Where celebrities roam, ordinary 'stars' shine bright

In California, it's common to see celebrities out and about. But sometimes the brightest 'stars' are right at home.

By Aaron Hanscom

from the March 8, 2007 edition

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'Hannibal Lecter" was once the honorary mayor of my hometown. I remember seeing him for the first time as I strolled down our quaint little main street one morning. He was sitting contentedly at a table outside the local deli, washing down what appeared to be his last few bites of eggs with a tall glass of orange juice. But the sinister gleam in his eyes didn't escape my notice. When he licked his lips and smiled, I knew that he was really enjoying the lingering aftertaste of what had most certainly been someone's "liver with some fava beans."

Anthony Hopkins isn't the only star of the silver screen who has momentarily suspended reality for me. Growing up near Hollywood, I have also witnessed "Rocky" hitting golf balls and "Forrest Gump" strolling through the park (curiously, without a box of chocolates).

It has taken me years to grow accustomed to these familiar faces. I used to be as star-struck as Galileo, fascinated by these creatures from a galaxy far, far away who were blessed with the unique ability to radiate a light of their own.

I learned that this glow emanating from Hollywood lights up the whole world when, during a year living in Spain, I first met the woman who would become my wife. The multiplex in Seville where I took Maria on our first date was packed with young couples eager to see Robert Redford's "The Horse Whisperer."

It became clear to me then that the transient yet rewarding opportunity to escape from everyday preoccupations in the darkness of a movie theater proves irresistible to us all.

Looking back on it now, my first couple of years knowing Maria could have come straight out of a movie.

Blissfully in love, we were as oblivious to the outside world as we were to the fact that the intoxicating feeling wouldn't last forever. Walks were our preferred method of escape. We loved to spend afternoons strolling through Seville's version of Central Park, the Parque de María Luisa, because the leafy foliage kept out the bustle and the intense summer heat of this city in southern Spain.

Maria bravely boarded her first plane and visited me in California when my year in Spain came to an end. She would be the first to admit that she harbored a secret desire to see at least one or two celebrities in addition to her wonderful boyfriend.

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