JUST A WALKIN' DOWN THE STREET

I saw an online poll today -- on a Toronto newspaper's website -- asking if 'you have ever seen a star walking down the street'. I have seen a few over the years as this is Toronto so you are eventually going to come across someone of some note. It really depends on what you mean by "star". To me, the people who are generally considered to be stars are not stars. I really don't give a rodent's arse if Thomas Cruise walked by me... although I do like Tom Cruise. (Maybe this is why I never watch the late night talk shows as I never have bought into the culture of celebrity. I really don't give a rodent's ass if Katie Holmes is on Letterman tonight. Letterman was hot when I was in film school twenty years ago and I remember a classmate being rather mystified why I wouldn't want to stay up and watch. And, no, I don't give a flying futz what band is on SNL this weekend. If SNL was actually funny that would be a start in the right direction, for sure. Having gotten that off my chest, or rather, keyboard, I have met people who are interesting. My single favourite would be the time, back in November of 1990, when I trotted off with friends and brother to see Hollywood composer Jerry Goldsmith conduct some of his film scores at Roy Thompson Hall here in Toronto. We then trotted backstage to meet the man at the "artists' entrance". That was pretty exciting to someone like me, although I admit that the concert itself was kind of lame as everything was played by a standard "pops" orchestra. (As most of Goldsmith's scores are orchestration-specific, having a 'standard' orchestra perform them is a bit of a letdown.) I also met Mister Chekov himself, Walter Koenig, in the summer of 1986... seemed to be a rather pleasant guy. I once saw actor Peter Strauss walking down King Street along a row of movie-location trailers. He was having a smoke between scenes, I suppose. At the 1992 Toronto International Film Festival, Billy Dee Williams looked my way and nodded as he took a nibble of his popcorn -- must have been the "Lando Rules" tee-shirt I was wearing. As far as Canadian 'names' go, I once bumped into Peter Mansbridge in my local grocery store. He is a fairly tall guy... not the usual television shrimpkin. Talking of newsreaders, around fifteen years ago, I passed Knowlton Nash at the corner of Yonge and Bloor streets. Saw cartoonist Ben Wicks at the same corner around the same era. In a cafe last year, comedian Ron James stirred his coffee beside me. (I almost said to him, "hi... Ron Jeremy".) While walking down Bloor Street one day, Geddy Lee from the band Rush walked by me as he savoured his coffee. At the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival I said hi to actor Gordon Pinsent; he smiled and said hi as he took a nibble of his popcorn. (He's a lot shorter than I would have thought.) What is my point? I'm not sure. But one thing I am sure about: Every one of the above who saw me no doubt thought, "hey, it's Barry Smight... he's even goofier-looking in person". Or as actor Gary Farmer said to me, with a sly smile, after I said hi to him when he lined up behind me in a coffee shop, "hi... who are you?"