Not a few of Hollywood's top talents can recall working service sector jobs to make ends meet before their silver screen careers took off. The memory is rather more fresh for Tinseltown sirens Uma Thurman and Claire Danes, however, as they were both serving drinks as recently as Monday night.
The two performers showed off their catering skills this week at a special event to mark the Sundance Institute's 25th anniversary. And although the Kill Bill star seemed to be taking the task in her stride, Romeo And Juliet's leading lady soon found herself running into trouble.
Her fellow movie stars Stanley Tucci and Glenn Close didn't seem too worried when the 27-year-old stumbled and sent a tray of drinks crashing to the floor at their feet, though.
Celluloid veteran Paul Newman found a rather more fool proof way to ferry his beverages around - ferrying his bottles of beer about in a bucket. The 81-year-old Cool Hand Luke star was driving a hard bargain, too, as anyone who fancied one had to cough up $25 each.
Monday night's event was staged to raise money for the Sundance Institute, which was set up by Paul's old friend Robert Redford to support aspiring young filmmakers. And just to make sure the next generation of cinema talents knew they weren't alone in having to wait tables and bartend, all the big names wore t-shirts revealing the less glamorous occupations they had held in years gone by.
Claire Danes once spent her days working as a nursery school teacher's assistant, while Uma was a "burrito roller" at Taco Bell. Matthew Modine, who was also joining in the fun, apparently took turns as a ditch digger and mattress delivery man, and Glen spent her nights toiling as a cocktail waitress. The inimitable Mr Newman's t-shirt revealed that he had "never had a crappy gig until tonight", though.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
