Tag: Celebrity Interview

Our 2024 Winter Ones to Watch Portfolio Is Here

WHO: Bebe Wood

WHAT: The movie musical Mean Girls. 

“That’s so fetch!” When we first heard Mean Girls, the Broadway musical version, would be adapted into a movie, we were excited to see what a 2024 version of one of our all-time favorite films would look like. That enthusiasm doubled when we heard who would be stepping into the high-heeled shoes of the Plastics. We stan Reneé Rapp, of course, but we also love a fresh face and couldn’t wait to see Avantika Vandanapu and Bebe Wood in action. Wood—whose previous credits include Hulu’s Love, Victor, Ryan Murphy’s The New Normal, and ABC’s The Real O’Neals—is so fun to watch as the catty but vulnerable Gretchen Weiners. Not only does she deliver on the laughs, but she also has a noteworthy musical number in “What’s Wrong With Me.” What’s more, she’s a fashion risk-taker and lover of all things vintage—a woman after our own heart. 

My experience auditioning for Mean Girls was… Totally surreal! I grew up with Mean Girls. I truly can’t remember a world before it. In fact, did the world even exist before Mean Girls? It was such an honor to be considered for the part and totally insane and thrilling to actually be cast. It really is a dream come true. 

I was excited to put my own spin on Gretchen Wieners by… The nature of my being me! Gretchen is such an iconic character that so many incredible actors have touched. It’s easy to overthink it! I tried my best not to fall into that trap and trust that, by virtue of my being a different performer, the performance will be different. At the same time, I think the essence of Gretchen will always be the same. Tina’s writing is so brilliant. Gretchen’s voice is so clear. Sometimes, as an actor, if you’re going out of your way to try and make a character different, you can actually stray from who said character really is in a way that will hinder you. 

If I could go back to one day on set, it would be… The day we were shooting “I’d Rather Be Me” and a full-on blizzard broke out. That whole sequence was done in two very long takes. From the cafeteria to the outside area, we don’t stop. We had done it a few times, making it outside each time. The weather seemed perfectly fine! But then, we did it again, and when Janis (Auli‘i Cravalho) opened the door, it was fully snowing. We were all like “WTF?!” It was hysterical. We had to go home and film the rest another day. Aha ha!

The stories and/or characters that make me feel excited to work in this industry are… Stories about women with big minds, hearts, and ideas. I also feel excited about stories that thematically touch on the nuances of life and humanity, all the beautiful little things that lay within the in-between. 

Outside of acting, some of my other passions include… Music and songwriting!! I am passionate about so much, but music feels more like my soul. I released my debut EP 21st Century Hippie back in 2021, but I’m excited to record some new stuff I’ve been working on. I also love art, history, poetry, nature, antiques, and my cat and puppy! 

If you catch me off duty, chances are I’m wearing… Ooh! It depends on the season. In spring and summer, I love a white cotton number. Turn-of-the-century Edwardian underwear is really my 21st-century outerwear in the summer. In the winter, you can catch me in knitwear, my long black Max Mara coat, and a wide-leg pant. These seeded denim trousers from Carrier Company are my favorite. I also always wear little gold hoops.  

When it comes to fashion, I’m a total sucker for… Vintage! Clothes tell stories. I like to think about who wore something before me. And it’s good for Mother Earth—yay sustainability!  

My winter wardrobe would not be complete without these three pieces:



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Nina Dobrev on the Complicated, Difficult Story of Sick Girl

Juggling the ebbs and flows of adult friendships is something Dobrev knows well. “People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime,” she says. For Dobrev, whose life and schedule are as busy and unpredictable as it gets, planning has always been key to cultivating deeper relationships. She’s great with a schedule and makes a point to pencil in time with friends when she’s in their area. FaceTime and social media have been a big help too. “I’m very lucky I have incredible friendships,” Dobrev says. “They are also very understanding of the fact that we’re not going to be the kind of friends who talk every single day about every single thing.”

Dobrev is nothing if not a realist, and she’s definitely not one to beat around the bush. It’s that directness that makes her such a great friend, actor, and producer and what also attracts her to like-minded creative folks such as Cram and stylist Kate Young. “I say how I feel, and I don’t sugarcoat too much, and that’s both my Achilles heel and one of my greatest assets,” she says. 

Young, like Dobrev, is straightforward and direct, and that kind of personality can come in handy when the right red carpet look is on the line. The A-list stylist, who also works with Dakota Johnson, Michelle Williams, and Julianne Moore, has been an ideal match for the actor, both in personality and fashion tastes. Dobrev can confidently say that her style has evolved dramatically since the two started working together. She cringes thinking back on some of her earlier red carpet looks. “I don’t know why nobody had an intervention with me,” she laughs. These days, the two have fun playing with a variety of styles and silhouettes, whether it’s a stunning gold sequin gown for the CFDA Fashion Awards, a leggy skirt-and-blazer combo by Nensi Dojaka, or an unexpected Chanel denim-on-denim look. Again, is there anything Dobrev can’t do? Young has been instrumental in creating a more elevated and chic vibe for Dobrev. “She’s the ultimate cool girl,” she says of Young. We can say the same about Dobrev.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Phoebe Tonkin on the Joy of Making Boy Swallows Universe

Long before she nabbed the part of Eli’s mother Frankie, Tonkin was your average fan of Dalton’s most-talked-about work. She remembers the book being everywhere in Australia when it first came out. It was the book-club book at the time, and her mother gifted her with it for Christmas in 2019. When she got the job a few years later, Tonkin revisited the material, and this time, reading it was a bit surreal. Instead of picturing someone else as Frankie, she was picturing herself. The original text ultimately became Tonkin’s bible while filming. “Having a book, especially a book so detailed as Trent’s book, was so invaluable for creating this story,” Tonkin says. “Television is also a very different medium, but it just added such a strong foundation.” 

In addition to the book, Tonkin consistently referred back to an interview with Dalton where he explained his reasons for writing the book. “[Trent] shared that he was sitting with his mom, who Frankie is based on, in the garden with his young daughters. He shared that his mom turned to him and said, ‘I wouldn’t change anything in my life because it all led to this moment sitting here with you and watching my grandchildren dancing in the sunlight,’” she says. “For me, every time I would have a question about a scene or a line, it all just went back to that. … Even though things can be really hard and so unfair and so painful, there is something to be gleaned out of it. Hopefully, we’re all lucky enough to get to the end of our lives and look back at the patchwork of what got us there and think the same thing—that I wouldn’t have made any different decisions because I would have not wanted to change anything. For me, that was essentially the essence of the book and the essence of the show as well.”

Throughout the series, we see Frankie at different stages of her addiction—going through withdrawals, doing drugs, and recovering—but despite her sometimes questionable decision-making, Frankie’s love for her children is her North Star always. For Tonkin, this became her objective and driving force throughout the six months of filming. “Just because she doesn’t always make the perfect choice as a mother doesn’t mean she’s not a good mom, and it doesn’t mean she’s not trying to be a good mom, so for me, it was holding onto that piece of information. She just loves her kids so much, and she’s doing the best she can, and sometimes, that is it,” Tonkin explains.

Where the role became truly transformative for Tonkin was in the research. She immersed herself in as many books, blogs, and podcasts on addiction and recovery as possible. She read countless firsthand stories from people struggling with addiction themselves as well as their families. “I’ve always had so much compassion for people who struggle with addiction, and the stigma that people aren’t trying their best is just not true,” she says. “Looking at people’s stories like that versus this cliché idea of doing drugs, there’s a reason for it. There’s remorse. There’s guilt. There’s pain.” 

There’s a line in the show that says, “It gets so good that you’ll forget it was ever bad.” It goes back to the message Dalton shared about his mother: After it all, she has no regrets because it got her to where she is today. Tonkin still repeats that line to herself all the time, especially when things aren’t good. It’s a constant reminder that, despite any turmoil in life, there is still hope.  

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

A Closer Look at Anna Diop’s Vibrant Gucci Premiere Look

For her first red carpet of 2024, Anna Diop came out with a bang in the form of a bejeweled tangerine minidress straight off Gucci’s S/S 24 runway. “I wanted to communicate effortlessness and chicness while also being in something that catches the eye,” Diop tells us following the event. Check, check, and check! The bold number was the epitome of joy and the perfect look to not only usher in an exciting new year on screen for the actor, but to more specifically celebrate The Book of Clarence, a film that is nothing short of a good time.

Directed by Jeymes Samuel (The Harder They Fall and The Great Gatsby), The Book of Clarence is an epic biblical comedy drama about a man struggling to make a better life for his family who risks it all to carve his own path to a divine life. The film most notably features an incredible ensemble of Black excellence consisting of Diop, LaKieth Stanfield, Alfre Woodard, Omary Sy, Nicholas Pinnock, and rising star Michael Ward. “It’s a film that does the near impossible in that it hits the comedy nail on the head, it hits the drama nail on the head, and it hits the action nail on the head,” Diop says. “I’m excited for people to come to the theater and really be entertained in the way film is meant to.”

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Ed McVey Enters His Leading Man Era With The Crown

Welcome to Portrait Session, an intimate photo series and interview featuring some of our favorite people of the moment. 

After six seasons, The Crown is taking its final bow this month. Following the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding in 1947 up until 2005, the award-winning Netflix historical drama has consistently given us spectacular performances from industry greats such as Olivia Coleman, Matt Smith, and Helena Bonham Carter, to name just a few, while also skyrocketing the careers of some noteworthy new faces (Claire Foy and Emma Corrin, anyone?). With part two of season six hitting the streamer today, we predict that kind of star-making power will unfold once again as the story focuses on the early courtship of Prince William and Kate Middleton at St. Andrews. Since season six casting news broke back in fall of 2022, fans have been eager to see newcomers Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy’s portrayal of the infamous royal couple. Plucked from obscurity, the actors stand to have a major breakout moment following their screen debut. So if they weren’t already on your radar, they should be now.

The first time I met McVey was during our photo shoot for this story at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. He was delightfully charming, cracking jokes in between poses for the camera. Clearly poised for a bright future. Our second meeting took place a few weeks later, albeit virtually. In that time, the actor’s schedule was jam-packed with premieres, junkets, and press appearances galore, but he didn’t appear phased. Part one of the final season came out in November, but since he’s not in those first episodes, he likens the experience to being on a roller coaster that is slowly making its way up the hill. The anticipation of what’s on the other side is there, but the rush hasn’t fully hit yet. McVey expects that will come later, after part two drops. “I’m sure when it does go out, it will be nuts, and I won’t be prepared for anything,” he said.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Aubri Ibrag Makes Noteworthy U.S. Debut in The Buccaneers

Not surprisingly, we’ve found ourselves invested in another corset drama. Can you really blame us, though? The romantic storylines, fancy balls, and beautiful costuming make for a guilty pleasure simply too good to resist. The latest in a series of enticing period pieces sweeping us off our feet is The Buccaneers from Apple TV+. Based on the unfinished novel by Edith Wharton and set in 1872, the show follows a close-knit group of socialites from New York who enter London’s polite society in search of husbands and titles. The eight-part series has it all—Anglo-American culture clash, a complicated love triangle, and a female-centric soundtrack featuring the likes of Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo. Perhaps most importantly, it has a fantastic cast made up of Hollywood’s brightest young stars, which you know we love here at Who What Wear.

For newcomer Aubri Ibrag, it was a dream project that couldn’t have come at a better time. Having just signed with an American agent after wrapping the Australian series Dive Club, she had her sights set on doing a period piece next. Traveling to Los Angeles by wave of Sydney, Ibrag was sent the script for The Buccaneers. “I feel like I manifested it in a sense,” Ibrag told us via Zoom last month. At the time, Ibrag was in the midst of a full-on fixation phase where all she could talk and think about were period dramas. There were no questions. She had to book this.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Molly Baz Delivers Even More Great Recipes in More Is More

Congrats on More Is More! To me, it felt like your first book, Cook This Book, was really teaching us the fundamentals, and More Is More is like, “Okay, now, let’s have some fun.” In your own words, how would you describe More Is More?

You pretty much nailed it. … [With] Cook This Book, you’re in elementary school. You’re learning how to cook. You’re learning the basics and the building blocks that are foundational and the important techniques in order to prepare you for the next book, More Is More, which is in your college. You’ve got it all under your belt, and now, you just party, basically. You still need to work hard because cooking is still work, but it can be a lot more fun, and you can loosen up a bit more and feel less stressed about the precision of the process because you’ve permitted yourself to do so.

The second book is really about cooking more with your own intuition and according to your own palette and your own kitchen and the way you want your food to taste. The recipes are still recipes, but the ask of the reader is [to] make sure it tastes good, and don’t stop until it does. If you don’t like a certain ingredient, swap it out for something else. Empower yourself to cook food that tastes really delicious to you and not in a stressful way. It’s a bit more improvisational and loosey-goosey. 

What would you say makes a recipe a Molly Baz recipe? 

I think it’s recognizable-ish dishes that get turned on their head in terms of flavor profile and the way they come together. That has always been the sweet spot for me. We all know and love steak au poivre. It’s a classic dish people have been making in France forever, but what is the Molly version of it? Well maybe it’s chicken au poivre, and we’re using chicken legs instead of steak, and we’re putting miso in the sauce and tarragon instead of the classic traditional ingredients because we’re a little bit less tied to tradition.

My recipes are not dogmatic in terms of being like, “This is the way things are supposed to be done,” and that’s what’s so exciting about cooking to me. … There’s so much in the world to draw inspiration from and so many ways to reinvent things. The exciting part of developing recipes for me is, How can we look at this beloved classic dish in a new way and breathe new life into it? That’s what I think is a successful Molly recipe. 

As both a recipe developer and writer and a consumer of cookbooks yourself, what are the most important elements to you when writing a cookbook?

There are a lot of things. Number one, if there is not a picture for the recipe, people will not make it. So I will never write a cookbook with a recipe that doesn’t have a photo. It’s just a waste of everyone’s time, especially mine. Number two is the formatting of a recipe. What I think is really tricky about recipes is that there are just tons and tons of words on a page, and it’s really easy to get lost, and it’s hard to find where you were, and you have to jump back from being in the kitchen to finding your place on the page.

A lot of recipes assume a lot of the reader, and I try to remove all of those assumptions when writing recipes and writing books. That means organizing the ingredient list in a way that is efficient and makes sense in your kitchen. So I’m going to tell you everything you need to grab from your pantry and everything that you need to grab from your fridge all in one block in the recipe so you are not darting around the kitchen like a crazy person going to the fridge for milk and then going to the pantry for flour and then “Oh, I also need eggs—now, I’m back at the fridge.” It’s so inefficient, and it starts to get so much more chaotic.  

Something that most recipe developers don’t do—and it drives me bonks—is not reiterating the ingredient quantity that is listed in the ingredient list in the recipe. It’s like, you know vaguely how much parm you need, but of course, you don’t have it memorized, and then you get down in the recipe, and it’s like, “Stir in the parm,” and you’re like, “How much parm?” You have to go back up to the top of the page and find the parm in the ingredient list. Why wouldn’t you as a recipe developer just say “stir in half a cup of parm” so they don’t have to do the work? So much of the formatting of my recipes has been thought through endlessly and tirelessly to remove any excess chaos that might enter the brain because it is my belief that extra noise makes cooking more stressful for a novice than a professional because there are more assumptions that they can just make, so they don’t have to read every word and reference every single ingredient. That’s what makes it not fun. Nobody is trying to not have fun. So let’s make it fun and not stressful.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Exit mobile version