Encounters With Celebrities/Monica Lewinsky

I'm sure that everybody remembers who Monica Lewinsky is and even though she became famous for...uh.... perhaps the wrong reasons...well.... she has become quite successful. I met her maybe a few years after the trial when she was shopping for a dress and I was holding the door for her. She was buoyant about the dress that was displayed in the store which was in Soho and asked the salesperson how much it was as soon as she walked into the store after I held it for her. Now... I'm a gentleman.... mind you... but was taken aback at the enthusiasm that she had  for the dress. I thought that it was cute though.... kind of like a child seeing a dog in the window and asking the parent how much it is. It was one of those moments where I was flabbergasted and in awe at the same time..... primarily because.... uh.... um.... she's part of history. I didn't necessarily think about the reason why when I held the door for her but when you come to think of it...... I think that she knew what she was getting into when she did....uh.... what she did..... don't you? I'm sure that other people think so.

Encounters With Celebrities/ Hank Azaria

I've recently had the pleasure of interviewing Hank Azaria because I was covering a press event for the Smurfs movie in which he plays the villain called Gargamel. He is multi-faceted and involved in pretty much every aspect of the film as well as the television business because he's producing along with directing several features. He also voices several memorable characters for the Simpsons television show but one of my favorite characters that he has played in the past was the one in the Birdcage which was that of a gay butler to Robin William's and Nathan Lane's characters. That movie was a riot from beginning to the end and Hank Azaria is quoted as saying that he grandmother influenced him for that role. How funny! One of the questions that I asked him was who influenced him for the Gargamel character and he said that his mother did. Imagine that! I had so much fun at the press event because the press people got insight into how the Smurfs were created via software and how the movie came to be in the first place.....plus.... I got a Smurf!

Encounters With Celebrities/ Marisa Tomei

Marisa Tomei is one of my favorite actresses so my reaction to meeting her was not nonchalant because I was quite excited. I'm not one to jump up and down or hound for an autograph so I just admired her looks quietly but with glee. I've met her twice.

One time was in front of a Wild Oats supermarket in West Hollywood a few years back and then again a few years later in NYC during a MAC cosmetics party. She was just leaving and waved at me which I thought was cool since I don't know her personally. The MAC cosmetics event was a party that I sort of crashed but I didn't spend much time there because there wasn't much to do and I'm not a woman. There were some beautiful women there.... though.

Marisa looked fit as a fiddle when I first saw her in West Hollywood and I just looked at her but she was funny about it because she told me to keep quiet about seeing her....uh... you know how hot-blooded these Italian women are. She didn't want any attention drawn to herself so I just respected her wishes because that's the cool guy that I am. My favorite film of hers is My Cousin Vinnie because it's the film that got her an Oscar. She's gone on to do numerous roles and is currently working on a movie called The Ides Of March.

Encounters With Celebrities/Gary Busey

I was in Malibu once in a mall when I see Gary Busey and tried to say something to him .... like what's up.... but he was talking on his cellphone. What struck me as funny was the fact that he was murmuring into his cellphone and not actually pronouncing any words. I met him after his highly-publicized mental breakdown.... which... in his defense.... is bound to happen... especially with his past movie experience.

He's described as someone who " often plays weird or psychotic characters with bizarre background. " on the imdb.com site and that makes sense to me since he seems to parlay the character who is tortured in some way... so when I saw him then I just went my own way.... know what I'm sayin'? It wasn't that I was afraid of him but it was just that I wanted to give him his own space. He seems like a cool guy and is quite entertaining. I would put him in a movie if I was doing one. He's now doing a movie called Veteran's Day with Daryl Hannah.

Encounters With Celebrities/Woody Harrelson

I met Woody Harrelson a few years ago when he was with his kid from him and his girlfriend. It was an odd encounter because I absolutely love his character in Natural Born Killers so took the liberty of using a curse word to express my joy of seeing him. He didn't seem to mind but I walked away while asking myself as to why I would make a fool of myself in front of his kid. I guess that I didn't since he didn't seem to mind. He is one of my favorite actors. He always seems to play characters that are edgy.... which is what I like..... never mind the subtle character that an actor may or may not play.

Mickey Knox was a heroic-type of character from Natural Born Killers that people rooted for because of his tenacious and fearless nature. Juliette Lewis played her character along side Woody Harrelson with ease and she was just as naughty as well as filthy. I've actually met couples of that nature. If a person who is reading this post hasn't seen it then.... do it! It's well worth the two hours of your time. It's also got Robert Downey Junior as a flummoxed journalist who is covering a prison riot that Mickey and Mallory Knox are involved in and Tommy Lee Jones plays the warden. The riot is designed so that the two serial people can escape.

Encounters With Celebrities/Billy Preston

This is one of the more intimate encounters that I've had because I was in a limo with Billy Preston when I met him. I spent a little time with him and he showed me his favorite places like the Toi restaurant in Hollywooooood..... as well as some nightclub that is....or was.....I don't know if it's still there... stuck in some corner of a mini-mall. I got to know him a little but.... he didn't sing! He didn't ask me to sing either.... which disappointed me a bit but I had a good time nevertheless.

He recently passed away in Arizona but his career was primarily as a songwriter and his most prominent song was...yup...you guessed it...called You Are So Beautiful which was made famous by Joe Cocker. What a name that is....huh? Anyway.... an interesting fact is that Billy Preston was known as the fifth Beatle. He left the quirky group to make his own music..... now that's what I'm talking about! I never got to see him again but it was cool to sit with him in a limo nevertheless...... know what I'm sayin'?

Encounters With Celebrities/Diana Ross

Diana Ross is one of the most svelte performers out there. She always performs while wearing dresses with long trains attached.... but I had an encounter with her while I was working in the Scandinavian Ski And Sport Shop which is no longer there due to the length of the lease expiring.... too bad. The shop had pretty much every one working there from Norway....with names like Boo and Lars as well as Oslo. It had two levels and sold high-end ski-wear with equipment to boot..... it was a chic place. My job was to organize everything in the stockroom so that when a diva like Diana Ross needed a size of something then I could run into the stockroom to get it.

She was there to purchase a few items which did not require me to run like crazy but I had only found out that she was there when I saw her impeccably dressed body guard at the top of the stairs...so.... something was up! When I went over to the cash register to pick up some hangers then I saw her with her flowing black and semi-curly hair along with her coco-brown skin. I was surprised about her height.... which was at about 5' 7"... because she does appear as taller..... or maybe it was the admiration that I had for her that made her seem taller.

It was a funny moment because there was a french woman who worked there and when Diana Ross pulled out $1,000 in cash to pay for the clothing then the french cashier backed away because she had never had to deal with that amount of cash before. Diana Ross is currently on tour in smaller venues....so I guess that means that she is taking easy. She could easily do a show in Las Vegas..... right? Who wouldn't want to see Diana Ross in Las Vegas? They would be nuts not too. She was Michael Jackson's mentor before they split apart....for some reason... and they lived together while she sported him on how to perform. I guess that she
mothered him somehow.

Encounters With Celebrities/Macaulay Culkin

Everyone knows who this celebrity is. If you don't..... then you must have your head in the sand to look for water...like an ostrich would. I met Macaulay in New York City a few years back when he was still with his wife. He has one of the most fascinating lives of any celebrity and is extraordinarily bow-legged..... I mean.... extraordinarily. I can only imagine how many pairs of shoes that he goes through.

He was walking down the street with his wife on Broadway in the East Village and I asked him for a quarter.... to no avail...... while briskly walking past me. I knew who he was but was more interested in the quarter than anything else! New York City is a tough place to live in.... .mind you. I'm sure that he's a nice person nevertheless.

After garnering success from his childhood films then he pretty much stayed out of the spotlight to focus on his personal life. He's been in a few films since then..... but he primarily focuses on writing. An interesting fact that a lot of people don't know is that he is the godfather to Michael Joseph "Prince" Jackson Jr. and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson.

I thoroughly enjoyed his work in the Home Alone movies. What fun movies those were...but whatever happened to films of that nature? The simple answer would be that those types of films have evolved into animated films....but I could be wrong. I thought about that possibility this morning after seeing an advertisement for the new Kung-fu Panda movie....which should be a spectacle. One of the things that I admire about Hollywood production companies is the creative aspect...... which seems tantalizing to me.

Encounters With Celebrities/Jennifer Hudson

She stands at about six feet and...uh.... maybe... four inches...with high heels... about the same height as Whitney Houston. She was in a Starbucks coffee shop in Beverly Hills when I met her....but I had to ask her if she was who she was! How hilarious! She then confirmed who she was and I congratulated her for her success. I.... then went on to purchase my....uh.... delicious cup of coffee..... and sat down at a table that was in front of the store. She then walked out and looked at me for a second before walking away with her friend..... or.... assistant.... I think..... but it was an interesting look because she cocked her head sideways when she looked at me. I guess it was her way of saying that it was good to meet me..... or something like that.

What a woman this person is. The challenges that she has gone through have been enormous and yet she has gone on to win an Oscar award and has been casted in numerous movie roles. One of the greatest challenges was when her mother and brother along with her nephew were killed in a shooting. That must have been one of the darkest moments of her life. She is currently being cast in the movie rendition of the Three Stooges. One of her mentors is Andre Leon Talley. He must have been doing....or perhaps still is.... doing a good job.

Encounters With Celebrities/Eli Davidson

Eli Davidson is a blogger for the Huffington Post as well as a motivational speaker. I met her yesterday while walking in the Grove mall and while she was looking for a Michael Kors store. I thought that I would be helpful so I directed her towards the store while discovering who she was for I failed to recognize her. It was one of those moments when you are caught with your pants down..... so to speak.

She has a book out called Funky To Fabulous that has won numerous awards and has sold quite a few copies. It's a book about helping yourself in times when everything has come to pass and the challenges seem evident. That's the kind of thinking that I encompass. I'll take on a challenge at any time and I'm the type of person who turns a bad situation into a good one....if you know what I mean....but with perspective as well as a good perception of what is going on around me.

Part of success is being prepared with the tools as well as the information that a person might need while taking on the task at hand. I've always like to be organized so that when things are flipped around then I can stand up to the challenge...but sometimes it's good to just become neutral....sort of like being in a meditative state.....as things just might be a bit out your control....and then a storm of ideas or whatever it is that the person is waiting for....comes through. I guess it's like quieting your mind.

Her blog features helpful tips for women and is fun to read. It can be a ruthless world out there if you're not prepared and people most certainly have to take the bull by the horns only to swing it around a few times so that it becomes dizzy. I absolutely love it when people take charge but loathe when people use that ability to make other people's lives nearly impossible to live.....but that's part of the process of evolution.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eli-davidson/why-women-dont-get-what-t_b_847656.html

Encounters With Celebrities/Andre' Leon Talley

Andre' Leon Talley is a contributing editor for Vogue magazine and I met him when he was going to Joan's On Third in Southern California. He was with his tennis coach and as soon as I saw him was when I rushed over to say hi. I recognized him because I do follow fashion and he is well-known in the fashion industry.

He is currently a judge on America's Top Model...which is a talent show featuring women who compete against each other for a lucrative modeling contract. I was excited to meet him because he always is seen as dressing in top form..... which is something that I admire in someone....style is important.

Fashion is important to me and I adore people in fashion for their tenacity as well as scrutiny. Some people in fashion can be ruthless but it is an extraordinarily competitive industry where emotions run high like water rushing through a city to flood everything.

I would sometimes crash parties and shows that were being put on during the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City. It is put on twice a year there as well as other metropolitan places throughout the world where fashion is prevalent.

I did attend fashion school for two weeks after being dropped from a culinary arts program and after losing my job at a brassiere due to the World Trade Center Tragedy but I quickly found out that going to that fashion school was not for me.  It takes a tremendous amount of skill with good eye and hand coordination. It's kind of like cooking.

Encounters With Celebrities/Will Smith

Will Smith was filming a movie when I met him.... although...I forget which one he was doing. It was in the Meat-packing District in New York City a few years ago and he was pretty much by himself with one bodyguard with him.

He was approachable and nice while sitting in front of his two story trailer that he takes with him everywhere whenever he is shooting. The trailer is huge! I have no idea how they lug it around when necessary. I said hi to him as he was taking a break from shooting the movie that he was doing.

I had forgotten to ask him what movie it was that he was doing but I guess it was because I was a bit starstruck. I grew up watching him on television as the Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air which was a great show. I am also a fan of him movies as well. My favorite is Six Degrees Of Separation in which he plays a hustler or con man-type who needles his way into people's homes. I also liked watching Men In Black and the sequel to it as well.

He seems to be the quintessential movie star who everybody likes because he does have huge box-office draw. Independence Day was another fantastic movie in which he plays someone from the military who is assigned to go after the aliens after they have attacked the world and want to take it over.

He is currently working on the third sequel for Men In Black.... which will be filmed in 3-D. His daughter is garnering success now as a performer and is known as Willow Smith as well as his son who is Jaden Smith. He starred in the revision of the Karate Kid and I am sure that there will be sequels to come.

Encounters With Celebrities/Robert Downey Junior

Robert Downey Jr. is one of my more favorite celebrities...partly because of his enigmatic screen presence ....but also because he one of those people who rocked out in the '90's. I met him a few years ago in Santa Monica while he was talking on his cell phone.....so it was a bit weird because I got excited when I saw him and he didn't want to be disturbed while he was on his phone. I was surprised that he was tall because the screen makes him seem short. My favorite film of his is the Oliver Stone movie called Natural Born Killers that came out in the '90's when he played a spastic journalist who was covering the antics of Mickey and Mallory Knox.

The scenes were hilarious because here was a journalist who was in the midst of a riot and chugging along while dodging the two emphatic serial killers. Robert Downey Jr. was going through a difficult time in the '90's when he was arrested numerous times for his rebellious attitude which was well publicized.....along with Johnny Depp's. The '90's were a time for trashing hotel rooms and being the rock star or any type of star....for that matter. It seems as if those days have lingered away. Where are those rebellious people?

Encounters With Celebrities/Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman recorded in the Sony Music Studios as well....and along with Jennifer Lopez...among others. The clients who recorded there were high-profile so I had to do my best to cater to them.....but all that Tracy Chapman wanted was some popcorn.

That was easy to come up with. I guess that she was there to work on a new album and this was back in 2000. I just simply heated up the popcorn in a microwave oven and placed the bag unopened into a black container so that it would still be hot when she got it. I wouldn't want her to eat cold popcorn!

She eventually left.... but the limo driver was not prepared for her because he was not in front of the building when it was raining outside! She refused to leave the building until the limo was parked directly in front of it. I wouldn't have either....know what I'm sayin'? The facility had numerous recording studios along with a sound stage as well as mastering rooms. It was a huge place!

Encounters With Celebrities/Domenico Dolce

He had a private party once in a place called the Whiskey Bar.... which is in New York City .... and I crashed the place by expressing to the gorgeous doorman that I was already inside. The staff inside didn't seem to notice that I was an outsider....in fact.... they seemed to have loved it.

It was a great experience for me to be able to get inside because I do admire Domenico Dolce's work.... but I had no idea that he was inside.....which made the experience even better.....know what I'm sayin'? It's always cool to be surprised....uh... no...wait a minute...it's not.... because it could be a surprise like the police showing up at your door step with a search warrant while you're taking a shit on the toilet in your bathroom. Ewwww.

I got to meet Domenico once I was inside and once I received a bottle of beer from the open bar...but I was wearing a Junior Versace jacket! Oy! How funny is that?! It was insanely fucken funny! I was dancing right in front of the DJ while Domenico was watching me....sans bodyguards....and I showed him the patch that was on the jacket with the Junior Versace insignia on it. He did not seem disappointed though.... because I guess that he was a fan of Gianni Versace as well.

He didn't stay for long...though... and eventually made it into his Turtle Top....which is a plush vehicle that is customized.....know what I'm sayin'? It's the only way to ride. I stayed for a bit longer but eventually got thrown out when the manager chick realized that I wasn't invited. I have no idea what she meant when she asked me if I needed anything..... except maybe that she was referring to coke..... which is popular at those types of parties.

Encounters With Celebrities/Benicio Del Toro

I was sitting on a bench that was in front of the Mercer Hotel which is on Mercer Street in New York City so that I could rest my feet when I see a man who is sitting in this Lincoln Town car. I instantly recognized him because Benicio Del Toro has a distinctive face but what was funny was that he was looking at me too. What was also funny was the way he was looking at me... as if he was concentrating on my face. Isn't that funny? One of my favorite movies that featured him is Traffic. It's about drugs and cops in Mexico.

I didn't want to say anything to him while he was looking at me because I just wasn't in the mood but I guess that I could've. I guess that it was another encounter that would be similar to Lauryn Hill's encounter... and I do catch people while they are staring at me from time to time. It doesn't bother me but what I find funny is the fact that some girls seem annoyed when I'm staring at them. I'll always look at a woman if I find her attractive. I'll look at her body from the front to the back and from head to toe...... know what I'm sayin'?

Encounters With Celebrities/Elliot Smith And Rick Allen Of Def Leppard

Yes... you read it right... I've had encounters with members of Def Leppard...... but on two separate occasions! Rock stars seem to like Santa Monica because I've met or have seen a lot of them there.... maybe it's because they were on their way to Malibu. I was sitting on a bench in Santa Monica that was along side a street on Santa Monica Boulevard when I met Joe Elliot.

He's the lead singer and was driving a gorgeous metallic-colored Ferrari convertible.... which is what I would be driving if I had that kind of money.... but what struck me as odd was the fact that some dude was sitting in the passenger seat with him. He looked kind of gay... perhaps like a twink... but with a beard. Joe Elliot looked at me and I was looking at the both of them while trying to sum things up.... because it was kind of weird. I guess that rock stars have their quirks... I mean... they have to... since they lead such interesting lives.

The other member of Def Leppard was Rick Allen. He had an unfortunate motorcycle accident ....a few years back...that left him with just one arm and it's amazing that he can still play the drums! They designed a special drum kit for him that would allow him to use the snare drum... but I don't know how he does it. I met him on Wishire Boulevard in Santa Monica when he was with his girlfriend and I think that his girlfriend plays guitar because she was carrying one. I can't imagine Rick Allen playing one.

Encounters With Celebrities/Howard Stern/Robin Quivers

Howard Stern always does things to the maximum.... so to speak... so a few years ago... he had a promotion for his new show. His idea was....uh.... to give a way...... ten.... thousand..... radios... of good quality...mind you...with one year of Sirius service... for free! Wow! It was all done in Union Square which is in New York City. I think that about 15,000 people showed up instead so not everyone got a radio but....... I got one! 

It was a fantastic radio and I absolutely love Sirius... which is now SiriusXm. I didn't like Xm radio for some reason. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the different channels that were available. The encounter only lasted for about two minutes and I was grateful for receiving such a gift.... how generous of him... but the actual reason why I showed up to get the radio was because.... I absolutely love his show! 

I've listened to his show every morning for a few years when he was on terrestrial radio.... how hilarious it is! I would simply laugh myself into a tizzy. The crowd was fairly tame despite the frenzy. It seemed like the give-a-way was organized well. Howard Stern stood on a stage and quipped with the crowd as his staff helped to hand out the radios. I'm sure that people were thankful and that the promotion garnered numerous subscriptions.... know what I'm sayin'?

Encounters With Celebrities/David Duchovny

I met him back a few years ago when he had just started doing Californication on HBO which they are filming all over Hollywood now. I needed a cup of coffee so I asked him for seventy-five cents and he said no! Ugh.... it sucks when people with money don't help out but I was mad for just a minute. Besides..... he wasn't obligated to help me out. He was with some guy and they were both waiting outside on a bench for a table. Can you believe that? What celebrity do you know who waits for a table? I'm not a celebrity and I wouldn't wait for a fucken table.... fuck that! I guess that he was pissed about waiting and maybe that's why he wouldn't give me seventy-five cents..... who knows. I got the coffee anyway.... so pooh!

Encounters With Celebrities/Ron Welty

Ron Welty was the drummer for the Offspring for a few years before starting his own band called Steady Ground after being booted by the other members of the Offspring. I've actually met all the members of the band when someone invited me to one of their concerts in San Francisco back when they were steaming hot. I got to meet them backstage after the show. The singer is tall and the show was fantastic.

Little did I know that I would be auditioning for Steady Ground a few years later. I got an email response to my craigslist.org ad that expressed their interest in bringing me in to audition but the audition went bust when I was attacked three weeks prior and left with a sprained knee. The song that I had to sing was alright but it was difficult to sing with all the pain that I was feeling which made me feel rather insecure in front of one of the biggest drummers in the world. The Offspring have sold millions of records.

I did not get to join the band called Steady Ground but I did get to meet the drummer. It was cool to stand in front of him as he pounded away on his drum set. I think back about that audition and think about the oddities of life. Part of the reason why I'm mentioning these encounters is because of how I think of life and happenstances of it. I just love it when two and two go together.