Saving Mr. Banks: Is Tom Hanks the Greatest Storyteller Ever?

Last month, I had the privilege of attending the press conference for the AFI Film Festival presentation of Saving Mr. Banks. The entire cast was there: Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell, Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak. They talked about P.L. Travers, Walt Disney and the making of Mary Poppins. If you want to read the highlights, click here to go to my article for Press Pass LA.

However, I am sharing my entire audio for you to take a listen to. Tom Hanks proves why he is an A-list star with one story that begins around the 20:00-minute mark. An Italian reporter asks him about his grandkids and Disneyland. The story is hilarious, engaging and makes Hanks perhaps one of the greatest storytellers around. He had the press eating out of his hand. I've often given red carpet tips for actors, but this is the most perfect lesson of all…THIS is how you handle an interview.

The entire 25-minute press conference is archived below. The actual audio begins around the 4:00-minute mark. Enjoy!

Let me know what you think of the movie and Tom Hanks' story in the comments below.

My Favorite Celebrity Interviews

Lately, I have been getting asked this same question over and over.  I think it is a natural question given the nature of my job.  Can you guess what it is?  The question is "Of all of the celebrities you have interviewed, who is your favorite?"  I always feel like I disappoint people because the answer isn't the person they expect.  I think they want me to say Ryan Reynolds or Gwyneth Paltrow or Jeremy Piven.  While they have all been exciting people to interview, it is the people who have touched my life in some way that usually stand out in my mind.  People like Michelle Kwan, the two-time Olympic medalist who had me obsessed with the sport of figure skating for a decade and who, at the time, was flirting with a final comeback.  Or Dick Van Dyke of Mary Poppins who obliged me with a little soft shoe dance step on the red carpet. I mean, he's the guy who sang "Chim Chim Cher-ee" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious". Or even, Keith Dorrington, the Academy Award nominated writer of The Fighter. We are both from neighboring small towns in Massachusetts and we were standing together on the red carpet at the Oscars in February.  It was hard not to get choked up as he talked about the overwhelming night and how his dreams were coming true.  This doesn't happen to you in small town Massachusetts, so I was with him every moment of that big night.

Yet, those incredible interviews don't hold a candle to the exchange I had with Joel Grey, the legendary Broadway performer, whom I had the opportunity to speak with on the red carpet at the Tony Awards.  I was sixteen years old all over again and I did my best not to cry my fake eyelashes off. When I have a discouraging day, I remember this exchange because it reminds me of where I came from and how far I have come.  I've shared this video before, but since it answers the top question I get here at Red Carpet Closet, I am sharing it again.  This is the raw footage from my interview with Joel Grey:



Who are some of your inspirations in your life? Let me know in the comments below.

Disneyland's Club 33

UPDATE:  Check out the latest information on the waiting list and new perks for Club 33 here. 

Anyone that knows me understands that I am a HUGE Disney dork. The parks have always been a fun place for me to visit whether I was 3 or 33 years old. My family spent a considerable amount of time visiting Walt Disney World in Florida during cold winter breaks when I was a kid and once I moved to LA in 2000, Disneyland became a fun day trip several times a year. I became clued in on a private club that Walt Disney had built to entertain VIPs at the park back in 2001. Walt never had the opportunity to see this club finished, but I made it my mission to find a way into the famed Club 33.

I spent countless visits taking my picture next to the sign, hoping that maybe one day I would make my photo a reality. Well, 2010 was the year it all came true. My super cute boyfriend was able to make a connection with someone that had a corporate membership, and that is how my December 2009 birthday gift came to be. It really was one of those friend of a friend of a friend of a friend situations, so whomever you are, thanks for making one of my top wishes come true. Scratched off the bucket list!

You receive free admission to both parks the day of your reservation and we checked in at Guest Relations over by California Adventure. Our day happened to be the wettest day I have ever been to at the park, but no lines makes for easy ride hopping. The reservation was for 1 PM, so we were told to check in 15 minutes early. We headed over to New Orleans Square and checked in by pressing the hidden bell. They asked for the name of the reservation and then buzzed us in. Turns out, our table wasn't ready, so we had to go out and do the whole process again ten minutes later. Hey, it's Hollywood, you always get a second take. To see my grand entrance, here is a short one minute clip: Club 33
Once we were let into the lobby, the concierge gave us a brief history of Club 33. It is decorated much like a Parisian hotel lobby right down to the lift that was replicated by Disney Imagineers. Americans are kind of chubby, so the lift only holds about 3 average sized people...maybe in France it would be 4 or 5 people. There is a set of stairs to the left of the lift, so half of us hiked it up while I rode the elevator to the top floor.

Much of the decor was selected by Lillian Disney with lots of antiques like this harpsichord rumored to have been played by Elton John during a visit.
The infamous bar! Yes, this is the only place in the Disneyland park where you can drink. (California Adventure allows alcohol to be served in several restaurants.) The bartender was quite a character, but we enjoyed him because he said, "heavy price, heavy pour.". Yep, the drinks were strong and delicious.
Along the walls, there were beautiful wardrobe sketches from the movie, Mary Poppins, along with renderings of Disneyland back in the 1950's, and a fantastic photograph of Walt with Shirley Temple at the Academy Awards.

During media interviews when I worked at the Kodak Theatre, I was always asked about the restrooms. I don't know why people are obsessed with how fancy a bathroom is, but if you are one of those people, these next two photos are for you. This is what the Club 33 bathroom looked like.....vanity area....

And their really odd shaped toilet........

For me, I always want to know about the food. So, all of you foodies out there, enjoy!

The menu....I chose the Monkfish, but our waitress kept trying to get us to order the Chateaubriand. She never stated that it was the best on the menu, she made it sound more like a fire sale on beef.

The opening course is a buffet of cheeses, lobster tail, shrimp, salads, and soup. I was hungry.....

And then my meal came, so I had to find some room for my Monkfish with Lobster Bisque.

But wait, there's more! Dessert buffet filled with every sweet you can imagine. The purple cake thing was not so good, but my Hostess cupcake lookalike was amazing.

But there's even more! It's my birthday celebration, so I also received a Mickey Mouse chocolate mousse cake. Yum!

After eating we headed outside to the balcony to check out the view....

The wet view below with umbrellas and ponchos in sight. This is looking towards the Fanstasmic stage. If you eat dinner at Club 33, you might be able to catch the early showing of Fantasmic from this location. The back end of the balconies leads you into New Orleans Square by the restaurant, Bayou.

The infamous vulture that Walt didn't live to see, but it was designed as one of the Disney animatronics to talk to the dinners and listen in on their conversations.

In fact, he had microphones built into the chandeliers so the person behind the vulture could spy on people dining at Club 33. (microphone in the center of chandelier hanging down.)

And all good Disney attractions lead to a gift shop. We bought an $18 (suckers!) shot glass with the Club 33 insignia. We also managed to take home a few napkins lifted from the restroom, our cocktail stirrers, a pen, and a few chocolates. Hey, it's a once in a lifetime visit! We spent over 3 hours here and it was well worth it....especially the ride on Space Mountain after a few cocktails!

Are there any Annual Passholders reading this? I would like to get my hands on these vintage pins. Email me if you have the hookup. (My first and last name at Gmail)

Now, a few parting shots of our day around the parks....Tower of Terror!

Space Mountain.......

Buzz Lightyear......

Thanks for celebrating with me at Club 33!

Just a few Club 33 details:

14 year waiting list for membership

Waiting list is CLOSED as of Spring 2007

$10,450 to join for an individual and an annual fee of $3,275

$27,500 for a corporate membership with an annual fee of $6,100

Reservations are taken up to 90 days in advance for members and up to 60 days in advance for guests.

P.S. For those of you that are Hidden Mickey fans, they do exist at Club 33. It isn't in the architecture, but in the cast members' Club 33 uniforms. Happy searching!

Many thanks to Disney Food Blog for linking to this post. If you are a Disney Dork and a foodie, this is the site to check out: Disney Food Blog

2009 in Review: October

October 2009 reviewed in 8 photos! Most of my time was spent on the road this month between Dallas and Miami. Here are some of my favorite photos of the month.

The fabulous Bernie Su took this photo at a Tubefilter Meetup in October. My first day back in LA after a month in Dallas. I was so happy to be dressed up and out of my muddy clothes.

A super cheesy shot of me and my co-host before another edition of Toyota Live in Miami.....awesomely cheesy.

A shot with publicist, Gabriel del Rio, after The Web Files shoot with FOX Television Studios' 15 Gigs heads, Ilsa Berg and Gabe Marano. Episode: 15 Gigs.

We endured day after day after day of rain in Dallas, so we felt all of the rain we swept into the gutters qualified us for the National Tour of Mary Poppins.

The littlest host for Toyota Live in Dallas and cute as a button!

My brush with the Queen of all Media....Oprah. Yep, it was more a brush-by.

I finally make it back to LA and I get to handle our first NY interview with Jeremy Redleaf of Odd Jobs. We had a lot of fun hanging in the janitorial supply store. Episode: Odd Jobs.

My absolute favorite shot from The Web Files this year. When will Camera Obscura be released? Let's hope 2010 is the year. Episode: Camera Obscura.
I am obviously failing at my 5 photo limit, so come back and join me for 10 photos or under in my 2009 review of November and December. And while you are at it, there is only a day and a half left to vote for The Web Files for Best Web Original Non-Fiction show at Clicker. No registration, no emails required. Just a click of your mouse. Thanks: Vote.

The Final Days: Can I get a "Yee Haw"?

What an experience it was! 25 days at The State Fair of Texas, braving the elements, learning the religion of football, and eating more toxic food than one body can handle. It wasn't all hard work, we did have time for a spa night.......

With fantastic clay masks and cucumber to cool our tired eyes......

......because our days were filled with State Fair-like activities. A cow....actually a Brahmen. See, I learned something while I was there.

Yet the weather continued to test our patience and the drains that were built uphill. Yes, I said uphill.

So, the sweeping continued and I swept a pretty mean broom.......

I was so good that Mary Poppins offered me a Broadway contract as a chimney sweep......

Once the rain stopped, the raking began to dry out all of the rain......

Can you tell we were confused about the weather on a daily basis?

Just wondering.....is this a typical Texas sign?

The delicious fried food run continued with some soul food........good for the soul, not for the waistline.

Here it is.....fried butter!

I brave the first bite.......

Thinking about it..........

It's pretty good......although I am not sure my face is convincing enough.

Corn in a cup from the infamous Fuel City....corn, hot sauce, sour cream, butter, and cotija cheese! Heart attack in a cup.

Sigh, now the monkeys have joined the bananas in Texas.

There was a nightly electric light parade, kind of like Disney. Kind of........

Have you ever seen an albino catfish? Me neither. Moving on......

Interacting with the crowds during Toyota Live.

Talking future technology.....

And my personal favorite, the PHEV Prius! The first 10 in the test fleet were just distributed in Colorado.

Everyone likes to join in on the fun. Three little ones giving us their rendition of "ABC".
This is important to Texans and we have the sticker to prove it.

I had a true lesson in the religion of football while I was here. I went to a high school and a university without a football team. We played lacrosse and field hockey, what do I know? So, we must decorate the Tundras with OU and UT colors.

Even Scooby Doo was getting in on the action.....

Let's call this DARTgate 2009. I thought LA didn't know how to handle public transportation, but Dallas exceeded LA's failure. A 3 hour wait to get a train to carry you 2 miles=FAIL.

A UT fan dancing his way to a prize on the Toyota Live stage. The crowds were huge that day.

We muscled our way through 25 days....or at least Troyer tried to.

But we succeeded in having fun, ate tons of fried things, and mopped up buckets of rain. It indeed was a pleasure, Texas. Thanks for having us. Yee Haw!