In the recent WGA Veteran’s Retreat my fellow mentor, Karen Harris, and I did an exercise with our group. Two Truths and One Lie. It’s a great tool for dreaming up characters’ backstories. The exercise is you list three statements about your life – two are true, the other is false – and everyone has to guess which is the false one. So as a fun (?) blog exercise, I thought I would play the game with you. Below are nine series of three statements? One in each triplet is a lie. Guess which ones in the comments section. Tomorrow the answers and explanations for the true statements. As always, winners receive nothing so you’re going to definitely want to play. Good luck. I was on ABC-TV covering the National Elections when I was eighteen.
I once asked Prince Charles “What advice would you give young people thinking of getting into your profession?”
I got a tour of the Oval Office from the President.
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For a pilot I was casting I once passed on an Oscar winner for an actress with zero experience.
Jennifer Aniston was in a failed pilot of ours.
O.J. Simpson was at my wedding.
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I kissed a Bond girl (when she was still young and hot).
I once announced a Dodger baseball game with Vin Scully.
I had a cartoon in the New Yorker while in college.
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Former madam, Heidi Fleiss’ father was my kids’ pediatrician.
Diana Ross sang at my grandparents’ anniversary party.
I wrote comedy for Dr. Timothy Leary.
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I once picked up Stephen Stills who was hitchhiking in Laurel Canyon.
I announced a Golden States Warriors game on KNBR, San Francisco.
My first girlfriend starred in a movie with Natalie Wood.
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Larry King said I sounded like Dick Cavett.
Al Hirschfeld made a caricature of himself just for me.
I got to fly once with the Blue Angels.
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Tracey Ullman hit me.
I once won the Washington Sportscaster of the Year Award.
I once won the Virginia Sportscaster of the Year Award.
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I turned down writing the Cosby pilot.
I turned down writing for LAUGH IN when I was in college.
Tony Gwynn attended my son’s Bar Mitzvah.
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I wrote a musical-comedy stage show for the United States Army.
My daughter’s first word was “Norm.”
I’m in Who’s Who in America.