What Does One Say to the Biggest Star in the World? - Tom Cruise

Ciao a tutti,

I should probably ask, "What does one say to the biggest stars in the world," because Tom Cruise isn't the only protagonist in this post. But needless to say, he is the biggest the world has ever known.

When I was invited to this event and knew I would meet The Tom Cruise, I actually did wonder to myself, "What DOES one say when he meets the biggest star in the world?"

Before I tell you what I said to Tom, this is how it all started. I had the pleasure of going to this event with my friend Isabella Carlini who knows so many people in the Entertainment Industry, she was the perfect guide, well almost, and I'll explain that.

We actually were under the impression that Tom Cruise would be the only celebrity we would meet because the event was going to be made up mainly of Entertainment Executives, Lawyers, Producers and the like.

But to our surprise, the evening started with a warm and friendly smile and hello from Samantha Harris co-host of TV's "Dancing With the Stars," since we ended up walking down the red carpet just behind her.

As you have all seen on TV, you walk, and then you stop for pictures, and then you even walk back for a few more, and then you walk some more. I'm learning, he, he. Anyway, I asked Isabella if she knew who she was in front of us, because she looked familiar.

Isabella told me who she was, and she might have heard us and turned around and said, "Hello, I'm Samantha Harris, who are you?" I told her I was Filippo Voltaggio and Isabella kindly went on to say that I was on radio and soon to be on TV too with my show Filippo and the Chef.

See what I mean, Isabella was great, and knew everybody. We then took pictures together as well as had pictures taken of us and went on our merry way. Well, then something funny happened that was to be one of the jokes that lasted the whole night.

One of us spotted Charo at the bar as we were ordering drinks, and I won't say which one of us because I am too much of a gentleman. And I mean Charo as in "Cucci, Cucci," Charo. One of us insisted we just had to meet her and that it was certainly her.

Luckily, "Charo," was with a companion, and I being a gentleman, asked her companion if my companion could meet "Charo," of whom he was being very protective. He looked at me as if I had two heads, or better yet, no head at all because he obviously, obvious now to me, was NOT WITH CHARO! I excused myself and turned to Isabella and laughed so hard I couldn't help myself.

From that moment on, when one of us would be away from the other, when we came together again, we would tell each other that we had just seen Charo. Or we would just point to someone and say, "Is that Charo?" And the fun was just beginning.

We entered the main room, which by the way was a huge sound stage at Fox Studios, and the most beautifully decorated sound stage I have ever seen, with crystal chandeliers, an impressive stage, and everything. We looked for our table and kept walking further toward the stage past at least ten rows of tables deep to find ourselves second table from the stage. Wow!

After we greeted everyone at our table, one of the waiters came by and addressed me by name and asked me if wanted any wine. Isabella and I looked at each other inquisitively, and then ordered. Within minutes, another waiter came by and asked me by name if the lady and I wanted some appetizers.

When the third waiter did the same thing, and only to me, I knew something was up. So when we were approached again, this time by the first waiter bringing us the wine we had ordered, when he said my name I looked inquisitively at him.

He got my meaning and said, "I heard you introduce yourself... I hope you don't mind." Mind? He had gone on to tell all the other waiters my name. Mind? I gave him my card and said that I would be needing sharp people like him in my company soon and asked him to give me a call in a few months. Incidentally, true to character, at the end of the evening, he stuck around to greet us farewell.

The evening was just beginning and so were the surprises. The evenings entertainment got underway with a gospel choir. As they started to file in Isabella said to me, "Take a picture of them, they are really good."

I really like Gospel choirs but these were children and though I trusted they would be good, I had no idea I was to be bowled over by them. Then Isabella filled me in, since she is in the know, that this is the Crenshaw High School Gospel Choir and they are the best of the best. Boy was she right.

After them came a rapper who I really enjoyed. Again, I had no idea who he was, but Isabella said he was Kanye West, and he was good. Where have I been?

Thank you very much but I didn't need the next surprise guest to be introduced to me or anyone there. He is my cumpari, fellow Italian-American Jay Leno. I had never seen him do stand-up live. He was funny. I have to say when someone is good in whatever they do in front of an audience of their peers, then they are really good. And that is what Jay did by cracking us all up.

I just remembered, I still hadn't gotten to Tom. Here I am talking about the waiter and the entertainment, and I completely skipped over the part when I met TOM CRUISE. Okay, I met Tom and that was great.

Now, where was I?
No, just kidding. Okay, let me back track a bit, because otherwise, this post would be too short, he, he. Yesterday was my sister's birthday. I called her up to wish her a Buon Compleanno and in conversation ended up telling her that I was meeting Tom Cruise that evening.

She immediately said, without skipping a beat, "I love the way he runs. Have you ever noticed that? When he runs in his movies, he gives it his all, he really gets into it."

So, now that is in my head because I called her just before I arrived to pick up Isabella at Paramount. A couple hours later I am standing next to Tom as he is greeting an acquaintance of his, and then he turns around and gives me that famous and charming Tom Cruise smile, extends his hand and says, "Hi I'm Tom, what's your name?"

What did I say?

Well, I said, "Hi Tom, I'm Filippo Voltaggio." And then without skipping a beat, just like my sister had done to me, I said, "You know, tonight is my sisters birthday and I called her before coming her and told her I would be meeting you tonight and she said... so I figured you probably don't get that often, so I thought I had to tell you, she likes how you run."

He laughed, what I gathered was a knowing laugh and we chatted a bit more and then he graciously agreed to a photo together, which I understand he is not always comfortable doing, so THANK YOU TOM, for me and all my fans, and fans of yours of course.

Now, back to that knowing laugh, and that all knowing Isabella, who informed me afterwards that, everyone likes the way he runs, it is no secret, that is why the studios have him do it in the movies. Again I ask, WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

So much so, that I found a video on Youtube.com dedicated to him running which I posted as part of the P.S.

At least the question was finally answered. Now I know what I would say, and did say, to the biggest star in the world!

Okay, do you want more? I will be brief from now on, if that is even possible for me.

Later on in the evening I met Katie Holmes who was herself very gracious and so beautiful and sweet in person. See... picture.

After a while, Isabella bothered to tell me that we were seated next to the creator of "Alias," "Lost," "Felicity," and so many popular shows on TV, J.J. Abrams and his wife, I think it was. So we chatted a bit and then had to take this picture as well.

What else, what else? Did I mention the waiter? He, he, just kidding, oh, but I didn't mention the menu, here it is, and exactly what you are thinking..., it was!

Then came a man, who needs no introduction, in fact, a man who had no introduction that night. He actually came out in the dark and sat and noodled at the keyboard warming up as people were mingling and talking etc. All of a sudden the lights came up and everyone heard his voice and the crowd went nuts. Nuts!

It was none other than
Stevie Wonder. And what a "wonder!" He was so good and he just kept on going, singing so many of our favorite songs. At one point, he invited the audience to sing along. Well, Isabella and I both being singers were just belting out the song and having fun.

We got some looks from people and we smiled and they smiled back. We thought for a second, "Are we being too rowdy for this bunch?" The answer came, "No, not rowdy enough." By the next song we were up and dancing to Stevie Wonder just fifteen feet from us on the stage.

I would like to say that it was our infectious energy that got almost everyone around us up and dancing too, but I think Stevie had something to do with it. One such dancing couple was these two who we danced next to for a couple dances before we introduced each other.

As a matter of fact the gentleman did say, "I like you two, you are highly spirited," or something like that. I didn't catch who they were but I understood that they had something to do with putting on the event, so I told them that if we took a picture together I would put them on my blog and publicize the event for them.

Boy, wait till you read this. Later on that evening when we picked up my car at the valet we ran into these two again. I rolled down my window and shouted out something like we had been friends for years and they shouted something right back in the same spirit.

I don't even remember what we said, but it was funny and we drove off. For the last time that evening I turned to Isabella and said, "And who were those nice people?" Before she was able to respond I continued, "... You know, I really am going to put them on the blog and put a link to their charity to get them publicity."

Isabella responded, "What do you mean, who are those people, first of all I can't believe you don't know who they are, and secondly, they introduced themselves to you!" I told her that I couldn't hear what they had said because of the music.

She goes on to say to me, "You mean you don't know Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy?" "Yes," I said, "I know Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy, why?"

"That is who they were!" she exclaimed as if to say "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

For those of you who have been wherever I've been all this time, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy are arguably Hollywood's most sought after, powerful and revered producing couple. They individually and collectively have produced such big movies as "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Jurassic Park," "The Bourne Identity," and "The Bourne..." everything else, "The Sixth Sense," "Gremlins," I mean, do I need to go on, because I can, you know!

These folks don't need my publicity, they MAKE stars, the media listens to what THEY say. And here I was earlier in the evening saying to FRANK MARSHALL and KATHLEEN KENNEDY of all people, "Oh, if we take a picture together I will publicize your event and put a link to the charity."

The best part is they said, "Of course," and "Thank you." I have a friend who knows them and said, that is how they are, the nicest people you ever want to meet. I have to say, that if the way they treated Isabella and I that night is any indication, that is probably true.

True to my word, here is my publicity I promised Frank for the cause he obviously believes in enough to be one of the chairs of this event. This whole evening was to raise money for Mentor LA. This is an organization I had never heard about until last night, and one I hope we all hear about more and more soon!

The evening was appropriately called LA's Promise Gala, because the money raised goes to a specific program that is making a difference in not just LA's promise, or America's promise, but the promise for our world, our children!

During the course of the evening a few of the presentations shared with us all what Mentor LA has achieved so far with the schools it has focused on. I know the foundation has its sights set on very big goals, I hope that events like last night's can raise not only enough money to help them achieve those goals, but raise enough to so that they have to set new ones and someday include every school in LA.

I couldn't give justice to what the organization does specifically, unfortunately, primarily because I am just learning about them myself. I do refer you to learn about them yourselves if you are interested and to do so by clicking on the Mentor LA link above and visiting their website.

Are we at the end of the evening yet, where were we? Did I mention the waiter? Did I mention Tom Cruise? Did I mention that we got a picture with Stevie Wonder? I think that is important.

Oh, I almost forgot Orlando Bloom. Here we are butting heads. How many people can say they butted heads with Orlando Bloom? Both of us were too macho to flinch but when our heads did come together for this picture we both felt the sting.

Oh, and of course, Jim Eppolito, well, he is no celebrity himself, but he provides the music for almost all the biggest celebrities. As I was sitting there listening to the band and enjoying the music, I recognized a few of the band members on stage because I had worked with them. It dawned on me that this must be a Jim Eppolito band. I grabbed Isabella and marched backstage and sure enough, there he was.

Jim is owner of West Coast Music and the one people call when big celebrity events, parties, and corporations need music. Sometimes, when they do that, Jim then calls me asa the singer, or at least he used to. I remember singing at Robert Zemekis' wedding, among others. You know, Robert Zemekis, producer of "Back to the Future," etc. Maybe Jim thinks I'm too big now, or I charged him too much the last time, he, he.

I had actually just seen Jim and his wife in the front row of the Three Paisans show just a couple weeks before. It was good to see him again.

Now let me see, Tom, Katie, Stevie, the waiter, Jay, Orlando,... I think I got everyone, we could go now and I could end this post.

But no. The line for valet was way too long. So what did we do? Did we stand there and wait? Of course not. We went to New York instead.

I decided the evening was too perfect to end it with waiting in line at the valet, so we walked to New York, or at least the outdoor set that looked like New York on Fox Studios Lot.

I don't know better, because who knows where I've been, to know if "Singing In The Rain," the movie, was filmed here or not, but it sure looked like it. So I struck this singing in the rain pose at the lamp post while actually singing out loud.

Isabella and I took many more pictures while singing up a storm up and down the streets of New York...



"...What a glorious feeling I'm happy again!..."

Filippo

P.S. As I mentioned before, here is the video clip that I got from Youtube.com that features some running scenes that my sister, and evidently, millions of other people enjoy. (Song track in English)