Latest news with #TheOffice
Buzz Feed
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Times TV Actors Refused To Shoot A Storyline
Matthew Perry in Friends: Chandler Cheating On Monica First up is Matthew Perry, who point blank refused to act out a Friends storyline where his character, Chandler, would cheat on Monica, played by Courteney Cox. Chandler and Monica first got together at the end of Season 4, and according to guest actor Lisa Cash, Chandler was scripted to cheat on her in the Season 5 finale 'The One in Vegas: Part 1.'Lisa played a Las Vegas hotel worker in the episode, and told TMZ: 'The scene was Chandler and Monica were arguing in Vegas about Monica having lunch with Richard, and initially in our script, Chandler goes up to the hotel room, orders room service, and I bring it up as a hotel worker and we end up talking and laughing and connecting and Chandler ends up cheating on Monica with my character.''We had rehearsed it and everything,' Lisa went on. 'Then the day before we were shooting in front of a live audience I was told that [Matthew] went to the writers and said the audience will never forgive him for cheating on Monica, which he was probably right. That would have changed possibly the course of the show and of his character.'The episode ended up cutting this scene with Chandler and the hotel worker entirely, and Lisa ultimately played a flight attendant in a scene with Ross and Rachel instead. Matthew Perry in Friends #2: Chandler's 'Gay Panic' And cheating on Monica wasn't the only time that Matthew stepped in to protect Chandler's honor, with the actor apparently also shutting down a storyline that he feared would be anti-gay. According to Friends expert Saul Austerlitz, who is one of the most prominent pop culture chroniclers of the show and has interviewed several writers, directors, and crew members over the years, a storyline was once proposed in which Chandler would start frequenting a gay bar because he can't get enough of their tuna melts. The comedy was said to stem entirely from Chandler's presence in a queer space as a straight man. Writing in his 2019 book Generation Friends: An Inside Look At The Show That Defined a Television Era, Austerlitz revealed: 'Perry said no, and the story was shelved.' John Krasinski in The Office: Jim Cheating On Pam Similarly to Matthew, John Krasinski refused a Season 8 episode of The Office where his character, Jim, was scripted to cheat on his wife, Pam, with Cathy, who was Pam's maternity leave proposed plot would have seen Cathy make romantic advances toward Jim and then kiss him in his hotel room during a business trip to Florida in the episode 'After Hours,' but John straight up wouldn't film it."That's the only time I remember putting my foot down,' he recalled in the book Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office. 'I remember saying things that I never thought I'd say before, like: 'I'm not going to shoot it.'''My feeling is there is a threshold with which you can push our audience,' John explained. 'They are so dedicated. We have shown such great respect to them. But there's a moment where if you push them too far, they'll never come back. And I think that if you show Jim cheating, they'll never come back."Apparently, creator Greg Daniels' rationale was that he wanted to make the audience think they were going to have 'a bad ending so they were happy when they got the good ending,' but John was able to convince him that while Cathy may flirt with Jim, she can never seem like any actual threat to Pam. Amber Riley in Glee: Mercedes Losing Her Virginity To Sam During an episode of the And That's What You Really Missed podcast, Glee star Amber Riley revealed that she refused to film a 'full-blown' sex scene for the show, despite the script already being played Mercedes on the hit series, and show runner Brad Falchuk wanted to show her character lose her virginity to her boyfriend Sam, played by Chord Overstreet, but Amber told him: 'Absolutely not.''[Brad] said: 'OK, well what if we just have you guys hold hands and walk into the room and then like close the door?'' Amber recalled, but added that she vetoed that, too. 'I was just like: 'No. I'm not doing it. I don't ever tell you guys no, I don't fight about anything, but, this?!' It would've been so awkward and I feel like it would've read awkward.'For context, Mercedes was a Christian and had openly been saving herself for marriage, with Amber noting that losing her virginity in high school 'just wasn't something my character would've done' and that she wanted to 'let her stick to her guns.''I mean, I grew up the church girl. It just wouldn't happen,' she concluded. 'Like, not at that age, you know what I'm saying? Not that easily… And then being pressured and all that kind of stuff, and doing it for someone else when it's not really what you really believe — the message that I felt that that would've sent to young girls wouldn't have been great.' Joseph Fiennes in The Handmaid's Tale: Fred Raping Serena It's fair to say that, objectively, Commander Fred Waterford is absolutely not a good man in The Handmaid's Tale. However, actor Joseph Fiennes felt that the show was going too far when they scripted Fred raping his wife, Serena, in a Season 2 episode of the show, and refused to shoot it.'I guess in many ways, as abhorrent and nasty and evil as Fred is, I have to defend parts of him,' Joseph told Entertainment Weekly. 'In episode 9, we had a moment where Fred was going to rape — after meeting Luke — rape Serena in a hotel room straight after, and it just didn't track for me. I had to go out on a limb and refuse to do it because I felt that even though Fred is who he is, he's human.'The actor added that he got through to showrunners after 'long emails and defending and pushing, and feeling that Yvonne [Strahovski, who played Serena] had tracked Serena so beautifully that her disenfranchisement with the regime and Fred was so beautifully charted it didn't need a heavy scene to kind of suddenly push her over the edge.' Dylan Sprouse in The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody: Making A "Fat Joke" Dylan and Cole Sprouse may have only been 12 years old when they landed their hit Disney TV show, The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody back in 2005, but they already had some serious integrity. Kim Rhodes, who played their onscreen mom, Carey, previously revealed that Dylan refused to make a scripted "fat joke" about her when she got pregnant during filming. 'I got pregnant when I was on the show, and, of course, the show dealt with it by making fat jokes. One of my favorite memories is that Dylan had a line that was a fat joke, and he kept skipping over it,' Kim explained during an appearance on the Back To The Best podcast. 'It was in the middle of a chunk of dialogue, so he kept skipping this laugh line and skipping it, and skipping it, and skipping it,' she continued. 'Finally, we get in front of the studio audience and he skips it, and the executive producer screams: 'Cut!'''He goes: 'Dylan, say the line,'' Kim recalled, before detailing Dylan's impressive response. 'He goes: 'I would not disrespect any woman that way, let alone this woman. You write something funny and I'll say it.'" James Corden in Hollyoaks: Making Fun Of Overweight People And Dylan isn't the only actor to have pushed back on this kind of joke, with James Corden refusing to shoot a scene in the British soap opera Hollyoaks unless details of it were changed super early on in his star would have been around 21 years old when he was cast as a school janitor in the show back in 1999, and James was left horrified when he learned that the plan was for his character's bedroom to be covered in posters of fast food. 'I thought they were just being nasty about anyone who was overweight,' he later told the New Yorker. 'I remember saying to the guy: 'I don't know one person who would take a picture of a hot dog and a burger and stick them on the wall.''James refused to start filming until the posters were taken down. William Daniels in Boy Meets World: Mr. Feeny Being A Fool Meanwhile, William Daniels admitted that he almost didn't play the iconic role of Mr. Feeny in Boy Meets World because he refused to make a teacher look like a 'fool' on TV."At a meeting with the show's author and executive producer, Michael Jacobs, already an established playwright and sitcom creator, as well as movie producer, I told him I didn't want to play a high school teacher who's made to look foolish for the sake of some cheap laughs," Bill wrote in his memoir There I Go Again: How I Came to Be Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT, & Many Others."I had too much respect for the underpaid, under-appreciated teachers of this country to portray one of them a fool,' he explained, adding that Michael was 'very persuasive and assured me that he would never have me play an idiot, so I came on board.'However, Bill was left disappointed after the sitcom's first-ever table read, and immediately went to Michael's office to quit the role because he was unhappy with Mr. Feeny's storyline.'Michael and I are very close. He likes to tell the story that we had one read-through of the rehearsal and I went to his office and I quit,' Bill recalled to People. 'And he said: 'Bill, that was just a read-through.' I said: 'Yeah, but —.' He said: 'Listen to me. I'm going to rework this tonight and you tell me tomorrow. If you want to [quit], OK? But wait until I revise it.' So the next day, the whole thing, it was different! He rewrote the damn thing. So, I stayed.'As you may know, Bill played Mr. Feeny for all seven seasons of the hit sitcom, which aired between 1993 and 2000, and even reprised his role in the show's spin-off series, Girl Meets World, in 2014. Harold Perrineau in Lost: Michael Not Caring About Walt But, unfortunately, not all storyline pushbacks are well-received by those at the top, which Harold Perrineau learned the hard way during his time on Lost, where he played Michael. Fans of the show probably recall that Season 1 ends with Michael's son, Walt, being kidnapped from a raft as they and other survivors try to leave the island to get Harold was left unimpressed when Season 2 of the show kicked off with his character being pretty unfazed by the disappearance of his young son, and instead focused on Sawyer, which led to conflict with the an in-depth Vanity Fair article that was more broadly about the toxic behind-the-scenes culture at Lost, Harold said that in the original draft of Season 2, episode 2, Michael only mentioned his kidnapped son once.'Michael's asking Sawyer questions about his past, about how he feels, but he never again mentions Walt,' Harold shared as he recalled thinking: 'I don't think I can do that. I can't be another person who doesn't care about missing Black boys, even in the context of fiction, right? This is just furthering the narrative that nobody cares about Black boys, even Black fathers.'Harold was told that the episode wasn't about his character, and his response was: ''Cool, it's not about me. I'm not making it about me. I just can't have this father not care about his son. Could we put in some more lines that show he cares about his son?' They didn't. I ad-libbed some lines. I didn't give a shit at that point.'And while Harold did eventually get a revised script weeks that centered the episode on Michael and Walt instead of Sawyer, the actor was told at the end of Season 2 that his character would not be returning. The character of Michael did feature later on in the series, but was reduced to a supporting role instead of a main focus. Can you think of any other examples of actors pushing back on their storylines? Let me know in the comments below! Do you love all things TV and movies? Subscribe to the Screen Time newsletter to get your weekly dose of what to watch next and what everyone is flailing over from someone who watches everything!
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The rise and fall of Bennifer: Why Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's marriage ended
When Michael Scott from 'The Office' said, 'Snip-snap snip-snap,' he was talking about the relationship between and . The Hollywood icons had multiple versions of engagement rings and connections in their fate, but unfortunately, the fan-favourite couple ended up having the worst ending. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Why did Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck break up? While fans had their heart broken when Bennifer broke up in early 2004, the 2.0 version had everyone wondering 'Why?' The couple might have earned a couple of headlines for their romance, but soon it turned into the beginning of the end. According to Page Six, the source explained that Ben was annoyed by the constant paparazzi during their honeymoon. 'She is an international superstar, and he acted like it came as a surprise that they would be followed around,' the report added. When it was supposed to be a time to rejuvenate their relationship, Bennifer would barely speak to each other. In the companion documentary 'The Greatest Love Story Never Told,' to her film 'This Is Me…Now,' Jennifer reflected upon Ben's disapproval of her artistic choices, where she used to write music about their experiences with him being the muse. Later in the doc, Affleck realises that his private love letters are being shared with the entire team of musicians. The breeze changed its direction in August 2024, when Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck without a lawyer, citing irreconcilable differences, according to The New York Post. Later, TMZ reported that the ex-couple had been working on the settlements for months, and the discussions were so intense that the agreements were difficult to make. Consequently, there were reports from People that Lopez was disappointed that Ben hadn't given her any signs that he wanted to continue the marriage. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The aftermath Months after untying the knot, Ben Affleck had nothing but sweet things to say about Lopez, where he claimed that he has respect for the pop star. Meanwhile, Lopez has been adamant about her disinterest in marriage, when a fan held a placard asking her to marry them, to which she responded that she has tried a couple of times and she's done with them, according to The Cut.
Buzz Feed
3 days ago
- General
- Buzz Feed
If Your Favorite Words Are 'Food' And 'Sleep,' These 32 Cool Products Will Make You Very Happy
A bottle of truffle seasoning for an instant upgrade on homemade meals that honestly has become one of my only personality traits, to the point where I'm just like, begging you to try it. I should gatekeep this stuff so I can have it all to myself but it is such a delicious and satisfying and ridiculously affordable alternative to real truffles that I'm throwing the gates WIDE OPEN. A weighted eye mask that's basically like a weighted blanket for your human eyes, designed to decrease stress and encourage ~deep sleep~. They also feature a 3D contour, so they're hollowed out in the middle and won't rest right on top of your eyes. A Yonanas fruit soft serve maker to magic any frozen fruit into an ice cream or sorbet texture so you can have a yummy frozen treat made to your *precise* favorite fruit combos. A lot of folks with dietary restrictions swear by this to get their ice cream kicks! A "zen sleep" essential oil roller made with a relaxing blend of lavender, rosemary, orange, and grapeseed for a soft little cocoon of scents that will make you feel like a happy little garden is rocking you to sleep. You can apply this on your temples, wrists, or even roll it on your pillow! A set of wax earplugs that mold to the shape of your inner ear like putty, fully blocking out noises like snoring, car honking, or the night owl in your home queueing up The Office who forgot, yet again, to turn the sound down before the theme started playing on full blast. 🫠 And a set of reviewer-beloved "Loops Quiet 2," aka the "earplugs for people who hate earplugs." These lightweight plugs are meticulously designed to muffle distracting, irritating, or overwhelming noise without completely blocking out the world around you, so you'll still be able to hear your alarm clock or any concerning noises. (Parents especially love these for muffling noise without blocking out their kids!) Nuts 'N More's Chocolate Maple Pretzel Peanut Butter Spread, which just put so many beautiful words in such a small space that I am salivating just TYPING them. Whomstsoever thought up a flavor so perfectly sweet, salty, crunchy, and smooth at the same time deserves to only ever get green lights and always have their pillowcase cool. An affordable brown noise sound machine as a gentler option to white noise — it's a steady, deeper sound that's a little less harsh, and a lot of people swear by it for calmer sleep. That said, this versatile gizmo not only has three brown noise options, but white noise, pink noise (a sort of "in between" brown and white), fan noises, lullabies, and 15 nature sounds to choose from. Oh — and it's an optional multi-color night-light! A container of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust so absurdly delicious that all food will just become a mere canvas for putting Cinnadust on. Reviewers use this on everything from coffee to toast to yogurt to fries to popcorn to sweet potatoes to ice cream to — you know what, I'll let you decide on your cinnajourney for yourself. McCormick's Potato Topping Seasoning for anyone who's not afraid to get a little feral about their air-fried, mashed, and baked potatoes — this blend of salt, garlic, and asiago cheese is so mouthwateringly delicious that you'll be dumping it on everything from popcorn to grilled cheese to guacamole. An adjustable cervical cooling pillow designed to make your neck as comfy and pain-free as possible, using its unique contoured design to cradle your head and support your neck's natural curve. Honestly, the cooling fabric is just a bonus for this little overachiever. A PopLite personal popcorn maker with a built-in serving bowl that will give you eight cups of movie theater-quality popcorn in two mere mortal minutes. Reviewers especially love that the popcorn doesn't burn, and the machine doesn't leave unpopped kernels like the usual microwave brands. A set of disposable Plackers "Grind No More" Night Guards for anyone who sleeps like this 😬😬😬 and wakes up like this. 😫 Each one of these grind-absorbing bite plates can be used up to 30 times to help reduce the tension from grinding your teeth in the middle of the night. Psst — this is also a MUCH cheaper alternative to costly bite guards that go for hundreds of dollars! Dr Teal's Sleep Body Lotion infused with melatonin, lavender, and chamomile for that precise "ahhhhhh" feeling that might help you drift off into dreamland and wake up with moisturized, happy skin. A pickling starter kit complete with everything you need to start fermenting small batches of INFINITE delicious things, from the traditional cucumbers and onions to yummy sauerkraut and kimchi to adventurous watermelon and mango 😋 . (If you've never had pickled mango before ... THANK ME LATER.) Built's "Puff Protein Bars" that are basically chocolate-covered marshmallows that also, by some witchcraft, have 17 entire grams of protein in them?? And NO weird aftertaste. If you are also someone who is in a perpetual state of "I need protein or I will bite someone's brain off," I am telling you, nothing in this WORLD will feel better than pulling one of these out of your bag. A set of self-heating lavender eye masks, which might be juuuuust the ticket to releasing the stress and tension that keeps your brain going in circles at night. Reviewers also swear by these for headache and migraine relief! A simple silicone bread maker that proves you don't need any know-how or complicated instructions to make delicious bread at home — in fact, you can mix the ingredients right into the silicone maker and pop it right into the oven. (A bunch of easy recipes are included to prove it!) A gorgeously designed Hatch Restore 3 for all the insomniacs and bad sleepers out there. This sunrise alarm and sound machine works overtime as a touch-controlled smart light, bedtime reading light, and even a wind-down light that helps you get into a healthier sleep routine at night and a much more calm, gradually soothing wake-up in the morning. Other bedside lamps could truly never. A cheery little "Buttercup" butter maker so you can make delicious butter in less than five (!!) minutes and enter a cottagecore era unlike any you've ever known. Time to impress your friends by gifting them with small batch butters in garlic, honey, truffle, and all kiiiinds of flavors you haven't even fathomed yet. A set of reviewer-beloved chocolate bar molds for anyone who dreams of DIY-ing their ultimate dessert. These are great for mix-ins like nuts and cereal, but also have enough depth for you to add fillings like peanut butter, jam, and caramel. Teeccino, the MVP of all coffee lovers who love sleep even more — this caffeine-free, acid-free strong herbal blend steeps like regular tea, but somehow mimics the taste of coffee so brilliantly that you'll get all the flavor and satisfaction without of a late night cuppa any of the insomnia. A supportive back pain relief pillow for side, stomach, *and* back sleepers with a firm, slight triangle bolster to give your joints and bones some immediate relief. Reviewers with sciatica and hip pain especially swear by this MVP (Most Valuable Pillow). A sushi-making kit perfect for beginners or intermediate sushi makers, so you can finally mix and match the exact ingredients your adventurous heart desires. Ghetto Gastro Sweet Potato Pancake & Waffle Mix your tastebuds deserve to try immediately — the reviews raving about the texture and perfect sweetness of the sweet potato flavor speak for themselves. A set of decadently cooling bamboo bed sheets so soft, breathable, and lovely that you'll be like, "Wait — am I in a White Lotus hotel??" Hot sleepers especially swear by these, and reviewers love how durable they are and how nicely they drape on mattresses. All of the luxury of being a rich person on an HBO drama, without any exorbitant prices (or murder)! And a set of satin pillowcases that not only have a cooling effect, but are soft on your skin and create less friction for your hair so it won't get as tangled while you sleep. Reviewers especially love these because they're an affordable alternative to ones that typically run $18 per case! A mushroom growing kit that grows right there in the packaging, so you can add some sweet, sweet umami flavors to all your favorite dishes by sautéing, roasting, or air frying them up. A microwave bacon cooker because as fun as it is to get your cardio in dodging bacon grease spitting at you from the pan, THERE IS ANOTHER WAY. This can cook seven to nine strips at a time, and comes with grooves and a spout designed to pour out the extra fat. A set of "Sleep & Recharge" melatonin Neuromints with lemon balm and chamomile to help get you in the ~zone~ for sleep on days when your brain is particularly wired after a hard day's work. Small Batch Cookies, tailor made for folks who live alone *or* for people who want to broaden their baking horizons, but don't want to deal with the mess of big batches (or the leftovers)! This book takes you through a bunch of delicious recipes for one to six people using minimal equipment, so you can have hassle-free treats and live your most delicious life. A set of wineglass charcuterie toppers to make you the ultimate host of wine and cheese nights ... *or* just an elite experience curating your own snack-and-vino vibe at home. (Friday night cheese is the most sacred cheese of all.)
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ross and Rachel to Randall and Beth: Top 7 iconic US series couples and what they can teach us about love
From coffee shop meet-cutes to hospital corridors, US series have provided us with some of the most memorable love affairs. These couples haven't only had audiences tuned in with their attraction, but also taught us surprisingly unexpected things about love, compromise, and endurance. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Let's have a bit of fun exploring 7 iconic couples and what their romance can teach us. Ross and Rachel from 'Friends' Ross and Rachel's relationship is as chaotic as it is iconic. From the infamous "we were on a break" drama to the airport goodbye that made everyone cry, they prove that relationships are not straightforward. What they learn is that love can survive sloppy mistakes, but that it is communication that holds it all together. Jim and Pam from 'The Office' Jim and Pam's romance is an example that proves the strongest relationships start as friendship. From stolen glances at the office to the hugging scenes outside the office, they remind us it's the little things, good humour, and silent nods that, at times, speak more loudly than grand gestures of love. Meredith and Derek from 'Grey's Anatomy' Meredith and Derek tell a tale of passion with romance and heartbreak. Theirs is a love affair that shows that no matter what life throws the unimagined you, being honest, vulnerable, and committed is what sustains love. Marshall and Lily from 'How I Met Your Mother' Marshall and Lily give us relationship inspiration in the form of humour and authenticity. They show us that they become better when together and not separately, and love works if both partners are each other's biggest supporter. Randall and Beth from 'This Is Us' Randall and Beth are today's power couple. They teach us that a good relationship is built on respect for each other, mutual responsibilities, and laughter in the middle of daily chaos, even during tough times. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Carrie and Big from 'Sex and the City' Carrie and Big's romance is tangled, complicated, and irresistibly addictive. Their ride teaches us that knowing one's value and being true is every bit as important as loving. Luke and Lorelai from 'Gilmore Girls' Luke and Lorelai's slow-burn romance shows that the best love stories sometimes start right under your nose. Their banter, friendship, and unwavering support for each other prove that love is as much about laughter as it is about passion.
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Behind the scenes with Boston College football coach Bill O'Brien at ACC media day
On the par-3 16th hole at Cummaquid Golf Club the day prior, playing with his son Michael and two friends, O'Brien (a 20-handicap) one-hopped the ball directly into the hole on a windy day. He's had more satisfying experiences in coaching, but as an athlete ... Advertisement 'It might be No. 1,' O'Brien said giddily. 'It was unbelievable.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Everyone knows O'Brien as a passionate and fiery coach, but a day spent alongside him on the Challenger 604 jet that flew him and the four players traveling to media day — Lewis Bond, Daveon Crouch, KP Price, and Logan Taylor — revealed his jovial, thoughtful, and sympathetic side. 'Seinfeld' and 'The Office' are two of his favorite shows, and Kramer and Michael Scott are his favorite characters. He's an avid reader who often juggles three books at a time. He cuts his sausage, egg, and cheese with a fork. He's a big Advertisement O'Brien sat back and let others approach during a hectic and fast-paced day at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown. When they did, he had thoughtful questions about family or summer travels. 'He sees everything,' said close friend Boston College head coach Bill O'Brien completed 21 interviews throughout the ACC's football media day. Trevor Hass After collectively marveling at the hole-in-one, the Eagles boarded the plane in Bedford at 5:54 a.m. in a single-file line. O'Brien and Najarian sat in the front, the players scattered in the back joined by two staffers. Some napped while others chatted, ate breakfast sandwiches, and ran through what they planned to say at the event. O'Brien used part of the plane ride to finalize his talking points and cement his knowledge of each player's background and development. He asked creative producer Jordan Arnold to minimize the pictures of him throughout the day, if possible. 'You don't want this fat face,' he cracked. O'Brien said he's going to the gym as much as he can and insisted he'll be down 30 pounds before the season opens against Fordham on Aug. 30. As the plane approached landing, O'Brien tied his red Vineyard Vines tie to his white shirt, dark blue suit, and blue and white shoes. He did so from his seat — no mirror, in 15 seconds, on the first try. Advertisement 'I'm a pro,' he said. 'It's not my first rodeo.' Taylor and Price each emerged from the tiny bathroom in the back after changing, and O'Brien had quips ready. He said he had no idea how the 6-foot-7-inch, 308-pound lineman Taylor fit in there and that Price, a stylish safety, came out looking like a movie star. 'It wasn't that bad,' Taylor insisted. At 7:56 a.m., O'Brien put on his sunglasses and shifted from Bill to Coach O'Brien. He stepped outside at the executive terminal of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where a sizable black van greeted the Eagles. Price took selfies outside as his teammates laughed. After a 24-minute ride, the BC contingent arrived at the hotel, took the elevator to the third floor, and sat in a largely empty room waiting for the next step. Just before 9 a.m., a surprise visitor approached the table. Related : O'Brien beamed as he told him about his 155-yard hole-in-one. Belichick congratulated him and shared that he has one as well — that just so happened to be a 200-yarder. They lamented that they missed each other on Nantucket this year and promised to catch up there next summer. As the conversation unfolded, the BC players tried to look at their phones and keep to themselves, yet inevitably stared at the rare scene unfolding in front of them. 'My skin is on fire right now,' whispered Crouch, a linebacker. Advertisement Four minutes later, longtime Clemson coach Dabo Swinney bounced over to the table to shake O'Brien's hand. O'Brien gushed about the hole-in-one again, to which Swinney replied that he didn't have one before veering the conversation to football. 'We're playing the Patriots organization in the month of October,' said Swinney, whose Tigers visit North Carolina (Oct. 4) and BC (Oct. 11) in consecutive weeks. 'Unbelievable.' Next up was Drew Fabianich, the director of the Reese's Senior Bowl, who brought pamphlets to each of the players. O'Brien reminisced about his Senior Bowl triumph in 2018, when his team, led by Mike White, throttled Baker Mayfield's squad, 45-16. He said he reminds Mayfield every time he sees him. After an hour-plus of schmoozing and reminiscing, O'Brien and the players took the podium at 10 a.m. and fielded questions centered predominantly around how the team can take the next step. 'Why not us?' said Bond, a wide receiver. 'Why can't it be us?' Related : O'Brien did an interview on ACC Network, then ventured to the lobby to conduct eight more, ranging from North Carolina Sports Network to the Louisville Courier Journal, across two hours. He was ready for anything, from Belichick to Bond, operating on autopilot while also ensuring he gave detailed and specific answers. 'Sorry it's the wrong Bill,' O'Brien joked. 'It's the Irishman from Boston.' O'Brien is a seasoned veteran at these types of events. He finds a way to remain genuine while also not saying anything controversial. Nothing fazes him, and he compliments interviewers when a question truly intrigues. He texted his wife, Colleen, in between segments, then dutifully moved to the next obligation. Advertisement During one interview, he glanced at a text from Patriots coach 'Just call me Ace,' O'Brien said. Then came more TV interviews, as O'Brien continued to cruise on an empty stomach. He conducted 21 over six hours, with just one bathroom break. Finally, the day concluded at 4:04 p.m., and the players and O'Brien signed autographs before arriving at the van, where Chick-fil-A was waiting. They ran into Swinney again at the airport, and he asked Taylor to shrink a few inches before October. After a hectic day, Bill O'Brien still carved out time to sign autographs outside the hotel in Charlotte, N.C. Trevor Hass The plane departed at 4:58 p.m. O'Brien's first yawn of the day came at 5:10 p.m., then he took a power nap for 25 minutes before perking up as the plane prepared to land. 'All right, guys,' he said when they hit the ground. 'See you Tuesday. Rock and roll.' When a cart outside the plane only fit some of the group, O'Brien let Price, Taylor, Bond, and Crouch take the seats and chose to walk back himself. Rejuvenated and ready to attack the next day with a similar vigor, he turned, offered a slight smile, and continued to move forward. 'Players first,' he said. Trevor Hass can be reached at
