Chicago Actor Andre Bellos and His Journey to Fame

Photo Credit: JRFoto

I had the pleasure of speaking with Chicago native actor, singer and model, Andre Bellos. His humble beginnings, his hard work and his impressive resume caught my eye. Even though he faced a lot of bullying and criticism for his career choice as a kid and even now, he is able to push right through it and make it happen. He has attended this year's Oscars, he has been in shows such as "The View" and he can be seen in hits like "Chi-raq." In addition, he does modeling and singing. He also loves helping and doing charity work. Currently, he is also modeling for Vogue Italia. His ambition and passion for his work are rather impressive. See for yourself what he had to say:

You come from humble beginnings and yet you rose to fame. Tell us briefly about your journey?

I grew up in Des Plaines,Il, in a blended family and I always wanted to be in the entertainment business. I was heavily involved in my community and began college at 17. After two years, I dropped out to pursue acting full-time and I started out as an extra. I later signed with an agency, I began to book speaking roles and was fortunate enough to land my SAG card.

 

You faced bullying from classmates and criticism from parents for your choice in acting, singing and modeling. How did you overcome that and what kept you going on the entertainment path?

I have faced some pretty harsh criticism growing up, not only by my peers but my family as well. I am still working on overcoming this obstacle but the truth is, only I know what I am capable of. Entertainment was my refuge, that kept me going.

 

What is the new entertainment role? Is becoming a social media influencer more powerful than being an actor or a model or a singer?

The new entertainment role is just being your authentic self! Social media influencing has definitely made its mark on the social scene, everyone from big names to unknowns can capitalize on their very own niche. At the end of the day, nothing will ever take the place of pure disciplines such as acting, modeling, and dancing.

 

How does one become a social media influencer?

Anyone can become an influencer. There aren’t any specific steps that you need to take to get started. If you have a social media account you can start influencing your friends and family now. You probably already are and haven’t realized it yet. Why not get paid for it!

 

You have been heavily involved with charity work. Why is it important for you to give back and what message do you want to send to young people about volunteering? What charities have you helped? 

I grew up with immigrant parents. My mother was from El Salvador. I grew up listening to all the stories she would tell me about her childhood. From her rough upbringing to not even having indoor plumbing in the seventies, I grew up with gratitude. I want young people to know it’s cool to volunteer and donate your time to those in need. You have to see yourself in everyone and have compassion for those around you. I have worked with Feeding America, A Just Harvest, Family Promise, and the Toledo Public Library, just to name a few charities.

 

You attended this year's Oscars. Tell us about your experience?

I still cannot believe I attended the Academy Awards this year! Coming from a small town in Illinois to the bright lights of Hollywood was a milestone in my life. I felt like I was flying, when security escorted me to my seat, I could definitely feel that I wasn’t in “Kansas” anymore. The only way I can describe my experience was like being at the wax museum, and it came to life at night!

Photo Credit: JRFoto

 

You are currently working with Vogue Italia. Tell us more about your work with Vogue and how it came about?

I am so excited to talk about Vogue Italia! They have profiled me for their website this month and have included a short bio of my past work. It is truly an honor to be a part of a publication that I dreamt of being in the pages of as a young boy. I never thought it would actually happen!

 

Your passion remains acting. What are some of your dream roles that you want to play one day?

Some of my dream roles as an actor would be James Bond, Batman, and I would love to play Desi Arnaz in a Biopic. These are just a few dream roles. I have many..

 

You said that the entertainment business is not for everyone. What does it take to make it in this business?

To make it in show business you really have to have a passion for it. This business will test you in ways you could only imagine. If it is truly your calling, none of those things will deter you from your path.

 

You have an interesting background and a mix of Latin and Greek. What has it been like growing up in a blended family for you?

Growing up in a blended family is very tough but rewarding. I am half Greek and half Salvadoran and my father was previously married before he met my mother. There are five children total including myself.

 

Advice to young actors?

My advice to young actors would be, hang in there, your time will come. Until then perfect your craft, find your niche, and work harder than everyone else.

 

How has Covid-19 affected you personally and on a professional level? You said that if you are not in the spotlight people forget about your. How has that been the case now?

Personally Covid-19 has affected me in just the same way it has affected the world. I am a people person and not being able to be around other people has been a challenge for me. I have been working on myself and my mental health and have been fortunate enough to have still been able to work in different states during the lockdown. The entertainment business has suffered tremendously during this pandemic. I know we will come back bigger and better and stronger than ever this year in September. I think the biggest challenge for actors is relevancy, being able to remain relevant through trying times is a talent all on its own. I have been out of the spotlight myself for five months now and people forget about you if you are not in their psyche everyday. I hope they haven’t forgotten about me...

 

How do you overcome depression and anxiety?

I am someone who suffers from anxiety and depression and I combat it in a unique way. I meditate, work-out, sit in solitude, and walk in nature. I take a natural route to my mental health and am scared very often. I try my best not to be scared but I press forward regardless of the fear. I do a lot of things that are scary.

 

Where can people see you act, sing and model?

Check me out at www.AndreBellos.com

Photo Credit: JRFoto

Waterlily Jaguar

Renowned actress Melora Walters’ (Big Love; MAGNOLIA; ROBERT THE BRUCE; DROWNING) directorial debut WATERLILY JAGUAR stars James Le Gros (Justified, Girls) as Bob, a famous novelist known for his "airport" best-sellers who seeks to pen a more serious novel inspired by the ancient remains of the only human ever found in the La Brea Tar Pits, only to find himself tumbling down a spiral of obsession that may leave his most important relationship in shambles: his marriage.


Also starring are Mira Sorvino (Falling Skies, DROWNING; DOE; ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION) as Bob’s wife Helen, Stacey Oristano (Friday Night Lights) as Bob’s assistant Wilhelmina, Dominic Monaghan (LORD OF THE RINGS, Lost) as Bob’s agent Bill, Christopher Backus (Bosch), and Steven Swadling (KICKBOXER films). Walters directed from her original screenplay. Producers on the project are Lexicon Entertainment President & CEO Mark Mathias Sayre (DOUBTING THOMAS, POINT DEFIANCE, DOE), Walters, and Jonathan Piumelli (THE CLEARING), with Paul Thomas Anderson (MAGNOLIA, THE MASTER), Raphael Auerbach, Suzanei Archer, Swadling, and Nealy among the executive producers. Walters and Sayre also worked together on Will McFadden’s DOUBTING THOMAS.

I had the pleasure to be part of the discussion and live red carpet event:



What I loved about the film is the complexity of relationships, the real nature of the characters and the obsession of art and its role within the characters. You can also watch WATERLILY JAGUAR on Amazon and buy from Target.

Mira Sorvino and Christopher Backus

Point Defiance

Justin Foia’s psychological thriller POINT DEFIANCE stars Derek Phillips, Josh Crotty (Scandal), Lauren Elaine (PARTY MONSTERS), Sarah Butler, and Steven Swadling (KICKBOXERs; DOE). TV veteran Phillips was a regular on the hit Friday Night Lights and Longmire among others, while Butler (I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 3) also starred in another of Sayre’s producing efforts, DOUBTING THOMAS. The film is produced by veteran independent film producer Mark Mathias Sayre and executive produced by Larry Nealy and Steven Michael Swadling.

Written by first-time screenwriting brothers Justin and Timothy Foia, the taut and suspenseful film focuses on stockbroker Peter Allen (Phillips), whose world is turned upside down when his troubled younger brother Alex (Crotty) returns from military duty in Afghanistan while Peter is under house arrest, forcing the elder brother to dig into a dark and secret past that he’d sooner remain hidden.

I had the privilege and honor to attend the film's live "red carpet" premier on Tuesday and I learned more about the film. Both the cast and director were thrilled to be part of the project and shred happy memories behind the scenes. Phillips recalls how it was easy for him to get into character and how he enjoyed some delicious homemade meals while filming. He remembers how the girls and the buys lived in separate cabins and laughed about how the girls cabin was better than the guys. Butler and Elaine shared how they dived into the female character. Butler enjoyed playing a detective as she didn't have a chance to play one before and Elaine was excited to get into the head and play a female escort with a secret. The director shared how he wanted to dive more into the PTSD problem of serving military men in the script and filming process.

Derek Phillips

Sarah Butler

I personally enjoyed the film and the surprise twists and turns that keep you guessing. You also find it and purchase to watch on Amazon, Target and Walmart.

Puppets and Cyber Fraud with Ken Harris

Ken Harris is a contributing writer for the Point of View Community News Magazine in Springfield, MA. and a member of Puppeteers of America. He is using his passion for performing with puppets via YouTube videos and a monthly newsletter to raise awareness about fraud prevention and cyber security awareness. For more information, visit: https://shadowworldpresent.wixsite.co.... He is also a follower of AARP (the American Association of Retired Persons), I believe in the significance of sharing the latest news by empowering seniors, family members, caretakers, and the community with the tools and resources to be vigilant.

Check out my interview with him here and his tips on preventing cyber scams, cyber fraud and some puppet fun:

Billy the Sock - New Web Series by Luis Iga

If you are looking for a new type of adult humor, you might want to check out "Billy the Sock" YouTube series from "Murder in the Woods" director Luis Iga. New episodes are released each Sunday.

You get to experience some unfiltered humor with Billy who is going through a little bit of crisis of his own during quarantine time that some of you may relate to...but in a funny way.

The series features famous Mexican stars Eugenio Siller and Vanne Villela.

Check out Episode 1:
 

For more on Billy the Sock, visit: www.billythesock.com.

Making a Difference as an Autism Ambassador - Benjamin Scott

Benjamin Scott from Chicago has been modeling for five years as an autism ambassador. He has walked in 29 runway shows including photo shoots and is the host of his YouTube series SNEAKER JAMZ. He makes a difference in people's lives every day through hard work and empowerment.

What is the message you want to bring to others about autism awareness? 
My message to everyone is that it doesn't matter if we have autism or Asperger Syndrome, we are human beings and we can still make our dreams come true.

Why is bringing awareness to autism important to you? 
Because I want to share my story to everybody in the community to understand about autism so they can share it to their children. 

How do you represent the message of autism? 
I represent when I'm at different autism awareness shows and many more to come. 

How, when and why did you start your modeling career? Tell us more. 
I started my modeling career back on August 30, 2015 because I wanted to show everyone that I can be more confident, positive, and determined by breaking every barrier in the fashion industry!

What projects are you working on? 
I am working on a YouTube series called SNEAKER JAMZ and new music coming soon.

What is SNEAKER JAMZ? 
SNEAKER JAMZ is about casual sneakers, casual shoes, dress shoes, and fashion stories.

What is your message to other models with a disability? 
Stay positive everyday and you can make a difference.

"Tape" - a Cry for Help During MeToo Movement Era

I had the chance and honor to see the film "Tape" by female director Deborah Kampmeier. Her bravery and courage to make a film and share a story that speaks to millions of women in the midst of the MeToo era is admirable. The film is raw, real and provocative and true to the core.

In 'Tape" you will see the emotional turmoil, pain and embarrassment that women actors go through when taken advantage of physically and emotionally, and how men get away with it in most cases. Yes the truth is ugly and scary and uncomfortable but if we don't stand up for injustice, who will? It is our job to speak up, support one another and fight, stand up for what is right. If you see something, say something! Speak up, fight and make a change.

The film is based on true events and reveals what Annarosa Mudd (producer and actress in the film) went through and how her suffering turned into a film that has become a movement for change. Her pain and bravery to share her story with the rest of the world is admirable and inspiring.

This is the story of the film (tapethemovie.com):

"Based on true events and set in New York City, TAPE is the story of two aspiring actresses who cross paths with the darker side of the entertainment industry. TAPE follows Rosa (Annarosa Mudd), an actress who, in order to inspire her own courage, pierces her tongue, cuts her wrists, and shaves her head, as a ritualistic homage to Shakespeare’s Lavinia from Titus Andronicus, and secretly places hidden cameras on her body as well as in a dark studio. Rosa begins to stalk another actress, Pearl (Isabelle Fuhrman), who she identifies as the next “protege” of a successful producer, Lux (Tarek Bishara). But as Pearl and Lux enter the targeted studio, and Rosa collects and edits footage, she, and we, must all sit through an endless day of Lux’s screen test process, and the grey areas of pressure that women experience when being coerced by a powerful man. As Rosa peers into her own past experiences playing out before her eyes, she is forced to question whether her revenge-fueled goal of revealing what goes on behind these closed doors is worth what it takes to do so."

The film also stars Isabelle Fuhrman whose performance is incredible, emotional and deeply moving. She stars alongside Mudd and both of them bring the film to another level of discomfort, reality, truth, and a plea for change.

I recommend that everyone sees the film "Tape" and keeps the MeToo conversation going to help provide a safer and healthier working environment for all women, some of which still remain in the shadows of abuse, control, manipulation and rape.

Visit: http://www.thetapemovie.com/.

Rock it up with Bach to Rock, Napreville

Bach To Rock music school in Naperville, IL, has been amazing. Not only did they do a great job for my daughter's ninth birthday party and rocked it but the staff is extremely talented, as well.

Earlier this month, I was part o their first ever red carpet community event, called the VIP Open House: Influencer Social. They had a live instructor band that put on a great show for the audience singing songs from various artists. Some of the other guests were Teen Miss Illinois, Alyssa Gallarneau, multimedia guru Egle Makar, and Spirit Coaching entrepreneur Emily Correa.

I recomend it for any parent, adult and child that wants to learn how to play instruments and be immersed in a cool music atmosphere!

For more information:

Website: https://naperville.b2rmusic.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/B2RNapervilleIL/

Ultimate Spark! Coaching, an emerging global coaching program hits the market end of 2019

On October 23rd, 5 star-rated Ultimate Spark! Coaching (USC), a new online coaching certification program led by Millennial Founder Emily Correa, an ICF-certified Life, Business and Law of Attraction Coach, will be a featured VIP sponsor & vendor at ABN Circle’s “Women Empowerment Wednesday”. This Inaugural event will be showcasing an all-star female 5-speaker panel consisting of top entrepreneurs & influencers; Parmita Katkar, Fernanda Flores, El A. Panda, Rashidat Owe and Falen Wolfe. This event will be hosted at Joy District in at 111 W Hubbard Street, in Downtown Chicago, IL 60654 from 6pm – 9pm.

Ultimate Spark! Coaching (USC) guides potential coaches worldwide through an intensive 3-month accelerated online coaching process through 6 of the coaching industry’s hottest areas (Life, Business, Relationships, Health, Relaxation & Play and Spirituality) , certifying them through a 360 degree process of audio, video, written assessment, 35 hours of a coaching call log and a formal 1-1 skill assessment test with it’s founder. A Level 2 process for current coaches (or graduate of Level 1) desiring a Press Program (a challenging 1 year Mastermind Program of Accountability and Personal Brand Development) has also launched in June 1st featuring 10 fully trained USC coaches from around the world (Canada, Dubai, ATL, FL, TX, WV, and of course Chicago).

It’s Founder, Emily Correa is an accomplished creative entrepreneur with 10 years in corporate as a Trainer, Coach and Instructional Designer for several billion-dollar companies. Certified 5 years ago through a rigorous 350-hour global program, top ranked Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching in 2013, with a Master’s in Business Psychology from Suffolk University in Boston, and 5 year’s experience as a coach, event producer and talent scout, Emily has designed a program that is already shining bright with 135 certified graduates from around the world. The Tony Robbins organization were a choice for her in 2018 before she was recruited to create her own coaching program, and chose to make that move instead. Ultimate Spark! Coaching, relaunching it’s courses end of 2019 -early 2020 is ready to conquer the world and empower those passionate about the coaching industry. Visit www.UltimateSparkCoaching.com for the full experience of this fast-moving program.

To register for the event, visit:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/women-empowerment-wednesday-tickets-74381484021?aff=emily&afu=150187609228

A chat with Amsterdam Ave female filmmakers...

Amsterdam Ave follows two young women, one Indian-American and one Dutch, who switch places after meeting online – each leaving home to pursue their dreams abroad. The series was created by international female filmmakers, Dionne van den Berg and Pooja Tripathi, who also star in the seres, Amsterdam Ave is about cultural identity and finding yourself through travel.

The series was directed by Amanda Hanna-Mcleer, who previously worked post-production on Comedy Central's Broad City and Inside Amy Schumer, and FX's The Americans. Designers and DJs, Coco & Breezy, will music direct the series and the African-American/Puerto Rican twins will also make a surprise appearance in the series. Actress Catherine Curtin of Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things, and Insecure is featured as well.

 Check out my interview with the female filmmakers below:




Learn more at: https://www.amsterdamave-theseries.com/

Watch the trailer below:

Chick-fil-A Elmhurst held it's first-ever Pageants For A Purpose Event

Photo by Tammy Chatman

On July 30th, 2019, Chick-fil-A Elmhurst held it's first-ever Pageants For A Purpose Event where beauty queens participated and donated towards their charity of choice. I, as Miss Infinity Chicago, was part of that event as well and I chose my donation to go towards A Safe Haven Foundation because I believe in the work that they do and the hundreds of homeless people they save daily.

Photo by Tammy Chatman

The other queens at the event were:

Photo by Tammy Chatman

Teen Miss Illinois Alyssa Gallarneau is the reigning Teen Miss Illinois and radio host of Alyssa Gallarneau's "The Aly G Show" WLCB 101.5FM! She chose to partner with Flight For Life Transport System which is a fantastic organization that is literally life-saving, providing transportation to critically ill or hurt people in emergency situations. She partnered up with Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness TBI and ABI.

Photo by Tammy Chatman

LaSonya Alexander  Miss Illinois American Elegance Sophisticate and Founder of Momscandoit2 She chose to partner with the organization Cisco & Cisco Productions,Inc. that is raising awareness for cancer treatment and prevention.

Photo by Tammy Chatman

What Chick-fil-A does for the community is an example to other restaurant chains. I absolutely enjoyed being part of this event and networking with other queens and organizations. It was great meeting with the crowd and seeing what other organizations are doing to better the the community. I am very happy that Chick-fill-A is offering scholarships, donations to charity organizations and is involved in the community because progress comes with involvement and setting a positive example for the rest. Thank you for having me!

EXCLUSIVE interview with Director Rick Alverson - "The Mountain"

Courtesy Kino Lorber

"The Mountain" is a film directed by Rick Alverson that takes place in 1950s America. This is the plot that takes place in the film: "Since his mother's confinement to an institution, Andy has lived in the shadow of his stoic father. A family acquaintance, Dr. Wallace Fiennes, employs the introverted young man as a photographer to document an asylum tour advocating for his increasingly controversial lobotomy procedure. As the tour progresses and Andy witnesses the doctor's career and life unravel, he begins to identify with the institutions' patients. Arriving at a California mountain town, a growing center of the New Age movement, they encounter an unconventional French healer who requests a lobotomy for his own daughter, Susan." The film stars Jeff Goldblum, Tye Sheridan and Hannah Gross. It opens in NY and LA on July 26.

I was eager and excited to talk to the director about the visuals in the film, the mood, the topic of mental illness, the history behind lobotomy and most of all about him.

Rick Alverson

Why did you decide to work on “The Mountain” film? What shook you to the core about this film that you said - yes I want to direct it? 
The subject matter interests me. These things evolve and they are difficult to get made. It's a reactive and reflexive sort of thing that evolves and changes especially the subject matter and the architecture as a historic character and leaving all of the narrative work and taking away most of the information and creating a fiction out of that. My own history. It's an evolving experiment.

What childhood or teenage memories do you remember that played part in your vision of the film? 
When Andy walks in a room covered with pornography with a hermaphrodite as a platonic ideal. It is a recreation event that happened to me as a child. There are foundational elements like that. I was interested in the ghost between interior life, exterior life and the social life that took that a step further - the ghost between the audience and the experience of the film. I talk about how this goal is so conveniently a bridge between this protagonist and his worldview. We use them as avatars and explore the world. I wonder if it's problematic or secretive and we go and have these exceptions when the world is full of limitations. We engineered him to be an instruction.

There were quite a lot of artistic forms in the film, such as the way the ice skaters danced, the mountain, the french healer's vision of art, among others. What was the intent with the art forms and artistic filming that you were trying to achieve and convey?
I am trying to bring and highlight the fact that films and narratives are used as convenient  mechanisms and the messages are curious of our social conundrum. We are such a contender of society. The problems of social media were reliable links during the 2016 elections. That happens in the cinema. The formal and artificial of this movie  is meant to engage us with a two dimensional event of watching a fantasy and I want to ask questions more than anything.

Tell me about working with Jeff Goldblum and Tye Sheridan. How did you approach them for the part and what did you tell them to do beforehand in order to dive into their characters?
They are both incredibly generous people and actors and they wanted to be engaged in the project. There is a certain amount of curiosity that is necessary to do a film like this. We talked a lot about the approach and I am a very physical director using blocking and tonality. I am not as interested in the content but more the way that it is said.

We see more and more stories written nowadays about mental illness. Unfortunately, we don’t see enough films about mental illness. Why do you think that is and as a director what was the hardest part about doing a mental illness film like this? 
The biggest challenge was the representation of that. It is obscene to dramatize for the enjoyment of the audience the environment and experience of mental illness. For that to move over to dramatic intoxication to an audience is something for us to consume as absence and disservice in this state. I move in the opposite direction. The institutions look like wax museums. Those places were hell halls back in the century. When dealing with that subject matter it is out of respect for that place and thing. There is an element of the experience in watching the film. I am happy when people say I feel like I have been lobotomized. It is more of an experience than being a witness.

Why did you choose to have a French character with a mental illness? Did you have to do a lot of research about lobotomy beforehand?
I am hesitant to explain why. A lot of things go into the ultimate threshold and decision to put or not that contributed. I think that the arrival of Jack in the film is consonant with the altering events with lobotomy of the protagonist and the protagonist's change. I think too often in the audience being engaged in a coherent meaningful way or being in a relationship with the protagonist as someone on the street is not a convenient consumption of truth.

What is the relationship between mental illness and love that we see in the film?
I think of the film as a love story and a desperate muted numb connection between these two individuals. There is no arrival in something that is petaled and reinforced for our amusement, which was conditioned in passivity by Hollywood cinema for along time. My favorite films don't have arrival or finality and they are consistent with our experience as human beings. It is really important to have films in what is left in the contemporary wisdom of this problematic certainty. 

You also co-wrote the script for "The Mountain." What was the hardest part in writing the script and what else are you working on and your message to everyone reading this? 
Me and Jeff did a lot of research on lobotomy and Fiennes' procedure. It is relative of people who have the procedure but ultimately it is not a historic recreation or pretending to be a reenactment of those events but its a two dimensional picture of using that subject matter. I am working on a project on a 12 Century next. Message? I hope we can be open.

                             Tye Sheridan and Jeff Goldblum in a scene / Courtesy Kino Lorber

RICK ALVERSON (born June 25, 1971, Spokane, Washington) is an American filmmaker and musician living in Richmond, Virginia. His feature films include THE MOUNTAIN (2018), ENTERTAINMENT (2015) and THE COMEDY (2012). His work has screened at Sundance Film Festival, Locarno, New Directors / New Films, International Film Festival Rotterdam, and BAFICI among other festivals. He has directed videos for Oneohtrix Point Never, Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olson, among others.

"Nikoleta Morales says..." received a National Award and Recognition

NFPW President Marianne Wolf-Astrauskas gives the award to Nikoleta Morales

The entertainment blog "Nikoleta Morales says.." started by the award-winning journalist Nikoleta Morales back in 2017 won a national award for Best Blog at the 2019 NFPW (National Federation of Press Women) conference. The blog and Nikoleta Morales were recognized and honored at the dinner ceremony at Hilton Capitol Hotel in Baton Rouge, LA. The journalism conference and award ceremony both took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Thank you to everyone who took part in my stories and for all your support! Congratulations to our success and many more to come!