Skyler Shaye Dishes On Growing Up Amongst Hollywood Royalty, Her Role in ‘Ray Donovan,’ And Reminds Us How She Brought MerDer Together On ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

Growing up in Los Angeles and rubbing shoulders with major Hollywood figures during family dinner parties definitely sounds like a dream to most, one that many aspiring artists wish for every day. Admittedly, there are benefits to the star-studded, glamorous lifestyle: friendships are forged and connections are made. However, carving out a name for yourself among all of that glitziness can prove to be a bit more difficult than one would imagine. Children of major icons like Goldie Hawn and Will Smith have managed to stand on their own, settings themselves apart from their famous families. Still, this was not achieved without some extremely difficult work on their part.

According to actress Skyler Shaye, who can be seen in the third season of Showtime’s Ray Donovan, connections aren’t everything. At the end of the day, you still have to prove that you deserve to be there; you want to make a statement. And then there’s also the factor of wanting to distinguish yourself from your family, showcasing that you’re your own person and not just a name. “I think that people on the outside think it would be so much easier because I’m so connected. It helps in a certain sense because you meet people, but that doesn’t get you the role,” she says.

Shaye might be best known for her role as Cloe, the super-skilled soccer player who relentlessly tries to keep her friendships together in Bratz: The Movie (2007). However, the bubbly and warmhearted Shaye boasts another important title. At 17, she starred in the pilot episode, “A Hard Day’s Night,” of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy as Katie Bryce, the patient that essentially brought Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd together.

Together with the guidance of her super famous godfather Jon Voight and her matchless talent and brimming determination, Shaye is more than ready to take Hollywood by storm with all of the incredible projects that she has coming up. On a sunny afternoon, the native Angelino took the time to chat with GALO about her role in the third season of Ray Donovan, her favorite memories from Grey’s Anatomy, and her advice for teen girls today.

GALO: First of all, I want to congratulate you on your new role on Ray Donovan. That’s so amazing!

Skyler Shaye: Thank you so much! I’m really excited.

GALO: Well, to just jump right in, for your upcoming role on Ray Donovan, I read that you will be playing a prostitute and that your character is really fun and down to earth. Can you give me a bit more insight into your role?

SS: Honestly, I can’t really say much more about what the storyline is, but the actual show this season is really badass. There are so many different elements going on.

GALO: I heard it’s going to be unbelievably incredible.

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Image: TJ Manou

French Director Robin Campillo Talks ‘Eastern Boys,’ Family and the Immigration Climate in France

How do we define family? Traditionally, we gravitate toward people who are related to us by blood. And yet, as we branch out into the world, we may find kindred spirits in others that we encounter on our life’s journey. The ties that bind us together are often strongest when we have to work to maintain them. As we grow and change as individuals, our relationships with other people regularly take on different forms, influencing who we were, who we are, and who we’ve yet to become.

Moroccan-born director Robin Campillo’s latest film, Eastern Boys, explores the meaning of family while commenting on the plight of immigration in modern day France. Despite a language barrier and a gap in socioeconomic status, older Frenchman Daniel (Olivier Rabourdin) and his younger Chechen lover, Marek (Kirill Emelyanov), form a friendship born out of loneliness, fear and excitement. Though it might be considered an unorthodox relationship by some, the duo combats their own issues along with outside forces that try to tear them apart. Eastern Boys is a stunning film about love, acceptance and the people we choose to be a part of our family circle.

Continue reading at GALO Magazine.

Image: Kirill Emelyanov and Olivier Rabourdin star in “Eastern Boys.” Photo Credit: First Run Features.

Tribeca Interviews: Filmmaker Christopher Bell Discusses ‘Prescription Thugs’ and Addiction

We’re all addicted to something. It could be food, intimacy, exercise or even a TV show. Depending on what our addiction is, we may try to hide it because we are fearful of being judged by society. It seems, however, that it is society itself that can help lead us down that path. In fact, from the time we enter school, followed shortly by our first internship and job, we are taught to work through pain and to never truly talk about our issues in fear of showing weakness in a competitive environment. Additionally, we must pay our bills and take care of our families, so losing workdays is not an option for many of us (and paid sick days as well as vacation days are limited in numbers nationwide, and often dependent on experience and longevity at a company). With medications that combat everything from pain to restlessness, it’s natural to seek out remedies to help soothe any ailments you may have, whether they are physical or emotional. However, many of these medications, specifically prescription pain pills, are highly addictive. Since they are so readily available, it’s easy to see how one can spiral into addiction, especially in a society that is often deemed to be “overworked and overstressed.” And once you’re dependent on something, it can be nearly impossible, if not fatal, to pull yourself out of it.

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Director Elizabeth Giamatti Talks ‘A Woman Like Me,’ Accepting the Unacceptable and Her Good Friend Alex

The Buddhist Meditation on Death says, “The point is we are all going to die, but that is the very thing we cannot accept.” Is it even possible to accept what is unacceptable to so many of us? Would you spend the precious time you do have left in despair over your circumstances, or would you try to find a way to be at peace with what is coming?

Oftentimes, we turn away from films with a terminal illness at their center. Too devastating for some and far too personal for others, we as moviegoers gravitate toward more lighthearted or even action-packed films. There have, of course, been anomalies like Jonathan Levine’s 50/50 (2011), or more recently, Josh Boone’s The Fault in Our Stars (2014). Generally, however, we go to the cinema to escape our own troubles. It is rare that we are drawn to films like Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti‘s A Woman Like Me. Continue reading at GALO Magazine.

Brad Saville Talks ‘Regretting Fish,’ Independent Filmmaking and 21st Century Moviegoing

Filmmaker Brad Saville on the set of “Regretting Fish.” Photo Credit: Brad Saville.

Once a major Hollywood genre, the gangster film has become somewhat of a dying breed in Hollywood. Goodfellas (1990) was perhaps the last of its kind in this classic category, though films like The Departed (2006) and Public Enemies (2009) have drawn major numbers at the box office, providing some nostalgia for the 21st century filmgoer. In the past few years, action films, comedies and biopics have dominated the box office. It seems that we have traded in our bad boys and femme fatales for action heroes and romantic comedies. Luckily, independent films haven’t yet given up on film noir and criminals. John Hillcoat’s Lawless (2012) and Jim Mickle’s Cold In July (2014) are just a couple of examples of independent films that have not yet forgotten the thrill of the gritty underworld and the characters that inhabit it.

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Actor Richard Brooks Talks ‘Being Mary Jane’ and Diversity on the Big and Small Screens

Richard Brooks stars in “Being Mary Jane.” Photo Credit: BET Networks/ Daniel McFadden.

What does it mean to hit rock bottom? Is there any way to recover; to gradually rebuild all that you have destroyed on your downward spiral? Typically the freefall is what draws television audiences in, keeping them attached to the screen hour after hour or week after week. And yet on Being Mary Jane, a powerful drama on BET created by husband and wife duo Salim Akil and Mara Brock-Akil, the recovery is just as riveting.

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