I spent the better part of 2006 slowly becoming an athelete over at Bally's in Hollywood. Why didn't my parents make me box as a child? I used to get in fights at school all the time, but it took them years of soccer teams and gymnastics classes and various other attempts at hobbies to finally force a flute into my hands. I love the flute and I'm pretty good at it, but it wasn't the hobby I chose. Why didn't they let me hit people? I would have been so awesome.
Hillary Swank proved that you're never too old to start hitting people, so I'm throwing myself into it now. I watch boxing obsessively and spend every evening in the week running on the track and working the machines and punching a bag.
What I love best about the whole boxing thing is something I've seen over and over in my kids at work. Playing a sport makes you better at other things. I've mentioned my incredible shyness in new places (a condition a lot of you share, I have learned), but last week I finally had the guts to talk to John Billingsley.
John Billingsley has been at my gym almost as long as I have. He works out the same time and the same days I do, looking every bit the guy he always plays on TV. I've been in a position to say something to him many times but always chickened out. For a while I thought I'd missed my chance. When The Nine got picked up he disappeared. But it got cancelled and he started showing up again, dejected and still out of shape.
He's pretty freaking awesome. He's been on every show I like including Stargate and Law and Order and The Closer and he was Dr. Phlox on Enterprise. He was turned into a werewolf and eaten on Angel. Well, it was implied that he was eaten. We never actually saw it.
For some reason I felt no fear on Wednesday. He was waiting for one of the ab machines and I walked up and said, "Hi. You've been coming here a while and I've never said anything before and I didn't want to bother you..."
At which point I got a look of curiosity, like one's grandmother might give when you run up to tell her you've learned a new way to put your finger up your nose. I continued, undaunted.
"But I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your work," I said.
His face lit up like a solar flare.
"Well thank you! Thank you very much!" He said, and ran off to crunch his abs ineffectively.
I have no idea if he'll acknowledge me next time he sees me at the gym, but it's nice to know I didn't make an ass of myself and I appear to have made an actor happy. And I didn't have to punch anybody.
Now evidently I have to go watch tennis so I can learn how to kickbox.
Ah, the lovely Mr. Billingsley! He's a lovely chap with a quirky personality. Worked with him a few years back in the UK and found him an absolute delight, with a very, very dry sense of humour.
ReplyDeleteVery approachable and knew an awful lot about the locations of restaurants shaped like the food they serve, as I recall... ;-)
I doubt he'd remember me though, so don't say anything like "Mark Spencer from the UK says hi" or you'll get a really blank look!
I hope I can remain as calm as you when I am at Sundance. I teach film at the high school level in Texas, and our students were asked to attend the festival. I am excited about it. I will have to write you and tell you about my movie star interaction.
ReplyDeleteMy SO has a bit of a man crush on Mr. Billingsley, so he was very excited to read your post. A huge step up from your Battlestar Galactica experience. Good going! And all because of the boxing, eh? i must get thee to the gym.
ReplyDeleteSaw him walking along with a woman in my neighborhood on Christmas afternoon. Spotted him from about half a block away. He's easy to spot. Gives off the impression of being a very nice person and he's a good actor too.
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