So speaking of star-struckedness… I share with you excerpts from a letter I wrote to a friend in 1985 (86?) from Hollywood, USA. Stand-up comedy was at its peak and Bruce Willis was climbing that rock fast. In plain view.
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So. Friday night I was on my own…. I thought of a thousand things to do but finally I got dressed to go out to the “Bud Friedman’s Improv w/Mark Lonow Club”.... I was tired and curious to see if the Improv could give some comic relief…. took a bus to Crescent Heights & Santa Monica and walked down to Melrose.
No one was really there when I got there. They were letting one show out and seating the next. Charlie Zucker was there running around nervously – he was on first. The colorful, illuminated chalkboard announced The Funny Boys were on third, Taylor Negron on 4th. Then I didn’t pay attention to who was batting after that.
After a few awkward moments playing the jukebox and standing around, I made a dash for an open barstool. It was conveniently front and center.
Shortly thereafter Bruce Willis made an entrance with a cute girl at his side. On their way up to the bar, a girl I recognized from Sloan’s (whose boyfriend is a fucking actor) [so you’d think she’d know better] tapped him on the shoulder and said, “I love you, I just want to say I love you.” He said thanks and our eyes met and we rolled them simultaneously.
They bellied up to the bar right next to me and ordered a couple beers. They started talking about their days work. Eddie, the bartender, bought their first beers because “Bruce, you don’t know why, but they’re on me.”
“You don’t know why, or I don’t?”
“You don’t. See, my agent called me this week, I go in on Monday and do some voice-over work on Moonlighting.”
“Oh, that’s great. Good luck on that.”
A girl sitting on the other side of them starts jumping in on their conversation. “So, I really love your show, I think you’re wonderful. I mean, to begin with, your show was like, hit or miss, wasn’t it? I think it’s turned out great. Very well done. Did you just get lucky and get the job or have I seen you in anything else?”
“Well, I did a Miami Vice and a …and some things in New York.”
“Oh, I’m from New York. I’m just curious. What’s it like working with Cybil Shepard? I’m just curious.” She was going to town. During this, Bruce and Dana [Delaney] switched places so his back was to the crowd. Too many people staring at him…
Fuck, I think to myself – I really don’t like the show….
The Funny Boys had made their entrance during this and Bruce went off to talk to Jimmy. Which left Dana to get bombarded by the girl next door. “So, I’m just curious. What’s it like working with Bruce Willis? It must be strange walking off the street and becoming such a success like that. Are you an actress? I’m just curious. Do you see him? I mean, what’s it like going to dinner with a guy like that? People must come up to him all the time. I wouldn’t do that. I’m just curious…”
Bruce came back to the bar and he and Dana tried to ignore the masses and eat popcorn from the bowl in my lap…
Bruce and Dana left, The Funny Boys went on and some French couple came to take up the empty space beside me.
Posted by nora murphy at October 20, 2005 08:31 PM | TrackBack