One of my all-time favorite jobs was working as a celebrity-spotter at Cannon Film premieres and after-parties. I had this responsibility was in late ’86 and ’87. I would rank it right below driving for Checker Cab in Boston. It was so easy and so satisfying. All I had to was stand at the door of film premieres and after-parties and make sure that no one of any importance was turned away.
No system is perfect, and every now and then a celebrity will show up uninvited or without a ticket, or with an entourage that he/she hadn’t mentioned when rsvping. I was there to make sure no famous or semi-famous person would ever receive a hard time.
When I was spotting I felt right in my element. I knew exactly how to play it. For I recognized everyone, every old-time actor whose time had passed, every supporting actor who wasn’t working much any more, every well-connected friend, every fringe player, every European actor who most Americans might not recognize, etc. And they all loved me for waving them through, and for knowing their names and their credits.
Remember actress Helena Kallianiotes (Five Easy Pieces, Kansas City Bomber), the vaguely butchy, Greek-born friend of Jack Nicholson‘s? In the mid to late ’80s she ran Helena’s, a super-exclusive celebrity supper club in the Silver Lake area. In October ’87 Helena attended the Barfly premiere with a friend, and for a few seconds the Cannon door girls were giving her shit. I swooped in like Prince Valiant. “It’s okay, she’s cool,” I told the girls. “Hi, Helena…come on in.”