Spotlight On - AfterBuzz TV

Today, on American TV Icons, Alikona Bradford interviews, we feature longtime veteran Linda Lavin.  Born in Portland, Maine to a musically-inclined family (her mother was once an opera singer) and on stage from the age of 5, singer/actress Linda Lavin graduated from The College of William and Mary with a theatre degree. She pounded the New York pavements in the early 1960s searching for work following some stock roles in New Jersey, and gradually made a dent within the New York musical comedy scene with roles in "Oh, Kay!" (1960), "A Family Affair," (1962), "It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman" (1966) (her standout number was "You've Got Possibilities") and "On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever" (1966). She also won kudos for her straight acting roles in "Little Murders" (1969 Drama Desk award) and "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" (1969 Tony nomination). A one-time member of Paul Sills' Compass Players comedy troupe back in the late 1950s, she served as a replacement in Sills' "Story Theatre" Broadway production in 1971.  Television beckoned in the 1970s and utilized her singing talents in a small-screen version of Damn Yankees! (1967) starring Phil Silvers and Lee Remick. After a one-season false start as Detective Janice Wentworth on the sitcom Barney Miller (1975), it did not take long for the talented lady to become a household name in another. As the titular waitress/mother in the sitcom Alice (1976), based on the award-winning film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) starring Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn, Lavin won deserved stardom. During the nine seasons (1976-1985) the show was on the air, she nabbed two Golden Globe awards and an Emmy nomination. Ever the singer, she even warbled "There's a New Girl in Town" over the opening credits of the show to the delight of her fans.  Following this success, Linda lavished her attentions once again on the stage. She earned renewed respect, in addition to several critic's awards, for her diversified Broadway work in "Broadway Bound" (1987 Tony award), "Death Defying Acts" (1995 Obie award), "The Diary of Anne Frank" (1998 Tony nomination: as the high-strung Mrs. Van Daan) and "Tales of the Allergist Wife" (2000 Tony nomination). More recently, she appeared in Carol Burnett's autobiographical play "Hollywood Arms" (2002) portraying Burnett's grandmother. The piece was co-written by Burnett's late daughter, Carrie Hamilton. Linda received excellent reviews the first time around for her stage work in "Collected Stories" (2000). She later appeared in a PBS-TV version of Collected Stories (2002) and in 2010 revived it on Broadway, earning a Tony nomination for her efforts. She has also occasionally directed for the stage.  Linda was married and divorced twice to actors -- Ron Leibman and Kip Niven -- and in 2005 married her third husband, actor Steve Bakunas, who is also an artist and musician. Since her "Alice" heyday, the actress has again found series work, albeit the short-lived Room for Two (1992) and Conrad Bloom (1998). She has also been seen in penetrating guest parts on such established series as "The Sopranos", "Law & Order" and "The O.C." (recurring).   Make sure to subscribe to AfterBuzz! - http://youtube.com/afterbuzztv  HELPFUL LINKS: Website - http://afterbuzztv.com Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/afterbuzz-tv/id407139777?mt=2 Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/afterbuzztv Like us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/afterbuzztv See on us Instagram - http://instagram.com/afterbuzztv Merch - http://shop.spreadshirt.com/AfterbuzzTV/  ABOUT AFTERBUZZ TV: Created by Emmy winner Maria Menounos & producer Keven Undergaro, AfterBuzz TV is the digital broadcast network dedicated to producing live and on-demand after-shows, news and coverage for nearly every TV show featuring expert recaps & interviews with cast & crew.

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Brooks Darnell comes into AfterBuzz TV to discuss his latest projects with Chelsea Overocker.

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For more After Shows for your favorite TV shows and the latest news in TV, Film, and exclusive celebrity interviews, visit http://www.AfterBuzzTV.com

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Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Jaime Callica is the hottest thing out of Canada since the two Ryan's (Gosling & Reynolds). Only acting for a mere three years he has fast become one of Hollywood's rising stars and will next be seen as a series regular in Tyler Perry's highly anticipated new drama for BET, "Ruthless" (a spin-off of fan favorite, "The Oval"), which premieres Thursday, March 19th. He will additionally be seen in the new Disney Channel original movie UPSIDE-DOWN MAGIC (Summer 2020) based on The New York Times bestselling fantasy fiction children's books of the same name. Audiences have just begun to get a taste for this multi-faceted, hard-working actor on his rise to the top while he curates an impressive resume alongside Hollywood elite. "Ruthless," the upcoming one-hour drama series by Tyler Perry for BET+, is a spinoff of "The Oval" and follows 'Ruth Truesdale' (Melissa L. Williams) as she's forced to play nice with a scandalous religious cult of powerful sex crazed fanatics in the hopes of freeing herself and her daughter. Callica plays 'Agent Brian Rollins' a driven, dedicated worker that loves his wife, and loves his job. When he receives a call to action, he knows he has to step in. In UPSIDE-DOWN MAGIC, ten-year-old 'Nory Horace' discovers she has magical powers and can turn into animals but can't quite get it right. Nory attends a school for other kids with "upside-down magic," and her father, played by Callica, wants to keep her powers a secret. Viewers may also recognize Callica from some of his past TV and film roles including "UnREAL," "Lucifer," "Wayward Pines," Spike Lee's TALES OF HOOD, and most recently alongside Kelly Rowland in MERRY LIDDLE CHRISTMAS. 

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Host James Lott Jr sits down with the cast, writers and producers of the Amazon Prime Series Studio City. Studio City follows the life of Hollywood Actor Sam Steven and the cast of Hearts on Fire, Americas number two daytime drama, as they navgate the chaotic world of soap operas and their own messy personal lives. Sean Kanan is stars as Sam Stevens and Dr Pierce Hartley. He is joined in studio with stars and Emmy Winners Patrika Darbo and Carolyn Hennessy, Daytime royalty Tristan Rogers, Philip Bruenn and co writer/producer/casting Michele Kanan! It's a fun conversation about the series and digital series in general.

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Tiege Dooley-Panko talks with Brandon Rogers!

Brandon Rogers is an American YouTuber, comedian, actor, and director. Rogers is commonly associated with his satirical videos on YouTube, in which he plays various intertwined and comedic characters. Rogers' first job was creating videos for a personal-injury law firm in Los Angeles.

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Louisa Sharamatayan talks with Araksya Karapetyan!

Emmy award winning anchor Araksya Karapetyan anchors the morning newscasts on FOX 11’s Good Day LA in Los Angeles.

A native of Armenia, Araksya moved to the United States from Gyumri when she was seven years old. A devastating earthquake, a brewing conflict with Azerbaijan, and the demise of the Soviet Union all contributed to her family's decision to leave their homeland.

Araksya grew up in Palos Verdes Estates, California but her connection to her homeland has remained strong.

Araksya has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Relations and Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Araksya began her television career as an intern at KABC-TV in Los Angeles,  KFI 640 AM radio in Burbank and Torrance CitiCABLE 3. Her interest in journalism sparked in 2006 when she went back to Armenia for a visit after graduating college. While there, she decided to spend her time not by being a tourist, but by exploring to see what everyday life was really like for the average Armenian. Araksya grabbed a camcorder and literally hit the streets of Gyrumi to talk to everyday people about life post-communism. She interviewed people and visited places such as an orphanage, a psychiatric ward, some schools, and a home for the elderly to fully understand the issues the newly democratic country was facing. That experience —and that trip —-ignited her passion to pursue journalism.

Araksya has been reporting and anchoring at FOX 11 for the past 7 1/2 years. Before coming back home to Los Angeles, Araksya worked in Idaho Falls, Idaho as a reporter, photographer, editor, writer, producer and weekend anchor. She then made an impressive jump from the small town of Idaho Falls to Portland, Oregon. She spent two years there as a general assignment reporter, always leading the evening newscasts with the big investigative stories of the day. Araksya also had an opportunity to host a lifestyle show while in Portland, giving her a chance to showcase more of her personality.

Over the years Araksya has gotten heavily involved with the Armenian community in Los Angeles.

She recently emceed the welcoming ceremony of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at Los Angeles city hall and had the opportunity to speak to the Prime Minster in an exclusive interview.

This past April, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recognized Araksya for her dedicated work within the Armenian American community.

In October, Araksya accepted the “Excellence in Media” Award from the Armenian National Committee of America Western Region (ANCA -WR) in her tireless effort to bring attention to the Armenian Cause, for being the voice of the community and for serving  as a role model for the younger generation.

Pan Armenian TV named Araksya “television personality of the year” during this year’s Armenian Influencer Awards.

“I am fortunate to have a job that I love and have chosen a career that challenges me every day to grow and evolve both professionally and personally.

I also happen to be in a position now which allows me to share with others my culture, the Armenian story and the Armenian cause. I don’t for a moment take any of it for granted. I count my blessing everyday.”

Araksya resides in Palos Verdes Estates with her husband and two daughters Sevan and Sona.

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Bethanie Jean talks with Christine Elise!

Christine Elise McCarthy was born in Boston, Massachusetts - the daughter of artists. She has been acting professionally since 1988 and is recognized primarily for her roles as U4EA-popping bad girl, Emily Valentine, on Beverly Hills, 90210. She returned to the 90210 zip code in the Fox 2019 summer hit BH90210 playing a heightened version of herself in 5 of the 6 episodes. She is also known for Harper Tracy on ER, and as Kyle, the gal who killed Chucky in Child's Play 2. She returned as Kyle in the 7th installment of the franchise - Cult of Chucky and is rumored to be attached to the 2020 SYFY Chucky series, in development. She has also appeared in recurring roles on China Beach, In the Heat of the Night, and Tell Me You Love Me. Among her other film roles are Abel Ferrara's Body Snatchers and two films starring Viggo Mortensen: Vanishing Point and Boiling Point. She appeared in the TV movie Vanishing Point with Viggo Mortensen, who requested she play the role. They met on another project, Boiling Point, though her role was largely written out. She had a recurring role on In the Heat of the Night and also appeared in an episode of "Charmed". She was featured in the punk rock documentaries American Hardcore and All Ages: The Boston Hardcore Film.

Bathing & the Single Girl, inspired by the short film, is her debut novel available in paperback on Amazon & digitally on Amazon and I-tunes. (www.bathingbook.com) . Her directorial debut, Bathing & the Single Girl, was accepted into over 100 film festivals and won 20 awards. It can be viewed from the book's site.

She hosts a plant-based cooking channel on Youtube called - Delightful Delicious Delovely & Video Vegan (www.VideoVegan.com). She also maintains an irreverent food porn blog called WWW.DelightfulDeliciousDelovely.com for which she provides recipes, photographs and sometimes shares details of the triumphs and, more frequently, the humiliations of her own life. She has a great passion for photography (http://www.redbubble.com/people/jdempsey/portfolio) and has shown her pin-up and decaying Americana imagery in the United States & Paris. She was on the selection committee of Michigan's Waterfront Film Festival since its inception in 1999, she was co-director of the Victoria Texas Independent Film Festival, programmed for the Self-Medicated Film Festival and The Lady Filmmakers Film Festival, and consults & judges for many others.

She made her directorial debut with an award winning short film she also wrote, produced, and starred in: Bathing and the Single Girl. Since December 2010, Bathing and the Single Girl has been screened at more than 100 festivals and has won 20 awards. Dystel & Goderich Literary Management represents her full-length novel of the same name, Bathing and the Single Girl, released in January 2014.

As a producer, she has worked as a story producer on multiple reality shows including Hellevator with the Soska Twins, Cold Justice & Best Bars in America.

As a writer, she has written three episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210 as well as characters and story lines for the series, a pilot that was optioned by Aaron Spelling, and comical true-life essays that she performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade and Naked Angels theaters in LA.

She has a large following on Instagram @ChristineEliseMcCarthy.

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Jeff Graham talks with Lauren LoGrasso!

Lauren LoGrasso is a Los Angeles based Singer/Songwriter, podcast producer and Host, actor and creativity coach. She is currently working on her EP with Grammy Award Winning producer, Jeff Bova, serving as the Executive Producer of Female Content for a Podcasting Company called Cadence13- working on properties such as Girlboss and Goop and creating a couple different podcasts that she will host through her company, Cadence13. Stay tuned here for new projects, live performances and fun times!

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Jay Ellis talks with Aleks Paunovic.

Aleks stars in the acclaimed indie feature FREAKS (out in theatres Sept. 13th), as well as Julius in Syfy’s Van Helsing returning for its fourth season September 27th, and recurs in TNT’s anticipated “Snowpiercer” opposite Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs which will make its premiere in early 2020. Other credits include SIBERIA with Keanu Reeves, COLD PURSUIT with Liam Neeson, WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, and numerous television series such as THE 100, iZOMBIE, SUPERNATURAL, ONCE UPON A TIME, and many others. Dubbed the king of the sci-fi space and former champion boxer, Aleks is no stranger to action-packed roles. With those roles requires the ability to remain in shape—something that Aleks has mastered with longevity. With health being at the forefront of his concerns, he’s become your go-to guy for all things wellness, and has a myriad of tips and tricks for those with limited time to devote to exercise. Often teased for his size, he has also been a long-time advocate for anti-bullying. Having been on both sides, he actively advocates for ways to alleviate situations that could lead to more detrimental ones. He is an active supporter of The Red Cross/Impact Anti-Bullying Campaign. #Interview #VanHelsing #Acting Make sure to subscribe to AfterBuzz! - http://youtube.com/afterbuzztv

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Louisa Sharamaytan talks with Diana Madison.

Diana Madison is a social media influencer, entrepreneur, TV personality, actress and producer. She's the co-founder of Obsev Studios, a multichannel property that includes Hollyscoop, The Fumble, NerdWire, Obsev.com and Diana's podcast, "Dream Big." Her network reaches over 500 million viewers each month, and the brand’s channels recently celebrated over 3 billion views.

Interning at E! and “Entertainment Tonight" after college, Diana found a lack of on-camera hosting positions. Undeterred, she forged opportunities for herself. Diana created her own content and became one of the first YouTubers with a web-based talk show and interview series like those on network TV.

Diana’s shows air weekly on AOL On, Amazon, Roku, YouTube, MSN, Dailymotion and DirecTV. She speaks to the most influential artists in the beauty industry and gets their pro tips firsthand. "Dream Big" has welcomed guests like Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey and John Legend. Each episode reaches over 325 million people across distribution partners and media coverage.

Diana is also the creator and executive producer of “Glam Masters” on Lifetime. The show features host Laverne Cox, with Kim Kardashian West and Shed Media serving as co-executive producers.

Diana stars in the upcoming mafia drama "Mob Town," which will premiere on Netflix on Dec. 13, 2019. The film's cast includes David Arquette, Jennifer Esposito, Danny A and "Sopranos" star Jamie-Lynn Sigler.

Diana also launched her skincare line, Diana Madison Beauty, on Aug. 22, 2019.

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