Vanessa Morgan - TV

Vanessa Morgan

The Sexiest Vamp Babysitter On TV!

By Rych McCain international/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist

Vanessa Morgan (Photo by Sean Getti)

    The Disney Channel has produced a slew of cutie-pie looking youngsters who went on to become young adult stunners such as Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Hilary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens, Brenda song, Raven Symone and the list goes on. Soon to be added to that tradition is actress/singer Vanessa Morgan. 

     This young lady is fully equipped with the sexy, sultry looks, talent and persona that not only turn heads and catches attention but will have many suitors (both script wise professionally and relationship wise personally) hustling to get in line. 

Vanessa Morgan (Website Photo)

     Even though she is currently almost fully legal at age twenty, Morgan came up through the ranks at Disney and other outlets as a child actor breaking in the biz as an eight year-old with her film debut as the young Vanessa Williams in VH1’s TV movie “A Diva’s Christmas.” The Ottawa, Ontario, Canada native won the beauty title of Junior Miss America in 1999 and has starred on the international Family Channel TV series “The Latest Buzz.” Morgan has other credits including the Disney Channel TV movies “Harriet The Spy: Blog Wars” and “Geek Charming.” She currently has a recurring role Jenne, Cameron’s girl friend on Disney’s “A.N.T. Farm” TV series and stars as Sarah the half human vampire also on Disney’s “My Baby Sitter’s A Vampire” TV series.

Benny's spell book (Disney Channel Photo)

    
     Disney doing a vampire TV show? Was it shocking or surprising to Morgan to get such a role on The Disney Channel of all places? She chuckles, “It was a complete shock because Disney definitely doesn’t do anything like that. We never thought it was going to get picked up by Disney at all when we made it because that is really out of their comfort zone but I was auditioning for another Disney show and the head of Disney said ‘Oh, we just bought your show.’ So I was the first one to find out even before anyone else. I guess they liked how it was a bit riskier than how they usually go so they wanted to try it out. And kids love it because its not so protected and squeaky clean. It’s actually the humor that they really like.” 
  

    When asked about her character, Morgan says, “My character’s name is Sarah and she’s the vampire baby sitter. She’s very strong. She’s dealing with the fact that her ex-boyfriend was a vampire and turned her into one against her will. But she’s dealing with that because she wanted to have kids one day, be a normal high school student and now she’s realizing that’s not really going to happen anymore. She has to deal with school and then fighting vampires and all of these mystical creatures that she’s discovered are now in her town.”

Vanessa Morgan (Website Photo)

     As far as being a former beauty pageant queen, did that have any affect on making her career happen as most contestants claim to enter pageants as a career advancement? Morgan reflects, “I was really little and I saw these other little girls and I thought oh I get to show my talent, I’ll get to sing. I did the competition and you know how they do the hair and make-up and I didn’t even do my hair. I just had my afro curls and I put on blush, lip gloss and a little bit of mascara. I didn’t do any classes or anything. Then I won Miss Junior California and then Junior Miss America. For me it wasn’t about a career move I said oh, I get to show my talent and sing. I just kind of did it actually because I wanted to beat out the girls that took it so seriously with all of the make-up and stuff. I just strutted across the stage in my little afro and winked at the judges. I guess they liked it.”
 

     Off camera Morgan loves going for walks, dancing, being with friends and hanging out with her dogs. She also loves splitting her time between the States and Canada. How does she avoid the pitfalls of Hollywood being young and superfine? “Morgan blushes and laughs, “Just look out for people who have your best interest. In this industry you can meet a lot of fake, competitive, nasty people who don’t have your best interest. So you have to deal with that. Everyone will deal with a person like that on set or in their life. Hold to the right set and don’t allow yourself to be used and be confident in your talent.” 

     Hit her up at twitter.com@vanessamorgan, her website www.vanessamorgan.com and Facebook.

 © 2012 Rych McCain Media/Syndication tm 
(You DID Hear It From Me!)  
E-Mail: feedbackrych@sbcglobal.net

Steve Helmkamp - TV

 

Steve Helmkamp

Taking A Bite Out Of Life His Way!

By Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist

  

Steve Helmkamp (M&H Photo)

  

    The average working person gets up every morning, five days a week, going to a boring dead end job that they hate. Most in that position accept it as their fate without challenge but there are the exceptions who ponder the question, what if I could take a break from work and the obligations of life?

      Los Angeles based actor and model Steven Helmkamp found himself face-to-face with an opportunity to make a separation from the ordinary via a new TV series. The new show is titled “Clean Break” and airs Wednesday nights 8 & 11 PM ET/PT as a web series and TV show on The Fuel-TV Network. The show features three men who are plucked from their mundane and monotonous lives and dropped into Hawaii’s most beautiful and remote locations to endure trying a physical, adrenaline-pumping and emotional series of challenges and adventures. The show’s motto says: “Sometimes you need to go outside to find out what’s inside.” The men are tutored and guided by veteran, champion watermen and their experiences made a visible and permanent impact on their attitudes and life.

Steve & Waterman Tamayo (Fuel TV Photo)

  
    Helmkamp, a Florida native, has spent his life loving the water but found himself in a rut with a job he couldn’t stand while being on call for acting gigs. Hoping to rekindle his motivation to find true happiness, Helmkamp reignited his love for adventure when the opportunity presented itself in the form of the TV show “Clean Break.”  He is an avid fitness devotee, and frequently takes advantage of California’s outdoor lifestyle by surfing, hiking, running, and biking. 

     After getting stuck as a medical sales rep between acting gigs which he hated, Helmkamp explains his jubilation when “Clean Break” came, saying “It was the perfect time and the perfect adventure for me at this stage of my life. Soon after I did the show, I was able to quit the medical sales job and since then a lot of other things have taken off for me in acting and entertainment and it’s been the best decision of my life.” 

     When he first found out about the show and what was involved, did he have reservations and trepidations about doing it? Helmkamp quips, “They told us it was going to be all extreme sports and there were going to be three guys. So when I got picked I immediately wanted to know who the other two guys were. I didn’t know if this was a competition, if the other two guys were world class athletes and they had mistaken me for one and I’d be going toe-to-toe with the other guys.”

Chase Penny, Steve Helmkamp, Luke Rodgers (Fuel TV Photo)

  
      Helmkamp voiced other concerns as well noting, “Also I was a little bit worried about the surfing aspect. I grew up surfing. I don’t surf every weekend but often and rip tides and currents can be really, really strong and you can get knocked in the head with your board and knock yourself out with huge waves that are out of your reach. Hawaii is known for that so that was definitely something to worry about. But once we got over there and I met the guys it wasn’t a competition at all. We really became like brothers and went through the whole thing together rather than against each other.” In fact, surfing experience was one of the requirements for landing the job.

     How did Helmkamp prepare physically for all of this? He laughs, “I’ve been an athlete all my life. I grew up playing soccer as a young kid, transitioned into basketball through high school and college but I’ve always been on hiking, bike riding and working out doing Crawford training so I really love staying up on my fitness game.” During the show, there was no preparation except to have a pro waterman take them out for escort and tips. As Helmkemp puts it, “We had a pro legend with us through almost every adventure that we did, but there was no preparation for it. Just saying your prayers at night was the only preparation I had.”

 © 2012 Rych McCain Media/Syndication tm  

(You DID Hear It From Me!) 

 E-Mail: feedbackrych@sbcglobal.net