Back when I was a young and impressionable 21-year-old live-in nanny in New York City, the place I called home for a year was the famous and extremely grand Apthorp apartment building. The address was Broadway, on the Upper West Side, and it was (and still is) an incredible piece of architecture.
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I was living with a very wealthy Australian family and had come from a very modest family home in Sydney, so I was understandably awestruck when the cab pulled into the huge central courtyard.
The family I lived with wasted no time telling me that I was now living in the same building as Cyndi Lauper and Al Pacino. At 21, I have to admit I wasn't too excited about meeting Lauper, however, Al Pacino was someone I could get somewhat excited about. While I was not a huge fan, I enjoyed Scent of a Woman and knew the iconic Godfather movies.
I was in charge of three kids aged five, four and six months old, and as we were in the centre of a relentlessly busy city, often it was easier to stay within the safety and relative calm of the building itself rather than attempt to navigate the subway, roads and many, many eccentric characters on the street to reach a playground.
Daunting on my own, it was terrifying with three young children in tow. So, we would often take bikes and scooters downstairs and ride around the central courtyard for some entertainment and fresh air. We did this most days and it was relatively uneventful, save for the occasional toddler tantrum or scraped knee.
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One day, we were joined by a father and his young twins, who were playing on their trikes. I smiled at the children and said hello, then left them to play while I kept an eye on my charges. Apart from a polite smile at the man accompanying them, I didn't engage with him as he looked a bit odd with his crumpled and ill fitting suit.
A short time later, I was surprised to find the man was now standing next to me and that he was, in fact, on closer inspection, Al Pacino. Furthermore, not only was he standing next to me but he was actually speaking to me. Now, for someone who admits readily that I am not a fan, I was completely dumbstruck when I was in his incredibly magnetic presence. Put simply, I was starstruck. So much so, that I couldn't look him in the eye when he told me that my kids were excellent bike riders and maybe his kids could learn from them I could only manage a nervous giggle as I kept my head bowed and felt a blush creep across my face.
They soon left and my brief brush with greatness was over. I of course played it completely cool and raced upstairs to tell everyone I had ever met. Almost 20 years on and it is still my favourite celebrity encounter. The day I met a celebrity I wasn't particularly interested in and yet almost passed out in awe.
