Meeting up with Grant in Hollywood - BEFORE 'Melrose Place'

Grant Show is on my mind right now because I'm slightly obsessed with 'Big Love' - the HBO show about polygamy and Mormons. And GRANT has turned up in this last season! He plays the cool, suave owner of 'Goji Juice' - a big juice company that's run as a pyramid scheme. He's EXCELLENT! (all of those actors are, I think!) And, personally, I'm hoping that Marge runs away with him (his character) this Sunday in the LAST EPISODE!!! (what will I DO?)

Anyway - it's fun to see his face on my flat screen every Sunday.

I ran into Grant years after London - right down the street from my house. This was before Melrose place. BEFORE he was named the 'sexiest man in the world' by People magazine. In fact, he told me that work out here in LA was NOT going well for him.

"I think I'm being black-listed, Jennifer. No one will even have meetings with me. I know that sounds really dramatic - but my agent thinks that's what's going on, so...I don't know." is what he said to me, down there on the sidewalk in front of The Daily Planet.
"Why would anyone do that? You were doing so well in New York." I asked him.
"That's exactly it." Grant shook his head. He looked really worried."I quit Ryan's Hope for a year to go to LAMDA - and they did NOT like that. I think I'm being punished. For wanting to be a better actor.." he kind of laughed it off.

Not too long after that, we both found ourselves auditioning for 'Melrose Place'.
Grant landed the sexy, motorcycle-riding Jake, and I had to tell Mr. Aaron Spelling that I could NOT show up to the final audition in a bikini - because I was knocked up again. Oh well.

One surreal evening, I was down at my local grocery store with my 2 little daughters climbing all over the metal bars at the check-out stand,when I saw the front cover of that People magazine.
"Oh my GOODNESS!" I said aloud as I checked out a photo of Grant on the cover, being declared 'The Sexiest Man in the World' - or something - in his black leather jacket, next to a motorcycle.
"Hey there." said a familiar voice behind me. It was Grant.
I just held up the magazine and laughed, "NO WAY!!!" I said to the man himself.
"Oh, man. That's embarrassing!" was Grant's reaction.
"Are you KIDDING? It's GREAT!"
"Oh man! Well - who are these little beauties?" he asked, changing the subject.
"THESE are my excuse for not being on a Spelling show yet."
"These are YOURS?" he asked.
"Yep. Isabella and Sophia."
Sophie reached out her hands for Grant to catch her as she flung herself off of the bar - which he did with natural grace. He held her on his hip for a moment as if he were a father himself.
"Well, aren't you lucky. Such beautiful daughters you have! And Max...?"
"Yea, he's probably burning the house down as we speak. What are you doing here, anyway?"
"I live here. This is my grocery store - I live right up the hill..."

Turns out, Grant lived on my old street - we were neighbors. I run into him every once in a while at the market. He always asks about Max and the kids, and is still as sweet as can be. Which is VERY encouraging. Fame, good looks and money don't HAVE to turn a person into a crazy, drug-addicted nut job, no matter HOW much Charlie Sheen is making us feel that right now.







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