“In Los Angeles, it is possible to meet celebrities while taking your children to school, buying bread or doing your shopping.” Frenchwoman Martine Couralet-Laing has lived in the city of Los Angeles, California, for almost 25 years.
In her book DreamLAnd, published on October 17, the producer recounts her daily life in the city in angels, punctuated by her chance encounters with some of the biggest stars. We asked this Hollywood columnist, who became one of Jacqueline Bisset’s dearest friends, to tell us how she came across the biggest names in cinema by chance during her wanderings.
LE FIGARO. – How did you come up with the idea of telling the story behind Los Angeles?
Martine COURALET-LAING – Los Angeles is a city in its own right and very different from London or Paris. There, we fully feel the American dream. We really feel like anything is possible. But people only know about this city the Oscars, the glitter, and the red carpets. However, it’s not just that. This is what I want to tell.
Your story is that of a city seen from eye level. A village life like any other, except that this one is full of millionaires…
That’s a bit like it. We live in neighborhoods and end up knowing a lot of people. You can be the neighbor of Al Pacino or Madonna. It is a microcosm that is both large and human. It is possible to come across the biggest movie stars while taking your children to school, buying bread or doing your shopping.
Who are the most approachable personalities?
Bradley Cooper, John Travolta and Justin Timberlake are very simple and don’t bother at all. Harrison Ford also kept his head on his shoulders. Our children went to the same school. We had the opportunity to chat several times. It’s surprising because he’s ultimately not that different from his characters. In life, as in his films, he takes risks, but he always escapes at the last moment. He still survived three plane crashes! It’s truly Indiana Jones in real life. We really wonder who influenced the other.
And which stars are the most unpleasant?
I can’t really give you any names (laughs)! Some people are very cold and are very protected like Tom Cruise, who does not let himself be approached easily. Sharon Stone is also not a very warm person…
In Los Angeles, is it possible to meet stars by chance and make connections with them?
Thanks to my job as a producer, I met many cinema personalities during events and evenings. But these meetings are not enough to keep in touch. Unless we have a wallet with 50 million dollars to finance their next film (laughs)! To be friends with stars, there are rules: never talk about cinema and their private lives. Otherwise, we get out quickly. Above all, you have to stay true to yourself and not place them on a pedestal.
What is the most unusual situation you have found yourself in?
While hiking Temescal Canyon Hike, a man approached me to compliment my daughter, who was three months old at the time. I brushed him off, thinking he was just flirting. When he walked away, I realized it was Tom Hanks. I didn’t recognize him… I was teased for a long time about this story.
In your book, you talk about a chance meeting between Johnny Hallyday and Al Pacino in a restaurant…
Johnny was alone and without a bodyguard in a crowded restaurant in Beverly Hills. Nobody recognized him. Al Pacino was also in the room, all eyes were on him. At one point, Johnny got up to leave the building. Nobody looked up. For a French woman, the situation was very unusual. Johnny is a mega star in our house! Al Pacino still greeted him with a wave of his hand.
Is it a desire to have written DreamLAnd in the form of a teenage girl’s diary?
My book was written in the form of chronicles linked by a narrative thread. I also added personal notes at the end of each anecdote. They evoke my feelings and my feelings. It’s certainly more immersive for the reader, and perhaps that’s what brings it back to a personal diary. Writing this book was my outlet and allowed me to find a form of candor. You know, in Hollywood, you’re not allowed to age!