Athleisure Mag MAY ISSUE #77

ISSUE #77
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PUBLISHER
Paul Farkas
EDITORIAL
Kimmie Smith
Co-Founder, Creative + Style Director
Paul Farkas
Co-Founder, Artistic Director + Tech Director
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EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
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HOST
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MIXING
Athleisure Studio Team
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TM
table of contents
issue #77
may 2022
95
STYLE FEATURES
THE PICK ME UP
128
142
IN OUR BAG
145 ROCK THIS WHEN YOU’RE
SPRINTING OUT THE DOOR
BEAUTY FEATURES
BASIL BEAUTY
Energy and Evolution
Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike
This month, we talk with superstar EDM DJ/Producer duo Dimitri Vegas and Like
Mike, They share their creative process, upcoming musical projects, Dimitri’s role
in Jurassic World: Dominion and Mike’s BLACK BANANAS X GREEN ROOM collabora-
16
149
ATHLEISURE BEAUTY
Storing Seeds
JB Smoove
We caught up with JB Smoove who we love from Curb Your Enthusiasm, his podcast
May I Elaborate?, countless commercials and animations. He talked about how he
got into the industry, the importance of improv and projects he’s working on.
32
96
LIFESTYLE FEATURES
ATHLEISURE LIST
PIKES IBIZA
TIPPING POINT
We chat with Apple TV+’s Rose Byrne
and Dierdre Friel who star in Physical.
56
Collaboration
58
We talk with Mark Indelicato on being in
HBO’s Hacks and Amazon’s With Love.
98
ATHLEISURE LIST
PAUSE STUDIO
AthleisureMag.com - 10 - Issue #77 | May 2022

9PLAYLIST
HARDWELL
TM
This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from EDM DJ/Producer, Hardwell. He shares his playlist
with us.
80
TM
9PLAYLIST
Lost Frequencies
84
This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from
EDM DJ/Producer, Lost Frequencies. He
shares his playlist with us.
Back at
the Pynk
100
Jun 3rd, STARZ’s P-Valley is back for
season 2! We chatted with some of the
cast about what we can expect and to
refresh us on the last season.
63MIX
ROUTIN3S
TM
114
Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from Ajla
Tomljanović where she shares her
Morning, Afternoon and Night go-tos and
favorites that she does each week.
9LIST STORI3S
SOFI TUKKER
TM
175
EDM DJ/Producer duo SOFI TUKKER,
share their must-haves in beauty,
style and fitness in this month’s 9LIST
STORI3S.
Issue #77 | May 2022
- 11 - AthleisureMag.com

AthleisureMag.com - 18 - Issue #77 | May 2022

We're big fans of good vibes and sounds
that transform us to a special place. Without
a doubt, when it comes to some of our
favorite DJ/producers Dimitri Vegas and
Like Mike has been our go-to for well over
a decade! This month's cover is the perfect
way to kick off an amazing summer ahead
with this incredible musical brother duo -
Dimitri Thiavos and Mike Thiavos.
We wanted to find out more about this duo
who has performed at Electric Daisy Carnival,
Electric Zoo, Creamfields and Tomorrowland
to name a few. In addition to their
phenomenal tracks, we know that they
have projects that they're also focused on
whether its acting in the upcoming Jurassic
World: Dominion, clothing lines, comic
books and more. We talk about how they
approach their music, how they got into
the industry, collaborations that they do
with a number of artists and upcoming
music.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall
in love with music?
DIMITRI THIVAIOS: From a very early age,
we were both into music, but I was the
first to really get into buying records and
djing etc. Seeing music as much more than
just a hobby, but more a career. I started
djing when I was 13 and really pushed myself
from very early on to try and make a
career out of djing, which led me to moving
to Majorca and then later Ibiza.
MIKE THIAVOS: Electronic music has always
been a part of my life growing up,
as that was the main style of music being
heard on radios and played out on a
mainstream level in Belgium since the
early 90’s and even before I was born, remembering
the countless “top hits” cd’s
being played by my parents on our seemingly
everlasting trips in our car without
AC to Greece over summer (laughs)… but
next to always having been intrigued by
my brother’s musical antics and trying to
learn and copy my older brother’s behavior,
as most younger siblings do. I started
writing songs around the age of fourteen,
after being introduced to the wonderful
sound of hip hop, venturing down my
own musical journey shortly after. Finally
being old enough to travel by
myself at the age of sixteen I moved
to Ibiza in 2001, simultaneously banging
out hip hop albums on the white island,
I gradually fell in love with house
music, as anyone would having the opportunity
to spend late nights to the
groovy beats of various house legends
at Pacha Ibiza. My love for music was
widespread and I was becoming way
more experimental with my musical
taste going from classical music to
funk of the early seventies and grimy
electronic beats in the eighties. Still
today I think that is the foundation for
the countless big sounds I’ve created
and the endless unreleased songs on
all my old devices, I must have made
over a hundred albums by now ranging
in different musical genres.
AM: When did you realize that you
wanted to be DJs/producers?
MT: Although I love deejaying and as
it’s not really rocket science, I’ve always
considered myself a performer,
musical creator, and a producer instead
of a DJ. Making music is where I
can find the real art of expressing myself
with whatever mood I’m in in that
moment, both instrumental and vocally,
in sound and lyrics.
I would say the producing of electronic
music started after coming back from
working abroad for a couple of years
and realizing the market and prospect
for making rap albums wasn’t a very
lucrative thing being from Belgium
back then (although it’s a different story
now). So going back to our roots of
electronic music was an inevitable but
nevertheless easy decision for me to
make.
After inviting Dimitri to move into my
apartment the ball really started rolling
when we decided to work together
as a team. I learned all my earliest
tricks from Dimitri who was already

very knowledgeable when it came to
software and computers.
It took me a couple of years before I
was able to fully produce my own tracks
and get into making sounds like ‘Mammoth’
and ‘Tremor,’ but it was a wonderful
journey that has continued until this
very day.
AM: What’s your process like when it
comes to creating your music and where
do you find inspiration?
MT: I create sounds and make songs every
day that I can; it’s a ritual and something
that brings a certain type of fulfilment
that almost nothing else can bring
me…almost like a drug. Not being able
to let out my creative drive will make me
feel on edge and I’m always happy being
able to return to my studio, as being
on tour and having a heavy tour schedule
sometimes makes it hard to have a
creative outlet. But then there’s other
ways of doing that like writing, drawing
or designing fashion, architecture or
even ideas for movies or businesses that
could change our planet and way of life
in a positive way, cooking and food are
also amongst some of my biggest passions.
Whenever I make a song that could be
a good fit for DVLM I always send them
to Dimitri to get his thoughts and feedback.
DT: We are always bouncing ideas around
for new tracks, especially when on the
road as you get a lot of inspirations from
daily life and of course shows.
AM: Do you have specific roles when it
comes to how you go about creating
your music or planning your setlists?
MT: Dimitri has always had full control
over our sets and mashups. I’ve always
taken the part of being the hype man.
But I do like to come up with crazy ideas
or songs or concepts to bring back from
the past. I do mostly focus on the production
side of it, for example trying to
make the sickest intros for our biggest
shows of the year.
DT: Not really, our thing has always been
about an equal share on the creative
side. We’re willing to take risks and try
new methods and ideas. If you want to
be forward-thinking with your career
and to keep everything fresh you need
that openness.
AM: How do you balance your working
relationship while also being siblings?
MT: We grew up together, so we’re used
to being in each other’s lives. It’s familiar
to us and if anything, it makes it easier
to communicate ideas and be honest
with one another about what we want
to achieve.
DT: That honesty and dedication for the
same targets is what makes it work.
AM: How do you define your style of music?
DT: It is difficult to put our sound into
one category or genre. We love such a
wide array of music across many genres,
and I think that is reflected in our music.
One thing that always runs through our
music is energy. Our style is mainly upbeat
and has an energy that people can
vibe to.
MT: We get inspiration from so many different
areas in life, and I think that shows
in the people we work with. We try to
work with people who inspire us, for example,
we’ve been lucky enough to collaborate
with some of the best names in
music, such as Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa,
Hans Zimmer, Natti Natasha and Daddy
Yankee.
AM: Is there a different approach when
you’re working on your own music versus
when you’ve worked on projects with the
Pirates of the Caribbean franchise or various
artists that you collab with whether
for remixes like Coldplay or Lady Gaga or

editing for Sean Paul, Jennifer Lopez or
Pitbull?
MT: Of course, you must respect the creative
side of other artists when you’re
collaborating with someone else and everyone
has a different approach to their
work in the studio, but we love that.
DT: With remixes it’s a little different because
we are there to bring our sound
to the project, so it’s about respecting
the original but also remembering our
role is to apply our style and vision to
the project.
AM: When it comes to collaborating with
someone whether it’s a film or person,
what do you look for?
DT: For us its simple, we have to be into
the music they’re making or inspired by
the project.
AM: Who are 3 people that you have yet
to collaborate with that’s on your list?
DT: Lost Frequencies, Dr Dre
MT: Keinemusiccrue, Artbat, Eminem
AM: You have won a number of accolades
for your work, played in major
clubs, have ongoing residencies and have
been in major festivals year after year,
what does it mean to you that you have
this reach and love with your fans?
DT: It means everything to us. Our fans
are incredible and the support they’ve
shown us over all these years is something
impossible to put into words. To
be a part of such an unbelievable scene,
perform at these amazing events and
share it with the best fans in the world
is a dream come true.
AM: Musically, as well as looking at
your social feed, you have an incredible
group of people who you have creatively
worked with, as well as are friends with,
from Steve Aoki who was a previous cover,
Afrojack, Martin Garrix, David Guetta
and more. How does this fuel your work
to be surrounded by these creatives?
DT: Every day we are inspired by all our
music friends and colleagues. To witness
our scene become so internationally accepted,
and to see our friends help build
the foundation of that is something
very special. It’s never been a competition
for us, we’re blessed to have such
amazing people in our life and happy to
see each of them flourish and have their
successes inspire our own career.
AM: You guys are always working on a
number of projects, do you have any upcoming
ones that you can share with us
that we can keep an eye out for?
DT: With touring now back on the agenda,
we have a lot of new music ready to
go so stay tuned for announcements
soon. What’s next from us is collaboration
with a legend of the harder side of
dance music, Brennan Heart. This one is
going to blow the roof off!
AM: What festivals will you perform at
this summer?
DT: We’ve a busy schedule this summer
and excited to be back on the road
again. Fans can catch us at Ushuaia Ibiza
for our summer residency, as well as
AirBeat One, Balaton Sound, Barcelona
Beach Festival, Neversea Festival, Dance
Valley, Creamfields, and of course we’ll
be at our home Tomorrowland.
AM: What are your 3 favorite events to
play?
DT: Playing our own shows at Ushuaia
Ibiza, or our end of year parties at the
Antwerp Sportpaleis, are always a special
occasion because we get to be a part
of the whole process.
MT: And being a part of Tomorrowland.
AM: How do you stay in shape as you’re
on the road frequently and we’re always
looking for routines that we can include

in our workout?
MT: Touring life can be intense, both
physically and mentally, especially when
you’re on extensive touring schedules.
Sleep is a vital part of looking after yourself
when touring but it’s hard to keep a
steady circadian rhythm, also having the
right nutrition and staying away from
stimulants is key. We manage it by fitting
in time to exercise regularly.
AM: How would you define your personal
style?
DT: Casual but stylish.
MT: My style is a combination of different
influences picked during my life and
the constant drive to improve and find
a better version of yourself, ever evolving
and not holding on too much to old
ideals.
AM: You do a lot of traveling, what are
your 3 favorite cities that you enjoy visiting?
MT: My absolute favourite city is Athens
but I do love spending time in New York,
Los Angeles and Miami.
DT: Ibiza, Ibiza and… Ibiza (jokes).
AM: In addition to working together,
both of you have a number of projects
that you’re involved in. Dimitri you’ve
been acting in movies such as Men In
Black: International and Rambo: Last
Blood and you’ll be in the upcoming Jurassic
World: Dominion – what was it like
to be involved in this and what can you
tell us about it?
DT: An incredible experience both as an
actor and more so as a fan of the franchise.
A real childhood dream come true.
Being a part of these amazing movie
projects and around so many phenomenal
actors and actresses has taught me
so much already. I’m super excited to
see the movie on the big screen with my
friends and family. Anyone who follows
me knows I’m a huge fanboy of the
movie and comic business, so I’m truly
honoured to be a part of these projects.
And now with my first lead role in the
movie H4Z4RD coming up, I can’t wait
to do more stuff…
MT: On a personal level, I’ve designed
my past two houses, created a new label
and fashion line and several concepts
for restaurants that are about to be put
into fruition and am invested in very forward-thinking
companies and concepts
that are hopefully taking the world by
storm in the nearby future. The ultimate
goal is combining all passions and curating
unique experiences that are unmatched.
AM: You’re a comicbook fan, we recently
interviewed Rodney Barnes where we
talked about his work with Marvel, Star
Wars and the Killadelphia series. How
did you fall in love with comic books and
what are your 3 favorite comic books?
DT: For as long as I can remember, I’ve
always been fascinated by comic books.
I grew up on stories like Ninja Turtles,
Batman, Spider-Man, all of which were
and remain my favourite superheroes. I
still collect comics and have a room dedicated
to my passion of all things Marvel
and DC.
AM: You also have Dino Warriors – what
was the thought behind creating this and
what can you tell me about it?
DT: It’s been a dream of mine to create
my own universe within the comic industry.
I’ve had the Dino Warriors idea
in mind for a long time. Teaming up with
David Uslan and his father Michael, the
originator and executive producer of
the Batman movie franchise, felt like
the perfect moment for this project to
come to live.
I’m proud to say that we also have onboard
one of IDW Publishing's most
critically acclaimed writers Erik Burnham,
best known for writing Ghost-

busters, Back to the Future, Transformers,
A-Team, and Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles comics. As well as Jim Starlin
(creator of Marvel's Infinity War uber-villain
Thanos and more), Brett Booth (Spider-Man,
the Fantastic Four, and the
X-Men), Stephen Segovia, known for his
work with DC Comics and Marvel and
Valiant Entertainment, and Diego Galindo
(Power Rangers, Dungeons & Dragons,
and Stranger Things) are all part of
the projects creative team.
AM: What is Smash Universe?
DT: We’ve a deep-rooted passion in
other creative art forms beyond music,
everything from film to esports so we
decided to launch our lifestyle agency
Smash Universe to allow us the freedom
to explore these areas more. The project
had been in our minds for a while.
We got introduced to Miranda Huybers,
a gaming industry veteran who was
part of Activision’s “Call of Duty” team,
by one of our team members, and it immediately
felt good. Miranda brings a
wealth of knowledge to the table, along
with our Smash The House team and
our manager Nick Royaards. Add to that
Nick Depauw, head of SMASH esports,
Nick Royaards, as well as Perry van de
Mosselaar and Dwayne Megens from
our label Smash The House and we have
the nucleus of a formidable team.
AM: Mike, I know you just had a collaboration
with BLACK BANANAS – the tracksuit
looks cool. How did this collaboration
come about, and will you continue
to work with them?
MT: There’s a long connection with Tomorrowland
and the popular Dutch
streetwear. It’s a friendship that’s lasted
over a decade. We wanted to lay down
casual street wear, athleisure, that symbolizes
the ideologies of both BLACK
BANANAS and my label GREEN ROOM.
A perfect combination was found with
the inspiration from the world of football,
hence the captain style armband.
This is just the beginning of our story
working together.
AM: You also released a solo album,
“Pain, Love, & What Comes After”, how
long did it take to put this album together
and why did you want to release it?
MT: I would say it’s an accumulation of
some of my favourite songs and collaborations
created in the past 5 years.
It was a very personal project for me,
highlighting some of the most emotional
and captivating moments of my life,
depicting a beautiful but sometimes
also sad story and, outside of mine and
Dimi’s work together, was a chance to
showcase a different side of my musical
creativity.
AM: You had your first solo set in Vegas
last month. What was that like and will
you have upcoming solo sets that we
should keep an eye out for?
MT: Being able to play out my new music
and curating a night by myself was
an incredible experience that asks for
more!! It was a chance to showcase my
new sounds and to be around so many
incredible people that decide to fly in
from all over the world. The energy and
buzz from that experience was one of
the best I’ve ever felt, and I could feel
all the love. I was really nervous on the
night, especially since it’s a totally different
sound than what people are used
to hearing from us as DVLM. It’s literally
taking it back to our roots and some of
the earliest vibes we grew up loving. I’ll
be doing more shows again soon, planning
a US solo tour at the end of this
year so stay tuned.
AM: In terms of the Dimitri Vegas and
Like Mike brand from your music, touring
and additional projects, how do you
want your legacy to be seen?
MT: Well, we’re far from over. We’ve got
so much more planned, so many exciting
projects coming up and new shows
scheduled. Although never having a

clear vision of the path, I'm absolutely
confident there are many more goals to
achieve, so answering this question right
now doesn’t feel right. Evolution is key.
AM: How do you take time for yourselves
when you’re not in your projects?
MT: Grounding and healing yourself and
being creative in different ways is a big
part of my time off and spending it with
friends and family is what matters most
for us.
@dimitrivegasandlikemike
@dimitrivegas
@likemike
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Front/Back
Cover + PG 16 - 25 + 28 - 31 Boy Kortekaas
@boythecollector | PG 26 -27 + PG 70 - 71
9DRIP Benhoudijk |

We're all about big energy while keeping
it real and J.B. Smoove is both of these!
You know when you see him on the stage
or on your screen that he's going to make
you laugh, think and give you his philosphy
on life and how to approach it - all while
rocking great style. We've enjoyed seeing
him in a number of films from Pootie Tang,
Barbershop: The Next Cut, the Spider-Man
franchise and more. He's also been in numerous
TV series from The Last O.G., Woke
and of course Curb Your Enthusiasm. He's
someone that you see everywhere and yet
he aligns perfectly with the projects that
we see him in.
We had to check in with him to find out
about his journey from being a standup comedian,
SNL writer and performer, actor
and more. He talked about how he honed
his skills, how he navigates his career and
what he has coming up.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment
that you realized that you wanted to be an
entertainer?
J.B. SMOOVE: You know, I’ve always been
the one – some people have a high threshold
for pain, I think that that’s what it is. In
simple terms, I think that I have this thing
and feel for people when I know that people
need laughter and they need communication.
They need all these fun things
that make life easier.
I remember one time that I missed my
flight because somebody stopped me and
I could tell that this dude needed somebody
to talk to about his dreams and I
missed my damn flight! I felt like, damn I’ll
get the next one. In that moment, it just
felt like something was - like sometimes
you just have to talk people off the ledge
in some sense you know? It’s their life, it’s
their everything, but sometimes what you
provide for people is something that you
can’t buy. I think that shows that you’re a
real person and it shows you that you can
reach out and touch that person. What I
promote is real!
You know how fans get, sometimes they
don’t believe that you are who you are or
who they think you are, or who they perceive
you to be by what you do on camera.
You know how it is. Nowadays, the
world is faster, people promote certain
things, but that’s not who they are. They
do things to be accepted, to be liked, to
be all these things and it’s not real and
it doesn’t come from a real place. I think
for me and my upbringing from where
I started from is something that I can
appreciate more. I’m talking about the
days from pulling over and having to
make a phone call at the phone booth!
Those days, it was more hands on – you
know what I mean? There’s automatic
transmission and then there’s manual –
I’m a manual dude! I got to switch gears
for myself. I need to know when to slow
down and when to hit the brake! Sometimes
I don’t brake at all! Most of the
time, I’m just changing gears because
brake means that I’m going to stop.
When you’re changing gears, I’m just
navigating through it! You know what I
mean? It’s different!
AM: And it is different!
I think that you have such an authenticity
about you and that’s why people love
being able to see you. It’s great to see
you popping on screen in your shows or
starting up my Mon with your podcast. I
know that when I hear you, I’m going to
get you as an authentic full experience!
JBS: Yes indeed! And that, you know to
answer the question – that is something
that I do from the heart and for the love
of what I do! For the love of being in the
moment, for the love of something to
hold onto that knowledge and to hold
onto that laughter! Holding onto things
that makes me happy – it’s the ability to
benefit the world or the people who also
want to do what I do or just want to be
inspired. I do think that it applies to every
walk of life no matter what your occupation
is or what your dreams are, the
same process applies. Come early, stay
late, be courteous to people, respect
their dreams and what they're trying to

do – don’t waste their time, don’t waste
your time. There are certain things that
will apply always. I think that is the core
of growth and the core of achieving your
dreams. What I want to do is to be consistent.
I want to give this laughter away
whether you’re paying me or if you’re not
paying for it. I don’t get paid if I stop and
talk to someone for half an hour and miss
my flight. I can’t say, “oh I got paid for that
so it’s ok I missed the flight.” No, I’m doing
that because I felt something for this
person in that moment that they needed
this quick little talk and it’s free.
AM: How did you hone your craft?
JBS: You know, being in real situations.
Real situations are a comedian's food.
That’s our food. Real situations, you can
elaborate on real situations and make
them funny. You can take pain and make it
funny. You can take funny and make it funnier.
So you know, it’s all in the construction
of the joke, the construction of the
situation, the construction of the scene –
you know? That is where it comes from. I
always say that anyone can tell a joke if I
have to use what I do for a living. Anybody
can tell a joke, but not everyone can sell a
joke. Everybody can’t sell it – you can tell
it – but everybody can’t sell it!
AM: I am the worst joke teller because I
forget the parts, I have to stop and reset
it – so I definitely can’t sell it.
JBS: Oh yeah, that’s true!
AM: I remember when I first saw you for
Def Comedy Jam as a standup comedian
and then you went onto SNL as a writer
and a performer! What was that experience
like?
JBS: To me it was great. But again, you
gotta make decisions on your movement
because when I started on Def Comedy
Jam and I was on BET and did all of these
TV shows, guest starring, touring in colleges,
those road gigs, tours and all of the
things that I have done, making the decision
to move to LA, doing all of that stuff
and making the decision to go on Cedric
the Entertainer Presents, getting on Lyricists
Lounge Show – doing guest spots
on TV shows, doing my first CBS deal –
all those things I’ve done.
Then to sit there and say, “ok I have this
audition for SNL.” My second time auditioning
for SNL actually. I did it twice. I
was going for cast member. For me, you
sit there and you say, I’m going in for cast
member and I didn’t make the show as
a performer but I ended up making the
show as a writer. Even when I got the
offer for a writer, I was in the middle of
a deal for a host of stuff of my own so
I had to say do I put myself on hold to
work on Saturday Night Live? So I sat
and thought about it and decided that
it would look great on my resume so I
said, as more of a business move. I know
that the percentage of shows that actually
air are so small and back then it was
REALLY hard! Back then we didn’t have
the streaming services. We didn’t have
Netflix and Hulu and Amazon. We didn’t
have any of this stuff. It was just regular
TV, HBO and Showtime. We had the
premium channels but those opportunities,
we didn’t have as big of a chance to
get someone to air. I had to sit there and
say, “ok. If I put this to the side and do
this, how can I make this work for me?”
I said, I will do this and then figure it out
later. But this is going to look great on
my resume – SNL.
So I came to SNL and when I got here,
I ended up doing sketches, I ended up
being a writer on the show, I ended up
doing monologues on the show and
ended up doing all these amazing things
for the show and doing warmups for my
3 seasons. So I ended up doing a lot of
stuff and that was 4 different checks –
that’s a NY hustle right there! But that’s
also being someone who has different
skills – who can be a utility person – 4
things at the same time. That helps me
and shows how I can be versatile. I can
do 4 jobs at once.
For me, it worked out perfect. I had the

chance to be JB, I had a chance to be someone
who's able to do all of these amazing
things and at the same time, it allowed
me to work and build my resume and network
with these amazing guest stars of
the show. So it was definitely a process.
I can’t say that it was easy – it was hard
work because you’re talking about someone
going from being a standup comedian
to being a writer. I wasn’t a traditional
writer. I improvise a lot in my standup so
for me it made more sense to take it, do
all of my skills under one roof. I did 3 seasons
over there and it looks great on my
resume, so it served its purpose doing it
that way.
None of those other opportunities went
away, the opportunities for TV shows
were still there, the opportunities for
movies were still there and I was still able
to leave there and do a bunch of movies
– The Sitter, Hall Pass, Date Night all in a
row. I got a chance to do all of that stuff
and when I was working over at SNL, I did
Conan O’Brien. Conan O’Brien’s show, he
was still at NBC at that time and I did his
show as a sketch artist 10 times. So I had a
chance to get from behind the desk typing
jokes, go downstairs on the elevator and
do a sketch with Conan and then get back
in the elevator upstairs to finish working.
I got a chance to do so many things while
I was over there. Again, it wasn’t easy and
it was humbling in some sense. You’re in
control on stage but you’re not in control
on this show which is live TV. Everything
is just fast. You have to sit there and write
all night long for these sketches and it’s
humbling because it’s like your trying out
for the cheerleading team or the football
team and you go in the hallway and they
put the list up of who made the team.
There was a piece of paper in the hallway
that said whose sketch made it and you
had to read that list on the wall and you’d
say, "damn, I didn’t get it."
AM: Oh wow that happened every week!
JBS: It was an amazing experience and I
wouldn't change that for anything in the
world. I would have rather taken this pro-
cess that I have already completed rather
than this fast and quick process that
these young people are doing now. I had
more time to smell the roses.
AM: I’m a huge fan of Curb Your Enthusiasm,
you joined it in the 6th season and
I know that the 12th season is coming
back, how did you get attached to the
show and how involved are you in creating
and evolving the character of Leon
Black?
JBS: Oh man! My wife told me that I
was going to be on the show. We would
watch the show, we loved the show and
even when I was on SNL, we would talk
about the show on our writing days.
One day I said, that I would love to be
on the show and man I got the opportunity.
I always say that one thing has to
step out of the way in order for something
else to come through. I didn’t get
renewed for my 4th season of SNL and
I literally went from coming to LA for a
friend’s memorial – my friend Oji Pierce
who composed and produced This is
How We Do It and I was there for his memorial
service. I make moves because I
trust my process and I trust my talent. I
know I always bounce back from things.
I had actually fired my agent – I fired every
damn body! I knew that once I fired
them, I wasn’t going back to SNL.
The agents are the ones that fight for
you and keep you hired. They are the
ones that call and make it go. I said, well
if I fire my agent who I am not happy
with, I know for a fact, that I will not get
spoken about and they’re not going to
push to keep me on the show if they’re
not getting paid to do what they do. So
I said, “well, I’m going to see what happens.”
I fired them and I knew I wasn’t
going back and for a fact that with no
one there to speak for me, there was no
way that I was going to be able to stay
at SNL.
So I took that chance, I rolled the dice
and I took that chance. Low and behold,
I didn’t get renewed. I was out on the

road for a month doing standup. Oji
passed away, my wife already told me that
I was going to be on Curb Your Enthusiasm
and I got a phone call of my friend passing
and I went to LA for one day. I signed with
a new agent before I went to LA, went to
meet them when I got to LA and one of
the agents said, “man, I have an audition
for you – how long are you in town?” I told
them that I had come into town for 1 day
to pay respects to my buddy and I was going
back tomorrow.
He said he had an audition for me and I
asked him what it was for and he said,
Curb Your Enthusiasm. I said, “get out of
here, you have to be kidding me!” I went
on the audition and you know, I did what
I did well which is improvise which takes
these scenes and make them my own. Let
me do what I do because I’m going to do
what I do! Me and Larry hit it off in the audition.
We hit it off to the point where we
were in there laughing our butts off and
having a good time. We became friends
that day. I left there and said to myself, if
someone gets that job, God bless them,
but me and that man had a great time!
That leads to me being on the greatest
improvised show to me in TV history.
So, my process is, I’m an improv guy. I have
been improvising my entire life and I think
that that’s a life choice too. Improvising
gives you the ability to change your mind in
the moment where no one will ever know
that you changed your mind! Improvising
will give you the ability to sway someone
in a different direction. Improvising gives
you a way of reading energy and reading
their body language – all of these great
things that you can do by knowing the
process and being able to improvise. It
pays off in life, it pays off in acting, it pays
off in real estate sales if you’re a realtor.
You can be anyone you want, but if you
improvise just a little bit, it allows you to
pick up little nuances about people that
you can use to your advantage.
I think that that’s what helps me so much
having to improvise in my standup career
so much. It really allowed me to take that
skill and to use that 1 little improv class
that I took that summer before I started
doing standup. I would tell anyone that
they should take improv – I don’t care
what you do. That allowed me to really
hone in on my acting skills and to get in
the moment which makes my standup
shows so different. I’m literally listening
to what this particular audience is laughing
at which is what I apply to Curb Your
Enthusiasm.
Whatever is working for my character
and sometimes, I don’t know what I will
do with my character. Sometimes I don’t
know. Sometimes I just go with what
the scene is and I take that. Sometimes
what I do is, I will decide in the moment
if I want to have Larry’s back or if I want
to go against Larry. I decide right there,
do I want to be on Larry’s side or will I
go against him – what is the better argument
here? I really decide in the moment
and it gives me the upper hand
and let’s me drive that. It also lets me
give him something new that he doesn’t
know about the character every time I
work with him. That way, I create these
forks in the road – these branches to the
character. My character has never been
defined. We still don’t know where the
hell he came from – so for me to be able
to make that up over the 6 seasons that
I have been there is great! I can still tell
people a little more that they need to
know about Leon which makes it fun!
AM: You have been in so many series and
films from Spider-Man movies, co-hosting
– what do you look for when you’re
sent projects and what goes into your decision
on whether you’re going to participate
in something?
JBS: I go by this, which works for me: I
read the script of course. If they specifically
call for me, I’m kind of past the audition
process at this point because I am
established all these years. I get offers
for things and I can say yay or nay to the
offer. Once in a while, I have to read for
something – once in a while. It could be
some thing very specific or something

that is outside of my lane and it’s to show
that I can do something if it’s a drama or
something like that. If I meet a director or
a producer and they ask for me specifically
and they say that they want me to make
my character my own, that is the most
precious words that I can hear for an improv
guy or a guy that they can trust to
do that character. When they say, “make
the character your own JB. We love your
voice and your sensibilities and we love
what you do and we want you to be that
character and vice versa.” So I’m like cool,
let me make it my own and I take that
character and I make them my own. This
happens in movies, in TV, in commercials,
in animations – it doesn’t matter. They let
me do me and if it’s animations, I say let
me see the character so I can see who it
is and then I can take that character and
then I can make that character my own.
AM: You also have Four Courses with JB
Smoove, why did you want to do this?
JBS: You know what. I love talk shows and
I love talking to friends and I’m good at
it. I love to sit there and kick it and have a
convo with people and that is what makes
interviewing people so fun. I’m curious of
the process. I’m curious about your path
and I’m really engaged. I love to laugh
and I love the stories. I love to tell stories
and I love to be interviewed while I’m interviewing
– you know what I’m saying? I
think that’s fun. I love to be interviewed
while I’m interviewing.
AM: Last year when May I Elaborate? first
came out, I knew I would be obsessed
with it. I love hearing you and Miles Grose
talking back and forth about various topics
and it was a great way to start my day.
Why did you want to create this podcast
show?
JBS: You know what? It was one of those
things where everybody was doing podcasts.
I knew that if everyone was doing
podcasts, I had to do something that was
funny, insightful and I like to give what I
call, broken wisdom sometimes! I feel like
there’s more than 1 way for you to be able
to get it. For some people, you have to
shake it out of their ass and then you
have to shake it into them and then
shake whatever the issue is out of them
at the same time. I think of that tough
hard love in a funny way and in a way
that makes sense to people. I’m giving
it to you in a way that is like a friend. I’m
not a doctor, I don’t know it all, I know
a lot about everything and a little bit
about nothing. You need that balance!
You have to tell people sometimes that,
“I’m not sure but God damn, I know you
got to give it to them like that and here’s
what I would do.” I can’t say it’s going
to work, but this is what I would do and
this is how to get the process started.
You sometimes have to get out of your
own fucking head. If I can get you out
of your own head, I’m halfway there!
That’s the block right there. You’re like a
controlled schizophrenic – you are battling
yourself in your own head. Different
versions of you don’t know how to
handle certain things. So you’re stuck in
a certain place and you just need to find
some kind of way to talk to the right
person in your head to get it moving in
the right direction.
AM: With the 2nd season dropping last
month, what can we expect for the season
going forward? Last season was really
long as it was everyday which was great.
This season, the format is a little different
with it being on Mon and you guys
have more personalities that are joining
you each week like Tiffany Haddish, Kevin
Nealon and Randall Park. What can we
look forward to?
JBS: In the 1st season, we did almost
190 episodes! Which is crazy! So, we will
more than likely maybe transition this
amazing podcast into possibly an animated
version – we’re not sure yet. We
think that the wisdom is funny enough
and the visuals that I give Miles and that
Miles gives me, you always want to see
it and I think that there is a funny way to
present this show.
It’s so funny, we got nominated for a

JBS: Well, I actually did a commercial
years ago a with a director. The compodcast
award but guess what? We didn’t
get nominated in the comedy category.
We got nominated in inspirational and
religious category which is crazy! We got
nominated with all the gurus and people
who are speaking real shit. We’re taking
real things and just elaborating on them
in a funny way and we get put in that category
instead of a comedy one which is
nutso! It’s a little bit flattering in some
ways to be nominated with all of these
amazing people who are really speaking
truth to the world. But it’s also like, damn,
is what we’re saying not funny or are we
ambidextrous - we’re left and right-handed?
Can we do both? We have found a way
to do both!
Without Miles, Miles is the glue. He is the
voice of reason. He is the funniest dude
ever. He does the research, I elaborate
and he pulls me back. So, we have something
that works well and yes, we’re not
sure what we’re going to do with the
show yet. We have so many ideas on our
slate that it’s unlimited amount of ideas
that we have that we can do and we haven't
locked in what we’re going to do with
May I Elaborate?, but we’re not locked out
of it either. So, we’ve done a lot of episodes.
For this type of show, we’re not
just turning it on and talking. You have
to do a little research and it takes a lot of
time and looking at the perfect quote and
affirmation and using it to our advantage.
AM: For last season, it was just the perfect
show especially in the midst of the
pandemic. To be able to have those lighter
moments that would come in and to
start the day off with that, it allowed us to
have some laughs before we delved into
the work here at Athleisure Mag whether
it was booking, virtual shoots, meetings
etc and it created a part of the day that
we looked forward to. That was definitely
special but in general. I’m always excited
to hear what you will elaborate on?
JBS: Yes and we’re looking forward to doing
in some capacity – anything that we
can do to help people and to keep things
fresh and fun. As little work as possible,
but as much of a reward as possible.
AM: You have also had amazing partnerships
whether it’s with Crown Royale,
Caesars or JUST Egg to name a few.
What do you look for when it comes to
brand alignment that wants to connect
with you? How do you decide what you
want to lend your brand to?
JBS: I kind of go with the notion of to
talk about what I know about – that
way I’m not ever in a weird position. I’m
a vegan so I love the JUST Egg relationship
that we have. I entertain a lot so I
did love my Crown Royale campaign. Every
campaign I have ever done, I have always
found a way to make it something
that I love and that I can put a lot of energy
into it and I use it. We were doing
this branded entertainment with these
companies for years before anybody
was really doing it. I did a Mountain
Dew campaign years ago – Mountain
Dew White Out campaign – you name it.
This Caesars one is just another one that
I love. I love taking on characters. I like
characters. I grew up in the age where
commercials were about the characters
– the “Where’s the Beef” lady, I love
commercials man –
AM: The “Time to Make the Donuts”
man.
JBS: Oh yes – time to make the donuts! I
love that stuff! I always loved characters
and reoccurring cool characters.
AM: We love your Caesars Sportsbook
one. Like you said the fact that it’s characters,
but also – we love football. We’re
in NY, but also – I love football. We’re in
NY, but I’m originally from Indiana so
when you had the Mannings – that was
exciting and then of course, Halle Berry
in the commercial! How did this come
back with you partnering with them and
what will you do with them in terms of
ongoing work?

mercial never made it to air, but what happened
was, the director remembered me
and he loved the commercial even though
it never aired and he reached out. He said
he was doing a campaign with Caesars
and he didn’t see anyone else being Caesar
but me! He liked my voice, my delivery
and he knew it would be fun. He said he
couldn’t imagine anyone else embodying
this emperor than me. He said that
he thought that it would be amazing and
wanted to know if I wanted to do it and I
thought it sounded hilarious. He said if we
were going to do it, we were going to start
the campaign and he had already sold me
to Caesars and let them know that they
would be blown away by me and that
I was his guy. He told them that no one
would be able to do this better than JB.
Now that goes back to what we were
talking about – coming early, staying late,
being courteous, not being a diva – all
those things. I’m a seed planter. This is
another version of planting seeds for later.
I’m the squirrel who has those acorns
and buries them for winter. That’s why
my phone rings constantly. I’m always
planting seeds and I have tons of seeds
still planted. My phone rings and it keeps
going and that’s why it keeps ringing because
I have already planted these seeds
and relationships that I have built already.
That’s how I keep busy. People say all the
time, “man, you’re everywhere – but you
don't see everything at one time.” Everything
is spread out over time because I
have planted seeds and projects and it’s
going to come out at this time and then
this project over here will come out after
this project at this time. My visibility is always
up there and that’s the fun part.
AM: You’re an Emmy award winner, author,
comedian, actor, producer, podcast
host - you do so many things. What else do
you want to add to your portfolio that you
have yet to do?
JBS: I know at some point, I will get behind
the camera and direct something.
We started a brand new company called
Alternate Side Productions, we’re going
to build an amazing brand, an amazing
company which will be off the hook.
We’re going to do some amazing projects
under the JB Smoove banner with
brand and style and the things that we
love to do. We’re going to build that
and I’m going to put a lot of people to
work. I think that that’s what needs to
be done to build a production company.
I want to drop some amazing products
in the vegan lane. I’m a vegan. That’s
going to be another thing. I have been
doing the vegan thing for a long time.
A lot of people are just jumping on the
bandwagon, but you know, I let them
do what they do. I’ve been vegan for
awhile and I have been harping on this
for awhile now and linking myself with
other vegan products. A lot of people
are just getting onto it and you know, it’s
all good. I’m already established in this
lane so it’s another thing and extension
of what I do. It’s also another extension
of caring about people’s health and my
own health.
AM: What led you to want to become a
vegan?
JBS: Well my wife has been a vegan for
forever. My wife is a musical artist and
has been a vegan forever and hasn’t had
meat in something like 27 years. So, she
was a vegetarian for awhile, then a vegan
and now she is a raw vegan which
is a whole other level. She’s doing that
now, but I’m a straight vegan. I’ve been
part-time/full-time for a long time. I was
part-time vegan and full-time carnivore
for awhile. Now, for the past 4 years, I
have been a straight vegan and it’s been
great.
AM: As you say, you’re always planting
seeds. Do you have upcoming projects
that you are able to share that we should
keep an eye out for?
JBS: Not right now. The main thing I’m
working on right now is of course, you
know that Curbed got greenlit for season
12, I have a bunch of animated shows
coming out, I have the new season of

Woke out right now and I’m recording
something right now for a video game. I’m
also recording 2 other animated shows at
the same time. I’m also building this company.
I’m resuming my standup tour and
I’m also doing a special and hoping that
I can get it done by the top of the year.
There’s a bunch of cool things that I am
working on and I’m very happy with my
process. I like to be the steady tortoise
sometimes – I don’t need everything at
one time, I still love my private time so
that I can RV. I still love to do all the fun
things that I love to do. As I said, my wife
is also out there doing her thing with her
new studio. We’re doing so many cool
things and also we’re building some companies
outside of entertainment. Yeah
we’re just doing cool stuff and things that
are off our interest list.
AM: You have great style that's well accessorized.
As a stylist in addition to my role
as a Co-Founder and Style Director at Athleisure
Mag, how do you define your style
and would you ever create your own clothing/accessory
line?
JBS: I love style! I grew up in an era where
you build your outfits from the shoes up.
You get a nice pair of reliable comfortable
shoes because the first thing people do
is look down at your feet and then they
work their way up to your eyes.
I do have some amazing things coming
out. I’m working on a watch, I’m working
on a hat line and some amazing bracelets.
I’m working on a few amazing things. Yes,
all of these things I plan on dropping before
the new year and this is going to be
some amazing accessories. Apparel is a
little hard, but accessories are something
that I love and I love things that I consider
conversation pieces. A conversation piece
will get you in the door and you can meet
your new boss. It just takes the interview
and this changes the meeting and the relationship
and takes it to something different.
It gets you in differently.
I tell young people all the time, create a
conversation piece whether it's a rose or
a flower in your lapel – something that
people look at and think, “wow, I like his
style. I like what he represents.” That
is the #1 thing – a shiny pair of shoes, a
pocket square – something amazing on
you to create and allow people to keep
their eyes on you. It creates that question
of, what kind of rose is that, what
kind of pocket square – who made that
tie? All these things are things that people
look at and allows them to reaffirm
who you are!
AM: I couldn’t agree more – statement
pieces are so essential!
With everything that you have done,
what do you want your legacy to be?
JBS: I just want to be known as a chance
taker. I believe in getting as many at bats
as possible. Get as many swings at the
ball as possible. I have always been one
where I have had some stumbles, but I
have a bad memory of those stumbles.
I tell people all the time that life keeps
going – it keeps moving. To be free of
mind and to be free to take as many
swings as possible and to know that you
can change your mind. Take as many
swings of the things that you want to do
in this life as possible. The more swings
you get, the more hits you get. If you’re
sitting on your hands, you can’t get the
swings! I always say, get those swings
in, figure out your progress, figure out
what you want to do and keep swinging
at it. I want to be known as chance taker,
a guy that always walks on a tightrope
with no net. I always feel like I got
good balance. With good balance, you
never worry about falling - you know
what I mean? If you worry about falling,
you worry about standing up.
@ohsnapjbsmoove
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 30 - 31 Harrison
O'Brien | PG 33 + 43 Noemad | PG
34, 50 + PG 73 - 75 9DRIP Storm Santo |
PG 36 - 40 Curb Your Enthusiasm HBO/
John P Johnson | PG 44 - 47 Luis Ruiz | PG
49 The Last O.G. TBS/Cara Howe |

When we first heard about Apple TV+'s
dark comedy, Physical, we knew that we
would enjoy it. Growing up in the 80s, we
remember watching countless workout
videos with Jane Fonda, Denise Austin and
more. What's not to love about the leotards,
neon outfits and so much more.
In Physical, we meet Sheila Rubin played
by Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids, X-Men: Apocalypse,
Mrs. America) who is a San Diego
housewife that is juggling her household
while battling personal demons and an
inner voice that is extremely viscious. She
finds empowerment and success with aerobics
as well as a friendship with Greta
played by Dierdre Friel (The Sopranos, Little
America, New Amsterdam).
With a second season starting Jun 3rd, we
catch up with all the drama from the last
season as we continue to see Sheila build
her empire! We can't wait to see where
we go and to see Murray Bartlett (Guiding
Light, Nashville, The White Lotus) who
plays Vinnie Green being added to the cast.
We catch up with Rose and Diedre to talk
about the new season, what drew them to
this show and how they prepare.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What drew you to
Physical. What drew you to the show and
what made you want to be part of it?
DIERDRE FRIEL: As a plus size actress, I actually
said that I don’t like to do roles that
have to do with my size. Most of the time
in storytelling, it has some sort of negative
connotation where you’re the butt of
the joke or something like that. So actually,
when the show came up for me, I was
a little bit anxious about that – whether
or not being heavy was going to be made
fun of and pointed out. But in fact, after
getting the script and getting more information,
I was like, this is really an empowering
asset and really wonderful thing.
This season, she’s super sexy and all of
this stuff, so I really loved it. It actually
drew me to really wanting it and that was
really wonderful for me.
ROSE BYRNE: Yeah, I read the script in
2019 and then I met with Annie Weisman
(Desperate Housewives, The Path,
The Bold Type), the creator and I was
just so drawn to it and I had never read
anything like it. It’s a very candid story
about her and her struggles with her
eating disorder and growing up in San
Diego. It just felt very intimate, raw and
dark. I knew it would be funny and polarizing
to some extent and I felt very
drawn to the whole world of it.
AM: I mean, I agree, I love thinking back
to that time of the 80s where people
were working out in aerobics and there
was this birth of the fitness industry that
brought us to where we are today. There
are so many dynamic topics and points
that are talked about and I like the relationship
between you guys as your
characters. How did you prepare to be in
these roles and to go through these awesome
tensions that exist within your arcs
between the two of you?
DF: To prepare to get into character, it’s
different for each project. For the show,
depending on the scene. If it’s kind of a
light scene like a walk and talk, something
like that, honestly, I really like our
relationship so we can roll up and have
some sort of chit chat and I feel that
sometimes with those scenes, we roll
into them really easily because of the
natural ability of it.
If it’s something heavier or darker, sometimes
I listen to some music and something
like that to just get into the right
kind of headspace with it – to do some
thinking about it.
RB: Yes. Annie Weisman who created
this is a really good touchstone in terms
of Sheila. I particularly love the scenes
with the aerobics. They’re very hard, but
it’s great in a way, you’re less self conscious.
You don’t have the time to make
too many decisions. I mean, what’s more
boring then watching an actor make decisions
about a performance. You know
what I mean? It’s like there’s a lot more
things that are more boring - but as a

viewer, I think that it is when you feel
that you can see people calculating
what’s next. So when you’re doing a
physical scene, it’s always a bit liberating
in a way and less scary.
AM: With the 2nd season kicking off on
June 3rd and as a bit of a refresher, where
do we end with your characters from
last season and where do we pick then
up again?
RB: Well Sheila really ends her marriage
at a crisis point with the beginnings of
this affair with John Breem played by
Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire, House
of Cards, Sweetbitter) who is a very
powerful and successful businessman in
San Diego. We pick up and she’s also released
this fitness video which has sort
of caught on fire and has a local following.
We meet her at this moment where
she is trying to build this brand and to
build this business. She’s harboring this
pretty dangerous affair with this guy and
she’s in “recovery” – but then there’s
recovery and then there’s recovery. It’s
dealt with later and I love that. I mean,
it’s a true representation or a version of
one person’s way of trying to recover
from a terrible addiction and illness.
DF: Greta in season 1 really becomes
inspired a lot by Sheila. A lot of Greta’s
story is really built around her friendship
with Sheila and additionally, her relationship
with her husband as they went
through a big change so they are exploring
their marriage and their relationship.
They’re adventurous together and so a
lot of that plays in as well in looking at
the relationships in Greta’s life.
@appletvplus
@fullyrosebyrne
@dierdre_friel
PHOTO CREDITS | PG 56 - 61 APPLE TV+/
Physical

When Ugly Betty first came out, it was definitely
a must that you were watching this
show. The cast had breakout stars, iconic
actors, of the moment topics and the series
delved into the world of Mode Magazine.
One of the characters that was a fan
favorite was Justin played by Mark Indelicato.
As a young actor, we watched him in
this show. After 4 seasons, this show ended
and Mark decided that he would go to
college to experience life.
After taking time for himself, he continued
with acting and played in a number
of TV shows and films. We caught up with
him recently to talk about 2 series that are
both back for their second season and are
having major moments from HBO Max's
Hacks and Amazon Originals' With Love.
He talks about what draws him to projects,
the importance of collaboration and using
his platform.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize
that you wanted to be an actor?
MARK INDELICATO: I realized I wanted
to be an actor when I was quite young. I
can’t recall a specific moment where the
lightbulb went off, I just remember how
much fun I had. And 20 years later I’m still
having fun.
AM: What are you looking for when new
projects come up or are offered to you?
MI: Of course, first and foremost it’s the
words that are on the page. Is this character
well rounded and multidimensional?
And if not, does this character have an important
function in the overall narrative
of the piece. I'm not interested in projects
where the character is "checking off a certain
box” (i.e. “the gay friend” and things
of the like).
AM: Our readers have enjoyed you in several
roles from Ugly Betty, Dead of Summer
etc. What is your process when you begin
to work through playing your character?
MI: I really rely heavily on the writers,
show runners and directors if I’m honest.
With certain roles I find myself able
to slip into them pretty easily and intuitively,
but I definitely always have myriad
questions throughout the entirety of
a shoot. Even if I feel like I have a firm
grasp on the character and their motivations
etc, I always find it to be helpful to
ask questions. Collaboration is key.
AM: Your character Justin in Ugly Betty
was such a breakout role at the time;
did you think at the time that that role
would be so impactful?
MI: Of course not. I was so young I really
didn’t understand what it was that
we were actually doing, let alone how
the show and the role were going effect
viewers. I was too busy having fun
and pinching myself that I was able to
go to work every day. It’s only in retrospect
that I can really appreciate what
the show and Justin, in particular, represented
and still represents to people.
AM: After the success of Ugly Betty, you
took time away from acting to go to college.
Why was it important for you to
step away and what brought you back to
the industry?
MI: In short, I needed a break. The entertainment
industry is famously - or infamously
- difficult to navigate and I was
simultaneously navigating adolescence,
so I think I just felt burnt out at a certain
point. I also wanted to have a sort
of anonymous life experience and going
to NYU definitely gave me that. I’m so
happy that I took that break because it
also reminded me how much I love acting
and allowed me to recenter myself
regarding what I wanted to pursue as an
adult.
AM: We enjoyed watching Hacks as it's a
great cast. What was it about this series
that attracted you to it and tell us about
Damien?
MI: Like I said before its all about writing.
When I read the sides of Damien I

called my agent right after screaming: “I
NEED TO BE ON THIS SHOW!” Although
Damien has a pretty peripheral part in the
first season and doesn’t necessarily speak
that much, I was certain of his function in
the larger narrative of the show, namely
that he is a member of “Team Deborah.”
On top of that, I was very familiar with
the creators of the show, Paul W. Downs
(The Mindy Project, Broad City, At Home
with Amy Sedaris), Lucia Aniello (Broad
City, The Baby-Sitters Club, Awkwafina is
Nora From Queens) and Jen Statsky’s (Hello
Ladies, Parks and Recreation, The Good
Place) prior work and was in awe of the incredible
people attached to the series as
well, both in front and behind the camera.
AM: The second season drops this month,
where did we leave him and what can you
tell us about the upcoming season?
MI: This season we go on the road! Team
Deborah goes on tour, so we spent a lot
of time together this season in quite close
quarters. Damien picks up exactly where
we leave him in season 1. He’s still snarky,
still manic, and we get to see a lot more of
him this season.
AM: You're also coming back for the second
season of With Love. Tell us about this
show which also has a great cast as well as
Jorge?
MI: Yes! What I love so much about playing
Jorge is just how different the world of
With Love is from that of Hacks. It’s always
intriguing to step into other worlds and
contexts as an actor, so I’m very blessed
to be able to do that for now two consecutive
years with Hacks and With Love. Gloria
Calderón Kellett (Devious Maids, Jane
the Virgin, One Day at a Time) approached
me with this character, and I just felt like
I knew him. I related to him so much that
it truly felt like she had written it for me.
(She didn’t) But once we started filming
the first season, I was so pleased to learn
how collaborative she is and how much
she really wants us - the actors - to have a
seat at the table. And with that being said,
she really handed me the reins when it
came to what Jorge looked like, how
he dressed etc, which is extremely rare.
I really have to say that I’ve lucked out
over the course of my career in working
with people that value and respect my
opinions.
AM: What can we expect from the 2nd
season?
MI: You can expect that same uplifting
vibe that you got last year, but this year
one of the three couples gets engaged.
There might even be a wedding.
AM: Over the past few years, being an
activist allows people to find ways to use
their platform to drive awareness. What
do you use your platform for?
MI: I think that my activism comes from
simply being an out and proud queer
person on television. So, I would hope
that my platform is such that it gives
young queer viewers the ability to see
themselves on television. I think I’m so
passionate about representation in this
context because of what I learned and
saw from playing Justin on Ugly Betty.
As ignorant as it might sound, I didn’t
really know how powerful television
and film were in uplifting those that feel
alone or disenfranchised up until I really
examined how much Justin has meant
to people, so I hope to continue down
that road.
AM: When you're not on set what can we
find you doing to take time for yourself?
MI: If you can believe it, I’m such homebody!
When I’m not on set you can catch
me in the kitchen making a plethora of
things or on the couch with a glass of
wine bingeing any franchise of the Real
Housewives.
@markindelicato
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | PG 64 - 67
Hacks/HBO | PG 68 With Love Amazon |

THE ART OF
THE SNACK:
AROQA

We all have our favorite cuisines and even
when it's our go-to, it's nice when we're
able to be able to enjoy it in a different way
for flavorful inspiration. We caught up with
aRoqa's owner, Monica Saxena in NYC's
Chelsea, to find out about this NYC destination,
how it surprises its patrons who
come to dine and what we should think
about ordering the next time we swing by.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Monica, tell me about
your background and how you came to
creating aRoqa?
MONICA SAXENA: I grew up in a wonderful
family of food lovers, families of friends
who loved food, a mix of gourmet cuisine
of various types (Ethnic Indian), in a place
called Lucknow, in India. Food across India
is a bit like the shifting dialects (approximately
122 languages and 1599 dialects),
across a population of 1.3 billion people.
Every street corner could place a delectable
item in your mouth. Such is the abundance
of flavors and experimentation.
That alongside what was a core palate at
home, which happened to be quite well
evolved, got me hooked on fine foods, or
you may even want to call them authentic
interpretations of food that we all liked.
The seeds of good tasty foods were planted
then, without much effort. It was a
given at home and all that surrounded my
growing up years. I moved across from
India to the Bay Area in 1987 and what I
missed most was that surrounding set of
flavors. It took me a while to recognize
that what one takes for granted can require
a lot of effort, when not in that environment!
From sourcing simple spices, to
making the time to cook what I liked, all
took time. As I liked food, I put in the effort
to learn how to experiment and make
do with flavors that I had begun to miss a
lot. It did not become a career until 2016.
Having a partner and family that supports
your aspirations, is another key ingredient
to realizing your passion!
AM: Who is the Executive Chef of aRoqa
and what is their culinary journey/background
and kitchens that they trained in
prior to coming to this restaurant?
MS: Our Executive Chef is Munny Passi,
who comes from a family of restaurateurs
in India. He began working in his
father’s family restaurant at the tender
age of 13. There he learned the techniques
of Indian cooking from many
of the country’s regions. He left India
for England, working in traditional Indian
restaurants throughout London.
He then made his way to New York and
landed a job as Bhatti Indian Grill’s Head
Chef, where he worked for four years
before joining aRoqa.
AM: What does aRoqa mean and when
did it open?
MS: “Roqa” means an informal engagement
of two people prior to formal celebrations
in the Panjabi language in India.
Personally, I wanted a name with few
letters and the story behind the name
made for a perfect venue concept that I
had in mind. Roqa also means a stop and
"A Roqa" means “A Stop,” which was
befitting the romantic date night Indian
tapas food concept I had envisioned to
open. As I wanted to break the Indian
food away from simply "Curry" and introduce
small plates to be enjoyed. We
opened June 2017.
AM: What can guests expect in terms of
the cuisine that is served here?
MS: Authentic Indian flavors with a playful
presentation in Tapas concept. The
cuisine was developed and curated by
two Indian chefs prior to the restaurant
opening named Jamsheed Bhote and his
wife Hanisha Singh, who came to NY to
train the current team of aRoqa Kitchen
team, they helped design and plate the
cuisine.
AM: What is the ambiance of aRoqa –
what can those coming in to dine expect
when they eat here?
MS: It is seductive, romantic, inviting
and intriguing, and satisfying where
food is concerned.

AM: For those opting to eat at the bar,
what are 3 Happy Hour items that you suggest
are great to eat there?
MS: As it is mainly tapas and small plates,
depending on the dietary preference we
have a variety of Vegetarian and Non-vegetarian
small plates keeping in mind. We
have gluten free and vegan options also.
Some popular items are Eggplant with
Fenugreek bread triangles, Kataifi Mushrooms,
and our Habanero Chicken tikka.
AM: What are 3 cocktails that you suggest
that we can enjoy when visiting?
MS: Some of our signature cocktails are
Season of Luck, Marigold and Smoke, and
Reengagement. We are also launching 8
new cocktails in June.
AM: For those who pop into lunch, what
are dishes that we should eat when coming
in with friends and family?
MS: The lunch menu is created mainly
keeping a small budget and quick turnaround
time for people to pick and go. We
have the full dinner menu available for our
sit-down guests also.
AM: For dinner, what are 3 appetizers that
we should think about ordering?
MS: Lamb seekh Kebab, Pepper Prawns
and Bhatti Murgh Chops. I always consider
this to be a hard question as it's like being
asked to pick which are your favorite
children. I take great pleasure in serving
dishes that I enjoy equally on the menu.
AM: For our main meal, what are 3 dishes
that we can enjoy with friends and family?
MS: Our Shared Plates menu section was
created on popular demand by Executive
Chef Munny Passy for guests who told us
they wanted Indian staples on the menu
too, and we added curries for guests to
share and enjoy. Guest favorites are Chicken
Tikka Masala and Daal Makhani, and
Whole Okra which I have not yet found
on the menu at any other Indian restau-
rant - it is my mother’s recipe.
AM: For dessert what are 3 items that we
should keep our eye on?
MS: Indian desserts are very sweet so we
decided on keeping a few Gelatos to cater
to our non-Indian guests, Daulat Ki Chaat,
an old awadhi dessert; and Coconut Kheer
for our dairy free guests.
AM: In addition to offering lunch and dinner,
you guys have a brunch menu as well.
What are 3 brunch items that we should
have?
MS: Our brunch menu came out of a failing
American breakfast menu that we
carried it for a while. Then the question
became, “Why go to an Indian restaurant
to have an American brunch menu?” so I
turned my focus on serving what we normally
eat in India for breakfast. Chef Munny
and myself introduced Poori Aloo, Vada
Pav, a Bun Omelette, and chola bhatura,
along with the rest of our traditional Indian
brunch menu, consisting of things one
grew up on eating at the train stations
and in college campus canteens, as well
as weekends in our homes.
AM: You were recognized by Michelin last
year, how does it feel to have your restaurant
honored in this way?
MS: Humbling as being a foodie one tries
to keep dishes as honest to their roots
as possible, and the desire is to keep the
guests happy with the flavor profiles at
the menu choices and presentation.
IG @aroqanyc
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | aRoqa

Pikes Ibiza is a 25 bespoke room and
suites hotel iconic Ibizan institution in
the San Antonio hills that just opened
for the 2022 season.
Top British chef, Tim Payne is helming
Pamelas restaurant. Known for his 36-
year career in Michelin restaurants, a
top UK chef and previously a private
chef for Carl Cox - he will bring inspiring
seasonal and local produce as well
as an international twist to his dishes.
This is perfect for feasts and when dining
under the stars.
During the day, we suggest the brunch
concept at Love Food Ibiza which is
helmed by Tess Prince.
Recognized as a Top 100 Hotels in the
world by Sunday Times Travel and winner
of Best Boutique Hotel by White
Ibiza Awards for the last 4 years, Pikes
ATHLEISURE LIST: Ibiza, Spain
PIKES IBIZA
Ibiza is one of the world's most iconic
rock n' roll hotels. Located in the hills
of northern Ibiza, lush Mediterranean
gardens are wrapped around one of
the most famous swimming pools
on Earth. They have a sunset terrace
overlooking the countryside of Ibiza.
It is known as creative hub and a trailblazer
in Europe for arts and culture.
Founded in the late 1970's by legendary
icon, Tony Pike, it is known as a
playground for the music and film industry
which included guests such as
Grace Jones, Tony Curtis, George Mich
ael (who filmed Wham's Club Tropicana
video by the aquamarine swimming
pool), Jon Bon Jovi and Freddie
Mercury who held his 41st birthday
part in what is now called Freddies on
the property.
AthleisureMag.com - 96 - Issue #77 | May 2022

Although everyday is a great day to
unwind, Sundays are a key day at Pikes
Ibiza whether you're at the restaurants
to take in their famous Pikes Sunday
Roast which is a feast that is meant to
be enjoyed from meat, veggies, wine
and a few cocktails. You can continue
on poolside to keep the party going
while taking in the ambiance.
On Sundays you can enjoy an epic
night at Freddies as theu have selected
a mix of international headliners,
local DJs and special collaborators for
a weekly party. You'll find their favorites,
those from the underground, cutting
edge, legends and pop stars in an
intimate setting that will perform to
keep the good vibes going.
PIKES IBIZA
Camí de Sa Vorera,
S/N, 07820
Sant Antoni de Portmany,
Illes Balears, Spain
pikesibiza.com
@pikesibiza
PHOTO CREDITS | PIKES IBIZA
Issue #77 | May 2022
- 97 - AthleisureMag.com

ATHLEISURE LIST: Venice, West Hollywood + South Bay, CA
PAUSE STUDIO
With a belief that due to our hyperconnected
world that life has no off button,
Pause creates the space needed
for the mind and body to reset. With
its 3 studios in LA all of their services
assist both mental and physical recovery
including: stress and anxiety relief,
mental clarity, promotes better sleep,
detoxification, elevated immunity, and
aids in athletic/physical recovery.
Pause Studios offers flotation therapy
where clients are partially submerged
in 10" of clean, body-temperature water,
custom blended with 1,200lbs of
therapeutic Epsom salts. It can help
with lymph drainage and promote the
absorption of magnesium.
you can increase your core body temperature
by 2 to 3 degrees. This triggers
a fever-like state in the body, increasing
white blood cell production,
and can help to flush out toxins and
free radicals in the body.
Cold-water therapy is also provided
where guests can take a dip into
cold water that is well below body
temperature. This creates a rush of
the blood to the body's core and constricts
blood flow to the body's surface
tissue. When the body is back to
a heightened temperature, the blood
vessels are able to dilate and push
nutrient rich fresh oxygenated blood
back through the body.
They also offer infrared saunas which
allow you to experience a more intense
sweat at a lower temperature. You can
stay for a longer period of time so that
In addition, they offer whole body
cryotherapy, IV drip and LED beds.
They continue to add additional modalities
to the services offered. They
AthleisureMag.com - 98 - Issue #77 | May 2022

continue to look for services that are
science backed, live with and enhance
the efficacy of the offerings and pass
the vetting of their founders, their
peer group and their Doctor of Naturopathic
Medicine.
With a clientele that includes Tessa
Thompson, Jessica Alba, Dax Shepherd,
Kate Beckinsale, Rob Gronkowski
and Anderson Silva to name a few,
we can see why taking that time for
ourselves is essential. The importance
of the philosophy of rest, recovery
and regeneration is one that we're all
embracing regardless of what our day
to day lives entails.
PAUSE STUDIOS
Venice
13353 West Washington Blvd.
Venice, CA 90066
Issue #77 | May 2022
West Hollywood
937 North Sycamore
West Hollywood, CA 90038
South Bay
850 Pacific Coast Highway
South Bay, CA 90245
pausestudio.com
@_pause.studio_
PHOTO CREDITS | Pause Studio
- 99 - AthleisureMag.com

In 2020, the first season of P-Valley, an
adaptation of Olivier Award, Pulitzer
Prize winning and 2X TONY nominated
playwright Katori Hall's (The Mountaintop,
Tina: Tina Turner Musical, The Hot
Wing King) play Pussy Valley, premiered
on STARZ. Katori serves as the Executive
Producer and showrunner for this series.
This series takes us to the Mississippi Delta
where local politics, a strip club and the
need to elevate in society come to a head.
The sophomore season of P-Valley begins
June 3rd and we caught up with some of
our faves of The Pynk in Chucalissa, Mississippi.
In our roundtable, we talked with
Elarica Johnson (Eastenders, Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince, A Discovery of
Witches) who plays Autumn that we meet
in the first season after running from her
problems to the town of Chucalissa and
becomes a dancer at The Pynk; Parker
Sawyers (Succession, Snowden, A Discovery
of Witches) who plays Andre Watkins
who is an an associate at a commercial investment
company trying to secure land
for The Promised Land Casino and Resort.
We also talk with Shannon Thornton
(POWER, Dynasty, Inventing Anna) who
plays Keyshawn a dancer at The Pynk who
is also making her debut as an artist and J.
Alphonse Nicholson (Mr.Robot, Self Made:
Inspired by the Life of Madame C.J. Walker,
Just Mercy) who plays the up and coming
rapper, Lil' Murda.
We find out how they came to this series,
why this show is powerful and what can
we expect as we head into season 2.
ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s so great to talk
to you guys and we've been a fan of your
work in this series as well as other projects
that you have been attached to. Before we
delve into P-Valley and the upcoming season,
what led you to want to be an actor?
ELARICA JOHNSON: Ohh I like this question!
I was that performing artist kid – the
annoying one that has to do performances
at the age of 4 or 5. Then I watched
Annie in the theater and saw this little girl
doing this performance and I was like, oh
my God, I want to do that. And then I think
that the biggest part is the storytelling. I
loved reading stories when I was younger
and the fact that I can dress up and be
whoever is handed to me and to be who
I want to be, that’s the most incredible
thing.
PARKER SAWYERS: What’s the expression?
Nothing is as queer as folk – nothing
is as queer as people? I just love exploring
humans man! We’re just a strange animal!
So far, my degrees are in philosophy and
psychology. I like thinking and reading
about people and then I didn’t start acting
until I was 27. I’ve always been a keen
observer of human behavior and just like
– what? Why is that? I’ll give you an example.
I was surprised by Katori, I think she
had been out of her hometown for awhile
like a decade! She had been in NY like Columbia,
Harvard and this kind of stuff. And
then, her accent is still quite strong! I love
thinking about how she loves her hometown
and she’s seeing all the stars, her
place, the dialect – she loves it so much!
That accent isn’t going anywhere! Whereas
some other people, they move and
they want to assimilate – I live in London
and some Americans, they want to feel
part of the culture and it’s not on purpose
but their accent will start to go British.
I love thinking about stuff like that and
then putting it on screen whenever I get
the chance.
SHANNON THORNTON: I wanted to be
an actor since I was a kid. I have always
just been a creative person. I don’t know
if it’s because I’m a lefty as we’re always
creatively and artistically inclined. I don’t
know if that has something to do with it
as well! I’ve always had a passion for drawing,
I was involved in everything band,
choir, drama club, African dance, ballet –
anything that just involved being on the
stage and performing. I was just a part of
it and ever since I was a kid from my first
play in middle school, I’ve always wanted
to create and to express myself artistically.
I really couldn’t see myself doing anything
but what I am doing right now.

J. ALPHONSE NICHOLSON: For me, it came
later in life. I’m a musician first, I’ve been
a percussionist my entire life, but I will say
that I have had a lot of artistic influences
growing up from my mom writing church
plays to being on a step team in high
school to being in a marching band – so
the showmanship was always there. Once
I got to college, I was 18 at North Carolina
Central University thinking that I was going
to be a band teacher, I had a wonderful
teacher come up to me and said that I
should pursue this theater course and to
audition for this play because I had a great
personality. I did it and I fell in love with
it. Here we are now at 32, 12 years later
and I found a lot of success through storytelling
and it just grew on me and I knew
it was something that I was going to do
for the rest of my life outside of any of my
other endeavors. Storytelling is important
to me and once you realize that you
have a gift for it, it doesn’t feel like work
– it’s something that you want to keep going
after.
AM: I love that. What drew you guys to
wanting to be part of P-Valley? I remember
hearing about it before the 1st season
dropped and I was excited. It sounded like
it was going to be really good and when
it came on, I was obsessed with this show
and the characters! It was everything that
I could have imagined and more.
EJ: I mean, I read this script and I fell in
love very early on! I was like, this one’s for
me – yes! The writing is amazing and Katori
does an incredible job with the characters
and the space and even the language
– I had never seen it before. I knew that it
had to be mine. You don’t see scripts like
that very often.
PS: The same, the same! Elarica already
said it, but as actors, I don’t know how
many scripts we get and especially during
busy months of the year, it can be 5 or
6 a week. I mean a lot of them look the
same and I get confused! I’m like, did you
already send me this one? But when I got
P-Valley, it was so new and fresh – I got
it and I understood it! Oftentimes, I don’t
understand some of the humor written
down or something in the script. But this
one I was like – oh that’s funny, I got this,
that’s cool. Reading it I was like, that’s interesting
and I know that and I know that
world – a little bit. So that’s just something
that just leapt out.
ST: The writing is what pulled me in for
sure. As soon as you read the script, I remember
going into my manager’s office
one day to put myself on tape for another
project that I was auditioning for and they
were like, “listen, this came across our
desk and I know you don’t do nudity and
that you don’t play this type of character,
but it’s definitely worth a read.” I read it
on the train ride home as I was living in
NY at the time and I cried. It was so beautiful
and I hadn’t come across anything
like that in my entire career up until that
point. The characters are just so beautifully
fleshed out and complicated and this
world is just so real and familiar to me. I
absolutely, despite my reservations, absolutely
had to at least throw my hat into
the ring and see.
JAN: Same! Katori Hall! The writing! I knew
of her genius as a writer prior to coming
to P-Valley. We both come from the theater
world in NY. So I was very fond of her
work and when the opportunity came to
work with her and to have an opportunity
to audition, we went for it and when
you add in the complexity of playing Lil’
Murda right? Him being a closeted rapper
so as a heterosexual man, you get a little
apprehensive and say, “hey is this a story
that I feel comfortable in telling” and
then you do it and it's so rewarding! For
me, I feel like I have played a part in being
an ally in a really dope community and
that’s what drew me to it. 1. being an ally
through storytelling and then 2. just this
incredible writing by Pulitzer prize winning
Katori Hall.
AM: That's great. One of the things that
we love about this show is that everyone
is haunted by something in this series and
they are trying to escape to other things in
their life. Where did we leave your charac-

ters last season and where do we pick up
with them again going into the 2nd season
which launches next month?
EJ: I mean, when we left my character Autumn,
she was at the auction house and
I know that there are a lot of questions
from fans on where is that situation now
and does she really own this space now
and what is her relationship like with Uncle
Clifford (Nicco Annan – Snowfall, This
is Us, Claws)? I can tell you that it’s very
bumpy! She does own the majority of
The Pynk and is in partnership with Uncle
Clifford and she is the boss now. This is a
huge difference from her 1st season but
the space belonged to Uncle Clifford for
so long and has been in her life for so long
that this battle has been going on for a
very long time.
PS: With Andre, we’ve seen him where we
left off with him failing at a mission again.
We open up with him out of a job and sort
of lost. And in my mind, a bit of a bum,
overgrown and he’s stopped grooming
himself and maybe stopped showering
and maybe stopped washing his legs –
I don’t know! He’s a bit lost, but then
there’s something that happens that gets
him out of it. Not immediately but it starts
him on his path to getting back to himself.
But he does it quickly and it’s pretty impressive.
ST: Season 1 as far as Keyshawn, you last
see her at The Pynk, she had at this point,
pulled a gun on Diamond (Tyler Lepley -
90210, The Haves and the Have Nots, Harlem)
to protect her abusive boyfriend
Derrick (Jordan Cox - TURN: Washington's
Spies, Dynasty, The Outsider). We pick up
where we left off, maybe a few months
later where we are now in the throws of
a pandemic and Keyshawn is dealing with
the consequences of her actions. We see
in season 2 whether or not she’s forgiven
by Diamond or forgiven by her co-workers
at The Pynk and where the relationship
stands or goes with Derrick.
JAN: We find Lil’ Murda in a similar place
at the end where he’s trying to figure himself
out and to find himself. We absolutely
find him in the same place that we’re at
right now, dealing with a pandemic and
dealing with how to cope with that. By
the time we get to the end of season 2, we
see him in a much more clearer space with
himself but still complicated and complex
none the less. We see him go through this
incredible journey as a musician, a lover, a
friend as a big brother to Keyshawn and
how he moves through that space. So we
find them in a multitude of different levels
and a lot of different levels and then we
find out how they even that playing field
for themselves.
AM: The cast is really great and as you're
watching the story unfold, there are interesting
dynamics between them. In terms
of Autumn and Andre, there is a tension
between them will we continue to see that
as we continue into the next season?
For Keyshawn and Lil' Murda, there is a
great vibe into your characters in their relationship
as friends and business partners.
How will that evolve into the next season?
EJ: They do! They naturally have this thing.
They’re like magnets and they’re drawn to
each other regardless of what they’re going
through as there’s always going to be
something. I think that that is definitely a
strong factor in their relationship. Yeah,
we see that in this season coming.
JAN: For sure, you see it grow immensely.
You see them become very fond of each
other and what they are able to offer each
other. Not only as business partners but
as friends too right and as entertainers. I
think that Lil’ Murda knows that he has to
admit it to himself and his manager on the
show that they can’t do that tour without
Keyshawn. So we have to make that happen
and then at the end of the day, I think
that she knows and I don’t want to speak
for her, but I feel like Lil’ Murda knows
that Keyshawn knows that I am valuable
to her. She feels like, “hey, he’s going to
help me get out of these trenches – let’s
go on tour and make that happen!”

I am valuable to her. She feels like, "hey,
he’s going to help me get out of these
trenches – let’s go on tour and make that
happen!”
AM: Do you think that Keyshawn feels that
way?
ST: Absolutely. Yes! We’re helping each
other here. I think that being on tour is
a kind of escapism and we were able to
just escape reality for a little bit. It’s in the
middle of the pandemic, but at the same
time, we get to take that breather because
we’re going on tour. You’ll see little
texts and phone calls that bring us back
to reality, but yeah absolutely.
AM: Looking past P-Valley, do you have
any upcoming projects that you’re able to
share that we can keep an eye out for?
PS: Oh man! The Lost Girls, that’s a movie
that’s coming out. Look on my IMDB.
Next week, I go off to Europe for a few
months to do a couple of shows. I’m doing
one for HBO Max and it’s set in the 1970s
and it’s a spy thriller. Then I am also revisiting
a character from a BBC show that I
did in 2018 but because of the pandemic,
we’re just getting around to being able to
do the 2nd season! It’ll be cool, summer in
Europe.
EJ: There’s nothing that I can talk about
at the moment but I’m so thrilled to hear
about what everyone is doing!
JAN: For sure, so I had an opportunity to
work on a really cool project with John
Boyega (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force
Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The
Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise
of Skywalker), Jamie Foxx (Horrible Bosses
2, Baby Driver, Spider-Man: No Way Home)
and Teyonah Parris (If Beale Streets Could
Talk, Wandavision, Candyman) called They
Cloned Tyrone coming to Netflix this year.
I have 2 other projects that are in production
right now and they are producer
projects as well called Shadowbox with
Hill Harper (Homeland, Super Pumped:
The Battle for Uber, The Good Doctor) and
Joslyn Rose Lyons (Looking Glass, Waging
Change, Truth to Power) she’s a writer
and director of that project. So it’s in
the festival circuit right now. The other
2 projects that I am doing right now haven’t
had my characters be announced
yet so I can’t wait for the audience and
my fan base to get a hold of that!
ST: There are a couple of things that are
in play right now, that I don’t want to
jinx – they’re under wraps for the moment
but I am very very excited and I
don’t think that anyone will see me in
quite this light before.
@pvalleystarz
@elarica
@parkersawyers
@shannonthornt_n
@j_fonz
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 100 - 111
STARZ/P-Valley

As most of us are enjoying warmer weather,
it means we have so many options that
are opening up to us! We caught up with
model and star, Brooklyn Decker who
plays Mallory Hanson of Netflix's Grace and
Frankie to find out how she got into the industry
starting as a model and continuing
on as an actor. We talk about upcoming
projects that she's working on, how she
enjoys time with her husband, former #1
world champion and US Open tennis great
Andy Roddick, as well as her children and
how she is joining ZYRTEC and their ReLEAF
Project in partnership with the American
Forests.
This tree-planting initiative helps foster a
better, healthier planet for all. Together,
ZYRTEC® and American Forests are helping
advance tree equity in historically excluded
communities, so more individuals
can reap the health and environmental
benefits that trees can provide.
ATHLEISURE MAG: You started in the industry
as a model and we remember your
cover in Sports Illustrated in 2010 and have
been in a number of films and TV series,
what drew you to modeling and eventually
transitioning into acting?
BROOKLYN DECKER: Gosh, I got so lucky!
For modeling, I was actually in the mall
and someone came up to me. She was
another model that I thought that I knew
and she thought that she recognized me
from modeling and we got to talking and
she suggested that I should do it. It turns
out, that because we ran track in high
school, that’s why we looked familiar to
each other. But that’s how I got into it because
someone told me that I should explore
it. As a kid growing up in Matthews,
North Carolina, I didn’t think that that was
an option or a career path that one could
pursue. But for me, it felt like an incredible
way for me to be able to travel! I had never
been on a plane, I didn’t have a passport
so it was a really great way for me to be
able to see the world and also potentially
as a way to pay for college which I ended
up not even doing or going to. But that’s
how it started!
Then when I was modeling, as much as I
loved it, in that time it was different. You
modeled, but your name wasn’t printed
in magazines, you didn’t have a voice
and all of my friends were in college
and I was at home. I just really wanted
to be able to talk! I started talking and
working with an acting teacher just to
have something to read and work on.
At that time online courses were super
super new and you had to be a full time
student to do that so online education
wasn’t an option for me at the time. I
studied acting kind of as a way just to
have something to read, to do and to
say. Then, I got really lucky and got my
first gig and then I did a bunch of other
gigs and got another gig and was rejected
from many others and it’s kind of
been a pattern for the last 17 years now!
AM: We just finished watching the final
episode of Grace and Frankie! I’m so
bummed as we know that this is the final
season and there won’t be any other
episodes and we're hoping that you guys
will do a movie where you’ll pop in every
now and then. What made you want to
be part of this show? It’s such an incredible
cast and it covers so many relevant
topics that are shared in it.
BD: I was in Haiti. My manager and their
friends were on the board of a non-profit
so we were there doing some work.
I didn’t have any wi-fi access and my
agent reached out to us and said there
was this new show on Netflix that was
casting and this was like early days of
Netflix. They had House of Cards and Orange
is the New Black. This would have
been their first half hour comedy. And
then he told me that it was starring Jane
Fonda (Monster-in-Law, Lee Daniels’ The
Butler, Book Club), Lily Tomlin (The West
Wing, Desperate Housewives, Damages),
Martin Sheen (The West Wing, The Departed,
The Amazing Spider Man) and
Sam Waterston (Law & Order, The Newsroom,
The Dropout) and I said, I have to
read for it!
Because there was no wi-fi, I couldn't

read the script so I didn’t know what it
was or what the part was. I just knew that
they were in it, so it must be great. At the
time, Netflix was really edgy and we were
all so curious about what they were going
to do next and what they would create
next. So I had to read for it before I
knew anything about the series. Once I
left Haiti, I was on an airplane and I read
the pilot and thought that it was hilarious.
I just loved it. I loved the idea of this family
comedy with a kind of heart and I hadn’t
seen anything like that for a long time. It
was a no brainer!
AM: We love it and now that the show has
ended, what can we expect to see you in
next or what are you tackling now at the
moment?
BD: That’s a good question! During COVID,
actually June Diane Raphael (Black Monday,
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,
Cheaper by the Dozen), who plays Brianna
on Grace and Frankie she and I and another
writer Asha Michelle Wilson (Scream
Queens, Feud: Bette and Joan, American
Horror Story), are writing something together.
So we are currently pitching that.
It’s a very dark comedy and it’s nothing
like Grace and Frankie at all. But we are
pitching that as we speak. It’s something
that we’ve worked on for the almost a
year and a half. You may never hear about
it again because it may never sell or you
might hear that it’s sold and turning into a
show. We’ll see!
AM: That sounds exciting and you’re a
busy mom with children and a husband.
When you’re not on set, what’s a typical
day like for you?
BD: Ooo my husband and I try to alternate
travel. So if I’m not on set, that means I'm
home and I’m taking my kids to school.
I recently started really exercising again
so I fit in some weight lifting which is my
favorite thing to do workout wise. I’ve
invested in a lot of companies led by female
founders and I have a few calls with
founders every week that are sprinkled in
regardless of filming so I will talk to a few
founders about what is going on in their
companies and how I can be helpful.
Of course writing and I have to get outdoors
at some point so there will be a
neighborhood family walk or there is
going to be an outdoor basketball game
with the kids or a soccer game which my
husband coaches my daughter’s team.
So we’re always getting outdoors and a
hearty glass of wine at the end of the
night with a good show for whatever my
husband and I are bingeing at the moment.
That’s like my dream day whenever
I’m not on set.
AM: Love that! You’ve been partnered
with ZYRTEC for quite awhile and you’re
helping them to get the word out on the
importance of tree coverage and their
partnership with American Forests, can
you tell us more about that and then
what the ReLEAF Project is?
BD: Yes so ZYRTEC partnered with the
American Forests to create the ZYRTEC
ReLEAF Project which is all about providing
funds for research and planting
trees in historically excluded communities.
When you look at tree equity which
is a term frankly that was new to me, I
looked at it as environmental injustice,
where because of discriminatory redlining,
there are certain communities that
don’t have access to parks; therefore,
their air isn’t as clean. There are higher
cases of asthma, heating and cooling
is more challenging, erosion is a greater
issue and a lot of that can be greatly
helped simply with trees. What I love
about ZYRTEC is I have been using it for
years and my doctor has recommended
it when I started getting allergies as an
adult and my kids use it as well. So we
love it as a family, but also it's nice to
be able to partner with a company and
they have a real mission and a give back
component. What I love about Zyrtec is
that they’re saying that they are trying
to give people relief so that they can enjoy
the outdoors and that also includes
giving communities relief so that they
can enjoy the benefits of trees and nature.
So, they are really committed to it

and they have already started planting
trees where they have targeted 3 cities
around the country and they’re going to
continue to do that for the rest of the
year.
AM: That’s a pretty big project and we
didn’t realize the association between
certain communities not having trees
and what that means for them as well
as the air that they’re breathing. That’s
really exciting that they would do that
initiative.
BD: I agree. Again, it was a term that I
knew as environmental injustice and
that it meant that there wasn’t a financial
investment in parks, green areas
and community gardens and all of that
directly affects the health of its citizens.
So it’s nice to see companies taking that
seriously and making that their mission
and responsibility.
@brooklyndecker
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 120 - 125
Netflix/Grace & Frankie | PG 126 Zyrtec |

Who Can Receive a
COVID-19 Vaccine?
COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for everyone ages 5 and older. You can get vaccinated if
you have:
Diabetes Liver disease A history of blood clots
Asthma
Cancer
Heart disease
Seasonal allergies,
such as a pollen allergy
HIV Allergies to medicine
Kidney disease
taken by mouth
Food allergies A lready had a COVID-19 infection
Other health conditions
Plans to become pregnant, or are
pregnant or breastfeeding
It is especially important for people with underlying health conditions to get vaccinated, as many
are at increased risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19.
The only reason you may not be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine is if you are allergic to an
ingredient in the vaccine or had an allergic reaction to a prior dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or to
another vaccine or injectable medicine. Even if you have or had an allergy, you still may be able
to get vaccinated, but you should talk to your health care provider before doing so.
COVID-19 vaccines do not contain preservatives, latex, eggs,
mercury, fetal tissue or human cells, gelatin or other animal
products, antibiotics, or microchips. Speak with your health care
provider if you have questions about vaccination.
COVID-19 vaccines are free, safe and effective.
Get vaccinated today!
For more information, visit nyc.gov/covidvaccine.
The NYC Health Department may change recommendations as the situation
evolves. 11.15.21

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Issue #77 | May 2022
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Stay connected and follow us across our
social channels on @AthleisureMag!
Issue #77 | May 2022
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Bingely Books
FINDING ME: A MEMOIR
HarperOne
Viola Davis
We have been long-time fans of award
winning actress and producer, Viola Davis.
She is known for taking on dramatic roles
and bringing her characters' essence to
the front of our minds. In Finding Me: A
Memoir, we meet her as a little girl where
she had a decision to make when she re-
alized that she would take on a
decision that would make her
stop running from herself and
life.
She takes us from her early beginnings
in Central Falls, Rhode
Island to owning the stage in NYC
and beyond. She shows how she
found herself, claimed her space
and made those listen who didn't
see her when she made her presence
known.
In analyzing her path, Viola Davis
allows us to think about how we
navigate our own lives. She also
looks at the duality of who we
are versus how the world labels
us once they believe they know
who they think we are. Her hope
is that through her journey, others
can look at how they define
themselves and to provide the
proper self-love that they derserve.
ART OF TEA: A JOURNEY
OF RITUAL, DISCOVERY,
AND IMPACT
Lioncrest Publishing
Steve Schwartz
We love a great cup of tea and
we had the pleasure of interviewing
the founder of Art of
Tea and Master Tea Blender,
Steve Schwartz for our AUG IS-
SUE #56 in 2020 and our podcast,
Athleisure Kitchen. In his debut
book, Art of Tea: A Journey of
Ritual, Discovery, and Impact, he
shares about how he obtained
his passion for tea and founded
AthleisureMag.com - 158 - Issue #77 | May 2022

Neither could imagine how their lives
would change.
In Cleopatra and Frankenstein, we
delve into the lives of both of these
characters while seeing those that
they are associated with. We learn the
complexities of interpersonal relationships
and how we go about navigating
life when it throws curves into how we
would like to live our lives. We see how
an impulsive and convenient decision
can create issues that we can't resolve
easily.
his award-winning international tea
brand. He explored the notion of impact
by creating a tea ritual in one's day
to enjoy creating a powerful, timeless
and analog experience.
You'll find brewing tips for recipes while
also learning how he grew his business
that is a network of relationships with
Google, #Slack, Caesars Palace, The
Peninsula Hotels, The Getty and more.
CLEOPATRA AND FRANKEN-
STEIN
Bloomsbury Publishing
Coco Mellors
When the opportunity for a Green Card
presents itself for 24 year old Cleo a
painter, in her marriage to Frank who is
20 years older and financially successful.
Issue #77 | May 2022
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Bingely Streaming
BETTER CALL SAUL
The Final Season
AMC/AMC+
We can't believe that it's the final season
of Better Call Saul. The last few seasons we
have watched the transformation of Jimmy
McGill to who we will know as Saul Good-
man, played by Bob Odenkirk
(Fargo, Breaking Bad, Nobody).
This final season has brought a
number of our favorite characters
together as well as other glimpses
of those that we have not seen in
awhile. In this timeline, we're still
ahead of the events that will take
place in Breaking Bad. As we wonder
whether we will see Walter
White (Bryan Cranston - Breaking
Bad, Your Honor, El Camino:
A Breaking Bad Movie) and Jesse
Pinkman (Aaron Paul - Big Love,
Westworld, The Path)
With 13 episodes in the final season
and a mid-season break as
well, it's the perfect time to make
sure that you catch up with the
cartel, legal maneuvers and more.
THE STAIRCASE
Max Original
HBO Max
True crime is always our go-to
genre when we're listening to our
podcasts. There are a number of
cases that we have heard told on
various shows and The Staircase
happens to be one of them. It's
also a story that has been covered
via duocumentaries as well as
films. HBO Max's limited series of
The Staircase shares the incidents
that led to the death of Michael
Peterson's (Colin Firth - Kingsman:
The Secret Service, Bridget
Jones's Baby, Kingsman: The Golden
Circle) wife, Kathleen (Toni Collette
- Pieces of Her, Knives Out,
Nightmare Alley).
We're introduced to the family,
AthleisureMag.com - 160 - Issue #77 | May 2022

their life prior to the murder as well
as seeing the possible ways that she
could have died. We also see how the
family dynamics changed as Michael
is charged with her death.
We also find out about other suspiscious
activity that he has been associated
with and how this could shine
a light on her death of this true story.
JOURNEY TO 100
WZRD Media
Youtube
In Journey to 100, Jason Hardrath a
PE teacher, has a car accident which
turns his world around. Even though
his doctors think that he will never
run again, 7 years later he has the
most FKTs (Fastest Known Times - established
route at least 5 miles long
with 500+ ft of climbing) of anyone
on earth and is looking to be the first
person ever to set 100 FKT records.
This documentary shares his story.
Issue #77 | May 2022
To complete his challenge he wanted to
climb Washington's Bulger List, the highest
100 peaks in the state, a lifetime challenge
for most that attempt it but Jason, being a
teacher, only has 50 days in the summer to
complete it.
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