Thread by @PhilPirrello

A little late celebrating #StevenSpielberg’s birthday but on his bday I always think of my first job in Hollywood when Spielberg took a donut from me.

@GermainLussier this is for you...

1/

I was a student at Chapman, driving from Orange to Sony (I know) for my first day as an intern at Red Wagon.

I got there waaaay early, stopped to grab donuts for the office to be nice, and ended up walking around the lot before my day started

2/

I’m on the phone with my Aunt, and I stop short and go “Steven Spielberg is sitting by himself on a bench so I, I’m gonna go talk to him.”

/3

He’s outside the scoring stage, scoring WAR OF THE WORLDS at the time, just chilling. In a cap and tan jacket.

“Excuse me? Hi, I’m a little lost, it’s my first day and...” I proceed to ask him for help finding the office

4/

He snaps up, walks over to me, asks where I’m working, scratches his head in a “gee, not sure where that is” way and then he stops talking at the sound of high heels clicking for us.

It’s Kathleen Kennedy.

5/

Kennedy, flanked by 2 assistants, runs over and asks him “what is it? What’s wrong?”

“Relax,” Spielberg says. “The kid’s just a little lost.”

“The kid.” The guy who made Jaws and Minority Report called me the kid. I still tear up a bit...

6/

So after Spielberg and KK act as my GPS, he whispers to her “ask him if I can have a donut.”

“You’re a big boy, you ask him!” She says, and he goes, like a kid:

“Can I have a donut?”
7/

I couldn’t open that donut box fast enough.

He and KK took a donut each and Spielberg goes “Thank you, and what’s your name?”

I tell him...

“You tell Doug and Lucy that Steve and Katie took a donut.”

Again, this is my 1st day on the job...
8/

“Thank you,” I said, shaking his hand. “And I really admire your work, Mr Spielberg. Minority Report... it’s very underrated.”

He leans back, like “Wow, I don’t hear that one a lot” and goes “why thank you, that’s so nice...”

Now, here’s the best part...
/9

I get to the office, leave the donuts, get a lot of “that’s so nice of you’s” before the asst asks why 2 are missing.

I explain... and she, obviously, believes that I’m full of shit.

And then tells my boss... who isn’t happy...

10/

After telling the other interns about my morning, the boss questions me. Very upset.

It’s not cool that I took 2 donuts meant for other people, she says, and she doesn’t believe me (and who would). She also is upset that she’s never seen a celeb in 3 yrs of working there...
10/

...And I see one on my first day.

“He’s right outside,” I said.

More pissed, she goes “Ok. You show me where he is.” And my buddy wants to come along and see too.
/11

We get to the scoring stage, and Spielberg’s gone.

But who IS there, getting stuff out of the back of his SUV, is John Williams.

And then, Spielberg emerges from the doors to the stage, greets Williams, looks at me, and says...
/11

“Hey, Phil - where are the donuts?!”

He remembered my name.

My. First. Day.

Which I spent the rest of Xeroxing, alone, ALL day...
/12

After driving 3000 miles from PA to CA in 5 days, and 20+ years of watching @amblin movies, I see why no one believed me b/c I still don’t.

Couldn’t have asked for a better intro to Hollywood.

Happy birthday, Mr. Spielberg. Hope you had a donut.
/END

@jonmchu liking this tweet is almost as unexpected as the story in it. Thank you! Now just need @amblin to pass it along to my donut buddy Steven for a reunion!