenging the hegemonic ideas of the church, it promotes forward thinking by way of inclusion. Because of this, the film isn’t solely targeting Christians, but rather it informs anyone with an open mind. “At the end of the day, we have to figure out how to get along with each other,” she says. Acknowledging some of the social movements today, it seems the youths are leading this path to greater harmony and change — something Pass the Light illuminates. Pass the Light also received the Dove Seal as a Faith Friendly film for ages 12 and up. The Dove Foundation reviews and endorses films, and has been conservative in the past. For the film to receive the mark of approval means the dialogue is shifting, and this film is propelling it forward and adding to the conversation through touchy topics and otherwise ignored ideas. As for Rachael, her own career is moving forward as well. After filming an episode of CSI: Cyber (specifically “L0M1S”) and celebrating the release of Pass the Light, Rachael continues on the acting grind — it is pilot season, after all. “This industry is built on taking chances on new people,” she says, most likely smiling on the other end of the phone. NKD NKDMAG.COM

RYAN BEATTY Words by KATELYN THOMPSON | Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Since 2012, Ryan Beatty has wowed the music industry. The Californian is still young — so young, in fact, that he just recently earned his driver’s license — but he feels like he is finding his voice. After years of appearing in shows alongside artists like Echosmith and Ariana Grande, and opening for artists such as Cody Simpson, Demi Lovato and Kalin and Myles, Ryan is preparing for the release of his album, and finally establishing his personal stamp on the music industry. “I’ve always known what I wanted to produce,” Ryan says. “But it wasn’t until around 2013 when I spoke up.” After a few years of releasing music, Ryan decided it was time to make his art more personal. “In the past, I didn’t really have the courage to speak up to the people I was working with and say, ‘No, I don’t like this kind of music, or this sound, or this song,” he says. “I wasn’t as vocal with my music as I wish I would have been, so since then I’ve learned to not be afraid to say my mind about my art and what I make. At the end of the day, it’s my song, and I shouldn’t feel guilty about having my say on it, which did take me a while to figure out.” “It felt like it had been taken over. It’s not that I didn’t have a say,” he adds. “I just didn’t speak up.” Ryan took this revelation as an opportunity to add his own voice into the music he was releasing. “I felt like I needed to have a clean slate, so I released my EP,” Ryan recalls. “I

restarted musically at the end of 2013. I went to London and worked a lot as an artist.” Each year he found himself maturing as an artist. “I wasn’t really happy with the music I was putting out. I was grateful to be releasing music, and I wasn’t unhappy with all of it,” he explains. “But I definitely felt pressured at the time to release certain songs or certain images. A lot of it was not my own idea.” “Looking back, I don’t have regrets of the music I put out. There are just certain things I wish I had been more vocal about,” he explains. “I was getting older, and I was learning how to communicate better with people. I started to realize, ‘Why am I not speaking up?’” After spending the summer of 2013 with Cody on the Paradise tour, and working with variety of other artists from the beginning, Ryan says he grew not only as an artist, but also as a performer. “I’ve found myself as a performer on stage,” he says about his live gigs. “I’m much more comfortable on stage and playing to crowds and being able to guide the crowd.” “Being up there, I’m not a dancer, I don’t have any crazy production,” he explains. “Our show is very live. It’s just me and my band up there, there’s not any other aspects to it. We just want to give a musically good show. I feel like that’s the goal every time.” Ryan’s first album is in the works, and he notes that he wants to officially release it sometime in 2015. “There’s

still stuff I need to record. The process of it all has been a little disorganized, especially because it’s being produced independently.” Though he has met with labels, Ryan is producing this first album independently to establish himself as an artist. “At the time I was meeting with labels, my music and sound wasn’t right yet. Before I could consider signing, I needed to find myself as an artist,” he says, adding, “I feel like it was a smart decision looking back, I’m happy I stayed independent.” The addition of his passion for his work has helped Ryan push through a long development process. “I don’t have an exact date,” he says about completing the album. “I feel like it’s going to be worth it when I do release my album. The quality and sound of it is really great. I feel like people are going to like it.” This album has been a long time coming for this up-andcoming artist. “I’m glad I’ve stuck to something that I want to make rather than what is popular,” he says. “I’m a stubborn person in general, but, especially when it comes to my music. My favorite word is ‘no,’ but I’m glad I stuck to it and didn’t really conform.” For the artist who became famous for the song “Hey L.A.,” his songs and style are changing. “The songs I’ve been writing have been a lot more personal. I’ve been writing a lot more songs on my own, so they’re much more me,” he says, “The sound of it is very different, and has more NKDMAG.COM

of an alternative vibe. I’m excited to really show everyone who I am as an artist. I think that’s the most important to me. To really show who I am.” Ryan plans to charge head on into 2015. “I have plans to be in the studio for the first few months. I want to finish everything about my album early in the year and hopefully have it out by mid-2015,” he explains. “I’m just really excited to put it out there, and hopefully people enjoy it.” With some standout years under his belt, it is no surprise that Ryan has started to retain a dedicated fan following. “I’ve spent so much time doing this, and I spend every day interacting with my supporters online,” he says. “It’s just weird to think what I would be doing if I wasn’t doing this.” “This all happened really gradually for me, which is cool because it’s given me time to adjust and really understand, ‘Okay, this is my life now,’” Ryan adds. “Obviously, I still have a long way to go.” In the grand scheme of things, Ryan has already achieved his dream. Now it’s just a matter of speaking up and doing what he wants. “I’m happy with my success and everything that has happened,” Ryan smiles, adding. “It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.” “Since I was 15, this is all I’ve known, really,” he says. “I was thinking about this the other day, but I can’t really see myself doing anything else, which is why I hope this works out for a very long time.” NKD NKDMAG.COM

THE CAST OPEN HEART of

Words by STACY MAGALLON Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

On the 44th floor of the Viacom building in Times Square, the actors of Teen Nick’s latest installment, Open Heart, are beaming with excitement about their project. It’s 9 a.m. on a Monday, and the gray sky looks like it’s about to wreak havoc on New York City. But Karis Cameron, Justin Kelly and Cristine Prosperi are still smiling. The three main cast members are seated on the couch beside me. They’ve already been up for two or three hours, but they are questionably perky for such an early wake-up time. Christine is dressed in black leather jeans and a fluffy black vest. Justin’s appearance is more casual — a long-sleeve striped sweater, ankle boots and skinny jeans. Same goes for Karis, who is in jeans and a leather jacket for her first visit to the Big Apple. “Just casually chilling in Nick Cannon’s office,” Justin says, before pointing to a bowl of oranges on NKDMAG.COM

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the table in front of us. “Are those real?” They’re not. Open Heart follows the story of Dylan Blake, a headstrong rebel whose world is sent spinning after her father’s disappearance. After a run in with the law, Dylan is sentenced to community service at Open Heart Memorial Hospital, the last place her father was seen before his disappearance. The trifecta of young Canadian entertainers is eager for the premiere of Epitome Picture’s next television drama Open Heart set for it’s premiere in Canada on Jan. 20. But first, a long day of press. Karis plays Dylan, and prior to acting on screen, she participated in community theater as a kid in a small town in Vancouver. She began seriously pursuing acting at 14. “Dylan very much wants to be her own person but loses a piece of her when her father goes missing,” Karis says of her character. Dylan is surrounded by her family at the hospital — her mom is a doctor, her grandparents are on the board and her sister is a resident. “It’s the last place she wants to be,” Karis says. “All she wants to do is serve her hours and solve the mystery.” Standoffish at first, Dylan is quickly appalled by how quickly she connects with Wes Silver (Justin) and Mikayla Walker (Cristine). Justin caught the entertainment bug at age six after watching Liar, Liar. His love for Jim Carrey heightened his passion for performing. “I wasn’t really put into focus until I saw that movie,” he says. Since then, the 22-year-old has starred on Canadian teen sitcom The Latest Buzz, a straight-tovideo film titled The Jensen Project, and, most notably, the role of Jake Martin on Degrassi. Wes is best friends with Mikayla. He’s smart, awkward and determined to pursue a career in medicine. After meeting Dylan, NKDMAG.COM

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Wes is initially intrigued by her. He’s willing to help her but questions whether his help will jeopardize his professionalism and future. “His mouth gets him into trouble,” Justin says, laughing. “He says the wrong thing at the wrong time and has to reel back from that.” Though Justin wrapped up his time on Degrassi a few years ago, he is looking forward to working with familiar faces, but with a different tone. “I love that the combination throws you off, but in an inspiring way,” he says. Cristine filmed her first commercial at age three. The Torontoborn actress started with commercials in print work throughout her childhood. “I always loved being the center of attention as a kid,” Cristine recalls. “My parents put me in singing, acting and dancing classes, but I took acting more seriously.” At 16, she decided she wanted to act professionally. She booked her role of Imogen Moreno on Degrassi during her senior year of high school. “Now I get to have a new experience with an old cast mate and a new best friend,” she says of Justin and Karis. Mikayla Walker is the happygo-lucky friend everyone needs around. She enjoys the thrill and adventure of helping Dylan finding her father. Though Mikayla is a little inexperienced, she brings the team down to earth when a situation gets tense. When Cristine first heard Epitome Pictures was working on a new project, she was determined to get an audition without knowing whether or not she could. Luckily enough, she got one. “I was on the set of Degrassi when I was auditioning for Open Heart,” she says. “I had to be two characters in one day.” With every Open Heart script they read, Karis, Cristine and JusNKDMAG.COM

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tin would ask what would happen next. “It was a definite page turner,” Justin recalls. His co-stars agree. Degrassi had a voice that was wellknown by it’s audience through the show’s history of 14 years. “With Open Heart, we’re establishing the tone of the television show together,” he continues. “And we get to watch the birth of these characters.” One can expect drama, romance, mystery, comedy and adventure on Open Heart. “You’re solving a mystery as the show goes on,” Cristine says. “It’s definitely a roller coaster of emotions.” The cast pride themselves on the diversity, originality and multitude of genres within the show. They promise it’s something families can watch together. “When you work on an Epitome project, you know you’re in good hands,” Cristine continues. “And the finished product will be great.”The first season of Open Heart finished filming in October. Karis, Cristine and Justin are eager to interact with fans on social media for the first season. But while the cast are frequent users of Twitter and Instagram, the fan interaction doesn’t just stop on there. Open Heart comes with it’s own additional smartphone app, Open Heart Unlocked. Downloaders are given access to photos and videos from Dylan’s phone along with updates between episodes. “Open Heart Unlocked keeps you engaged with the show even when you aren’t watching,” Cristine says. The app allows users to look at her Pimblr — a fictional social media site that combines Pinterest and Tumblr — and receive texts in real time throughout each episode. The cast of Open Heart are clearly in love with the show, and they hope fans will fall in love with it too. “I can’t wait for their theories,” Karis says. “I’m excited to see what they think.” NKD NKDMAG.COM

PIPER CURDA Words by CHRISTINE O’DEA | Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Hair & Make-Up by SARAH JOFFE

“The day I came out of the womb was the day that I knew I wanted to be a performer,” says 17-year-old actress Piper Curda. When she was born, she was already right about something. Piper is a Renaissance woman, testing her talents and expanding her Hollywood horizons constantly. At age four, she wanted to be Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz so much that she only answered to the name Dorothy. Two years in a row, she had a Wizard Of Oz-themed birthday party. “I always really liked making people laugh and being the center of attention,” Piper says and laughs as she looks back on her childhood. “I guess there was an inkling there.” Today she is following the Disneybrick road that she dreamt of as a toddler. It all began in the first grade when Piper heard a classmate talking about modeling. “I was like, ‘Why am I not doing that?’” she recalls. Soon after, Piper’s mother found a modeling agency, and Piper was starring in Pottery Barn commercials in no time. The Curda’s moved to Chicago, and Piper and her older sister auditioned for a production of The King and I at a theater downtown. “That’s when I knew for sure that I love this,” Piper recalls. In the years to come, Piper and her siblings would star in theater performances, commercials and Broadway shows. The moment a Wal-Mart commercial that she starred in was aired on the Disney Channel is still very much a memorable one for Piper. “I think it was the coolest moment of my life,” she says.

The Curda’s were due for another move just a few years later when Piper’s brother booked a role on Broadway’s The Little Mermaid. Following her agency’s advice, Piper then tried Los Angeles. for a summer. Connections were made and doors were opened. Piper felt much closer to her original dream, closer that she could remember. “In my mind, as a kid, Disney was always my goal,” she explains. “I think every kid wants to be on Disney.” Piper grew up watching stars like Miley Cyrus on Hannah Montana, and admits, “That was who I wanted to be.” Piper attended audition after audition after audition. When auditions turned into callbacks, testings and pilots, she got to know the inner circle of executives and producers, who continually brought her in for roles. After filming her first pilot, Piper felt that her Disney roots were solidified. “Right now, I’m doing exactly what 8-year-old me wanted to do,” she says proudly. Most people, especially teenagers, don’t get to say what Piper tells herself every day at work, but she is proud of herself and the work that she put into getting here. “It did not happen overnight,” she says, “which is a lot of people’s misconceptions, especially about Disney kids. People think they just auditioned and Disney put them on a show and now they’re here. I auditioned for six Disney shows before this one.” Piper’s leading role as Jasmine in the Disney Channel original series I Didn’t Do It was a result of years of hard work and practice. She wants people to know

that the job wasn’t handed to her. In fact, Piper is very different from her confident, sassy character. “She has this cool energy and confidence that I don’t have all the time,” Piper explains. “I like to think I’m sassy, but I would never say certain things because I’m afraid of saying them.” Piper admits that she cares about what people think, and she struggles with letting that go. One of the highlights for Piper is getting to play the role of a character whose personality is so different from her own. “It’s really fun to step into that character and act that way because I can’t act that way in real life,” she says. While she is living the dream that millions of kids have growing up — including Piper herself — she recognizes the importance of characters and celebrities who remain relatable. “Another misconception that people have about TV characters is that they’re perfect,” Piper says. She finds Jasmine to be a good role model for kids and young teens watching the show because Jasmine is confidently different. “She shows girls that they don’t need to care about what they wear,” she explains. “If they want to wear something, they can and it doesn’t matter. It’s okay to be that way and have that confidence.” Being a young Disney Channel star has proven challenging for many celebrities in the last decade. For Piper, it is the same. When Piper grew up watching Disney shows, she gravitated toward characters when she related to them. “I think it’s cool for kids to watch something and be able to relate,” she says, remembering herself in their shoes.

I Didn’t Do It stars a group of friends in high school, but Piper says it draws a range of viewers. Younger crowds enjoy the crazy antics of the show, but the slightly older crowd tends to understand the humor. The show is currently filming its second season with a new team of writers from Disney Channel’s critically acclaimed series, Good Luck Charlie. After just one season, Piper can already see the growth in the show’s characters and styles. “You can kind of see them growing up before your own eyes,” she says. “We all have this great chemistry so you get to see the same thing you see in season one.” While Piper’s acting career seems to be in the exact place she dreamt of for an entire decade, she is just beginning. Piper’s strengths do not lie solely in being on camera and on stage. She is also involved in singing and songwriting. As a child, her grandfather’s nickname for her was Canary because she loved to sing, even as a baby. Piper has released three singles, and all with positive responses. “I love songwriting,” she says with an excited voice. “Just having people hear my songs is an exciting prospect for me, but my next goal is to put out an album.” She describes her songwriting style as 2007 Taylor Swift: raw, personal and lyrically intimate. Piper also draws a lot of inspiration from musicians with acoustic sounds and relatable content, such as Ben Rector. When it comes to pursuing music, Piper is more passionate than anything else. “I love being able to write what I want to write and do what I want to, and having no one tell me ‘I can’t,’” she says. “I love songwriting, and that’s just what I’m working on now.” With Piper’s talents, signing to a label is only a matter of time and choice. While it is a goal of hers to work with a label to gain exposure and have access to a specific platform, Piper’s current focus is writing. “I try not to get the cliché of singing Disney stars in the way of anything,” she

explains. “That assumption is going to come along with anyone on the network who sings. But I let people think what they want to think, hear my music, and judge it for themselves.” Piper appreciates talent for what it is, regardless of the channel on which it’s aired. She has no timeline in mind when it comes to her music career, and she believes that her talent will speak for itself. For now, the high school senior is working on college applications and enjoying her last few months as a student. Both of her parents are professors, so help is always around when she needs it, and she is well versed in working independently. Piper has been homeschooled since she was in seventh grade. “I’ve gotten into this groove of knowing when and how to do things efficiently,” Piper explains confidently. While her professional career and studies consume a lot of her time, she has priorities, goals and time management under control. Next on Piper’s to-do list is college. “I want to go out of California so I can get that 100-percent college experience,” she says. Piper is looking at Christian colleges in Illinois and Tennessee, but doesn’t have a first choice. With hopes to study youth ministry and writing or journalism, Piper’s self-awareness and sense of certainty are pointing her in the direction of a very bright future. Piper is constantly working to get better in all she does, but she admits that she is striving to live a healthier lifestyle this year. “It’s really hard to eat healthy on set.” she laughs. “They have this giant spread of junk food, and it’s just there for the taking … There’s vegetables, too, but I block that out.” Filming TV shows and writing your own music are full time jobs, yet Piper continues to discover ways to be better. While most college seniors can barely handle sports, midterms, SATs and college applications, Piper adds acting, singing and songwriting to the mix. Somehow she makes it look like child’s play. NKD NKDMAG.COM

Danielle Bradbery Words by JORDAN MELENDREZ Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

The only reason Shakira didn’t press the red button to turn her chair around was because she could hear Danielle Bradbery’s cowboy boots when she walked on the stage for her audition for The Voice, so she didn’t think she would have a shot at being her coach. But that was OK with Danielle, because the mere fact that she was speaking with Shakira was enough for her. And oddly enough, singing in front of Shakira was one of the first moments Danielle sang in front of an audience larger than two people. Even her high school peers didn’t know she could sing. When seeing Danielle perform on stage, you would never guess that the 18-yearold is a shy, humble person. When asked about her life

story, rather than exploding into a monologue about her achievements, Danielle bashfully concedes, “Oh God, I don’t even know where to start.” But anyone who has kept up with The Voice would know that Danielle won the fourth season, becoming the youngest contestant to do so. Her victory shocked many people, as the Texas native never even participated in choral groups in school, and she never took lessons. “Music’s been around my family for a long time,” she says. “My dad always loved to sing and play the guitar before we went to bed, so that kind of stuck in my mind all the time. And he sang country.” “And he’s very shy, so I’m pretty sure that’s where I got NKDMAG.COM

my shyness from,” she adds, laughing. Danielle would practice her singing at home everyday — as many songs as she could before dinner. Then one day, her mother informed her that they are taking a trip to Dallas so Danielle could audition for The Voice. “I told her ‘No’ a couple of times,” Danielle recalls. “I mean, she didn’t make me, but she convinced me to. And so did my dad and everybody.” Once she arrived in Dallas, Danielle waited from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to audition and compete against thousands of other contestants. But it was worth it. She impressed the judges at the first round of screening with “So Small” by Carrie Underwood, and after a few more auditions and more songs, she earned a ticket to Los Angeles. Before her first audition in front of Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Shakira and Usher, Danielle did her best to calm her nerves. “I was so much more calm than I expected,” she remembers. “I even fell asleep before I got my hair and makeup done, so that was kind of interesting. And all the producers would walk by and be like, ‘Is she asleep right now?’” She stuck to that calm demeanor for as long as she could. It wasn’t until she was walking on stage that her knees began shaking. “I could see each and every name on the back of the chairs,” Danielle recalls. “It was the first time for Usher and Shakira episodes, too. I was like, ‘Oh, this is a first time for every34

body.’” When Adam, Blake and Usher all turned their chairs around, offering her a spot on their teams, Danielle had an important decision to make. “I thought, ‘I’m country, I’ve known him, his music and everything, for a long time.’ And I just chose Blake,” Danielle says. “And ever since then he’s been right there, making sure we’re all OK. Team Blake. By the end he was just still on top of everything. It was inspiring to see how he worked.” Danielle was also able to work with Blake’s wife, Miranda Lambert, and Sheryl Crow. Not only is Danielle shy about singing, but she also gets nervous about public speaking. “That was probably the second-most nervous thing I did,” Danielle says about her mentor meetings with Blake and Sheryl. “Cameras were everywhere, lights were everywhere, people were just standing, watching you try to talk … I would look in front of me and there’s Blake Shelton and Sheryl Crow, and I just have to have a normal conversation. I’m like, ‘This is so hard.’” Despite the everyday obstacle of shyness, Danielle continued advancing, round after round. “By the end I didn’t know who was going home or who was staying,” she admits. “So I just kind of went with the flow and kind of tried to have fun and not be too serious about it.” “And the next thing you know, I won,” she laughs. “After that it kind of went really fast.” NKDMAG.COM

She has been trying to absorb all the information being thrown at her, especially since after the finale of The Voice, Danielle immediately began making her rounds on various tours: Blake’s Ten Times Crazier Tour, Brad Paisley’s Beat This Winter Tour and Hunter Hayes’s We’re Not Invisible Tour. “My first-ever tour was with Brad Paisley and Chris Young, which was not bad for a first one,” Danielle laughs. “I learned a lot from them. They, obviously, have done it for so long.” Even with numerous female powerhouses, the country music genre is dominated by men. But Danielle doesn’t find this daunting. It’s just another observation she has learned. “Being 18 and a girl, I’m going to have to get the feel of how they’re like and how their music is, honestly, to operate mine,” she says. “It’s really cool to take notes on the men and what they’re doing and then take notes on the girls.” Danielle spent the end of 2014 touring with Scotty McCreery, who won American Idol in 2011. “It’s really cool to have that connection of a TV show,” Danielle says. “People ask me, ‘Is that kind of weird, being on two different TV shows and is it a battle or is that weird?’ I’m like ‘No, not at all.’ We have fun talking about it and seeing the different worlds.” Following The Voice, she almost immediately began recording her single “Heart of Dixie,” which quickly rose to number one on the iTunes

Country Singles chart. She then released her self-titled debut album a few months later. Danielle was unfamiliar with the entire process, but she had to learn quickly. “I had to really think about things that I didn’t think about before,” she explains about picking songs for her album. “If they would go with my life and my personal stuff and if they would go with everybody else’s … It was another experience I had to get used to, I mean, getting a feel of the music industry and picking your own songs.” With a father who always sang country and a mother who was into R&B and Latino music, Danielle is open to various genres. “For me personally, I like different sounds. I like when the lyrics are talking about stuff that normally people don’t talk about,” she says. “ I like going to different points of view that people will listen to and be like, ‘Oh, I never really thought about that, that way.’” As with the rest of her music career, Danielle has recently began experimenting with song-writing. “I wasn’t too familiar with writing before,” she says. “I couldn’t sit down in a room to write a song to save my life.” She has been meeting with other writers and growing accustomed to the process. Now, she says, she is getting the hang of it. “I’ve been going back and forth from Nashville to L.A. to kind of get different vibes of writing songs,” she explains. “There’s going to

be a lot of songs on this next album that I’ve written, so I’m really excited for people to hear it.” But one of the biggest perks for Danielle, besides touring and releasing chart-topping hits, was attending red carpet events such as the Country Music Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards, where she can look to her right and sees Keith Urban and look to her left and sees Tim McGraw. “It’s really cool, getting to do these opportunities that I never thought would be, like walking on the red carpet and everything,” she explains. “A long time ago, I was waiting for dinner to be done and watching the CMAs or ACMs on my couch.” It’s not all glitz and glam though — Danielle is constantly working. She hopes that her next album will be out this year. Eventually, she even wants to dabble in the fashion industry by starting her own line. “Hopefully I’ll learn the business side faster so I can maybe open my own store one day or something,” she says. “There’s a lot that I’ve thought about and obviously, I’m still 18 but I feel like I’m 24,” she laughs. “A lot is in store.” While her perceptions of being a celebrity have changed since she was younger, Danielle is definitely breaking out of her comfort zone. “Just working and just getting a whole different view on things,” she says, “it’s opened a lot of things in my mind that I never thought could open.” NKD NKDMAG.COM

After starring on ABC Family ’s Pretty Little Liars since 2011,

TYLER BLACKBURN

has become one of television’s hottest young faces. But his rise to fame was not a quick one and all his experiences have only made him more confident. And even after years of acting on a teen drama, he still doesn’t really understand what “shipping” means. Words and Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

It’s not the coldest day new york cIty has seen thIs wInter, but It’s stIll rather chIlly. but that Isn’t stoppIng the two dozen teenage gIrls outsIde of the trump soho from holdIng theIr ground and peerIng InsIde, hopIng to catch a glImpse of theIr favorIte abc famIly stars. One floor up in a tucked away library, Tyler Blackburn is typing idly on his iPhone, only vaguely aware of the crowd outside. That’s not to say he is at all naïve to the phenomenon that Pretty Little Liars has created; he’s witnessed it firsthand many times. He just chooses to keep his primary focus on acting and not all the excess that comes with celebrity. But the attention that he’s received in the past few years is merited, as Tyler worked extremely hard to get to this point, and he doesn’t take it for granted. Tyler’s story begins in 1986 in Los Angeles, where he was born and raised. “People find it weird that I was born in L.A. and became an actor,” he says. Growing up, his father worked in the music business, so Tyler was constantly surrounded by the entertainment industry. He always loved the idea of being a performer or entertainer, and he acted in plays as a child. When he entered his teenage years, Tyler became a self-proclaimed “emo kid” and began watching more “gritty, dark” movies, which 40

inspired him. As his high school career came to a close, Tyler decided he wanted to seriously pursue acting. “A lot of people do it, and it’s a really fucking hard business to get into,” he says. “Everyone was like, ‘You need to have a back-up plan.’” “And I just felt like if I had a backup plan, I’m going to fall back on it because it is so hard,” he explains. Tyler believes that what you focus on is what grows, and he didn’t see himself benefiting from devoting any of his time to a plan B. After his revelation, Tyler went on what he estimates were thousands of auditions for movies, television, commercials and even modeling. “I felt so out of place,” he admits. “But for me I wanted anything that could help me get my foot in the door or make some money.” Despite financial and career struggles during this period of time, Tyler still managed to have fun. Looking back, he is grateful for the struggle. But that’s not to say he didn’t have his fair share of days when he was angry or crying, as he often felt defeated and questioned whether or

not he was making the right moves. Tyler’s breakthrough came six years ago when he booked a recurring role on Days of Our Lives. It was his first time booking a consistent role, and while his cumulative time on set was two months, he appeared in 17 episodes. “It was very eye opening,” he recalls. “I really, truly believe the best learning experience is on a set.” He took a lot away from his time on Days of Our Lives, but one of his most memorable early roles came about a year prior when he gueststarred on one episode of Cold Case. While the role itself was exciting, it was the audition that Tyler still remembers. Between the first round of auditions and Tyler’s callback with the director, he came down with tonsillitis. But he wasn’t going to miss his chance to book the role. “In the beginning, you’re really naïve, and you’ll do anything that anyone asks you,” Tyler says. “But at this point I was starting to realize I could do this and I was talented and that the power was in my hands.”

“AND I JUST FELT LIKE IF I HAD A BACK-UP PLAN, I’M GOING TO FALL BACK ON IT BECAUSE IT IS SO HARD.”

He went to his audition, and was taken aback by the director’s rudeness. “He was laying down on the couch, and I do the scene — deathly ill — and after he goes, ‘I’m bored,’” Tyler recalls. The director tried to explain his boredom to Tyler and ended his statement with, “I don’t know. I’m tired.” Tyler felt his entire body go hot with adrenaline. He knew he was about to say something that could get him in trouble. “Well, maybe you should sit up. Or I’m sure we can get you a fucking Red Bull,” Tyler spat back at the director. Everyone in the room fell silent, but Tyler booked the job the next day. The Cold Case audition helped Tyler realize that there is no formula to success when it comes to the entertainment industry. He is very aware that he could have been thrown out of that room, ruining his relationship with that casting director forever. But he wasn’t and he didn’t. The early realization helped Tyler continue to stand his ground further down the line, especially now, when people are constantly trying to act differently. “I’m attracted to people that are individuals and think outside the box and look at life in a unique way,” he says. He doesn’t go into a job or shoot with expectations because there’s truly no was of telling how things will turn out, but he does make a point to always be engaging and polite to those working around him. “Being interested in other people as opposed to it being all about you, acknowledging people and saying ‘thank you’ and asking how they’re doing, those things go so far,” he says. Another realization occurred once he had been consistently working for a few years: the difference in how celebrities are viewed now as opposed to when he was growing up. He had posters of No Doubt on his walls and wanted to marry Gwen Stefani, and was completely obsessed with Sarah

Michelle Gellar circa her Buffy The Vampire Slayer era, but the infatuation ended there. Now, everything is accessible and instantaneous; fans have wild expectations of the celebrities they admire. Tyler was extremely reluctant to join social media because as much love as there is, there’s still negativity. “I need to be able to do me without hearing all that, you know?” he explains. “I rarely read any comments online.” Once Tyler booked Pretty Little Liars, social media was inevitable. The ABC Family drama series is one ofthe most tweeted about television program in history, partially because of its timing. During the first season of the show, social media was still growing. But when Tyler joined the cast halfway through the first season, things were really starting to pick up. Tyler’s co-star Ashley Benson (who plays Hanna Marin) persuaded him to join Twitter immediately. He hesitated because at the time he thought his character, Caleb Rivers, was only going to appear in four episodes. Six seasons later, he’s still there. For that reason, he is more active than ever on social media. “I’ll never be someone that’s all about it, but I think that’s okay,” Tyler says. “I respect people who are.” Since his role on Pretty Little Liars was significantly extended, Tyler’s life has changed drastically. Everything about Tyler joining the show made sense: the fans embraced him; his on-screen chemistry with the cast was incredible; and his character had a lot of room to grow. “The chemistry between myself and Ashley is undeniable, I think,” he says. “We have a ship name… why do they call it a ship name?” It’s explained to him that it refers to a relationship and he is amazed. “I thought it had to do with a boat!” he admits. Though he doesn’t anymore, when his first few episodes aired he watched them “just to see if [he]

sucked and should quit.” He saw how well his scenes with Ashley played out on screen. He tips his hat to the show’s writers for creating such an interesting, dynamic relationship. When it came time for Tyler to depart from Pretty Little Liars to pursue his supernatural spin-off series, Ravenswood, fans were worried about what would happen to “Haleb.” But at the time, that was hardly one of Tyler’s concerns. He was just so caught off guard when the show’s creator, Marlene King, pitched the idea to him. “[Marlene] so casually brought it up to me. She was like ‘So we developed a show for you,’” he recalls. “And I’m like ‘what?’” He couldn’t process what she was saying at first because the idea of being a lead in a TV show was a dream come true. Marlene calmed his nerves a bit by saying the show hadn’t been picked up yet. But the next day she called him and informed him that ABC Family approved the first five episodes. Soon after, Tyler was off to New Orleans to film. There was very little time between pitching and beginning production on Ravenswood, and Tyler think that has a lot to do with why the show only lasted one season. “There wasn’t enough prep time,” he says. “With Pretty Little Liars, it was based on the book, so there was some foundation.” Ravenswood was a stand-alone idea that was supposed to connect to the PLL world while still being its own show. There was not enough time to develop the series, and many people working on Ravenswood still worked on PLL, so no one could completely devote their time to the new show. The creators flew to Louisiana as often as possible, but ultimately it proved too difficult to keep Ravenswood going. But Tyler looks back on the experience as a positive one. “It made me more confident,” he says. Almost immediately after Raven46

swood’s cancellation, Tyler was back on Pretty Little Liars. At the time though, he really wasn’t sure if that was going to be the case. Signing on for Ravenswood was not necessarily a safe choice for Tyler, because there was no telling where the show would go or if there would still be a place for him on PLL if it didn’t work out. “I feel like I did take a chance with it, but then at the end of Ravenswood, Marlene was like ‘Please come back to PLL,’” he says. He considered saying “no” for a moment because part of him wondered if it was time to try something else, but he quickly decided otherwise. “I realized that I have an opportunity to be a part of one of the most successful shows on television, surrounded by people I like,” he says. “I think I was just a little butt hurt about Ravenswood getting canceled.” Tyler’s transition back into PLL was “seamless.” He was — quite literally — going back home and felt like no time had passed. He returned much more secure in his abilities as an actor, simply because leading a show meant he was on set every single day and therefore learning every single day. “Pretty Little Liars is about the girls, and I’m more of a secondary character,” he says. “[On Ravenswood] I really felt like I became a pro.” His return to the show still hasn’t earned him any clues on who exactly “A” is, and when asked for his theories he couldn’t make any firm guesses. If he does find out, though, he plans on keeping that secret close. While acting has taken priority for Tyler over the past six years, he is also interested in music. He released the Find a Way EP in 2013, and a few songs appeared on ABC Family shows. But since booking Ravenswood, he has hardly had time to focus on music. “Really, that type of music is not what I would like to do,” he says about the EP. “I basically recorded it for [ABC Family] to put

in their shows.” But he did experience a recording studio for the first time, which he knew he needed to do if he wanted to pursue music more seriously in the future. When the time is right, Tyler wants to release more music, but he doesn’t want it to have anything to do with the network. “I want it to be more underground,” he says. “I’m not a musician that wants to go win Grammy’s. I just love music.” For now, his main concern is his acting career, and he doesn’t want to create music until he can completely focus on it for a reasonable amount of time. “I want to learn instruments and meet people to write with,” he says. He’s still trying to figure out what type of musician he wants to be because he listens to a variety of genres. PLL takes up most of Tyler’s time, between filming and promoting. But he was able to shoot an independent movie called Love Is All You Need?, which he hopes will be released in 2015. It’s a full-length feature based on a short film that went viral a few years ago about world where homosexuality and heterosexuality are reversed. In the film, Tyler plays a straight man named Ryan who falls in love with an assumingly homosexual woman. “It’s an interesting project. I don’t think it’s going to be a widespread release,” he says. “And that’s fine with me because I did it because I loved the story and the message.” Season five of Pretty Little Liars will continue airing through March, and season six will continue this summer. The series has already secured a seventh season, which many believe will be the last. But even if that’s the case, the entire cast has already built up strong followings that will only help to propel them into the next stage of their careers — Tyler included. And while all of that is exciting, Tyler is most excited to just continue acting. NKD

BIANCA SANTOS Words by JOANNA BOURAS | Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Hair & Make-Up by SARAH JOFFE | Styled by MISGUIDED CLOTHING

Bianca Santos says the way she began acting is fairly typical of a girl growing up in California. As a firstgeneration American, her parents are Latino, Brazilian and Cuban. “I wanted to do acting from a very young age, and I think the city helped influence that,” Bianca says. She also thinks it discourages it. When growing up in Los Angeles, she explains, one is taught to chase their dreams. But dreams can just as quickly become something that never comes to fruition. Bianca was always involved in theater and some type of acting, but she says her parents had normal jobs and really didn’t know how to help her in the entertainment industry. “I had friends who would be like, ‘My dad’s a director.’ And I’d be like, ‘That’s awesome, want to help me out?’ she laughs. As with any job in the entertainment industry, Bianca knew that acting would require many steps. She recalls asking an abundance of questions and figuring things out on her own. “I knew from living in the city I didn’t want to waste any time, so I just have to bug a lot of people and ask the right questions,” she recalls. She absorbed as much as she could and learned by asking questions and observing others. “It was a matter of luck and timing,” she explains. “If I had gone immediately from high school and stepping right into the acting game, I don’t think I

would have made it.” The first show she booked was ABC Family’s The Fosters, a family drama about the lives of the Foster family. Bianca plays Lexi Rivera, the best friend of Mariana Adams Foster, one of the family’s adopted twins. When asked about her experience on the show Bianca describes it as “absolutely crazy, fantastic, amazing [and] wonderful.” “Being on an ABC Family show feels like immediately you’re going to the cream of the crop,” she says. Bianca says she enjoyed working on a network with a bunch of people who truly supported one another and who made things easy. And she continued observing the people around her to learn more and more every day. “Oh yeah that’s efficient, I see how they’re doing this, that’s what I need to do,” Bianca says, describing her thought process. She explains that she is still learning, but she has a hunger for it and that’s what sets her apart from other actors. Six months later, she landed a role on MTV’s Happyland, a comedy about American amusement park workers. Bianca played protagonist Lucy Velez. She finds herself falling in love with the new park owner’s son, who ends up being her half-brother, and the park owner turns out to be her biological father. “The concept in itself made me think, ‘It’s amazing, it’s so different, it’s

so unique,” Bianca recalls. She couldn’t understand how something similar to the script hadn’t been created prior, and she says she enjoys playing her character. “There’s the inner struggle of wanting to go far and wanting to achieve but also being like, ‘Wait, am I good enough for this?” she says. Bianca believes that everybody has this feeling on a day-to-day basis and that you just have to take a step back and tell yourself that you are where you are meant to be. “That’s with Happyland, I’m the lead of a show, holy crap,” she says. She adds that reality really didn’t set in until the show was actually picked up. “Then I was like, ‘Wow, I have a show that we’re shooting for MTV,” she says. “It’s been this process of letting life settle in and accepting where I am.” Being the lead role, Bianca threw everything she had into it. She describes it as not only being the lead on the show but also being a leader on set. She says she has always enjoyed taking the lead on things. Bianca thinks Lucy is another easily relatable character. She describes her as trying to act much older than she is and taking care of her mother. “I loved how the constant lessons for Lucy were to just be your age and live your life,” she says. “Like go crush on that guy, yeah you like him, go kiss him or go have fun.” This is something she can personNKDMAG.COM

ally really relate to because growing up, Bianca was more focused on getting good grades. She says letting loose and enjoying life has always been a struggle. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s me. I’m Lucy,’” she says. Although acting is her passion, Bianca understands the importance of school. “School has always been important to me,” she says. “I went to college and got a degree in psychology, but I knew I had to come back to my first love, acting. So I just went for it.” Bianca says that many other people can probably relate to Lucy. However, there is a main aspect that she struggled to capture. “I’ve never had an incestual relationship with my brother,” she says. “It never really occurred on the show, but just that whole scenario is something I had to try and put myself in that position.” Bianca is starring in the comedy film, The DUFF, which stands for “designated ugly fat friend.” In the film, which will be released in February, Bianca plays Casey, the best friend of co-star Mae Whitman, who plays the “designated ugly fat friend.” “Mae Whitman plays Bianca. It’s confusing, I know, because my names Bianca,” Bianca jokes. She is excited for people to see the movie because it’s a teen comedy comparable to Easy A and Mean Girls. The DUFF, she explains, uses a lot of wit. But it has just as much heart. She hopes that many of the moments resonate with the audience. “We touch a lot of different aspects, some of them are self-esteem,” Bianca explains. “Obviously ‘designated ugly fat friend’ is something that hits people and they have an immediate reaction to.” Bianca says she enjoys how the movie talks about labels and how they affect people. “Essentially what we are trying to get across in the movie is that everyone

has labels,” Bianca explains. “It’s up to you what you choose to do with it.” She notes that the movie addresses important topics such as cyber bullying. “I don’t think people realize the power it has over kids, teens and adults,” she says about bullying. “I don’t care if it’s over the Internet. I don’t care if it’s in your face. Everything hurts.” In this coming-of-age film, Casey and her friend Jess (Skyler Samuels) are Bianca’s two best friends. They love her for who she is, and she spends a lot of the movie trying to figure out who that is, exactly. “Metaphorically we are that reminder that she is amazing,” Santos says. “It’s not about how you look because we love her for who she is and are those loyal friends.” As far as other future projects are concerned, Bianca just finished an indie comedy film that also features James Maslow and Tommy Flanagan. Looking back on 2014, Santos has had some pretty great moments: when Happyland had its premiere and turning 24. The latter, she says, was celebrated at the last minute. “Not only did everyone show up,” she says about her birthday party, “so did Ansel Elgort. I was like, ‘Holy crap, you are beautiful and thank you for coming to my birthday.’” She says as far as her career in 2014, she thinks she was extremely blessed. As for 2015, Bianca plans to do more introspection. “My resolution is to really just focus on myself, mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being,” she explains. “Just getting realigned and grounded.” She says she worked so hard last year that she was off-balance. She wants to trust that her career will take care of itself as long as she keeps working at it. “As far as possible feature films coming, I can’t really talk about them,” Bianca concedes, then laughs. “But look out.” NKD NKDMAG.COM

CHELSEA KANE Words by TANYA TRANER Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

For Chelsea Kane, a girl of many talents and interests, there is only one real passion: acting. For her, it’s a safe release, and she’s not slowing down. Well, maybe she’s slowing down... Born in Phoenix, Arizona, to parents in the film industry, Chelsea says she has always loved acting and wanted to be around it. A local theater in her hometown, The Valley Youth Theater, wouldn’t allow children to audition until they were six years old. Chelsea patiently waited until her sixth birthday and auditioned that very day. “I had one line, which was, ‘Isn’t he handsome?’ And I kind of got the bug,” she says. She grew up performing with some good company at Valley Youth; actors like Emma Stone, Jordin Sparks and Matt Crumb all started there as well. “It’s like our own little Mickey Mouse Club,” she says. She continued doing community theater and just fell in love. “I just got more and more obsessed with it,” she recalls. “It became more than just an after school hobby for me.” So at 10 years old, she auditioned for the National Broadway Tour of 52

Showboat, and she was cast. “And that’s kind of when I put the pieces together that adults were doing this, and they’re making money this way,” she says. “And I knew it’s what I wanted to do.” Chelsea did a few independent films in Arizona, but she says she knew that if she wanted to make it, Los Angeles was the next step. So she made the big move at 15. She lived at the Magic Castle Hotel, famous for their members-only magic shows. She lived there, but she could never see shows because she didn’t know any magicians. She landed her first big gueststarring role on FOX’s Cracking Up, but the show was canceled in 2004. However, it was still a lot of fun for Chelsea. “I got to cheerlead battle Molly Shannon, which, as a female interested in comedy, it was just the ultimate, cool job.” From there she landed her first real big break as mean girl Meredith in Bratz: The Movie, and then it was onto one of her most notable roles as Stella Malone in the popular but shortlived Disney Channel series JONAS (later renamed Jonas L.A.). The Jonas Brothers became one of the biggest acts in pop music in the mid-2000s, but Chelsea says when they were shooting the pilot for the show, the guys hadn’t even released their first album. She knew nothing about them. “It was so crazy because I really just felt like I was in the front row of watching their rise to fame,” she says. Between shooting the pilot and Disney picking up the show, the Jonas Brothers became more famous; they were already securing Rolling Stone covers. “We would find girls trying to sneak onto our sound stage. We found girls in the showers, in the

dressing rooms. It was mayhem,” she recalls. In today’s culture of social media super fans, she says that her interaction with Jonas fans could have gone either way. Before the show aired, she was photographed shopping with Joe Jonas — her first run in with paparazzi. While it was a platonic outing, “the backlash of hate from other women was so scary, and sad,” she says. Once the show aired, however, fans really embraced Chelsea. “I feel really lucky to have some of the Jonas fans in my corner,” she says. After Jonas, Chelsea finally accepted an offer to go on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars – an offer she previously turned down three times. She was flattered, but she was also terrified. “Even though I’m in front of the camera, I’m always playing a character,” she says. “So if they hate the character, then that could be part of my job. But with this, if people don’t like me, I’m going to take it much more personally.” This outlook is the same reason why you’ll never see a Chelsea Kane album. While she has notably sang on many of her movie soundtracks and has been featured in other songs, it’s just not for her. “I enjoy it when I’m playing a character because, like I said, there is the protection of someone else in front of me,” she explains. “A lot of times that goes hand in hand with any kid who starts out on the Disney Channel. So I’ve definitely been asked, but it’s not something that brings me as much joy as I know it does others.” Chelsea says she would rather leave the music spots open for the many unbelievably talented singers who truly want it, in the same way that she would hope someone would leave a great role NKDMAG.COM

open for those who truly love to act it. After Dancing With the Stars, Chelsea was able to do what she does best again, and landed a starring role in ABC Family’s original film Lovestruck: The Musical. It was there that she learned about the pilot for Baby Daddy, where she currently stars. She read the script and loved it. Chelsea plays Riley Perrin on the ABC Family sitcom. She says that her character is a type-A personality, a tomboy and someone who can really hold her own. “I love that she’s just a tough cookie and knows what she wants and goes for it.” She also likes that Riley’s “crazy” is starting to come out a little on the show. “I love that because I don’t think any girl is perfect. It’s hard to maintain composure at all times,” she says. “Riley is breaking the mold. She doesn’t always say or do the right things.” Over the show’s four seasons, Riley has been in a bit of a love triangle with brothers Ben (JeanLuc Bilodeau) and Danny (Derek Theler). In the season three finale, Danny was leaving for Paris with his new girlfriend, and Chelsea says her character finally has to acknowledge her own feelings for him, even though she started dating Ben again. While the love triangle will still be a big part of the plot, Chelsea has some good news. “[Fans] will get some closure this season. I promise you,” she says. Baby Daddy is filled with willthey-won’t-they moments, and Chelsea says that even the actors aren’t sure where the show is going to go each week. The writers pay a lot of attention to fans’ reactions on social media, and even the actors’ own life experiences. “Now we have to be careful what 56

we say Monday at breakfast,” Chelsea says, joking about times when their personal lives have ended up in the script. Everything a fan could want to know about the show’s stars is on social media, and it’s a huge tool for the cast who live tweet every episode. Chelsea admits that she was gun-shy about the idea. She still doesn’t have a personal Facebook account — just a fan page. But she says she did a complete 180 while on Dancing With the Stars. “It was really amazing how powerful social media can be,” she says. She has been able to learn about her fans and make some friends. Chelsea has big plans for the future. “I would love to just keep working. I feel so blessed that this is my job.” She would love to keep doing sitcoms when Baby Daddy is eventually over, but she is also open to the idea of more feature films as well. She would also like to work with a variety of actors and actresses, but a specific person she mentions is Goldie Hawn. One thing Chelsea would definitely like to do this year, however, is slow down a bit. This past year she bought her first place, coincidentally three houses down from where her parents first lived together. But she hasn’t had any time to actually live there. “Up until about a month ago I still had a mattress on the floor and a U-Haul box as my bedside table.” She wants to take some time to really make the place her own. Chelsea has devoted her entire life to her craft, and she plans to continue doing so. But she thinks taking time off is important. She’ll be traveling a lot and experiencing a lot. But then she’ll come home to her career each and every time. NKD

MICHAEL J. WILLETT Words by TARA DEVINCENZO | Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

“I’ve always been creative and a little angsty,” Michael J. Willett says. The 25-year-old who has moved from The United States of Tara to the MTV universe is aware of who he is, what he stands for, and the trials and tribulations that brought him to this point in his life (and career). Luckier than most who have a dream to be on screen, Michael grew up in Fresno, California, where Los Angeles was a laborious distance away, yet hardly unreachable. He didn’t grow up in auditions; they began after his years of teenage troubles. He discusses one of the earliest upsets in his life in a very bland, matter-offact manner: his parents divorced when he was young, which led him down a path with more malaise. But it was creative nonetheless. Though he offers his early-life anxieties upfront as background for who he’s become (starting from his birthday, which happens to be Sept. 11), he’s very driven, passionate, and aware of himself and the fortuity that came as a side effect. He played with bands in high school. And if you didn’t already believe that his misgivings are part of his persona, two band names

support his claim: The 13th Hour and Good Misfortune. Michael took his first drama class when he was 13 years old as a way to sneak singing into his schedule. His talents behind the mic soon included work in front of a camera, as he began driving two-hours to L.A. for auditions as short as 15 minutes. His auditions, he says, began paying off immediately. One of his first roles was a commercial for the snack brand Little Debbie, and he got the opportunity to do what he loves: sing. Acting and singing in commercials led him to plays, where he started to establish a distinct fondness for stepping into someone else’s shoes. “Really digging into characters started becoming really fun and something that wasn’t just secondary,” he says. After the commercial, things started to come along more frequently. He had a few roles as a guest star, and he realized that his career had room to blossom. But he wasn’t ready for it. “I ended up quitting because I just wanted to be normal,” he says. Michael was in high school at the time, and he wanted to be able to enjoy being a part of that before he NKDMAG.COM

devoted his time to acting. It wasn’t all for the hope for normalcy in his life that led him to this decision. He knew he still wanted to pursue his acting and singing career, but he wanted to take careful steps to get there before rushing into it. “I felt like if you don’t have life experience, you have no life to pull from [while acting.]” He finished high school and then studied multimedia and graphic design for two years before he felt it was time to return to L.A. When he was 19, he was able to use to use high school experiences for his role on Showtime’s series United States of Tara. Michael’s character, Lionel, was a high school student and friend of Tara’s son who started the LGBT advocacy group — something that Michael could find inspiring from in his personal life. “I’ve always grown up gay, but I’ve always felt pretty accepted and that I wasn’t so different,” he remembers. The one thing about his role that was furthest out-of-character for him in real life was a physical change. “They asked me if I could bleach my hair,” he says, adding that his mom never let him switch up his hair. But when the producers pitched it to him, it was an immediate, “fuck yeah!” He had real life to draw from while playing Lionel, and he was able to do the same when he signed on to Faking It. As a gay teen in a high school kingdom run by lesbian monarchs, Michael goes back to black (hair, that is) to become the character Shane Harvey. Though his character on United States of Tara wasn’t considered a minor role, being on Faking It has brought him to a new level of onscreen importance. “Being on the show is something I always wanted to do,” he says. “Being guest stars of other people’s shows was fun, but I always wanted to be on the other side of that.” As a main character, he has appeared in all 18 episodes in the first 60

and second seasons. His character is openly gay, and one of the wellknown students in school. “It’s kind of subversive for this era,” he says about TV culture. “The gay kid is not usually popular.” Being on the show is something he’s especially excited about because of the weight it could hold on viewers. Though shows like Teen Mom and Catfish address hard-hitting topics, very few scripted shows are coming out to discuss societal issues, until now. “I think what [MTV has] always done well at is bringing topics that people don’t typically want to talk about to the forefront,” he says. “I feel like I’m a part of that trend, but it’s in a new direction.” While the show is finally bringing the once taboo, now prominent social norms to the screen, Michael is especially proud to be portraying a character who is himself — but a superhuman form. “He’s perpetually confident, well-adjusted, stylish, effortless, and all the things I wish I could be all the time,” he says about his character. “It’s taken me a long time to become this character because in high school I was much more awkward, introverted, creative. He’s very opposite, and it’s nice to play that part of me.” The show has shown Michael a different side of himself, and he feels that it has done that for the audience as well. “A lot of stories were becoming cliché, and it’s time for more stories,” he says. “There’s a whole group of people who are not being represented.” He describes the show as “edgy and accessible” and says, “A lot of people are identifying with these storylines and characters because they’re real.” Now that the show is on season 2b (an MTV equivalent of wanting to continue the series but not ready to deem it season 3), Michael’s character is becoming more nuanced. “In the past it was light and fun, but it might start getting darker, which will be

cool,” he says. Michael, who is otherwise very quiet on social media, plans to take part in creating another level of the audience’s experience on the show while treading very carefully. “It could be scary,” he says of the possible lengths social media can take actors. “I just try to look at it as something powerful. I have something powerful at my disposal and it depends on how you use it … like Superman. My favorite thing is connecting with people, and it’s a direct way to do that.” Now that he has played a gay person for the third time, Michael isn’t worried about falling into niche casting. “I’m gonna ride it out as long as possible,” he says. “I don’t look at it as separate from playing straight characters. I just think that it’s about playing interesting people, and that’s all I want to do.” While allowing his acting career to float on, Michael has also been working on creating a name for himself in the music world. He released a single, “Start It Over,” in January. But this is only the beginning of his dual-career. Acting allowed him to become someone else, but writing music allows him to express himself. “Acting has sort of paid the bills. I also enjoy it, but it is different,” he explains. “You’re at the mercy of someone else’s vision and their creative process. I like to have both.” When asked what his goals are for 2015, he hesitates for a moment before admitting, “I wanna eat more chocolate chip cookies this year. I didn’t get that many this month.” Michael’s natural ability and passion for both acting and singing have brought him back into the world of entertainment, even if it meant letting go of his “normal” life. “I have this fire to do it,” he says. “I want to continuously do things that fulfill me creatively, that have variety, and allow me to do things that are poignant and meaningful and entertaining.” NKD

HARVEY GUILLEN Words by SHINA PATEL | Photos by CATHERINE POWELL | Hair & Make-Up by ADRIANA ORTEGA

Harvey Guillen, who was born and raised in Orange County, California, learned early on from his old-fashioned Spanish parents that if he wanted to pursue acting as a career, he was going to have to do it on his own dollar. His parents did not think acting would be a stable career, with the longevity to support him and pay the bills. So he struck a deal that if he could raise his own money to pay for bills and acting classes then he could chase his dream. So, to fund his acting career, he started collecting tin and aluminum cans and selling them back to recycling companies as a way to save enough money to attend an acting class. Once he started, he never asked his parents for financial support. “If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself,” Harvey says about achieving his dream. He performed in his first real play in the third grade and initially fell in love with stage and theater. But as he grew older, he realized that he wanted to explore the world of television and film as well. In 2010, he was cast as Alistair in the ABC Family drama Huge. The show revolved around eight teens who were sent to a summer weight-loss camp called Camp Victory. However, the show was canceled after 10 episodes. His TV career didn’t stop though, as continued with a successful career as a guest star in shows such as Dog with a Blog, Raising Hope and The Thundermans, where he is still appearing occasionally. But he also began dabbling in the film world — acting, directing and product. Harvey plays Zach, a in the 2013 film The Internship, starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. He tried his hand at producing for the short film Chocolate Milk, in which he also stars. The film follow two brothers as they cope with the loss of their mother. The big item on Harvey’s plate

right now, however, is the new MTV thriller Eye Candy. Harvey works alongside Victoria Justice in the show, which is based on the novel written by R.L. Stine. It tells the story of the technologically savvy Lindy (Victoria Justice) as she hunts for a serial killer, whom she met through an online dating website. While seeking the serial killer in New York City, Lindy is also trying to find her lost sister, Sara. In Eye Candy, Harvey plays George, Lindy’s confidante and coworker. George and Lindy work in an information technology center, but the two are also genius hackers who use their abilities to assist others. Lindy and George help find missing people who go missing after meeting someone on the Internet. As the season progressed, Harvey was able to see George’s character develop. “I think as the show went on, George became more confident,” Harvey explains. “He doesn’t care what people think about him … he shows that to the other characters.” George breaks the stereotype of awkward, geeky, tech guys. One aspect of George’s personality that Harvey relates to the most is his comedic side. George is able to provide comical relief, and while filming, Harvey was able to improvise and morph the script to make it more of his own. “We would do takes where it was improv,” Harvey says. “We did three takes scripted and one take improv, and we sometimes intertwine both. It just makes it more natural and organic.” “I’m so grateful that they let me do some improv,” he adds. Harvey was initially attracted to the show because of the concept and Stine’s originality. “I haven’t seen anything like it on TV,” Harvey says. Eye Candy is part of MTV’s move toward scripted series after only airing reality shows for so long. “I think it’s so cool just to be a part of this,”

Harvey says. “It’s like, game changing.” Harvey has noticed that people are genuinely surprised when he tells them that he is working on a show for MTV that is a scripted series. The show is not only innovative and original, but it’s also relevant for the target demographic. The engrossing storyline also acts as a warning to younger people because it demonstrates that kidnappings and dangerous Internet interactions occur on a regular basis. “People are vulnerable and gullible and trust other people,” Harvey warns. “People can put on this persona online and it can get dangerous.” Filming and living in New York was a completely different lifestyle than what Harvey was accustomed to after growing up in Southern California. But after realizing that cold weather meant he needed to don more than just a cardigan, he got into the swing of things. And after adjusting to the weather a bit more, he has been able to explore the city. Some of his favorite spots in the city are the Lower East Side and SoHo. Most of the cast members lived in Brooklyn because that was where the studio is located. But Harvey lived in Manhattan. He says he loved living in Manhattan because of the accessibility. He was able to walk everywhere and explore on his own time. One of Harvey’s main goals for the new year is to involve himself with more film projects. He says he loves television, but he would love to have a balance of both in his career. Of the many perks of shooting with MTV, one of the major ones for Harvey was how has a hiatus for a couple months before starting the next season, which allows him to work on other projects. “It doesn’t just overlap into nonstop,” he says, “because that can easily be the case with other shows.” NKD NKDMAG.COM