9PLAYLIST | NO DOUBT
Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | No Doubt in mag.
Featured
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelor Disney/John Fleenor
THE BACHELOR S28. E3. | FOR THE LOVE OF LOVE
PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez
We enjoy kicking off the week with, The Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei. This season, they always give us a bit of a teaser on something taking place and we know that Joey is addressing issues with the women.
We start off with hearing the women in the house talking about them being excited about how things are progressing. Jesse Palmer lets them know that there are 18 women in the house, 2 group dates, and a 1-on-1 date. He leaves them with a group date card where Edwina, Kelsey A, Lexi, Allison, Madina, Chrissa, Lea, Sydney, and Maria will be on a date together. This date is about Mrs. Right and he hopes to find her. He invited a group of women on the date from The Golden Bachelor. April, Susan, Kathy, and Nancy came along. This date will be a pageant and the first one that the show has had. They first sported their loungewear looks, then it was time for them to answer questions asked by The Golden Bachelor women. The third round allows them to show their talents. The winner of the Bachelor Nation Mrs. Right Pageant is Lexi.
At the after party for the group date, the women all muse over Lexi getting the rose for her non-talent being chosen.
At the after-party, Joey gets to know them better and wants to know more about them and to dig into what happened with Madina who feels that she was bullied. He addresses it with the women, but then gives the rose to Kelsey A. He tells them that they need to step up and tell him about this and then he leaves them to all talk with one another. Sydney, Maria, and Madina all talk about the interaction that took place a few nights back.
The next date card arrives with Jenn getting the 1-on-1 date leaving the remainder of the women on the 2nd group date.
Once again we see Madina and Maria talking and establishing that they’re good. But they also recognize that Sydney is stirring things up for no reason.
Jenn’s date with Joey is going surfing! They pick out boards, wetsuits, and it’s a cute and active date. They continue to dinner and she discloses her family dynamic which is a pretty rough situation with the unease between her parents and then also not having her father in her life. He gives her the rose - which is a no-brainer.
The second group date card arrives and Katelyn, Autumn, Rachel, Daisy, Evalin, Kelsey T, Starr, and Jess are on a date together. Since he is done playing tennis, it seems like this will be a tennis date.
We catch up with Joey on his turf, the tennis court which is passion as well as what he does as a career. James Blake and Pam Shriver are also on this date! The first Bachelor Open has a bit of a crowd, costumes of the athletes, and more. They play doubles with one another and ultimately team Lobster and Butter - Kelsey T and Evalin win. At the cocktail party after this group date, he gets to know more about the women through their anecdotes. Katelyn shares that her family is cursed because all the women are single in her family. He connects with each of them and then he gives the date night rose to Katelyn.
The girls debrief about the tennis date and how it went. It seems like all the women are having good vibes ahead of the cocktail party. Jesse arrives and lets them know that there will not be a cocktail party and that there will be a pool party. They end up having a KFC lunch. As people start enjoying the party and being with Joey, of course Sydney gets messy again and tells Joey that Maria is the problem and how she verbally accosted her. Joey pulls Maria aside to find out what’s going on as he is surprised to hear this, but wants to get the facts. Maria tells him that she is not a bully and that she has had that happen to her. She also tells him that there is no way that you can like both Maria and Sydney because they are two different people. Joey cuts the pool party short (has there ever been a pool party that wasn’t cut off early?).
They head straight into the rose ceremony. He thanks them for being there and acknowledges that this process i leading him to where he wanted to be. He gives roses to Lexi, Lea, Kelsey T, Rachel, Madina, Daisy, Jess, Edwina, Autumn, Allison, Maria, and Sydney.
JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Allison, Autumn, Daisy, Edwina, Jenn, Jess, Katelyn, Kelsey A, Kelsey T, Lea, Lexi, Madina, Maria, Rachel, and Sydney
JOEY DID NOT GIVE A ROSE TO | Chrissa, Evalin, and Starr
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO WE THINK IS GOING TO HOMETOWNS
PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
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Featured TV Show
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelor Disney/John Fleenor
THE BACHELOR S28. E2. | THE JOURNEY REALLY BEGINS
PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez
In this 2nd episode of this season, The Bachelor Joey Graziadei is seen playing tennis with Jesse Palmer so we know that he is actually a pro. We also got a cold open that seems a bit intense!
They recap night one to see what everyone thought about their experience with Jesse. He lets them know that it’s all starting now.
Rachel, Taylor, Evalin, Erika, Maria, Lauren, Kelsey T., and Jess are on a group date together that involves the wedding date. They pick out their own dresses and head out to meet Joey. The wedding date is imagining that they are at their own reception and one woman will be able to have a dance with them! Lauren is having a hard time with this date as she is so sad with the passing of her father. Joey picks Rachel as the winner as she did all the activities with him. Michael Bolton sang for their first song and they had a great kiss as well! The group date continues with the after-party
The women get to know him more after their wedding date and they share their feelings so that he can get to know them more.
The ladies at the house hear about the next date which is a 1-on-1 date with Daisy.
Back at the group date, Jess gets the group date rose.
Daisy arrives at the date which includes a helicopter and then a fun music festival where they get to know one another more with food, beverages getting cute shirts. They dance on stage at the festival and Daisy realizes she needs to finally loop him in. She lets him know about her health issues at their dinner. He takes it in and feels that she is impressive with everything that she has been through and he gives her the rose as well.
The remaining women Allison, Chrissa, Edwina, Jenn, Katelyn, Kelsey A, Madina, Starr, are on the group date with him. Jubilee and Demi are The Bachelor alumni who are going to train them emotionally and physically for what’s ahead. The boot camp puts them through the paces as they break a sweat. After their warm-up, they learn that they will do paint balling. Although the blue team wins, only one person gets time with him. He selects Edwina to enjoy the evening date with him. They talk about her upbringing and what drives her and he gives her the date rose.
Maria and Medina have an odd conversation about age and it feels like it’s nonsencial. Lauren eliminated herself out of the house and said maybe she’d see him at Hometowns with her sister!
JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Alison, Autumn, Chrissa, Daisy, Edwina, Evalin, Jenn, Katelyn, Kelsey A, Kelsey T, Leah, Lexi, Madina, Maria, Rachel, Starr, and Sydney.
JOEY DID NOT GIVE ROSES TO | Erica, Lauren, Marlena, and Taylor
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO WE THINK IS GOING TO HOMETOWNS
PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelor
THE BACHELOR S28. E1. | AND WE'RE BACK WITH JOEY
PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez
Were back for another season of The Bachelor where Joey Graziadei who was the runner up in S20 of The Bachelorette with Charity Lawson, is staring his jewelry. We get to see that he moved back to Philly to be near his family and to get his life back on track.
Jesse Palmer greets Joey and lets him know that he’s making history by having the most women in his season who he’ll get to know.
There are a number of great girls that we’re interested in and we can’t see how having 2 sisters in the mix could go wrong!
Jesse reminds us that during the After the Rose Ceremony, one of the women who appeared received a card and she is not able to open it until she gets into the house. He says that this will change the game - so we’ll have to wait and see.
All the women have arrived and we’re officially ready for it all to begin. Joey takes time with a number of the women getting to hear more about them, giving the first kiss (which Jess then tells everyone she received - not a great move), and they all wonder what is in Lea’s envelope.
Jesse arrives with the First Impression Rose. it always changes up the energy with the women. There are so many dramatic moments with the women, the 2 sisters letting everyone know that they are siblings, Jess being a villain, Jess and Taylor having their words with one another. We find out that Lea’s card says that she is able to steal someone’s 1-on-1 date anytime prior to Hometowns! That’s a game changer and a power move. In addition to telling Joey, she tells the women in the house - yet another mood shift and she burns it. It was a nice moment to see her show that level of transparency with the women in the house. Of course, Jess chimes in that she would have kept it - no one asked her what she would do. We also see Maria kiss him when she said that she wouldn’t on the first day. Lea gets the First Impression Rose and of course that creates a lot of emotion around the house. He loves her character and is excited to go on the journey with her. Jesse lets them know that the cocktail party has come to an end and those who didn’t get a chance to talk with him have a lot of feelings to sort out.
With the rose ceremony, there are 32 women who will get to see where they are on this part of the journey! It’s a long night, but those who are super emotional the first night, how will they be able to make it as they continue throughout this season with all of the highs and lows?
JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Alison, Autumn, Catelyn, Chrissa, Daisy, Edwina, Erica, Evalin, Jenn, Jess, Kelsey A, Kelsey T, Lauren, Leah (First Impression Rose), Lexi, Madina, Maria, Rachel, Starr, and Taylor.
JOEY DID NOT GIVE ROSES TO | Chandler, Kayla, Kyra, Lanie, Nat, Sam H., Samantha, Sandra, Talyah, and Zoe.
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO WE THINK IS GOING TO HOMETOWNS
PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON | JOANNA GARCIA SWISHER
The holiday season means that we're doing a lot more than we usually do. In the midst of those activities is hanging out with friends, family, and colleagues whether we're hosting them in our homes, going out for dinner, or enjoying copious parties! We caught up with Netflix Sweet Magnolia's Joanna Garcia Swisher to find out how she makes sure that she's not only being healthy, but keeping others safe while being out and about. She also lets us in on when we can expect to see her on our screens again!
ATHLEISURE MAG: The holiday season is upon us which means we're juggling a really full schedule! What are you doing this holiday season with you and your family?
JOANNA GARCIA SWISHER: Well, we’re trying to enjoy it as much as possible. The holiday season feels like it’s already here, it’s breezing by and it’s been a wild couple of weeks but we’re really excited to spend time with family. My brother in-law and sister in-law have a new baby and they’re bringing her to Florida for her first Christmas here. So, we have bouncers and baby toys all over the place and it’s really bringing me back. My husband is a little nervous, he’s like “What does this mean for us?" But yeah, after the holiday we’re going to head to the lake and get a little cozy winter feel in Georgia and have lots of wood burning fires and all of that.
AM: What traditions do you enjoy during this season?
JGS: We do Christmas Eve really big in our house, we have a house full of kids and people and we do a huge Minute to Win It game with 10-15 events and it gets the whole family involved, from parents to grandparents to the youngest members of our family. We have all of our Cuban traditions with pork and all of the things that we’ve eaten growing up and it's a really nostalgic time for our family. Traditions are huge for me so it’s something I really look forward to.
AM: When people in your family are feeling sick, what do you do?
JGS: Well, aside from panicking, I have all the essential elements so whenever me, my husband or kids - I was actually sick a few weeks ago - show any symptoms, I have a checklist. It usually starts with trying to figure out what it is so I always have my Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Self Tests and they are the first thing we do because as a Mom, you want to know what you’re working with and how best to approach what we’re about to be getting into. So really it’s about being prepared and having the essentials on hand, and the BinaxNOW COVID tests are our first plan of attack.
AM: How do you take time for yourself as a busy mom just so that you get the self-care that you need?
JGS: You know I always say, it doesn’t have to be an hour. Gosh, if we had an hour to ourselves everyday that would be so nice. But even just sneaking in 15 minutes of something you enjoy - a podcast and I love to read. Taking the time to really decompress because the running checklist in our heads as mothers is always on and going, this time of year especially. I was just talking to one of my girl friends about it and she was like, “I’ve just got the teacher’s gifts done, and this and that,” it adds to the list. So I think just really taking time even if it's just a 15 minute breather or lunch with a girl friend. Something to just - take a break - and it’s ok, if you have time for a nap, take a nap!
AM: You're someone who enjoys traveling, what are some of the things that you do to make the experience smooth and effortless?
JGS: I am married to a man that really likes a plan, he is not a free spirit in any way, he is like “I need to know what we are doing.” So what I’ve learned after 13 years of marriage is that having an itinerary really helps him, while I'm the one who wants to explore and see where the day takes us. But I also got a little feedback when we went to London this summer, my family had a little bit of an intervention with me and basically said that I over-scheduled us. So, now we plan one big adventure a day and my husband knows what we’re doing and then carving out time to relax. They’re more of a beach vacation family, and I like to sight see, so we have to kind of figure that out but it’s a work in progress and a good plan for our family.
AM: We've been fans of your work since Are Your Afraid of the Dark, Astronaut Wives Club, Sweet Magnolia, and The Ultimatum: Queer Love! Do you have any upcoming projects that you would like to share with us that we should keep an eye out for?
JGS: Well yea, we’re starting the new year off with a bang, we’re starting to film Season 4 of Sweet Magnolias which I’m so excited about. We’re also doing a second season of Ultimatum Queer Love. I don’t know if I can reveal where we’re shooting it but where we are shooting it is a city that I love so I’m super excited about that. So the new year’s gonna start off pretty busy but with two shows that I’m so excited for and proud of.
PHOTO CREDITS | PG 70 Abbott | PG 72 Netflix/Sweet Magnolia
Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see THIS HOLIDAY SEASON | JoAnna Garcia Swisher in mag.
Featured
AWARDS SEASON | BAFTA NOMINATIONS
Last week we shared the British Academy named the nominees for its Rising Star award for up-and-coming onscreen talent, the only honor among the BAFTA film awards to be voted on by the public. The remainder of the nominations unveiled earlier today and this post has been updated with that information! Our predictions are in bold, the ones we correctly identified as winners are in bold italics and winners that we didn’t predict are in italics.
BEST FILM
ANATOMY OF A FALL Marie-Ange Luciani, David Thion
THE HOLDOVERS Mark Johnson
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Dan Friedkin, Daniel Lupi, Martin Scorsese, Bradley Thomas
OPPENHEIMER Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas
POOR THINGS Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrew Lowe, Emma Stone
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
ALL OF US STRANGERS Andrew Haigh, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
HOW TO HAVE SEX Molly Manning Walker, Emily Leo, Ivana MacKinnon, Konstantinos Kontovrakis
NAPOLEON Ridley Scott, Mark Huffam, Kevin J. Walsh, David Scarpa
THE OLD OAK Ken Loach, Rebecca O'Brien, Paul Laverty
POOR THINGS Yorgos Lanthimos, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Emma Stone, Tony McNamara
RYE LANE Raine Allen-Miller, Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo, Damian Jones, Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia
SALTBURN Emerald Fennell, Josey McNamara, Margot Robbie
SCRAPPER Charlotte Regan, Theo Barrowclough
WONKA Paul King, Alexandra Derbyshire, David Heyman, Simon Farnaby
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Jonathan Glazer, James Wilson, Ewa Puszczyńska
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
BLUE BAG LIFE Lisa Selby (Director), Rebecca Lloyd-Evans (Director, Producer), Alex Fry (Producer)
BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT Christopher Sharp (Director) [also directed Moses Bwayo]
EARTH MAMA Savanah Leaf (Writer, Director, Producer), Shirley O'Connor (Producer), Medb Riordan (Producer)
HOW TO HAVE SEX Molly Manning Walker (Writer, Director)
IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? Ella Glendining (Director)
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL Mstyslav Chernov, Raney Aronson Rath
ANATOMY OF A FALL Justine Triet, Marie-Ange Luciani, David Thion
PAST LIVES Celine Song, David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon
SOCIETY OF THE SNOW J.A. Bayona, Belen Atienza
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Jonathan Glazer, PGA
DOCUMENTARY
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL Mstyslav Chernov, Raney Aronson Rath
AMERICAN SYMPHONY Matthew Heineman, Lauren Domino, Joedan Okun
BEYOND UTOPIA Madeleine Gavin, Rachel Cohen, Jana Edelbaum
STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE Davis Guggenheim, Jonathan King, Annetta Marion
WHAM! Chris Smith
ANIMATED FILM
THE BOY AND THE HERON Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki
CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET Sam Fell, Leyla Hobart, Steve Pegram
ELEMENTAL Peter Sohn, Denise Ream
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Avi Arad, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal, Christina Steinberg
DIRECTOR
ALL OF US STRANGERS Andrew Haigh
ANATOMY OF A FALL Justine Triet
THE HOLDOVERS Alexander Payne
MAESTRO Bradley Cooper
OPPENHEIMER Christopher Nolan
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Jonathan Glazer
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
ANATOMY OF A FALL Justine Triet, Arthur Harari
BARBIE Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach
THE HOLDOVERS David Hemingson
MAESTRO Bradley Cooper, Josh Singer
PAST LIVES Celine Song
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
ALL OF US STRANGERS Andrew Haigh
AMERICAN FICTION Cord Jefferson
OPPENHEIMER Christopher Nolan
POOR THINGS Tony McNamara
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Jonathan Glazer
LEADING ACTRESS
FANTASIA BARRINO The Color Purple
SANDRA HÜLLER Anatomy of a Fall
CAREY MULLIGAN Maestro
VIVIAN OPARAH Rye Lane
MARGOT ROBBIE Barbie
EMMA STONE Poor Things
LEADING ACTOR
BRADLEY COOPER Maestro
COLMAN DOMINGO Rustin
PAUL GIAMATTI The Holdovers
BARRY KEOGHAN Saltburn
CILLIAN MURPHY Oppenheimer
TEO YOO Past Lives
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
EMILY BLUNT Oppenheimer
DANIELLE BROOKS The Color Purple
CLAIRE FOY All of Us Strangers
SANDRA HÜLLER The Zone of Interest
ROSAMUND PIKE Saltburn
DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH The Holdovers
SUPPORTING ACTOR
ROBERT DE NIRO Killers of The Flower Moon
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. Oppenheimer
JACOB ELORDI Saltburn
RYAN GOSLING Barbie
PAUL MESCAL All of Us Strangers
DOMINIC SESSA The Holdovers
ORIGINAL SCORE
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Robbie Robertson
OPPENHEIMER Ludwig Göransson
POOR THINGS Jerskin Fendrix
SALTBURN Anthony Willis
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE Daniel Pemberton
CASTING
ALL OF US STRANGERS Kahleen Crawford
ANATOMY OF A FALL Cynthia Arra
THE HOLDOVERS Susan Shopmaker
HOW TO HAVE SEX Isabella Odoffin
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Ellen Lewis, Rene Haynes
CINEMATOGRAPHY
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Rodrigo Prieto
MAESTRO Matthew Libatique
OPPENHEIMER Hoyte van Hoytema
POOR THINGS Robbie Ryan
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Łukasz Żal
EDITING
ANATOMY OF A FALL Laurent Sénéchal
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Thelma Schoonmaker
OPPENHEIMER Jennifer Lame
POOR THINGS Yorgos Mavropsaridis
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Paul Watts
PRODUCTION DESIGN
BARBIE Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Jack Fisk, Adam Willis
OPPENHEIMER Ruth De Jong, Claire Kaufman
POOR THINGS Shona Heath, James Price, Zsuzsa Mihalek
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Chris Oddy, Joanna Maria Kuś, Katarzyna Sikora
COSTUME DESIGN
BARBIE Jacqueline Durran
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Jacqueline West
NAPOLEON Dave Crossman, Janty Yates
OPPENHEIMER Ellen Mirojnick
POOR THINGS Holly Waddington
MAKE UP & HAIR
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Kay Georgiou, Thomas Nellen
MAESTRO Sian Grigg, Kay Georgiou, Kazu Hiro, Lori McCoy-Bell
NAPOLEON Jana Carboni, Francesco Pegoretti, Satinder Chumber, Julia Vernon
OPPENHEIMER Luisa Abel, Jaime Leigh McIntosh, Jason Hamer, Ahou Mofid
POOR THINGS Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, Josh Weston
SOUND
FERRARI Angelo Bonanni, Tony Lamberti, Andy Nelson, Lee Orloff, Bernard Weiser
MAESTRO Richard King, Steve Morrow, Tom Ozanich, Jason Ruder, Dean Zupancic
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE Chris Burdon, James H. Mather, Chris Munro, Mark Taylor
OPPENHEIMER Willie Burton, Richard King, Kevin O'Connell, Gary A. Rizzo
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Johnnie Burn, Tarn Willers
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
THE CREATOR Jonathan Bullock, Charmaine Chan, Ian Comley, Jay Cooper
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 Theo Bialek, Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE Neil Corbould, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland, Alex Wuttke
NAPOLEON Henry Badgett, Neil Corbould, Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet
POOR THINGS Simon Hughes
BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
CRAB DAY Ross Stringer, Bartosz Stanislawek, Aleksandra Sykulak
VISIBLE MENDING Samantha Moore, Tilley Bancroft
WILD SUMMON Karni Arieli, Saul Freed, Jay Woolley
BRITISH SHORT FILM
FESTIVAL OF SLAPS Abdou Cissé, Cheri Darbon, George Telfer
GORKA Joe Weiland, Alex Jefferson
JELLYFISH AND LOBSTER Yasmin Afifi, Elizabeth Rufai
SUCH A LOVELY DAY Simon Woods, Polly Stokes, Emma Norton, Kate Phibbs
YELLOW Elham Ehsas, Dina Mousawi, Azeem Bhati, Yiannis Manolopoulos
EE RISING STAR AWARD
PHOEBE DYNEVOR
AYO EDEBIRI
JACOB ELORDI
MIA MCKENNA-BRUCE
SOPHIE WILDE
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63MIX ROUTIN3S | LA LA ANTHONY
9DRIP | ADAM COPELAND
9LIST STORI3S | JOANNA GARCIA SWISHER
Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | JoAnna Garcia Swisher in mag.
Featured
AWARDS SEASON | DIRECTORS GUILD AWARDS NOMINATIONS
Yesterday the 76th Director Guild Awards (DGA) announced their nominees for TV and today, they announced those in film. Our predictions are in bold, the ones we correctly identified as winners are in bold italics and winners that we didn’t predict are in italics.
TV
DRAMATIC SERIES
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for 2023 are (in alphabetical order):
PETER HOAR
The Last of Us, “Long, Long Time”
(HBO | MAX)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Cecil O’Connor
First Assistant Director: Bethan Mowat
BECKY MARTIN
Succession, “Rehearsal”
(HBO | MAX)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Hilary Kehoe, Gabrielle Mahon
First Assistant Director: John Silvestri
Second Assistant Director: Nicholas Notte
Second Second Assistant Director: Jimmy Rosario
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi
MARK MYLOD
Succession, “Connor’s Wedding”
(HBO | MAX)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Hilary Kehoe, Gabrielle Mahon
First Assistant Director: Christo Morse
Second Assistant Directors: Sahar Shmolevitz, Justin Bischoff
Second Second Assistant Director: Jimmy Rosario
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Cris Iannucci, Norman Franklin, Kyle Burstein
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi
ANDRIJ PAREKH
Succession, “America Decides”
(HBO | MAX)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Hilary Kehoe, Gabrielle Mahon
First Assistant Director: John Silvestri
Second Assistant Director: Nicholas Notte
Second Second Assistant Director: Jimmy Rosario
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi
ROBERT PULCINI & SHARI SPRINGER BERMAN
Succession, “Tailgate Party”
(HBO | MAX)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Hilary Kehoe, Gabrielle Mahon
First Assistant Director: Michelle Flevotomas
Second Assistant Director: Sahar Shmolevitz
Second Second Assistant Director: Jimmy Rosario
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Isabel Sofia Cervantes, Nicole Kay Payson
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi
COMEDY SERIES
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for 2023 are (in alphabetical order):
ERICA DUNTON
Ted Lasso, “La Locker Room Aux Folles”
(Apple TV+)
BILL HADER
Barry, “wow”
(HBO | MAX)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Aida Rodgers
First Assistant Director: Gavin Kleintop
Second Assistant Director: Erin Stern Linares
Second Second Assistant Directors: Yarden Levo, George Williams
DECLAN LOWNEY
Ted Lasso, “So Long, Farewell”
(Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Mike Livanos (U.S. Unit)
First Assistant Director: Jason Z. Kemp (U.S. Unit)
Second Assistant Director: Christopher Cook (U.S. Unit)
CHRISTOPHER STORER
The Bear, “Fishes”
(FX)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Tyson Bidner, Carrie Holt de Lama
First Assistant Directors: Duccio Fabbri, Pablo Gambetta
Second Assistant Director: Larissa Malarek
Second Second Assistant Directors: Olivia Dame, Hiro Taniguchi
Location Manager: Maria C. Roxas
RAMY YOUSSEF
The Bear, “Honeydew”
(FX)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Tyson Bidner, Carrie Holt de Lama
First Assistant Directors: Kit Bland, Pablo Gambetta
Second Assistant Director: Larissa Malarek
Second Second Assistant Directors: Olivia Dame, Hiro Taniguchi
Location Manager: Maria C. Roxas
MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND LIMITED SERIES
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series for 2023 are (in alphabetical order):
SHAWN LEVY
All the Light We Cannot See
(Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Scott Elias
First Assistant Director: Josh McLaglen
Second Assistant Director: Simeon Jones
TARA MIELE
Lessons in Chemistry, “Introduction to Chemistry”
(Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Chris Hayden
First Assistant Director: Katie Carroll
Second Assistant Director: Alexis Olsen Colwell
MILLICENT SHELTON
Lessons in Chemistry, “Poirot”
(Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Chris Hayden
First Assistant Director: Kristofer Kolpek
Second Assistant Director: Deborah Chung
SARAH ADINA SMITH
Lessons in Chemistry, “Her and Him”
(Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Steven Brown
First Assistant Director: Kristofer Kolpek
Second Assistant Director: Deborah Chung
NZINGHA STEWART
Daisy Jones & The Six, “ Track 10: Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide”
(Amazon)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Michael Nelson
First Assistant Director: Anna Notarides
Second Assistant Director: Samantha Hollingsworth
Second Second Assistant Directors : Tarin Squillante, Jeff Tavani, Alex Lee Bonner, Matthew Kramer
Location Manager: Batou Chandler
VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming for 2023 are (in alphabetical order):
PAUL G. CASEY
Real Time with Bill Maher, “Episode 2117”
(HBO | MAX)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Stacy Talbot
Stage Managers: Brian Anderson, Patrick Whitney
JIM HOSKINSON
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Jan. 19, 2023: Rep. Adam Kinzinger; Meet Me at the Altar; Special appearance by Harvey Guillén”
(CBS)
Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Yvonne DeMare, Karen Yaeger
Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib
MICHAEL MANCINI & LIZ PATRICK
Saturday Night Live, “Pedro Pascal / Coldplay”
(NBC)
Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Janine DeVito, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel-Mack
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk
DAVID PAUL MEYER
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, “Singer Charley Crockett Performs “Name on a Billboard” and Discusses New Album with Jordan Klepper “
(Comedy Central)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Adrienne Ford
Stage Managers: Bennymar Almonte, Tyler Goldman
PAUL PENNOLINO
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, “Episode 1018: Dollar Stores”
(HBO | MAX)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Elliot Mendelson
Stage Managers: Craig Spinney, Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib, Steven Van Patten
VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – SPECIALS
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials for 2023 are (in alphabetical order):
JOEL GALLEN
Chris Rock: Selective Outrage
(Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Robin Mishkin Abrams
Stage Manager: Arthur Lewis
STAN LATHAN
Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer
(Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Jill Dove
Stage Manager: Valdez Flagg
LINDA MENDOZA
Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer
(Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Stage Manager: Dan Frank
PAUL MILLER
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
(NBC)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Sara Niimi
Stage Managers: Gary Natoli, Alissa Levisohn Hoyo, Christopher McDonald, Jackie Stathis
GLENN WEISS
The 95th Annual Academy Awards
(ABC)
Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Ricky Kirshner, Susan Kopensky, Lori Margules, Robin Mishkin Abrams, Sara Niimi, Kristen Patterson Terry, Michael Polito
Stage Managers: Gary Natoli, Alexis Brusig, Rita Cossette, John Esposito, Valdez Flagg, Doug Fogel, Chris Hines, Alissa Levisohn Hoyo, Arthur Lewis, Roxanne Lozano, Donna Parker, Ron Paul, Tammy Raab, Jason Seligman, Jackie Stathis, Cheryl Teetzel-Moore, Ari Woog
REALITY PROGRAMS
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs for 2023 are (in alphabetical order):
NIHARIKA DESAI
Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss, “Happiness is a Bottle of Cod Liver Oil”
(Peacock)
KEN FUCHS
The Golden Bachelor, “Premiere”
(ABC)
Directorial Team:
Stage Manager: Isaiah Fuchs
JOSEPH GUIDRY & ALEXANDRA LIPSITZ
Project Greenlight: A New Generation, “PGL vs. Gray Matter Problem”
(HBO | MAX)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Lizzie MacPherson
Stage Manager: T.J. Ganser
RICH KIM
Lego Masters, “Is It Brick?”
(FOX)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Ryan Bunnell
Stage Managers: Will Baker, Dan Shepard
PATRICK McMANUS
American Ninja Warrior, “Season 15 Finale”
(NBC)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Dave Massey
Stage Managers: Sara Brown, Sean P. Galvin, T.J. Ganser, Joseph R. Osborne, Matthew Patrick, Greg Rosa, Louise Story
***
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs for 2023 are (in alphabetical order):
JAMES BOBIN
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, “I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher”
(Disney+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Jim Rowe
First Assistant Director: Pete Whyte
Location Manager: David Occhino
DESTIN DANIEL CRETTON
American Born Chinese, “What Guy Are You”
(Disney+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Erin O’Malley
First Assistant Director: Katie Hausmann
Second Assistant Directors: Randin Brown Hargrave, Morgan Willis
ROB LETTERMAN
Goosebumps, “Say Cheese and Die”
(Disney+)
AMY SCHATZ
Stand Up & Shout: Songs From a Philly High School
(HBO | MAX)
DINH THAI
American Born Chinese, “A Monkey on a Quest”
(Disney+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Erin O’Malley, Stacy Murphy Gold
First Assistant Director: Michael Risoli
Second Assistant Director: Morgan Willis
COMMERCIALS
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2023 are (in alphabetical order):
MARTIN de THURAH
(Epoch Films)
Fair Exchange, Levi’s 501 Jeans – Droga5
Legends Never Die, Levi’s 501 Jeans, Droga5
SEB EDWARDS
(Park Pictures)
Rumble, Battle of the Baddest – Droga5
First Assistant Director: George Walker
KIM GEHRIG
(Somesuch)
Run This Town, Apple Music – Apple (Client Direct)
First Assistant Director: David Webb
The Travelers, Expedia – Wieden & Kennedy
First Assistant Director: Zaida Fakih
CRAIG GILLESPIE
(MJZ)
Waiting Room, Apple iPhone – TBWA/Media Arts Lab
Unit Production Manager: Martha Davis
First Assistant Director: Christian Van Fleet
Second Assistant Director: Gregory Moutran
ANDREAS NILSSON
(Biscuit Filmworks)
R.I.P. Leon, Apple iPhone – Apple (Client Direct)
First Assistant Director: Gareth Moses
Action Mode, Apple iPhone14 – Apple (Client Direct)
First Assistant Director: Gareth Moses
Choose Happy, Les Mills Fitness – Nice&Frank, San Francisco
Wait’ll You See This, Snapchat – Snapchat (Client Direct)
DOCUMENTARY
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for 2023 are (in alphabetical order):
MOSES BWAYO & CHRISTOPHER SHARP
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
(National Geographic)
MSTYSLAV CHERNOV
20 Days in Mariupol
(PBS Distribution)
MADELEINE GAVIN
Beyond Utopia
(Roadside Attractions)
DAVIS GUGGENHEIM
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
(Apple Original Films)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: John Locke
First Assistant Director: Richard Rosser
D. SMITH
Kokomo City
(Magnolia Pictures)
FILM
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM FOR 2023 (in alphabetical order):
GRETA GERWIG
Barbie
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Michael Sharp
First Assistant Director: Josh Robertson
Second Assistant Directors: David Keadell, Matthew Milan (Los Angeles Unit)
YORGOS LANTHIMOS
Poor Things
(Searchlight Pictures)
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Oppenheimer
(Universal Pictures)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Thomas Hayslip, Nathan Kelly, Rafael Lima (New Jersey / New York Unit)
First Assistant Director: Nilo Otero
Second Assistant Director: Andrew Stahl
Second Second Assistant Director: Jesse Carmona
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Dixon McPhillips, Richard Molloy (New Jersey / New York Unit), AJ Jackson (New Jersey / New York Unit)
Location Manager: Patty Carey Perazzo (New Jersey / New York Unit)
ALEXANDER PAYNE
The Holdovers
(Focus Features)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Chris Stinson
First Assistant Director: Rod Smith
Second Assistant Director: John Nasraway
Second Second Assistant Director: Tim LaDue
MARTIN SCORSESE
Killers of the Flower Moon
(Apple Original Films / Paramount Pictures)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Daniel Lupi, Shea Kammer
First Assistant Director: Adam Somner
Second Assistant Director: Jeremy Marks
Second Second Assistant Director: Dominic Pacitti
Additional Second Assistant Director: Nuekellar Hardy
Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film (in alphabetical order):
CORD JEFFERSON
American Fiction
(Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)
MANUELA MARTELLI
Chile ‘76
(Kino Lober)
NOORA NIASARI
Shayda
(Sony Pictures Classics / ORIGMA 45)
A.V. ROCKWELL
A Thousand and One
(Focus Features)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Jamin O’Brien
First Assistant Director: Daniel Lugo
Second Assistant Director: Teena Marie Delerme-Lugo
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Rob York
Second Second Assistant Director: Donté Bouyer
Additional Second Assistant Director: T.J. Hallett
Location Manager: Joanna Lu
CELINE SONG
Past Lives
(A24)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Kerry Johnson
First Assistant Director: Ben Kahn
Second Assistant Director: Geraldine Schubert
Second Second Assistant Director: Dan Levy
Location Manager: Joseph Mullaney
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured
AWARDS SEASON | SAG AWARDS NOMINATIONS
The 30th SAG Awards will take place on Feb 24th and for the first time will be streaming globally on Netflix. Our predictions are in bold, the ones we correctly identified as winners are in bold italics and winners that we didn’t predict are in italics.
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
American Fiction
Barbie
The Color Purple
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Bradley Cooper – Maestro
Colman Domingo – Rustin
Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Annette Bening – Nyad
Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
Carey Mulligan – Maestro
Margot Robbie – Barbie
Emma Stone – Poor Things
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Sterling K. Brown – American Fiction
Willem Dafoe – Poor Things
Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling – Barbie
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple
Penelope Cruz – Ferrari
Jodie Foster – Nyad
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
The Crown
The Gilded Age
The Last of Us
The Morning Show
Succession
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Abbot Elementary
Barry
The Bear
Only Murders in the Building
Ted Lasso
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Brian Cox – Succession
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show
Kieran Culkin – Succession
Matthew Macfadyen – Succession
Pedro Pascal – The Last of Us
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Jennifer Aniston – The Morning Show
Elizabeth Debicki – The Crown
Bella Ramsey – The Last of Us
Keri Russell – The Diplomat
Sarah Snook – Succession
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear
Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso
Bill Hader – Barry
Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear
Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso
Jeremy Allen White – The Bear
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Uzo Aduba – Painkiller
Kathryn Hahn – Tiny Beautiful Things
Brie Larson – Lessons in Chemistry
Bel Powley – A Small Light
Ali Wong – Beef
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Matt Bomer – Fellow Travelers
Jon Hamm – Fargo
David Oyelowo – Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Tony Shalhoub – Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie
Steven Yeun – Beef
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
Ahsoka
Barry
Beef
The Last of Us
The Mandalorian
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Barbie
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
John Wick: Chapter 4
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured
9LIST STORI3S | DANIEL AUGUSTIN
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor
THE GOLDEN WEDDING | GERRY + THERESA GET MARRIED
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor
The Golden Bachelor left us with an engagement between Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner! Tonight, we’re watching the wedding live from the La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs. Various contestants from his season are either commentators on the red carpet from Kathy to even seeing stunning Ellen (rocking Gerry’s earrings). Leslie even showed up to congratulate the happy couple! We know that Susan will be officiating the wedding so it’s interesting to see how those in his season are there as well as having Charity Lawson from S20 of The Bachelorette as a correspondent on The Golden Carpet. We also saw how Theresa and Gerry spent their Christmas holiday as it was the first time that their families came together for this event! Tonight, we will see the wedding as well as the reception of the first The Golden Bachelor wedding that has ever taken place.
We also get to see behind the scenes of Gerry getting ready (as he places his hearing aids in). It’s always fun to see the OGs coming together as well as those that we have seen more recently. Of course, Joey Graziadei makes an appearance and it’s nice to see Charity wishing him well for his journey on The Bachelor. We even get to see what the wedding will look like in terms of the tablescapes. We have previously interviewed Mindy Weiss about her approach to event planning and seeing what she did with this wedding, is amazing. Jesse also keeps giving us updates on how his wife is doing as she is pregnant.
It’s really nice to see how many of the women are so connected with one another naturally - not to say that that has not been true in other seasons, but the authenticity amongst these women in this group is amazing. The Bachelorette party included a boudoir shoot with some of her friends as well as Chippendales that came to end the night - so fun to watch them all have a good time. Dotun, Charity’s husband even came by and was quickly stolen away by Kathy!
Finally, after looking back at events during the season and recent events leading to the wedding, the actual ceremony begins. Attendees included 50 people from Bachelor Nation, friends, family, etc and it looks like a nice gathering. All the details clearly have come together seamlessly. Susan looks amazing as the officiant. Their children share their loving thoughts on both Gerry and Theresa. They exchange their vows and share anecdotes of their experiences with one another and they exchange rings. Susan pronounces them married and we move onto the reception. During the reception we see more of Bachelor Nation as well as learn that Charity and Dotun will be getting married in the fall of 2025 - mark your calendars.
Each night during this season, we have tweeted about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
NEW YEAR, N3W YOU
THE HEAT | DANIEL AUUSTIN
This month, one of our favorite shows came back for its second season, HBO's Rap Sh!t which follows the journey of Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion) as they navigate the music industry. Their relationship and journey is loosely based on City Girls. We learn about the music scene in South Florida, the Haitian community and what they do in order to survive along their ride to the top! One of the main characters, Maurice is played by Daniel Augustin who we have enjoyed in ABC's Grey's Anatomy and Hulu's How I Met Your Father! We wanted to find out more about this entertainer, how he approaches his craft, and what we can expect from this season of Rap Sh!t.
ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s so good to sit down with you as I have been a fan of your work and I love your character Maurice in Rap Sh!t and of course, the show is amazing! So I’m excited to talk with you!
DANIEL AUGUSTIN: Thank you so much! Thank you so much for saying that! It’s very exciting to hear and I’m excited to talk to you guys too!
AM: It’s clear that you’re definitely an entertainer. You’re an actor, director, producer, and a musician. When did you realize that you wanted to be in this industry?
DA: I think that I realized that I wanted to be in this industry before I knew how to be. That was around the time when I was watching Hannah Montana.
AM: Oh!
DA: The TV show, yeah! I didn’t know how to be an actor at that time because all I could do was the community acting in South Florida. South Florida didn’t have anywhere near the industry. I think in South Florida there were some Nickelodeon shows, but nothing along the lines of what I was seeing on Hannah Montana. I remember Hannah Montana’s (Miley Cyrus) brother on the show whose name was Jackson (Jason Earles) - I remember hearing he was 28/29/30 and he was playing her high school brother. I remember thinking how many opportunities must come from being able to portray characters at different ages. I just remember watching that show and that it sparked my imagination as to what’s possible and to no longer seeing what I see on TV as solely impossible.
AM: Right.
DA: I mean, she was even doing a bunch of stuff like being dressed up and nobody knowing that it’s her and all she’s doing is just wearing a different wig! That show did a lot for me and I think that at the time that that came out, I was probably 14/15 and that’s when I felt that I wanted to do it. Before that, watching people like Martin Lawrence (Martin, Boomerang, Bad Boys franchise), Jamie Foxx (Ray, White House Down, The Amazing Spider Man 2), Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie franchise, Respect, Air), and Will Smith (Men in Black franchise, Suicide Squad, King Richard) in their sitcoms that they had at the time – those guys raised me essentially and I think that that’s where I found my sense of charisma and playfulness with people. But I don’t think that it was until I saw the Hannah Montana show that I started to think that anything could kind of be possible. This guy is 29 years old and he’s playing someone in high school! That’s when I started to think about how I could go about doing this.
AM: That’s really cool and it’s interesting to see where inspiration can come from.
Earlier this month, you released Movie. Why did you want to take on this project?
DA: Movie means a lot to me because I have not been releasing music in years. I started releasing music when I was maybe 10 years old. So I think I stopped around 2018 as I had made a very hard pivot towards film and TV so I have not been recording, I have not been writing, and I hadn’t really been finding my way to sonics in the way that I would as a recording artist. I was very excited about doing this because when the SAG strike happened, I wasn’t nervous about anything, but I thought about how much control of my career that I don’t necessarily have per se. I don’t want to feel like I don’t have control of my life. So I started to pivot and focus on writing again and I started to focus first on screenwriting. I wrote a pilot, I wrote about my old high school football coach and I’m writing a feature film with my wife, Sh’Kia Augustin that we’re collaborating on. But there was still something that I didn’t feel like I was activated in a very theatrical way and in a way that moves through my body. So, I started to team up with the guys – a majority of those that I did when I was young. So I started in a Christian rap group called Mav-7 and I started reaching out to those guys that were in that group. Alvin Lewis is the main one who is servicing as all forms of A&R, helping me find music/songs and people to work with. Steven Guy, Channel Aria Sound, that’s just 3 names off the top and these guys were helping me craft my sound again. They were helping me craft stories and they were helping me see myself in an entertaining way that amused me and in a way that I felt would be entertaining to others and that I would want to be behind it.
I think that the strike had a lot to do with it and it offered me a lot of time to actually find another form or way to express myself.
AM: You also released Kinfolk: The Series which is 6 episodes and is also your passion project. It was also recognized and selected in Tribeca’s 2022 Creator Market, what led to that coming about?
DA: Kinfolk is another form of taking control of my career. I didn’t film it and you know work on it just to take control of my career. I started as a production assistant and I learned so many skills as a production assistant. I think I started in 2012 working at this small production company called As Seen On TV. They do these smaller commercials for products that you’ll see in Walgreens and Walmart. The commercials will go on late at night, but this gentleman, Laszlo Rain, he would do such an amazing job at making sets to make it look like it was a much bigger professional production. I was always enamored at that and I was always enamored at the magic behind what it took to make it look good. As an actor, I see the part that I play, but there are so many parts that go into the process.
Around 2010, Kanye West had come out with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album that he did and I also remember High School Musical. High School Musical really changed the way that I saw creativity as a whole. From that point on, I wasn’t the guy that was just making the songs, I wasn’t the guy that was the actor, I wanted to turn my songs into a script. So it went from, I want to make music and to feel the rhythms – it turned from that to wanting to be able to turn this into more of a narrative. My wife and I, who was my girlfriend at the time, she helped me get my first camera. It was a Canon 5D Mark III. We bought that camera and we started shooting. I still didn’t know that I wanted to do all of this stuff yet because I wasn’t good at it. I wasn’t good at directing, I wasn’t good at editing, I wasn’t good at coloring, I was bad at it – I was bad at all of that stuff actually.
But we just kept doing stuff, kept shooting stuff and people kept asking me for stuff. They’d say that they had a wedding on Fri and if I could help them, and I would. That would allow me to have a new lesson on a Fri that I hadn’t expected to get. So upon doing Kinfolk, I think that that was a culmination of a lot of different years of being creative and just just being in front of the camera. That’s not to say that being in front of the camera is not creative. But you see how much more creativity goes into pre-producing a project and then the post-production of a project. I think that by doing pre-production, post-production, and feeling the sense of gratitude for completing the project, I started to really feel like I was more than the person who waits to be picked and on set. A lot of the people that I worked with on set, those actors would tell me how much they appreciated the opportunity because a lot of those people were those that were super talented, but they weren’t booking stuff. Booking is not that simple. It’s hard and it feels like a lottery sometimes. It feels like you’re just not going to win! Upon working with other people and other actors, who just really want to be able to go out and do this, I started to appreciate it more because I think that I started to get more value out of my days because I was able to service more people than myself as opposed to just waiting for an audition. I know I started to appreciate that process more and more and I think that that’s where it all started.
AM: That’s really interesting and because of that, you and your wife, have your production company Augustin Productions. What are the kinds or types of projects that you’re looking to do under that company?
DA: Right now, all of the projects, when I think about it they’ve all been in alignment with very family oriented stories or family away from family kind of stories. I think that that’s what I have been coming to terms with – how much is family really part of all of our lives. Kinfolk in particular is so family centric, but aside from that, I worked on a short film that I believe made it to the Toronto Black Film Festival called TIFI {LITTLE GIRL} in creole Tifi means girl. It’s about this young girl and her family. This young girl wants to play soccer. So I think that if I can tie it into one word – cultural. Augustin Productions works on projects that have very cultural and specific minded objectives and narratives. I don’t know if that makes sense on how I just phrased that – but it makes sense to me – very cultural.
AM: No, I definitely get where you’re going with that and how the work ties itself into that category.
DA: I like that it’s family and culture based. In Kinfolk, we don’t have any Haitian characters in there, but there’s a lot of things that I think that Haitian families can relate to even though that story has more African American in it than anything else. So I think that the culture always stands firm more than anything I’m directing, shooting, editing, but also there’s family tied into it very heavily which I think helps people relate so much more when they’re watching.
AM: As an actor, what are you looking for when you’re thinking about accepting a role and what’s your creative process when you are becoming that character that you will portray?
DA: What I’m looking for – when I’m looking at a role, it’s how can I actually add value to the role? I’m looking to see where I can actually add that kind of value because I can see who the person is on paper. But when I start to speak for the person, the paper can only serve as a blueprint now. So I tend to look for everything that’s not on the paper. The paper serves solely as a blueprint, but that blueprint tells me things that sometimes, you can’t fit on the page. So I start to make choices for the actor that I believe and the writers may change some things and they’re more than welcome to – I just start to make choices for the actor based on what the blueprint tells me. If the blueprint says this character is going to say this in this scene, I’m going to take that to mean that they said that, but there is a reason why they said that, and that’s not necessarily off the page. So I’m looking to see if what they have given the actor can lead to images in my head. If it doesn’t lead to images in my head, then there might be somebody else who is best served for that role. Because I need to be well informed in how I can bring something to that role almost like a BYOB. I’ve got to bring my own bottle and food to the party. So I’m looking for something that will let me know what ingredients that this character may need so that I can sizzle off the page.
As far as how I prepare, a lot of times I think that I lead in with some kind of music. Like after I read the role, I almost always can have a soundtrack in mind. Preferably, it’s something without words, I always try to have a soundtrack in mind and I just let it play as I start to prepare. So there’s 2 types of preparation. There’s the audition and then there’s on set. If it is an audition, I’m still going to have music playing while I’m preparing, just because it almost feels like that music speaks to the character and what I’m about to do as well.
So for my role on Rap Sh!t – for that role, before I even did the audition, I had the music going in the background just playing and it was probably a very specific song based on where that person is in their life. The character Maurice, where he was in life at the beginning of the show in Season 1 is not where he is going to be in Season 2. In Season 2 by the finale, he will have gone through stuff that I don’t think that people would have assumed would be what he is going through.
So for the first season, all the songs that I was listening to were so so flirty, playful, seductive, and sensual. But in Season 2, I get into a lot more. So on my way to work, if we’re shooting in Culver City in LA or if we’re in Miami and I’m on the plane, I already have a playlist prepared to have him start to speak to me and to speak for me and these people have already gone through all of these things. One of the songs in particular, I hope it doesn’t give away any information -
AM: ooo
DA: I’ll give you 2 songs. 1 song that I would always listen to on the way to work was Michael Franks’, When Sly Calls, that’s a jazz sound. The other is The O’Jays’ Back Stabbers.
AM: Ok now!
DA: Haha so I listen to those songs on the way to work. These people have lived through that stuff already so by the time that I get into work, I feel like I have downloaded some energy before I come into work. Because what’s going to go on the screen, can’t be what’s on the page. Because on the page is literally my blueprint and for me to come in and color things onto the page so that we can fill the page with more than that black ink, I need something else that has been downloaded into my system that I can now give and bring to this party. I need to be able to bring my own bottle, to bring my own food, and I think that I get that a lot from music! I do other things too. I study in a very particular way as I’m sure that every actor does, but I kind of always have music in the background playing when I’m studying. So even when I put the script down for a second, I’m catching this person’s energy and it’s staying with me when I’m on set. It’s not just me, it’s kind of like, you know the work is us, but it’s bigger then us too.
AM: I love how you’re using music in that way!
I love this show, I’m such a huge fan of it from the words, the characters, the visuals and more! Of course, as we all watched the series finale of HBO's Insecure, to know a few months later that we could get excited about her newest project, Rap Sh!t the anticipation was real! What drew you to this series initially?
DA: Well initially, it was the fact that it was based on Miami – that was 1. He’s Haitian – that’s 2! He wasn’t Haitian at first as it just said, that he was either Haitian or Hispanic when I first saw the breakdown. Haitians are a huge part of the culture in Miami so that drew me in heavily. Lastly, and there’s more than this, but my character starts off working at a hotel in Miami. When my parents first came to South Florida from Haiti, they both came from Haiti, they were immigrants, and they both worked at hotels in Miami. My dad was a concierge and when I saw that role with him being a concierge, it was like a spiritual connection for me in a sense where it was just something small and cute that I can appreciate about this character because a majority of times, usually not everything connects.
Sometimes, you’re trying to see where you can connect this or that. I had a character on How I Met Your Father who moved to Australia. I had never been to Australia, so that was something for me that for me to be able to connect with it, I was watching documentaries of Australia and the Great Barrier Reef and stuff like that! When I saw those things and that he was Haitian, living in Miami, and a concierge, automatically it started to sit very well with me.
AM: Wow!
DA: There’s so many other things in it that are icing on the cake for me! But him being Haitian and from Miami was great! I’m from Fort Lauderdale, but we’re neighbors and that was something for me that was very very special to see. I don’t see that on every audition. There are definitely more Haitian roles and I’ve seen that uptick in the past over the past or 3 years for Haitian roles and Haitian representation. But, seeing Issa Rae’s name, I’ve always been a fan of hers especially just based on how she uplifted her community, she’s done so much creatively speaking, and how she has done so much for independent creators. I’ve always been a huge fan of hers so seeing that she was behind this and HBO – I’m a huge huge huge fan of this as well. So seeing all of these things was like, alright it’s such an alignment that for me to be able to have this role it’s just one of my most proudest achievements of my life to date.
AM: How would you describe Maurice?
DA: I would describe Maurice as indescribable, but I will still explain that. I feel like he’s all of us in a way as he’s very human individual, he’s just also a very, by any means necessary kind of guy at the same time. In spite of his by any means necessary approach, he’s able to be playful and fun. He’s flirty and supportive. I think that he’s one of the most diverse characters I’ve seen on screen because I think that there’s so much to unpack as it pertains to his character, his culture, how he communicated with women, because I think that when people talk nowadays and they talk about dating, they tend to talk about how difficult dating is. But I don’t think that it is difficult, just because it’s hard, it’s difficult because we’re not all good communicators, we don’t always know what we want, and sometimes when we do feel that we know what we want, it’s not very clear. I feel like he’s misunderstood, but he’s one of the most supportive individuals that I have seen on screen, almost to a fault.
AM: For those that may need a refresher where did we leave Maurice last season and depending on how much you can tell us, where do we pick up with him again heading into this season as it just started earlier this month?
DA: Last season, he was bathed in mystery. The season ends off with him essentially letting Shawna know that they need to cool off and they need to lay low because they got caught and they’re in trouble, but he’s playing it off like it’s ok. Because I think that he has been in these kinds of scenarios before.
Me personally, I have experienced a lot of what Maurice has experienced because when I was younger, I had a lot of friends that were in what you say in creole, the jwett – it’s a play, it’s a game and so I was on the outside looking in for some of it, but when I didn’t have a 9-5, I had friends that were doing what Maurice was doing and they would try to pull me in and sometimes, they’d get me to come in because I was trying to figure out how to pay bills or how to pay for studio sessions and so on and so forth. So, I’ve been in the situation where Maurice has been in where you’re in trouble, but you have to have confidence that you’re not in trouble so that you can actually get out of trouble.
So he’s been in a headstrong space where he’s seemingly way too cool about it and I think that it is creating an unease for Shawna because of how cool he is about it, she doesn’t necessarily know how to be easy because she doesn’t know and hasn’t had the kinds of experiences that he has had. He ends up letting her know that they’re in trouble, that she is ok, that nothing is wrong, and nothing is going to happen. Ultimately, when she goes back to work, something has happened, the cops come, and they want to speak to her. She doesn’t know how to handle it and she doesn’t know how to be cool and she runs. The season ends with her trying to run off from the police! We end up leaving it off in this space that is a bit open ended and we don’t know what is going on with Maurice and Shawna and she doesn’t know what happened nor does she know what is happening between the two of them.
Essentially I think that Shawna is going to continue to be left in that space of not knowing what is happening more that anybody. For Season 2 as we continue, I think that we’re going to play more of a game of that space and not knowing with Maurice. It’s a mystery and sometimes it’s going to be poured onto Shawna and I think that they are going to go back and forth and so I don’t want to say too much!
AM: Oh wow! We’ve been watching a few seasons and of course, we’re hooked and can’t wait to see how the season continues to evolve and unfold! When it ended last season, I wanted to know what was going on and thankfully we’ll get more answers over the next few weeks and I know our readers will feel the same way!
DA: Yes! It’s going to be a seesaw of emotions in Season 2!
AM: When you’re not on set, how do you take time for yourself to relax or to indulge in self-care?
DA: Man, man – how do I? When I’m not on set, lately what it’s been is that I have been doing therapy lately. That’s been very useful for me to figure out what self-care even looks like? So that’s been one of the things because sometimes, even when I’m not on set, I’m still working on stuff! I’m still writing scripts and I have been doing that a lot. I’ve been working with script consultant, out in London, by the name of Dominic Morgan, very helpful. I’ve been working with a script consultant here in LA called Pilar Alessandra and her program is called On The Page. It’s hard for me to call that self-care, but I have been trying to figure out too – what self-care even is.
Some of the other things that I have been doing self-care - wise is I have been watching more documentaries lately and reality TV as opposed to narratives. It’s just so I can cool off a bit on all of the story stuff that I am constantly involved in. Just so that I can have a bit more fun with it. I’ve been recording again. That’s been a lot of fun and I flew out to South Florida and recorded a lot of music with Alvin Louis and Steven Guy.
And there’s been yoga -
AM: Nice!
DA: There’s been creating even though that’s not necessarily a super chill thing to do. It does feel like self-care to me because it makes me feel like I am taking care of myself creatively and professionally as well. Last one that I will add to that is reading! I’ve been doing a ton of reading!
AM: Are there any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for that you will be releasing soon that you’re able to share?
DA: Oh wow, so, there definitely is. There’s some stuff that has happened that I have not been allowed to talk about!
AM: As always is the case!
DA: Yeah, so I’m trying to see if I can sneak something off about it. Let’s just say, there’s going to be something going on in the near future where it will be super hero related. I’m not saying that I will be a superhero.
AM: Okay.
DA: But it is something superhero related in the pretty near future. I just don’t have control over dates. I did just release a music video for Movie and that one was just one part of what I will be sharing with fans. There’s going to be some BTS coming out about that and also a ton of other videos that I shot. 2 more videos here in LA that were directed by Jacob Rink and I shot 2 videos in South Florida. So there is going to be a lot of music and I’m trying to see if the feature film that me and my wife are writing, I wish that I could talk about it, but I’m scared to say what the topic is of the film as I think that it is so synonymous with all of us here. For that one, I’m trying to see if we will be able to self-produce it and to shoot it on our own. I don’t know if we are going to be able to self-produce it just yet, but that’s a goal as well. So right now, I’m going to say that those are the main things that are on the forefront of my mind – music, self-produced content and a superhero thing that I am holding out for that I am hoping will come out soon. I look forward to be able to talk about that and I would also like to be able to say a Rap Sh!t Season 3!
AM: We are all hoping that there will be a Rap Sh!t Season 3! It’s been fun over the years to see you on Grey’s Anatomy as well as How I Met Your Father! In terms of you and this show, I’m always a fan of the concepts that are talked about, looking at how people navigate getting into the music business, learning more about the vibe of South Florida and anything that is missed from the show, catching up with Jessie Woo and Zach Campbell on Chat Sh!t fills in the rest of the gaps I enjoy hearing immediately after I have watched!
DA: Yeah!!!!!
AM: So I definitely hope there are more seasons to come and you continue to do what you’re doing!
DA: Thank you, I appreciate you for saying that!
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 158 - 162 Ben Cope | PG 165 + 166 Alicia Vera/HBO Max | PG 169 + 170 Erin Simkin/Max |
Read the NOV ISSUE #95 of Athleisure Mag and see THE HEAT | Daniel Augustin in Mag.
Featured
METHOD + DISCIPLINE | SEBASTIEN LAGREE
There are a number of workouts and studio fitness methods that we all talk about and have incorporated into our routines! Lagree Fitness is one of them and we had the chance to connect with the founder, Sebastien Lagree to talk more about the method, the equipment, and more.
ATHLEISURE MAG: In addition to creating your method, you also have the equipment as well. Can you tell us about the equipment that you offer and why one would use those as we are all looking at what we should add to our home gyms.
SEBASTIEN LAGREE: Sure. You cannot do my method unless you train on my equipment; I continuously evolve both and both are inseparable. First off, I design all my equipment around the user. I need to make sure it accommodates both small and large frame. Second, the equipment has to be intuitive which most fitness equipment are not. I've become extremely critical of fitness equipment and I can say that the majority of fitness machines are built very poorly. Fitness in general has gone downhill.
AM: In addition to your machines, you have a number of accessories that can be added to the equipment as well as to allow you to continue to workout in the method when you're not home. What are some of your favorites that we should know about?
SL: Correct, the accessories are necessary to perform more exercises and target specific muscles in the body. My favorite is the long black cable which adds hundreds of moves to the machine.
AM: You are available in studios across the country, can you tell us about your On Demand offerings?
SL: Correct, we have almost 600 studios worldwide and we do also offer classes on our virtual platform www.lagreeod.com. That platform is super convenient for those who don't have a studio nearby or for the students who want to make sure they have perfect form.
AM: For those that are new to the method, what are some tips that you suggest that we should keep in mind?
SL: Yes, when you do Lagree, try to move as slow and for as long as possible while maintaining perfect form. It sounds simple but it’s actually super challenging. Lagree is not a workout that you are going to master. There is no finish line.
AM: For those that are looking to get that Ken and Barbie physique? How can they go about it by doing your method?
SL: To achieve the K&B look, you need to do a muscular endurance workout which is exactly what Lagree does.
You need to keep your muscles under tension for a long long time. You also need to eat super clean.
AM: Are there upcoming events that you have coming up that you would like to share?
SL: Yes, we are hosting our first Lagree Summit in Vegas next year at MGM Hotel next year March 1st, 2nd and 3rd. This will be our first Lagree Trade Show.
AM: What's next for you and the method?
SL: A lot, I have many new designs and models that I am launching next year. I am adding electronics and eventually AI to my models. I also launched Lagree 2.0 this year and now I am working on Lagree 3.0
PHOTO CREDITS | Sebastien Lagree
Read the NOV ISSUE #95 of Athleisure Mag and see METHOD + DISCIPLINE | Sebastian Lagree in mag.
Featured
POWER BOOK III: RAISING KANAN REALITIES OF LIFE MEKAI CURTIS, JOEY BADA$$, LONDON BROWN
Season 3 of STARZ's POWER BOOK III: Raising Kanan is back on Dec 1st at midnight on the STARZ app (all STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms) as well as on STARZ at 9pm ET every Friday night! We caught up with MeKai Curtis (Arrested Development, Girl Meets World, Milo Murphy's Law), Joey BadA$$ (Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Mr. Robot, Grown-ish), and London Brown (The Hustle, Ballers, American Soul) who are all back for the latest season. We wanted to find out about what we can expect for this season (season 4 is not only renewed but is already in production) as well as what we should be excited for!
MeKai plays Kanan Stark in the 90's in the origin story of the character played by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson in POWER, the flagship series. We know he's the devoted son of Raquel "Raq" Thomas (Patina Miller) and as he searches for answers that he will ultimately evolve. We wanted to know how he approaches Kanan, what drew him to this series and what he is excited for.
ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s so exciting to be able to connect with you. How do you approach playing Kanan?
MEKAI CURTIS: You know, I approach it like any other character that I would approach and like how anybody would approach life. I take it line by line, scene by scene, day by day, reaction by reaction – I kind of just try to make it as organic as I can. That’s all acting it. It’s reacting.
AM: Where did we leave Kanan last season and where are we picking up with him again?
MC: I think that you’ll kind of find Kanan in the same spot that you left him at the end of season 2. He’s just trying to get a lot of answers to a lot of questions that he has and some of the answers that he’s getting aren’t necessarily adding up. So he dives deeper into finding those answers and then he builds his truth and his new world around that information! So you know, you’re just again finding an inquisitive young man trying to figure out what he is doing in life and who he is.
AM: What made you want to play this character as well as to join this amazing cast?
MC: Ah man, I mean, wanting to play this character, it stemmed from partially being a fan of the original franchise and then just wanting to push myself as an artist and to take on something new, to stretch my chops and to do something that I knew that I could. But even signing on, I had no idea in certain ways on what I was stepping into. I’m beyond grateful for it. I’m beyond ready for it. But even the magnitude of where we are and what we’re creating, it wasn’t so heavily on me at the time. It was just again about doing good work and getting to be part of the POWER franchise!
AM: What should fans be excited about as we come into the season as I can’t believe that it launches this Fri on Dec 1st!
MC: Ah wow! It is crazy! Oh wow, it is coming up on Fri!
AM: I know, right?
MC: Yo, time is moving – I mean time is just timing! It’s just happening. Everything is happening so fast! I mean, you just threw me for a loop with that one!
I mean it’s about just being able to watch the season! It’s about continuing the journey and continuing the ride with us. It’s about continuing to unfold and discover this world and these characters and what made the person – the original people that the fans of the original franchise are really able to get to understand. It’s about knowing the person that they saw from the original and new people that we have garnered and have started to bring onto the ship. They’re getting to enjoy just a really good story. It’s a coming of age story, a story of love, a story of forgiveness, a story of ups and downs and bonding. It’s about just trying to pave your way and making it do what it do every day that you’re allowed to!
We've been a fan of rapper and actor, Joey BadA$$ and the energy that he brings into playing playing notorious drug lord, Kadeem “Unique” Mathis, a character that continues to unveil his complexities from season to season. In addition to finding out how he brings this character to life, we also wanted to know what he loves about playing him as well as what drew him to the POWER universe.
ATHLEISURE MAG: How do you approach playing Unique?
JOEY BADA$$: Well you know, once I get suited and booted, it’s definitely like I get 5 points for that! You know what I mean? Just being in the attire! Also, it’s just more of the mental preparation than anything. You know, I’m thinking about what must be going on in the character’s mind, what are the current challenges that he’s facing and how can I bring that to life on the screen? How can I show that with my actions or my mannerisms or even my facial expressions.
AM: Where did we leave Unique last season and where are we picking up with him again this season?
JB: So you know, last season we saw the villain become the hero and I thought that that was very interesting. You know, I think that with this new season, historically, he was the guy that you hated that you loved or the guy that you loved that you hated. But now, I feel like people are going to see him in a new light this season because he’s in much more of a vulnerable space navigating this chemistry between him and Raq. So, you know his brother being back home and Ronnie’s (Grantham Coleman) not happy with what Unique has done. So there’s this work-life balance that Unique is facing and you know, I think that people are really going to see more of the human aspect of Unique more than anything this season so I’m excited about that!
AM: What made you want to play this character and be part of this phenomenal cast?
JB: Well I’ve been a fan of the original POWER series you know for a long time. When I saw that they were doing a spin-off, I just thought, look I just need a role. It don’t really matter which one it is, but once the role of Unique came and I auditioned for this character and it landed on my desk, I’m like, this is it – this is me. You know, by every means, this is me. I felt like I was born to play this character, you know what I’m saying? It’s been exciting to say the least and I’m super grateful to be part of this universe and to be part of the family.
AM: It’s always fun to see when you’re on screen! Are there any other upcoming projects that we should keep our eye out for that you can tell us about?
JB: Well, as we know, Raising Kanan Season 3 is coming. I’m working on a new album right now to put out at the top of next year. So I’m looking forward to that! Yeah and you know, more film stuff. I’m actually starting up a production company right now so I’m actually looking to get my hand involved in the executive level in this film industry so I am genuinely excited about that! I’ll be producing some of my own projects. I’m just looking forward to elevation and growth!
IG @joeybadass
Before the series premiere of this show, we caught up with London Brown who plays Marvin Thomas, who is Raq's older brother and Kanan's uncle. In that interview, he introduced us to POWER BOOK III, and it's great to now touchbase with him ahead of the 3rd season, to know more about his thoughts on the intracacies of Marvin, how he continues to approach him when playing him, why he enjoys bringing him to life and of course, what we need to know to be prepared for the upcoming season.
ATHLEISURE MAG: How do you approach playing Marvin?
LONDON BROWN: With a lot of concentration and focus in the sense that I just try to make sure that I try to create a lot of layers for Marvin so that he really becomes 3 dimensional and that he’s just not just some caricature, but more so a real person with real feelings. That way, the audience can go on a journey with me.
AM: Where did we leave Marvin last season, and where are we picking up with him again?
LB: We leave Marvin last season injured and in the middle of trying to repair relationships and we pick it up with him right there in the sense of he’s learned some lessons and now he is trying to apply those lessons to really become a better person. Not only for himself, but for those that he loves.
AM: We had the pleasure to catch up before the first season aired and so to talk with you again has been great. What do you enjoy about playing him across these seasons?
LB: The thing that I enjoy is experimenting with the arc of Marvin. That’s what I like! I don’t like for any character to stay in one thing and you can’t put Marvin in any kind of particular space because he’s doing different things. People can even experience that from the first season. This is true even from season to season. Even within a scene, you'll see Marvin go from one extreme to the next. So that’s been fun, just to get into the layers of playing Marvin.
AM: What should we expect from this season as we’re excited that this show is back!
LB: I think that people should expect plot twists and more specifically with Marvin. Just when people thought that they understood Marvin, they’re going to see a completely different side of Marvin that people can appreciate and whatever ideas that they thought that they had of Marvin in Season 1 like, “oh man, he did – oh wait – he is – he’s like this and like that!” But Marvin is still Marvin. So Marvin don’t start no issues, but if you cross him, he’ll finish them. So the undertone of Marvin is still there, but there are a lot of new notes to Marvin that we explored.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | STARZ/POWER BOOK III: Raising Kanan
Read the NOV ISSUE #95 of Athleisure Mag and see POWER BOOK III: Raising Kanan - Realities of Life | MeKai Curtis, Joey BadA$$, London Brown in mag.
Featured
GREAT GATHERINGS | JUNG LEE
There's nothing that we love more than an event that is truly an experience that ties in the visuals, sounds, smells, and of course phenomenal food! For well over a decade, we have always enjoyed seeing Celebrity Event Planner/Designer Jung Lee's flawless attention to detail when it comes to weddings that have been featured in Vogue and Bride's, the red carpet of the 76th Annual TONY Awards in 2023, State Dinners at the White House, corporate functions and more. With the holiday season upon us, we wanted to find out how she got into this industry as her event planning and design production firm FÊTE and her store of curated items can be found at Jung Lee New York. We also wanted to know about her favorite projects, her creative process, and what she loves about the holiday season. We also got a few of her tricks in how you can execute holiday gatherings even if you don't have access to a celebrity planner.
ATHLEISURE MAG: I have followed you on Instagram for a number of years and have seen your work covered in Vogue. There were a couple of NY Bridal Fashion Week shows where I know we were attending the same events and I’ve seen you there. So, it is such an honor to be able to talk to you about your career in design, event planning, and event production.
When did you decide you wanted to be a designer and an event planner?
JUNG LEE: To be perfectly honest, I never thought in a million years thought that I would be doing what I am doing now!
AM: Interesting!
JL: Yeah! I never considered myself a designer and it was just because I was in it and I was getting frustrated with other things. So I thought I was just going to do it in-house and same for planning. Initially, how I thought about planning, in terms of a business marketplace where it is today, is totally evolved. It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. I thought that there was a need to sort of add professionalism and a different way to think about events and weddings. When I started a little over 20 years ago, we deconstructed what made up an event or wedding and sort of built it back up with what I consider – soul where there is a purpose, a strong point of view and it’s not just like, “oh, it’s this color scheme and whatever.” I guess I have a fairly strong personality and I like things with a point of view as opposed to, it could just be. I went into it with a business angle and I said, you know what? From what it is now, I can actually do a better job in telling a story. So it started from that and then as I started to get into events, I started learning more about the interiors and the event design piece of it.
I guess I was a little bit frustrated and my clients were a little bit frustrated. So I just started doing it and I’m somebody where I learn by doing. I used to spec build homes so I just sort of started to pick it up. So if I had a home, this is what I would want. I feel like at the end of the day, we all as human beings, we want similar things. Obviously, everyone’s taste levels are a little bit different. Our styles are a little bit different, so you want to be able to sort of be able to make adjustments to that. But fundamentally as human beings, we all want more or less, the same thing. So whether it be a home or an event or things like that. I just feel that I understood that quickly.
AM: I like the position that you take on that.
Where do you feel that you get your inspiration from? The depth of the events that you have done, whether it’s the red carpet for the TONY Awards or event planning for the White House, doing weddings that have been featured in Vogue or Bride’s – how do you decide where you are going to pull the inspiration from and where does it all come from?
JL: I mean, I think that inspiration is everything that we see. We don't even understand it. It’s just like all of the images, the films, stories, and novels – everything that we have sort of seen in our life. So, it’s not like, “oh, I’m going to work on this event, let me start.” It doesn’t work like that. For us, the work that we do it’s such a collaborative process. So for us, I really want to get to understand my couples or whatever I’m doing. So whether it’s Dr. Biden – I’m really trying to get into her head a bit. I want to tell that story and have it sort of manifest and unfold into basically tablescapes and color schemes, the candles, and have it where everything is sort of laid out. I mean, it’s not one place which obviously is not an easy answer. But it’s really a whole host of things and then the way that I think about it, I love sort of putting everything on the table and really editing it down and pairing it down. I love starting with more initially and trimming and trimming and trimming until it feels right. It’s like a constant play and it doesn’t stop until the actual install because we’re still editing, adding, removing, and tweaking. That’s part of the craftsmanship and the artistic side in terms of putting an event to life because it’s how it sort of feels and looks.
AM: I totally agree with everything that you said as I’m also a fashion stylist so that concept of always pulling from everything and in the pull I have more than what I need and as you get closer to the deadline whether it’s a photoshoot or my client is hitting the red carpet, then I’m refining and bringing it down to align with what my client is saying and the vision that I have. The final result is the culmination of the hours and adjustments that finally become the desired look. That’s a really cool way to look at it.
JL: Yes, it’s like that for all of the interiors and fashion and everything! We want a little bit more to play with.
AM: Exactly!
JL: 100%!
AM: When you take on a project. From sketching out the ideas to creating, etc. Where do you like to start?
JL: Again, there’s no one place for it. They come in in different ways. Like right now, we have a corporate holiday party that we’re doing that’s for my daughter and she has always loved making gingerbread houses. I don’t even know why, I don’t even like them – I’m not a gingerbread person really. There was something about this holiday season – so we constructed basically a gingerbread house that is like their office which is on Park Ave South and the whole invitation is printed onto it and it has all the things that make it. So, again, the ideas come from everywhere. So it just came from there, it wasn’t like anyone said, make this.
I love that what we do, we can always think about different ways to sort of create something and to present it to our clients. Fortunately, we have a really wonderful relationship with our clients and it’s like year after year, it feels a little bit different. I love the idea of having something that is edible and it’s great for families so that event was for family as well. There is information and a sense of whimsy and fun and it’s the most delicious gingerbread house. Usually the ones that are store bought aren’t so great! So you take it out of this giant box and it’s such an experience to see the invitation this way. So I take my inspiration from experiences everywhere honestly. It’s just, you see something at a store, a museum, an opening – and it’s not like you take that specifically, but it’s how you make it your own for that particular project and I think that that’s where the magic and all the excitement – at least for me is. I’m sure for you too as a stylist.
AM: Absolutely!
JL: I’m sure it’s the fabric somewhere, or a little clip, or a piece of jewelry.
AM: Yup!
JL: You start taking that and you start running with it. Same – so we get inspiration from everywhere. It can be something that I saw on the runway or a really beautiful interior. It could be a fashion period piece or an era – it’s everything.
AM: I totally agree.
What have been some of your favorite projects that you have been involved in?
JL: Oh my God, I mean all of our projects, they’re like my children. I love them all for different things. I mean, obviously, working at the White House on the grounds for France or inside the White House for the Republic of Korea which was super special for me as being Korean born. They hold very very special places in my heart. One was just the first time for the Biden Administration for when they did the State Dinner for France and it was a giant tent and it had never been done before. I loved it and again, we were just on the ground and the way that we had constructed it and sort of made the elevation – they really trusted us and they leaned on us in terms of how we saw it. We propped the tent up so that you could see the Washington Monument and the White House which was really special because that had never been done before.
Then, when we were invited back in the Spring and this time, we were able to do the State Dinner inside the White House, that was really special. We just brought in tons of cherry blossoms and all of the florals that made sense for Korea as well as for Dr. Biden for being the Spring time. So that was really special for me of course and they were so gracious and they invited us to it, like me, my mom, and my brother. So, that was phenomenal to be there at the State Dinner.
Obviously, working on the TONY Awards and again, it hadn’t been done the way that we had done it. So it’s not just a red carpet, being in Washington Heights, I didn’t want it to be a typical red carpet. So we chose a hot pink fuchsia which was fiery to me and I wanted it to feel like a little bit of the Dominican Republic in Washington Heights in the summer time. I wanted it to come to life so along with the backdrop that we had created, lots of tropical leaves and florals that were sort of coming out at you. So I love that it was flat, but also coming out.
AM: It looked beautiful!
JL: Thank you! We’re working on one now for the end of the year where we’re going to a small island off of Kenya for an end of year celebration and we’re getting ready to go there shortly. It’ll be 4 days of events, so all of these events and projects are culturally so different. We did a trip to Cuba before it was open prior to the Obama Administration and that was for the same clients. So, I have a tendency to sort of collect clients over the years and we end up doing so many projects with them because we know them, they know us and they know we will be able to take it up one step higher. That sort of connection with our clients is where they give us that trust where they tell us, you know us, what do you think? That’s really so important where they trust us so we can test out these things. That’s a lot of fun of course.
AM: What do you love about the holiday season?
JL: I know! This year just flew! I can’t believe it! I love the holiday season obviously. For me, there’s so many things. We’re insanely busy with holiday sets and installs and things like that. But I really think that it’s important for me to take time for my team who are so incredible. So treating them really well, treating my friends and family because the work that I do, I don’t have a lot of personal time. I love my work and there is definitely a very blurred line and it's just because I am so passionate about it so fortunately, work doesn't always feel like work for me. What that means is that I’m not with my friends and family as much as I want to be. So when the time sort of slows down because everything sort of stops, I love that. So I really like to spoil and treat them. So that’s my pleasure. I get to work hard and then I can treat the people that are so important to me. I really love that.
AM: Because we’re all planning our dinners, seating charts, and more – for those that are about to embark on their own holiday festivities that don’t have a celebrity planner that they can be assisted by, how can people approach creating their events? What are tricks of the trade that you use that they should do so that they can have fun and the experience is seamless and easy in terms of planning?
JL: I feel like for a lot of people, and young people specifically who have apartments, they feel so intimidated, but like anything, the more you do it, the easier it becomes and the better you become. You have to have a starting plan and I think that some people are so intimidated because they think that it has to be perfect. They’re exhausted before they even begin and that’s no fun.
I love a beautiful place setting.
AM: Same!
JL: I think that the notion of having as many people as you love at your home that you care about and fostering this community of this wonderful warm energy especially around the holidays is everything! I really believe in the energy of all of that and I love on it. I don’t think that it needs to be so fanciful, but the lighting, the music, you know. Getting some good wine or some champagne, it doesn’t have to be a fancy holiday cocktail. Do it if you want to, but you don’t have to. The most important thing is setting the mood so it doesn’t feel like such a big list. And again, great scented candles – to me smells, sights, and what you hear is the most important thing and that is everything in terms of setting the mood.
Whether they are frozen foods that you got to heat up, like quiche puffs or whatever – that to me is less important honestly. It’s about being together and setting a mood. That to me is far more significant rather than someone slaving over a kitchen and making things for days and days. That to me is silly. Because again, I hate waste and I feel that that’s a waste. Again, if that’s what you do, go for it, do it. But if it’s not, if you have limited time, you can get great food and it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune and you can have it at home. To me, doing something at home versus at an event space or a restaurant, there’s nothing like it. Because the more you do it, the easier it will be. I just love the notion of getting your home ready to have people over. We clean our floors, we clean out our fridge and it’s that anticipation when we’re getting ourselves ready for it and I really think that when people do it, they will do it more often. It’s just good for our souls I think!
AM: I totally agree and I love the fact that you’re talking about people should do the things that are comfortable to them. Bringing foods in, frozen food options, spending time with people, and removing that stress.
One of my favorite things is that I love an awesome bar cart or cocktail nook and I also know that you have your store, what are 3 items that we should have or can gift to others that can elevate a cocktail/bar cart experience?
JL: I mean, I think that great little bowls and I love warm nuts because it’s the easiest things to do. It’s so luxurious when you’re having a nice warm nut. I think that a nice thoughtful gift like a great scented candle. We just got a new one in that I was in Paris and I smelled it and I thought, we have to bring this in and I do think that the French do make the best candle and scents because that’s where it all originated. It’s called D’ORSAY. We just got them in and I love them all! I think that going to someone’s home, a pet peeve of mine is that you bring them a bouquet of flowers, it’s hard for the host because now they have to take it and make it an arrangement unless it’s all sort of done and they can put it out. I love serving cake plates and domes and bringing sweets, but bringing it in a really beautiful cake stand. I like taking some store bought things and putting it on a nice plate and that afterwards, they have a nice gift to remember. I’m a big fan of that and I guess it sort of depends on people’s price points. As a hostess gift, you don’t have to break the bank, but I think that nice subtleties that feel a bit neutral that they can appreciate. I’m not a fan of gifting things that are too seasonal necessarily. I’m not into something that has a turkey or a Santa on it! I think color is more interesting if you are trying to do things that are for the holidays.
AM: Those are great tips as I always believe in bringing gifts and these are also great ideas to enjoy for yourself as well.
When did you get he idea to launch your own store, Jung Lee New York? I love the curation and it’s as tasteful as the events that you plan.
JL: You know, back to what I was saying earlier, people are all the same. Part of what I do in looking for things and constantly shopping for my clients and events that we’re going to do, and I shop everywhere. I think at the end of the day, everyone that I know, I don’t care between the billionaires to someone who is working in a finance job or someone who works in fashion, we all shop high-low. We go to Zara and we pair it with our Chanel bag. Everyone does that and I found that a lot of the home stores, it was either luxe or Big Box and I didn’t like that and I wanted to create a store that I would want to shop in for me and my clients!
That’s what I felt and to me I felt that we really represent the best $10 glasses to all of the Christofle and the Baccarat and everything in between. Because that’s how I feel that I live and how I feel that most people live and I like that. Everything feels luxurious and the cost may be whatever it is. So to me, everything in the store is a great piece. Obviously there are great investment pieces and certain things are just really nice. But I don’t think that a price necessarily dictates whether something is great or not. To me, I value – value. I handpick 90% of the items that are in the store and there are glasses that are $400 and I will pay for those as I think that they are so beautiful. There is a Saint-Louis glass that’s called the Les Endiables and it’s one of my favorite things and it has been around for awhile and you can use it upside down because there are 2 cups to it and I love the playfulness of it. Nobody does it like that and it’s not inexpensive, but whatever it costs, it’s worth every single penny in my opinion. Then there are glasses where I’m like, those are great and I love them and they are a $10 glass. Or I love an acrylic! The things that people bring home, I don’t necessarily think that it needs to be so precious because I think that people spend way too much time thinking about that. If you like it, bring it in! People are like, "oh my God, what if it breaks?” People buy a $2,000 pair of boots and you scuff them up and you have to get them repaired. It’s ok!
AM: It’s so true!
JL: You have to live and that’s the thing that I want people to realize. Enjoy life and live! It’s ok. You have a gorgeous ring, of course you’re going to wear it. You’re not going to leave it in the safe deposit box! I’m such a big proponent that you have to live life! Enjoy, get the best things possible. Don’t break the bank, be smart about it. People think months about whether they should get this or that. I love collections and I love knick knacks. There are certain glasses that I have that can all live harmoniously together on my Thanksgiving table. To me, it’s like a great denim, you pair it with your favorite designer silk top or whatever. You can go all denim and a white T-shirt or you can go a little fancy or you can mix and match. That’s what I think that tabletops should be. If you curate it properly, your fancy stuff should be able to work with your everyday stuff!
AM: Many years ago, I was a Home Manager at Anthropologie and that’s when I started really loving décor with all of the different plates, silverware, mugs, candles, packaged soaps, etc. So to have a Baccarat glass that is mixed with an Anthropologie Latte Bowl – it looks so good on the table together and it’s like a moment.
JL: Yes! I think the thing about it is that I think that between fashion and accessories, I think that people have a sense because they have been working on it and I think that with homes, they find it so intimidating. I think that’s why people go all white basic. People are so afraid that they just want to be all so safe. If color makes you happy, have some color. If you’re more neutral, that’s ok but you don’t have to have it all white. It’s like wearing white, all day long, that feels boring. I just think that your home should be like the best restaurant that you have ever gone to. All of the things that you use whether it’s glasses or small plates, it should be like, “I love it!” Silverware, I feel like people don’t think about it. I think it’s one of the most sensual things that you should have.
AM: 100%.
JL: You should love your fork, you should love the spoon that you use. You should love it and if you don’t love it, you should think about it and start acquiring the things that you really want.
AM: Could not agree more! There is nothing better than having your Sweetgreen salad and having a lightweight hammered copper fork to eat it with a stunning wine glass while you watch The Golden Bachelor solo or with friends! There’s something about that high-low that you can enjoy it while doing something casual that isn't tethered to a holiday season or special event. It’s just appreciating that moment and I don’t think that you should relegate those items to big/signature events only.
JL: Without a doubt, if you love it, you should do it!
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PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelor
THE BACHELOR S28. E0. | THE LADIES OF JOEY'S SEASON
PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez
On Jan 22nd, we will get to see the premiere episode of S28 of The Bachelor where Joey Graziadei who was the runner up in S20 of The Bachelorette with Charity Lawson, will be able to start his own journey on The Bachelor! We can’t wait to see who he picks and what happens along the way. We’re sharing the contestants that will be in this season and we’re really looking forward to how sisters Lauren and Allison navigate competing for the same man, living in the house, and how they engage with the other women!
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
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PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
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