I’ve Got a Crush on—Who?

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Everyone has crushes, right? I can mark my entire life, not by decade or major milestones—First Communion, high school graduation, college, marriage, childbirths, etc—but by the crushes of my life, both celebrity and school. Herewith, is my top-tier list of a lifetime of crushes. See if you can guess which are not the celebrities.

Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan in "Gigi."

Louis Jourdan:  One of my favorite film experiences was seeing Gigi, which was released when I was three. I adored this movie, which had a young and stylish Leslie Caron frolicking all over Paris. But I fell in love with Louis Jordan, her love interest. I actually saw this film five times when it was still in the movie theater. Mr. Jourdan sent my little heart palpitating—to the moon!

Tony Curtis:  I think I was five when I realized Tony Curtis was a hunk, even before I knew what that meant. I remember wondering if he’d “wait” for me. To grow up, that is. If you saw him in 40 Pounds of Trouble or Boeing Boeing,  you know what I’m talking about.

Fred:  I was in Mrs. Coletti’s first grade class when Fred walked into my life. Those deep, brown eyes! Those Groucho Marx eyebrows! Would you believe I faked having a party just so I could invite him to my house? I don’t know what I planned to do once he got there, and I’ll never know because it didn’t take long for him to figure out he was walking into a trap.

Sir Paul McCartney:  What an experience it was to see the Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. I was all into the music. She Loves You, I Saw Her Standing There. But it was Paul who stole my heart. I even had an “I Love Paul” button that I proudly wore on my shirt. It was like being pinned by the Beatle himself!

Curtis:  Just like Charlie Brown, I had a little redhead that got away when I was in third grade. Oh, I was head over heels for that boy. He put my science fair project to shame, when he brought in a log cabin he made, complete with electric lights that turned on and off. The allusive Curtis refused to talk to me, that’s how shy he was. And, I was equally shy and so I never said a word to him, but admired him from afar, pining for the day that I would become Mrs. Monica Curtis. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

The late Davy Jones with Maureen McCormick as Marcia Brady (The Brady Bunch).

Davy Jones: Hey, hey, we’re the Monkees! OMG, who didn’t love Davy? Me and Marcia Brady went all gaga when he entered the room. Gorgeous eyes, cute British accent; he may be the reason—the source of my love for all things British. In fact, most of my crushes from this point on were Brits.

Cliff:  In junior high, Cliff was as shy as they come. Why did I like all the shy guys? My friends and I would call him up, then hang up as soon as he answered. All I needed was to hear his voice. No one said, “Hello?” better than that boy.  Cliff’s school locker was two down from mine, and in between us, was the locker of a mutual friend, John, who was a great go-between. Between classes, I would ask John, “Does Cliff like me?” And he’d find out and respond during the next period, “Yes.” I was on Cloud Nine.

I contrived another party just to invite Cliff, and this time, I went through with it. Cliff arrived with his best friend, Barry. The two of them went in on a gift for me, which I’ll never forget. The Association Greatest Hits album, which featured one of their hit songs, Cherish. I was sure Cliff meant that as a secret message for me. He wanted me to know he cherished me, but didn’t have the words to say it himself. Well, Cliff, if you’re reading, I cherished you, too. 😉

Pierce Brosnan: Ah, the eighties. The decade of the television mini-series. I first encountered Pierce in The Manions of America, a drama about Irish immigrants during the Great Famine. Pierce was Drop Dead Gorgeous. That’s all I have to say. He sealed the deal for me in Remington Steele. Full disclosure: it was the first and only time I ever wrote a fan letter and the letter paid off. Three months later, I received a response and a 5X7 signed glossy. My life would never be the same. Side bar: A lot of people didn’t like his role in Mamma Mia, let alone his singing, but to me Pierce was divine and yes, he sounded exactly like Bruce Springsteen. So, sing on, Pierce!

Colin Firth: Two words. Mr. Darcy. Three words. Pride and Prejudice. Colin is THE man, THE one. My blogger pal, Mediating Mummy or, as I call her, MM, and I have major crushes on Colin. Her blog keeps me up to date on all things Firth. I will see any movie he’s in, even if it’s a bit part. I don’t care. He’s Colin Firth and that’s good enough for me. Recommended double feature: All five hours of Pride and Prejudice, starring Colin Firth (accept no imitations!), followed by Bridget Jones’ Diary.  You will not regret it.

Jason Isaacs: This little hottie I actually deplored when I first saw him in the Harry Potter films. He plays a meanie, after all. Lucius Malfoy. But then I saw him in the BBC production, The State Within, where he plays a British Ambassador based in Washington, D.C., in a terrifying, action-packed conspiracy thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, I kid you not. Bloody good fun! Bonus: He’s starring in a new NBC series, Awake, that has gotten lots of buzz.

So, tell me. Who have you had a crush on?

42 thoughts on “I’ve Got a Crush on—Who?”

  1. I’m pretty faithful with my crushes. Denzel’s been it for years. Recently though, I had a dream that all these women were flirting with him and he openly flirted back. Imagine how undone I was in that dream after years of loyalty. I think it’s time for me to move on.

  2. How fun to read, Monica…

    I adore the Brits, as you may know….

    I married one!

    Ohhhhhh, Mr. Darcy…The perfect gorgeous beautiful mysterious man

    He is truly the epitome of the B R I T I SH!!

    You know who I really looooved? Don’t Laugh. I was madly in love with Robert Plant…

    Another Brit.

    Xxx Great Post. Love.

    • Oh, Mr. Liverpool! That’s right. You do love the Brits as much as I do. Maybe even more! 😉
      Mr. Darcy, though, if I could have just one night with him…ah…let’s just say, my life would be complete!

  3. Do I dare tell it ? . . . Those nights I put myself to sleep with stories about mysteriously finding myself on a beach in southern California and maneuvering my way into ‘The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.’ Whether or not they were really the all-American family, Ricky was certainly not the boy next door to me in Brooklyn. But the way his lip curled when he sang was enough to make me swoon.

  4. Hi Monica, this post made me smile on and one! And I especially enjoyed your line “Nobody said ‘Hello’ better than this boy …”

    (This is the second place I’ve read about Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy within this week. I’m not a big Austen fan, but I’m curious about Colin Firth as the righteous, bold & charismatic Mr. Darcy!)

    • Hi Claudine! Thanks for stopping by! If you only watch one version of Pride and Prejudice, it must be this one. Colin Firth was born for the role. He embodies all the qualities of Mr. Darcy. It is pure genius the way he plays it, so please, please see it and then promise me you’ll return and let us know what you think! 🙂

  5. Monica, Fred and Cliff were definitely keepers! After all, what woman can resist “Groucho Marx” eyebrows and guys who buy albums with songs titled “Cherish”? I loved this post! It triggered so many memories of my own crushes! Ah, to be that age again! As for my actual crushes, you know my new man of choice is Jim Caviezel from Person of Interest, and I’m still keeping Javier Bardem on the back burner, You know, just in case. A woman’s always got to have a plan B. Always! 🙂

    • Well, Bella, as you can see, I have Plan B, Plan C, D, E AND F! So I’m ready for anything! Ah, the crushes. One thing I can say for myself: with so many on my list, no one can say I was a stalker or obsessed with any one. I’m obsessed with them all! 😉

  6. My celebrity crushes always worked out so much better than my real-life ones — where all that “compromise” and “sharing” got in the way. I guess my all-time fave was Sean Connery. And he just grown into the sexiest old dude, too?

    • Jayne, my celebrity crushes have lasted way longer than even my marriage. And really, when push comes to shove, there are so many more that I didn’t mention. Sean Connery is definitely one of those. I loved him as James Bond and even as Indiana Jones’ father. Ah, the memories.

  7. I have my eye on you and ALL your other readers who are Firthfans. And my advice: Back off, babes. We all know that I am the next Mrs. Colin Firth. Once he leaves the current, that is…I will not be the “other woman,” after all. We all know that about me!

    🙂

    • Well, my dear, it seems we have yet ONE more thing in common: our love for all things Colin. What to do, what to do. Draw a line in the sand, perhaps? Or simply share and bask in our collective love for a heck of a guy. I think many a woman lost all sensibility, and cast all sense aside, the moment he, as Mr. Darcy, removed his shirt and dove into the lake. What a scene. What a man. 😉

  8. Big hugs Monica, thank you for the shout out. My Darcy divine as I like to call our Colin, is just the nicest man there is. You know this of course…He makes so much fun of his own ego that I feel as though I could sit with him and laugh about what an ego does to a celebrity myself. Now Jason Isaacs – Did not know you were a fan, loved him as Lucius, he is even better in ‘Awake’- hmm, he fascinates me in such a strange way, so much so that I want him to play the bad guy in everything, I love that he was suggested as part of the dream cast for Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander – playing horrid Black Jack Randall.

    • Did you see Jason Isaacs in The State Within? He was so sexy in it. So far, I’ve only seen the first episode of Awake, but already I can tell it’s worthy of all the buzz. I just hope it does well. Can you imagine Colin Firth doing a series, having the opportunity to see him week after week? My, my, someone better get me some smelling salts!

  9. Bella: I have a new crush every month. Right now I have my eye on a cute Golden Retriever who lives up the street.

    DiDi: My long-time crush is a Bo the Bouvier who lives in the yard next to me. He makes my legs weak.

  10. You forgot Rhett Butler, but then again it’s probably not a good idea to have a crush on a literary figure. Hmm, something to ponder. Wonderful post for a rainy day (at least here in San Francisco).

    Had a thought.. I was thinking about your post on letters and wondered if you and some of the regulars would like to play story/post (along the lines of project you and Bella hosted but with a variance). Monica writers a letter to Karen via an email – Karen writes in response to that letter to Debbie… and on it goes.The final a letter is written back to Monica and that letter can be posted. Each person that plays has to limit the letter to fifty words or something.. Just a random Friday thought., Anyway I quite enjoyed reading about these sexy men.

  11. Gregory Peck, Colin Firth, Gary Cooper, Benicio Del Toro, Benicio Del Toro, did I say Benicio Del Toro? Rossano Brazzi, absolutely, and oh yes, Benicio Del Toro. And Bo! (You know who I mean, Monica).

  12. My list would be very similar to yours, Monica — but I have to add Rex Harrison (“My Fair Lady”) and Gregory Peck (“To Kill a Mockingbird”). Oldies, but goodies! And how about Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Harrison Ford, Orlando Bloom, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp — shall I go on?!!

    • Debbie, I agree with Rex; “My Fair Lady” was an amazing, gorgeous film. I think Redford and Harrison also a must. Johnny Depp, though? I just don’t see it. As for Cruise, I keep thinking of Oprah’s couch. 😉

  14. Fun post Monica. Mine are Gregory Peck, Clint Eastwood, Pierce Brosnan and of course George Clooney. When I was a teenie bop, it was Bobbie Sherman – anyone remember him and, like you Monica, Paul McCartney?

    • OMG, you are talking about Jeremy from “Here Come the Brides,” one of my favorite TV shows from way back when. I loved Jeremy and his brothers, Jason and Joshua (which heavily influenced me in naming my son). Bobby Sherman was so cute–and he could sing, too! Of the rest of your list, I also count Clooney among my faves. He’s handsome, debonair, and an advocate for the world!

      Frankly, I have too many crushes and there wasn’t enough room, for I’d also include Cary Grant, Harrison Ford and Steve Martin.

    • Kathryn, over the years there have been women, too, that I’ve been drawn to. They have such presence and beauty. I will have to do another one of these for them. Thanks for the reminder! 😉

  16. I’m another Remington Steele fan. My hubby teases me about my crush on Piercey, as he calls him. I loved it when he was Bond and I thought he was great in Mamma Mia, too. I’m also quite fond of Colin Firth. My American crush is Han Solo and I’ve been sighing over Harrison Ford since then.

    • Shary, I was very disappointed when he was unceremoniously terminated from playing Bond. He wasn’t ready to give it up! And he’s way too hot to have been dropped. Still is, in my estimation. I actually started watching Remington Steele because I adored Stephanie Zimbalist. But I stayed with the show–never missing an episode–because of Pierce. OMG, so handsome and debonair. Loved how he’d quote old films. And though we all know what became of him after Remington, I often wonder what happened to Stephanie. She really was a delight!

  19. I’ll admit to Howie in kindergarten. But who wouldn’t go bonkers over Colin Firth. Someone has always tried to convince women they have to fall for some macho hunk. Hence, all the beefcake paparazzi shots of Matthew McConaughy. But the subdued reality of a Colin Firth is what lasts.

  20. I totally get it and commend you on your choices. I thought I was the only one who loved Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth. As for Mama Mia, I thought his attempt to sing was honorable. After all, he didn’t get that part because of his voice. Sounds like we have a bit of a ‘British’ crush going on.

  21. I enjoyed this glimpse into your heart. Tall person likes the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and liked the chemistry between Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

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