As Woody Allen fans will doubtless be aware, the Oscar-winning director is back in London to shoot his third film in our great city. Match Point and Scoop, both of which starred Scarlett Johansson, are already in the can. But it won't be third time lucky for Scarlett and Woody because Mr Allen has a new muse, none other than a young whippersnapper from West London - Hayley Atwell.
And now, not-yet-20 years old, Hayley has got her first major role starring opposite Mr Ewan McGregor no less.
And guess what? The Mistress and I caught all the action! Yes, we did.
It all started on Friday morning when the Mistress was rushing through Paddington Station and met a neighbour walking in the opposite direction. As they exchanged hellos, they noticed a very familiar figure walk right past them...none other than Woody Allen! They could hardly contain their excitement. The director was sussing out the location for a particular scene.
Sadly, the Mistress had no time to linger as she was late for an appointment but she phoned her mother - also en route to Paddington, but by train - and told her about the possible excitement!
Several hours later, the Mistress and I met the her mother at Paddington AND we got the chance to see the aforementioned scene being filmed - several times over. We stood next to the extras and I think the Mistress was hoping that I would get a call for action. I don't belong to the doggy version of Equity but I am sure it could have been arranged. I would have gladly done it for free, too. No questions asked!
Sadly, no opportunity for global stardom this time but I did get to see a film being made. Did I tell you that I've already appeared on GMTV and This Morning? It was a LONG time ago but I have graced those famous sofas...
The Mistress is a lifelong fan of Woody Allen's films, as is her mother so they were fascinated to see him in action. Of course, everyone else in the station was focused on Mr McGregor, who was just delightful. He happily posed for photos with fans and signed numerous autographs between scenes.
When the Mistress recounted this to a friend, he was incredulous that she had not phoned the photo desks of some national newspapers, celebrity magazines and a couple of picture agencies such as Big Pictures to boot. Just think of the contacts, he said! But to tell the truth, she was enjoying the moment and enjoying watching her beloved city being filmed by a director she admires. She didn't feel the need to turn it into a networking opportunity - although she could have done with the cash. Perhaps next time...
Maybe she's the loser, maybe not. Personally, I would have just loved the chance to meet a real film director. And, of course, in my own inimitable way, I could have said: “Aha, Mr Allen, I presume?”
Woof Woof
