4/20/2006

The Agony And The Ecstasy

There’s not much to do in Canada when we’re not picking up litter. Since Chelene now has me afraid of Anna Wintour and her evil powers, I’m thinking of turning Margaret Atwood in for causing me to see her twice in a short span and for crimes against the clothing industry.

Maggie’s at it again folks, standing on street corners, talking, gesturing, behaving like a human being. I was walking from lunch with Jessica when we nearly ran over her yesterday at the corner of University & King.

If she was going for a coat that was way too long, helped make her look even shorter, and did not match the weather, she nailed it. I do applaud the courtesy she showed to passersby in keeping that hair under wraps. It was encased in a floppy velveteen hat that any 5 year old girl would have been proud to wear at the first Easter parade she clearly remembered attending. One more sighting and I'm getting a restraining order.

I used to see another Canadian celeb, Jackie Burroughs, frequently when I worked at Yonge & Bloor. She would always be rushing through the concourse that fed my office tower.

You may remember Jackie from such ventures as Road to Avonlea where she played someone. I couldn’t tell you who as I never watched the show, I just know that it had a following, she was on it and it's where Sarah Polley got her start.

Let’s get this over with right now. Other celebrities I have been stalked by –

Doris Roberts (Lorena & I were half following her - a slow adventure - when she turned around and asked us for directions back to her hotel - very crafty Doris)

Rob Lowe with his wife (years ago in Yorkville – no video camera in sight)

author Pierre Berton (no, not back from the grave but I’d see him downtown occasionally – he was about 100 feet tall and always with the bow tie)

Malcolm McDowell (filming here on the Danforth several summers ago - a long way from A Clockwork Orange)

Diane Keaton (shopping in the Toronto's since departed Tower Records – wearing fierce witch pointed boots)

Gabriel Byrne (walking in NYC)

Matt Damon & Andy Garcia (filming a scene from Ocean’s Eleven in Bellagio in Las Vegas)

Daphne Rubin Vega (Central Park – singing her Mimi song from RENT ‘Take Me Out’ for an Aids Day benefit)

Who else? I’m sure I’ve missed a few but will add them as they re-enter my brain.

And then...

Catherine O'Hara having lunch with her swingin' singin' sister Mary Margaret in Hazleton Lanes in Yorkville -- I still love Mary Margaret's Miss America, one of my all time favourite 'albums'

Ben Stiller & Jack Black filming a scene for Envy in Rome on the Via Condotti

Paul Giamatti in the airport lounge at LaGuardia

Kim Cattrall being ushered into first class ahead of the rest of us peons on a flight to NYC. Now I understand why everyone should have their own hair and makeup people at all times.

Barbara Walters talking to Debra Roberts in front of Radio City before the Daytime Emmys

Another Radio City sighting was walking by the premiere of one of the Harry Potter movies - saw Professor Snape, Hermione, Ron Weasley, Hagrid but alas, no H.P.

Seen at various shows in NYC - Lainie Kazan, Jane Krakowski, Margaret Colin, Dina Merrill but none of them even gave me the time of day.

14 comments:

Jenna said...

Holy crap, Road to Avonlea. I totally used to watch that. The only one I remember is Colleen Dewhurst. And Gus, I had such a crush on Gus.

Anonymous said...

Fascinating list. I've never seen Margaret Atwood but I've always been afraid of her work; I've been glad to learn via your recent entries that the fear was well-founded.

I think the only celebrity who has ever stalked me is Wally Shawn, the Sicilian from The Princess Bride. He was wandering around a building on the University of Iowa campus--his significant other was teaching there or something--and he kept passing me and looking expectant, waiting for some sign of recognition from me, and I kept withholding it. I would have found the withholding rewarding if he hadn't been so damn annoying--not acknowledging him didn't make up for having to see him.

Dale said...

Because I'm a full service blogger Gizmorox, I looked it up and Jackie Burroughs played Hetty King on Avonlea. She's an interesting looking lady, let me just stop there. She's been in a zillion things.

Holly - You're officially my hero now for withholding your love from little Wallace Shawn! I remember the little gremlin well from My Dinner With Andre.

Margaret Atwood is unquestionably a good writer (some of her stuff anyway) but that will not stop me from making fun of the physical because that's just how shallow I am.

chelene said...

Margaret seems like one of those celebs who just can't put all the pieces together. For instance, she covered her hair, but the coat was awful. It's sorta like when a Linday Lohan will wear a cute top but no pants. In the immortal words of Lenny Kravits: we all fall a little short of the glory.

Jenna said...

Oh, I totally clicked on the link and went through the whole cast. I remember Hetty. I think I would be frightened if she was stalking me. I have had significantly fewer celebrity encounters. Candace Bergen almost stepped on me in London, I saw Will of Will and Grace walking his dog in Central Park. I had lunch once in college with author extraordinaire Russell Banks. I think that's it. You're so much cooler. Or at least, more stalkable.

Dale said...

That Lindsay Lohan, maybe she'll pull a Drew Barrymore and eventually stop getting into trouble (and remember to put the pants on). Lenny can lend her some funky pants. That's not what I meant.

Candy, Will and Russell? That's pretty damned good. I'm so stalkable. I don't invite it, the celebs just can't resist flocking around me.

Anonymous said...

Am I the only person here who actually likes Margaret Atwood??

Her earlier poetry was gay, sure, but her novels are aces, guys. Get with the program. "The Robber Bride" was a great book, as are all her other books.

Okay she has rat's nest n' stuff. I'll admit that shit.

Dale said...

Cat's Eye, Handmaid's Tale, Bluebeard's Egg, all excellent.

Anonymous said...

I admire what I've read of Margaret Atwood's work (mostly short fiction and essays, plus The Handmaid's Tale); I'm still scared of it. It's really smart and aggressive and it seems designed to intimidate you, and I confess to being intimidated. OK, some of the stuff by her that I've read made me go, "That's clever but annoying," while most of it made me go, "Shit! I wish I'd thought of that first!"

Dale said...

See Reese? You scared me into saying at least one nice thing about Matwood (like Matlock but without the pretty features).

And now Holly's scared but still making really great insightful comments.

How much power do you feel right now? Next thing you know, I'll be a bigger cartoon than I already am. The horror.

justacoolcat said...

I'm not afraid. I say stand up to your celebrity stalkers. If you can't beat them join them. You could be the famous guy that gets stalked by famous people. What a claim to fame.

Bre said...

I would be exceedingly excited to be stalked by Gabriel Byrne. Diane Keaton, on the other hand, now terrifies me since I saw her naked in "Something's Gotta Give"

Dale said...

There could be worse claims to fame I'm sure, or am I? Hmmm.

If Diane had been in those fierce boots and naked in SGG, you'd still be waking up screaming Bre!

Anonymous said...

"Scary" seems to be a word often used to describe both Atwoods novel and Atwood, herself.