The Clive Connection

"All I knew is that I was full of emotion
and I had to find a way to express it."
-Javier Bardem
as heard in his role in
'Vicky, Cristina Barcelona'

What is my connection with Clive Owen? It is all too coincidental. I have seen him three times in the last several years. The first meeting was the best. If I see him a fourth time I must speak to him again. Better yet, if you are reading this Clive, do save me the trouble by making a comment and we can do lunch.

November 24, 1997, LOS ANGELES
The Premiere of BENT

Alan and I were somehow invited to the Premiere of this movie called BENT in Beverly Hills, CA in November 1997. I forget the circumstances behind the invitation and my 1997 journals are not handy.
There were no major known actors in this film unless you count Ian McKellan, Jude Law and Mick Jagger (of course, Mick was the most well known for his music and Ian for his stage work ‘at the time’). The star of the film was Clive Owen who plays the lead role of Max. This movie, by the way, is one of my classic favorites.

The story is about Max who is gay and as such is sent to Dachau concentration camp under the Nazi regime. He tries to deny he is gay and gets a yellow label (the one for the Jews) instead of pink (the one for the gays). In camp he falls in love with his fellow prisoner, Horst, who wears his pink label with pride. It is based on a play by Martin Sherman (who also wrote the screenplay).

After the screening of this film in 1997 there was an after-party at the Neiman-Marcus department store. Alan and I were two of the first ones there. We were given glasses of champagne and I took notice of Clive Owen. He looked me straight in the eye.
I couldn’t help myself by saying, “You’re going to win an Oscar for that! You were fantastic.”
“Ah, you’re too kind. I don’t know about that,” Clive said, shaking his head in disbelief.
I almost detected him blush. I guess actors are really shy ‘at heart’. I would be.
“Well, we loved the movie and you were GREAT,” I continued. I believe we toasted with our champagne glasses as more guests started to arrive.
I didn’t know what to say after that. This Clive Owen was relatively unknown in the USA, having done mostly television in the United Kingdom.

The next year (1998) he did CROUPIER which gave him more US notoriety. And then he followed with films like GOSFORD PARK, THE BOURNE IDENTITY and KING ARTHUR. I loved it when he won the Oscar for CLOSER (2004). I could have told him, “I told you so!”

November 2008, NEW YORK CITY
A Visit to SULLIVAN STREET BAKERY

In November 2008 I stopped into the Sullivan Street Bakery in New York City. There is a favorite zucchini pizza slice that I love there. Who walks into the tiny shop? Yes, it is Clive Owen, the tall striking fellow looking a tad disheveled. I suddenly had ‘stage fright’. I wanted to remind him of our meeting in 1997. Would he remember? I decided to let it pass. Darn it.
“The next time I see him I’ll remind him,” I thought.
I imagine he was in NYC after just wrapping up his film ‘THE INTERNATIONAL’ (a good film, too). I found a printed interview with Clive after this film. I like the way he answered this question:

How did you feel when you knew you were cast in the role of ‘The International’ and that you were able to go in front of the camera and do what you did?

“Every time you do a film you are starting from scratch. It’s a very weird thing acting no matter how much experience you have got, no matter how much you do, every time you start filming there is the potential to be bad in it and to fall flat on your face. I tend to get very nervous at the beginning of every film, just until I am a few weeks in. It was very difficult in this movie because the very first scene that we shot was that very last scene on the roofs in Istanbul. And we literally started the movie out there, so we did the very very end of the movie before we had shot anything. You always shoot movies out of sequence but it was particularly difficult in this movie, because it’s such a big journey that guy travels all over the world in pursuit of this guy and eventually they come together at the end. In terms of feeling comfortable I spend a lot of time on the script before shooting. I will read it over and over again…I don’t know if you ever feel comfortable. Every day there are new challenges and new things that you have got to do. I just do as best I can.

June 6, 2009, LONDON, England
THE ROYAL BALLET, Ondine Ballet in three ACTS

I was fortunate to be accompanied by some lovely friends for The Royal Ballet in London, England. There was an AUDI sponsored event going on and Clive was a participating guest. After the third act I was walking down the stairs and spotted Clive Owen once again with his wife, Sarah-Jane Fenton walking up the stairs. It was not conducive for a conversation. Where will I run into Clive Owen a fourth time? It’s just too coincidental. Time will tell as to whether there will be another chance meeting.


Twenty-five years ago today:

June 17, 1984
Sunday

Here I am at the start of a relaxing Sunday, lying out on the South Shore Alameda beach, listening to my KQAK-FM tunes, wearing my new Moroccan madras shorts. Please allow me to relax.

I did relax until 1:30PM or so. I seemed to get a number of “double-takes”, too. It was time to move on and get my bike. I ended up riding along the beach until almost 3PM. I had a nice nap after a scrumptious homemade sandwich.

I woke from my nap at 4:30PM and went over to 3330 Cook Lane to help Sherri’s Dad (Bob) carry Sherri’s dresser upstairs to the master bedroom. I hung out at the Cook Lane townhouse with my mom and dad, Sherri and Ashley until about 8pm.

I learned that Sherri’s friend, Gina, is only sixteen years old. So I will have to later that ‘idea’ for a couple of years anyway. I finally decided it was time to come home.

Just as I walked in the door the telephone was ringing. It was Christopher Cordellos.
“Hey, what’s up? I’ve been trying to reach you all weekend,” Chris said.
“Well, you finally got lucky because you got me this time,” I replied.
“Guess what?”
“What?” I asked without being able to guess.
“I told Barb that I was moving out on August First,” Chris announced proudly.
I was happy for him. It’s a good move on his part. We all need our own space and privacy.
“I’m not sure I can come down on Thursday,” Chris said.
“I’ll keep tabs on you until you know for sure,” I said with a tinge of hope that he would come.

All I know is that I get to move back into my ‘3348 Solomon Lane’ pad on Wednesday. Hoorah!

I watched a taped episode of ‘The Young and The Restless’ with my mom. It’s funny because I do feel ‘young and restless’ myself these days. I went to bed by 11PM.