Last Thursday, April 24
th was my birthday. I
had not planned on celebrating it until the weekend, so Friday began an
incredible weekend. On Friday I met my longtime HMH (Husband in my Head) and on
Sunday I gained yet another!
Within one hour of leaving work, Clive Owen, yes
that Clive Owen, was standing behind me whispering softly
into my ear. Well actually, I was standing waiting for him to give a talk on
his films and I happened to be in his way as he whispered “excuse me” and he and
his entourage bolted past me. He is even better looking in person. During the
Q&A I asked a question about working with ensemble casts in
Gosford Park and
Inside Man and I swear, he seemed to be
undressing me with his eyes and he looked at me and answered my question. His
response noted that Spike Lee originally wanted him to do Inside Man, in which
he plays a bank robber, wearing a mask on screen the entire time but he was able
to convince him otherwise. I responded by saying “It’s a good thing he kept the
mask off, because you’re beautiful!” He said “Thank you LaTasha and so are
you.” Well not exactly in those words but
something similar. Check out the Pod
cast (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idIpxMbyrrs&feature=related)
for the Q&A where I ask him a question. After the talk, he asked me out to
dinner but I had to take a rain check as I had other plans.
The greatest problem with meeting someone you admire from
afar; it can be a
bit anticlimactic and disappointing as was the case
with Clive. Primarily, he is not as tall as I had hoped. For my vertically
challenged sisters out there, at about 6’1 Clive certainly is tall. However,
being almost 6’he didn’t tower me, though he is definitely taller than I am.
Moreover, he seemed really reticent. He slouched in his chair and fidgeted
during the interview. He never looked directly into the audience unless someone
had asked a question, which seemed odd for me given that I felt completely
comfortable addressing him in front such a large audience. (Note to self: look
into being a talk show host. You could be the next Oprah) Still I am his number
one fan.
On Sunday, I went to see the first ever all black cast
production of Tennessee Williams’
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring Phylicia
Rashad (Claire Huxtable of
The Cosby Show) as Big Momma, the legendary
and incomparable James Earl Jones as Big Daddy, Anika Noni Rose
(
Dreamgirls) as Maggie the Cat and Boris Kodjoe as Brick. This is a
great play and I encourage anyone in the New York area to go see it! As we were
waiting on line to enter the theater, Boris and his wife, Nicole Ari Parker
(
Boogie Nights) walk past the crowd to enter the theater. She came back
and I took a photo with her. She was really nice a gracious. Later in the
theater during intermission, I noticed hip hop superstar Common (
Smokin’
Aces, American Gangster). I walked up to him and asked him for a photo and
he gave me this big bear hug. He was so nice and too sexy! He asked me out to
dinner after the play but I had to take a rain check from him as well!
