Today a final bit of advice from Bernie Brillstein’s book, “The Little Stuff Matters Most.” The chapter is headed, “Never Trust a Man Who Walks You to the Elevator with His Arm Around Your Shoulder,” referring to a meeting he had with media mogul Steve Ross, who had a warm meeting with Brillstein and shafted him a few weeks later.
Brillstein advises: “Beware of people who are too nice, or who immediately pay the card they think will get them close to you. Beware the too quickly established intimacy. Beware of anyone who knows too much about you. Everyone needs a bullshit detector.”
My Dad was always overly suspicious of people, and I think I over-compensated for this by not being suspicious enough—neither one is good. I experienced what Brillstein is talking about with an English actor who’d had quite a bit of success on stage and in his own series. My agent set up a meeting for me and him to discuss a one-man show I’d written. He was incredibly intense and flattering, suddenly I felt like a genius (that should probably have told me something…). He simply HAD to be the one to do this play and we would work together to realize my brilliant vision… I was floating on cloud nine when I left the meeting—surely the West End debut of my play was only months away! Except that I never heard from him again. Something else came up and he couldn’t be bothered to tell me. Finally my agent said, “Yes, that’s just how he is.”
