When we were kids, my sister had a big poster of Erik Estrada on her bedroom door. so yesterday afternoon, I was at a DVD conference at the Century Plaza Hotal (I think it's a Hyatt now) and Estrada strode in with all that hair and those dazzling white teeth still intact. Of course I walked over to chat him up and told the former star of "CHIPS" about the poster. He smiled and laughed, as though he had heard it a gazillion times before. But what else was there to say? "Oh, I just love your infomercial for that land development! Stunning work!"
Estrada was there for the conferences annual TV on DVD panel that in past years has attracted the likes of Donny Osmond (I still have a crush. Shut up.), Jerry Mathers ("Leave it to Beaver"), Christopher Knight ("Brady Bunch"), Linda Gray and Charlene Tilton of "Dallas" and Joyce DeWitt of "Three's Company." But this year, Estrada was the big "name." He did make the audience laugh when he introduced himself as Tony Orlando and one of the panelists asked how it is he still looks the same nearly 30 years since his show's debut. Season One of "CHIPS" is just out on DVD.
Anyway, I figured the former Ponch would be by big star sighting of the day but a little while later as I walked to my car, I spotted Sherry Lansing, the former head of Paramount Studios and one of the most gracious people in Hollywood. Lansing received a special Oscar this year for her humanitarian work and at the nominees luncheon, stopped by our table to say hello to Curtis Hanson (I was sandwiched between him and Jennifer Hudson) and started telling me about his accomplishments.
Anyway, on Tuesday, Miss Lansing was standing with Wayne Rogers and introduced us. Now, my sister didn't have a poster on her door of Wayne Rogers but I still recognized Trapper John from "MASH." It was a real thrill to meet him.
Television stars from the 70s and early 80s still seem so familiar to me. It's almost like we know them so well because this was pre-cable and Internet and they were all we had.
Called my sister as I got in the car: "I met Ponch and Trapper John!"
Imagine if I had met Marcia Brady or Keith Partridge? Maybe next time...