Latest news with #Ojai
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Thrillers That Capture the Dark Side of Small-Town Life
This month's books all provide pleasingly fresh variations on a familiar theme: a troubled person's reluctant return home to confront old traumas, and possibly unsolved murders, from long ago. Whether this is a good plan (or not) is an open question. The Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont, the title character of THE GHOSTWRITER (Sourcebooks, 342 pp., $27.99), is still haunted by a tragedy from a generation earlier: the unsolved double murder in 1975 of her father's siblings, Poppy and Danny, in Ojai, Calif. Though her father — just 16 at the time — had an alibi, he could never escape from the rumors that he was the killer. A half-century later, Olivia is pulled back to Ojai to help her father, whom she hasn't seen in decades, write his memoirs. It's a disturbing task. He appears ready to tell the truth, finally, about what happened on that fateful day all those years ago — but is she ready to hear it? 'There are things I never told the police,' he says, darkly. Complicating matters is his recent diagnosis of dementia, and how his memory seems to flicker on and off. 'This illness, it's deceptive. It tricks you into thinking you have a grasp on reality, on events of the past,' he tells her, in one of his lucid moments. 'But then you find out that nothing you believed is real.' Clark's book deftly and engagingly delves into this complicated not-so-cold case, from multiple points of view. Most affecting are a journal and some newly unearthed film footage taken by Poppy, an aspiring moviemaker and budding feminist who turns out to be the heroine of the story. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Inside Crododile Dundee star Linda Kozlowski's life with Moroccan tour guide partner as she shunned fame to run property empire
Linda Kozlowski bid farewell to Hollywood nearly 25 years ago after living in her ex husband Paul Hogan's 'shadow'. But instead of missing the glitz and glamour of red carpets, movie premieres and award galas, the Crocodile Dundee star appears to be perfectly content away from the spotlight. Now, the 67-year-old Golden Globe nominee lives a serene life in village-like Ojai, California, alongside her second husband, Moroccan tour guide Moulay Hafid Baba, and their four-year-old Golden Retriever, Thaddeus. The retired American actress shot to international fame playing New York reporter Sue Charlton in the 1986 blockbuster that also made a star of her first husband, Paul, 85, who starred as the rugged Australian crocodile hunter Mick Dundee. While she may have won the hearts of fans worldwide as a blonde damsel in distress who was saved from a croc in the nick of time by the leading man, these days the star looks almost unrecognizable as she enjoys a peaceful life out of the limelight. Linda, now a youthful brunette, retired from acting due to dissatisfaction with the roles she was being offered in the wake of her Dundee success. In an interview with Scripps Howard News Service in 2001, after her last screen appearance in the much-loved franchise, she opened up about her choice to leave Hollywood behind and quit acting. 'These straight-to-video, schlocky films I was getting were giving me an ulcer, basically because I was the only one on the set that cared about anything,' she said at the time. 'I'd say, "Well, this scene doesn't make sense." [They would say,] "Aw, so what, just say the lines." [And] I thought, "This isn't fun anymore. This is not why I studied, it's not what I love." Between that and my biological clock, I decided to give it all away.' She told the Los Angeles Times in 1988 that she ended up being typecast by Hollywood casting directors after Crocodile Dundee, which she said was both a blessing and a curse. 'After Crocodile Dundee, I turned down lots of stuff, most of it where I'd play the girlfriend of some funny man,' she said. She also opened to the MailOnline in 2014 about 'living in Paul's shadow' after the pair fell in love on set of Crocodile Dundee. Paul - 19 years Linda's senior - was still married to wife Noelene Edwards when first filming the franchise. The actor, who would later leave his home country behind to settle in Los Angeles with Linda, wed his co-star in 1990, welcomed son Chance, now 27, eight years later and finalised their divorce in 2014. 'Paul is very famous and I lived for a long time in his shadow,' Linda admitted. 'I feel good now to be out on my own and be doing my own things.' Opening up about their divorce in 2014, Linda told New Idea: 'Honestly, we just naturally grew apart. One of our problems was we really had nothing in common and, over time, that happens to a lot of people.' She insisted, however, that she and Paul were amicable. 'We've been separated to a certain degree for a long time,' she explained. 'The divorce is not sudden. It is very friendly. We talk all the time. We co-parent our son.' While she may have won the hearts of fans worldwide as a blonde damsel in distress who was saved from a croc in the nick of time by the leading man, these days the star (pictured) looks almost unrecognizable as she enjoys a peaceful life out of the limelight Proving that to be case even a decade on, Linda and Paul were recently spotted with their son Chance, who frequently makes headlines over his erratic behaviour, and the retired actress' partner Moulay, in LA. Pictures showed Linda looking youthful as she stepped out for dinner with the group at a local restaurant. She opted for a casual look for the meal, sporting black trousers, a matching top and shawl, as well as beige sandals, while carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag. Since leaving Hollywood, Linda often documents her incredible trips on social media with her new travel companion and long-time lover Moulay. Since meeting more than a decade ago, the couple have travelled all over the globe, including Africa, Spain, Greece, Italy, Japan, Australia and more, all documented on Linda's official Instagram account. Moulay, a tour guide and location scout from Morocco was introduced to Linda through mutual film producer friends in 2014. The couple went into business together in Marrakesh, running Dream My Destiny, which provides tours for tourists and location scouting for films. 'I was coming often, and friends wanted to come and tour with me and they knew that Baba knows a lot about the country,' Linda previously explained to the MailOnline. 'And it just naturally came into place.' In an interview with Scripps Howard News Service in 2001, after her last screen appearance in the much-loved franchise, Linda (pictured) opened up about her choice to leave Hollywood behind and quit acting. 'These straight-to-video, schlocky films I was getting were giving me an ulcer, basically because I was the only one on the set that cared about anything,' she said Linda said that the experience and business venture had breathed new life into her ambitions following her split from Paul in 2013 after 23 years of marriage. Two years ago the couple purchased a newly remodelled single story, four-bedroom, two-bath home in Ojai for nearly $2million. Ojai is a haven for artists and people who love the outdoors with its numerous biking, hiking, and horse trails. But their home in the village-like city isn't the only residence of Linda's, since the retired actress appears to have spent her one-off payment of $6.25 million in her divorce settlement on becoming a property tycoon. The brunette beauty has bought three Venice Beachfront properties, which is dubbed Silicon Beach for the tech-CEOs it attracts. She's even earned the title of the Queen of Silicon Beach after having sold one home for $1.9 million in order to buy a $2 million home that she's now renting out. A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia in 2017: 'She has been really smart and made millions. She got a settlement from Paul of course and she's used it well. 'She's definitely her own woman now. Property prices have rocketed in Venice and she's rode the crest of a wave, no doubt about it.' The source added: 'Everyone who's anyone wants to live in Venice and it's where big earners at Google and Snapchat want to live. 'All the neighbours call her the 'Queen of Sillicon Beach' because of it. We all wish we had the clout and sense to buy properties like she has and make the same kind of money. Her fortune will only do one thing - go up.' Meanwhile, the neighbour added that the star has been on a 'health kick' in recent years, and her hard work has apparently paid off. 'Going on a health kick... has taken years off,' the insider said. 'She's nearly 60 but could pass for a woman in her 40s. No problem,' the source continued. 'She's lost at least 20lbs.' Linda previously addressed rumours of plastic surgery, after many publications speculated about her ageless good looks and nearly wrinkle-free complexion. 'I don't have plastic surgery,' she said adamantly to the MailOnline in 2014. 'I had my nose done when I was like 20 years old. Can I just say one thing about that? I work like a dog to stay in shape. 'And there's only one way to look good – it's hard work. Work like a dog every morning. Hard work that's it!' Her regime consists of daily push ups, sit ups, and ballet. But when she is in Morocco she runs the sand dunes. But Linda's life hasn't been entirely smooth sailing - with her troubled son Chance sparking concern for his welfare recently after sharing concerning videos to his Instagram stories in January. 'This is my life. This is what it's been reduced to,' Chance slurred as he took sips from his wine glass. The camera he angled toward his face and laptop wobbled as he struggled to hold it steady while he spoke. He then leaned in close and said: 'Please. Please kill me. I'm begging you.' Chance, an aspiring musician who has been based in Venice Beach with his famous father, has frequently made headlines over his erratic behaviour. But when caught up with Paul while he ran errands in Los Angeles in December, the father-of-six said there was nothing to fear. Asked if he was worried about Chance, Paul shook his head casually and smiled before replying: 'Nah.' He continued: 'No. It's a lot of made up stuff and a lot of it he [Chance] does on purpose.' The largely reclusive star appeared friendly and happy to chat despite the rumours and concerns circulating about his son. Chatting to Today show entertainment editor Richard Wilkins in May, Paul was asked for an update on the condition of his son, and said: 'Alright. Better than he gets. 'He gets a lot of tabloid stuff, but he's a terrible person because he knows they're watching him and he puts something on for them.'
New York Times
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Eiza González Says Legend of Zelda Changed How She Looks at Life
Eiza González isn't quite sure where she lives at the moment. 'I'm a bit of a nomad,' she said in a video call from California, where she has a house in Los Angeles and a ranch in Ojai. 'I'm here, there, everywhere.' That included Cairo, Bangkok, Vienna and various parts of Britain for the film 'Fountain of Youth,' about an art thief and his entourage who go on a global quest for the source of the mythological waters. González plays Esme, a 'protector,' though of what and whom isn't always crystal clear. She describes the character as 'Machiavellian fun, a huge enigma and kind of a poker face, but a sassy and witty girl.' The movie will stream on Apple TV+ starting May 23. It was her third project with the director Guy Ritchie — 'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' landed in 2024 and 'In the Grey' will come out this summer — and her first time in an action movie at an Indiana Jones-like level. 'I think he really enjoys someone that is willing to take risks and play and push themselves, and he saw a lot of desire in me,' González said of Ritchie before explaining why psychology books, the Criterion Channel and LED light therapy are on her list of must-haves. These are edited excerpts from the conversation. I'm currently reading 'Rewire' by Nicole Vignola. I've also been reading 'Please Unsubscribe, Thanks!' by Julio Vincent Gambuto. Anything that is a deep dive into psyche and understanding the human behavior. I would've most definitely become a psychologist if I wasn't an actress. Back in the day it was more about buying the right products. Now I'm on the plane, and I'm lying in a Celluma, which is a long, flat medical-grade LED. Many girls are obsessed with makeup. For me, it's how can I make my skin even better? I'm obsessed with health. I've made it my religion. It's just a magical land. It's ground zero for me in the sense that it recalibrates me. I feel so free and I feel so unplugged. And it has many memories for me that are deeply meaningful. I can't live without it. English is my second language, and I've expanded my English thanks to Spelling Bee or Wordle or Crossword. It really has helped me with my knowledge of languages — and knowledge in general. I grew up in Mexico City, where the access to films was what was on the TV. In the middle of Covid, I discovered that the Criterion Channel had a platform, and I indulged in it intensely. I've learned so much about foreign filmmakers, foreign films, foreign styles of directing, foreign everything. I am obsessed with sports. I am obsessed with sports for myself. I am obsessed with watching sports. Anything, anything, anything. I admire the athlete mentality, the dedication to the sport. I think it has a lot of parallels to actors and the level of commitment for what we do. At first glance you'd be like, 'Oh, it's a simple game.' But it's so much more deep than anyone could imagine because it's about thinking outside the box and resolving things in a nontraditional way. I think that really stimulated me as a child and allowed me to have a dreamlike mentality my entire life. I was a very strange child. I had a hamster, a duck, two dogs, a chicken, a ferret, and my dad had a squirrel, all in my house. My mom owned horses. I only follow three accounts on TikTok, and one of them is this girl that owns a farm. She has a bajillion random animals. And I'm like, 'You are living my life.' One peek into my Pinterest board and you would think I'm an interior designer on the side. I really enjoy nesting and building a home and finding unique pieces. I'm just obsessed with textures and structure and fabric and colors. I don't know if I'm one of those people that see things in colors, but it really is an integral part of who I am. I live in luggage. I've been on the go since I was 12. I started as a child actor and then I was a singer, so I feel the most myself when I'm traveling. I haven't lived in one place for the longest time. And once I do, I feel like there's something missing inside of me. My biggest reason for why I work and make money is to be able to travel the world and discover more.
