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Film & TV

<p class="font_8">Sam Morgan’s work is rooted by something deeply human, the need to be seen and understood, something that underpins much of the work he does both on and off screen. It’s an anxiety inducing feeling that music, acting and film has the capacity to dampen, perhaps even cure. He’s candid as he reflects on the vulnerability that is a through-line throughout his life and endeavours acknowledging the quiet and calming rituals that keep him both grounded and calm on and off set. When approaching storytelling he likes to be immersed, navigating roles fully connected to the character, something he admits, isn’t always easy to leave at the door. For Sam, mental health isn’t separate from his work, it’s essential for it. In an industry that often demands emotional intensity, Sam’s learned the importance of protecting and prioritising his wellbeing, staying grounded through practices of meditation, movement, self-reflection and the art of gratefulness, all vital not only for his craft but his personal life.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">What excites you about telling stories, and when did you first start feeling that excitement?<br> <br> I’ve always been a yapper. I think one of my biggest needs in life is to be seen and understood, and I get really anxious if I feel like that’s not happening. So in a lot of ways, film, acting, and music are all variations of me trying to be better understood and seen for who I am. It sounds simple, but I truly think I’ve always felt this way for as long as I can remember.<br> <br> <br> <br> Do you ever find aspects of yourself in the roles you play, and does that impact how close you feel to the characters?<br> <br> I do find aspects of myself in the characters I play, but I’ve also found that if a character is too similar to me, it can actually be harder to let go because it feels more vulnerable. It’s also harder to see ourselves objectively - we’re always masking as humans. Sometimes, when a character is very different from me, my way into understanding them is actually clearer, if that makes sense.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Do you have a set routine when preparing for a role, or does it depend on the role?</p> <p class="font_8"><br> I think it depends on what’s required of me, but if I can get to a hot yoga class in the morning before set - just to center, stretch, and warm up my breath - that always helps me in my body and in the work.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">How do you stay grounded when playing challenging roles?<br> <br> Transcendental Meditation - 20 minutes, twice a day - and yoga or Pilates. I also love Muay Thai and salsa dancing. These are all great ways to get embodied as an actor.</p>

Sam Morgan

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<p class="font_8">There is something immediately disarming about Ritu Arya. Within minutes of our call connecting, she greets with a self-deprecating laugh; she is already somewhere between candid and confessional, and it feels completely natural.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Most recently, she can be seen in <em>Bait</em> - the ambitious, Sundance-lauded series starring Riz Ahmed - that has critics raving about their onscreen chemistry and her grounded performance amid the protagonist's chaotic energy. It is not difficult to see why she was drawn to the role. “I was a big fan of Riz, so I was very excited to work with him. And then when I read it, the writing felt fresh and honest and unpredictable.” Her character is an ex-lover, a lone wolf, someone celebrating Eid alone when we find her in episode four. She is, above all, the person who tells the truth. "She's the one who calls him out," Arya says. "She's ambitious, honest, and perceptive. I think that's why we love her - someone who can just bring out the truth.” Arya tells me, with sincerity, that she thinks we’re living in a world where we're fed so much information behind social media masks, and that perhaps we are drawn to this character because we’re all craving authenticity.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">She speaks about the provocative nature of <em>Bait</em> and how a change in genre can be good. "Change can be scary," she says, "but it's inevitable, and so it's important to embrace it” Arya admits that the reception of Bait was a welcome surprise. As a show that blends genres and has diverse representation, for her, “it shows that there's a keen audience for that, and hopefully it leads to us seeing more of this going forward.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Throughout her career, she’s played a diverse roster of characters. From the physicality of her <em>Umbrella Academy</em> role as Lila to the sharp comic register of <em>Barbie,</em>she has never settled into a single mode. "I love the idea of playing a variety of characters and to keep people guessing,” she says. "I do like to put myself in uncomfortable situations. It's important for us to do things that scare us. That's how we build courage.” The stunt work that came with <em>The Umbrella Academy</em> is still something she speaks about with a particular kind of delight. It was her first time at a martial arts boot camp, and she discovered something she did not expect. "I didn't know I would love it as much as I did," she laughs. From there, action became a recurring thread in her career - not by design exactly, but by the logic of one thing leading to the next.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">We start talking about pivotal moments in her career, and she tells me that "Every part has been pivotal.” On the grand scale, it is Lila in <em>The Umbrella Academy</em> that she points to - the role that took her to Canada for an extended shoot, her first real foothold in the US market, and an experience she describes simply as living a dream. "I'm just so grateful. I've got to live that dream truly." But she is just as quick to push back against the idea that the biggest moments are always the most defining ones.</p>

Ritu Arya

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<p class="font_8">There’s something disarming about Cale Ambrozic. Maybe it’s the ease with which he slips between talking about high-pressure auditions and joking about golf, or the way he shrugs off the weight of a breakout role on a Netflix show with a simple: “I’m just a guy who likes to act.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">If there’s one thing the <em>Finding Her Edge </em>star doesn’t sugarcoat, it’s the reality of auditioning in 2026. Forget long in-room sessions - today it’s self-tapes and high-stakes callbacks over Zoom.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">“It’s a little more stressful when it’s on Zoom,” he admits. “You actually have to know your lines like, perfectly. You get one or two takes, and that’s it. If they like you, maybe they’ll give you more.” It’s a far cry from the romanticised version of acting many imagine, but for him, it’s part of the process, one he seems to meet with a mix of discipline and perspective.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Long before acting entered the picture, Cale had a very different dream: professional hockey. “That was actually my first dream,” he says. “Every kid from Alberta… It’s a given that you must play hockey. And if you don’t, you’re kind of shunned.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Growing up in Edmonton with three older brothers, hockey wasn’t just a hobby; it was a way of life, moving to boarding school at 13 to pursue it seriously. But when that path didn’t pan out, something unexpected took its place.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Drama class.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">“I was never the best student… so I was always looking for things to pad my grades,” he laughs. “Drama was one of those things where you could get an easy A.” That “easy A” quickly became something more. After reluctantly stepping into a school production, “I was like, I’ll be a tree” – instead he found himself cast as the lead.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">“I loved it from the moment I stepped on the stage.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">By 17, Cale made a decision that would shape his future: go all in.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">“I was like, you know what? I’m young… I might as well do this now. And if I don’t make it at 22 or 23, I’ll just go back to school.” With his dad giving him a one-year window to figure it out, he skipped his high school graduation and moved to Vancouver. It was a risk measured, but still a risk. Then something rare happened.</p> <p class="font_8">“I booked my first ever audition that I ever did.” He laughs, still slightly in disbelief. “I got very lucky.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">That first role, <em>Hotel Cocaine</em> for MGM, wasn’t just a breakthrough; it was validation. But more importantly, it gave him momentum. Still, he doesn’t frame his career as a rapid rise. Instead, he describes it as steady, consistent, and something he feels grateful to be building over time rather than chasing all at once.</p>

Cale Ambrozic

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<p class="font_8">Referring to a career in show business as 'a series of breaks,' Emmy nominated American actor Michael Urie prefaces his major roles in <em>Ugly Betty</em> and Apple TV's <em>Shrinking</em>, "I would never have gotten Shrinking if I hadn't done Ugly Betty. It led to so many things and continues to." In the full swing of the third season of <em>Shrinking</em>, Urie opens up about the relevance of <em>Ugly Betty</em> in the current TV landscape, the appeal of a dramady, turning uncomfortable topics into bearable conversation, and having imposter syndrome, even after twenty years in the business.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Breaking down his weekend, which resembled a theatre marathon, Urie warms up by listing the plays he's just seen: <em>Jellicle Ball</em>, Jessie Tyler Ferguson's <em>True</em>, <em>Titus Andronicus</em>, <em>Dog Day Afternoon</em>, a play by 52 Second Street Project, where children write the plays and professional actors star in them. With a peculiar recommendation of <em>Paranormal Activity: A New Story On Stage (due to my unease at horror films)</em>, Urie reassures that the play is of high quality despite not being a horror movie fan himself.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">His passion is at the forefront of his long list of credentials, which began with his portrayal of Marc St. James in <em>Ugly Betty</em>, a role that marked a career shift as the series catapulted to first-season mega-success. Urie looks back, talks about the role of the rest of the cast in making sure it was all sinking in. He really brightens up feeling proud speaking about icons like Judith Light, Vanessa Williams, and Tony Plana: "They showed us the ropes and made sure we knew how special it was, because it's always a gift to get a job in this industry, but to be lucky enough to get one that is successful, popular, and is different, also relevant and about something that will last and stand the test of time is very special. I'm proud to watch the show today".</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Michael Urie's usual casting orbits around comedy roles, which he always delivers masterfully with his signature wit and charm. He explains, "I think that because my training and start and home is in the theatre, I naturally gravitate towards or am sought out to get parts that are funny." Analysing how comedy matures or flops with time, Urie speaks about a different frame of reference that doesn't always stand the test of time, and highlights how <em>Shrinking</em>fits the criteria: "<em>Shrinking</em> does a lot of that. It's such a dramedy. There's so much drama in it, but it's through a lens of comedy, and it's really holding a mirror up to nature, as Shakespeare said, and usually it's funny, because we're funny. Humans are funny," he laughs.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Often, it is humour and comedy that offer a sense of much-needed relief for those who may be going through darker times and struggle with mental health issues. Right off the bat, Apple TV's <em>Shrinking</em> opens a vault of tougher subjects, such as grief, loss, PTSD, and emotional abuse in a relationship. It is known to navigate through a combination of techniques, some more unorthodox than others. But as Michael Urie reaffirms, it is all about starting the conversation in the first place. He details, "I've read the scripts and been in a lot of the scenes, but when I see the show sometimes, light bulbs go off for me. It's educational to see people talking about it, dealing with things, and then to think about my own life."</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Although the debate of mental health has often previously been considered taboo or even a buzzkill, in recent years, society has flirted with becoming a more compassionate collective. As a globe, we are one step closer to not being out for ourselves alone, but to inviting an idea and opening the floor to conversation and support. Urie shares when he started to acknowledge a shift: "I really think the stigma about mental health was in so many ways lifted during the pandemic," as he remembers the how world being stuck inside their houses was a form of collective depression, but, unordinarily, it was discussed in more of a candid way.</p>

Michael Urie

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<p class="font_8">Isabella speaks with deliberate warmth, not in performance, but by choice. For Isabella, her worldview is shaped by the dance studios she spent her childhood in, instead of cinema seats, by encouragement rather than expectation. Before stepping into the ornate universe of <em>Bridgerton</em>, Isabella was learning how to listen to her instincts, how to move through the world with curiosity and faith in what’s meant to be. Arriving in an industry as she describes that rarely imagines someone like her at its centre, and discovering that optimism, far from naïveté, can be a discipline — one that has carried her from rehearsal rooms to one of television’s most visible series.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Growing up in Hong Kong in a family that, by her own admission, “really doesn’t watch movies or TV shows,” aside from Barbie films she loved and Marvel movies her brother put on. Dance, not cinema, was her first language, guided by a formative teacher from age ten to fifteen who showed her that the arts could be more than an after-school hobby.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Her parents, who grew up in Canada, brought an unusually international outlook to a traditionally conservative conversation: an Asian daughter pursuing the arts. “It’s quite untraditional, especially for Asian families,” she says, but they encouraged both her and her computer-science-studying brother to follow what made them feel most alive. “You have a lot of Asian families who are like, there’s no way you’re going into the arts. That must be a joke,” she says. “But my parents…just really encouraged me and my brother to pursue what we were interested in and passionate about.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">By the time <em>Bridgerton</em> first dropped on streaming, Isabella was watching it like everyone else - utterly unprepared to see herself there one day. “The idea that I would see myself there, especially as an Asian woman in a Regency period English show, just kind of didn’t ever cross my mind,” she says.​</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The casting process went on so long that she began negotiating with herself. “You kind of start trying to reason with yourself and manage your expectations and tell yourself that, okay, well, probably it’s not going to happen,” she remembers. “The longer you have to marinate with it, the more you kind of knock yourself into reality.”​</p> <p class="font_8">Reality, as it turned out, involved walking into an established juggernaut as the new girl. “I remember that first day walking into the table read, I was so nervous,” she says. “Everyone knows each other, everyone’s friends, they’ve been doing it for years. It’s kind of like all of a sudden joining a family.” &nbsp;But the cast disarmed her nerves within minutes, greeting the newcomers with a warmth that mirrored their onscreen personas, “almost like the best parts of their characters in an actual human person.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Her character Posy arrives with what Isabella calls “quite a sunny kind of disposition,” and the overlap between them was immediate. “I think I’m someone who almost unconsciously always thinks on the bright side,” she says. “I’ve been told in the past that maybe it’s too naive of me, but my number one instinct is always to assume good rather than assume bad.”​</p>

Isabella Wei

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<p class="font_8">Linnea Berthelsen has always approached every role with consideration and emotional depth; in fact, it’s always been her first priority. When asked if there’s a single moment that inspired her to begin her career in acting, she says it's a mix of many. Having discovered her love for acting through community theatre, grounding herself and exploring the depth of each character has always felt personal and paramount. Berthelsen speaks openly about how she prepares herself, especially when it comes to Kali and the trauma she carries. While Kali may be one of the show’s most complex figures, Berthelsen remains committed to that complexity, with her love for acting at the heart of every movement, word, and portrayal.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Alice: What first drew you to acting, and was there a moment when you knew it was something you wanted to pursue?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Linnea: I thought about it, if there was a single moment that felt defining. But truthfully, I think there were many.</p> <p class="font_8">I was working backstage one summer on a community theatre production of <em>Bye Bye Birdie</em> in Pennsylvania when I was 17, and I was completely disarmed by the sheer joy that musicals brought to an audience, that was one moment.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">I backpacked for 1,5 years when I was 18 and by the end of my trip, &nbsp;I got spend time in NYC and LA where I did my first acting class at the Barrow Group in NYC and in LA, &nbsp;I spontaneously did my first little audition, that was another.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">But I think that ultimately, applying to drama school felt very defining. I was still debating degree options when a headmaster at one the schools at the third rounds of auditions asked me to make a commitment. That’s when I think it became clear to me.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">I’ve always felt quite driven, and when I fell<em> </em>deeply in love with acting, I worried that I didn’t come into the industry with a childhood connection to the profession like a lot of my peers had. It had never been a hobby, I never acted as a child, so it’s always been a profession to me.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Alice: How do you approach building a character from the script?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Linnea: I definitely start with the script to find out what the material asks of you, a bit of a general theatre script analysis approach. What are the physical requirements? What is my function within the story? And then I try to build a bit of plan around that.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Matt and Ross’s script asked for quite specific physicality and required me to understand some fairly complex questions and concepts.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">I was lucky that I had quite a lot of time due to strikes, so I got to work slowly and with both a brilliant PT in London for a year to balance that physicality, and a coach from New York (who works with Creative Dream Works) who I’ve worked with prior to this for years, to discuss everything with.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">I’ve worked with a lovely group of coaches for 7-8 years, that I know really well by now, and I usually make some sort of plan with them and try out things as we build.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Alice: Has your acting process changed since your early roles?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Linnea: Definitely!</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">All the time. You’ll hopefully learn something every time you do a production or go into some training that you can bring back to the process.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">And I get immensely inspired by fellow actors and try to apply some of their approaches to my work if I can.</p> <p class="font_8">Nick Offerman in <em>DEVS (2020)</em> was a pure masterclass in comedic precision and nuanced drama and his work completely blew my mind!</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Alice: How do you balance instinct and preparation when stepping onto set?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Linnea: I prepare a lot. I drill a lot, both lines, but also physicality wise so that my body has somewhere to go as a default, and that sort of allows me to be more free within a scene.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">I did gymnastics and contemporary dance for 15 years prior to acting, so there is a part of me that enjoys solid choreography as a baseline and treating it a bit like doing a piece of jazz music - learn the beats fully, to be able to be free.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">The dream would have been to be a comedic genius of course - who can just ride the waves of a scene, but that definitely wasn’t on the cards for me!</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Alice: How important is collaboration with fellow actors in shaping a performance?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Linnea: Very important, I think. We depend on each other, both cast and crew to shape our performances in all departments.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">I come from a bit of a theatre and ensemble culture, so I honestly find it immensely helpful to collaborate, be present for each other's takes, (even just for those small moments) which this cast and crew are just exceptionally good at.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">I think it grounds the work so much, and we get so much information from each other as we do the scene.</p>

Linnea Berthelsen

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<p class="font_8">It’s easy to frame Jen Affleck as a viral MomTok star or a reality television fixture with millions of followers; she is, after all, a familiar face to many, known for her viral and rather iconic counter top dancing, a main cast member on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and a contestant of 2025’s Dancing With The Stars - the most watched season to date. But she is also a young mother of three navigating faith, marriage, and visibility in full view of the internet, learning, sometimes painfully, what it means to exist as herself rather than who she was expected to be.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">To understand Jen Affleck right now is to understand a woman who has lived several lives by the age of 26 and who is no longer interested in shrinking herself to make any of them more palatable.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">“Before all of this, I was the type of person who worked really hard to be what everyone else needed me to be: acceptable, likeable, and safely inside the lines,” she tells me early on. “Now, I’m someone who is committed to being fully myself, even when it’s messy, misunderstood, or uncomfortable. It’s helped me find my voice and be more genuine to my authentic self as I grow, mature, and change.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">That shift, from conformity to commitment, sits at the heart of Jen’s story. Her rise was not gradual or private; it unfolded publicly, algorithmically, and at speed. What began as relatable content about motherhood and family life quickly grew into a platform large enough to sustain her household, and eventually into television exposure that removed much of the control social media once afforded her. When I ask her whether being on television changed how she understands herself, she doesn’t hesitate. “Absolutely, I’ve learnt so much more about who I am since being on the show than I ever allowed myself to see before,”she says. “Having my life and choices out in the open has forced me to confront what’s real for me, separate from what I was taught to be and it’s pushed me into a much deeper, more honest relationship with my own identity. ”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">That confrontation has not been tidy. Jen is clear that growth, especially accelerated growth, comes with discomfort. “There have been growing pains, lessons learnt, and mistakes made,” &nbsp;she adds, “but I feel I have grown more in the last two years than the previous 20 combined.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">With that growth has come exposure, and with exposure, an erosion of privacy that cannot be undone. Jen is thoughtful about the distinction between curated online presence and the reality of unscripted television. “With social media it was easy because you chose what people see, and oftentimes it’s not your real reality,” she explains. “With reality TV you get to see the raw, unedited side of things. And it’s giving people at times too much access to our lives without full context.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">That loss of control can feel destabilising, especially when opinions form faster than understanding. Still, Jen doesn’t frame it as purely negative. “But we have challenged the status quo and made what I feel is an important change in our community and an impact on young moms and women in general,” she writes. The vulnerability, for her, needs to matter. It needs to reach beyond entertainment.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Living under near-constant commentary has required a recalibration of self-worth. Jen is pragmatic about the volatility of public approval. “You can’t get too attached to other people’s opinions of you,” she says. “One day they love you, the next day they hate you, and you haven’t changed at all.” What matters, she has learnt, is internal anchoring. “Take the highs and lows with a grain of salt, and stay grounded in who you know you are and the values you choose to live by. The rest is just noise.”</p>

Jen Affleck

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<p class="font_8">Courtney Taylor is stepping into the spotlight with power, poise, and purpose. With an undeniable spark, Courtney has become a standout voice in a new era of story telling. Courtney brings range to each role she plays with a grounded perspective, which fans are embracing with open arms. Courtney opens up about what’s involved in roles she’s taken on, from characters with trauma to high stakes rolls both mentally and emotionally. Beyond the screen Courtney has embarked on a journey of person growth including learning how to speak to herself with kindness and the simple joys that keep her centred. Courtney offers a glimpse into the heart of an actor who’s not only reshaping stories but reshaping her own narrative.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>Alice: </strong>Congratulations on your new series<em> “Ballard”. </em>Were you familiar with the <em>Michael Connelley</em> novel series?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>Courtney:</strong> Not fully, actually. The first time I was unknowingly introduced to Michael Connelly was <em>The Lincoln Lawyer </em>with <em>Matthew McConaughey.</em> It wasn't until I saw the reimagined series and then fell in love with the <em>Bosch</em> franchise that I recognized how substantial his work was. When I got the audition, I started on the <em>Ballard</em> and<em> Bosch</em> book series so I could get to know this world, and I'm so hyped that I did. The series is incredibly well done. The story telling is so captivating! I'm eager to catch up on his latest release.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>A:</strong> In what ways did you prepare yourself to play this role?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>C</strong>: I watched <em>Bosch</em> like it was my job. It helped me get the visual representation of the book series, one that I knew had the stamp of approval from Michael himself. It was the best resource I had.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>A: </strong>What was it like working alongside Maggie Q on a spin off from such a popular and well-loved series?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>C:</strong> It was a dream. I think it would have always felt daunting to take on the beloved fan base, create a spin-off, and also an entirely new side of this world. But with Maggie at the helm, I knew we were in good hands. What a rockstar. She was the perfect leader. She made the set feel so communal, all we ever did during our downtime was laugh, workout, and enjoy conversation. With such a heavy subject matter, those moments felt like a much-needed reprieve. I have to thank Maggie for that.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>A: </strong>Were there any personal experiences that helped you to understand and play this character?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>C:</strong> I'd say that I am just as passionate about my work as an actor as Parker is with her job. Some would even say stubbornly passionate, just like Parker. I can get bull-headed about a choice or heated about an opportunity not going my way. So being able to use that passion for Samira, a person who wants nothing more than to get it right, felt so good. Almost cathartic!</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>A:</strong> This book series is popular, and with it being made into a series, did you feel any pressure or expectations from fans on the character you are embodying?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>C: </strong>Of course! To be fair, I feel pressure every time I perform, but this one in particular! Shaking in my boots! If I've learned anything from creating content with a built-in, loyal book fanbase, it’s that those people mean business.  But after getting the seal of approval from not only Titus Welliver, but Michael himself, I knew we had something good on our hands. I'm so thrilled it's being received so well.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>A:</strong> How do you unwind from long days on set and step back from the emotions you feel when embodying the character?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>C:</strong> I usually throw on one of my cartoon favourites. I'll bounce between <em>Steven Universe</em>, <em>Bob's Burgers</em>, and <em>Rick and Morty</em>. That usually do the trick.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>A:</strong> There are themes and exploration of trauma in the series. Do you find it hard to act in those scenes and then leaving those emotions with the character?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8"><strong>C:</strong> I do find it difficult. This was one of my first times accessing trauma in this way, and I had no idea how it would affect me on the day. When I filmed my scenes, the anger that came to the surface was hard to wind down. But luckily, with the help of the cast and crew, they gave me the space I needed to come down from those emotions.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">@theo.official @chic.noise @antoninias @noritamy @madebymary @adiba.official @thepop.group @michelemariepr @maisonpriveepr_la</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p>

Courtney Taylor

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<p class="font_8">“Good morning!” I greet Pierson Fodé, “I didn’t wake you up too early?” I ask as we jump on a call the day before his HATC Magazine cover shoot. He’s on the West Coast, navigating late nights and early wake-up calls, having travelled through copious time zones in the midst of his busy schedule and press engagements for his latest roles in The Wrong Paris and Swiped. As someone who feels like they’ve been hit by a truck any time jet lag is involved, I’m impressed by how bright he seems. For Pierson, traveling west to east is what gets him, making it a little smoother to come back from his Paris engagements than to go. Over the past month, Pierson tells me he’s taken six to eight red-eye flights back and forth, all while juggling shooting another project. Hitting that wall is inevitable, though Pierson tells me in some ways he’s used to the lack of sleep, having suffered with chronic insomnia. For Pierson, getting back to a normal form of sleep is all about getting back into a routine. As a professed homebody, it’s all about hanging out with friends and watching movies, admitting he’s never been much of a partygoer. It’s the season for embracing those Autumnal winter evenings. It’s been a whirlwind of a time recently with charting show after charting show finding its place on streaming giants worldwide, but I’m keen to talk about his childhood growing up on a family-run farm in Moses Lake, Washington, and its role in building his identity. Coming from a long lineage of farmers, he tells me that farming is hard work and never easy. “Hard work is not an option; it’s built into my DNA.” Starting the day in the early mornings before the sun comes up, and continuing on long into the night, Peirson found himself learning all kinds of skills. “Every single day, you're fixing whatever needs it from the night before. You're mending fences, and you're helping the animals after they escape into the neighbour's yard.”. Im curious to what it's taught him over his formative years. “I think for me it taught me true resilience and grit. I saw what my parents went through every day. You have no control over the weather or whether the seed decides to grow, so you do your best to provide it with the perfect environment for this little bit of life that goes out to feed the world. But at the end of the day, you can't control how often the sun shows up in front of the clouds.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">It's elements like resilience that Pierson carried forward into his life as an Actor in Hollywood. “All those elements - resilience and that grit really shaped who I am. You can't pull that out of me.” It seems you can take the farmer off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the farmer. “Anytime things get crazy in Hollywood, anytime you're at the party or event and things get a little bit exciting, that resilience and that grit always stay there, no matter how hard it gets, no matter how easy it is. It keeps me the same person, no matter what's going on in life. It's the hard reset button to my soul. I'm just always connected to that.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">When it comes to our identities and how they inevitably change, there’s no surprise of the overlap and comparisons from that boy on the farm and his childhood love of film, specifically the classics of Star Wars, Charlie Chaplin, and The Three Stooges. Those stories and their exploration of characters —flawed, heroic, messy, and comedic — have had a lasting impact on the identity he’s come to know as an actor. “Film and TV are my second language in so many ways,” he explains. “Growing up, it was my way of exploring life and the world beyond the farm. Those films created the moment that I realized there was so much life beyond the farm. The same way Luke was going off to save the galaxy, I was like, Oh, maybe I can go learn about the force or make movies. One of the two has got to be real.” For Pierson, it was a way of connecting with the world beyond his own immediate world. “It’s this incredible way to touch people's lives. For 90 minutes, we all jump into a theater, or sit on the couch, and it doesn't matter what race, religion, or political identity you have, it really brings us all to the same point where we laugh at the same jokes or we have tears welling up at the same moments.”</p>

Pierson Fodé

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<p class="font_8">Fresh out of drama school, Ernest Kingsley Jr. hasn’t so much stepped into acting as leapt headfirst, with a mix of curiosity and fearlessness that’s rare to watch. He’s gone from the dreamlike world of “The Sandman” to the raw tension of “War of the Worlds”, and now, he’s about to take on “Washington Black”, playing Wash, a boy whose escape from a Barbados plantation sparks an adventure bigger than survival.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Chosen personally by Sterling K. Brown, Ernest carries this role with a kind of open-hearted intensity — the feeling of someone who still pinches himself every day, grateful to be telling stories that matter.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">A: With Washington Black being a layered and powerful story; what was it that initially drew you to the role, and how did it feel undertaking the role of such a transformative character?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">E: So many things drew me to the role. It was a no brainer decision! I think what solidified it was the adventure, the heart, the ingrained love in the writing. It’s the story of a beautiful young man, who maintains the power to dream up a world greater than the troubling one he finds himself in.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">I definitely had some imposter syndrome when I first got the role. I doubted if I could bring justice to the character, which I think is common amongst a few actors, but it turned out to be such a generous process and adventure.&nbsp;</p> <p class="font_8">Washington Black has shown me so much of who I am, and who I can be!</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">A: With the book being so popular were there any pressures you felt in doing it justice for fans?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">E: From quite early on, I tried to make the separation between the book and the screenplay. The book is incredible, and Esi (Author) has done something magical. Selwyn (Showrunner) used the book as a springboard into something more. I trust in his vision so, that pressure from fans never really affected me as much.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">A: Freedom and identity are crucial themes throughout the series, how do these themes resonate with personally, as the one responsible from bringing the story to life?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">E: For me, identity brings freedom. Knowing who you are, what you stand for, where you’re coming from. This is why playing Wash was such a gift. Here, you have someone who has been poured into by so many people, with love. He holds on to those people, to that love, and it informs how he lives his life, how he dreams, and how he flies.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">I try to hold on to my loved ones, my family, my friends. They remind me of who I am, and they give me freedom, in that sense.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">A: Having to portray a character who navigates trauma, displacement and resilience… alongside continents is a challenging task, how is it you mentally and emotionally prepare?</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">E: Imagination is a powerful tool. World-building is a very important component in my preparation. Just doing loads of research and finding different entry points into the characters inner landscape. That’s how I get to those emotional places.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">@deflorenciofashion @pasunemarque @etclosangeles</p>

Ernest Kingsley Jr.

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<p class="font_8">Harry Trevaldwyn is a quietly rising force in film and television, with an impressive résumé spanning from <em>The Bubble </em>on Netflix to <em>My Lady Jane</em>. But his latest role might just be his most fun yet: Tuffnut in the live-action remake of <em>How to Train Your Dragon</em>.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">With a growing list of standout projects, Trevaldwyn reflected on how this particular one stood out, “I got so excited meeting Dean, the director and especially when I met Gabe and Bronwyn in those chemistry reads, I was like, oh gosh. Now I really, really want it.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Tuffnut is one of the franchise’s many beloved characters, part of a cult fandom that grew up with the original animated films and are now returning as adults — some with their own children in tow.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">“I think the emotional bit comes when you leave a character, especially if you don’t know if you’re going to be playing them again. You’ve put all this time in, and then you’re like, ‘Oh no. I’m done with this person now. That’s so sad.’”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Through the announcement of the live remake sparked scepticism, Trevaldwyn approached the project with confidence.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">“It’s an overwhelming task,” he admits. “But I felt like it was made with such love and honouring the original, while also bringing something fresh life to it. You can love the original and love the remake. No one’s making you pick between the two.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">With multiple projects in both his rearview and future, including the upcoming film adaptation of the viral romance novel <em>My Oxford Year, </em>Trevaldwyn shares how jumping between sets has shaped his perspective.</p> <p class="font_8">“I think what I‘ve mostly learned is surrendering and trusting in collaboration. From an acting perspective, it’s quite rare to keep meeting new friends as you go. I think that’s a really lovely thing.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">He adds that although the <em>How to Train Your Dragon</em> cast had filmed entirely on location, they bonded quickly. “Bizarrely, I hadn’t met any of them before, but somehow we all kind of knew each other from different things. So, it felt like doing a summer camp.”</p>

Harry Trevaldwyn

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<p class="font_8">Motivated by a desire to meet new people and learn from the stories of those around her, Bobbi Althoff has entered the chat and at a time where her podcast series, <em>The Really Good podcast,</em> is soaring into the public eye. However, there’s more to it than meets the eye, as Bobbi shares with us her experiences balancing a busy schedule with motherhood and finding space to maintain some form of privacy.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">With the pressures of social media and the opinions that come with it, Bobbi opens up about the importance of community and mental health, with therapy playing a big role. When it comes to the impact of trolling, Bobbi wants to set the record straight regarding people's perceptions of her.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">"I'm very interested in other people's lives,” Bobbi explains. “I think I've learned a lot from my dad. When he talks to people, it's very much about them, rather than himself.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">"I want to get to know the person," Bobbi tells me, “I think when I'm having conversations with people, it's easy for them to start talking because I just ask questions. I ask a lot of questions, and I don't shy away from questions that I don't necessarily know the answer to.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Bobbi isn’t afraid to be candid, whether it’s with her guests or with me during our interview. Her interviewing style is unapologetically her: witty, inquisitive, with a pinch of awkward.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Behind the scenes, Bobbi balances a busy career with being a full-time mum, where her kids take priority. There’s no break in between, as she cuddles and nurses her youngest on the other end of the phone- an honest reality that her work is never done, on or off the camera.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Just like many other mums, she’s had to carve out moments and interactions that weren’t just about motherhood. Still, aside from those moments, motherhood remains central for her. She confessing they are the best moments of her life, stress and all.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">"Before I had kids, I already had so much anxiety about my future. Who am I going to be? What will I do? Will I get married?”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Bobbi tells me she would stay up at night thinking about it- a whole other level of anxiety.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">“I have to be successful because I have two kids who depend on me. Still to this day, I lie awake at night, stressing out about what I am going to do next. How do I make this something that provides for my kids forever, and not just for right now? They are the most important people to me?”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Her honesty about the anxiety of being a parent is something I know many others bear the weight of. But Bobbi isn’t one to shy away from the topic, speaking openly about her journey to motherhood.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">"In a way, I rushed into everything. I wanted it so badly because, as a child, all I had ever wanted in life was to get married, have kids, and be a housewife. I achieved all of that. I was so young. I was 22 when I had my first daughter, and at the time, I felt so grown up. I look at 22-year-olds now, and I'm like, Oh my God, you're a baby. And to think I thought I was so grown.”</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Following the birth of her second child at 24, Bobbi found herself going through a divorce. Dusting herself down and picking herself up, she tells me about the uncertainty she faced at the time- this time knowing she had her kids to live for.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">Having seen her career skyrocket on TikTok, with millions getting to know her, I’m curious about how she navigates people's perceptions. I ask what the internet doesn’t see behind closed doors.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">"I think that people, in general, in my comment sections and across the internet, have this idea that I have no relationship with my kids. I know that's the number one thing people are quick to comment: ‘She left her children for fame’”.</p> <p class="font_8"><br></p> <p class="font_8">She confides that it can be hard not to let people get into your head, as it’s the criticism she hears most often.</p>

Bobbi Althoff

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