Tag Archives: Exclusive On the Scene

Katelyn Epperly Of American Idol Performs At The Grove [Video] EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

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  Katelyn Epperly was just ever-so-slightly edged out of American Idol‘s Top 12 last season by some much less talented singers. Oh, what could have possibly been had she not been shockingly ousted some four months ago on March 11.

We will never know how far she could have eventually gone had she secured one of the all-important Top 12 spots for herself. Perhaps her voice could have helped avoid some of the dull drab associated with Season 9 after her and other notable early ousters.

I recently caught up with the extremely poised and beautiful 20-year old singer, songwriter and pianist when she performed at The Grove; Katelyn’s first show in Los Angeles since her run on Idol ended.

Ironically, The Grove is adjacent to the studios from where Idol is broadcast. That proximity did not seem to phase Katelyn as she gave one moving vocal performance after another, to an audience which continued to grow in size as Katelyn sang on.

I will let Katelyn herself tell you what she has been up to since her Idol days in this video interview:

You can keep track of her shows by following her on Twitter: @iamK_Epperly. Meanwhile, enjoy these videos; they are the songs she performed at The Grove July 18, 2010.  






Jake Pavelka Rebounds Without Vienna Girardi

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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER.

  Although I wish Vienna Girardi well and was saddened to hear how unhappy she was in her relationship with Jake Pavelka, I am all about Team Jake. When it comes to their very public and gut-wrenching breakup, I don’t care who is telling the truth, who is lying and who did what to whom. All relationships have issues and problems and nothing is ever a one-way street. And none of what happened between those two is any of my business – and so, I won’t write about it.

All I know is that Jake Pavelka has always been nice to and extremely open with me whenever I have seen him around town and I don’t have one negative thing to say about him. So I feel the urge to help clean up his image a bit. I also want to defend him against the accusation that he is a “fame whore.”  I see that everywhere and it is just not a fair assessment.

I ran into Jake the day the news about his breakup with Vienna first hit the stands and I found Jake hiding from Paparazzi. Call me crazy, but I would think “fame whores” would run to instead of hide from cameras.  I actually helped Jake calm down by telling him, mistakenly I learned later, that the Paparazzi were not there for him but instead for Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens who happened to also be around our vicinity at the time. I was wrong as I saw a picture of Jake from the same time period  in the tabloids later that same day.

When someone nearby asked him that day “Who are you that the Paparazzi thinks so much of you?” Jake simply answered, ” I am nobody. I was on a reality show. That’s all.” Those words would not come from the mouth of someone who is “smug,” “arrogant,” and “publicity hungry;” some other false adjectives I have read describe Jake.

Anyway, what’s the big deal about wanting to be famous or on TV if that is what Jake wants to be/do?? How many of us would turn down an opportunity to act on TV or make TV appearances? I can safely say no one I know in LA would avoid such chances, including myself. So, why can’t Jake pursue such activities – let’s give the guy a well-deserved break and stop all the judgment.

I ran into Jake again today as he was rushing to get to Dodger Stadium. It was the first time I have seen him since the airing of the ABC special where he and Vienna went about 12 rounds throwing mud at each other. Jake flashed me a smile as he ran by and asked me how I have been doing since we last met. I said unbelievingly, “How am I doing? Are you kidding me Jake? How the heck are you doing?”  He just smiled back. I think he looks like he is doing great considering his world came crashing down not too long ago.

Jake was in a rush because he was on his way to Dodger Stadium where he threw the first pitch at tonight’s game  between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Florida Marlins.

Jake is also flying again and he Tweeted this picture yesterday. Jake surely looks great in any uniform, whether it be a Dodger jersey or his pilot attire.

Next up for Jake is an appearance on The Bachelor Pad set to premier on ABC August 5. I don’t know if I will be watching since the little faith I had left in The Bachelor series went out the window with this break up. The fact that another Bachelorette couple, Jillian Harris and Ed Swiderski called it quits today doesn’t help either. [UPDATE: After meeting the cast of The Bachelor Pad at their Red Carpet Event, I changed my mind. The cast has me all excited about this show and I can’ wait to tune in.] Jake will also be on the August 22nd episode of Drop Dead Diva. Here is a sneak peak of that episode:

Janina Gavankar Of The Gates Talks About Love Lockdown Video – EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

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  Many actors dabble in music and many musicians try their hands at acting. Some never make a dent. Other less fortunate ones fail miserably. But every once in a while, a multi-talented few burst through the barrier and make the crossover from one art form to another flawlessly. Janina Gavankar is that fast-rising star who seems to be able to do it all.
You have seen the 26-year old Dutch/Indian beauty Janina as “Papi” on Showtime’s hit series The L Word. This past Sunday, you saw Janina debut her role as a cop in ABC’s new summer series The Gates, a show which celebrates bloodthirsty vampires, hungry werewolves, and other supernatural creatures. 
But what you may not know about this talented actress is that she is also a trained pianist, vocalist, and orchestral percussionist. Her new video, a haunting, gut-wrenching remake of Kanye West’s Love Lockdown debuted six days ago to rave reviews, many calling it better than the original. AmIInTrouble.com first broke the story of her video last month and you should click here for the full exclusive story. In the meantime, enjoy Janina’s video–But, I warn you, don’t be fooled by the undeniable sexiness of it. By the end, you will feel every painful emotion gnawing at Janina in this cathartic video:
 
CelebMagnet had the chance to sit down with Janina and get answers for some questions posed by CelebMagnet readers:
CelebMagnet: What inspired you to remake Kanye’s Love Lockdown?
Janina: I was going through a dark period, and I needed something. This song was that something. I needed it, and made the video.
CelebMagnet: Which is your first love: Acting or singing and when did you decide you wanted to act/sing?

Janina: I grew up training to be a classical musician. I play piano, percussion, and I sang opera first. I realized I wanted to be an actor quite late (in high school), and it changed my whole trajectory. Music informs my work. I can’t tell you how many times I play a piano piece, or a marimba piece and have a moments when I realize what’s being said, in the same way I break down a script. The better musician I become, the better actor I become.



CelebMagnet: Do you consider yourself a minority? And if so, have there been any obstacles in your way because of it either in the music or the acting world?

Janina: I was built color blind, so I work color blind. It’s hard enough to be a girl in the industry. If I gave any credence to another obstacle, I’d be done for. I just keep my nose down and work hard. It may be cheesy, but I’ve lived by the artist code of “If you build it, they will come.”

CelebMagnet: What is next on the plate for you in terms of both acting and singing?
Janina: My new show The Gates premiered last Sunday at 10 PM on ABC. Too exciting! And I’m quietly making more music. I’m going to pick my next projects wisely… so stay tuned…

Comedian Maz Jobrani’s Plot to Overthrow The Government- EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

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  ‘Twas the night before the long-anticipated World Cup match between USA and Slovenia. I met with an Iranian-American man late at night at a cafe in Hollywood, while the rest of Los Angeles was still out celebrating the LA Lakers 2010 Championship win. 


This man wanted to tell me all about his “plot” to overthrow “the government” while everyone was “sleeping behind the wheel” watching the soccer match the next morning at 9:30 AM. When I asked him “which government” he had in mind, he responded, “all the governments, so no one feels left out.” Sound scary? Not if the man doing the plotting is comedian/actor Maz Jobrani.


Maz is by far one of my favorite comedians and is best known as a founding member of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, which featured some of the top Middle Eastern-American comics in the world. The Axis of Evil Comedy Central Special premiered in 2007 as the first show on American TV with an all Middle Eastern-American cast. I have seen Maz perform live stand-up comedy several times in Los Angeles. So, it was an absolute privilege and pleasure to be introduced to Maz through a mutual friend, actor Anthony Azizi. 

My “interview” with Maz was quite unique. He is literally a one-man show, leaving almost no need for interruptions for mundane questions. His words just flow, and anyone around just listens. So, before I could ask any personal questions, Maz continued with his rant to overthrow the government. He wants to overthrow the government to legalize marriages between zebras. He wants to legalize chewing gum. I think he also said he wants to legalize pot, but I think he was joking about that one. And he will “have a Big Mac to celebrate” once he succeeds. “Forget it, I changed my mind. I am overthrowing McDonald’s.” By this time I realized I should just record Maz because my pen could not keep up with notes. As soon as I turned on my camera, his rant had already found yet another victim:

Maz then changed gears. And got a bit more serious. I asked him about the funny Public Service Announcement (“PSA”) he had done for Iranican to encourage Iranian-Americans to participate in and list themselves as “Iranian-American” on the 2010 census. I asked, “Maz, was that a real PSA?” Maz said, “Of course it was.”  And he continued to explain what that PSA is about and why he says Iranians always put “zero” on forms:
I then posed to Maz some questions that Celeb Magnet/Maz fans had asked me to ask of Maz:
Edward: “Maz, when did you know you are funny?”
Maz: “I knew it the second the doctor slapped my ass when I was born. Most babies cry, I laughed. So, I knew I was funny then. I also knew then I would be into S&M, but that’s another story.”
Sepi: “How did your family react to you wanting to be an actor/comedian when Iranian men are expected to be doctors, engineers or lawyers?”
Maz: “I acted at an amateur level all through grades 1-12 and and college. I wanted to study acting in college, but my parents wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor. I had absolutely no interest
in being a doctor, so I studied political science in the hopes of going to law school and becoming a
lawyer. My junior year at Berkeley I took a year and studied abroad in Italy. There I had this professor
that I thought was amazing. I decided I wanted to emulate him and be a professor. So, when I came
back to the States I applied for grad school in Political Science.

I got into UCLA’s Ph.D. program for political science, but at the same time I started auditioning for plays at the UCLA theatre department. I got into a few of their plays and realized that acting was my real passion. It had been a few years that I hadn’t really done any because I had followed the path my parents had wanted me to follow. But by the time I started grad school at UCLA I was mature enough to realize I had to do what I wanted to do with my life and that meant acting. I dropped out of grad school and started auditioning for independent films in LA. I then got a job at an advertising agency to help pay the bills. I decided I would act as a hobby and I got into a play. It wasn’t until I was 26 when I decided that I was going to pursue acting professionally. My parents were worried at first but did not stop me. My dad lived in Iran, so, he did not have much to say about it. My mom recommended that I also study automobile mechanics as a backup because I could always be a mechanic in any country as opposed to a doctor or a lawyer who would have to study and be licensed locally.”

Jason: “You play a lot of shows, sometimes back-to-back in the same venue; do you have an exact joke list for each show?”
Maz: “The shows I do in Los Angeles where I live are usually short 15-20 minute ‘workout sets’ where I try my new jokes with a live audience. My out of town shows are usually 1+ hours and I change orders of jokes and use different ‘crowd material’ for each show, you know, my spontaneous interactions with audience, which is always new based on what the audience gives me to work with. I like to change the order of the listed jokes too so it is exciting for me as well. But that makes the job harder too, because sometimes changing the order ruins the set up for the next joke when I go out of order. And worse, sometimes mid-act, I wonder if I have already done a particular joke I want to do next during the same set. When that happens, I start the new joke slowly, and wait for crowd reaction. If their laugh is authentic, I know this is the first time they are hearing it! If the laughter sounds forced, I know I must have already done that joke. It doesn’t happen often. But I have heard other comedians do the same jokes in the same set and not even realize.”
Shadi: “When will you perform again in Washington, DC?”
Maz: “Actually, I will start a US tour in January 2011 and will be performing in Washington, DC around the Iranian new year, either on March 20 or 21st. I will also be recording that show as my new DVD.”
Raamin: “Do you know you look like Mexico team’s goalkeeper, Oscar Perez Rojas?”
Maz: “Oon toppoltareh.”  Translation: “He is chubbier.” Maz continued: “And, I have a more refined nose. People also tell me I look like the guitarist for Velvet Revolver, Dave Kushner.”
Steve: “Where else will you be performing next?”
Maz: “I will have sporadic US shows this year, am going on an international tour this month to places like London and Sweden, and will start a full US tour in January 2011.” You can catch all of Maz’s tour dates on his spankin new website by clicking here.
Parting Words
I asked Maz what he wanted to tell his fans. He said, “Go buy my DVD, Brown & Friendly.” During my interview with Maz, he found out I love Adam Lambert. So, he also had a special message for Adam Lambert fans:

For the rest of his fans, and I suppose Adam Lambert fans too, he had the following message:
Maz and I then goofed around a bit as you can see before we parted ways. He gave me his business card; I think that means we are now BFFs. For all I know, the number on that card is a voice service/answering machine only. I can always dream. All I do know is that I cannot wait to hear Maz’s new material at his next show.
So, I will be checking out Maz’s new website often to know when and where he will be performing next.

Cheryl Tiegs Makes Launch Of Bel-Air Magazine Memorable

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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER.

  Remember the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Of course you do: The popular 90’s sitcom starring Will Smith as a street-smart teenager from Philadelphia who is sent to live with his wealthy relatives in a Bel-Air mansion. Twenty years later, Bel-Air still remains an exclusive LA community synonymous with taste, elegance and luxury: Nicholas Cage, Christina Aguilera, and more recently, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, all live in this exclusive, tucked-away community adjacent to Beverly Hills and UCLA. 


Interesting that the Fresh Prince “mansion” (above) still looks the same as it did on TV 20 years ago, but somehow, the word “mansion” no longer accurately fits the bill with all of the architectural wonder homes  which now surround this most famous house in the neighborhood. Also, the “mansion” remains one of the few homes that is not hidden behind tall gates or trees, or both.


Tonight, I was invited to an exclusive reception held on the grounds of one of the estates in this community to celebrate the launch of Bel-Air Magazine. Bel-Air Magazine has a mission to “engage, inform, and inspire [their] readers with an array of topics that reflect their interests, including art, design, film, fashion, entertaining…” explains Publisher Rick Armor.  “What will set Bel-Air Magazine apart is [a] focus on the philanthropy and social consciousness of this unique community. Our magazine will spotlight different charities each month to bring attention to the important causes that the residents of Bel-Air champion.”


With that motto in full gear, tonight’s festivities centered not only on celebrating the Magazine, but also on honoring local medical specialists who dedicate their lives to improving the quality of life for children. The event held a silent auction of items donated by local artists and designers, with all proceeds supporting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Mingling or located among the hundreds of guests, were card magicians, musicians, designers, women on stilts, photographers, open bars, appetizers, and donated art items every where one looked. The residence hosting the party seemed more like a country club than a place real people live in, situated on acres of open grounds overlooking the City of Los Angeles. I never made it inside the residence for fear that I would not want to go back home. 


The evening was a bit dampened by the fact that we had to park very far from the event site and it took a good hour to stand in line for the shuttle from the parking lot to the top of the hill where the party was located. So, by the time I arrived at the party with two of my friends, two hours after it had started, we felt out of place and way too tired to enjoy all that was going on.

By the time we got to the party, most of the food was gone and no recognizable celebrities were around for me to report on. I was told Sylverster Stallone’s brother and “a guy with big ears that looks famous” were there, but no one else that my readers would be interested in were supposedly there. 


So, my friends and I did a quick look around and headed back to the line for the shuttle buses to head back to our cars 30 minutes after we arrived. It was then that I noticed a magician doing card tricks for a very distinguished blonde woman. Took me a while to recognize that the woman was Cheryl Tiegs, the supermodel from the 1970’s before there were even supermodels. She was also the spokesperson for Cover Girl makeup and landed the coveted cover of several Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues. So, it was a thrill to see her still looking stunning in her 60’s. I took a picture with her, but we were both way too tired for a chat. I apologize readers that is all I have to offer you all: just a pic of the two of us. But, i think the woman on stilts smiling behind us is pretty damn cool material. Update: Awesome. My friend who had invited me to the event just told me the very first two guys she introduced me to when I first arrived at the event had produced a few small little movies you may have heard of: The Twilight Series and Alice In Wonderland. Awesome. I had no idea who they were at the time I met them. Oh well. It’s not like I ever would want to get a step closer to meeting Johnny Depp or Robert Pattinson. Nope. Not I. Especially not right before the premiere of Eclipse.

Jake Pavelka Speaks About His Future Plans And How Twitter Sold Him Out in Hawaii

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  The other day, my friend and I were having a quiet lunch at Chipotle at The Grove when I noticed a cute blonde guy sitting by himself at the next table. At closer look, I noticed it was Jake Pavelka of The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars! Jake remembered me from our random previous meetings so he became extremely talkative. Vienna Girardi (the girl he picked on The Bachelor and who is now his fiance) was out of town, and I guess he was only too happy to have two new sets of ears in her absence 🙂
He told us he is looking to buy a home in Los Angeles for him and Vienna but will also keep the home they share in Dallas to be able to get away from the craziness of LA whenever they need to. Apparently Vienna isn’t too fond of LA yet. Jake said he is going to continue with his real job, piloting planes, and he can do that from anywhere even though he is based out of Georgia. 
Funny story he shared with us: He still doesn’t get that he is famous! He and Vienna were recently vacationing in Hawaii and made the mistake of saying on Twitter where they were staying. Jake says, “I wanted my family and friends to know.” Guess Jake forgot about the Paparazzi who are following him on Twitter. Next thing you know, the Paparazzi were swarming them. So Jake just walked up to one and said, “Here we are, go at it.” After he told this story, Jake asked me, “So, what do you do for a living?” “Oh Jake. I am a celebrity blogger.” He chuckled but didn’t flinch. I promised him I would not write about any of the sensitive stuff he had already shared, and I keep my word; my lips are sealed!
Ladies – in case you are wondering: Jake is even cuter in person. He is also extremely friendly–must be that Dallas charm; he is quite the gentleman. Read this to find out what Vienna had to say about him last time I met her. By the way, the picture here is from a previous meeting between Jake and me. Let the record show that Jake does not wear glittery shirts to Chipotle.

Common May Be A Hip-Hop Artist & An A-List Actor, But He Is Also The Coolest Celeb I Ever Met

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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER.
  Common was the host of the LA Times Magazine’s Rock/Style event on Tuesday June 1, 2010.  I first noticed him flipping through the soon-to-be officially released June 2010 copy of LA Times Magazine, most likely looking for the article he has written for that issue on the lessons he learned while struggling to break into an acting career after an established hip-hop career. 

Lucky for me, I had an advanced copy of the publication as well and had already read his article; so, I had lots to talk to him about. I walked over to him and asked if we could speak and he asked if I would sit next to him. OH HELL YA I WOULD! When I told Common I loved him on Date Night, he seemed surprised and asked, “You’ve seen that?” I always find it charming when actors are surprised that their work is actually seen and appreciated by fans; that happens more than you’d think. Common and I then spoke about the article and he reiterated one of the main points: His initial impression that his musical success would give him an edge in Hollywood was totally smashed when he first tried his hand at acting. He said his success as a music artist was actually a hindrance because directors don’t necessarily want to cast rappers in films.

I also told Common all about CelebMagnet.com and how I use the site to promote artists that not only create great art but who also make a positive contribution in the world as well. He encouraged me and said, “Just keep doing your thing girl, keep doing your thing.” Thanks Common, I think I will. I had no business cards on me, so, I made a hand-made one for him and he promised to check out my site. Common, are you here? If you are, I want to say I love the idea behind your Common Ground Foundation and would love to do an interview with you about it. From what I understand, the foundation is dedicated to empowering youth in urban neighborhoods and providing life skills needed to achieve their dreams and gain confidence and self-respect. I wish we had more time to talk about this in particular, but there were many people he needed to speak with last night. We took some pictures and with that, I bade farewell, to a very nice gentleman whom I can only hope to run into again. For the rest of the story on the other celebrities I met the same night, look at posting for June 2, 2010.

What Happens When A Hollywood Star Meets A Hollywood Starlet?

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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER.

Yesterday, I introduced my good friend, actress Melissa Ordway (17 Again; The Last Song, Melrose Place) to Aiden Turner (All My Children and Dancing with the Stars).  Melissa’s mom loves Aiden (what female doesn’t?) and Melissa took a picture with Aiden for her mom to make her happy. What happened next was quite charming. Aiden, a seasoned actor himself, became so star-struck with Melissa, that he gave her his email address, and asked, “maybe you should send me my picture with you for my mom.” Want to read more about this gorgeous woman and her beauty tips?  Amiintrouble.com has the exclusive scoop for you. Want to know how I know Aiden? Read the back story…

Tami Farrell, Miss California- EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.

   One night in May 2009, I locked myself and my dog, Jovi, out of my apartment but luckily ran into one of my neighbors who invited me into her home while I found a way back into mine. The neighbor, Tami Farrell, is a sweet, petite, beautiful blonde. I had met her through mutual friends when I first moved to LA in 2008 and she later happened to move three doors down from my apartment.

Tami and I chatted for a while that night and she eventually mentioned that she had to get up really early the next morning for a TV interview. That incidental comment surprised me as I had no idea why Tami, literally the sweet “girl next door,” would be getting interviewed by a major TV show in a matter of hours.

Unbeknown to me, Tami was the first runner-up Miss California 2009 and, in a matter of a few hours from the time I spent in her apartment that night, would find herself in the line of fire in the most heated Miss California controversy in recent memory. As you may recall, Carrie Prejean, the winner of Miss California 2009 got into a heap of media trouble for her answer to a question regarding gay marriage posed to her by Perez Hilton during the 2009 Miss America Pageant.  

Prejean was later fired by Donald Trump for reasons supposedly unrelated to the media heat brought on by Perez and others, and it was Tami who was forced to step into the crown of Miss California amidst this chaos. And, wouldn’t you know–the Celeb Magnet would also find herself in the middle of all this, unwittingly.

Fast forward a year later. I recently sat down with Tami in a local Starbucks for my first official interview with a celebrity, and to find out how Tami fared in that whole controversy and what she has been doing since the end of her Miss California title a few months back. Tami, dressed in a plaid shirt and cut-off shorts, couldn’t have been more unassuming, charming and open with me during our chat, all the while sipping on her Frappucchino.

Tami, originally from a small town in Oregon, always wanted to play sports. She grew up a tomboy. But when health issues derailed her sports ambitions, she turned her focus to acting instead. Her parents wanted her to have a normal childhood, so, tried to veer her into something less time-consuming than acting. Tami says with a chuckle, “I don’t know why they thought this other route would be better, but we all ‘comprised’ and my parents let me pursue beauty pageants instead.” Tami did well -She became Miss Oregon Teen USA in 2002 and reigned until she won the Miss Congeniality AND the Miss Teen USA 2003 title in Palm Springs, California on August 12, 2003.

As a result of her 2003 win, the then 18 year-old small-town girl took her second flight ever the next day and landed in New York City. As if that wasn’t a shock in itself, on her second day in the Big Apple, New York City went completely dark as the result of the Great Blackout of 2003 which knocked out power in much of the Northeast for over a day and longer in some areas. A lot to take in for a teenager, but Tami was ready for the challenge and welcomed the opportunities which lay ahead: She started working with Donald Trump on various projects and shared a luxurious Manhattan apartment with Amelia Vega (Miss Universe 2003, of the Dominican Republic) and Susie Castillo (Miss USA, 2003, of Massachusetts). The three of them had so much fun living together that Tami suggested to Donald Trump that he make a reality show out of it.

Tami also enrolled in a six-week “Summer in the City” on scholarship to The School for Film and television in New York City. Most importantly, she got to fulfill one of her heart’s desires: Work on philanthropic projects including the American Heart Association and Sparrow Clubs USA (a national non-profit organization of teenagers assisting children in medical crisis) and raised an incredible $21million Dollars for these charities. When I asked Tami how she achieved such an awe-inspiring feat at such a young age, she was quick to respond: “We must live up to our own expectations and go after our dreams. There is a quote I live by: ‘We limit ourselves sometimes by believing the sky is the limit, when there are footprints on the moon.’ ”

I asked Tami to tell me something funny about her time in NY. She told me about a day when Donald Trump was in a bad mood, going over budget issues with key executives. In walks Tami, interrupting the bigwigs to deliver her home-baked brownies. The President of Miss Universe later told Tami that after Donald took a few bites out of a brownie, his mood changed completely and said, “She makes good brownies.”

Immediately after her year in New York, Tami moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career but reality hit her hard instead as she had to take on three simultaneous jobs just to make ends meet. She continued to study acting at night and auditioned during lunch breaks. She also saved her money so she could one day record a CD, but another health scare set her dreams back yet again. She grew very sick two years ago and doctors found tumors in her thyroid which required invasive surgery. Luckily, the tumors were benign, but the surgery took its toll on Tami and recuperation proved to be a hard road. One day, she received an unexpected call from the Miss Malibu Pageant to see if she wanted to run for Miss California as Malibu’s representative. Although she would have been honored to represent the State of California, Tami no longer had any interest in pageantry; she wanted to heal and continue with her acting career. She did not know what to do; she did not want to turn down this amazing offer without being absolutely certain.

So,Tami did the only thing she knew to do; she prayed to God and “challenged” him to show her the path she should take. After praying, she opened the Bible and pointed to a random section and found the Book of Esther. The story of Esther reads that the reigning King of the Persian Empire was looking for a wife and sent his guards to find the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. The winner of this first-ever beauty pageant, Esther, was a poor Jewish girl, a secret she kept from her new husband. Despite her apparent shortcomings, Esther eventually ended up saving the lives of all the Jewish people in the kingdom by convincing the King to set aside a decree meant to kill all the Jewish people. Tami further relied on Esther 4:14: “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Tami said the Story of Esther, along with this quote in particular, made her realize that even though a beauty pageant was not what she wanted, God was telling her that even though Tami could not see the reasons at the time, God had laid out His own road for Tami to take. As crazy as it sounds, the road included a trip through the Miss California Pageant. With that realization, Tami called the Ms. Malibu officials and accepted their invitation to represent Malibu in the Miss California Pageant.

As it turned out, the Miss California Pageant was exactly what Tami would need. It forced her to get her life back after a serious illness: She got back in shape, had something new to look forward to, and found herself again. She was no longer the girl who was sick; she was the girl who was focused and ready to take on the world. Although she did not end up winning the crown, and came in second to Carrie Prejean, Tami used the publicity she gained during her run for Miss California to promote her dearly-cherished charities and re-start her acting career.

One day in May 2009 while working at a Beverly Hills store, mopping the floor very much like Cinderella, she received a call from Billy Bush who asked her, “Did you watch the Miss USA Pageant?” Tami had not. Billy continued, “She’s gonna get fired.” The “she” Billy was speaking of was of course Carrie Prejean, the reigning Miss California. As soon as this call came in, so did the paparazzi. Every TV program wanted to interview Tami. The feeling was “weird”, especially when Donald Trump announced shortly thereafter that Prejean was keeping her title.

A month went by and while Tami was visiting family in Oregon in June, she received another call, this time from Keith Lewis, Executive Director of the Miss California Pageant. Keith wanted Tami to be in his office the next morning because Prejean was at last losing the title. Tami made the 10-hour trip back to Los Angeles via car, and received numerous calls from reporters during the trip.

She went in to the Miss California office, and while waiting in the reception area to meet with Keith Lewis, she saw herself on CNN, and already named as the new Miss California. After her title became official, she had the craziest day of her life, appearing at 28 interviews in a 24-hour period. The hardest part for her was being immediately put in a position to have to expose her beliefs on gay marriage, an issue which she had not chosen to advocate for either side. Tami said of course she has her own opinions on the topic, but she did not want to champion an issue she wasn’t passionate about or which would cause more negativity and division. Instead, she used the media spotlight and frenzy to focus on her own passions: the charities she holds close to her heart.

Since her title ended, she has re-focused her energies on her acting pursuits and has written a screenplay named, “Man Band.” Written with Will Ferrell in mind as the main character, “Man Band” is the story about a bunch of middle-aged musicians who want to reclaim their fame 20 years after they were members of the first-ever greatest boy band. Tami is holding out for Will Ferrell to read the screenplay and agree to play the main role, “Bobby.”

And Tami is doing all she can to get Will’s attention: She has pulled all of her “stalker” moves and even showed up at Will’s production company with a batch of cupcakes and the screenplay, attached to a picture of her as Miss California with a bubble that read, “Please read my script.” She left the screenplay with the receptionist and walked away, thinking, “He is so gonna call me today.” Nope. Will never called. But Tami is not giving up; she intends on making as many return trips as are necessary to get his attention and will go back with a CD of every boy band she can think of, one per week, until Will gives in and agrees to play the role of Bobby.

She has also finished a second screenplay, looking for acting representation, taking meetings with agents, and if that all isn’t enough, planning a 1940’s old Hollywood-themed wedding to her sweetheart of five years, Buddy. When all is said and done, Tami views her beauty pageant crowns, each as a double-edge sword: “The crown gets me in the door but then, I am held to a higher standard in auditions. The crown is not a magic wand that changed my life forever; I still have to pound the pavement every day and continue to chase my dreams.”

Tami, I wish you the best; someone as sweet as you, deserves her dreams; and if Will Ferrell is a smart man, he will call you back immediately.

You can see Tami on NBC’s Money Drop!

Hey Luke Spencer, Can I Be Your Laura? Happy Birthday Anthony Geary

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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER.
  I started watching General Hospital in 1983 and haven’t stopped since! My older brother was a big fan and got me hooked on the adventures of Luke, Laura, Robert Scorpio and the ice machine…I used to rush home from school so I could catch the show; of course, this was pre-DVR and even tape recorder days! So, you either saw the show the first time it aired, or you were shit out of luck.  I can distinctly remember the day Ronald Reagan was shot.  As much as I loved big Ronnie, and as worried as I was for his health, I was almost more upset that ABC had preempted my show for live news coverage of the shooting. That’s love, man, love.

Fast forward 26 years. My friends Cemmi and Melissa were visiting LA and we were having the most relaxing and enjoyable lunch at La Piazza Ristorante Italiano at the Grove. We were seated on the outdoors patio, soaking up the sun and watching the Hollywood stars that frequent The Grove on any given weekday.  Shannon Elizabeth and a few others walked by, but we continued to enjoy our conversation and lunch without any thought to the passing stars. THEN, I spotted Anthony Geary looking through sunglasses at a kiosk on the other side of the short patio fence. If you watch soaps, you know they don’t come any bigger or more famous and adored than Anthony Geary who has played Luke Spencer on General Hospital for over 3 decades.  Luke’s marriage to Laura on November 16, 1981 was a cultural event watched by 30 million viewers and remains the highest-rated hour in American soap opera history. It’s very strange; when you welcome an actor into your home on a daily basis for all of these years, you feel as if the actor is nothing short of an old-timer friend. SO, I ran out of the restaurant and sneaked upon Anthony. I told him I had been a fan for almost 30 years. He (port) chuckled and looked at me in disbelief. We spoke for a while and he could not have been any more gracious, charming, engaging or attentive. I told him about my two friends who happened to be auditioning for the same role (Sonny’s son, Daunte) on General Hospital and he was genuinely interested in what I had to say. I then asked him my burning question of whether Ethan was in fact his son on the show (paternity test was pending of course, classic soap style) and he admitted yes. “Doesn’t he just seem like he should be my son?” Of course Luke, of course. I told him that in contrast to Ethan, the other son, Lucky, and Luke are nothing alike, and he agreed. And with that, we parted ways. Thank you Anthony for my perfect Friday and the scoop on Ethan!