Since most of our daily lives revolve around rushing from one responsibility to the next, it’s often difficult to pause and reflect. The arrival of a new year presents the perfect opportunity to do so, which is why we here at Orlando Family Magazine like to kick off every January by looking back on the previous year. As usual, the past 12 months brought plenty of excitement to our pages: interviews with rising stars Sydney Sweeney and Millie Bobby Brown, conversations with award-winning actors Kathy Bates, Liam Neeson and Renée Zellweger, and features on Central Florida notables Mekia Cox and Paolo Banchero, among others. Our annual Year in Review highlights some of the most interesting quotes from those articles, along with 2025’s lists of the top doctors, dentists, attorneys and realtors in the region and the yearly collection of our favorite restaurants, salons, retail stores and more in the Best of the Best roundup. Please join us on this journey through the past year while looking forward to a thrilling 2026.

“I had thought I might semi-retire or retire, but then Matlock came along, so I am not ready to take a final bow yet. I am having the best time with this show. I am eager to stay with this for several years.”
—Kathy Bates

“I know I’m lucky. Part of being famous is that I can go wild at the grocery store and buy everything that I want. I don’t have to watch the tab as closely as I did in the days before I landed some proper roles. I don’t need to bring coupons. And I don’t have to decide, ‘Should I eat today or take my dog to the vet?’ That was my life before I became famous.”
—Renée Zellweger

“I had just moved from Saint Croix to Orlando when I was around 7 or 8 and the very first thing I auditioned for was Disney. There was something like 600 kids that had auditioned and only six girls and six boys ended up booking the role. And it was a literal dream come true for a little girl to get to dance onstage at the Christmas Spectacular. We were called the Kids of the Kingdom. That set me up, I think, for the rest of my life. … I still to this day remember the joy that I felt being onstage during those shows.”
—The Rookie star Mekia Cox

“Every single year since I first got here it’s just been, you know, how can I help this franchise improve? And I just have felt that gradual improvement. I think we’ve all felt it, everybody here. And so, when you feel that improvement year in and year out, it just motivates you to come back to the next season ever better and stronger.”
—Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero

“What I do know is you should never feel in your life that good times can’t happen for you if you are single. Nothing could be further from the truth. Being by yourself is wonderful, it really is, and you still get to surround yourself with good people, positive people—just ensure they are realistic people also.”
—Jennifer Coolidge

“I’ve always said age is in the mind, and I firmly believe that. In this industry you see 30-year-olds acting 50 and 50-year-olds acting 30—and younger! It really doesn’t matter. Providing you are fit and healthy, you can put your mind (and your body) to pretty much anything.”
—Pedro Pascal

“Keep yourself inspired. Even if you are working all the time, you are going to have dormant times. Continuously go to museums, read plays, read books and write. Even if you’re not good at any of that stuff. Draw. Doing anything that can kind of keep you creative is very important. Not to be myopic about it, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Just be a person of the world. I think that will come through in your work.”
—Broadway star and television actor Gideon Glick

“I think people assume I’m all pink dresses and makeup, but honestly, give me an oil-stained hoodie and a wrench and I’m happy. … My grandfather used to race stock cars, and when I was little I’d hang out in the garage with him in Idaho, watching him work on his old pickup. And that stuck with me. Now I have a little garage of my own in L.A., and it’s my escape. No cameras, no scripts—just me and the car.”
—Sydney Sweeney

“There’s a real pressure because you’re stepping into something beloved. Fans of the original Naked Gun films—and Police Squad! before that—know those lines, those gags, inside out. They’re part of the comedy canon. I wasn’t just trying to play a funny character—I was trying to live up to a whole tradition of spoof done right. And believe me, that’s much harder than it looks.”
—Liam Neeson

“I look back at myself at 12 years old, stepping onto the set of Stranger Things, and I had no idea what was coming. I didn’t understand the weight of it. Now, at 21, I feel like I’ve lived so many different versions of myself in such a short time. Fame forces you to grow up fast, but I’ve had amazing people around me—my family, my [husband] Jake and a great team—to keep me grounded.”
—Millie Bobby Brown

“Honestly, my life is pretty normal. I cook, I binge TV shows, I hang out with friends. People sometimes forget that behind the red carpets and photo shoots, we’re just human beings navigating the same ups and downs.”
—Elle Fanning

“When I was younger, I was very aware of every camera, every role, every review. I chased perfection. Now, age feels like grace. I care less about being perfect, and more about being present and authentic. The idea of legacy doesn’t scare me. If I’ve been able to move people, to create something beautiful, to do it with honesty, then that feels good.”
—Michelle Pfeiffer

“When I see an opportunity where I can perhaps help other actors, I find it satisfying to be both nourishing and therapeutic, to feel as though I know these people much more than just as actors. Quite often you’ll act with somebody for three months and never even have a cup of coffee with them. That’s not my style.”
—Sylvester Stallone

“People who come up to me, more often than not, talk about having watched the show with their families, and what a great time in their life that it was. … It’s always nice to hear that we brought families together. We made them feel something. That’s really our job, and so, job well done if I was able to do that.”
—Former JAG star David James Elliott

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