I’m the type of person who might be seated next to an important celebrity and never notice. I’ll walk by a superstar, make eye contact, say hello, ask them for directions, tell them about Bayonne NJ, and be oblivious to the whole star thing. But the rest of my family has much better “celeb-radars.” It’s an underrated gift; and probably some way associated with genetic advanced Jewish Geography skills – the concept, that Jews, no matter where they find themselves, feel the need to know or recognize someone. (i.e. every kosher restaurant)
Here are some stories of my children meeting celebrities that I thought I should capture for posterity. But in my mind (which may be slowly going), they are already celebrities or future celebrities, and I am proud to be their mother:….
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….Sorry for that delay, I had to wipe the tears from eyes (I cry watching cell phone commercials) Ok, here are a few:
In 1990, when I was in NYC for a day, little Yael Galena, then 8 yrs old, spotted trailers blocking off the street around the corner from our house – she figured they were shooting a TV commercial. Ever the latchkey child, (if we actually knew where our keys were) was home alone and wandered over after school in the pouring rain. She stood there for about ½ hour, until the driver of a limo got out and said, “Little girl” are you waiting to see Tom Hanks?” Ever the quick thinker, she replied “Yes!” (Thinking “Tom who?”) “Did you bring a paper and pencil for his autograph?” “No, I left it at home.” Doh! The driver hooked it up and when Tom Hanks was on his way out, he sent him over Yael’s way. Tom, in full AIDS guise, exchanged kind words with an astonished Yael, who didn’t recognize him so thin and with a ski cap, probably mistook him as a third string Campbell soup commercial actor.
The next day word got out that it was a movie called “Philadelphia” being shot, and instantly 50 of our neighbors were crowded outside the trailers- but no stars were spotted. It wasn’t till and older man in our library asked me, “Aren’t you the mother of that little girl that got Tom Hank’s autograph the other day?” -I don’t think screaming is tolerated in our library- but I think I let out one of my “shoot me now!!” My daughter has not missed a star spotting since.
Yael was last seen stalking Brad Pitt in LA, making illegal U-turns to follow Aliza Silverstone from Clueless, and rubbing elbows at Cannes last summer. She even managed to sneak into the filming of Friends (ask her about her “Bathroom” trick)
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READER COMMENTS
From the holy Noah Hartman:
In the summer of ’98 Seth was having a run of success in star spotting- he was walking out of FAO Schwartz after applying for a summer job, when he spotted a familiar face in the crowds. “Mr. Rogers?” “YES! Who are you?” The late Mr. Rogers was then so impressed Seth recognized him they ended up talking for a good ten minutes about all sorts of things. The next day Isaac and Seth spotted Marky Marx & Gregory Hines on Central Park South. 3 star spottings in 2 days! There had to be more.
So now on the 3rd day of star-sighting Seth was again leaving FAO Schwartz, with a paying job and was hoping to go 3 for 3- but no sightings. What a shame. That is, until he went to get a train in Penn Station, where low-and-behold he saw Mr. Rogers filming a children’s special he had to say hello. But the assistant soon informed Seth, who was #11 in line for autographs, that Mr. Rogers was only doing 10, when Mr. Rogers looked up and spotted Seth- he said, “I have to do one more.” Mr. Rogers walked out to the line to Seth. Seth, blown away, said, “I don’t know if you remember me…” Mr. Rogers immediately responded, “Why wouldn’t I remember you, I just met you the day before yesterday!” He then signed the final signature “To Seth Galena, With Kindest Regards from Your N.Y. Neighbor, Fred Rogers. (actual signature below signed on Seth's resume)
A sun glasses-wearing customer at FAO Schwartz once tapped Seth on the shoulder and said, “Hey man, can you ring me up, I am kinda in a rush.” Seth looked up at this familiar face the man extended his credit card to Seth, which verified the celeb identity who was non other than KEVIN BACON- how funny is that? (Seth is now 1 degree away from him!) Seth also ended up meeting Billy Joel, Rob Lowe and some sports players at FAO.
My father was at the tennis tournament in France when he spotted a familiar face, walked over to her and said, “I know you, aren’t you from Bayonne, NJ?” My mother informed him it was actually Martina Hinges, the #1 player in the world at the time. A few decades before my parents were leading a teen tour group across the country they were in the Ambassador Hotel in LA when my father asked a guy in a tux where the kids were supposed to sit when my mother informed him it was Tony Bennett. Hey we aren’t perfect!
Isaac and Seth spent part of their YU Graduation night in a midtown lounge with Kevin Spacey who signed their bar napkin “To my Yeshiva Grads, Drink and Live! -K.S ”: They’ve bought sneakers in the same store with Michael Rappaport, and even had coffee in Café Lalo next to Jerry Seinfeld (whom they once mistook for their tall friend Lon Smolensky).
Not to mention, Sarah Galena went to Lower Merion high school with Kobe Bryant!!!!
I think those are all the stories I remember for now, am I hope you enjoyed reading them. I have told these so many times that I think I add parts each time I tell them. I hope this is testimony to how much I love my children, and how much they in turn, love their celebrities.
That’s about it- please tell us about your claim to fame-hey, Send em in! No one else cares as much as we do!
The Galena MOM
Rlourie1@aol.com