May | June 20 20

The 100 Star

LINDSEY
MORGAN
Supernatural' s RUTH CONNELL
Mirage Star MAXIM ROY
Hollywood Legend
MICHAEL TIGHE
SUNDANCE 2020
THE
FILM
FACING OFF WITH MARVEL AND DC
ISSUE
 ALWAYS COZY

200 Lavaca Street, Austin, TX 78701 • 512 542 3600 • whotelaustin.com

 The Quintessential Lakeside Escape

Lake Austin Spa Resort is an award-winning

destination spa nestled on 19 lakefront acres in Central
Texas’ legendary Hill Country. Open year-round,
the resort offers the luxury of a world-class spa and
the warmth of a best friend’s lake house. This luxury spa
resort features charming lakeside guest rooms, deliciously
healthy cuisine, local and global inspired spa services,
and indoor and outdoor fitness activities and classes.

This year, we celebrate our 20th Anniversary with

20 new Spa treatments and a Luxe Water Taxi creating
the ultimate arrival experience and connecting Lake
Austin Spa Resort with downtown Austin.

w w w. l a k e a us t i n . c o m
6 MY71MAG.COM
TAKING YOU WHERE
YOU WANT TO GO
versatile, stylish, and
sustainable clothing

WHOLE EARTH PROVISION CO.

STORE LOCATIONS
Austin • Dallas • Houston
San Antonio • MY71MAG.COM
Southlake 7
 CO

Cover
Story
36

LIFE IN THE
FAST LANE
The 100 star Lindsey Morgan
on her creative journey from
Texas to Hollywood
ONTENTS MAY/JUNE 2020

50

80
24

2
92

10
PROFILES
50 SHOOTING STARS
Hollywood photography
TEXSTYLE
legend MICHAEL
14 Digital Revolution
TIGHE on his iconic
journey CINEMA
18 Festival Favorite
24 Send in the Villians
80 POST-NATURAL
Actress RUTH CONNELL BEHIND THE LENS
on film, the arts and all 102 Infra-rad

things Supernatural PHOTO FEATURE

120 Murmuration
92 MAXIM OVERDRIVE LAST LOOK
Actress MAXIM ROY on 138 Cinematic Nature

14
Mirage and navigating the
entertainment industry

ON THE COVER Photo by Farrah Aviva

 EDITOR'S
LETTER

STRANGER
THAN
FICTION
Massive fires across Australia. A momentarily im-
minent threat of World War III. And the halt of life
as we know it due to a worldwide pandemic. This
might sound like an overstuffed plot from a disas-
ter film, but somehow, it’s our reality in 2020. Di-
saster movies are all well and good until you find
yourself living in one.
Essentially every field has been upended by the
COVID-19 crisis, and film is no exception. Theaters
have shut down, production has stopped and
some of the most highly anticipated spring 2020
releases have been delayed or gone straight to
streaming services. And in a truly unprecedented
move, SXSW canceled its 2020 festival and confer-
ence. Although that was disappointing, I’m proud
of the alternative steps SX has taken to help this
year’s festival selections find their audiences.
ing Netflix since quarantine started?) Our favorite movies and
shows are making this situation more bearable, reminding us of
the value of entertainment.
The third annual Film Issue features some of the artists whose
work is keeping us all a little saner during this crazy time. We’re
proud to present The 100 star Lindsey Morgan, Supernatural
star Ruth Connell, Mirage star Maxim Roy and iconic Hollywood
photographer Michael Tighe. We also cover Sundance 2020
(which, thankfully, took place before the COVID-19 madness hit
the States) and reflect on one of the biggest cinematic rivalries
of our time: Marvel vs. DC.
Thank-you to all the issue’s stars for connecting with us, and to
Team 71 for their hard work through the tough times. Until the
“genre” of reality changes (sign me up for a comedy next time),
we’ll all get through this together. Stay strong, stay safe – and
when this is all over, we’ll see you at the movies.

In short, our Film Issue is well-timed, at least for

me, because we could all use an escape from this
new reality. We may not be able to go to the movies
right now, but we can access more content than Erin O’Brien, Editor-in-Chief
ever in our homes, thanks to streaming services. erin@my71mag.com
(Be honest: How many hours have you spent bing-

“
Just keep swimming.”
– FINDING NEMO (2003)

10 MY71MAG.COM
 IS ON
SPOTIFY!
We create unique, on-theme playlists to
accompany each issue. For our third annual Film
Issue, check out Seeing Stars, the Film Issue
soundtrack featuring music from Ladytron,
Phantogram, Lana Del Rey and more.

See playlists for all of 71’s issues at 71 on Spotify.

 May/June 2020

| Editor-in-Chief |
ERIN O’BRIEN

| Creative Director/Strategist |
MIKE BRANNON

| Design Director |
ELISA G CREATIVE

| Contributing Writers |
FARRAH AVIVA | MIKE BRANNON | VIOLETA NICOLA | ERIN O'BRIEN

| Contributing Photographers |
FARRAH AVIVA | XAVI BOU | ÉVA-MAUDE TC | MAD MARIE | GERD MOORS
YANN PHILIPPE | MICHAEL TIGHE | TRAVIS WISE

| Visual Designer (Web) |

RAMON GAMARRA

| Marketing Intern |
VIOLETA NICOLA

71 MAGAZINE
@my71mag www.my71mag.com

Copyright 2020 © 71 Publications. All rights reserved.

Reproduction without the expressed written permission of the publisher is prohibited.
TexStyle

DIGITAL REVOLUTION
Government conspiracies, alternate cyber
universes and ‘80s retro-futurism: Take your
world-saving style cues from the programs of
The Grid and the heroes of Hawkins, Indiana.

WOMEN’S Style Inspiration: TRON: Legacy (2010)

1/ LED Light-up Glasses 2/ Iris van

Herpen ‘Aeriform’ Shoe 3/ Audio-
3
Technica Direct-Drive Professional
Turntable 4/ J. Mendel Floral-
Embellished Crepe Jumpsuit 5/
Space Jewels D-STRUTURA Necklace
6/ Franck Sorbier Light Projection
Dress 7/ Daft Punk Guy Manuel
3D-Printable Wearable Helmet

IMAGES COURTESY OF THE RETAILERS AND DESIGNERS

14 MY71MAG.COM
 4

TRON: LEGACY O cial T…

T…

MY71MAG.COM 15
 MEN’S Style Inspiration: Stranger Things (2016-present)

16 MY71MAG.COM
 5

1/ Vintage Atari
Entertainment Technologies
Distressed T-shirt 2/ Alpine
Swiss Men’s Polarized Aviator
Driving Glasses 3/ BDG
Corduroy Sherpa Trucker
Jacket 4/ Polaroid Stranger
Things Edition OneStep2
Camera 5/ Chuck Taylor All
7 Star 6/ Dockers Men’s Pacific
Casual Corduroy Pants 7/
Dungeons & Dragons (1987)
Pinball Simulation (Rascal)

Stranger Things 3 | O cial Final …

IMAGES COURTESY OF THE RETAILERS AND DESIGNERS

CINEMA

FESTIVAL
Sundance and
the rise of
independent
cinema

FAVORITE
By: ERIN O’BRIEN

18 MY71MAG.COM
THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL.
MY71MAG.COM
PHOTO 19
BY TRAVIS WISE
 “
Sundance
was started as
a mechanism for
the discovery of
new voices and
new talent.”

– Robert Redford

ACTRESS SARAH GADON ATTENDS SUNDANCE 2020.

20 MY71MAG.COM
PHOTO BY MAD MARIE
MY71MAG.COM 21
 IN A SEA OF BIG-
BUDGET SEQUELS,
REBOOTS AND CGI
As fun as popcorn fare can be, the best indie films tell
unconventional stories in unconventional ways, tran-
scending traditional cinematic tropes and bringing au-
diences something genuinely unique.

Quality aside, it isn’t easy to make an independent film,

FESTS, A SOLID
or to market it or to get it into theaters. Some of the
most amazing films are criminally under-seen simply
because their filmmakers lack access to major studios
and/or massive marketing budgets. Enter the Sun-
dance Film Festival.

INDEPENDENT FILM
Organized by Hollywood legend Robert Redford’s Sun-
dance Institute in 1978, the Utah/US Film Festival – as
it was originally called – emerged to provide indepen-
dent and developing artists with a platform to show-

CAN BE A REALLY
case their work. The festival welcomes both features
and shorts from all over the world, in both the dramatic
and documentary categories.

What might have started as a small effort has grown

NICE SURPRISE.
into one of the most iconic film festivals – and the larg-
est independent film festival – in the United States. Ev-
ery year, the festival draws 120,000-plus visitors and
features industry icons and talented newcomers alike.

In other words: The audience for indie films is bigger

– and higher-profile – than ever. Some guests from
Sundance 2020 include Dee Rees, Tessa Thompson,
Laverne Cox, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Glenn Close.

According to Redford, who named the institute after

his character in the legendary Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid (1969), “For me, the Sundance Institute
is just an extension of something I believed in, which is
creating a mechanism for new voices to have a place
to develop and be heard.”

Mission accomplished.
Ü

22 MY71MAG.COM
 PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE

Live from the Red Carpet

71 correspondent Michal Mitchell covered the 2020 Sundance
Film Festival, held Jan. 23 to Feb. 2 in Park City, Utah. A highlight
of her visit included the world premiere of director Alan Ball’s Un-
cle Frank. Starring Paul Bettany, Peter Macdissi and Sophia Lillis,
the film follows a man’s journey of hope and reconnection with
his family, as told through the eyes of his niece.

On the red carpet, Mitchell asked Ball – Oscar-winning screen-

writer of American Beauty (2000) – for writing advice. He said:

My advice would definitely be, as a screenwriter especially: Write

what you care about. Don’t write what you think is gonna sell. Write
what you care about – what moves you, what makes you angry,
what makes you laugh. I think it’s important to find your own voice
SUNDANCE 2020.
as a writer – as any kind of writer – but as a screenwriter, too.
IMAGE COURTESY
OF THE SUNDANCE
INSTITUTE And you’re not gonna find that in a book. You’re not gonna find that
in a book that gives you a formula. You have to write about what
you care about because then, you’re gonna invest yourself in it.

MY71MAG.COM 23
CINEMA

MARGOT ROBBIE AS HARLEY QUINN

IN BIRDS OF PREY (2020).
24 MY71MAG.COM
IMAGE COURTESY OF DC
Send in the
Villains
Marvel vs. DC,
and the secret
weapon for
critical – and
box-office –
success
By: ERIN O’BRIEN

MY71MAG.COM 25
JOSH BROLIN AS THANOS IN
AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019).
26 MY71MAG.COM
IMAGE COURTESY OF MARVEL
Deadpool | O cial Trailer 2 [HD] | 20…
20…

MY71MAG.COM 27
 veryone loves a hero – but, as it turns out, ev-
eryone also loves a good villain.

Consider Marvel and DC. The rivalry between

the two major purveyors of superhero fare may
not take place in outer space or an alternate di-
mension – like some superhero narratives – but
it’s still pretty epic. Although the studios have
roots going way back and beyond cinema, their
current box-office rivalry can be traced roughly to
Spider-Man (2002) and Batman Begins (2005).

Let’s talk about those two films for a second: Audienc-

es ate up Willem Dafoe’s portrayal of the tortured Nor-
man Osborn/Green Goblin in Marvel’s Spider-Man. And

TOM HIDDLESTON AS LOKI IN THE AVENGERS (2012).

28 MY71MAG.COM
IMAGE COURTESY OF MARVEL
for DC, Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow was only the beginning: A
few years later, in the second film in Christopher Nolan’s trilo-
gy, The Dark Knight (2008), the late Heath Ledger turned in a
truly iconic performance as the Joker.

I remember when I first saw The Dark Knight at a crowded

theater in Los Angeles. When the Joker’s (in)famous “pencil”
scene arrived, the entire theater laughed and applauded. The
whole thing was violent and deranged, but, between the writ-
ing of the character and Ledger’s masterful performance – it
was kind of hilarious. And yet, if any other character in the
film – including Two-Face, another villain who had a brief run in
the same film – had done the exact same thing, would we have
applauded? Probably not.

That’s the power of a solid villain: Even if you’re ultimately

rooting for the hero, you’re still thrilled every time the villain
appears onscreen.

This certainly isn’t to discount Marvel, however. Actually, ac-

cording to Reviews.org, Marvel consistently out-performs DC
both critically and at the box office. Based on the numbers, as
of early March 2020, 66 percent of Marvel films are certified
fresh, compared to 54 percent of DC films. Also, when it comes
to worldwide box-office numbers, in the researchers’ study to
identify the top 10 highest performers from both studios, DC’s
Aquaman (2018) placed seventh – and Marvel films took the
other nine slots.

MY71MAG.COM 29
 And Marvel knows a thing or two about solid villains.
Loki, the charismatic original villain from The Avengers
(2012) played by Tom Hiddleston, quickly became a fan
favorite. And the last Avengers villain, Thanos (Josh
Brolin, Avengers: Endgame, 2019), has a back-story
and universal scope that’s tough to beat.

And we haven’t even started talking about anti-he-

roes yet. Anti-heroes can also be very good for busi-
ness. Marvel has presented an excellent anti-hero in
Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds’ wisecracking pseudo-hero
who, following two highly successful solo films, is set
to star in a third film. I still remember the audience
clapping when the title character shot the (actual) vil-
lain in the original Deadpool (2016). In that moment,
Deadpool himself was equal parts hero and villain –
and the audience loved it.

DC’s response has been Suicide Squad (2016) and its

sequel, Birds of Prey (2020), two films that position
DC villains as anti-heroes with a special emphasis on
Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). They’ve had a generally
mixed response both critically and at the box office –
but then there’s Joker (2019), one of the studio’s most
profitable films to date.

Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as one of DC’s most

iconic villains, repositioned in the script as a brilliant
anti-hero, enjoyed both critical and box-office suc-
cess, and is seriously epic. When I first saw the film,
he got his share of theatrical applause, too, in the
(in)famous talk show scene.

The debate between Marvel fans and DC fans can

get pretty heated, but one thing’s for sure: In a sea
of amazing and inspiring heroes, a solid villain – or an-
ti-hero – really can make a production. So, as much as
we love our heroes – Batman, Iron Man, Wonder Wom-
an, Black Widow, Captain America, Superman and so
many others – let’s remember to raise a glass to the
villains – the ones we love to hate.

JOAQUIN PHOENIX AS THE TITLE

CHARACTER IN JOKER (2019).
30 MY71MAG.COM
IMAGE COURTESY OF DC
Both Heath
Ledger and
Joaquin
Phoenix won
Oscars for
playing the
legendary DC
villain, the
Joker. Ledger
won Best
Supporting
Actor for The
Dark Knight
posthumously
in 2009, and
Phoenix won
Best Lead
Actor for
Joker in 2020.

MY71MAG.COM 31
 The Dark Knight - O cial Trailer 2 […
[…

32 MY71MAG.COM
JOAQUIN PHOENIX AS THE TITLE
CHARACTER IN JOKER (2019).
IMAGE COURTESY OF DC

MY71MAG.COM 33
 “
The more successful
the villain, the more
successful the picture.”
– Alfred Hitchcock

RYAN REYNOLDS IN THE DEADPOOL FRANCHISE.

34 MY71MAG.COM
IMAGE COURTESY OF MARVEL
HEATH LEDGER AS THE JOKER IN THE DARK KNIGHT (2008).
IMAGE COURTESY OF DC

“ Intelligence is a privilege,
and it needs to be used for the
greater good of people.”
– Dr. Octopus, villain from
Spider-Man 2 (2004)

MY71MAG.COM 35
 COVER

36
36 MY71MAG.COM
 LIFEFAST
IN THE

The 100 star

Lindsey Morgan
on her creative
journey from
Texas to
Hollywood

LANE
By: MIKE BRANNON
Photography: FARRAH AVIVA
Makeup & Hair: SWANK MAKEUP ARTISTRY
Styling: VANESSA WALSH

MY71MAG.COM 37
 PROVING
everything’s better in and from Texas, highly versatile and tal-
ented actor/director Lindsey Morgan is proving herself in Hol-
lywood in the futuristic The 100 (now in its seventh and final
season), Walker – the Walker, Texas Ranger reboot – and Edward
Burns’ personal 1983-era coming-of-age film, Summertime.

No stranger to sci-fi, Morgan also stars in 2017’s Beyond Skyline,

a post-apocalyptic indie drama, and its coming sequel, Skylin3s,
as well as Casa Vita.

A UT Austin drama alum who grew up in Houston, she has since

moved to L.A. and made her mark, earning a Daytime Emmy nom-
ination in 2013 (Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama for Gen-
eral Hospital). 71 was fortunate to catch up with Morgan as she’s
about to conclude The 100.

71: You’re originally from Houston and studied at UT Aus-

tin for drama. What was that, and the transition to living in
L.A., like for you? 

LM: Growing up in Houston was really nice. I grew up in the sub-

urbs, but still had the city near, so I felt lucky to have the best of
both worlds. And UT was really great; I wish I were there now. I
heard Professor McConaughey is quite good.

I was mainly studying theater there, and when I made the de-
cision to pursue film, that became the biggest indicator for my
move to L.A. I had gotten an agent in Austin and booked a cou-
ple of commercials and almost a pretty big television role from
having nothing to start with. It gave me enough confidence to

38
make the move.


38 MY71MAG.COM
 39
MY71MAG.COM 39
40
40 MY71MAG.COM
71: Can you talk about how you got into acting and what made you
choose that for your life?

LM: I always had a passion for the arts, be it visual or performing. I was
involved with theater in high school, but I was pretty shy onstage and
didn’t perform much. I actually painted a lot of sets! But I loved it. I loved
actors; I thought they were so brave. And I just wanted to be like them.

I felt that to be able to be so vulnerable and exposed while connecting

with others was one of the most beautiful art forms that existed, and if I
could do that, it would make me a better person. And I believe it has. So I
jumped in while I was in college and promised to never look back. 

71: Is sci-fi something you’ve personally been into for a while, or did
you need to immerse yourself in that world for The 100 and Beyond
Skyline?

LM: Originally, I didn’t know much about sci-fi, but I always loved the fanta-
sy genre. I was a big Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings fan. However, sci-
fi has so many parallels to Greek mythology, which I always loved. They
can be allegories on our society now, which I’ve always found interesting.

I definitely had to immerse myself once we started filming. It can some-

times be challenging because you have to really believe these fantastical
situations, but it also allows you to use your imagination and creativity in
ways some genres can’t. 

71: Regarding The 100, for those who don't know, what is the prem-
ise? What is your role like, and what have been your biggest chal-
lenges on the project?

LM: For those who don’t know, they have six seasons to catch up before
we officially debut our seventh and final season. From IMDb, The 100 is
“set 97 years after a nuclear war has destroyed civilization, when a space
station – The Ark – housing humanity’s lone survivors” under a totalitari-
an government decides to “send 100 juvenile delinquents back to Earth,”
in hopes of testing whether the planet is survivable and a feasible hope
for humanity to continue on. Then that space station’s oxygen supply
begins to falter.

From there, we move onto some pretty exciting places! We are a bit of
Lord of the Flies meets Battlestar Galactica, and then there’s a love child
between Games of Thrones and Altered Carbon. It’s really unlike any oth-
er show, in my opinion. It draws elements from other amazing shows, but
it’s completely unique and awesome in its own right.


41
MY71MAG.COM 41
 “ Science fiction
allows you to use
your imagination
and creativity
in ways some
genres can’t.”

42
42 MY71MAG.COM
 43
MY71MAG.COM 43
44
44 MY71MAG.COM
 45
MY71MAG.COM 45
 I play Raven Reyes, a super smart, super badass zero-g mechanical en-
gineer. I can build you a bomb or a spaceship, and hack my way through
any firewalls. I’m paralyzed in one leg from a spinal injury, but my ferocity
has no limits.
 
I’d say the biggest challenge of portraying Raven is the pressure she’s
under. We are always under life-or-death stakes, and Raven is always us-
ing her big brain to try to save the day. Also, the world of The 100 isn’t
for the faint of heart; it can be cruel and harsh. The emotional toll weighs
heavy on her and her friends at the end of humanity.

71: What are your thoughts on living in a post-apocalyptic world

and having the responsibility of repopulating this planet, or anoth-
er planet such as Mars? 

LM: Well, I hope we aren’t close to that ... but it is kind of interesting,
the idea of “starting over” – the potential to get things right where we
have struggled before. That’s a huge premise we explore in the show.
Can we, as a society, start over? Be better the second time? Learn from
our mistakes? Or are we doomed to our ways? I have hope for us, but I’m
an optimist. As far as repopulating ... only if I have dibs on my boyfriend,
Shaun Sipos.

71: Regarding space travel and the idea that we are actively work-
ing on leaving  the planet: Can you see yourself going to Mars or
the moon if it became available? 

LM: Yes! Completely. Raven has given me a deep love of space, and the
idea of exploring the next frontier is exciting. I know it’s dangerous, but it
feels like such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’d happily go!

71: Skylin3s is in production. Do you know how it will be similar and

different from Beyond Skyline? 

LM: Skylin3s is centered on Capt. Rose’s story. I can’t say too much. But
the third installment is about how life in the world of Skyline has changed
since the last war. 

71: What have been your other most memorable, enjoyable and
challenging projects to date?

LM: I did this one beautiful indie film with Edward Burns called Summer-
time, based on his summers as a teenager growing up on Long Island.
It was set in the ‘80s, I had an epic tan and it was the best movie about
summer love and new horizons. Sadly, I’m not sure if it’ll ever come out!

46


46 MY71MAG.COM
"This Is Raven Reyes And I'm Alive"…
Alive"…

MY71MAG.COM 47
 71: That sounds epic. I hope it does. What are your
future/upcoming projects that you can talk about?

LM: I’m coming to a close on The 100 with Season 7

wrapping up. I also directed this season, so I’m excited
about my directorial debut for the show. And! I just got
word that I booked the female lead of the Walker, Texas
Ranger reboot, Walker! So I’m super excited to be return-
ing to Texas for this! 

71: That’s great. Welcome back! Are you involved

with any charities that you’d like to talk about?

LM: I work closely with a foundation called Active

Minds. Their mission is to provide college-age children
with tools to navigate their mental health. They pro-
vide services, hot lines, knowledge and open dialogues
starting at an age of great change and stress. I hope
by working with them, we can end this stigma around
discussing mental health, and ensure our mental health
is healthy in future generations.
Ü

"The Raven Reyes I Know Doesn't Q…

Q…

48
48 MY71MAG.COM
“ I’ve always
had a passion
for the arts.”

49
MY71MAG.COM 49
 PRO
FILE

SHOOTING
STARS
Hollywood
photography
legend
Michael
Tighe’s
iconic
journey

By: MIKE BRANNON

Photography: MICHAEL TIGHE

50 MY71MAG.COM
M
any photographers have talent, few have access, but most don’t really
have a strong, guiding vision and instinct or an inherent understanding
of light, their craft and their subject. Legendary celebrity photographer
Michael Tighe is one of the few who has it all – sans ego.

A brilliant visual narrator and legend himself, Tighe has shot tons of stars,
including Faye Dunaway, Julia Roberts, Angela Sarafyan, Sandra Bullock,
Kiefer Sutherland, Kirk Douglas, Jack Nicholson, Julianne Moore, Christo-
pher Walken, Carrie Fisher, Helen Mirren, Daniel Day-Lewis, Elizabeth Taylor
and musicians Chris Isaak, Tom Waits and Soundgarden.

Before leaving New York for L.A., Tighe had worked steadily since 1973
for the legendary Interview Magazine in its heyday, which led to gigs with
Vogue, Harper’s, GQ, Premiere, Detour, Esquire, Time and Newsweek.

Tighe’s images have a presence, a connection and a gravity of truth deliv-

ered via edgy, dramatic classicism that’s all but lost in the current work of
others. His sense of lighting alone is a nod to classic Hollywood noir. It’s a
testament to the strength and persistence vision can have.

Tighe lives his vision, and the world is better for it. He graciously spent time
with 71 to discuss his illustrious career, his creative journey and his life in
cinema for our third annual Film Issue.


MY71MAG.COM 51
52 MY71MAG.COM
71: How’s everything going? Are you getting to
shoot at all?

MT: During all this madness? No. I don’t really shoot

much these days anyway. I haven’t been under the
banner of pro photography for a while now.

71: Are you still interested?

MT: Yeah. My one subject that I’m always taking pic-

tures of is Angie [Sarafyan]. Angie came to me almost
20 years ago for headshots when she started acting,
and we became fast friends. She’s the only one. As far
as me wanting to get someone in front of the camera
and set up lights, it’s just her. I think she’s one of the
great beauties ... She’s getting more beautiful as she
gets older.

71: Oh yeah. I keep thinking that there’s some un-

believable breakout role just around the corner for
her – that just puts her on top. It’s way overdue.

MT: It is, very. I think it’s her beauty that sometimes

limits her. She’s an unusual beauty. She doesn’t fit
any mold.

71: True. So you’ve had a very long, illustrious

career, and you originally shot predominantly
black-and-white?

MT: Predominantly black-and-white, but since the Dig-

ital Age, it’s been color. And the past year or two, I’ve
been de-saturating a lot of my images, like those shots
with Angie. But black-and-white is what I always loved
during the film days, and it was really hard for me to do
the kind of lighting I loved doing. It didn’t translate well
to color.

Back then, professionally, you had to shoot slides –

chromes. You couldn’t shoot negatives, and that limit-
ed your range quite a bit, technically, from the lights to
darks. You could play around a lot more in the darkroom
when you needed to bring something out.

MY71MAG.COM 53
 71: It’s a whole different experience. Shooting dig-
ital can be very quick, and obviously with analog,
you have the darkroom experience and you’re not
absolutely sure what you’re going to get, unless
you have a digital back. Did digital change your
philosophy as a photographer?

MT: Yeah. It changed a lot of things. It didn’t change

how I saw things, but it gave me a lot more tools to do
what I would’ve done, had they been available in film
days. Just as far as post-production, there are a few
things you can tweak, as far as dodging something or
darkening something, whatever.

Of course, in digital, you can spend hours taking care of

every bit of the image that you want to adjust. Printing
in a darkroom, that’s all you had – you couldn’t envision
what more you could do. But sometimes you just want
to open an eye a little, and maybe then there’s a shad-
ow you want. It was a tradeoff. You could only expose
the print, and you have 15 seconds to fix all the things
you want to fix [laughs].

That’s what it was. You didn’t know any better because

there wasn’t any better. And with my lighting, all the
things I couldn’t do, I can do to my heart’s desire. And
I have so much fun playing with all those possibilities. I
probably go too far.

71: You had great mentors at Interview Magazine.

How did you go about developing your eye?

MT: Well, I grew up in New York City, which is full of a

lot of the great photographers, and a majority of them
would take out time to teach. When I got out of high
school (I hadn’t decided what kind of photographer I
wanted to be; I just wanted to be a photographer), I met
a photographer who did headshots and introduced me
to Philippe Halsman.

He’s shot more Life covers than any other photogra-

pher ever did. He did so many photographs we’ve all
seen. He did the most reproduced photo in history: the
portrait of Albert Einstein that we always see. He was
this very revered photographer who shot everyone:
Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, Brando, Ali. I just by
chance studied with him; he taught once a year, and
that’s when I started to fall in love with portraiture and
had a revelation that, wow – you can actually meet all
these people.


54 MY71MAG.COM
“ I’ve always
loved
faces and
emotionality
and depth.”

MY71MAG.COM 55
56 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 57
58 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 59
 And he was this amazing storyteller. He’d tell
stories of all these people, like when he pho-
tographed Churchill and all these presidents
... It was amazing hearing these stories of
these legendary people and how he human-
ized them with his storytelling. And I thought,
fuck – this would be an amazing way to make
a living.
71: Right. Before you alluded to anecdotes
yourself. Does anything come to mind?
MT: One of my favorite stories – because he’s
someone I photographed in the ‘70s and the
‘80s and again in 1999 – was Muhammad Ali.
When I shot him in the ‘80s, he had been out
of the public eye for a long time; he was start-
ing to get sick and none of us knew yet.
Most of my photographs have not been as-
signments; I was not hired to do them. I just
always kept myself busy by chasing after peo-
ple that I wanted to photograph. That took up
most of my shooting. I shot him in the ‘70s for
Interview Magazine, and in the ‘80s because
I just wanted to shoot his portrait ... I had an
amazing time with him.
Then, in 1999, I shot him for Time Magazine;
they were featuring him on the cover as Ath-
lete of the Century, and we went to Indiana,
where he was living on a farm. And he was
very incapacitated. Inside, you knew he was
there, but he was slow and had trouble com-
municating – but he still had that wonderful
sparkle in his eye.
I had brought a print of the shot I had done
in the ‘80s that he’d never seen to give him.
When we all broke for lunch and we were in
the kitchen of his house, that’s when I gave
him the print. His eyes welled up, and then he
handed the print back to me, which was a very
weird moment.
60 MY71MAG.COM
His wife told me he made a gesture that I
hadn’t signed the print, and he handed it
back to me and asked me to sign it for him. It
was like, oh my God. It was just a very human,
beautiful moment. It says a lot about him, his
awareness. I don’t know. It was pretty amaz-
ing. That’s one of my really joyful memories.
71: What do you think makes a great
portrait?
MT: I know what people like about my work,
and it’s what I try to do. I don’t do it neces-
sarily consciously. It’s not a thought process;
it’s organic. I’m just looking for a full, honest
moment. I think what people are drawn to in
my work is that they see someone very real
there, and it’s a moment that has depth to it. I
think you’re seeing something that is honest.
In the portraits that I most like from other pho-
tographers, it looks like they really captured
a moment. My captured moments were al-
ways directed. I wasn’t waiting for something
to happen. I was constantly saying, “put your
hand here,” “put your eyes over here,” etc.
But there’s something that happens when
you pose someone in a way where they are
reminded of something emotional. It’s like
this muscle memory we all have, and if you
pose someone a specific way, they start to
feel something, and then that comes through
emotionally.
A mistake I think a lot of photographers make
is trying to elicit an emotion from people – like
saying, “Could you smile or think of something
funny?” and trying to talk them there. And I
learned that a long time ago. Well, certainly
there are poses I wanted that were just inter-
esting, but led the body to feel something.
Quite often, in the stillness of a pose, stuff
shows up. Mostly I don’t talk to people that
much – “move your hand here; go here.”
There’s a great vulnerability that people feel
There was always this fear of if I’m going to
when they’re being examined that way. Stuff
find anything. It was always a discovery pro-
comes up, they open up, it’s stuff they’re not
cess. I just knew at some point, something
expecting, and it becomes these very real mo-
was going to show up, and bam! You’re just
ments, rather than manufactured moments.
going to take that ride wherever it goes.

I’ve never liked portraits where things are just

So I set the lights up, take a frame, move the
stylized – where people look their best, but
lights a little, move them a little, and, at some
very posed. I try to make people look their
point, they drop their guard a little, some-
best, too. I think that’s a responsibility the
thing happens and you’re in. Now you’re feel-
photographer should take.
ing safe, and you see something really beau-
tiful going on in front of the camera. And they
71: It seems like you’re trying to get au-
feel my excitement (oh my God, here it is!) and
thenticity out of them.
relax into it, and then magical things start to
show up.
MT: Yeah. So many of my influences were films
I’ve loved – what I’ve seen cinematographers
71: Would you say you have a philosophy
do. I came from that kind of approach, as far as
of your art?
light. A lot of times, I would just see someone
do something compelling, and I would work my
MT: No [laughs]. When I hear photographers
way backwards to what they’d just done.
write about what they do and it sounds so
poetic, I think, wow, that’s really cool. My phi-
71: How often are you surprised by what
losophy is just I’ve always loved faces and
you’re getting?
emotionality and depth. I think there are art-
ists who are very articulate about what they
MT: I never know what to expect. I never go in
do and why they do it.
with an expectation. And that’s a trap I think
some photographers fall into: They always
But I think most artists – the ones I listen to;
have a way they work. They have a place
the ones that make sense – don’t know what
they’re always going to go with their lights. I
the fuck they’re doing. I mean, they have tech-
never knew what to expect; it was always me
nique, but I think the best art is when you’re in
paying attention to [the subject] every mo-
the unknown. You don’t know where it’s going
ment. I never knew, and half the time, I’d go
to take you. You just give in to the process of
in scared. I didn’t have a technique to get
discovery, and magical stuff shows up.
somewhere.

I’m acting now; that’s why I’m not shooting

And lighting – each face is different. I’m not
much anymore. And the actors I love that do
a guy with a softbox, which is kind of an idi-
these extraordinary performances – they’re
ot-proof lighting, which is fine. I’m not knocking
scared. They don’t know what’s going to hap-
it. My lighting is hot lights. I use so many odd
pen, they don’t know how it’s going to hap-
things; I carry flashlights around.
pen, but they have techniques that they’ve
worked on. They’ve spent many years being
comfortable with their craft, but in the mo-
ment of creating, or being onstage or being
in front of a camera, they don’t know what’s
going to show up.


MY71MAG.COM 61
62 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 63
64 MY71MAG.COM
“ It’s so exciting
when the
universe just
drops something
into your lap.
You feel like
you’re part of
something.”

MY71MAG.COM 65
66 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 67
68 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 69
 And they love that. They don’t know what’s
going to show up, but it’s going to be amaz-
ing. That, to me, is art at its best. And there
are people who are very regimented – “step
1,2,3,4, bing, bang, boom.” There’s something
so exciting when the universe just drops
something into your lap. You feel like you’re
part of something. years that just added up to what I ended up
doing on my own.

My joy of this for so many years was just fac-

es and the beauty that would come through And also just film – film noir. I became fasci-

these moments on film, and I loved playing nated with light and dark and shadows. That

with lights. When I was young, it became kind of lighting also felt more real to me than

about photographing these very extraordi- what most photographers do in their studio.

nary artists, which became just a very exciting Like, Richard Avedon’s work is brilliant, but it’s

thing in itself. studio light. There’s light like that outdoors

sometimes, but you really have to work hard

It was having these very intimate encounters. to find it. It was a very controlled light.

Richard Avedon once said something that

rang a bell with me: He said that when meet- I think what my work became was a marriage

ing people he’s photographed a week later, of reportage, because there were so many

there was this awkwardness like you would street photographers that I loved, and then

feel with a stranger you’d had sex with. These a very formally lit, almost Hollywood lighting

two strangers had this very intimate encoun- where there’s a lot of shadows and hard lights.

ter. And that what’s great about photography Those different influences added up to what-

– unlike sex, it’s safe [laughs]. ever it was I ended up doing. People are very
surprised to hear that a lot of my shots were

71: How has your relationship with light set-up shots. I just grabbed a moment.

evolved over time? What have you

learned? 71: Do you think your time at Interview in-
formed that aesthetic?

MT: I don’t know that I’ve learned. Right after

I studied with Philippe Halsman, I studied with MT: At Interview, I was literally around Andy

Arnold Newman. He’s a grandmaster photog- Warhol and other artists, and I was exposed to

rapher – another guy who’s just shot legends and discovered the great old Hollywood pho-

and was always called in to shoot portraits of tographers. Just being in that whole world of

the president. He actually became my mentor what I call “Warhol Society,” I was seeing a lot

for a while. of stuff I wouldn’t have otherwise.

I visited him for years and showed him my 71: You’ve shot some of the biggest icons

work and got his input. From photographer to there have been: Kirk Douglas, Jackie

photographer, I would see different lighting. Gleason, Liz Taylor, Faye Dunaway – many

And then, with photographers I had just dis- A-list actors. And your lighting had that

covered, I would just see something in their old Hollywood look.

work that inspired me and I would try to rep-

licate it. It was these different styles over the MT: Yeah. And the movies those folks used to
make had that look, too ... Just the film noir era,
and the brilliant lighting they used to do.

70 MY71MAG.COM
Here’s an anecdote: When I shot Kirk Douglas
for Interview, I shot him in a hotel room. He had
an entourage there, so the room was kind of
crowded, and he was very aware of the light-
ing I was doing. He said, “I have not seen light-
ing like this since the ‘40s,” and he was excit-
ed and he made everyone leave the room. “All
you guys out; I wanna work with this kid.”
I mailed him a print, and he told me how much
he loved it and his wife took possession of it
right away. The actors back then – not like it is
now – were very trained about light. They were
trained to know what light was best for them –
which side of their face worked best.
You mentioned Jackie Gleason – he was an-
other one I sought out. I met someone at
Showtime, and they had bought out The Hon-
eymooners. They said they could arrange for
me to photograph Gleason if I could fly myself
down to New Orleans; he was getting some
lifetime achievement award. I was amazed. I
adored him.
I flew myself down to New Orleans; they ar-
ranged for me to be backstage in a dressing
room right next to his. And I found out you get
one take with him. If you don’t get it, you’re
fucked. He didn’t even know I was coming or
he was getting his picture taken. I heard he
was pissed off that he had to have his picture
taken, but his wife told him, “this guy’s flown
down from New York; you have to do this.”
So he came in the dressing room, and I could
tell he was not happy, but my lights were set
up really meticulously. He sits down, I fire one
frame and he gets up to leave. He said, “You
got it?” I very sheepishly said, “If I could just
get a few more shots, I’d really appreciate it.”
I got through half a roll of film, which is not
even 20 frames, and I could tell he was getting
ready to leave. And I didn’t want him to end
the shoot; I wanted to say we’re done. And I
did. I said, “We’re done.” And he gets up, puts a
big smile on his face, slaps me on the back and
says, “Thanks, pal; that was painless.” I got a
little moment of the Jackie Gleason we know
and love.
But literally, the shot that worked the best of
all was the first frame. He fell right into the
light and gave me what he needed to give
me. He does know how to get it on the first
take. And that was the last formal portrait he
ever posed for – he died, I think, five or six
months later.
71: Incredible. That makes you a part of
history.
MT: Sometimes. One of the most famous, in
that realm, was that I shot the last formal por-
trait of River Phoenix. And it was probably one
of the most incredible shoots that I’ve had as
far as the depth of imagery that came from it.
Amazing shoot.
I knew River; we were friendly. I had spent
some time with him down in Florida. His family
had a compound down there, near a swamp.
And he was a guy who was weary of the Holly-
wood world. Anyway, he liked me. I hadn’t seen
him for about two years. He was in L.A. doing
a film – the last film he completed: The Thing
Called Love.
There was a magazine I used to shoot for
called Detour; they were trying to get him to
be on the cover, and he wasn’t responding.
They knew I was friends with him, so they
asked me to approach him. And I did.
I said, “This magazine would love to have you on
its cover, and I will shoot it.” And his response
was brilliant: “Could we just do some more pho-
tos on our own, and fuck the magazine?” But
he agreed. He was very obviously high.
MY71MAG.COM 71
72 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 73
 What made him work so hard on that shoot, I don’t
know. He just had this urgency about him. It was one
of the few shoots I didn’t have to direct much; he went
from one thing to another to another, and I was almost
just trying to keep up with all the stuff he was throwing
at me. It was amazing. I’ve never gotten so many amaz-
ing images from one shoot.

I couldn’t say why. There was this intensity for wanting

to do more and more. I don’t think I ever shot with any-
one of that stature who was so excited and worked so
hard at getting his picture taken. It might’ve been the
drugs, I don’t know, but he was really on fire to do a lot
of work that night.

71: There’s a unique intimacy in your work and your

relationship with your subjects. Does that come
from a developed level of trust?

MT: Well, yeah. And I can’t say what it is, but people just
seemed to trust me. And I can’t say what I do that gave
them that trust. I never tried to take people anywhere
they weren’t comfortable going. I was never trying to
get them to dance or laugh or smile if it didn’t show up
on its own.

I think they knew I was on their side – that I was con-

cerned about doing something special, not just facili-
tating the magazine or the client I was shooting for.
Also, for many years, I sought out the people I shot. I
went to a lot of trouble to get in touch with them solely
for the purpose of wanting to shoot a photograph of
them. I knew how to behave well [laughs].

And it was just me showing up – not with an assistant

– and I think that made it safer. It made it a lot more like
a visit. And I selfishly preferred that. I had these amaz-
ing people all to myself. When I moved to L.A. and did
big shoots, I had to have assistants, but all the years
I worked alone, I brought that to the big shoots. The
privacy definitely affected the trust level.

71: Is there anything you wish you’d known start-

ing out that you know now?

MT: I guess to value friendships above all else. I jumped

around a lot, as far as people who mattered in my life.
And the people I told myself mattered were people who
could facilitate what I was trying to get done ... getting
to whoever. I would befriend people mostly based on
how they would facilitate my creative life.


74 MY71MAG.COM
“ It’s never too late
to show up for your
dreams, especially
in the arts.”

MY71MAG.COM 75
76 MY71MAG.COM
But I’ve learned friendships matter. You can lose a lot,
but if you have good friends, that’s going to last you a
lifetime. So many people in my life have come and gone,
and a lot of the friends I’ve had over the years were
famous people. And those sorts of relationships can be
very tricky.

Angela is the first person I’ve known who I’ve really

trusted is my friend, and will be my friend whether I’m
a successful artist or not. It’s our creativity and our art
that brought us together, and it’s what keeps us active
in each other’s lives.

When you meet a famous person, you already know a

lot about that person from their fame. So those famous
people don’t have to do a lot of the work of building a
friendship that the rest of us do. And it’s why famous
people have to be so careful about people’s motives.
People like being around famous people because they
glow. They’re called “stars” for a reason.

And Angie is truly one of the great people. What’s

amazing about Angie is that she’s navigated this busi-
ness and her sense of honor. She’s been able to avoid
all the bullshit. I met Angie about six months after her
father died, and we became friends and I think I became
someone she felt very safe to come to for advice.

Quite often, when she was younger, she would call and
say, “a director wants me to do this; what do you think?”
And I would talk her through it. She really looked to me
for guidance. I kept her safe. There were directors who
would play games with her, and we’d talk about it and
I’d tell her what I thought their intentions were. But she
has good radar.

71: Any final advice?

MT: It’s never too late to show up for your dreams, es-
pecially in the arts.
Ü

MY71MAG.COM 77
78 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 79
 PRO
FILE

Po
N
80 MY71MAG.COM
 Actress Ruth
Connell on film,

ost-
the arts and
all things
Supernatural
By: FARRAH AVIVA

Natural
Photography: FARRAH AVIVA

MY71MAG.COM 81
82 MY71MAG.COM
Supernatural - Rowena Is Back And…
And…

MY71MAG.COM 83
 S
ome  people exude an essence that mystifies you and makes you
believe some have been sprinkled with a quality that is otherworldly,
beautifully pure and full of depth. That was my first and lasting im-
pression of actress Ruth Connell.

I met her on Supernatural. We both played witches, and when we

made eye contact, I knew there was something special about her. I
then went on to photograph her and get to know her more in-depth.

This is a conversation about her path in the arts, her love for all dif-
ferent styles of film and her plans for life Post-Natural.

FA: You’ve had an incredible six-year run on Supernatural

as a character that I know many others craved to play. How
does it feel to be leaving it behind and entering the world of
Post-Natural?
 
RC: I’m curious as to what will come in next. I don’t want to fall into
my usual actor mindset of “I’m never going to act again.” I have quite
high hopes for the future because I think there’s a lot of creativity
that can come out of this strange time. I’m excited for that, and to
build on what Supernatural has given me. It’s given me so much. I’ll
be eternally grateful to the show and the fandom.

84 MY71MAG.COM
“ I look forward to
being intimidated
and challenged
because therein
is a place of
growth.”

MY71MAG.COM 85
 It feels quite exciting because I do feel ready for a new chapter. But
I also get surprised by the emotions that pop up, and how I was way
more upset than I wanted to be at certain points on this last leg of
our journey. I knew it was coming to a close, but it catches you off
guard. With the COVID crisis interrupting the final run of it, we aren’t
being allowed to end!

But in a way, it will never be completely over anyway; I’ll no longer be

filming the character of Rowena, but I believe we’ll continue to do the
conventions ad infinitum! 
 
FA: Are there any films from your childhood that inspired you
to become an actress? 
 
RC: I grew up on a farm in Scotland and I was around adults a lot, so I
saw a lot of films that I probably shouldn’t have seen at the age I was!
I remember seeing Gone with the Wind at 6 and knowing I wanted to
be like Vivien Leigh – that she was doing something pretty special.
I’d watch Ginger Rogers and Gene Kelly movies. I danced, so seeing
all the old-school musicals was really special for me. I watched black-
and-white movies in the afternoon after school.

When I was a young teenager, I’d go to my video store and spend

my 50 pence or 2 pounds or however much it was renting movies
like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I so wanted to be a teenager in the Amer-
ica I saw on film.

Then, in my 20s, I lived in Edinburgh and dated an actor, which ex-

posed me to more theatre, independent films and socially relevant
films. I’d go to the Cameo Cinema and to the Filmhouse and watch as
many foreign and avant-garde films as I could. I bought the very first
Empire magazine and collected every issue after that. I read them all
cover-to-cover.

There was also one late-night film review that I’d stay up and watch
to know what movie was coming out next. I was hungry for stories
about movies, directors, actors and Hollywood. 
 
FA: I know you’re a theatrically trained actress. Are there any
styles of acting that you’re inspired to explore now that  Su-
pernatural has wrapped?
 
RC: There’s nothing like being onstage live, which I always try to
keep up somehow. COVID-19 has delayed a few projects. I did a wee
play at the Blank Theatre in L.A. last year. I also did a reading that
we were supposed to be doing now in NYC called Heretics with Be-
spoke.  I was also scheduled to do a reading of Macbeth. Hopefully
most can be done at some point in the future. 

With readings, it’s usually under an equity umbrella, which deter-

mines how much you can rehearse, etc. You read the play and work
on it with a director enough to make it come alive for an audience,
although not fully staged. You haven’t learned it off by heart, neces-
sarily, but you give it a good old go!


86 MY71MAG.COM
Supernatural 13x21 Rowena´s Flirt …

MY71MAG.COM 87
 Since we can’t be onstage right now, we’re continuing to meet on-
line every week to read people’s work with Bespoke. The idea of the
readings is that something will eventually be made into a full-scale
production or show.

I love doing any kind of “workout” with my craft. It allows you to go

back to your film or TV scripts more full-bodied.
 
FA: Has anything surprised you by the roles you’ve been given?
 
RC: I’ve never been an actor who says, “I want to do this role” or “I
want to do that story.” It’s always been a surprise for me, from Mrs.
Beaver to Helen of Troy to Rowena. I really trust the universe gives
me what I’m supposed to do. And no matter what it is, I’m usually
quite nervous about it to see if I can actually do it.

But I look forward to being intimidated and challenged because

therein is a place of growth. I say that as a recovering perfectionist! I
mean that. I really, really mean that. I’ve done therapy for it. I’ve got
book chapters in front of me on that right now. Completion versus
perfection – doing it rather than not doing it because you don’t think
you will do a great job.

Filming Supernatural was good for me because you don’t know what
footage they are going to use in the edit. Same with a play: You don’t
know what’s going to happen onstage – if you’re going to stutter,
forget your lines, etc.  It’s healthier for your ego to always try your
best, then let it go.

I’m not the best sight-reader. It’s not a natural talent I have, so I do it
with these readings. At some of the conventions, I sing onstage, and
before I go on, I try to rehearse and stay focused because it takes a
lot for me to just sing in tune. It’s not necessarily fun before I go on.

But even if I sing it wrong, now there’s a relaxation that happens with
our fans where you can go,  fuck it.  I’ve had times where I’ve gone
offstage knowing I messed up, but was still able to like myself and
enjoy the night. 
 
FA: You’ve also worked on incredible independent films. How
did you get into that?
 
RC: I’ve always had a passion for indie films, and I really thought I
was going to get my break that way. That’s the type of actress I was
going to be. I did a film called Hara Kiri a couple of years ago that was
made by my friend, Henry Alberto. Henry and I met doing a play a
few years before.

I really believed in [the team] from the beginning – their voice. They’ve
gone onto writing, directing and producing, which led to Hara Kiri. It’s
a dogma-style movie, so we just had to roll with what we had in front
of us. I love those kinds of films and doing experimental projects like
that. I’m super proud of being a part of it and to know Henry. Keep
your eyes peeled! 

88 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 89
  
FA: From what I know of you, you are driven, multitalented
and full of depth. Do you have anything that you’re develop-
ing yourself?
 
RC: When I was in London, I started up a theatre company so I could
hire my friends and work with them. It was fairly successful. So I’ve al-
ways seen the value in creating your own work. But I don’t want to feel
like I have to write a script to be busy, or to just give myself work to do. 

Lately I’ve had a  genuine piece of inspiration for a series I would

write. Other industry professionals I’ve talked to about it like the
idea. It remains to be seen if I have the discipline to really do it! I see
Reese Witherspoon doing incredible things, and I see the value and
joy that must bring. Watching other women doing it more and more
makes me think, Why not me onscreen? So that project is percolating
somewhere near my amygdala!
 
FA: Whenever we do photoshoots, you have a great way of
gently dancing as though there’s music playing in your mind.
What’s the last thing you listened to?
 
RC: I’m really bad at remembering what I’m listening to! I have, let’s
call it, “an eclectic” taste. When I’m working on characters, what I lis-
ten to is important. It can really help me. We’re always in front of our
screens, so I find it therapeutic to just listen to music, like, cheesy
disco to classical. Or a great podcast. There’s really nothing I don’t
listen to. Old blues standards to ‘90s dance tracks - yeh!

FA: I know you’re very active at giving back. You openheart-

edly lent your voice to help with my own project, BITE THE
BULLET Stories. And I know you also work with two incredi-
ble charities, Random Acts as well as My Hope Chest. Tell me
about those.
 
RC: I was working with My Hope Chest (who are restructuring at the
moment) as they help women who are under-insured after breast
cancer treatment and want reconstruction. It’s a small organization,
but they’ve been able to help over 50 individual lives for the better,
which is incredible.

Then there is Random Acts, which Misha Collins set up amidst the
Supernatural family. Rachel Miner helps run it. Currently I’m giving
10 percent of my earnings to RA, and I do as much as I can to help
promote them.

I admire Rachel and Misha so much, and what Random Acts and
their SPN volunteers get done in the world. From orphanages in Nic-
aragua to feeding families in America – it’s incredible. Rachel has re-
cently had a comeback on Supernatural in our last season, and I’m
so proud to know her and Misha for all they are doing to pioneer for
representation.
Ü

90 MY71MAG.COM
“ I was always
hungry for
stories about
movies,
directors,
actors and
Hollywood.”

MY71MAG.COM 91
 PRO
FILE

92 MY71MAG.COM
OV
 ACTRESS MAXIM
ROY ON MIRAGE AND
NAVIGATING THE
ENTERTAINMENT
INDUSTRYBy: VIOLETA NICOLA
Photography: ÉVA-MAUDE TC

MAXIM
VERDRIVE MY71MAG.COM 93
94 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 95
 B
eginning her career in theatre, acclaimed actress Max-
im Roy has gone on to become one of Canada’s hot-
test stars. With over 100 film and television credits to
her name, she has a highly diverse portfolio full of col-
orful and memorable characters in projects that tran-
scend genres and borders.

Some of her high-profile projects to date include De-

nys Arcand’s Love & Human Remains, the BBC’s Super-
storm, Netflix’s Shadowhunters, CAT. 8 with Matthew
Modine and Allure with Evan Rachel Wood. Having been
nominated for several Canadian Screen Awards and
Gemeaux Awards, plus a Jutra (Canadian Oscar), she
can most recently be seen in the acclaimed mini-series
Mirage and Netflix Original Series October Faction.

96 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 97
 “ I feel the
need to tell
stories.”

98 MY71MAG.COM
We were fortunate to catch up with Roy about her latest projects,
plus her journey in the entertainment industry.

71: What is your background, and how did you become in-
volved in the entertainment industry?

MR: I started young, or what I consider young: 18. I was planning

on going to theatre school and landed a lead role in a 13-epi-
sode series. So I basically learned as I went along. But my three
bothers studied theatre at the Conservatory and the National
Theatre School of Canada, so I was immersed from the age of 5.

71: Since October Faction got canceled, what would be your

parting words to your character, Alice?

MR: I’m not ready to part ways yet... ;-)

71: You currently star in Mirage. What can you tell us about
your character and her involvement in the story?

MR: Jennifer and Kate were so fun to play! Playing a spy, you
have such a leverage to explore two very different personalities. I
decided she needed to be the “sassy smartass,” as her “partner”
was motivated by personal history and vengeance with Gabriel.
Doug needed some humility, and I thought Jennifer could set him
straight [laughs].

71: Since your character is a spy, was there any research or

training involved before filming?

MR: Not really, because I actually know a couple of undercover

cops (which is pretty much the same thing), so I have had access
over the years to a lot of information.

71: What were the best things about filming this project on
location?

MR: We actually shot in the UAE and Morocco, Africa. But it was
great to be on location. That’s always the plus side for me, the
adventure of it all ... It’s not always the best experience, but I
always learn something, and immersing yourself in a different
culture makes you grow for sure.

71: How do you deal with the stress of the entertainment

industry?

MR: I’m not very good at it, to be honest. It’s, more often than not,
overwhelming and confusing [laughs]! It’s in the title: It’s an in-
dustry. It’s a business. It’s not just art. The stress is an everyday
struggle for a lot of people, including me.

MY71MAG.COM 99
 71: You mentioned recently that you want to get behind
the camera and direct more, right?

MR: Yes, that is the plan. I feel the need to tell stories and
use my brain for more than just learning lines. I started direct-
ing over 10 years ago and put it aside for personal reasons,
but I feel now is the time to get back on the horse.

71: What kinds of projects do you have in mind, and who

would you love to work with?

MR: A series; a film. I can’t talk about it, as we’re officially in

development. There are a lot of actors I’d love to work with,
but honestly ... I would love to work with friends. I would really
love to surround myself with a lot of underrated, talented ac-
tors I’ve known for years.

71: Who are some artists who have inspired you through
your journey in acting?

MR: Most are European: Juliette Binoche, Emma Thompson,

Anna Friel, Olivia Colman, Sophie Marceau ... of course, Meryl
Streep ...

71: What is one thing that is long overdue to change in

this industry?

MR: Equality – in all aspects. It really shocks me when I hear

women say we’re already equal. Not sure what planet they
live on.

71: Can you disclose anything about your upcoming

projects?

MR: Well ... are there going be any projects any time soon?
It’s not like we’ll be able to have social distancing on sets.
Projects were going to go, and now, who knows? I find it fun-
ny how some people in our industry are just moving along as
if nothing has changed or will change.
Ü

“
I always learn something when shooting
on location. Immersing yourself in a different
culture definitely makes you grow.”

100 MY71MAG.COM
October Faction | Season 1 O cial …

MY71MAG.COM 101
BEHIND THE LENS

By: MIKE BRANNON

Photography: YANN PHILIPPE

Discovering new worlds

with photographer
Yann Philippe

102 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 103
104 MY71MAG.COM
When you first see
the work of art
photographer
Yann Philippe,
the first word that might spring to mind might be
“epic,” but the feeling is one of otherworldly transpor-
tation. That’s definitely the effect I got.

Working predominantly in the infrared (IR) zone using

film, color gels and filters, Philippe took it to the point
of creating his own IR Chrome filter, revealing in the
process what our eyes miss and only an IR camera
can see in a given landscape. It’s easy to imagine
wanting to experience these landscapes in the real
world, though this is as close as we can get, short of
visiting other planets.

Philippe explains his process and takes 71 on a jour-

ney of visual discovery in our third annual Film Issue.

71: What inspired you to get into photography?

YP: I’ve always loved everything tied to visual arts.

At age 7, I wanted to be a comic book illustrator. Then
I invested myself a lot into cinema and movies, and
shot nearly 20 short films as a teenager. Having a
lack of talent in drawing and wanting to achieve my
projects in a short period of time, I had to find an art
form that suited me best.

MY71MAG.COM 105
106 MY71MAG.COM
“ I aim to question the limits of
human perception in my works.”

MY71MAG.COM 107
 Photography didn’t have the need of a large crew and long pro-
duction process like cinema, and my drawing skills weren’t an ab-
solute requirement anymore. That’s how I got into photography,
13 years ago.

71: What inspired IR photography specifically, and how did

that change your perspective?

YP: Fantasy and imaginary worlds are the first engines of my per-
sonal creations. I aim to question the limits of human perception
in my works. I love photography more when it is done in a “picto-
rialist” way than when it accurately translates reality in a docu-
mentary style. When photography becomes the mirror of surreal
or imaginary, that’s my favorite part. 

Like the Impressionists did, I like to use my camera more to express

a more elusive feeling than a crude reality. When I see a scene or a
place, I use photography to describe the mood. 

This is why I invested myself a lot in alternative techniques: old

photographic processes like cyanotype, Kirlian photography, etc.
In 2008, I discovered infrared and immediately knew I had to try
this. It was during my final year of studies, and I ordered my first in-
frared camera: a Fujifilm FinePix IS-1 IR full-spectrum bridge. I shot
only in 720nm after having done a lot of unconverted infrared pho-
tography with a Nikon Coolpix 8800.

71: What have been your greatest challenges and successes

in photography?

YP: I invested in the emulation of Aerochrome film. I resumed my

research studies where I left them in 2008, a time when I exper-
imented a lot with colored gels (cyan was my base to dig deeper
into the Aerochrome reproduction quest). I did a lot of glass/acrylic
filter purchases to test complex combinations involving three or
four glass layers and calculated the resulting transmission curves.

I refined my combination numerous times before reaching out to

Kolari Vision to measure the final transmission curve I found and
put it into the least amount of glass layers possible. This is how we
finally created the IR Chrome filter, one of my greatest technical
achievements so far. 

From a more creative point a view, I’d say that my biggest chal-
lenge was to find my place as a photographer: being more an ob-
server of or an actor in the moment being captured. Finding the
right balance is very difficult because it also has to match your
personality.

108 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 109
110 MY71MAG.COM
“
Fantasy and imaginary worlds are
the first engines of my personal creations.”

MY71MAG.COM 111
112 MY71MAG.COM
71: Would you say you have a philosophy of your art and
process?

YP: I always try to depict not what I see, but what I feel when in
front of a subject. That’s why sometimes my post-processing or
camera settings are totally counterintuitive. I try to mirror my inner
feelings rather than the objective environment that surrounds me.
I always try to have multiple perspectives on the same subject.

For instance, when I flew to Madrid last year for a workshop I was
teaching, I wanted to take pictures of my experience of the city.
I walked more than 36kms in two days, following the exact same
path, but equipped one time with a 16mm lens and the second
time with a 100mm. The idea was to be forced to adapt my view
and focus on different things. I also love to see how the light alters
a scene. That’s why I love to come back many times to an already
visited venue. 

Post-processing is also a very important part of my work. Infrared

is such a “strong” rendering that I want my pictures not to look
“overdone” – even if my photographs are hugely modified. 

71: What are your current and future projects?

YP: At the moment, I want to shoot a nude series in infrared show-

ing the relationship between fragile nature and human beings. I’m
also working on further experimenting with the Kirlian (aura pho-
tography) process. I plan to visit Scotland again, especially the Isle
of Skye, to shoot a new series of IR pictures.

Currently I’m trying to sell my infrared work to big advertising com-

panies for upcoming innovative ad campaigns. Photogrammetry
and infrared drone photography are also on my bucket list!

MY71MAG.COM 113
114 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 115
116 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 117
118 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 119
PHOTO FEATURE

120 MY71MAG.COM
Murmuration
Capturing the
mysterious
cosmic dance
of starlings

By: MIKE BRANNON

Photography: XAVI BOU

MY71MAG.COM 121
 Murmuration
/merr'meuh ray"sheuhn/, n.
1. An act or instance of murmuring
2. A flock of starlings

122 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 123
124 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 125
 Yes, they really do this.
Over 100,000 starlings at a time engage in a cosmic dance – or Murmuration – in winter as they seek
to confuse and evade hawks, their natural predator. Science also believes that the natural magnetic
variations of Earth affect this dance. The starlings’ expression of survival literally becomes cinematic
art in real time.

One of the true mysteries and wonders of the natural world is caught here in two ways by phe-
nomenal Spanish photographer/filmmaker Xavi Bou in his time-lapse Murmurations: Ornitographies
Project, and in the award-winning short film, Murmurations, by the brilliant British filmmakers Sophie
Windsor Clive and Liberty Smith, which went viral. In both cases, you are likely to be left moved,
transformed and imagining what other mysteries abound throughout nature yet to be discovered.

126 MY71MAG.COM
 A short film that follows the journey of two
girls in a canoe on the River Shannon and how
they stumble across one of nature’s greatest
phenomena: a murmuration of starlings.

Music by Nomad Soul.

MY71MAG.COM 127
 Murmurations;
Ornitographies project
from Xavi Bou

02:36

This video is part of

Ornitographies, a project
Xavi Bou has been
working on for years,
which visualizes the
beauty of bird flight paths.

Music by Kristina Dutton.

128 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 129
“ Birds are
the eyes of
Heaven.”
– SUZY KASSEM
132 MY71MAG.COM
 OUR ANIMALS
NEED HELP NOW
MORE THAN EVER
WIRES has been rescuing and caring for native
Australian animals 365 days a year for over 30
years, to give sick, injured and orphaned animals
like Poppy a second chance. To find out more
about WIRES rescue and care work visit
wires.org.au MY71MAG.COM 133
 ELISA G CREATIVE
G R A P H I C D E S I G N

“GRAPHIC
DESIGN IS
THE BASIS
FOR BUILDING
AN IMAGE
THROUGH
YOUR BODY
OF WORK.”
K elisagiordano.com
@ thatgirl@elisagiordano.com
de 210.716.5320

134 MY71MAG.COM
MY71MAG.COM 135
 L E D
R AVE
S T
L E S
A RTS
N T HE
J OI

PHOTOS BY CLIFF BAISE,

MIKE BRANNON AND @my71mag my71mag.com
MARC THIROUIN
LAST LOOK

138 MY71MAG.COM
CINEMATIC
NATURE
We close this issue
with a stunning
cinematic landscape
of Kirkjufell, Iceland,
at sunrise by Belgian
photographer Gerd
Moors, who specializes
in both landscape and
motorsport photography.

Fin