How to meet a movie star in New York City, Part 1

October 6, 6:44 PMNY Entertainment ExaminerMichael Moran

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the NY Entertainment Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Sylvia Miles
photo by Jim Fouratt (via FlickerCC license)

If you try to see a movie star in Hollywood, you’ll end up on a bus idling outside Pauley Shore’s mansion. New York City offers better opportunities for one simple reason: it’s too crowded to be exclusive. You might not be able to get past a Central Park West doorman, but the class-leveling nature of New York wallops Hollywood as a celebrity-scoper’s paradise.

The only catch? Finding the stars. Follow my suggestions on ways to nab some of that stardust for yourself.

Tip: Some stars are really friendly when greeted, some not. After my first and last attempt at speaking to a performer (a certain Korean-American comedienne) I’ve avoided talking to celebrities, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t.

Take the bus: New York City’s public transportation isn’t famous for glamour, but some of my most cherished movie star sightings have been on the MTA. My most recent star encounter was a bus ride with legendary character actress Sylvia Miles. Watching Miss Miles lick Joe Dallesandro’s hot fingers in Andy Warhols’ Heat (1972) was a life-changing experience for me, and the bus ride was just as inspiring. Miss Miles is 76 years old, but eavesdropping on her conversation revealed a woman still hip to current events, an attitude I hope to emulate. Plus–she looks good!

One bonus was a small dose of the brashness for which Miss Miles is famous. I’d insolently taken a handicapped/senior citizen seat and Miss Miles told me she’d like my seat. She certainly wasn’t rude, which was something of a letdown, but there was no mistaking her request as anything but an order.  

TIP: The hour can be critical when celebrity-scoping on public transportation. 7 pm-ish #1 trains (downtown and uptown) have gifted me with viewings of Rene Auberjenois and the late, lamented Madeleine Kahn. Another possibility is immediately post-show. Performers are just as eager to get home as any commuter, and I’ve had some happy chats with more than one home-bound chorus boy on the West Side IRT.

Next up: Exercise and see the stars!