Cookie's April Cuties
5 CELEBS STRUTTING THEIR STUFF ON SCREEN
The cutest, most adorable and even sexiest, hottest and finest thing a celebrity can be is brilliant at their job.
What that job is is complex and multifaceted and so is the idea of brilliance. But I've successfully compiled a list of folks that easily demonstrates through their craft what brilliance truly is.
I like cute. I care about cute. So, I have to tell you who I think fits the description.
But let me define it a bit first.
Yes, looks. We put too much emphasis on them, but, I'm really proud to have a wide appreciation for what is considered beauty. Each Cutie on my list is physically desirable and out-right beautiful.
But even more so, being fine AF is about that quality. What we call possessing that je ne sais quoi (or it possessing you). It comes from grit. Digging into ourselves and getting honest about who and what we are and if it does not match who we long to be, doing that back- and sometimes heart-breaking work to close the chasm. You know, confidence. Self-acceptance. Wisdom. Healthfulness.
It is aging gracefully. It is giving yourself the chance you wish others would take on you. It is taking a risk, earning it, rather than being one. It is being messy and at the end of your rope and just when you're about to hang yourself, making macramé instead. It is the well of keep-goingness that seems dry and dry and dry and then with crazed fortitude, finding a tiny sip. Drinking in life. Every drop of it. Until we are even again. We are at peace and still going along.
Who gets more sexy than that?
Dan Aykroyd has been a veritable stud-muffin in comedy since the late 70s and still rocks the big screen. Watch "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" to see him strut that stuff in his most recent works.
But no one gets me going like a sleeper hottie. Benedict Wong (check my interview with him here) is cool, quiet and strong in Netflix's "3 Body Problem". He moves with a stealth intelligence that simmers throughout the series and is a major part in what keeps it appetizing.
Now, I love someone who changes my mind. Throughout her career, I was not the target fan for Maya Rudolph. My personal politics on race do not line up with her public use of race, especially throughout her SNL years.
I could be reading into things, but there seems to be a liberation into a kind of storytelling that represents what she has to say rather than crap I suspect was forced upon her. This is a woman who is merging real life with what most of us count as fairytale. "Loot 2" continues to thrill as a comedy about a divorcee who inherited billions in the split who turns to charitable work to find herself after heartbreak. In season one, there seemed to be a focused commentary on fiscal waste and the absurdity of the billionaire. But this season, there is a strong commentary on love-- believe or do not believe-- that brings me to my knees. Makes me respect Maya Rudolph and understand she's one sexy thang.
Nothing needs to be said about Monkey Man. I've reviewed it as a professional critic (which you can see here). And I won't go in too deeply on his naked muscles that are upstaging him in some of his scenes. I wouldn't be so crass. But, I will say what has my pulse racing for him is his willingness to be unapologetic in betting on himself. This entire movie is just him going for it-- no holds barred. It is the sexiest thing I've seen in a long time.
Ron Funches. I love him. He is evolution. It is there in his personal choices. And reflected in his responsibility in telling the story of "Loot 2". He's got more to do. And he is worth it. Capable. Exciting. He's my top Cutie for April.
Hey, there!
I'm Lonita Cook
I'm a creative producer, film critic, arts advocate, new traveler and super-vegan chickpea lover, a nerd when it comes to story structure and thematic messaging and it's my true joy to work with others and help them tell the stories bursting to leap into the world (without it taking years to get them out). If you are just pursuing your best + wildest dreams even at midlife and beyond, this could be a home for you. Sign up below to connect with me daily, right in your inbox. See you soon!