"What if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today." (Bill Murray in Groundhog Day)
In honor of the Groundhog Day movie, you're seeing this post for the second time.
As a flight attendant, I’ve had my share of celebrity passengers. To drop a few names, I’ve made small talk with legendary Robert Redford, served beverages to actors Scott Wolf, Wilford Brimley, passed by snoozing musician Peter Cetera, and loaned comedian Louie Anderson a pen to write up a comic piece. And basketball Hall-of-Famer Jimmer Fredette definitely gave me a fist bump on a flight too!
Mind you, I’m not “famous people worshipper.” Meeting these folks only solidified my belief that people are just people – no matter how recognizable their name or face may be. It is interesting, though, to see what characters are like in real life.
In honor of Groundhog Day today, let me tell you how actress Andie MacDowellsurprised me!
She walked on the plane, the image of beauty with the Los Angeles sun highlighting her dark bouncy curls. I was stunned. She is a striking woman, just as beautiful as her on-screen role in classic namesake film “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray. If you haven't seen it (repent today!), she plays a sweet and gentle news producer, the girl who Bill Murray can't help but fall for despite his pretentious, pompous beginnings.
The Andie MacDowell on my plane had some Southern belle sass. She has a slight drawl, and knows how to command attention. She made friends with other First Class passengers, and when the captain announced we'd be about 15 minutes late, she rallied them up in protest! She had a tight connection and told me she was desperate to get on her next flight to go see her college-age son.
At one point, she asked for decaf coffee. I put it on brew in the galley, and went back to check on the main cabin. When I returned a couple minutes later, imagine my surprise to find Andie in the galley, pouring herself decaf coffee into a cup she'd found - quite the fiery, forward gal! We had our own little chat about the films she's been in, and couldn't help but like her spunk.
When we landed, she raced off to her next flight, snatching her black carry-on bag. A few minutes later, another passenger approached me and said his bag was missing. Andie's bag and his were almost identical. Since I knew she had such a tight connection and he wanted his bag back too, I decided to go the literal extra mile and sprinted with his bag to make the exchange. Heart pounding as a raced through the airport, I barely made it to her next plane. Bag switch fixed!
Have you met any well-known folks at the airport or on a plane? Tell, tell.
Image courtesy of Movie Retrospect blogger.
