Limousine driver

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Twelve or thirteen years ago I got a very friendly call from a producer on the Sony lot. I knew who he was but had never spoken to him or called his office about anything. "Jeff! Howya doin'?" His tone was car-salesman chummy. Almost like a guy trying to pick up a girl at a bar. I didn't know what to say except "Uhhm....good! How are you?" It went on like that for another eight or ten seconds until he realized he'd dialed the wrong Jeffrey Wells. "Oh...uhhnn, okay...well, bye!"

Turned out there was an L.A. guy with the same name who drove a limousine, and lived at the time somewhere near Playa del Rey or Manhattan Beach, and was apparently very well liked by industry execs. That's still the case because an assistant to a director-writer friend called yesterday looking for the same guy. Nice to know he's still doing well after all this time. He doesn't Google, even when you type "limousine driver" in front of the name. And he's not findable through Switchboard. But he's very popular with certain flush types, and very trusted.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 15, 2007 at 12:09 PM

comment #1

vansmith says ...

he's a dealer...

Posted by vansmith at August 15, 2007 12:56 PM

comment #2

MickTravis says ...

Definitely. I imagine he was about to say "So, are we happy? Can I come over and get ... the comic books?"

Still, this story feels like it's missing a third act. And possibly a first.

Posted by MickTravis at August 15, 2007 1:02 PM

comment #3

Howlingman says ...

Whether he is or isn't a dealer is beside the point -- he's been driving Limos for studio execs this long likely gives him a much better employment record then half of those film guys 13 years back.

Posted by Howlingman at August 15, 2007 1:04 PM

comment #4

malibugigolo says ...

For some reason when I used to live just west of Ingelwood before caller id I'd get calls from black people who call up all the time and mumble names, phrases, "Is da hunny there?" or "Mon, is da mon there."
After getting these calls day and night I'd just play along with them, but I'd say it in a really bad British accent. "Mon. Oh, yes. He was arrested."
"NO SHIT."
"Yes."
"Man, that dog, he'had it coming."
"I know. He did. One must always be aware."
It became quite funny.

Posted by malibugigolo at August 15, 2007 1:12 PM

comment #5

sweet_billy says ...

utterly fascinating.

Posted by sweet_billy at August 15, 2007 1:24 PM

comment #6

T. Holly says ...

So good of Jeff to shave the f to a t for Jett.

Well, I Googled Steve Sands. You'd know that name if you listened to the DiCillo interview, and he made the first annual (2003?) round-up of the cityÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s most unlikable people
http://www.nypress.com/16/13/news&columns/feature.cfm

41 Steve Sands, Celebrity Photographer
This hyper-aggressive New York-based paparazzo is considered a vile, intrusive monster even by other paparazzi, an amazing accomplishment. "HeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll stop at nothing," one gossip columnist told us. Once told Time magazine, which was doing an article about the role of paparazzi in the death of Lady Diana, that the abhorrent tactics of celebrity photographers were the fault of the celebrities themselves: "The paparazzi have become more aggressive because celebrities and their publicists have got so controlling," he said, before tossing a baby into a bear trap in order to get George ClooneyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s attention outside of the Golden Globes.

Posted by T. Holly at August 15, 2007 1:45 PM

comment #7

Bocephus says ...

Hmm, maybe you are unconsciously selling drugs on the side in a second life that you aren't aware of? Once Jeff goes to sleep, he immediately wakes up as "Jeffwells," hops in a limo, and wheels about town slinging coke and pot to all the suits. He wakes up every morning with no knowledge of what he has done.

Maybe, as revenge for some bad review, those same suits have acutally programmed you to do this. "Jeffrey Wells doesn't like Munich? Fine, we'll just brainwash him and turn him into our personal drug mule. He won't know it until he wakes up one day drawing chalk lines on some dirty wall in a Mexican prison."

Posted by Bocephus at August 15, 2007 1:52 PM

comment #8

malibugigolo says ...

Bocephus:

Maybe but I doubt it as Playa is in the way the fuck down there land.

Posted by malibugigolo at August 15, 2007 3:03 PM

comment #9

jimjonesiii says ...

"Hmm, maybe you are unconsciously selling drugs on the side in a second life that you aren't aware of? Once Jeff goes to sleep, he immediately wakes up as "Jeffwells," hops in a limo, and wheels about town slinging coke and pot to all the suits. He wakes up every morning with no knowledge of what he has done."

I can see that one, directed by paul schrader.

Posted by jimjonesiii at August 15, 2007 4:02 PM

comment #10