5 Things You Don't Know About the 'Hola LA!' Hosts

Hola LA! returns to CBS/KCAL9
on March 30, 7:00pm

And the hosts are getting personal!

 I've asked my co-hosts to reveal five things about themselves that only their closest friends may know.  Check out what they reveal to only my Livin' la Vida LA! blog readers.

Photo by:

Bel Hernandez

The CEO/Moderator

1. My life's motto is Just Do It!
2. I lived in Mexico City for 2 years working as a Mexican Folk dancer
3. I'm one of the authors and also on the book cover for 8 Ways to Say I love My Life and Mean It
4. I have 3 children, 2 grandchildren and the BEST husband in the world!
5. I recently made the switch from an iPhone to a Galaxy III 

Photo by:

Kikey Castillo

The Actress/'In The City Gal'

1. My last audition was for an NBC TV Pilot
2. I take it as a huge compliment when people say I look like Eva Longoria
3. My favorite place to eat is Gratitude Cafe, and it's great for celeb spotting too!
4. I was very shy as a child
5. I once interviewed Anjelica Huston who's now on one of my favorite TV shows, Smash

Dyana Ortelli

The HAC (Host, Actress, Comedienne) and Fashion Victim!

1. I'm Spanish and Aztec.  Does that make me"Spaz-tec"? 
2. The first time I realized I was funny was when I tried to sing "Killing Me Softly" without being funny
3. I've been featured as "fashion victim" in The National Enquirer, Star, and People en Español (for reals!)
4. I hyper-ventilated in the ladies room at the Laugh Factory the first time I did stand-up comedy!
5. I don't play any instruments -- except for the organ :P

Naibe Reynoso

The Mom/Award Winning Journalist

1. I worked a red carpet event 10 days after giving birth to my son
2. I was once a guest co-host on The View
3. The book I would recommend to the first lady is "The Four Agreements"
4. My husband is a writer for the Disney show A.N.T. Farm
5. I used to host a weekly show dedicated to the Twilight franchise

We're baaaack so tune in Saturday, March 30, 7:00pm on KCAL9.  We LOVE our wonderful viewers!!!

'Ravishing in Red' Photo Shoot

Vince Gonzales and Kikey Castillo

"Anyone can be a cover model"

...according to Vince Gonzales, a photographer and dear friend of mine, his motto is "I can bring out the inner cover girl in anyone".  

So when he asked if I would be his model for his glam shoot, I had a brief moment of doubt as I wondered if I could pull this off since I'm not 6 feet tall, I'm not rail thin nor do I have amazing chiseled cheek bones -- quite the opposite!  I'm petite, with curves and ample soft cheeks BUT I really wanted to look and feel like a cover model, who doesn't right?  Plus as an actress I do have a little dream of one day seeing myself on the cover of a fashion magazine.  Half reluctant, half very excited, I said yes!!  

The Results??  Let's just say that I'm very happy I put myself into Vince's capable hands because somehow I Razzled Dazzled that camera and pulled off a Ravishing in Red photo shoot! 

But just so you know, it took a Village to Raise this Cover Model...a team of professionals were rounded up to make me look and feel picture perfect!

• first person I called was Steve Galindo, my pal and stylist (thestyleguyde.wordpress.com).  He secured the luxurious red dress, other outfits, shoes and a few other misc. stuff but he was so much more than that, he was a great moral support on set
• then there was Narcisse Chico Kitabata the make-up & hair stylist (narcissechico.com),  a friend of Vince's but I definitely look forward to working with her again
• Lori Sandler of DragonHorse Studio (dragonhorsestudio.com) who loaned me the jewelry.  Believe it or not, she was a Facebook Friend who I'd never met until the shoot
• the wonderful producer, Donna Grillo (donnagrilloart.blogspot.com), or as I know her, Vince's better half
• Lucy Eagleson, the talented videographer 
• and of course the mastermind behind it all, Vince Gonzales (vinpix.com), who shot all the knockout pictures

xoxoxoxoxoxox Ravishing in Red xoxoxoxoxoxox
Pictures & Video

One of my absolute favorites of the shoot, just really captures a side to me that is rarely seen

I was having fun twirling in the dress, you can see the glee in my eyes

Great shot that shows off the beautiful Dragon Horse jewelry but I think subliminally, I'm inviting you to the gun show...call it Pilates arms :)

I like this shot a lot, it captures me in a state of bliss

disclaimer: A mock cover, not actual...just for fun

And BAM!!  COVER MODEL 
They say if you can visualize it, it can come true and I can see it!!!

I LOVE the behind the scenes video


Behind The Scenes Glamour Photo-shoot with Kikey Castillo from VINPIX on Vimeo.

Kikey at the Golden Globes HBO After Party!!

What a complete thrill it was for me to attend the Golden Globes HBO After Party.  And the icing on the cake...I got to go with cool friends who are involved with the HBO show, Boardwalk Empire.   

*Photo Blog*

Styled by: Steve Galindo, Make up by: Gisset Renteria, and Photo by: Chris Caldovino :)

Look Ma! I'm at the HBO After Party for the Golden Globes! 

Photo by Vince Gonzales
Kikey Castillo and Boardwalk Empire's Chris Caldovino

Chris, thanks for throwing me under the bus with your peeps at Boardwalk Empire...it was all good fun though :)

Honored to be at this table meeting all the cool folks from the show.  Yes, got to talk to Steve Buscemi (super cool and nice) but no pic...bummer!

Photo by Vince Gonzales 
LtoR: Boardwalk Empire producer/writer Terry Winter, actress Karina Noelle, actress Kikey Castillo and Boardwalk Empire actor Chris Caldovino

What a class act Terry is, so engaging to talk to and down to earth, glad for his shows success and so fun getting to hang out with my amiga/sister Karina!

Photo by Vince Gonzales
LtoR: actress' Karina Noelle, Kikey Castillo, actor Chris Caldovino and Boardwalk Empire director/producer Tim Van Patten

Tim was another fun, amazing and down to earth guy - what a great time they must all have on the show.

Look who I ran into!! My friend and photographer extraordinaire, Vince Gonzales (hired to work the event taking photos of the HBO party).  He snapped a quick photo with his phone then he dashed off to work the room taking pics of the celebrities

Photo by Vince Gonzales 

In fact, here's one of Karina Noelle and I...yes, I just equated ourselves to celebrities :p

Photo by Vince Gonzales

One for the scrapbook, awe thank you Vince! 

Finally done with his photog duties, Vince joined us for a bit.   I'm so proud of him, the shot below is one of his from the night.  It was chosen for the cover of Vogue Online!  Awesome Vince :)

Photo by Vince Gonzales
here are his amazing shots of the night http://vinphoto.blogspot.com/2013/01/golden-globes-hbo-after-party.html

What an amazing night!  I got to gaze at and at times "literally" rub elbows with actors, producers and directors that I admire.  Seeing them up close and personal made my heart shine with delight knowing that I'm living the life I set out to live.  Still more to achieve but it was a great acknowledgement by the divine that I'm on the right track.  

Special heartfelt thanks to Karina Noelle, Peter Nieves and Chris Caldovino, thanks so much for including me in this special night...so much fun!!! ~ Kikey xoxo

 

Kikey Performs in "8 Ways To Say I Love My Life"

Dates: November 3 - November 18, 2012

Times: Fri & Sat at 8pm, Sun two shows at 2pm &  7pm

Tickets: $20 General, $17 Seniors/Students, $15 Groups of 10+

The 2009 Imagen Award-winning show returns to CASA 0101 in celebration of the publication of the book by the same name. Featuring a collection of 8 life-affirming monologues written by 8 women.

The Book

The amazing book that launched the play.
A must read and a great gift for men and women alike.
To buy a copy click here:  Amazon

I am thrilled to be working on this phenomenal all women (acted, written, directed) monologue show at new Casa 0101.  And we are just rocking the house each and every performance.   


We were reviewed by Abel Salas from Brooklyn & Boyle, here's what he said about my performance.

"Kikey Castillo appears first as the embodiment of Margo De Leon, a former Toastmaster’s club officer, in De Leon’s “Pillar of Strength” and then as a hopeful optimist in a piece entitled “Believing in Happiness” by Joanna Ilizaliturri Diaz. A petite performance dynamo, Castillo has collaborated with López for years in numerous and wide-ranging productions at Casa 0101. Of the three performers, she is thus the most at home here. That familiarity gives her characterizations a subtle authenticity that underscores the sadness and tragedy in both monologues and fuels the triumphant resolutions in both."

*Check out the Photo Blog*

Pre-show ritual, review lines and listen to IZ's 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'.  Really gets me in the right mood for my two beautiful monologues

Getting ready to go on! 

Kikey performing Margo's monologue 
Photo by: Patricia De La Rosa

Yvonne performing Susan's monologue
Photo by: Patricia De La Rosa

Getting silly and having fun.  Check this out, we have an Ivonne a Yvonne a Karina and a Kikey, must have been fate!

Karina performing Bel's monologue...this is the one I did in 2009
Photo by: Patricia De La Rosa

Ivonne performing Nancy's monologue
Photo by: Patricia De La Rosa

Kikey performing Joanna's monologue
Photo by: Patricia De La Rosa

The four wonderful actresses bringing the audience to its feet
Photo by: Patricia De La Rosa

Opening night post show introductions - The writers with their actresses.  LtoR: Laura, Bel, Karina, Nancy, Ivonne, Joanna, Kikey, Margo, Josefina, Yvonne and Susan (not pictured Rita)

My family coming out to support me :) awww.  My cousin Daniel and his wife Elba

Industry guest coming out to support - Casting Director and friend, Blanca Valdez

Industry guest coming out to support - James E. Blancarte Entertainment Lawyer and his client

Industry guests coming out to support - look who was in the audience, that's Gregory Nava in the back!!  Also in the back Ernie T. Gritzewsky front row Dyana Ortelli, Naibe Reynoso, Yvonne DeLaRosa, Kikey Castillo, Lorena Alvarado, Barbara Martinez, and Ivonne Coll

Industry guests coming out to support - the lovely 'Hola! LA' hosts Naibe and Dyana came out to show Bel and I some LOVE

Industry guests keep coming out to support our show - actor Nick Gonzales also was there to get the patrons to sign up for the Bone Marrow Registry to help out his friend Alexandrea Vizcarra read their story here 

Industry guests keep coming out to support our show - Jimmy Smits shook my hand and said "Amazing job, you were terrific"  WOW :) 

In honor of the show '8 Ways to Say I Love My Life' we have a whiteboard where we encourage anyone to write why they love their life, here is what I wrote
Photo by: Gustavo Stebner