[Chefelf]

Living in New York these past three months, I've run into a lot of famous people. In fact, I decided to begin keeping track of them all so I started a "Celebrity Diary" of sorts. You can view that nonsense here. It's rather remarkable how many famous people you can see in such a short time in this city. Previously my celebrity-sightings were limited to G. Love (of & Special Sauce fame) and Bobby Orr (of Boston Bruins/greatest-hockey-player-of-all-time fame). Those were both decidedly unremarkable in that I met the former at one of his concerts and the latter at an arranged autograph signing. In New York I see celebrities rather randomly.

The latest sighting caught me a bit off guard. I spotted Owen Wilson in a supermarket this evening. He was by himself, buying blueberries, and blended in rather well. Normally I would just casually observe someone from a distance. I am of the school of thought that celebrities would like nothing less than to be hassled by yet another random stranger who wants to talk to them about their job. However, with Owen Wilson I had to make an exception. I felt this extremely strong need to speak with him. Not at any great length, not about anything in particular. I just wanted to simply make eye contact and let him know that I appreciated what he did.

I am a great admirer of Owen Wilson's work. He's a great comedic actor and I like him so much that I go out of my way to watch movies that he's in. Even if the movie sucks I can at least get a sweet dose of Owen Wilson goodness. He is famous for his acting but often overlooked for his writing ability, something I am much more inspired by. Not only did he act in two of my top ten favorite movies (Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tennenbaums) but he also co-wrote them. And Rushmore, another of my favorites, was also co-written by Owen Wilson. All of these, of course, with the assistance of the brilliant Wes Anderson.

So at the supermarket I didn't spend much time thinking about it before I started to approach him. I hovered by him for a second. It seemed a little strange to me that he was wearing a Bottle Rocket T-shirt. It made everything seem more dreamlike. How likely would it be that you would meet Paul McCartney and he'd be wearing an Abbey Road T-shirt? But there it was. I waited for him to pivot and I caught his eye. I almost didn't catch his eye as I was momentarily distracted by his very impressive watch. I guess when you have six movies coming out this year you can afford a slightly larger budget for watches than I can. The watch didn't distract me from my mission for too long. I got back on focus by delivering a rather meager, "Hey... I just wanted to say that I'm a really big fan..." Or some such nonsense. I don't really remember exactly what I said.

It's strange, this need to talk to him. All of the other celebrities I've encountered in New York I found it easy to just watch from afar with a silly smile on my face. This time was difference. Perhaps that's because when I saw David Eigenberg I was content with just making eye contact and walking on by. His role in Sex in the City does not hold quite the same artistic weight with me as does Wilson's role as Dignan in Bottle Rocket. I remember specifically the first time I saw Bottle Rocket[]/i], [i]Rushmore and The Royal Tennenbaums. I remember the feelings I felt. I remember being captivated by their originality. In Tennenbaums particularly, the conclusion of the movie sticks out in my mind. The family leaving the graveyard to the tune of Van Morrison's Everyone. It's a heart-warming, hilarious, tragic and truly original story that leaves me spellbound every time I see it. It changed the way I think about movies, about fiction, about writing. It makes me fall in love with the characters presented on screen. It makes me wish I could be a part of that fictional world or, even better, be a part of creating that fictional world.

That's why I had to approach Owen Wilson. That's why I did. I didn't say anything he hadn't heard a million times. I didn't make any sort of impression on him. But I did what I could. I didn't pass up the only opportunity I may have to do such a thing and I felt truly elated after having done so. Owen Wilson, for what it's worth, now knows that I am a big fan of his. He has no idea to what extent or just how much his work means to me but for a brief second he knew.

After I blundered my way through a compliment, Mr. Wilson was very nice. He thanked me politely and most likely forgot about me by the time I'd left his peripheral vision. My reaction, predictably, is an interesting contrast in that the memory I have of this brief encounter and the amount of times I will recall this rather unremarkable tale to anyone that will listen. "Did I ever tell you about the time I met Owen Wilson?" I will say. People will roll their eyes. My grandchildren will run from the room whenever I start the story. It is very unlikely, on the other hand, that Owen Wilson will ever regale his family and friends with the story about the time he met Chefelf while out buying blueberries.

[Shawnathan]

Awsome Man, It must have took some serious guts to even appoach Owen Wilson. If I ever happen to see a well known actor in a grocery store, the only thing I would do is choke before I could start my sentence.

ME(approaches Mr. Wilson): AHEM, erm...AHEM (Why is it I only have to clear my throat when I begin to talk to somebody?)

OWEN: **Walk's off with his grocerys before I could utter a syllable**

ME:"...DAMN IT!"

Really cool!

[Jordan]

That was a good little story chef. I have to say that "I"m a big fan" line is the wrong way to go about it. You should have said "your work enspires me and I just wanted to tell you I'm grateful." Because you just know that they know that you're just saying you're a fan, not because you are, but because you know they're famous and want to talk to them.

Working at the Yale Town Video store, I run into local and international celebrities all the time. I feel the best method is to just say nothing, since most of the time, like you pointed out, I'm star struck but not really flat out impressed with the persons work.

Brad May and Dan Cloutier of the Vancouver Canucks are my homeboys. They always say hi to me, and whats best is that they use my first name! It really makes me feel like a somebody when they do that- Fucking sad but it's the truth.

This post has been edited by Jordan: 11 December 2004 - 02:43 AM

[Laura]

I have to say that "I"m a big fan" line is the wrong way to go about it. You should have said "your work enspires me and I just wanted to tell you I'm grateful."

Well, it's not like there was time to decide what to say... And actually talking to someone I admired would probably chase all coherent, interesting thoughts out of my head. I mean, I know I didn't have anything interesting to say when I talked to that one kid who was in all those student plays at Providence College.

...Yeah. I get star struck at a pretty low level of celebrity.

[electricprune]

I'm also a huge Owen Wilson fan. Nate, if you haven't seen "The Minus Man" yet I strongly recommend it. That's really funny because blueberries are one of my favorite foods. I probably would have said something really moronic like, "Ya know, I really like blueberries too! They're really good with Cool Whip!"

[Chefelf]

I haven't seen "The Minus Man" but it didn't take a lot of reading on IMDB to figure out that I want to! Owen Wilson takes a departure from his standard character to play a killer! Fantastic!

I'm ashamed that the first thing I ever remember seeing Owen Wilson is was "The Haunting". I was sad when he got his head chopped off. It wasn't until later that I realized he was the same man who played the best character in "Armageddon". His whole line about "her body's going through all these changes" was what made that movie. Myself and my cousin Jeff may be the only people that believe that, however.

[Shawnathan]

The first flick I saw Owen in was "Anaconda", Of course he had to die a miserable death in that one too.

[Laura]

I apologize if this has been discussed elsewhere, but does anyone know what the deal is with "The Life Aquatic"?

[Chefelf]

I apologize if this has been discussed elsewhere, but does anyone know what the deal is with "The Life Aquatic"?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's gonna be friggin' awesome. There's a trailer you can watch here: http://www.apple.com...e_life_aquatic/

It's coming out on December 25th. It's already out in New York. We went to see it the other night but we got to the theater too late.

[barend]

if i'd met him it would have been like this:
me: hey man, love your work.
him: huh? oh right... thanks.
me: but er... have you ever notice that you and that Luke Wilson dude, have a really similar voice...
him: and the same surname...
me: hey, yeah...
him: mmm, see ya

or....

me: hey... you're Owen Wilson!
him: ah, yes... yes i am
me: you know how you were in Shanghi Nights with Jackie Chan...
him: yeah, i think i remember that...
me: well he was in Rush Hour with Chris Tucker who was in the fifth element with Bruce Willis who was in Pulp Fiction with Samuel L Jackson who was in Star Wars Episode 1,2,&3 with Ewan McGregor who was in Moulin Rouge with Linal Haft, whos one of my best Friends dad.
him: *stares blankly and horrified*
me: don't you see? we're practically flatmates...
him: uh, i have.. too.. er... go over there... and talk to.. er... that security dude... but I'll be right back...

[Laura]

me: hey... you're Owen Wilson!
him: ah, yes... yes i am
me: you know how you were in Shanghi Nights with Jackie Chan...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

him: No. No, I have no memory of that. (pause, then sound of running feet)

This post has been edited by Laura: 22 December 2004 - 03:31 PM

[barend]

[Revan-47]

My sixth grade reading teacher had dinner with bill murray.

[J m HofMarN]

Life Aquatic was awesome by the way nwo that we've all likely seen it, and those who havnt seen it will soon be herded off to work camps by my revolutionary armed forces.

Is it just me though or does Wes Anderson have some kind of fixation on an old guy and a young guy vying for the same woman?

[civilian_number_two]

Is it just me though or does Wes Anderson have some kind of fixation on an old guy and a young guy vying for the same woman?

He didn't do it in BOTTLE ROCKET, and he didn't do it in TENNENBAUMS, although TENNENBAUMS had two other love triangles running.

I'd say that Anderson has some fixations, like say people wanting to keep their childhood fantasies their entire lives, and a core of people focused on quoting movies or reliving movie-like situations. But the May-September romantic love triangle may yet be a coincidence.