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<p>In the vast landscape of Hollywood, certain individuals possess the talent and drive to capture our attention and leave a lasting impact. Taylor Zakhar Perez, a rising star, has emerged as one such individual, captivating audiences with his acting prowess and using his celebrity platform to advocate for social causes close to his heart.</p>



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<p>Born on Christmas Eve 1991, in South Chicago Heights, Illinois, into a family of Mexican, Middle Eastern and Eastern European ancestry, Taylor discovered his passion for the performing arts at a young age. Raised in a supportive environment that nurtured his creativity, he participated in school plays and local theatre productions. After completing high school, where he excelled at swimming, the budding thespian pursued his dreams and enrolled at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles, where he honed his acting skills and laid the foundation for his future career.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Kissing Tell</h3>



<p>“Failure wasn’t an option,” says Zakhar Perez today of his decade-plus journey through Hollywood. Now 31, the actor moved away from his seven siblings in the Midwest to attend UCLA – in part so he could moonlight as an assistant at creative agency Art Department, where his uncle worked at the time. That was in addition to a few other gigs and, of course, attending class.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_08_p-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-80412" width="614" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_08_p-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_08_p-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_08_p-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_08_p-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_08_p-1639x2048.jpg 1639w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_08_p-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_08_p-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_08_p-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /></figure></div>


<p>“I was working three or four jobs at one time: school, Art Department, production assisting, acting classes, and I was also a cater-waiter,” he says. “I didn’t move to Hollywood to not do what I wanted to do.”</p>



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<p>It was in the second part of Netflix’s high-school romantic comedy series The Kissing Booth that Zakhar Perez made his big screen debut as Marco Peña, the dreamy, muscular and gifted “snack” that Elle (Joey King) calls him. Fans of the first film had launched co-stars King and Jacob Elordi into superstardom seemingly overnight, and Zakhar Perez received similar treatment. Within hours of The Kissing Booth 2’s release in 2020, he had more than four million Instagram followers. He was blown away by the response.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_05_p-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-80411" width="616" height="771" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_05_p-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_05_p-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_05_p-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_05_p-1228x1536.jpg 1228w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_05_p-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_05_p-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_05_p-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Taylor-Zakhar-Perez_05_p-scaled.jpg 2047w" sizes="(max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px" /></figure></div>


<p>“I think my Instagram glitched, and my DMs [direct messages] still don’t work!” he exclaimed shortly after, highlighting the seeming absurdity of his instant appeal. “I try to delete them, I’ve talked to Instagram like, ‘Hey, I think these DMs are breaking my phone. It just glitches all the time.’ And they’ve tried to do it, but they still come in hot.”</p>



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<p>His charismatic portrayal of the charming and confident Marco garnered critical acclaim and quickly endeared him to audiences worldwide. The following year he reprised his role in The Kissing Booth 3, solidifying his status as a rising star in the industry.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Honour Colour</h3>



<p>Zakhar Perez is not only known for his talent but also for his unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community. Since entering show business, he has expressed his commitment to creating an inclusive and accepting society. “Love knows no boundaries, and it’s high time we embrace and celebrate the diversity within the LGBTQ+ community,” he notes. “Acceptance is the first step towards building a society where everyone feels seen, heard and loved.”</p>



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<p>As a vocal and highly visible advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, he has actively participated in events and initiatives that promote equality and understanding. He says: “As an actor, I believe it’s crucial to use my platform to amplify voices that are often marginalised. Supporting the LGBTQ+ community is not only a moral obligation, but it’s also about creating a more compassionate and inclusive world.”</p>


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<p>In addition to his support for the LGBTQ+ community, Zakhar Perez is a champion of mental health awareness. Recognising the importance of destigmatising mental health struggles, he has openly discussed his own experiences and encouraged open conversations about mental well- being. His dedication to raising awareness and promoting self-care serves as an inspiration to many.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Movies and Movements</h3>



<p>Zakhar Perez is always moving forward. Having two successful films in quick succession under his belt, he was keen to take riskier steps in his career and continue to develop as an artist. “I’m inspired to lead more, inspired to throw myself in with talented people who are better than me. I just wanna learn it all,” he said at the time.</p>



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<p>His guest role as a firefighter and potential raunchy cover star in HBO Max’s female-driven, female-created show Minx (2022) allowed him to do just that. The unconventional rom-com was greatly altered by this series set in the 1970s about the launch of an erotic magazine for women.</p>



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<p>Zakhar Perez was thrilled to work with comedy great Jake Johnson of New Girl fame, who played one of the show’s leads.</p>


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<p>His most recent film role sees him playing the co-lead. In the Amazon romantic comedy Red, White and Royal Blue, he is the gay son of the US president who falls for a prince of England – another character that casts him in a different light to his legion of adoring fans.</p>



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<p>For him, life lessons aren’t limited to the big screen and cameras. He actively seeks to use his stardom to inform people about critical subjects, particularly in this era of performative ‘repost culture’. He has personally and consciously explored the topic of environmental challenges on his Instagram.</p>



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<p>“I really like digging my heels into one social issue and being like, ‘This is what I know. This is what I’m learning,’” he says. “And maybe the people that follow me will have read everything along the way and understood it.”</p>


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<p>And he’s all about practising what he preaches. “I’m trying to figure out composting. I’m trying to figure out a garden and chickens,” he laughs. “I’ll be that crazy chicken dad!”</p>



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<p>Zakhar Perez’s background, career and advocacy works reflect his multifaceted, multicultural nature as an actor and individual. Through his talent, authenticity and dedication, he has positioned himself as a role model for future generations of actors and as a rising star with a passion for making a difference in the world. As his journey continues, audiences can anticipate witnessing his growth and impact both on and off the screen.</p>



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<p>However, he may need a chicken-sitter when he’s away on long shoots, which is what he plans to do, keeping an open mind to wherever his next move will take him.</p>


Taylor Making: From the Kissing Booth to Instagram, rising star Taylor Zakhar Perez shouts out for equity


<p>Gemma Chan’s high cheekbones, bright eyes and full lips characterise a face that is symmetrical to the point where it seems statistically improbable. This may be the reason behind her frequent casting in superpowered or non-human roles, such as the selfless android, Mia, in the British TV series Humans, space sniper Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel, and immortal alien Sersi in Eternals. But though her striking face will have helped her acting career, it is really just a superficial footnote to a person who runs truly deep.</p>



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<p>Long before Hollywood came calling with a part in Crazy Rich Asians, Chan nearly took a different professional path. She declined a job offer from a prestigious London legal firm after earning her law degree at Oxford University in 2004. Rather, she enrolled at the esteemed acting school Drama Centre London. Two decades on, the British-Chinese actor has reached a comfortable level of celebrity status, capturing the hearts of audiences worldwide with her talent and unwavering commitment to breaking barriers in the entertainment industry.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Not So Crazy Rich</h3>



<p>From humble beginnings to trailblazer, Gemma Chan’s life story is one of perseverance, resilience and a relentless pursuit of empowering others. She has openly acknowledged that her parents – hardworking Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong (father) and mainland China originally (mother) – overcame great adversity to earn degrees in engineering and pharmacy respectively.</p>


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<p>Now aged 41, she was born in London and raised in a tight-knit Chinese family who had made Scotland their home. Her parents instilled in her the values of hard work, education and cultural heritage. Her father had survived two years of homelessness when their one-room flat in Hong Kong burned down and put his five siblings through school by working on oil tankers – which is why he considered Gemma’s artistic dreams not at all practical.</p>



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<p>Some of her many early jobs include stocking shelves at the UK chemist chain, Boots, manning a shopping centre perfume counter and working as a lifeguard – all unimaginably far from the glamorous lifestyle she is now experiencing.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Diversity in Hollywood</h3>



<p>But her breakthrough via the role of Astrid Leong-Teo, a strong, independent woman and a famous actress, in the surprise hit Crazy Rich Asians (2018) proved her father’s view wrong. The film not only became a global phenomenon but also marked a significant milestone for Asian representation in Tinseltown.</p>



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<p>In various interviews, Chan has emphasised the importance of diversity in the film industry. She believes in the power of representation and the positive impact it can have on audiences. She says: “When people see themselves on screen, it validates their existence, their experiences, and it tells them that their stories matter.”</p>


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<p>Playing celebrated social climber Bess of Hardwick in Mary Queen of Scots (also 2018) was another step toward prominence, and it was swiftly followed by her strong entry into the Marvel universe. Chan has a platform now that she is well-known in the media, and she is using it to every minority’s benefit.</p>



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<p>She has been spotted on the red carpet, sporting clothing from Asian designers including Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Kenzo, Altuzarra and Adeam. “I was just so moved,” she says.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Power to the Women</h3>



<p>Beyond her on-screen presence, Chan has been a vocal advocate for women’s rights and combating gender stereotypes. Spotlighting the need for more complex and diverse female characters, she says: “It’s important to tell stories about women, showing them as fully realised human beings with desires, flaws and dreams.”</p>



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<p>She did just that in Captain Marvel, supporting the first standalone female title character (played by Brie Larson) in the Marvel universe in the first Marvel film directed by a woman. Chan also expresses her admiration for Gurung who has been “putting plus-size and transgender models on the runway”. She adds: “I love opening up a magazine and seeing a whole mixture of body types … grey hair, dark skin, wrinkles – we are saying that we find these things beautiful.”</p>



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<p>Chan’s passion for empowering women extends beyond her acting career. She has been involved with various organisations, including the Time’s Up movement, to call out sexual harassment, address inequality and promote gender parity in the entertainment industry and beyond. Her advocacy work amplifies marginalised voices and challenges societal norms.</p>


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<p>She supports Time’s Up Justice and Equality Fund, the British counterpart of the Legal Defense Fund that assists people challenging workplace sexual harassment and an unequal status quo. Additionally, she collaborated with fellow actor Ruth Wilson and the British Film Institute to conduct educational sessions with more than 400 drama school students on how to spot various forms of power abuse, comprehend nudity clauses, and safeguard oneself from compromising audition scenarios.</p>



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<p>“What’s going to be expected of you if you have to do a sex scene? What if you get asked to do something you’re not comfortable with? How can you say no?” asks Chan. “These are things they don’t teach you in drama school.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">To Be Continued</h3>



<p>Despite her rising fame, Gemma Chan remains grounded and acknowledges the challenges she has faced. She emphasises the importance of staying true to oneself, stating, “It’s really important to find your own voice and your own path, and to not be afraid of speaking out and saying no.”</p>



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<p>With all this activity in her life, from superhuman roles to battling for better industry standards, what could be next on her agenda? She expresses a desire to create more opportunities for underrepresented voices, saying: “I want to be part of making those stories visible, and hopefully, that will inspire someone else to tell their story.”</p>


Yes, She Chan! – Gemma Chan’s powerful performances and outspoken advocacy have shattered barriers and opened doors for under


<p>In the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, where talent and charisma go hand in hand, Jacob Elordi has emerged as a rising star who is captivating audiences worldwide. With his striking looks, undeniable acting prowess and an impressive range of performances, the 26-year-old Australian has quickly made a name for himself in the industry. From his breakout roles in The Kissing Booth films and the hit series Euphoria to being cast as Elvis in the latest exposé of the King of Rock and Roll’s rollercoaster life and loves, he is now one of Tinseltown’s most sought-after talents and a Gen Z idol.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Heart for Art</h3>



<p>Born in 1997 in Brisbane, the Gen Z actor showed an interest in the entertainment industry during his childhood. He attended St Joseph’s Nudgee College, a prestigious Catholic school, where he nurtured his acting skills by participating in school productions. After completing high school, he decided to pursue acting professionally and enrolled at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, which is renowned for producing talented actors.</p>


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<p>Having appeared as an extra in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which was shot on Australia’s Gold Coast, his dedication and commitment to his craft paid off when a year later he secured his first film role, at the age of 21, in the Australian comedy Swinging Safari (2018).</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Faces and Phases</h3>



<p>Elordi’s international breakthrough happened about the same time, as he was cast as Noah Flynn, the bad boy, in the US teenage romance The Kissing Booth. The film’s popularity got him noticed by Hollywood insiders and he reprised his role in two sequels within the next three years.</p>



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<p>Determined to make a bigger name for himself, he relocated to Los Angeles after the first film wrapped in 2017. He stayed on a friend’s couch in the San Fernando Valley for a few weeks, then slept in his 2004 Mitsubishi car on Mulholland Drive.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_03_p-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-79598" width="614" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_03_p-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_03_p-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_03_p-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_03_p-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_03_p-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_03_p.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /></figure></div>


<p>It was a hit-or-miss period in his young life and Elordi rode his luck. “I wasn’t booking jobs,” he recalls of this uncertain time. “I think I had US$400 or $800 left in my bank account – and Euphoria was my last audition before I went home for a little while to make some money and recuperate.”</p>



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<p>Fortunately, the stars were aligned as he landed the part of Nate Jacobs in the groundbreaking series. When it came time to film the pilot, however, Elordi continued to rely on his vehicle. After noticing this less than ideal living arrangement, a producer on the show moved him into a room at the Standard Hotel in West Hollywood. “I got really lucky. Which is just an L.A. story, you know?” he says.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Fairy Revelation</h3>



<p>For a heartthrob whose friendships with female co-stars Joey King and Zendaya, model Kaia Gerber and YouTuber Olivia Jade Guiannulli are constantly the subject of media speculation, Elordi was proud to take on a gender-bending persona in his youth. At age 12, he was chosen to play Oberon, King of the Faeries, in a production of the Shakespeare comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As might be expected in an Australian school at that time, he had to wear the thickest of skins to face the bullies.</p>



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<p>“I did a play and I was called gay at school,” he says. “When they said I was gay, I remember leaning into the makeup [and thinking] if I’m going to be the King of the Fairies, I’m going to be the f&#8212;ing hottest King of the Fairies you’ve ever seen.”</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_01_p-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-79596" width="614" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_01_p-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_01_p-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_01_p-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_01_p-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_01_p-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_01_p.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /></figure></div>


<p>The budding actor was motivated by the homophobic bullying because he wanted to disprove his friends’ beliefs about his passion, rather than rejecting it in favour of hobbies they thought were manlier.</p>



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<p>“I’m going to show you that’s bulls&#8212;,” he vowed at the time of personal mission. “I could never understand, how could you label anything, ever? How could you label sport as masculine? How does your sexuality inform your prowess as an athlete, or your prowess as a performer?”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Brad Choice</h3>



<p>In line with his debut US film, Elordi confesses that his own first kiss experience was one of the most romantic moments of his life. “Train station in East Malvern, in Melbourne, with a girl named Ruby,” he recalls of the encounter. “We met at, I think, 4:20 sharp. It was a date to meet and kiss. It’s probably still one of the most romantic moments in my life.”</p>



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<p>His first celebrity crush may be a little more unexpected. “Brad Pitt, Yeah. I think in Troy,” he says, referencing the epic 2004 film in which the celebrated actor, who turns 60 this month, played the mythological ancient Greek warrior Achilles.</p>



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<p>“That’s a beautiful man, there’s no denying it.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Stripped Bare</h3>



<p>When it comes to romance, Euphoria treads a more unconventional and daring path than the usual teen dramas. The show, which broke the mould for its depiction of drug use and transgender relationships when it debuted in 2019, has a lot of intimate nude scenes. Elordi, who describes Nate as a “sweet, lovable, relatable, giant, 18-year-old psychopath” says the nudity “comes with the territory of the character” who is in an abusive sexual relationship and that he “kind of [has] no choice” to realise the demands of series creator Sam Levinson’s challenging script.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Magnetic Power</h3>



<p>Elordi is currently turning heads as Elvis Presley in the Sofia Coppola film based on Priscilla Presley’s autobiography. When asked if he’s a huge fan of Elvis, the youthful Australian honestly answers no, admitting that the songs in the 2002 Disney animated picture Lilo &amp; Stitch were probably his first exposure to the rock icon’s music.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_02_p-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-79597" width="614" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_02_p-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_02_p-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_02_p-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_02_p-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_02_p-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jacob-Elordi-BW_02_p.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /></figure></div>


<p>He was reportedly in a head-to-head battle with Austin Butler – who clinched a Bafta award in Baz Luhrmann’s acclaimed 2022 biopic – for the role of Elvis, but got the nod to step into those famous blue suede shoes. “I thought nobody was going look quite like Elvis, but Jacob has that same type of magnetism. He’s so charismatic, and girls go crazy around him, so I knew he could pull off playing this type of romantic icon,” says Coppola, who wrote, directed and produced Priscilla.</p>



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<p>This latest movie is somewhat reflective of Jacob Elordi’s own story – a deft breakthrough performance perfectly poised between youthful fantasy and adult reality.</p>


Elordi in Waiting: Priscilla star Jacob Elordi is rapidly climbing the Hollywood ladder to become Gen Z’s leading man


<p>Halle Bailey never anticipated that she would be called for the main role in Disney’s live-action musical adaptation of The Little Mermaid. She believed, Ariel, the Disney princess who gives up her voice and mermaid tail to be with a “spineless, savage, harpooning fish- eater” human – would not be played by an actress who looked like her, despite her obvious credentials. The 23-year-old popstar has been writing music since the age of eight, opened for Beyoncé in Europe at 16, and has five Grammy nominations.</p>



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<p>“I love that there’s so much Black diversity on screen now,” she says. “There was a time when we’d barely see locs – and now we have a Disney princess with them. It was super important for me to have my natural hair in this film. I’ve had my locs since I was five, so they’re a huge part of who I am. We need to be able to see ourselves, we need to be able to see our hair on big screens like this so that we know that it’s beautiful and more than acceptable.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Beyoncé protégé</h3>



<p>Before her successful Disney big-screen debut, Bailey was best known as one-half of the sisterly pop duo Chloe x Halle, whose first claim to fame was their YouTube cover of Beyoncé’s Pretty Hurts grabbing the attention of the music legend herself. The song changed the teenagers’ lives, propelling them to overnight prominence. They became the opening acts for both Beyoncé’s The Formation World Tour and Andra Day’s Cheers to the Fall Tour in 2016 and released popular EPs and albums including Uncovered, Sugar Symphony and The Kids Are Alright.</p>


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<p>Their musical style, which transcends genres, distinguishes Chloe x Halle, two years her senior, from other artists. “My sister and I would always play mermaid in the pool,” she recalls. “Our first mixtape was called The Two of Us – I think weput it out when I was 15–and on the cover,I’m wearing my favourite mermaid blanket; it’s like a mermaid tail. Looking back, I’m like, that’s so weird. In a way, it was a coincidence. But really, it was the universe or God [giving me] a hint.”</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Musical youth</h3>



<p>Born in Mableton, Georgia, Halle picked up the cello and violin at a very young age, and like her sister learned how to play the guitar by studying YouTube tutorials. Noticing their musical development, their father, Doug Bailey, became their full-time manager, arranging for the girls – the middle pair of four siblings – to perform in the Atlanta area.</p>



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<p>The family relocated to Los Angeles in late 2012 when Halle was 12. Two years later, Chloe x Halle signed with Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment management company and record label. By 2021, the sisters had released two albums and earned a slew of industry accolades.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78136" width="614" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0082-copy-2_P_clip-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /></figure></div>


<p>“One major high would definitely be when my sister and I were nominated for Grammys,” she says. “We sang Where Is the Love by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack, and that was actually the performance that got me noticed by Little Mermaid director Rob Marshall. It was confirmation for me that my own abilities and belief in myself [is enough]. I believed in myself for the first time.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Purple patch</h3>



<p>In addition, Bailey is a fantastic actress who made her screen debut in the 2006 romantic comedy Last Holiday. She then appeared in the 2012 films Let It Shine and Joyful Noise, and has played Skylar in the American TV sitcom Grown-ish. Completing a hat-trick of films this year is The Line, which premiered a few months before the Disney musical, and the much anticipated The Color Purple, based on the stage musical and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-758x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78139" width="569" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-758x1024.jpg 758w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-207x280.jpg 207w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-768x1038.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-1136x1536.jpg 1136w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-1515x2048.jpg 1515w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-200x270.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-800x1081.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_1229-copy_P-scaled.jpg 1894w" sizes="(max-width: 569px) 100vw, 569px" /></figure></div>


<p>“I am so excited to be playing young Nettie in The Color Purple. This film has meant a lot to me for a very long time – it’s a Black family staple,” she says. “I also got a chance to write an original song for the film. It’s been really cool to incorporate my artistry into this new world of acting. I’m just so grateful to be a part of the film. I cannot wait for people to see it. I think they’ll love it.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Breaking the mould</h3>



<p>Early this year, when the first pictures of Bailey as Ariel appeared on social media, there was a definite shift toward a new normal that was felt all over the world. The internet was inundated with videos of young Black girls excitedly responding to an Ariel they could identify with. Disney broke the mould when choosing its lead actor, and The Little Mermaid delivered a plethora of surprises appropriate for the new decade. The movie – and Bailey – are taking the responsibility of its global impact seriously.</p>



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<p>She says: “My main goal has always been to stay true to myself. There’s so much more to being a young woman than this fairy-tale character. I think other people have a hard time separating who Halle is and who a princess is – and that’s natural when you’re a fan of an artist. But it’s a beautiful thing to be a layered individual and not fit into one certain image.”</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78138" width="614" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0478-copy_P-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /></figure></div>


<p>Bailey imagines herself working as a nurse, paediatrician or a kindergarten teacher if she had not broken into entertainment. As to whether she ever yearns for the realism seen outside the Hollywood bubble, she remarks: “It’s fun to think about, but honestly, no, because this has been my normal for so long.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Greater purpose</h3>



<p>Instead, she is careful not to let her work as an artist and entertainer distract from the purpose she would like to fulfil. “The awards and the accolades and the people complimenting, it’s all great, but what [am I] here for really?” she ponders. “What am I doing to give it back to God? What am I doing actively to be a better person every single day?”</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-78137" width="614" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-768x960.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-200x250.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HALLE-BAILEY-230523-Glamour_X_HB_0218-copy_P_clip-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /></figure></div>


<p>Arguably, her historic role as Ariel is indeed part of her larger purpose, and something she is – and should be – remarkably proud of. Some people believe that our fate is predetermined. Some people think we can control our own future. But for Halle Bailey, both these factors may have contributed to her extraordinary rise from child prodigy to bona fide Hollywood actress.</p>


The Mermaid’s Tale: Halle Bailey makes a splash in the groundbreaking role of Ariel – under the sea and above it


<p>Throwback is a new-century buzzword, and old-century proponent Cillian Murphy is one through and through. He has purposefully maintained his obscurity at a time when celebrities openly share their true selves on social media. He doesn’t use X (Twitter) or Instagram; he doesn’t even have a mobile phone or computer. Instead of posing for photos with fans, he approaches them and asks if he can shake their hand, converse with them, or sign something.</p>



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<p>He aggressively rejects the notion that he should be renowned and doesn’t even want to be known for anything. And the 43-year-old aims to keep it this way regardless of the hype generated by Oppenheimer, the latest addition to his long catalogue of both artistic films and blockbuster hits. Truly, Murphy nails the quiet masculinity of a man who strikes his own path in life with the air of supreme self-assurance while inwardly dealing with his own moral quandaries.</p>


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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Early aptitude</h3>



<p>The striking Irish actor was born in Douglas, the eldest child of four; his mother was a French teacher and his father worked for the Department of Education. He attended Presentation Brothers College in Cork, and went on to study law at University College Cork but – realising the profession wasn’t for him – left after a year.</p>



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<p>His first passion was music, singing and playing the guitar in several bands. He was then wooed by acting, taking roles in student productions and joining the Corcadorca Theatre Company in Cork. He made his professional debut on stage in 1996 in Disco Pigs, a play whose initial six-week run extended into a two-year international tour and was made into a film in 2001.</p>



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<p>Having relocated to Dublin and then London to secure theatre work, Murphy was noticed in this first major screen performance by the casting director for Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic horror film, 28 Days Later (2002). He landed the star role and earned himself nominations for Best Newcomer at the Empire Awards and Breakthrough Male Performance at the MTV Movie Awards. The acclaim that he didn’t want began in earnest.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Genius revealed</h3>



<p>Fast forward to 2023, a time of blockbusters that spotlight women, but there is still something to be said for storylines that let men be men. Particularly if they are brilliant, charismatic men. A prime example of this is Oppenheimer, the epic biopic of the American physicist who designed the atomic bomb.</p>



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<p>Ten years earlier, a BBC series headlined by Murphy changed television forever. Peaky Blinders combined the intriguing genres of historical fiction, gangster drama and psychological thriller to create an irresistible hybrid. Much like in Oppenheimer, a brilliant man finds himself thrust into a position of power while on his own (dubiously moral) mission, and whether that’s pushing the boundaries of science to develop a weapon of mass destruction or taking out his enemies one by one, you can’t help but root for him.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_Dancing_01-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77958" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_Dancing_01-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_Dancing_01-498x280.jpg 498w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_Dancing_01-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_Dancing_01-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_Dancing_01-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_Dancing_01-200x113.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_Dancing_01-800x450.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Piercing eye</h3>



<p>Murphy’s signature looks, most notably his piercing blue eyes, have drawn in audiences around the world. It appears that his Oppenheimer co-stars were also affected by this mesmerising gaze. “It’s a real problem when you’re doing scene work with Cillian,” said Matt Damon. “Sometimes you find yourself just swimming in his eyes.” Emily Blunt added: “It’s like that Ocean Eyes song by Billie Eilish. We just hum it all day.”</p>



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<p>The choice to cast Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer was a straightforward one, according to the film’s director Christopher Nolan. “I’d been staring at the cover of the book American Prometheus [Oppenheimer’s biography] for so many months, and there’s this photograph, black and white, a light blue-eyed stare, very intense, of this guy,” says Nolan. “And I thought, ‘Well, I know who could do that.’”</p>



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<p>Murphy has appeared in six of Nolan’s films, but this is the first in which he plays the lead. The filmmaker reportedly admitted to being originally captivated by Murphy’s “crazy eyes” when casting him as the evil Scarecrow in Batman Begins (2005), beginning an 18-plus year collaboration. He portrayed the petulant heir of a business magnate in Inception (2010) and appeared as a traumatised soldier in Dunkirk (2017).</p>



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<p>Consequently, the public perception of the actor is that because he is usually a little spooky onscreen, and we almost never see him off- screen, he must be kind of a creepy guy. But there’s really more than meets the eye.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Oscar buzz</h3>



<p>The actor delivers a powerhouse performance in Oppenheimer. It’s a complex role and Murphy soars in it. It will surely result in Murphy’s first- ever Oscar bid, but unlike the Golden Globe Best Actor nod he received for playing a transgender woman in Breakfast on Pluto (2005), many critics think that it will go one better than the nomination and he will win on his first try.</p>



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<p>His Oppenheimer silhouette is one of the most striking cinematic images of the year. Blunt has said he ate only one almond a day in preparation for the role. While he hasn’t revealed his exact diet, Murphy did say: “I love acting with my body, and Oppenheimer had a very distinct physicality and silhouette, which I wanted to get right. I had to lose quite a bit of weight, and we worked with the costume and tailoring; he was very slim, almost emaciated, existed on martinis and cigarettes.”</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_On_Couch_01-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77959" width="768" height="432" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_On_Couch_01-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_On_Couch_01-498x280.jpg 498w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_On_Couch_01-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_On_Couch_01-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_On_Couch_01-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_On_Couch_01-200x113.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cillian-Murphy_On_Couch_01-800x450.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>His dedication to the role also extended to learning 3,000 words of Dutch over one weekend. He shares: “I used to set aside, ‘I’ll work on this for a week and I’ll work on that for a week.’”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cult of obscurity</h3>



<p>He has rigorously assembled a creative body of work on his own admirable terms. One consequence of those choices is that his career has been spent further from the white-hot centre of show business than his talent would suggest; he’s remained purposefully guarded against the notoriety that he finds antithetical to creative success (not to mention personal happiness).</p>



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<p>Oppenheimer, though, as a box-office giant has changed all that. It displays the full breadth of his gifts – and has earned him a level of fame he finds completely mortifying.</p>


Cillian Instinct: Despite his startling eyes and immense talent, actor Cillian Murphy shuns the limelight


<p>It was music for Taylor Swift and Taylor Swift for music at the get-go. The country star turned pop star royalty showed a passion for music at a young age and quickly advanced from parts in children’s theatre to performing in front of a large audience. Before a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game at age 11, she sang The Star-Spangled Banner and the following year she picked up the guitar and started writing songs.</p>


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<p>Swift created original music that expressed her experiences of tween alienation by drawing inspiration from country-music performers like Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks. Her parents, supportive of her ambition for a musical career, sold their farm in Pennsylvania when she was 13 and relocated to Hendersonville, Tennessee, so she could attract the attention of country labels in nearby Nashville.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-19-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77488" width="768" height="512" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-19-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-19-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-19-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-19-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-19-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-19-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-19-800x533.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Swift met recording-industry veterans through a development arrangement with RCA Records, and in 2004, when she was 14 years old, she signed with Sony/ ATV as a songwriter. She frequently played her own songs at venues in the Nashville region, and it was during one of these performances that record executive Scott Borchetta took note. </p>



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<p>Swift was recruited by Borchetta to his budding Big Machine label, and in the summer of 2006, she released her debut single, Tim McGraw, which was heavily influenced by the teenager’s favourite country musician. And the rest, including her chart-topping discographies, as they say, is history (her story in that case).</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Voice for feminism</h3>



<p>When the Grammy Award-winning music video – full of strong women kicking ass – for her iconic hit Bad Blood came back to back with her topping Maxim’s 2015 Hot 100 list, she took a moment to speak out about feminism and equality: “A man writing about his feelings from a vulnerable place is brave; a woman writing about her feelings from a vulnerable place is oversharing or whining. Misogyny is ingrained in people from the time they are born. So, to me, feminism is probably the most important movement that you could embrace, because it’s just basically another word for equality.”</p>


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<p>At the same time, Swift faced criticism for penning too many songs in the past about her ex-boyfriends and other intimate relationships. She finds this critique anti-feminist and no longer has time for it. “When I was a teenager, I would hear people talk about sexism in the music industry, and I’d be like, I don’t see it. I don’t understand. Then I realised that was because I was a kid,” she explains.</p>



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<p>“I didn’t see myself being held back until I was a woman. Or the double standards in headlines, the double standards in the way stories are told, the double standards in the way things are perceived.” She used her 2019 song The Man to emphasise how women and men are treated differently in the industry.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Political pride</h3>



<p>Taylor also wants people to know that she supports the LGBTQ community, having received criticism of inaction in this regard. She claims she has consistently supported the movement through her work and charitable contributions. Clarifying her viewpoint, she says: “I didn’t realise until recently that I could advocate for a community that I’m not a part of. It’s hard to know how to do that without being so fearful of making a mistake that you just freeze.”</p>


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<p>You Need To Calm Down, the smash-hit single from her 2019 album Lover, highlights her support of the LGBTQ community. The music video features Katy Perry, Ellen DeGeneres and iconic drag queens. The whole Lover catalogue was released at midnight on June 1, the beginning of Pride Month, when Swift introduced a petition in support of the US federal Equality Act. This legislation would amend the Civil Rights Act to outlaw discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.</p>


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<p>Swift also posted a letter to the Republican Lamar Alexander, then the US Senator from Tennessee, asking him to vote yes. The request, on her personal letterhead, denounced President Donald Trump for not supporting the Equality Act. “I personally reject the president’s stance,” Swift wrote. Need she say more?</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Unfashionable authenticity</h3>



<p>Since breaking into the public eye in 2006 as a 16-year-old wunderkind, Swift has become one of the most commercially successful singers of all time. Last year, her songs received 36.6 billion streams, but her aesthetic has never attracted the same kind of attention. Unlike her contemporaries, she isn’t necessarily a fashion icon. She rarely attends Fashion Week and frequently misses the Met Gala. She favours light-blue wash denim shorts, a faded pink vest and unassuming sneakers.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-21-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77489" width="768" height="432" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-21-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-21-498x280.jpg 498w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-21-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-21-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-21-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-21-200x113.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-21-800x450.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Despite being quite nondescript, this style is notable for how Taylor Swift really is. Her attire suggests that she may be performing at a local talent show even though she is playing to tens of thousands of fans on a stadium tour. Lots of slogan T-shirts, sparkly bodysuits and prom dresses with meringue skirts. Her current tour, dubbed Eras, is a retrospective of the outfits from each of her 10 studio albums.</p>



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<p>However, a lack of fashion cred is not always a terrible thing. She is a sincere and cinematic hitmaker who effortlessly navigates embarrassing confessionals on Lover and small- town stagnation on Midnight (2022). All of this is done with an unfashionable authenticity.</p>


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<p>Swift is portrayed in pop culture as the wise best friend that her followers wish they had when they were teenagers (the Swifties actually exchange friendship bracelets). She is someone who may have covered their eyelids in glitter after being rejected by their preferred prom date, a person who would take great satisfaction in creating the ideal ‘heartbreak’ sundae with heaped piles of whipped cream, Oreos and chocolate syrup.</p>



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<p>Swift’s songwriting, in contrast to that of so many of her peers, is more likely to make references to her pet cats and a home-for- the-holidays crush than a Hermès bag. And this ordinariness resonates with many more people than perhaps she ever imagined when she first visited Nashville as a child and dreamed of making it big.</p>


Taylor to Perfection: Beyond the guitar strum, blonde locks and sold-out concerts, there is plenty of substance to Taylor Swift’s striking silhouette

<p>At just 24, Zendaya already has a Marvel role, an Emmy and a certified platinum song under her belt</p>
<p>At an age where most people are only just starting to navigate their career paths, 24-year-old American actress and singer Zendaya just took home the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in the smash hit HBO show, Euphoria. She’s the youngest actress in history to win the award, beating out stiff competition from Tinseltown veterans like Laura Linney, Sandra Oh and Jennifer Aniston. She has also been lauded for playing the straight-talking MJ in Marvel’s wildly successful Spider-Man franchise, released two hit albums and recorded a platinum-selling song – Rewrite the Stars, from the soundtrack of the 2017 musical drama The Greatest Showman. The world, it seems, just can’t get enough of Zendaya.</p>
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<p>Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman – to give her full name – was born on September 1, 1996, as the only child of teachers Claire Marie Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu, a.k.a. Samuel David Coleman. Painfully shy from the get-go, she was forced to repeat kindergarten in order to socially acclimatise with her schoolmates. At six, she was introduced to acting when she and two of her friends, the only black children at their private school, convinced the principal to allow them to perform a play for Black History Month. “I was Bessie Coleman,” she remembers, “My friends were Harriet Tubman and Madam C.J. Walker. We just felt we needed to raise awareness about the importance of these women.”</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-IN-BERLUTI.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-54230" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-IN-BERLUTI.jpg" alt="Euphoric Rise Emmy winner Zendaya gafencu magazine IN BERLUTI" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-IN-BERLUTI.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-IN-BERLUTI-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-IN-BERLUTI-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-IN-BERLUTI-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-IN-BERLUTI-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-IN-BERLUTI-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-IN-BERLUTI-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
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<p>From that day on, Zendaya was smitten. Every summer, she would accompany her mom to her second job at the California Shakespeare Theater, acting in several of their productions. She also signed up for dance lessons and joined a dance troupe for three years. Her first taste of stardom, though, came when she landed one of the lead roles of Disney Channel’s Shake It Up in 2010. By the time she graduated high school, the multi-talented teen had starred in two more Disney TV shows, penned an inspirational book for tweens titled Between U and Me, and released a solo album featuring a song, Replay, that went platinum. She also starred in season 16 of Dancing with the Stars at 16 years old – then the youngest-ever contestant on the show – and wound up finishing strong in second place.&nbsp;</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_54233" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-54233" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-4.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-54233" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-4.jpg" alt="The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes On Fashion - Arrivals" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-4.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-4-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-4-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-4-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-4-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-4-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-4-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-54233" class="wp-caption-text">Zendaya and Law Roach at the 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp in New York City. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for THR)</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>Never one to rest on her laurels, Zendaya also found time in her busy schedule to indulge her love of all things sartorial. In 2016, she found her own clothing line, Daya by Zendaya, and also starred as a guest judge on the 15th season of Project Runway. Two years later, she was signed by fashion label Tommy Hilfiger as its global women’s ambassador and collaboratively released several Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya capsule collections.</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_54237" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-54237" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-in-cartier-High-Jewellery-1.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-54237" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-in-cartier-High-Jewellery-1.jpg" alt="71st Emmy Awards - Arrivals" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-in-cartier-High-Jewellery-1.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-in-cartier-High-Jewellery-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-in-cartier-High-Jewellery-1-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-in-cartier-High-Jewellery-1-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-in-cartier-High-Jewellery-1-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-54237" class="wp-caption-text">Zendaya at the 71st Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>The crowning achievement of her young life, though, possibly came earlier this year, when she nabbed the coveted Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her leading role as Rue in the HBO hit series Euphoria. Loosely based on the Israeli TV show of the same name, Euphoria delivers a vibrant, almost brutal depiction of contemporary US high school life, burnished with the very real issues of social media, drugs and more. Zendaya was lauded in all corners for her gritty portrayal of the reckless recovering teen drug addict, with The Guardian calling her performance “mesmerising” and “astonishing”, and The New Yorker even dubbing her “the best part” of the series.</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;">“Although Euphoria was amazing and exciting, it was also extremely stressful. It gave me anxiety every week”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Eager to give back, the actress has found a unique way to raise funds and awareness for different causes – by using her birthday as a means to raise funds for worthy initiatives. When she turned 18, she partnered with Convoy of Hope – a philanthropic relief organization with whom she has been connected since 2012 – to raise money to feed over 100 malnourished children in Haiti, the Philippines, and Tanzania. The following year, following a trip to South Africa with UN AIDS, she hosted another fundraising project, this time to help the country’s AIDS orphans. To celebrate turning 20, Zendaya once again teamed up with Convoy of Hope, this time managing to raise US$50,000 for the organization’s Women’s Empowerment Initiative.&nbsp;</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_54234" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-54234" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-5.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-54234" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-5.jpg" alt="Spider-Man: Far From Home Premiere" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-5.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-5-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-5-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-5-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-5-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-54234" class="wp-caption-text">Zendaya attends the Premiere of &#8220;Spider-Man Far From Home&#8221; at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Glenn Francis/Pacific Pro Digital Photography)</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>Speaking about her passion for charitable and social endeavors, she says, “I don’t just sing, dance, and act because I love it,” she says. “You have to have a purpose, and mine is to connect with the world, to get across messages that are important. I’d much rather be known for leaving a little stamp of positivity on one person’s life than for the last project that I did.”</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;">“I’d much rather be known for leaving a little stamp of positivity on one person&#8217;s life than for the last project that I did”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>She still does, however, have multiple projects looming on the horizon, with her next high-profile appearance set to be in the upcoming remake of Frank Herbert’s cult science-fiction novel Dune (2021) alongside co-star Timothée Chalamet. She has also reunited with Euphoria director Sam Levinson in the upcoming drama Malcolm &amp; Marie, a production that was shot in secret during the Covid-19 pandemic.</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-3.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-54232" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-3.jpg" alt="Euphoric Rise Emmy winner Zendaya gafencu magazine (3)" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-3.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-3-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-3-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-3-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Euphoric-Rise-Emmy-winner-Zendaya-gafencu-magazine-3-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></a></p>
<p>Perhaps her most anticipated silver screen return, though, is the reprisal of her beloved role as MJ in the as-yet untitled third sequel of the Spider-Man franchise, set for release in 2021. After that, the path seems less clear, though given Zendaya’s smart choices – both onscreen and in the charity sphere – chances are her star can only continue to rise.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Text: Tenzing Thondup</em></p>
<p><em>Photos: Dominic Miller, Bulgari</em></p>


Euphoric Rise Emmy winner Zendaya gafencu magazine celebrity feature

Euphoric Rise: Zendaya, the youngest Emmy award winner

<p>If you were going to cast the anti-Hollywood – an untinsely town that was the very antithesis of the world’s most high-profile movie production centre – a very good place to start would be Wandsworth. One of London’s least-distinguished boroughs, it is home to a number of neighbourhoods – notably Balham and Tooting Bec – that are all but shorthand for dull places to live among many metropolitan Brits.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-51348" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-1.jpg" alt="Emily Blunt 1" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-1.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-1-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-1-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-1-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>Nevertheless, it was here, on 23 February 1983, that one of Hollywood’s currently most-bankable icons – Emily Olivia Leah Blunt – first put in an appearance. Born into a Britain where unemployment had just hit an all-time high and where the tabloids of the day were going to town on the recent discovery of the lair of a serial killer (just 14 miles from where baby Blunt lay cradled), few would have put money on the fact that, 37 years later, she would be one of the world’s most in-demand actresses.</p>
<p>Indeed, the current level of her commitments is dizzying. Not only is she returning to cinemas this month in <em>A Quiet Place Part II</em> (a sequel to the 2018 smash hit horror movie she starred in alongside her husband John “<em>The Office US</em>” Krasinski), she is also tipped to be starring in <em>The English</em>, a new TV Western series coming courtesy of the BBC and scheduled to hit small screens globally next year. As if that was not enough, she and Krasinski are also rumoured to be in talks to play, arguably, the most famous couple in the Marvel comics universe – Sue and Reed Richards, a duo that makes up 50 percent of the <em>Fantastic Four</em> and are better known as, respectively, the Invisible Girl and the modestly-monikered Mr Fantastic.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-51349" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-2.jpg" alt="Emily Blunt 2" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-2.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-2-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-2-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-2-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-2-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></p>
<p>To be fair, this is not quite the rags to riches story so beloved of paid Hollywood legend-makers. In fact, it would be something of an understatement to say that the young Emily was born into a life of obscurity. The second of four children, her father, Oliver, was a high-profile barrister, while her mother, Joanna, was herself an actress. Nor do the family’s claims to fame end there – her grandfather was a Major General and one of her uncles was a local Member of Parliament. While such a lineage is clearly no guarantee of success, it was – at the very least – something of a door-opener for the aspiring young actress.</p>
<p>There was however one very literal impediment on her road to cinematic acclaim – from the age of seven, the young Blunt suffered from a debilitating stutter. Looking back on that difficult time, she now says: “Stutterers don’t feel understood. It’s not psychological. It’s not that you’re nervous, it’s not that you’re insecure, it’s not that you can’t read, it’s not that you don’t know what you want to say. It’s neurological, it’s genetic, it’s biological. It’s not your fault.”</p>
<p>It took her seven years to finally overcome the problem and only then with considerable counselling and therapy from the American Institute for Stuttering. Clearly a great believer in paying her dues, she is now one of the New York-headquartered charity’s most high-profile patrons.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-51350" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-3.jpg" alt="Emily Blunt 3" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-3.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-3-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-3-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-3-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-3-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></p>
<p>With this key obstacle out of the way, it wasn’t long after that when her star quality was spotted during a performance at her thesp-friendly sixth form college in Surrey. It was enough to secure her an agent and her first professional work swiftly followed. Her stage debut, though, didn’t see her appearing in just any old play.</p>
<p>No, aged 18, she took to the boards in a production of <em>The Royal Family</em>, a satire on a US acting dynasty directed by Sir Peter Hall, the former head of the UK’s National Theatre. Not only did this see the young actress appearing alongside true acting royalty – in the form of leading lady Dame Judi Dench – it also saw her singled out as the year’s Best Newcomer in the <em>London Evening Standard</em>’s annual theatre awards.</p>
<p>A string of other stage appearances followed before she made her TV debut in 2003’s <em>Boudica</em>, the tale of an ancient Celtic warrior woman. The following year she arrived – apparently fully-formed – on the big screen, winning widespread acclaim for her role as a young woman with romantic aspirations in <em>My Summer of Love</em>. From there, she was set on the fast track to Hollywood success.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-51351" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-4.jpg" alt="Emily Blunt 4" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-4.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-4-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-4-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-4-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Emily-Blunt-4-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></p>
<p>Naturally, her talent and looks also caught the attention of a host of would-be Hollywood beaux. It was, however, ultimately a Canadian – the multi-award-winning singer-songwriter Michael Bublé – who she embarked on her first high-profile relationship with. It was not long after the two went their separate way that she was introduced to Krasinski, who was then riding high as the audience touch-point in <em>The Office US</em>, a remake of a highly-successful BBC comedy series. The two got engaged the following year and married in July 2010 in Italy. Speaking at the time, a clearly smitten Blunt described the moment Krasinski proposed saying: “All I can tell you is that there were flutes playing in the background, butterflies, there were angels showering us with rainbow drops.”</p>
<p>Some 12 years later, with the angels still clearly on their side, the couple have two daughters – Hazel (five) and Violet (three) – with both their off-screen and onscreen partnership both seemingly still going strong. Neither does marriage or maternity appear to have diminished her allure, with <em>FHM</em> magazine recently designating her as one of the world’s 100 Sexiest Women. Next up, she’ll be hitting Hong Kong cinemas on March 19 in the long-awaited <em>A Quiet Place Part II</em>.</p>
<p><em>Text: William Elliott<br />
Photos: AFP</em></p>


Blunt Talk: How A Quiet Place actress Emily Blunt learnt to speak out

<p>Imagine missing out on earning a cool US$250 million. That’s the nightmare that actor Matt Damon recently revealed to be his biggest career regret. The sizeable amount would have been his payout had he accepted the starring role in director James Cameron’s smash sci-fi hit, <em>Avatar</em> (2009), which held the record for being the highest-grossing film of all time for nearly a decade until it was dethroned by <em>Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame</em> earlier this year.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49493" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-is-an-award-winning-actor.jpg" alt="Matt Damon is an award-winning actor" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-is-an-award-winning-actor.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-is-an-award-winning-actor-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-is-an-award-winning-actor-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-is-an-award-winning-actor-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-is-an-award-winning-actor-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></p>
<p>Speaking on this missed opportunity, Damon said: “Jim Cameron offered me <em>Avatar</em>. And when he offered it to me, he goes, ‘Now, listen. I don’t need anybody. I don’t need a name for this, a named actor. If you don’t take this, I’m going to find an unknown actor and give it to him, because the movie doesn’t really need you. But if you take the part, I’ll give you 10 percent&#8230;’”</p>
<p>Given that <em>Avatar</em> would go on to rake in a staggering US$2.7 billion, that 10 percent would have equated to a quarter of a billion dollars in the actor’s pocket. As fate would have it, though, he ultimately turned down this golden goose opportunity due to scheduling conflicts. However, massive payday aside, he had a bigger regret: “In having to say no, I was probably passing on the chance to ever work with him. So that sucked and that’s still brutal.”</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49496" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man.jpg" alt="Matt Damon, Hollywood leading man" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-Hollywood-leading-man-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>While he may have missed out on this hugely-lucrative role, that’s not to say that Matt Damon is destitute by a long shot. In fact, as of 2019, his current wealth is valued at a respectable US$160 million, according to Forbes, which ranks him as one of Tinseltown’s highest-earning leading men. What’s more, the experienced 49-year-old thespian has enjoyed what few other of his ilk have managed – the perfect balancing act between Hollywood longevity and personal happiness.</p>
<p>But it seems big screen success was always in the cards for him. Matthew Paige Damon – as his birth certificate reads – was born on 8 October 1970 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as the second son of Kent Telfer Damon, a stockbroker, and Nancy Carlsson-Paige, a professor of early childhood education. With his parents divorcing when he was just two and his subsequent inability to embrace his mother’s “by the book” child-rearing approach, the lonely youth saw acting as his sole reprieve. It was through his high school theatre productions that Damon finally found his true calling, while also meeting fellow thespian and life-long friend Ben Affleck in the process.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49490" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting.jpg" alt="Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Good-Will-Hunting-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>Soon thereafter, his scholastic aptitude saw him enroll at the prestigious Harvard University where, during his freshman year, the aspiring actor made his big screen debut with a bit part in the 1988 rom-com <em>Mystic Pizza</em>. When he was subsequently cast as Lieutenant Britton Davis in the 1993 Western <em>Geronimo: An American Legend</em>, Damon chose to drop out of university to pursue the role, deeming it a career-maker. Sadly, the film flopped at the box office, and it wasn’t until 1997 that he finally caught the attention of the world’s cinemagoers.</p>
<p>That was the year that <em>Good Will Hunting</em> – penned by Matt Damon and his childhood pal Affleck – hit the silver screen. The tale, which follows the journey of an MIT janitor-cum-mathematics savant (Damon) as he finds his place in the world, was to be his first taste of cinematic success, with the then-27-year-old receiving his first nominations for Best Actor, while also winning the accolades for Best Original Screenplay at both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes that year.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49491" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Saving-Private-Ryan.jpg" alt="Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Saving-Private-Ryan.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Saving-Private-Ryan-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Saving-Private-Ryan-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Saving-Private-Ryan-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-Saving-Private-Ryan-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></p>
<p>After that, his star was unquestionably on the rise, as he set about solidifying his reputation as a true Hollywood A-lister through a series of critically-acclaimed performances such as the eponymous protagonist in <em>Saving Private Ryan</em> (1998), a fallen angel in <em>Dogma</em> (1999) and the antihero in <em>The Talented Mr Ripley</em> (1999).</p>
<p>It was during the following decade, though, that he truly entered the big league, thanks largely to his participation in several big budget franchises. His first franchise role was in the heist movie, <em>Ocean’s Eleven</em> (2001), where he starred alongside such Hollywood luminaries as Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia. The movie’s blend of fast-paced action and charismatic dialogue was such a success that it spawned three more sequels.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49494" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian.jpg" alt="Matt Damon on the set of The Martian" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-on-the-set-of-The-Martian-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>But it was another franchise-starter that transformed the actor into a bona fide action star – <em>The Bourne Identity</em> (2001), the spy action film that saw Damon take on the mantle of Jason Bourne, a superspy suffering from amnesia who has to avoid assassins on his journey to regaining his identity. Another box-office hit, it spawned four sequels that collectively grossed US$1.6 billion worldwide.</p>
<p>Soon thereafter, following a series of high-profile romances with actresses like Minnie Driver, Winona Ryder and Rhona Mitra, Matt Damon finally found true love away from the limelight with Luciana Barroso, a bartender he had met while filming Stuck on You in Miami in 2003. The couple wed in 2005, and are now the proud parents of four daughters, including Barroso’s child from a previous relationship.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49495" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso.jpg" alt="Matt Damon with his wife, Luciana Barroso" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-with-his-wife-Luciana-Barroso-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>With the new insight gained from becoming a father, the actor discovered a passion for humanitarian work, particularly in the field of clean water initiatives. To combat this crisis, Damon co-founded H20 Africa Foundation, an NGO dedicated to providing clean water to the needy in Africa. The organisation eventually merged with another charitable body, WaterPartners, to form what is now known as Water.org in 2009, whose mission statement is to “pioneer market-driven financial solutions to end the global water crisis”. The big-hearted actor is also a keen supporter of other causes, including combating AIDS, poverty and war atrocities through a number of other organisations.</p>
<p>But that’s not to say that he’s allowed his onscreen career to languish. In the last decade alone, he’s garnered praise for such diverse roles as that of South African rugby team captain Francois Pienaar in 2009’s <em>Invictus</em> (which saw him nominated for Best Supporting Actor at both the Golden Globes and the Oscars), a Texas Ranger in the Coen Brothers’ 2010 Western <em>True Grit</em>, and a castaway astronaut in not one, but two sci-fi hits – <em>Interstellar</em> (2014) and <em>The Martian</em> (2015).</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49492" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian.jpg" alt="Matt Damon in The Martian" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Matt-Damon-in-The-Martian-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>Next up, though, Damon will have his feet back on terra firma, appearing in the historic biopic <em>Ford v Ferrari</em> in the role of Carroll Shelby, the famed US car designer who, together with Henry Ford II of Ford Motors, aims for an underdog victory against Italian motoring marque Scuderia Ferrari at the prestigious Le Mans race.</p>
<p>After that, the A-lister looks set to reunite with his old pal Affleck to co-write a script 22 years after their previous effort, the afore-mentioned Good Will Hunting, catapulted both actors to superstardom. Their upcoming collaboration with producer-director Ridley Scott and Oscar-nominated writer-director Nicole Holofcener, tentatively titled <em>The Last Duel</em>, will see Damon travel not to the stars, but to the distant past this time – the 14th century to be exact – in a story of a ‘duel to end all duels’ between a knight and a courtier.</p>
<p>While there’s little concrete information on that particular project, the all-star power behind it suggests that something truly special could be in the making – one that will allow audiences worldwide to remember just what makes Matt Damon such a Bourne star.</p>
<p><em>Text: Tenzing Thondup<br />
Photos: AFP</em></p>


High Bourne: Matt Damon has taken his acting career to stellar heights

<p>It’s the TV series that, whether by luck or by design, has seemed most zeitgeisty in the #MeToo world, a post-apocalyptic, satirical, shot-from-thehip, righteous screech of anger at never-shouldhave- been male domination. Or, as the TV guides preferred to bill it, <em>The Handmaid’s Tale</em>. Based on the 1985 dystopian novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, the multi-award winning Canadian writer, the programme – already in its third season – caught the imagination of a generation, embodying and taking to the extreme the eternal battle of the sexes, leaving women angry and emboldened, and any male with a tad of self-awareness shamefaced and contrite.</p>
<p>Although the timeliness of its debut – its first episode was broadcast shortly before the downfall of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein sent the #MeToo movement global – undoubtedly played a huge role in its success, its enduring popularity is also down to the stunning performance of Elisabeth Moss, the Los Angeles-born actress who brought to life the pivotal role of Offred, the eponymous handmaid whose tale is told.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-47555 aligncenter" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/em.jpg" alt="Elisabeth Moss" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/em.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/em-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/em-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/em-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/em-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/em-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/em-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><br />
Born in July 1982 to two musicians, it’s safe to say a love of performing has always flowed through her veins. Although, at the age o f just eight, she moved New York City to train as a ballerina, her acting abilities soon eclipsed her fancy footwork and saw the young actress cast in <em>Lucky Chances</em>, a 1990 NBC miniseries. Her big break, though, didn’t come for another nine years when she was ultimately cast as Zoey Bartlet, the fictional daughter of Martin Sheen’s equally-fictional US president in the critically-acclaimed <em>The West Wing</em>. It was a character she was to play for the next seven years, while also finding time for guest appearances in a number of other high-profile TV shows of the time, most notably <em>Grey’s Anatomy</em> and <em>Medium</em>.</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_47554" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-47554" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-47554 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss4.jpg" alt="Elisabeth Moss" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss4.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss4-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss4-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss4-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss4-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss4-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss4-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-47554" class="wp-caption-text">Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson in AMC series<em> Mad Men</em></figcaption></figure></p>
<p>Then, in 2007, she was cast in a role that would ensure she would be far more than a one-hit wonder. This was the role of Peggy Olson, a frumpy and overly eager secretary in <em>Mad Men</em> – a sustained riff on the glories and grotesqueries of the US advertising industry in the ’60s – which arguably allowed her a wider pallet than her <em>West Wing</em> days. As her role evolved, Moss went on to be recognised with both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.</p>
<p>Despite this acclaim and <em>Mad Men</em>’s demanding schedule, she still found time for a number of other high-profile roles, most notably as Robin Griffin in <em>Top of the Lake</em>, a gritty Sundance / BBC drama – a role that took her some 12,000km away from Tinseltown to the far-distant city of Queenstown in New Zealand. Playing a detective specialising in sexual assault cases assigned to investigate the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year old girl, it was the performance that saw Moss win her first Golden Globe for ‘Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television’.</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_47552" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-47552" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-47552 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss2.jpg" alt="Elisabeth Moss" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss2.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss2-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss2-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss2-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss2-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss2-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss2-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-47552" class="wp-caption-text">Playing her Golden Globe and Emmy-winning performance as Offred in <em>The Handmaid&#8217;s Tale</em></figcaption></figure></p>
<p>While she couldn’t put a foot wrong on stage or screen, away from the greasepaint and critical adoration, things were a little less steady. Her marriage to actor and former star of <em>Saturday Night Live</em>, Fred Armisen, lasted just eight months. It was a disaster somewhat mitigated by Armisen publicly confessing the couple’s subsequent divorce had been largely down to him. Not one to duck to such a PR gift, Moss then went on record saying: “One of the greatest things I heard someone say about Fred is: ‘He’s so great at doing impersonations’. The greatest impersonation he does, though, is that of being a normal person”.</p>
<p>Moss herself, however, has not been immune to accusations of not being normal, with many such jibes centring around her lifelong commitment to Scientology, a cult-like religion that has had frequent run-ins with various US authorities over many, many years. Indeed, perhaps because her career has been quite so scandal-free, it’s the Scientology issue that the more dogged / less imaginative journos have returned to time and again, with many suggesting that her allegedly misanthropic religion is wholly at odds with her feminist credentials.</p>
<p>Eventually driven to try and end these seemingly interminable intimations, Moss ultimately took to her Instagram account to state: “Religious freedom and tolerance and understanding the truth and equal rights for every race, religion and creed are extremely important to me” – a declaration that, almost certainly, did absolutely nothing to stem such accusations.</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_47553" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-47553" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-47553 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss3.jpg" alt="Elisabeth Moss" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss3.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss3-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss3-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss3-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss3-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss3-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Elisabeth-Moss3-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-47553" class="wp-caption-text">Elisabeth Moss with Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Hadish in the upcoming film <em>The Kitchen</em></figcaption></figure></p>
<p>A more robust defence of her feminist allegiances, of course, has come courtesy of her role in <em>The Handmaid’s Tale</em>, arguably her most high-profile and heartfelt performance to date. For three seasons now, she has wowed viewers as the series’ heroine, a woman constrained by the dictates of a society more male dominated than even ’60s Madison Avenue. With reviews of the series having remained more or less positive throughout, Moss proved a popular winner of the 2017 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The series also saw her win her second Golden Globe, this time as Best Actress in a Television Series Drama.</p>
<p><em>The Kitchen</em> will see Elisabeth Moss share top billing with two other actresses who have graduated from the small to the big screen – Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Hadish. Whether her own role – as an Irish mobster’s wife who, herself, ultimately embraces the dark side – marks her formal ascension to movie stardom or proves just another intriguing digression in her TV-centric career will rather depend on just how much kerching she brings to the box office.</p>
<p><em>Text: <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="mailto:bailey@itotalmedia.com">Bailey Atkinson</a></span></strong></em><br />
<em> Photo: AFP</em></p>


Tag: celebrity