1/26/2006

Scott Spotting Underwordl Evolution (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401855/) is still number one at the box office. I have no desire to see the film, but it warms my heart that this is something of a comeback for our own Scott Speedman, the actor who made Felicity’s heart go thump-thump-thump. I say “comeback” because I don’t know what he’s done since Felicity. A search on IMDB reveals other action flicks that I likewise have no desire to see (and it’s not because I dislike action flicks—I love ‘em. Ask me about John Woo’s Face Off.). So, in honour of young Scott’s renewed success, I offer this brush-with-celebrity story. When I first visited New York in the late eighties, my fantasy was to attend NYU and work part-time at the Dean and Deluca’s as a barista. I’d wear black jeans to go with the black logo t-shirt all the help wore, fetchingly tied at my midriff. I’d be friendly, but distant, serving double lattes as I thought about the impact of French Feminism on the economies of West Africa. A broody good-looking comparative it student would fall in love with me from a distance. I would only occasionally steal from the cash register. Two years after birthing this fantasy, the TV show Felicity based an entire plot around a young woman who follows her high school crush to New York and enrolls in NYU--the same school he’s attending. She stalks him everywhere. She finds a part-time job at Dean and Deluca. They pretty much stole my plot, except I was more the stalkee. Last October, travelling from New York to Montreal, I shared the plane with Scott Speedman, who played the guy Felicity stalks. He skulked around the gate’s waiting area for a while sticking close to the walls, and I wasn’t sure whether he did or didn’t want to be recognized. Once on board, I expected to find him in first class. Instead, he was seated in coach, like I was. He sat in the dreaded middle seat, as if he didn’t have people to do his travel bookings and ensure him at least an aisle seat (like mine). When I got up to go to the washroom, I passed his row and noticed that he was wearing headphones, had fallen asleep, and was snoring lightly. A copy of The Da Vinci Code lay face down on his tray table. At the luggage carrousel, some brave blonde girl began chatting with him, and I was relieved that someone recognized him and knew enough about his recent career to ask specific questions and treat him like a proper celebrity. Welcome back, Scott. Although I agree with one of my fave Canadian gossip columnists: for goodness sake, shave once in a while (http://www.laineygossip.com/ArticleList.aspx?ID=3108).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your Scott Speedman story. I find it so interesting that he flies coach. It's too bad you haven't followed his career since Felicity ended. I hope you'll change your mind and see Underworld: Evolution. It's really quite good, and there is a very hot love scene where Scott nearly bares all. :)
http://www.scottspeedmanshomecourt.com