I have had my share of celebrity experiences in my career working with everyone from singers, to actors, to world-class chefs.  The most memorable one was killing time backstage with Sammy Davis, Jr.  We pitched pennies against the wall while we waited for the show, “The Ultimate Event” featuring himself, Liza Minelli (standing in for a sick Dean Martin) and Frank Sinatra, to begin.  A man like that who is bigger than life and such a legend, well…  it was awe-inspiring.  It was amazing to me just how nice he was to everyone.  

Another experience would be with George Clooney at 7:00 a.m. in the ballroom of a hotel where I snuck him in to do press interviews a few years ago when he was nominated for an Oscar.  Not only did he arrive in a typical black SUV (this was funny to me because while George acted like a normal person, all of the entertainment show reporters behaved like stars, rolling up in limos…  including Pat O’Brien), but he also arrived in what looked like a mis-matched sweatsuit.  He smiled at everyone and tried not to look like he just stepped out of bed, but he did.  I remember the front of his hair looking great?  But the back was sticking up in the air just like everyone else’s does when they wake up.  As the interviews went on, he noticed that one young jr. reporter was left outside.  As the interviews wined down, he motioned to his manager, then me, to let the young jr. reporter in so that she could conduct her interview with him.  He knew that her getting this interview meant that she could go back to her boss and say that she had done her job.  Wow…  George-  what a class act.

But recently, my most interesting celebrity encounter was with uber star Chef, Wolfgang Puck.  Now, to my family back in Hawai’i, Puck is the guy who is on the front of a frozen pizza box in the freezer section of Foodland Supermarket vs. a real, living, breathing man.  Why was I with the Chef?  Well, I was touring an Austrian journalist who was researching an article on Puck.  So, I did my job and attemped to line up an interview like any good publicist would.  Typically when these are arranged, you are lucky if the interview subject even gives you 15-minutes of their time.  So, imagine my face when I receive an email from Puck’s assistant saying that the star Chef had planned a “whole day” for us.   Yes, I had to pick my jaw off the floor.  Now, keep in mind that I had just bumped into Puck at the HBO Emmy after party (he asked me how my Paella was) and then at the American Wine & Food Festival, so I’m sure by now, he probably thought I was stalking him.

Our day started at 7:00 a.m. or what I refer to as the crack-a-arse.  I picked up the journalist and we drive to Spago where we were to park our car, meet up with Puck, jump into his SUV, and then head to the fish market downtown to see how he selects seafood for his restaurants.  Sounds simple until you are actually riding in his car, at 80 m.p.h. down Pico Blvd.  Yes folks, he drives fast.  When I tell him that he drives like a maniac?  He looks at me with the big “Huh?” eyes as if everyone drives down Pico Blvd. at that time of the morning, at that same speed.  The rest of the day becomes surreal.  The Austrian journalist and I are at the fish market, picking out fish, scallops, and lobster, and…..  I am desperately trying not to get fish guts on my slippers (I KNEW I should’ve worn sneakers), and by this point, I have switched to my secret mouth breathing technique to stay alive.   Next, we head to his new bistro near the downtown library and get to participate in his new Winter menu tasting.  We feast on short ribs, tomato soup, winter salad, and about eight other little dishes.  When that’s done, we head back to Spago but along the way, take a tour of Puck’s version of the L.A. sights… and I am truly impressed.  

Puck drives us by Disney Hall, MOMA, the Mayor’s home, (ok, he also points out a few celebrity homes too, and by this time, I’m in the backseat giggling because I feel like I am on Star Tours), and LACMA, all the while giving the tour in his native language and interjecting English words here and there.  He even makes a pit stop at his house to drop off mac-n-cheese for his kids, then finally back to Spago.  Once we get there, I thought for sure we would simply thank him and be on our merry way, but wait- there’s more!  We are instructed to sit in the restaurant as Puck is now going to make us lunch.  This is crazy.  By this time, I say to myself, “Wolfgang Puck has kidnapped us.  He is now going to make us lunch.  This is lovely, but weird.”  The Austrian journalist and I decide to embrace the light and just go with the flow.  So, we sit for another two hours or so and eat some more.  We eat our way through another tasting menu, topped off by two huge desserts by the pastry chef; one being a Baked Alaskan which was almost the size of my head.  As we are finishing up, Puck sits with us and chats a bit.  As we wave the white flag (in this case, a white clothed napkin), he gives us both an autographed copy of his newest book.  We finally get up and waddle out of the restaurant.  All I can say is thank god for A-line dresses.

Here’s the thing:  Everyone seems to get their 15-minutes of fame at some point in their lives, but what I’ve noticed and admired is that the celebs that go beyond the 15-minute time limit and become real stars, are the ones that still somehow manage to act like normal people and have been able to keep their manners in tact.  Ahhhh… Hollywood.  Later when I tell my friends what I did in my day, and that I am sooooo full from eating all of this gourmet food, they say “Wait…  let me get this straight.  You got paid to hang out with Wolfgang Puck all day and eat?”  My response is, “Well, yea… But it’s my job.  Somebody’s gotta do it.  It might as well be me.”

Question:  If you had the chance to spend the day with a celebrity, who would it be and why?