Parenthood has been very much on my mind while creating our eleventh print issue of Hollywood Authentic. Not only because my wife Daisy and I just welcomed the latest edition to our family – a baby boy, Gene – but because of the importance of parents in providing an environment for talent and artistry to thrive.
In shooting Kate Winslet as we returned to her hometown of Reading in the UK, it became increasingly apparent as we talked about her work and drive that her ability to find creative inspiration came from her mum and dad giving her the space and love to find it.
Although she’s always been vocal and transparent about her humble background, it might surprise people who assume she was born with privilege to see her revisit where she spent her formative years, and reflect on how little she had growing up as a child. While she may not have been afforded fancy classes or posh days out, she was rich in love, security and encouragement. Her parents, despite their limited means, instilled in her a passion for theatre and performance that took her away from Reading and all the way to the Oscars stage. It was humbling and inspiring for me to see her re-live her days treading the boards at the Hexagon Theatre in Reading, recalling saving pennies on her bus fare and returning to her much-changed childhood home. And, as a parent herself, she is passing that inspiration onto her own children – having just directed her first film that is written by her son, Joe Anders.
Laura Dern tells a similar story when she looks back on growing up in Hollywood with two indie actor parents who had to leave her to go away and work, but showed her abundance in terms of integrity and inspiration. She can trace a path directly from her own diverse, explorative career to the artists her parents were during her childhood. It reminds me how important it is to inspire our children. As my artist parents did for my brother Olly, a painter and poet, and I.
And for that matter, how important it is that a magazine like Hollywood Authentic exists.
Unlike other magazines, we do not focus on fashion stories; we trade in artistic inspiration – whether that’s Lily James learning to give herself space away from her roles in order to arrive at projects refreshed, or writer/director Clint Bentley understanding that the movies he watched with his parents as a kid are the ones that inform his own art now. Also in this issue, award-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell unpicks the value of having an artistic family in building his career, while Adeel Akhtar recognises that his work is fuelled by the smell of home and the silliness of his children.
I hope that in taking inspiration from artists and finding the stories behind their creativity that Hollywood Authentic inspires others, providing a space for new artists to grow.
GREG WILLIAMS
Founder, Hollywood Authentic
