May 2009

All Star Appeal

Forget the 12-day Cannes Film Festival, in Sydney you can have your own brush with fame all year round

WORDS KRISTY MEUDELL

All it takes is an unassuming disguise: cue baseball cap, hoodie and big sunnies and you won’t notice until it’s too late. That is, until you read the newspaper the next day and discover that yes, that familiar face sitting next to you at lunch really was Nicole Kidman/Delta Goodrem/Hugh Jackman.

While Hollywood, New York and London might be home to the biggest A-listers, Sydney has become their unofficial playground. Some are full-time residents — Cate Blanchett transformed a AU$10.2 million Hunters Hill property into the ultimate eco-mansion; Bryan Brown’s base is a heritage-listed terrace in Balmain; Russell Crowe wakes up to water in a wharf apartment at Woolloomooloo; and a former 1895 fire station in Leichhardt is today home for Toni Collette.

Other A-listers come specifically to work. About 250 films have been made in Sydney, including Superman Returns, Mission Impossible II, The Matrix and X-Men 3.

Whether it’s business or pleasure (or both) that draws them “down under”, celebrities are unable to resist Sydney’s charms and invariably make time for “play” and exploring the city’s numerous attractions.

Entourage’s lead man Adrian Grenier has proved to be one of Sydney’s more regular international arrivals and his party antics — along with his super-smooth way with the ladies — are impressive even in comparison to those of his onscreen character. The city’s top restaurants and bars are all favourites for Grenier, who has been spotted everywhere from Icebergs Dining Room to De Nom at Ruby Rabbit (where he had a fling with one of the barmaids). Paris Hilton is another who always packs her party pants for a Sydney trip. Million-dollar appearance fees pay her way for her promotional visits, but that doesn’t always guarantee her commitment to the cause. When Paris and sister Nicky were the hosts of a New Year’s Eve function at the Piano Room, the pair arrived minutes before the clock struck midnight and just like Cinderella at the ball, they left soon after.

Not all of those with serious star status abuse their power or take any VIP treatment they receive for granted. Long-time rockers Bon Jovi were serious when they told their Manta waiter to “have a nice day”, leaving him a generous AU$600 tip after almost eating the Woolloomooloo eatery out of lobster and mud crab.

And it’s only a small percentage of celebrities who touch down in Sydney who like to live large. Singing sisters Jessica and Ashlee Simpson turned down Luke Mangan’s fine dining menu at Glass in favour of ordering in a large pepperoni and double cheese takeaway pizza. Kate Bosworth, Missy Higgins and Miranda Kerr stick to the homely, organic fare on offer at Kawa in Surry Hills and former Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson is one of Harry’s Café de Wheels’ biggest pie fans.

Most of Sydney’s celebrity guests revel in the anonymity the city offers and enjoy regular everyday activities. You’re bound to find Hugh Jackman swimming at Bondi, and Keanu Reeves was regularly discovered in bookstores during his time off set. Matt Damon runs around the harbour; Jessica Alba, Cameron Diaz and Mischa Barton hit Oxford Street’s designer stores; Brian McFadden works out at City Gym; Dannii Minogue does the Bondi to Bronte walk, while everyone from Pink to Owen Wilson have braved the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb. (Pierce Brosnan is one of the most famous faces to have been turned away from the climb — he was over the legal blood alcohol limit.)

To catch a celebrity in Sydney isn’t that difficult at all. The type of venue you go to is a good indication of the type of star you could run into — glitzy equals spotlight-loving celebs, while unassuming places attract the rest. So next time you’re there, pay attention to your companions at the bar and let the gentleman next to you buy you a drink… he just may turn out to be Robbie Williams!

Melissa George, actor
“When I’m away I miss everything about Sydney: the people, the fresh produce, the coffee. If I could take the class of Sydney to LA, I would be very happy.”

Keanu Reeves, actor
“I spent my whole 37th year in Sydney working on the Matrix films. I just loved the city. Great people, beautiful weather, beautiful architecture and there’s good cuisine there. I had a great time and the people were extraordinary.”

CELEBRITY HOT SPOTS

Bars
Piano Room: Tahyna Tozzi, Nicky Hilton, Stevie Wonder
Hemmesphere: Bono, Jay Kay, Robbie Williams, Adrian Grenier
Hugos: Heather Graham, Paris Hilton, Michael Bublé
Icebergs Dining Room: Portia de Rossi, Kate Bosworth, Jack Nicholson, Nicole Kidman

Restaurants
Glass: Harry Kewell, Jessica and Ashlee Simpson
ARIA: Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson
Wildfire: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Sylvester Stallone, Linda Evangelista
Quay: Sandra Bullock, Billy Joel, Elton John, Elle Macpherson

Shopping
Spencer and Rutherford: Tyra Banks, Princess Mary
Myer: Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Hawkins
Bowie: Jesse McCartney, George Michael, Good Charlotte
Scanlan and Theodore: Kate Bosworth, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

Attractions
Taronga Zoo: Beyoncé, Jay Z, Daniel Radcliffe
BridgeClimb: Kylie Minogue, Pink, Justin Timberlake, Cameron Diaz
TropFest: Rachel Ward, David Wenham, Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman