Nevertheless, what a night that was. I attended the premiere with Joe Fria, one of my fellow Ravagers, and an actor with a long list of credits. After the pageantry of the red-carpet entrance (which seemed to go on forever), the entire cast was seated together in the beautiful and sprawling Dolby Theatre. There were more than three thousand people in attendance, and every one of them seemed to be intimately familiar with the Marvel universe in general and Guardians of the Galaxy in particular. They cheered wildly each time a favorite character appeared on-screen for the first time. They laughed and applauded in all the right places.
What many people do not realize is that a premiere represents a great unveiling, not just to the general moviegoing public, but to the performers as well. There are a handful of stars who get to see an early screening, but most actors do not see their work until the premiere. Until that moment, they don’t know what the movie will look like, or even how large or small their role will be. They do not know how much of their work will appear on-screen, or how much has been left on the floor of the editing suite. I approached this experience, therefore, with both enthusiasm and trepidation. It was impossible not to get caught up in the glamour and excitement of the evening; and yet, as the lights went down and the screen lit up, I could feel my heart beating faster. And as the movie rolled on, for ten, twenty, forty minutes, I began to worry.
What if I didn’t make the cut?
Stranger things had happened. Every actor in Hollywood has felt the sting of the editor’s knife. It’s inevitable. A director typically shoots hundreds of hours of film, then pares it down to roughly two hours for theatrical release. What you see on the screen is a distillation of months of work: a puzzle assembled using only the best pieces in the box; everything else is jettisoned.
Maybe Huhtar was a casualty of this process.
Maybe my performance was deemed lacking.
Maybe . . .
Suddenly, roughly an hour into the movie, there I was, larger than life, walking across the screen, unrecognizable in Huhtar makeup, with thickly padded cheeks and brow, and a silver skullcap, grunting ominously. The character seemed big, strong, menacing, exactly as he was meant to look. Reflexively, I sat up straight in my seat and smiled. For the briefest of moments, I had to stifle the urge to cry out triumphantly.
“That is me—Blondy Baruti! I made the cut!”
Instead, I took a deep breath and sat quietly as the scene unfolded. For the final hour, I was more relaxed. Huhtar wound up with roughly five lines of dialogue and perhaps ten minutes of mostly silent but action-packed screen time. He did not stand out; neither was he invisible. He was simply part of the team.
But what a team it was!
As the final credits rolled and the audience cheered and applauded, I remained in my seat, reflecting on the strangeness of it all. I thought about what Jami had said to me after I got the part:
“You deserve this.”
I do not know if that is true. Who is to say what we deserve or do not deserve? The randomness and unpredictability of life is so often bewildering. Who knows what is determined by fate or luck or karma or hard work? Did I deserve to be ripped from my home in the Congo and nearly die in the jungle? Did I deserve to be given the opportunity of a new life in America when so many of my friends were far less fortunate? Did I deserve to be homeless in L.A.? Or to be rescued by Jami and Tony, just as I had been rescued by Terry and Laurie Blitz?
I think about those things even now, when I drive through certain parts of the city, and see the blank faces of shattered men and women living on the streets, carrying signs, pleading for help. I think about it when I read accounts of the ongoing atrocities in the Congo, or when I speak to my family back home, which I do on a weekly basis. I tell them how much I love them and miss them. I send money to my mother each month to help support her and my nieces and nephews, since they do not have much in the way of material possessions, nor a father in their lives. I think of them sometimes and my heart aches.
Why is that not me? Why have I been so blessed?
I have no answers, of course. But I will forever try to prove myself worthy of the grace of God, and the kindness extended to me by strangers. I will continue on the never-ending journey, with wonder and appreciation for each and every step.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are so many people I would like to recognize for helping me along my journey.
First, my family in Africa: To my grandmother: when I was hungry, she cooked for me and told me everything will be all right. To my uncle, Joseph, for giving me a sense of direction and a father figure while I was growing up in the Congo. He was there to guide me and lift my spirits up when I was down. And to my father, who wasn’t there for me while I was growing up, but who gave me life; for that I will always be grateful.
To all my friends back home in the Congo. They supported me and pushed me very hard, mentally and physically, which made me a better basketball player down the road. I thank you all.
Thank you to the Blitz family, who took a chance on an unknown kid from overseas and loved me unconditionally as their own son. Terry Blitz is the father I never had. Thank you, Terry, for loving me and being there for me no matter what the situation was. When I was down, you led me along the right path; when I needed a shoulder to lean on, you were always there for me; when I was afraid, you told me everything would be okay. I love you and Laurie, and the entire Blitz family.
Thank you, also, for the love and support of the Brownlee, Faulkner, Egan, and Moncho families. I’m proud to call you guys family and nothing will ever change that.
To all my friends in Arizona, especially Mesa High School; Mississippi; Oklahoma; and Los Angeles—your love means the world to me.
Thanks to the Iger family for the love and support you have demonstrated since I first met you guys. To the Ressler family—thank you for accepting me into your home and making me part of your family.
A big and special thanks to Jami Gertz for opening your home to someone you had just met behind the scenes of a TV show. The care and guidance you provided helped me become the man I am today. I thank you and your family from the bottom of my heart.
To my manager, Adena Chawke, the best any actor could ask for. Thank you for believing in me. You have always been there for me, throughout the roller coaster of ups and downs.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this book a reality: my coauthor Joe Layden, and our literary agents, David Doerrer and Frank Weimann; my editor, Christine Pride (and everyone at Simon & Schuster). Thank you all for your patience and for believing in me and in my story.
Lastly, and most importantly, I would like to express unending thanks to my Lord and Savior, the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. If not for him, I would not be here today. He loves me and protected me throughout my life. And he never left my side.
Glory to God forever.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
© CONNER BRAIDIC
BLONDY BARUTI is a former basketball star and an actor. He was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, attended the University of Tulsa, and currently lives in California. Blondy has starred in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Huhtar, and has filmed several pilots for ABC. This is his first book.
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Copyright © 2018 by Blondy Baruti
Certain names and characteristics have been changed.
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First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition May 2018
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Interior design by Silverglass Design
Jacket design by Daniel Rembert
Back Jacket photographs Courtesy of the author
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Names: Baruti, Blondy.
Title: The incredible true story of Blondy Baruti : my unlikely journey from
the Congo to Hollywood / Blondy Baruti ; with Joe Layden.
Description: First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition. | New York :
Simon & Schuster, 2018.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017057729| ISBN 9781501164996 (hardback) | ISBN 9781501165009
(trade paper) | ISBN 9781501165016 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Baruti, Blondy. | Motion picture actors and actresses—United States
—Biography. | BISAC: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Personal Memoirs.
Classification: LCC PN2287.B3755 A3 2018 | DDC 791.4302/8092 [B]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017057729
ISBN 978-1-5011-6499-6
ISBN 978-1-5011-6501-6 (ebook)
The Incredible True Story of Blondy Baruti Page 30