By Kelly Kazek
kelly@athensnews-courier.com
March 14, 2008 04:26 pm
—
I am not one to be impressed by celebrity. As you can imagine, I am a little jaded by all I have witnessed in my 20-plus years as a professional journalist.
Plus, I am no stranger to the entertainment industry, having appeared in a film myself. If you happen to rent a copy of “Constellation,” which was filmed in Huntsville, Ala., a few years back, you will see a reflection of my shirt in a glass pane. Don’t believe it’s mine? Just ask my director. I’m sure he’ll tell you he only cut my actual self from the shot because of a glitch with the film, not because of my acting (the scene required me to look concerned as the character played by Zoe Saldana ran past crying, and I wrinkled my forehead and frowned quite convincingly.)
I also have interviewed several celebrities, including William Shatner, Dolly Parton, Vicki Lawrence, Gabrielle Union and even the Lollipop Kid from “The Wizard of Oz.”
So interviewing Billy Bob Thornton in Florence, Ala., last week was no big deal. Shrug. Yawn.
But should you run into our somewhat cynical photographer, Kim, who went with me, she might try to tell you otherwise.
Do not believe her.
She might tell you that, while I was standing beside Billy Bob amid a circle of media and fans in a cramped hallway, I was frantically motioning to Kim to move to the other side where she could get me in the photo. She might tell you I nearly threw out my shoulder pointing so forcefully.
Do not believe her.
Besides, she would only have had to push aside one senior citizen, another reporter, and two TV news cameramen (who don’t even count). I don’t know what her problem was. I needed that photo for my journalism portfolio, not for some sort of fan-type scrapbook, which I don’t even have. Really.
Later that evening, before I headed back to Florence for a reunion between Billy Bob and his costars from “Sling Blade,” I was talking about how much I had wanted to interview Lucas Black since I last spoke with him when he was 14. Back then I asked Lucas, raised up right next door in Speake, Ala., what he thought about all the attention from girls since he was named one of Seventeen magazine’s “up and coming hotties.” He replied, adding extra syllables to each word: “Ah’d rather be bass fishin.’”
Kim claims I have a crush, but Lucas is only 25 and almost young enough to be my son. I just like the way he talks, is all. Even after years spent living way up in Missouri, Lucas still says “ain’t” and “don’t got no,” which, if he were toothless and wearing a camouflage baseball cap, would be a turn off. But coming from a young guy with pretty hazel eyes and a wide toothy grin, it just sounds adorable.
Jennifer, one of our reporters who went with me to the reunion, didn’t know much about Lucas before the event. When we left, though, she was saying, “He’s just adorable.”
I had a convert.
We even managed to get our pictures made with him without stepping over any old people and I’m sure that security guy will be fine. It was only a flesh wound.
Back at the office, Jennifer and I discussed Lucas’ post “Sling Blade” film roles at length (“All the Pretty Horses,” “Friday Night Lights,” “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift”) causing Kim to roll her eyes and tell us we were “obsessed.”
What? If she doesn’t want to join our newly established North Alabama Lucas Black Fan Club, no one’s twisting her arm.
So if Kim tries to tell you this very professional, middle-aged managing editor has been swayed by celebrity, do not believe her.
Billy Bob and Lucas are just regular guys; there’s no need to gush.
I just like the way they talk, is all.
(Oh, and Lucas, Billy, if you happen to be reading this: Call me, kay?)
Contact Kelly Kazek at kelly@athensnews-courier.com.
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