Although January is the perfect time to look forward to the year ahead and to make plans for the future, it’s also fun to reflect back on the previous 12 months and to take stock of what they’ve taught us. That is why Orlando Family Magazine always kicks off a new year by recapping the previous one, and 2023 was surely filled with memorable moments. The following page contain quotes from our many celebrity interviews, including international actresses like Emilia Clarke and Salma Hayek along with big stars with local ties, such as Nick Carter. We hope you’ll agree that 2023 was a year to savor, and here’s to more of the same in 2024.

“The world has been a pretty scary place for a while, and to have two hours or so of escapism is really important. And it’s nice to have different kinds of entertainment on the screen. So just watch, savor and enjoy!”
— Anya Taylor-Joy

“I’m recognized now, whereas after the first few seasons [of Game of Thrones], people really wouldn’t notice me because of the difference the wig makes. That was actually quite comforting when I was able to be more anonymous … but I don’t mind. It’s really gratifying to know that you have a lot of fans who truly appreciate the show and the work you do. I’m very lucky.”
— Emilia Clarke

“I have found that the artists I consider to be the most successful and longest lasting are some of the kindest and most genuine human beings on the planet. Probably the most famous of all right now is Lady Gaga, and she is a very sweet and genuine person.”
— Musician Michelle Jones of the band Violectric

“I just want to be one of those guys that wherever I go, you’re going to follow because you trust that I’m going to give you something excellent. It doesn’t matter if it’s drama or comedy, I put the same amount of energy and the same amount of care and excellence into doing each thing equally as well. I want to showcase all of my talents and work hard. I’m always trying to impress and I’m always staying hungry.”
— Marlon Wayans

“I was drawn to Orlando as a challenge to do a restaurant in that market. As I am growing as a restaurateur and an entrée-preneur—which I’m intentionally mispronouncing—Orlando was just one of those spots where it’s like, wow, let’s do it here. You have so many people, it’s such an international city; I don’t know if people really understand how many people come through Orlando.”
— Celebrity chef Richard Blais, owner of Four Flamingos

“There are many times, especially after I’ve finished working on a film, that I tell myself I’m going to take a year off and spend more time on my ranch, but that’s not my nature. I know I would get bored very fast if I didn’t have a film project to look forward to.”
— Salma Hayek

“He was one of the greatest human beings of all time. If you knew him, you knew that you would never meet anyone like him ever again. He was a huge inspiration, a truly special guy.”
— Scott Caan on his late father, James Caan

“My goal is not really to play strong women as much as finding characters with a lot of depth and flaws. That’s what draws me to a role. I want to explore who they are and create a very distinctive personality. I usually look for characters whose personalities and backgrounds are different from my own. I’m fascinated by human nature and how different we all are.”
— Rachel McAdams

“Orlando is magical for me for obvious reasons … it’s our biggest Florida playground! From the opening of Walt Disney World, which I attended when I was a child, to the many wonderful family visits with my own kids and family through the years, every memory we have made there has been special and wonderful, and that continues to be the case. Now I can share that with my grandson Sasha as well, and we love having so many adventures in the Orlando area.”
— Gloria Estefan

“This course isn’t just for students, the new partnership is really for anybody. It could be somebody who’s a salesman, someone who is in management, anywhere you have to communicate with people. … And the approach to that is a step-by-step of teaching you how to interview. People think all you do is ask questions. Well, you do ask questions, but there is a strategy behind it. How are you phrasing your questions? Are they open-ended questions? Your goal is not to be the smartest person in the room. Your goal is to make your subjects reveal things—to tell you something.”
—  Sports broadcaster Dan Patrick, on his interviewing course at Full Sail University

“It was an 850-900-seat theater. We were running the fly system, we were running the lights—the kids were doing everything. We were running the office and doing the purchase orders, building the sets, using heavy machinery to cut the wood and everything. I loved it so much that even at lunchtime, I would go into the theater and just be there, even if I was by myself. We would rehearse until 11 o’clock at night. It was all I ever wanted to do and it was all I did.”
— Actor Matt Lauria, on the theater program at Dr. Phillips High School

“I think the Haunted Mansion theme-park ride must have offered a fair amount of inspiration for all those involved. It really encapsulates everything this movie is about, and the idea was always to bring that real, lived, theme-park experience to the big screen.”
— Haunted Mansion star Jamie Lee Curtis

“I think [inspiring young fans] is one of the most important parts of being a professional. Orlando has great club soccer teams and I try my best to be an inspiration for all the little girls here in my own city.”
— Orlando Pride defender Carrie Lawrence

“For about four or five years, we lived in Orlando and Kissimmee. We had a band house, and we were always rehearsing in a huge warehouse that had no air conditioning; just dancing and practicing and perfecting our craft as the Backstreet Boys. We kept getting better and better and kept recording music, and then we started going on tour. Everything for the Backstreet Boys was cultivated in Orlando when it came to the group and who we are today.”
— Nick Carter

“I remember when Will & Grace ended, my brother-in-law said, ‘So I guess you can retire now.’ I looked at him and I said, ‘What? I don’t even know what you’re talking about.’ You have to want this so badly that you’ll figure out a way to keep going. I think that plus a ton of luck is the secret.”
— Eric McCormack

“It’s because the characters are archetypes; people can relate to it. The story was told so honestly when I wrote it, that other people went through exactly what I went through and felt the same things that I felt. It’s able to connect to them, and that’s what makes a story that lasts, like It’s a Wonderful Life. … People can relate to these stories.”
— Chazz Palminteri on the enduring popularity of A Bronx Tale

Thank you for another wonderful year and be sure to check out the digital edition of OFM to see more recaps from the year!