New York's West Side is a haven for celebrities, from Milton Berle, Paul Simon, Kathleen Turner, and Madonna, to Donald Trump and Nicole Kidman. The West Side is teeming with celebrities for 3 reasons: 1) all the major theaters are there; 2) There's currently 11 TV series in production there; 3) all the national news and syndicated entertainment shows are taped on the the West Side.
So after awhile, celebrity spotting becomes no big deal and they just become part of NYC's backdrop, celebrity extras if you will. Oftentimes I don't recognize them till much later because they look so different without their makeup. Such was the case when I met up with Tom Cruise a few days ago.
First I should tell you, that I've never had a crush or liked Tom that much. I did love the scene in which he shows his beautiful legs in the movie Risky Business. But that doesn't really qualify as much, for if they had been attached to anyone else's body, they would have done just as well. Sorry Tom.
What little I did like about him eventually wore off, as my interests in men's legs were supplanted by interest in their brains and sense of humor. As a result Tom quickly fell off my radar screen. That was until he did the movie Top Gun. I've always been in love with speed and airplanes, so watching those flying sequences of the F-14 Tom Cats was the only sure fire way to get me to pay full price for a movie. Sigh! Sorry Tom.
So there I was in the lobby of one of the Rockefeller Center buildings rushing to catch the elevator for an interview, when the elevator doors closed on the end of my backpack. Feeling a bit foolish, I averted the eyes of the two handsome men directly in front of me (who were the only other people there), and focused on freeing myself. Deciding to pull my backpack free by shifting my entire weight forward didn't make the backpack budge an inch. Removing my backpack straps off my shoulders was the only other choice. Once done, I started tugging and pulling on the back pack with my hands. Never try this while wearing 3½ inch heels.
Needless to say, I slid on the floor just as the elevator doors let go of my backpack causing me to fall back and land in the arms of the guy immediately behind me - Tom Cruise. I was mortified and my face showed it. He was nice enough, asking me if I was alright while he helped steady me on my feet. He then picked up my back pack off the floor and handed it to me with a charming smile. All I could do was apologize profusely. His travel companion held the doors open for me as I tried to collect whatever air of self-confidence I had left. I then pulled my suit jacket down, said my thanks, and stepped out onto the floor.
It was only when the receptionist, who had slowly stood up with mouth hanging open and eyes bulging, greeted me excitedly with a, "Was that Tom Cruise?", that a sort of lightening flash of recognition went off in my head. I turned around to double check and saw the smiling face that's been photographed ad naseum, and simply said, "So it was." I then turned around and focused on the task at hand, my interview.
After turning down several of the receptionist's offers to buy the backpack which Tom had held in his "precious hands", I was finally glad to be able to leave. Sorry Tom, you just don't do it for me or my blog sis, Bou!
Posted by Michele at June 6, 2005 01:12 AMPalm Beach County is the same way. Everyone owns a home down here for the winter and so you go places and see people and after awhile, it doesn't phase you. It just... is.
I am like you... it's all about the brains and the sense of humor. I tell people all the time, higher intelligence is the ultimate aphrodisiac. I don't even think about what someone looks like anymore... of course unless they're really dirty! Blech!
Tom just doesn't come across as all that bright. He comes across as... mentally plyable. Heh.
Posted by: Bou at June 6, 2005 08:44 AMSo... when he's not on camera, does he still just let his mouth hang open all the time like a slack-jawed yokel?
Posted by: Harvey at June 6, 2005 08:48 AMActors "act". So they do "fake" for a living.
Would you truly trust someone who pretended all the time?
Posted by: _Jon at June 6, 2005 10:18 AMI know I'm going to upset Michele and Bou with this comment but here goes:
I'd do him
:)
Posted by: Machelle at June 6, 2005 01:55 PMIf your going to fall into the arms of a celebrety, make sure it's a hot one. Like Tom's ex, Nichole Kidman... then get pictures of it for us. :)
Posted by: Contagion at June 6, 2005 03:29 PMWhen my sister first moved to NYC years ago, I'd get the occassional phone call about a celeb who had walked into the store she worked at... no matter who it was I just couldn't work up any enthusiasm.
I'm not a "star watcher" and I'm not going to gush all over them because they can act in front of a camera... I don't really care who they are. I don't dislike them, but there are so many other people I admire so much more - and would be thrilled to meet in person. But that's just me.
Posted by: Teresa at June 6, 2005 04:42 PMHe's not a nice boy. Not at all.
Does nothing for me....and still wouldn't even if he did meet the minimum height requirement.
I'm with you - humor and brains.
Posted by: Tammi at June 6, 2005 08:45 PMLike I told Bou, Cruise just doesn't do it for me!
Your story reminded me of a story my brother told me. He ran up to Hollywood just to kill some time one day, and while there, Gary Busey ran into him. Literally. Flattened him. R said that Busey was very cool, very nice. Kept making sure that he was alright. (And he didn't get the feeling that he was trying to cover his ass!) Soon as R stood up and told him it was cool, Busey smiled and apologized again, then took off. He was hurrying to a taping of the Tonight Show.
Kinda cool.
Posted by: That 1 Guy at June 6, 2005 11:34 PMThe only way to be around those with fame...
bring on the ULTRADORK!
Fall down, fart, throw-up, lick all of the doorknobs in the room...
That is how you make sure they remember you.
;)