Interview with Alexander Devrient

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

Interviewing the talented Alexander Devrient was such fun, he’s dashing, eloquent and such a gentleman. You will recognise him for his latest role in Emmerdale Farm as the french love interest to Kerry. His rather dramatic entrance was too funny for words and if you watched it I am sure it would have had you gripped. The story line is unfolding and he is fast becoming one of my favourite actors. I am not going to spoil it for you in anyway, but you must keep your eyes on this rather beautiful chap.

He’s worked with the likes of Guy Richie on the set of Sherlock Holmes, and Jude Law was very excited to work with him, as was I the other day. I got to photograph this wonderful TV personality and create some rather cool images for the interview. We had such a great chat and he was a joy yo work with.

Q. What made you get into acting and was it at an early age you knew you had a calling.

A. I’ve always tremendously enjoyed acting and performing. I took drama classes as a kid, played in every school play and later, managed to see a lot of professional theatre as a teenager.

Saying that, it was only at University that I realised I wanted to make a profession out of my passion. I applied for Drama School in my 3rd year of studying Economics and International Relations. I felt I had to give it a shot and luckily I got in. A few months after finishing my degree I started acting training.

Q. Where did you grow up.

A. I grew up in Brussels, Belgium but my dad is Argentinean/German and my mum is Lebanese. My household was always a mishmash of languages. My mum spoke French to us, my dad German. When they didn’t want us to understand what they were saying they spoke Spanish.

Q. How have your parents influenced your career

A. My parents have always been very supportive but my biggest influence has been my Lebanese granddad. He’s performed on stages in Cambridge, Paris and Beirut since 1957. He absolutely adores theatre. In February, I was playing Anglo-French production Poilu & Tommy here in London. We opened the same night as he did with his play in Beirut. He’s 80 years old now. Magic!

Q. What was it like to be asked to join the cast of Emmerdale

A. It was a beautiful feeling indeed. Emmerdale is a British TV institution, the first episode was aired in 1972. The longevity of this series is incredible.

Q. What would be the biggest achievement you could imagine

A. Leaving a lasting mark in the industry for generations to come.

Q. Working with such great actors and directors it must be hard when you are not working on a project. How do you stay focused and motivated

A. I attend workshops, go to the theatre, and watch films. It’s important to be in tune with the industry and learn from the best.

I also work as a Voice Over artist and do the occasional freelance broadcasting work.

Q. What role would you just love to play.

A. Gabriel Macht’s Harvey Specter in Suits.

Q. Who in history would you have loved to star with

A. Klaus Kinski, Rita Hayworth and Jack Nicholson would have to top that list.

Q. You have striking looks, do you get spotted and recognised in the street, if so how do you respond.

A. I can still roam the streets relatively freely but when I do get stopped the responses to my work are always very positive which is great.

Q. What has been the most wonderful experience to come out of acting

A. I get to work with an array of talented people from all around the world and what do we do? We essentially tell stories. That’s a wonderful gift that comes with acting.

Q. One last cheeky question…what role do you think you could have played far better than the original and why!!

A. Give me the chance to play Lestat de Lioncourt and I’ll show you why.

We really look forward to following your career and all you lovely readers make sure you do to! Follow Alexander on Twitter @ADevrient if you want to pop me a little tweet I’m over here @sarahbacchus for any other information regarding my photography head over to sarahbacchus.com and take a look at our lifestyle blog SLBStyle.com

This interview and shoot was held at the beautiful Mamounia Lounge in Mayfair, I want to thank them for their hospitality and for allowing me to take over an entire room for a few hours! Tweet them @MamounialLounge

Charlize Theron Admits To Lying On Her CV

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Actors are known for being a little bit economical when it comes to the truth on their CV. We can all ride horses and snowboard, oh, and speak French. It turns out that not even famous actors are immune. Even Charlize Theron has admitted she has told the odd lie on her CV.

Charlize says she didn’t lie about being able to ride a horse (and I am proud to say I can too). Which is just as well as she had to ride in new comedy western A Million Ways To Die In The West.

You can hear Theron’s interview with the BBC’s Genevieve Hassan here.

Laura Bush: ‘First Ladies Don’t Deserve Salaries’

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Frostie

In a C-SPAN interview for First Ladies: Influence and Image, former first lady Laura Bush, has said that first ladies don’t deserve to be paid.

Credit: Wikipedia

“There are plenty of perks, believe me. A chef, that was really great, I miss the chef.”

She then went on to point out the sexist double-standard.

“That’s what we’ll have to come to terms with, Certainly a first gentleman might continue to work at whatever he did.

I think that the American public sees the first lady in very glamorous circumstances…I think what they may not imagine looking at the White House from the outside is that it’s actually a very normal life upstairs…The first lady probably, and I know I did, lays on the couch an reads a book. In my case, my cat would always curl up next to me.”

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 | Trailer Preview

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Frostie

At Frost we have been waiting impatiently for the new Hunger Games film. When Lionsgate released the trailer, along with some official preview pictures we were pretty excited. The first cast photo of Julianne Moore as President Alma Coin has also been released and she looks great.

Credit: Lionsgate

An interview with director Francis Lawrence was also released, in which he discussed finishing Philip Seymour Hoffman’s scenes after his tragic death before filming had ended. Lawrence said: “We finished the majority of his work (before he died), I think he might have had 8 to 10 days left on our schedule. In most of the scenes, Philip didn’t have any dialogue. We are going to put him into those scenes, but we’re only using real footage. We’re not creating anything digital or a robotic version of him.”

Julianne Moore gushed about joining the cast in her interview (shown below)

“I’ve read all the books. I’ve read them all the way through, and I’m like, ‘I want to be in this movie!’ Clearly, that was the only part that I could play.”

Are you excited?

Hero Cat That Saved Boy Gives First Interview

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

If you didn’t catch the video of hero cat, Tara, saving four-year-old Jeremy from a dog attack then you really are missing out. Watch it here and then watch Tara’s first interview with Jeremy. The event happened in Bakersfield, America.

How cool and loving is that cat?

Interview with Charlie Hedges

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

I had the upmost pleasure of interviewing the one and only Charlie Hedges of Kiss FM fame recently. Charlie is the youngest female breakfast DJ, presenter and all round brilliant entertainer in the UK. She has a following of over 5 million listeners every week winning her an Arqiva Awards for the best breakfast show!! Impressed then keep reading!

From the age of 7 Charlie had a dream. She wanted to be a DJ and she hasn’t stopped ever knowing this is what she wanted to do. When you have passion for something and that passion is so strong it will see you through. She is such an inspiration to millions and she’s not just stopping with music. Charlie is amazing voice for charity work. She’s an ambassador for Prince’s Trust Mencap, Help for Hero’s, and was there for them last year representing Great Britain by carrying the Olympic torch last summer.

Can this girl ever want to stop…It looks like she won’t and by golly are we glad. One hell of a presenter. She also has a show on Sunday mornings 2-3am. All the latest top tracks for the decreeing clubbed and music fan. If thats not enough for you she has landed a 3rd show with Kiss Fresh on Friday nights 7-9pm

Her love of dance music and ‘Electro-House with a twist’ she has gigs and festivals across the globe, including Pacha London where she is a resident DJ. Charlie is also known on the UK fashion party scene regularly DJing for fashion brands such as New Look, as well as being the official DJ at the Kardashian Kollection for Lipsy last year. This girl just had to be interviewed by myself as my love of fashion is insane!

Highlights of her time at KISS include interviewing everyone from Daniel Craig and Jennifer Aniston to Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Kanye West and Britney Spears plus her teenage idol, Justin Timberlake.

This summer Charlie has been filming with lucky life TV, interviewing superstar DJs across Ibiza. Last year she presented a Puma and FHM event with Professor Green, was a judge at the final of open mic live at the 02, introduced x factor star Amelia Lily’s new single, and is continually doing voiceovers on MTV.

Does this girl ever sleep? I guess when you do what you love and love what you do its not like work. She’s stunning and so much fun! I tried to get the cheeky side out of her with a few fun questions

1. If you could have any artist on your show who would you have and why.

Probably Simon Cowell, I know he’s not an artist but let’s be honest he’s got access to some of the biggest celebs in the world, make friends with him and I think you could then have whoever you wanted

2. What sort of leading questions do you like to ask them to really get them talking

Start with talking about the product they are there to promote and then ask cheeky questions be it about their relationship, earnings, as long as you do it tongue in cheek they normally play along

3. Who is your style icon? Or what’s your favourite look of this season

I LOVE Mollie from the Saturdays, her girly style is my favourite celeb style by far, I think she’s beautiful

4. Presenting kiss FM is an amazing job. If you were not a DJ what else would you love to do?

My honest answer to this was that I never let myself focus on another job/career. I always told myself that is the job of my dream and that’s what I want and I honestly didn’t have any other jobs in mind. I studied journalism at Harlow college so maybe focus on journalism as an option

5. Your such a busy girl with all the charity work you do for the Princess trust it must be hard to get down time. What do you do to unwind on days off.

If I get a day off I’ll go for a run in the morning and spend the whole day catching up with family and friends and still probably take a sneaky peek at emails every now and again, I’m a nightmare!!

6. Working for a radio station must be amazing but does it impact with your personal life.

Personal life as in our whole lives go on air? I don’t mind it it’s fun and you get to share your experiences with millions of other people

7. Who has influenced your career the most.

Mum, dad and brother definitely as they’ve always been supportive from day one. In the industry, bam bam as he gave me my first radio break really, he took me on as a kiss breakfast show assistant where I spent my time making tea…but it was here that I learnt everything. I also think Chris evens is a genius! He is an amazing presenter to look up to.

8. If you could collaborate with another DJ for an evening who would you pick?

Back to back with Calvin Harris then Swedish house mafia and bring them back together

9. Who would you have loved to DJ for ie. like Marilyn Monroe or Sinatra?

Michael Jackson, I loved his music growing up

10. Leading me onto the next…where would be your dream gig? It could be anywhere or imaginary!! For anyone!

I would love to play in Vegas, any club but just bringing London house to Vegas would be my dream

So as you can see this unstoppable young lady had passion and believed in herself. She followed her dream and made it a reality. I for one can’t wait to hear her play live in London soon. She’s a huge inspiration to me and everyone around her. So follow your heart and visualise the amazing future that lies ahead each and every one of you! You can do it too….

Charlie will be playing at the Ibiza Space Opening Party alongside the Chemical Brother on Sunday 25th May. For news on all other gigs and projects go to: http://www.charliehedges.com/dj-charlie-hedges and Twitter @charliehedges

Charlie presents the Kiss FM breakfast show Mon-Friday (6-9am), the Sunday morning Kiss Mix Show (2-3am) , and on the new Kiss Fresh show on Friday nights (7-9pm – which you can tune in from Kiss’s freeview channel 712, on the Kiss Kube app, and on the KISS FRESH Player online).

Charlie has her own soundcloud page, each weeks Kiss mix will be uploaded here: www.soundcloud.com/charlie-hedges

Make sure you follow me on Twitter @sarahbacchus for more exciting Fashion, food, beauty and even more interviews coming up soon. Check out my website www.slbstyle.com too!!

The Wealthy Women: A Man Is Not a Financial Plan. Mary Waring Interview

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

We interviewed The Wealthy Women: A Man Is Not a Financial Plan author Mary Waring. She had some great advice to give and has also written a great book that every women should read. In the meantime, pick up some tips in our interview with her.

What made you write the book?

I’ve come across so many very bright women who have an issue with maths and finance. My theory is that the way it is taught in schools is much more suited to a typical male brain rather than a female brain. (I obviously don’t have a typical female brain!)

So many bright women have a mental block about maths and dealing with their finances. I decided therefore I’m would write a very down to earth, no jargon guide to looking after your finances and improving your wealth.

Are women worse than men when it comes to finance?

As above, I think women tend to put it very far down the list of priorities. They look after the house, their partner, the children etc but very far down the list is looking after themselves. In addition only about 10% of advisers are female. The typical adviser is male, middle aged, grey hair, grey suit. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that but many women are looking for someone different and may be struggling to find a female adviser.

Do too many women still rely financially on men?

I think a lot do. The female often looks after the house and the children and all the general housekeeping issues. The male often looks after the finances. In any relationship it’s sensible for one person to look after the finances, and in my experience that is often the male. The woman does not play an active role in the finances and if worst thing happens and they get divorced the female is totally at a loss as to how to look after herself financially. A number of women also assume their husband’s pension will cover both of them in retirement. But this may not be the case.

What are women’s financial strengths and weaknesses?

Strengths- very good at following a set procedure once it’s explained to them. They’re not as competitive as men as a rule so do not need to “beat the market” with their investment return. They’re looking for a steady investment growth. They’re happy to take advice and happy to admit if there’s something they don’t understand.

Weaknesses- lack of confidence regarding finances and tendency to stick their head in the sand rather than deal with it.

What can women do to help themselves financially?

If their partner deals with the finances make sure they sit down on a regular basis and discuss the finances: how much money comes in each month, how much gets spent and what on. Discuss what savings, investments and pensions exist.

If they deal with the finances themselves, then start to look at what they are spending against what income is coming in. They must start to plan for the future and consider what income they will need/want in retirement.

What pitfalls should they look about for?

If something goes wrong (e.g. a large unexpected bill) don’t give up and think the plan isn’t working. Keep at it.

What is the best way to save?

The best way to save is to have a regular amount come out of your account each month by standing order or direct debit. Have that money come out of your account before you start spending. Frequently people wait until the end of the month and decide to save what’s left in their account. But all too often there’s nothing left. If the saving happens before spending it often won’t be noticed that there is less to spend.

Best way to get out of debt?

The best way to get out of debt is to do a strict budget so that you can pay off as much as possible of the debt as quickly as possible. Interest on debt increases at a huge amount so make an effort to get the debt paid down by always paying more than the minimum.

Best way to get wealthy?

The best way to get wealthy is to make that your priority and then each day take some small steps towards achieving that. Too often this looks like too big a challenge but it’s the small steps on a regular basis that can really help your wealth. Choosing to eat out at a much cheaper spot than you would normally use will not make any difference to your wealth if you do it just once. But if you do this on a regular basis so you can save more, then over time it will make a difference.

Top financial tip?

For a period of 3 months keep a very detailed record of what you are spending, including everything that you pay for in cash. Carry a notebook around in your handbag so you can note it down straight away. Look at this in detail and ask yourself “How can I reduce this cost?”. You’d be surprised how much we all overspend without being aware of it. Until you know what you’re spending your money on you are not in a position to do anything about it.

Thank you Mary.

The Wealthy Woman is available from Amazon and is reviewed here.

Interview With Kristen Bell, Voice Of “Anna” in Frozen

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Frostie

Frozen is an epic tale of adventure and comedy from Walt Disney Animation Studios. In the film, fearless optimist Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) sets off on an epic journey to find her sister Elsa (Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna teams up with a rugged mountain man named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) to battle the elements in a frantic race to save the kingdom.

With the award-winning film now released on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD, we chat with actress Kristen Bell to find out her thoughts on the magical movie.

What can you tell us about your character in Frozen?

I play a girl named Anna in the movie, and I’m so proud of this character. There are a lot of my characteristics in Anna, like her feistiness. I love the way she’s able to pick up a shovel, fend off wolves and save the day!

What is Anna’s biggest charm?

I think her charm is caught somewhere between her sincerity and her optimism. It’s really hard to dismiss someone who is genuine and sincere, especially when compounded with optimism. To me, those people are goofy. I think that’s exactly what Anna is like; she’s goofy, charming and fun.

How charismatic is Anna?

To me, eternally optimistic people are the most charismatic people because it’s attractive when someone can’t get you down. Being in a bad mood isn’t very attractive, but Anna is so positive and happy. She starts the movie without any friends, but she still smiles.

Why doesn’t Anna have any friends in the beginning of the story?

Her lifestyle hasn’t allowed her to have a full kingdom or household, which is why she now talks to the paintings and the statues. She runs around the palace and she probably spends too much time in the kitchen bugging the staff because she wants some real friends in her life. To me, that’s what makes her so cute and loveable.

What’s different and unique about Frozen?

Everything is different and unique in this movie! The love story is unique because it’s about siblings and the love of family. A lot of Disney movies are adventures, but I feel like this adventure is even bigger than anything you’ve seen before.

What went through your mind when you discovered you were going to be the voice of a new Disney icon?

I’d always wanted to be part of a Disney animated movie, so I was full of glee when I found out I was going to play Anna. I grew up watching Disney musicals, and I was especially obsessed with The Little Mermaid and Aladdin when I was little. As a young girl, it was always my dream to be a Disney princess – but I wanted to be a very specific Disney princess. I wanted to be one that I wanted to see, which was a princess who was way more awkward than the Disney princesses I’d seen on screen.

Would you describe Anna as awkward?

That’s exactly what Anna’s like! Disney allowed me to mold Anna into the princess I dreamed about as a child, so I feel extremely lucky. You know what? I couldn’t be happier to be part of this amazing project.

What other input did you have into the character?

Another goal of mine was to have a princess without great posture. I never sat up straight when I was little, but the Disney princesses always did that. Thankfully, Anna hasn’t got amazing posture either – just like me.

You mentioned that your favorite childhood Disney movies were The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. Is your favorite Disney princess Ariel or Jasmine?

Ariel is my favorite. I really loved Aladdin when I was growing up because I went through a whole tomboy phase, but I think I identified more with Aladdin than I did with Jasmine. Jasmine is great; I’ve got nothing against her – but Ariel is a fantastic princess. She’s awesome.

What were you like when you were growing up?

I was really awkward. I talked to myself a lot and I ate my dinner next to the dog. I was goofy and I was klutzy – and I was way too energetic. I often spoke before I thought, too – and I wanted to see someone like that in a Disney animated movie. I was really lucky that Disney let me add all of these extra, unique attributes to my character.

Did you ever struggle to make friends at school?

If I’m being honest, I didn’t struggle to make friends at school. I always had pretty decent social skills, but I always liked to be alone. I loved that alone time where I could talk to my dogs! I was always very outgoing, but I was a weird type of outgoing person.

Frozen is a fun and frosty fairy tale… Are you a fan of winter?

I’m a huge fan of winter. In fact, I prefer the winter to summer. I’m the only person who lives in California and doesn’t appreciate the warm weather there. I love the cold weather and I’m always trying to get back to the snow instead of a beach.

What’s your favorite winter memory?

I always had dogs when I was growing up, so my favorite winter memories are of dogs running in the snow. That always brings a smile to my face. They always used to make me laugh when they scampered through deep snow!

How good are you at building snowmen?

I’m pretty decent at creating snowmen. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, so I’ll get right in there. I grew up in Detroit, where it’s nice and cold in the winter. That means I’ve had a lot of practice.

What do you think of Olaf, the talking snowman in Frozen?

I love Olaf. He’s always happy and he never gets depressed, which is awesome. Olaf is the guy that everyone wants to carry around in their pocket. He’s hilarious. And his song, In Summer, is one of the best songs in a Disney movie since Under The Sea. It’s an amazing song. Olaf is so, so good!

What was it like to duet with Broadway star Idina Menzel in Frozen?

It was nerve-wracking. Idina is the most intimidating singer, but the most un-intimidating person. She’s so gentle in real life, but there’s a real ferocity behind her voice. She can really sing. I’ve seen her sing on stage numerous times and she’s got one of the best voices on the planet, but I was really, really nervous about the duet.

How did you get over your nerves?

It was very daunting to sing with her, but we used to rehearse at her house where she was so lovely and carefree. I’d sing my verse and she’d say, “You sound great.” Whenever I heard that, I’d get excited and happy. Idina is a wonderful person.

Do you enjoy a little Disney karaoke when you’re not working?

Definitely! A Whole New World is my go-to Disney karaoke song. I’m a duetter. I like to take the stage, but I don’t necessarily like to take the stage alone. A Whole New World is perfect for me because the range is great and it’s a duet. If I had to pick a solo song, it would be Part Of Your World from The Little Mermaid. That’s a beautiful song.

How often do you sing?

[Kirsten’s House Of Lies co-star] Don Cheadle and I sing A Whole New World on set almost every week, but we change the words depending on what we’re doing. We sing it back and forth in a scene with the dialogue we’ve been given. It’s a very popular song on the set of House Of Lies!

Your baby daughter, Lincoln, was born in 2013. How does it feel to know she’ll be watching Frozen in a few years?

I feel very nervous about her watching Frozen. What if she doesn’t like it? I would melt if that happened! I hope she likes it as much as I liked Disney movies when I was growing up. However, if she doesn’t, I don’t mind. Maybe she’ll be more into off-roading like her dad? It already feels like she’s showing signs of liking that. I’ll definitely show it to her and hopefully she will be proud of her mom. If she only wants to see it once, I won’t be offended.

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