I’ve been in New York for a while now. My friends back home think I lead this incredible life a la Sex and the City, and refuse to believe my protests as to the contrary. And every now and then, I get the question, ‘So, have you seen any celebrities lately?’
Now, living in New York definitely does provide it’s fair share of star-sightings. The problem is, I never know when they’re happening. You see, I’m kind of bad with faces. I’m even worse with names. And when I have to remember those two together, I don’t stand much of a chance.
There’ve been many a time I’ve gotten an elbow in the ribs and a hissed ‘Did you see who that was?’ while out on the streets. Inevitably, my reaction is to blink and say no. So, who did I miss seeing that I should’ve seen? Parker Posey. Chloe Sevigny. Steve Buscemi. ( well, I saw the back of his head – does that count?)
I guess it’s because New York is just so… New York. Celebrities here look like regular people. Jeans, t-shirt, flip-flops. No paparazzi, no screaming fans asking for autographs. Must be that New York apathy.
I used to see Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman all the time with their daughter. They lived really close to my university. Of course, this was years ago. They’d usually be in jeans and flip-flops, he’d have messy hair and day-old stubble, she’d have her hair pulled back and no make-up on. They looked just like any other couple walking around on a Saturday afternoon. And if I hadn’t known who they were, I wouldn’t have been able to tell them apart from all the other couples walking around on a Saturday afternoon.
Once, during my first year in New York, I was walking down the street and saw a guy coming in the opposite direction. I remember thinking, ‘wow, he’s cute’. The sidewalk was empty and as he got closer, he seemed oddly familiar. I must have been staring because he gave me a strange look as he walked by. It was only a good ten paces later that I realized it was Brad Pitt. My roommates laughed their heads off when I told them what had happened.
It *is* pretty thrilling though, to unexpectedly see a celebrity in person. A friend of mine was elated when Hugh Grant picked up a magazine next to him at a newsstand. And last year, the husband and I were walking around Soho and saw Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Again, it took a prod between the shoulder blades and a muttered ‘Anthony Kiedis (…who?) …Red Hot Chilli Peppers… (oh… uh, where?) …green shirt!’ for me to realize who he was. And yet another poke when we saw Lenny Kravitz a little later.
I wonder who else I’ve missed seeing, all this time I’ve been walking around on my own.
