"Gil-ga-mesh" -- My Peter O'Toole Story

[qos]

In the comments to the Monster Movie Meme, rocket_jockey and I were discussing Peter O'Toole (who has two quotes in our countdown). I asked him if he knew my "Gilgamesh story." It turns out, he does not. The story itself is both interesting and amusing enough to warrant its own entry, rather than be confined to comments.

So. . .

In 1997, Peter O'Toole published the first volume of his autobiography: Loitering with Intent: The Child. To promote it, he did a signing tour, and one stop was our local university bookstore. O'Toole is one of my favorite actors to watch. The Stunt Man, The Lion in Winter, My Favorite Year, Beckett, even Man of LaMancha are all favorites of mine. So I made sure that I was at the bookstore early and would be sure to get in front of him and get his autograph on my book.



I was at least thirty people back in the line, which moved rather quickly, because although O'Toole smiled at people, he did not speak to anyone except perhaps to graciously say "thank you" to all the compliments he was receiving. I had been nervously trying to figure out what I could possibly say to him that would be meaningful, that he hadn't heard millions of times before, and had drawn a complete blank.

I got to the table, the assistant opened my copy of the book and placed it in front of O'Toole. . . and then my memory gets a little hazy. I don't remember if he signed my book first, or what. . .

But I suddenly realized that Peter O'Toole was staring at my chest.

I happen to have a rather nice chest.
But I'm not used to having it stared it.
Particularly not by world-famous actors.

Then I realized that Peter O'Toole wasn't staring at my chest. He was staring at my pendant. At that time in my life, I was almost constantly wearing a bronze-ish pendant of Inanna, about 2" tall. It is nicely detailed, but small. I leaned forward slightly, picked up the chain to hold it out so he could see it better, and I said something to the effect of, "It's a representation of Inanna, an ancient Sumerian goddess."

And then Peter O'Toole took my pendant into his hand to get a better look, and said to me, "As in Gilgamesh."

Except that it wasn't "Gilgamesh" all run together. It was more like "Gil-ga-mesh" with his Irish-accented, British-theater-professional diction.

I nodded, startled but delighted that he had that knowledge, and that he was speaking to me. I think I also grinned like an idiot, and blushed.

He let my pendant go, passed me my book, I bobbed my head again in thanks, and walked away from the table.

And as I did, I realized that lots of people were now staring at me. I was the only person Peter O'Toole had actually spoken to the entire time he had been there. A lot of them looked like they were trying to figure out What's so special about her?

I don't know if he spoke to anyone else, because I left in a kind of dizzy haze and immediately called my mother to tell her that Peter O'Toole had fondled my pendant and said "Gil-ga-mesh" to me.

Coming Soon: I Died On Stage with Ian McKellan

Comments

[iswari.livejournal.com]

Fascinating! =)

[toesontheground.livejournal.com]

Coool :)

[justbeast.livejournal.com]

*laughs* :)

[rocket-jockey.livejournal.com]

The pendant is cool, but it was your chest. ;)

[qos.livejournal.com]

I had a feeling you were going to say that. ;-)

[rocket-jockey.livejournal.com]

I prefer to face reality, and very little is more real than your chest! ;)

[qos.livejournal.com]

Then there's the quote from The Princess Bride that I almost used in my quiz: "There are a shortage of perfect breasts in the world. It would be a shame to ruin yours."

Not that mine are perfect, mind you.