Ever wonder how award shows with celebrities (and celebrity egos) up the wazoo run so smoothly? Wonder no more. Apparently, there's such a thing as a "celebrity escort." And no, it has nothing to do with sex.
Christopher Gaida, 38, is one such escort and has been for the past 14 years. He now has a book out, a tell-all titled "Arm Candy: A Celebrity Escort's Tales From The Red Carpet," where he spills the secrets the stars would rather keep hushed.
Gaida started escorting A-listers to award shows and benefits when he was 24 and temping for MTV, reports New York Post. He has since been to 150 events and escorted huge names like Angelina Jolie, Cameron Diaz, Jessica Alba, Megan Fox and Julia Roberts.
At the 2007 Teen Choice Awards, for instance, Fox started freaking out backstage. Gaida was the one who calmed her down. That same year, he was the one who suggested Jessica Alba change into a different dress at the Taurus World Stunt Awards. At the 1999 VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards, Sharon Stone acted like a total diva and asked him to walk three steps ahead of her and never look back, Gaida told NY Post. At the 2000 GQ Men of the Year Awards, Julia Roberts yelled at him backstage. 10 years later he escorted Roberts to an event and mentioned the incident to her. She apologized.
So what does an escort do, really? "When the star arrives at the carpet, Gaida introduces himself to the star's staff — publicists, managers, etc. — and then to the star directly," explains the NY Post. "From there, they quickly discuss a game plan. How long will they stay on the carpet for photos? How many interviews will they do? What media outlets need to be avoided completely because they’ve written negative things in the past?"
You would think red carpets and award show teleprompters would be a cake walk for such well-versed celebrities. But “they are actors, so they are used to having lines prepared for them, and they get several takes,” Gaida told NY Post. “These shows are mostly live, and they have to be themselves, which is sometimes hard.”
And how does Hollywood feel about Gaida sharing all these intimate details about the faces of the industry? “Some insecure management-level people are worried that I'm revealing too much," he said. That, evidently, hasn't stopped him.
To learn more about Gaida's brush with the stars read his profile in the New York Post, or better yet -- buy his book, which comes out today.
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