THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT | JULIAN WORKS

For the past 4 seasons, we have enjoyed 9-1-1: Lonestar which allows us to follow the work and lives of first responders that are in Austin Texas! With an engaging ensemble cast, we took some time to talk with Julian Works who plays Mateo Chavez. We've watched as he's grown with his fellow fireman, become involved in a relationship, and really coming into his own!

We wanted to know more about how he got into the industry, his passion for storytelling, being in 9-1-1, how one trains for this role, his movie The Long Game, and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the show or movie that made you fall in love with storytelling?

JULIAN WORKS: I’ve been a movie buff since I was really young and loved so many classic films like Rear Window, La Dolce Vita, Rebel Without A Cause, East of Eden, On The Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, Rocky, Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather, Taxi Driver, and Midnight Express. They definitely lit a spark in me, and after hosting a YouTube Sports channel called Mun2 with my uncle as a teenager, I decided to audition for a rendition of The Odd Couple at my high school. I ended up booking the lead role of ‘Oscar Madison’ and the rest is history!

AM: Prior to you coming to 9-1-1: Lone Star, I first remember seeing you on The Affair. What is your creative process in approaching the characters that you have played?

JW: I do extensive research for any role that I play. In the case of The Affair, I came into the recurring role of ‘Angel’ after the show had been airing for 3 seasons, so I took it upon myself to binge-watch as many episodes as possible before the audition so that I could grasp the tone and the rhythm of the show. In the case of 9-1-1: Lone Star, on the other hand, I had the privilege of developing the character from its inception and the writers have molded the character around what I’ve brought to the table over the past 4 seasons. For The Long Game, I first read the novel by the great Humberto G. Garcia, then researched what it may have been like to be a Mexican American in 1950’s Del Río, Texas and of course brushed up on everything golf-related (including playing the game quite a bit before we began filming). Doing a deep dive into script and role analysis is also a part of my process. It always helps when you have a great director like Julio Quintana (Blue Miracle, The Vessel, Disgraced) or television showrunners like Tim Minear (9-1-1, Ratched, American Horror Story) and Rashad Raisani (Burn Notice, 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star) at the helm who guide you and put all of the pieces of the story together.

AM: What drew you to 9-1-1 Lone Star?

JW: Producers Ryan Murphy (Glee, Pose, American Horror Story), Brad Falchuk (Nip/Tuck, Scream Queens, The Politician), and Tim Minear. As soon as we saw their names attached to the series, my team and I knew we had to do everything in our power for me to work with them. It has been one of the most rewarding work experiences of my life.

AM: What is the training like to be on this show in terms of wearing the gear and being able to be in the mindset of a firefighter?

JW: It definitely takes some getting used to and ample training time. The gear is super heavy, so you have to be physically fit to handle the long hours with bulky clothing and able to handle sizable equipment, sometimes in hot weather. We’ve gone through extensive training with real firefighters and incredible consultants with our production team to make sure we honor the real firefighting heroes who risk their lives every day for us.

AM: Tell me about how you came to the 9-1-1 Universe as you actually had a few episodes in the flagship and how did that then bring you to 9-1-1: Lonestar?

JW: I booked a memorable Guest Star role opposite the legendary Angela Bassett (Waiting to Exhale, American Horror Story, Black Panther universe) on the flagship show, 9-1-1. A year later, when 9-1-1: Lone Star was casting, I read for ‘Mateo Chavez’ late in their casting process, fresh off of filming a TV show in Canada. Luckily, much of the creative team and the producers were the same on both shows, and they thought I’d be a great addition to the cast. I thank my lucky stars for that, since playing ‘Mateo’ has been one of the greatest experiences of my life until now.

AM: You also get to play a twin every now and then - what do you love about Marvin?

JW: I only played ‘Marvin’ once on the original 9-1-1 show. I love that he’s a very genuine and charismatic person who just lacks direction in life. To his benefit, Angela Bassett’s character, ‘Athena,’ gives him the tough love that he needs. She is the reason he reflects on his life and looks to change for the better at the end of the episode.

AM: For those that need a refresher where do we end with Mateo from last season and what can you tell us about where we pick him up again for next season?

JW: Without giving away too much, let’s just say that he and Nancy (Brianna Baker) are a part of the fifth season’s storyline. Stay tuned for new and big climate events, explosions, amazing rescues, and the evolution of old and new relationships! Like all previous seasons, ‘Mateo’ will have a breakout episode where new and exciting things will be revealed!

AM: For fans of the show, what are the takeaways that you want viewers to feel about Mateo's arc or the show in general?

JW: I love ‘Mateo’s’ humor and optimism, even when faced with great adversity or personal challenges. He keeps getting back up and trying again, until he achieves his goal and I’d like viewers to really take that positive attitude and indefatigable outlook with them, into their own lives.

AM: You are in The Long Game which hit theaters last month and debuted at SXSW last year where the film earned the SXSW Narrative Spotlight Audience Award. What drew you to this movie?

JW: The incredible novel, Mustang Miracle, by Humberto G. Garcia, the script, and our indomitable director Julio Quintana. I almost worked with Julio before on another movie right as I was offered 9-1-1: Lone Star, and after watching that film, I knew I had to work with him. The stars aligned and I had an incredible experience working with him and the entire cast and production team that made the film possible.

AM: For those who have not seen this movie. Tell me about it and who do you play?

JW: I play ‘Joe Trevino,’ a young Mexican-American caddie who ends becoming the San Felipe High School’s most valuable golfer and a champion, along with his team, for the Texas State Championship in 1957. The film is based on a true story and tells the story of the racism and prejudice of our country’s past, but also the hope, evolution, and inspiration that everyday Americans have demonstrated to make America a better home for us all. Simply put, it’s a story about the triumph of the human spirit over adversity and illustrates the lesson for people of any background that you can do anything if you believe in yourself, work hard, and have a strong team around you to reach your goals.

AM: You have an incredible cast that's also in this film from Jay Hernandez (Suicide Squad, Magnum P.I., Last Resort), Dennis Quaid (Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Full Circle, The Day After Tomorrow), and Cheech Marin (Shotgun Wedding, Machete, Nash Bridges). Canelo Alvarez is an Executive Producer of the movie. What did you enjoy about being in this film?

JW: Besides having the privilege and the honor to embody the late ‘Joe Trevino’ and work with our talented director, cast, and production team, I loved the preparation, both physically and mentally. I also loved our filming locations, from Colombia to Texas, and learning from so many wonderfully talented people. Of course, having Canelo Alvarez executive produce our film was phenomenal, and meeting him at his most recent fight in Las Vegas was surreal.

AM: When you're not on set or when you're preparing for your next role, what are 3 workouts that you do to stay in shape?

JW: I love to box, train in mixed martial arts, and go on long-distance jogs and hikes.

AM: How do you take time for yourself?

JW: Music is an important outlet for me. Listening to it and creating. I love a variety of music, from Nipsey Hussle, Drake, and Dr. Dre, to Elvis, The Bee Gees, and Michael Jackson, and compose lyrics for future songs that I’m looking to record.

AM: Are there and upcoming projects that you can share?

JW: I am currently filming the 5th season of 9-1-1: Lone Star and the entire cast is very excited to be back on set! We look forward to sharing the continuation of our storylines and our characters’ journeys with fans this Fall. Stay tuned!

IG @julesworks

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Dylan

Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT | Julian Works in mag.

BMF | HEATHER ZUHLKE, KELLY HU, & MORGAN ALEXANDRIA

Season 3 of STARZ's BMF premiers on Mar 1st. There are light spoilers in this interview, so make sure that you catch up on what you've missed of this Detroit crime family show that is based on a true story of brothers Demetrius Edward "Big Meech" (Demetrius Flenory Jr) and Terry Lee "Southwest Tee" Flenory (Da'Vinchi).

We took some time to sit down with BMF's Showrunner, Executive Producer, and writer, Heather Zuhlke. We wanted to know more about her background, how she came to this show, and what she is looking forward to in terms of this season!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been such a fan of your work since Southland and of course on POWER so congratulations!

HEATHER ZUHLKE: Oh thank you!

AM: What kinds of stories are you drawn to in terms of writing and Executive Producing?

HZ: Oh yeah, always character driven. Things that touch us really on a soul level! I love – I mean, Southland was never about the case, it was about the people. This show is marketed as a crime and family drama, but the heart and soul of BMF is the family aspects – the blood family and the street family. I think that people really relate to those themes because family is so universal. It’s heightened in our story because your brother is a drug kingpin, your son is a kingpin, so everything is heightened!

AM: I live in NY now, but I grew up in Indianapolis, so I’m familiar with the BMF story as they were in Detroit.

What drew you to being involved as I knew you signed onto the second season and now you’re a Showrunner and helming everything for this season.

HZ: So my journey started – gosh, 9 years ago when I met Randy Huggins (The Unit, Criminal Minds, Star) on the original POWER along with 50, and Randy hit me up and said, “hey, will you be my number two Season 2?” Randy really empowered me on set to produce and to get to know everyone. Then he unfortunately had a health complication right after we wrapped Season 2 so 50 asked me to step in and so this has been so much more for me than a job, because we’re carrying on Randy’s legacy and honoring his vision! And again, this isn’t just a TV show, or a job, we’re really a family.

AM: Obviously, the first 2 seasons were amazing, and the 2nd had me at the edge of my seat with the finale. We had the pleasure of watching the first 3 episodes of the 3rd season and it’s beyond exciting to see what’s going to take place.

What are you excited about for us to see in this new season?

HZ: You know, I’m really excited about the collision of the streets, hip-hop, and pro sports! What you saw in episode 3, there are some big moments for the fans.

I’m also really excited about the finale and the way it pushes story forward and there is going to be another big moment. I’m really excited for the world to see Russell Hornsby (The Affair, Fences, Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector) who plays Charles Flenory and he has his directorial debut which will be for episode 7 and Randy Huggin’s daughter Ms Haven Huggins is making her acting debut in that episode too!

AM: We can’t wait to see how it all plays out! The season is off to a great start and being a fan of yours for such a long time, it’s awesome to see how you bring your worlds to life and your style. It’s great to see you in this show that touches all the points of prestige TV!

HZ: Thank you for being a fan as we do it for you guys!

IG @heather_zuhlke

@bmfstarz

In addition to chatting with Heather, we also wanted to talk with the cast for them to share their thoughts on being in this show and what we can expect from this season. We sat down with Kelly Hu (The Scorpion King, Dietland, Arrow) and Morgan Alexandria (How to Get Away with Murder, Twenties, This is Us).

ATHLEISURE MAG: It was so exciting to watch the first 3 episodes from the screeners and to get right into it after how Season 2 ended! It will be exciting to see how this season turned out!

Before we dig into that, why were you drawn to BMF?

MORGAN ALEXANDRIA: For me, I was really excited. Obviously, it’s a great story, it’s a true story, and I know of a lot of people who know a lot about the story as they grew up around it and that type of thing. So, it’s legendary in that sense. I’m not going to lie, I was so nervous to play a cop, because it’s one of my things that I’m like, “ah, I don’t know with all of the jargon and so forth!” My team pushed me, I pushed myself and then I was like, the writing is so good and then joining it was such a blessing! Being able to work with Kelly was such an honor, seriously! It was so much fun! She made it so fun!

KELLY HU: We had a lot of fun on set! It’s such a great show and it’s really well done and it’s well written. The actors are amazing and 2nd Season when I came on, I got to do almost all of my scenes with Steve Harris (The Practice, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) who was so much fun! It was nuts! And this season, I get to do all of my scenes with Morgan and we had a blast, seriously! We got pretty close on this.

AM: You can definitely see the chemistry between you and how you’re connected. It made it fun to watch. After I finished the screeners, I wanted to know what happens in the remaining part of the season between your character’s dynamic, because it’s always fun to see the interaction between you on screen.

Kelly, for our readers who need a bit of a refresher. Where do we leave Detective Veronica Jin and what can we expect from her this season?

KH: Well in the 2nd season as I mentioned, she had partnered with Detective Von Bryant. They had their thing going, and that went beyond the police partnership and he got in trouble and she was trying to help him out and got sort of dragged down with him. This season, she’s really trying to save herself and him!

AM: Morgan, this is your first season and we’re just getting introduced to Detective Colbie Anderson! What can you tell us about her?

MA: She’s really an interesting character. For me, there is really a dichotomy going on between her and her internal feelings. She’s a wealthy girl, she comes from a really great background, but she’s still connected to the streets in a sense that she wants to save everyone and try to make a change within her own community. It’s not always welcomed, but we’ll see, you know?

AM: Seeing you guys as partners this season, it’s fun to see the dynamics and how both of you are unveiling certain things about your characters, what can we keep an eye out for that you’re able to share?

KH: I think that we start off the season where Morgan and I are very at odds with one another because of this background that she has as this rich girl. If people saw how I entered into Season 2, they’ll see sort of the same thing going on with me and Steve. You know, me being the new girl and now Morgan in this season, and how things have turned and I sort of get to switch and become Steve’s character where I am testing her all of the time, but then you can watch as we go through the season on how our partnership really blossoms.

MA: I would say that for my character, Anderson, it’s just a lot of proving herself. Not even necessarily of whether she can do the job, but just her background alone makes a lot of people standoffish.

AM: We can’t wait to see how it unfolds. We’ve been a fan of both of your careers in other projects and it’s really cool to see your dynamic together!

IG @kellyhu

@shesmorgann

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | STARZ/BMF

Read the FEB ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag and see BMF | Heather Zuhlke, Kelly Hu, & Morgan Alexandria in mag.

THE LEGACY CONTINUES | TITUS WELLIVER

We've been fans of Prime Video's Bosch where we follow along as Harry Bosch solves a number of cases regardless of how many feathers he ruffles in the process. On May 6th, the story continues on Amazon FreeVee with Bosch: Legacy. We see how Bosch continues to fight for victims as his daughter Maddie Bosch continues to walk in her father's steps and how he will reconnect with former nemesis, Honey Chandler.

We enjoy the way Titus Welliver leans into his characters and draws us in. Whether it's his work in ABC's Lost, FX's Sons of Anarchy, HBO's Deadwood and countless other TV shows and movies, we know that Titus is going to leave quite a memory with us in the characters that he plays.

We talked with him about becoming an actor, working in the industry and taking on Bosch which comes from a series of books written by Michael Connelly.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be an actor?

TITUS WELLIVER: Oh boy, you know, I think I was born acting. I don’t know about that, I think it’s difficult or I can say, it was right after I realized I didn’t want to be a firefighter or a policeman anymore like all little boys do.

Actually, there was a filmmaker named Rudy Burckhardt and he made some films and he asked me to be in a film of his when I was about 5 and it was a very simple little bit where I played a little boy that had a shiny penny in his pocket and he was walking down a road. He had a hole in his pocket and he lost the penny and the penny was stolen from him by this stingy old man. I remember sort of thinking that it was kind of fun, but I didn’t really consider it any further than that. I did some little bits in school plays and things like that.

I really was initially trained to be a painter – a fine artist, that’s really what I wanted to do. But I always had an interest certainly in film and I watched a lot of television. I was spending a summer with my mother – she was living in Boston, but I didn’t go to school there so I didn’t have any friends there and I didn’t know any kids there. She was living in an area where there just wasn’t that kind of accessibility and I was sort of left to my own devices which meant I was just going to the Cineplex – to the movies all day long. She signed me up at a place called The Actors Workshop in Boston and I was 14 years old. I was reluctant, I wasn’t a camp kid, I liked sports camps and things like that. I went and after the first day, I came back to my mother and asked her if I could do more days of that. I ended up doing 5 days a week and it was a professional school for both adult and kid actors. I did that and I spent the summer doing that, but I still stayed on the trajectory that I was going to go to art school and I painted and I studied and studied.

I did a few productions in high school and enjoyed doing that and after a year of art school, I was left kind of cold to a certain degree and I had a conversation with my father who very directly said to me, “you know, when you’re not thinking about girls and drinking beer, what do you think about?” I said, “I think about acting.” My father said, “so not painting?”and I said no. He told me that I needed to be an actor. That was kind of it!

AM: What’s your process like when you’re thinking of attaching yourself to projects? We’ve enjoyed seeing your in Deadwood, Sons of Anarchy and of course Bosch – what are you looking for?

TW: Well, when you’re starting out, it’s about paying your bills, but also gaining experience. I mean, I did a lot of teeny tiny parts in plays, in short films and things because I was just trying to learn and gain that experience. So there’s that, but I think that more then anything, it starts with the writing. I've read a lot of bad scripts and I have acted in a few. But when the material is good, then it’s on! Then you realize that you’re in the presence of some material that’s going to challenge you and also that it will hopefully teach you something. Because I always say, I like to be in a constant state of learning and getting better. I think that with time, age and experience, the hope is that we evolve and certainly as artists, otherwise, you get kind of bored and you go and do something else. I’ve been extraordinarily fortunate that I have worked with great writers, producers and directors over the years – David Milch (Deadwood, NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues) and Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue, Doogie Howser, M.D., Brooklyn South) to name a few and here I landed with Michael Connelly (The Lincoln Lawyer, The Dark Hours, The Poet) and Eric Overmyer (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, The Affair) and Tom Bernardo (Bosch, Bosch: Legacy) – a very gifted and dynamic group of people. To be given the opportunity to play this very iconic character, he’s kind of like Santa Claus for an actor, he goes down the chimney every time that I go to work and it’s nice.

AM: We’ve been a fan of Michael Connelly books for a number of years so when Bosch went to Prime Video it was exciting and then that you were going to play the title character, we knew that it was going to be so good. How did that come together for you to be part of this?

TW: Well, I was initially sent the script and I read it very quickly. I had only read one of the Bosch books many many years prior to. Unbeknownst to me, my younger brother had read and re-read the books and to this day possesses a kind of encyclopedic knowledge of Bosch as well as everything that Michael has written.

Through a series of mishaps, I kept trying to meet with Michael and the meetings kept getting pushed off and I was shooting Transformers: Age of Extinction which had me traveling all over the place in Chicago, Michigan and then Hong Kong. We just kept missing. I got a call a couple of months later from my manager who told me that I had a little window and Michael Connelly was in town and I would be able to meet with him. At that point, I thought that that boat had sailed as it had been a couple of months that had passed. I went in and met with him and the producers and the director and I was – as my grandmother would say, I was blessed at that moment. I left that audition feeling good, but you know, I have been doing this long enough and have enough humility to know that that’s all you can do. I got the call from my manager that I had been cast as Bosch and to say that I was thrilled was an understatement. It was just more realized after the first day of shooting that I knew I was part of something that was different. I’ve played other cop characters and I’ve done lots of procedural cop shows. Look, when you’re doing something from the ground up, it’s tricky but, when you have source material, like Michael Connelly’s books, you have to work really hard to mess it up. You know, in less capable hands, it could be very very messed up. The temptation to sex things up for a lack of a better word – to have him wearing Brioni suits, driving a fast car and jumping in and out of bed like James Bond, I was relieved that there was never any kind of consideration to do anything because I have always felt that if it ain’t broke, there’s no need to fix it.

Because of the ways that Amazon and the executives work which is at the beginning of the studios, they have a prime directive which is to get the material, but then to delegate the process to the creative people and not to micromanage. They delegated to people that they knew that they trusted. They really did that and they stood behind the show. When we needed things, they always showed up. Because we had such a great group of writers and producers, we were excited by the acceptance and the invitation into people’s homes for the show and the success of the show. But I think that we always felt that it speaks back to what I said in evolving and learning. I felt that the show just continued to get better and better and here we are now in Bosch: Legacy which is a continuation of the work we have been doing for all of these years.

AM: For those who might need a refresher, where did we leave Bosch in season 7 and where do we pick up with him again as we continue his saga in Bosch: Legacy?

TW: Well, Harry’s you know in the last season of Bosch, he’s so completely fed up and disenfranchised that he gives his badge to the Chief of Police and says he’s done. There’s a great line that Irving (Lance Reddick – Bosch, John Wick franchise, The Wire) says to him in that moment, he says, “who are you gonna be if you’re not a cop and you don’t have a badge, who are you going to be?” Harry says, “I guess we’ll find out.” In the final scenes for a little Easter egg scene, we find Harry filling out his paperwork to become a private investigator.

We pick up a little over a year later after that season and Harry is working as a private eye, but he’s doing divorce cases and things here and there. It’s not like he’s got this bustling business and Maddie (Madison Lintz – The Walking Dead, Bosch, Bosch: Legacy) has joined the force and has been on the force for awhile. She’s still working with a training officer, so she’s a boot and she’s trying to find her own legs, but she’s Harry’s daughter and it’s really in her DNA, she carries a lot of the work ethic and the same characteristics and has the same moral compass as well as independent thinker which places her at odds, but she’s out there doing it. We find Chandler (Mimi Rogers – Mad Men, Bosch, Bosch: Legacy) sort of reeling from the very serious PTSD from almost being killed and the person who orchestrated her attempted assassination and Maddie’s looks like he’s going to go free.

You find that everybody is in these states of being kind of fractured and broken. You know, Harry is untethered, he's kind of wandering and he's always been a kind of an isolated character, but he's more isolated than ever now. Maddie, as she’s navigating it, she’s also trying to come into her own because Harry’s legacy has cast a very, very big shadow and that’s not all great! Harry’s reputation was one of being a closer and a great detective, but he pissed a lot of people off because he was a very direct guy and not exactly user friendly. The name Bosch on her uniform is not necessarily a great thing and she doesn’t use her father’s reputation as commerce within the department. So we find these characters really navigating things at the same time and interacting so it doesn’t necessarily feel like it’s a triptych, everything intertwines. But it’s also not like you have Maddie, Chandler and Harry having dinner at the house together – it’s not contrived like that. They’re all living their different lives and they’re all finding their way.

AM: How excited are you in being able to continue this story?

TW: I’m very excited and the idea when we were shooting the final season of Bosch, there was a heaviness for everyone involved. We had become very very close like a family as productions do and we were all invested and were very, very connected and committed to our characters and to the show and so when the opportunity presented itself that we would continue, obviously with a smaller ensemble cast and the ability to focus more on 3 central characters, but still bring in the characters that people know and love that populate the Harry Bosch universe – it’s a thrill! I’m very excited for the show to come out there because the fans of the show that have been so incredibly supportive over the years are really eager and hungry and they want to see what it’s going to be like. I have confidence that we will meet and surpass their expectations.

IG @tituswelliverofficial

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | PG 46 - 51 + 55 Prime Video/Bosch | PG 52 Amazon FreeVee/Bosch: Legacy |

Read the APR ISSUE #77 of Athleisure Mag and see THE LEGACY CONTINUES | Titus Welliver in mag.