Saturday, September 5, 2009

Sundays In My City #5 - Hollywood, CA

Do you know Unknown Mami? She's awesome and she's started a fun Sunday theme inviting you to get out and take pictures of your city to share with the rest of us. Click here for details and her logo and click here to see Unknown Mami's City today.

When you live in Los Angeles, the first thing out-of-town guests want to do is "see movie stars". Watching TMZ or Entertainment Tonight, they think celebrities are everywhere and easy to spot. But, that is just not the case. Stars don't travel in packs, they don't usually hang out at Starbucks and they are rarely seen "just driving down the street". They pretty much keep to themselves and aren't thrilled by tourists asking for their autographs.

My friends know that over the years, I've met my share of movie, television and music stars, and I've even been up close and personal with a lot of them. I find that when it comes to stars and big name celebrities, what you see is what you get. If you think they'll have an attitude-- they do. If you think they'd be nice to talk to, they are. So naturally, when my friends visit, they want me to hook them up with some quality celebrity sightings, like this....

I love Jack Nicholson. He is a riot! Whenever we've been together he's either dressed like this or wearing a purple Lakers polo shirt at a basketball game. He's always cool and waves at me but he keeps a low profile-- for Jack anyway.


Steven Spielberg is a pretty quiet guy. It's hard to spot him out and about town because he usually wears a cap.... But his gentle voice gives him away.

When my man Will Smith is around you know it! He's loud and happy and friendly and the room seems to circle around him. His wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith is great too; but let me tell you, she weights about 89 pounds soaking wet! She is tiny.


It's exciting to see Elton John but I've only ever seen him at charity events when he's performing. I wonder what he wears when he's hanging around the house?

Brad and Angelina make a stunning couple in person-- Odd, but stunning. I've run into Brad on numerous occasions around town too and let me tell you, as cute as he is on the big screen, he is to die for in person! Put that man in jeans and a tee shirt and I'm swooning.

This is our Governor. Kinda makes your feel proud to be from California, huh? I see him all over town-- in and out of costume, war paint and the crazy eyeball. It's shocking that even looking like this he couldn't get a California State Budget passed on time. But he's a friendly guy. Maria, his wife, is terrific too.

Of course if you believe any of this all I can say is FOOLED YOU! You can see these stars and more anytime at the new Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Hollywood, CA


That's my city. Hope your Sunday is great!
Welcome to The Fifty Factor - Joanna

42 comments:

  1. Yes, you had me fooled. It's been years since I've been to the Wax Museum. I don't think it was called Madam Tussaud's. Wasn't it under a different name?

    It's true that when I tell people that I live in California, they really do think that celebrities are just walking around in the streets waiting to be spotted.

    There is a restaurant called the Ivy that definitely has it's share of sightings but it's all about the timing.

    I'm not much for "celebs". To me, they are just regular people....like you and me.

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  2. this was cute to read! I always like when people visiting So. Calif. want to see Hollywood and expect to see stars in all the stores. I haven't been to Hollywood in years (since my honeymoon in 1980) but all we saw were cockroaches in our hotels and ladies of the evening

    I always enjoy was museums! so life like, don't you think??

    betty

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  3. You totally fooled me until Brad he is just too shiney. I went to the one in NYC and I have a picture of me and Oprah. Followed a few people, not many. Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

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  4. Ha Ha you had me fooled up until Brad and Angelina!! We have that museum here in the netherlands and Im so shocked by how small alot of the actors and actresses are!!

    Have a wodnerful sunday!!!

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  5. Too funny! You had me going there for a bit!

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  6. I did a double take with Jack.. his forehead was too shiny and yellow, and he had a smokeless cigar.;) But Spielberg looked pretty real to me so you did have me going for a moment at that point. Nicely-done. And a very clever idea. :)

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  7. When I got to Elton, I thought he looked a bit funny....but Angelina and Brad confirmed it! Those first three? Totally realistic! Yowza!

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  8. hahaha, you got me! You are hilarious. I totally bought it and thought to myself reading this, wow I know someone who knows all these celebrities! :) hahaha

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  9. Yeh Brad and Angelina gave it away!
    Will Smith was very believable.

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  10. This is really good, Joanna. You kept with your theme and had us going!! Your sense of style and humor always lead the way.

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  11. That's so cool!!!!!

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  12. I have actually met several performers in person and you're right when you say, they keep to themselves. One day, James Taylor was rehearsing for his concert and my husband was listening. They had a brief conversation and it was fun. My friend married the tour manager for kenny rodgers.

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  13. You had me fooled until you got to Brad Pitt : ) He looked a little fake in wax : ) Everyone else looked great though! And I imagine in person he looks fantastic! Yummy! : ) What a fun post! I think California girls are so cool! So you, therefore, are a total superstar : )

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  14. Yep, you had this Yooper fooled! I was thinking "This woman reads MY blog and rubs elbows with these other people!"

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  15. I totally bought all of it Joanna - AND I was actually reading it aloud to my husband! I'm such a boob. Honestly. By the time I scrolled down to Ahnold Shzvahzeenaighah (spelled phonically for added German zing) I thought something might be up but was still swimming along with the hook in my mouth. Brad and Angie looked a little plastic (okay, waxy), but they do live in LA.

    Only when you told me I could no longer believe you is when I started getting the hint.

    I'm crushed.

    Now I have to call the airlines BACK and cancel my ticket to LA.

    THANKS!

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  16. I enjoyed this post showcasing what LA's all about. Hope you are ok with all the fires.

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  17. Gee, I met the guy who used to play carmine, on Laverne and Shirley! LMAO!!!!

    Actually, there are some famous people with ties to where I live right now:
    Emily Proctor did the weather on a local tv station.

    Sandra Bullock went to college here

    There are a few others, but they are the most prominent.

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  18. LOL, Your hilarious! I was thinking you must live in Brentwood, or Malibu!

    I've only seen a few myself and that's when I worked in No. Hollywood. From Lindsey Lohan, to Leonardo D. Ooh least we not forget Britney S. I worked close to the dance studio on Magnolia and Lankershim. LOL. When the Paparazzi was out you knew one of them was close by.

    Britney always caused a huge stir!

    I was never to close, just walking by getting lunch and those Paparazzi people are PUSH YOU over and RUN you down kind of people LOL

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  19. ach! you totally had me...i was thinking man i need to come out for a visit...lol. maybe one day i will visit the museum...seems like a fun place...

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  20. I love you. Really. Cheater. Scam artist. Still, I love you.

    Snarky Factor, East Coast....

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  21. You are so funny and that was great. My son lives in Telluride, Colorado. He texted me a couple of weeks ago. He said, "I just served dinner to Neil Armstrong." I texted back and asked, "How did you know it was him?" "Someone told me." He texted back!

    Neil would look like any other old man to him so I knew someone had to have told him. Matt's dad and I had a good laugh.

    He does see famous people especially during the film festival, but he isn't very impressed.

    I asked him once if he ever sees Tom and Katy and he said, "Nope. Their house is in the mountains some where and I have no idea where."

    Like I said....he isn't impressed.

    Thanks for the great post! I loved it.

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  22. *L* I could see it right away, but still...pretty neat. :O)

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  23. I love Madame Tussauds! I've been to the one in NYC and it was a lot of fun.

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  24. Well I honestly thought it was a shot of Jack soused - so I admit *red faced* you got me!!!

    Might not get back in time but out taking pictures of our city today. I have friends arriving from an Alaskan cruise - they are from upstate NY and I can hardly wait to meet up with them. Just sucks that after the most glorious sunny summer this weekend is crappy -- oh well can't take away visits with precious friends and hopefully the pictures will be good.

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  25. I believed you with Jack and then a big smile started spreading on my face. Very fun post. I loved it. Thank you!

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  26. Only in a town where celebrities live would they make wax models of them lol.
    You're city is weirdly interesting but I'll still watch TMZ - sorry! :-)

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  27. Awwww, and I was so impressed with your friend list there for a minute.

    Most of my closest friends are made of wax, too.

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  28. Waaaaah..... you had me totally fooled until I got to Brad and Ang and realised that they looked distinctly shiny!!!!

    As this is the first time I've come across your blog, thanks to Sundays In My City, I thought "who is this namedropper??" Now I realise it's just your little joke I'm loving you and your blog!! Very clever!!!

    LBM xxx

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  29. Ya' had me goin' there for awhile. Did your know that Brad Pitt is a homegrown Missouri star. Just in case you needed to know that. Enjoyed your post! Have a super Labor Day and God Bless!!!

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  30. Way to go,Joanna, a great "gotcha" on all of us. The only time I've seen celebrities in LA is when I've visited my brother's in-laws in Beverly Hills and seen someone in a store. Oh, and last summer we saw Rhea Perlman with her son walking their dog.

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  31. Love it....took my niece there when she was a bit of a thing, and she ran at the Spice Girls as if they were real...not that I told her they were..cough cough...however it was charming watching her speak to them for a brief moment til she figured it out and gave me the look of death LMAO

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  32. Thanks everyone. You were all really good sports!
    The Museum was fun but I have to say the one in NYC is way bigger.
    Hope you're having a great Labor Day weekend!
    Keep those cards and letters coming!
    xo

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  33. You had me. Good one!

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  34. I too was fooled. Boy are they ever realistic.

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  35. Ha ha ha... Nearly had me fooled.. but not quite...

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  36. Dude, you had me for a while... Love it!!!

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  37. That was a fun post! I love wax museums.

    I think you're right on target with your comment about celebs. If they seem nice, they probably are. If they seem snooty, they probably are. I had the opportunity to meet a number of celebrities where I used to work and that's how it usually was.

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  38. What a great post! What a great idea to do in So Cal! I am new to Sundays In My City, thanks for the post!

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