Of all of the cool cats in the history of screen cinema, I don’t think there were any much cooler than the character of John Milner in American Graffiti. As Terry the Toad said in the film, “Hey, nobody can beat him, man. He’s got the fastest…” to which Bob Falfa (played by Harrison Ford) coldly replies “I ain’t nobody, dork.” Turns out even the future Indiana Jones couldn’t beat Milner in the final auto race showdown. The actor who brought this cool character to life was Paul Le Mat.
Le Mat won a Golden Globe award for not only this portrayal but for his role in the 1984 TV movie The Burning Bed. Unfortunately, the juicy roles have been somewhat sparing for Paul Le Mat, although his portrayal of Melvin in Melvin and Howardwas met with some acclaim. And he did have an opportunity the reprise the John Milner role in More American Graffiti in 1979.
But as cool as Paul Le Mat was on film, he seems to be as nice in real life. I had had Bob get him to sign my American Graffiti movie poster 8×10 when he appeared at a Courts show in the mid-1990’s, but in early 1998 I also sent him a photo through the mail to sign. He was kind enough not only to do that, but to also send along an additional more recent signed photo.
I didn’t get to actually meet Paul Le Mat until over ten years later when he made an appearance at the Chicago Hollywood Celebrities Show on October 17, 2009. I brought along my poster photo and showed him that he had signed for me before, and he was kind enough to beam a big smile and pose for a photo with me. He was the first of five celebs from the film who appeared at this show. More to come…
Celebrities of the Chicago Celebrities Show will continue…
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