A slice of the life: one editor’s ‘Kill the Messenger’ journey to NYC
Jeremy Renner and New York City, two things I’d never gotten close to, but always wanted to be near. Then on a Wednesday afternoon, while dealing with about a million things, I got the call. I was going to New York to be a part of the ‘Kill the Messenger,’ an upcoming film about journalist Gary Webb, a former NKU student, press tour. Kevin, our digital projects manager who was even more surprised about the sudden trip than me, was going too.
My life goal is to one day work for an entertainment magazine, so this oppurtunity for me was a first shot at the dream.
So with little time to prepare on the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 21, Kevin and I boarded a plane to New York. Now keep in mind this was my first plane ride ever and I managed not to have any “Bridesmaids” inspired breakdowns, I didn’t see one colonial woman on the wing.
Once we arrived, much like the whole process of the two day trip, it was crazy. I think I instantly fell in love with the city. We weren’t really sure how set our reservation at the Le Parker Meridien was, but luckily Crispin, the concierge, whose name was too fancy for his own good found our reservation. The hotel was nicer than any hotel I’ve ever stayed in, they even had a gravity pool, which can only mean we were actually staying in space.
After meeting up with a friend for dinner, we headed to the press screening. Panicking we wouldn’t make it on time, we rushed back across the city only to be the second ones to arrive. This was my second viewing of the film, and I think I noticed even more about the story than before. The first time I was freaked out by the ethical points, terrified that one day I could be Gary Webb. The second time it was more about the man himself. It was about who Gary Webb was and what kind of amazing journalist he was.
Day two brought the press roundtables with Jeremy Renner, who plays Webb, Michael K. Williams, who plays Ricky Ross, and Michael Cuesta, the director of the film. For the press we went to the Ritz Carlton, and if our hotel was a spaceship, then the Ritz was a literal castle with a view of Central Park that was to die for. The format wasn’t what we expected, we were put in a room with a handful of other journalists to do press conference style interviews singularly by person.
Meeting Cuesta and Williams wasn’t nerve wracking, but the prospect of looking into the beautiful blue eyes of his Hawkeyeship Jeremy Renner was a daunting thought. He was shorter than I expected, but just as handsome in person as I had hoped, I fangirled internally the whole time he was in the room. And don’t think for a moment I didn’t realize that his blue sweater matched his eyes.
When I asked Renner my, if I do say so myself, fantastic question he looked me right in the eyes for almost the entirety of his answer. Truth be told, I was so into the fact that we were making direct eye contact I don’t remember his answer, thankfully I was recording the whole thing though to go back. If I die tomorrow, I can happily die knowing Hawkeye himself looked me right in the eyes.
Though I couldn’t believe our time with Renner was over so quickly, we made the best of the rest of our time in New York.
In only about 28 hours there I got the chance to go to Brooklyn, walk through Central Park, pass through Time Square and witness some landmarks and amazing views of the city.
I fell in love with a city and learned that it is humanly possible for me to control my inner fangirl and be professional. The fangirl control is something valuable if I ever hope to work in entertainment journalism. And as for falling in love with the city, it’s only reaffirmed my hopes and dreams of moving there one day.
The trip was short and on Monday night I returned home and re-entered reality, I really wish I had had more time to take it all in but it was an amazing experience all the same.
