From the Front Lines
We recognize the local health care heroes that have gone above and beyond in the fight of their lives. The word hero holds a special meaning when you are talking about the countless health care workers locally and across the globe that have risen to the occasion and worked tirelessly to try and combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The unprecedented nature of this crisis has thrust these... Read More
A Precocious Performer
At just 7 years old, actress Mykal-Michelle Harris is stealing scenes on ABC’s Mixed-ish and harboring ambitions to step behind the camera. It’s hard not to conflate Mykal-Michelle Harris with the character she plays on ABC’s Mixed-ish, a spinoff of the network’s critically acclaimed Black-ish, which follows the trials and tribulations of a mixed-race family living in the... Read More
Getting Personal
Winter Park author Owl Goingback on joining the military at 17 years old, weaving indigenous culture into his writing and his award-winning novel. 1. When I was a kid, I wanted to be in the Air Force more than anything else. I knew the military would give me an opportunity to travel and see the world. I joined when I was 17 and was living in Spain a month after my 18th birthday.... Read More
Family First
Despite a demanding career that requires him to wear many hats, Mario Lopez knows how important it is to make the most out of his time with loved ones. A year before the COVID-19 pandemic began to take over our daily existence, Mario Lopez was in Orlando enjoying dinner and drinks with some friends when he was recognized and asked to do a favor. Such is life for a celebrity in the... Read More
Rising to the Occasion
Gal Gadot proves she’s a Wonder Woman in more ways than one. You won’t find many movie stars with the following credentials: army soldier, martial arts expert and national beauty pageant winner. But upon meeting Gal Gadot, it’s easy to see how the pieces of the puzzle all fit. A former Miss Israel, her ebullient personality and charismatic nature immediately convince you... Read More
Getting Personal
Newspaper columnist Scott Maxwell on cutting his teeth as a city hall reporter, meeting his wife at a hoedown and the issue he thinks deserves the attention of Central Floridians. When I was a kid I wanted to be a newspaperman. I don’t know why, but I always found the profession intoxicating. When I was little, I’d go to my father’s office and churn out mimeographed copies... Read More
Loving Life
Through family and friendship, as well as her art, Amanda Seyfried opens her heart. No matter where her career takes her, Amanda Seyfried believes it is possible to go home again. She may have become a household name as star of stage and screen, but she says returning to her roots—specifically, to her hometown on the edge of the Philadelphia suburbs—has had a nurturing effect. The... Read More
Getting Personal
Local musician Beth McKee on writing songs, her career path and the founding of Swamp Sistas. I grew up in Jackson, Miss., and have lived as an adult in Austin, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I came to Orlando in 1997 to help my husband care for his aging Cuban mother and uncle. After caring for them for several years, we decided to make Orlando... Read More
The Big Picture
With an iconic career that has spanned five decades, Harrison Ford would rather focus on what lies ahead than live in the past. In a business where longevity is only guaranteed for the cream of the crop, Harrison Ford has certainly made his presence felt over the course of the past five decades. Equally comfortable playing either the captivating action hero or the dramatic lead,... Read More
On Top of Their Game
These varsity athletes score big in more ways than one. Amaya Ugarte, Windermere girls track Ugarte, a senior, became Windermere’s first state champion in any sport when she claimed the triple jump title last spring. She is an eight-time state medalist in her career and is looking to go out with another remarkable season before moving on to Ohio State. OFM: The 2019 season was... Read More
Getting Personal
Solar Bears head coach Drake Berehowsky on his love of hockey, being a parent to six kids and where he likes to spend his time off. 1. I started playing hockey when I was 8 years old. My brother got me involved; my parents didn’t want me to play and get hurt, but once my brother started playing I wanted to be like him and I wasn’t going to be deterred. 2. I grew up in Toronto.... Read More
Miss Congeniality
Jeanne Robertson’s family-friendly humor makes it way to Orlando next month. Dressed in a red blazer, black pencil skirt and stiletto heels, Jeanne Robertson walks across the stage, microphone in hand. She’s telling an uproarious story in her trademark Southern drawl about her husband and an ill-fated trip he made to the supermarket in a video titled “Don’t Send a Man to... Read More
Ready For More
On the heels of a recent string of success, including receiving her second Academy Award nomination, Margot Robbie reprises one her favorite roles in Birds of Prey. Margot Robbie’s love of Harley Quinn is really only just beginning. A character enveloped in the fog of Suicide Squad has been unharnessed and allowed to break free into her own stratosphere of curious, eccentric,... Read More
Relying on Instinct
After putting her career on hold to start a family, Jamie-Lynn Sigler returns to the spotlight with a renewed energy and plenty of wisdom. Jamie-Lynn Sigler is as all-American as motherhood, baseball and apple pie. The Sopranos star who we watched grow up as Tony’s inquisitive teenage daughter Meadow and who went on to leading roles, stepped away from her TV career a few years... Read More
Getting Personal
Orlando comedian Ken Miller on getting into stand-up, winning Steve Harvey’s spotlight contest and being a big college basketball fan. 1. I was always a funny kid. So I told all my friends that when I got old enough I was going to be a stand-up comic. I used to listen to Richard Pryor cassette tapes as a kid and I told myself I’m going to be Richard Pryor when I grow up. Now... Read More
Still Standing
With a career spanning five decades, Sylvester Stallone has proved to be, if nothing else, resilient. He’s experienced both the highs and lows that come with life in Hollywood, and yet after all this time, the rugged and chiseled 73-year-old is still going strong. And it’s with that mindset that he has made a regular habit of offering his millions of fans across the globe some... Read More
Nothing to Lose
With a heavily established career and a settled home life, Nicole Kidman prefers to just go with the flow. Whoever it was who said “age is nothing but a number” had it right where Nicole Kidman is concerned. The Australian actress, 52, has bucked the trend of female stars finding roles increasingly difficult to come by as their years advance. In fact, one could argue that she’s... Read More
Enjoying the Ride
While Matt Damon goes full speed ahead in the new Ford v Ferrari flick, he’s learned over the course of his career to slow down and appreciate the journey. You could never say Matt Damon doesn’t commit to his craft. Whether that entails starving himself for one of his first major films in Courage Under Fire, piling on the muscle for his starring roles in the Bourne franchise,... Read More
Cream of the Crop
These eight standout student-athletes are primed for greatness this winter. Zach Anderson, Apopka basketball A 6-foot-7 senior forward, Anderson is a three-year starter who helped Apopka win a district championship in 2018 and post a 22-4 record last year. He will continue his career at Florida Gulf Coast University. OFM: Last year was a great one for Apopka, although the team battled... Read More
Ready to Entertain
With a new homewares line and upcoming return to television, Patricia Heaton is back to doing what she does best. Patricia Heaton doesn’t really know the definition of downtime. Having just wrapped nine seasons of The Middle last year, the Emmy-winning actress is doing anything but sitting idly by. This fall, she’ll return to the world of television comedy as the star of a... Read More
Getting Personal
Winner of the Orlando Museum of Art’s Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, Edison Peñafiel on why he uses multimedia installations, how migrating to the United States has shaped his outlook and what he’s working on next. 1. Just being included in the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art exhibition at the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA), with all the artists and their works, is a great... Read More
