The car deposited me at the aforementioned mini-mall. You (well, okay, I) can always judge the clientele of such places by having a glance around the car park – come on, you know what I mean. Look at the cars parked in Cirencester Waitrose and then compare to cars parked at Tesco in Stroud! So this neatly laid out, tastefully designed little L-shaped collection of deli’s (there’s ALWAYS a deli, said A), boutique fashion shops and the obligatory Starbucks obviously serves a more ‘high-end’ customer, what with the gleaming Maseratis, Bentleys, Range Rovers, Jaguars and Mercedes lined up in the intense, noonday sun. As is my habit, I arrived early – I live in perpetual terror of arriving late and then not clocking my interview subject. How awkward would that be? Starbucks was the location of choice, so I waited in line and listened to the conversations going on around. Yup, ENTERTAINMENT! Seemed all these folks, in their ‘casual’ (read ‘expensive’) sweats and leggings and running shoes all work in Hollywood. I swear I recognised one guy from some TV show or another (actually irritated me, as I am pretty good at putting actor names to faces). Oh, and it’s true, the complicated ‘beverage’ orders that these folks were placing was pure theatre. It’s Starbucks, FFS, just order something from the boards above the baristas’ heads! So I took my (rather unimaginative, apparently) flat white outside and sat to watch people. A woman was talking to a man about her daughter who, it seemed, was being dragged to audition after audition – “you know, I have always thought that she is unique, special, talented, but then we show up to a casting and all the kids are the same!” No shit! The man nodded sagely and scribbled another note.
I watched a sparkly Range Rover pull in and park. No idea why I thought I wouldn’t recognise S as, to me, she is at once familiar and very beautiful. Once again I am introducing myself to a woman I have watched on TV and, once again, I am confronted by a warm, friendly, ‘ordinary’ person, happy to meet me and keen to get down to business. We decided it was a little noisy, so wandered along to a few benches arranged around the tiniest children’s playground you have ever seem (no kids, she said, they’re all at school!), sat down and, recorder app’ set, spent the next 90 minutes discussing the subject at hand. Won’t drone on about the detail but, if it was up to me, I’d cast her in all sorts of things! I know she’s a good actor, and I rather concluded that she is a little hamstrung by her good looks, if that makes sense. Telling me she is very happy to look at follow up questions, as they arise, we said our farewells and off she went. You see, as well as the opportunity to meet and spend time with A, THAT is the reason I am here. She has generously provided a host of useful insight and information.
Now I could, of course, have taken advantage of being over in that part of town to whizz back down the Glen and do some exploring but, to be honest, the sun is oppressive and I needed to go to Ralphs and sort out dinner (I have worked out that the guest fridge doesn’t actually freeze my salad veggies unless I leave them in there for 24 hours!). I went and got another flat white and sat in the shade, ordering my ride back to base and checking my emails (oh good, more meetings confirmed). A car, a huge, black Mercedes sports car, pulls into view and stops, right before me. I glance at the driver. Brian Wilson. BRIAN WILSON! THE BEACH BOYS!! A couple of hipsters walk past, one saying “Brian Wilson! That’s made my f***ing day.” Well, gast my flabber!
I think I mentioned that I had a wonderful telephone conversation with S’s manager last week. Pretty obvious that she had a thing or two to say about the ‘business’ and about women. Well, I emailed to ask if she might be willing to see me. Yes, she would. Address was provided, and later in the day I found myself dropped off before a stunning house tucked at the end of a curved, leafy lane just where the Hollywood Hills begin to rise up above Hollywood Blvd. I pressed the buzzer, and there she was, immaculate, cool in the 30 degree heat, a woman of indeterminate age, no nonsense and leading me into her home, where she has her office. Once again, a warm, friendly person, generous with her time – I have encouraged those with whom I am meeting or talking to contact my publisher in North Carolina to make sure I’m not a nut, which she did (apparently my publisher loves me, who knew?). We sat and talked, all recorded, which was more like 60 minutes of gossip. The thing I am enjoying is that I can really hold my own, when it comes to shows and films and names, past and present. She got that pretty quickly. It’s also made me realise that these women behind the women, these women who have worked the industry for decades, have a thing or two to say, so I intend to broaden my scope.
I fly home tomorrow. Today I meet with an actress who was part of a huge TV show from Rob’s youth, a show he loved and never missed. Very familiar to me, of course – she is the woman whose show I went to see the other Saturday. Then, early this evening I am to see another actress. Was originally scheduled to see her this afternoon but her manager emailed to change to later today, only am now to meet her at her home. I am both humbled and, frankly, astonished that she is affording me this invitation. Again, a hugely familiar face and someone I think has been terribly underused during her career, perhaps because she has been overshadowed by her hugely successful sibling. Subject to how much time she has to spare, en route back to base I shall drop by those lovely actor friends of friends, J&B, for drinks and, probably, a debrief. B is unfortunately (for me, not her!) working on a show, which means I shan’t get to see her (that’s SHOWBIZ!!), but it will be interesting to get more of J’s take on older actresses and attitudes in Hollywood.
Also, frankly, he’s a hoot!
No comments:
Post a Comment