Category Archives: Celebrity Encounter

Ever rub shoulders with the elite without realizing it and forget to ask for their autograph? Yeah, me neither. But if I did do that, this is totally how it would have happened.

Anthony Zerbe

Time? One breezy November morning Place? Torrance Cultural Arts Center, Torrance, CA Why? To meet Anthony Zerbe. I had recognized him in The Matrix sequels, but to recognize someone is to already know him. Where did I first see him you might be asking? That really cool Western series from the 90’s, The Young Riders. Of course that’s not all he’s done, but that’s what I’ve seen. So what was Anthony Zerbe doing in Torrance? Somehow the Parks and Recreation Department arranged for a performance by him and Roscoe Lee Brown of something that they had put together. They had also arranged for a master class with both of them the following morning, but Brown somehow finagled his way out of it. No, he had legitimate reasons, but regardless, he wasn’t able to go. So we (that is, the members of the Torrance Theatre Company and friends) sat in the black … Continue reading →

Shawn Parr, Kobe Bryant

When I went to a preview screening of The Terminal at the Block of Orange (I love how movie screeners love college students), it wasn’t only promoted by UCI, but also by OC Weekly and KZLA and guess what… Shawn Parr was at the theatre giving away T-shirts, CD’s and license plate frames. I got a T-shirt. Funny thing was, I didn’t know Shawn was Shawn for a while, so I was just joking around with him. He handed out free posters and was on a microphone in the theatre, and when he said don’t sing, I basically laughed in his face and belted out Jingle Bells. I felt like such a fool when I figured out who he was (when he started out giving away stuff). They had planted stickers under certain seats, so I scanned under the row of chairs I was in, and found one. He was … Continue reading →