One of my dearest friends is the ever so talented Natalie West. Natalie is one of the most amazing people, a wonderful Mom, excellent junk shopper, talented actress, and one of the most generous people I have known. I have been friends with Natalie for 9 years, we have gone junk shopping and eaten at our favorite taco dive a million times. Natalie will occasionally tell me interesting stories about her days with the Remains Theater in Chicago and her years on the Roseanne Show. I have heard her mention her friend Billy over the years, she went to see Billy's play on the East Coast, Billy is doing a T.V. show. I discovered just yesterday that her Billy is C.S.I.'s William Petersen after reading an article written by Rick Kogan for The Chicago Tribune. When Annie Leibovitz met Mr. Man and LuLu at the American Girl Store, I told Natalie about it. Apparently, years ago Annie photographed Natalie, Roseanne and Laurie Metcalf for the cover of T.V. Guide! Again, I didn't find this out for years!!! If I had something cool happen to me you would know about it in the first three minutes of talking to me. I would sell t-shirts with the photo from T.V. Guide to Mom's waiting to pick up their kids from school. I would also wear a sandwich board that reads "I worked with George Clooney". I may wear one that reads "I know someone who worked with George Clooney", I am so not cool!
10 comments:
hi Linda..how funny. i would be right there with you!! Fun story! I remember her on Roseanne!
WHAT???
I'm totally with you. I would have t-shirts made and would find ways to drop my fabulosity-by-association into every conversation. "Oh, you're ordering Coke? My friend George Clooney drinks that a lot."
Okay, have to thank you in advance for indulging me - I'm about to be obnoxious . . . I'll put on my dusty sandwich board (don't wear it much as L.A. people are so hard to impress but just can't resist a chance to bring out my midwestern starstruck nature that hasn't seen the light of day in a long time). My husband has worked in the movie industry for over 25 years now and worked on many feature films, TV shows, and rock videos until he became an international safety representative for one of the largest industry unions in the world. Now he has normal work hours, is home every night, and just visits the sets for other reasons. So, in years past, I have partied with Tom Hanks (he sent us a fruit basket when our daughter was born during the filming of Forest Gump), Whoopi Goldberg (been to her house), Elizabeth Taylor (she had a crush on my husband, she gushed over him in front of me on more than one occasion - been to her house too), Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman, Prince, Nick Nolte, ate lunch pretty much one on one with Mark Harmon (he came over and introduced himself when I visited my hubby at work and then sat with me when Kent went back), lent my lighter to Kevin Bacon, shared my dog on set with Jodie Foster and have at least met many more (Bill Murray signed our copy of the book The Razor's Edge after we saw the movie while he was working on What About Bob). Anyway, my brush with William Petersen is that I watered the plants in his house when I first moved to L.A. - I worked for a plant business that installed and maintained plants in LAX, other big commercial buildings and celebrity homes. I took care of Cybill Shepherd's plants too - every room in her house had a futon in it. I'm not too embarrassed to admit my star struck-edness - even my husband has it to some degree though he is pretty unimpressed after all these years of working within a few feet everyday of someone famous (he was a Dolly Grip and pushed the camera for most of his career) - he met Dick Van Dyke the other day and he was pretty excited about that. One of Kent's(my husband)closest friends is the son of Bill Daily (Howard from the Bob Newhart show, Capt. Healey from I Dream of Jeanie)- I've always thought that was pretty cool. Both my husband and myself have been in a couple of movies (because we were already on set and available to grab for a shot) but you would miss us if we weren't there preparing you for our nanosecond of fame. One of the coolest little stories for me is this though - in Forest Gump when Jenny is throwing rocks at the house, my husband actually threw them - he was the only one that could hit the window and break it. Okay, got it out my system - thanks for letting me barf up all of my old exciting-to-me moments! I'm probably going to delete this when I wake up in the morning and realize how obnoxious this really is. sigh . . .
Marsha
Marsha- I would put ever word of that on a sandwich board too! When people sneeze, rather then saying bless you, say Liz Taylor had a crush on my husband!!!
Linda
I love those "brushes with fame" stories. My sister in law used to be a nanny for a family whose beach house was next door to Billy Joel. I really don't have any of my own, so I have to live vicariously through everyone else's stories!
my brother's girlfriend's mother shaked hands with Robert Redford... may I be part of the club ? ;-)
I don't know anybody that knows anybody, that has lived next to anybody, or sat next to anybody... or anything. Well, I read Linda's blog, and she knows....
So funny, you guys.
I had the great fortune to see "Bill" in "American Buffalo" at the Remains Theatre in Chicago in 1991. (I've had a bit of a crush on him since I saw him in "Manhunter.") Other than seeing the play, it was actually the worst Valentine's Day date I've ever had--ended up getting in an argument with my husband. It sucked, but we've survived by NEVER celebrating Valentine's Day.
We lived in LA for six years and had regular sightings of celebs at LAX. My husband always saw the cool ones--William Shatner on a flight to Hawaii, and Maria Bello on the same flight.
I saw Janet Reno.
I know.
But also Madeline Stowe, who was on the same SW flight to Texas with me and my daughter, probably heading to her ranch near San Antonio. I caught a sideways glance from Liev Schreiber when my son made some off-the-wall comment that he overheard. The best: giving a compliment to Frances Fisher ("Unforgiven")on her lovely vintage lace shirt before I realized who she was. This was at an open house for a Waldorf school in Santa Monica, and Donna Mills was there as well.
And, my biggest brush with the famous: I was an extra in a movie starring Matt Dillon when I was in middle school. You can actually see the back of my head in one scene! I wish I could find a copy of the movie on video. "Liar's Moon," anyone?
Thanks for letting me (over)share!
Thank you for all of the brushes with greatness stories!!! I live vicariously through all of you.
Linda
OMG I can't stop laughing at the cuteness of these comments. You all are too darn funny! Cha Cha. Congratulations on winning the giveaway. So jellus!
Linda, when do you want me to come over with all the power tools? I want you to make that chair!!!!
:)
xoxoxo
Ok...I have much catching up to do here. Been away for a week and I've already missed a tons of great storites and photos. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee.
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