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Famous In Hollywood Magazine
The only place where you'll find all exclusive personal Hollywood interviews & celebrity stories.
In this online magazine, renowned Hollywood interviewer and journalist Jay Christian, shares his celebrity human interest stories of the past and present.
Word for word, you'll enjoy reading what the greatest Hollywood actors, actresses and recording artists in the world personally thought and wanted to share, as well as issues that they believed in.
There will be new celebrity stories from famous Hollywood legends to the current celebrities of today!
We are thrilled to have you visit our Famous In Hollywood community!
Issue #32 August 2024
Welcome!
Every month, you'll read stories that I've written from my interviews with Hollywood celebrities of the past and present. Each star has expressed to me in conversation, their thoughts and wisdom, that I've put together in a wonderful story to share with you, as I have always done throughout my entire career.
I hope you enjoy all these intriguing stories.
Visit me each month to find out what the Hollywood celebrities have to say and share, right here at:
Famous In Hollywood Magazine!
My best to you-
Jay Christian
THE LUCY I KNEW
Written By Jay Christian
Everyone knows the name Lucille Ball. So popular and well-loved by all, this comic genius had a very successful career, but endured a lot of challenges along the way. Never a pushover, Lucy was a very strong and determined woman.
As a celebrity journalist in the 1980s, I had an assignment, which they called in the biz- “a celebrity round-up.” It required getting a quote from a number of celebrities on a specific topic and then putting them all together in a article, with their quotes and photos on a page. It was a quick, to-the-point human interest story and the readers enjoyed them immensely.
The publicists and celebrities loved round-ups because it was a real timesaver, as there wasn’t any need for hair and makeup for photos or a lengthy interview. It kept the celebrities names in the limelight and gave them good exposure.
I had called Lucille Ball's agent, who told me she didn't have a publicist, but she did have an assistant. I then called the assistant and told her who I was, but she already knew of my work in national magazines. We talked for a short while and because of my credentials, she thought it would be nice if I called Lucy directly at her home and she gave me her phone number. I thanked her and then I called Lucy.
A woman answered the phone with a gruffy voice. (At the time, I didn't realize I was talking to Lucille Ball.) I asked to speak with Lucy and she asked, “Who is calling?" and I told her my name and she said, “What for?" and I told her it was for my publisher and I needed a quote. There was a pause and she said, "Wait a minute."
I waited on the line for a few minutes and the next person who answered the phone was the so-called housekeeper. She had a Swedish accent and I asked her name and she replied “Olsa.”
She said she wanted to know what I wanted and I asked her if Lucy was available for a quote. She said “No, she’s not,” which I found peculiar because she was making a decision for Lucy.... but oddly enough, she asked me to call back tomorrow.
As she was talking, I could verbally hear a distinctive voice resemblance of Lucy, who I believed was pretending to be Olsa. I had remembered from some of the skits she had performed on the I Love Lucy show, the different accents she had, as different characters. Also, it is known that Lucy’s step-grandparents were Swedish and she most likely adapted this accent, for her 'Olsa' character from listening to them when she was growing up.
Anyway, I went along with it and I thanked her and hung up the phone.
I learned a long time ago, that in the Hollywood business, it is more appropriate for a celebrity to be “not available” as opposed to flat “no.” This way, there is no animosity.
When I called the next day, 'Olsa' the housekeeper, said Lucy wasn't home, but she asked me to call again. She said tomorrow morning would be good.
The next day, I called Lucy's house again. It rang five times and then someone picked up the phone, but waited for me to say hello first and I did. Lucy had recognized my voice and she responded to me, pretending to be Olsa again and said, “Hello, may I help you?”
I spoke to her and said, “Hi Olsa, I'm Jay Christian and I talked to you yesterday about a quote that I'm requesting from Lucy.”
‘Olsa’ said, “She just left for a meeting. Can you call another day?” and I asked, “When will she be home?” She replied, "She'll be here in a few days."
I asked if I could leave my number and Olsa said, “Lucy never calls reporters." So I said, "Okay, I'll call her back in a few days."
After a few days passed, I called Lucy back at her home. Again, the delay to speak until I spoke first, occurred. When I said hello, ‘Olsa’ spoke, only this time, she wanted to talk to me. She asked, “Who are you again?” and I said, “I am a celebrity journalist for a very large magazine, where we have 15 million readers a week.”
She continued, “Well, what do you want?” And I said, “Just a simple quote from Lucy." I continued, "Several well-known celebrities will be in the piece and everyone will love it!"
Olsa said, "You'll have to call back tomorrow."
I called the next day and it was the same thing with the paused phone delay and me saying hello and Lucy answering as ‘Olsa.’
I went along with it and said, "Hi Olsa, is Lucy available to talk to me quickly?”
She said, “She's on another line. Can you call later today?”
I told her I was on deadline and asked, "What time should I call her later?" She replied, “5 pm.”
Later, I called at 5 pm and this time ‘Olsa’ answered and said, “Lucy just left for dinner. Call tomorrow at 10 am.”
I called the next morning and Olsa answered and I said, “Hi Olsa, I'd like to speak with Lucy, I only need 2 minutes.” She said, "I'm not sure she has the time."
By now my deadline was only a day away, I had called seven times, and I had just had it with this cat and mouse game. I politely said to her, "You know Olsa, you sound very much like Lucy herself and it would be very nice if Lucy didn't want to give me a quote, she could just tell me herself."
I could hear her quietly laughing, as Lucy had been called out and maybe she admired that. She knew that I knew she had been playing this game with me all along, but she didn't want to admit to it.
I relented, as she didn't own up to being Olsa, and so I said, "Well, tell Lucy, that all our readers love her. There's no need for me to call anymore and ask for a quote."
At this point, Lucy had finally realized that I was an okay guy and she felt a bit of empathy for me. There was a long pause and Olsa's voice suddenly left and in Lucille Ball's voice, she said in a kind way "Alright dear." We said good-bye to each other.
I never got the quote, but I did get to play this charade game one-on-one seven times with one of the most talented woman in Hollywood history, and of course, we did it Lucy's way!*
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CELEBRITY RECIPES THIS MONTH
DORIS ROBERTS' ITALIAN POTATO SALAD
Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes
½ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 red pepper
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 large clove garlic, minced
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup celery, chopped
½ cup Kalamata olives, sliced or chopped
½ cup marinated artichokes, sliced or chopped
1 medium tomato, diced
½ cup white button mushrooms, quartered
Directions:
Arrange potatoes in baking dish. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon oregano, half of salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until potatoes are brown. Let cool completely. Put red pepper under the broiler and turn until skin on all sides are charred. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap immediately. Let cool. Run the pepper under cold water, rubbing gently until blackened skin is gone. Cut in half lengthwise and remove all seeds and fibers. Slice lengthwise into ¼ inch strips.
In a separate bowl, combine vinegar, garlic and the remaining salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, peppers, onion, celery, olives, artichokes, tomato and mushrooms. Pour vinaigrette over and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 6.
BOB HOPE'S LEMON PIE
Ingredients:
1 8-inch pie shell baked
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
4 egg yolks (save the whites)
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
Pinch of salt
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Directions:
Combine cornstarch and sugar, slowly add boiling water stirring constantly until thick and smooth, over low heat. Add and stir slightly beaten egg yolks, lemon juice, butter, salt and grated rind. Return to low heat. Stir and cook 5 minutes. Cool. Pour into baked pie shell.
Make meringue from 3 egg whites, beaten stiff with 2 and a half teaspoons sugar. Lightly spread on pie and bake 15 minutes in 350-degree oven, until meringue is lightly browned.*
BOB HOPE'S LEMON PIE
Image by AdobeStock_54606387
Recipes from the book Jay Christian's Hollywood Celebrity Recipes
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To purchase these books or eBooks click here: Jay Christian's Hollywood Celebrity Recipes Hollywood Diet & Exercise Secrets
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ISSN 2770-0968
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Jay Christian: Publisher/ Interviewer/ Writer/ Executive Editor
Lori-Michele: Executive Assistant/ Visual & Digital Media Designer/ Web & Online Magazine Designer/ Social Media Manager/ Copy Editor/ Photographer
