orange county

Did you grow up in a neighborhood where there was a “girl next door”? I did. She lived across the street and since I didn’t have a sister, she was one of the first female friends in my pre-teen youth. She was pretty, definitely not shy but very friendly, and liked to play baseball in the street with the rest of the boys.

The word “wholesome” comes to mind as the best way to describe my neighbor, and it also applies to one of the most distinguished actresses of our generation, Renee Zellweger

As the news sinks in about therecent death of Tina Turner, it is only natural that our thoughts turn to her most iconic performance.

The song originally performed by the Creedence Clearwater Revival with lead singer and songwriter John Fogarty would propel Turner’s career into
blockbuster stardom and crown her the undisputed “Queen of Rock ’n Roll” by her fans worldwide, the media and the music industry.

When I think of William H. Macy, my first thought turns to “Wild Hogs,” the 2007 blockbuster movie about middle-aged men reliving their youthful days by taking to the open road on their Harley-Davidson motorcycles from Cincinnati to California.

Not generally known for his comedic acting, Macy showed his funny side like never before, including his scenes in which he crashes on his bike while gawking at bikini-clad women at the beach. To this day, I can watch the movie over and over again whenever I need to laugh out loud and often.

You’ve probably heard the old TV commercial line, “You’ve come a long way, baby.” All products aside, it certainly fits the profile of Brooke Shields, one of the most recognizable celebrities on the planet.

From child star to magazine cover girl to grown-up film and stage actress, Shields is closing in on her 56th birthday (May 31) and the release of her new
documentary, appropriately titled: “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shield.”

His name is now synonymous with the adventurous assassin John Wick, who propelled his movie star status to new heights. At 58, and in the prime of his career, Keanu Reeves’ name is right up there with such male stars as Tom Cruise, Liam Neeson, and Clint Eastwood.

Reeves’ journey to stardom has been a long and twisting road across the globe, beginning with his birth in Beirut, Lebanon in September 1964. He was raised in Toronto by his English-born mother, a costume designer, and performer, and his father, a native Hawaiian of Chinese, English, Irish, and Portuguese descent.

We all know Mariska Hargitay for her role as Olivia Benson in the long-running hit TV drama “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” But did you know that the successful actress and daughter of the late Jayne Mansfield and bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay is busy off-screen fighting against sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse?

Using her platform “to do something meaningful,” she founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, a support organization for survivors of these crimes inflicted on women. Since 2010, her foundation has sent thousands of women and children to therapeutic programs in New York, Los Angeles, and Hawaii.