Tag: Paris

Go Away With … Chris Rock

Jae-Ha Kim

Comedian Chris Rock returns to the big screen as one of the voiceover stars of “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.” Though he’s been to Europe many times already, the 47-year-old actor has yet to visit Madagascar. “I’d love to go,” says Rock, who lives in New York with his wife and children. “Jeffrey Katzenberg (founder and CEO of DreamWorks Animation) always invites me to go, but I can’t because of work or other things I have going on. One day, though. One day.”

Go Away With … Eric Van Lustbader

Jae-Ha Kim

Born and raised in Greenwich Village, N.Y., author Eric Van Lustbader once lived in the same building as Lauren Bacall. Two years after Robert Ludlum died in 2001, Lustbader was chosen by Ludlum’s estate to continue the popular Jason Bourne series. The latest is “The Bourne Dominion” (Grand Central Publishing, $27.99). Lustbader counts Paris, Venice and New York — where he resides with his wife — amongst his favorite cities.

Go Away With … Yo-Yo Ma

Jae-Ha Kim

Born in Paris and raised in New York, cellist Yo-Yo Ma is one of the world’s most famous classical musicians. But with his latest CD “The Goat Rodeo Sessions,” Ma tackles a different genre: Americana. The record is a collaborative effort with fiddler Stuart Duncan, bassist Edgar Meyer and mandolinist Chris Thile. Ma, 56, has won several Grammy Awards. He has also been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Ma resides with his wife in Cambridge, Mass.

Go Away With … Kyung-sook Shin

Jae-Ha Kim

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.

Go Away With … Raymond J. Barry

Jae-Ha Kim

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.”

Go Away With … Claire Forlani

Jae-Ha Kim

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.

Go Away With … Anna Trebunskaya

Jae-Ha Kim

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.

Go Away With … April Star Davis

Jae-Ha Kim

Jewelry designer April Star Davis has created pieces worn onscreen and off by celebs such as Jennifer Garner, Justin Timberlake and Kate Moss. But one of her proudest accomplishments was founding Designers 4 Africa, which helps nonprofit groups raise funds for those needing aid in Africa. Davis recently traveled to Uganda to teach HIV positive widows how to create their own jewelry — work they can do while caring for their children.

Go Away With … Bruno Coulais

Jae-Ha Kim

French composer Bruno Coulais is used to helping convey a film’s tone with his music. But for “Babies” — which focuses on four tiny, chubby and (for a while) bald stars — the 56-year-old Parisian, best known for the 2009 stop-motion film “Coraline,” had his work cut out for him. The documentary features no dialogue from its main stars, so Coulais’ compositions at times have to speak for the infants. “Babies” is now available on DVD.

Go Away With … Scott Simon

Jae-Ha Kim

Scott Simon, National Public Radio host and author, chose a subject close to home for his latest book, “Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other: In Praise of Adoption” (Random House, $22). He and his French wife, former film producer Caroline Richard, have adopted two daughters from China and his poignant and witty memoir speaks not only of their family’s experiences, but also those of other adoptive parents, such as “Freakonomics” author Steven Levitt. Simon, 58, resides on the East Coast with Richard and their daughters Elise and Lina. Currently on a nationwide book tour, Simon’s tour dates are available on his website (www.scottsimonbooks.com).