Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | Dei V in mag.
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see VANILLA BEAUTY in mag.
PHOTO CREDIT | STARZ/Down in the Valley
Readers of Athleisure Mag know that we enjoy watching STARZ’s P-Valley. In fact, we even interviewed members of the cast for our MAY ISSUE #77 for the last season of this series. This series focuses on Chucalisa and the chosen family of those that work at The Pynk. In this series, we get to know about this strip club, those who work there, and the events that take place in the community that affect those that work there. We love that we get to see a lot about these multi-dimensional characters in terms of their hopes, dreams, how they support one another and beyond!
Although we’re all waiting for the upcoming season of P-Valley, today we get to watch Down in the Valley that lets us know more about the cities that represent Chucalisa as well as the stories that come from there as well as how elements of those lives directly tie into the show. In this 6 series episodes hosted by and is Executive Produced by Nicco Annan (Shameless, Snowfall, Claws) who plays Uncle Clifford in the show and Executive Produced by Shoshana Guy (Rock Center with Brian Williams, High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America, The 1619 Project,), we get to hear their stories and learn more about what we have all come to love about this series!
We had the chance to sit down with them to talk about the Mothership show, how this series came about, why it was created, and what we can expect from it!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into Down in the Valley, what attracted you to P-Valley and why did you want to be in this incredible show which I have loved watching over the seasons?
NICCO ANNAN: Well thank you, what attracted me to this show, P-Valley, I am going to say is the fact that it was created by such an auteur as Katori Hall (The Mountaintop, Hurt Village, Tina - The Tina Turner Musical). She is really a person who I love her work in the theater and I was reading her work before I was actually even auditioning for anything like that. I also love that it was something that was a true reflection of where I came from and all different types of our culture. It wasn’t just limited to a narrow viewpoint of how I saw myself and my community.
AM: In watching the show, I love the complexities, the characters, the topics that are talked about, and the city almost becomes a character in and of itself. Although I know that the city portrayed in the series is fictionalized, it seems more like a composite of a number of cities in the South. How did Down in the Valley come about as I feel that it allows the city as a character to step forward a little bit.
NA: Yes, part of Down in the Valley, we wanted to be able to go to different cities, You are absolutely right! Chucalisa, Mississippi is a fictitious city, but it is a real Native American burial ground. In the world of P-Valley, all of this is behind us and we are really an amalgamation of the South and it would be almost like if Jackson, Mississippi and Memphis had a baby! You know with a Mama in Tunica. Haha – that’s Chucalisa.
One of the things you know that Shoshana and I talked about in creating this show, Down in the Valley, we really wanted to go to different parts of the South that were in The Delta – that Bible Belt space to see what it was really like. It was about the real people and the real places!
AM: So how did both of you become attached the show. Shoshana, I have also been a fan of your work as a journalist and a producer. As a Telecom major in college, I have been enthralled by your work. How did both of you come to this project?
SHOSHANA GUY: I had worked sort of adjacent to Starz on the 1619 Project and so I had a relationship with them there and you know, I am always looking for new folks to collaborate with so it was really exciting the idea of – I mean, I love the Mothership Show as we call it. So it was a really exciting idea for me to be collaborating with Nicco and Katori and of course, a new production company Zero Point Zero (Nomad with Carlton McCoy, United Shades of America w Kamau Bell, Somebody Feed Phil) which it was produced out of. So once I sort of had that initial relationship, the idea of collaborating with a new group of people was very appealing to me so when I got the call, I said yes, that sounds interesting to me.
AM: And Nicco?
NA: What’s the question?
AM: Well we have loved you in the Flagship show but what drew you to come in as the host and the Executive Producer in this show? What were the stories that you wanted to tell as you mentioned earlier about focusing on the different cities and the people within it. I came across a quote that, “even though The Valley is a concept, and a state of mind, it actually reflects various areas.” As someone who is from the Midwest originally and has lived in NY for over 2 decades, I love learning about other communities.
NA: You know, when I created this show, I had the idea for this show back during S1 of P-Valley! So it was something that was always in my mind and it was about the right time. The industry has been going through a lot of restructuring, the big strike, there was this thing called COVID that the entire world experienced. So it just felt like, now is the time that we can have some space to do it. I had a little time off from the Flagship show, so when I brought it to the network, my ideas and I got that all pitched out and partnered up here with Shoshana, we really went in and found a team of people, a team of diverse people, Black women, queer people, people that were connected and had passion for the South to be able to come together and to tell this story and always having Katori in the mix!
It's so funny because my brain really just went for half a second to the script and the world of Chucalisa and I had to say, wait!
SG: Haha you were going to recite some lines for us?
NA: Right! I was going to go into a whole other place!
SG: Yeah! He’s an amazing multi-tasker!
AM: Right haha!
NA: It was just a natural, I mean honestly, it was a natural process and it was a labor of intense love, it has been one of severe dedication, you know to make during this past year. And it’s something that we wanted to do where it wasn’t about a replacement of P-Valley, it is about an expansion and creating something more. I really felt like it was an opportunity because I meet fans and other members of the Pynk Posse and there is an intense love! We can be quite intense and so I wanted to make sure that I could do something that is reflective of who I am meeting and who I am encountering, and I think that sometimes in life, you can forget the beauty and the strength that we can come from. So, I wanted to make something that was full of love, full of intention, and low on trauma.
SG: Yeah, I have to add to that to say that one of the fun things about being in the field. Watching people’s reactions to Nicco was that they already felt so connected to him because of this character that he plays in the show. It was such an interesting and enjoyable piece of the operation to be moving around in space and to see how it all came together!
Remember when we went to the tailgating event?
NA: Yes!
SG: This older woman came up to me and asked me could he come over for just a second? So I looked over to where Nicco was and I said (waving her arms over), come on over here! She said to the group, “he’s coming home!”
NA: Yesss!
SG: I always remember that moment because it really felt symbolic of the way that people feel about the Mothership Show and also for us to be able to bring that feeling of home onto the screen.
AM: In preparation for this interview, I watched 3 episodes in their entirety and saw portions of the remaining 3 as I wanted to have a great backdrop for this series, but time got in the way! This weekend, I will watch the remaining ones as I love the stories that were shared.
I love that there are aspects of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. As you have this travel component in many respects and you also have this journalistic and getting into sociopolitical issues that are taking place and doing this without having the trauma aspect involved. That is such a complicated, nuanced, and beautiful mix to be able to put that together in a half hour show that is not coming off preachy, but is talking about issues that are also a crossover into what is being discussed and shown in the Mothership!
SG: Girl, who are you telling?
AM: I mean, in your mind it’s like “boop, boop, boop” triangulating all of this together!
NA: Hahaha!
AM: I mean, I’m impressed by it and even in what I have watched, seeing how it is laid out and the depths of its connective tissue – it’s amazing.
NA: Oh thank you!
SG: Yes, thank you so much! It’s wonderful that you see the notes of No Reservations in there because we obviously produced it out of that kind of legendary production company, so it’s always going to have that sort of feel and flavor of that underneath it. You know, I’m a trained journalist, I have a degree from Columbia University, I worked at NBC News for many many years. So everything that I approach, has that kind of journalist feel underneath it. I’m always interested in how stories and narratives collide with real issues that are going on. We know that as Black people, it’s always a lot of things that we are working on, building on, celebrating, but also processing as a people. So our goal was to make sure that that came through. A nice balance of the fun and also the real things that we go through.
NA: To also add in, all of the creativity with the dance, and the dance elements that are in the storytelling, it’s connected. Things are elevated and there are moments of hyperreality so to speak. Like you experience that in the Mothership Show, we experience it in real life. It was just a way to capture that on screen and really tell these complex stories of real people who have real lives that are intertwined and showing you that it is really laced into the stories of P-Valley in this fictional world and here is the real world that is showing you those real things. Elements like how Hoodoo is ensconced in the community and it’s not something that the character Diamond (Tyler Lepley) just came up with out of thin air, you know what I mean? Some things like the superstition that we all have of “don’t sweep my feet,” like my grandmother would say that. Or throwing salt over their shoulder you know what I mean? Little things like that that you don’t necessarily know the root of, but you’re able to go in here and see where it all derives from in a fun, sexy, and entertaining way.
AM: I appreciate you guys taking the time! I hope that there is another season or version of this that continues on as I find it intriguing and like many who will see this, I can’t wait for the next season of P-Valley! It’s been great chatting as I am a fan of your work separately and having both of you here together has been such a great chat!
You can watch Down in the Valley starting tonight on STARZ and/or stream it on the STARZ app.
PHOTO CREDIT | STARZ/Down in the Valley
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE BEAUTY in mag.
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see #TRIBEGOALS in mag.
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see THE PICK ME UP in mag.
In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with couture designer, Walter Mendez of Walter Mendez Atelier. He is known for his stunning creations that spans RTW, bespoke, and bridal collections that have been worn by Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, socialites, and more! We talked about how he got into the industry, his passion for his creations, his recent exhibit in Beverly Hills.
We caught up with Supermodel Chanel Iman who attended Miami Swim Week to hear why she likes this season of shows, her favorite shows that she has attended recently, and where she's traveling to this summer.
We caught up with 3X WNBA Champion and 5X Team USA Women's Basketball Gold Medalist Diana Taurasi as we talked about how she fell in love with the sport, what it's like to prepare for her 6th Olympic appearance when she is currently in season with the Phoenix Mercury, and more.
We enjoyed seeing Reza Diako in The Diplomat and Tehran. We wanted to talk about playing Apostle Philip in S4 of The Chosen as well as upcoming projects. We also wanted to know how he came to acting, his approach to playing his characters, and upcoming projects.
We know that the Summer Games is only a few weeks away and as the athletes prepare, we caught up with 3 MICHELIN Star Chef Alexandre Mazzia who will be be at Paris 2024 bringing his culinary talents to the Olympic Village for the athletes. We talked about his background, how he defines his cuisine, being an Olympic Torch bearer and more.
Like many of you, we're so excited for S3 of FX's The Bear! We talked with castmembers from the show to talk about what we can expect as all episodes are streaming now!
If you have yet to watch MGM+'s Hotel Cocaine which takes viewers back to the late 70s/early 80s to The Mutiny Hotel which was considered the Studio 54 of Miami. We had the pleasure of talking with the Creator Chris Brancato and Director Guillermo Navarro as well as 2 of the leads from this show, Yul Vazquez and Danny Pino that focuses on the sex, drugs, disco, and drama of the era!
Fans of 9-1-1: Lone Star will enjoy our conversations with Julian Works who is also starring in the film, The Long Game. We got to hear this movie buffs favorite films, his approach to playing his characters, and more.
We always enjoy talking with our favorite actors and hearing about projects that they're working on. In addition to Maria Camila Giraldo's appearance in Netflix's Griselda and other upcoming movies including one with Al Pacino, we also wanted to know more about her nutritional brand, Fungiments which she created out of a personal need for her health.
This month was a busy month and in addition to other things on our schedule, we have recaps from NYC Pride which we are proud to be media sponsors for our 8th year, we also attended Governors Ball to enjoy 3 days of music, food, and good vibes, as well as Bar Convent Brooklyn where we connected with our friends in the spirit and hospitality industry at this tradeshow as well as epic after parties.
We also interviewed singer/rapper Dei V who just released his latest album and has worked with a number of people including Karol G. We wanted to know how he became an artist as well as his creative process and his current tour.
This month's The Art of the Snack comes from Blu on the Hudson a short ferry ride from NYC with epic views of the city and phenomenal seafood that we can't wait to enjoy!
This month's Athleisure List comes from JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa and Juice Generation which just launched their Juiced Gelato that we are fans of.
This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from EDM DJ/Producer, Kygo and Dei V. This month we have our 9PLAYLIST MULTI from Reza Diako who shares songs, books and podcasts/TV/films that he is enjoying. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from our cover star, Walter Mendez as well as Supermodel, Chanel Iman for their must-haves in beauty, style, and fitness. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from WNBA's Diana Taurasi and Costume Designer Allyson Fanger who shares their routines that they do, enjoy, and have Morning, Afternoon, and Night. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from ChefTimothy Silva of Pineapple Club, Chef Victor Chen of Kintsugi, and Pioneering Woman's Ree Drummond.
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag.
When you're watching a film or a series, the goal is to be transported and to enjoy an immersive experience that either allows for escapism, conversations with others, or to be introspective. That process can come in many forms whether it's the script, the setting, subject, and in many cases the actor.
There are a number of actors that you know when they are attached to what you're about to watch, your expectations are high that they are going to drive the story. When you have an actor who has played a number of characters in shows and films that you admire, you're always excited to get the chance to know more about them, their process, and how they connect to their work. This month's cover of Athleisure Mag is Curtiss Cook (Mayans FC, Shutter Island, West Side Story) who has played Otis "Douda" Perry in The Chi which you can stream the current Season 6B on Paramount+ with Showtime and On Demand and you can also watch it on Showtime each Sunday.
We wanted to know more about the power of storytelling through the characters that he plays and how that is achieved; what he loves about storytelling, the committment he has to his craft; the success of his role in The Chi; the importance of mental health; and upcoming projects that we can continue to keep an eye out for. In addition, we took advantage of a summer day by heading to Selina Chelsea Hotel for our photoshoot that took place at Creatures at Selina Rooftop and Music For A While listening lounge!
ATHLEISURE MAG: The last time we talked, you were our cover for our DEC ISSUE #72 back in 2021.
CURTISS COOK: Oh wow, Dec ‘21!
AM: We were talking about Season 4 of The Chi, and you guys knew you were already renewed for Season 5, and we were talking about The Devil You Know although you couldn’t tell us about the title at that time or really what it was. But you shared that you were working with Charles Murray (Sons of Anarchy, The Devil You Know, Outer Range), which interestingly enough, he is in this month’s issue!
CC: Are you serious? Oh, I love him!
AM: Yes, we interviewed him for Outer Range.
CC: Outer Range?
AM: Yes it’s a neo-western with Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, Avengers franchise, Dune franchise) on Prime Video. Charles is the Executive Producer and Showrunner of the 2nd season as he took over from the creator for this series. Which is a great show by the way!
CC: Josh Brolin you said?
AM: Yes!
CC: Oh c’mon, you know that’s good!
AM: Oh it’s a great show!
So now, we can go back and talk about The Devil You Know, which we loved!
We thought it was awesome to see the dynamic and the storyline.
CC: It was good right?
AM: Oh, I mean the cast! What was it that you loved about being in that show?
CC: First of all, when I was offered it, the first thing that popped into my mind was that I was trying to remember a movie or television show that dealt with brothers, Black brothers and in a complicated way right? Not just as caricatures of the culture, you know what I mean? They had a mother and a father, so they grew up with both of their parents, you know what I mean? It wasn't a broken home. Now what happens in the movie – we have to sell a movie. But still, the love in which they still cared for each other was amazing, the writing for that script was so on point. But then like you said, when you get a group of cast members like that, it’s like, “wow, that could literally be a TV series!”
AM: That’s what I thought when I watched it.
CC: I mean, if the end didn’t happen and we didn’t prolong certain things, but those brothers being that way and being invited to that party. Because a lot of times, Curtiss doesn’t get invited to those parties. I don’t know why that is. He normally gets invited to the other party. Where he is the only one that is there. When I say that, I mean that he is the only Black face there. He is the only Black person that is there. Which it is what it is. I’m not complaining.
AM: I have been in those doors and know it well!
CC: Yeah, it’s like, why aren’t y’all coming?
AM: Hello again my friend, it’s just me!
CC: It’s just me.
AM: Carrying the torch for everybody and sometimes nobody.
CC: Everyone and sometimes no one. They’re just different right? Sitting with Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Killers of the Flower Moon) is just different then sitting with Charles Murray. It’s not better or worse, it’s just different. So that was immediately what it was. It was about this brotherhood, this family unit and how close knit they were and than when Charles said that it was loosely based on his family, and his brothers and it was like, oh wow, this is an opportunity to represent and to get a peek into our culture in a different way.
I’m pausing because I’m trying to think of different films that dabbled in that area and -
AM: It’s hard to think of one.
CC: I can see friends that you think of them as brothers because they’re so close and they grew up together, but literally being brothers from the same mother and father.
AM: The 5 Heartbeats gave that vibe, but they were not brothers.
CC: Oh I love that movie!
AM: [Sings] Nights like this, I wish raindrops would fall -
CC: Oh man, I love it.
AM: Haha no you’re right. It did feel different and I hadn’t really seen that dynamic and certainly not with 4 brothers.
CC: So it was special and I appreciate being brought to the party. I wish that it did better at the box office, but I find people that stop me and say, “oh my God, I really loved that movie,” and it touches you because it could just as easily be overlooked and forgotten about. Same way about Roxanne Roxanne, people pop up and say, “ oh man, you get on my nerves – you took that woman!” It’s like ok!
AM: I have to say that I liked your character Marcus Edison in The Bold Type. I was a huge fan of that show.
CC: Ok!
AM: It was nice to see you in a different way in that series.
CC: Right, right, right!
AM: Mayans FC, we enjoyed you in that!
We were huge Sons of Anarchy fan so when the spinoff came out, we were ready for Mayans!
What do you love about storytelling?
CC: The exploration of self because a lot of times, I have gone through – well, I am the oldest of 5. My next sibling down from me is 3 years younger then me and it’s a girl. So although Renee and I are close, we weren’t hanging out you know what I mean, that’s my sister. So, a lot of times I found myself by myself so I read a lot. I had a really close friend that I had known since kindergarten, but I read a lot, I watched a lot of TV, and I was absorbing a lot of stories and I lived through things that I saw. I remember growing up saying, “I wonder what I would have done if that was me?” Like incidents that happened in the neighborhood and what not and then in television and movies too – it was always, I wonder what I would have done. So absorbing that, you go to school, and then college and all of that – you get fed more stuff. You get the opportunity to express all of the inner sides of yourself that just stay dormant because there is no way to express that. But then all of a sudden, you come across this character that seems so far from who you are where you say, “you know what? I remember when I was 17 and I was thinking about what if I was the FBI Chief or that I was in charge of the police and this is an opportunity to bring out that 17 year old idea along with all of the new information that I have and bring it together."
So I enjoy that part of exploration to bring along the storytelling and being able to purge certain aspects of myself and I also like the finding of stuff. Sometimes a play or a movie or a television show takes me to a part of the country or a part of the world that I have never been to before. And just by that, you’re exploring and seeing things that you never have before! The Interpreter, we shot in Mozambique and I had never been to the Mother Land and when I tell you Kimmie, that it was eye opening. It was eye opening and I will tell you a quick story about this, but it was a long time ago, but I will never forget this.
I don’t know if you remember The Interpreter, but there is a scene where these young boys come to basically, assassinate my character and another character by someone else. But these young men who did the scene were locals. They were for a lack of a better word, very impoverished – they were poor. So, the costumer, the cast, decided to give them a gift and got them these bikes. They were getting paid for the movie, but just to say thank you, they received these bikes. Dare I say, the next day on set, they came back walking in and everyone was like, why are they walking? We were told that their bikes were stolen, they were taken, they’re gone. We were shocked and then an older gentleman said, “we can’t give gifts like this because it’s taken immediately.” And not even from other children, it’s from grown people coming to take these things.
That was a shock to me and then although the people were poor, it’s not like they were like, “oh help me, help me” they were living and full of life! It was just like, we don’t have these material things, but we know where to eat, we know where to congregate, we know where to worship, and it was life! It was so life affirming to me because sometimes, we can get so caught up in to the stuff and that makes us feel like whatever and you forget that all we need is this, we’re just sitting here talking, having a good time, taking some pictures, and that is what life is about.
AM: I always say that home is where I have a seat at the table. So it doesn’t even have to be in my house. If I feel that we connect and there is a vibe, that is a home. Because everything else it can be up and down.
CC: I agree with that 100%. So that is also what storytelling gives me. It’s an opportunity to meet and see people and have myself to be reminded of certain things like that or to be told certain things like that. When you see something concretely like that in your face, you’re like, “ok I need to make a shift.” So those are some of the things about storytelling that I love, why I love it so much, and sometimes the factor of not knowing how to do it!
Right now, I’m about to fly out to LA for this piece. I haven’t sung in a long time. So honestly, I’m scared, I’m a little like, “boy, you ain’t sung and you’re going where with big people on the stage?” It’s going to be some people there! So it’s not like it’s just us right here where I could just sing for you and y’all are like, go head!” So I’m like, ok Curtiss, I’m thinking in the car driving here and I’m trying to sing a little bit and I’m like, “bro, I don’t know what you’re going to do.”
AM: You have to start stomping that foot -
CC: And get the crowd singing with you! But part of me is like, that’s why you do it, you know what I mean?
AM: Yeah!
CC: You thought that at one point, growing up, that I would be a singer. That’s all I did, that’s all I was being praised for – so it’s there, but let’s see how much of it has morphed into this 57 year old dude now who hasn’t done it in 3-5 years on the stage or whatever. So I enjoy that factor too because it keeps you alive.
AM: If you don’t have that fire, it’s not going to work. You almost have to have that, did I do too much Icarus – ooo not quite.
CC: Haha not quite!
AM: Haha I mean it was close, no one else caught it, but it was giving Icarus for a moment!
CC: I totally agree!
AM: One of the things that I like is that every time I see you in different roles, if your character is like this in The Bold Type, it’s like this when it’s Douda, it’s completely different. Even down to the mannerisms, cadences, they are very separate from each other. That’s more than just getting into a character and doing the words. How do you approach your characters to give them do you approach your characters to give them this seamless and different feel that only your outer skin is the unifying link between them. Because everything else even the walk where it’s like a Denzel Washington (Fallen, Training Day, American Gangster) effect where he can completely be something else.
CC: Wow Kimmie, thank you for saying that. I mean, it makes me feel really good that somebody is even saying that I do that!
AM: I’m very detailed when I’m watching things as there a lot of great actors that do things and it’s like, that’s Joe and he’s doing Joe with the pink hat versus Joe with the orange. But you’re shapeshifting and everything falls away. I’m sitting with you now and it’s one person and I know if I was on set with you and you were about to do a scene as Douda, everything about the vibe and what you’re doing is going to be so different and it’s not the same person. Of course if it’s The Bold Type and I was there, you know that character is not going to do anything to anybody.
CC: For a long time and still to this day, I have always considered myself a character actor. It wasn’t until ’96 or ’97 where a manager who turned into my agent, he told me, “you’re not a character actor, you’re a leading man.” I know he was saying that to say poo poo to character actors, we’re going to focus and go here. But at the time, I was still finding my way in the business right and I was trying to figure out how I was going to move forward and how the industry was going to accept me and how I would find that. So any type of guidance you get from people that is in the business and you feel like, oh, maybe this is what I should be doing right?
So, I tried to take on that moniker of a leading man whatever that was and I started to do that. But, I found myself that whenever a project would come, it wouldn’t be like you said, let me be just Curtiss and let’s bring this thing forward so that everybody can be like, he’s doing this thing now, I had to find out where this person is from, subsequently, a lot of parts bring me to new information. So it’s like, “oh, they’re from Colorado, I’ve never been to Colorado, what’s in Colorado?” So, now I’m reading about Colorado and then I’m finding some obscure history in Colorado where something happened to Black folks, “oh, you know what would really be cool? If this was part of his ancestors and this is what happened to them.” So now I’m going to videos and this was before where things weren’t so easy to just pick up your phone. You had to go to the library and type things in and wherever else to try to find old clips of whatever so you could find out how they sat, how they talked, and whether it was slow or whether it was longer and how much of that can I add without it being a thing and so, that becomes part of the joy. That becomes part of the, “I’ve done this before, I’ve done this already.” Not so much as I don’t want to be seen as the blah, blah, blah, or for me, how do I live in this piece and what makes me have to work?
It's just like the thing that I’m about to do, start listening to music again, start practicing again. All of these things are like if I’m not challenging myself to a place where the goal is something that I have achieved or almost achieved, like the analogy that you just used -
AM: Icarus!
CC: If I don’t have that feeling, quickly I get bored, quickly I’m not serving the project, quickly I’ll not assist my other cast members and creators, because my energy will I’ll just kind of be there and I’m not having fun. So as I’m finding these things about certain things and I’m trying to bring it from the feet all the way to the tippy top of the head, like you said, I’ll miss the mark, I’ll be general, and I know what I’m going for. But then there will be that one moment where it’s like, boom! I did it! Like you said, nobody else might have known that I you said, nobody else might have known that I did it, but Kimmie might!
AM: I’ll know!
CC: Everyone else will be like, “ok, let’s move on.” But I can sit there knowing that I did that, I couldn’t do that 3 mins ago or weeks ago, but now I can! They’re like, “ok Curtiss! Good now move onto the next thing.” The fact that you’re even acknowledging that and saying that, it means a lot. I think that a lot of that comes from stage right?
AM: Right!
CC: Because we’re given the opportunity to play things that are out of our vessels out of our capacity. Especially as you’re younger, you’re playing my age people. I remember thinking that once I got to the city that I am going to play everything! And it’s like, no not in television/film – at 23. There used to be a breakdown from 23-50 and really they wanted someone in their 40s and I was 27 years old and I thought that I could do this! It’s like, sit down and I was like, “no, no I know how to do this!” And you just don’t know right? You don’t know what you don’t know.
AM: Age is seasoning.
CC: Oh my God! Sometimes through osmosis and sometimes through the wacks of being knocked down and you realize, that that was a good lesson, I guess. It’s going to be useful for something.
AM: It’s something at some point.
CC: Something at some point.
AM: We’re in Season 6B right now of The Chi.
We just saw last week’s episode over the weekend. Do you watch episodes as they come out?
CC: So the 6th season was broken up into two sections. One of the blessings that I had and it was not on purpose, was the strike because the strike allowed me to see the first half before we started the filming the 2nd half. So it gave me a new perspective on this character, for the season and how it was being told. I watched all of those, but I have not watched any of the 6B yet. I know what happens, but I don’t know what they edited, how it is cut together, I did some ADR (Editor’s Note: Audio Dialogue Replacement is the process of recording dialogue in a studio after filming to replace the initially recorded lines on set) for a portion of the scenes so I know those scenes in mind. How it comes together, I do not know. Other stuff, I wait. I may not watch it immediately I wait. I have not seen any of the House of Cards!
AM: Oh I loved your character in that!
CC: Everyone says that it’s so good! My wife watches everything! My wife watched ev-er-y-thing! She’ll watch and say, “yeah, you may not want to watch this one.”
AM: Haha! I loved House of Cards.
CC: But to your question, I have not watched the episodes in 6B.
AM: Well, what’s interesting is, because you have not watched this episode, and we watched it with baited breath, obviously it is Douda’s season. Everything is coming to a head, everyone is figuring out and in this episode you can see all the lives that he has integrated with and how it’s not real ly working out for people and you’re not in this episode per se, but only for a small 5 second period of a throwback from 6A. Just your character’s presence of walking down the aisle at the funeral of Papa (Shamon Brown Jr), as a viewer, you’re like, there he is! Then if you’re watching on Showtime, they have The Chi Tea with actors from the episode, and right after they did a segment on The Villains with you about Douda. It was about 7 or 8 minutes.
CC: I’m talking too?
AM: Yup, you’re talking too! So we have you sitting in the chair talking about the character and then other members of the cast talking about the character, and it’s just this beautiful juxtaposition of you talking about your character while other people are talking about it. What does it mean to you to be on this show? When we talked last time we were in Season 4 and you were hoping your character would still be around. You’re still around, hunted and wanted!
CC: It means a lot of different things. The Chi owes me nothing. It owes Curtiss as the man nothing and it owes Curtiss as the actor nothing. The Chi gave me my first series regular role where it wasn’t like I just popped into the scene out of nowhere. I had been beating the ground for years, hoping and praying and getting close and having pilots picked up and then not go anywhere. Here comes this other show and I get this opportunity. Dare I say that the 6B season that I was in and able to do, I was given the opportunity to really ask, pseudo demand, an input in who and what this guy does and how he does it.
AM: Nice.
CC: Under the guise of here is the script, right? You know what I mean, I wasn’t changing things saying no – no – no.
AM: Haha he’s not doing this anymore, he’s Olympus now!
CC: Haha right! It wasn’t that, it was more like, ok I need help trying to understand this is what y’all are saying and if it is this, I need this infused in there to help. Please let me do this and it wasn’t like, “ok sure” because of the hierarchy of things, dare I say that on the day and again, I don’t know what has been aired, but on the day, my contribution was heard and allowed to be executed with the caveat of let’s also do this other thing.
AM: For pickups just in case.
CC: I respect that! They’re not in charge, there are other people that are involved as well. So your question was The Chi, I would be disingenuous to say that the show that I joined is not the show that I am leaving. But I also understand that there aren’t many shows that stay the same from when they first started either.
There’s this phrase in the business called “jumping the shark” and I think it came from Happy Days when The Fonz (Henry Winkler) has these skis and it jumped over the shark (Editor’s Note: The phrase was coined in 1985 by radio personality Jon Hein in response to a 1977 episode from the 5th season of Happy Days when Fonzie jumps over a live shark while on water-skis) and it was like, what the hell is this? I understand the nature of the beast and that certain things happen blah, blah, blah. The way that the story is going and leading, I am happy for how it develops. I’m very grateful and very happy on where it develops.
AM: What do you want viewers to know about Douda because it’s not that he’s a one sided character. We’ve seen him as a Mayoral candidate that won, we saw him as an owner of the pizzeria, and yes, he also does all of these other things as well. He tried to find love and we see he's very multidimensional that can’t be written off as just one thing. How do you want viewers to be able to look at him?
CC: I would love for him to be able to say, “you know what, I wouldn’t have done that, but I kind of understand why he went there, but maybe I wouldn’t have done it that way. But I get it.” I would hate for it to just be some stuff that just makes no sense. I always argue for – I don’t mind him being a villain. I don’t mind him being downright evil, disgusting, whatever, but with a cause!
AM: Right.
CC: A purpose. The thing that I love about him thus far is, that even when he asked Emmett (Jacob Latimore) to get in the business and he let him know that he wanted to get in business with him. Emmett maybe didn’t have a choice, but to say yes, but he did ask! He didn’t say, “I’m going to get into business with you, goodbye.” He did ask and Emmett decided to do it. But even in that time, he gave Emmett everything he said he was going to give Emmett. So when Emmett decides that he no longer wants to be with him anymore, it’s kind of like in Douda’s world, but why? It’s not like he gave all of this stuff and then he’s coming in there and he’s taking your wife too, and I’m going to come in here and sleep in your bed, and burn your house down and put you in a shackle and I’m going to give you $5 while I take it. It wasn’t that at all! He did the business.
AM: It’s a balance sheet.
CC: It’s a balance sheet and you’re getting paid on top of it too! You’re not being asked to go out there and shoot these kids? You’re not being asked to do nothing out of sort, it’s just do what you have been doing and you will be paid. Dare I say that anything he asks of anybody, be it Tracy (Tai Davis), be it Roselyn (Kandi Burruss), be it whoever, he’s like, my word is my bond. If he is going to do it, he is going to do it. That’s what I love about it. He’s not a villain for villain’s sake, it’s not messing up stuff and whatever.
AM: It’s measured.
CC: It’s measured.
AM: You knew already before you jumped in there.
CC: You knew who Jimmy was when you first met Jimmy!
So that’s what I like and I also like that from the actor’s point of view, we got to see him as the bad guy, a business man, to oh my God wait a minute, he’s a pizza guy, but he has a mob. Then oh my God, he’s running for office, oh my God he’s smart too he defunded the police which is what the community needs – he cares about the people, oh he started the center with Tracy and he’s in love with this woman too and now it’s like, oh my God, this brother needs to go! What the hell? As an actor, I got to do all of that with just one character in 1 hour over 5 seasons!
AM: That’s a lot!
CC: That’s why I say, The Chi owes me nothing! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be able to show that and that’s what I hope people take away. Oh no no no, this guy came in here and he gave us a 3D, interesting, complicated, individual who at the end, he made us hate him! Because before we didn’t, we didn’t want to, it was growing and not because all of a sudden he was doing the crazy stuff, it was just the ongoing elements.
AM: The cast this season is, and it has always been, amazing. Just looking at this season, Lynn Whitfield (A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, Eve’s Bayou, Greenleaf), Leon Robinson (The Five Heartbeats, City on a Hill, Waiting to Exhale), Iman Shumpert (Them, Twenties, Under His Influence), so many different people. What have been some of your favorite moments of the season as you look back or even across the series?
CC: There have been a few of them. When you asked me, I know the first one that popped up in my mind, Carl Lumbly (The Falcon and the Winter Solider, The Fall of the House of Usher, Doctor Sleep), he played the old man and that was Douda’s mentor. He was in prison and he gave him his name. I have loved this guys work from years and years and years and to have the opportunity to sit across from him in a scene really touched my soul. That was a moment.
I mean Lynn Whitfield, you kind of look at her in the face and it’s like, “oh my God, you’re Lynn Whitfield!”
AM: Every time she’s on screen, it’s a moment. It’s like Diahann Carroll (The Colbys, Dynasty, White Collar) walking in.
CC: Right? She is – she’s the essence of! So that’s amazing. Steven Williams (X-Files, The Leftovers, Birds of Prey) who played Q. Even watching, listening, and talking to him, we would hang out afterwards and just hearing his stories and hearing him talk about Cooley High and 21 Jump Street and you just kind of look and of course, subsequently, I get to work with Glynn Turman (A Different World, Men of Honor, Percy Jackson and The Olympians) from The Devil You Know who played the father, because he was also Cooley High with Steven and putting that together because they’re friends, so those have been some memorable moments for me from the top of my head that I never thought that I would have the opportunity to, grace the screen, with and talk to and those are the first 3 that come to mind.
Then the other cast members that are there too are cool in different ways. The Jacob Latimore (Ride Along, Collateral Beauty, Like A Boss) of it all, the Yolanda Ross (Antwone Fisher, American Gigolo series, How to Get Away with Murder) of it all, Jason Mitchell (Straight Outta Compton, Keanu, Zola) that got into some trouble, and even little Alex R. Hibbert (Moonlight, Code Switch, Black Panther) who plays Kevin, Michael Epps (Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Primary Position), and Shamon Brown Jr (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Chicago Fire) and so is Tai Davis (Save the Last Dance, Chicago Med, Empire) who plays Tracy. You know what I mean? It’s really kind of cool to mix and mingle and have real conversations. Kandi, I never thought (Real Housewives of Atlanta, SWV & XSCAPE!
AM: When I see her on screen, I don’t see her as a multi-platinum artist and phenomenal songwriter that has written for so many people across genres or even of being one of the Real Housewives of Atlanta. So when the two of you are on screen together it’s a believable dynamic where you can burn the houses down!
CC: Mmm hmm oh yeah.
AM: I was hooked on the show from the first episode. Part of it being I’m from the Midwest, I’m from Indianapolis so seeing something that is from Chicago that’s amazing. But how the show presents a cast of characters across a wide array of socioeconomics as opposed to all of these people live in a ghetto or all of the characters are on this tract. It’s the mix and the hybridity of it all. The topics that are covered and mental health from last season, and this season, and especially as it pertains and applies to the Black community as some of us do and some of us don’t. How important is it for viewers to understand that these are major takeaways that we can not only watch and enjoy, but to bring them back into our communities and enjoy, and into our communities for whatever our socioeconomic status is?
CC: It’s majorly important that we bring those things in and not be afraid to and to try to erase the stigma that is attached to going to therapy. I am an individual who, and I just started talking about it this season, and I found myself by accident talking about it if I’m totally honest. I battle inside myself because I’m saying, “just say it” and then I don’t want to just say it because I don’t want to put it out into the world. But then I think, “remember when you were just watching something and you found out that someone did something –“ you know what I mean?
AM: Yes.
CC: Ok, so it normalized it in such a way that I could see it. I don’t liken myself to someone else that’s whatever, but it could be a 7 year old, a 19 year old or whatever that can look at a man that’s on TV. So during the process, I used to have my ex-wife and I, we used to go to marriage counseling and that was my first introduction to a therapist. Being able to sit down and for the most part being there as a mediator so that we could hear each other. Subsequently, that marriage didn’t work out, but what did work out was that our communication was better and we found out that maybe this isn’t the union – she has a new husband, I have a new wife, we have 3 children.
So that was my first introduction to it. Over the course of acting, after the pandemic of course, that put a mirror onto a lot of different people and shined a light on a lot of things that made us wonder or let us know we weren’t as fluid as we thought we were, or as succinct in our daily living as we thought that we were because it was just stripped away so quickly right?
AM: Right.
CC: So what do we do now? So that was a factor and then at the same time, my 2 youngest children, the 20 year olds, they were leaving the house. So my wife and I became empty nesters for the first time and that was also like – what do we do?
AM: Yeah it a cadence shift.
CC: So am I supposed to – I mean we used to get them up at 7am to get them out of the house and now there is nobody to get out and -
AM: You’re just looking at each other ha!
CC: Ok!
AM: Haha you’re still here!
CC: Right like you too? So there was a moment where I’m trying to figure out the day-to-day and then I had the show to do and I have this character like we just talked about who likes to go to a deeper and deeper dark side, and that’s not who or what I really am. But I’m starting to find out that people are starting to associate Curtiss with this guy and sometimes I would meet people and they would be a little held back or hostile for whatever reason and that started to play a certain way in my mind. It pushed me to a certain place and I’m by myself and so I reintroduced myself to therapy. Dare I say that the show starts to do this as well? That’s really interesting to me. I honestly wish that there was a place in which – I mean, you know there was a time when Douda said to a news reporter and remember, he goes away in one season and just disappears and then he comes back and the woman says where were you and he literally says that he left and he got therapy.
AM: That was the 4th season because when we were talking and I said that I hoped that you would come back for Season 5 it was because of him leaving abruptly in the 4th.
CC: Yes and I wish that there was a point where we showed him trying to deal with some of his demons, why they happened, and whatever else, but that is a different show. But I’m glad that they did start this men’s circle and the only caveat that I would add to that is that I do feel that there needs to be a professional in those surroundings.
AM: Exactly.
CC: Because the purpose of it is to trust and totally trust that whatever you are speaking stays in that space and some skills to actually deal with what you are doing to try to break down the issue, the feelings, and all of the anxiety that you may be having too so there are some actual physical and mental activities that you can do to have that and to have somebody that is there that understands that to say that maybe this is something that you could try right? I think that that is also important. I think baby steps, you can’t do everything in one show and within that amount of time.
AM: Maybe for the show purpose if you think about it, the culture, as Black people, were not raised to bring in outside people in and to have these conversations so the very idea of doing what they’re doing is many steps beyond how we have been brought to think. If I told my mom I do breathwork or meditation, there would be a thought or a question in terms of why am I not praying or leaning on scripture when you can do all 3 as one doesn’t diminish another.
I agree with you as the first time I saw it, I thought that they should have a professional, but would those guys ask someone?
CC: I see that for the first time, but now some of the issues that they are dealing with, you can’t be in the group and say, “we need to kill Douda!”
AM: Oop that’s right you can’t do that!
CC: What is the group for now? Are y’all a gang, what are y’all about to do?
AM: It’s a tar and feather session right now haha! Yeah, you’re right I take it back!
CC: Yeah, that’s not what we’re talking about here, let’s keep all that out of this space, it’s a safe space. I think that if there was a professional there, they would say, “maybe that’s good, but maybe we should also think about how everyone is oppressed.” But once again, baby steps! Like what you said, the fact that we can see it and be like, “hey, maybe we can talk to my friend or my brother and just – we have to be careful with who we allow to see our inner most selves sometimes because even some loved ones have the best intentions but their actions may not show it in the ways that we need it at that time.
AM: What do you feel in terms of the mental health elements or components or things that you feel that you need in order to keep accountable? What do you do for yourself?
CC: There’s a lot. I have an emotional support animal named Bolo and that’s one thing. Because he keeps me accountable and whenever I get anxious or feel anxiety, he comes over and puts his big head on my leg and he makes me focus on him so that I can pet him and immediately, my blood pressure kind of goes down and my heart slows down and then I’m ok! I workout because I enjoy the endorphins that you get from that and the feeling of accomplishment. I live up in the mountains so I’m able to walk around and see nature a lot which is really good. I used to meditate a lot, I don’t do it anymore only because I don’t really have a real reason why I don’t. But I haven’t in a very long time, but I do find myself doing walks with him in the mountains and I make sure that I don’t bring my cellphone, I don’t bring my Apple Watch and I’m totally disconnected so I just say, “please Jesus don’t let anything happen to me because nobody is going to come for a couple of days and I have no communication!”
AM: Do you watch Hacks on Max?
CC: No, I do not.
AM: There was just an episode and it stars Jean Smart (Designing Women, Watchmen series, Mayor of Easttown) and she asks her writer to go on a walk although she suggested the King of Prussia because they were waiting to go back on QVC, they ended up out in the forest. They lose the writer’s phone in the river, Jean falls and hurts herself and she doesn’t have a phone because she wants to keep clean lines in her pockets so they wander in the wilderness until they find good Samaritans that take them back to their car! Jean reminds her that if they had walked in the mall, this wouldn’t have happened and it was a whole thing – but yeah!
CC: I love Jean Smart.
But yeah, that’s the active things that I do, but a lot of it is also that I haven’t started back up with my therapy and he just actually emailed me yesterday saying, “hey, are you good? Just checking in to make sure that you’re good.” I let him know that I was. I definitely will get back in touch with him and start talking with him because I think that because things are going to start shifting with me again I can feel myself sometimes getting to a place of spiraling down and I will just sit, my mother also suffered with depression and so I will literally put a cover over my head until I get to a point where I’m like, “you have to get up, you can’t stay here like this.” I will have to fight myself to just get up and just do something. But those are some of the things that I try to make sure that I focus on.
The thing that I do a lot is that I am a truth teller. What happens is, if you don’t know me or whatever, you don’t know that I’m telling you the truth. I’ll say it dead out – it may sound like a joke, or I’ll say it whatever. But now my wife, she’s able to pick up on it sometimes and she’s good at letting it pass for the day or two and then she’s like, “so, I’m going to find it,” you know what I mean? She’ll do something and then I’ll say, “yeah, maybe we do need to discuss what’s going on.”
AM: I get that! I’m an avoidant type. I don’t like to talk about myself and I’m more focused on being a fixer type. But when I get really quiet Paul will ask me if I’m good and I’ll say yes; however, he will keep asking because he knows something is off and that’s when the breakdown happens as I’m not someone who’s a crier or shows emotions per se, but you have to know me because if you don’t you will assume everything is ok. Part of that comes from the culture of how I was raised, having parents who were executives who gave me great tools to navigate and equip me for the world in terms of business, but those same tools applied in terms of how I internalize and utilize them personally are not great due to how I internalize things – so I need him to give me that nudge or alert that I have to examine what’s happening and not just say, “yeah this happened it’s fine or it’s ok” when in fact it is not.
CC: Wow, that’s beautiful that you have found this out, you know what I mean? The ability to acknowledge that and to access those feelings and for you to have the ability to feel comfortable and say, “we’re not going to be able to fix it, but we can just talk about it and you can feel better.”
AM: 100%.
Will we see you creating a foundation as mental health has been something that you have been talking about this season. Do you foresee yourself having a foundation, organization, or initiative for this?
CC: If you’re asking me this second, no I cannot. But you know, it’s one of those things that your calling is your calling and you can’t avoid it. I don’t right now. I have a lot more work to do with my acting career I think. There’s a place that I would like to be and I am not there yet, and I know that I am going to be there and I know that I have the wherewithal to do the work. It’s just the matter of time and the only way that I can access the time is to make sure that this is fine and this fine, so maybe those things will meet in the future and maybe this foundation or organization at some point will help me to get to the time.
AM: What are some upcoming projects that you have coming up! We know you have the show coming up and I hope that it’ll be streamed somewhere so that I can see it!
CC: Haha yeah! The next big thing is that I did this movie where the working title is Carry On and it stars myself, it stars Taron Egerton (Legend, Blackbird, Kingsman franchise), it stars Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, The Outsider, Ozark), it stars Danielle Deadwyler (P-Valley, Station Eleven, Till), and Jaume Collet-Serra (Non-Stop, Jungle Cruise, Retribution) directed it. A big project that he did was Black Adam, but this is produced by Steven Spielberg’s (Jaws, Jurassic Park franchise, Indiana Jones franchise) company, Amblin Entertainment and Netflix. So it’s called Carry On and we shot it awhile back in New Orleans and it’s a thriller and it’s about the TSA and what happens at airports and when some incidents happen. So that’s the next big thing that's kinda going on and of course, next week I will be in LA for awhile.
AM: What do you want your legacy to be whether it’s in the industry or as a man?
CC: I mean, that’s not really up to me right? I mean, -
AM: At some point, it kind of is. Because what you leave behind is what’s remembered.
CC: Yeah hopefully, you left it behind, but no one is remembering that! “Well you know that one time, he stepped on my foot –“
AM: And he owed me $5!
CC: And he owed me $5 and he stepped on my foot haha – is that what you want to say man?
As far as in the industry right? I know that this is going to happen right and I’m not trying to be arrogant about it, but I want to be known as one of those people who when you say, and I’m saying it right now to a reporter for the record, when you say great actors, “oh man, you have Sidney Poitier (To Sir With Love, In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner), Denzel Washington,” and I want you to say Curtiss Cook.
AM: You know what I was going to tell you earlier, that there are things you do that remind me of Sidney Portier with his career. There are nuances, but you are still your own person.
CC: Oh come on!
At the end, I wanted it to be because of the body of work, the type of the work, the commitment to the work, nothing against James Earl Jones (Coming to America franchise, The Lion King, Field of Dreams), nothing against Laurence Fishburne (Matrix franchise, Clipped, Megalopolis), nothing against Samuel Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Glass, Avengers franchise), nothing against Don Cheadle (House of Lies, Crash, Avengers franchise), we can go on and on about people that do amazing things – Forest Whitaker (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Black Panther, Godfather of Harlem) – you know what I mean?
AM: Yup!
CC: There are loads of folks where you’re like yeah!
AM: But then there’s a craft!
CC: Yes, a craft and a je ne sais quoi that not everybody possesses and it’s sometimes you work to get it, or you’re born with it and you know how to use it right? I’m still at the process of finding out who and what this vessel is because it’s going to sound as crazy as hell, but I don’t know, I’m feeling comfortable – I never thought that I was a handsome dude. I remember growing up, I never thought that I was ugly, I never thought that I was handsome like people saying, “oh yeah, he’s nice – never.” So, whatever got me into the spaces and rooms for girlfriends or whatever, it was always me being silly, or funny, or charming, or whatever. They’d say, “oh, he’s so funny, you know what? He’s kind of cute too come on over here Curtiss." And I was like yeah! But now, as I’m getting older or whatever, I’m hearing more and feeling more this attention of ooo wow! Honestly, 70% of myself is like, I don’t believe you, but I’m going to let you say it and I’m going to move on for whatever whatever. So that goes back to the, “oh, you said that you wanted this thing back in Jr High School and now it’s come into fruition.” Whatever is happening, and whatever they are seeing, maybe it’s an inner/outer thing, maybe it’s your nose grew into your forehead or something, or the proportions on me, maybe the teeth came in right, but I don’t know – today is good!” So I think that it’s part of it right for the 2 people that I named. You look at them and you go, ok. If you look at them too hard, you say, “I don’t know if they are the most handsomest people in the whole wide world, but when you put it all together, you’re like, there is a thing about them.”
AM: It’s a presence and I think that’s what got me for the end of the 5 seconds of last week’s The Chi episode because it was a bit of that Poitier moment where all the things come together. You didn’t say anything, it was a montage of other things, but it was the only camera time that you had in that episode and yet because everyone is talking about how are we going to get this man, there he is!
PAUL FARKAS: Honestly, it was almost like Jack Nicholson (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, A Few Good Men, The Departed) because of your eyes! It was very brief, only like 3 seconds.
AM: All episode it was like, we’ve been hearing his name, but we haven’t seen him and it was pretty impactful and then the Villains feature ran after that.
CC: Yeah, that’s part of it and hopefully that people will say, “when I met him, he was a cool person. He was a cool dude and he wasn’t trying to be nothing that he ain’t.” I’ve worked with Mark Ruffalo (I Know This Much is True, Avengers franchise, Poor Things).
AM: That’s another one whether he’s the Hulk or he’s the attorney in Dark Waters fighting environmental pollution, or his role in Poor Things you get immersed into who he’s playing.
CC: Mark is a beast! But what you leave with when you think of him is what people will say about him, that he’s just a cool dude. You know what I mean? You meet him and he’s not trying to be cool or doing whatever. I hope that that is what they also say. When you’re young, you burn bridges that you don’t necessarily need to, but you don’t understand it –
AM: You don’t think it matters.
CC: Right. I just make sure that I come in, I’m prepared, ready, honest, open, and nice! Literally nice. It’s ok to be nice, it’s ok to say good morning and hi, it’s ok!
AM: A lot of that also comes from being in the Midwest.
CC: Ok, but hopefully those are 2 things that I can think of in addition to being a good dad and all of that.
IG @curtisscook
Our shoot with Curtiss Cook took place in Chelsea at the Selina Chelsea Hotel at Creatures at Selina Rooftop as well as their listening lounge, Music For A While. The photoshoot showcases menswear looks that are perfect to wear as we navigate the summer! Following the credits, we talk with the team at these spots who can tell us more about the spaces and why it should be on your list for epic days and nights out.
LIFE'S PASSION COVER EDITORIAL | TEAM CREDITS
PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Farkas | STYLIST Kimmie Smith | GROOMER Felicia Graham |
IG @pvfarkas
LIFE'S PASSION COVER CREDITS
LOUNGE LOOK - PG 16 - 23 | ZEGNA Terry Shirt + Pants | OOFOHS OMG Sport LS Low Shoe |
OUT & ABOUT LOOK - BACK COVER, PG 24 - 29 + 9PLAYLIST MULTI PG 58 | SUIT SUPPLY Suit | ZEGNA Lightweight Hoodie | OOFOHS OMG Sport LS Low Shoe |
GOLDEN HOUR LOOK - FRONT COVER, PG 30 - 35 | Y.CHROMA The Sevilla Shirt + The Becker Pant |
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS
PAUL SHOT WITH | CANON MARK IV and Canon Lenses - 24-70, 70-200 + 50 1.2 | SIRUI Dragon Series Bendable RGB Panel Lights Set of 2 of B25R*2 + DJ 280 |
PHOTOS COURTESY | PG 36 - 56 Showtime/The Chi
ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about Life Hospitality, who are the founders/owners, and when this group launched.
FULL LIFE HOSPITALITY: Full Life Hospitality is behind some of the most sought-after venues in New York City, including Virgo, Make Believe, Music For A While, and Creatures at Selina Rooftop. With each venue, we're pushing the boundaries and evolving our concepts to provide truly incredible experiences every time guests walk into one of our venues. Each one of the founders—James O’Hanlon, Thatcher Schultz, Andy McDonald, and Duncan Abdelnour—brings a wealth of experience and passion for hospitality. Their collective vision has made Full Life Hospitality a leader in innovative and memorable nightlife and dining experiences.
AM: When did Creatures launch?
FLH: Creatures at Selina Rooftop opened in July of 2023. We've taken the time during the winter months to renovate the space extensively. We're thrilled to announce that the newly renovated pool will be opening at the end of June, offering guests an enhanced rooftop experience just in time for summer.
AM: Tell us about the vibe and ambiance of Creatures in terms of the design and what guests can expect when they enter.
FLH: Creatures offers a chic and relaxed atmosphere with a bohemian-inspired design. Guests can expect an inviting space adorned with lush greenery, comfortable seating, and vibrant décor. The rooftop setting provides stunning views of the Chelsea skyline, creating a perfect backdrop for socializing and enjoying crafted cocktails and delicious food.
AM: What are 3 appetizers that you suggest at Creatures that we should try?
FLH: Our House Hummus, topped with tomato seeds, schug, tahini, and served with pita bread, is a must-try. The Spicy Picanha Skewer with charred peas and mint puree offers a surprising and delightful bite. Lastly, the Branzino Crudo with blood orange, mint olive oil, and labneh cheese provides bright and bold flavors that are refreshingly perfect for a warm summer’s day.
AM: What are 3 mains that we should try with friends and family?
FLH: Choosing just three favorites is tough because Chef Neil Strauber's menu is thoughtfully crafted with inspiration from the Levant Region, infusing each dish with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors. The Fish Schnitzel Tacos are a must-try, drizzled with spicy labneh and topped with Israeli salad in pita tacos. The Grilled Top Sirloin Cap, grilled to perfection in our open air kitchen, features Chef’s signature mint pistachio chimichurri and tomato seeds. Finally, the Wild-Caught Shrimp with harissa and tomato-sage butter is so flavorful that you'll fight for the last bite.
AM: What are 3 desserts we should try?
FLH: This dessert, crafted by Chef Neil Strauber, is an absolute must-try. The Cheesecake is incredibly light and airy, whipped to perfection and balanced with a delightful crumble for texture. The fresh strawberries add a burst of sweetness and color, making this dessert delicious and visually stunning. Pairing it with an Espresso Martini creates the ultimate end to a perfect meal, combining the richness of espresso with the creamy delight of the cheesecake.
AM: In terms of cocktails, what are 3 signature drinks that we should have in mind?
FLH: Our Lemon Drop Spritz is the epitome of summer in a glass, with zesty lemon notes and an effervescent spritz that cools you down on a hot NYC day. The Hibiskiss blends mezcal, lemon, house-made hibiscus and ginger syrups, mint, and ginger beer, offering a refreshing taste that whisks you away to a tropical oasis. Lastly, Daisy’s Painkiller combines dark rum, orange, pineapple, coconut, and nutmeg for a sweet retreat reminiscent of a Caribbean island, perfect for those scorching summer days. These cocktails are designed to transport you to a paradise, providing a refreshing escape from the city's heat.
AM: Now that we are in the summer months, do you have Summer Friday specials?
FLH: Absolutely! We're all about Summer Fridays. Join us for happy hour from 4-7 PM, where you can enjoy good vibes, refreshing cocktails, and delicious bites.
AM: Tell us about your Happy Hour.
FLH: We’ve just launched our happy hour menu, available weekdays from 4-7 PM. Enjoy $12 margaritas, mules, and classic cocktails, $10 wine, and $6 beer of the day. You can also try some of our new menu items like House Hummus, Kebab Empanadas, and Za’atar Fries.
AM: 4th of July is around the corner, what do you have in store that we should know about?
FLH: We’re so excited to celebrate the 4th of July with our friends. Follow us at @creaturesselinarooftop for announcements about our plans, which include drinks, bites, and a killer lineup to dance all day and night long.
AM: Will Creatures do anything for PRIDE?
FLH: Yes, we’re thrilled to host a party for PRIDE. It will begin at 2pm on Sunday, June 30th. We’ll also be launching our weekly party called Creatures @ Sunset this Sunday, June 2nd, at 2pm - Welcoming everyone in the LGBTQ+ community to dance with us into the night.
AM: Creatures is open Wed – Sunday, will additional days be added?
FLH: While we are currently open from Wednesday to Sunday, we are exploring the possibility of adding additional days during the summer months. We will be testing out Salsa on the roof next Tuesday! Stay tuned for more details!
Current Hours: Wednesday & Thursday - 4 PM-10 PM | Friday 4 PM-11 PM | Saturday 2 PM-11 PM | Sunday 2 PM-10 PM
AM: We also enjoyed having our shoot at MFAW and we included them in Athleisure List a few issues back. Now that it has been open for a while, are there new things that you would like to share about this venue?
FLH: MFAW continues to thrive with some great lineups and upcoming residencies featuring local vinyl DJs from New York City. Our Vinyl Happy Hour from 9 PM-11 PM is designed to attract new customers who might not have experienced a record bar before. And who can resist a $10 Dirty Martini to kick off the night?
AM: Can you talk about the design aesthetic of the space? What are upcoming events taking place here that we should know about whether for 4th of July or other days during the summer?
FLH: Upcoming events include a 4th of Julycelebration, weekend parties, summer brunches, Salsa Tuesdays, happy hour parties and dinner parties. Keep an eye on our social media channels and website for the latest updates on events.
Read the MAY ISSUE #201 of Athleisure Mag and see LIFE’S PASSION | Curtiss Cook in mag.
When you're watching a series or a film, there are a number of elements that draw you in and provide additional context beyond the dialogue that is being spoken on the screen. Costume design is one that we're always watching as it adds that element of visual texture.
We sat down with Costume Designer Allyson Fanger who has brought her creative approach to a number of series and films including Wild Things, 10 Things I Hate About You, 80 For Brady, Grace & Frankie, Shrinking, Apples Never Fall, and Mack & Rita to name a few. We wanted to know more about how she chose this field, how she got into the industry, iconic looks that really delve into and drive the story forward, and how she approaches these projects.
ATHLEISURE MAG: I have been such a fan of your work and it’s such an honor to be able to talk with you!
ALLYSON FANGER: Oh, thank you so much!
AM: I have been a fan of your work since Wild Things and 10 Things That I Hate About You! I remember being in college and watching 10 Things That I Hate About You and just watching the images and how the characters were dressed and it really stuck with me! It was seared into my mind so personally, I have been a fan for awhile.
AF: I love it! It’s having a moment!
AM: Right?
AF: It’s so great!
AM: It’s really a testament to your approach to your work. As you’ve said, it’s still super relevant!
I’m a fellow Midwesterner myself and I live in NY now. I’m always intrigued by how those of us who come from that area of the country and then we end up leaving to go to the East or the West Coast. I find it interesting. How did you get your start in this industry?
AF: Well, I mean, that’s a big question. I got a degree in Anthropology actually and I started getting into photography and visual media towards the end of college. I have always been a very live in the moment type of person in general. In school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do and didn’t know that this was a career path that was possible to me. As you know, I lived and grew up in Minneapolis and went to college, then I came back after college, and I traveled a ton! I went to South East Asia, I went to India, Singapore, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia – you know I, did that whole South East Asia thing. That really was very formative I think in my interest in culture and society and people! The difference in people in different areas and cultures, socioeconomically, geographically, how they grew up in a certain area and how things defined them from a costume perspective – from a look perspective, I was really attuned to the different colors, especially in India! Like the beautiful pigmented colors that have to do with not only skin tone of the people in the area, but also the light. The way the light hits and what looks well and the way that they use pigmented dyes and plants to make their colors.
All of those things were not lost on me and it was hugely formative to me on all of my work today. That is why I am able to find the various details and nuances in character and all of the elements that feed in to making a person, an individual full and defined and different and unique in their own way. Every single person is.
When I was doing Anthropology and Social Anthropology, the study of people – so that kind of tied into that and I came back to Minneapolis, and I wondered what I was going to do. I started hanging out with a lot of artists in Minneapolis just because those were my people. I had this very good friend at the time whose name was Gus. He was a big commercial photographer in Minneapolis. I was talking with him and I was starting to have a crisis on what I was going to do with my life. I went to live in London for a year and then I came back and I asked him what would I do with my life as I was 26 and he said, “honey, you should be a stylist.” He said it right away and I asked him what it was as I didn’t know anything about it. He told me to come work with him as he was a big commercial photographer and that I should work with his stylist Molly. I worked with her for 1 day and I got it. I knew that that was what I should be doing. So I started working on commercials in Minneapolis and I was making good money doing that, but then I got much more interested in doing character. I was like, commercials are fun, but at that time, especially with where commercials were – they wanted their people in Gap khakis and that was the mode of that very average look. It was like a great place to be in to learn the nuts and bolts, but I was really interested in character and at the time, I was very fortunate to also see that there were a lot of films that were coming to Minneapolis so I just hustled and got myself hired as a PA on a couple of features there and then I met Sharen Davis (Westworld, The Help, Fences) who is a Costume Designer and she is like my mentor. I don’t know if you know her.
AM: Oh yes!
AF: She did Dreamgirls and Watchman series, she is one of my dearest, dearest friends and I love her so much! She was like, “oh, you have to move to LA,” and she hired me on projects and she got me in the union and she kind of put me on my way and so here I am!
AM: That’s amazing!
AF: I mean, I did take 7 years off because I did have 3 children.
AM: Your body of work is amazing! Before we start delving into that. I want our readers to understand the difference between a Costume Designer and a Stylist?
AF: Oh that’s such an interesting question because there really is quite a difference! I mean, a Costume Designer and it’s funny because it comes up all the time, because my actors will always ask if I will style them for an event. I’m always like, “I definitely could,” but costume design is really about character development and informing character through look choices right and storytelling and that is what I love about it so much. It’s about intention, propelling the story forward, giving the viewers a kind of intimate relationship visually with characters and helping them to relate to the people that are on screen and that is what I love so much about what I do. It’s about finding pieces and I always try to have very personal pieces on people that hopefully get recognized by viewers. When I am doing a TV series especially, you watch these characters evolve and that’s part of it too. You put in elements of character evolution and how they journey through the story and as it changes. Sometimes, you don’t even know how it is changing. Then it’s changing and then we adjust and that’s how you make your choices in the morning. I like to say that people say to me, “I know who that character was before they even opened their mouth.” When they say that, I know that I am doing my job well. I think that that is true of all people. You get a lot of information just by what they are wearing and it’s one of those things that people don’t register consciously until it’s not there - you know what I mean? It’s interesting. You know when people have pictures coming up on their phones?
AM: Yes.
AF: One of our producers, he changed his picture and put up one where he was dressed up from an event for an Awards show. I was like, “oh Mike, I love that you changed your photo!” He was like, “yeah, you know what? Someone else had their photo and it presented so nice and I feel that I should have one too.” I said, “See how important it is in what you wear and you wear and how much the impact is when someone that you don’t even know?” It’s so huge! I mean, the people who even work in the business don’t recognize that that is happening.
Styling is about more of the look and stylists developing relationships with PR companies more and working with showrooms and there are loans. So that is why when I say to my actors that although it’s flattering and I would love to do everything, I say, "you know, working with someone where that is their world – it’s a different world.” And I do do it sometimes, but it’s it’s own niche world and it’s about look, fashion, impact, red carpet moment you know and it’s a whole other arena. Do you know what I mean?
AM: I am a stylist and I agree that Costume Design and Styling although there are similarities that do occupy very distinctive space. You could do both but they have very different elements to them. I may be thinking of a set that I am styling or a project and putting a story behind it but they are still very specific moments in time as opposed to having an arc that is not only spanning various episodes and seasons, but also integrating with a cast of characters that speaks back to one another.
When I watched Apples Never Fall, within the first few minutes of the show I knew that it was you who did the costume design. There are tones and elements of your work especially when I look at each character and how they are set against others in the cast that I can see it’s an Allyson Fanger fingerprint. Like you said, before the character opens their mouth, I have a great sense of who they are, who they’re aligned with, and in many cases how they are different from those that they are meant to be in the same group with.
AF: Thank you so much!
AM: All of those nuances that are taking place for a series or a movie Is not all the levers that I am navigating when I am doing a shoot of x amount of looks that may span 14 shots. There might be elements of it but not anywhere along the same scale and it’s still within the parameters of 1-3 people and just for that shoot.
AF: It’s different and it is its own art. Stylists who do it well, they blow me away. They know how to get those cameras snapping.
AM: Where do you start once you get attached to a project? For me, I’m looking at dealing directly with the brand, PR, showrooms, etc. I have a moodboard or project board where I’m thinking of the tone of the shoot how it ties into my celeb, the set, and vibe.
For you, what is your treasure trove of things that you are pulling from when you’re going on to a project.
AF: It always starts with the script and the words. It’s a well drawn character in the script. When I read a script in a project, I know that I get so excited when I know that the characters are so well developed and sometimes some of them are not and the writers know! I have put together boards for a meeting and I’ll let them know that I am not completely sure of this person and they’ll say, “yeah, I know. We didn’t give you any information.”
So the information is in if they have flushed out a character, if they know who that person is, then they are able to translate it into their words and into the story. That then gives me the information that I need. I look at geography which is huge to me. Where is this person from, where did they grow up vs where do they live now? What do they carry with them from that time from their formative years? We then know what their socioeconomic status is and I always work with the production set as I want to know what their house looks like, their car – all of those things are what I go off of. Then it’s what are they doing in the story and what’s their job or not? All of that goes in and then I have meetings and a lot of times as costume designers, they throw you a script and tell you that you’re going to have a meeting with boards which includes everyone – producers, directors and you sort of have to take your best shot at filling in the lines and see. But the thing is, as I have done at this point in my career, it’s either a match or it’s not. As you see it, and again, I am getting such good scripts now, that I feel like I am always able to sort of hone in on what it is an things that they haven’t thought about a lot of times too. They get excited and will say, “oh my God yes!”
Like in Apples Never Fall, one of the things that I did was – the relationship between Stan Delaney (Sam Neill) and Brooke Delaney (Essie Randles) was the strongest relationship in the script and she was the most of his ally. So, I helped to tell that story with help from clothing by her. Like his oxford shirt, she would wear the shirt sometimes over more tank top and athletic pant vibes. In my head, those were taken straight out of Stan’s closet. I love telling stories with families so much because I love family dynamics. I love finding the thread in the family, the thread was already there in Apples Never Fall and the thread was already tennis, but you know just relating the characters through and finding the differences and well defining them and then finding the sameness.
I love doing mother/daughter. In Grace & Frankie, I always imagined that Mallory (Brooklyn Decker) and Brianna (June Diane Raphael), although they were so different in how they presented, both could have pulled from Grace’s (Jane Fonda) closet for different things.
AM: My mind was blown the very first episode of Grace & Frankie. I mean it was a confluence of beauty from the writing, the cast, how the characters were dressed, the set, etc. What made you want to be part of this project? This series ran for 7 seasons unlike Apples Never Fall which was a limited series, so how do you create this world and balance between growth of the characters as well as continuity. It must be incredibly difficult.
AF: That was something that we talked about from the very beginning of Grace & Frankie – it was about their journey and how to make sure to tell that through costumes. One of the big ones for that was Grace, because Grace comes in at the beginning and she was so closed off emotionally, damaged, hurt, and protecting herself. Also, just her aesthetic in general was stoney and we used ceramic colors. So I said that we should have her colors be those of ceramics and pottery – grey, taupe, camel – it was about using those cold colors.
AM: There was a sterility about it although the pieces were beautiful. So you had these sterile moments with a bit of a prickly edge that would come out every now and then!
AF: Yes! The collars and she’s just very controlled as a person emotionally! Then you have Frankie (Lily Tomlin) which is such a fun person. What a blessing that show was for me. Frankie was this artist soul and I had her color as a Santa Fe sunset. She’s got her red, yellow, orange, green, color pattern, texture – all of her kooky moments. I didn’t want her to feel like – and we talked about this a lot – it wasn’t about having her as a caricature of a hippie lady or a Bohemian lady. She had to have a lot of depth and she’s an artist. So I really looked at the artists ladies in Norway and Sweden and it was about having the long layers, architectural and jewelry and I used crystals because obviously she was spiritual so I used those large crystals on her and if you noticed some of the necklaces were made out of rubber. So she wore a lot of those vibes also. She had a number of European brands that she wore so that is something that I did with her.
The things about their journey together is that we had Grace bring color into her life and that happened around the end of Season 1 and then we kind of kept it going and we never really changed her completely as a person, but we would bring more Frankie into her life as she embraced life more right? She experienced life more through Frankie. We had all of Grace’s shirts made. The first shirts, the color shirts - the first print that Grace had ever worn were these shirts that I got that were made from Carolina Herrera and we loved that shirt! It’s such a great shape and a classic look.
AM: Really loved that shirt!
AF: It was perfect for Grace and I was like, “they don’t really make print or color.” I reached out to them and I said, “do you have any print or color?” They said that they actually had some archival fabrics that they made the first 4 shirts for us for that show. Then that was it, there were 4. So I started sourcing fabric and making all of those shirts. So all of the shirts that Grace wore, they were custom and we made all of them as they kind of didn’t exist at the time! A lot of people are making them now though. So that’s the story of them!
AM: I love hearing about those shirts as I loved them! Is it different for you if you’re dong a series versus a film?
AF: Yeah, but well, not necessarily with character development, it depends on the arc, it depends on the story. Films are easier.
AM: Yeah it’s an endpoint!
AF: Yeah, you have 1 script! And you have it ahead of time. I’m an adrenaline girl and I love a challenge. I thrive well in chaos in this world. I don’t get rattled, I kind of get very last minute in TV because they are always writing those scripts! Right now I’m on Shrinking -
AM: Another great display of characters as I love the palettes.
AF: Thank you, we’re on Episode 10 and I don’t have the script for 11 and 12 yet and we start shooting that in probably about a week! So, it has it’s own challenges! Whereas a film has its own arc where it’s wild and busy and you have all of these things going on and then it’s done and it’s over. I do love doing film and I want to do more film going forward in my career and I am manifesting that for sure.
AM: What are 3 of your favorite looks that you have created whether it’s for a series or a film or 3 characters that you really loved working with?
AF: Ugh, I love them all! When I get this question, I mean they’re all my children so that is such a tough question for me. I really feel attached and love all of my characters so much! I mean, Frankie is probably the most near and dear to my heart. The character Frankie, I mean first, Lily Tomlin (9 to 5, The West Wing, 80 for Brady) one of the most amazing women and such an incredible person and so is Jane (Monster-in-Law, The Butler, The Newsroom)! I mean, the two of them probably – I have to say that it was the most seminal for me and really transformed me as an artist in this world and I got to spend 7 years with them and I got to really get to know them as members of my own family and they kind of were. I think that the thing with Grace & Frankie is that they resonated so strongly with people because they resonated with some part of everyone’s family or someone who they knew and loved! Everybody saw someone that they knew or loved within one of these women or both! I always say too that Grace & Frankie, they are characters, but we are all a little Grace and all a little Frankie. We have pieces of both of these women in us and our mothers and our sisters and our aunts right? So, I think that that’s why they were resonating so strongly with so many people.
AM: Even the other characters in the show, I have a friend group or family member that reminded me of them. Like many, I was sad when it was over. It got me a bit teary eyed. I know that things can’t go on for forever and sometimes when a show stays on too long, the thing that you loved about it stops taking place because maybe there isn’t enough story and then that isn’t great either. But it was such a comfort with the visuals, the cast, the writing, and it would be hard for even another show to replicate and achieve that tone and playful push pull hat took place throughout the series in the way that it did. It’s rare to have that type of an ensemble cast, with the breadth and depth of topics covered, and all the other elements.
AF: Well that’s Marta Kauffman (Dream On, Friends, Leave the World Behind) she’s amazing and I am very grateful!
AM: Do you have any upcoming projects that are coming up that you are able to share that we can keep an eye out for?
AF: Yeah! I’m doing Shrinking Season 2 right now. I’m thinking, did I do anything between Apples and Shrinking? No – we’ve had some strikes here in our industry.
AM: Of course.
AF: So there has been some stalls. I’m doing a pilot with Marta Kauffman of Grace & Frankie. We’re going to be starting that soon also. Right now, those are my babies and they’re keeping me quite busy!
We could have spoken with Allyson Fanger even more about how she delves into her character and like that her approach pulls in a number of factors so that the characters are easily positioned in our mind! For those who have yet to see Grace & Frankie, you can stream all episodes right now on Netflix.
Apples Never Fall can be streamed now in its entirety for this limited series on Peacock. As a bit of bonus information, Allyson sent us some notes on how she approached creating the costume direction for this show which focuses on a tennis family!
We enjoyed hearing how she looked at the relationship between Stan and Brooke to inform how would they look and to show their connection with one another. She sent us some other notes which focuses on the relationship between Stan and his son Troy (Jake Lacy), as his father always called him out for being flashy, but he wore a number of big brands too!
She shared that Troy is flashy, but in a way that reads more of a wealthy understated nature. This is more of an anti flashy aesthetic where the clothes are expensive, but there are no logos or there may be subtle ones. It's all about a IYKYK vibe. His clothes are meticulously fitted as well as being tailored.
In terms of his father Stan, he's not focused on whether a brand is expensive, but it's about brand names that are athletic. Tennis is not just what he excelled in or involves training others, it is who he is and is very much part of his identity. So it's natural that he is in an athletic aesthetic like tracksuits and branded pieces. Interestingly, in those moments that he is not dressing like this, he seems like he is out of place.
Interestingly enough, both of them have large personalities and egos and how they present and dress is important to them and as much as they butt heads throughout the series with one another, it's really because they are similar in their personalities.
When you're watching the series, brands such as Tory Burch, The Upside, Lucky in Love, Sporty & Rich, Ciao Lucia, Venroy, Ralph Lauren Polo, Alo, Lululemon, FILA, NIKE, Reebok, Helly Hansen, and Golden Age of Tennis were included.
While we watched this series, we were reminded of an array of tennis stars. Interestingly enough, we were not that far off as each character had an inspirational star!
Stan Delaney's costume direction was inspired by Jimmy Connors, Joy Delaney spired by Jimmy Connors, Joy Delaney (Annette Bening) was inspired by Martina Navratilova, Troy Delaney's costume direction came from Roger Federer, Amy Delaney's (Alison Brie) look was inspired by Maria Sharapova, Logan Delaney (Conor Merrigan Turner) is a mixture of Bjorn Borg/Andre Agassi, Brooke Delaney which we spoke on earlier in this article is inspired by Anna Kournikova, and Harry Haddad's (Giles Matthey) costume direction comes from Rafael Nadal.
PHOTOS COURTESY | Allyson Fanger
Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see IT STARTS WITH THE CHARACTER | Allyson Fanger in mag.
The neo-Western series Outer Range debuted in 2022 on Prime Video starring Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men, Avengers franchise, Dune franchise), Imogen Poots (Roadies, Jimi: All Is By My Side, I Know This Much is True), Tom Pelphrey (Ozark, Love & Death, A Man In Full), and Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under, Manhunt, Perry Mason). In the 1st season we're in the present day and we watch as the Abbott family navigates the changing times of a farm and life that is always within moments of being pulled away from the family. In addition to these concerns, we realize that Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin) has found a portal that takes you through time, and we know that he has first hand experience with it. Throughout the first season, we learn more about this portal, what it does to the town, and how it brings additional people together and apart.
In the 2nd Season, the portal and its powers are even more evident and we see others who have become exposed to it and what it does to their lives. We also see how the Abbott's as a family come to terms with it as well! The importance of time, secrets, life and death converge in this epic story.
We sat down with the Showrunner and Executive Producer of Outer Range, Charles Murray (Sons of Anarchy, Luke Cage, The Devil You Know) to talk about the kinds of stroytelling he enjoys; how he came into the Season 2 of this show; his thoughts on this season; and what he hopes viewers takeaway from it.
If you have yet to watch Season 1 you can stream it now as well as the current season.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been a fan of your work since Sons of Anarchy, Luke Cage, The Devil You Know! What draws you to storytelling as a writer, producer, and showrunner?
CHARLES MURRAY: You know, oh thank you – I love this question!
AM: We know!
CM: I like stories that live in the crevice of society. What I mean by that is – one of my favorite movies is 12 Angry Men!
AM: Yes!
CM: That’s written by Reginald Rose (Crime in the Streets, Man in the West, Somebody Killed Her Husband) and directed by Sidney Lumet (Serpico, Network, Murder on the Orient Express). It’s about 12 guys sitting in a room trying to decide through their prejudices and biases and disbelief if a Puerto Rican kid killed his father. While that’s going on, right now, there is some case being decided right when you and I are having this conversation. They’re talking about things that are going to be seen worldwide. There’s a little spot where things like the stories that I’m drawn to exist at the same time. It’s that kind of stuff that draws me to storytelling.
AM: What drew you to this neo-western series Outer Range? What are the challenges that you navigated as you became the Executive Producer and Showrunner in Season 2? Were there things that you were mindful of since Season 1 already took place and you were coming into this one?
CM: You know, you’re mindful of being respectful of the audience that got you into Season 2 and you’re mindful of the larger narrative of whether you should follow it, shake it off, or try to do a combo of the two. Thankfully, we didn’t have to shake off anything because Season 1 set such good groundwork, it was just my job and the writer’s job to expand on what was already there. Because the narrative was left so open at the end of Season 1, I feel like we had a great shot, at expanding the show and still staying true to the larger story point was which was – here’s a guy that knows about this hole, not only knows about it, but came through it and he’s kept it a secret, but he can’t keep it a secret any longer! That to me, is good conflict.
AM: It was amazing. When we saw the first season when it debuted, it was gripping and compelling. We enjoyed watching all of the screeners ahead of chatting with you and it certainly didn’t disappoint!
While watching it, there were so many themes that kept coming up about the concept of time, the extent of freewill, and the weight of responsibility of those who come before you and after. What do you want viewers to be able to walk away with once they have finished Season 2?
CM: You know, this is going to sound strange. I think that a lot of the show on a metaphysical plane is how people deal with their own timeline. How you can get trapped by your timeline, how it can propel you, and how other people can live in the same space that you’re living in and see things completely differently. I think that the bigger question kind of spins off of Season 1 which is, what happens when you can’t keep secrets anymore? Secrets get a lot of people in trouble.
AM: Oh yes they do!
CM: So then it’s, how do you deal with it when you have to expose those secrets! That’s what Season 2 is about! Season 2 is about telling the truth and then burying the weight of telling the truth. It’s looking at what that could mean and at times, should you? Right?
AM: 100%.
CM: On a metaphysical plane and again on a spiritual plane, we all have to deal with that. What do therapists say? There’s a hole in each of us. Some of us have to fill it up and some people have to examine it. So, if you bring all of this stuff to light and you’re watching this show, I would say that by the time that you get to the last episode, you should be rooting for the main people, but you should also be saying, well – should he have told the truth or not?
AM: It was amazing. When we saw the first season when it debuted, it was gripping and compelling. We enjoyed watching all of the screeners ahead of chatting with you and it certainly didn’t disappoint!
While watching it, there were so many themes that kept coming up about the concept of time, the extent of freewill, and the weight of responsibility of those who come before you and after. What do you want viewers to be able to walk away with once they have finished Season 2?
CM: You know, this is going to sound strange. I think that a lot of the show on a metaphysical plane is how people deal with their own timeline. How you can get trapped by your timeline, how it can propel you, and how other people can live in the same space that you’re living in and see things completely differently. I think that the bigger question kind of spins off of Season 1 which is, what happens when you can’t keep secrets anymore? Secrets get a lot of people in trouble.
AM: Oh yes they do!
CM: So then it’s, how do you deal with it when you have to expose those secrets! That’s what Season 2 is about! Season 2 is about telling the truth and then burying the weight of telling the truth. It’s looking at what that could mean and at times, should you? Right?
AM: 100%.
CM: On a metaphysical plane and again on a spiritual plane, we all have to deal with that. What do therapists say? There’s a hole in each of us. Some of us have to fill it up and some people have to examine it. So, if you bring all of this stuff to light and you’re watching this show, I would say that by the time that you get to the last episode, you should be rooting for the main people, but you should also be saying, well – should he have told the truth or not?
After talking with Charles, we wanted to talk with Tamara Podemski (Reservation Dogs, Murdoch Mysteries, Monster High) who has been in both seasons of Outer Range. We have watched her character navigate town politics, her ambitions, and her personal life. We wanted to know what drew her to playing Sheriff Joy Hawk, where we catch up with her this season, and more.
ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s such a pleasure to connect with you! What drew you to Outer Range?
TAMARA PODEMSKI: It’s a crazy world that was so far away from my own world and so far away from anything that I had ever done. I felt my character to be quite challenging! Every time that you’re given on paper, someone who doesn’t really exist in real life, when you take an Indigenous queer woman that is a sheriff and put them in a small white town that is in mountain country – it’s just that she doesn’t exist. I looked around and I did the research, there is no one like her! So that’s always a really fun challenge as an actor to figure out how someone like that, ends up there.
AM: I have to say that your character is one of our favorites from the series. Everything about her just really draws you in and watching how she’s exploring what’s going on. What did you draw from to approach playing her?
TP: Well I had 2 very important of a few people that I turned to that were deeply connected to the world of what I would say Indigenous/Political circuit who were running for a position in government as well as someone that was deeply embedded in American Indian Police Academy who has launched and had so many different recruits that have gone through the program. This allows them to find their place in a sheriff office or in a local police department.
So I needed to base it in truth, I needed to base it in real people that have chosen this journey which is a very difficult road. That’s how I kind of pieced her together.
AM: That’s really great to hear!
Where did we leave Sheriff Deputy Joy Hawk last season and where do we pick her back up again this season?
TP: We leave Joy – I love her so I don’t ever want to say mean things about her, but I think that she has made some poor decisions in Season 1 for the sake of running for sheriff as well as to solve a murder investigation. These things, it cost her! To see her in Season 2 and taken out of that world and to be put into a new environment and to be given an opportunity to reconcile her actions and to be given an opportunity to grow and to surpass the person she was, the person that she thought that she could be, I think of it as Joy’s coming of age story. She gets to be the hero that she was always meant to be.
AM: Last season was so good and we had the pleasure of watching all of the screeners in prep for this interview, what do you want viewers to take away after watching Season 2?
TP: I hope audiences still believe in complex storytelling. I think particularly in a time where we are consuming so much content and some of it is in all degrees of digestibility, I would really ask for our audiences to work and put in the effort to provide their undivided attention. I hope that our viewers are reminded of that longer arc of storytelling and investing their time! I promise that we will take them on a ride and I hope that they fall in love again with the landscape, the genre – I think that we deliver a lot of real rich vibrant genres whether it’s the supernatural, the metaphysical, the western, the drama – I think that we really deliver a lot there. I think that everyone should be very satiated!
After speaking with Tamara about her character and how she has evolved over Season 2, we wanted to know about another character who has also went through various changes.
Isabel Arraiza (Pearson, The Oath, The Little Things) plays Maria Olivares and we wanted to know how she came to the roll, her character's love story and what she wants viewers to take away with them at the completion of the Season 2.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed watching how your character has evolved throughout both seasons of the show! What drew you to Outer Range?
ISABEL ARRAIZA: I went to school with Brian Watkins so I know the creator from back in acting school. I had always been a fan of his writing. He is an amazing playwright. So when I found out that he was involved in the creation of this show and the story, I was immediately drawn in. So I went in for this audition and I kept getting call backs and tested. The more that I read about it and just knowing who was involved in the project, I was like “oh My God, please God, just give me this opportunity!" I would say that that was what drew me in initially and of course, the story was so compelling that I just wanted to be able to keep doing it.
AM: Absolutely and what do you love about playing Maria Olivares and what was your approach to delving in to this character as it has been interesting to watch how she unfolds episode to episode?
IA: Initially what drew me was her simplicity of her storyline. But it doesn’t mean that it is less complicated. I mean, Lewis Pullman (Lessons in Chemistry, Top Gun: Maverick, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial; who plays Rhett Abbott) and I are in charge of telling this romantic love story and sort of this love in its simplest and purest way. I just felt fortunate to have this character that felt so grounded and in a storyline that was so riveting and complicated at times. Such straight forward relationships was just so refreshing for me.
In terms of how I approached playing her, the story seemed so straight forward, but what I was trying to connect with her. It felt so removed, it’s a woman in the west and then I thought, she’s not. You remember what it was to be a young woman in a small town in Puerto Rico having bigger than life dreams! Then I realized that I understood this completely and then I was able to navigate the challenges that that brings when you really want something to work out. Especially when that involves a relationship or those things that I can personally relate to and I know a lot of other people can. So finding the similarities between me and her and being able to make that present was what got me there.
AM: Where did we leave Maria in Season 1 and where do we pick up with her again in Season 2. After seeing all of the screeners I know viewers will be excited to see this and may need a bit of a refresher.
IA: We pick up Season 2 where we left off with the last episode of Season 1. You know, they’re trying to escape town, they’re trampled by a herd of bison, and we begin the season in the same place! They can’t really leave right now so they decide to go back and we sort of see her becoming an anchor for Rhett. She’s also navigating her own decisions you know? Will love conquer all or is it not going to go Maria’s way? We start seeing that transition slowly, but subtly happening in her.
AM: What do you want the viewers takeaway to be as fans of the show coming back from Season 1 and once they complete Season 2 to be?
IA: I want them to leave satisfied and that some of the questions from Season 1 were answered and sort of solved, but then, I want them to get excited because there are some wrinkles that have now been thrown into Season 2 which I hope will make them leave wanting more! I think that that that’s what they would want to take away! Also, because it just clicked for me when I was talking with you – the theme of love and fear is present in this show, but at it’s heart, I think that this show is about love.
IG @isa.arraiza
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Prime Video/Outer Range
Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see THE TOLL OF SECRETS | Outer Range in mag.
We were invited to Life Time at PENN 1 for an exclusive event for their VIP Pickleball event that allows us to see the unveiling of their 7 courts at this location in Midtown, NYC! The event kicked off with a conversation with the company's founder, Bahram Akradi, Founder and CEO as well as tennis icon, Andre Agassi, with 60 ATP Tour Wins, 8 Grand Slam Titles (Singles – Australian Open 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003; French Open 1999; Wimbledon 1992; US Open 1994, 1999), and Team USA Tennis Olympic Gold Medalist for the Summer Games in 1996. This tennis champ has been passionate about pickleball and won $1M and the Pickleball Slam 1 2023 with his partner Andy Roddick against John McEnroe and Michael Chang. This year, he won the $1M purse and Pickleball Slam 2 with his wife, Steffi Graf as they beat John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova.
Andre was recently announced as inaugural chair of the Life Time Pickleball and Tennis Board with the goal of expanding access, enhancing programming and building community.
In addition to the Q+A we saw both men play exhibition tournaments with JOOLA Pros Anna Bright, Collin Johns, Ben Johns, and Tyson McGuffin.
LIFE TIME: Ladies and Gentleman welcome to our VIP Pickleball Event that is launching the 7 gorgeous new pickleball courts that we have here at Lifetime Pickleball in the heart of NYC! Today, we’re also partnering with JOOLA Pickleball as they recently launched their Generation 3 line of paddles with JOOLA Pros’ Anna Bright, Collin Johns, Ben Johns, and newcomer to JOOLA, Tyson McGuffin. All of them will be joining us in just a few moments.
Before that, I’d like to introduce 2 dynamic men! An ambassador in the world of health and fitness, along with being champions of the JOOLA and Life Time brands. One of these men is the Founder and CEO of Life Time, the other, career highlights include the winner of the first ever Pickle Slam partnering with Andy Roddick, side note is that he also won 8 Grand Slams and has an Olympic Gold medal! Let’s have a round of applause for Andre Agassi and Bahram Akradi.
So Andre, pickleball, what’s the first thing that you thought when you heard that word for the first time?
ANDRE AGASSI: I thought, why that name? Then I took 15mins to just sit with it and it took about a 20min learning curve and I fell in love with it.
LT: How about you Bahram, the first time that you heard of pickleball, what went through your mind?
BAHRAM AKRADI: At first I thought that it was just a sport for very, very, very, old people.
LT: So what is this sport, who are the people that play, and now we’re here in NYC specifically, talking about pickleball. So Bahram, when you first played, you said that we had to get more of this here at Life Time. And now, Life Time is the biggest provider of pickleball courts in the country. What was your vision for pickleball at first and has it come to fruition?
BA: Yes, so, I remember playing tennis in some of our other clubs and I saw these taped lines on the courts and I found it was because people were trying to play pickleball on them. Then people just started asking for us to have courts that were specific to this game. So I thought, well if I give them courts designed for pickleball, they will stop putting tape on my pickleball courts!
So we took one club and we took 1 tennis court and make it into 4 Pickleball courts and we did that to another tennis court. So then I thought that that would be the end of that! Then once I started playing it, I did it for 2 hours and I got hooked. I started with doubles, and then I began playing singles and that’s when I saw the opportunity for this sport! I saw how all kinds of people at all kinds of levels could play. We had the opportunity to have people come here with our large facilities, we have quickly grown to become the largest owner and operator of permanent pickleball courts, topping more than 680 permanent courts nationwide (including the most in New York City with nine), and serving as a host site for multiple MLP and PPA tournaments nationwide in addition to its own Pickleball Classic. So we wanted to take a run at it and I think that we have done that!
LT: To you Andre, what about your process of being a pickleball player as well as looking at your phenomenal tennis career?
AA: First of all, I just want to know with everyone that’s here, how many of you have played pickleball? Look at all these hands – why are you asking me this question haha?
For me, what I really appreciated so quickly about it separately from inside the lines is when you’re playing tennis, you have to spend a 1-2.5 years before the game opens up to you. It’s that feeling that you’re not so concerned with what you are doing with the ball – you’re thinking of what you are trying to accomplish. With pickle, you’re able to get out there and connect quickly and there is a low point of injury involved.
Then there is the dynamics of family as my extended family as well as my wife’s who are from Germany when they come, we can all play together and we’re all different levels. I would say that we would all be out there – aunts, uncles, cousins, etc and no one had their phones out for 2 hours. The phones are on the side.
For me, what the hell can I do at this age that I can actually get better at? I mean I have gotten better at so many things in my life already – except for pickleball and I am getting better! You know, I’m a tortured perfectionist and when I think about playing pickleball versus tennis, the thrill of having to unlearn some of the sensibilities that I had as a tennis player right? But I also had to maintain some skills right? I am able to put my mind to the task and I get the reward of seeing all of that come together and I can only see this sport continuing to grow as it has. I feel that if we have X amount of people playing right now, we’ll be able to 10X that in no time at all!
LT: Andre is long on pickleball, I love that!
Now, you had mentioned that you have been playing with your family – your wife – I mean she’s major! Do you prefer playing with her or against her?
AA: I mean, she has crossed some finish lines in her life!
LT: A lot of us have significant others, spouses, that we play with so it’s always interesting to know!
AA: I like playing on her side because we are connected and that’s how you start to really understand what your partner is like and what you can and can’t do and to start morphing into their game. It’s cool to be on the same side of the net and that way you won’t feel guilty body bagging her! I mean, she has a few shots that are unique and then there are other things that don’t translate so well. She wants to play everything pretty traditionally. She’s always expressed her energy and her blood pressure through physical output so she was like a racehorse on the tennis court, but for me, my energy was always shot making when I was on the tennis court. It was about taking the ball and doing something with it.
So some things translate a lot easier when playing pickleball, but it’s fun watching her get past that first part and then seeing her get into her stride in this game. She just started playing singles after starting with doubles and you know, there’s one thing I don’t know how this sport works with someone who struggles with their knees. So she’s being careful and she has a cyst in her knee so once that thing gets drained and her knee feels good, she wants to play singles.
LT: Andre, just so you know, that was also a singles challenge right there for Bahram to play Steffani in singles. Are your kids approaching you to play pickleball or are you approaching them?
AA: Well, my kids – my son is a senior at USC and our daughter, thank God still lives with us at home as education and school wasn’t her thing. She’s artistic and does her own thing, she’ll get out there and play. My son plays baseball so when he hits something, he’s not thinking about it staying within a certain perimeter.
LT: He likes to be out there with the foul balls!
Bahram, how did you and Andre meet and what makes you excited to bringing Andre on board as the Chair for Raquet and Paddle Sports here at Life Time?
BA: We started working together 15 years ago and we continued to grow as really close friends. I have all the love and admiration for his intelligence and athleticism. I have always loved Andre and I have always hoped that when the right time came, that we would be able to partner together and to do something good that would be for the greater good. Life Time is the largest provider of pickleball and we wanted to be able to continue to deliver and offer tennis and pickleball and there was no better person that I could imagine to be the chair of our tennis and pickleball board. With his vision, his insight and I called him and asked what he thought about this. When he told me about his vision and how it would utilize our platform, it was a no-brainer for me.
LT: Andre, we are approaching the 30th Anniversary of you winning your very first US Open. What kind of memories does that bring back for you?
AA: Well, I had hair.
LT: Where were we then? Was it touching your shirt?
AA: The hair was going past the shirt!
You know, it’s such a profound place in my professional journey as well as in my personal journey. You guys not only watched me grow up, you helped me grow up. You really did. I was 18 years old playing Jimmy Connors at night giving him the beating that he deserved! Someone yelled out, “Jimmy, he’s a bum, you’re a legend!” and I remember thinking that I got the legend part, but what? Then fast forward and I got into something that I had done my whole life in front of those people and then down the road after my journey, saying goodbye when I finally retired.
LT: Well I mean, we have an exhibition coming up shortly today!
AA: Yeah, I was told about that! I’m ready!
LT: On that note, let’s bring in our 4 JOOLA Pros, Anna Bright, Collin Johns, Ben Johns, and JOOLA newcomer, Tyson McGuffin! Come on down here! So we’re going to ask our pros a few questions right now so that we can get to know them a little better and then we will head down to the Life Time Pickleball courts as we have a a whole stadium court set up. I wonder if you thought about that this morning Andre?
AA: Ok, I’ m nervous enough!
LT: I mean, it’s almost like a US Open crowd!
So starting off with Anna since you have a microphone in your hand, what excites you the most about pickleball?
ANNA BRIGHT: I think you know, it’s so cool that everybody is here to experience the joy of pickleball and to see us and to watch it! What I love most is the growth of it and not knowing where the sport is going to take us! When I first started playing 2 and a half years ago, I never thought that I would be here in NYC to play a tournament here to meet people and to talk about this game! There’s on way to really know how this game will look in a year or 2 years especially since you have the Pro level and I feel like we’re always kind of being pulled around on a chain by the powers that be, but it’s crazy to see the growth of the amateur game and I hope that we will be back here next year and will need more seating! I’m kind of excited and I don’t even know for what specifically, but I can’t wait to see where it goes in the next few years.
LT: Bright future, Anna Bright! Hopefully we will need more seating and have more people in here next year.
Tyson, I’ve watched you drill on the courts and a 2 hour session turns into a 3 hour session and I think that your T-shirts were more wet than is humanly possible. What are you working on to improve your pickleball game? More specifically, to beat these 3 people around you actually and to beat up on Mr. Agassi today?
TYSON MCGUFFIN: Yeah I think that for me, I have lost some top matches this year. So I think that walking in and raising the level mentally and being a little tougher in those moments. I think that at the highest level, we are all really talented and it’s just about that when the going gets tough and your back is against the wall, you just have to mentally lock in and dial in. I want to say thank you New York and let’s go New York Knicks!
LT: Collin, you’re a professional pickleball player. There was a time when you were not a professional pickleball player.
What advice would you give to somebody that is trying to be a professional pickleball player or what's one thing that was really integral in your path as you went Pro?
COLLIN JOHNS: Um, being Ben’s brother probably is a good start. The tennis journey, I did that for many years and then coming over to pickleball, I think that that just let me witness that I was playing a different sport. There are certain things that are going to help you as background significantly, but there are other things that you have to learn how to change. If you look at the players that have had the most success, especially relatively rapidly – they are very open to learning the game and that was really good for me. It was certainly a credit to the guy on my left that helped me along the way. But, the event today and one I did yesterday, it’s just amazing to see where the sport has grown since I started playing. I’m very excited about being here today.
LT: Speaking of the guy to your left, Ben, you’re the middle of 7 children! What was it like growing up? Was it constant sports and competition of those 7 kids? Who was the most competitive?
BEN JOHNS: Yeah, I grew up as 1 of 7 kids, but also 1 of the 2 boys as we have 5 sisters so it was primarily just sports with this guy. Pickleball is the only thing that I ever won. So, I’m really just taking my sweet time with it! He is 6 years older and it was very competitive. So when you have someone that much older than you, you just get used to losing at everything! But it was a great upbringing and I wouldn’t do it over in any other way. I was very grateful and it all led me here!
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Life Time
Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see PICKLEBALL POWER in mag.
Athleisure Mag has been a Media Sponsor of NYC Pride for the past 7 years and are excited to come back for our 8th year in a row to support the community which brings people together through an array of events throughout the city! There is something for everyone that kicks off on Jun 1st with the Road to Pride Bar Crawl in Chelsea, Queens Night Market for those who have enjoyed the culinary vendors throughout the year, the NY Yankees Pride Night will take place at their stadium on Jun 18th, on Jun 22 another Road to Pride Bar Crawl will take place in Williamsburg in Brooklyn, Mets Pride Night sponsored by Citi on Jun 28th, and of course The March will take place on Jun 30th. Make sure to check out these events and more by visiting the site.
This year's theme of Reflect. Empower. Unite. focuses on the LGBTQIA+ community and marks the 55th Anniversary of the the Stonewall Uprising as well as the 40th Anniversary of the Heritage of Pride, the organization that puts on NYC Pride. This theme aims to highlight the importance of The March as an intersection for liberation and joy of the community as well as looking at the activist history that created the movement as well as to reflect whether you're an individual, ally, community leader, activist to understand the challenges that have been overcome as they find ways forward.
These events aim to bring the city together across the boroughs in the city as well as the world at large together. Last year, we talked with Sandra Perez (MAY ISSUE #89 in 2023) Executive Director of Heritage of Pride. She talked about how NYC Pride started, why it is an important event, and how they use their platform.
IG @nycpride
PHOTO CREDIT | NYC Pride
Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see PRE-COVERAGES | Pride NYC in mag.
Next month, we're looking forward to making our way back to Queens to take in great performances, activations, food/beverages and the experiences that we enjoy when we're at one of our favorite music festivals that kick off the season here in NY for this year's Gov Ball taking place Jun 7-9th! Last year we had the pleasure to chat with Co-Founder, Tom Russell (MAY ISSUE #89 in 2023) about this music festival which includes an array of genres. They kicked off their newest home at Flushing Meadows in Queen which is an immersive park setting.
This year, with headlines that include: Post Malone and Rauw Alejandro on Fri, The Killers and 21 Savage on Sat, and ending with Sza and Peso Pluma on Sun, there is something for everyone with 60+ artists across the weekend and 3 stages and a number of acts from Sabrina Carpenter, Sexyy Red, Doechii, Reneé Rapp, and more!
With all of the music that you'll get to enjoy, you want to ensure that you have a number of options for you and your friends who will be attending. From an array of wine and spirit brands, Luke's Lobster, Sweet Chick, Magnolia Bakery, Stella X Hot Ones - there is something that reflects diverse culinary interests that will keep you going!
Make sure to visit the website to see what tickets are still available and to see how you can elevate your experience if you're interested in VIP options. For those that want to keep the party going, there are After Dark shows taking place throughout the city with artists you'll want to hear. Each of these performances have separate tickets and will allow you to truly get an immersive experience.
In the JUN ISSUE #102, we'll share more interviews and experiences from Gov Ball.
IG @govballnyc
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 140 Henry HWU | PG 142 Roger Ho | PG 144 Charles Reagan |
Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see PRE-COVERAGE | Governors Ball in mag.
Bryant Park has also been a neighborhood that we have enjoyed having power lunches and dinners as well as having amazing views of library and the large greenspace! In this month's The Art of the Snack, we head over to this storied area to pop into Heritage Grand Bakery, Heritage Grand Restaurant and Pizza Bar!
We love that whether you're looking for a bakery that allows you to get great to-go items for breakfast and lunch whether you're heading back to the office or eating in the park. In addition, there is a stunning restaurant that is perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and happy hour. We took some time to sit down to talk with Managing Partner, Lou Ramirez to find out more about these spaces, what is offered, and what we should think about ordering on our next visit!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into Heritage Grand Bakery, Grand Restaurant and Pizza Bar, Please tell me about Lou Ramirez's background as he has been part of some of our favorites including Fig & Olive!
LOU RAMIREZ: My experience in the hospitality world began as a manager at BR Guest Hospitality Group. I then advanced to Director of Food and Beverage at Boutique Hotels & Resorts. Leveraging my expertise, I became Director of Operations at Le Pain Quotidien, successfully launching 18 locations in NYC and LA. This success led me to Fig & Olive, a concept I started with the founder, opening 3 locations in the city.
Subsequently, I co-founded Maison Kayser with Eric Kayser, overseeing the construction of over a dozen stores. Returning to Le Pain Quotidien as the President and Head of US Operations, I played a key role in reinventing their brand image. Drawing on my experience in hospitality and deep knowledge, I founded Nicloubella Management, an entrepreneurial consulting company created to assist established overseas companies looking to break into the US marketplace.
AM: It seems like there are 2 concepts with the bakery as well as the restaurant. Can you tell us about how the concept came about and why you wanted to have a bakery and a restaurant?
LR: I founded Heritage Grand with my partners, Luc Boulet and Alex Garese. Luc is a renowned master baker from France, coming from a lineage of 4 generations of bakers. Alex is the founder of the acclaimed Wolkonsky Bakery, making us all seasoned veterans in the world of bread and pastry. Our vision was to open a bakery and restaurant showcasing our Ancient Grains which are milled in-house.
AM: In looking at the bakery, can you speak to the decision to focus on health-conscious baking and cooking techniques, Ancient Grains and Artisanal Milling Techniques?
LR: We are very passionate about health-conscious and environmentally friendly foods and preparation techniques. We believe “you are what you eat," what you put into your body is what you get out of it. Natural, artisanal foods nourish our minds and bodies and energize our spirit, and that’s the effect we’d like to leave on our guests.
AM: What are the health benefits to cultivating the grains in this way?
LR: Our grains contain an accentuated value in lipids and carotenes, which give the bread a beautiful cream color and signature aroma, as well as making it optimal for baking and pastry making. Health benefits include ease of digestibility, high nutritional value, and low allergenic potential.
AM: Focusing on Heritage Grand Bakery, there is quite an extensive offering from coffees, teas, pressed juices etc. What are 3 coffees cold or hot that you suggest as we head into the summer months?
LR: At Heritage Grand, we use a highly dynamized water filtration system, essentially mirroring water’s natural journey through the mountains using motion, magnetism, and natural minerals. This results in energized water with improved taste and texture, as well as better hydration. We use this water as the foundation for all of our brewed beverages. 3 coffees we’d recommend as the weather warms are our signature Roast Heritage Drip Coffee, our house blend made with different coffee blends from across the globe, the Iced Red-Eye, a double shot of our specialty roast espresso poured over our signature coffee blend served on ice, and our Finca Bernina Red Honey Geisha poured over coffee from Costa Rica.
AM: What are 3 teas, hot or cold that you suggest that we should have in mind when visiting?
LR: Our Hot and Cold teas are sourced from historic tea-growing regions in dirrect collaboration with the farmers. I would recommend the Chai Latte, a spiced latte made with chai spices; Matcha Latte and Tieguanyin Oolong Tea made with oolong tea from China.
AM: On your BAKERY menu, you have a selection of Viennoiseries. What does Viennoiseries mean and what are 3 that we should try on our next visit?
LR: Viennoiseries are breakfast pastries typically modeled after the style of pastry that originated in Vienna, Austria. Executive Head Pastry Chef Damien Herrgott expertly creates the viennoiseries and pastries, and while all delicious, we’d recommend Pistachio Cruffin, muffin-shaped croissant dough filled with pistachio pastry cream; Plie au Chocolat, buttery, flaky croissant dough folded and filled with vanilla pastry cream and dark chocolate chips; Apricot Danish, croissant dough filled with a mixture of pastry cream and apricots.
AM: The Bakery menu also has Muffins/Cruffins/Baked Goods! What is a Cruffin and what are 3 that you suggest that we should have?
LR: Inspired by the French brioche pastry, a cruffin is the hybrid of a croissant and muffin. We’d suggest our Chocolate, Vanilla, and Pistachio Cruffins, muffin-shaped croissant dough filled with chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio pastry creams.
AM: What are 3 pastries that you suggest for breakfast?
LR: In our Restautant we just started weekend Brunch and have several classics but in our Bakery, Our Egg Sandwiches and vienoisseriie are really the best sellers for breakfast, like the Lemon Raspberry Danish, Croissant, and Pain au Chocolate. But for those with a particular sweet tooth, perhaps our Espresso Tart to start your day with a kick; Coffee Ganache and Coffee-Soaked Lady Fingers, topped with espresso Cremieux and white chocolate coffee glaze. Next, the Montebello, a decadent way to get your fruits in early in the day, pistachio almond hazelnut cake topped with pistachio mouse, fresh raspberries, and chopped pistachios; Ispahan, a colorful and vibrant rose-colored raspberry macaron filled with rose buttercream and chopped lychee with fresh raspberries and garnished with a rose petal.
AM: What are 3 G&G Sandwiches that you would suggest when you're heading over to Bryant Park to enjoy an outdoor lunch?
LR: A refreshing Caprese Sandwich on a savory olive roll to beat the heat, French baguette with fresh mozzarella, tomato, fresh basil pine and pesto; Tunisian Niçoise Sandwich, tuna salad mix, hard-boiled egg, red pepper, arugula, and olives on Pan Bagnat bun; our classic Pariseinne with ham gruyere butter and cornichon on a fresh baguette.
AM: What are 3 Savory options from the Restaurant that you suggest?
LR: Branzino topped with pistachio chermoula, served with a side of haricot vert and charred lemon, Ancient Grains Spaghetti—a vegetarian option— population wheat pasta with roasted mushroom and garlic, sprinkled with rich Parmigiano. Pizzas and flatbreads, Moroccan Spiced Lamb Flatbread, spiced ground lamb, pickled shallots, and a drizzle of citrus labneh on a thin, crisp flatbread made from 100% Ancient Grain population wheat
AM: You have a number of breads that you offer that people can purchase, what are 3 that are perfect to bring when you're thinking of bringing it to a dinner atsomeone's home?
LR: Our Executive Head Baker Mark Fiorentino (formerly of Daniel, Café Boulud), along with his dedicated team of bakers arrive throughout the night to mill the wheat, mix and roll the dough, and craft the fresh bread every morning. We’d recommend Hudson Valley Sourdough, naturally leavened sourdough bread made with locally grown and milled flour; Our Proprietary Population Wheat, 17 ancient grain varieties of wheat are blended to create the whole wheat; Spelt Bread, made with 100% spelt flour milled exclusively on-site.
AM: Tell us about the culinary journey of Executive Chef Steve Pereyda from where he trained and kitchens he worked in prior to coming to Heritage Restaurant and Pizza Bar.
LR: Our newly appointed Executive Chef Steve Pereyda is a distinguished graduate of Texas Culinary Academy, He began his culinary journey at Los Angeles’s Michelin-starred Hatfield, under Chef Quinn Hatfield, moving on to The Baazar by José Andrés in Beverly Hills, before relocating to to NYC and ascending to Sous Chef at Aureole Restaurant, Chef Charlie Palmer’s iconic flagship restaurant in NYC, renowned for its 13 Michelin stars and two James Beard awards. Under the guidance of Chef Palmer, Chef Pereyda honed his skills in New American cuisine, before moving on to the Michelin-starred Rouge Tomate. Once Rouge Tomate shuttered in 2018, Pereyda assisted in opening Mercado Little Spain by José Andrés, as well as AperiBar with Charlie Palmer.
AM: It truly feels that Heritage has options that take you from Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner! You also have one of our favorite meals of the week, Brunch. What are 3 brunch dishes that we can enjoy with friends and family?
LR: Polenta Soufflé Toast with mushroom; creamy polenta with fried eggs, mushroom bechamel, and parmigiano; Moroccan Lamb Burger, lamb merguez, harissa aioli, peppers and onions on a homemade brioche bun and served with za’atar fries; Thin crust Diavola pizza with spicy soppressata, fior di latte, tomato, and drizzled with chili oil.
AM: What are 3 dishes that are perfect to enjoy for lunch?
LR: Ancient Grains Salad--a vegan option--arugula, cherry tomato, apple, shallots, toasted seeds, and topped with feta, drizzled with lemon vinaigrette; Crispy Skin Salmon—a gluten-free option—salmon with fennel and piquillo pepper, served with a bed of couscous and charred lemon; Clam Pie, fresh littleneck clams with oregano, garlic, white wine, lemon, chili, pecorino, and breadcrumbs.
AM: Tell us about Happy Hour!
LR: Happy Hour is served on weekdays from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m., for dine-in customers only. Specials include $10 Neapolitan or thin crust Margherita pizza, $10 glasses of red, white, and rosé wines, as well as $10 signature craft cocktails.
AM: What are 3 dishes that we should have in mind for dinner?
LR: Grilled Hanger Steak served with a generous portion of za’atar fries, persillade, and arugula with lemon vinaigrette; Wild Mushroom Thin Crust Pizza, with oyster mushrooms, pickled shallot, caciocavallo, and pecorino; Tagliatielle Veal Ragu, braised veal, cipollini, mushroom, pecorino toscano, with population wheat breadcrumbs
AM: What are 3 cocktails that we can enjoy for the Summer?
LR: The refreshing Mezcal Paloma, a blend of union mezcal, Giffard pamplemousse, grapefruit, agave, and lime; The Raspberry Flamenco, a mix of Tanqueray Seville gin, raspberry, egg white, and lemon; the Cucumber Basil Gimlet; ALB vodka, cucumber, agave, and lime.
AM: Tell us about the ambiance and design of both spaces that are located in this historic Bryant Park neighborhood!
LR: The interior design of the restaurant and bakery, by Patricia Joseph in collaboration with Silvia Zofio of SZprojects, seamlessly flow into one another, drawing inspiration from ancient Mediterranean ruins unearthed in the heart of NYC. Anchoring the dining room are two large wood-burning ovens named Patience and Fortitude, after the marble lions that watch over the historic New York Public Library and Bryant Park, across the street from the restaurant. The walls are designed with stone shaved from a mountain to give it a grotto feel, complemented by accents of creamy white Venetian plaster and a soothing glow from soft white light, curated by award-winning lighting designer Herve Descotts L’Observatoire. The dining room is adorned with custom-made banquettes, chairs, and tables designed to evoke the restaurant's Mediterranean feel. Additionally, the private event space on the mezzanine level is ideal for hosting private gatherings, corporate meetings, celebrations, televised sports events or award shows, rehearsal dinners, baby showers, and more.
AM: Are there any special events taking place that you would like to share that are taking place this summer?
LR: Our Private event space is always buzzing with celebrations, parties, corporate power events, sports viewings, showers, and we will start creating culinary social experiences in the fall like pizza or pasta making classes.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Heritage Grand Bakery, Restaurant and Pizza Bar
The road to the Olympics is one that is filled with an array of timelines and schedules that become hectic as well as important as athletes from around the world qualify to head to the Summer Games! Paris 2024 is only a few weeks away and we had the pleasure to sit down right before the 100 Days of the Games. We were excited to sit down and chat with 2 X Team USA Olympic Swimmer Lydia Jacoby (1G, 1B)! This Alaskan native was the first swimmer from her state to qualify for the Olympics for Tokyo 2020 and she came back from those Games with a Gold medal in the 100-Meter-Breaststroke with a time of 1:04:95 which was the fastest time ever achieved by a female American swimmer in the 17-18 age group. She also received a Silver medal for the 4X100 Medley as well! We wanted to find out how she came to the sport, swimming for the University of Texas at Austin, how she prepares for her meets, her partnership with Gillette Venus, what the weeks ahead look like for getting to the Olympics, and living that mermaid dream!
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you fell in love with swimming?
LYDIA JACOBY: I think at a really young age, I grew up in a maritime community. So I was always around the water growing up and it was very natural for me.
AM: What drew you to the breaststroke? What do you love about swimming this?
LJ: It’s funny! I always say that you don’t choose the sport, the sport chooses you!
AM: Right!
LJ: Yeah, and that’s the same for strokes as well. I was always a breaststroker it just came to me! Even when I was little and on the floor playing with my dolls, I would be in that position. So it just came to me naturally.
AM: When did you realize that you wanted to swim competitively?
LJ: I’d say that I started seeing some success when I was 12 when I broke my first state record and that’s when I kind of realized that I was pretty good at this and it was time to make this happen.
AM: Oh wow!
Being an Olympian, that is a major feat! You were the first Alaskan to qualify for the Olympic Games as a Swimmer. What did it mean to you to be able to go to the Summer Games in Tokyo?
LJ: I mean, it meant the world to me to be able to be there and to represent for my state as well as the community – all of the people that supported me. I mean, literally since I was 4, my whole life they have been there, so it really meant so much for me to be able to be there for them!
AM: What did you enjoy the most about competing in the Summer Games in 2020 – obviously, winning your medals was a great experience! But what did you enjoy most?
LJ: Just the experience and the people! I feel like I truly made some lifelong friends when I was there especially because we couldn’t have our families there then. The people I met there, were like my family during the games when I was there. It was really special connections!
AM: You also swim for the University of Texas at Austin which is phenomenal as in 2023, you were the NCAA Championships for the 100 yd Breaststroke where you won Gold and in the 4X100 yd Medley you took Bronze. What have you been enjoying about swimming with your collegiate team?
LJ: It’s very different than home growing up in Alaska. I mean, I have so many people on the team right now that have similar goals to what I am chasing. It’s just a really positive environment for me to train in.
AM: What is an average day like hanging out with you in terms of working out or training to optimize yourself in the sport?
LJ: In Austin? Ooo, it changes every day! My schedule is crazy! I’d say that in an average week, I would wake up around 5:50am, go to morning practice, come back, eat some breakfast, try to fit a nap in, get good food, go to class, get in some homework, answer emails, lots of trips to coffee shops as they have some great ones in Austin, practice in the afternoon, - and then it just takes me a long time to unwind before I go to bed. So I take a long shower, get a shave in and then get to bed early so I can do it all again the next day!
AM: That is quite the schedule!
Right now we’re just about at the 100th day mark in terms of Paris 2024. It’s hard to believe that and yet, here we are! What do the next few weeks look like in terms of qualifying and all of the different things that are going on before you get to the Summer Games?
LJ: So we’re about 100 days out! Our Olympic Trials are mid to end of June. So we will find out literally a month before the Olympics. I’m just trying to do everything that I can to prepare and I have done everything that I can so that I can really lock in for the next couple of weeks.
AM: Of course there are a lot things that we’re sure that you do to get prepped when it comes to swimming in the Olympics. Why did you want to partner with Gillette Venus and why is The Power of Smooth so important to you?
LJ: I feel like swimming is such an exposing sport! It’s so important to feel absolutely confident in your skin and to feel just really smooth and powerful. Ever since I was little, I always talked about how I wanted to be a mermaid! I probably thought that I was literally going to be a mermaid until I was a little too old to think that I was literally going to be a mermaid – but channeling that smooth skin and powerful feeling in the water, I feel like that is just about as close as I will get to being a mermaid with Gillette!
AM: Well we do have The Mermaid Parade that happens in Brooklyn!
LJ: Oh! Ok! Send me the dates!
AM: Yeah the 42nd Annual Mermaid Parade is on June 22nd in Coney Island. You’ll see plenty of mermaids then and it’s definitely an event that people get excited for!
LJ: I love it!
AM: What can we expect from you and Gillette Venus in this campaign?
LJ: I mean, we won’t know until we get there, but we have some big goals! At the end of the day, I feel like I have put a lot of pressure on myself over the last couple of years and I have just been trying to go into the Summer with a healthy mentality. I have already done this, I have nothing to prove. I want to allow myself to swim freely and put it out there!
AM: That’s amazing and a great perspective to have!
When you’re about to do a meet or competition, are there things that you have to do to prep yourself for that? Is there a certain kind of music that you’d like to have and what do you do to come down from all of that energy?
LJ: For sure! I mentioned before that it takes me awhile to unwind before bed and sleep before a meet is so important! So I really do like to take a long shower, do the girl everything shower – exfoliate, shave, wash my hair, deep condition, and just to feel really good! I’m definitely a proponent for look good, feel good!
AM: Absolutely!
LJ: I’ll do makeup before I go out to the pool. I just want to feel completely confident in my skin. I feel that that is a huge part of my routine. I love good food as well. But music, I mean it’s so much different stuff and it changes all of the time.
AM: Outside of the sport, you do so many different things. You are so talented in music, you model, what are some upcoming projects – obviously in addition to cheering you on at the Games that we can expect to see from you?
LJ: It’s been so busy and I have had so much going on – I mean there’s Olympics and I’m hoping that there will be fun stuff that is taking place after the Games! I have so many amazing sponsors like Procter & Gamble and Venus and some others so just keep an eye out for those from me!
Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see THE POWER OF SMOOTH | Lydia Jacoby in mag.
Members of the Athleisure Media community know that we have shared surfers on our covers, inbooks, as well as how you can rock a look when you hit the waves. Why stop there? In Surf Style at Home, we can see how we can bring this into our living spaces by author and interior designer of Kelly Slater's famous Surf Ranch, Raili Clasen.
In this coffee table book, you'll see how you can crank up the color, landscape your living room, and create adult summer camp vibes for this eclectic surf style.
She shares on how inspiration trips in Orange County, CA she soaks up cool surfer fashion, the laidback atmosphere, and retro style in order to bring it back to a rec room, bedroom and other spaces.
She also shares how this style sensibility was utilized in projects that she's done in Alabama, Newport Beach, Montana's Yellowstone Club and so much more.
When it comes to coffee table books, it's always nice to have great musicians! In Bruce Springsteen at 75 you get to know about the phenomenal career of this 25X Grammy inner, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, singer/songwriter, enthralling performer, and best-selling author known as The Boss. This book is filled with illustrations, has two gatefolds, exclusive pullout poster, 8" × 10" glossy, and a sturdy slipcase.
You'll enjoy stunning concert and candid offstage photography, imagery of memorabilia (gig posters, vinyl record sleeves, ticket stubs, period ads, and more).
Bruce Springsteen's (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Lilyhammer, The Greatest Night in Pop) career that has spanned 7 and a half decades veteran rock journalist Gillian G Gaar covers his childhood in New Jersey as well as his start in garage bands The Castles and Steel Mill. She looks at his 20 studo albums which include those with the E Street Band as well as his work as a solo artist - including his gigs and Springsteen on Broadway. She also examines his Rock Hall induction and being the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
She also looks at his greatest hits from Born to Run, Hungry Heart, and Born in the U.S.A. The book includes his relationships with his bandmates Steven Van Zandt (Sopranos, Lilyhammer, The Irishman) and the late Clarence Clemons. Of course, this also includes his wife and bandmate, Patti Scialfa.
When it comes to showcasing your wanderlust, it's always great to have a coffee table book that relaxes you. In Santa Monica Pier: America's Last Great Pleasure Pier, you get to know more about the history of the Santa Monica Pier! Filled with information as well photographs from this historic pier and venue!
For over a century, this international icon has survived as a destination whether it has fought Mother Nature, political, and social times - it's still a respite for enjoying the outdoors and offering culinary and entertainment delights for those that live in the area as well as those that visit from all over the world.
Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY BOOKS in mag.
If you haven't caught up on Hacks, now is the time as S3 is currently dropping a pair of episodes each week until the finale on May 30th! We've been enjoying the latest season which continues with septuagenarian’s veteran comedian, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) as she navigates her continued success as a legendary Vegas act, while putting a twist on her empire from her successful standup career, trying to become a lateshow host, QVC, her friendship with writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) and connecting with her friends and family.
This season allows us to see how even a successful person with global accolades still has to have a phenomenal team that works the system in order to achieve her aspirations in her career. We watch how the wheels of the entertainment machine work traditionally as well as non-traditionally. We also learn how what we want may in fact not be what we thought when given the opportunity.
We love a good espionage show and this limited series by Steven Knight (Taboo, See, Peaky Blinders). In The Veil, a 6 episode series, we find ourselves constantly asking who is connected to who, where do the lies begin and end, and is anything what it seems to be as we follow a supposed terrorist and the spy sent to find her.
We are introduced to a British woman (Elisabeth Moss) that the first scene lets her client know that his perceived win has turned sour. As he gets arrested, we find that she is moving on to another job and wants to be called Imogen. This job sens her to a refugee camp near the Syrian/Turkish border where a female terrorist, Adilah El Idrissi (Yumna Marwan) has been found. Imogen arrives and we realize that she is connected to various global government agencies.
As they navigate their way to Paris, Imogen and Adilah playh a cat and mouse game of truths and lies as they each check in with teams to further their agenda under the nose of the other. As we continue to get to know them as well as those that they work with, we wonder how much of what is said is true and how it will all end.
In S2 of Pushkin's podcast, Death of an Artist, we learn about Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock and their impact on the art community. These artists were married and although Jackson is well known, it was Lee that made him famous! She is known as someone who also changed the landscape of modern art!
This podcast focuses on love, power, alcoholism, and an unexpected death as well as an endearing legacy. This 6 episode podcast is hosted by curator, author, and broadcaster Katy Hessel. Listeners will have an inside look into two of the greatest artists of the 20th century, and how their vision impacts ours.
Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.
