Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
People know who Bobby Flay is because he is everywhere. The celebrity restaurateur (Mesa Grill) is the Food Network’s face of grilling, an Iron Chef and host of the network’s biggest show “Food Network Star,” which premieres this season on Sunday, June 5. Though Flay loves traveling overseas, the 46-year-old culinary artist says if he were forced to pick between visiting domestic or international locales, he’d pick the United States.
“Some people are surprised that I speak English and assume that I must be a foreigner,” says Gbenga Akinnagbe, 32, a Brooklyn resident. “When I was younger, my mother wanted me to change it because she worried that I wouldn’t be able to find employment. There was a time I wanted to change my name and I was ashamed of it and I’d have people call me DJ. But I do love it now.”
Eden Sher does such a good job portraying Patricia Heaton’s awkward teenage daughter Sue Heck on the ABC series “The Middle” that people often don’t recognize her in public. “That’s good, right?” says the 19-year-old actress. “On a good day, I probably look about 16, but when the makeup and wardrobe folks are done with me, I probably look about 13.”
On his latest project “Sinbad: It’s Just Family,” the comedian takes a stab at reality television. The 54-year-old actor let the WE tv cameras into his home to tape the reality of life in his household. The stars of the show also include his wife Meredith Fuller (whom he divorced and remarried) and their two grown children.
With multiple best-selling books under the belt, Kyung-sook Shin has rock star status in her native South Korea. Now the 48-year-old author is ready to enter the international market with her latest book, “Please Look After Mom” (Knopf, $24.95). The touching novel — about a family that doesn’t appreciate their mother until after she has mysteriously disappeared — sold more than a million copies in Korea. It has since been released in more than 20 countries and debuted May 1 at number 14 on the New York Times Best Sellers list.
Raymond J. Barry has one of those faces that people recognize. It’s the name that sometimes draws a blank. “I was shooting a movie in Spokane, Wash., and a woman came up to me and asked if I was her favorite father from ‘Justified,’” says the 72-year-old actor, laughing. “That’s not atypical. I was doing theater in my 20s and 30s and didn’t start making movies or acting on TV until I was 44. And I’m a character actor. But I’m very grateful. It’s a nice way to make a living and I don’t have to deal with some of the craziness that the younger actors do.”
Claire Forlani played Sean Connery’s daughter in “The Rock,” was Brad Pitt’s love interest in “Meet Joe Black” and starred opposite Gary Sinise in “CSI: New York.” On the new Starz series “Camelot,” the 38-year-old actress reigns supreme as the beautiful and complicated Queen Igraine.
Born in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, to Chinese parents, Harry Shum Jr. was once best known for his dancing in films such as “You Got Served,” “Stomp the Yard” and the “Step Up” films. But, today, “gleeks” worldwide know him as dreamy high school student Mike Chang on Fox TV’s hit show “Glee.”
When Tony Hawk started skateboarding, he never dreamed that the sport would grow to what it is today — or that his name would become synonymous with skateboarding to so many people around the world. “I just always loved it and still have such a passion for it,” says the laid-back 42-year-old champ.
Many people know that Natalie Coughlin is a world champion swimmer. She has won 11 Olympic medals, three of them gold, and made history in the 2008 Summer Olympics when she became the first American female athlete in Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympics.
Best known for his role as coroner Dr. Albert Robbins on CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” actor Robert David Hall is also a musician. Hall’s current CD, “Things They Don’t Teach You in School,” showcases his bluegrass and rockabilly sensibilities. Hall — who had to have both his legs amputated after a car accident — has a wicked sense of humor and delights in the fact that Dr. Robbins was designated as being one of the Top 5 Cool Nerds on television.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, to an African-American father and a Korean mother, Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver Hines Ward was raised in Atlanta by his mother after his parents divorced. Because he looked “different,” it was challenging to make friends. But football became the great equalizer and suddenly no one cared what color the young phenom was. Now 35, Ward is the first Korean-American to have won the Super Bowl MVP Award. He’s hoping that his agility on the gridiron carries over to the ballroom. Ward is one of the contestants competing on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” this season.
Matt Czuchry played the ideal boyfriend on shows such as “Friday Night Lights” and “The Gilmore Girls.” But it’s his role as conflicted attorney Cary Agos on the critically acclaimed series “The Good Wife” that is a showcase for the boyishly handsome actor, who looks much younger than his 33 years. Czuchry currently splits his time between both coasts.
On NBC’s conspiracy-laden series “The Event,” Lisa Vidal plays first lady Christina Martinez. “It’s definitely a fun role and I have a lot of respect for her,” the 45-year-old actress says of her character. “She is a strong woman who deals with complicated issues much better than I ever could!”
“Because I have a lot of property and horses, I am always moving something heavy and rarely sitting down,” says Linda Eder, who’s best known for her work on Broadway in “Jekyll & Hyde.” “I also like to do home remodeling, which is hard work. I’m always overdoing it. So when I go on vacation I like to really go on vacation — meaning I like to rest, without too many distractions. I like to lie in the sun by the ocean, eat great food and relax.”
Carolyn Hennesy is all over the place these days. She plays uber-cougar Barb on ABC’s “Cougar Town” and eats up the scenery as a high-powered attorney on that same network’s daytime drama “General Hospital.” Hennesy, 48, also is an author who writes the “Pandora’s Mythic Misadventures” series for tweens. Her latest book, “Pandora Gets Angry” (Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books, $14.99), hit stores earlier this month. In April, she’ll release another book called “The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli” (Hyperion, $22.99), which is based on some “GH” characters. In her spare time, the Burbank, Calif., resident enjoys partaking in the art of trapeze.
Ballroom dancer Anna Trebunskaya is best known for her appearances on “Dancing with the Stars.” Last year, she guided Olympic figure skating champion Evan Lysacek to a second-place finish. The Russian dancer immigrated to the United States when she was 17. Now 30, Trebunskaya resides in Hermosa Beach, Calif., with her husband and fellow “DWTS” pro, Jonathan Roberts.
Troy Polamalu will be easy to spot when the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 6. The Steelers’ 29-year-old strong safety will be the one with the long mane of thick, wavy black hair cascading out of his helmet. He’s the only player in NFL history to have his hair insured by Lloyd’s of London (Head & Shoulders shampoo took out a $1 million policy for their spokesman).
Born in Taiwan, raised in Australia and currently residing in the United States, classical violinist Ray Chen doesn’t spend much time in Philadelphia these days. “I really live out of a suitcase,” says the 21-year-old musician, whose debut CD “Virtuoso” hits stores February 1. “But I love seeing the world and traveling so I’m not complaining. I’m building up lots of frequent flyer miles so it’s a win-win situation for me.”
Olafur Arnalds has a unique background. The neoclassical artist used to play drums for several hard rock bands back home in Iceland. Currently on tour promoting his latest album “…And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness,” the 24-year-old composer revels in meshing classical compositions with electronic chamber music and a touch of rock.