“Smell it, Act it but don’t ever Touch it… Photos and Reflections on a life in the Arts” by James Anderson
( additional material from Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson)
Ladybird books. £2.99 (hardback)
Chapter 4 - New York, New Me!
James 'Goes Native' (1963) by Steve Guttenberg
Here we see a rare shot from the private collection of Cookie Mugabo, life-long man servant to humanitarian and acclaimed British actor James Anderson. After Jim rescued Cookie from a live of poverty and violence living in Hackney and working in a Mega bowl, they travelled and worked side by side for over five decades. In the later years of the revered actors life and amidst much rumour, J-Bone moved into Cookies flat in Kings Cross after his third wife left him and there they remained until James’ death last month. Cookie has recently published his memoirs detailing his life with the popular Thesp, the moving and often hilarious "Hiding My Banana and finding my Love, two men on A Vespa - My Life with James".
This photo, taken from said volume shows a young James getting into character for one of his toughest and most overlooked roles: that of Mickey Dice, a confident young English Aristocrat who's pursuit of gambling, women and Jazz finds him sleeping rough & battling substance addiction on the Streets of New York in the movie "Jazz on yo Hands" but known in Europe as: "Hobo Eyes". The film was directed by Jock Piazercoochie an avant-garde street artist who claimed he had fled from Cuba during the revolution and was there at the beginning of Andy Warhol’s Factory but was later exposed as a solicitor from Grayshott, Surrey in England and a former schoolmate of James’.
James was quoted in his infamous Wogan appearance from 1986 where he heckled pop act Level 42 and showed his ball-bag to Joan Collins, as claiming this film was the one time he had tried: "that method shit". Cookie, his manservant claims James "lived and breathed" the part. As the photo shows he wore his roughest pair of boat shoes, chino's and an Oxford Shirt that Cookie "hadn't even ironed properly" - so determined was he to fit in with the other New York homeless. In his Wogan Interview he claimed: he "took a shit in a bag, and found another guy eating it". Clearly it was an experience that changed Anderson. In the 14 hours (8am to 10pm) he slept rough, the actor endured many hardships (he left when it got dark but only because one particular Meth Addict apparently recognised James from Rock Rivals and our man wisely feared this might lead to violence).
James told Wogan all those years later that whilst "on the street": he was made to eat monkey brains and at one point fell through a hidden door in his chamber and ended up being chased by an Arab gentleman in a mine cart. Detractors have claimed that Anderson has remembered this wrong and he was in fact referring to the plot of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Cookie, who stood by James throughout the ordeal, insists to this day that he was telling the truth. In his book Cookie also reveals that just to keep his friend and mentor from starvation he offered himself to the leader of the tramps: a gentleman and known thief called ‘Sick-beard Fagin’ for repeated violent sexual favours. All this, in return for a small bottle of Evian and a packet of Cookies. Oh, the irony....
This photo, taken from said volume shows a young James getting into character for one of his toughest and most overlooked roles: that of Mickey Dice, a confident young English Aristocrat who's pursuit of gambling, women and Jazz finds him sleeping rough & battling substance addiction on the Streets of New York in the movie "Jazz on yo Hands" but known in Europe as: "Hobo Eyes". The film was directed by Jock Piazercoochie an avant-garde street artist who claimed he had fled from Cuba during the revolution and was there at the beginning of Andy Warhol’s Factory but was later exposed as a solicitor from Grayshott, Surrey in England and a former schoolmate of James’.
James was quoted in his infamous Wogan appearance from 1986 where he heckled pop act Level 42 and showed his ball-bag to Joan Collins, as claiming this film was the one time he had tried: "that method shit". Cookie, his manservant claims James "lived and breathed" the part. As the photo shows he wore his roughest pair of boat shoes, chino's and an Oxford Shirt that Cookie "hadn't even ironed properly" - so determined was he to fit in with the other New York homeless. In his Wogan Interview he claimed: he "took a shit in a bag, and found another guy eating it". Clearly it was an experience that changed Anderson. In the 14 hours (8am to 10pm) he slept rough, the actor endured many hardships (he left when it got dark but only because one particular Meth Addict apparently recognised James from Rock Rivals and our man wisely feared this might lead to violence).
James told Wogan all those years later that whilst "on the street": he was made to eat monkey brains and at one point fell through a hidden door in his chamber and ended up being chased by an Arab gentleman in a mine cart. Detractors have claimed that Anderson has remembered this wrong and he was in fact referring to the plot of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Cookie, who stood by James throughout the ordeal, insists to this day that he was telling the truth. In his book Cookie also reveals that just to keep his friend and mentor from starvation he offered himself to the leader of the tramps: a gentleman and known thief called ‘Sick-beard Fagin’ for repeated violent sexual favours. All this, in return for a small bottle of Evian and a packet of Cookies. Oh, the irony....
1 comment:
It's all true apart from the bit about showing Joan Collins my ballbag. It was she who showed me hers.
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