sweet.

When I was growing up my family used to go on camping trips all over the country, & for a couple of years, an uncle & his family came along. One year our trip included Washington D.C. The women & kids were waiting across the street from the Capitol while the men-folk were off hunting (for parking space). Suddenly, my dad sped up to the curb, shouted that Ted Kennedy was across the street, & sped away. My mum ordered me to get a picture of the Senator with the older of my two brothers, shoved her camera into my hands, & pushed us into the street. My mother was not one to be argued with, so my brother & I traipsed across the street (I, of course, was doing the requisite teen-aged grumbling every step of the way). We got close to the Senator, I asked quickly for one picture & my brother hurried to his side. Senator Kennedy put his hand on my brother’s shoulder, I snapped a picture, & by the time I had lowered the camera, the senator was gone & I was saying “Thank You” to the air. My mother was miffed because I only took one; she insisted that I should have taken several “just in case (the first didn’t turn out)” pictures. My protests that the senator was in a hurry to get into chambers (the best fast excuse I could come up with) fell on deaf ears. Fortunately, the picture did turn out. Years later, when my brother took a job that required him moving to the U.K., I wanted to do something special for him. I had my mother dig out that slide of my brother & the senator, had it blown up, & sent it to the senator’s office with a plea to have it autographed. The senator did sign it, & my brother was surprised & pleased.

Back in 1953 when I was in college in Los Angeles, my roommate Diddy and I sometimes went to the Greek Theater on Saturday night. Her folks, the Kramers, had jobs on the periphery of the movie industry - her mom worked catered parties for some of the stars and her father was a ‘free-lance’ driver. One evening Mr. Kramer picked us up from the theater and said he had to swing by Danny Kaye’s house to pick up his wife. Once at the house we all went in the back entrance into the kitchen where Mrs. Kramer was just finishing up. Danny Kaye’s father-in law was in the kitchen chatting with the help after the party, and of course I hoped Danny himself might drop in. He didn’t, but as Diddy and I stood watching all this, a huge Great Dane meandered into the kitchen and for some reason headed straight for me. I was not afraid of dogs, but since this was a REALLY BIG dog I stood very still. The dog sniffed me up one side and then another; before he moved on he gave one big snort and shook his head as if he had sneezed — and I ended up covered with dog snot all over my beautiful sea-green knit suit. I have always said my claim to fame is being slobbered on by Danny Kaye’s dog! (No, I did not keep the suit as a memento!)

Well I was going to tell my story about living on the beach in Kauai and the albatross finding the hole in time and space…. but in honor of Whoopi, I think I’ll tell a story about her. Around about 1979 I left Tucson, where I was known as a pretty fine actress, to go live by the Ocean in San Diego. As a single mother, I ended up working 2 jobs, supporting 2 sons, age 10 &12. One day I saw tryouts listed for a play called “Getting Out”. I gathered my tired, 32 year old bones, and got me on down to the tryouts. I don’t do so well at tryouts, but I wasn’t half bad, that day. I was sooo excited when I got a call, to come to back and read again. The timing was terrible. I had to work both jobs that day and I was fried bunny meat! The director told me, he really liked me. But that I needed to be, less ‘hardened’, needed my characterization to be softer and gentler. Well, I gentled myself right out of the role. And there was nothin I could do. I wanted to say ‘let me do it again’ to say, ‘if you could see me act, really see me act, you’d be stunned at how good I am. I know, cause it stuns me, all the time.’ But I couldn’t. I was so sad and tired . Every bone in my body and muscle in my heart was sad to the core. I was sittin there, god awful miserable and down the aisle on the far right saunters this woman. She had 2 or 3 friends in tow. I don’t remember what she was wearing. And I don’t even remember what about her it was, that struck me. I don’t have one of those memories, that remember the past in moving pictures. For me they are snapshots, still moments in time. And I can see me, sitting in back-left in a theater chair and her across the room, frozen in my mind, strolling down the aisle. I had no idea who she was. When I went to see the play, I saw her name in the credits: Whoopi Goldberg. It wasn’t that she was great in the play. I don’t remember anything about her in it. But I remembered her. I never forgot her or her name. And years later, I saw her on T.V. And I jumped up and said: “That’s her! That’s THAT WOMAN!” And I have had the same thrill each time I watch her or read her or hear her. And I just gotta say, Thank you Whoopi! You have always been amazing. Just standing stock still, doing nothing, saying nothing, you have been amazing. Always.

ms. joni evans: have a great friend that will turn 90 in nov. tom wilburn…lives on his family place (smith oaks plantation) here in miss. (ca. 1833) anyway…tom is a commercial cattleman and works everyday….(not a banker or lawyer farm or for lack of a better word-gentleman fam) so i ran across j.r. simplot’s (what i have learned from esquire) and it reminded me of mr. tom…thought you might want to look it up….it is one of the best i have read…..love older folks…my day was a work-a-holic and never spoke to us…so on summer vacations my granddad would take me fishing on his beautiful farm in southern illinois….so one of my best friends (besides tom) is jane gilman (old california) who now lives with here daughter in southern wisconsin…so what is this all about…well i would have never made it so to speak without older folks in my life…just spitballing joni….again you gals are going to make….tommy lee brown…p.s. sent you wed address to susan gilmam…janes daughter who is about 60…jane turned 95 this month…was very good friends with mary martin and still is with william mulholland’s granddaugher (mrs. lillian m. macedo) met her twice in laguna beach at on news years eve…great gal…very humble…thanks again

If I was in that house with Marlon Brando I would not have been calm! Im Jealous I loved watching his movies. What a nice thing to have happen a real honor. Id be happy meeting Whoopi too she is great.

Great punch line Joan!

I’ve met a few well-knowns, but one of my favorites is Jane Goodall, whom I met when she was not yet famous but was becoming a respected member of the primate research community. It was at a conference in Canada and she was very shy and serious. I shook her hand and said I thought she would soon become a household name because of her research in Gombe. She smiled and looked a bit uncomfortable and said “thank you.” That was the extent of our conversation. Little did I know that she would spend so many years in Africa or that she would create an institute and become a world-famous conservationist. Go Jane! P.S. Whoopi…I love your story about Brando, especially the exchange between Brando and your brother!

My friend, who was a casting director in L.A., is the one with the stories. I’ll try to get her to post. In the meantime I’ll tell the cleaned-up version of her Brando-Nicholson story. Seems there was a party at Jack’s house and she was outside getting some air when she heard this bellowing at the foot of the driveway. It was Marlon. He thought the party was too loud. Jack was in no mood to quiet things down and told Marlon this in a variety of ways including as Stanley Kowalski. My friend was simply amazed and amused. Peter Sellers hosted my friend’s 25th birthday party and among the invited guests were Bette Midler and Candice Bergen. The birthday gift from Candice Bergen, a coffee cup that says “Candy” on it, is still on display in her kitchen. :-)

Thanks Ladies, You brought a smile to my heart, a great way to start a must do, chore filled Sunday. Whoopi you gave me a wonderful new sketch to add to an impression of a very private man. Momma raised me in L.A. to never bother ‘industry’ people in their private time and his working never coincided with mine. Always wanted to have tea with Charles Laughton.

I have met lots of famous people and celebrities over the years, but none have been to my house for anything. I guess that comes with being a star yourself, part of the Hollywood elite.

Thank you for sharing your stories, they are all wonderful.

I just came across this the other day about Marlon Brando (he gave a bit of money for water quality in the Whole Earth Almanac I recall) on IMdB: Sande N. Johnsen updated information by cm-77 (Wed Jun 28 2006 13:41:52) Date of birth : 07/23/36 Date of Death : 06/11/83 My father grew up in Libertyville Illinois and went to the same High School as Marlon “Buddy” Brando but a few years after Brando graduated. Shooting for the Vixens was to start on a Monday and casting was done on the previous week end. Hector Elizando got the job because he was the only actor that answered his phone on the Sunday before shooting. Thank you all for sharing. You are my favorite women in the media. The old Tombs in NYC used to flood periodically from underground streams that still run down there.

WOW!!! That is how I would love to find Whoopi….in my house so we could chat. Whoop…you are amazing and real…would love to meet ya.

I share the fun of this site with so many women I talk to in the course of a week. I truly enjoy it, for so many reasons. In this particular case, I was telling my daughter about this conversation, and she told me I could share the experience I’ll relate. My husband is friends with a man who teaches at Stanford. One day when our family was visiting, he asked if we would like to meet Edward Teller (terribly intelligent man, and designer of the hydrogen bomb). We said yes, and about four days later we five went to lunch, and afterwards to Edward Teller’s house, which is very close to the Stanford campus. My husband (a CalTech graduate, was in awe of meeting this person); older daughter was pleased and curious; younger daughter, all right with meeting someone new, and me-always anxious to meet anyone new and different. (“Never a stranger, just someone I haven’t yet met”). He was older at the time, hard of hearing, andwasn’t able to move around too freely, but his mind was excellent. He sat in one chair by the window, speaking with his very Germanic accent, and answered science type questions my husband presented. I did not know quite what to contribute to the conversation, but did summon up a question regarding children and learning of Math (teacher in me always wins out—-how can I do better in helping students over the rough patches?). He didn’t have much of an answer as far as I was concerned, because I think Math is so easy for this type of person, and they don’t grasp how anyone else doesn’t “get it”, too. Oh, well. So, for her turn in meeting “the great man”, my younger daughter, in second grade at the time, asked if she could play something for him on his grand piano, which sat nearby. His eyes enlarged, and he said yes. I don’t know if she was trying to think of something “appropriate” to play, but she played something like “Railway to Heavan,” a very American song. She tells me she enjoyed playing the simple song, and Teller expressed delight that she’d been able to play for him, and that the piano got some use. For my part, I don’t revere people for the fame they may have hanging about them, and I try hard to relate to the “famous” person, one person to another. As I see it, we are all God’s children. Some people just have more direct responsibilites for service to others. We can all laugh and cry, hurt, and sing. As my daughter relates the meeting now, she says she tells friends about it from time to time, and is now in awe that she was able to enjoy what was for her a unique afternoon in the presence of a very capable and accomplished person.