Back on Top
Ben Affleck looks tired. And a little fed up. Usually in a relaxed manner, he’s tense when we meet. And slightly anxious. Today, his gatekeepers are ardently keen to keep idle chat to a minimum, yet his slightly somber expression disguises someone actually emerging from the darkness with considerable optimism. After a bitterly difficult stretch in his personal life, he has... Read More
Their Time to Shine
This high school sports season promises to be more exciting than ever, and these seven student-athletes are likely to be leading the way in their respective sports. DeMario Tolan, Dr. Phillips football A senior transfer from Tohopakaliga, this athletic and instinctual linebacker can make plays all over the field. He hopes to lead his new team to a state championship before continuing... Read More
Wayne’s Way
From comedy to acting, singing, dancing and hosting game shows, Wayne Brady has proven he can do it all. Brady has been entertaining audiences for over three decades with no plans of stopping anytime soon. The multi-Emmy winner and Grammy-nominated Brady grew up in Tangelo Park and is a graduate of Dr. Phillips High School. As a youngster, Brady worked as a performer at both Walt... Read More
Sibling Revelry
As far as we know, there is no official title for “world’s most athletic family,” but the Kordas would have to be in the running if there were. They are not the first nor the most famous family with multiple generations or siblings reaching the professional ranks, to be sure. But unlike, say, the Mannings in football, the Williams sisters in tennis or the Currys in basketball,... Read More
True to Life
Photo by Casey Curry/Invision/AP/Shutterstock When Kate Winslet first considered playing a detective in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, she knew the role would pose more than a few potential stumbling blocks. To start, she would need to learn how to speak “Delco,” a peculiar accent native to the suburban Philadelphia county. She would also have to go makeup free, walk with a... Read More
Prime Performer
From life on Broadway to her iconic performance as the voice of Elsa in Frozen, Idina Menzel has always looked for the next challenge in her career and the multi-talented performer has checked off plenty of boxes along the way. After bursting onto the scene as Maureen in the original cast of Rent, Menzel has gone on to give several memorable stage performances, including a star... Read More
The Man of the Hour
Blake Shelton talks new music, The Voice, getting engaged during the pandemic and why the party never stops at his new Orlando restaurant. The pandemic may have brought the world around Blake Shelton to a screeching halt, but the country superstar and television personality has still found plenty of ways to occupy his time over the course of the past year. This month, he’s returning... Read More
Whole Hearted
Leslie Odom Jr. has learned many lessons along the way to starring in Hamilton, One Night in Miami and other heights he could never have imagined. The pandemic has had a major impact on so many industries, and the entertainment business certainly has seen its share of challenges. Yet, one could make the case that the past year has been quite good to Leslie Odom Jr., the multi-talented... Read More
Fully Focused
A star actress, successful entrepreneur and doting mother of three, Kate Hudson isn’t letting the world pass her by. Photo by Action Press In her various guises as movie star, retail entrepreneur and wellness advocate, Kate Hudson leads a very active life. She’s the kind of woman whose indomitable spirit is both empowering and engaging. Drawing on the life lessons handed... Read More
Playing it Forward
At age 70, Steven Van Zandt continues to make a difference with his music, acting and activism. For the first 20 minutes of a lengthy interview, Steven Van Zandt, aka Little Steven, comes across as a very sweet and considerate man, willing to talk about a wide variety of subjects ranging from his music to his acting to his political causes. But then one question in particular sends... Read More
2021 Year in Review
Orlando Family Magazine Year in Review Quotes “I’ve been very blessed to play some of the most iconic venues in the world and be on those stages. But the gratitude I have for Orlando for the quality of training and what I was able to do here, I couldn’t be prouder to be from the city.” Michael James Scott, Broadway star and Orlando native “I’ve had times where... Read More
Motivated by the Music
Decades after he took the world by storm and became a cultural icon, Paul McCartney is still having the time of his life. Just as the year 2020 has seen so many greats pass across to the other side, it does leave you to imagine the reaction that will follow when Paul McCartney leaves us. “I tend not to think about death too much,” he says, “but when you get to the age I am... Read More
The Show Must Go On
Michael James Scott sang his way from Orlando to Broadway and he’s refused to let the pandemic close the curtain on his creativity. Like the rest of us, Michael James Scott’s year hasn’t gone exactly as planned. But for the acclaimed Broadway star, 2020 ended similarly to how it began; with him on stage performing in front of a live audience in his hometown of Orlando. “I... Read More
Getting Personal
Spectrum News 13 Anchor Julie Gargotta on having a passion for storytelling, the movie and books she loves, and her proudest journalistic accomplishment. 1. When I was a little girl, I idolized the journalists I saw on TV. I remember watching Barbara Walters on 20/20. I loved it: the interviews, the stories, her personal reporting style. When I was a little older, I watched the... Read More
Appreciating the Journey
Ryan Reynolds reflects on the ups and downs of his career and how he found happiness along the way. For 25 years, Ryan Reynolds has been following his Hollywood dream. He was just 18 when he loaded up his truck—actually it was a beat-up Jeep—and secretly drove from Vancouver to Los Angeles to take a shot at becoming an actor. He was so afraid that his parents—particularly... Read More
Getting Personal
Author Ilene Lieber on writing a children’s book, loving reality TV and her passion for animals. 1. My first job was as a babysitter and camp counselor, so life has really come full circle for me from taking care of kids to writing for them. 2. I recently released my first children’s book called Zoey’s Adventures to the Ice Cream Shop. It is a really sweet story about my... Read More
Prime Performers
Central Florida once again boasts a talented crop of student-athletes looking to leave their mark in the winter season. Although the fall season has certainly come with its share of challenges in high school athletics, we have learned that sports can go on and create some sense of normalcy for players, coaches and fans during these chaotic times. The winter will bring its own unique... Read More
Chief Arts Instigator
Orange County’s arts leader Terry Olson tells us what to look forward to at this year’s Fusion Fest. If you’re involved in Orlando’s arts scene, then you know Terry Olson. Besides being director of the Orange County Arts and Cultural Affairs Office, a position he’s held since the office was created in 2001, Olson is well known for having had a hand in creating some of... Read More
Getting Personal
Recently re-elected Orange County Commissioner Emily Bonilla on getting into local politics, what she’s learned and how she’s coping with the coronavirus pandemic. 1. I moved to Central Florida in 1998. I have always lived in the city but my husband and I wanted to raise our family on a farm. We currently live on 6.3 acres in East Orange County and we are hoping to soon have... Read More
Seizing the Moment
By taking full advantage of her opportunities, Scarlett Johansson finds herself in some pretty elite Hollywood company. These days, Scarlett Johansson’s star couldn’t be higher. Not only has she spent the past couple years atop Forbes’ list for the highest-paid actresses, but her recent powerful performances in Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story earned her rave reviews from... Read More
Getting Personal
Local social media star Nurse Blake on his ideal day in Central Florida, making funny and inspirational content for health care professionals, and advocating for positive change in the medical community. 1. I’ve been a nurse for six years. I started nursing school in the concurrent Seminole State College-University of Central Florida program back in 2012. During that time, I... Read More
