Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Most people have nothing nice to say about airline meals, but “Grey’s Anatomy” star Jaicy Elliot loves them. “I know most people hate it,” said the actress. “But I eat healthy all year long, so when I travel I enjoy some heavily-processed airplane food with a twist.”
“I’m pretty sure the first trip my parents took me on was to Niagara Falls,” said “Bones and All” actor Jake Horowitz. “I vaguely remember being on that boat that takes you close to the waterfall. I remember crying into my dad’s shoulder.”
“Growing up, I learned to speak some Creole French,” said “Christmas With My Ex” star said Denise Boutté. “Definitely not conversational. My mother speaks it fluently, which allowed her and other family members to have grown-folk conversations around the young’ins.”
“Bleeding Heart Yard” novelist Elly Griffiths said that living on the south coast of England is the perfect place for a crime writer such as herself. “Brighton has the reputation for being a little bit wicked,” the British author said. “The writer Keith Waterhouse said it has the air of a town that is helping the police with their inquiries.”
“My wife is a public defender who now works for the ACLU,” said Kevin Frazier of “Entertainment Tonight.” “I have a job that’s on TV. I remember one day I was in New Orleans and I had to wait two hours for Britney Spears, and then I had to get on a plane and go somewhere else. And I said to my wife (on the phone), “Yeah, it’s just another tough day,” and she said, “Actually, I’m standing outside of a dry cleaner, looking in a dumpster at a murdered woman.” And I was like, “OK, I’m going to shut up now.”
“We played hundreds of weddings before, but to be a part of the wedding of a couple of music legends [Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton] was truly special,” said Dallas String Quartet violist Ion Zanca. “You feel like every note that you play is heard by people who truly know music.”
“While on tour, I definitely like to experience what the places we’re (playing in) have to offer,” said Dirty Honey vocalist Marc LaBell. “So there’s quite a few places that we still haven’t been able to get to post-pandemic.”
“I really split my time between Los Angeles, London and Portland – and wherever music takes me really,” said singer/songwriter/guitarist Corey Harper. “[But for now] I am living in Malibu on a goat farm tucked away up in the hills. It’s essentially a shed, but I’ve made it feel like a million bucks in here. It’s really peaceful (and) quiet.”
On her previous trip to Italy, actress Kathleen Garrett had an in. “I had recorded an audiobook titled ‘Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride’ by Lorenzo Carcaterra, which took place in Ischia,” she said. “I became so fascinated by the island that I had to go to it. The book spoke of several locations describing its natural beauty, delicious food, great wines and restaurants. I had a head start in researching the territory before we left. I then did my own Google research on the island and its villages.”
“I’m still in awe of the great passion and amazing support by Latin American fans,” said Jehyun, one of OMEGA X’s 11 members. “I’m truly thankful for them enjoying our concerts as passionately as we do!”
Born and raised in Washington, Pennsylvania, Paige Spara currently lives in Vancouver, where she films the ABC medical series “The Good Doctor” — which kicks off its sixth season on October 3. Her character, Lea Dilallo, is the head of a hospital’s IT department and is married to Shaun Murphy – an autistic doctor played by Freddie Highmore.
“(In) 2021, I lived in the single most locked down city in the world – Melbourne, Australia,” said Natalie Zea, who stars in the NBC series “La Brea.” “Not only were we not able to legally travel outside the city limits, but we were restricted to being in our homes for all but two hours a day. That experience made myself and my family even more determined to see as much of Australia as we could once the lockdown lifted.”
More than 40 years into their career, The Smithereens are revving up for the Sept. 23 release of “The Lost Album” – a collection of songs they recorded in 1993 when they were in between record labels, but never shared with their fans. “(They were) truly forgotten, but were recently discovered because we are archiving all of our past recordings,” said guitarist Jim Babjak, 64, who resides in New Jersey. “It is important (to release them now) because it shows a snapshot of our progression as a band. There may be more tapes to be released in the future.”
Alicia Hannah-Kim makes her “Cobra Kai” debut as a powerful sensei in the popular Netflix series. “My character felt like a step in a new direction – not only for representing women, but Asian women,” said Hannah-Kim, who hails from Sydney, Australia.
“I have spent years on the road,” said Lions & Ghosts guitarist and songwriter Michael Lockwood. “I am so fortunate. I have seen a good deal of our planet. When you leave America, you realize that other countries speak of world news and events daily. I noticed this right away. It feels like when you are not at home, you see the bigger picture. It goes without saying that traveling is one of the best ways to broaden your horizons.”
“Jessica Jones” actress Susie Abromeit (“King Richard,” “Chicago Med”) said Utah is the perfect place for her home base, because she loves “being in nature by the mountains and lakes. I feel my best when I’m living in nature.” That said, Abromeit – who’ll next be seen in the Great American Family network movie “Love in Bloom” – said she often gets the itch to travel. “I think I was made to travel,” she said. “I usually just have the best time being in another country exploring new cultures and eating delicious food. Even when I would have challenging moments, I’m still learning about myself and others. So even the tough moments are great, because you learn something from it about yourself and humanity.”
“My travels have exposed me to a lot of new music and introduced me to some of my favorite musicians, including some of my collaborators on my new album,” said Jessica Lowndes, who splits her time between Los Angeles and Vancouver. “At one point, we were all working on the album over Zoom from different countries – Canada, United States, United Kingdom, (Denmark).”
The daughter of the Dutch national team’s dressage coach Sjef Janssen and dressage trainer Kerensa Muller, Kayden Muller-Janssen paved a different career path for herself. A former competitive baton twirler, the 20-year-old singer is best known these days for her acting career, which includes Disney’s “The Villains of Valley View.”
Two decades after leaving his native California to launch his career overseas, musician and actor Van Ness Wu is celebrating the release of his first all-English-language album “Take a Ride.” Over the years, the multi-lingual artist has collaborated with singers like Beyonce and Bruno Mars, but Wu’s latest collection of songs pays homage to his childhood musical influences (Michael Jackson, Prince, A Tribe Called Quest), while putting a fresh spin on his unique sound that incorporates hip-hop, pop and rhythm and blues.
Born and raised in England, Della Saba is one of the stars of the Apple TV+ series “Physical.” She’s also a voice actress who can be heard in Jack Black’s Netflix animated series “Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight.”