-
Oct 29, 2024 | 
torontolife.com | Maddy Mahoney
The first time I spoke with Ron Oliver, on a video call in May, I was expecting flamboyance writ large. This is, after all, the man they call “Daddy” on set—a nickname that squeaks by as appropriate only because he’s the platonic ideal of a Palm Springs gay.
-
Jul 25, 2024 | 
torontolife.com | Maddy Mahoney
Bianca Andreescu rocketed to tennis fame in 2019, when the then-19-year-old defeated Serena Williams (twice!) and became Canada’s first-ever Grand Slam singles champion. She made victory look easy, but the Mississauga native’s next few years were less than charmed. After missing seasons of play and sitting out the 2021 Olympics due to knee injuries and a mental health sabbatical, Andreescu is approaching Paris 2024 with a more balanced perspective.
-
Jul 23, 2024 | 
torontolife.com | Maddy Mahoney
If there were any doubt that women’s soccer is having a moment, skeptics need only look at the existence of a Christine Sinclair Barbie to see that the hype is real. Next on Mattel’s list should be Quinn, the mononymous midfielder who helped propel Canada’s national women’s team to its first-ever gold medal win at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
-
Jun 3, 2024 | 
torontolife.com | Maddy Mahoney
You’ve written and directed for TV series like Schitt’s Creek, Black Mirror and Feel Good. Now your first feature film is set to debut. Was it difficult to transition between forms? Yes and no. I’ve been spoiled with big budgets, so making an indie was a reality check. But TV taught me how to pivot. I’m not sure I would have survived our gruelling schedule and sparse resources without all that experience. When your film premiered at SXSW, did you watch with the audience? Yes, but I prefer not to.
-
May 28, 2024 | 
torontolife.com | Caroline Aksich |Maddy Mahoney
At Azura, Adam Ryan’s recently opened Mediterranean restaurant on Danforth, the chef executes a tasting menu influenced by the greats of the gastronomic world: culinary hotspots like El Bulli, Noma and the French Laundry. But, contrary to expectations, this haute-cuisine devotee doesn’t whip up Ferran Adrià– or René Redzepi–inspired masterpieces in his downtime.
-
Apr 15, 2024 | 
torontolife.com | Maddy Mahoney
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee’s breakout role in Kim’s Convenience may have been rooted in realism, but sci-fi and fantasy were always the end goal. “That’s all I wanted to do, but I was never afforded the opportunity because of the colour of my skin,” he says. “Apparently there are no Asians in space.” Then he landed a role in The Mandalorian—and if there’s any franchise that can instantly confer sci-fi credibility, it’s Star Wars.
-
Apr 11, 2024 | 
torontolife.com | Caroline Aksich |Maddy Mahoney
Pay Chen, who appears as a food-and-travel guest host on daytime shows like Cityline and Breakfast Television, was born in Taiwan and raised in Beaver Bank, Nova Scotia. Her parents ran a stall at the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market, where they sold dumplings, buns and noodles. “My brother and I would tag along because my parents couldn’t afford a babysitter,” she says.
-
Apr 2, 2024 | 
torontolife.com | Melissa Gallagher |Maddy Mahoney
I met my partner, Jeff Ross, in 2016, when I was 31. After we’d been seeing each other for about a year and a half, we had our first conversation about kids. We were on our way to a Leafs game, and the idea of freezing embryos came up. By then, we knew we wanted to spend our lives together and build a family—but we didn’t know exactly what the timeline would look like, since we’re both very career focused. Jeff works in city building, and I work in retail strategy and operations.
-
Mar 28, 2024 | 
torontolife.com | Caroline Aksich |Maddy Mahoney
After a five-year hiatus, Shant Mardirosian, the founder of the Burger’s Priest, is back where it all began—in the burger biz. After cashing in his 14-location smash-burger empire in 2017 for a cool $14.7 million, Mardirosian’s culinary journey took a doughy detour. He opened the Fourth Man in the Fire, a pizzeria, and his somewhat-clandestine doughnut venture, Harry and Heels. Now, with the expiry of his burger-making non-compete clause, Mardirosian is firing up the grill once more.
-
Mar 19, 2024 | 
torontolife.com | Caroline Aksich |Maddy Mahoney
Diego Reyes, the head chef at Chantecler, doesn’t enjoy cooking for himself. When solo, he’s all about one-pot meals that are tasty and easy to execute (basically, the exact opposite of the fussed-over nouveau French plates he puts out at his Bloorcourt restaurant). Cooking brings him joy only when it’s communal, like hand-rolling cavatelli with a friend while sipping through a couple bottles of wine.
