Tag Archives: Exclusive On the Scene

Tracy Morgan Hates My Dog

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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER.

Tracy Morgan was not having it. Not today anyway.

I was sipping coffee, sitting obliviously at a table outside in the sun near The Grove when my dog Jovi started going crazy…just plain nuts. As if world war 3 was about to commence and she was the world’s last line of defense. So, I look up to see what has caused this commotion and see this man walking his pit bull towards us. The pit bull’s mere presence had fired up my little 17-pound Lhasa Apso to the rescue. As if little Lhasa, as if.

I apologized to the gentleman walking his pit bull. To my surprise, I heard a familiar voice respond, “Your dog is ferocious”. I was like, shit, that’s Tracy Morgan of 30 Rock. “Mr. Morgan, I love your show!!!!!!!” I yelped, half in sincere excitement, half trying to kiss ass and diffuse the situation. Tracy wasn’t having it. “Your dog is still ferocious” he said, as he walked away shaking his head. That may have been the funniest thing ever.

After I collected myself, I looked down at Jovi who is just sitting there all innocent with the expression, “Why u lookin’ at me like that?” written all over her face. It’s a good thing I love that feisty bitch.

Exclusive Behind The Scenes Look At Simon Cowell’s Last Stand On American Idol Season Finale

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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER.

  “Outstanding” was not what I had expected, but that is exactly the final word which spewed out of Simon Cowell’s mouth as he ended his reign as judge on American Idol. It was obvious from the start of some bland performances last night, that the notoriously harsh judge had a mission to stay relatively kind on his last stand as judge on America’s #1 TV show.

The American Idol finale was a spectacle of big tent proportions, to say the least. This was my first time attending the grand brouhaha, though I have been to many regular season broadcasts of the show. The difference: The regular season shows are a quaint “family reunion kinda event” of 500 people held at a small set at CBS Studios (Yes, CBS) in the suburbs of Los Angeles; The finale is held in the gargantuan 7000-seat Nokia Theater LA Live in downtown Los Angeles, making the smaller regular season set look like a toy model of the finale one. While the excitement is palpable on the CBS Studios set, making each member of the audience feel like an integral part of the show because every one has to be camera-ready every second of the time, the absolute reverse is true at the Nokia Theater: The cameras were no where to be seen past the first 20 rows; I felt lost in this gigantic auditorium, and it was obvious that so did the finalists and some of the crew. There were more mistakes made live and on camera during the finale than the entire regular season combined: From finalist Crystal Bowersox’ opening run to multiple wrong directions and audibly on TV saying “I have no idea where to go” and dropping her mic, to the random shots of audience feet, to the obvious look of fear on the other finalist Lee DeWyze’s face while performing. Perhaps Idol has gotten too big for its own good; I much more would have preferred the smaller stage for the most important night in the two finalists’ lives. I think they may have also. I know Lee definitely would have. He had shined at CBS; he cowered at Nokia.

Let’s start at the beginning of the day. A friend of mine who works for American Idol invited me to the show. With hard tickets in hand, it meant I did not have to get to the Nokia Theater at the crack of dawn for hopes of getting in stand by. I got there around 3:30 PM and was standing at a blocked off corner talking to a guard when Justin Guarini just walked up to me. Only the Celeb Magnet would randomly and quite unknowingly be standing at the place where the VIPs of the show would be entering the arena. There was no other person or paparazzi there. Justin was cool and took time to speak t o me even though he was clearly in a rush.

Then came other season 9 finalists Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Lee DeWyze and Tim Urban – they were dropped off OUTSIDE of the gated area and not allowed in where other VIPs like Cowell and DeGeneres were welcomed in.

Oh, and then there was Ellen…well, there was Ellen’s back…

Obviously, I was at the right spot at ALMOST the right time. Had I been there a bit earlier, I would have seen them all. Other than myself, the only non-guard or VIP whom I saw were these three fans nearby, waiting for Simon to drive by, though after only a short bit, they got a bit tired and sat down.

After I took these pictures, I met up with my friend with the ticket and we walked up to the Nokia Theater. The picture below is of the line of standby walk-ins for the show.

Good news for this bunch was that they all were able to get in as seat fillers: Sitting in chairs while the VIP’s with tickets need a break. It amazes me how many breaks VIP’s need during a one-hour show. REALLY?? You can’t sit straight through a one-hour show? As we got closer to the entrance, we saw the line of young people who the show had picked out to stand in the mush pit near the stage. No wonder these kids get chosen; look at their enthusiasm; random girl is smiling at my camera having no idea who I am….or perhaps she did recognize me from CelebMagnet.com.

The courtyard outside the Nokia was filled with Idol alumni who had returned to their old stomping grounds pretty much like the popular high school kids that keep going back to high school years after graduation to relive their glory years: Scott MacIntyre; Anoop Desai; Matt Giraud; Chris Richardson; Constantine Maroulis; Kevin Covais; Blake Lewis: Brooke White; Kristy Lee Cook. This is what the outside courtyard looks like:

We got to our seats which were pretty amazing – dead center with a straight shot of the stage. To my right was this really cool couple, a duo of music promoters, (wife was “Jane” but I didn’t catch the hubbie’s name) who had come from Connecticut as guests of Katie Stevens, one of the top 12 finalists. With about 20 minutes left before live air time, “Corey”, Idol’s comedic warm up guy came out and got the audience up to its feet. He pulled some people out of the crowd and brought them up to stage to dance for us all. He walked all throughout the 7000-person arena, handing out American Idol t-shirts and iPods to random attendees. That was enough to stir the crowd to utter excitement for the show. He then introduced the judges as each came out at different times. He introduced Simon last and the crowd went into a mad convulsion, screaming with no end in sight. Amusingly so, the crowd went just as insane for Ryan, though I can understand given my complete infatuation with the man. Then came the other season 9 finalists. Corey then explained that each two top finalists would be singing three songs: first one being the contestant’s favorite song previously performed this season, second a song chosen by Executive Producer of the show, Simon Fuller. Last song would be a song chosen by Idol and would be the contestant’s first single should they win.  Among this chaos, we heard the stage manager over the PA system say, “90 seconds to airtime”. “How could 7000 people settle down in 90 seconds” raced through my mind. But just like that, everyone quickly took to their places per Corey’s request; everyone except Crystal who clearly did not know where she was supposed to go as the show opened. The seat fillers quickly ran into the arena as well and were ushered into seats left empty by no-show VIP ticket holders. Corey instructed the audience to remain silent until Ryan announced live, “This is American Idol.” With that, the show started.

Crystal Bowersox had won the coin toss and like any smart Idol contestant knows, she picked to perform second. Each contestant alternated songs, with Lee DeWyze starting the show with The Boxer as his first song choice. He looked amazingly nervous but was quite moving in his delivery. Simon told him afterwards that he lacked passion in his performance and went on to elaborate, “that was a kiss on the cheek when I wanted a kiss on the lips.” Oh Simon, we’re so gonna miss you. For his second song Lee was asked by Simon Fuller to sing REM’s Everybody Hurts. His voice powerfully filled the entire arena and the 16-year old robot girls in the front mush pit clapped in unison (as they are instructed to do by the audience coordinators). The crowd absolutely loved this performance but Simon told Lee he looked “nervous”.  For his last song, Lee sang U2’s Beautiful Day. Oh Lee, you are my favorite amongst a group of not-so great contestants, but that song made it clear you ain’t no Bono. There were clear off key moments as Lee started off very rough. The crowd felt the uneasiness and got up to its feet to cheer Lee on which seems to have helped; slightly. There is such a humble sexiness about Lee that made me forget the uneasiness in his usually smooth as silk raspy voice, so, I rooted him on. But he was so awful on that song that Simon took unusual mercy on him and didn’t even address the performance.  He simply told Lee that someone like Lee is what the show is all about and that Lee has been a hard working contestant all season and remained nice and humble. Simon, dear Simon, are you trying to leave us on a nice note?

At the various commercial breaks, the judges left the arena for makeup touch ups and smoke breaks (Simon) but amazingly got back to their seats just in the nick of time as the stage manager would say over the PA system: “8,7,6,5,4,3,2, APPLUASE”. Corey would come back on mic during breaks and point out various Idol alumni like Brooke White and Kevin Covais. “Check out my buddy, right here, it’s my old buddy, America!” “Hey Kevin, do people still call you ‘Chicken Little?’ ” So wrong. Let the kid grow up and get past his Idol  nightmare.

You don’t have to be a musical expert to realize Crystal was the clear winner of the night, though I personally think Lee will end up winning cause America always votes for the underdog. She sounded amazingly crisp on her first song of Me and Bobby McGee and brought the crowd to its feet. As opposed to the smaller shows broadcast from CBS Studios, we could not see the judges on the giant screens during their comments, just their back, which made the crowd so bored, they resumed to talking or yelling during comments, making it extremely difficult to hear the judges. The crowd was overwhelming in either their “boos” or chants of “I love you Crystal” and “I love you Ellen”. For her second song as Fuller’s pick, Crystal sang Black Velvet. Personally, I don’t think the song suited her voice but she did have a couple of amazing high notes which pushed her ahead of Lee in this round as well. Simon provided the comic relief by saying he was allergic to that song but that Crystal “nailed it.” There was one painful moment which did not come across clearly to the TV audience due to some creative camera work: Crystal was extremely uncomfortable in her high heels and the high school prom dress as she walked down the staircase; She looked down at every single step as she made her entrance into the song, having to walk down what seemed to be a mountain of steps. For her last song, Crystal was pitch perfect on Up to the Mountain and the backup singers harmonized beautifully with her voice. This was Crystal’s best performance in weeks; she had blossomed at the perfect time. This is where Simon ended the night by calling her performance, “outstanding”. And outstanding it was, even though I have a hard time visualizing how they could possibly make that song a hit if she ends up winning the crown. Jane, the music promoter sitting next to me agreed. The night ended with a smooth sounding but terribly stiff winner of Pop Idol, Britain’s version of American Idol.

Here are some things you missed watching on TV at home: The lyrics to Lee and and Crystal’s final two songs were up on the main prompter, something I have never seen happen during the regular season. Also, on TV, you may have seen Ellen and Kara give their Coke cups to the people in the mush pit but what wasn’t captured on TV during Lee’s final words, is that Simon pointed directly at one of the bodyguards standing to his right and lead him with his point to two young women directly in front of Simon in the mush pit. One of them had fainted, and the other one was holding her up. The bodyguard raced to help her, but the fainting woman still ended up on the floor while Ryan read Lee’s numbers to America as if there wasn’t a minor medical emergency unfolding ten feet in front of him. After the end of the show, Corey told us that the woman who had fainted had donated blood earlier in the day and said anyone coming the next day should refrain from giving blood. Guess clapping in unison for an hour is hard on a blood-givers body.

After the show ended, I walked back to my secret gated off spot and got some parting shots of Simon and Ryan getting into their cars.
 

In closing, I just want to add that last year, I voted over 1500 for finalist Adam Lambert, who ended up losing the crown in the end but has by far since outshined the winner, Kris Allen. This year, I had no urge to even make a single call. Not one. Although Crystal clearly won the night performance wise, Dial Idol has Lee winning by a clear margin. So, tune in tonight to see who is crowned as season 9’s American Idol winner because if Dial Idol is correct as they usually are, we are in for an upset of apocalyptic proportions. Well, not that big an upset because neither contestant was that great.

Exclusive Interview With Nick Tate, Actor From Lost

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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER.
 

  My mind is on Lost. My heart is with Lost. My keyboard can only type about Lost. Tonight is a night which I have long dreaded because it will inevitably result in a broken heart for me as I forever say goodbye to some of my favorite friends. After 6 seasons of religiously living, breathing, and watching Lost, yes, I want answers, but, no, not at the cost of losing Jack, Sawyer, Freckles, and Hurley; oh my sweet Hurley. Desmond — what will I do without you in this lifetime, brotha? And, Ben, oh silly Ben, no one will ever again deceive me and kill at will like you can, Ben.

Tonight, I will surely weep and dwell in my sorrow, a sorrow which only a true Lost fan can understand and appreciate. But at least my pain will mercifully now be softened due to the intervention of the cosmos yet once again. In true serendipitous Celeb Magnet fashion, the stars sent me an angel last night from Australia; an angel in the name of Nick Tate. You’ve seen Nick in Hook, Cry Freedom, Murder She Wrote, JAG,and The X Files. But as I looked closely at his sweet familiar face, and listened intently to his smooth Australian accent as he spoke with my friend Emerson, I recognized Nick from episode 1.3 of Lost, better known as Tabula Rasa which first aired October 6, 2004.  

Hello Nick, mate–nice to see you again. On Lost, Nick played Ray Mullen, a farmer in Australia for whom Kate (played by Evangeline Lilly) worked prior to the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. As you recall, Ray found a fugitive Kate sleeping in his sheep pen one morning, and gave her a job doing chores around his farm for nearly three months. That is, until Ray spotted Kate’s mugshot at the post office and decided to turn her in to US Marshal Edward Mars for a $23,000 reward. During the confrontation with Mars, Kate caused Ray’s truck to overturn but ended up saving him by pulling him out from the burning wreckage. The delay allowed Mars to capture her. Here is a clip containing the scenes.
Interesting bit of trivia: Ray Mullen was the first character to appear on an episode of Lost who wasn’t aboard Oceanic 815. As all die-hard Lost fans know, Lost was Evangeline Lilly’s first speaking role ever. Tonight, Nick relayed the story of the first time he met Evangeline. It took place while they were both sitting in their respective makeup chairs and facing each other. Nick introduced himself to this “amazingly beautiful” lady who seemed very nervous. Her scenes with Nick would be Evangeline’s first scenes with a non-cast member. This was as big as it gets for a young, new actress. She asked if Nick would go over their lines while they were both in their make up chairs, and Nick agreed. Nick, a seasoned actor, says Evangeline rehearsed the lines to perfection. Nick told her she was really good, and Evangeline asked, “do you really think so?” “Oh, yes, I really think so.” Nick was obviously spot on with his assessment. Nick says he still keeps in touch with Evangeline and sees her from time to time when he is in the States; he calls her “unforgettable”. Well, Nick, I think you are unforgettable too…

Minkow, Starring Justin Baldoni – My Very First (& Very Last) Acting Gig

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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER.

  My friend, Justin Baldoni, has quite an impressive acting resume, starring in such shows as Heroes, Everwood, CSI, and The Bold and the Beautiful. He recently completed filming Minkow, a movie set for release later this year. Other actors in the movie include James Caan, Mark Hamil, Talia Shire, Melissa Ordway (Justin’s GF), and Elizabeth Rohm. In Minkow, Justin plays the lead role in the real-life story of a young entrepreneur who achieves fortune and fame, while still a teenager, by creating a publicly traded carpet company, ZZZZ Best, one of the most elaborate Ponzi schemes in history.

I first met Justin a few years ago when he was a keynote speaker at an annual Baha’i youth conference I used to help organize on the east coast. I soon found him to be one of the most eloquent, caring, intelligent, humorous and talented people I have ever met. Since moving to LA, Justin has quickly become one of my closest friends. One day, he asked if I wanted to play an “extra” in his movie. You know, those people you always see in the background of scenes in a movie; the nameless, faceless characters that give extra depth and legitimacy to the scene setting. I said, “I would love to” and with that, my movie career started (and so far, ended).

I arrived on the set (a Holiday Inn Hotel) early in the morning. I was to play the role of a business person attending a conference at the hotel (such a stretch, I know). My scenes took place against a 1990’s backdrop, so, I first went through wardrobe to be transported back into time. I had to choose from an array of clothes, all of which were too ugly to want to try on. Thank God the 90’s is over (though I hear it’s making a comeback). I did find this one familiar-looking polka dot dress that I liked, but another “extra” had beat me to it and had already picked that dress for herself. The wardrobe assistant confirmed that the dress of my desire was in fact the dress Julia Roberts had worn in Pretty Woman during the famous polo match scene. Amazing how clothes get recycled in Hollywood.

Anyway, since I couldn’t find anything else I liked, the wardrobe assistant picked my clothes for me–an extremely too-colorful blouse, a black skirt coming below my knees (boo) and pointy heels (ouch). Once I got dressed, I went through hair and makeup which was by far the best part of the day, except that somehow, when finished, I ended up with a topsy torvey hairdo. OMG.  You remember those commercials in the 90’s, don’t you? Here are some pics of the finished product. It is a downright shame that this is my look in the only film I will ever play in.

 

I spent most of the day in the “holding room” you see in the two pics immediately above, just waiting around for our scenes to be shot. Every now and then, they would bring us out to shoot various scenes, none of which included speaking parts. We just shot the same scenes over and over, from different vantage points. I swear, acting may be the hardest job on the planet and I didn’t even have any lines to memorize. One scene in particular proved to be extra tedious and frustrating. I and my “date” were seated at a cozy table in the hotel restaurant, behind the main actors in the scene. Because of our placement, we were in camera view most of the time. The director asked that when cameras were rolling, that we act very lovey-dovey with each other. Before each take and while cameras were not recording us, my co-actor “date” was a chatterbox. The second the director called “action,” he would freeze up and had absolutely nothing to talk about. Our voices were not being recorded, so, it didn’t matter what we talked about; it was just imperative that we pretend to be having an intimate conversation. I was so frustrated. To help him out (as if I am the pro) I finally asked him during one take to tell me the story he had just finished telling me right before cameras started rolling. His response, “but you already heard that story, why would you want to hear it again.” Gee, not too bright this guy. So, I had to carry our scene 😉 Anyway, 15 hours later, it was a wrap. I got paid $120 for my work.

For a trailer of the movie, click here.

What? You’re Gonna Pay Me To Do What?? Watch TV? Sign Me Up.

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AROUND TOWN LOS ANGELES/
CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER.
  One of the best well-kept secrets in Hollywood is that studios pay non-speaking actors known as “extras” to sit in the audience while a TV show is being taped for broadcast. For a TV addict like myself, that’s just crazy talk. I would voluntarily watch the taping of any show for free, but, hey, if you really wanna pay me, I will take your money. You name the show, I have been in the audience, clapping and laughing on cue, and earning extra cash for no reason.  Family Feud, The Newlywed Game, The Singing Bee, Bank of Hollywood, Minute to Win it, Catch 21, The Doctors, The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel, Let’s Make a Deal, and Dance Your Ass Off just to name a few. Cha-ching. There are many agencies that book for these shows. They tell us what to wear, and where/when to show up. I seriously still laugh at this crazy reality.
They don’t let us take cameras on set, or I would have some amazing pics for you. But I will tell you that of all of the hosts, Carnie Wilson of The Newlywed Game is by far the friendliest. She fully interacts with the audience at all times when the cameras are not rolling. During a particularly bland show, she walked up to our group and whispered, “please help me out. These couples are so boring they’re putting me to sleep. Make some noise and wake me and them up.”  On the last day of this season, as you can see below, she actually thanked the audience, most of whom were present during the entire run. She is a class act. How funny too that I had her band’s, Wilson Philips’, CD handy for her to sign 20 years after the CD was released…Thanks Carnie 🙂

Please Simon Cowell, Please, Please Don’t Kill American Idol. Please.

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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER.

   I am the biggest American Idol fan-nerd there is. Even on seasons that the contestants are sub-par like this year, I still watch every episode and attend as many live airings as possible. This season, I have been there in person 3 times. Each time, I have been placed amongst the 16-years olds in the pit, near the stage and near the judges’ table, which makes it really easy to interact with Ryan, the judges, the contestants and the guests.

As you probably know, Idol’s most loved/hated judge, Simon Cowell, will be leaving Idol after this season to usher in his new show, The X Factor. Last time I was at Idol, Simon Cowell came within my arm’s reach between commercials. “HEY, HEY SIMON!” “Yes?” He replied in his recognizable British accent. “Please do not leave Idol next year.” Simon raised an eyebrow. I pleaded, “If you leave, you will kill the show.” He just chuckled and winked at me, knowing I may just be restating the most obvious fact in the world. Damn you Simon, the American Idol killer.

Fox has a lot on its hands. Not only does it have to find a replacement for Simon, Fox also has to make significant changes to the show’s format for next season to keep up with demands of a fading fan base. For the former problem, Peter Rice, entertainment chairman of the Fox Networks Group, has said,”We have to find a judge to replace Simon who provides both musical credibility and an incredible entertainment value. Anytime you have a change, it’s something you have to do right.” Ya, good luck with that one Peter.

Idol still remains television’s favorite show, but has seen its ratings drop by 8 percent this season, according to the Nielsen Co. In order to address the problem of the show’s diminishing popularity, a problem which will surely be exacerbated once Simon leaves, Fox will finally listen to fan demands for more performances by increasing the Tuesday night competition shows next season from an hour to 90 minutes. The Wednesday results show, on the other hand, will be chopped in half to 30 minutes.

Oh well, I guess Idol had a nice 9-season run while it lasted. I wanna hear from you all. Do you think Idol can survive past the vacancy left behind by Simon’s departure? Who do you think can fill Simon’s seat? What do you think of the proposed changes to the show’s format? Let me warn you! “I don’t care” would be a horrible, rubbish answer.

My So-Called Date With Chad Ocho Cinco

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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER.

  I never really cared about the on-field antics of Chad Ocho Cinco. Then, my friend Dave suggested I add Chad on Twitter and I started to see Chad in a whole new light.

Chad’s Tweets are not only off-the-charts hilarious, they also dispel the gossip and give a great perspective on who this man really is; a caring, generous human being. So, after a few Tweets, I decided I had to meet this man of mystery.

My mission was made extremely easy as this crazy cat loves to take his friends out on group adventures. And I use the term “friend” very loosely. You see, Chad has almost a million followers on Twitter, and every once in a while, he will send out a Tweet, inviting his Twitter “friends” on various escapades and trips, all on his tab.

While he has been taping Dancing with the Stars in LA, Ocho invited the first 100 of his Twitter friends that showed up to a group movie date! So, I went. And 167 other people showed up. Chad showed up right at the allotted time and place and greeted everyone individually. Instead of turning away the people over 100th in line, Chad unflinchingly purchased movie tickets for one and all of 168 of us. He also bought us all popcorn, hot dogs, and drinks. Two weeks later, he did it all over again, this time, inviting the first 200 of his friends. I went on both Fridays and will never forget my “dates” with Ocho. The movies we saw? Why did I get Married Too and Death at A Funeral. You should totally add him on Twitter because you never know what Chad will be in the mood for when he visits your town. Chad’s Twitter name is “OGOchoCinco”.

Can You Really Find True Love on TV?!

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[Update: This is a post I wrote in April. Click here for another post I wrote about an encounter with this couple earlier in June, just two weeks before their public breakup. Amazing how things change so quickly in the game of “love.”]  

If you ask Vienna Girardi, the answer is a resounding, “YES!” Contrary to everything you have read elsewhere, Vienna and Jake Pavelka, ABC’s most recent hookup on The Bachelor, are madly in love. STILL. I have seen them all around town being as lovey dovey as any other couple meeting in conventional ways. Vienna herself is sweet as pie in person, so, you can’t believe all the mean things you have read about her on other sites. Vienna told me that Jake is extremely adventurous and is taking her to Vienna, Austria this summer just because she is named after that famous city. When I told Vienna how cute a couple I found them to be, she pointed to Jake and emphatically said, “He is the real deal. He made me believe in love again.” AW! I am sure Jake has made many other viewers of The Bachelor believe in love all over again as well. Way to go Jake and Vienna.

Mark Ballas Dancing With The Stars & Singing Too…

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  Tonight, I was invited to a red carpet event at the Mint by my friend, Mark Ballas, a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars.  Mark is so sweet. And cute. We met about a year ago…He lives in my building and was walking by and couldn’t resist petting my dog, Jovi. I had been a huge fan of Mark for a while when I lived in Virginia and rooted for him to bring home the “mirrorball” trophy on Season 6 of Dancing with the Stars with partner Kristi Yamaguchi. So, it was a thrill to meet Mark and watch him and Shawn Johnson workout at my gym during Season 8 of DWTS. These guys worked so hard, and deserved the crown. In addition to dancing 6-8 hours a day, they worked out at the gym not once, but twice a day.

Mark is also an amazing singer. The red carpet event tonight was to celebrate the release of his CD, so, lots of his celebrity friends came out to cheer Mark on, including Derek Hough, Shannon Elizabeth, Chelsie Hightower, Jake Pavelka, Vienna Girardi, Nicole Scherzinger, The Pussycat Dolls, Aiden Turner, Cheryl Burke, Adam Shankman, Evan Lysacek, and Sanjaya just to name a few...

The Day I Fell In Love with Aiden Turner…Soap Opera Style…

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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER.

  It started as just a typical day..I was having coffee with some friends on a beautiful spring LA day. My friends left me, and I noticed Aiden Turner was sitting at the table next to me. I knew who this beautiful man was, I just couldn’t for the life of me remember his name. “How can I possibly strike up a conversation with him if I don’t remember his name?” was all that was racing through my head.

So, I picked up my Blackberry and nonchalantly started to google “dancing with the stars cast list 2010”. With my head bent downwards towards the screen, I couldn’t possibly see Aiden walking towards me. “Are you getting any reception here?” whispered in the most beautiful British accent was all I needed to jolt me out of my search. I tried hard to cover my Blackberry, but not quite sure I succeeded. After a brief attempt to try to see why his phone had no reception, I thought I should introduce myself. “I’m Parisa by the way”.  “Aiden” was his response. And with that, the mystery of his name was solved.

I just had to have a picture with this man. And God bless him; he remained calm and cool as we tried to take 10 pictures together, each time failing as my stupid Blackberry was not cooperating. He just smiled bigger and bigger as each picture failed to save. Not that I minded either, because I got to hug him 10 different times. Finally, success. A picture was made and it is indeed worth a thousand words. Aiden and I then continued to speak for a while about his time on All My Children and Dancing with the Stars.

He was so surprisingly honest and open about his struggles in the industry. He admitted quite frankly that All My Children wrote him off of the show and he is now paving the pavement like all other actors looking for his next gig. When I met him, he was still on DWTS. As for DWTS, he said he gets nervous before each performance because it is “one take only” and it is “before a live audience.”  “I am not used to that; scares the crap out of me.” I told Aiden he needs to smile more when he is getting critiqued by the judges. “Aiden, it looks like you want to kill them!”  He laughed and promised to work on it. It was quite refreshing to hear such humility in Tinsel Town..and so, I fell…and fell hard. You know, in the soap opera kinda way; not for real 😉