Sunday, 23 November 2014

Juan Pablo Di Pace

Juan Pablo Di Pace  Born 25 July 1979  Actor Singer Director

Juan was born in Buenos Aires and is of Argentinian descent.  Moving to Spain when he was 12, he was awarded a scholarship from the United World College of the Adriatic in Trieste, Italy when he was 17.  He also lived in London, UK for 10 years, studying Theatre in London at the London Studio Centre, where he was awarded a scholarship on the day he was meant to return to leave, thus beginning his acting career in London and in Spain.
                                              

He was in the lead role in the production of Chicago in London and was Danny Zuko in the musical Grease in Trieste, which was also directed by him in part.  My fave musical.  Hey Juan was born in the same year, 1979, when the film of Grease was released in the UK.  Now would you call that ironic or was he fated to play that role!  I would call it Kismet, since he also played Danny in a school production. He was in the Spanish production of Saturday Night Fever  from 2009-2010, in which he played the lead character, Tony Manero, won him critical acclaim across Europe.  On his role in Chicago he said, "I suppose doing that show was my proof that I could dance , so I had to move onwards to my real passion, acting."

On directing Juan said, "when you direct you get to create the mood and point of view, it's an amazing experience."  Sometimes he finds it a little difficult to memorize lines, especially if he has to change his accent, understandable, as in Dallas, I could detect his hint of a Spanish dialect, but then he was meant to be Mexican, so that would've helped too.  However he is fluent in Spanish, Italian and English.

Juan was in numerous British TV shows whilst living in London which included, The Catherine Tate Show, New Tricks, Aftersun and in the soap River City. As well as many Spanish productions such as, Supercharly, Los Hombros de Paco, Fisica O Quimica.  Other shows include guesting in US series, Camp.  To be seen next year in the NBC mini-series, A.D, playing Jesus!  No, I won't go there with comments!! ha.

He released an album entitled, Primer Acto (Act One).  You may recall him from the video of the Eric Prydz version of Call On Me.  Always showed a snippet of this in the Now That's What I call Music ad here for various releases of songs in album compilation.

Juan made his feature film debut in Survival Island and played Petros in the film Mamma Mia (2008) and got the chance to star alongside Pierce Brosnan (a little jealous here, but only a little! ha. Love Pierce!) and not to mention Mr Darcy too, Colin Firth.  But he did have a presence in that movie and not just for his singing voice alone!!  It's great that he has a stunning voice, as well as his striking Latin American looks.  A veritable Latin Lothario!  No, it's not all about looks, tall, dark and handsome he is, yet he's also a very nice person too.


Thus far he will be best known for and best remembered for Dallas in my opinion anyway.  Though he's young, has a long way to go yet as far as his career will extend.  But bad boy Nicolas Trevino/ Joaquin is one that has put him onto the US radar.  It was a joy to watch him go from so-called gorgeous, good guy to bad, piling up the body count and breaking plenty of hearts on and off screen! And not only cos it was his first role that he landed (no pun) as soon as he literally got off the plane in LA, visiting his sister, Victoria.  Okay it was a week, but what's a week in LA, right?  Particularly since they didn't, well couldn't, cast his character!  A true compliment if ever there was one in terms of not being able to find anyone suited (again no pun, see next line) enough for Nicolas!

That black suit of his brought out his sex appealing features, not surprising since they were especially fitted for him at Neiman Marcus, in Dallas  and this show also had plenty of shirtless moments too with Nicolas! Phew, but I think he looks exceptional in a black waistcoat and white shirt.  There's something stunning about a gorgeous man in a white shirt!!  Hmm, wonder if he has been called a sex symbol yet?  Well never mind if he hasn't cos I just did!  I had to be shallow for just one moment! Yet he's much more than that!  Very talented, intelligent, smart and charming.


Oh his role of Nicolas he said, "it's a very cool role to play, basically because I'm asked to play an actor.  Someone who switches from one situation to the next - from one conversation with a person to another conversation with another person. He sees, in every opportunity something to get.  It's very Dallas."

I feel the song he sings, so perfectly, Immortality is so relevant to Juan and his life.  The line, "fulfil your destiny..." is so much about him as that's exactly what he's done and is still doing.  His destiny to be an actor and a singer.  He may have started out on stage in London and that's an impressive way to begin an acting career, but he's also taking the US by storm.  Which not only shows he's incredibly talented, but that not giving up has a huge part to play in following his heart and his ambition.  Most of all, it's always onwards and upwards!

I was so sad that he was in London all these years but that I didn't get a chance to see him in Chicago or to meet him!!  The phrase and oft used cliche that comes to my mind is, "ships that pass in the night." Makes me think of the number of times I must've passed him on the street and not known who he was, especially the early years!  Then that's just me, I'm so sentimental like that!  Hoping he can come back and do another musical (or non-musical, I'm not fussy! ha) on the West End stage or just tread the boards again in a theatre production, would be great to see him on stage.  That's the thing about acting, until you've been on the London theatre stage, you're missing out a lot!  It is almost every actor's dream to do this, but Juan already managed this before moving on.


Returning to Immortality, "I'll make them all remember me," is immensely profound too.  Cos that's what I'll do, don't know about anyone else:remember him in everything he's done in the past and everything he will do in the future!  He's made his mark on me and yes, dare I say he has captured my heart forever!
Also may be alienating many a Celine Dion fan here, but I think his version of  Immortality is even better.  It's very emotional and at the same time, it's also extremely moving.

"We don't say goodbye!..."

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Patrick Muldoon

Patrick Muldoon   Born 27th September 1968   Actor Musician Producer


William Patrick Muldoon III was born in San Pedro, California.  His father is a personal injury lawyer.  He is Irish on his father's side and Croatian on his mother's side.  He attended Loyola High School and also the University of Southern California.   Patrick's first job was as a Calvin Klein model, though wouldn't really call that a job! If you know what I mean! Ha. As we get to see plenty of him!  But don't mess with him cos he's a blue belt in Krav Maga, oh and he's 6' 2".
                                                         


You may recall him from Saved by the Bell and as Austin Reed on the popular daytime soap, Days of Our Lives for which he won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Male Newcomer in 1994.  But he is more well known for playing scheming Richard Hart on Melrose Place from 1995-1996.  At least that's the first role I saw him in.  Kind of funny having a name Hart as he was far from possessing a heart.  But his evil ways got him in the end, in the funny scenes where he was killed and then they tried to hide his body.  Some would call that a deserved comeuppance if ever there was one. He said "the thing that is cool about soaps is that because you are acting everyday, the writers are kind of watching you from behind the scenes and so you can kind of influence where your character goes.  The writers want to write to your strengths, so if you're funny they'll try and incorporate that. If you're intense, they'll make you emotional.  But it's pretty much what they write is what you do."

Patty's a bit of a mix of everything and can play to our hearts strings as well as being funny and he says he has a "vile sense of humour."  That's always super sexy in any one.

Patrick later went onto to Starship Troopers (1997).  He so needed to be at #LFCC July 2014 (though it was a fiasco) cos his other co-stars from the movie were here!  Or any convention going in London!!  He was chosen as one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People.  Well they got that right!  He is also brother-in-law of the famous Zappa family.  Would love to have seen him in Celebrity Ghost Stories, which we didn't get here.  Perhaps we may get it 2018, but I did get to watch it and it was great!


Patrick is the lead singer of rock band, The Sleeping Masses, as well as guitarist.  Love his song, Glowing like Gold, that cello is so haunting and yes he can sing!!  Okay I won't big it up as that much of a shock, but you know not everyone can hold a tune! Ha.  He decided on the band name after he read everything he could get his hands on relating to philosophy; "all the authors and philosophers had the same message about not going through your life asleep.  About this time my partner Neil and I were forming the band and I said, 'I've got the name' and he said it was a cool name for a band.  It kind of came from a philosophical place...it's just a cool rock and roll name.  It makes a good T-shirt. That's all you need."  Yeah you sure do and maybe I should get working on that T-shirt quicksmart for you!  Such a great actor and so talented musically too, as I said.  Yes I gush lyrical when it comes to Patty!


He has starred in many a TV movie and we get to see him in A Boyfriend for Christmas every year, though as I say, if had him as a boyfriend, he'd be for life and not Christmas! ha. His other Christmas films include, Christmas Town,  All About Christmas Eve.  His repertoire of movies include, Deadly Pursuits, Wicked, Black Cat Run, Final Ascent, Broken Angel, K-11 and most recently Fatal Acquittal.  Where I had him pegged as the bad guy from the outset! ha.

Patrick used to be afraid of heights after a fire trapped him in a lift with his grandparents in Palm Springs as a teen.  But he got himself out of that phobia by willing himself to get into a lift cos LA has plenty of those and he went to university there, as well as all those auditions.
Patrick enjoys playing both heartthrob and bad boy roles and he's suited to both, his gorgeous eyes and perfect smile is enough to fool anyone into believing his 'sob' story and hey, luckily he's a nicer than nice guy in real life!

He loves his wasabi! "I'll order a sushi roll or whatever and the roll is just a way for me to eat the wasabi.  It goes in my nasal cavity and the more I sweat the more I like it!"  Okay sweating for the wrong reasons or right!  Ha.  His idea of the perfect holiday: "tropical destinations and tropical drinks [as if LA isn't tropical enough!]  Drinks with umbrellas and pineapple.  I want the drink as tropical as the destination."  So would I!   Hey he's really into his food and drink!

He always looks so stylish and cool in whatever he wears, no wonder he was a model, but he particularly looks more appealing in jumpers!  But a good tie with a great suit doesn't go amiss! Or a towel or two!  Ha. And those gorgeous baby blues don't hurt either!