Brooklyn Sudano is an actress best known for playing the role of Vanessa Scott on the ABC sitcom “My Wife and Kids.”  She is also the daughter of legendary Grammy Award-winning singer Donna Summer and songwriter Bruce Sudano. You might recognize Brooklyn from starring in NBC’s new hit show “Taken” which is a modern day origin story to the movie by the same name! 

When she isn’t on your television screen, she’s talking to us here on UNMUTEd: The Series — a weekly conversation highlighting influencers, actors and artists on all things creative! Brooklyn stopped by to catch up and chat about her inspiration behind the work and what keeps her going. 

Growing up in such an artistic family, one must wonder what inspires a girl to follow the path of least resistance. “I think it’s one of those things where creating was just a natural part of our everyday lifestyle. It wasn’t something that was like, ‘okay, this is the time to paint or sing!’ we just did it.“ 

Brooklyn fell in love with acting from a young age. “It was always something i did. I did musicals and some local theater in Nashville Tennessee when i was in high school.” Brooklyn went on to Vanderbilt University where there was no acting in sight, until she attended a NYU summer program and studied at Lee Strasberg’s Theatre and Film Institute.“That was the first time I had really studied theater and acting in a more in-depth way. At that point i thought, well if i’m gonna do this i just gotta jump!” The rest was history. 

Currently, she’s starring as Asha Flynn on NBC’s new hit show “Taken”

“I’ve said that Asha is the most like me out of all the characters that i’ve played. Our ethos is the same and our essence is the same. Asha is a warm and kind person, but she also is very driven. She wants to do the right thing and she believes in the right thing and in justice. I think i’m able to bring those kind of elements to her.”

Tune in to watch Brooklyn on Mondays 10/9c on NBC. You can follow her @brooklynsudano If you missed her here, listen in below!

Name: Karim 

Hometown: Washington D.C. 

Profile: Karim is an amazing artist in all forms of the word. He is a singer, and actor and a content creator. He was recently cast in the new Crackle show “Start Up” playing a young thug named Blue in season 2.

“The 10-episode hourlong series, set among the unconstrained yet opportunist streets of Miami, focuses on the high-stakes struggle of what one will do to reach ultimate success. But this is not your average startup incubator story. StartUp is about the emergence of GenCoin, a brilliant yet controversial tech idea centered on digital currency — an idea that gets incubated on the wrong side of the tracks by three strangers who don’t necessarily fit the mold of “tech entrepreneurs” and a crooked FBI agent who will go to any lengths to take them down.”

Check out the trailer below:

Karim was nice enough to discuss with us the grind that it takes to make your dreams come true. “I took a bunch of acting classes. Put myself into a ton of showcases to get in front of agents and managers. I was lucky enough to find an agent and manager that liked  me, and i’ve been going out on hundreds of auditions at this point… and i just booked my first tv show!”

Karim is a perfect example that if you work hard and have enough passion, eventually you can make any doors open. 

Make sure to follow Karim @team_karim and tune in to watch Crackle, which can also be found on Amazon.

If you missed him LIVE, make sure to listen to his whole interview below!

Name: Dan Hill

Age: 21

Hometown: Chicago

Profile: Dan Hill is an awesome social influencer originally from Chicago, but recently arrived in Los Angeles. He creates really authentic content online and is best known on YouNOW. Dan also produces content on his YouTube channel - “Adventures With Dan” 

 
“I think the biggest thing now in social media -any creator will tell you this- is consistency. You can’t just post content and then disappear out of nowhere and think that people are going to still engage with your content. You’re making people want to come back everyday.” 

Make sure to check out Dan Hill @danrelates
Listen to his whole interview below!

You might recognize Joel David Moore from the hilarious comedy, “Dodgeball” or as the idealistic pilot in the blockbuster hit, “Avatar”…but when he isn’t making characters come to life, he’s talking with us on UNMUTEd: The Series — a weekly conversation highlighting influencers, actors and artists on all things creative! Joel was nice enough to chat with us the other day about film, storytelling and some up-coming projects. 

He most recently directed “Youth In Oregon” the independent film from Sundial Pictures that deals with the very important subject of assisted suicide- Starring Billy Crudup, Frank Langella and Christina Applegate. It’s about an 80 year old man that travels from New York back to his home state of Oregon to get assisted suicide. 

 
“I grew up in Portland Oregon, so this was something that was close to my heart, since i was a kid. When i was young, my family were voting on the post Kevorkian laws of the time to get these things passed through. We all dealt with this as a community in Portland. And Portland is a fairly liberal city, surrounded by a fairly non-liberal state, so it was an interesting concept.” 

They wanted to tell a story that touched on this topic, but didn’t necessarily sway one way or the other, which they definitely accomplished. “Youth In Oregon” is a progressive forward thinking film that focuses in on the very human aspects of how it feels to reach the end of ones life. 

 
“We found a nice mix of dealing with this at an appropriate level. This doesn’t have to be this very sad sad story along the way. It can just be something that we all can embrace and understand that it’s a part of life. It’s very interesting that there are all these laws about how we come into the world, but we haven’t really defined how we leave…“

Joel wanted the film to urge people to talk about the things we don’t talk about; Discuss this with your family and the people close to you -deal with the things we don’t necessarily want to always deal with. You can watch the trailer below:

Joel has been fortunate enough to study the craft of film making from both sides of the camera. His most recent project “Budding Prospects” you can find on Amazon Prime. 

 
“It’s not a traditional pilot. It’s almost like the beginning of a movie. We’re not showing any of the up-coming adventure at all. That’s for when the show will be aired and picked up, and all of that.” 

 
The run down of the show is as follows: "In 1983, three hapless guys from San Francisco are lured from their sex and drugs lifestyle to the countryside to grow marijuana. They find themselves stuck in a run-down cabin in the middle of nowhere, with harsh and unfriendly growing conditions, nosy neighbors, dangerous locals, and menacing law enforcement." 

Joel is excited about what Amazon is doing with their content. “They’re really director driven. They’re not necessarily trying to fit into the commercial format of a lot of half-hour comedies, and i love that.” He discussed the idea of binge watching, and how much it’s effecting the format of story telling on digital platforms, like Amazon and Netflix verse traditional network television. 

 
On the complete opposite end, there is still blockbuster buzz around the ever-evolving, highest grossing film of all time, Avatar –Set for different release dates all the way until 2022 and 2023. “It’s an absolutely phenomenal world, and i think it’s going to be the biggest Sci-Fi franchise since Star Wars.” Joel added. 

He spoke about the audition experience for Avatar being by far the weirdest thing he’s ever been a part of. “I walked out of that audition thinking that casting director will never see me again!” he laughed. 

When we asked him some behind the scene questions, he couldn’t tell us too much to protect the future-coming franchise… but what he did tell us, you can hear below! Follow Joel @joeldavidmoore 

Celebrity Nail Stylist and her self proclaimed “work wife” (business partner) Vanessa Gualy went LIVE with us last week on UNMUTEd: The Series — where we chatted all things business, beauty and entrepreneurship. 

Jenna has been long time friends with our CEO/ Founder Justin Spraggins so it was fun to hear them sound off on what makes a concept into a creation. 

Both Jenna and Vanessa quickly agreed on the fact that there is no “IF” but “WHEN” which is something they live by. “Our business plan is always authentic to us…We welcome the crazy!” Vanessa said.   

Jenna Hipp is the founder of self titled nail polish line: JENNA HIPP.
“Known as the Celebrity Green Nail Stylist for her dedication and passion for healthy hands and nails, and commitment towards creating eco-friendly nail color, JENNA HIPP is now Hollywood’s most sought-after nail stylist. As a trendsetter in the beauty industry, when Jenna chooses a new color to use on her celebrity clients, it immediately becomes the “must have” shade to wear.
Jenna became known as the Celebrity Green Nail Stylist after experiencing negative side effects from exposure to nail polish fumes on set. Jenna decided to create the What’s Hot Now Nail Collection with this green philosophy in mind using her exclusive “Five Free Formula”. Now you can wear the most current colors of the season and feel good about doing it, just like Jenna’s celebrity clients.” Check out more here.

If you missed their interview on UNMUTEd: The Series make sure to check it out below! Follow Jenna @jennahipp @nailinghollywood​

Style expert Marcy Guevara- Prete was nice enough to take the time and be interviewed by us on UNMUTEd: The Series. We chatted on all things beauty, fashion and confidence at every age. 

Marcy, who is a plus size expert has devoted a major part of her life towards building other women up, and not ever letting size get in the way. She has nothing but positivity towards the power of fashion outlook - linking the clothes we wear to the confidence we have. 

“That’s the difference between wearing the clothes, and letting the clothes wear you.” she said. 

It’s all about how fashion makes you feel. Marcy lives by the mantra that “there are no rules” in fashion. There isn’t a guideline on “how-to” make choices. “If you’re plus size and want to wear a halter top and let your rolls hang out — then go ahead! That personally doesn’t make me feel anything, so that isn’t my choice, but for the girls out there that feel good when they put that on, then that’s all that matters.” 

 
Making people feel good has always been a personal goal to Marcy. It’s so close to her heart that Marcy and her friend decided that they wanted to make that into a business. They strived for the business to revolve around fashion swaps. The two always saw a lack of clothing for plus size people at stores like Buffalo Exchange or Crossroads so what did Marcy do?! She made her own space called The Plus Bus! - a fashion exchange boutique for both guys and gals! 

Marcy is the type of person you could talk to for twenty minutes and feel like you’ve known her for twenty years. If you missed her whole interview on UNMUTEd: The Series make sure to listen in below!
And remember, if you have any questions or are looking for a body positive answers — reach out to Marcy @themarcyminute on all platforms.

Name: Candice 

Age: 16 

Hometown: Argentina

Profile: Candice is an up and coming Musical.ly star from Argentina. She was nice enough to stop by on UNMUTEd: The Series to discuss with us her social media influence and love for performing on Musical.ly. She went from finding the app into creating a self brand/ fan following! Candice says the most challenging part about being a Musical.ly star in general is trying to create content that her fans and followers like. She has a strong heart and good message for her followers. 

“Nothing changes me when i get hate [from people on social media]. I think i got strong after a little bit of school bullying– I think I grew up and got stronger.” She creates content that empowers her and her fans that follow what she’s doing. “My favorite thing is scrolling through my videos and seeing what my fans have to say. If people like it, then i’m going to keep going.”  Keep going, Candice! 

If you missed her interview on UNMUTE, listen in below! Follow her @cande.copello

Name: Jazlyn G 

Age: 12 

Hometown: Orlando, Florida 

Profile: Jazlyn G is an up and coming Musical.ly star obsessed with Steph Curry. Self proclaimed Golden State Warriors fan, she fell in love with basketball when she fell in love with being Steph’s fan! Jazlyn knows a thing or two about fans though, considering she has over two hundred thousand fans herself! She said the most challenging part about being a Musical.ly star is keeping up with it all. Having to post everyday and continue to interact with your fans takes up most of her time. You can say she is definitely a busy girl. Follow Jazlyn @its_jazzyg_ 

If you missed her on UNMUTEd: The Series you can listen to her full interview below.

Name: Noah Glenn Carter

Age: 20

Hometown: Alabama

Profile: Noah lives southern hospitality to the core. When we asked him what three words best describe himself, he answered, “Polite, determined and motivated.” We couldn’t agree more….Noah who was born into being an Auburn Tigers fan doesn’t live an ordinary life. He spends his days working on self branding through platforms like Musical.ly where he has over one hundred thousand fans and followers! He tries to post ten to fifteen times per day, and read every single fan comment. Talk about dedication! You can follow Noah @noahglenncarter​ 

If you missed Noah on UNMUTEd: The Series, make sure to listen to his full interview below.

Staying true to YOU never rang so clear until we talked with Angie Simms - actor/model living in Los Angeles. I’m sure as you read that sentence you thought, isn’t everyone an actress/model living in Los Angeles? Partly true - but non like Angie. 

First off, there’s not many people you meet in LA that are actually from LA…but she is. Born and raised in La Canada, 25 minutes from downtown. Angie’s parents sounded like the type a kid could only dream of— urging her not to go to college, but to follow her dreams instead.

“My brother and sister are both musicians. My dad’s a surfer, my mom’s a hippie. They did not want me to go to college, they were just like, ‘pursue your dreams’ and that’s my parents. They’re super supportive and they still believe in me.“

Angie took to comedy finding comfort in the awkward moments of life. Laughing when you’re supposed to stay quiet kind of moments, which eventually led her to the relationship she has with performance art. She finished Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), which for those of you who don’t know, is a comedy troupe/ theater. “There’s absolutely NO room for vanity in comedy!” Angie laughs off. 

Lucille Ball once said, "I’m not funny; what I am is brave.” In this chat we discuss what modern day bravery is in the form of self branding. We touch on the up-and-coming influence that social media has over entertainment- The good, the bad and the simple forms of fame. From Instagram “models” taking their clothes off, to ten year old kids getting paid to lip sync on Musical.ly. Listen in to hear Angie’s perspective below:

https://soundcloud.com/itsunmute/interview

Remember, tune in weekly to UNMUTEd: The Series where we highlight influencers, actors and artists on all things creative! 

Who thought getting Justin Bieber to follow you on Twitter only takes two days?! Obviously that isn’t the norm, but for Chloe, a 19 year old super fan living in Cardiff Wales, it was. 

Chloe’s love for Justin is similar to the umpteenth amount of fans following their teenage dream, but there’s one thing that sets her apart… she runs a large fandom account (over 30 thousand) around the steps to get Justin Bieber to follow you. A ‘how to’ perhaps on the rights and wrongs of getting attention from a world famous pop star. 

She is known publicly as @JBFollowHelp02 where you can follow, tweet and comment your way into a famed social media hack. What once started as a small fan account has grown into a large community of avid correspondence. Her account is active everyday all day. The only time she isn’t running her account is when she has some place to be with family, friends or otherwise.

So if you want to know how to get Justin Bieber to ACTUALLY follow you…make sure to follow Chloe’s story here on UNMUTEd: The Series — a weekly conversation with social influencers, actors and artists talking all things creative! 

Stay tuned. You never know who you’ll meet on Unmute.