Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Olympian Kelsey Robinson helped Team USA win the bronze medal in volleyball at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, but her love of basketball is evident by the number on the back of her team jersey — 23. The number, of course, is in honor of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, but it also makes her feel close to her Chicago-area roots, says Robinson, 24.
Broadway star Megan Hilty won rave reviews for her portrayal of Glinda the Good Witch in “Wicked” and was nominated for a Tony Award for her characterization of Brooke Ashton in “Noises Off.” Her latest projects include a holiday CD, “A Merry Little Christmas,” and a co-starring role in the Warren Beatty film, “Rules Don’t Apply.”
When Randall Park was a student at UCLA, he thought about pursuing a career in academia. Thanks partially to some creative writing classes — in which he wrote a part for himself in a student production — he decided to try acting instead. After playing a governor on “Veep” and North Korean dictator Kim Jung-Un in the controversial film, “The Interview,” Park landed the role of family patriarch Louis Huang on the ABC sitcom, “Fresh Off the Boat.” The third season premiere will air on Oct. 11.
Though Sterling K. Brown has been acting for 15 years, he earned “overnight sensation” status with his Emmy-winning performance as Chris Darden in the FX miniseries, “The People v. O.J. Simpson.” He returns to television in the new NBC series “This Is Us,” which premieres on Sept. 20. The actor also will appear in the films “Marshall” later this year, and, in 2017, M. Night Shyamalan’s “Split.”
After playing a lycanthrope on “True Blood,” Kelly Overton gets to hunt vampires in the title role of the new Syfy series, “Van Helsing” (which premiers on September 23). Based out of Pasadena, Calif., the actress has also started a jewelry brand called Benevolence LA, where the proceeds go toward charitable causes worldwide.
Olympic medalist Steve Furniss competed for the United States at the 1972 Olympics in Munich and also in Montreal four years later. A resident of Huntington Beach, California, he is a co-founder of the swimwear line TYR, which earned a place in pop culture by designing the iconic red swimsuits worn by the cast of “Baywatch.” At the Munich Games, Furniss was 19 and excited to be competing in Germany, but horrified to learn about the massacre of the members of the Israeli wrestling team. Now 63, he shares some of his memories of those Games and more.
Raised in Ukhta, Russia, actress Olga Fonda came to the United States to study and was later discovered by a modeling agent. A former competitive dancer who’s also proficient in krav maga and karate, Fonda puts her talents to good use on TNT’s “Agent X.” On the series, she portrays a fearless Russian spy.
“I grew up in Seattle, so Hawaii was a popular destination for my family and a decently close plane ride,” says “Thursday Night Football” sports reporter Megan Alexander. “Lahaina, Maui, has got to be one of the most beautiful islands on the planet. The beaches are beautiful, the Hawaiian people are so relaxed and friendly and the tropical drinks are delicious, because of the fresh fruit. There is just something magical about the plane touching down in Hawaii and the pilot saying, ‘Aloha and Mahalo.’”
“I’ve been really fortunate to get to see a good part of the world through dance,” says choreographer and dancer Travis Wall, 28. “One of my favorite places was Australia, which just felt like home. It was one of the nicest places and the people were so nice to Americans! I’m really looking forward to touring there next year.”
“My favorite memories are of my children and my husband walking along the beaches searching for seashells and sea creatures,” says “Entertainment Tonight” host and Evine fashion designer Nancy O’Dell. “It seems so simple, but we do this on every Hawaii or beach trip and we love it. It just makes me happy to think of it. I could probably make 10 scrapbooks alone of all the beautiful things from nature we have found on the beach.”