“[Being married] is really challenging me to go even deeper.” — Priscilla Ahn

ISSUE: Summer 2011

DEPT: Personalities

STORY: Jimmy Lee

Priscilla Ahn finds her happy place — and new songwriting fodder — in her latest album When You Grow Up.

Laurel Canyon is where the likes of Jim Morrison, Carole King and Joni Mitchell once lived, giving birth to songs that would fuel the 1960s and ’70s counterculture, and creating music that would help define the singer-songwriter. This seminal Los Angeles neighborhood is now the place Priscilla Ahn calls home, and being surrounded by that illustrious musical history is a source of inspiration for this chanteuse with the beguilingly breathy delivery. But there’s something amidst Laurel’s leafy confines that’s mucking up this American idyll for Ahn: her husband.

With the “happy place” she’s discovered with actor Michael Weston comes a different, albeit not unpleasant, set of problems. “Before, I always felt a little lost … not knowing my place,” says Ahn, who grew up in rural Pennsylvania with her Korean mother. “When I established that with my husband a couple of years ago, it actually became harder to write songs.”

Now she has a larger pool of experiences to draw upon when penning her compositions, more than just the “sad emotions” and the times “when I was feeling alone” she often turned to in the past. Ahn, who wed last year, says, “[Being married] is really challenging me to go even deeper.”

She’s struck a reserve of riches with her new album, When You Grow Up, as she explores multiple facets of folk music over its 12 tunes. Throughout her sophomore effort (released again on the iconic Blue Note label), Ahn’s bliss is pervasive. There’s even hope after a crushing break-up on “I Don’t Have Time To Be In Love.” (Alas, for the guys who so easily fall under the charm of Ahn’s disarming on-stage persona, the breakup that song is based on is not hers — it’s that of co-writer Charlie Wadhams.)

Ahn describes herself as a “homebody,” perfectly content to spend a Saturday night in Laurel Canyon, cooking, watching a movie, or following her blogs. “Mostly [the blogs] are about flowers, fashion, cooking and crafts. Those are the four things I’m really into; they inspire me so much,” says Ahn.

Then there’s her husband, who she’ll hang out with at a local Korean spa. And for the man who prepared Korean seaweed soup on the occasion of her birthday, she’s inspired to write lyrics like these: “You were my one and only/The only one I ever learned to love.”

— Jimmy Lee

More stories from Audrey Magazine’s Archives here.

ISSUE: Summer 2011

DEPT: Plugged In

HED: Jeannie Mai, How Do I Look? The Style Network

STORY: Anna M. Park

Jeannie Mai.

As host of How Do I Look?, The Style Network’s popular “fashion intervention” series, celebrity stylist Jeannie Mai has seen it all. And this season, she’s tackling class reunions and preventing wedding debacles. Here, some of Jeannie’s dos for the blushing bride.

1) Do use the web. The Internet is your real maid of honor. Write down the designer name and item number of anything you like in a bridal boutique. Then Google it with the keyword “discount,” “final sale” or “cheap.” Chances are you’ll find a better deal.

2) Do contact blogs. Nowadays everyone has a blog and companies are looking for ways to advertise on them. Check your guest list and see if you’ve invited anybody who has an active blog. Talk to her about getting companies (fashion, accessories, food, etc.) to sponsor your wedding by being featured on her blog.

3) Do save money for your bridesmaids. Invite them to wear any LBD, then style it up with different color themes to set them apart. They can get creative with necklaces, gloves, even hats. If they’re on a budget, you can pick accessories to gift to your girls.

— AMP

More stories from Audrey Magazine’s Archives here.

Cargo’s Judy Yonemoto on how to look as good as your favorite celebs.

ISSUE: Summer 2011

DEPT: Beauty Kit

Want gorgeous skin like Maggie Q's? Read on.

Makeup artist Judy Yonemoto, a member of cosmetic brand Cargo’s Elite Artist Community, specializes in film and television, and is currently working with the cast of NBC’s hit comedy Outsourced. It’s a perfect fit for the Japanese American because Cargo’s blu-ray High Definition line was specifically designed with photochromatic pigments and micronized minerals to meet the challenges of high definition filming. Here, Judy addresses some of the makeup issues important to Asian women.

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Lose the Plastic

ISSUE: Summer 2011

DEPT: Mind and Body

STORY: Anna M. Park

Angela Sun is a plastic guru, and not in the surgical way. An active environmentalist, the host of Yahoo! Sports Minute and co- host for NBC’s 1st Look is all about healthy, clean living. “I collected all the plastic I used in a week and within three days had enough to fill a huge bag of trash,” she says. Sun went to an even bigger dump to film her documentary Plastic Paradise — what’s known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the Midway Atoll of the Pacific Ocean.

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DATES OF GLORY: Guest columnist Sarah Gim of the blog The Delicious Life says first dates are all about the food (on your plate and not on you, preferably). If you really want to make an impression, Paul Nakayama offers a fantasy scenario worthy of an SNL skit.

ISSUE: Summer 2011

DEPT: The Awful Truth

STORY: Paul Nakayama and Sarah Gim

PHOTO: Audrey Cho

SARAH SAYS:
I never understood why there was such a stigma associated with first dates, since it’s always the second date that stresses me out. See, if you’ve gotten to the second date, that means you did well on your first go. Now you’ve set an expectation of some sort. Now you’ve got to live up to that expectation, and the idea of failing — that is stressful. And the third date? The third date, which means you’ve invested something more that just a wink or an email, gives you a lot to lose. Just thinking about third dates gets me so worked up I almost pass out before getting there.

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“Most icons are dead or past their prime. I’m still alive. And still very much actively involved.” — George Takei

ISSUE: Summer 2011

DEPT: Personalities

STORY: Janice Jann

With a resurgence on film and TV, George Takei may be the next Betty White.

George Takei is not a fan of being called an icon. “I take a little umbrage with that,” says the veteran entertainer. “Most icons are dead or past their prime. I’m still alive. And still very much actively involved.”

Indeed, the Japanese American, who is arguably the most famous Asian American actor in Hollywood,
with an entertainment career that spans more than 50 years, across continents, on the small and large screen and on stage, is nowhere near slowing down.

Though Takei is perhaps best known for playing Hikaru Sulu on the ’60s cult classic Star Trek, the star with the deep-baritone voice continues to shine on screen and on stage to this day. Currently, Takei plays a holographic ancestor called Hologramps on the Nickelodeon comedy Supah Ninjas, a show he says will “bring family viewing back together again.” Takei also makes an appearance this summer in the Tom Hanks-Julia Roberts film Larry Crowne, and come 2012, he’ll be on Broadway starring in Allegiance, a musical with Lea Salonga about the Japanese internment during World War II. “It’s a story very close to me,” says Takei. “I lived that life as a child. The parents in the musical are really modeled after my own parents.”

Takei takes the hardships he’s faced in life in stride. Despite the actor’s sometimes stoic reputation, Takei has always been able to combat adversity with a good dose of humor. He’s an outspoken advocate of gay rights (he’s married to long-time partner Brad Altman) and is known for his mock PSAs responding to homo- phobic remarks by public figures. In fact, no one can call this 74-year-old entertainer behind the times in this YouTube age. After his Spider-Man musical spoof video went viral, Takei was dubbed the next Betty White. He’s flattered by the comparison, but what would he rather be called?

“What about George Takei?” he laughs. “I’d like to be that kind of an icon. Working, creative, active and relevant throughout his life.”

— JJ

“I’m very blessed. “I think that’s what people’s goals in life should be. Do what you love and get paid for it.” — Jared Eng

ISSUE: Summer 2011

DEPT: Personalities

STORY: Janice Jann

The face and brains behind the beloved Hollywood gossip blog is anything but Just Jared.

Jared Eng doesn’t sleep much. “Hollywood is 24/7. There’s always something going on,” says the 28-year-old Chinese American. “So I go with the flow.” It’s that mentality that earned Eng’s popular celebrity gossip blog, Just Jared, millions of devoted readers, top- ping Yahoo!’s Blogger List.

What sets Just Jared apart is that, in an increasingly mean-spirited Internet age where every celebrity humiliation is documented, Eng refuses to say anything but exuberantly positive things about his site’s subjects. “I don’t really diss people,” says Eng. “I’m just presenting news.” The news may be light fare like Cameron Diaz grabbing Starbucks or Zac Efron’s mustache, but the site is influential enough for shows like Entourage to reference and for publications like The New York Times to profile.

Eng’s ascent as the blogosphere’s King of Nice took time. “Growing up, there weren’t any aspirations to be a blogger,” he says. His strict upbringing didn’t help — he wasn’t exposed to pop culture until he entered Columbia University. “I fell in love with stars,” Eng remembers. “Jennifer Garner from Alias. Britney Spears. I would watch her video frame by frame so I could learn her choreography.” Eng started Just Jared simply to share his interests. The blog didn’t have the same initial take-off as some of Just Jared’s more sardonic counterparts, but that didn’t bother Eng. “Personally, I have a very apathetic personality,” Eng laughs. “I don’t really get mad at things. I liked what I was putting out. In the long run, it’s paying off.”

It sure is. Just Jared is now developing a younger sister site, Just Jared Jr., and with more than five full-time staff, including Eng’s older brother who runs the business side, Eng is working on expanding the JJ brand. Though that means even less sleep, you won’t find Eng complaining. “I’m very blessed,” he says. “I think that’s what people’s goals in life should be. Do what you love and get paid for it.”

— Janice Jann

More stories from Audrey Magazine’s Archives here. Jared also posted about Audrey Magazine at JustJared.com!

“When I go to the Wimbledon ball or the Oscars, it’s black tie with tennis shoes,” — Ashok Amritraj

ISSUE: Summer 2011

DEPT: Personalities

STORY: Janice Jann

When it comes to Hollywood producers, Ashok Amritraj is as cool as it gets.

When you imagine a hotshot Hollywood movie producer who’s worked with some of the biggest stars in Tinseltown — from Sandra Bullock to Steve Martin — and raked in billions of dollars in revenue, you may not picture him as a “suit and tennis shoes” kind of a guy. But Hyde Park Entertainment head Ashok Amritraj was never easy to peg. “When I go to the Wimbledon ball or the Oscars, it’s black tie with tennis shoes,” chuckles the easygoing, India-born mega-producer.

A fitting footwear choice given that before conquering Hollywood, Amritraj was recruited in the ’70s to play tennis in the U.S. and reigned as a teenage tennis champ. “Sports is the best way to understand that if you work hard, you’ll do better, and if you slouch off, some guy’s going to beat you,” he says.

Once in the U.S., Amritraj quickly turned his sights to filmmaking. He had grown up watching Ben Hur and The Sound of Music, but had no idea that making a movie was a whole other beast. “I learned a lot in the first five years. Knocked on a lot of doors, had them fall on my face,” Amritraj remembers. It was his perseverance that finally got him in the door. “In this town, 99 percent of movies don’t get made [because there’s] a lack of focus,” he says. “You run around, you go see people. Pretty soon, you’re off trying to cast another movie or writing something else. It takes a single-minded focus.”

That focus has gained Amritraj more than 100 titles under his belt, and now he’s leading Hyde Park’s expansion into the Middle East and Asia. For the mega-producer, it’s all about global synergy. “It’s easier to be a part of the world than it was before,” he says. “If there’s one thing I’d teach my kids, it’s get into business, but do it on a broader basis. Don’t think just L.A. or U.S. There are a lot of balls to play with.”

— JJ

More stories from Audrey Magazine’s Archives here.

Patty Chang Anker and her immigrant family knew one path to success — the academic one. So when she discovered her adopted daughter had special needs, she learned to step back, let go and just breathe.

ISSUE: Summer 2011

DEPT: My Story

STORY: Patty Chang Anker

“I’m not going to college,” G de- clares. She is 9 years old.
“What?” My voice sounds calm, but I’ve stopped breathing. “Why?”
“I’m not going, and I don’t want to talk about it.” She walks away.
“Oh, yes you are!” I want to shout after her. But I don’t. Instead, I let the flood of questions, worries and heartache come.

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“We’re here to educate our viewers on what’s going on in this world.” — Olivia Speranza.

ISSUE: Summer 2011

DEPT: Plugged In

STORY: Melody Lee

Olivia Speranza.

MYX-Rated, MYX Channel

“We’re here to educate our viewers on what’s going on in this world,” says Olivia Speranza, co-host of MYX-Rated, a new show on MYX Channel, a music, entertainment and lifestyle channel dedicated to the Asian American community. Indeed, the Japanese-Italian American takes viewers on a wild ride ranging from pop culture to high tech gadgets. Catch the show’s “Undiscovered” segment, showcasing Asian American talent in places others wouldn’t think to look. “There’s so much talent out there and finally people are able to harness that,” says Speranza.

— Melody Lee

More stories from Audrey’s Summer 2011 issue here.