Your guide to tracking down celebs,
One reporter’s top tips for meeting celebrities without all the waiting
If you stroll downtown along King St. this weekend, you’ll likely find yourself weaving around hordes of fans with cameras and stepstools hoping for an A-plus view of Hollywood A-listers. But getting that glimpse requires patience and stamina.
Is there a better way for the average fest-goers to find the stars? We were determined to find out.
“We hold each other’s spots for the washroom, for food,” said Mariah Smith, in town from St. Catharines, Ont., along with Helena Mirzoyan. They have made it an annual tradition to wake up at the crack of dawn and make their way into the fencedoff “fan zone” outside theatres before big premieres.
The two had been waiting in prime red-carpet viewing position since 9 a.m. for Friday’s premiere of I, Tonya starring Margot Robbie, who plays ice skater Tonya Harding — more than12 hours before showtime.
They weren’t lining up for the screening — they have no tickets to TIFF films — but only for the chance to get up close and personal with stars. “I’m excited to see Sebastian Stan,” Smith says. “We’re hoping for a photo.” Several years ago, Smith and Mirzoyan met and bonded doing what they loved: waiting, and waiting, and finally meeting celebrities. Now they’re friends who meet up annually to participate in stargazing.
“This is my sixth year,” Smith says. “I like movies, and I like the people in movies.”
But not everyone has their level of patience. So I set out with one mission: to get close to the boldface without the commitment of waiting endlessly by the red carpet.
How did that pan out? I wound up in the same room as Idris Elba, Jessica Chastain and Margot Robbie, and even traded backpacks with Ben Schwartz.
Most nightlife events are private, and even if you happen to catch a celebrity outside their ritzy hotel or at a restaurant in Yorkville, they’re probably being corralled by five security guards into their cars. So how exactly do you find them? Thanks to a tip from a co-worker, I went to a King St. W. restaurant-turned-photo-studio guarded by security. I threw on my shades, held one phone to my ear, held another in my hand along with a Fiji water, and attempted to stroll past the security guards. The point was to appear busy and uninterested in the scene — and it worked!
As I made my way to the door, a private car stopped out front as a small crowd of fans swarmed and screamed, “Margot Robbie! Margot Robbie!”
Some were waving pens and photos hoping she’d stop for an autograph, but she was hastily escorted into the building.
Luckily, I had already passed the security point, so as she and her entourage entered the studio I was able to catch a photo of her just five metres from where I was standing.
Then, in the corner of my eye, I spotted comedian Ben Schwartz (I’m a big Parks and Recreation fan). I noticed he had the same backpack that was given to us at the gifting suites — for a previous story — mine was solid grey, while his was black with polka dots. After convincing him the grey one suited him better, he agreed to trade.
“This is what this festival is all about!” he said as we awkwardly squatted, tossing the contents of our old bags into our new ones.
Then, car after car pulled up to the curb. Idris Elba made his way into the studio, followed by his Molly’s Game co-star Jessica Chastain as they waved to the few dedicated fans who caught wind of the event.
Other passersby who saw the crowd crossed the street and joined the huddle, curious to see which stars were just steps away.
So how do you find the stars? Be patient, have a game plan, listen for word of mouth (or have family members who work across the swanky venues on King St.).
If you see a crowd — join it. Act like you don’t really want to be there.
And, finally, bring a nice backpack for celebrity tradesies.