I was up late last night, streaming the second pilot episode of the original Star Trek TV series via Netflix. I’d forgotten that Gary Lockwood was in it and was reminded of a fun story from, oh, four or five years ago.
My friend Steve and I were at Comic-Con in San Diego. One afternoon, while we wandered the massive trade floor, we came across actor Gary Lockwood, sitting alone in a small booth and signing photos.
He was surrounded by old stills from 2001: A Space Odyssey (Gary played Frank Poole, the poor bastard Hal-9000 jettisoned into oblivion), Six-Million-Dollar Man, Trek, and lotsa other 1960s and ’70s era stuff.
Anyway, Steve and I were just strolling by the autograph table, minding our own beeswax, when two punk kids came along. They noticed Gary, and one asked the other, “Who’s THIS guy?”
Gary didn’t miss a beat.
Gesturing at Steve and me, he quipped, “I bet these OLD FELLAS know who I am!”
Gary, Steve, and I shared a hearty laugh. (What I really wanted to do was shove a goddamn tribble down Lockwood’s throat.)
There’s a lesson here about fame.
It can be fleeting.
But it doesn’t have to be.
When you’re out there consistently, doing whatever it is you do, people will remember you (for better or worse) and maybe even do business with you.
The real trick is making a positive impression and planting yourself firmly into your audience’s cranium.
How do you do that?
Don’t leave it to chance. Check this out…
