nicolemaxali

[nicolemaxali]

Have you heard!? @Goodvibes_series is an official selection of the 42nd Annual Asian American Film Festival in NEW YORK! It is a ground-breaking moment when the @asiancinevision announced its official selection of @Goodvibes_series a comedy pilot that follows four female cannabis aficionados. Link to purchase tix in our bio! Produced by @ColorfulMediaGroup & #KarivaraFilms Creator/Writer/Co-Director: @NicoleMaxali, Director: @itsjoslynrose, The Cast: @NicoleMaxali @kristinegerolaga @oaklandcolibri @elenaester8 Thank you so much to the director, cast, crew and producers!! . #goodvibes #GoodVibesTheSeries #AAIFF42 @AsianCineVision #GoodVibesOnly #cannabislove #CaliforniaLove #behindthescenes #onset #WomenofColor #womeninfilm #woc #MARYmagazine #MaryJane #womenandweed #cannabiscommunity #cannabis #bluntsmoke #cannabisculture #Hella #HellaBay #BAYBAES #BayArea #sanfrancisco #Oakland #pinay #FilipinaFeminists #filipinopride (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzq9LbvhZe9/?igshid=1pcb67ft5e3q8

[nicolemaxali]

Nicole Maxali, who plays Khae in our English method, visited us in Paris last January, to meet our students. How did her experience go? Find out what she loved about her acting experience for Wall Street English, as well as her favourite place in Paris.

[nicolemaxali]

Had an amazing time in Paris teaching my “Manifesting Magic” workshop to over 50 WSE Students!  Thank you to Wall Street English France for hosting me and inspiring people to accomplish their dreams with English! 

Check out my Instagram @NicoleMaxali for more photos and my Facebook Page for the workshop video!

[nicolemaxali]

I was cast in the “First Response Pregnancy PRO” TV Commercial: 'No Way'

[nicolemaxali]

I was cast in the “Save the Food” commercial for Amazon’s Alexa

Not sure how to best store your food so that it lasts as long as possible? Don’t know if certain foods that may be past their prime are still ok to eat? Alexa owners can enable our new “Save The Food” skill to get all of their food storage and freshness questions answered! 

 Facebook: @nrdc.org @adcouncil @savethefoodcom 

 Twitter: @NRDC @AdCouncil @SaveTheFood

[nicolemaxali]

I Heart Lola

November is Alzheimer's Awareness month:

In 2011, I wrote, produced and acted in a one-woman show called "Forgetting the Details".  It was a dramedy (drama/comedy) that centered around my lola, my family and Alzheimer's.  Touring it all over America, it got rave reviews and standing ovations. Even Dave Chappelle called it, “Funny, heartwarming and funny again!”. 

Fast forward to Nov. 1st 2017, I get the phone call that my lola (grandma) passed away. As most of you know, she suffered 10 long years with Alzheimer's disease. 

So to honor both my grandmother AND those still suffering by this heartbreaking disease, I am giving half of the proceeds of my DVD & "I Heart Lola" shirts to The Alzheimer's Association.  So if you would like to purchase a shirt for yourself or a loved one or a DVD copy of my one-woman show "Forgetting the Details", you can purchase them here: 

http://nicolemaxali.com/index.php/forgetting-the-details/i-heart-lola-t-shirts

*Only will ship within the U.S.A.

[nicolemaxali]

It is a very surreal feeling to be famous in Asia and in countries all over the world.  It’s ironic that no one recognizes me in America yet when I travel to Vietnam, Thailand and Asia... I get recognized at restaurants, convention centers and even a Starbucks barista making my coffee squealed with excitement when she noticed me.   It is even more surreal hearing people chant my character’s name (Khae) and lining up for selfies.  

I know this might seem small compared to American celebrities.  But for now, I am relishing the moment and I am thankful I have fans outside of my home country.  Because I’m sure this sort of thing does get tiring for American celebrities that deal with it everyday.  And I see the importance of being gracious and grateful for my fans all over the world.  Thank you!  

[nicolemaxali]

One of my many appearances this year in Asia for the work I did playing “Khae” in the Wall Street English’s comedic sitcom and Multi-Media Lessons.   I have fans all over the world.  And this trip was to meet my fans in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.   I am so grateful for all my fans who love Khae!  And who think big and want to accomplish their dreams!  As I always tell them, “Create your dreams and NEVER give up!”  

[nicolemaxali]

Guess who got engaged! 

It was a huge surprise at The Poconos Lantern Festival.  And even though the festival producers didn’t help my fiancee with the planning, he still did the best job he could getting 12 of our friends to help hide the secret from me and proposing in a magical and epic setting.  One of my favorite Disney songs is “I See The Light” from the movie Tangled.  And my fiancee brought this song to life for his surprise proposal.  

Thanks to everyone that was involved with this surprise proposal!  And to answer everyone’s question: “No, we don’t have a wedding date set yet.” :)

[nicolemaxali]

Releasing FEAR and Creating Your Dreams

When someone tells me I can't do something...I just laugh and then prove them wrong.

Years ago a college professor in my Journalism class told me, "There's no Asian actors worth writing about. They don't exist." So I quit the news industry and I became an actor. 

As I began my acting career, an acting coach told me, "You can't do comedy!"   I did standup comedy for four years and opened for Dave Chappelle at the SF Punchline. 

Someone else said, "Acting in New York is too tough. You probably won't make it." I became a full time actor in NYC and quit all of my part-time day jobs because my acting gigs were paying better than my serving and temp work. 

And just recently a guy said, "You're writing a show about Rape Culture? No one's going to watch that!" Well, some people might not...but so far all my public table reads and performances of this show have been sold out and filled with people willing to take part in the discussion of “Rape Culture”.

So when someone tells you that something is impossible ... Just release their opinions and say "Watch me". Because you are NOT someone else's failed life choices or projections of fear. You manifest your own possibilities. AND You can do whatever you dream. 

#NeverGiveUp#iLoveMyJob #ThatActorLife #ThatWriterLife

[nicolemaxali]

[nicolemaxali]

Millions of people have waited 13 years for the return of Dave Chappelle. AND Millions of people will have their opinions of his latest specials on Netflix.

But only a few will take the time to see what Dave really stands for. For me, it's integrity, high moral standards, staying true to your artistry and trusting your instincts within an industry that can be very superficial and corporate. Dave's speech at Allen University reflects just that:

"I just want you guys to remember that right now, there’s this thing where ethics aren’t what they used to be. This idea that people are trying to replace the ideas of good and bad with better or worse. And that is incorrect. You’ve got to keep your ethics intact because good and bad is a compass that helps you find the way. The person that only does what’s better or worse is the easiest type of person to control. They are a mouse in a maze that just finds the cheese. But the one who knows about good and bad will realize that he’s in a maze. So, that being said, I just hope that all of you guys transcend whatever you see as your obstacles, and that you live outstanding lives, and that you stay connected to your communities because you have so much power there, and that you grow your communities and you diversify your communities and that you don’t let anybody – anybody – tell you you can’t or to be afraid."

Some people say he’s back on top...I say he never left. 

[nicolemaxali]

THE FUTURE IS FEMALE: International Women’s Day March at Washington Square Park in NYC. March 8, 2017.  All photos by Nicole Maxali

[nicolemaxali]

The City of Brotherly Love

Question: How do you keep your sanity and faith in America on this President’s Day Weekend? 

Answer: Go on a road trip to Philadelphia…The City of Brotherly Love!

When my partner said he wanted to go to Philadelphia for Prez Day Weekend, my first instinct was “No” and then “Why Philly?”.  Because with two international trips and a slew of belated birthday mini-celebrations with my best friends in the past six weeks,  I had tons of work to catch up on this weekend.    But we were able to compromise and a full weekend trip turned into a day trip.  We invited our favorite newlyweds and left on a surprisingly warm February day.  It was 60 degrees out and the first time I didn’t need to layer up with heat tech or walk out in my head to toe Uniqlo fleece and down feather sleeping bag coat.

On our way there the two-hour car ride seemed like minutes because I spontaneously thought up a road trip game to play on the way to the Liberty Bell.   Here were the rules:

• For every instance you see an American flag or a cluster of American flags together,  you must say one nice thing about a person in the car for each flag you saw.  (Example: You see four American flags lining one bridge, you must say four nice things about the driver.)

• You must rotate your compliments to the next person in the car when you see the next American flag or group of American flags.

• The compliments can be things you appreciate about the person, things you admire about the person, or things you simply like about the person.

• All statements must be positive.

• Who wins?  Everybody!

There was one instance where I spotted THIRTEEN American flags lining one car dealership!  I had thirteen compliments to dish out for one person.  My friend said, “You can just give me six if you can’t think of a full thirteen.” But nope, I effortlessly said thirteen heartfelt things that I appreciated about her in less than five minutes.  That’s when I realized two things:  1)  It’s easy to think of how amazing your friends are when you surround yourself with good people.  2) What was hard about this game was to hear and receive compliments about ourselves.  

I myself, the person who invented this hippie / Ellen inspired game, had a hard time fully receiving the compliments I heard from my close friends.   It wasn’t until halfway through this game, that I realized that I wasn’t even looking into the person’s eyes that were giving me my compliments.  Or at times, instead of just receiving the compliment…there would be a small voice inside me that would negate the compliment and say, “Yeah Right.  They’re just saying that because of this dumb game.  There’s no way he/she believes that about me.”  

  So why is it often difficult when those closest to us bring up a mirror of the good they see in us?  Maybe it’s because we often go about our days belittling ourselves, our work or our ideas…focusing on the negative, comparing ourselves to other people in our lives or falling into places of victimhood.  Maybe it’s because society has taught us that if we don’t fit into culture’s boxes of “normal, perfect or beautiful”… we aren’t as great as those that do.  Maybe at a young age people around us never gave us the validation we so desperately craved.  There’s probably a ton of reasons. 

BUT it was nice for a change to step out of my own self-doubting and hear validation that I didn’t know I needed to hear.    We played this game well into Philadelphia.  All the compliments and words of appreciation brought a much lighter and brighter energy to our group.  An energy we were able to sustain throughout our day in Philly.   And what did I name this new game?  The “Make America Great Again” Road Trip game!  Copyright pending.  ;P

It was the perfect road trip too!  We ate waaaaay too many Philly Cheesesteaks,  visited the Liberty Bell,  ran up the Rocky stairs, stocked up on some really cheap Asian Grocery Store finds, had the best Vietnamese Pho on the east coast and leveled  up on or wokeness with a visit to the “President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation” exhibit.  It explores the paradox of slavery and freedom at the nation’s first executive mansion, in which Presidents George Washington and John Adams lived during their terms and where nine enslaved people served the first president.  (Read more: http://www.visitphilly.com/history/philadelphia/the-presidents-house-freedom-and-slavery-in-making-a-new-nation/)

We also brushed up on our knowledge of the Constitution, which was drafted and signed in Philadelphia.   We focused mainly on the Bill of Rights and what our rights are as American born citizens are.   We reminded ourselves that these rights and WE THE PEOPLE are what make this country so great.  And that a President that does not represent ALL THE PEOPLE (regardless of race, religion or creed) should be held accountable for signing Executive Orders that are against our constitutional rights.  

I’m very grateful that I didn’t follow my first instinct of staying at home to work.  I’m very grateful that instead, I followed the power & possibility of “Yes” and gave myself the gift of making some new memories with some woke ass Americans this Prez Day Weekend.   This trip reminded us Cali kids of color why we are so blessed to be who we are and where we are during a time like now.  Oh and that Asian condiments and heartfelt compliments really make for a great road trip!!!

[nicolemaxali]

When life gives you lemons...turn those lemons into rainbow lasers and destroy your obstacles!  Cuz remember: You’re a mothaeffin’ UNICORN!  

infinite unicorn.

[nicolemaxali]

Embracing A Warrior’s Heart

I was asked to share the speech I wrote for my mother's 60th birthday party. So here it is. Feel free to share it with women in your life that need inspiration / hope (especially in a time like now):

Mom’s 60th Birthday Speech 11/16/2016

As most of you know, I’m also an actor & writer. So when time came to write this speech, the strangest thing happened…I couldn’t. I couldn’t for the life of me recall a Luna story that was both appropriate and pleasant. Not to say my mom is unpleasant, she is my best friend, my travel buddy, someone who is constantly giving of her time and energy to her friends, family and co-workers, someone who loves to laugh and dance, and someone I share all my secrets with. And no one makes me laugh harder than my mom.

But the stories that stand out the most were the times she was…disciplining me. Like the time my friend, Raiya, and I were caught marking up a Mc Donald’s bathroom as bored teenagers with dry erase markers. The employees assumed we had used permanent sharpies. So the cops came and we were taken to the police station. It was probably more of a tactic to scare us thirteen year olds straight. But I thought I was going to outsmart the police and I lied to the police officer. On a sidenote, This was probably when I knew I was going to be an actor. I said that I was just visiting my friend and that I really was from the Philippines and my parents had died a long time ago. I cried. And he believed me.

But then he dropped us off at my friend’s house…who just happened to live next door to me. And guess who got home from work at the exact same time I was getting out of the police car? Yup. My not so dead…mother. To say that I’ve never seen my mother so angry in my entire life would be an understatement. She scared me way more than that police officer ever could. AND I learned very valuable lessons that day:

1) Never ever lie to the police and

2) My mom can be very…scary.

Everyone in my family knows that my mom is unapologetically fiery. Because if Auntie Luna tells you to do something…you do it after she asks nicely the first time. I would see my mom’s rage burn so brightly that even a man twice her size and 100 pounds heavier would crouch in fear. My mom is never too scared to engage in battle.

So being raised in a patriarchal America, I grew up scared of her fight. Scared that her passion and spiciness was hereditary.

But then, Last year I read an article called: “Warrior Lessons”. It referenced an ancient tale from Tibet. In this tale, the birth of a warrior’s strength is like the first growth of a reindeer’s horns. “At first those horns emerge from the reindeer’s head, soft and rubbery, unable to be used by the reindeer who is eager to use them to fight. But slowly they harden. Stronger points begin to sprout.” This tale teaches us that fearlessness is like those rubbery horns. At first, they may seem ready but it takes time and patience to put strength into them. These horns are part of the reindeer’s birthright. In the same way, I learned that I must first give birth to the tender heart of warriorship. Fighting skills take time and practice. And just as the reindeer knows its birthright, I know I have the power of the fight within me. It’s taken a very long time for my fight to gain it’s strength. But just like my mother, I feel that innate sense of truth passed down from many many generations of passionate women that tells me when fighting is necessary. Giving me the inner strength to live fearlessly and courageously as a woman of color during such a turmoil time and as an artist in New York City. Because in New York, fighting and hustling is a way of life. It’s how you thrive on the East Coast.

It has taken me four years living in New York to fully appreciate the strength, power and fight that my mother has passed down to me. Unlike me, My mother’s own inner strength has shone through, throughout her lifetime. Like when at seventeen she was kicked out of the family home. But instead of begging to be let back in, she got a job and started down a long path of independence and financial freedom. Or when her marriage with my father wasn’t safe and it wasn’t working, she didn’t stay married in complacency…she divorced him and became a single mother. She took up two jobs and went to night school to make sure I was taken care of. Or when she was getting passed up time and time again for promotions because she lacked a four year college degree. She didn’t stay where she was hoping something would change, she put herself through school at St. Mary’s at the age of 46. And because of those examples and many many more, my mom taught me that BEING A STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMAN is something that is very much possible.

Now I realize and fully embrace that my fiery fight & inner strength is most definitely hereditary. And that the strong, opinionated and often times stubborn gene ran deep within the blood of the females in my family tree….on both sides. My cousin Sherelle would often tell me, “It takes a very strong and special man to endure and be in partnership with women in this family”. Seven boyfriends later and still unmarried at the age of 36, I am in 100% agreement with her. But before you take pity on me…. Shonda Rhymes, one of the producer/writers I look up to, once said, “We’re so conditioned to believe that THAT having a husband is the definition of happiness that nobody stops to think: that might not be what defines us.” Throughout my life, my mom has shown me that settling isn’t what we do as powerful women. That just being married isn’t enough. I am not saying you can’t be happily married. I see many example of happily married couples right here in this room. I’m just saying that being married does not define me or my worth and it doesn’t create my happiness.

It’s taken 36 years, but I am reminded that my happiness is something I get to choose every day. Happiness is the life I’m currently living bicoastally in New York City & The Bay Area as a working artist. A life that my mom and my ancestors have worked & sacrificed so hard to give me. A life full of freedoms that I am so grateful for here in America. A life that I love calling my own.

So on this very special day celebrating my mom, my best friend and my personal heroine, I want to say, “Thank you, mom. Thank you for:

- Teaching me that SAYING “No” isn’t about being mean; it’s about laying down my boundaries and respecting myself. - Teaching me through example that hard work, education, faith and resourcefulness are far better than good looks, fair skin and a size zero waistline. - Thank you for setting an example of political wokeness. With the current climate of this country, you’ve taught me to never allow others to disrespect me or those I love. And that I shouldn’t be afraid to stand up against hate, bigotry and bullying! - And most importantly, Thank you for teaching me that what defines me isn’t anything I have…but what comes from within. It comes from the fire, passion, fearlessness and strength that I have within that allows me to fight for the life I want and create. Because it’s not enough to just sit on the couch and dream about a life you want or the change you want to see, we must all stand up and create it no matter how hard it takes to fight for it.

So thank you for passing down your genetic coding of courageous warrior power, deep fiery strength and some killer fountain of youth genes! Seriously, if that’s what I have to look forward to at 60…I am so very thankful! Cheers, mom! I love you!”

[nicolemaxali]

I Heart Lola

By: Nicole Maxali

In this monologue excerpt from, “I Heart Lola,” Nicole Maxali makes us laugh and cry as she paints for us a poignant picture of her journey with her grandmother from when she was in diapers to college to her grandmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The piece was performed at the LA Women’s Theatre Festival and, most recently, the NY International Fringe Festival.

About the actor: Nicole Maxali is a native San Franciscan and Brooklyn based writer, producer and actor.  She writes comedy, acts in film and loves her Lola (Tagalog for grandmother).

Lola Encar standing with her 1956 Cadillac in 1960

Lola Encar dancing the night away with her husband Marmerto in 1985