Really Well Known People
It is always interesting when my friends, Mica and Lara, who live in West L.A. ask me: "Guess who we saw the other day?"
The guessing is in reference to the stars that they see at restaurants, coffee shops, Blockbuster, etc. Considering they live in a neighborhood with nice homes abound, it's not a surprise that they see famous people around. Since they moved here from Santa Cruz last summer, they have started a list of their sightings. The notables on that list are Harrison Ford and Danny DeVito, both with their lesser known halves.
I visited Mica and Lara this past weekend and we were at brunch in a cafe on Wilshire Boulevard. With me seated in the corner of a nook, my view from the table was aimed at a wall covered with black-and-white portraits of really famous people (Al Pacino, Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson). A guy in board shorts and a long-sleeved shirt came up to Lara and I and asked if one of the four seats was taken.
We replied, "Nope."
He grabbed the chair and walked out of my view. Mica returned from the counter and took his seat.
He leaned to the right, peering around the sealed-off fireplace. "The guy who just borrowed our chair, guess who he's sitting next to?"
"Who?" I asked.
"Napoleon Dynamite," Mica answered.
"Really?" Lara answered and turned in her seat to look around.
I could not, since my view was obstructed from my corner.
Mica said, "Add that to the list of famous people."
"You're kidding, right?" I said. "He isn't famous."
"Yeah, he is."
"He's been in one movie and one we both didn't like anyway."
"But he's been in a popular movie."
"But he isn't a star," I replied.
"Well, he's famous."
Lara cut in, "I don't think that's him."
"Oh, it's him," Mica said. "I heard him talking."
"Did you say anything to him?" I asked.
Mica shook his head.
"What if I went up and said, your character was great, but too bad you had a story that sucked?"
Mica responded, "Uh, no."
"I really don't think it's him," Lara said.
"I'll take a look at him when we leave," I said.
On the way out, winding through the small aisles of small tables, I glanced down at a guy with straight, long, sandy blonde hair. He continued talking with the guy in boardshorts and looked up at me as I passed, his blue eyes catching my attention, him letting me know that it was him with that one look.
Outside I turned to Lara and said, "It was him."
Mica and I talked about how maybe he isn't that famous, how he probably would've never looked up at us if he was used to the attention. A famous person would ignore the looks, would continue with the conversation, attention undivided. But he looked. He wanted to see who recognized him. And we did. We saw Napoleon Dynamite.
Mica has probably added the name to his list of "famous" people. The problem is, he probably has the actor written down by his character name because we sure as hell didn't know his real name. Maybe, then, he shouldn't be added to the list, because if he was truly "famous," he'd be worth writing about.
The guessing is in reference to the stars that they see at restaurants, coffee shops, Blockbuster, etc. Considering they live in a neighborhood with nice homes abound, it's not a surprise that they see famous people around. Since they moved here from Santa Cruz last summer, they have started a list of their sightings. The notables on that list are Harrison Ford and Danny DeVito, both with their lesser known halves.
I visited Mica and Lara this past weekend and we were at brunch in a cafe on Wilshire Boulevard. With me seated in the corner of a nook, my view from the table was aimed at a wall covered with black-and-white portraits of really famous people (Al Pacino, Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson). A guy in board shorts and a long-sleeved shirt came up to Lara and I and asked if one of the four seats was taken.
We replied, "Nope."
He grabbed the chair and walked out of my view. Mica returned from the counter and took his seat.
He leaned to the right, peering around the sealed-off fireplace. "The guy who just borrowed our chair, guess who he's sitting next to?"
"Who?" I asked.
"Napoleon Dynamite," Mica answered.
"Really?" Lara answered and turned in her seat to look around.
I could not, since my view was obstructed from my corner.
Mica said, "Add that to the list of famous people."
"You're kidding, right?" I said. "He isn't famous."
"Yeah, he is."
"He's been in one movie and one we both didn't like anyway."
"But he's been in a popular movie."
"But he isn't a star," I replied.
"Well, he's famous."
Lara cut in, "I don't think that's him."
"Oh, it's him," Mica said. "I heard him talking."
"Did you say anything to him?" I asked.
Mica shook his head.
"What if I went up and said, your character was great, but too bad you had a story that sucked?"
Mica responded, "Uh, no."
"I really don't think it's him," Lara said.
"I'll take a look at him when we leave," I said.
On the way out, winding through the small aisles of small tables, I glanced down at a guy with straight, long, sandy blonde hair. He continued talking with the guy in boardshorts and looked up at me as I passed, his blue eyes catching my attention, him letting me know that it was him with that one look.
Outside I turned to Lara and said, "It was him."
Mica and I talked about how maybe he isn't that famous, how he probably would've never looked up at us if he was used to the attention. A famous person would ignore the looks, would continue with the conversation, attention undivided. But he looked. He wanted to see who recognized him. And we did. We saw Napoleon Dynamite.
Mica has probably added the name to his list of "famous" people. The problem is, he probably has the actor written down by his character name because we sure as hell didn't know his real name. Maybe, then, he shouldn't be added to the list, because if he was truly "famous," he'd be worth writing about.
posted by matty at 10:00 PM
11 Comments:
I know this is a bit off-topic, but my brother went to a birthday where he stood in the buffet line with Wayne Gretzky (did I spell that right?) The catch was that he was unable to ask him for an autograph or anything like that due to the fact that his fiancee was working at the party. Kinda like an unspoken "safe haven". Hey, one day I will be famous and then you can put me on your list of famous people you have run naked through streets with.
Jon Heder
C'mon Mica. That's not what you said when you sat down, and I could've found the name on IMDB.com too. It's like me adding Curtis Armstrong to a list of sightings. No one really knows who he is in that form, and I wouldn't either if I hadn't looked the guy up. But if I ever tell anyone I saw, met, and conversed with Booger (from Revenge of the Nerds), they all know and can picture who I'm talking about.
Vote for Pedro.
You met Booger?! Well, now you're the coolest person I know. :o)
Did I ever tell you about the time I met Mr. Belding? Sure did. Totally couldn't remember his real name until much, much later. It's not important, though. He's Mr. Belding for Pete's sake!
If you have the chance to see the "Punk'd" episode with Napolean Dynamite, then you'll know for sure he's not famous. He has no idea what being a celebrity is about.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
The best "Punk'd" episode for a true celebrity that doesn't act like one, is Joss Stone. Crazy nice person.
SIDENOTE: The only "celebrities" you run into in STL are athletes. Thank God they are hot, or else living here would so not be worth it. ;)
The only "celebrities" I meet in Washington are political types, and most of them think they are more famous than they are. But the first famous person I met after moving here was Bill Nye the Science Guy. During orientation, a bunch of my class mates and I saw him on Capitol Hill. We did not look at him from across the way and quietly speculate about whether it was really him. We went right up and asked, and then started telling him about our favorite episodes. One girl even got his autograph. He seemed rather embarrassed to be recognized by a bunch of twenty-something women.
By the way, Matt...
You bastardized my dialogue and attributed some of Lara's comments to me.
Mica, when you write your memoirs, you can correct the attributions.
(Don't worry Mica. After rereading my post, I don't think your dialogue makes you look like a douchebag. Your comment on the other hand...)
So does the fact that some of the dialogue got assigned to the wrong person really matter? It's not like we're all carrying around tape recorders. Matt's just reconstructing the conversation as best he can.
Maybe we should start a tater-tot appreciation group. Or maybe a list: "tater tots I have known."
Liz-
Yes it does. I feel e-violated.
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