What is the secret to a life well lived? Maybe the secret is to keep living it — to not stop doing the things you love or the things that give you joy just because you’re getting older.
That is the advice of the “Spanish King,” the endearing and apt name given to Andrés García-Carro by his granddaughter, acclaimed multidisciplinary artist Celine van Heel, who shot the fashion feature for Dolce. Too often people feel like they should stop living out of a fear of being judged, but the 94-years-young model has found the recipe for living his dolce vita, his happy life — just do it! Story on page 72.
With summer upon us, we’re finally enjoying the sunshine, the warmth and the longer hours of daylight. For our summer issue we wanted to shine a light on a subject who emanates that same feeling of warmth and goodness. What better way than to have the hottest actor in religious entertainment, Jonathan Roumie, star of The Chosen, on our cover. Just like the summer sun — good for the soul!
Whether or not you are a fan of Roumie’s internationally popular show (or have even seen it), you cannot deny the actor’s striking resemblance to depictions of Christ in Western art. And Roumie’s resemblance to Jesus is not merely physical — it can be felt in his demeanour as well. Without wanting to sound overly zealous or too clichéd (and Roumie will be the first one to deny that he is anyone but himself), our team described our in-person shoot and interview as both an honour and humbling.
Humbled himself by his role and his life journey, Roumie told us that he understands why so many millions of fans have gravitated to The Chosen, a series that was originally only supposed to be four episodes long and is now on Season 6.
It’s hard to imagine the weight of responsibility that must come with performing the life of Jesus, and of having to deal gently with viewers who have difficulty distinguishing between his dramatic portrayal of Jesus and of Christ Himself. Onscreen Roumie feels so incredibly authentic, all the way to his accent, that you can’t blame fans for getting caught up and having a hard time not believing in him. Especially with so much confusion and sadness in this world, where most people are hoping for peace, love and forgiveness.
Roumie’s own inspiring story allows us to believe that when we let go and trust in God’s plan, things will align. We enjoyed his definition of his path to la dolce vita … being freed from feeling the pressure to succeed. Wow — what better way to live than that! Story on page 48.
The artist Christian Watson, creator of Mr. Skelly and author of How Lucky Am I, might have a similar attitude towards life and success. He describes his sweet life as being able to enjoy the stillness around him: “Anytime I am at peace with my household. I am present in the moment. I can hear what’s going on around me with my children, and see them and hear them and not be stressed about what’s coming next … to me that is just such a blessing. I think it is the sweetest life I can live.” Story on page 57.
We hope you, too, find your way to your happy life and enjoy this summer edition of Dolce. Until next time, let’s all remember to stay humble, stay in the moment, and share our dolce vita with others!
