Mike doesn’t get all the credit for having celebrity stories. I’ve had a few close encounters of the star kind myself. One of the most memorable was with the Oscar-winning Joanne Woodward.
The experience took place in the late ‘80s when I was doing community/media relations for a Southern California school district, and The Woodward came to one of our schools. I can claim no credit for arranging the visit. It had been handled through the school. I guess by being that close to Hollywood, everyone knows someone who knows someone else. Seven degrees of separation.
It wasn’t planned as a media event (darn it), but I was asked to be present in case reporters showed up. For most of the event, I just kept track (from a professional distance) of the Georgia-born guest and observed. Born in 1930, Joanne Woodward must have been in her 50s at the time and was still beautiful. No surprise that she had won several beauty contests in her teen years as a step to advance her acting career. She has a classic look that will make her beautiful when she’s 90.
Finally, the event was over; everyone had left; and the principal, assistant principal and I were walking Joanne out to her car. The four of us paused on the way and stood there on the school sidewalk having comfortable, casual chitchat. Joanne was warm, down-to-earth and completely unpretentious. I don’t recall what led up to the comment that woke me up. I was engaged in the conversation, but the happy voice inside my head kept repeating: “I’m talking to Joanne Woodward. I’m talking to Joanne Woodward.”
One of the school administrators told a funny story about trying to get her husband to do a household chore. We all laughed, and Joanne chimed in with “I have the same struggle with my husband! Just last week . . .”
I don’t remember the rest of her story because it immediately hit me.
OH
MY
GOD!
She’s talking about Paul Newman! She’s actually talking about getting one of the most handsome, talented men in the flippin’ world to take out the trash!
I guess the moral of this story is that no matter how beautiful the couple – no matter how many Oscars each has accumulated – no matter how recognizable they are – the trash must still go out.
The experience took place in the late ‘80s when I was doing community/media relations for a Southern California school district, and The Woodward came to one of our schools. I can claim no credit for arranging the visit. It had been handled through the school. I guess by being that close to Hollywood, everyone knows someone who knows someone else. Seven degrees of separation.
It wasn’t planned as a media event (darn it), but I was asked to be present in case reporters showed up. For most of the event, I just kept track (from a professional distance) of the Georgia-born guest and observed. Born in 1930, Joanne Woodward must have been in her 50s at the time and was still beautiful. No surprise that she had won several beauty contests in her teen years as a step to advance her acting career. She has a classic look that will make her beautiful when she’s 90.
Finally, the event was over; everyone had left; and the principal, assistant principal and I were walking Joanne out to her car. The four of us paused on the way and stood there on the school sidewalk having comfortable, casual chitchat. Joanne was warm, down-to-earth and completely unpretentious. I don’t recall what led up to the comment that woke me up. I was engaged in the conversation, but the happy voice inside my head kept repeating: “I’m talking to Joanne Woodward. I’m talking to Joanne Woodward.”
One of the school administrators told a funny story about trying to get her husband to do a household chore. We all laughed, and Joanne chimed in with “I have the same struggle with my husband! Just last week . . .”
I don’t remember the rest of her story because it immediately hit me.
OH
MY
GOD!
She’s talking about Paul Newman! She’s actually talking about getting one of the most handsome, talented men in the flippin’ world to take out the trash!
I guess the moral of this story is that no matter how beautiful the couple – no matter how many Oscars each has accumulated – no matter how recognizable they are – the trash must still go out.
1 comment:
:-D That is a great story! You always make me smile.
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