My Brush with Fame.

my "Favorite" teen idol. 
I was reading the St Paul paper today and the front-page picture was of Matt Dillon and Lili Taylor filming a movie. It jogged a memory and I’ve been waiting to tell this story. I haven’t told this one for a long time.

Years ago, they filmed “Beautiful Girls” in Stillwater. I was working at the Minnesota Zephyr and they used the depot as a spot for cast and crew to have lunch. Timothy Hutton and Uma Thurman were incredibly sweet and posed for pictures and gave autographs. Then in walked Teen Idol heaven…Matt Dillon. He hung out with some of the crew and ate but didn’t pose for photos. I asked a crewmember if he would be willing to give an autograph. He looked up and then at me and then said (I read his lips) “no F’ing way”. Well…
The next day I had a day off of work and they were filming a scene across the street from my apartment. My porch was Hollywood central! The Crew and Cast had the caterers set up there, but they didn’t order a porta potty, so they asked to use mine. No problems. I had hot coffee and homemade treats and sat and watched the process of Mira Sorvino walk from the house across the street to her car all the whole day. It took longer than expected due to the fake snow, and my phone and potty were used a lot. So some of the other stars showed up to eat and hang out. Lo and behold, my “fave” teen idol (heavy sarcasm here), Matt Dillon strolls up the drive to the catering tent. After about an hour, his “assistant” comes to one of the crewmembers that I was hanging out with to ask me if Mister Dillon ( oh pullllleeeeezzzzeeee) could use my bathroom. I looked at the crew member, the “assistant”, and then made serious eye contact with “mister Dillon” and then looked the assistant straight in the eye and said “no, f’ing way”. At that moment, I think mister Dillon remembered who I was from the day before. I wish I had a picture for the look on his face. I then proceeded to tell the story of the day before to the crewmember. We laughed and that was my movie making experience. ( I guess he showed his personality to her too.)
I know that it is mean to deny people the chance to use a bathroom, but don’t be an asshole. I understand the need for privacy and the perils of being a public figure, but don’t be an asshole. The day before, I was nice and polite and was not intrusive to him at lunch, but don’t be an asshole. And I feel that way about any person, star or not. Don’t Be Karmatically Challenged.
That’s my brush with fame. An paybacks can be uncomfortable. (I wonder how long he had to do the Pee Pee Dance. Hee hee!)