Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“Recent trips to Japan and Buenos Aires both changed the way I’d imagined the plot and setting and sent me in entirely new directions in the books,” says “Stone Cross (An Arliss Cutter Novel)” author Marc Cameron.
“I was a massive Sci-Fi nerd as a kid and used to love “The X-Files,” says Jack Osbourne. “It was that show that got me into (the supernatural). I wanted to investigate like Fox Mulder.”
“I’ve always loved Japan,” says “Council of Dads” actress Sarah Wayne Callies. “It’s ancient and modern at the same time, from the food, to the clothes, to the architecture. I stayed in a ryokan that had been in the same family for 16 generations and ate kaiseki dinner every night.”
“The Rise Festival in the Mojave Desert was one of the most magical experiences of my life,” says “Little Fires Everywhere” actress Jade Pettyjohn. “I went with a couple of my closest friends and we wrote our hopes, wishes and dreams on paper lanterns, ignited them and listened to the sweet sounds of RY X’s performance.”
“I speak Arabic and Hebrew, they’re my main languages,” says Nuseir Yassin. “English was my third language and is my foreign language. I don’t think I pick up new languages too easily. I trained for over 10 years by speaking English repeatedly to myself, just to make sure that I didn’t have an accent.”
“Anytime you hear the finished version of a song, it’s exciting,” says Ellis Miah, who co-wrote a song with BTS. “I think in any language, all the creators feel something special when they hear it. A song is more than lyrics. It’s melody and it’s emotion. While I don’t understand Korean, there is no mistaking the depth that V puts into this song.”
Sweet Lizzy Project vocalist and songwriter Lisset Diaz discussed how touring has given her the opportunity to see the world. “I am always on the road with the band, which is really cool,” says Diaz. “I get to know a lot of different places.”
“From the age of 12, I was on tour all across North America in a 35-foot motor home with my family’s band The Neilsons,” says Tami Neilson, “I met and married a Kiwi and moved across the world to New Zealand 15 years ago. I am lucky enough to be a dual citizen of both countries.”
MTV News interviewed me for this piece on how differently “Parasite” director Bong Joon-Ho and BTS are viewed by critics.
Filmmaker J.J. Kelley and journalist Kinga Philipps have teamed up to put their expertise to use in “Lost in the Wild,” which airs Sundays at 11pm ET/PT on Travel Channel. The reality adventure series follows the two as they head into remote areas to investigate missing persons cases and try to help solve the mysteries.
Once an accountant, Wengie is better known these days for her music, Whimsical By Wengie toy line for Target and her popular YouTube channel. Splitting her time between Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia, the beauty influencer recently was nominated for the 12th Annual Shorty Awards’ YouTuber of the Year.
“When I was younger, I spent a month living in Belgrade, Serbia,” says “Shrill” actor Luka Jones. “But all I can recall from that time are some curse words!”
“I have regarded myself unambiguously as a Chicagoan,” says “Presumed Innocent” author Scott Turow. “But we will spend more time in Naples than any other city. Sandy Stern, my main character, is an elderly lawyer. To me, there is a lot to love in Naples, but Stern despises all of Florida. He says that America’s elderly are like characters in a Shaw play who do not realize they are actually in hell.”
It’s only fitting that globetrotting actress Erinn Hayes stars in the new Netflix series, “Medical Police,” where she plays a doctor chasing down a life-threatening virus worldwide. The Emmy-nominated actress films most of the series in Croatia, which doubles for countries such as Italy and Brazil. This summer, Hayes will be seen in “Bill and Ted Face the Music,” where she portrays Keanu Reeves’ wife.
Musician Kurt Reifler divides his time between the United States, Germany and Malta. His motto for getting from one home to the other is the same as when he tours or travels for pleasure: less is more. “I travel with a Timbuk2 daypack and have lived out of that for months at a time, no problem. The clothes on my back, plus about three days more in the bag,” he says. “I either wear the coat I’m bringing, purchase one when I arrive or, better yet, I try not to be in places that would require a coat.”
Diagnosed with a pair of rare disorders that kept her in a vegetative state for four years, Victoria Arlen began her recovery nine years ago, relearning how to walk, eat and speak. In 2012, she won four medals (including a gold) at the 2012 London Paralympic Games. A former competitor on “Dancing with the Stars,” Arlen is the author of “Locked In: The Will to Survive and the Resolve to Live,” which was made into an ESPN Films documentary, and she models for Jockey. In early 2020, she will make her debut as one of the co-hosts of “American Ninja Warrior Junior.”
Raised in Chicago and currently a resident of Los Angeles, Alex Castillo portrays a row inmate awaiting his execution in Chinonye Chukwu’s film “Clemency.” There’s a big buzz surrounding the film, which won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize earlier this year. Castillo is also the founder of Castle2000 Films, which aims to produce thought-provoking and diverse projects.
Individual responsibility isn’t enough. There needs to be social change: “The audience, media and culture need to shift into acceptance rather than demanding Korean artists conform
to meet our expectation. Otherwise, these stars are caught in a loop of abuse that will never end.”
Jazz pianist Kayla Waters kick-started her career with back-to-back No. 1 singles on Billboard. Her latest release, “Full Bloom” (from her CD “Coevolve”) is zooming up the Smooth Jazz Songs chart as well. Residing in the Capitol Hill area of Washington, D.C., Waters says touring is a perk of her job. But even when she doesn’t have to travel, she enjoys squeezing in a quick visit somewhere.
Dr. Jen Gunter has two New York Times columns dedicated to women’s health, a Canadian docuseries called “Jensplaining” and a very active social media presence where she disseminates medical fallacies in a way that the general public can understand. Her latest project is the book “The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina: Separating the Myth from the Medicine” (Citadel, $18.95) — a Publishers Weekly and New York Times bestseller.