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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 8 OcTOber 2019
Producer Brian Grazer traces his success in 'Face to Face'

By MIKE CIDONI LENNOX movie of '8 Mile.'"
Associated Press Grazer's company, Imagine
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) Entertainment, co-founded
— Brian Grazer says that if with director Ron Howard,
weren't for Eminem making would go on to produce
eye contact with him dur- the blockbuster "8 Mile,"
ing a tense meeting a few starring Eminem, which is
years ago, the rap film "8 loosely based on the rap-
Mile" probably wouldn't ex- per's life story. The last book
ist. he co-authored, "A Curious
Getting people to set aside Mind," became a New York
their phones and engage Times bestseller.
one another and meet "Face to Face" includes
eyes has been a priority of other Grazer encounters
late for Grazer, the Oscar- with a wide range of pro-
winning producer behind fessionals, including Micro-
films such as "A Beautiful soft co-founder and bil-
Mind" and "Apollo 13." So lionaire philanthropist Bill
much so, Grazer wrote a Gates, former President
book about it. Barack Obama and Jonas
One of the most dramatic Salk, developer of the polio
sections in "Face to Face: vaccine.
The Art of Human Connec- This Aug. 30, 2019 photo shows producer Brian Grazer posing for a portrait at his home in Santa In the book, Grazer writes
tion" is Grazer's account Monica, Calif., to promote his book "Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection." that he was so nervous
of an initially disastrous first Associated Press about meeting Salk that
meeting with Eminem. when it finally happened at
"I could not get his atten- good at creating conver- eventually turned back life and he told the story of a hotel, he projectile vom-
tion, even though he was sation — and he just even- and we had a conversa- his life and how he ended ited. Salk calmly asked a
there to talk to me," Grazer tually said, 'I'm out. I'm leav- tion and he really looked up in this particular place waiter to get Grazer orange
recalled in a recent inter- ing.'" at me with tremendous eye right now, or achieved this juice and kindly helped the
view with The Associated Grazer urged the Detroit contact and we really con- particular place. And that producer clean up. Grazer
Press. "He just wasn't con- rapper to "animate," which nected on a human basis became the basis of our and Salk remained friends
necting. And, eventually, initially got a disapprov- and he got very involved. entire movie. So, without until the doctor's death in
he just — and I'm pretty ing response. "But then he And, somehow, he came to that, there would be no 1995.q
Madcap confetti-throwing comic Rip Taylor has died at 84

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rip man," ''Hollywood Squares"
Taylor, the madcap mus- and "The Gong Show." He
tached comedian with a also hosted the beauty
fondness for confetti-throw- pageant spoof "The $1.98
ing who became a televi- Beauty Show."
sion game show mainstay With his bushy blonde tou-
in the 1970s, has died. He pee, exaggerated eye-
was 84. brows and walrus-like mus-
Taylor died Sunday in Bev- tache, Taylor was a striking
erly Hills, California, publicist presence. He was appar-
Harlan Boll said. ently so proud of his star
The man who would be- on the Hollywood Walk of
come known worldwide as Fame that he'd regularly
Rip did not have a direct schedule trips to buff and
line into show business. He clean the square at 6625
was born Charles Elmer Hollywood Boulevard.
Taylor Jr. in Washington, Taylor also did a fair share
D.C., to a waitress and a of voice work for animat-
musician and first worked ed films and television like
as a congressional page "The Jetsons" and "The Ad-
before serving in the Army dams Family," as Uncle Fes-
during the Korean War, In this Monday, Oct. 21, 2002, file photo, comedian Rip Taylor talks with reporters before a film ter, which earned him an
where he started perform- premiere, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Emmy nomination.
ing standup. Associated Press He played himself in movies
His ascent began with spots like "Wayne's World 2" and
on "The Ed Sullivan Show," ing," he told UPI in 1992. "In median bit got him to Ed Vegas in 1966. the "Jackass" movies, ap-
where he was known as desperation, I pretended Sullivan, where the host — In his over five decades peared on stage in "Any-
the "crying comedian." The to cry as I begged them to forgetting Taylor's name — in entertainment, Taylor thing Goes," ''A Funny Thing
moniker pre-dated his tele- laugh. That killed 'em." would say "get me the cry- would make over 2,000 Happened on the Way to
vision stints, however, and It's where he said the char- ing comedian." guest star appearances on the Forum," ''Sugar Babies,"
went back to his time in the acter "Rip" came from. Success begat more suc- shows like "The Monkees," where he took over for
Catskills. Although he readily ad- cess, and Taylor ended up ''The Merv Griffin Show," Mickey Rooney, as Fagin in
"I sat on a stool telling jokes, mitted stealing jokes from on tour with Judy Garland ''The Tonight Show," ''Late "Oliver!" and Captain Hook
and nobody was laugh- USO shows, the crying co- and Eleanor Powell in Las Night with David Letter- in "Peter Pan." q