It’s time for space oddities
I spent CV’s shut-in days collecting reported oddities about our reported biggies. Like:
To play a psychic in “The Gift,” Cate Blanchett prepped by “visiting a seer who said electrical things won’t work around me.” Cate plugged in her own tape recorder. Wouldn’t operate. A second recorder wouldn’t work. Convinced something’s wrong with the room’s wiring, she waited. The seer exited. Cate tried again. Same socket. All appliances worked.
Lara Flynn Boyle to TV Guide: “My mom has this picture of me as a kid next to Bozo the Clown. I’m holding my skirt up because I got so terrified when Bozo put his arm around me that I wet myself.”
Jennifer Love Hewitt: “I’ve always wanted an office. My dream growing up was to be a secretary. I still bring Post-its with me to work. And I just write people messages like So-and-So called. I know it sounds dorky.”
Shaquille O’Neal’s known to walk around with blue toenails. The color being Platinum Sky Blue. Because he stubbed his toe one night and his mother applied a little nail hardener to ease the pain. Turned blue-ish. That same night Shaq scored 46 points and uses that color nail polish for good luck.
Pierce Brosnan had to reshoot a 007 sex scene 18 times because Sophie Marceau’s nipples popped into view. “The World Is Not Enough”” producers wanted a PG rating. “This was excruciatingly technical,” he said. “Eighteen takes and still trying to make a love scene look spontaneous. It infuriated me.”
David Mamet’s advice to a newcomer playwright: “Tough part isn’t the writing. The tough part is putting the ideas in a drawer and waiting three months before giving it to a producer or studio — so they then think they’ve gotten something for their money.”
After “Mission to Mars” starring Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins and Don Cheadle got lousy reviews, Brian De Palma told Variety: “So what? In outer space nobody can hear anybody scream of boredom.”
Bits & bobs of town talk
Angela Lansbury’s mystery series “Murder, She Wrote” was originally written for Jean Stapleton not Angela . . . Scottish Daily Record reported Madonna learned to play chess. Took lessons from Scottish champ Alan Norris . . . Per the San Francisco Chronicle: Regular customer Ashley Judd, visiting her godmother in Pacific Heights, called the local Spa Radiance to order a three-hour massage . . . Jane Krakowski to Fitness magazine: “My favorite body part’s my butt. Wish I could walk backward into a room.” . . . Vera Wang to InStyle about weddings: “Tighten tummy with a cincher made of nylon, Lycra and spandex. Keep ceremony on short side. Do not put older relatives on the dance floor.” . . . Daily Mail: Hugh Grant always wanted to be a rock star who is sent women’s undies. He confessed he’d been sent underwear by a man and wishes the man would stop but Hugh said he’s too polite to say anything.
Feeding frenzy
As recorded in the Mirror, Schwarzenegger visiting the Oliver Messel suite in London’s Dorchester required a specific brand of hot cereal made with water not milk, healthy side selection of walnuts and raisins, low-fat treats, biscuits, sliced watermelon, room-temperature Evian, vegetable crudités, sugar-free Hall’s throat sweets, king-size bed, two fitness machines, 14-hour access to the gym, Cohiba cigars and in the fridge Cristal Champagne plus apple and pear brandy. Also, 13 different meals including grilled chicken, salmon, swordfish available 24 hours a day, Beluga caviar, strawberries — without stems — and sushi. Plus, a chess board on the sitting room coffee table.
Meanwhile, just after I compiled all this, outside the Second Avenue Deli, where the food’s delicious even if the conversation wasn’t, two customers discussing bigg pigg Bragg said he never saw a thugg he didn’t like.
So, let’s all eat, drink and be merry because by tomorrow this may no longer be deductible.
And not only in New York, kids, not only in New York.