Winning Mentality
These seven student-athletes from Central Florida are looking forward to both individual and team success during the fall sports season. Rylee Erisman, Windermere Girls Swimming One of the premier swimmers in the country in her age group, Erisman nearly qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in the summer of 2024 before even beginning her sophomore year. She went on to set Florida... Read More
Shifting Gears
From Schindler’s List and the Star Wars universe to his recent run as an action hero, Liam Neeson has done just about everything in his acting career. Now he’s trying his hand at comedy in a reboot of The Naked Gun. If you were to describe Liam Neeson to someone who has been under a rock for the past 35 years, you could probably use three words: actor, Irishman, revenge. Since... Read More
Star Power
With her unquestionable charisma and a commitment to roles that push the envelope, Sydney Sweeney has established herself as one of Hollywood’s most intriguing young artists. Photo by Linnea Stephan /BFA.com/Shutterstock Sydney Sweeney has swiftly emerged as one of the most compelling young actresses of her generation. From her Pacific Northwest roots of Spokane, Washington,... Read More
A Marvel to Behold
Gideon Glick, star of Étoile and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, is one of a kind. Photo by Philippe Antonello/Prime Video As a performer, Gideon Glick is a true original. From portraying a neurotic illusionist in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to playing a high-strung choreographer in Étoile, he has put his stamp on a multilayered career that includes television, film, and Broadway. The... Read More
Hitting All the Right Notes
Jennifer Weiner’s latest novel explores the grit and glamor of pop music in the 1990s Photo by Andrea Cipriani Mecchi When Jennifer Weiner was starting her career as a fiction writer, she noticed that so many novels about young women were set in either New York, Los Angeles, or London. Her hometown of Philadelphia, however, was largely relegated to the sidelines. Weiner, who has... Read More
True to Herself
Through the ups and downs of a career in show business, Jennifer Coolidge has always managed to remain sincere and grounded, which makes her recent stardom all the more rewarding. When it comes to Hollywood stars, many are adept at presenting as the self-deprecating, earnest and reticent artiste whose own success has come somewhat as a surprise, even to them. It’s a well-trodden... Read More
Destiny Fulfilled
From the Virgin Islands to Orlando to Hollywood, Mekia Cox’s journey and rise to stardom is the result of years of dedication and determination. Long before she was a star on a hit primetime television show on a major network, Mekia Cox was a wide-eyed 2-year-old living in Saint Croix getting ready to perform her first solo song-and-dance routine. While many in the audience... Read More
Sweet Success
Orlando’s own Brooklyn Barrett has recently made her TV debut as an up-and-coming culinary wunderkind baking her way through the newest season of Kids Baking Championship. Moving halfway across the country is a lot to juggle and navigate, but Brooklyn Barrett still decided to go for her dreams amid her family’s relocation from the Midwest to Orlando. That’s when she took... Read More
Never Give Up
Oscar winner William Goldenberg aims to inspire with his directorial debut, Unstoppable. When William Goldenberg was growing up, he learned how to multitask while working at his dad’s deli. He didn’t know it at the time, but it turns out the deli was an ideal training ground for making movies. “It was good training for multitasking when I was an assistant film editor, where... Read More
Back in Familiar Territory
Oscar-winning actress Renée Zellweger returns for her first movie role in six years, playing beloved character Bridget Jones for the fourth time. Photo by Startraks Photo/Shutterstock Renée Zellweger was born in 1969 in Texas, to a Norwegian mother and a Swiss father, and found interest in acting while participating in a high school drama club. Upon graduating, she decided against... Read More
Unstoppable
From Misery to Matlock, the legendary Kathy Bates continues to breathe life into some of entertainment’s most formidable characters. Kathy Bates has long had a life philosophy that has kept her in good stead. Throughout her stellar 50-year acting career on stage and screen, which began in 1971 with Milos Forman’s film Taking Off, she is known for always working hard to be the... Read More
Striking a Chord
With his starring role as Bob Dylan in the upcoming movie A Complete Unknown, Timothée Chalamet continues to make bold and interesting choices that captivate audiences. For a young man at the height of stardom, Timothée Chalamet exudes a cool, laid-back charm. Turning 29 years old just two days after his new movie is due to release globally on Christmas Day, he admits that he’s... Read More
International Intrigue
On the heels of her Emmy-nominated turn as a Russian spy in The Americans, Keri Russell has found similar success in the London-based Netflix drama The Diplomat. For years, Keri Russell was recognized as the quintessential all-American girl, known for her fresh-faced beauty and her beloved portrayal of the title character in the hit TV series Felicity, which concluded in 2002. This... Read More
Jazzed Up
In his latest work of historical fiction, novelist Don Swaim explores the culture and chaos of the Roaring Twenties. Don Swaim, a storyteller since childhood, exhibits a particular talent for writing historical fiction one might describe as “thrilling and engrossing.” For evidence, look no further than his most recent novel, Jitterbuggin’ with the Renaissance: A Jazz Age Epic.... Read More
Southern Charm
Broadcaster Ashlyn Sullivan, a Florida native, has won over the demanding sports fans of Philadelphia with her dogged work ethic and in-depth coverage of the Flyers and Eagles. The answer is always yes. That philosophy has served Ashlyn Sullivan well during her quick and impressive rise up the ranks in the demanding industry of sports broadcasting, whether it meant accepting gymnastics... Read More
Testing Her Limits
Even after 30-plus years in show business, Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry continues to take on challenging roles that showcase her various talents. More than three decades into her film career, and with her 60th birthday approaching in a few years, Halle Berry could easily choose to slow down and let her past accomplishments speak for themselves. After all, she has achieved so... Read More
Earning His Respect
All his life, Channing Tatum has set out to prove those who doubted him wrong. Now that he’s at the top of his game, he continues to look for ways to evolve. Channing Tatum has always looked at the bigger picture. That’s why, when it comes to selecting movie roles, he’s always chosen the stance of quality over quantity. For him, contentment comes from a place of feeling... Read More
The Heart of Central Florida
As an anchor for WESH 2 News, Nancy Alvarez has a history of giving the community a voice and imbuing her reporting with a humanistic angle. Nancy Alvarez is known for her in-depth approach to broadcast journalism and being a voice for the Central Florida community. After growing up in Fort Lauderdale, she moved to Orlando at 23 to pursue a career as the Brevard County reporter... Read More
Challenge Accepted
Chris Hemsworth has overcome several obstacles along the way to becoming a global superstar, but his latest role proved to be the most daunting—and rewarding—of his career. Chris Hemsworth, a powerhouse of talent and charisma, steps into the spotlight once again with his latest film, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The Australia-born actor has carved quite a niche for himself in Hollywood,... Read More
Far From Finished
Orlando mayor buddy dyer has led the city for more than two decades, but in the midst of his final term he’s still motivated to do more. Having served as mayor of Orlando since 2003, Buddy Dyer is now the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history. After winning reelection this past November, Dyer announced this mayoral term will be his last. But, before he leaves office and... Read More
Leaders in Higher Education Roundtable 2024
Central Florida’s colleges and universities are well positioned to tackle today’s challenges while meeting the unique needs of their students. Leading a college or university has never been an easy job, but there is no doubt that the men and women charged with pushing institutions of higher learning forward have faced one major challenge after another over the past decade—with... Read More
