Nestled on the beaches of Santa Monica, the Georgian Hotel has hosted Hollywood’s finest since the early 20th century, allowing guests to indulge in the classic Angeleno glamour while enjoying the enduring warmth of the coastal sun. Here, see members of the new Hollywood vanguard—Chris Mason, Michelle Randolph, Rayna Vallandingham, Daniel Zovatto, and Derek Luh—as they indulge in the time-honored tradition of tom-foolery in the plush auspices of the historical Georgian Hotel.

Chris Mason grew up in Liverpool, England. He joined the Young Everyman Playhouse during his teen years, after which he worked in different theatres across the UK. Later, he moved to LA to pursue film and television roles. He now plays swordmaster Keiran Atreides in the new HBO Original Series Dune: Prophecy.

Dune: Prophecy is set in the universe of the iconic 1960s novel by Frank Herbert. What do you think science fiction can tell us about our current reality?

Science fiction has always had an uncanny ability to foreshadow the future in different ways. Dune itself has spawned so much of modern sci fi as we know it. I hope it can serve as firstly entertainment but maybe also a warning in how we use technology. 

You play Keiran Atreides, a swordmaster for the emperor’s family. In a character valued for his strength, how did you also access the requisite vulnerability demanded of the actor by the craft?

That’s what I love about Kieran. He may seem like a strong soldier type but like all humans he is complicated. He really follows his heart and trusts his instinct. For me the most demanding part was mastering his physicality as I think the vulnerable side comes more naturally.

How does your approach to acting differ when being on a large film set as opposed to the shadowed comforts of an old theater?

The technique differs. Being able to tell a story from start to finish in a theater is thrilling and teaches you so much about storytelling. But doing five takes of the same scene can give you a chance to find something new every time. I approach both with the same excitement for entertaining. 

With the new year quickly approaching, what do you hope to be more intentional about in 2025?

I’m looking forward to being more intentional with my writing. Telling stories that are close to my heart and getting them out there in the world. And making people laugh more. I used to do stand-up comedy and I would love to transfer some of that into my current work.

Michelle Randolph is originally from Northern California, the actor relocated to Montana upon being cast as Elizabeth Strafford in the Western drama 1923. There, she learned to ride horses, herd cows, and find beauty in the American frontier. More recently, she’s ventured south to Texas for the Paramount+ Original Landman. In the modern-day Western, Randolph plays the strong-willed daughter of an oilman, Ainsley Norris.

The Western is a type of narrative unique to the American film industry. Has working on 1923 and, more recently, Landman, given you a new appreciation for the genre?

Absolutely. It was never a genre I knew much about. Since working on the show, I can confidently say I’ve now seen every “major” Western film—my cowboy friends on 1923 made sure of it! Taylor has such a unique way of storytelling, and pairing that with the Western genre has really resonated with audiences. I definitely think he’s to credit for the resurgence of modern Westerns. Filming 1923 in Montana truly opened up my world. I even learned to ride horses, a hobby I doubt I would have taken up otherwise.

Landman, while set in Texas, isn’t technically a Western—although we do have plenty of cowboy hats and boots.

In Landman, your character Ainsley speaks with a Texan accent. How did the process of learning this speech pattern help you dive deeper into the character?

I worked very closely with my dialect coach, Jessica Drake. It was one of my favorite parts of developing the role. The accent was crucial for helping me separate myself from the character; it added an immediate layer to Ainsley. I found pieces of her coquettish personality in it—the Texas wild child charm. Going onto set each day with that accent made it easier to slip into her unique way of moving through life. As soon as the accent was out, so was Ainsley.

In a state as endlessly sunny as Texas, what is the value of taking time to retreat into the shadows?

You know, summers in Texas are not for the weary. Prior to filming, I hadn’t spent much time there, so when people talked about the Texas heat, I had no idea what they meant. But as a person who thrives in hot weather, what shocked me even more was the winter. We started production in February... I now own a heated vest. Having lived most of my life in California, extreme weather—heat, thunder and lightning storms, tornado warnings—was all new to me.

We ran into quite a few lightning delays during filming. One day, we were all trapped in a house waiting to be taken off “lightning delay lockdown.” We weren’t allowed to leave for four hours, so we ordered pizza. Those chaotic days on set always end up being some of my favorite memories.

As 2024 comes to a close, what excites you about the promise of a fresh start? What are your aspirations for the new year?

There are so many things I’m excited about in the coming year. I can’t wait for people to see Season 2 of 1923. It’s genuinely such a beautiful story, and I’m confident it was worth the wait. Of course, I’m also hopeful that we’ll get a season 2 of Landman. I would love to see Ainsley continue to grow and find her place.

I have so much to be grateful for. One thing I’ve learned about this industry is that you never know what’s just around the corner!

Rayna Vallandingham started taekwondo at two years old. Now 21, the California native is a 4th Degree Black Belt with 13 world championships to her name and a few million TikTok followers. Vallandingham plays Zara Malik in the sixth and final season of Netflix’s martial arts drama series Cobra Kai.

You’re no stranger to performing in front of an audience, as you’ve competed in Tae Kwon Do world championships since you were eight. How and where does the world of martial arts intersect with the world of acting?‍

To me, martial arts and acting intersect in a plethora of ways, and I feel like that’s the reason I’ve been able to meld together both of these passions so beautifully. In the world of martial arts, when I would perform, I would have to become a different version of myself. Not inundated by fear or self-doubt, just me, myself, and pure self-belief. Even if I didn’t know I’d fail, in that moment, a flip switches and I’m able to throw my full self into the performance. I’ve carried that with me into acting; to be able to become a different version of myself and lose myself in it. There’s no feeling like it.

In many ways your character on Cobra Kai—Zara—is the antagonist of season six. What was it like to play a villain?

I actually really enjoyed playing a villain. One of the reasons is because Zara is alike some of the girls I’ve encountered in the competitive martial arts world, so being able to reflect on that and channel it into the character was actually really nostalgic for me. You get to be really playful when you’re meant to be hated by the audience, and that kind of allowed me to release any expectations and just immerse myself in the Cobra Kai world. It was a blast.

By having any social media following, how do you decide what to share and what to keep in the shadows?

The past few years, my social media has been primarily just martial arts videos and training. Now, in this transition I’ve had this past year of being a working actress, it's been really exciting to share more of who I am - not just dwindled down to the “martial arts girl.” I’ve always just shared what has felt right and authentic in what I want to put out into the world, and that’s never failed me!

With the new year quickly approaching, what do you hope to be more intentional about in 2025?

In this next year, I hope to be more intentional about rest and recovery. Competitive martial arts has always instilled this mindset of exhaustion - mentally and physically  as a badge of honor. In order to give my all to the roles that I play, I intend to reverse this mindset. Rest is important, recovery is important, and grounding yourself back to your roots is a necessity. 

Daniel Zovatto was born and raised in San José, Costa Rica. Zovatto moved to New York City as an aspiring stage actor. He found success across the horror genre, and played Greg Hannigan in the 80s-slasher-inspired It Follows, and later Money in the adrenaline-fueled Don’t Breathe. Now, he stars as real-life serial killer Rodney Alcala in the newly-released Netflix Original Woman of the Hour.

What is it about horror films that make us excited to be scared?

They're a thrill–a ride. They let us watch things that frighten us in a safe space. It's like a rollercoaster. Fear and excitement are actually very similar emotions, in that they trigger a comparable physiological response in the body, but they differ in how the mind interprets the experience

What did you research about real-life serial killer Rodney Alcala to prepare for Woman of the Hour?

The full footage of his appearance doesn't actually exist, so I worked with the little I had, as well as the photographs that were made public from his files. I took a lot from the way he was able to disarm his female victims and make them comfortable enough to let them into their personal space. He was definitely a chameleon.

You’ve acted in numerous horror films, from It Follows to Don’t Breathe. What do you think we can learn from paying attention to what lurks in the shadows?

Oh god, I have a baby girl now and that question frightens me! I think what made Rodney so scary as a character was that he really could be anyone on the street. He blended in. That's what you hear a lot about these killers—they appear normal until they don't. I don't think there's really anything different in the shadows than in the light. I think it's just about being smart and trusting your gut.

As 2024 comes to a close, what excites you about the promise of a fresh start? What are your aspirations for the new year? 

Well, right at the top of the year I am going to do a film in Hawaii with Kevin Costner called Headhunters, so that should be really cool. I'm looking forward to making memories with my family while we are there for a few months. As far as the New Year, I think every day is an opportunity for a new beginning, or at least a new opportunity. I'm just getting started in my career, so I'm going into 2025 with open arms.

Derek Luh is a Santa Clarita-born actor who transitioned from music to acting in 2019. He now appears in seasons one and the upcoming season two of Prime’s Gen V, playing the male body of gender-fluid superhero Jordan Li. The show, a spin-off of Prime's cult favorite superhero series The Boys, follows a cast of young adult superheroes at Godolkin University as they compete for the chance to join the world's most elite group of superhuman crimefighters.

What value is there to indestructibility—the physical kind you enact as Jordan in Gen V, as well as the emotional kind required of a social media figure?

I believe there is tremendous value in having some sort of indestructibility when doing what we do as actors. The amount of rejection we face not only in our field, but as humans in life can become overwhelming. Having such belief and such conviction in the thing that you’re doing is very hard when everything seems to be going wrong, and everyone seems to be telling you “no” Add in the public opinions and it becomes seemingly impossible. This is not for the faint of heart, you have to be indestructible, or you will 100% fail.  

What happens in the translation between moment-of-being and lyric on page?

I haven’t written a lyric on a page in a long time, so I’m trying to remember the feeling. But the closest thing I can equate that to would be just before a scene when you have all your ideas about how you want to do it, but then you just completely let go and surrender to the moment and your scene partner. It’s almost like you black out and you’re in this zone, it’s such a high that no drug can replicate. 

What inhabits the places where the light doesn’t shine in California?

I don’t know man, but I sure do hope there’s an In-N-Out.

With the new year quickly approaching, what do you hope to be more intentional about in 2025?

I hope to be more intentional with patience. I’m so quick to get something done and move on to the next thing and I feel like I’m missing out on the simple joys of things like taking out the trash (as mundane as that is), there’s beauty in it. Stop and smell the roses if you will haha.  

I also hope to work on writing or starting to conceptualize three ideas that I can turn into either shorts or features. I’d love to make all of those things with my friends and people I love working with. 

Photographed by Steven Lyon

Styled by Jyotisha Bridges and Jae Hall

Written by Sam Fredricks

Hair: John Blaine at Celestine Agency

Makeup: Mylah Morales at Opus Beauty

Creative Director: Amber Myles Arbucci

Models: Nicolas Rosen, Ericka Guitron, and Omar Albertto

Production Assistant: Angie Rockey

Fashion Assistant: Selena Aiyla

Location: The Georgian Hotel