Star Sightings at Sushi

On Tuesday night we celebrated my friend’s birthday at a sushi restaurant in Studio City that I have not been to in a very long time. I arrived at the restaurant ahead of the rest of the group. Upon entering I noticed that there was only one table occupied. I looked over and saw that it was occupied by none other then Maurice Benard who plays Sonny on General Hospital. Now, I don’t watch soap operas anymore, but GH used to be an obsession for me. My roommate in college got me hooked.

I admire Mr. Benard not for his acting ability (although he was fantastic as Desi Arnaz in the TV movie Lucy & Desi : Before the Laughter), it is his for his courage in admitting on an episode of Oprah that he suffers from bipolar disorder. Mental illness is still such a stigma in society that I was amazed to see such a high functioning actor who admits to having the disease. His bravery helped me come to grips with my own mental illness. I will be forever grateful to him for “coming out” as bipolar since it made me recognize that people with mood disorders can lead fulfilling and meaningful lives.

So, this sushi place is one happening joint because who should walk in next, but George Clooney, another personal hero of mine for his tireless advocacy to bring attention to the atrocities in Darfur. Strangely enough I also saw an episode of Oprah where Mr. Clooney spoke out about the Save Darfur rally that took place in Washington in April 2005 (hello, why has the U.S. still done nothing to help the people of Darfur caught between viscious warlords? I get so angry about this!). He is outspoken in his criticism of U.S. politicians, a trait I often find annoying in celebrities, but for some reason, probably since I agree strongly with what he is saying, I admire his eloquence and bravery in calling legislators to task for their actions. Be it Rumsfield and Bush for the Iraq war or the U.N. for not acting more rapidly to help the people of Darfur, Sudan, I find his candidness refreshing and heartening.