So where would you expect to see a genuine movie and television star here in little old Salt Lake City? A fine restaurant, perhaps? Maybe a private club? (FYI for the out-of-towners: that’s what the rest of the country would call a bar or a nightclub. It’s a long story…) How about browsing postcards in your favorite neighborhood bookstore?

I walked over to Sam Weller’s on my lunch hour today, as I often do, and this is who I spotted not three steps inside the front door:

That’s Dennis Farina, if you’re not up on your celebrity identification skills. He’s probably best known at the moment for the television series Law & Order, but he’s had a long career playing assorted tough guys, both criminals and cops. I particularly liked him as the bumbling mobster who keeps getting the crap kicked out of him by John Travolta in Get Shorty.
He doesn’t seem all that tough or intimidating in real life. In fact, he sort of reminded me of my father. He looked about the same height as Dad, roughly 5′ 10″, and the wavy silver hair is similar. His taste in clothing is close, too, jeans and a baseball-style jacket with suede sleeves. My dad wears a full beard instead of just a mustache, but Dennis hadn’t shaved in three or four days, so again, he shared a similar sort of look.

I was tempted to speak to him, ask him for an autograph or just tell him I’ve enjoyed his work, but I decided to respect his privacy and let him buy his postcards in peace.

Ah, who am I kidding? The truth is, I chickened out… but the privacy thing makes for a good story, doesn’t it? I’ve been wondering all afternoon how he would’ve reacted if I had said anything, as well as what brought him to my quiet little backwater. The ski resorts aren’t open yet, so somebody must be filming something, somewhere…