Johnny Drama and I are best friends now

Living in L.A. and working in the entertainment industry, celebrity sightings dont really impress me and I never blog about them because it seems cheap and name droppy, which no one likes. Especially if I did it every time I glanced a famous person or talked to one ever so briefly in whatever setting. But when it’s someone who’s work I already specifically enjoy, then its cool and share-worthy. But aside from cable news, the only shows I watch are cartoons and and Desperate Housewives (DHW), with the recent addition this past August of Entourage, after Jimmy turned me on to it. So unless there’s a CNN vs Fox News Volleyball champtionship for charity goin on here while I’m at my apartment in Hawaii, I only have 2 other shots.

Well, I’m walking down Waikiki beach watching the waves smack up against the cement walk and catch the eye of the guy behind me who shoots back a friendly smile. I think…hmmm.. he looks like Drama… So I do the stop and half stare for a second and before lingering too long and looking creepy I ask him and sure enough it’s Kevin Dillon – Johnny Drama from Entourage.

So he introduced himself and asks my name and we sit there and chat for a little bit. Turns out the whole cast is there shooting an episode, staying at the Hilton just 1 hotel away from my apartment. I asked if the plot sends them to Hawaii or somewhere else, since I know a lot of times Hawaii is used to film various tropical locations, and many times even California. He said the part of the episode they’re filming here supposedly takes place in Mexico and they’re filming the next 2 days over on the east side. I told him I had an apartment here and he asked if I had acreage and I said no, just a *clearsthroat* penthouse apartment right on the beach. He said he’d love to get a place here and I said “too bad you’re not starring in a hit TV show or anything so you could afford it”. Ya, I’m clever. He laughed. I told him the best swimming spots. Jeremy Piven was apparently already somewhere out there surfing or swimming. I convinced him to go back to his hotel to change into swim trunks and take a dip. Very nice and personable dude. But I was pissed, and told him, that the ONE time I don’t bring Brenda (my iphone) down to the beach (so I could swim), is when he passes by. He said to come swing by the Hilton some time and see if I catch him or anyone else. Like I said – real nice dude.

So we shake hands and he leaves. But after awhile on the beach I’m just too anxious and I gotta run back down the coast to get my iphone. About 20 minutes later I get it and I start walking the opposite direction I was before and I start calling people to tell them the story. I call this girl in California after Jimmy fails to pick up his phone and I’m re-telling the story about meeting Johnny Drama to her… as I walk right. up to. Drama. Now in his bathing suit and passing my direction. He gives me a head nod to say “hey” (nice that he remembered me) and I tell the girl on the phone I gotta go real quick and hang up and he goes “oh, you got it now. great!”. So I was able to capture the moment.

It was a little difficult since iphones are touch screens and I couldnt see us in the frame. He was way patient though. Real chill. Then I realized we had the sun behind us, so we switched around.

That’s my apartment building behind us. All the way to the left – the space you see is the elevator shaft. My apartment is the Penthouse there.
And yes, I know my smile is douchey there. And yes, – you like how I cut him off in the picture while I’m prominently displayed? No forgetting who the REAL star is for me…
A part of me wished he was less cool and personable and more like some of the other Hollywood jerks I’ve ran into or been at the same studio at the same time or otherwise had encounters with. Cuz then I would have annoyed him for some screen time on the show, given him richardland.com info and asked for all kinds of promos and hook ups. But since he was pleasant and real, I didnt want to switch gears into the annoying “help me get a break in the biz” guy. So I’ll never know if I could have landed a spot as an extra or otherwise gotten a hook up (which believe it or not, occasionally leads to something). But oh well. It will be a fun story to tell if we ever work together after I’m a big shot in the business anyway.