Jerry Lewis

I had two encounters with Jerry Lewis, years apart, both unpleasant. One was following a small sidebar screening at Cannes, when Lewis spoke to the audience (he pronounced the country "FRAWNCE," obviously playing to his fan base there). I asked a question and he dismissed it without answering it. Either I put him on the spot or it was a stupid question.

Decades later he was performing in Damn Yankees on Broadway. He was the worst thing about the show, mugging and playing off his name rather than integrating the character into the show itself.

After the performance, he appeared in the lobby to sign autographs for charity. I asked if he would record an five-second greeting for my radio show, but he only wanted to deal with people who would fawn over him. Like most clowns, Jerry Lewis is scary to me.