Rufus nearly in trouble at JFK airport

[GreenEyesToo]

backstage.blogs.com/blogstage/2008/05/security-that-m.html

Security! That man has a Tony nomination!

Few actors can say that their Tony nomination almost earned them a gunshot wound, but Rufus Sewell said just that at a press junket today when he recalled a run-in with JFK Airport security yesterday after a flight from London.


“I got a text as I got off the plane telling me about the nomination, and then I got yelled at by a big armed guy in immigration security: Put the phone down!” said Sewell. “They can be a bit touchy. I was probably in the most danger of being shot than I’ve been in the last 20 years.”


Sewell didn’t specify what, if anything, happened 20 years ago, but it certainly wasn’t a Tony nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Play. The stony-eyed British actor earned this for the first time in honor of his role in Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘N’ Roll. The play landed four nominations total: Best Play, Best Leading Actor in a Play, Best Featured Actress in a Play, and Best Sound Design.



Sewell subdued himself on the customs line and hid his phone from plain sight. But today, free to speak his mind, Sewell still seemed pretty lukewarm about the nomination.


“The truth is, as an actor, a Tony nomination is not that important,” he said. “But once you get one it’s quite nice.”



Sewell made his Broadway debut in Translations, which ran for only three weeks in 1995. New York City became one of Sewell's choice spots, despite having “touchy” airport security and "not that important" awards.


““My favorite part about being on Broadway is the city," said Sewell. "Translations was by all intents and purposes a flop, but I had the time of my life, and I've been looking for reasons to work in New York since."

I guess a boring ol Tony nomination will suffice.



So Sinead did text him, then? ;D I think they've misinterpreted what he meant - I bet he's chuffed to bits with the nomination.

[ruthy]

Those US security chaps are notoriously devoid of a sense of humour. Same at Orlando. I think they should be forced to dress as Disney characters since the entire state seems to be owned by Disney Inc

[rai]

I've had several friends from the UK who have told me horror stories about our customs people.

No sense of humor is an understatement.

I'm sure Roof's airport story is much better heard in his own voice than read, however.

Rai

[rugirl]

Well, considering most of those idiots have a lobotomy as a requirement for being hired, that's not surprising. I had a customs guy ask me where my son lived when I came back from London a couple of years ago with my husband. Silly question, since my son was 18 months at the time. So I of course told him "my son has his own place in SF, we visit from time to time". He didn't find that too amusing......

Congrats again to Ruf, and let's hope he is in the audience on Tony night and WINS!!

[sharman]

That blog somehow made him sound as if he didn't care so much about the nomination. But what he himself says on broadway.com makes much more sense:

"I was desperate to not have a mindset that would enable someone to take that away by not nominating me for an award. I had all the reasons worked out in my head why it's not important—that it's possible to do your best work and have it somehow miss the radar—but this is a wonderful honor."

www.broadway.com/Gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=565355&pn=1

I was a little relieved to read this. Of course he's thrilled!

[miss october]

That is so awful - poor Rufus!

However, the title of that article is pretty funny: "Security! That man has a Tony nomination!"