#lisa turtle is an icon though

[leslie057]

this really is what i feel like when i wear a blazer to work and my hair is even slightly curly

[universalitgirlsblog2]

💗🍒CELEBRITY MANIFESTATION🍒💗

💗ARIANA GRANDE

Ariana Grande is a manifesting queen ! She made alot of songs on manifestation too - 7 rings , just like magic and successful. Ariana said how every single thing we think about ourselves or others , how we react to things and what we choose to think about , what you spend time talking about , it all plays part in manifestation . Her mom taught her that if she wanted something , she could have it and it was possible.

🍒SHAWN MENDES

Shawn Mendes had a book of manifestation where he wrote how he could sing high with no tension or how he sold out the Roger center, basically he used the method called " scripting ". He also recommended one to speak positive affirmations , for example , I love me . I feel calm and happy in my body .

💗BILLIE EILISH

When Billie was making music with her brother , her brother joked about how he will make her the biggest pop star in the world. Guess what ? Look at Billie now, she is so successful and popular. Everyone loves her . You speak things into existence. Joke about how you have your desires , don't make self-depricating jokes.

🍒MARILYN MONROE

She manifested her fame and beauty! Read this post - click me !

💗LISA OF BLACKPINK

Lisa dreamt of becoming a k-pop idol , a teacher said even though Lisa danced in the dance room , she acted like she is on stage. She imagined herself dancing on the stage , she acted as if she was already a kpop- idol who was performing on stage. She said that if we persist in our dreams , they will come true and we need to believe that we will become the one we want to become. I also made a post on how Lisa is a persisting icon - click me and I would also suggest you to read this post - click me.

🍒BRUNO MARS

Bruno imagined him and his band dancing and women screaming for him when he was doing interviews. He envisioned how he wanted his album to be in his mind.

💗LADY GAGA

Lady Gaga said that she repeated to herself everyday how " music is her life " " fame is inside of me " " I'm going to make a number one record with number one hits ". She said that you repeat the lie everyday and one day it becomes true. Like Neville said , an assumption through false, if persisted in, will harden into fact.

🍒BEYONCE

When Beyonce was going to perform on BT , in her mind she saw the set and she also drew the ramp.

💗ALIA BHATT

Alia Bhatt is an Indian actress. She believes in Universe has some way of making things happen.If she wants something like a film or award or health related , she acts as if it already happened infront of her mirror.

🍒KATRINA KAIF

Katrina said that if she wants something, she tries how she would feel if she already got it . She gets into the feeling of living in the end .

💗ANUSHKA SHARMA

Anushka Sharma had a turtle in her living room , you open the turtle and put your wish inside the turtle , when your wish comes true , you take it out .When she got her first movie and she called her mom to inform her and came to know that her mom put the wish in the turtle.

🍒ALEXA DEMIE

Alexa had acne when she was a teenager . She would wake up every morning and say - " I have beautiful , clear, acne-free, scar free skin " and the affirmation did it's magic. It worked.

💗TOM HOLLAND

Tom Holland said that he wanted to be spiderman .Believe it or not , you speak things into existence. He also manifested Zendaya.

🍒TAYLOR SWIFT

Taylor showed her diary she wrote when she was 13 and she wrote about her life , career , dream and reality . Basically , she did scripting too. In one of her old clips , she said that her dream was to look out into a crowd of thousands of people and make them sing the words in her song. She spoke her desires into existence. She also said that she knew shake it off was going to be a hit song and she wasn't wrong. Feel that you already have your desires and know it will happen . Don't question the how.

💗MEGHAN THEE STALLION

Meghan admitted manifesting her life.

🍒JANG WONYOUNG

Wonyoung knew that love dive was going to be successful and when it released it broke records and it is IVE'S most popular song. Know that you have your desires and they are yours !!

💗JENNIFER ANISTON

Jennifer said that to manifest you speak as it already happened. Manifest it , believe and know you will have it .

💗🍒I am sure most celebrities use the law even if they don't talk about it .Everyone is manifesting consciously or unconsciously. Why do you care if a random stranger doesn't believe in manifestation when there are rich and successful celebrities who believe in manifestation ? Manifestation is real. It's not black magic . Manifestation is nothing but you focusing on what you want and persisting in it. Your mind is powerful. You are powerful. You can have anything you want and be anything you want to be.💗🍒

[fabuloustrash05]

Courting A Salamandrian

Chapter List

Summary: Raphael has been dating his girlfriend Mona Lisa for a few years now and has never been happier. His life with her is perfect and doesn’t want anything to change, but when Mona asks him about their future, Raph decides that he’s ready to take their relationship to the next level. Follow the story of Raphael and Mona Lisa’s courtship!

Word Count: 1732

Warning: Some minor language.

Authors Notes: This is my first every fanfic and it’s based of a dream I had. I got inspired by this dream and some friends encouraged me to write it so I did! Hope you enjoy! Also check out the fic on my Wattpad! :3

~~~~~

Chapter 1: What Is Marriage?

The New York City lights combined with the stars from the summer night sky, making the big city shine like a beautiful jewel. A blanket was spread out atop of a city skyscraper. Raphael and Mona Lisa were lying together side by side, participating in one of their favorite hobbies, star gazing. Admiring the breathtaking view is Raphael’s favorite part, and the starry night sky gives Mona Lisa a taste of home. The couple was quiet. Nothing but their gentle breathing, and the sound of the city. 

“It’s beautiful tonight,” Raph said, breaking their silence.

“I agree,” said Mona “There are so many stars out tonight. The sky is so clear, I can even see the Third Moon of Thalos from here.”

“The what?”

Mona giggled, “That’s the ice planet where we first met.”

“Oh yeah, one of the only good things that happened to me when I was in space.” Raph looks at Mona and winks at her. She giggles. 

Raph wonders, “So, how are you able to tell which planet is which?”

“I used to study constellations and planet locations in my spare time back on my home planet.”  

“Wow...Do you see any other planets?”

“I can see Salamandria.” Mona says as she points to the night sky, “It's that little light blue star, right there.”

“Mona?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Do you ever miss your home?”

She shrugs, “Sometimes, but I’ve been on Earth for so long now. Bonded with your friends and family. There are times I forget about Salamandria. I feel at home here. Your planet is so much more different from mine. It’s strange to me, but I enjoy it.”

“Strange? Like how?”

“The stars, for example,” she says as she lifts herself up. She sits up as she continues, “They look so different here compared to the view on my planet. It was hard for me to identify the constellations for a while, but I think that is my favorite thing about Earth. I love how different your planet is compared to mine.”

Raph joins Mona and sits by her side. He looks at his girlfriend and gives her his iconic smirk that she loves so much.

“I always thought I was your favorite thing about Earth,” he teases.

Mona giggles, “You are, my love. I just admire the view. It’s breathtaking.” 

“Yeah, it is. I remember when my brothers and I first came up to the surface. We were so amazed by the city with the lights and the open space, there were times we didn’t want to go back to the sewers.” Raph takes a slow breath, “God, it feels like a century since that happened.”

Mona places her hand on Raph’s shoulder, “That must have been awful, being isolated underground your whole life.”

“Nah, it wasn’t that bad. Besides the shitty smell, it was fine. You get used to it after a while. And besides, we had each other and we found ways to pass the time, like training or playing old video games that we found.”

The couple stayed silent again, returning to watch the sky. 

Raph looked at the Salamandrian as she sat next to him watching the stars. Her yellow eyes, sparkling brighter than the northern star, made his heart beat fast. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have a woman like her in his life. His life was perfect with her and he didn’t want that to change. 

“I must say, Raphael,” said Mona, continuing the conversation, “your planet is so fascinating with its customs and traditions.” 

Raph looks at his girlfriend, “Like how?”

“Your holidays for instance.” She says “Having a celebration about an overweight gentleman in red clothing that gives you gifts, or how one night a year you demand to have complete strangers give you candy by scaring them.” 

Raphs chuckles at her comment, “You seem to like those holidays when we celebrate them with our friends.”

“Oh yes, I do. They are very enjoyable, but they have strange concepts.”

Raph shrugged, “Yeah, I’ll agree with you on that.”

Mona continued, “But the one thing that caught my interest is the event that happened between a couple I saw earlier today.”

He looks at her confused, “What event?”

“You didn’t notice the male give that gift to his partner? It caught my attention.”

Raph slowly shakes his head, giving Mona a confused look.

“He gave her a piece of jewelry for her finger. The two seemed to make a big deal about it -- even the people around them were overjoyed, which is strange because when you gave me that pink scarf, no one seemed to be that happy. Then he asked her to ‘marry him’. This action surprised me...”

“Oh, I know what your talking about. The guy was proposing to his girlfriend. It is something you do on earth if you want to get married.”

Mona slightly tilts her head in confusion, “Married? What’s that? Is it like a duel?”

“What? No-”

“Did that man not challenge his love to a battle?” 

“No, he didn’t.”

“Then what is it?” 

Raph could tell Mona was getting more annoyed and confused with this topic. Has she not seen a proposal before? She did say her planet was different from his. 

“Mona, do you… not know what marriage is?” Raph asked.

“Such a term does not exist on my planet.”

“Then how does… umm… dating work on your planet?” Raph asked, being unsure with how to phrase his question.

Mona was confused to why Raphael was asking her a question about relationships all of a sudden. Even he seemed unsure with the question. She paused for a moment to think over her answer then looked at Raph, “Well, to start, the term ‘dating’ is uncommon. You don’t have boyfriends or girlfriends, like how we label each other on your planet, you get chosen for a suitor.”

“So it’s like a match making deal?”

“If that’s how you put it, then yes. You're ‘match made’ with who they believe would be your perfect mate. That’s how my parents met.”

“Did…Did you have a suitor?” Raph asked cautiously.

“....Yes. Three.”

“Three?!”

Mona noticed the shock and slight disappointment in his eyes and quickly stated,

“But they never lasted! I wanted something similar to what my parents had and none of them offered me that. G’throkka always told me they had a beautiful romance full of trust and equality, which is rare since most of the time when two salamandrains are match up they treat it as a business deal. But my parents truly loved each other.”

“I thought Sal was your father?”

Mona laughs at Raph’s confusion “No, Raphael. He’s not. He was more of a mentor and a guardian for me.”

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Raph said “W-what happened to your parents?”

At that moment Mona’s smile disappears. “I guess I never did tell you about them, haven’t I?” She looks down and closes her eyes. She took a deep breath. She opened her eyes and said, strongly holding back tears “They were killed in a battle against the Triceratons.”

Raph notice his girlfriend’s pain. He brings Mona Lisa into his arms and gently hugs her.

A few tears began to flow down her cheek “I-I was a child when it happened…” 

“...I’m sorry…” he said softly, regretting asking the question.

“Don’t be.” Wiping away her tears she continues, “After their passing, G’throkka took me in and raised me as his own. He was the one who trained my parents, so he decided to train me as well. As you know, I joined the military and as time passed I eventually became his lieutenant,” Raph stayed quiet and let the lieutenant continued. “When my suitors left, G’throkka said I was ‘too intimidating’ and ‘too independent’ for them or how I didn’t fit the males’ idea for a perfect mate.” She slightly chuckles. “I guess you could say I scared my suitors away.” 

Raph place his hand on her cheek and looked her in the eyes, “Well, I think you’re perfect. You’re confident, beautiful, and you kick ass in a fight.” Raph’s comment makes Mona Lisa giggle as her cheeks begin to turn a blush red. He continues, “No other woman can match up to you. You are my idea for a perfect mate.” 

Mona’s heart felt as if it was about to burst from her chest. She’s not used to him saying such sweet things to her. At that moment, he pulled her to him, their noses touch, and soon the turtle and salamander share a quick soft kiss. They part and smile at one another.

“Raphael, may I ask you something?” She says softly.

“Yeah, Mona?”

“I’m still confused. This ‘marriage’ concept that goes on between two humans on your planet, what’s its purpose?”

Raph’s face begins to blush. Unsure on how to answer Mona’s question. 

“Well… marriage on my planet is a… I guess you could say a tradition for people who are in love. It’s when two people who love each other very much decide to commit to their relationship. Officially-”

“So it's similar to finding your perfect mate?” Mona asks quickly, interrupting Raph.

“Um, yeah. If that how you want to put it. Getting married is like a sign that a couple trusts each other, respects one another, cares for the other, and, well, truly love each other.” 

“I see. If that's want that couple wants to do then I’m happy for them.” Mona says smiling as she lifts her head up proudly.

Raph smiles “Yeah, I’m happy for them to, even though I don’t know them...”

Mona looks at Raph “Marriage sounds wonderful.”

Raph shrugs, “I guess it is.”

Raph lies back on the blanket on top of the roof’s concrete ground. Mona joins him with her head resting on his plastron. His left arm was wrapped around her waist as the other rests behind his head. They continue watching the stars once again, seeing them sparkle above them. Despite the somewhat obnoxious sounds of the city, being in each other’s company made it truly a peaceful night for the couple.

“Raphael?” Mona says while still resting on her boyfriend’s chest, “May I ask you one more question?”

“Sure, what is it?”

Still looking at the stars in the night sky, Mona asks “Are we married?”

~~~~~

[Tags]

@waferreyes (for making the cover) @starfiretheninja @kiaratheleo @petrichormeraki @monarel @cesarin @ryebread-02

(For some dumb reason the tags weren’t working for some, I’m sorry)

Thank you for all the support 💕 Chapter 2 is in the works! ;)

[youngbradford]

Xmas Message For 2019

And here we go, my 19th annual year-end love letter online …Georgi Balinov and I rang in the new year at a giant party in Bangkok, halfway around the world. That foreign location, its beauty and tastes, set the tone for my 2019, a year of seeing the world, while stabilizing my life. Though often in flux or movement, 2019 was a year many things normalized over the year.

In January, almost immediately after arriving stateside, I crossed the pond and saw Michelle Visage perform in the West End with Peter Wish. Afterward, I played with her wigs backstage and walked her towards the queer kids lining up for selfies and autographs. I am very lucky to have Peter and Michelle in my life, kindred spirits both. One reminding me that fame, fortune, ebb, and flow, but that being real is what matters most. The other, a reminder to stay forever young. I visited Berlin yet again and did the usual, working, and playing, hard.

February appeared and I traveled to Philadelphia with Sandra Hansel, Georgi, George Sapio, and Anthony DeFilippis. We toured Lisa Roberts’ house, saw a Dieter Rams exhibit, dined with George Alley. In Lambertville, that Sunday, I bought vinyl and vintage hats. Later that month, I got a swallow tattooed on my hand, a symbol of flight and travel, and Warhol’s knives, blackened into my shin. An Eames exhibit in Oakland was a sweet way to end the month.

In March with my crew, Georgi, Khadyon Reid, Luis Urribarri, Anthony, and George, descended upon Salvador for Carnival. It was insane! I watched Anitta live, and danced in a sea of pushing, fighting, kissing Brazilians for days upon days. I felt unsafe and alive, threatened and excited. It was intense. Back home I got my other hand tattooed, again honoring my love of seeing the world. I traveled to Portland, came back to NYC at the end of the month, finally moving into our apartment, the one we bought 1.5 years before, that I designed, and had renovated head to toe. Finally, we had our dream home. The weekend we moved in, the place was still not ready, but we were sick of living without our things and in other people’s beds. Peg Kendall and Georgi’s mom came, and we worked our asses off unpacking and starting to make the 2800 square foot loft on west 13th street a home. We’d lived in Airbnbs and friends’ places for 19 months and it was tiring not having a home, not having most of our things. My art! My toys! My shoes!. Those months taught me how important a home, a safe place, and the oasis of my collections is to my mental health. From March on I felt more on solid ground and dedicated more energy to my career and friendships as a result.

In April we went to Coachella, seeing Ian and Jose Seronni, JJ and Andrey Lunin, and dancing in the desert of California. Multiple trips to San Francisco, catching glimpse of old friends, scaling my team at work, as I took on more and more responsibility.

In May, George Sapio and I celebrated (me a little early) a shared, fun birthday weekend at Soho Farmhouse. Joined by Matthew Kelleher, Mark Silver, Jaime Tanner, Matt Lynch, and others, we went shooting and feasted on pheasant in the English countryside.June was really busy, insanely so. 

For my 43rd in early June, I had a 30-person dinner party in our new place! We ended up at Club Cumming after, but before friends, new, and old, showered me with a vinyl record, the admission fee I’d set for my party. Lauren Foster, who has shared her home with us, was, appropriately, our first overnight guest. London, again, Berlin, too. Then home for Pride. Willam Ralphie hosted Bingo at eBay, Zach Augustine, David Mason Chlopecki, other loves attended. That weekend danced to both Madonna and Grace Jones on the pier and danced with 15K others at Javitz, where my favorite singer, Cyndi Lauper, belted “I Drove All Night,” her best song, at midnight. I stayed until the sun came up. NYC was electric that weekend. Parties, icons, friends from the world over … the city has an energy you could literally see and taste. I caught a few moments of the parade, overtaking lower Manhattan, and I smiled really big. God, it can feel good being gay! God, the world has improved for gay people (and yes, I know, we still have ways to go, especially for more marginalized LGBTQ groups). But I still took a moment to acknowledge the things that are better, that I have seen in my very gay lifetime. NYC that weekend was the ultimate place to reflect.

July 4th I went to Hamptons, with Ricardo, Brian, Felipe L. Mollica, others, guests of Anthony. Hosted Fab.com reunion, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, and took my team to Korea (where I shared a traditional Korean meal with Jae Hah), China (where I ate bird’s nests, jellyfish, sea snails, saw a Yves Klein show with Adnan Abbasi, and danced to 90s pop in a packed gay club), and Moscow (where I was amazed at how clean the city was and where I went to a traditional sauna and was whipped, naked, with tree leaves in front of dozens of Russian dudes in the nude). While in Russia a protest erupted, literally below the rooftop bar I dined in. Russia seemed freer than I’d expected, way more Western, up until this moment. I ended the weekend at a club at 3 AM, Russian women in high, high heels, dancing on the bar, vodka flowing like water. 2020 saw me traveling to places I romanticized as a child. Russia, one such place. I thoroughly enjoyed the friendships formed in Moscow, the food, and history. I want to return.

August, I was back in San Jose and Portland for work, then off again to Europe for vacation. We started our trip in Croatia, where Georgi and I kayaked around Dbruvnik’s harbor. Croatia’s cliffs and turquoise water did not disappoint, as we boated to islands and swam in caves. Driving south into Montenegro, the architecture reminded me more of Polish, Bulgarian trips, the water, greener. At the Amman we laid out next to The Beckhams, watching David kick a soccer ball with workers of the hotel, and watching Victoria read a book. Georgi and I then ventured to Mykonos, sunning til sunset and dancing til sunrise. A weekend trip upstate with our besties (including a guest appearance by Eric Lee, riding rides at the Colombia County fair, cooking pies, and grilling meats, ended our summer.

In September I went to Berlin and did Folsom and a speaking gig in front of 1K eBay sellers. I went again to Tel Aviv, meeting gay Israeli technology workers and a bevy fo Israeli start-ups. In Jerusalem, I returned to the wonderful Machneyuda with Gilad Ayalon, where they remembered me from my birthday the year before.

October saw us hosting my mother and my niece for a visit. We fell in love with Company XVI, a dance/burlesque/performance art troupe in Brooklyn. I took my mother to see Madonna, a night I will cherish forever. And we saw Dear Evan Hanson. A weekend in Miami with Lauren Foster and K was needed warmth. I took Georgi to see both acts of The Inheritance (so good!).  Then off to Berlin, again, and Paris, where I looked at art and went shopping for fall clothes. Halloween, in NYC, was brilliant and over the top; I went as white Pierrot clown. In Brooklyn, to Honey Dijon, we danced all night. Ralph Rucci, the American couturier reposted our photo on Instagram, calling it high-fashion, however, it was Georgi who won the night as Spock.

November I was in NYC early on, shopping with Thomas Cawson (who hooked me up with pink denim Helmut Lang), eating Christmas cookies, and being interviewed by Buzzfeed, a segment on 90s toys. I imitated a Furby. Then a week in Portland (I glow-in-the-dark-miniature-golfed), and off to Helsinki, catching up with former friends from Fab, One Nordic, Hem. Then to Lapland, with Georgi, George, and Anthony, lapping up wine, winter wonderlands, and dining on reindeer and elk. Dog sledding, snowmobiling, Northen lights! Another childhood desire checked from the list. Dinner with Michelle Case in London closed the month.

In December I went back to Berlin (my second home) and hosted a fundraiser for Single Step in our home. In one night Georgi and I helped raise $50K to help build Bulgaria’s first LGBTI center. It was also an impromptu holiday party: so many old friends together again in one room. And now Georgi and I sit in an airport lounge, awaiting our flight to Baltra, in the Galapagos. Once we land, we’ll board a 7-day cruise on a mega-yacht/small cruise ship. This, I feel, I have been waiting my entire life for.

I often write about how I was lonely as a kid. I was gay, I had a drug-addicted father, I grew up very poor. I oftentimes say music saved my life. But, I don’t write enough about the joy animals gave me too. I had so many pets: newts, turtles, tortoises, tree frogs, geckos, crabs, salamanders, etc. Caring for them, feeding them, gave me peace and allowed me to love. One turtle I had had a cracked shell. He lived in my room for many, many years. I always preferred him, with his defects, to the others. I think I feel the same about people.

As a child, I became obsessed with the Galapagos Islands, and mostly the tortoises. I would read about them in encyclopedias and race to see them at zoos. I always felt connected to turtles. They were my spirit animal. Later in life, I’d bloom, my feathers growing, my pride, alive. I’d no longer consider myself a turtle, my spirit animal changed. I told this story to my colleague Eben Sermon, who runs eBay’s German business: I always wanted to be a turtle. But I ended up a cockatoo. Eben brought this up last week in Berlin and it made me think a bit more about affinities for animals and how I have not had that connection as often as I probably should.

So this week, before we ring in New Years in Rio, I will honor the old me, the kid, the quieter Bradford, the sadder Bradford, by visiting those turtles, finally.

And I’ll marvel at the wonder of nature and evolution, both the evolution of animals and this world, and also the very real and dramatic evolution of my spirit and happiness.

Happy Holidays, Peace & Big Love

[frederator-studios]

Graham McTavish: The Frederator Interview

At the moment, Graham McTavish is in Malta getting his head torn off by a Werewolf. Jack Bauer once rammed a fire poker through his chest then slit his throat. He’s been set on fire, drowned, strangled, stabbed, speared, knifed, shot - not to mention, kneed in the balls, punched in the face, even slammed over the back with a log by an over-eager young performer. All in a day’s work for the Scottish actor, who’s played the baddest of baddies on a slew of excellent dramas-with-a-twist, from Preacher to Outlander, 24 to Castlevania. But Graham himself doesn’t view his characters as ‘villains’ - just passionate, complex people, of which Dracula (though he’d resent to be called “human”) is the embodiment. Read on for Graham’s take on playing one of literature’s most iconic, dangerous anti-heroes—from the relative safety of a recording studio.

Are you in LA long?

I’m flying out tonight actually, back to New Zealand. My kids are there, so I split my time. I’m doing Lucifer at the moment for Netflix as well as Castlevania, so I had to come back for a day, yesterday - I flew back just for that. (wow whaaa?) Yeah. I do a lot of traveling, but even for me that’s insane! It’s also unusual for the scheduling to work out perfectly, which it does the next few months. I have an episode gap now, then in October, I do a film in Malta, and the day that wraps, come back to LA to finish Lucifer, and the day after that, fly to Canada to do a film with Willem Dafoe about the Iditarod. I’ve got to learn how to mush a dog sled.

That’s awesome. It’s like getting sponsored to learn a cool obscure skill.

It’s definitely a nice side effect of being an actor. What other job would allow you to learn how to mush a dog sled, unless you were actually becoming a professional dog sled musher? It’ll be great.

How is it for you to switch between characters, with so little time between roles sometimes?

It really depends on your approach to acting. I approach from the point of view of a child. I have two young children, and the great thing about being that age, is they can switch from one thing to another in an instant. Very fluid. I think because I’ve never trained as an actor, I can see work as play. Some actors live as a cobbler for 5 years to play a cobbler, and that’s what works for them. Personally, I pretend. When I'm mushing dogs, I will give the illusion that I really know what I'm doing. That’s what acting is: an illusion that the audience willingly participates in. And everybody is complicit.

You didn’t have professional training?

No. I used to write comic sketches at school with a friend of mine, and we didn't trust anybody else to perform them, so we did. The Drama teacher at school asked me on many occasions to be in a play, but I always said no. Then on one occasion, he asked me to step into a play called “The Rivals” by Sheridan, filling in for an actor who’d fallen ill three days before the production was due to be performed. I said yes. To this day, I have no idea why I agreed. But I did the play, and was of course bitten by the acting bug.

After that, a local Dramatics company asked me to join them, so I did amateur theatre for a year. Then I attended Queen Mary College London University and majored in English literature. I was lucky enough to have a professor who loved Shakespeare and Jacobean drama, and he cast me in all of those plays. As an English Lit major, I was doing two or three Shakespeare plays a year, performing roles that I never would have been given if I'd been at Drama School. I'm not against it, but I don't think it's for everyone. I got my union card in Britain after doing a Beckett play, and then just started working professionally. I also did a lot of Repertory Theatre in the UK, which I think is a great training ground for actors. So it was all slightly accidental, the case with a lot of people.

How did you choose to play Dracula? What about that part compelled you?

I played him onstage once, a great experience. Dracula is the sort of character people love guiltily. If you get the opportunity to play that, it's a no-brainer. Just reading Bram Stoker’s book, your sympathy is with Dracula, in many ways. You live the story through him. It's such a wonderful ride to be playing a man whose been alive for hundreds and hundreds of years. Dracula plays to our secret desires, our secret fears. I think in all of us, there is a fascination with the idea of living forever. Fear of living forever, and fear of death; the Dracula myth plays on that edge. It’s so powerful because it takes something that we all have to face one day and says, what if you didn’t? But in gaining immortality, you lose something very important. Dracula is very enviable in some ways, but is also deeply sad and tragic.

How is it, playing tragic characters?

Among the few advantages of getting older is you have more life experience, including with tragedy. It’s inevitable. And you can draw on those memories. But you can also draw on your fears as well. I did a scene in Outlander, toward the end, where my brother is dying. I thought of my own father, and all the things I never said to him. Those emotions definitely informed that scene. When tragedy and death and loss touch your life, you carry those feelings into your future.

Are you an animation fan?

I love animation, I grew up with it. Along with books, it was my first experience of storytelling. Cartoons, as we called them; they fired my childhood imagination. It’s like how we were talking earlier, about children, and the profundity of animation to them. The first film I saw in a theatre was Walt Disney’s Peter Pan. I was five and had no question that those characters were real. To such an extent that when they took the posters down at the cinema, I got upset. I was like, “But where’s Peter? Where’s he gone?” Because I thought Peter lived in the cinema. I still get absorbed into great pieces of animation, when the artistry is powerful, and it’s part of my attraction to doing animated work. And this show, Castlevania, is particularly beautiful.

How were you introduced to the project, and did you have expectations going in?

I knew it was going to be great. I was recording Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when the Voice and Casting Director, Meredith Layne, pulled me aside. She said she was on a project and couldn’t tell me much, but she thought I’d be a fit, and would I like to be considered? Meredith has great taste, so I said “Of course” and sent in a tape. And when I heard that Warren Ellis was the writer, that was a huge attraction. I love his comic book work, and fiction as well. The Crooked Little Vein is one of my favorite books. Really, it couldn’t not be great, and the more I learned of the creative team behind it, the more sure I was. Everything put into the show - the casting, directing, producing, animation - elevates it so hugely above anything comparable. I love that it occupies this unique space.

What do you feel Castlevania’s Dracula uniquely brings to the character?

It’s his being human that makes it so interesting. When I portrayed Dracula onstage, there was no suggestion that that version of him felt love, or experienced empathy. But in this production, a woman, Lisa, takes him by surprise. She makes him feel, and turns his life around. I love that, because everybody can relate. You think your life is one way, then you meet someone who changes everything, opens your life up, makes you think about it differently - and makes it more enjoyable to be alive. And since Dracula is essentially dead, that irony is very clever.

Do you have a favorite representation of vampires in Media?

I'm a little biased, but I love the portrayal of Cassidy by Joe Gilgun in Preacher. It’s so unconventional. Herzog’s Nosferatu springs to mind, just incredible. Gary Oldman’s Dracula is wonderful. And I loved Let the Right One In, the original Swedish version. It’s genius. It took something familiar as a vampire story and gave it a whole new spin.

You work so much in the fantasy genre - is that purposeful?

Oh yeah. I love the variety. I've been a Viking, a Roman - twice - after always dreaming of playing one, I got to be one for a whole year. Growing up in the UK, you never imagine yourself getting to be a cowboy. On the first season of Preacher, there was a scene I rode into a western town: the whole duster coat with the Stetson guns, surrounded by horses and wagon trains, all the paraphernalia. I had to look cool and unbothered. I wanted to jump up and down in excitement. I was so, pathetically excited. I did a season of 24, and I’d been a huge fan. Every day I’d go up to the producers telling them I was a huge fan. After a while, they’d say, “Yeah, great, we get it. You like the show. You’re in it now, so if you could just be the character that’d be great.”

And I still get a pathetically childish enjoyment out of playing Dracula. What kid doesn’t want to play Dracula?! I once talked to Lance Henriksen, and he said one of the reasons he went into acting was to be thousands of people. You get to be a cowboy and a vampire and a dog musher and a Highlander in the 18th century and a dwarf in Middle Earth. I'd definitely rather do any of that than put on a suit and do a courtroom scene. Not that I wouldn’t! I’ve just never been asked. No one’s ever looked at me and said, “Let’s cast him as The Dad.”

Have you ever played a “Castlevania” game?

I am a terrible game player.

But, but - your voice is in like every game of the past decade!

Yes, I have done loads of video games. I did a franchise called “Uncharted”. Award-winning; incredibly popular. Never played them. I played one game years ago with my friend, called “Gears of War”. I was so bad at it. I'm the guy that shoots in a circle around his feet. I’m useless at them.

Your character's bad-assery makes up for it. Anything to say to fans of the show, in advance of season two?

I just really hope you enjoy it and get carried along with the story and and want to see more. That’s always the greatest thing, if you can get the fans to clamor for more ❀

Follow Graham on Twitter and Instagram

Thank you for the interview Graham! Without a doubt, you’re the kindest chronic bad guy I’ve come across. 

- Cooper ❀

(Craving another CV interview? Read Richard Armitage’s here.)

[freenewstoday]

New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2021/02/02/dustin-diamonds-saved-by-the-bell-co-star-mario-lopez-reflects-on-late-actor-definitely-made-me-laugh/

Dustin Diamond's 'Saved by the Bell' co-star Mario Lopez reflects on late actor: 'Definitely made me laugh'

Mario Lopez is looking back on Dustin Diamond, his late “Saved by the Bell” co-star.

Diamond died at the age of 44 on Monday “due to carcinoma,” his rep told Fox News. His death came not long after he was diagnosed with stage four cancer.

The actor appeared as Samuel “Screech” Powers alongside Lopez, 47, in all four seasons of the coming-of-age sitcom, though he was not involved with the 2020 reboot.

Now the “Recipe for Seduction” star has opened up “Access Hollywood” about his late friend.

‘SAVED BY THE BELL’ STAR DUSTIN DIAMOND’ DEAD AT 44 AFTER BATTLE WITH STAGE 4 CANCER

“I remember the first time I met Dustin. He was two years younger than the rest of the cast and he looked like a real-life cartoon character,” recalled Lopez. “He was just this sweet, goofy, funny kid and I’ve always been pretty immature so we got along real well.”

The actor also remembered Diamond as “a pretty funny character off-screen” as well as on-screen — perhaps “even a little sillier.”

“He definitely made me laugh, the way he carried himself and he had a lot of fun energy and he did a lot of silly stuff,” said Lopez. “Being a teenager, I appreciated it.”

The star said he thought of the actor “like a goofy, silly little brother” and gushed over what he brought to the table on “Saved by the Bell” by playing what Lopez called “an iconic nerd.”

DUSTIN DIAMOND’S ‘SAVED BY THE BELL’ CO-STARS PAY TRIBUTE TO LATE ACTOR: ‘YOU WILL BE MISSED MY MAN’

He then recalled embarking on mall tours with his castmates and remembered Diamond being “really cool with everyone” by signing autographs and taking time to engage with fans.

The two actors stayed in touch after their time on the show and while Lopez admitted Diamond “had some struggles and a complicated life,” he said he “stood by” his co-star which could have led to them working together again.

‘Saved by the Bell’ cast members (left to right): Mario Lopez as Alabert Clifford ‘A.C.’ Slater, Dennis Haskins as Mr. Richard Belding, Lark Voorhies as Lisa Turtle, Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski, Elizabeth Berkley as Jessie Spano, Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zachary ‘Zach’ Morris, Dustin Diamond as Screech Powers — Photo by: NBCU Photo Bank

Lopez mentioned “doing something cool” for “the upcoming season,” though it was unclear whether he was referring to Peacock’s “Saved by the Bell” reboot, or something else entirely.

Additionally, the actor said he pitched a reality project to Diamond when they spoke just weeks before his passing.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I hope Dustin is remembered as a nice guy, good person, always took time to speak with people that were fans and wanted to connect with him,” gushed the “Pacific Blue” actor. “And as an iconic character that millions of people related to. He was on the show a long time and different versions of the show and it was a huge part of his life and I think he had a huge impact on TV, especially in the ’90s.”

He concluded: “He was a good guy at the end of the day.”

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[leonardodvnc]

Answer 20 Questions and Tag 20 People You Want to Get to Know Better

ty @vivalachocolate for tagging me you’re so nice! aaa 

Name: dani

Zodiac Sign: cap sun, cancer moon, aquarius rising/dom (im a huge astrology enthusiast okay)

Height: 1.61m

I speak: spanish, english, and i can get my way around french

Nationality: mexican

Favorite Fruit: grapes, mango, and/or watermelon. i also eat a lot of bananas too

Favorite Season: wow, okay, i really don’t know? i love all of them for different reasons. i live by the beach though, so i don’t really get the full winter/fall experience unless i travel elsewhere. 

Favorite Scent: roses! i also like sweet but citric scents.

Favorite Color: look. look. colors are Very important. like. Very. so i don’t have a favorite, and the one i use the most/am attracted the most to changes every now and then (rn it might be pink?) BUT it was purple all throughout my childhood so yeah

Favorite Animal: i love all animals ( im vegetarian w vegan inclinations) but my favorite animal would be turtles!

Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate: chocolate

Average hours of sleep: i try to sleep 8h but honestly? 6, average

Favorite Fictional Character: peter parker, but also dick grayson but ALSO edward elric, wally west, barry allen, tim drake i love donna troy to pieces, leonardo from the tmnt, pidge then lance, raven (dc), beast boy, from the batfam cassandra cain and barbara gordon, i think lisa simpson is an Icon, i ADORE all the women in fma because they’re just?? wow? sonic the hedgehog and since this is already a (long) list, ben and gwen tennyson, also all women from spider-man

OH and bumble bee from transformers

Dream Trip: i really want to go to india because i study and practice yoga and i love the culture, also japan because as you may see im a weeb, finland because i really like their school system and want to learn more about it and their culture too, italy, australia

Blog Created: 4+ years ago

i’m tagging: @grizzlybairparty @blackturtlesofdeath @iatethepomegranate @notagoodplace4gods @3alo @lukasagitta @calvissian @icarusforgotten and if i may tag my senpais @traincat @nightween @oh-mother-of-darkness and anyone who might be interested in this just say i tagged you :^)