Celebrity Interviews

In this epsiode, Neil " The Media Giant" Haley and Celebrity Entrepreneur Dr. Ted Grellner will interview Frank Smith.

Sports TikTok star on how he built a career through TikTok

After gaining over 1 million followers on TikTok in less than a year, sports content creator and Pittsburg native Frank Michael Smith has solidified himself as one of the premier sports personalities on social media. Frank is also founder and CEO of his own production company, Juice Productions which garners over 200 million monthly views across 10 shows.

In this episode, Neil " The Media Giant" Haley and Kim Sorrelle, author of Love is will interview Granger Smith. This is Part 2 of the interview with Granger.

“The Christmas after my mother passed away, my father was lost. On Christmas Eve at my sister’s ranch, we were outside on the porch and my father wouldn’t get up and go inside to celebrate. How could he move forward when my mother couldn’t?” said director Vickie Bronaugh. “There was a supermoon on the horizon and it shined this white light on us. As it rose, it got brighter and brighter and we all just sat there quietly. After that happened, my father stood up and said, ‘let’s go inside.’ He knew at that moment she had moved forward, and we should too. And that quiet moment inspired this film, MOONRISE.”

The new AFFIRM Originals movie MOONRISE stars country artist Granger Smith in his film debut, Sonya Balmores (SOUL SURFER), Wally Welch (Yellowstone, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN) and introduces Piper Clurman, Kace Winfield and Jaxon Noble Pickens. The movie was written and directed by Vickie Bronaugh and produced by Sean McNamara (REAGAN, SOUL SURFER) and David Brookwell (SOUL SURFER) of Brookwll McNamara Entertainment.

Granger Smith plays Will Brown, a former country singer who has pushed away his family, fame and faith following his wife’s death. It’s his daughter, Ellie (played by Piper Clurman) and a talented horse trainer (played by Sonya Balmores) who show him strength, forgiveness and grace to live life again.

in this epsiode, Neil Haley and Kim Sorrelle, author of Love Is will interview  Max McLean about ‘THE MOST RELUCTANT CONVERT’.

Pure Flix is proud to make “The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of C.S. Lewis,” what Focus on the Family’s PluggedIn called one of“the best Christian movies of the year,” available for streaming on December 24.

The film was written for the screen and directed by two-time Emmy and BAFTA winner Norman Stone (BBC’s Shadowlands), and stars Max McLean who has brought C.S. Lewis throughout his career on the theatrical stage and involvement with the Fellowship for Performing Arts. The film also stars Nicolas Ralph (All Creatures Great & Small) as college-age Lewis and Eddie Ray Martin as child-age Lewis.

Watch the trailer for the film here and discover more about Pure Flix, the destination for faith and family-friendly movies and shows.

The new AFFIRM Originals movie MOONRISE stars country artist Granger Smith in his film debut, Sonya Balmores (SOUL SURFER), Wally Welch (Yellowstone, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN) and introduces Piper Clurman, Kace Winfield and Jaxon Noble Pickens. The movie was written and directed by Vickie Bronaugh and produced by Sean McNamara (REAGAN, SOUL SURFER) and David Brookwell (SOUL SURFER) of Brookwll McNamara Entertainment.

Granger Smith plays Will Brown, a former country singer who has pushed away his family, fame and faith following his wife’s death. It’s his daughter, Ellie (played by Piper Clurman) and a talented horse trainer (played by Sonya Balmores) who show him strength, forgiveness and grace to live life again.

“This is a powerful movie with a very relational message. Will is grieving his wife and unable to forgive himself for past decisions all while trying to raise and protect his kids,” said Granger Smith. “He’s a complicated man carrying pain and guilt. But it’s not until he’s intentional about healing that he can move forward. It’s a brilliant story about redemption and forgiveness.”

ABOUT VALERIE JUNE

Valerie June Hockett is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and multi- instrumentalist from Tennessee. She’s been published in the New York Times, which has also hailed her as one of America’s “most intriguing, fully formed new talents.” She has recorded four critically acclaimed, best-selling solo albums and has also written songs for legendary artists such as Mavis Staples and The Blind Boys of Alabama. June has performed on The Tonight Show, The Late Show, Austin City Limits, Rachael Ray, and CBS Saturday Morning, and graced some of the world's most prestigious stages, from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center. She’s part of the Turnaround Arts program originally started by First Lady Michelle Obama. Also a poet, her first collection Maps for the Modern World was published in April 2021 by Andrews McMeel Publishing. When she’s not touring, June splits her time between Tennessee and New York.

A dynamic vanguard of young Black women welcome cultural influencers and celebrity guests to weigh in on important Gen Z issues in this female-driven, unapologetically Black conversational series. Watch “Black Girl Stuff” featuring co-hosts Demetria Obilor, Brii Renee, Akilah Ffriend and Tori Brixx, plus correspondent Kennedy Rue.

Tom is a legendary figure in the world of stand up comedy and entertainment: He was one of the first class members at The Comedy Store in LA (featured in the recent Showtime documentary, along with pals Robin Williams, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Michael Keaton) and got his big break when he became a favorite of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show.

Tom toured with Sammy Davis, Jr., Natalie Cole, Smokey Robinson and others…before becoming Frank Sinatra's opening act for the last 14 years of Frank's career. If you saw Sinatra in concert in the 1980s or 90s, more than likely Tom opened for him. As a result, Tom and Sinatra established a personal friendship unlike any other, which we capture in the book.

Sheldon Epps conceived and directed the Duke Ellington musical Play On! which received three Tony Award nominations, and was produced at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, where it received four Jefferson Awards including Best Musical. The Pasadena Playhouse production was filmed by PBS for broadcast as part of the “Great Performances” series.   He also conceived and directed the highly acclaimed musical revue, Blues in the Night. The Broadway production was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical of the Year, and the London production, which he also directed, was nominated for two Laurence Olivier Awards, and ran for over a year on the West End before being broadcast in Europe by Thames Television. His 2018 production of the show in Los Angeles received unanimously positive critical acclaim and set box office records at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Arts.   Mr. Epps was honored to be the Artistic Director of the renowned Pasadena Playhouse for two decades (1997-2017) and is widely credited with the rejuvenation and rebirth of that respected theatre company. His directing credits at The Playhouse include the record breaking production of Fences (starring Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett), Kiss Me Kate, Twelve Angry Men, Intimate Apparel, Blues for an Alabama Sky, The Night Is a Child, As Bees In Honey Drown, Blue, Play On!, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Old Settler, The Real Thing, On Borrowed Time, Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting, Blues in the Night, Purlie (a co-production with the Goodman Theatre), and the world premiere productions of the musicals Sleepless In Seattle, Breaking Through, and Ray Charles Live!  He inaugurated Hothouse at The Playhouse, the theatre’s hugely successful new play development program.  He also co-directed the Broadway production of Baby It’s You!, which was originally produced at The Playhouse. He now continues his association with the theatre as Artistic Director Emeritus.     Under his leadership, The Pasadena Playhouse once again established a reputation for outstanding productions distinguishing themselves in their artistic excellence and theatrical diversity. During his tenure several productions successfully transferred to Broadway, off Broadway and numerous theatres all over the country. Among many other honors he received the NAACP Community Service Award and the prestigious James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award for his many accomplishments during his tenure at The Playhouse.     For television he has directed episodes of “The Upshaws,” “Family Reunion,” “Frasier,” “Friends,” “The George Lopez Show,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Hannah Montana,” “Instant Mom,” “Evening Shade,” “Sister, Sister,” and many others, as well as several pilots. For five seasons he was also producer/director for the hit series “Girlfriends.” In recognition of his work in television, he was invited to be the Pankey Chair/Filmmaker in Residence at Chapman University.   He has also taught acting, directing and theatre management at Yale School of Drama, USC, UCLA, University of San Diego, Occidental College, and Cal State LA among others. He was honored to receive the coveted Alumni Achievement Award from his alma mater Carnegie-Mellon University.   He is a long-time member of the Executive Board of the Society of Directors and Choreographers and served as Chair of the SDC Foundation Board of Trustees. He is also on the board of the Ten Chimneys Foundation. Mr. Epps is a two-time recipient of the Theatre Communications Group/Pew Charitable Trust National Theatre Artists Residency Grant, which supported his four-year tenure at The Old Globe as Associate Artistic Director.     Currently, he is honored to serve as Senior Artistic Advisor at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC.   #   #   #

ED BEGLEY, JR.

Ed Begley, Jr. is currently recurring on the series YOUNG SHELDON and BETTER CALL SAUL and was recently a series regular on ABC’s BLESS THIS MESS and Netflix’s FUTURE MAN.  He has also joined the cast for the reboot of the series, QUEER AS FOLK.

On the environmental front, he is one of the foremost environmentalists in Hollywood, supporting and advocating for multiple eco-initiatives and charity organizations.  He is also the name and face behind the successful BEGLEY’S EARTH RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTS, a line of plant-based eco-friendly cleaning and pet supplies.  All products are available on Amazon.com, Walmart.com and soon to be available on Chewy.com.

Begley is a Golden Globe and seven-time Emmy nominated actor who for decades, has been a champion and educator for causes dedicated to protecting the earth.  In support of this work, he starred opposite his lovely wife and daughter on the hit eco-reality shows LIVING WITH ED and ON BEGLEY STREET.

Inspired by the works of his Academy Award-winning father, Begley became an actor. He first gained major notoriety for his portrayal of Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the long-running television series, ST. ELSEWHERE for which he received six of his Emmy nominations. Since then he has moved easily between feature film, television, streaming and theatre.

Begley has appeared in the Christopher Guest films A MIGHTY WIND, BEST IN SHOW and FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. Other feature film credits include BOOK CLUB, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, BATMAN FOREVER, THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, THE INLAWS and countless more. On television, Begley has recurred on ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, PORTLANDIA, BETTER CALL SAUL, MODERN FAMILY,

Tyler Palko (born August 9, 1983) Palko was the starting quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh from 2004 to 2006. The left-handedthrower was not selected in the 2007 NFL Draft, but was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals, Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Kansas City Chiefs.