If you read my blogs (and who doesn't?!?) then you'll know that I have a couple of celebrity "hall passes." One of my more recent is Mr. Tony Shalhoub. Now, the thing about the celebrity hall pass (you know, that thing where your romantic partner grants you permission to "make love" to the celebrity or celebrities of your choosing) is that there is zero to no chance that, for starters, you'll ever be in their physical presence and B) that they'll be into you and C) that even if they did fancy you, they probably don't have a reverse (read non-celebrity) hall pass from their more than likely celebrated as well, partner. Well, this past Thursday night, guess what? I RAN INTO TONY SHALHOUB IN CENTRAL PARK!
Well, he was fully clothed at the time; but it wasn't the first time I was in his immediate vicinity. Also, he wasn't a hall pass back in the day, as I didn't need a pass in the early 90's. Although I'm kind of glossing over the fact that he's more than likely not into dudes. But besides that...when I worked at Paramount the show Wings was in full swing. I used to see Tony on the lot every now and then. I was even an extra on Wings. The one and only time I was an extra. I hated it! It was an interesting experience; but I'd never do it again. Mostly it was boring. Mostly it was sitting around. And then the night of the taping a couple of hours of pure stress. I recall sort of wandering around the airport set...going to the fake pay phone...pretending to talk...
I never saw the episode at the time; but one night, many years later, I was in a hotel with my husband and flipping through channels and Wings came on and the character of "Roy" was speaking. The actor, the late David Schramm, had a very distinctive voice and he was saying something about: "....if you were the sun, its rays would spread out..." or something like that. "That's it!" I exclaimed. "What's 'it'?" My husband asked. "My episode! The episode of Wings when, I was an extra!!!" So we watched. But alas, I am nowhere to be seen. It was like, wherever the camera was pointing, I wasn't. I think maybe you can see my hand reaching for the payphone; but that's it. I need to see it again, if only to confirm my complete lack of presence. Or is that complete abundance of absence? *Sigh*
I never saw the episode at the time; but one night, many years later, I was in a hotel with my husband and flipping through channels and Wings came on and the character of "Roy" was speaking. The actor, the late David Schramm, had a very distinctive voice and he was saying something about: "....if you were the sun, its rays would spread out..." or something like that. "That's it!" I exclaimed. "What's 'it'?" My husband asked. "My episode! The episode of Wings when, I was an extra!!!" So we watched. But alas, I am nowhere to be seen. It was like, wherever the camera was pointing, I wasn't. I think maybe you can see my hand reaching for the payphone; but that's it. I need to see it again, if only to confirm my complete lack of presence. Or is that complete abundance of absence? *Sigh*
So BONUS: Tony happened to be behind a lady who happened to be behind a dog. The lovely and talented Brooke Adams!!! You see, I'd just been paying an homage to Ruth Gordon over at The Dakota. I'd recreated (sort of) the scene from Rosemary's Baby (one of my top five favorite movies) on the fly; the one where Minnie Castevet finds out her houseguest (Terry Gionoffrio (Angela Dorian) has leapt to her death from their apartment. I gotta figure out how to get it off of my phone; so I'll post it later.
So we crossed the street because I wanted to look at Strawberry Fields and when we were heading back to our hotel I looked up from the ground (I look at the ground a lot) and my eyes fell on the lady who I almost walked into as she was leaning down to adjust her dog's leash and I thought instantly: "...why she looks exactly like Brooke--" and then I saw the curly headed man behind her and knew it was them (oh, did I mention they were married...to one another?). Well, they are. And this was not the first time I'd run into the both of them together. The first time was at the Beverly Connection shopping center and they were coming out of The Sport Chalet. There were several unruly children with them and I recall Brooke putting them in line with a very commanding voice. This was a good twenty years ago. I was rather indifferent towards Tony back then. As for Brooke, I was star-struck. She'd been my screen goddess idol since I first saw her in 1978's Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Now that was a movie I sort of saw by accident. My brother and I were dropped off at the movie theater by my grandfather to see Superman. It was sold out, so my brother and I ended up going to see Body Snatchers instead. It rocked my world! And it was love at first sight with Brooke. Or was it "at first hear" because it was her voice that really did it for me. So sexy! And I'm gay.
And I loved her combination of humor and intensity. I love the way her emotions read on her face in this rather throw away scene from the movie; it's like watching clouds before a storm as they change the light:
So we crossed the street because I wanted to look at Strawberry Fields and when we were heading back to our hotel I looked up from the ground (I look at the ground a lot) and my eyes fell on the lady who I almost walked into as she was leaning down to adjust her dog's leash and I thought instantly: "...why she looks exactly like Brooke--" and then I saw the curly headed man behind her and knew it was them (oh, did I mention they were married...to one another?). Well, they are. And this was not the first time I'd run into the both of them together. The first time was at the Beverly Connection shopping center and they were coming out of The Sport Chalet. There were several unruly children with them and I recall Brooke putting them in line with a very commanding voice. This was a good twenty years ago. I was rather indifferent towards Tony back then. As for Brooke, I was star-struck. She'd been my screen goddess idol since I first saw her in 1978's Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Now that was a movie I sort of saw by accident. My brother and I were dropped off at the movie theater by my grandfather to see Superman. It was sold out, so my brother and I ended up going to see Body Snatchers instead. It rocked my world! And it was love at first sight with Brooke. Or was it "at first hear" because it was her voice that really did it for me. So sexy! And I'm gay.
And I loved her combination of humor and intensity. I love the way her emotions read on her face in this rather throw away scene from the movie; it's like watching clouds before a storm as they change the light:
Not that I have to prove this long standing love of Ms. Adams; but here she is, prominently placed in a collage I made in 7th grade. The assignment was to create the collage with "you" (me) as the subject: things or whatever that reflect who "you" are. It gives some interesting insight into my twelve year-old world-view; which, other than Disney and McDonald's, hasn't really changed all that much.
Of all the twelve year-olds alive in the world in October of 1978; I may have very well been the only one who would feature not one but two pictures of Genevieve Bujold in a "getting to know you" collage. And I wear that as a badge of honor! Huh, I even put in a little rainbow...now that's prescience!
So...
Back to Central Park, November 11, 2022.
"Pssssssttttt!" I hissed at my husband as we headed south on Central Park West. He turned and gave me a "what?" look. "We just passed Brooke Adams and Tony Shalhoub!!! Should I ask her for her autograph?" Without a word he turned and we were tailing our Hollywood quarry into the park. Luckily, the pair stopped and Ms. Adams (Mrs. Shalhoub?) let the dog off its leash to go and pee-pee. The dog was a sort of Springer spaniel-Poodlish type dog:
So...
Back to Central Park, November 11, 2022.
"Pssssssttttt!" I hissed at my husband as we headed south on Central Park West. He turned and gave me a "what?" look. "We just passed Brooke Adams and Tony Shalhoub!!! Should I ask her for her autograph?" Without a word he turned and we were tailing our Hollywood quarry into the park. Luckily, the pair stopped and Ms. Adams (Mrs. Shalhoub?) let the dog off its leash to go and pee-pee. The dog was a sort of Springer spaniel-Poodlish type dog:
We thought it a little odd that she would let the dog go off on its own in Central Park, especially that close to the street; but I guess she knows her dog. It stayed pretty close to the pair, did its business and returned. Meanwhile, Mr. Shalhoub had his nose pressed into a smart phone, whilst he was maneuvering a large frame in his arms (mirror? framed print?). Meanwhile, Handmade Films was filming a scene right where the four of us were orbiting one another. Now, I usually get tongue tied around celebrities; but my husband most decidedly does not. However, it was quickly becoming inopportune to approach either of them and since I didn't have a pencil or a piece of paper to actually request autographs I disabused myself of that notion. Then I started laughing. "Why are you laughing?" my husband asked. I replied: "I was just thinking that it would be funny if I just went over to Brooke and told her that Tony was one of my hall passes..."
"Tony Shalhoub is your hall pass? Shouldn't you run that by me first?"
"Oh didn't I mention that?"
He shook his head. "What happened to Jake G____________?"
"Oh, he's still on the list!"
"How long is this list?"
By this point, the trio had reconvened and moved northwards.
I chuckled again. I mean, what if I did go up to her and simply said: "Ms. Adams, I am a huge fan; not just of your body of cinematic work but also your painting. And your husband. As a matter of fact, he's at the top of my celebrity hall pass list!"
I mean, how might she possibly have responded?
A) HELP! POLICE!!!
B) Are you interested in buying a painting?
C) Tony's totally into this. And I like to watch. There are some nice bushes over there...
Oh yeah, Brooke is a painter. And a really good one. And I want one of her paintings.
"Tony Shalhoub is your hall pass? Shouldn't you run that by me first?"
"Oh didn't I mention that?"
He shook his head. "What happened to Jake G____________?"
"Oh, he's still on the list!"
"How long is this list?"
By this point, the trio had reconvened and moved northwards.
I chuckled again. I mean, what if I did go up to her and simply said: "Ms. Adams, I am a huge fan; not just of your body of cinematic work but also your painting. And your husband. As a matter of fact, he's at the top of my celebrity hall pass list!"
I mean, how might she possibly have responded?
A) HELP! POLICE!!!
B) Are you interested in buying a painting?
C) Tony's totally into this. And I like to watch. There are some nice bushes over there...
Oh yeah, Brooke is a painter. And a really good one. And I want one of her paintings.
Now, I'm not sure I'd want a self-portrait of Brooke where you can't see her face or body...but it certainly would be a conversation starter if you hung it over the dining room side-board!
She's also done a series of paintings based on "Days of Heaven" a 1978 movie she did with Richard Gere(!). It was directed by Terrence Malick and was perhaps his first movie to feature his signature shot of a human hand caressing undulating grasses.
I'm really hoping she does a series of paintings based on Invasion of the Body Snatchers, I mean, who wouldn't want a painting of...then again...maybe not.
So anyways, I hope it doesn't take another twenty years to run into Brooke and Tony again, I mean, none of us are spring chickens anymore and by then, all "hall passes" will probably be expired.
She's also done a series of paintings based on "Days of Heaven" a 1978 movie she did with Richard Gere(!). It was directed by Terrence Malick and was perhaps his first movie to feature his signature shot of a human hand caressing undulating grasses.
I'm really hoping she does a series of paintings based on Invasion of the Body Snatchers, I mean, who wouldn't want a painting of...then again...maybe not.
So anyways, I hope it doesn't take another twenty years to run into Brooke and Tony again, I mean, none of us are spring chickens anymore and by then, all "hall passes" will probably be expired.
CFR 11/15/22