People's expectations can negate the best intentions, and that reminds me how a Johnny Depp anecdote is outlandishly related to my rather private professional background - and a lesson in persuasion: While visiting Disneyland after the first Pirates Of The Caribbean movie hit the theaters, Johnny Depp was eager to pull a prank in the attraction of the same name. The idea was to dress up as Jack Sparrow, stay among the other animatronics, wait until people came over in the boats and then jump and scream. Simple! When the moment arrived, Depp couldn't contain his excitement. He remained frozen while ... [keep reading...]

Hugh Laurie had to work with a literal lion once, and his first question was obvious: what to do if it attacks me? the answer is both funny and insightful: So, Laurie was filming this documentary that featured these fluffy-maned killing machines, and at some point he had to literally be filmed pretty close to one of them. The little detail that rang his internal alarms is that the filming crew was conveniently wrapped inside an iron cage, while the Dr. House star was going to be out in the open, next to the animal. He asked the specialist on set, ... [keep reading...]

Most people would get uneasy about being spied, but this anecdote about an US diplomat proves you can live in a Peter Sellers movie every now and then: William Harriman was a US diplomat well known for his phenomenal hard work and wits. While being ambassador in Moscow in 1945, he was followed everywhere by the Soviet secret police. He was aware of this, and found their persistence amusing. One weekend, he was invited to visit a British colleague at a country retreat. The area was only accessible only by means of all-terrain vehicles, so thinking about the guys constantly following ... [keep reading...]

"Good Luck" is something you can control, like this F1 driver that avoided a fatal crash just by paying attention to the right signs: Beneath the Monaco sun, the roar of engines echoed. Argentine Formula One driver Juan Manuel Fangio, a five-time World Drivers' Champion, led the race. Swift and agile, his car danced upon the asphalt. But as he sped, a hushed alarm bell rang in his mind. Ahead, a treacherous curve unfurled. As Fangio approached, a peculiar sight met his eyes: The blur of spectator faces, usually indifferent, were turned away, their attention snatched by an unseen drama beyond ... [keep reading...]

I've met a lot of people with impressive skills, but the most remarkable ones were those who were well aware of their limitations. That was the case with Disraeli and this anecdote about writing jokes: Legend says that William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli, both having played sort of a ping-pong game for years being prime ministers of the UK, were chatting late at night in Disraeli's studio. Gladstone mentioned his colleague's joke writing skills, and the other scoffed with a humble gesture. "I'm sure you could write a joke about any subject", said the first. "Yes, it is quite possible", was ... [keep reading...]

Sometimes life can throw so many things at us, at the same time, that it's easy to become overwhelmed by then. But when that happens, I think of this Michael Fassbender anecdote and it just works: The moment Michael Fassbender had this script in his hands, he became instantly mesmerized. The complexity of the character was already legendary, the stages of development were perfect for painting strong emotions and the project looked amazing. There was only one problem: Fassbender is a perfectionist. And the script in question was for the biopic "Steve Jobs", another hopeless perfectionist. Imagine such combination. Danny Boyle, ... [keep reading...]

Life has many ironies, and they can either upset or amuse you. This man, even if overwhelmed by frustration, opted for the second option: While serving in the British merchant marine during World War I, actor Herbert Marshall participated in an operation that required everyone to wear life jackets all the time. You can imagine that the conditions of the job, the sweat, the soil over days and then weeks made the vests not only uncomfortable but foul smelling as well. At some point he even seriously thought that drowning would be a better outcome than wearing the darned vest again. ... [keep reading...]

Perhaps one of the most important abilities we can develop is saying 'no'. But if you're like me, you might have some trouble with that every now and then. The crazy thing is that the answer has something to do with the way babies try to eat with a spoon for the first time: You can imagine. Half of the food will end on their bib, half on their faces, and the rest in their tummies (if they're lucky!) It would be an understatement to say that their hands are all over the place, trying to land as close as possible ... [keep reading...]

  Yes, you read that right. Books are dangerous, and can make your life miserable. What, you disagree? then let me make my point with the help of Juana Galán, which was like a nineteenth century Spanish Sarah Connor: It was 1807 and Napoleon was really bored, so he started the Peninsular war against Spain and Portugal. Throughout that conflict, the French troops had to pass through the town of Valdepeñas. Most, if not all of Valdepeñas' men were fighting their asses off elsewhere. Juana Galán was a 22-year-old barmaid in the main tavern of the city. A la "Molly's Game", ... [keep reading...]

Sometimes it’s necessary to take desperate actions so the world takes you seriously. A good example is Barry Marshall, who made a… let’s say, “sacrifice” in order to force the medical community to turn their heads: From the first industrial revolution until the early 1980s, everyone “knew” that stress was the cause of stomach ulcers. (It’s logical, don’t you think?… more stress -> more acid -> ulcers) Dr. Marshall disagreed, and set to work. Marshall partnered with the conveniently named Robin Warren to show that stomach ulcers were caused by bacteria. Hundreds of biopsies, cultures and experiments later, his hypothesis was practically ... [keep reading...]