BELLO MARCH 2015
YOUNG HOLLYWOOD
MAE WHITMAN TAYLOR SPREITLER
DRESS AND COAT TOPSHOP SHOES ASH POINTER FINGER JEWELS SATYA JEWELRY
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YOUNG HOLLYWOOD
Tales of a Braverman With
Mae
Whitman WORDS BY DIO ANTHONY PHOTOS BY BEN MILLER
WHO DOESN’T LOVE MAE WHITMAN? SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE. THE ROOM IS SILENT. WHY? BECAUSE IN FACT, MAE WHITMAN IS LOVED BY THE PERMANENT COLLECTION OF LOYAL PARENTHOOD FANS, AND BY ANYONE ELSE WITH THE CAPACITY TO SEE WHAT EXCEPTIONAL ACTING LOOKS LIKE. IT’S THAT SIMPLE. CURRENTLY, AT 26, SHE’S TURNING THE PAGE ON A MAJOR CHAPTER IN HER LIFE: SIX YEARS ON THE POPULAR NBC DRAMA AS AMBER HOLT. WHERE TO NEXT? ANOTHER SERIES? PROBABLY NOT SO SOON, IF AT ALL. WITH PARENTHOOD ON NETFLIX, WHITMAN’S TV LIFE AS AMBER HOLT WILL LIVE ON FOR YEARS TO COME. RIGHT NOW, SHE’S TAKING IN THE LAST FEW YEARS OF HER EXISTENCE AND LETTING THEM SOAK IN FOR A BIT.
“I’ve never seen a TV character go from a 16-year-old troubled teenager to a 23-year-old mom that people have faith in. I think that was really amazing... it was so magical,” says Whitman, referring to the character she played: a girl falling so hard who later learns what it really means to be a woman. “That journey is something I could 113
never put into words. Everybody felt so respected, and heard, and trusted. I learned so much from every actor, every crewmember, and every character on that show, not just my own,” she reveals. For Whitman, who was 22 when starting the show, playing Sarah Braverman’s problematic daughter was especially a challenge for the actress;
six years later, it’s clear to millions of Americans that it’s a challenge she fully succeeded in. “Having to play Amber and being a couple years older than her, I was really having to dig into the little perspective I had gained from a year back, and situations that I had just passed through.” With the passing years, Whitman was learning from her March 2014 - BELLO
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If you would’ve told me before this that I was going to be on a show for six years, I would’ve freaked out.
character and eventually swapped style tips with her too. “We got to pick out our own clothes on the show, and my style really came through a lot, which I think made it all the more real. When you’re at the age of trying to find yourself and who you are, the first thing you look to is how you look. There was so much experimenting for me at that time; I’ve had every haircut and experimented with color, and I think it made it honest for her to have that as well,” she says with love in her heart. When it comes to her character’s circle of life, she has no reservations, leaving the series wholly content on her beloved Amber Holt’s sendoff. “I’m so happy with every element of her story,” says Whitman. “With so many people and so many plots going on, I never felt like something didn’t make sense. Every decision I made as that character on that show was made after connecting a lot of dots. I was really given the trust to be a part of her life.” Over time, Whitman has logged hours upon hours on set rehearsing and acting opposite Lauren Graham, her onscreen mother. The amount of scenes between the two that have put us to tears or set us on a rage are endless, because chemistry like that comes from one thing: a true connection, something they both have off-set just as much as they do on. When beginning to describe the bond between Graham and her, it’s as if she can’t find the right words. But in Mae’s standard, she certainly tries and 115
quickly wins. “We’re much closer than I could ever say,” she explains. “Lauren is more than a mother to me; she is my best friend, my mentor, and my really goofy pal. She’s my hero. I think she’s such an inspiration professionally and emotionally, and she surprises me in everything she does. She knows more about me than anyone and has helped me through some things that I was struggling with. [She’s] the kind of indispensible person [who] comes into your life, and I can’t remember what it was like without her. I’m eternally grateful for her affection.” Along with a switch up in styles came a switch up in lovers for Amber Holt on Parenthood...an arrangement Whitman isn’t too upset about. Being on a Jason Katims show provided the chance for many of the actors from Katims’ previous show, Friday Night Lights, to appear in the Braverman universe. And it just so happened that Mae Whitman via Amber Holt made out with all but one: Tim Riggins, a Friday Night Lights character played by Taylor Kitsch. “You know, someone sent me a picture on twitter recently; it was three different pictures of me beside one another, kissing the Friday Night Lights guys, and the only one missing was Riggins.” It’s one joke of many that have originated on set that she’ll carry with her till the end of her time. As for those important life lessons, being a part of the Braverman clan has taught her a great deal. “One of the things I’m taking away from this, because there really are too many to
name, is the importance of guiding a set with love as opposed to fear. When love is the overriding emotion behind a set, you really come out with a product that feels so relatable, and you can feel it between the lines.” Throughout its seasons, Parenthood was received overwhelmingly well by critics and TV buffs alike. It emerged as a smart and sweet but overall compelling show. Behind the scene was just the same. “If you would’ve told me before this that I was going to be on a show for six years, I would’ve freaked out,” she admits. “I like to try different things and I don’t like to be stuck in one place. For me, I never once felt limited or constrained creatively or otherwise; I always felt like we were changing and moving. It was a story about life, not how many murders can you investigate or anything like that. It was just the littlest things, the little moments in life, that just feel so big. We could’ve told this story for the rest of our lives.” Actually being done with the series and heading towards the film world, she feels as if she’s leaving home for college. “We were so spoiled and had such great hours and it was close to my house, so I was always in and out of work. Filming The DUFF just brought to light how different that is from normal. Working 15-16 hour days - and night shoots till five in the morning - was an abrupt change. Parenthood was like a good parent that you have that gives you a really good perspective on everything, and I plan to take that with me everywhere I go.” March 2014 - BELLO
JUMPER TOPSHOP JACKET READY TO FISH
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SWEATER TOPSHOP SKIRT MADE FOR PEARL POINTER FINGER JEWELS SATYA JEWELRY
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SWEATER TOPSHOP SKIRT MADE FOR PEARL POINTER FINGER JEWELS SATYA JEWELRY
Photographer BEN MILLER www.benmillerphoto.com Stylist MERCEDES NATALIA Makeup NICOLE WALMSLEY www.nicolewalmsley.com Hair ASHLEY LYNN HALL Ashley Lynn Hall @ One Represents Hair product credits used: AMIKA www.ashleylynnhall.com Nails PILAR LAFARGUE using MAC Studio Nail Lacquer www.pilarnoire.com Video ARNO DIEM Host JAMES MCCOURT 119
March 2014 - BELLO
YOUNG HOLLYWOOD
Taylor Spreitler:
Now & Then BY DIO ANTHONY @Diodiehard
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21-YEAR-OLD TAYLOR SPREITLER HAS
BEEN
RIDING
THE
HOLLYWOOD WAVE FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, AND AFTER SIX YEARS ON HER HIT ABC FAMILY SITCOM MELISSA & JOEY, SHE’S READY FOR WHAT’S IN STORE FOR HER NEXT, BUT NOT EXACTLY READY FOR THE AMPLE AMOUNTS OF
TIME
OFF
SHE’S
BEEN
EXPERIENCING SINCE SEASON FOUR’S
FINAL
SPREITLER,
WRAP
WHO
PARTY.
WAS
CAST
ON THE SHOW IN 2010 AT JUST SIXTEEN YEARS OLD, ATTRIBUTES MANY OF HER PIVOTAL LIFE MOMENTS TO HAVING OCCURRED DURING
HER
TIME
ON
THE
MELISSA & JOEY STUDIO CITY, CA SET. AMONG THEM? GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL AND HAVING HER FIRST SERIOUS BOYFRIEND.
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“WHEN I LOOK BACK ON IT ALL, MOST PEOPLE ARE ONLY IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR FOUR YEARS AND YOU NEVER FORGET HIGH SCHOOL,” SHE SAYS. “I WAS ON MELISSA & JOEY FOR SIX YEARS. THERE’S JUST AN ABUNDANCE OF MEMORIES.” LIKE HER ON-SCREEN AUNT MELISSA JOAN HART’S FAKE EYELASHES STICKING TOGETHER DURING A TAKE WHEN FILMING THEIR CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, “A MELANIE AND JOSIAH CHRISTMAS.”
In the episode, Melissa tells an elaborate tale, with the comedy’s series regulars serving as the key players. It’s all very Wizard Of Oz, without the storm and black and white. “I see [Melissa’s] having trouble opening her eyes, forgetting the grandfather character is going to swing the cane, so I grab her and bring her down. And of course, because we’re wearing corsets, we don’t just fall, we flew backwards, right in front of everyone in our live show. On the next take, a statue shattered when the cane was swung again,” she recalls, unable to stop herself from revisiting the moment. It’s that type of hilarity on paper that made Melissa & Joey the network’s highest-rated sitcom, and won them a People’s Choice Awards this past January. It’s a prestigious award, but one that comes very deserved when your constant scene partner is TV veteran, Hart. The obvious candor and rapport between the two can be seen between the live audience laughedfilled lines. “Oh, we’re like sisters,” Spreitler comments casually. “Trouble makers, really. It goes back and forth on who’s the big sister and who’s the little sister. I feel like more times than not, I’m the big sister. We have a lot of fun together.” Outside of the confines of sitcom world, Spreitler is getting her feet wet with some other projects, including her very first horror film, a new take on the Amityville horror that unraveled in upstate New York during the 1970s. The flick, Amityville: The Awakening, also stars Bella Thorne, Cameron Monaghan, and Jennifer Jason Leigh 123
as a single mother who moves her three children into the haunted home. Spreitler is virtually unrecognizable as Marissa, rocking a different look than her usual sweet locks: a full head of jet-black hair. If that’s not ‘70s rebel rock ‘n roll, then what is?
“I was lucky enough to also have our director (Jay Silverman) be very close to the story also. It made it a lot easier that he was on board. I have never played a real person before this film, so it was interesting to get to meet her first hand and pick up her story,
I found that I was a different person when I had dark hair. Then I got red hair, and felt like a different person then. “I was filming Melissa and Joey, went to the wrap party of that season, and at five o’clock in the morning I was on set for Amityville dyeing my hair black,” says the starlet. The transition, although quick, was not easy at first. Spreitler, who had been blonde her entire life, was feeling the change a new look awarded her with. “I rapidly fell in love with it, because it gave me a different personality,” she admits. “I found that I was a different person when I had dark hair. Then I got red hair, and felt like a different person then.” Now, she’s back to blonde and identifying with her fairer side once again, and her softer side too, much like her role in the acclaimed indie flick Girl On Edge. In the film, directed by Jay Silverman, Spreitler plays the tough role of Hannah Green, a girl dealing with inner demons who has to make a choice for a better life. It is undoubtedly Spreitler’s finest role to date, and one she carries close to her heart. Based on a true story, Girl On Edge brought its own expected challenges, like the responsibility and desire to tell someone’s story correctly and with real, genuine passion.
although it was heartbreaking that she had to go through such an ordeal. But at the end of the day, we’re all glad we made a movie about her story that will affect people and possibly change the course of their lives.” The film has been screening privately since the end of summer, picking up praise with every showing. Girl On Edge is still making its rounds with arranged screenings at The San Luis Obispo Film Festival on March 13th and 14th, as well as a March 25th screening at Warner Brothers Studios is Los Angeles. Looking back, Spreitler knows telling this story was very hard for everyone involved, and felt it was her job to make the whole thing worth it. The drama is sure to continue making headlines and propel Spreitler in a new direction. But if you ask the wholesome girl in front of me with the hot pink cardigan and her bold-framed reading glasses what she’s looking to do, her response is a different one. With a laugh, and like a seasoned professional, she brings our conversation full circle with her answer: “maybe keep dyeing my hair different colors for roles...that was fun.” March 2014 - BELLO
TOP THE FIFTH LABEL SKIRT HOUSE OF RONALD SHOES CARMEN STEFFENS
Photography VANESSA VIOLA www.vanessaviolaphotography.com Styling AUDREY BRIANNE www.audreybrianne.com Makeup NATALIE MALCHEV www.nataliemalchev.com Hair CASTILLO from TOMLINSON MANAGEMENT GROUP using L’Oreal- Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray Extra strong hold, L’Oreal- Paris Advanced Hairstyle Sleek it Strand-Smoother Serum Spray, Chi- Styling Tools, Alterna -Caviar Anti- Aging, Perfect Texture finishing spray DECADENT issue - BELLOmag.com
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