“Is she the tutor?” or How I became a Fan of Damian Lewis, The Man: Lewisto’s Story

Hi everyone! Damianista welcomes you to a NEW Fan Story Tuesday!

Most of you know Lewisto, my husband and partner-in-crime, who occasionally writes for Fan Fun. Today is Lewisto’s birthday and I thought it would be fun to share his fan story on this special day. Some of you may have read this story because we originally published it two years ago. However, since it is the story of how Lewisto became a Damian Lewis fan it truly belongs in this Fan Story Series.

You will notice that while it is an extremely funny story centered around Damian, Lewisto’s story is quite personal and it says as much about the two of us as about Damian. I do not intend to give any spoilers but if you think of Carrie and Brody as the best cat and mouse you have ever seen… well, you ain’t seen nothing yet 😀

ENJOY!

source: Damianista

Folks, I have a fun story to tell.

First, let me put the record straight: We are a lucky generation. Our life time has given us geniuses of all sorts, from Maradona to Michael Jackson, to Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Banksy, Steve Jobs, Nelson Mandela, Philip Glass, Haruki Murakami, Serena Williams…. and our very own Damian Lewis.

We are so very lucky to be indulging ourselves in one of the finest forms of acting from Damian Lewis in our life time. Well, we are also lucky to have this fan blog, too. It is an awesome blog and there is nothing like it. The level of fun, creativity, imagination and sophistication it offers cannot be matched by any other fan page or blog for any artist. And frankly, this is probably the most appropriate way of talking about such a genius and his art. Thanks ladies, I am a huge fan of yours, too!!!

Long story short, I have been addicted to Damian’s work since I met Brody in Homeland.

But something else made me a true fan of Damian Lewis, the man himself. Here is the story:

Your humble servant, that is me to be precise, is a close companion to Damianista, who happens to teach at some university during her seriously serious daily life.

Fact number one: They refer to her likes as “tutor” in Britain.

Fact number two: Damian is a pretty pretty good looking guy, even for a straight guy like me, but let us defer that discussion.

Now, it turns out that Damianista gets a chance to travel to London and see American Buffalo on stage.

Fact number three: I follow Damianista wherever she goes. Yeah, this is a lesser known fact, but it is a fact anyway.

So we book our flight, buy our theater tickets, and off we go to London.

Fact number four: I am a pretty smart and rational guy. Yeah, the “smart” part is up for debate, but really folks, anybody who creates such great content should try to meet with the dude who inspires them. That is rational, no? So I convince Damianista to try and meet with him in person.

The day of the play. You know, signing/selfieing with fans after performance is not a sure thing and besides, one needs to share the actor with fifty other fans at the stage door. So we decide to try and see him before the play.

source: Damianista
source: Damianista

We go to Wyndham’s Theater a little early that day. It is a standalone building in the middle of Leicester square with doors on all four sides. How do you know which door he would use? Damianista decides to place herself by the stage door at the back of the theater, where actors do their signing with fans after the show. I am located by the main entrance in front of the building. Citing one of Teach’s best lines from American Buffalo, “this is preparation!”

So I am waiting… Suddenly a seventies-porn-star handsome guy walks towards the front door of the theater. Have I already told you how good looking he is? Yeah, that is fact number two, man, he looks good in those sideburns and moustache!

ThisIsPreparation
Chart I: Our “preparation”

I quickly approach him. When I say quickly, what I mean is what you see in our “preparation chart” above. “Mr. Lewis, Mr. Lewis!” I shout, “I am with the woman from fanfunwithdamianlewis.com”

He turns to me: “Is she the tutor?” I know they met before but I am surprised he is remembering details about her.

Me: “Yes!”

Damian: “Where is she?”

Me: “Stage door at the back.”

He immediately cuts me off from the conversation (I mean, really dude, that was not nice at all), he gets out, walks to the stage door, murmuring his lines all the way, a few bystanders join our walk trying to talk with him to no avail, because he goes to Damianista and says “I have come to talk to you, how are you?” The next picture captures the moment with high precision indeed!

DamianWalkingToDamianista
Chart II: The Holy Trail

He is obviously very busy rehearsing his lines one last time. We find out later he and the family are quite busy with moving, too, that week. I told y’all, I am a rational guy, if I were him, I would say, “Really? How sweet! Say hi to her and give her a big hug, OK?”  Nope. He chooses to walk to Damianista in person and have a long conversation with her.

Now… This kind of generosity is enough to make me a true fan of the man himself! Oh, have I also said how great an actor he is? Well I’ve tried a bit at the beginning, but in truth, I cannot put it as well as those ladies do…

Until next time, hugs to y’all.

source: Damianista
Damian and Damianista having a seriously fun conversation, photo: Lewisto

Damianista is back for the last word! Hehe no wonder Damian asks after Lewisto every time I meet him 😀

Anyhow… to complete the story… I am standing across from the stage door for more than an hour now… Tom Sturridge is the first to arrive… John Goodman follows soon after, and he does not only give me an autograph but also chats a bit with me about Treme in which I adored him!

So, I wait a little more… And, all of a sudden, and exactly like Lewisto has it on his “Holy Trail” chart, four guys turn the corner at the same time… It feels exactly like the famous OK Corral scene except that the guys look a bit different! 😀

okcorral

On the left, Lewisto, jumping up and down, and waving the two hotel umbrellas he has in his hand (it was a rainy day in London!)… Then, in the middle, two guys that I have no idea about, cameras in hand and trying to make conversation with the guy on the right who seems to have zero interest in them and is murmuring to himself… And that guy is… Damian! And, hey, he is not going to the stage door… He is walking crosswise… to me:  “I have come to talk to you… How are you?”

Some dreams come true, don’t they?

Anyhow… I do my best not to take a lot of his time because Damian will be on stage in less than an hour and we will be in our seats to see him in American Buffalo. But I, at least, say: “Look, Damian. I would love to kidnap you for a day just to have you sit down and read our blog. But I cannot do that. So I will do the second best. Here is a selection of our blog posts that you may like!” And I give him a fat dossier 😀 He laughs and we chat a little. Just after we say our good-byes, an older lady comes to me and says: “You know how lucky you are, don’t you? You had your moment with him.” Yes. Yes, I know how lucky I am. I am over the moon. But not just because I had the chance to meet Damian. It’s also because I have the BEST guy in the world that always plays ball with me, even in my craziest endeavors like this fan blog, making everything in life better, funnier and happier! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Lewisto!

Author: Damianista

Academic, Traveler, Blogger, Runner, Theatre Lover, Wine Snob, Part-time New Yorker, and Walking Damian Lewis Encyclopedia :D Procrastinated about a fan's diary on Damian Lewis for a while and the rest is history!

25 thoughts on ““Is she the tutor?” or How I became a Fan of Damian Lewis, The Man: Lewisto’s Story”

  1. Happy Birthday indeed, Lewisto! It’s a fun story, love the charts and arrows. Such a man thing I love you guys. I’ve only seen one photo of you. How about another?
    I named Damianista the instigator but I see a match made in heaven!

    1. I will send you a nice picture of us in an email! Yes, you diagnose it right: this is a pretty good match. Thanks so much for all your kind words!

  2. Happy Birthday from London Lewisto- you are the BEST partner in crime – you are setting the bar so high over the rainbow;-)

    1. Hey girl, you are not bad at partner-in-criming, either! In fact, YOU ROCK! Our random encounter with Damian at Brumus Cafe is a story to savor! Much love to you from both of us! <3 Next time: Stage-dooring together!

  3. Hallo liebe Damianista,

    Deine Kommentare und Berichte sind einfach unschlagbar. Vielen Dank dafür !! Das was Du da vollbringst ist, glaube ich, einzigartig und spricht Bände über Deine Begeisterung für Damian.

    Ich persönlich finde schon, dass man gesegnet ist, wenn man die Gabe hat, sich für einen Menschen so zu begeistern. Ich liebe das und es gibt meinem Leben einen tollen Auftrieb und unwahrscheinlich viel Freude und Kraft.

    Allerdings finde ich, dass Du doppelt gesegnet bist und zwar mit Deinem Lewisto. Das nenne ich wahre Größe und Liebe. Für mich persönlich ist wahre Liebe, wenn man den anderen so sein lässt wie er eben ist. Mit all seinen Spinnereien, vor allem eigentlich mit genau diesen, denn das macht uns doch aus. Ich fühle mich da gleichermaßen gesegnet. Mein Mann hat es in dem Punkt mit mir ähnlich schwer oder leicht… (?!) und er lässt mich und dafür liebe ich ihn umso mehr.

    Also liebe Damianista und Dir lieber Lewisto, herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag und das Ihr beiden Euch gefunden habt. Schön das es solche Männer wie Dich gibt.

    Herzlichste Grüße aus Deutschland !!

    Google Translate:

    Hello dear Damianista,

    Your comments and reviews are simply unbeatable. Thanks a lot for this !! What you do there, I believe, is unique and speaks volumes about your enthusiasm for Damian.

    Personally, I already find that one is blessed if one has the gift of being so enthusiastic about a person. I love that and it gives my life a great boost and unlikely much joy and strength.

    However, I find that you are doubly blessed with your Lewisto. That is what I call true grandeur and love. For me personally, true love is when you let the other be as it is. With all his spinning mills, before actually with exactly this, because that makes us out. I feel equally blessed. My husband has it in the point with me similarly difficult or easy … (?!) And he leaves me and for that I love him all the more.

    So dear Damianista and you dear Lewisto, congratulations for the birthday and that you two you have found. Nice that there are such men like you.

    Greetings from Germany!

    1. My Dear Lucky Fellow! You have brought tears to my eyes. Translating what you say in your comment: “For me personally, true love is when you let the other be as it is.” So true. Letting your partner be the person s/he is probably key and yes you may never have met Lewisto but you get him just right! And you are right, the world is a better place with nice men! 🙂 Thank you so much for your very kind words!

      Lewisto and I read your note together at the airport. Believe it or not, we are flying to your country to spend a few days in Berlin! We are very excited. Much love from both of us <3

      1. Herzlich Willkommen in Deutschland !
        Ich wünsche Euch Beiden eine unvergessliche Zeit in unserem Land.
        Ich freue mich, dass ich durch die Begeisterung für Damian solch wunderbare Menschen wie Euch kennenlernen durfte. Wir haben auf dieser Welt viel zu wenige Menschen, die den Mut aufbringen, dazu zu stehen, wenn sie etwas lieben und es ihr Herz berührt. Für mich zählt nur das und ich versuche zumindest jeden Tag auf`s neue nur diese Qualität mein Leben bestimmen zu lassen.
        Ich danke für diese liebenswürdigen Worte von Euch und sende Euch ebenfalls viel Liebe !!
        Auf eine fantastische Reise !!
        P.S.: Meine Reise nach London für Damian ist für mich, in jeglicher Hinsicht, zu einem unvergesslichen Teil meines Lebens geworden.
        Mein Lebensmotto: „Es gibt nichts Gutes, außer man tut es!“

        1. Thank you! <3 I LOVE your motto and certainly follow it in my life and we just fell in love with Berlin! <3

    2. I’m with you, Lucky Fellow. Love is truly knowing and being known. That takes time and attention. 37 years in November!

      1. Hallo liebe „itsnotlinda“ !
        Danke auch Dir für Deine lieben Worte. Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu Deinen glücklichen 37 Jahren. Ein inneres Glück dieser Art, kann einem niemand nehmen !! Ich wünsche dir das Allerbeste und freue mich, wenn wir zusammen wieder über Damian schwärmen können.
        Herzlichste Grüße aus Deutschland !

    1. I think it was Helen that said once something like “give me a man with sense of humor and I can go with him to the end of the world.” Same goes for me and for my choice in marriage, I think! I was sold on many things but certainly on great sense of humor, too! Greetings from Berlin, what a cool city!

  4. Happy Birthday Lewisto! What an amazing example of how Damian is truly a “nice guy”. Thank you for sharing such a fun fan story with us.

    1. Muchas Gracias!!! I know I am very lucky. We are traveling at the moment but I know Lewisto will have a ball when he reads all these comments <3

  5. Vous semblez etre un couple merveilleux avec beaucoup d’amour!
    Et aussi,vous avez beaucoup de chance,de parler avec le beau Damian,et aussi,que Damian ,lui mème cherche a vous parler,c’est merveilleux,mais vous le méritez tellement!Merci pour tout!
    Monique

  6. Well, well…
    In a row:
    First: So sorry for the delay and Happy Birthday to you!
    Second: Damianista has an excellent taste for men and the above story confirms this in an eloquent way!
    Third: You have an excellent taste for men, respective – actors too! 😀 (Do not get me wrong about this) 😀
    Fourth: You two are GREATE partners in crime! So, many blessings for you and go ahead!
    Fifth: ” Well, we are also lucky to have this fan blog, too. It is an awesome blog and there is nothing like it. The level of fun, creativity, imagination and sophistication it offers cannot be matched by any other fan page or blog for any artist.” – I have nothing more to say…
    Sixth: Cheers for all of the above!!! <3

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