That Was Then

 Sorta watching "Manhunter" (1986) with William Petersen. I saw him once in the Lincoln Park neighborhood in Chicago. I didn't know who he was, but my friend Julie sure did. She was an actress, a Second City grad and she said, "Hello" and he said "Hello" back. She was quite smitten. "He's the best actor in Chicago!" And he had spoken to her!

Julie wasn't a love interest of mine. Her lovely, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, Swedish, Buddhist self-had been one of my cocktail waitresses at the restaurant where my awful first marriage finally died. I don't know why, but I never romanced most of my cocktail waitresses. We were like partners- but not in crime. The way I came up in the business, a bartender and a cocktail waitress could really burn the house down if they chose to. Friendship between straight, attractive men and women is always looked upon with suspicious eyes, especially by boyfriends. Julie's boyfriend (and Toni's husband) told me how great it was that we were friends. The guy's told their girl's different though. I heard things...

So, I wasn't jealous of Julie's lust for William Petersen. And you know what? I can only guess these decades later that it was Peterson because I only fleetingly saw whoever it was, and the name was not known to me at the time. It could have been Gary Sinise or John Malkovich as both were working in Chicago at the time. Neither of them is really considered handsome though. You know, it could have been George Wendt!

I worked with at least three people who were Second City grads. Julie, of course, and a guy named Steve who tended bar with me, and a chubby red-headed gal whose name I can't recall. Her claim to fame was being from Chris Farley's hometown in Wisconsin. Steve was OK most of the time. A little loud though as he favored the screaming comedians of the time, Bobcat Goldwaith and Sam Kinnison. He was quite the drinker too. At last call he'd order a Long Island Iced tea, a beer and a shot. Bartenders should know better than that. When he told me he had attended Second City, it was in confidence. He said he didn't want people to know as they'd expect him to be funny all the time. I said, "Really? When are you ever funny?" He shot me a look and then realized I was just fucking with him. I guess they don't teach that at Second City. Or he skipped that class. The only thing I remember about the redhead, was that a bunch of us went out to breakfast one night and she noticed that I ate my breakfast "in rotation". True, but so the fuck what? Just like at home, I start with the hottest item first. That would also be the eggs when you're out at the Greeks. Then the sausages and mop everything up with the toast and hash browns. Makes sense to me. She thought it was comical and my then girlfriend, Jenny, laughed along with her. Then she stopped laughing. Was it not really that funny, or did it suddenly occur to her that she might be falling in love with a sociopath?

Everybody was somebody else at one time. I don't suppose that it defines them who they were before stardom any more than success itself does. I've always enjoyed seeing famous actors in their early roles. Few hit the celluloid running. Most were like William Peterson wondering when the hell was he going to get his big break, and at least that blonde chick knew who he was... Or was it Norm from Cheers?