Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Eagan, Minnesota, filmmaker Kulap Vilaysack traveled to Laos to search for her birth father. As a child, she hadn’t realized he even existed. She filmed her trip for her documentary, “Origin Story.” Vilaysack is also known for creating and executive producing the comedy series, “Bajillion Dollar Propertie$.”
Vacationing in Argentina this past Christmas was special for Michael Vlamis because it was the first trip he paid for himself. “Up until then, the only time I traveled was because of work or on family vacations,” he says. “As an actor starting out, you’re a slave to the Hollywood system, but my (CW series) ‘Roswell, New Mexico’ gave me the freedom and financial flexibility I needed to go see the world.”
“Paul Bowles’ ‘The Sheltering Sky’ really had an impact on me in high school,” says “Breakthrough” and “Homeland” actor Sam Trammell. “The story of an American couple traveling to north Africa and then continuing into the desert without a solid plan and the impromptu thread of the narrative (of) following your heart and gut. The descriptions of Morocco and the desert were so vibrant. It was very much of an escape for me. And it made travel and exploration feel like deeply important tasks for the soul.”
“I absolutely believe that moms are total superheroes,” says Marta Milans, who portrays foster mom Rosa Vasquez in the feature film, “SHAZAM!” “My mom is definitely one of them, so it was easy for me to encapsulate her essence when playing the role of Mamma Rosa.”
Grammy Award-winning musician Stephen Marley has many memories of performing with his family. But one of his favorites was when he traveled to Zimbabwe with his father, the late reggae icon, Bob Marley. “It was really eye opening,” says Marley, whose latest EP is “One Take: Acoustic Jams.”“I was probably about 9 years old. My brother, Ziggy, and I performed with him to honor the nation’s independence at the time. This was the moment I realized music is way more than just music.”
Ten years ago, Epik High was in jeopardy when online trolls went on a malicious rampage to defame frontman Tablo. “I took my family to Tokyo and then to Hawaii to keep them away from the awe-inspiringly hellish thing that was happening to me,” he says. “I remember everything about that trip. It kept me sane for a little bit. Call it a sane-cation.”
“We can speak Hebrew, Polish, Spanish, Hindi, German, Japanese and many more languages,” says M.O.N.T. “We really enjoy learning languages and we learn it through music most of the time, so it’s easy for us to memorize vocabulary.”
ATEEZ is embarking on a sold-out tour of the United States (including dates in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York), which will be followed by a European leg. “I want to take in the sights of many cities,” says group leader Hongjoong, 20. “I want to visit the various landmarks in each city (like) Times Square in New York. If there’s time, I’d also like to attend other artists’ concerts.” Though the South Korean band is less than half a year old, their enthusiastic fan base initiated this tour via MyMusicTaste (https://www.mymusictaste.com), an online service that allows fans to request shows in their area.
“Every album we write is influenced by the location we’re in,” says James Hunt of RÜFÜS DU SOL. “It’s kind of inherent in the process of creating music to draw upon the immediate vibe, personality and feeling of a place.”
Harley Quinn Smith made her acting debut at the ripe old age of one in “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” which was written and directed by her father, Kevin Smith. She played the infant version of her dad’s character, Silent Bob. Since then, she has starred opposite Molly Ringwald in “All These Small Moments” and in the film “Yoga Hosers.” She’ll be seen next in Quentin Tarantino’s star-studded film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” alongside Brat Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie.