My first brush with fame!

For the next three days, the film The Other Boyelyn Girl is currently filming some extra scenes at the Ely Cathedral, which is only about a mile or two from my house. My neighbor and I decided to go down to the Cathedral to see if we could see anyone famous. We ended up making friends with two gentlemen who I deemed as paparazzi...although they both said they were just "professional photographers". That is like saying, "I'm not fat, I'm pleasantly plump." Regardless, they take photos of people who don't necessarily pose for them, then sell them to magazines. One guy told me that if he could get a picture of an actor out drinking with someone other than his wife, he could sell the photo to the highest bidder for an undisclosed amount. He said if he could get a picture of Scarlett Johanssen, who is starring in the movie, coming at the camera in her costume and looking into the camera lens, he could get $20,000 for it!! Just for her in costume looking into the lens...that is just ridiculous!

So, I learned something interesting. We started talking up the security guy, figuring he could give us valuable information. He was talking about different movies he's worked security on, so I asked him, "Who is the meanest celebrity you've ever worked with?" He immediately responded, "Cameron Diaz. She's horrible!! We were told that, throughout the movie production, we could not look her in the eye. She would freak out if we looked at her. She also turned the place upside down because she had lost her hairbrush!!" Not that I doubt it: she looks like she would really just beat the crap out of anyone who didn't do what she wanted.

Something else I learned: Natalie Portman is high maintenance!!! She has her own security team that travels with her and "protects" her while on set. She has someone carry around an umbrella so noone can see her in costume. It's ridiculous. It was also crazy because she had extra tents set up in places so people couldn't see her, including an extra tent attached to her trailer, and another one attached to the door leading into the Cathedral. Seriously, that's just obscene!!

So needless to say, I didn't get any good pictures. Ironically, the paparazzi, my friend, and the others roaming about missed a celebrity that I actually had to point out. Kristen Scott Thomas is also in the film, and she was just kind of standing next to a car. I finally had to say, "Hey, that's Kristen Scott Thomas!" On photographer said, "who?" And my neighbor didn't know who she was or what she had been in. (For those who don't know, she was in The Horse Whisperer with Robert Redford, Mission Impossible, and, taking it waaaaaaay back, she was in Four Weddings and a Funeral with Hugh Grant...you know, she was the friend who totally wanted Hugh Grant??? She's also been in tons more, was nominated for an Oscar for The English Patient, and was also in Random Hearts with Harrison Ford.). So I'm attaching two pictures that I got with my crappy camera. Well, let me state this: my camera is quite nice. But it's not good for scoping out celebrities. The second picture I actually took of my friend and a paparazzi. He was teaching her things about taking pictures, so she had a nice lesson (and he's totally posing...he said he doesn't like his own photo taken, but was trying to be nice and appease me. He isn't really pointing at anything!). And look at those cameras?!?!?! "Is that a camera in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" hee hee

Yep, this is Kristen Scott Thomas. She wasn't exactly happy to see photographers...and tried to appear "deep in thought" as she drove off set. Apparently none of the stars were staying at hotels in Ely, and drove as far as 35-40 minutes away to stay in Newmarket, Cambridge, and other towns/villages nearby.

Paparazzo Jason with my friend Jen

We're going back tomorrow to try again...our two paparazzi friends and the security guy will all be there, so maybe we'll get lucky and bring home some good shots of Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johannsen, Eric Bana (hottie!!!), or Kristen Scott Thomas when she isn't glaring at her own hand. :-)