CELEB SIGHTINGS 54
It was a summer of slim pickins’ in the Celeb Sightings category, but it picked right up as Fall approached. You’ll see for yourself right here, by the number of sightings in the past few months! (I think this is the longest Celeb Sightings column I’ve ever done, actually!)
So let’s get right to them:
Curtis Stone. Photo by Karen Salkin.
8/28/17 Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone being honored with the Torch Award at the Western Foodservice and Hospitality Expo in downtown LA. He’s still gorgeous, but he had gained so much weight, especially in his beautiful face, that I barely recognized him! If I hadn’t heard his distinctive accent, I might have been suspicious that this was an imposter!
9/13/17 Dog, the Bounty Hunter, and a woman I assume is his wife, walking into a house on North Beverly Glen. It was so normal and bizarre at the same time.
Marilu Henner. Photo by Karen Salkin.
9/14/17 Oscar nominee Bruce Dern at Doris Bergman’s Emmys luncheon in Beverly Hills, being escorted around by the hostess herself. Also enjoying the festivities was old school TV actress Marilu Henner. (In case you missed my review of this event, here’s all that went on there: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/gifting-lounge-doris-bergmans-2017-emmys-lounge-and-party.)
9/16/17 So You think You Can Dance’s Allison Holker, SNL’s Leslie Jones, and Dancing With The Stars’ Gleb Savchenko all at GBK’s Emmys suite in Beverly Hills, although not ensemble. (Here are all the scoops: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/gifting-lounge-gbks-pre-emmys-gifting-lounge-2017.)
Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.
9/19/17 I love how the dance world always supports each other! At the opening night of Matthew Bourne’s gorgeous ballet, The Red Shoes, at the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown LA, I spied not only the four finalists from this year’s recent So You Think You Can Dance, but also Carrie Anne Inaba and Bruno Tonioli, two of the judges from the rival television dance show, Dancing With The Stars. (And then Sir Matthew returned the favor, and sat in the audience for both shows the following week! What a guy!) (Here’s my review of that fabulous ballet!: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/dance-the-red-shoes.)
9/24/17 Prolific TV show creator Shonda Rimes (Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, Grey’s Anatomy,) at the opening night of Head of Passes at the Mark Taper Forum in downtown LA. (My full review of the play here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-head-of-passes.)
Darren Criss. Photo by Earl Gibson III.
10/1/17 Darren Criss from Glee at the opening night of Our Town at the Pasadena Playhouse. Here’s an interesting tidbit about his appearance there. His fellow Glee-er, Dot-Marie Jones, was in the show, but when my friend (who knows Darren) asked if that’s why he was there, to support Dot-Marie, he answered that he didn’t even know she was in it! He said that he just wanted to see this play! How’s that for some show biz gossip?! (If you missed it, here’s my review of the play: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-our-town.)
Melissa Ethridge and Laurie Hernandez. Photo by Karen Salkin.
10/2/17 Damon Wayans at the Erewhon Market in West Hollywood. I wonder why he was there because his series, Lethal Weapon, (which is my favorite TV show,) is filmed far from that location, in the Valley. Maybe he was just in the ‘hood and craving some healthful-type chow!
10/5/17 Owen Wilson down at the handball courts in Venice. He was overheard joking about if he should try that sport.
10/8/17 On the red carpet at UCLA for the taping of Jump, Jive, and Thrive: Melissa Etheridge, Dancing With The Stars pro Mark Ballas and violinist Lindsay Stirling, (who is his partner on the show this season,) and Olympic gold medal-winning gymnasts Shannon Miller and Laurie Hernandez. (This is what you missed if you didn’t see the show on TV: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/televisionmusicdancesportscharity-jump-jive-and-thrive.)
Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland. Photo by Karen Salkin.
10/12/17 Tony-winning actor, and more famously, clown and mime, (and my nemesis when I lived in Malta many years ago,) Bill Irwin, sitting by himself right in front of me for Dorrance Dance at The Wallis in Beverly Hills. I have a feeling he knew some in that troupe. Just a hunch, but I’m usually correct about things like that. (My review of the dance show is here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/dance-dorrance-dance.)
10/13/17 Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland in Hollywood, speaking after an industry screening of their way-too-depressing-for-me film, The Leisure Seeker.
Garrett Hedlund. Photo by Karen Salkin.
10/15/17 Annette Bening and adorable Jamie Bell in Hollywood, speaking after an industry screening of their wonderful new film, Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool. I loved everything Jamie had to say, but Annette very rudely told the assemblage that the Dodgers had won their play-off game that night, and exactly how it was done! She added that she knew that many audience members were DVRing the game to watch when they got home, (meaning they didn’t want to know what happened before they experience it for themselves,) but laughingly indicated that she didn’t care that she ruined it for them! How thoughtless can one be?!
10/17/17 Mary J. Blige and adorable Garrett Hedlund in Hollywood, speaking after an industry screening of their too-sad-for-me new film, Mudbound. Mary didn’t stick around for the reception, but Garrett did, and was charming to everyone. I’ve rarely seen anything like it in Tinseltown. Their extremely erudite director, Dee Rees, was as good as Garrett.
Karen Salkin and Brandon Micheal Hall. Photo by Karen Salkin.
10/19/17 Actor and comedian, Gedde Watanabe, in Pasadena at the kick-off soiree for this year’s Christmas Panto in that town, which he will be in! (For all the scoops on that whole party, click here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/partyupcoming-pasadena-panto-season-launch-party.)
10/20/17 Music industry giant, (despite his diminutive physical stature,) Paul Simon, in downtown LA, supporting his wife, Edie Brickell, at the opening night of her musical, (co-written with Steve Martin,) Bright Star. (Here’s my glowing review of that musical: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-bright-star.)
(L-R) Vincent Rodriguez III, Karen Salkin, Pete Gardner. Photo by Vincent Rodriguez III.
10/21/17 The stars of two new television series, Brandon Micheal Hall (The Mayor,) and Freddie Highmore, (The Good Doctor,) at the Autism Speaks Into The Blue Fashion Gala in downtown LA. I got to chat with both of them for quite awhile, and found them to be equally adorable! (Here’s the entire story on that charity gala: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/charityevent-autism-speaks-into-the-blue-fashion-gala.)
10/23/17 A plethora of dance world stars, such as dance power couple Twitch and Allison Holker, at the World Choreography Awards in Beverly Hills. Also in attendance were acting/dancing/singing cast members of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, (Vincent Rodriguez III, Pete Gardner, David Hull, and Gabrielle Ruiz,) and my old pal, the wonderful ageless marvel, George Chakiris, Oscar winner for the classic film, West Side Story. (Here’s my review of that whole wonderful presentation: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/danceaward-show-world-choreography-awards-2017.)
Danny Glover. Photo by Flo Selfman.
11/1/17 Danny Glover in Little Tokyo at the after-party for a play he’s doing in that ‘hood. He’s so much taller than I ever imagined!
11/3/17 Interesting double-dip of oldies-but-goodies, Julie Newmar and George Chakiris, (but not together,) at a very disappointing dance show in Beverly Hills. Mr. X and I didn’t even realize that George was sitting right behind us while we were looking at a picture of George and me on my phone!!! (In case you’re interested, it was featured in my review of the World Choreography Awards, just the week before. You can click on the link I included above if you’d like to see what I’m talking about.)
Margot Robbie (with a cameo by Sebastian Stan in the background.) Photo by Karen Salkin.
11/5/17 Several cast members from the new movie, I Tonya, at a brunch in West LA to celebrate the film. There was the title star–the gorgeous Margot Robbie–along with co-stars Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, and Julianne Nicholson. Big props to all of them for staying for the duration of the fete, and chatting with everyone who so desired! (I wanted to speak to only the screenwriter, Steven Rogers, to laud him for this line he said earlier, during the Q-and-A after the screening itself. When asked what he knew of ice skating before writing this story, he said not much, and added, “But I have roller skated—I’m gay.” I love that line!!!)
Sean Hayes on the left. Photo by Karen Salkin.
11/5/17 Sean Hayes at a movie theatre in West LA, headed to the concession stand with a couple of pals. He was wearing a baseball cap, (I’m assuming to disguise himself from fans, because he had told me once, “I’m shy,”) but he still didn’t fool me. And I’ve never even watched Will and Grace!!!
11/7/17 Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany in Hollywood, speaking after an industry screening of their new film, Stronger. I had met him through a mutual friend last year, so we had a laugh over which one of us has known her longer. Here’s a hint—I won!!! (Don’t I always?) (That, of course, is Jake in the big photo at the top of this page, with Karen Salkin, in one of the worst pictures she’s ever taken! Photo by Lauren Clarke Bennett.)
