By Rebecca Leffler, '04
Funding: Career Services
He walked down the hallway of the Dorchester Hotel - calm, suave and absolutely gorgeous. His hair was pulled back with thick gel, revealing his perfectly clear skin and inviting blue eyes. He moved quickly, yet with splendid grace, followed by an entourage of people watching his every move. Then he turned suddenly to peek his head into the hotel room to his left; I happened to be standing in the doorway. His eyes met mine and though we did not speak a word, I knew it was true love. In that brief yet passionate moment, Leonardo DiCaprio became the King of my World. And so began my adventures with the talent and media surrounding the "Catch Me If You Can" tour.
I spent the winter of my Junior year working as a Publicity Assistant for United International Pictures in London, England. UIP distributes the films of its partner studios (Paramount, Dreamworks and Universal) in the international marketplace outside of North America. I worked with the lovely ladies of the Publicity Department, which was responsible for organizing international film tours, arranging interviews and press junkets to promote the film, and ensuring coverage of the various films via magazines and television.
After only one week in London, my menial intern tasks - knowing what kind of coffee and how much milk and sugar everyone on the 7th floor required - were exchanged for a more interactive role in the company. For about two weeks, I worked alongside the Vice President of Publicity as we planned the international publicity tour for Steven Spielberg's popular film, "Catch Me If You Can." The London premiere of this film was definitely one of the most exciting events of my life.
After my initial "moment" with Mr. DiCaprio, I attended a press conference with myriad other foreign journalists. As Leo bent over to sip his tea while his co-stars spoke, he may have appeared to be reflecting on the response to his next question, but we all know he was really thinking, "Who is that girl in the back row?" I was tempted to say to him, in "Notting Hill" fashion, "How long will you be staying in London, Mr. DiCaprio?" to which he would surely respond, "Indefinitely," before we embraced in front of all the cameras and lived happily ever after. However, it seems that this scenario was limited to Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, so I chose to restrain myself from declaring our forbidden love to the public and listened to what the panel had to say about the film.
After the press conference, I went to the Empire Theatre in Leicester Square for the premiere of the film. The streets were lined with people screaming and trying desperately to maneuver their way to the red carpet; bobbies (British police officers) were placed all over the area to monitor crazed fans; and hundreds of journalists and photographers waited outside the doors to take pictures and ask questions. I couldn't believe the city of London had gone to this much trouble just for me. (Okay, so perhaps the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg were about to arrive soon after had something to do with it...).
Finally, the night drew to a close, the talent departed for their hotel rooms to prepare for their journey to Paris the next day, I went home to dream about airplanes and red carpets, and Leo went home to dream about, well, me of course. And this night was only the beginning of what was perhaps the best three months of my life thus far. Not only did I love going to work each day, walking through the streets of London and arriving in an office building only to be greeted by friendly people with British accents, but the perks of the job were incredible. I helped to plan the schedule of "The Life of David Gale" at the Berlin Film Festival; I spent three days in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge to help Jennifer Connelly promote her upcoming film "The Hulk;" I worked at the London Premiere of "Jackass;" I attended the premiere of "Maid in Manhattan" and spent the night dancing with Jennifer Lopez and her entourage; I spent two days in the Dorchester Hotel with Rowan Atkinson and Nathalie Imbruglia helping out with TV and print interviews to promote "Johnny English;" and I even went to dinner with Saul Zantz, recipient of the prestigious "Academy Fellowship" at the BAFTA awards just a few nights before. From exciting evenings such as the "Catch Me If You Can" premiere to simply perusing the streets of London, my winter internship was a wonderful, life-changing experience that (Leo and) I will never forget.
