Standing Next to Greatness

In my artistic pursuits, especially during the seven year run I had in LA, I've ocassionally run into a celebrity or two.  Sometimes, I've consciously sought these experiences out through book signings and the like, as, let's face it, I love me some celebrities (which is how I "met" Phyllis Diller, Lorna Luft, Pat Conroy, Esther Williams, and Mary Tyler Moore). 

A lot of times, I spotted these celebs because I was serving them, in one capacity or another.    Examples?   

I served Shirley Maclaine fish at a banquet (which she later claimed was rather dry to a group of ladies including Olivia Newton-John, Jane Seymour and Ruta Lee)   Tell is like it T-I- is Shirley!!

I've sold books to Martha Plimpton, Alanis Morissette, Gloria Allred, and Mary Kay Place.  I've served hors d'oeuvres to Chloe Sevigny, Mira Sorvino, and Quentin Tarantino.

A couple of them were really brief encounters...

Sometime in the late nineties I was in the LA Airport with an equally celebrity enamored friend who suddenly turned and pointed to a slight, dark haired young woman who had covered herself with a baseball cap, sunglasses and an oversized smock.  She obviously did not want to be recognized.  "THAT'S WINONA RYDER!!" he shouted.  She of course, quickly looked around and ducked her head.  Lucky for her it was a very crowded airport and people were far too busy to pay any attention to one nut job shouting, so Winona, expert in evasion, quickly faded into the crowd.  I'm sure that for her it was just another Tuesday. 

I momentarily saw Gary Coleman at the Westside Pavillion mall, standing in the game store, inspecting (not buying) a furbee.  This was around the time he appeared in the Simpsons episode "Grift of the Magi", which featured Mr. Funzo, a satirical version of the Furbee, so I like to imagine that Mr. Coleman was doing his actorly research.

A few of the stories need a little more attention to detail to convey the truth of the experience, so those I'll be covering in later posts.  First up???  Barbra Streisand.  Stay Tuned.