The Angelina Factor

There I was attending my very first press junket at the Essex Hotel in '03. Nervous? You bet. Exhilarated? Uh-huh. Excited and downright thrilled! After all, it's not every day that you get to interview Angelina Jolie!!!!
Not bad for my first celebrity interview, I suppose. *big smile*. During a quiet summer Sunday in Manhattan without any idea of what to expect, sitting in a suite which overlooked horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, I'm thinking how did I get here and more importantly, how do I get to stay?

My fabulous magazine editor who provided me with this wonderful opportunity prepped me but still nothing could compare when you're about to hold your own in a room with about eight reporters with tape recorder in queue, in preparation for interviewing Ms. Jolie along with other cast members, the producer, and director.

This was pre-Brad, post-Billy Bob. Post-Maddox but pre-adopting her other children and giving birth. While the whole interviewing process passed at the blink of an eye (even though according to our watches it was three-plus hours plus lunch which was downright cool hanging out with the other journalists), well, the whole entire experience including giving a quote for the flick, Tomb Raider II (what are the odds my quote would end up in the NY Times? Completely serious!) was in a word: spectacular.

Regardless of our society's emphasis on celebrity status along with their overwhelmingly "fascinating" personal lives in the public eye (yep - being a bit facetious here since it makes no difference to me who is the latest beau of Jennifer Aniston or where TomKat is going on vacation), there was something downright magical about being part of the whole process. Not the paparazzi-chasing side, but the official way to learn about a movie first-hand to share with our online readers: how the actors prepared for the roles, how it was made, and how they hope to inspire movie-goers.

Talk about stepping outside your comfort zone!!! While this cracked the door open into a whole new world which I've thankfully returned again and again, my point is this: there's something incredibly fascinating about stepping out of your element whether it's work-related or recreational or a combination of both. As in completely out of your comfort zone to the point you're absolutely exhilarated and simply have to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and JUMP! And before you know it, you've noticed you landed with two feet planted firmly on the ground.