Monday, July 19, 2004

It's a laugh, innit?

Just been watching "Intolerable Cruelty". I have a real soft spot for the Coen Brothers. And George Clooney goes from strength to strength for me (the hair gel in "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" - here, checking his teeth in reflective surfaces) for his self-mockery.

In case you are wondering, I am aware of the vanity of my last post (and I can't even remember that missing adjective accurately). Any family members know that I don't take my self seriously, and that all my stories are told against myself.

Still, a couple of years ago, one of the porters at the library said I looked like Billy Bob Thornton, and I said "Who?" He pointed to the poster for "A Simple Plan" (a movie I still haven't seen) and I said "Yeh, right..." I figured it was just the heavy eyebrows, and the big glasses held together with tape.

Later I flew to Hawaii (doesn't that sound cool?) with a brief windfall, and after the long flight, to the first change, I was walking through LA airport and a guy who had been on the same flight did the diffident approach as we headed to the carousel "Hey, I hate to bother you, but I've been dying to ask you right through the flight, are you Billy Bob Thornton?" he said - although why he thought Billy Bob would be flying in the cheap seats I have no idea - "No" I said (grateful that I at least knew who that was now, thanks to Danny the porter) "but I wish I was!"

Of course, I should maybe have just given him an autograph. Why not?

Having said that - I noticed two of the Philpott clan on the credits tonight.

I still read the credits right through. Not just for the buried gags - but because my mum used to teach actors, and I learned to wait for the minor characters to roll by - just for a quick whoop and a yell.

Now I have a couple of minor credits of my own - but I am amazed that people find them so impressive. They were just gigs to me - good ones, I am not being sarcastic - but they go back 20 years, so I was well paid for about 6 years, and then went back to poor when I paid off the taxman in 1987. C'est la vie, ya know.

Lucky to have had my moments. My 15 minutes of infamy.

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