I Know Someone Famous!

Let's talk about my father and grandfather briefly. Both are excellent men, first off. I've always been told stories about how both of them rubbed elbows with famous people in their younger days.

My grandfather, may he rest in peace, was literally roommates with none other than the famous musician Pete Seeger and was LITERALLY good friends with former president John F. Kennedy.

I mean....wow.

My father, additionally, has his own tales of being friends with now-famous individuals. His favorite story to tell is how he was friends and drinking buddies with none other than comedian/actor Denis Leary. It really is quite amazing.

So, because of these tales told to me by my father about these celebrities that he and my grandfather knew, I always wondered what people that I've known that would someday find themselves famous for some reason or another. I mean, no one can really predict who will be elevated to celebrity status. Anyone you've gone to school with or have been friends with could someday find themselves famous.

Well, it seems being friends with famous people runs in the Willard blood, because I've just found out that a former high school classmate of mine is getting his big break.

Meet Jarred Farrow, or as people probably know him better, Jay Pharaoh.

Jarred is a 2005 graduate of Indian River High School, right here in Chesapeake, Virginia. This is the same school and same graduation year as myself. You may be saying to yourself, patient reader, that "Hey, that doesn't mean you were friends with him!". You're right...it doesn't.

But I was.

Jarred and I were theater kids. We took the theater classes, participated in the yearly theater productions, and we knew each other well enough. Jarred was always the funny guy and versatile actor, while I was always the technician and go-to guy for problems.



Here we are in the production of Oliver, way back in the day. The scene is Jarred's big number as the villainous Bill Sykes, and if you look closely in the background, you'll see a young chubby man in a white shirt and khaki pants. Guess who that is? Yup...you guessed it.

Hell, one day during Drama Club, Jared and I had a misunderstanding and got into an honest-to-God fist fight! We resolved it soon after...but seriously!

Well, Jarred finally got his big break. The 25th of this month, he's going to start his run as one of Saturday Night Live's newest cast members. I'm so happy for him. I knew he'd make it big with the kind of determination and perseverance he showed.

Plus, now I can tell people that I decked an SNL cast member. Heh.