INTRODUCING RISING YOUNG ACTOR - FROM THE USA -

ZALMAN MIGIROV

  

1            Please tell us a little bit about your background:

A:         My name is Zalman Migirov. I’m twenty three years old. I was born on September 6, 1990 in New York City. I was born at Mount Sinai Hospital. My family is from Russia. We are Jewish. I lost my hearing at age two. I was very sick. I had some kind of hearing infection. I wore hearing aids at age three. I couldn’t talk well. I went to speech therapy for fifteen years. I learned how to talk well and pronounce words correctly. I am doing much better and my speech has improved. In 2004, I graduated P.S. 204 then graduated Bay Academy I.S. 98 in 2006 and graduated Murry Bergtraum High School for Business Careers in 2011. I went to training school for Automotive at The School of Cooperative Technical Education and graduated on January 2013. To tell you the truth, I’ve always wanted to be an actor. That was my actual career. It was hard to find a good acting school. I went to B.I.H. Studios and graduated in October 2013. Being an actor has always been my real dream and I finally made it. I will continue to work hard and make it to Hollywood and show myself to the world as a professional actor. I always had this fantasy of winning MTV Movie Awards, The Oscars and Daytime Emmys. My fantasy will one day become reality.

2            You are an actor.  Have you always wanted to be an entertainer or did you aspire to be something else when you were growing up?

   A:        Yes, I am an actor. I’ve always wanted to perform in front of the world on TV and in films. I used to love dancing. When I was in elementary school and junior high, my classmates and I had this amazing Russian dance teacher who came every twice a week for an hour to do a talent show and performance in front of the audience. Her name is Irina L. I forget her last name but it started with a letter L. She was so amazing! It was sad that the Board of Directors cancelled and had to let her go because they thought music wasn’t important and it was a waste of time. We fought to win her back, but we all lost. I’ve always loved to dance to one of Michael Jackson’s song, ‘Billie Jeans’. I used to be good at it, but now I forget it all. Ha Ha! So yes I loved dancing. I love acting more. I have this celebrity who I inspired to so much and who is my true inspiration. I grew up watching him when he was a wrestler and wrestled for Vince McMahon. His name is Dwayne Johnson. You know him as The Rock. He’s a big time movie star and the whole world loves him. He’s the main reason why I want to be an actor and I am today because of him. One day when I get a chance to meet him and I know I will, I will thank him and much more stuff I want to say to him. I used to act out like him back in 2002 for the very first time and I still do. Ha! I used to cut my t-shirt into cut sleeves and use my TV remote control as a microphone and acted out and performed as The Rock. I have it on video tape at home. Ha Ha! Maybe one day, I’ll show it at ‘Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’. If that ever happens. There so much to say about it, someday I’ll tell this story on TV like on talk show or something.

3            Is anyone else in your family and/or relatives in entertainment?

    A:      No. No one in my family is in entertainment. I’m the only one. I will make my family proud.

4            Are you professionally trained as an actor?

   A:       Well, I am an actor yes, but professionally - not really because I have no experience yet. I just started my career less than a year ago and it will take time. I’m young and I have lots ahead of me. I will make it there and will be a good Hard of Hearing Professional Actor.

5            What have you appeared in?

  A:       Nowhere yet - but I will someday make it on TV and in films. You can bet on it.

6            Have you worked alongside any well-known names?

 A:      No I haven’t, but I’ve always dreamed of working with my idol, the man I aspire to. Dwayne Johnson. Hopefully someday I get to work with one of my favourite of all time. I’ve met Paul Walker before he passed away. I told him I’ve always wanted to star in the 'Fast & Furious', because it's one of my favourite movies and I love cars. He said maybe someday to film a movie with him in the future. I’ve met a couple of actors from the show I watch ‘General Hospital’. I even have pictures of them with me. Their names are Steve Burton(Former Jason Morgan), Bradford Anderson(Former Damien Spinelli) and Brandon Barach (Former Johnny Zacarrah). I told Steve that I’ve always wanted to join 'General Hospital' and play a bad guy. The character I wanted to play was the long lost son of Franco. James Franco influenced me to love that bad guy character Franco when he was in 'General Hospital' before Roger Howarth took over as Franco in 2013. Who knows, maybe someday that could happen. Maybe not. Anything is possible.

7            Are you professionally managed or do you represent yourself?

              A:       I represent myself. It's hard to find a good and honest agent nowadays. I'd rather wait until I make it to Hollywood.

8            Who and/or what are your inspirations?

 A:        I’ve mentioned it before. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is one of my inspirations and one of my favorites of all time. I am also inspired by Tyrese Gibson. He posted those amazing videos almost every single day on his facebook page to his fans about motivations, how to work hard in life and knowing that G-D always on your side and helping you achieve what you want in life. I watched those videos a lot and still do. Tyrese also the man who keeps me up. He pushes me to work hard and get where I want in life. Tyrese is a great man. He knows what he is doing and what he is saying to us. That's why he is also my inspiration.

9            What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

  A:      I go to the gym and work out. I watch sports also. Sometimes I act out in my room, trying to build up my skills and do some impressions on celebrities. I also do acting studies.

10       Have you ever been a victim of bullying?

  A:   Yes I have been a victim of bullying a long time ago. I’m sure everyone is experienced with it. I want to say to every kids out there: “Don’t be afraid of anything. Stand up for yourself. Talk to someone if they are beating you up or stealing something from you. Walk away and don’t look back. I know people will laugh at you, but it will give you lots of courage knowing that you stood up to them. Don’t be afraid. Stay strong.”

11       Whether you have been bullied or not, do you feel that the governments and schools w/w are doing enough to try to combat this problem?

A:          Well, governments nowadays are not really helping kids and adults. We all get bullied every day. Sometimes we have to fight it and stand up for ourselves. It takes lots of guts to do it. I know I did and after that I was never bullied again for a long time.

12      On a personal level, what would you like to do to help in the fight against bullying? 

            A:        Well, I will join one of those fundraisers or support groups they have. Like 'Be-A-Star' that WWE helps kids out and to stop the bullying. I will join and help kids out and support them in any way and make their lives and future better. It would be an honor to do it.

13       What advice would you give to someone who is going through this nightmare at the moment?

A:        I will talk to them. I will tell them like I said before: “Don’t be afraid of anything. Stand up for yourself. Talk to someone if they are beating you up or stealing something from you. Walk away and don’t look back. I know people will laugh at you, but it will give you lots of courage knowing that you stood up to them. Don’t be afraid. Stay strong.”

14       What is on your work agenda for the rest of 2014?

A:         I am expecting to film a major film this summer with my friends. We will show it next year on National Film Festival. We want to be in Hollywood and make our dreams to come true as actors and actresses.

15         Do you have a special message you would like to share with the world? 

       A:          Yes I do. I want to say that I know there aren't a lot of deaf/hard of hearing actors and actresses. I want to show the world that we can do everything that hearing people can do. For example, there's a show on ABC Family called ‘Switched at Birth’. It shows the world that deaf and hearing can blend in and be together in one place. A couple of things that might be different are that we have hearing problems and we speak different language by using sign language - but that's it. We are all human. We’re no different from others. We’re all proud of who we are and what we have in life. We can achieve anything. All we have to do is fight for it, grab any opportunity you see and never let it go. Once you let go, it will be hard to get it back after everything you worked hard for. I was this close to losing my acting career, but someone I knew who was famous told me this: “If you lose this opportunity, you will have to start all over again. Keep fighting for it and you will get it. Never give up.” I’m telling you guys out there, any careers you choose as an actor/actress, firefighter, doctor, engineer, wrestler - if this is what you truly want and believe it in your heart, go for it. Don’t let anyone stop you. Make it happen and work hard for it. Nothing in life is easy. The only thing that will make your life much easier if you work for it and you stay on it. Good luck with everything!

16       Is there anything further you would like to add?

A:       I hope I’ll make it to Hollywood. I believe in myself and I know I will make it. Also I would love to meet Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

LINKS

FaceBook

FaceBook

Twitter

YouTube

                      Zalman has also written a book about Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, the cover of which is below.

  

     PAST,  PRESENT   &                                                FUTURE:

         

DWAYNE     

                                “THE ROCK”

JOHNSON

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

BY:

ZALMAN MIGIROV                   

                                                             

                                                              MARCH 2ND 2011            

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

PLEASE WELCOME FROM THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA - 

AMERICAN ACTOR, MODEL, PRESENTER AND HOST

GITA CELLEI

1                   Please tell us a little bit about your background;

                           A:     Born and raised in the suburbs of west London. My parents are of Indian origin from Punjab. My parents were very strict, particularly my father. I guess they wanted to preserve their roots even when they came to the UK. Fighting against this was hard work.

2                   You are a presenter/host/producer.  Have you always wanted to be an entertainer or did you aspire to be something else when you were younger?

                            A:        I am a host/presenter for DistractTV.com. When I was younger I remember at age fifteen telling my German teacher I wanted to be a presenter. She told me to follow my dreams, but unfortunately my parents were not supportive. So, I decided to invest in my creative career, I went to university and I got my degree in Graphic Deign and Visual Communication. However I never perused a career in Graphic design. My heart just wasn’t in it. I knew I wanted to be a presenter. My creative side allows me to produce many of the segments I have been part of.

3                   Is anyone else in your family and/or relatives in entertainment?

                           A:         Nobody in my family is in entertainment. Everyone is in business or some kind of finance. They all got the Math gene!

4                   Who and/or what are your inspirations?

                      A:        Women are my inspiration. Coming from an ethnicity where women don’t have much of a say, I was always drawn to strong minded women.

5                   Are you professionally managed or do you represent yourself?

                      A:         I have an agent, but in this day and age, you need to manage yourself. There are so many people who want to be in the industry or are in the industry. So finding your own work is important, having an agent is a bonus. Honestly you won’t get any where without the hard work and being proactive.

6                   What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

                      A:         What spare time! If I have spare time, I love going out to eat, exploring NYC and spending time with friends.

7                   Do you have a stage name?

                            A:         Gita Cellei.

8                   Have you ever been bullied?

                            A:          I don’t remember being bullied at school. I do remember when friends were bullied I would stand up and say something.

9                   Whether you have been bullied or not, do you feel that the governments and schools around the world are doing enough to try to combat this problem?

                            A:         NO. Back in the day, Bullying was face to face and it was still hard to combat. Now, with an influx of social media, bullying has even more avenues than before.

10             What further do you feel the above could do to try to either decrease this problem hugely or eliminate it altogether?

                    A:       The government needs to work with these social media outlets to find ways over come these obstacles. There also needs to be a stronger push on communication between students, teachers and parents. It's been proven that bullies normally have insecurities that start at home.  If this is the case, the government needs to start there. Unfortunately, not everyone is going to be on board with this.

11             On a personal level, what would you like to do to help in the fight against bullying?

                        A:       I would love to empower these people that are being bullied. Bullies pick on insecurities, so even giving these young people affirmations and the confidence to believe in themselves is a great way forward.

12             What advice would you give to someone who is suffering through this nightmare at the moment?

      A:        Confidence is key, as is communication. Don’t be afraid to speak out. Confident people do not get bullied. Confront your bully and show them, that’s it, no more. I actually gave this advice to a teenager I know and it really worked for her.

13             What have you hosted?

      A:            I have hosted for many websites such as Unseen TV, Burlesque HQ and Distract TV. I have also been a co host on Westside Radio 89.6. I have appeared as a guest host on a few channel 4 and channel 5 shows in the UK. I’m now doing a lot of producing for Distract TV right now. My creative buzz is kicking in!

14             Have you interviewed any well-known names?

                        A:      I have interviewed so many people! Cappadona, the unofficial member of the Wu Tang clan, The Baroness, who has designed latex outfits for the likes of Lady Gaga and Janet Jackson. Disclosure, Lanz Peirce, Allure, Liz McClamon (from Atomic Kitten), Kitten De Ville (burlesque performer) and so many more people. Its crazy how many fantastic people I’ve interviewed! Most of this has been produced by me too.

15             What is on the agenda for 2014?

                     A:        Myself and Stephen Stallone are the founders of DistractTV.com. So covering music events all over Europe, NYC fashion week…. , my calendar currently is full of projects I’m actually producing for DistractTV.com.

16             Is there anything further you would like to add?

         A           DistractTV.com came about because me and Stephen weren’t getting the hosting/presenting work we wanted. So we had to create our own avenue. In this day and age, you have to be your own business, so if it means being creative do it.

17             Do you have a special message you would like to share with the world?

                          A:            Confidence in yourself is key. Believing in yourself is necessary. Above all life is short, so what ever you do, enjoy it.

LINKS:

Website
Website
Twitter
Instagram

PLEASE WELCOME - FROM THE UK - RISING ACTOR

ALISON MOIR

1     Please tell us a little bit about your background:

      A:     Well, my name is Alison Moir.  I am twenty six years old and I live in my flat in Scotland with my cat.  I have two sisters.  I love doing acting and helping people who need it - helping kids too - they are the ones who need it, more than us.  My life is not as good as a kid because a lot of bad things have happened to me but things are getting a lot better now.  Some day I want to come to Australia - that is somewhere I want to come to and help people there and all over the planet too.  Because kids need to be happy - not sad.


2     You are an actor.  Have you always aspired to be an entertainer?  Or did you want to be something else when you were growing up?

       A:     Yes, I always wanted to be an entertainer.  Something told me you need to be an entertainer because you can help people in some way and I always wanted to be an actor because that helped me out to feel a lot better about myself and if I did not have my acting, I do not know what I would have in life.  But I am always getting told that I am a good actor and do not stop being an actor.  But being an entertainer is good fun because I have to do some acting in some way.


3     Who and/or what are your inspirations?

       A:       I feel that inspiration and motivation is all important because you need to have two of them but some people may feel that you just need one of them.  But to me you need the two because this will help people out to find out how they are and how to feel a lot better about themselves.  Because this did help me out in a way - I had the two to help me and this will help more people.


4     Are you professionally trained in your acting?

       A:      In a way - yes - and in some ways - no, because I did some acting in seven short films to help people out with their understanding of something in life and what things can happen to people and things which can help them get to the hospital.  I went to RSAMD for three terms.  I have done my NC but I just passed in my acting things.  I was in 'River City' two times and a sporting actor for a film that came out last year - and a TV commercial.  Also a theatre group but I hope to get all the things I need to be an actor.


5    Are you professionally represented or do you manage yourself?

      A:      Yes, I do represent for people to help them, who need more understanding about things that they may not know about and this can help them out to find out a lot more things.  And yes I manage myself for doing this but sometimes I need the help of spelling things out but all the things I need to do for it I can do all by myself.


6    What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

      A:        My acting in my theatre group, go swimming, singing, helping people out who need it, dancing, watching movies, being with my cat, seeing my wee sister.


7    Have you ever been bullied?

      A:        Yes - I have been bullied all my life.  It first started when I was just a little girl staying with my gran and my papa and they bullied me because I was staying with my gran and my papa.  They would say bad things to me like:  'You do not stay with your mum and dad and they do not love you'.  They would hit me on my face and one time they put me on a lamp post and tied me up and left me there and it was my papa who found me.  They threw snowball stones on the windows and one time they put fireworks in the letter box and my papa phoned up the police who said they can't do anything for us.  I was staying in a kids' home later on and I got bullied there too, about my height and my nose - always calling me big nose.  And I got bullied in school too and I did not have friends at school, just me.  Now things are getting a bit better - but still looking for friends.


8    Whether you have been bullied or not do you feel that the governments and schools around the world are doing enough to try to combat this problem?

          A:         No. I feel that the governments and the schools are not doing enough to stop the bullying all over the world and there are a lot of kids out there who need the help because they have been bullied and no-one is going to help them like the governments and schools.  But people like us do want to help the kids out because we are the ones who need to help them because no-one from the governments or the schools are going to help the kids.  Some of them may say they do not want to live any more because they cannot stand it any more and I feel it is the governments and the schools who are to blame because of the kids need to feel they need to get out of their lives because of the bullying they are going through.


9   What further do you feel that the above could do to either decrease this problem hugely or eliminate it altogether?

       A:      Well, they need to go to schools and speak to the kids at the schools about bullying and see why some kids are doing the bullying because it needs to be something why they do it.  They need to do some groups about bullying and do some fun games to help the ones who get bullied and the ones who are doing it to some of the kids.  Some who are doing the bullying need to go to a new school until they are happier and the kids who get bullied - they will be a bit happier as they will not get bullied in school any more.  They may need to do holidays with the kids to help them all who got bullied and the ones who are doing it because they may be a lot happier because they need to help one and this can help them to be happy with life.


10  On a personal level what would you like to do to help in the fight against bullying?

       A:    Help kids who have been bullied or not like doing games about bullying and do some groups to help them all to work together and this will help them to be happy and they can some time help kids like them and later on their life they can do the same to help more kids like them.  I will do campaigns for the kids - saying 'no more bullying for kids'.  Kids need to be happy, not sad.  They need a life, not a bad one and I will go to the governments and schools to say we need to do something right now - not later on.  And say what about holidays for the kids to help them understand about bullying and why it is so bad to do it to someone.  So about games that they need to help together and this can help them all be happy kids and maybe like me, I can go on the holidays with the kids to help them and tell my story about my life with bullying because I want all kids on the planet to be happy.


11   What advice would you give to someone who is suffering through this nightmare at the moment?

        A:    I know what you are going through because I had it done to me and like no-one help me to stop the bullying but you can because you can tell your mum or dad or the police.  You stay in and maybe you can ask them why are you bullying me because I did not do things to you.  They may be needing a friends because things might not be going well with him or her.  But do not do it alone - you may need someone with you there.  But if you can't do that do not feel bad about it and if they can't help him/her and they are still bullying you can go and do some games to help more people who have been bullied like you.  And you do not need to say:  'I can't live life like this' because if you go to groups to help you to do more about bullying and going out to do fun things you like to  with your new friends - and you will be happy, kid.


12   Have you done any media interviews?

       A:     I can't remember if I did any media interviews before but I think I did one - but I do not know.


13   Have you worked with any well-known names?

       A:      George Mackay and Antonia Thomas.


14    Do you have a stage name?

        A:      I do not have one but I got one for myself and it is called Xena.


15    What is on your agenda for the rest of 2014?

        A:    I am not doing a lot on 2014.


16    Do you have anything further you would like to add?

        A:   I hope one day I can come to Australia to see somewhere new that I have not been before.


17    Do you have a special message you would like to share with the world?

        A:   I want to help all kids all over the planet to be happy and not sad and I want them to have a better life and hope one day no kids will go through (what I went through) as all kids have to be fair and some day we will be together to stop the bullying and all kids will be happy.


18   Do you have any professional links you would like to have included with this interview?

         A:    I do not have one but if I can I want one saying:  no more bullying and have kids who are working together to stop the bullying.

FROM CANADA COMES ACTOR, MODEL, MUSICIAN AND DANCER

SAIDAT ABARI-VENDENBERG

     1     Please tell us a little bit about your background;

  A:              My name is Saidat Vandenberg. I am a singer songwriter, motivational speaker and children’s entertainer. My mission in life is to make people smile and to help others feel good about who they are and know that they make a big difference in our world when they choose to. I was born and raised in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota and have been living in Canada for the past nineteen years.

2                    You are an actor, model, musician and dancer.  Have you always wanted to be an entertainer or did you aspire to be something else as you were growing up?

A:            Since I can remember I have always wanted to be an entertainer. I would rehearse dance numbers and songs for hours in my mother’s basement; I was part of my church choir and dance team as well. In high school I made a goal to graduate from high school, go to college in hopes of one day having my own talk show for children. Today I have what I like to call a “traveling talk show”. Each week during the school year I have the honour to see thousands of students and teach them life lessons through music, dance and drama.

3          Is anyone else in your family and/or relatives in entertainment?

A:              My brother who was very instrumental in giving me the confidence to get involved in music is very talented. He produced my first songs and would always let me know if something needed more work. His encouragement and honesty really helped me along the way.

4             Who and/or what are your inspirations?

A:              I am inspired everyday by my mother to whom I owe the credit for having a gift to work with children. She is very creative. My sister also helps me be more creative with my style and look in my performances.

I am inspired to give to others - watching Ellen and Oprah change people’s lives with a simple act of kindness.

5             What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

A:              I have a large collection of classic movies from 1934-1990. I love watching movies that are in black and white.

6            Are you formally trained in all your talents.  Please tell us about that.

 A:          I have not been formally trained in my talents other than life experiences with music, dance and drama. I did have the privilege to be heavily involved in my high school choir, church choir and drama team. Just recently I was given the beautiful gift of voice lessons by a very talented man named Brian Ratcliffe and I am very grateful to finally have the formal training in progress.

7           Are you professionally represented or do you manage yourself?

 A:            I have managed myself until just recently. My partner and fellow entertainer Kristina Zakharyan is now my manager and is doing an excellent job. She is a go getter and has increased our audience and school tours by 70 percent in the last nine months.

8           What have you acted in?

               A:              I have been involved in commercials for “Not To Kids”.  A campaign that encourages adults not to supply cigarettes to minors, I have also been involved in a music video for GoodLife Kids Foundation that motivates children to exercise. I have also produced a short film in which I was one of the main actresses as well.

9           Have you worked alongside any well known names?

A:           I had the amazing opportunity to open for Fergie of the 'Black Eye Peas' in July 2008 as well as recently shared the stage at the Teen FAV awards in Toronto, Canada with Brody Jenner as well as Canadian celebrities: Vita Chambers, Danny Fernades, and Sabrina Jalles.

10          Have you ever been bullied?

A:         Although I had a few instances with bullying  growing up I always share with young people that I had more problems with bullying myself. When someone didn’t like me or said something mean to me I would start turning the rejection inward and call myself names, put myself down which in turn would affect my confidence and how I related to others. I had to learn to believe in myself and not allow the opinion of others to defeat my goal to love myself.

11                Whether you have been bullied or not, do you feel that the governments and schools around the world are doing enough to try to combat this problem?

A:         I believe that for the most part everyone in our government and schools really wants bullying to stop and to create an environment and climate of love and respect for our young people. The issues I feel that arise trying to obtain that goal are the limited amount of help that schools have on hand to see what is happening on a regular basis. If we could have more people in our schools hired to specifically  assist in helping students deal with a bullying situation or someone that is not already overloaded with work that can take the time to listen and get the right help I believe we would see some changes.

12                What further do you feel the above could do to try to either decrease this problem hugely or eliminate it altogether?

A:               I don’t think we will ever see the end to bullying but raising awareness to the problems, teaching and training parents and community leaders how to report situations and on a regular basis give students the workshops and assemblies they need to learn how to deal with bullying will greatly help the climate in school.

13                On a personal level, what would you like to do to help in the fight against bullying?

          A:             I would like to reach as many students as possible with my confidence building message whether it be through an assembly at their school or through social media, videos and movies.  Being a role model for young people is what I would like to be for children around the world.

14                What advice would you give to someone who is going through this nightmare now?

A:              Know that you are not alone. Although it feels that no-one understands what you are going through and you feel as if you are the only one, always remember that there are more people who care about you than the one or few miserable people that are trying to make your life miserable. Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to tell someone how you feel. When you share how you feel it will start the process of getting the help you need. When you reach out for help you will also be able to feel the love that you need to know is around you. Never give up!

15          As a musician, what instruments do you play?

A:            I do not play an instrument unfortunately.

16          What magazines or otherwise have you modelled in?

A:            I have not been in magazines for modelling but I have been featured in newspapers and a couple of parent magazines for my program in schools.

17          What sort of dancing do you do?

A:             Hip-Hop.

18         Have you won any awards etc?

A:            I have the honor to be the recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Award which is given to a select number of Canadians that make a difference in their communities.

19         What is on the agenda for the rest of 2014?

                 A:          School tours. My goal is to take my program nationwide in Canada and the United States and to gain more fans and supporter worldwide through social media.

20         Is there anything further you would like to add?
             

A:          I appreciate the opportunity to share my story with you.

21         Do you have a special message you would like to share with the world?

           A:          My Motto is, “One person can make a difference. Together we can change the world!”

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