by Karen Henrich

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WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING IN PARIS…

This week, BonjourParis readers can read all about our recent celebrity sightings in Paris. Well, okay, only one sighting really matters. While on a recent Nuit Blanche tour, the gals and I ran smack into French heart throb actor, Olivier Martinez. Since this was such a momentous event (well, for me it was at least!), I think that this subject deserves a column all on its own. Read on… a regular newsletter is coming soon…

For the past few years, I’ve become numb to the unending celebrity worship in North America, which is partially what drove me to spend more time in Europe. I love watching movies like everyone else, but really and truly could not bear to hear one more reporting such as how Brittany had found her latest belly-button jewelry designer. Or be forced to view air-brushed close-ups of Goldie’s surgical atrocities while waiting in line to pay for pharmacy items. For me, the whole thing had become unimportant in the big scheme of things and quite frankly, yawn material.

In France, there are no celebrity magazines lining every check-out counter at every store. Blessedly, Hollywood is an ocean removed. People are cooler about these things here. More individual. More confident in themselves. Not cookie-cutter, movie or TV studio-manufactured. Here in the media, they are more concerned with the daily antics of their politicians. It’s mildly entertaining and you’re able to turn it off if you want to.

But, I will admit that recently in Paris I was star-struck. Stop in your tracks, mouth open, star-struck. And so were some of the gals who were in tow with me on a recent all-girl Nuit Blanche tour. We were in Saint-Germain-des-Pres and ran smack into Olivier Martinez, the hottest of French actors. A couple of days later, we think we also walked by Mary J. Blige being interviewed on the Champs-Elysees, but enough about Mary, back to Olivier.

It went down like any other completely unexpected, magical Paris discovery. While on a shopping excursion, as we rounded a corner near metro station Odeon, I noticed a very, very good-looking guy sauntering confidently up the street toward us. He was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans and had his hands in his pockets. He had ‘want to run your hands through it’ dark longish hair and dark eyes. He probably hadn’t shaved in a day or two–so European-guy fantastic. He was walking a dog. He was whistling. Well, if you look like that, I’m sure you would have a lot to be happy about!

I said, “girls, check out this guy coming up the street!” My original thinking when pointing him out was that I wanted them to see a particularly good-looking French guy. You know, to add to their special memories of Paris along with all of the other ‘attractions.’ We all stopped and openly stared. Then I blurted out in a very uncool way, “OH MY GOD, I think that’s Olivier Martinez!”

He may have heard my comment or not. Without registering one speck of discomfort or annoyance or hoity-toity-ness, he continued to stride toward us, smiling that dreamboat smile. One of the gals had direct eye contact with him, direct, a fact that she has mentioned at least two dozen times since (yes, I’m envious!). He rounded the corner and continued on his way, whistling the whole time. All six pairs of eyes followed him around the corner.

Yup, they agreed, that was a gorgeous man alright–of the pulse-quickly-rising variety. But just who is Olivier Martinez, a few of them asked. I chastised them, what did they mean they didn’t know who he was? Had they never seen the movie Unfaithful? This is one of the movies I recommend on the website that people should see to get them in the mood for Paris. Not that the movie takes place in Paris, it takes place in New York.

But Olivier is the Parisian hunk that Diane Lane has an affair with, putting her idealistic lifestyle with Richard Gere and child at risk. Okay, some people don’t like it because it’s a story about an affair and all the unpleasantness that can follow. But who could blame any woman for losing her head over a bad boy like this? And not only will this gem get your libido skyrocketing, but it’s a good story and is beautifully filmed.

So now I was curious, and quickly turned into a celebrity hound myself. I wanted to know if that was him or not. A few days later, we asked our waiter friends at La Fromagerie 31 on Rue de Seine (which by the way is the BEST place to have lunch) if they knew if Olivier lives in the area. YES, they confirmed, just a couple of blocks away! They described him as being ‘tres sympa’ and ‘tres gentile’–very nice and down to earth and genuine. They said he is married. He comes to the store to buy cheese. Loosely translated, they said that all women go gaga over him.

Voila! Highlights from Olivier’s bio page include: He comes from a working-class family (me too), raised in the Paris suburbs (I wonder which one?). He is 40 (and yummy), his mother is French and his father is Spanish-Moroccan (winning combination). He has a dog named Sheba (maybe it was the same dog?) and the site indicates that his girlfriend is Kylie Minogue (will he tire of the Australian songbirg soon?).

The site lists all of his movies, he is best known for Hussard sur le toit, Le (1995) with Juliette Binoche, aka The Horseman on the Roof (USA). This movie launched him as a sex symbol, to which he is quoted as saying, “The concept of sex symbol in France is different. They don’t like the ’sex symbol’ in France. I don’t consider myself a sex symbol because all my cousins would laugh at me. ‘Ah, look at the sex symbol! He’s coming today!’ So, no, I can’t be a sex symbol.”

Alright Olivier, so you’re not a sex symbol, sure. And in the big scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter. But I thank you so much for the special memory, forever tucked away, of the beautiful French guy whistling down the street with his dog, without a care in the world.

• Published May 2006 in ParisWoman.com - the Ultimate Resource for Women in Paris
• Published May 2006 in BonjourParis.com - Largest content site about Paris for expats and English speakers