A former co-worker of mine posted a picture on Facebook of her with John Travolta.
She just happened to run into the actor in Iceland, where she’s apparently on vacation with her husband.
Looking just as pretty as ever, she said, “Of course, I would be the one leaving the hot-water spa and looking like a hot mess when meeting John Travolta.” I have no sympathy.
It made me start thinking about the celebrities I’ve met. The first one who comes to mind is “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier, the boxer.
I guess I thought of him because a photo of the two of us is displayed in my bookcase at home. My mom and I were on a girls trip with my sister-in-law, her mother and my then-9-month-old nephew.
We were getting on the elevator, and my sister-in-law’s mother was pushing the stroller. She almost took out a dapper-looking black man wearing a tux and a black cowboy hat and walking with a cane. I thought she was going to knock him down. She apologized profusely.
The next day, I saw the man again. Same tux. Same hat. Being nosy, I asked him what he was doing all dressed up. He was a little hard to understand, but I made out “Smokin’ Joe Frazier — Heavyweight Champion of the World.” When I realized what he was saying, I quickly got my camera, took his picture, then had a hotel employee take our picture together. He joked I’d better not get too close, if I had a husband. (I said, “He’s skinny. You can take him.”)
I’d heard, “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!” before. I didn’t remember that it was in a fight with George Foreman.
Less than a year later, Frazier died.
A few years ago, I met two Arkansas actors at one event — Rick Dial and Natalie Canerday. Rick — who lived in Malvern, where my husband grew up — was a friend of Billy Bob Thornton’s (also from Malvern, and my husband has been in his house). Rick, who worked at a furniture store, was in Sling Blade. I’d bought a bookcase from him before he was in the movie.
Rick was being roasted at a fundraiser for the Hot Spring County Medical Foundation, and one of the guests was Natalie, who played the mother in Sling Blade. She’s from Russellville, in case you didn’t know. I had my picture made with both of them, but I have no idea where it is.
Rick’s family was hilarious, too, telling stories about him. One daughter said that when he gave a look over his glasses, you knew you were in trouble. Somebody, maybe him or Natalie, talked about how much Rick would sweat on set, keeping the makeup woman busy.
I ran into Natalie in the bathroom at the event. I heard her unmistakable Southern drawl, and I introduced myself to her, too.
She was like, “Haaaay,” and said, “Yay-us ” to whatever I blabbered about. Sweet, down to earth.
When I was in college, I went to an Air Supply concert in Russellville with a friend, and she followed the bus to a parking lot afterward. We got out and talked to the band members. One was eating a Twinkie, I recall. They were drinking. They asked if we wanted to “party” with them, and I said, “I have class tomorrow,” or something nerdy. My friend was not happy with me. I still do not regret it.
I stood in line to meet Tim Gunn after he spoke at the University of Central Arkansas a few years ago. I loved Project Runway and Tim. I remember making Tim laugh by telling him that my husband acted like he only watched the show for me, but he’d comment on the styles, “’Oooh, I don’t know about that collar.’”
Other than that, I’ve met author John Grisham, humor writer Dave Barry, and a slew of politicians and their relatives through my work at newspapers.
The other night, Sling Blade came on TV. I hadn’t seen it in years, and my husband and I watched it again. I loved seeing Rick and Natalie. She was better than I remembered.
I’ve got to find that picture of me, her and Rick and put it on my shelf, right next to Smokin’ Joe Frazier.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.