Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“Even before I knew I was going to get to play the part, I was very excited when I saw the breakdown of the character,” said “XO, Kitty” star Gia Kim. “She was described as this queer, Korean, queen bee. I’ve never seen that combination in a character before. There are so many aspects to her that I thought, ‘She’s gonna just be a whole new archetype of a character. And I’m so thankful it was me who got cast to play her.’”
“It’s fun to write lyrics inspired by travel because I feel like the concept of travel is quite similar to life in terms of new challenges,” said “The Uncanny Counter” star Kim Sejeong. “I’ve written tracks for this album over the past two years, so I believe my trips have been blended into the lyrics.”
“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.”
As “Twilight” celebrates the 10th anniversary of its theatrical release this year, Jackson Rathbone — who portrayed broody vampire Jasper Hale — is busy. He is one of the stars of the film “Heart, Baby!” and has a new single out, “Young and Tragic.” Born in Asia, the actor-musician says he traveled so much as a child that he feels “only at home when I’m traveling. I find myself residing mostly on airplanes, usually between Los Angeles and Austin. However, I’ve been known to fly all over the world for work, from Mexico to South Africa, Colombia to France, and even as far as the exotic plains of Canada!”
Born and raised in Chicago, Suzy Nakamura credits her career at The Second City for honing her comedic chops. Her prolific film and television work includes “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Veep” and “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.” Nakamura, who stars opposite Ken Jeong in the ABC comedy series, “Dr. Ken,” will appear alongside Brooke Shields in the upcoming indie film, “Daisy Winters.”
Surfer Alana Blanchard says the food in Sri Lanka was amazing: “We went to this town and went to this little restaurant that used to be a house and paid something like $2 for all-you-can-eat vegetables with spices. It was such a treat for me, because I’m vegan.”
Remember when Sharon Stone arranged for her then husband, Phil Bronstein, to pet a Komodo dragon at the Los Angeles Zoo? And remember when dragon bit him on the foot, completely crushing his big toe? I thought about this when my husband and I were on the eastern Indonesian island of Komodo, touring an area full of the dragons for which it’s famous. There were experienced guides leading our little group, and they carried large, pointy sticks. I remember asking the lead guide if that’s what he’d use if a Komodo dragon were to attack, and he said, “Yes. It’s very effective.”
Best known for his music, R&B/gospel vocalist BeBe Winans has won six Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Awards and three NAACP Awards. He’s also worked with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and the late Whitney Houston. It was his 28-year friendship with Houston that inspired him to write the book, “The Whitney I Knew” (Worthy Publishing, $19.99). He has just released his latest CD, “America America.”
Producer Jon Landau has worked on many films (“Avatar,” “Dick Tracy,” “Solaris”), but he says that being on location in Mexico for almost a year shooting “Titanic” was an experience he’ll never forget. “You ask what it was like to produce this movie, and I say that it was almost like being the mayor of a small city,” says Landau, 52. “We had our own school, police department, fire department, you name it! Parents (of the child actors) would complain about the tutors and the teachers would complain about the stage parents. There was a lot to deal with, but it was wonderful.”
The Indonesian island of Bali is steeped in history and ritual. Every day, the Balinese leave canang sari (or offerings of flowers, money and food) at temples, on shrines or even outside their own homes in the hopes that good fortune will smile upon their families. Despite the bombings last year in Kuta and Kimbaran, Bali is not a paradise lost.