Maxwell Losgar

Two-Time ‘Drag Race’ Champion Jinkx Monsoon Doesn’t Give a F*ck What Transphobes Think

The legendary queen is joining Little Shop of Horrors and chatted with Cosmo about making Broadway history, returning to Chicago, and her new chosen name Hera.

Read the full interview here: www.cosmopolitan.com

Young Love on the Street of London

Our Couples Spotting Series Goes Across the Atlantic.

As printed in the Spring 2024 issue of Cosmopolitan.

How Cole Escola Turned History Into New York's Most Hilarious Play

The multitalented performer's Oh, Mary! might just be Mrs. Lincoln's best night at the theater yet.

Read the full interview here: www.townandcountrymag.com

‘SNL’ Newcomer Chloe Troast Is Already a Master of Impressions—and Gypsy Rose Blanchard Is Top of Her Wishlist

Amy Poehler knows Chloe by name, and you should too.


Read the full interview here: www.cosmopolitan.com

Come As You Are

As printed in the May/June 2023 issue of Cosmopolitan.

PDA

Love on the streets of NYC.

As printed in the April 2023 issue of Cosmopolitan.

Simona Tabasco Pushed Through COVID to Study Her ‘White Lotus’ Character Lucia, and It Paid Off Big Time

The Drag Race star just released the most IG-worthy sheet masks you need to see.

Read the full interview here: www.cosmopolitan.com

Watch the Exclusive Music Video Premiere of Scott Hoying’s First Solo Effort, “Mars”

The star chatted with Cosmo about Pentatonix, queer representation in music, and his next chapter.

Read the full interview here: www.cosmopolitan.com

Monique Heart Launched a New Skincare Line Called MoBeauty

The Drag Race star just released the most IG-worthy sheet masks you need to see.


Read the full interview here: www.cosmopolitan.com

Loni Love's Latest Memoir Will Help You Accept Your Flaws

“This book is for women who are still trying to find themselves.”

Read the full interview here: www.marieclaire.com

Costume Designer An D’Huys on Creating West Side Story’s Contemporary Look

The "West Side Story" revival is not for purists.

Read the full interview here: www.marieclaire.com

Hunter Schafer is TV’s Future

The 20-year-old is the breakout star of Euphoria, but she’s still getting used to the spotlight.

This summer, millions of people tuned in to Euphoria to watch Zendaya depart from her squeaky-clean Disney Channel image once and for all. She plays Rue Bennett, a 17-year-old drug addict fresh off an unsuccessful stint in rehab, on the Drake-produced HBO drama series. But it was 20-year-old model Hunter Schafer, making her acting debut, who stole the show. Schafer plays Jules, a trans girl who has just moved to town from the big city and quickly befriends Rue while also inadvertently winning her romantic interest.

As one of just a few visible trans actresses in Hollywood, Schafer gives a performance that has been hailed as revolutionary for the way it casually presents her gender identity. Jules isn’t a token character. Notably, her plotline is largely devoid of any pat explanations about her transition (though there is one frightening flashback to Jules’s childhood stint in a psych ward), and Schafer plays her with captivating vulnerability.

“I certainly wasn’t living my life the same way Jules was in high school,” the actress says with a laugh, presumably at the thought of sleeping with a parade of married men in sketchy motels—something Jules does with alarming regularity. “The environment I was in at her age differs, but the headspace felt accurate. I could definitely relate to her motives.”

To say Schafer grew up in a different environment is an understatement: She was raised by conservative parents (her dad is a pastor) in the South. But as far back as middle school, she knew she wasn’t long for small-town life. Schafer’s dreams of fleeing her native North Carolina to pursue a career in fashion began in middle school, and by the end of high school she was watching each season’s runway shows. Her future started to take shape when, on a college tour of New York City at 18, Schafer met with an Elite Model Management agent she’d met on Instagram. A self-professed late bloomer, she credits a growth spurt as one of the reasons she decided to go on the meeting. She was signed on the spot.

By Schafer’s third season of modeling, her career had seemingly taken off: She was walking in Paris and Milan for the likes of Dior, Miu Miu, and Helmut Lang and appearing in fashion magazines all over the world. While the fashion industry embraced Schafer for her ethereal yet edgy look and cool-kid versatility, she refers to her ascent as a “slow burn.”

For the most part, she saw her foray into modeling as a postponement of her real-life plan. She’d deferred her acceptance to the renowned Central Saint Martins in London—where she hopes to study fashion design eventually—in order to save for tuition.

As a model, she says, “I worked with some of my favorite designers on the planet, but I never really made a lot of money. I was living paycheck to paycheck.” But just as she contemplated leaving modeling and heading to school, she saw another opportunity: auditioning for a then–unnamed HBO series. “I had seen the casting call floating around on Instagram,” she recalls. “A few days later, I got a call from my agent saying that the network requested I come in [and read] for it. So I decided to give it a shot." She continues, "I didn’t know what I was doing. I had never been on an audition before." Nonetheless, she dove headfirst into the material, and with every callback (there were “at least five”), she grew more attached to the role.

Even though her college plans were derailed once again, Schafer doesn’t feel as though she’s missing out on an education. “In a way, filming Euphoria was like a year of college, learning this new craft and getting to build on it every day,” she says.

In the wake of Euphoria’s June debut, there’s been a flurry of sensational reviews, most of them either celebrating the breakout cast’s portrayal of such complicated and wildly attractive high schoolers or criticizing the show’s explicit content. (There’s a fair amount of nudity, hard-core drug use, and explicit sex, even in the first episode.) Whether viewers were moved by each episode’s brutal honesty or overwhelmed by the barrage of gaspworthy scenes, Euphoria had everyone talking.

Since then, Schafer has been trying to get used to the spotlight. “It’s really wild to be at this new level of visibility,” she says. “It’s something I’m still adjusting to and trying to understand.” For example, she’s made a conscious effort to keep what she calls “a pretty solid distance” from social media. “I’ve received quite a few messages from trans people who are excited about the representation on the show,” she says.

Because of the palpable realness Schafer brings to her character, members of the trans community have been quick to crown her a role model. “I think that [term] has a lot of weight to it,” she says, admitting she’s unsure she can live up to their expectations. But ready or not, it’s happening. “I don’t really know if it’s up to me anymore.”

As printed in the September 2019 issue of Marie Claire.

Good Material

For today’s comedians, solid mic skills won’t cut it. Stand-up stars are now cracking us up (and making us think) in Web series, podcasts, and books. And what befits this group of serious multi-platform entrepreneurs best? A somber, well-tailored suit (with a few surprises for comic effect).

LeClerc Andre, 33

“My comedy is sweet on top,” explains Andre. “I like to charm the audience before challenging them to think differently about everyday issues.” During his set on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last fall—his TV debut— Andre riffed on learning to swim as an adult and the unexpected pitfalls of being six foot six: “That’s about six inches taller than the top of public bathroom stalls.” The Maryland native is also the co-host of Eff’n Up, a podcast about manners, etiquette, “and how we can all do better.”

Andrew Schulz, 35

“I’m not the best manager of restaurants,” says Andrew Schulz, which sounds like the beginning of a bit, but it’s all too true. When he was still an aspiring comedian, he ran two establishments into the ground—one on each coast. It gave him the motivation to try comedy full-time. “Some people had to lose a lot of money for me to find my dream,” he says. Having since amassed more than 95 million views on his YouTube channel, Schulz is now taking his provocative act around the world. He will premiere the first installment of his six-part, globe-trotting comedy special, Views from the Cis, on his channel this March.

Matt Rogers, 28, and Bowen Yang, 28

Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang met during their freshman year at NYU, when classmates forced a friendship on them. “We were like, ‘We’re not gonna be friends just because we’re both gay,’ ” explains Rogers, co-host of the live- performance trivia challenge Gayme Show!, which forces straight comics to face off on LGBTQ topics. “But then we quickly became friends solely because we’re gay,” adds Yang, who writes for Saturday Night Live and is set to play Awkwafina’s cousin in the Crazy Rich Asians star’s anticipated Comedy Central show. Their rapid-fire banter is put to good use in Las Culturistas, which regularly tops lists of the country’s best comedy podcasts.

Joyelle Nicole Johnson, 37

Joyelle Nicole Johnson had planned to be a doctor when she was growing up in New Jersey. There was just a tiny problem. “I didn’t want to study biology,” she says. “So I decided to heal people with laughter instead.” Johnson has been working clubs for more than a decade, but it wasn’t until 2012, when she opened for Dave Chappelle, that she felt she’d made it and allowed herself to say, “I’m a comedian.” Last year she appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers and filmed three episodes of the third season of HBO’s hit behind-the-comedy-curtain series, Crashing.

Eagle Witt, 24

Eagle Witt has been a fan of stand-up comedy since he was shorter than the average mic stand. “When other kids were watching cartoons, I was watching Def Comedy Jam,” he says. At 24, the Brooklyn native has a childhood’s worth of material to draw upon, which helped him land a coveted spot in the rotation at Manhattan’s storied Comedy Cellar—a launching pad to stardom, where the likes of Chris Rock and Amy Schumer regularly test out new routines. “A big goal of mine was to work at every single club in New York,” Witt says. That’s one he can now strike off the list.

Matt Bellassai, 28

Matt Bellassai became Internet famous by acting unprofessional at work. While on staff at BuzzFeed, in 2015, he created the viral web series Whine About It, in which he would imbibe at his desk and complain about...everything. The show earned him the first-ever People’s Choice Award for Favorite Social Media Star in 2016. “My dad works in human resources at his company,” Bellassai says. “He’d be like, ‘I don’t get how your office operates. How are they not constantly being sued?’ ” Bellassai has since created a new weekly Web series, To Be Honest; published a book, Everything Is Awful: And Other Observations; and started a popular podcast, Unhappy Hour, which he aptly describes as “heaps of negative fun.”

Matteo Lane, 32

“Most of my material comes from small, stupid little things that annoy me,” says Matteo Lane. “Like how much I hate the TV show Ghost Adventures—it just doesn’t make sense!” Lane, who has performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, mulls over such petty frustrations with fellow comic Emma Willmann, his co-host on the high-energy podcast Inside the Closet. When asked to describe his comedic style in three words, the former opera singer rattles off the names of three non-comedians: “Liza, Mariah, Streisand.”

Corinne Fisher, 33, and Krystyna Hutchinson, 30

Comedy duo Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson are the co-creators of a successful podcast with an unprintable title but an important mission. Launched in 2013 as a platform for the pair to interview willing ex-partners, the series has since evolved into a forum for candidly— and uproariously—discussing such issues as feminism and sex education. The two comedians, who met at work in 2008, delivered a TED Talk in 2016, released a book together in 2017, and hosted their inaugural daylong charity event, Guys We Fest, last year. “I like when we’re asked to do smart things,” says Fisher.

As printed in the Spring 2019 issue of Departures.

Olivia Colman vs. Melissa McCarthy: Who Should Win Best Actress?

Forget Gaga and Glenn, what about Olivia and Melissa? Out staffers Michelle Garcia and Maxwell Losgar argue their respective cases below.

Read the full debate here: www.out.com

Noah Centineo

Teenagers all over the world fell head over heels for actor Noah Centineo—aka “the internet’s boyfriend”—after catching him in not one, but two back-to-back romantic comedies on Netflix last summer: “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” and “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser”. In both movies he plays similarly oxymoronic characters that are equal parts brooding jock and sensitive nice guy—ever so slightly different iterations of an all-too-perfect boy next door written for a generation of young girls (and guys) who haven’t given up on the world just yet. And though the streaming platform won’t reveal any analytics, ratings, or data detailing on how many people are watching its original programming, it’s safe to say that the viewership for Centineo’s projects sits in the high tens (maybe even hundreds) of millions. Over the course of a few short months he’s gone from an already impressive 600,000 Instagram followers to a staggering 15 million and counting. And you, dear reader, are probably one of them.

“It takes years of dedication to blow up overnight,” notes Centineo who’s been on his grind in Hollywood for nearly a decade, landing small parts over the years on the Disney Channel’s “Austin & Ally” and “How to Build a Better Boy”, a leading role on Freeform’s hit show “The Fosters”—for which he received a 2017 Teen Choice Award nomination for ‘Choice Summer TV Star’: Male—and more recently, an opportunity to play Camila Cabello’s love interest in the viral music video for her hit single “Havana”.

When he was 15, Centineo (now 22) was living in his native Boynton Beach, Florida when he caught an episode of ‘Victorious’ on Nickelodeon—a show about a bunch of kids who, like him at the time, attended a performing arts high school. It was in realising this glaring parallel between his own life and those of the characters unfolding on his TV screen that he caught the acting bug.

“As I’m watching this show, I’m thinking to myself, I can totally do what they’re doing. I know I can,” Centineo muses. So he went downstairs, told his parents that he wanted to pursue acting, and without hesitation they agreed to pack up everything and move to LA. “I’m super privileged to have parents who were able to not only support me emotionally, but financially as well,” he adds, sounding genuinely touched by their generosity. It isn’t lost on him that not every high schooler’s parents would be as accommodating.

Centineo’s made-for-TV looks, the expertly tousled hair, toothy grin and big lashy brown eyes are things you either have or you don’t. But the Floridian’s on screen appeal isn’t just smoke and mirrors. He’s more than just another handsome heartthrob; he’s the real deal. You can’t fake charisma like his. And perhaps that’s why his mom and dad took that leap of faith and followed their son out west.

“My dad is freaking out,” Centineo notes of his family’s reaction to his recent success. “He’s friends with all of the people that follow me. He interacts with them every day and let’s them know how I’m doing. And my mom is just over the moon. They’re both very proud.”

It’s fair to say that Centineo is having a moment. A kid who was virtually unknown this time last year has become every girl’s shining example of what their ideal man looks, acts, sounds, and even dresses like. That’s a lot for anyone to live up to, but Centineo—ever the gentleman—hasn’t let the intense public adoration throw him off course. “I’d like to think that regardless of whether people are looking at me or not, I have always treated women with respect and dignity” Centineo says. “Now that I’m in the public eye, I’ve been afforded a platform to share my perspective on how to treat women and value them. With great power comes great responsibility. But I don’t feel any pressure, I just see an opportunity to lead by example.”

Centineo adores his fans (“It’s because of their support that I get to work”) but teen girls aren’t the only ones paying attention. After director Elizabeth Banks took notice of Centineo’s meteoric rise to Hollywood’s brightest new it-boy, she tapped him to star in her buzzed about reboot of Charlie’s Angels.

“It’s so wild to be a part of such a strong, historic, and storied franchise,” Centineo gushes, beyond stoked for his latest credit; a career move that will further cement his status as a bonafide teen idol. “I couldn’t be happier with where things are heading.”

As printed in the Fall/Winter 2018 Issue of TINGS.

ISAAC COLE POWELL.

The Broadway baby opens up about his love for the stage, racial identity, and what it means to be mixed in Tr*mp’s America.

Last autumn — just months after graduating from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts — Isaac Cole Powell made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning revival of Once on This Island. This spring he signed with New Pandemics — a modeling agency dedicated to increasing LGBTQ visibility within the fashion industry. And this summer, the 23-year-old New York City transplant from Greensboro, North Carolina appears in season two of the Indie Series Award-winning web series Indoor Boys as he continues to earn his stripes in the concrete jungle he now calls home.

You recently posted an op-ed about ethnicity on Instagram. What prompted that dialogue?

That day I had two people DM me and ask where I was from. Like, “really from.” And that question has always given me pause. It makes me so uncomfortable. It’s not that I’m ashamed of where I come from, or who I am, my discomfort is rooted in the way we try to define other people. As soon as someone knows my racial identity they automatically make assumptions, and I don’t like that.

As someone who grew up in the south, were you ever treated differently by people who knew you were mixed, versus anyone who assumed you were white?

I pass as a white person and am afforded white privilege so I don’t feel like I was ever discriminated against – at least not to my face – and it’s not like I’m trying to pass. These are just the cards I was dealt. So no, I didn’t really experience racism towards myself, but I was privy to it. I encountered a lot of ignorance from people who didn’t know my dad was black and thought they could get away with saying certain things — certain, um, words — around me.

Has passing as white ostracised you at all from certain corners of the black community?

I wouldn’t say ostracize. I’ve certainly felt left out in some ways, but I recognize why. The main defining experience of being black in America is the discrimination that comes along with it. A person’s worldview is molded by the way they are treated. Because I’m not treated the same way as other black people with darker complexions than me, there will always be certain conversations I’m just not able to have.

Representation has been at the root of many conversations in the entertainment industry. What has it been like working on a show with a predominantly black cast?

There was a bit of diversity lacking on my college campus, so joining the Once On This Island cast felt like a homecoming of sorts. I grew up with my dad’s side of the family and really missed being immersed in the culture.

When did you start doing theatre?

When I was twelve. My sister was babysitting these girls who were really involved in the community theatre and they needed more boys in The Wizard of Oz. They taught me a little song and dance and I somehow got up the courage to audition.

What part did you play?

I was a munchkin and I got to wear glitter eyeshadow and eyeliner. I loved it! I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m wearing makeup and I get to stand in front of people and sing and dance and no one is laughing.’

And then you saw Dorothy’s red heels and you were like, ‘Biiiiiitch! I’m home!’

Basically! It’s actually funny you mention the red heels... when I was three or four, my sister had this pair of red pleather platform sandals that she wore for her fifth grade talent show and I was obsessed with them. I remember taking them from her room and then literally sitting in a closet and wearing them.

Did she know you were stealing her shoes?

She did... and so did my parents. They would take them away and hide them, but I would somehow always find them again. It got to a point where all I wanted to do was sit in a dark closet and wear these beautiful red sandals, so eventually my parents got rid of them.

That’s so sad.

Yeah! From an early age, I was taught that femininity was reserved for women, and masculinity for men. My parents really tried pushing me to do sports.

Did that make it harder for you to come out?

I came out when I was sixteen. At that point I was attending a performing arts high school where there were gay people everywhere, so I couldn’t hide as much as I wanted to. Everybody saw me more for who I was and eventually I had to get really honest with myself. It got to a point where I couldn’t maintain having a split personality between my home and school life, pretending to be straight with my family while living my true colors around my friends. It was exhausting. I came out to my family on National Coming Out Day.

How did they respond?

I sent everyone in my family a Facebook message, and my mom read it right away. I didn’t get a call from my dad until a couple months later, but he made sure I knew that he loved me, which I wasn’t expecting at all.

Why is that?

Because my parents are Southern Baptist. My dad is this quintessential southern man. Just strong, hard working, religious, and disciplined. But I remember a little while after that call he came up to my room to ask me all sorts of questions, like did I feel I was born this way, and stuff like that. He was genuinely sweet and compassionate and wanted to make sure I wasn’t being treated badly. He was more concerned about that than anything.

He wanted to make sure his son was okay...

He wanted to understand me – and I think he finally does. My sister actually told me that he really does believe I was born this way, that he doesn’t believe it’s a choice.

As an actor, did you ever feel a need to go back in the closet when you started auditioning?

Truthfully, when I got the role in Once on This Island, I sort of panicked. I was cast as a straight leading man and one of my cast members actually took me out and said I might want to think about deleting all of the pictures of my then boyfriend and me, which I actually did. And that caused him a lot of pain.

What made you change your mind about remaining out and proud?

After seeing the hurt I caused my ex, I realised I wasn’t willing to compartmentalise my life like that. I already graduated from doing that in high school and there was no going back. I wanted to live authentically, and if it meant hiding parts of myself in order to be successful I wasn’t really interested. I needed to redefine what success meant to me.

Good. We need more LGBTQ role models like you breaking the mold...

Thank you. So many people have reached out to tell me how much it means to them to see that someone like me, a gay man in 2018, is not limited in his career by his sexuality. I just hope it stays that way.

As printed in the August 2018 Issue of Gay Times.

The World Wouldn't Make a Place for Angelica Ross. So She Made One for Herself.

Before she was cast on 'Pose,' she worked at Arby's and Apple. Got kicked out of the Navy and Applebee's. The winding money journey of a new type of TV star.

Read the full interview here: www.wealthsimple.com

Jonathan Van Ness’s First Financial Principle: “I’m a girl who has to stop herself from shopping”

He was a failed college cheerleader, gymnastics teacher, struggling beauty school student. Then he started a little thing called 'Gay of Thrones.' And then... Well, you have Netflix, right?

Read the full interview here: www.wealthsimple.com

THE VOICE

Melissa Jefferson is on the front lines of a cultural revolution fueled by self-love, self-confidence, and the power of self- actualization. Growing up, Jefferson—who goes by the stage name Lizzo—used comedy as a way to cope with now-bygone insecurities about her size. She’s still got jokes, but the former class clown is no longer using laughter as a defense mechanism. Instead, the 29-year-old recording artist is infusing her genre-defying music with a sense of humor and a body-positive attitude in hopes of helping her growing fan base find their inner joy. “Our standards of beauty are societal,” she says. “If someone doesn’t like me for my physical characteristics, I reeducate them.” It’s evident that a pioneering spirit hell-bent on challenging the constructs of beauty has replaced any shred of the singer’s adolescent worries. “Mass media tells people that having a double chin, stretch marks, or dark areas on their skin is unsavory,” she says. “But I’m here to change the narrative.”

As printed in the May 2018 Issue of Allure.

THE BOLD ONES

Australian model Lily Nova (opposite page, right), 20, looks like a John Currin painting come to life. Her exaggerated features are simultaneously impish and pure, with an originality that inspired Alessandro Michele’s renaissance of Gucci. It’s hard to believe that someone as influential as Nova was once mocked for her career-making features. “I was told by my classmates to gain weight and to get a tan,” she says between shows in Milan. Luckily, the self-proclaimed dork and full-time Harry Potter enthusiast never let the bullies get under her skin. “I think it’s cool to not look like everybody else,” she muses. Since leaving her hometown of Adelaide, Nova has found she’s not alone. “Every girl I’ve met has shared a similar experience of being the odd one out,” she says. “It’s good having that kind of solidarity.”

As printed in the May 2018 Issue of Allure.

Yara Shahidi Eats Better Than You

The Star of Black-ish and its new spin-off, Grown-ish, might be the only teen who doesn't want to leave home (and we don't blame her).

What’s a typical Shahidi family meal?

“Being half black and half Iranian, I’d like to think that I hit the cultural food jackpot. Growing up we ate a lot of chicken kebab and my baba— which means dad in Farsi— always kept a vegetable garden, so we also ate a lot of fresh salads. There’s no such thing
as a bad meal in our house.”

What’s in the garden?

“Basil, carrots, rosemary, mint, snap peas, and avocado. One time we even grew corn! But tomatoes are definitely our biggest crop. We used to grow so many that I would show up to playdates with bags of them for my friends’ parents.”

You must have developed some high standards as a kid.

“My uncle made fun of me because one time at a restaurant—I couldn’t have been more than seven—I asked the waiter if the salmon was wild-caught or farm-raised.”

Favorite family recipe?

“Fresh pizza from scratch! It’s a two-day process: My brothers and I handpick tomatoes and make the sauce with my mama while my baba mixes the dough and watches it rise all day. No one besides him can touch it.”

Does your mom have a culinary specialty?

“She’s the baker in the family. We have every crazy contraption you can think of in our kitchen—a doughnut fryer, an ice cream maker, a bread machine. She’s always trying something new, but her chocolate chip cookies are a total Shahidi classic.”

You deferred your acceptance to Harvard.

Are you ready to take care of cooking for yourself? “Many of my friends started college this year, so I’ve been asking them if they think I’ll have enough space and the ability to prep Blue Apron in a dorm. I’m trying to suss it out. I’m pretty spoiled in terms of ending my day with a home-cooked meal. Right now I have no intention of moving.”

As printed in the March 2018 Issue of Bon Appétit.

NOW YOU SEE IT...

There’s power in hair. And in lots of hair? Well, lots of power. But imagine walking into the world without it. No sideswept bangs to hide your gaze. No long layers to pull over a shoulder. No ponytail to adjust when you need something to do with your hands. Just you. Is there anything more powerful than a woman with a naked head? A woman with nothing to hide? Maybe. But we’ve never seen it.

IRIS D., Model:

“I first shaved my head about a year and a half ago. I had been toying with the idea for some time, but the actual act of doing it was rather spur of the moment. It felt right, and emotionally it was very liberating. At school the reaction hasn’t been the most positive, but in the real world I’ve only been told wonderful things. Luckily, I don’t measure my self-esteem through my physical attributes. My confidence doesn’t come from my hair—it comes from within. My opinions and thoughts are what matter, and now those are on full display because I have noth- ing to hide behind. The sense of freedom is unbelievable.”

MANAMI KINOSHITA, Model:

“I grew up in Fukui, Japan. Japanese culture is quite conservative, but my classmates thought it was cool when I first shaved my head. I did it myself when I was 16 because I wanted to feel my strongest and best, and I thought that making a change was exactly the right thing to do. I think people view me as more strong and fearless, but that’s not always the case. I also love how easy it is to get ready in the morning—no drying time!”

WHAT INSPIRES SOMEONE TO HOLD A PAIR OF CLIPPERS TO THEIR HEAD AND NEVER LOOK BACK? FIVE MORE PERSPECTIVES ON TAKING IT ALL OFF.

ROSE McGOWAN, Actress and author:

“I shaved my head over two and a half years ago. It was time. I broke up with the world and its expectations of what I was meant to look like according to rules I didn’t write. This is my journey, and for that to be true, I’ve largely had to banish other people’s ideas of who I should be. Now my outsides match my insides. My disempowerment was my hair. I hid behind it. I slept. It turned me into a caricature. My power comes from refusing to hide. It’s great being free.”

ROSE NAMAJUNAS, UFC strawweight champion:

“My power is not in my hair. My power is in me. When you’re a fighter, it’s all about having a strong mind and a strong body. There’s a lot of pressure in living up to the responsibilities of being a UFC champion. I have to be visible, make appearances. But I also have to train even harder now because there’s a target on my back—everyone wants this belt. When you’re in the gym all the time, long hair just gets in the way. The more distractions I can eliminate from my life, the better. I’m happy with my decision, and everyone loves it—even my grandmother!”

JENNY SHIMIZU, Actress and model:

“In 1988, I started shaving my head on a regular basis. It represented honoring my true self. People who knew me loved it; people who didn’t thought I was either a Buddhist monk or an Asian skinhead. I honestly didn’t care either way. My decision was instinctual and political, and it changed everything for me. Some women harness their femininity through long locks, while others hide behind it. For myself, having short hair is powerful, beautiful, and without fuss.”

METTE TOWLEY, Dancer:

“Rihanna shaved my head on the set of her and N.E.R.D.’s music-video shoot for ‘Lemon.’ After I auditioned for the role, the creative team approached me with the concept, and I immediately said, ‘Yes! Let’s go!’ For me, power and femininity have always existed in tandem with performance. Women and their allies are constantly reimagining femininity, smashing hegemonic ideals, and bending the concept of gender. Whether I’m onstage or off, my womanhood is fluid, not fixed or confined to a certain part of my body. It can live and breathe as I do. I’m now better connected to what makes me feel happy and beautiful. I feel a bold sense of self without my curls. My body unapologetically postures itself in a new way—more fierce and feminine than ever before.”

SASHA VELOUR, Drag queen (winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, season 9) and illustrator:

“When I first shaved my head, my mom was also bald. She was undergoing cancer treatment again after several years in remission. The second time, she cared even less what people thought of her hair loss and would walk around our Illinois hometown completely bald with beautiful earrings. I was captivated by the beauty of an elegant, confident bald woman. Today, I harness a lot of my strength and femininity through my baldness. It reminds me of my mom in those moments when she was both the strongest and most vulnerable I’d ever seen her. It’s also gorgeous. To me, a bald head with a gorgeous gown is the essence of fashion. I have learned that in drag, as in real life, the only person you should be styling yourself for is you.”

As printed in the February 2018 Issue of Allure.

She Wades Into the Dark Side

Some songwriters write exclusively from their own POV; Billie Eilish likes to look outside her own experiences. “I’ve written songs from the perspective of some- one I’ve hurt, which is pretty eye-opening,” says Eilish, 16, who turned down prestigious opening gigs to embark on her own global tour last month. “I like to step out of myself and become someone else for a second—like a psychopath.” (She’s not kidding: On the viral single “Bellyache,” she sings sweetly, “Where’s my mind? Maybe it’s in the gutter, where I left my lover.” Admirers, beware.) Everything about Eilish, who was homeschooled in Los Angeles, is meant to challenge expectations. “I just like to be remembered,” she says. “I dress so people will look up from their phones. I want to be judged. Whether it’s a good thought or a bad thought, I want people to have me on their mind.”

As printed in the February 2018 Issue of Glamour.

Elements of Style

Oh, you thought lace was for tabletops and grandmothers? Twenty-four-year-old Bria Vinaite, who stars in The Florida Project, proves that nothing pairs better with lace than tattoos and a taste for Hennessey. 

“I love lace because it can be really feminine, sexy, or dark. There are so many ways to wear it, no matter what your style is.” 

FAVORITE THINGS

SKIN CARE: “Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate.” BOOK: “Right now it’s How to Murder Your Life by Cat Marnell.” FOOTWEAR: “Nike Air Max.” ICON: “Rihanna. She’s going to be my best friend one day. You can quote me on that.” FRAGRANCE: “Chance by Chanel.” TATTOO PARLOR: “Ocho Placas in Miami.” ALBUM: “Lana Del Rey’s Born to Die.” COCKTAIL: “Hennessey and cranberry.” MAKEUP: “Benefit Mascara in Beyond Blue.” FILM: “I grew up watching Thirteen on repeat.” VACATION: “Anywhere in the South of France. It’s fucking beautiful.” CANDY: “Hi-Chews. If I were a candy, I would be a Hi-Chew.” 

As printed in the December 2017 Issue of Allure.

The Last Bite

Neil Patrick Harris, how do you celebrate the holidays?

When he was growing up in New Mexico, Neil Patrick Harris’ family started every Christmas morning the same way: with a giant breakfast of scrambled eggs, lots of bacon, and, his favorite, cinnamon rolls. “They were the ones from...the little guy,” he says, by which he means the Pillsbury Doughboy (real name: Poppin’ Fresh). The best part? Icing the tray of piping-hot pastries straight out of the oven. “That was terribly exciting,” says Harris, who appears in Alexander Payne’s sci-fi comedy Downsizing this December. “We rarely did that except Christmas morning.” Over time, rarely became never and the long-held child- hood tradition was eventually forgotten. Until now. This year Harris and his husband of three years, David Burtka, plan to revisit the custom with their seven-year-old twins, Harper and Gideon. “David is a chef, so we will probably go a little more bespoke,” Harris says. “The idea of a nice homemade cinnamon roll on Christmas morning sounds divine right now.” 

As printed in the December 2017 Issue of Bon Appétit.

Neil Patrick Harris on His Christmas Morning Ritual

And the holiday punch that went very, very wrong.

Read the full interview here: www.BonAppetit.com 

A Tale of Tupac

An outspoken critic of the justice system, Tupac Shakur spun his defiance into a poetic coat of armor. He used his talents to write controversial lyrics that excoriated adversity and inequality under the failed institutions of our material world—until the bullets of a 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas took his life, at just 25. On June 16—what would have been the late rapper’s 46th birthday—Summit/Codeblack is releasing All Eyez on Me, a biopic chronicling the artist’s prolific career at Interscope and Death Row Records and the legacy of the great “Makaveli” (one of his stage names). Director Benny Boom cast newcomer Demetrius Shipp Jr. in the leading role in an ambitious effort to unearth the outspoken iconoclast’s softer side. The film touches on Tupac’s romance with Kidada Jones (a daughter of venerable music producer Quincy Jones), who was engaged to Shakur at the time of his death. Annie Ilonzeh plays Jones, and she and Shipp make a great on-screen match—they even have a favorite Tupac song in common, “Dear Mama.”

“Everyone has their own perception of Tupac,” says Shipp of his doppelgänger. “He’s more than the thug the media painted a picture of. He was passionate about people and fighting oppression. He was an activist.” Indeed, the themes of his songs remain all too relevant in today’s political climate. “Pac may have been physically silenced, but his music will live on forever,” says actress Kat Graham, who portrays Shakur’s longtime friend Jada Pinkett (before she became Pinkett Smith) with raw intensity. “He made quite an impact, but I think he had a lot more to say and do. There’s no better time to retell his story.”

As printed in the Summer 2017 Issue of Vanity Fair.

The Beret Bunch

There is a defining moment in every star’s career when he or she realizes that nothing will ever be the same. For 14-year-old Jaeden Lieberher, it was a breakout role alongside industry heavyweight Bill Murray, in 2014’s St. Vincent; for 10-year-old Jacob Tremblay, a leading part in Room, for which co-star Brie Larson (this month’s cover subject) won an Oscar; and for 14-year-old Maddie Ziegler, the former Dance Moms darling, an appearance in the music video for “Chandelier,” the first of five dance collaborations with the pop star Sia. These impressive young power players are already reaching milestones most Hollywood hopefuls spend their entire careers striving toward—and they’re doing it all before high school.          This June, Colin Trevorrow directs the talented trio in The Book of Henry, a hauntingly beautiful story about love and loss that centers on a kid genius (Lieberher) who uncovers a sinister secret about his sensitive neighbor, Christina (Ziegler)—a far cry from Trevorrow’s current post, directing Star Wars: Episode IX. “Jacob was constantly talking about Star Wars,” says Lieberher with a telling grin. Adds Ziegler, “He was pretty much just trying to get himself a role the entire time,” inciting laughter among the three friends. “I really was!” shouts Tremblay—who plays Henry’s inquisitive younger brother, Peter—enthusiastically. “I would love to say I was an extra in Star Wars.” While we agree that watching the four-foot-seven wunderkind wield a lightsaber would be out of this world, we’re really excited about Tremblay’s next role, alongside Julia Roberts in Stephen Chbosky’s Wonder. Meanwhile, Lieberher will tackle a remake of Stephen King’s It, and Ziegler, who in March released her coming-of-age memoir, The Maddie Diaries, and a namesake clothing line at Nordstrom late last year, will publish the first of a trilogy of Y.A. novels with Aladdin Books in the fall. Each is a vibrant firework, and their adolescent ascents are destined to burst into dazzling careers.

As printed in the May 2017 Issue of Vanity Fair.

Hello, Sophie: Bette Midler's Daughter is Ready for Her Close-Up

Sophie von Haselberg moved all the way to China in an effort to escape her true calling—but now she’s knocking on Hollywood’s door.

Read the full interview here: www.VanityFair.com

Hayden Szeto, VanityFair.com November 2016

The Edge of Seventeen’s Breakout Star on Being Asian in Hollywood—and in the Age of Trump

“There’s an opportunity to shape people’s way of thinking,” says up-and-coming Canadian heartthrob Hayden Szeto.

Read the full interview here: www.VanityFair.com

Kat Graham Bids Farewell to The Vampire Diaries, Embarks on a Prince-Approved Musical Journey

“Prince would definitely want me to be raising the consciousness of the world through art and through these interviews.”

Read the full interview here: www.VanityFair.com

Harley Quinn Smith, Daughter of Kevin Smith, Is Ready to Break Big

“I grind twice as hard because my dad is a director,” says the 17-year-old actress—whose best friend and co-star just happens to be Johnny Depp’s daughter.

Read the full interview here: www.VanityFair.com

R.J. Hernández’s An Innocent Fashion Is The Devil Wears Prada for Millennials

Former Vogue intern Hernández’s new novel explores the magazine industry through a different lens than past insider tomes.

Read the full interview here: www.VanityFair.com

(a story that incited some attention from Page Six)

Your Burning Questions about Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, Answered

Screenwriter Linda Woolverton, whose Alice Through the Looking Glass opens this weekend, looks back at the Disney classics she wrote that changed childhoods forever.

Read the full interview here: www.VanityFair.com

Designer Dispatch: Roberta Einer

Named “one to watch” by the British Fashion Council’s NewGen committee, 23-year-old designer Roberta Einer has an envy-inducing résumé, including internships at Balmain, Mary Katrantzou, Alexander McQueen, and Roksanda. The University of Westminster grad’s in-your-face use of color (comprising a palette packed with sweet bursts of pink and turquoise) and expert combinations of unlikely textiles (think everything from tweed to silk to sequins, with ample appliqués) has put her at the forefront of the global fashion scene. Here, the Estonian-born up-and-comer dishes on what lights her fire.

As printed in the April 2016 issue of NYLON.

The Girls Next Door

Two years after Neighbors, his wildly successful collegiate comedy,
director Nicholas Stoller returns with Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising,
the highly anticipated laugh-out-loud sequel, which follows what
happens when a parent’s will goes head-to-head with the bonds of sisterhood. Fed up with their school’s sexist Greek system, the rag-
tag ladies of Braxton University decide to found an unaffiliated house where they can throw reckless parties whenever the hell they want. The movie’s trailer highlights Nora (Beanie Feldstein, 22), an outlandish millennial hopped up on painkillers who flies through a windshield and lives to assert a triumphant war cry, setting the tone with delicious slapstick—all of it, perfection.
“I don’t really view any of us as proper pledges, and yet we’re all members of Kappa Nu,” says Clara Mamet, 21, who plays a glib Kappa named Miranda, substantiating the blatant disregard for stereotypes that makes this project so exciting. “I feel like
girls join sororities in search of validation and acceptance,” says Kiersey Clemons, 22 (recent star of Dope and Amazon’s Transparent), who plays Beth. “It’s bull. You should find your family on your own terms.”
In a world of cookie-cutter actresses, Feldstein, Mamet, and Clemons are proving that the new normal—unapologetic feminist warriors—is much more interesting.

As printed in the April 2016 Issue of Vanity Fair.

In The Breakout Lane

Despite what viewers may have thought after the 58th annual Grammy Awards, soloists Leon Bridges and Andra Day (who were both up for best R&B album) did not materialize out of nowhere. Since the release of their debut albums, last summer—Coming Home and Cheers to the Fall, respectively—Bridges, 26, and Day, 31, have taken their electrifying acts from local dive bars to international headlining tours. Their ascent has been a noble feat for emerging artists with such a well-rounded and intensely nostalgic vibe, reminiscent of the bygone legends they so deftly borrow from. “I want to go back to the roots, to where it all started,” says Bridges, listing idols such as Arthur Alexander and Sam Cooke. “I want to honor and keep my heritage alive in whatever way I can.”
The breakout musicians first met at the Celebration of Music in Film event during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. With their evident commitment to what Day calls “full music”—which she describes as “jazz at its core, with soul, blues, rock, and pop piled on top”—it’s no wonder they found kinship through their distinct style and sound. “I think fashion and artistry go hand in hand,” says Day, who, like Bridges, dresses the part of a sharp showman from a more frivolous era. “The visuals are equally as important as the music. It’s all a complete experience.”
While neither singer went home with a golden gramophone in February—Day was also nominated for best R&B performance for her inspirational single “Rise Up”—there’s no doubt we’ll be hearing a lot more from them. Their imaginative perspectives have led to an ideal partnership, and, this month, Day will join Bridges on his global tour.

As printed in the April 2016 Issue of Vanity Fair.

Institutional Memory

Director Joseph Castelo’s The Preppie Connection is inspired by true events in 1984, when 14 students at Choate Rosemary Hall were expelled following the arrest of a peer on charges of attempting to smuggle $300,000 worth of cocaine. With their angst-ridden rich kids and sartorial uniformity, private schools are by nature cinematic gold mines. Add a dose of international drug trafficking and cast a 23-year-old Australian bombshell and you’ve got a hit.

“My character has this deep loneliness,” says Lucy Fry, who plays the enigmatic Alex Hayes. “She tries to fill the void with as many toys as she can.” Alex discovers her pawn in Toby (Thomas Mann), a scholarship student looking for acceptance by the in-crowd. She uses flirtation as a means of coaxing Toby into becoming the group’s “mule.” Under the guise of visiting a fellow student, who happens to be the Colombian ambassador’s son, in Bogotá, he builds up a drug network and becomes the supplier to his affluent classmates. The rest is history—see the movie; read the headlines. You’ll be sure to come away with a new girl crush—up-and-comer Lucy Fry.

As printed in the March 2016 Issue of Vanity Fair.

Who's That Girl?

With her quirky electro-pop singles and bizarre homemade videos, singer-songwriter That Poppy is pining for a mainstream breakthrough.

"I have a love-hate relationship with it, but the Internet is my best friend,” says the peculiar musician who goes by the name That Poppy. Were it not for her inventiveness on social media, it’s unlikely Island Records would have plucked her from the new wave of promising young talent surfacing on the web. “I was making videos on YouTube, and they found their way into the right hands,” she notes. “I signed the contract, and the rest is history.”
The Nashville, Tennessee, native moved to Los Angeles in 2013 to pursue a career as a pop star. She quickly assembled a small camp of “cool people” who helped her zero in on her musical and sartorial
style. It was a big leap, but her new city has been nothing but welcoming. “Everyone in L.A. wants tobe doing something at all times,” she explains cheerfully. “Collaboration is everywhere. You just have to look for the right opportunities.”
The unconventional pastel princess embraces the weird and wonderful by borrowing from punk rock and adding a generous dollop of manga- inspired visuals. By now she’s a California girl through and through: Her refreshing reggae- infused dance anthem “Lowlife” is reminiscent of early Gwen Stefani. “I grew up listening to Cyndi Lauper, No Doubt, and Blondie,” she reveals. “I like very strong women.”
The songstress aims to equip her fans with the same confidence that making music gives her. “I want people to be empowered when they listen to my songs,” says the former shy girl. “They should feel like they can take over the world.”

As printed in the March 2016 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Wild Thing

Meet Halsey, the provocative music darling who sold out Madison Square Garden in days

"My mom has every issue of Billboard I’ve ever been in,” says Ashley Frangipane, 21, after wrapping her very first
shoot with Teen Vogue. “Even if there’s no picture, no article, and it’s just my name on a chart, my mom’s got it.”
The fresh-faced alternative anti-pop star operates under the moniker Halsey—a Brooklyn street she once lived on, which also happens to be an anagram of her first name. She exploded onto the scene with the release of her full-length debut album, Badlands, which peaked at number two on the iTunes Albums Chart this past summer. Her gritty, upbeat anthems resonate with Internet-savvy listeners Halsey says are “looking for an escape from reality.”
Never one to hold back, Halsey has quickly made a name for herself as the unapologetic and feisty new voice of her generation. With lyrics that are equal parts smart and sexy, her songs are dominating the airwaves and her refreshing honesty has secured a loyal following that is extremely engaged on social media. A key member of her ever-growing fan club? Justin Bieber.
In November, Bieber unveiled “The Feeling,” a duet he recorded with Halsey. The intense EDM-inspired track introduced her to a more mainstream audience she had yet to reach. She also teamed up with The Weeknd during the second half of his fall 2015 The Madness tour, further beefing up her already impressive résumé.
Despite her hectic schedule, Halsey always finds the time to experiment with fashion and beauty, and consistently rocks different hair colors, lengths, and styles at appearances. “I wear my personality on my sleeve, for sure, and my look is constantly changing because so am I,” she says. “I’m not going to present myself one way all the time just because it will make me sell best.” You go, girl!

As printed in the March 2016 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Benjamin Walker Plans to Make You Root for a Killer in American Psycho

The Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson star returns to Broadway in Armani as Patrick Bateman.

Read the full interview here: www.VanityFair.com

In Sync

Meet Jack + Eliza, the New York natives juggling careers in music along with full-time college course loads.

"Eliza and I get anxious about doing nothing,” Jack Staffen, 21, says.
“That’s a common trope in New York,” adds Eliza Callahan, 20, as the Manhattanites exit their first major photo shoot.
These sentiments aid in under- standing how the two find the energy necessary to perform live as a band and navigate their class schedules. Jack is studying visual and audio politics at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, and Eliza is majoring in visual arts and creative writing at Columbia University. Together, as the indie duo Jack + Eliza, they create stripped- down music with a nostalgic sound reminiscent of 1960s rock ’n’ roll.
“We know everything about each other,” Jack reveals. The inseparable pair met as kids, but it took years of coexisting as acquaintances, along with some coaxing from mutual friends, before they joined forces artistically. “We were always really different,” Eliza says of herself and her best friend, “and now we trust one another’s opinion more than anyone else’s.”

As printed in the February 2016 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Jeff Ward Scared Himself Learning to Play Charles Manson

The star of Lifetime‘s Manson’s Lost Girls shares stories from his deep dive into the infamous serial killer.

Read the full interview here: www.VanityFair.com

Watch Ennio Morricone Conduct His Oscar-Nominated Hateful Eight Score

As Quentin Tarantino and Kurt Russell look on in awe.

Read the original article here: www.VanityFair.com

How Rupert Evans Bonded with His Creepy Co-star in The Boy

“Brahms was like another cast mate,” he says of the terrifying life-sized porcelain doll.

Read the full interview here: www.VanityFair.com

The Magic Touch

YA book series The Mortal Instruments gets the TV treatment. Katherine McNamara stars in Shadowhunters.

"I subscribed to two magazines when I was younger: Teen Vogue and The Economist,” 20-year-old actress Katherine McNamara reveals. “That kind of defines me as a human being.” Today the Kansas City, Missouri, native maintains that balance by starring in the new television series Shadowhunters while working on her master’s in applied economics at Johns Hopkins University. (She graduated summa cum laude from Drexel University at 17 with a bachelor of science in business administration. Impressed yet?)
After completing high school at just 14 years old, Katherine was discovered doing local theater, which led to her Broadway debut. The brilliant young ingenue got her big break in 2009, when she landed the role of Fredrika in A Little Night Music, and she’s been working steadily ever since. Katherine most recently appeared as a badass refugee named Sonya in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials but says she was “really nervous” when they were about to announce the cast.
“When you adapt such a beloved series, people already have attachments to the characters, and you never know how the fandom is going to react. There are preconceived notions of what someone should look like or how they should behave,” she notes. “Which also applied to Shadowhunters.”
In the ABC Family (soon to be called Freeform) spin-off of Cassandra Clare’s hit fantasy novels, which premieres on January 12, the brazen redhead kicks some major demon butt as Clary Fray. “I have not battled demons in my life. Nor do I ever hope to,” she says. “But that’s why I’m an actor. I get to play make-believe for a living. And for me, that’s the best thing possible.”

As printed in the December/January 2015/16 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Get Up, Stand Up

Meet Skip Marley, the reggae royal who's embracing the family name while fulfilling his musical destiny.

"My music is about peace, love, and happiness. Unity. Togetherness,” says Skip Marley, 19, as he settles in at the Dream Midtown hotel in Manhattan to talk about launching his solo career. “It’s about good vibes and good times. Just living your life. This is music for the people.”
Like Uncle Ziggy, who stormed the scene in the ’80s, this member of the Marley tribe has an uncanny physical resemblance to its legendary patriarch, pop culture icon Bob Marley. But the similarities run much deeper than surface level: Skip’s entire persona is a natural extension of his late grandfather’s.
“Even though I never met him, I always knew who he was—he was everywhere in the house,” Skip recounts. “When I was 11 or 12 I started to realize what a positive effect he had on the world and thought, Hey, I want to do that, too.” Although the Marley family is composed of various power players and tied to some other serious musical forces—another uncle, Rohan, is an entrepreneur and former athlete who has five children with Grammy winner Lauryn Hill—Skip does not take the privilege for granted and instead revels in the
impactful hand he was dealt. “When we get together in the studio,
music just comes out. I’ll pick up the guitar, my cousin will come in and sing something, and then I will sing something. We’ll record it and add some drums or piano,” Skip shares with ease. “That’s how it goes.”
This past summer the smooth crooner released his debut single, “Cry to Me,” which led to a publishing deal with Blue Mountain Music and subsequent high-profile concerts with two other uncles, Damian and Stephen, on their Catch a Fire tour. With an EP on the horizon, Skip is eager to continue performing; he cites the Hollywood Bowl as his favorite venue so far. When asked where he hopes the future will carry him, his answer is quite simple: “Wherever God sends me.”

As printed in the December/January 2015/16 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Sister Star Madison Davenport On What It Was Like to Have Tina Fey as a Mom

She's not a regular mom, she's a cool mom.

Read the full interview here: www.TeenVogue.com

Best. Day. Ever.

How a girl from Pinetop, Arizona, became indie pop's newest darling--Introducing Zella Day.

The fact that songs like ‘Hypnotic’ are making their way around the world is some kind of magic,” says singer-songwriter Zella Day, of the hit single that catalyzed her rising stardom. The 20-year-old from Arizona released her buzzy debut album, Kicker, in June, but she got her start performing in her family’s coffee shop as a kid. “It was the only place in town with live music, so I grew up in an environment of musicians,” she explains. “I fell in love with the stage, as small as it was, at an early age.”
It’s safe to say Zella knows who she is. Thanks to her roots, there’s a hint of homegrown humble pie infused into her otherwise sexy sound. She cites the bewitching Stevie Nicks and bohemian Joni Mitchell as sources of inspiration, which is unsurprising for a budding artist whose voice and style already harness a strong undercurrent of natural-born identity. Like many of her idols, Zella prefers writing music in isolation, so she’s quickly learning how to juggle her method with her growing celebrity and busy tour schedule. “Because I’m in a different hotel room every night, it’s hard for me to feel comfortable enough to just let go and create like nobody’s listening. There’s always somebody listening on the road. You always have company,” Zella says, proving she’s less like the typical music-scene millennial and more like an old soul who appreciates the smaller things in life.
These days, she’s living with fellow recording artist Garrett Borns (aka Børns) in Silver Lake, California. “I moved here because I needed to be closer to the music, and ever since then everything has changed on pace for the better,” Zella says, sounding prepared for a fast track that’s nothing short of inevitable. With her strong sense of envy-inducing style and indie-infused pop anthems, she is sure to secure a place of heavy rotation on all of your future playlists.

As printed in the November 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Heizer's Rise

Miles Heizer is taking the leap from TV teen to Hollywood hotshot by going geek-chic in Nerve.

Miles Heizer, 21, arrived at Acme Studio in Brooklyn with Mae Whitman, his best friend and costar in parenthood, whose final episode aired earlier this year. Both actors were in New York for separate projects. “I see Mae a lot outside of our place,” Miles says later (he lives in her guesthouse in L.A.). “I sometimes feel like I’m living in a computer game and we are being controlled.” His observation about the entertainment industry—a strange bubble where paths cross more frequently than would seem coincidental—is an unintentional nod to his upcoming film Nerve, about an online game of truth or dare where participants compete for big prizes and engage in potentially lethal challenges. (The teen thriller also features this month’s cover girl, Emma Roberts.) “As people are eliminated, it gets dangerous, and I’m the one telling my friends not to remain involved when things become illegal,” Miles shares. “It’s a suspicious website, and I’m the hacker trying to figure it all out.”
There’s an unspeakable air of cool that surrounds Miles, and his attitude is heightened by the kind of self- deprecation you can’t fake. “I’m so uninteresting, it’s depressing," he says, moments before jumping into an animated conversation about his love of Jersey Shore reruns. "I used to think the show was stupid and now Snooki is my hero." Clearly the Kentucky-born star wears his interests on his sleeve, unafraid of what anyone thinks or says-perhaps a badge leftover from his days as a "full-fledged emo Hot Topic kid," back when Canadian pop duo Tegan and Sara reigned supreme. "I actually know them now, which is so crazy," he says of the band that’s influenced him most. “They’re the reason I wrote my first song.” Yep, he makes music too. Is Miles officially your next Hollywood crush yet? He’s certainly ours.

As printed in the November 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Star Power

With top billing in the horror flick Rings, Matilda Lutz proves her acting chops are frighteningly good.

"I loved being in a horror movie,” Matilda Lutz announces over lunch in Brooklyn. “You never get to scream in real life. It’s such a relief to take anything you have bottled up inside and just toss it away. After filming for nearly three months, I had nothing left.” Following some indie flicks overseas and several seasons of the popular Italian television show Fuoriclasse, the 24-year-old from Milan was cast as a lead in F. Javier Gutiérrez’s Rings, the third installment of the successful Ring franchise. It was an impressive undertaking for the bubbly starlet, who sprinkled her photo shoot with contagious
laughter.
“I’m highly susceptible to scary movies,” Matilda says. “I think I see things in the windows and shadows, and then I can’t sleep. I’m brave in general, though—I’m not scared of insects.” She pauses, correcting that sentiment: “Except for bees.” Matilda’s accent is hard to pin down. Her dialect is the result of playing characters of different native tongues, in addition to speaking three languages in real life: Italian, English, and French. “I would love to play a French girl in a movie,” she shares. “Sometimes I walk around in public and pretend to be one.” The imaginative romantic also has her sights set on darker roles, citing Angelina Jolie in Gia and Girl, Interrupted as inspiration. With her transatlantic move to Los Angeles more than two years ago, we’d say she’s in the right place for landing any part she auditions for. And if not? The actress has another trick up her sleeve: “I’m trying to write my own movie.”

As Printed in the November 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Fall in Love With the Girls From James Franco’s New Favorite Film Mustang

If you’re a fan of The Virgin Suicides, you’ll be head over heels with this visual masterpiece.

Read the full article here: www.TeenVogue.com

Tony

AGE: 19 HOMETOWN: Anaheim, California

CHECKING IN Tony Revolori’s big break came courtesy of Wes Anderson, who cast him as Zero, the lobby boy in the Oscar- winning movie The Grand Budapest Hotel. “To have dinner every night with Jude Law, Ralph Fiennes, and Jeff Goldblum was amazing,” Tony says. “I relate to every character I play,” adds the performer, whose Sundance films have included Dope and Umrika. “I find the easiest thing to connect with and then work at making that idea bigger, until I become that person. Just call ‘action’ and I’m there.” PARTY OF FIVE Tony’s next role is a field medic called Dumbo in the highly anticipated sci-fi thriller The 5th Wave. “I had a lot of fun training with the Army on set,” he shares. “It gave me a new appreciation for our troops and the other people who risk their lives protecting us.”

As printed in the October 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Maddie

AGE: 12 HOMETOWN: Pittsburgh

HOT COMMODITY “It’s cool that I get work without being asked to audition” says Maddie Ziegler, whose participation in Sia’s iconic music video for “Chandelier”—and subsequently “Elastic Heart” and “Big Girls Cry”—came about after the Australian singer-songwriter made Maddie a firm offer on Twitter. “I feel like people trust me and believe I’m capable of putting in the work,” she says. PRIMA BALLERINA The young dancer, who first entered the spotlight on the controversial reality show Dance Moms, is spreading her wings beyond movement: “I really want to focus on acting and even sing a little bit so I can be a triple threat. I definitely want to do a movie or a scripted TV show.” With previous guest spots on Drop Dead Diva and Pretty Little Liars, anything is possible.

As printed in the October issue of Teen Vogue.

Courtney

AGE: 19 HOMETOWN: Bunbury, Australia

BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL Agents scouredthe globe for the perfect actress to play Cheedo the Fragile in this year’s epic action movie Mad Max: Fury Road before discovering Courtney Eaton. The ingenue’s innocent on-screen appeal convinced audiences she was born to do the project. Director George Miller premiered it at the Cannes Film Festival, where Courtney was catapulted into the spotlight. “George is really specific with his characters—they come to him in his dreams,” says Courtney, who got the audition through her modeling agency (and went to it with some encouragement from her dad). After three callbacks, her life changed for good. HELLO, HOLLYWOOD When the young model found out she had scored the coveted role, she switched gears and dove headfirst into an acting career, subsequently landing a part in Alex Proyas's adventure fantasy Gods of Egypt with Gerard Butler. "I don't want to get stuck in one genre and be known as the 'action girl,'" she says. "I want to do an indie next."

As printed in the October 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Antoine Olivier

AGE: 18 HOMETOWN: Montreal

MAMA’S BOY Although he’s never had an acting lesson, Antoine Olivier Pilon's award-winning performance as Steve, a troubled teenager with anger-management issues in Xavier Dolan's Mommy, ignited his career. "We're both sensitive-we have that in common," he says of his character. "But I'm capable of filtering my emotions, and he doesn't know how to process his. It's a privilege to portray someone extreme, who is so far from your normal life." CHILD'S PLAY "When I was 8, I saw some kids on TV around my age and wondered how they got there," Antoine Olivier shares. That turned out to be a defining moment, which fueled an undying need to act. He adds, "I thought, why them and not me?"

As printed in the October 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Rebel Elle

Get the inside scoop on Teen Vogue's cover shoot with Elle Fanning.

The third time’s a charm for Hollywood darling Elle Fanning, who’s previously graced two Teen Vogue covers.
On a fairy tale–like July day spent at a private residence along the shores of Malibou Lake, near Agoura Hills, California, photographer Christian MacDonald captured portraits of the movie star in whimsical punk- princess layers.
Elle behaved less like an A-lister and more like a close friend when interacting with the crew. Between takes, the actress even won over Pirate, one of the set’s resident parrots. “I got my driver’s license a couple of weeks ago,” she says with a sweet smile before pausing to take a selfie with the bird. “And I got only one question wrong on the test!”

As printed in the October 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Boys Next Door

Hello, Hollywood! Meet the guys who are starring in some of this season's biggest movies.

GOOSEBUMPS

Dylan Minnette

Age: 18 Hometown: Evansville, Indiana

Director Rob Letterman worked with industry vet Dylan Minnette on his adventure comedy Goosebumps, giving R.L. Stine’s iconic book series the silver-screen treatment it deserves. “It’s so exciting to bring life to and introduce another generation of kids to something that was a really impactful part of my childhood. I want to please the original fans,” shares Dylan, who shines alongside costar Jack Black. With such an outstanding cast and inspired script, the film is sure to be a family favorite.

SCOUTS GUIDE TO THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

Tye Sheridan

Age: 18 Hometown: Elkhart, Texas

Tye Sheridan, best known for his role opposite Matthew McConaughey in Mud, is branching out from indie dramas and tackling a comedy: Christopher Landon’s Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. This tale of friendship and heroism came, Tye says, “at a point in my career where I was looking to do something different.” Such versatility also helped him score the part of Cyclops in X-Men: Apocalypse. It seems an “end times” trend has served as a new beginning for Tye’s remarkable résumé.

PAN

Levi Miller

Age: 12 Hometown: Brisbane, Australia

When Levi Miller received the call from director Joe Wright offering him the part of Peter in Pan, he was overcome with emotion. “I started bawling my eyes out,” says Levi, who has shaped a unique origin story about the “adventurous, stubborn, and selfish” boy who won’t grow up. Pan centers around Peter’s decision to find his long-lost mother, no matter what obstacle he may encounter. “He has a bit of an attitude,” Levi explains. The breakout actor has even caught the attention of Ralph Lauren, who tapped him to star in the Polo Ralph Lauren Children’s fall 2015 campaign and named him a brand ambassador.

As printed in the October 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Here and Now

Introducing Alessia Cara, the confessional songstress whose lyrics are capturing the hearts of teenagers avoiding the party scene.

In May, Alessia Caraciollo, 19 — who goes by the moniker, Alessia Cara — dropped 'Here', a catchy debut single that quickly reached bona-fide anthem status for antisocial pessimists everywhere. Turned off by the hazy sheep mentality of the suburban drinking scene, the singer songwriter expresses a refreshing point of view that feels both radical and innocent.

“Two years ago, I went to a friend’s house party. I thought it would be OK, but when I got there I didn’t know what to do with myself. It was Hell,” she recalls. "It wasn’t because of anything that was going on — I just realized how uncomfortable I was interacting with people in that sort of environment.” Unlike many introverts, who might navigate through their social anxieties in silence, Alessia used her experience as the basis for lyrics. “The next day I went into the studio with my co-writer Sebastian Kole and pieced together this rhyming rant,” she says. “I didn’t think that anyone was going to hear it, or that other people even felt the same way I did.”

The rising star from Brampton, Ontario, now signed to Def Jam recordings, was initially discovered after posting amateur covers of Top 40 pop songs to YouTube. Recently she revisited her comfort zone by taking a stab at Taylor Swift’s single “Bad Blood” for BBC Radio. The acoustic rap version of the hit song caught Taylor’s attention, earning Alessia a coveted shout out on Twitter.

Such positive feedback isn’t something Alessia is quite used to yet. “I'm still kind of floating over my own body and watching this all happen from the outside," she says. "It doesn’t feel real at all.”

As printed in the October 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Scream Queens Star Abigail Breslin Just Wrote the Realest Relationship Book You Could Ever Need

...and it will have you feeling socially superior to the Chanels in the most positive way.

Read the full interview here: www.TeenVogue.com

Start Your Throwbacks a Day Early With This Pop Cover of the Ultimate Rock Ballad

Plus an exclusive playlist from your new favorite band, Myzica.

Read the full article here: www.TeenVogue.com

Fierce Factor

Get to know singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas, Britain's best-kept secret.

There’s a sense of empowerment, but not in a militant way,” Lianne La Havas says of her highly anticipated sophomore album, Blood. After the second-ever visit to her grandparents’ native Jamaica in 2014, the South Londoner, 25, felt inspired to record again—and this time it was evident that she had let her guard down. “I was newly single and inviting people to join me in my independence,” she shares. “I was very happy while making this record and went into the studio with a reinvigorated rhythm, excited to express a different side to my music.”
On her debut full-length effort, Is Your Love Big Enough?, lyrical moments of hope lifted an otherwise grim air of intense loneliness. Curious listeners who related to her tales of a broken relationship were hooked. The artist’s edgy, modern beats not only secured a loyal fan base— they also earned her the accolade “iTunes U.K. Album of the Year” in 2012. Now Lianne is pushing boundaries with a category-defying sound that both unleashes a lung power previously held in reserve and masterfully blends R&B and folk influences. Successfully skirting musical genres and creating her own place in the game can mean only one thing: major staying power.

As printed in the September 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Teen Angst

Bel Powley beams in the controversial film The Diary of a Teenage Girl.

“I’m so thankful someone finally made a movie about teenage female sexuality — it’s not something people talk about,” Bel Powley says of her involvement in Marielle Heller’s The Diary of a Teenage Girl. The actress, 23, grew up in West London, where she got her start in television when she was a teen-roughly the same age as her character in the film. “I related to that concept and wanted to be a part of the conversation that made it OK for young women to have sexual feelings,” Bel shares. “I hope to teach people that it’s fine to make mistakes because they will learn from them, to be who they are, and to love their bodies.”

As printed in the September 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

The Voice

Meet Tove Styrke, Sweden's latest talent to storm the States.

I’ve been making noise my whole life,” jokes Tove Styrke, 22, her laughter echoing through a studio in downtown Manhattan. After winning third place on Idol (the Swedish version of American Idol) at age 16, the spirited Umeå native generated buzz in her country. “It wasn’t until receiving a record contract that I realized making music was something I could actually do for a living,” she says. Soon after, Tove released her self-titled debut album and subsequently began her musical journey in Europe.
At 19, however, the artist took a three-year hiatus from the industry. “I was very young, so I decided to really get to know myself,” she explains. Tove has since shaken off the inexperience of youth and recently finished up her sophomore effort, ironically titled Kiddo. “I have a love-hate relationship with that word,” she reveals. “Older people often use it as a demeaning term for a juvenile person. It’s my way of taking the word away from them so they lose that control over me. I can use it as a sort of superhero name.”
The powerhouse performer owned the stage at Webster Hall for the first time in May, hypnotizing fans with her breathy pop-rock vocals and contagious dance anthems. Judging by the mixed crowd of New Yorkers bobbing their heads and rocking out in unison, there’s no doubt she’s being heard loud and clear.

As printed in the August 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

City of Wonder

Britt Robertson takes on life in another dimension in Disney's Tomorrowland.

"Every day felt like a wild ride," says Britt Robertson on her role as a high schooler with a penchant for scientific snooping in the sci-fi adventure Tomorrowland. The film follows her epic journey with a former boy genius, played by the one and only George Clooney. With help from a mysterious pin-and some CGI-they go to a place caught between time and space called Tomorrowland. "She wants to see what's out there." Britt reveals of her character, Casey. "When a young person is madly in love with an idea, they're willing to drop everything and pursue it." Consider dropping everything and hitting a theater when the movie comes out this month.

As printed in the May 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

NAME: TINASHE AGE: 22 HOMETOWN: Los Angeles

GOING SOLO Like so many performers, Tinashe began singing because of a breakup—but not the kind you might be thinking of. “The split of The Stunners is what pushed me to create my own material,” she says of her former girl group, who at one point opened for Justin Bieber. MAKING MOVES The star’s silky voice and fresh West Coast sound caught the attention of RCA Records, who signed the songstress after she submitted two mixtapes that were recorded in her home studio. “That’s where I feel like I can get really personal,” Tinashe explains. AQUARIUS RISING She proved her place in the game with the top-40 single “2 On.” So what inspired Tinashe to become a recording artist in the first place? “No one ever told me I couldn’t.”

As printed in the May 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Ultimate Cool Girl Alia Shawkat Put Together the Only Summer Playlist You'll Need to Hear

"Music sets the tone for where you are in life."

Read the full interview here: www.TeenVogue.com

We Had a Chat with Freddie Highmore About the Sinister New Season of 'Bates Motel'

He's kind of a psycho. No, really.

Read the full interview here: www.TeenVogue.com

Get to Know the Sisters Behind Our Favorite New Instagram!

Having fun with fashion's eternal It girl.

Read the full interview here: www.TeenVogue.com

Fantasy Flight

Broadway receives the Tinkerbell treatment in Finding Neverland.

The classic tale of the boy who won't grow up lands on the Great White Way in April with the musical production of Finding Neverland. Following NBC's Peter Pan Live! and years of film renditions, the beloved children's story is having yet another major moment with this Harvey Weinstein production, which received rave reviews during its run in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The show, starring Glee's Matthew Morrison, centers on playwright J.M. Barrie and his relationship with the real family who inspired the thrilling adventures of Peter Pan. Morrison, who got his start in New York theater, gets to flex his stage muscles in the role of Barrie, best known for creating the mischievous flying boy. With its fresh-faced cast, Finding Neverland is a "once upon a time" story that might give Wicked a run for its money.

As printed in the April 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Miss Pop-ular

We're all about Meghan Trainor's catchy debut album.

Twenty-one-year-old Meghan Trainor broke onto the scene with a bang— and a whole lot of bass. The bubbly singer-songwriter is this year’s most- talked-about overnight sensation, and she’s well on her way to becoming more than just a one-hit wonder. The key to her success? An insanely catchy body-positive anthem that inspires self-confidence.
The inescapable debut single, “All About That Bass,” skyrocketed to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and even beat out seasoned songstresses Taylor Swift and Jessie J. On January 13, Meghan is set to release her first studio album, Title, which will feature not only her signature ’50s sound but also an unexpected surprise (rap!). Can she deliver another chart topper? No treble.

As printed in the February 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Stellar Starlet

Mackenzie Foy is poised for a meteoric rise through Hollywood.

It’s not easy to top a coveted breakout role as Edward and Bella’s angelic spawn in the Twilight series, but 14-year-old Mackenzie Foy put her vampire-love-story days behind her when she was cast alongside Matthew McConaughey and Jessica Chastain in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, one of 2014’s most-talked- about blockbusters. “It’s amazing, getting to be around such incredible people,” the Los Angeles native says of her award-winning costars.
Mackenzie has come a long way from her days as a Twilight tot, not to mention her first professional acting gig: appearing with supermodel Cindy Crawford in a furniture commercial in 2006. The former child model’s style is also fast evolving (she’s already mastering the fine art of the flirty frock) as she joins the red-carpet ranks of Young Hollywood’s best dressed, including Chloë Grace Moretz, Elle Fanning, and Kiernan Shipka. It’s not constant glamour and lights, camera, action all the time, though. “When I’m not
filming, I’m in the schoolroom or studying,” says the hardworking ingenue, who favors history class, aims to one day go to film school to become a director, and does tae kwon do in her spare time. Being just as comfortable in a little black dress as you are in a first-degree black belt means only one thing: You’re ready to take the world by storm.

As printed in the February 2015 Issue of Teen Vogue.

Exclusive! We Chatted with Ed Sheeran About His New Book (and Warning: He's Going to Make You Want to Buy It Immediately)

Upset we didn't say "album"? Don't be: This is a must-read.

Read the full interview here: www.TeenVogue.com

A Blogger on Broadway: Tavi Gevinson's Journey from Style Rookie to Stage Actress in NYC's Biggest Play

What can't this girl do?

Read the original article here: www.TeenVogue.com