Top 6 celebrity encounters

Everyone meets interesting people 'on the job.' When you make tribute and roast videos for a living, you meet more than your share. As I enter my 4th decade in the video business, I think back with fondness (and a little horror) on some of the luminaries with whom I've worked. In no particular order:

• RONNIE HAWKINS: "Wanna smoke a joint with me before the recording session?" A memorable question from this rockabilly musician while spending a day in and around his Peterborough-area farm recording a musical parody of "Johnny Be Goode" for a 50th birthday video. A total charmer and non-stop raconteur, half his stories seemed to revolve around fellow Arkansas native Levon Helm and some of his other buddies from The Band. When it came time to work, he was a total pro and delivered the goods with his back-up band "The Hawks". His wife worked as his business manager at the time and was also wonderful.
• BRIAN MULRONEY: Before I met this former Canadian prime minister, I had the impression he was arrogant and humourless. And I was nervous when I had to direct him in a brief comedy sketch poking fun at his wife, Mila's, shopping habits. I didn't think he would do the lines. Was rather relieved and delighted when he not only delivered the goods, but did them with gusto. Sure, most politicians know how to be charming; he was charming in a self-deprecating way AND made me feel good about myself. Really liked him.
• SEYMOUR SCHULICH: I can't think of anyone who has had more schools and hospital wings named after them, and my preconception of this billionaire business man and philanthropist was he would be stuffy and snobby. Nope. For a 'Person of the Year' video for a fellow Montrealer, he --without giving any notice--walked onto the set dressed from head to toe like a sheriff from the Old West (seems he made his money from a company called Franco-Nevada mines). Decades later, when interviewed for a video marking the 50th anniversary of York University's Schulich School of Business, he was the Energizer Bunny--cracking jokes, swearing up a storm and talking up his Scholarship program ("Know anyone who could benefit from this?? Take a brochure!") . A real character.
• NORMAN JEWISON: Got to work with him 4 times over the years--kind of intimidating directing a famous director. Put me at my ease every time and I suspect he does the same for everyone else he meets. I asked him to deliver a wacky testimonial for a mockumentary for a retiring radio personality while holding up a rubber chicken and reciting a litany of his movie titles: ("I am Moonstruck by Jeremy Brown's brilliance..."). Fun, funny, very down to earth. Great schmoozer, too, as you might expect.
• JOE MADDON: "You only have 3 minutes with him--that's it!" The Tampa Bay Rays P.R. person was obnoxious and intimidating when the crew and I arrived at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg to shoot the American professional baseball manager doing a comedy bit for a 65th birthday roast for a Virginia businessman. Luckily, when Joe arrived on the field, he had nothing but time for us. When I mentioned I was from Toronto, he went on about how much he loved coming here to play The Jays, enjoyed the restaurant scene, how much he liked Canadians. In the end we had at least 30 minutes with him. What a class act.
• ROSALIE ABELLA: Before she was appointed to Canada's Supreme Court in 2004, this woman was not only an esteemed member of Ontario's Court of Appeal, she was somehow totally plugged into Toronto's corporate scene--she seemed to know EVERYBODY, and I was lucky enough to videotape her a number of times. Oozed intelligence but was also HILARIOUS and totally down to earth. I liked her so much that, when she was named to the Supreme Court, I dropped off a music CD at her home ...best of the Supremes. Now that I think of it, it probably seemed totally lame to her and I was no doubt the millionth person to have thought of the gag, but she was so sweet, raving to her historian husband, Irving, about how clever the gift was. Made me feel great.