Singer, actor, author, producer, model and songwriter Terrell Carter is the sort of multi-hyphenate Renaissance man we so adore on this blog. Check out his music here, his book here, and his hot stuff here. A native of Buffalo, NY, Carter earns his first Dazzler of the Day for all the talent he has put on display over the past few years. His book ‘Problem Child’ is a riveting walk along his journey – one that continues to surprise and impress.
My seventh-grade Social Studies teacher, Mr. Blinsinger, was largely unremarkable. He was mostly humorless, and I had little to no interest in Social Studies (where was the Anti-Social Studies class my constitution so badly needed?) He wasn’t mean, and he wasn’t a bad teacher, he was just a typical middle-aged man teaching kids who didn’t want to be there. It must be hard to do that day in and day out.
When the day before Christmas vacation rolled around, he was the last person I expected to go easy on us, much less express any sentiment or feeling about the season. When he wheeled in the television and VCR cart, setting it up in the front of the room I fully expected some lesson in history to play; instead, it was as much of ‘A Christmas Story’ as would fit into our class period. Even after it began, I thought it was some joke, that he would dole out a pop quiz after a few minutes of the movie. That didn’t happen, and we watched about half of the story – my first experience with ‘A Christmas Story’. As the bell rang and we got up to leave, he gave a rare smile, and I said thank you as I filed out.
That’s a long introduction to my introduction to ‘A Christmas Story’, which plays a part in this Dazzler of the Day as it marks the movie for which Peter Billingsley is perhaps best known. A couple of years ago they did a sequel, ‘A Christmas Story Christmas’, which stands up surprisingly well as sequels go, echoing the original in all the right ways, and expanding upon its warm messages. Billingsley reprises his role, this time as a grown up Ralphie, and the all-wise-and-all-knowing narrator. It works crazy well, and this Dazzler crowning is as much for the joy he inspired as a young kid, and again as an adult.
Making the Sexiest Man Alive keep all his clothes on for People’s annual award seems a bit of a bait-and-switch, but what can one expect from People magazine? They have chosen John Krasinski as Sexiest Man Alive, and while I don’t disagree with the selection, they should back it up with something more substantial. (For those in search of John Krasinski naked, look no further than this post.) Today Mr. Krasinski also earns this Dazzler of the Day crowning, long promised and fittingly delivered on a special week.
His shower scene is having a moment, as is his revelation that there was no prosthetic used, so Cooper Koch earns his first Dazzler of the Day crowning here. He joins his on-screen brother Nicholas Alexander Chavez in this honor, thanks to their work on ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’.
Broadway alum Christopher Sieber knows his way around wowing an audience, as witnessed in celebrated turns in ‘Company’, ‘The Prom‘, ‘Shrek’, ‘Spamalot‘ and ‘Triumph of Love‘. He’s currently going head to head to head with the three women of ‘Death Becomes Her‘ and to his credit, he holds his own despite the insane scenery-gulping going on around him. (See also Jennifer Simard, Megan Hilty and Michelle Williams.) That’s basically his thankless role as Ernest, who finds boozy and hilarious respite in his basement as he formulates ‘The Plan’ and turns in another show-stopping exercise in musical comedy brilliance, hence this crowning as Dazzler of the Day.
Director of the most highly-anticipated film of the year, ‘Wicked’, at least in the giddy circles I frequent, Jon M. Chu brings an epic arsenal of film work to Gregory Maguire’s novel and the musicalized version that’s still packing in audiences on Broadway. To truly capture the wonder of Oz would take a visionary, so I’m confident that it landed in the right lap. Chu has helmed such memorable films as ‘Crazy Rich Asians‘ and ‘In the Heights’, as well as filmed concerts of Justin Bieber and the dance films ‘Step Up 2’ and ‘Step Up 3’. He knows his way around a musical dance number, and is genius at combining swirling camera work with dramatic visuals and compelling music. He earns this Dazzler of the Day for the trailers of ‘Wicked’ alone – and advance buzz is that this first installment absolutely defies gravity.
Oodles of ruffles, powerful colors, and layers of talent are hallmarks of Christian Siriano and his impeccable fashion creations. Siriano has done the impossible and made a name for himself by designing for some of the biggest stars in the world; it comes from a place of unique beauty, sumptuous style, and an eye for art that lends each of his creations something incredibly special. He easily earns this Dazzler of the Day for years of pushing the boundaries of what fashion can be – check out his website here for a collection of beauty.
When my Kristen says you are good people, it’s an absolute fact that you are good people, and so it was that I discovered Kelly Friel, and her wondrous work with yarn, the beauty of which immediately merits this Dazzler of the Day crowning. Friel heads up the Fashion School Dropout Yarn Company, and her work is exquisite. With an eye for color combinations that particularly speaks to anyone who adores vibrant color play, she crafts yarn that is a work of art unto itself, lending a gorgeous and unique product for all knitters, crocheters, crafters, and appreciators of beauty. See what’s available on her link tree here.
Currently turning in a riveting performance in the latest ridiculousness from Ryan Murphy – ‘Grotesquerie’ – Niecy Nash-Betts earns her first Dazzler of the Day crowning, and while the show itself is silly, showy, over-the-top gratuitous fun, Nash-Betts grounds it in her portrayal of Lois Tryon. It’s a master class of acting, running the gamut from the deepest pathos to the lightest whimsical hilarity, often in the whiplash span of a few minutes. She’s given a few monologues that start somewhere you think you know, and then she takes it into a totally different realm, and by the end you feel exhilarated and moved in ways you no longer thought possible from television. Check her out on FX’s ‘Grotesquerie’ and prepare to be marveled.
We love a double dazzler, and with this crowning Joe Locke earns his second Dazzler of the Day honor. Thanks to the new season of ‘Heartstopper’ and his turn in ‘Agatha All Along’, Locke is on a bit of a roll. Couple that with a fun sense of fashion for the red carpet, and you have someone doubly worthy of this honor. (See his first turn as Dazzler of the Day here.)
It’s been a while since we’ve featured a Dazzler of the Day here (and your requests/recommendations are always welcome) and we are back with a great one. This is Joe Keery, actor and musician who came on the scene in a big way with ‘Stranger Things’ and has continued to mark a name for himself, such as his charming turn in ‘Free Guy’ (it’s almost impossible to steal a movie from Ryan Reynolds, but Keery managed to do it). We eagerly await what he’s doing next…
Fierce as fuck, entrancing and exciting, and causing a glorious commotion all the way into the pop culture firmament, Chappell Roan earns this Dazzler of the Day. From the refreshing charm of debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” to the fabulously prickly way she’s been dealing with her insta-fame, Roan is the hottest pop star of the moment – and she’s got the quirky fashion sense to lead the way. Her album is my current soundtrack – and I’m far from alone. Check out her website here for upcoming tour dates.
Fresh off his recent MTV Video Music Awards performance (didn’t even realize that the VMAs were still a thing until I saw some social media posts about it – and who scheduled it on 9/11 anyway?) Benson Boone earns his first Dazzler of the Day thanks to some riveting showmanship and a killer set of vocals. He’s currently touring all over the world, and has a charming website here for all that’s happening. One of his social bios simply proclaims he’s “just a happy guy writing sad songs” and that’s an envious place to be.
If I could have my choice of one person’s voice to narrate my life’s story, I would choose Morgan Freeman. One of the most prolific and popular actors of the past half-century, Freeman’s Oscar-winning body of work includes one of my favorite movies of all-time: ‘The Shawshank Redemption’. He’s also played notable roles in works as varied as ‘Se7en’, ‘Bruce Almighty’, ‘Amistad’, ‘The Dark Knight’, and ‘Driving Miss Daisy’. Today he can add Dazzler of the Day to that list of impressive accomplishments.
Hugh Jackman has been here naked before in this post, but this marks his first crowning as Dazzler of the Day. He was my favorite part of ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ and lent the otherwise frivolous fun a certain gravitas and pathos, that little spark of emotional heft that have otherwise been largely missing from the Multiverse offerings of late. Jackman is an accomplished multiple-threat performer, having mastered the arts of acting, singing, and dancing across the stages of Broadway, movies and live performances.
