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Post by mkelly on Jul 26, 2022 21:12:17 GMT -5
Have you ever thought about who "makes their lives possible?" It's agents/lawyers, accountants/investment advisors, PR folks, etc. But more importantly it's the "personal assistants" who keep their schedules, book doctors appointments, make travel reservations, have household staff/catering agencies on speed dial, and generally coordinate everything - their contact lists must be endless. They are dealing with Type A creative personalities and they and their spouses are very stressed and demanding. Their diplomatic and management skills must be amazing.
I've recently enjoyed the 6 part HBO series on Joanne and Paul Newman, "Last of the Movie Stars" and pulled out the book "Paul and Me: 53 Years of Adventures..." and discovered that the Newman's personal assistant for 26 years was prominently credited - Darice O'Mara Wirth. She was involved in managing their personal lives, creative projects, charities, and business affairs. She co-produced Joanne's theater productions and worked on Paul's films as well as working at Newman's Own.
So naturally as a retired academic librarian, I was curious what happened to Ms Wirth (who's listed in IMDB) when her longterm employment ended in 2010? Well LinkedIn provided a partial answer - she relocated from Connecticut to California (her husband works as a transportation expert in Hollywood) and after a couple of executive assistant jobs with media/film related companies - in May 2022 she became the Executive Assistant to Keely and Pierce Brosnan. Will she have a role with IrishDream Time? With IT this job can be done from anywhere.
It's a small world - I think you'll enjoy the "Last of the Movie Stars."
Mel
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Post by Barbara on Jul 27, 2022 1:09:11 GMT -5
Hi Mel! My mother and I are looking forward to watching Last of the Movie Stars. It looks like Ethan Hawke did a great job with it, and picking Clooney to read Newman was smart. If I may be so bold as to speculate, I believe Ms. Wirth if she is working for both of them is probably either doing the day to day at Irish Dream Time (as I suspect the late great Beau St. Clair did) OR she helps them run their residences which are not close together. I also think Pierce has a personal assistant who travels with him, Justin Franklin, who is photographed with Pierce's BFFs, his hair guy Bron and make up guy Rick. Bron Roylance worked with Pierce on Remington Steele and I think Rick Provenzano came in during the Bond era. Pierce and his BFFs-- Barbara
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Post by mkelly on Jul 27, 2022 21:01:12 GMT -5
Barbara
Hoping if that is the case that Darice O'Mara Wirth helps keep Irish DreamTime alive with documentaries and of course good scripts for PB. Beau St. Clair really did the day to day. In an interview she said they complimented each other as she ran the office, read scripts, worked on finance, etc. while PB could make the difficult/important personal calls to close the financal deals, finalize directors/casting with the agencies, and smooze with possible distributors at film fests to sell the films.
I suspect that Keely Brosnan is a perfectionist and is now very much involved in the company. Didn't PB say he'd watched her edit Poisoning Paridise for months on end in Malibu and Kauai and had watched the film more times than he'd seen any other? And the film was produced by Irish DreamTime.
I recommend watching "Last of the Movie Stars" twice as there is so much information - I thought I knew their story pretty well and unlike some reviewers I'd watched the "guy" films of Paul and the more complex dramas of Joanne. (Even pulled our copy of "Long Hot Summer" out to put in rotation - it was 103 today in Denton, TX.) Their professional partnership and marriage was very complex. Typical story of first wife sacrificing and supporting and then ... with kids from the first marriage being very troubled by the divorce. Joanne knew going in that if she'd been "the other woman" for 5 years before the divorce, there would likely be others and there were. But they managed to stay together for 50 years.
Mel
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Post by Barbara on Jul 28, 2022 0:46:48 GMT -5
It would not surprise me if Keely is very much involved in IDT, and is a perfectionist. I think Poisoning Paradise was incredibly dear to her because it is literally her home being destroyed. Right now, the state of Hawaii has asked the big hotels to only do 75% capacity because of the water shortage that continues due to what the Navy did the water table.
I am glad to hear that Joanne Woodward knew what she was getting into when she married, and that they managed to keep it going over fifty years. I think I read once he said he has packed his bags to go a couple of times but knew he really had no place to go. It also says something about the respect they both garnered that you really didn't hear about the affairs until after he died.
I have heard rumors that Ms. Woodward is now ill herself. Is that true, or is she just keeping a low profile?
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Post by mkelly on Jul 28, 2022 13:42:40 GMT -5
Barbara,
One of my grad school best friends visited Kauai for years and has lived permanently on the north shore of Kauai in Princeville for 6 years. My son and I visited for a week in May. It's beautiful beyond belief and Kauai seems to be more protected from GMO's because the majority of it is natural forest reserves have many restrictions on access and activities. Water access and sewage runoff are the real issues on both the north, east, and south shores. Pesticide drift is a serious problem from the various growing fields in the south and southwest part of the island. Each island has it's own problems with GMO's - some are very affected by the test farms.
A more serious issue is real estate. There is limited land zoned for housing on the island. Native Hawaiian's are losing out as Mainlanders/Internationals buy up available real estate making the market unbelievable. My friend bought a very nice 2 bedroom 2 bath condo with covered lanai porch on all 4 sides for outdoor living in 2016 for $650,000 (she sold a larger condo in Pasadena California) which is now appraised at $1.3 mil.
Joanne Woodward was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2007 about the time Paul Newman learned he had just months to live due to cancer. She is now 92 and her last public appearance was 2013(?)
Anxious to hear you and your Mother's review of "The Last Movie Stars." The Newman family is very open about their parents healh issues.
Mel
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Post by Barbara on Jul 29, 2022 0:23:44 GMT -5
Hi again Mel: I missed the news about Joanne Woodward. I am sorry to hear she does in fact have Alzheimer's. And please do not hold your breath: my mother and I both have "we should watch this lists" that are longer the equator. :-D
Thanks for clarifying what is going on in Hawaii vis a vis what is protected and what is not. It is beyond ridiculous that the natives cannot afford to live on what is their land. It is also ridiculous that my friends who grew up in certain areas of Queens NY and Long Island can not afford to move back there unless they inherit their parents' homes. The prices are nuts.
-- Barbara
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