Me and actress Tracey Hoyt from “The Tournament“
By: Richard Jutras for Curtains Up
Working the red carpet is not all it`s cracked up to be. It`s alot of hard work. I remember thinking “who are you wearing“? So, with my made-to-measure Yves St. Laurent tuxedo, I, along with the rest of the cast from CBC`s “The Tournament“, boarded the train to make our way to Toronto for the Gemini Awards ceremony .The afternoon of the awards, I even had a “man facial“ at Ogilvy`s in Toronto to give me that Television Star Glow – just in case we were to win.A publicist was hired by production to make sure the cast got as much PR as we could.
So, there we were at the CBC building where we were greeted by our publicist and given our Gemini nomination plaques and invitations. We were then escorted to the red carpet area. I was excited as could be. My partner, along with the other invited escorts of cast members, let us do our “red carpet thing“. With pleasure.
I stood at one end of the carpet, which was about fifty feet long. On the count of go from the publicist, I slowly made my way across with my gut sucked in, a semi-fake smile and my body twisted in a sideshow-way – so as to look as good as I could for the Paparazzi.
Made it to the end. Not one photo taken of me. Not one interview. However, my partner, beaming with pride, was there to greet me with a chilled glass of white wine. Just the way I like it. All to hear the publicist say “No time for wine. One more walk.“
I proceeded to the starting gate once again, got into the same position and did “the walk.“ Not one picture. Not one interview. But I did try to chug that glass of chilled white wine still waiting for me in my partner`s hand. “Again“, said the publicist. I decided to really work the red carpet this time and stopped in the middle – head raised high and surely flexing my biceps under my tuxedo that no one could see. I heard a paparazzi yell out “They`re here!“ Phew, I thought, the rest of my Gemini-nominated cast from “The Tournament“ are joining me. Look to my left and it was “The Tailer Park Boys“.
Once again, no picture. No interview. Now, no wine. Time to go into the theatre for the live awards presentation.
At the end of the night, I had a blast. I did get my wine. I did get my nomination plaque. I danced alot and hobnobbed with the creme de la creme from Canadian Television.
And I was exhausted. Because, as I mentioned, it`s alot of hard work. But, as they say, it TRULY is good just to be nominated. Twice, I might add. Hehe
