Play Real Housewives: The Game

  Photo by Michael Rosenthal/Bravo 

We always thought it would be fun to be one of Bravo's Real Housewives for day. Although no one wants to admit it, it would be fascinating to be a table flipping, fashion mongering millionaires for just a few hours — wouldn't it? But since we haven't been able to get Lisa Vanderpump to be our BFF just yet, we'll have to settle for living out our fantasy via the new Real Housewives Facebook game.

The app let's you dive into the lifestyle right away and it promises that you can “play your way to the top of New York society.” You start by choosing from a few fabulous hairstyles (sorry ladies, there are no Kim Zolciak wigs included in the NYC version) and some hot outfits. And then you go on your tutorial quest — to meet Bravo Executive Vice President of Development and Talent and Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen in a hip Manhattan nightclub. Then you get to dance with a clubber and chat up the hottest locals.

Katie Leclerc on Playing a Deaf Role on Switched at Birth

Photo by Adam Larkey/ABC Family  

Katie Leclerc, who plays Daphne Vasquez on ABC Family’s Switched at Birth, is a true inspiration for any kid struggling today. In a recent exclusive interview Katie talked about playing a deaf role, her own hearing loss, trait she shares with Daphne and advice for deaf kids.

On Switched at Birth, Daphne Vasquez lost her hearing when she got meningitis as a kid. In real life Katie did not develop hearing problems until she was 20 years old. She recalls, “When I was 17, I needed a foreign language in high school to graduate. I quickly found out that I couldn’t do Spanish; I was not so good at that. My sister was an American Sign Language teacher and my school offered it and I thought that would be really fun. And so I took it. And then at 20 I found out that I had something called Ménière's disease.”

She explained that the condition is a build up of fluid in the inner ear that can strike at any time and causes hearing loss, vertigo and ringing in the ear. She said, “The attacks come and go as they please with no rhyme or reason. And it’s somewhat challenging because when the room is spinning in every different direction and you don’t know which way is up, it’s hard to remember that without this disease… I would not be able to play the role of Daphne.”

Katie noted that in the deaf community only those with real-life hearing impairment can play a deaf or hard of hearing role. And so if she had not been afflicted with Ménière's, she would not have been cast on Switched at Birth, which she calls her dream come true. She stated, “It’s a struggle but I’m ultimately thankful for it because it brought me to where I am.”

This week's inspiring pop culture moment: Lovetown, USA

  OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK

Each week we take a look around our pop culture world and try to find one moment that stood out as the most inspiring. It might be a celebrity who is doing charitable things, a TV shows that inspires us to be better. Here is this week's most inspiring pop culture moment.

Oprah Winfrey is at it again, putting a brand new twist on a tired old genre and inspiring everyone within tear shot at the same time. Her latest foray into reality TV is the not-just-a-dating-reality-show Lovetown, USA. In a recent exclusive interview with the show’s matchmakers and general love brokers, Paul Carrick Brunson and Kailen Rosenberg talked about how they worked with the entire community of Kingsland, Georgia on a 30-day social experiment.

Although the series was originally devised to be a more traditional one, helping singles search for the perfect relationship, Winfrey changed all of that. As Kailen recounted, “Oprah came into Love Headquarters and sat down with Paul and I and really talked about what was this plan, what were we trying to do, how did we think we could possibly take this town and transform it in just 30 days. And make it real, not just TV.”

TUNE IN: Buying and Selling

Matt Harbicht/Getty Images, © 2012, HGTV/Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

We're big fans of the Property Brothers. To start off with we're total interior design nerds. We've been watching HGTV since the day it started. But top it off with the fact that the show's hosts, Drew and Jonathan Scott, are identical twins and we're hooked. Drew, the realtor, helps couples find a fixer-upper and Jonathan, the designer/contractor, transforms the space into their dream home.

Now the duo has a new series on the network — Buying and Selling. On this one Jonathan renovates the old house to get it ready for Drew to sell it for top dollar. Then Drew helps them buy their property. Check out the premiere of Buying & Selling tonight at 9 p.m. EST/PST on HGTV. And watch for upcoming Celebrity Sibling interview with the brothers.

Take a Tour of Films and Songs Thanks to We Are Dorothy

Courtesy of WeAreDorothy.com

When we first arrived in Hollywood those many years ago, we had barely unpacked our luggage before we headed out Beverly Hills to buy a map of the stars homes. We loved driving by all of the mansions that were once graced by everyone from Jimmy Stewart to Jimmy Cagney. But we got most excited when we’d drive by the corner of “Sunset and Camden,” the intersection that Debbie Reynolds blurted out to Gene Kelly in “Singing in the Rain.”

Of course, that was one of the few destinations mentioned in a film that actually existed in the real world. Most are just figments of some filmmakers imagination — until now.

Thanks to the British design firm, We Are Dorothy, cinema lovers can finally look at a film map of all those made up movie places. The chart covers all the territory from Jurassic Park to Reservoir Dogs.

Chris Bukowsi — Villain or Mastermind?

Photo by ABC/Craig Sjodin  

Watching this season of Bachelor Pad makes us understand why people hate reality TV. After all, how can these contestants actually be making these ridiculously inappropriate choices — someone has to write this stuff, no one would actually choose to act that way. We, of course, are riveted — carefully plotted out or not, it’s must-see TV for us.

Needless to say to anyone who’s been watching, all the drama rests in the hands of Chris Bukowski. The 25-year-old corporate sales director from Chicago, Illinois, came off as one of the better catches on the last season of The Bachelorette. Although he was a little too young in most people’s eyes, he was a nice enough guy and seemed genuinely heart broken when Emily Maynard sent him packing.

But when Chris showed up at the Bachelor Pad he was a different guy, thanks in part to the sting of the recent rejection. His mission was simple — to win money, not find love. Unfortunately for the girls who were there looking for both, he left a string of angry and sobbing hopefuls to whom he’d vowed his loyalty.

CELEBRITY SIBLINGS: The Mowry Sisters from Tia & Tamera

Photo by Robert Trachtenberg/Style

It’s been a while since we’ve had an installment in our celebrity sibling series. But whenever we get the opportunity to talk to brothers or sisters who work together in entertainment we jump for the chance. We love to find out why, like us, other siblings like to work together and what challenges they face. In a conference call interview identical twins Tia and Tamera Mowry, who grew up in front of eyes on Sister, Sister and now are exposing their personal lives on reality TV with Tia & Tamera on Style Network.

Working with siblings, like any business partner, has its up and downs and the Mowry sisters are no exception to that rule. But from the sounds of it they have more ups than downs. Tamera stated, “The best part I would have to say about working with my sister is it never feels like work. I totally forget that the cameras are there and we just have fun.”

And Tia added, “For me the best would definitely have to be you don’t have to work on chemistry. It’s just natural. Usually when you’re working with someone that you don’t necessarily know, you have to work on the chemistry and build that chemistry but for my sister and I it just comes natural for us and I really enjoy that.”

Of course with any reality TV show, the downsides are recorded for the world to see and that is the worst part for Tamera. “You’re going to have your days where you might be annoyed with the other one or you’re just tired and unfortunately the cameras are catching that as well.”

Her sister agreed, “It’s a blessing working with your sister and a family member but also it can be difficult because if you’re having issues like every sister, brother or even husband and wife that work together, you’re going to have some disagreements. You take it with you to work. And that can be hard, shutting off your differences and just going to work. But I think it makes your relationship stronger and more mature.”

They did reveal to us their secrets for a success sibling partnership. Tamera divulged, “You realize that you are going to have differences, you’re not going to agree all the time and mainly just to respect the other person’s opinion. Just respect who they are... I think that’s what makes it work.”

Win a Cowboy Hat Signed by Larry Hagman or a SYTYCD Set Visit

Photo by Adam Rose 

It's that time of year again. We're gearing up for our big day at the Emmys. Why not join us by bidding on front row red carpet bleacher seats for the 2012 Primetime Emmys in this year's Television Academy Foundation auction? The fundraiser ends on August 30, 2012, so don't miss out on all the amazing items. Here are just a few of the TV experiences and memorabilia you can bid on:

• Warner Bros. VIP Studio tour tickets to The Big Bang Theory set plus memorabilia — Current bid: $1,275

• Community set visit for two and a signed script — Current bid: $1,175

• Custom lunch for five at the Food Network — Current bid: $570

• Star Signed 2011 Emmy Poster autographed by over 40 winners and presenters including Claire Danes, Hugh Laurie, Bryan Cranston, Ashton Kutcher and so many more — Current bid: $510

• Tickets for two to So You Think You Can Dance and a meet and greet with Cat Deeley — Current bid: $500

• VIP tickets to The Colbert Report plus memorabilia — Current bid: $500

• Two front row seats in the red carpet bleachers at the Primetime Emmy awards — Current bid: $500

• A Stetson hat signed by Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, Jesse Metcalf and Jordana Brewster from Dallas — Current bid: $250

Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation.

Visit the Emmy Foundation's eBay page for all the great items up for bid. And good luck!

Leah Devora Paints our TV and Film Icons

Photo courtesy of Leah Devora

Our parents were both artists, so we were brought up to appreciate a good Monet. Our bedroom was decorated with Degas prints and we cried when we saw the Sistine Chapel in person. But nothing pleases us more than when two of our favorite worlds collide — art and television. So imagine how excited were were to discover mixed media artist Leah Devora’s Sitcom Series. Yes, you heard us. Leah has created works of art based on the best of the best ‘70s TV shows.

In a recent exclusive interview she admitted, “That [collection is] my favorite of all time.” We had found a kindred spirit. We spoke with her on the day that Ron Palillo (Welcome Back Kotter’s Arnold Horshack) died and broke the sad news to her. After recovering from the shock she told us, she had done a painting of that show.

She explained where the concept came from, “I grew up in the ‘70s. My whole life was ‘70s sitcoms… Most of the ‘70s [shows] were black culture and how dominant black culture was. They were very politically oriented, those shows. They were very hard hitting in a not so subtle way but yet it got the point out there. It’s not like today where everybody’s so politically correct. [My paintings are] all social commentaries, too.”

She continued, “That’s something nobody’s ever done before, was paint sitcoms, and I wanted to do something no one’s ever done before. And because I was so heavily influenced by that in my life I wanted to make that part of my painting series, so I did it. My favorite was The Good Times one and The Jeffersons. They all have the ‘70s political stuff like Nixon and Vietnam.”

But even before she tackled the TV sitcoms through art, Leah put another Hollywood era on canvas with works centering around stars like Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich and Audrey Hepburn. Eight years ago she started the ghosts of Hollywood series. She recalled, “I moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I was in a totally different mindset. I was not in the mood for L.A. I was not happy... But then I started looking at my neighborhood in Los Feliz. And that’s just such old Hollywood neighborhood, old energy there. I started picking up this weird, haunted energy. There’s a lot of spirit things buried underground in this town. They destroy things and bury them here. That’s a big L.A. thing... L.A.’s a creepy town to me and I started getting in to that. So that became my big inspiration was the creepiness of L.A.”

Noureen DeWulf Describes a Happy Set on Anger Management

Courtesy of FX

Given all of his antics throughout the last year, it’s hard to imagine that Charlie Sheen is pretty much the straight man on Anger Management. But as was the case on the The Bob Newhart Show in the ‘70s, the therapist can’t be the craziest person in the room. So as leader of a therapy group, Charlie had to be surrounded by a gang of patients who were a little off kilter. Enter Noureen DeWulf, who plays the oh-so-jealous Lacey.

Despite her eccentricities, Noureen is able to keep her character grounded. In a recent conference call interview she explained, “I try to keep a balance between hitting the joke and keeping her grounded. It's a precarious balance but it's a sitcom format. So that's what I do.”

The fact that she has such great characters with the other actors, who play Charlie’s patients, certainly doesn’t hurt. Noureen noted, “I adore every single member of our group therapy. Barry Corbin and I eat lunch together every day. It's such an unusual pairing… I love him. Derek [Richardson] and Michael [Boatman], I just couldn't say nicer things about them. Then, of course, Charlie leading our group… It's amazing because he is such a sitcom legend.”

This Week's Inspiring Pop Culture Moment: Cole Hein and Bingo

Photo courtesy of Mandi Hein

Each week we take a look around our pop culture world and try to find one moment that stood out as the most inspiring. It might be a celebrity who is doing charitable things, a TV shows that inspires us to be better or a philosophy that we should all strive to live by. Here is this week's most inspiring pop culture moment.

Although Cole Hein is not a famous movie or TV celebrity, he's a star in our eyes for the kind-hearted thing he is doing for his dog Bingo. Cole had an undiagnosed medical condition that made him sporadically stop breathing. And so in 2005, his family bought him Bingo, a service dog, whose soul job was to make sure Cole was breathing.

And Bingo has performed his task lovingly and unconditionally for seven years — saving Cole's life on several occasions. When his best friend stopped breathing, he barked until someone came and resuscitated the boy.

But now the tables have turned. Cole is healthier these days, but Bingo has been diagnosed with Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome and vets say he may only live another few weeks. And so Cole has created Bingo's "Lick It List" — a bucket list for dogs. All the things they need to do together one last time before Bingo crosses the Rainbow Bridge.

The list includes, "I want to take her on one last public outing to Ruckers [recreation center]. I want to walk her around the block twice. And I want to get her treats from around the world."

That last part is where we all come in. Cole's family has set up a Facebook page so that friends from all over the globe can send their favorite dog treats to Cole and Bingo. The family is refusing financial donations, just bones, chews and canine-friendly snacks of kind so Bingo can enjoy his last days with a full belly. Join the campaign on Facebook or send you treats directly to Cole Hein/Bingo Hein, PO Box 413, Shilo, MB, Canada, R0K 2A0.


For related stories check out:

This Week's Inspiring Pop Culture Moment: Yolanda Goins

This Week's Inspiring Pop Culture Moment: Got Your 6

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Face Off’s McKenzie Westmore and Ve Neill on Past Contestants

Photo by Nicole Wilder/Syfy

Season 3 of Face Off started last night with another set of hopeful special effect make-up artists vying for the top prize as a guest lecturer at the Make Up Forever Academy in New York and Paris, a car and $100,000 cash. But perhaps more importantly, the competitors get exposure in a world that’s hard to crack. The show has already helped the careers of some special effects make-up artists who appeared in the first two seasons. In a recent conference call interview, host McKenzie Westmore and judge Ve Neill talked about some of the success stories and gave advice for future contestants.

Season 1 winner Conor McCullagh was already a professional in the business when he decided to go on the show. He had worked on films like Shallow Hal and Jackass. But one thing Conor didn’t have until Face Off was a direct line to three-time Academy Award winner Ve Neill. Ve, who won Oscars for her work on Beetlejuice, Ed Wood and Mrs. Doubtfire, met Connor on the show. She stated, “Conner came and did The Hunger Games with me… I was actually hoping that he’d go on the second Hunger Games with me but I think I’m going to have to hire locally again, which is why he got hired the first time, because he was local in North Carolina.”

Ve talked about the value of being on Face Off, “It’s just such a wonderful opportunity for any of these artists to be able to stay in touch with us because we would love to be able to help them out eventually.” And she pointed out “They don’t even have to be the winner. I still talk to a lot of the guys. They come and do things at tradeshows with me and do demos and it’s really to see their progression and how they advanced since they’ve come off the show.”

McKenzie, whose father is the legendary Michael Westmore of Star Trek and Mask fame, said she, too, has a connection to one of the past contestant. “My dad actually hired Gage to do a Bollywood film this past year. He sent him over to India and had him make up the [actor] who’s considered like the George Clooney of India… It was really neat to see somebody like Gage, who wasn’t the winner but still an amazing talent. And a lot of people do continue to get great work after being seen on the show and after they are able to showcase their talent.

Ve added, “It really opens up a lot of doors for them… I’m so happy for the contestants because it’s such a great opportunity for them to advance their craft. So I’m really happy that the show has been able to do that for so many artists.”

Laura Mennell Is Part of the Syfy Family on Alphas

Photo by Frank Ockenfels/Syfy

Laura Mennell seems to have a love affair going with Syfy. Not only is she the star of the network’s hit series Alphas, but she’s done quite a bit of work for the channel during her 14-year career. In fact one of her first gigs was an episode of Stargate SG-1 back in 1999.

In a recent conference call interview, the Canadian actress talked about her ongoing relationship with the network. “I love Syfy a lot. I have a lot of fun in it. You always get to do different things.”

Plus a lot of the channel’s series mount their productions in her own back yard in Vancouver, British Columbia. Laura continued, “We shoot a lot of Syfy series [in Vancouver] and a lot of Syfy movies. Watchmen was shot there. The 4400 was, Eureka, Smallville, you name it. They are all shot there so I was lucky enough to be a part of a lot of those.”

An Interview with Blake Jenner Winner of The Glee Project

Photo by Tyler Golden/Oxygen Media

Last week Blake Jenner won The Glee Project, and we have to admit we were a little shocked. We had been assuming all season that Ryan Murphy, the creator of Glee, would choose Aylin Bayramoglu. After all he wanted a story that had not been told and Glee had not yet dealt with a girl with Muslim heritage growing up in the very American surroundings of Lima, Ohio. Not that Blake didn’t deserve to win, he’s handsome, charming and very talented. We just thought Ryan would use the opportunity to tell a different tale. But when Blake pulled out a poem during his last chance performance and cracked open his vulnerable side, clearly he won over all of the special guests in the audience as well as Murphy himself. And so it is Blake that will get a seven-episode storyline on next season’s Glee. In a recent conference call interview he talked about how it felt to win, what character he hopes to play and

On Not Being Prepared for Glee

“From the beginning we all felt like amateurs. I definitely did. And I learned a lot through singing as the competition went on. So I definitely feel like it evolved. Once I hit the middle of the second half of competition, then we all felt like we were getting to that point where we all felt ready for Glee.”

On His Breakthrough Moment

“My biggest breakthrough moment on the show was ‘Actability.’ That’s my favorite episode of everything… We all did a great job as a unit getting the right emotions displayed. But, I think that ‘Actability’ is definitely a standout moment for me because I got to show my roots. Everybody else had studied music throughout their whole lives but I’d studied acting. So I got to show what I’ve been doing.”

The Hardest Challenge

“Two things were the hardest, slushies because it felt like you were getting slapped by a snowman in the face and it was crazy. It was so cold. When we’re getting slushied, I couldn’t feel the left side of my body. It was like the more I got slushied, the more I went numb and it was crazy and it hurt. But also, what was a little bit harder that I would take slushies over this, is the obstacle course. To some people it don’t look like much but the more we did it and with these sweat suits we were wearing, it was intense. I lost so much energy and by the time it was over I really felt like I was going to faint.”

On How It Felt to Win

“I honestly did not think I was going to win. I had fought until the end but I honestly thought that the two girls next to me, they had stories that you could see right when you look at them. Just by looking at them you’ll see their stories and you’ll see how their storylines could play out. Mine, you’d have to get in depth but I honestly thought they were going to win. I was getting ready to turn to them and hug them because I thought for sure they were going to win and when he said my name, I couldn’t even think because it was just like a dream come true. This is something that I’ve been working towards since my first acting class when I was really, really young.”

Old Friends Reunite for the Five Year Photos Project

 All photos courtesy of John Wardlaw

We all have those photos of ourselves in our heyday — carefree teenagers, hanging with our very best friends on a summer vacation. But these five guys turned a sunny snapshot into a lifelong project. 

John “Wedge” Wardlaw, Mark Rumer, Dallas Burney, John “Belves” Molony and John “J.D.” Dickson took their first “official” photo together in 1982. Wedge’s family had a cabin on Copco Lake in northern California, and the buddies decided to grab a still to capture the moment in time. They never intended to turn it into a lifelong photo-essay. But that’s what it became.

The gang sat on a railing, while Belves clutches a Folgers Instant Coffee jar housing their pet cockroach. Mark has a bucket hat slung over his knee. They all rock “I’m too cool for this” teen snarls. And that was that. In a recent exclusive interview Wardlaw explained that they had no intention of posing that way in the future, saying, “We didn't even know all of us would make the trip together again.”

This Week's Inspiring Pop Culture Moment: Yolanda Goins

 

 OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

Each week we take a look around our pop culture world and try to find one moment that stood out as the most inspiring. It might be a celebrity who is doing charitable things, a TV shows that inspires us to be better or a philosophy that we should all strive to live by. Here is this week's most inspiring pop culture moment.

In a recent exclusive interview, we spoke with four of the stars of the new OWN series, Married to the Army: Alaska. While they struggle with single parenthood, disciplining their kids and battling depression, they find solace in each other. Yolanda Goins is the wife of Brigade Commander Colonel Morris Goins and as such, she is responsible for the spouses back at the base.

When we asked Yolanda about the bond of their sisterhood, she gave an inspiring answer that deserves to be presented without editing. This was her reply:

Bachelor Pad’s Jaclyn Swartz on Ed, Love Squares and Money

Photo by Todd Wawrychuk

Things are really starting to heat up on Bachelor Pad with several love triangles brewing, old friendships begin destroyed and new romances blossoming. But how much of it is real and how much of it is in the pursuit of $250,000? In a recent conference call interview contestant Jaclyn Swartz commented on Reid’s master plan, Ed’s exploits, Chris’ love triangle and Michael and Rachel’s infatuation.

On Reid’s Master Plan Backfiring
“I was really upset by Reid and his actions and his decisions and the way that he was playing the game. It was very sneaky. And when you think that someone is working with you and really, they're working against you, its pretty hurtful regardless of the fact that it's a game. It was more sad to see because Ed is clearly sensitive… He doesn't like lying. I don’t think he signed up for this game thinking it was going to be like this. The way that whole thing went down was pretty shocking. The game just didn’t do good things for Reid. If Reid had just thought and relax and not try to pull these moves and shake up alliances, then he would have been smooth sailing. There was no way that I would have voted him off in a million years because I actually like Reid. And to see what the game did to Reid, it was pretty unfortunate.”

On Why Reid was Going After Ed
“I would hate to think that Reid is still not over the Jillian thing because it was a long time ago and that just would be kind of funny to think about. But at the same time, maybe it has a little of something to do with it… Maybe it would feel a little liberating for him to see Ed go before he goes, as opposed to last time where he tries to come back and ultimately failed… It is a funny little play on that past vendetta but I could see Reid being happy seeing Ed leave before him. Ed loves to say he's never a lost a rose before. So maybe Reid just wanted to see him lose a rose.”

On Chris’ Love Triangle
“Chris and his love triangle is something that I definitely steered clear off. I was shocked to see the way that things were panning out behind the scenes and I had no idea that he was giving Jamie that much of an impression, that he liked her. And I had no idea that him and Blakely had kissed. So, this was all news to me. And to be honest you're going to see another girl enter into this love triangle and it's going to become a love square. So, I think that Chris is in like the year of Chris and he is just going for it.”

On Michael and Rachel’s Budding Relationship
“I was shocked to see them together in the first place because we were all friends. Rachel and I had met Michael at our Women Tell All week when we were in California. And we all stayed buddy-buddy. So when they started hooking up, I was a little shocked. But they got close pretty quickly and Michael was very vocal, he used to say, ‘I’m crushing hard on Rachel.’ I saw them hitting it off. I don’t know if I really understood it but, hey, Rachel is my best friend and she seems happy, so I was on board with it. But when you form relationships in the house, the way that they can translate into the real world is a gamble.  So, at this point, I see them being serious, but I think that down the road things might change.”

The Matchmaking Begins with the Coaches on Lovetown, USA

                 

Bob Croslin/OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK

Oprah Winfrey is at it again — taking the normal concept of a dating show and turning it on its ear. Now we’re not going to lie, and most of you know this by now, we dig a good (or bad) episode of The Bachelor. Still all those catfights and cocktail parties can get a little tired after a bit. But OWN has found a way to mix it up on Lovetown, USA. Not only will they be helping six singles find relationships, but also they’ll be helping the to transform the interactions of the entire town of Kingsland, Georgia.

In a recent exclusive interview with talked with the show’s matchmakers Paul Carrick Brunson, who’s billed as the Real-life Hitch and Kailen “The Love Architect” Rosenberg. The revealed how they each approached the unusual 30-day social experiment.

As Paul noted, the show’s first match-up was actually the one between him and his co-star, Kailen, since the two had never worked together before. He described their differing techniques, saying, “She’s like the Michael Jordan and I feel like I’m like the LeBron James. We have different styles but we still put points up on the board. We both score baskets. If you look at our backgrounds, Kailen is a very spiritually connected, very insightful, based on her experience, personal as well as professional, with the training that she’s logged. And she’s able to take that and really counsel individuals at a degree that is outstanding.”

Cassie Steele on The L.A. Complex, Music and Edie Sedgwick

Photo courtesy of Cassie Steele

Cassie Steele, known best for playing Manny Santos on nine seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation has grown up and moved on to the more adult role of Abby Vargas on the CW’s The L.A. Complex. On the show, Abby is a struggling actress who moves from Canada to Hollywood to pursue her dream. And although Cassie still lives in Toronto, the story mirrors her own life to a degree.

In a recent exclusive interview Cassie told us she differs from her character in some ways, but their struggles are the same. “Abby takes things really lightly. She jokes about her bad luck and she doesn’t let it affect her. I take things really hard personally… I really admire those kind of people that can do that and can take things lightly and don’t let it affect them in a negative way.”

But since she has been a singer and actress since first grade the 22-year-old can relate to Abby’s journey. She said they deal with a lot of the same issues such as “trying to afford everything without always working because it’s so on and off. Trying to stay on top of it and trying to also make friends. Because you come down here and you don’t really know anyone. And everyone out there is also trying to make it. So it gets really tough trying to balance your personal life, your work and keeping your sanity.”

Based on her own path and on what she learns from playing Abby, Cassie has advice for upcoming actors. “Although Abby has patches of bad luck, not everything is like that and keeping your chin up and keeping everything lightly would be the best advice that I wish I had heard when I was younger. Keeping light and staying driven and don’t let anything get you down because if you wear everything on your sleeves you’re not going to get a part. You have to keep that confidence and you have to keep that lightness and everything else that radiates in an audition.”

The Latest Glee Project Castoffs Ponder What Might Have Been

  Photo by Tyler Golden/NBC

 

Last week on The Glee Project the judges surprised fans with a double elimination. While Michael Weisman seemed destined to be next on the chopping block, many were shocked when Lily Mae Harrington saw her name under his on the call back list. After being sent packing, the two castoffs talked about the show in a conference call interview.

Lily Mae, who landed in hot water more than once for talking back to the judges described what it was like to do Last Chance performances for Glee’s creator. “Ryan Murphy really pushed me in every single way possible — as a performer, mentally, emotionally — and I started out at call backs for him and the mentors on a really high level.”

She reflected on some of her sassier moments, saying, “At the beginning of the competition I didn’t exactly deliver what they wanted. And so I think they were still expecting that level of performance. And I freaked out a little bit at the beginning of the competition. It’s a really hard transition. So yeah, it was difficult every week. But I just took whatever he threw at me and I tried to tackle it as best as I could.”

This Week's Inspiring Pop Culture Moment: Got Your 6

Each week we take a look around our pop culture world and try to find one moment that stood out as the most inspiring. It might be a celebrity who is doing charitable things, a TV shows that inspires us to be better or a philosophy that we should all strive to live by. Here is this week's most inspiring pop culture moment.

In an era when Terminator’s become governors and politicians are accused of being too connected to Hollywood, there is something coming out of the entertainment world that we can all get behind. The Got Your Six campaign is a bi-partisan movement led by the heavy hitters in the TV and film industry with a goal of helping our military vets step back into civilian roles.

It was founded a little over a year ago by some of the biggest forces in the industry including all the major networks and studios. Stars like Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, Brian Williams and Sarah Jessica Parker got together to make a PSA supporting the organization. And now Flo-Rida and Willie Nelson join the campaign with live shows.

Last week it was announced that two benefit concerts will be held in support of the Got Your Six campaign during the Republic and Democratic conventions. Willie Nelson and Jerry Jeff Walker will take the stage at a Got Your 6 event on August 29, 2012, during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. And Flo-Rida will perform one week later during the Democratic National Convention event in Charlotte, North Carolina, at a second Got Your Six soiree.

Executive Director of Got Your 6 and former Army Blackhawk helicopter pilot Chris Marvin stated, “With the support of this amazing line-up of artists, our two concert events this fall will bring a national spotlight to the urgent need for programs that bridge the gap between military service and civilian life.”

He continued, “This election cycle is extremely important for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, making it especially important for Got Your 6 to bring increased awareness of veteran issues to both parties at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.”

In military terms, Got Your Six, means “I got your back.” And that’s what this organization hopes to convey to our vets all around the country who have dedicated their lives to our service. They focus on six pillars of reintegration — job, education, housing, health, family and leadership. Each pillar has a group of experts who have created tangible, trackable goals to aid the more than 100 million service members who will be in transitioning back into civilian life over the next five years.

Leaders in the entertainment industry are the driving force behind getting this message out to the public. But it’s not just up to the celebs to take care of our vets. We can all pitch in. Visit GotYourSix.org to find out how you can help. From hiring a vet to giving blood to interviewing a service member, we can all spread the word about Got Your 6 and help the people who have sacrificed so much for us.

For related stories check out:

This week's inspiring pop culture moment: Jane Lynch

This Week's Inspirational Pop Culture Moment: Oprah's Lifeclass

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The Stars of Married to the Army: Alaska On Their Added Pressures

  OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

We’ve had a few interviews that tugged at our heartstrings over the years, but none have given us as much pause as our recent chat with the stars of Married to the Army: Alaska. Four military wives — Blair Flanagan, Lindsey Bergeron, Rynn Randall and Yolanda Goins — recently bared their souls to us in a roundtable conversation about the upcoming OWN series.

The women are facing challenges that so many others are — the pressure of raising children, the desire to fit in and dealing with issues like depression. But in addition to all of that, they have the added stress of the fact that their husbands are all currently deployed in Afghanistan.

The new mother, Blair, explained how that has affected her, “My job as my husband’s wife is to take care of our family while he’s gone. And I do that knowing that I may not get the acknowledgement from him that I want and need as a woman and as his wife.”