Tom Hanks in 1989 Only one year later! When you grow up in Los Angeles, you collect celebrity stories and sightings like other kids do silver dollars. My best celebrity encounter of all time happened when I was eight, when I was out with my dad to rent skis before a family vacation. It’s the kind of yarn that has changed over time, and I like to think it improves with each telling. Here’s how I remember it (this time): It was 1988. My dad and I were at (the now-vanished) Tex's Ski Store in West LA when I spied him, curly haired and tall, meandering around the parkas. I tugged on my dad's sleeve and told him we had to go over and meet Mr. Tom Hanks. I had seen "Splash" on VHS, not to mention the then-recently-released "Big" (which was a pretty awesome movie). I mean, what kid doesn't imagine what they would do in a toy store with the resources of an adult? Plus, he had bunk beds! (I always wanted bunk beds.) "Excuse me, Mr. Hanks?," my dad said, interrupting Tom as he shopped. "This is my daughter Jessica, and she has something she’d like to say to you." Tom got down on his knee and took my hand*, and said, "Hello, Jessica." (*I'm thinking he probably didn’t take my hand, but it makes for great storytelling in person.) I whispered, barely audible from the excitement of being face-to-face with someone in a movie I had just seen. "'Big' was my favorite movie," I told him. Tom smiled that winning "Tom" smile. "Thank you, Jessica. It really means a lot to me when people like what I do," he said. And then he vanished in a ray of light. Or I may have stealthily followed him around the store, hiding strategically among the racks of ski bibs and turtlenecks. What I know more certainly than my 20-year-old memory is that I was smitten. I love Tom Hanks. I love him so much I will forgive him that haircut in "The Da Vinci Code," and even "Joe Versus the Volcano." (Actually, I liked "Joe Versus the Volcano.") I think "That Thing You Do!" was vastly underrated, and I even saw "The Money Pit" five times after it was released on video. Well, you get the idea ... So Mr. Hanks, if you’re out there, I wish you a very happy birthday today. It really meant a lot to me that you liked that I like what you do. Suggested Sites... Tom Hanks on MySpace - look at those photos! How can you not love this man? Tom on Yahoo! Movies - I'm pretty excited about "Toy Story 3," also. The Time Magazine 100 of 2009 - "Tom Hanks: A guy you want to be stuck in line with." Tom Hanks's Hollywood - where he's been seen, so you can have your own encounter. IMDb: Rita Wilson - the lucky Mrs. Hanks.

Directory categories: The One and Only Mr. Tom Hanks, Celebrity Photo Galleries, Best Films Lists, The Da Vinci Code, Actors and Actresses

Archived under: 1980s, Actors, Birthdays, Celebrities, Entertainment, Hollywood, In Character, Los Angeles, Movies

Post a comment (1) | Email this posting