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Celebrities of Sundance just ordinary people (with fantastic black clothes and great faces) By
Jennifer Brennan
Celebrities are not that much different from your average person. I can testify of this because I had the opportunity to bump into (literally), meet and mingle with some people many idolize and adore. Now, I'm not saying that I also have not adored those in the limelight; however, I have come to realize we (students, teachers, and the list goes on) all have celebrity potential in us, too.
Then there are the other pure-luck celebrities who were in the right place, the right time and ran into the right person. Celebrities are talented. Most of them deserve the respect that many of us show them. However, we are all talented in our own ways and deserve just as much right to sign our signature or take pictures with people who admire us. Speaking of pictures, I took a few while I interned at the Sundance Film Festival with Showbizdata. I worked at the "Interactive Lounge," where film producers, the general public and of course, celebrities, could mingle, network, check their e-mail and check out the various sponsors that were there. The sponsors included Yahoo! Movies, Exposure, Mr. Showbiz, Microsoft and plenty more. The celebrities I was able to catch glimpse of, run into or hear about were Sam Neil, Patrick Swayze, Sissy Spacek, Mariel Hemingway, Carmen Electra, Amy Smart Lantz Bass (N Sync), Molly Shannon, a few of The Real World cast members (if you call them celebrities) and of course the people who looked like celebrities, acted like celebrities, dressed like celebrities . . . but weren't quite celebrities. There was a plethora of celebrities in the celebrity mecca, Park City. The ones I listed are the ones I can remember and personally saw, talked to or took a picture with. It all started on the third day of the film festivals, I was working at the front desk of the Interactive Lounge. At the front desk, I and the other interns took rotating shifts. While at the desk, we would meet, greet and inform people who came to check out the Interactive Lounge. On Jan. 20, I saw my first celebrity. Sam Neill, who played the father in Jurassic Park and a Russian sub officer in Hunt for Red October, walked past the front desk and into the Lounge for an interview upstairs. All the sudden I hear from the interns say, "That's Sam Neill from Jurassic Park." I didn't feel starstruck. I maintained composure, since I was in a professional sitting with the celebrities, there was no need for me to hound them and demand an autograph. About a half hour later, I looked out the front doors and see a media crew interviewing, obviously, a celebrity. It turned out to be Patrick Swayze. This was more exciting for me. In fact, he walked past the front desk, but I was turned the other way. Just my luck. It was lunchtime and the other interns and I headed downstairs to a quaint but nice Italian restaurant. We were eating and chatting and then in walks Sissy Spacek. She was dressed very casual and was wearing sunglasses. Almost everyone wears sunglasses and black. That is how you mistake random people for celebrities. Once again, I saw my third celebrity, but had no actual interaction with them. I decided this was a once in a lifetime experience and I had the opportunity to address the celebrities as a professional, rather than a fan. Once I realized this, I would keep my camera close at hand. Then, I had an interaction that teeny bopper girls dream about. Lantz Bass from N Sync was in the building. Not only was he there but he was upstairs talking with some friends, The Superdudes. The Superdudes is a group that makes Superheros out of actual people. Through computer graphics, and the person's creative superhero profile, a Superdude is created. One of the Superdudes, said "Lantz is here, if you would like to meet him and maybe get a picture." Well, hmm, let me think about this one. . . . Of course I do. I promptly went and got my camera and then dashed to the foot of the stairs to meet the Superdude who would introduce me to Lantz. I walked up the stairs and asked for a picture with him. He was very friendly and two other interns joined my photo. Lantz led my roll of film that would soon be finished off, with snapshots of my celebrity run-ins. Throughout the week, I took a posed picture with Carmen Electra, Mariel Hemingway and Molly Shannon. Overally, coming in close contact with celebrities was an amazing experience. Celebrities are amazing people. I learned it's best not to take pictures with them, because you look much worse in comparison. I also saw two types of celebrities: they keep to themselves or are very open-minded and friendly. My word of advice for any future celebrity run-ins is to treat them as you would anyone else. Be the person whom they don't have to run from. I looked at my whole experience as a fun one to share but also personal. Just as you don't go around talking about everyone you meet, it's kind of the same feeling with celebrities. There is the old saying, "They put their pants on the same way we do," along with their sunglasses, black outfits and perfect smiles.
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