On March 21, 1990, the editor of American Way at the time met me
for lunch. A hungry freelance writer (still am), I had a notebook
full of story ideas (still do), one of them a suggestion for a
service-oriented column combining the powerful forces of travel and
celebrity. "Every two weeks we'll interview a celebrity about their
hometown or city that they know and love …" began my two-page query
letter.
Proposing Jack Nicholson's Los Angeles as the template, we'd
interview Jack at his favorite restaurant, where he'd reveal his
deepest secrets. Not the typical Hollywood narrative of breakups,
breakdowns, and breakthroughs, but secrets far more valuable to the
inveterate traveler. Jack would give us his places: where he eats,
drinks, dances, and dreams.
The editor loved the idea and assigned five test columns to gauge
what caliber of celebrities would agree to interviews. Our wish
list was formidable: Jack Nicholson's L.A., Oprah Winfrey's
Chicago, Michael Caine's London, Gloria Estefan's Miami, Jackie
Collins' Hollywood, and Paloma Picasso's Paris.
They all said yes - except for Jack.
Paloma Picasso met me at Tiffany's on New York's Fifth Avenue,
where she told endless stories of the Paris where she grew up with
her famous father, Pablo. Gloria Estefan wore all white to her
all-white Miami recording studio and practically sang about the
city. Michael Caine took a break from wine tasting in Bordeaux to
toast his London. Jackie Collins chronicled Hollywood from her
leopard-print living room in Beverly Hills. Oprah Winfrey had her
calls put on hold as she talked up her adopted hometown,
Chicago.
Eleven years later, we're still trying to get Jack to discuss L.A.
But more than 250 others have told us about their now not-so-secret
places. The list of names goes on and on, each person discussing
wildly diverse destinations, but all sharing the singular passion
that continues to hold the column together: Every soul has a home.
Famous or not, we're all from somewhere, and we carry that
somewhere wherever we go.
So, Jack, if you're reading, we still have a few pages reserved for
you. In the meantime, here's a look back at some of our favorite
Celebrated Weekends.
IN THE BEGINNING
Who: OPRAH WINFREY
Where: Chicago
When: March 1, 1991
Why: In the years it took her to rise from
Mississippi-born anchor aspirant to media mogul, Winfrey fell in
love with the Windy City.
"[I became a Chicagoan] probably the first week I was here. I fell
in love with it by the first day. And by the week, I knew I
belonged. I arrived Labor Day, 1983, to audition for A.M. Chicago.
I didn't just fall in love - the city took my breath away."
Who:PAUL MCCARTNEY
Where: Liverpool
When: February 1, 1992
Why: McCartney will forever be at home in the city
where The Beatles were born.
"There's a basic bluntness that I like. Whenever I go [to
Liverpool], I don't get any of that 'Morning, Mr. McCartney,'
tipping-of-the-hat stuff. It's more a case of, 'All right, Paul,
lad.' I remember that my father would always make us lift our caps
to the ladies at the bus stop, saying, 'Good morning.' We'd say,
'Dad, do we have to do that? None of our friends do it.' And he'd
just say, 'Yes,' and lift his own little hat."
Who: ROBERT REDFORD
Where: Sundance, Utah
When: June 15, 1992
Why: Sundance is more than just an acclaimed
resort and a famous film festival. For its founder, Sundance is,
first and foremost, a cherished place of nature.
"I came up from Heber City [a village 15 miles east-northeast of
where Sundance is now] in the days when I used to hunt - many, many
years ago. I was mountain-lion hunting and I came up over a ridge
and - boom! - I saw that view [of Mount Timpanago]. It was like one
of those instant things. And I said, 'This is where I wanna be
someday.'"