Toward the end of my television career, I had the great pleasure to work on a series which was unlike any other I had done in my career. It involved a cast and crew who, in part were cast-offs from the mainstream (which, arguably, included me). Except for one person (who happened to be the show runner and a most disagreeable person), that entire cast and crew turned out to be some of the most enjoyable people with whom I had the pleasure to associate.
One actress had a key role in the fictional TV family, but was not in every episode. Nonetheless, whenever she came to stage (often with her adorable kids in tow), she was an absolute ray of sunshine. Impressed as I was at the way in which she balanced her career and her family so adeptly, I took to calling her “Sunshine Superwoman.”
As she strolled in one day, I greeted her with my now usual appellation, and she stopped me to ask — where exactly that name came from. I replied that it was a silly word variation coming from a 60s song, “Sunshine Superman.” As she was born a few years after the release of that tune, it was understandable that she was unfamiliar with it. I tried one more point of reference. I mentioned that it had been recorded by the Scottish performer, Donovan. Here eyes lit up with recognition and I thought perhaps she was familiar with it, but not by name. Then she blushed a little, “I used to date his son,” she then added.
And so it goes.