Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Omar J. Dorsey has had parts in critically acclaimed films such as “Selma,” “Django Unchained” and “The Blind Side.” The actor’s latest role is in the Harriet Tubman biopic, “Harriet,” where he plays Bigger Long, a free black man who captures runaway slaves for their white owners.
Tiffany Young is the new face and voice of H&M’s Divided Music campaign. Born and raised in California, Young spent more than a decade in South Korea as a member of the band Girls’ Generation, before moving back to Los Angeles to study acting. “I just finished shooting this video for (my new solo single) ‘Teach You,’” says Young. “And I get to tell you first: My bandmates (Hyo-yeon Kim and Soo-young Choi) make cameos in it!”
“Every time I go to Capri in Italy, I have the best time,” says composer David Foster. “I just love it there every time. I’ve been at least a dozen times, Of course, you can’t ever really go wrong anywhere in Italy. The people just know how to navigate life and squeeze the best out of every day.”
Rosanna Arquette says she feels grateful when people recognize her for her activism as much as for her acting (“Desperately Seeking Susan,” “Pulp Fiction”). Her latest role is as Mary on the new YouTube Premium series, “Sideswiped.” “While I was shooting this show, which I’m very excited about, I was dealing with all of the Harvey Weinstein stuff,” says Arquette, who was one of the first women to publicly talk about how the film producer threatened to sink her career after she says she refused his demands for sex. “Shooting the series was such a good distraction during that time. And with all the things going on (in politics now), I hope that people will watch the show and laugh.”
Musician Russell Dickerson says one of the perks of touring is getting to explore. “I’ve learned so much about history on my travels, even to smaller towns around America,” says the Nashville resident. “Whenever we pull into a new city, we usually look up a little history on that place. It’s cool to learn why this town came to be, like was it coal or oil or a certain good that made this city what it is today? I’ve definitely been getting some history lessons.” Dickerson, who is part of the Summer Plays On Tour with Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker — is promoting his album “Yours” and his single, “Blue Tacoma.”
Growing up in New York, actor Kirk Acevedo says he learned early on to be self-reliant. “Having lived on my own since I was 16 in a big city taught me to be very self-sufficient,” says Acevedo, who portrays Ricardo Diaz — aka The Dragon — on the CW series “Arrow.” “I trust people very slowly. And then I suffer no fools. And for these skills I have to thank New York City. I always know who’s walking 20 yards behind me and then who’s 20 yards ahead.”
“Lethal Weapon” actress Chandler Kinney says that “Tokyo is one of my favorite places. My mom, my two brothers and I were there for four days. Two of our days were spent at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. We took our last day to explore the surrounding districts and towns of Tokyo.”
Ruby Modine grew up watching her parents, actors Matthew Modine and Caridad Rivera, work in Hollywood. Modine, 27, is one of the stars of the Showtime series, “Shameless,” as well as the film, “Happy Death Day.” Based on West Coast, she says her favorite day trips are “close to Los Angeles for now, because of work. Weekend getaways consist of driving to the desert, lying on the hoods of cars and looking up at the stars. Then we go to diners for pancakes and coffee.”
“I live in Manly, (near) Sydney,” says Australian filmmaker Mark Lamprell, one of the co-writers of “Babe: Pig in the City.” “It’s a magical part of the world — a spit of land with an ocean beach on one side and Sydney Harbour on the other. You can catch a ferry into the city center in 20 minutes.” Lamprell is also the author of the book, “One Summer Day in Rome” (Flatiron Books, $24.99). We talked with him about his travels in general and Rome in particular.
Modeling runs in Hunter McGrady’s family. Her mother, aunt and grandmother all modeled. And she, too, started modeling when she was 16. At nearly 6-foot tall, McGrady grew disheartened when agents told her she should trim a little fat from her already gaunt, size two body. Now 23, McGrady is one of the most popular “plus size” models, having recently appeared in Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue.