star power [NYOTA Magazine ]
starring
Taylor Mosby Volume 11
HELLO THERE, READER! In this Star Power issue, Taylor Mosby graces the cover. You probably recognize Taylor from the hit show "The Last OG" where she stars alongside comedians Tracy Morgan and Tiffany Haddish. I also have a Quick Chat with "Good Girls" star Lidya Jewett. I know both of these young actresses careers will go far! As always I hope you enjoy reading the issue. Keep reaching for the stars!
YOURS TRULY, Carol Wright EDITOR IN CHIEF, NYOTA MAGAZINE @_CAROL_WRIGHT
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contents 1. Editor's Letter
3. Get To Know Taylor
4. Taylor's Playlist
5. #StarPower: Taylor Mosby
8. Taylor's Top Picks
9. #QuickChat: Lidya Jewett
#StarPower
Get to know Taylor I have three little brothers, the youngest ones are twins!
I am from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
I have been tap dancing for about 5 years.
I love exploring, hiking, traveling, and going outside!
If I wasn’t in the entertainment industry, I would want to be a judge or a lawyer! 3
#NyotaMusic
Taylor's Playlist John Legend//Ordinary People The Stylistics//You Are Everything Ariana Grande//Needy Hall and Oates//You Make My Dreams India Arie//Video La La Land Cast//Another Day of Sun Janelle Monรกe//Tightrope Bobby Hebb//Sunny Chloe x Halle//The Kids Are Alright
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#StarPower
#StarPower
Taylor Mosby Interview by Carol Wright | Photos by Amanda Ramon | Styling by Victoria Jackson | Hair by LaShondra | Makeup by Jared Lipscomb
When did you become interested in acting?
Has Tiffany Haddish become a mentor to you on and off of set?
I was about seven years old when I knew I wanted to be an actress. I participated in as much as I could in my community. I was part of different local theater productions and I would audition for all of the school plays.
Ms. Tiffany is like a second mom to me. We always have fun working together and we’re always making jokes on and off set. Whether she’s teaching dances from “back in the day” or I’m teaching her the newest dance move that’s gone viral, we have a good time. Occasionally, when we have down time she will tell me about some of her own personal experiences in the industry and how I can learn from them. She is truly amazing overall.
How did the opportunity to be in "The Last OG” come about? I was called in to audition for the daughter of Tracy Morgan in a new untitled project created by Jordan Peele. After the first audition, I was called into a producer's meeting for what I didn’t realize was my final audition. A few weeks later, I received a call from TBS telling me I got the role.
You post videos of you singing and freestyling on your Instagram. Can we expect original music from you in the future?
Can you relate to your character Amira?
You absolutely can! Music is in my blood and an album has always been a dream of mine; I’ve been writing and singing as long as I’ve been acting. So definitely stay tuned for some music from me!
I relate to Amira in lots of ways. We are both strong girls who know what we want in life. Amira is not easily shaken by new situations and neither am I. My character is also a great older sister who likes to tease her twin brother and I have to admit, I love teasing my younger brothers as well.
Can you tell us anything about Season 2? There are a lot of new moments on their way. We learn more about Tray and his life before jail, and we might just meet some new characters. Shay learns a lot about herself this season and the kids are adjusting to all of the new changes in their lives. That’s all I can say for now, so you're just going to have to tune in!
What about the movie “Breakthrough” interested you? The miraculous story behind breakthrough is such a great example of how faith, community, family, and love can come together no matter the circumstances. I was so honored to be chosen to play Chayla in this movie, and it was a completely different experience for me because I was playing a real person who had gone through everything I was acting out.
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#StarPower
What do you hope audiences take away from the film? God can truly do anything and everything. When you stand strong in your beliefs and you don’t let anything shake you, amazing things can happen through faith. Even miracles.
Diversity and female empowerment is being discussed more and more frequently in the entertainment industry. How has it been entering into the industry at this time? We are at a turning point in the entertainment industry right now. Every day there are more and more female directors, writers, actresses, producers, you name it. Not only that but people from cultures all around the world are finally being represented in the media. It is so cool to be part of the entertainment industry right now while history is being made right in front of my eyes.
What advice do you have for aspiring actors? To other aspiring actors and actresses, do not let the word “no” stop you and do not be intimidated by the majority. When I say that, I mean if you do not see anyone that looks like you, sounds like you, or thinks like you in the industry that doesn’t mean you don’t belong. It means there’s a spot open for someone just like you because everyone is special in their own way and the world can hear your story just like everyone else. Just don’t be afraid to try.
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"God can truly do anything and everything. When you stand strong in your beliefs and you don’t let anything shake you, amazing things can happen through faith."
#StarPower
Taylor's Top Picks
Book(s): Divergent by Veronica Roth and Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper Movie(s): Fashion Call Me By Your Pants Name that & Theflare Tribes Trend: at of Palos Verdes the bottom (especially jeans)
TV Show(s): Glee and A Different World
Movie: Princess and the Frog
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#QuickChat
Quick Chat with Lidya Jewett
Photo by Benny Haddad
Styling by Jessie Minor
Hair &MU: Emily Zempel
#QuickChat
Tell us about “Good Girls” and what interested you about the show? Good Girls is a show about three mothers who find themselves in different situations where they need to help their families in various and desperate ways. They decide to rob a grocery store in order to obtain the money needed for their families. I immediately loved my character Sara Hill. Even though she has a kidney disease, she still remains strong. It’s just like how the three main characters are strong women and I am very drawn to that.
You often play the younger versions of women on screen. Specifically, you played young Nakia in “Black Panther”. What was it like working on “Black Panther” and being apart of the Marvel Universe It was a huge honor to book the part of young Nakia. I loved working on my Wakandan accent. It all happened so fast as I was in the middle of shooting the “Good Girls” pilot. But my team is awesome and we flew across the country at the last minute. The set we shot in was amazing and it was the catacombs with the glowing vibranium flowers. Lupita and Chadwick Boseman stopped to say hello which was great. Overall, I was so happy to see how well that movie did at the Box office.
What has been your favorite part about being on this show? Okay, well, that’s hard because there is so much to love about Good Girls. I love the entire cast and it feels like a family. I love the writers and how they take real situations that face many families today and make it relatable. But, if I had to pick one part, I would say being part of the Hill Family because it's so special to me. We have such a bond on and off the set.
Does it ever feel like a comedy masterclass with Retta and your other cast mates? It really does because Retta is so funny. Reno who plays my Dad is also hilarious and we laugh A LOT on set. Although our scenes are not really a comedy, we do have a lot going on behind the scenes and I am always laughing and paying attention to what I can learn from the
Outside of acting, what do you like to do for fun? Well, school takes up a great deal of time, but it’s fun for me. I LOVE math and am currently in pre-algebra. I read all the time, usually more than one book at a time. I love to cook Ethiopian food with my Dad and I love working on my singing and dancing.
What advice do you have for aspiring actors? Well, if they REALLY want to act, then I would say they have to be ready to stick with it for the long run. They need to be ready and willing to hear a lot of No’s and receive rejection. They should get involved in whatever ways they can whether it be community theater, or even creating their own content with their iPhone and starting a channel. The more they do the more they will learn. I would also tell them to fall in love with the process. You have to love going out and meeting people at auditions. That is actually one of my favorite parts as I love to meet new people. Lastly, I would tell them if they really love it to not give up, they have to be the biggest believer in themselves.
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A quarterly series discussing serious topics over brunch In August, NYOTA Magazine partnered with The House of Flair to launch a brunch series that bridged the gap between generations with topics such as business, mental health, networking and so much more. If you would like to be a part of our series, follow @nyotamagazine on all platforms to stay up to date.
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NYOTA Magazine STAR POWER TEAM EDITOR IN CHIEF GRAPHIC DESIGNER
CAROL WRIGHT
PUBLISHING WWW.ISSUU.COM/NYOTAMAGAZINE
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CAROL WRIGHT
PRINT COVER Taylor Mosby
ACTRESS
CONTRIBUTORS PHOTOGRAPHER
Amanda Ramon
MAKEUP ARTIST
Jared Lipscomb
HAIR STYLING
LaShondra Victoria Jackson
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