You Are a Celebrity in Somebody's Mind
I began my professional career in the entertainment business when I was eight years old as a child actor in television commercials. My first paid stage gig was in a Milwaukee dinner theater, playing the part of young Patrick in the musical "Mame." I was twelve years old at the time.
About a year after the closing of "Mame" my parents received a call from the director of the theater asking if I would like to audition for their upcoming production of "The Seven Year Itch." The big news, however, was that the play would be starring William Shatner, who in 1974 had perhaps reached a peak of popularity as the dashing Captain Kirk, commander of the USS Enterprise.
We arrived at the theater early the day of the audition and were met by the stage manager, whose eyes grew wide as she registered the several inches I had grown since she last saw me. She apologized and let me know right away that I was going to be too big for the part.
I was disappointed not to get the role, but she informed me that Mr. Shatner was actually coming in for the audition, that he was due to arrive at any time and that if I wanted to wait I could meet him.
I remember how nervous I was; excited, but also scared. What would it be like to meet Captain Kirk face to face? A long time seemed to pass, but in reality we waited maybe ten minutes. I heard the door open at the bottom of the long, red-velvet-covered stairs that curved up to the foyer of the theater from the street and I heard the soft footsteps of somebody climbing them. Then he appeared, Captain Kirk himself.
Imagine a sixth-grade boy who had pretty much seen every one of the original seventy-nine episodes of Star Trek that were filmed between 1966 and 1969, either in their original airing or as reruns, now meeting the star of one of the most popular television series of the day. Captain Kirk was certainly a larger-than-life figure in my young boy's mind. He was also an acting hero to a budding thespian. The point is, I was impressionable and in a very vulnerable position. And what I remember is that William Shatner walked up those stairs, looked at me, and knew it.
I don't remember if it had even been explained to him that I was there for the audition, yet had grown too tall to be considered. I just remember that he smiled warmly, looked me in the eyes, put a hand on my shoulder, spoke with me for a few minutes and was incredibly gracious when I asked for his autograph.
Regardless of whether or not we're a celebrity, when we succeed in our lives we become the representative of great visions and hopes held by others. When we take the time to help somebody who is pursuing their passion in an area where we have already excelled, it is perhaps much more significant to that person than we can ever know. If we conduct ourselves in a way that deepens that person's resolve to persevere toward their goal, then we have done our job.
If you happen to know William Shatner, or know someone else that does, please forward this story to him and say thanks from the kid from Milwaukee that he helped to follow a dream.
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Quotable
"I fear one day I'll meet God, he'll sneeze, and I won't know what to say."
Ronnie Shakes
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Rick Lewis has been entertaining and inspiring audiences for the last 30 years. The success of The World's Funniest Waiter over the years is based on clean, interactive comedy and high-level circus skills.
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