Actor seeks out local flea markets
Hailing from Alberta, Canada, Jeffrey BowyerChapman was adopted when he was 2 weeks old. The actor, who splits his time between West Hollywood and Brooklyn, said he would love to travel to Ghana.
“Recently, I did a DNA test and discovered that half of my bloodline stems from West Africa,” said the 33-year-old. “(This) solidified my desire to explore the place my ancestors came from. I haven’t felt this strongly about a place since I was in my early 20s and had an intuitive need to live in New York City, which I did for many years. I will forever be shaped by the energy of Manhattan and Brooklyn in my soul.”
In addition to his Lifetime series “UnREAL,” Bowyer-Chapman hosts a podcast called “Conversations With Others.”
An edited version of our conversation follows.
A: In the famous words of Audrey Hepburn, Paris is always a good idea! I’m the type of person who far prefers a vacation filled with trips to museums and art galleries, shopping and exploring vintage flea markets, people-watching at cafes and discovering delicious restaurants, as opposed to lounging on a beach for days on end.
QA: I am a flea market junkie! Every city I go to I’ll be sure to look up when and where the biggest and best markets are nearby. In Paris, Clignancourt definitely holds the title for the biggest and the best. It’s a perfect place to get lost in the endless displays of goods and spend an entire day collecting rare and beautiful gifts for friends and family while, of course, always keeping an eye out for gorgeous treasures to treat myself as well.
A: So many of my friends and family will go to Palm Springs as their weekend getaway destination, but when I need a break from Los Angeles, I’ll head to Joshua Tree instead. There’s something so magical about the energy of the Mojave Desert.
My favorite thing to do while in Joshua Tree is to hit up the Integratron. It’s a large wooden dome structure built in the middle of the desert where you lay in meditation with a group of friends and strangers, while a woman plays 14 large quartz singing bowls. The vibrations bounce off the wooden walls of the building and travel through your body, which makes you feel like you’re levitating!
A: That we are all much more alike than we are unalike. Even on the other side of the world, the sky is blue, the grass is green and the sun rises and sets every day. People who do not speak the same language as I do have the same hopes, desires and yearnings.
From the most remote of villages to the largest cities, we as a species have the same internal need to be seen, heard and validated. It is the most human of traits that I have witnessed and experienced the world over.
A: Lanikai Beach in Hawaii is beyond stunning. My partner, Andrew, and I spent a few days there a couple of years ago while attending our friend’s wedding. The white sand beaches and blue-green waters paired with the epic amount of LGBTQfriendly love in the air made for an unforgettable island paradise experience.