7th April, 2008: Huffman Relaxes with Tea and a Book
Like her mother, actress Felicity Huffman’s favorite pastime is reading in bed while drinking tea. The television star likes tea in bed with family sagas, a zippy mystery, a monk’s meditations, and a child-rearing playbook, according to O, The Oprah Magazine.
People think my life must be much different since Desperate Housewives went on the air. Actually, it’s very much the same: I still drive to work, go to the farmers’ market, and hang out at home. And I still have to read before I go to sleep. The truth is, my only hobby is reading in bed with tea. I come by it naturally reading in bed is one of my mother’s favorite pastimes, too, says Huffman.
In fact, her tea tradition would comprise an idyllic day for the actress. It’s such a sanctuary and a resource for me, according to an article on her official website. And what tea would Huffman be drinking? Herbal. It’s Felicity’s favorite.
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31st March, 2008: Liv Tyler Inspires Tea Book
Good manners start young. No one knows this better than Dorothea Johnson, founder of the Protocol School of Washington and the grandmother of actress Liv Tyler (the daughter of Aerosmith musician Steve Tyler who is best known for her film work in Lord of the Rings and Stealing Beauty).
Johnson had already authored several books on tea and etiquette when she felt inspired to teach young people the finer graces of living. Based on her close relationship with her famous granddaughter, Liv, she came up with a picture book and etiquette manual titled, Children’s Tea & Etiquette: Brewing Good Manners in Young Minds. Published by Benjamin Press, the book covers a number of social graces, from the basics of saying “please” and “thank you,” to tea party table manners. It also touches upon the history of tea and includes a smattering of tea party recipes.
For more information about Johnson’s book, go here.
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24th March, 2008: Barbra Streisand Tea Memories
The little girl was called Sam and 30-some years ago she chanced into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, thanks to the antics of her older brother. Sam L. Lamp has recounted the tale for The Celebrity Cafe: she was invited to join Barbra Streisand for tea after her brother gave his tag-along sister the slip during play. “I remember her manager coming out and asking me if I wanted to have tea with ‘Barbie.’ Well, I thought he was talking about a doll not Ms. Streisand. He led me to the back and we sat and had tea and she was very sweet.”
What makes Miss Lamp’s tale especially interesting is knowing a little more about Streisand’s childhood. According to one celebrity site, in her youth, “Barbra found all sorts of ways to entertain herself while her mother buried herself in work. She played tea party and dress-up … [and] she spent hours singing in the halls of her apartment building.”
We’re glad to hear that Barbra continued her tea traditions into adulthood. And glad that she kept singing.
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18th March, 2008: The Wizard Speaks: Tea Tops Dr. Oz’s Anti-Aging Checklist on Oprah
As seen on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Oz’s Anti- Aging Checklist features tea, both green tea and white tea, as part of a regiment for looking younger and living longer. As Mellow Monk points out, Dr. Oz recommends drinking four cups of green tea and/or white tea per day. In order to combat the aging process, in addition to drinking tea, you need to stock your kitchen with anti-oxidant rich items. Dr. Oz’s favorites include blueberries, sweet potatoes, broccoli and tomatoes. The checklist outlines other “musts” like benchmarks for sleeping, vitamins, exercise and more.
Looking younger and living longer is certainly appealing…no ruby slippers required.
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10th March, 2008: Patti Scialfa’s Tea in Life and Art
Patti Scialfa may be best known as the wife of musician Bruce Springsteen and a player in the E Street Band, but she also happens to be an artist in her own right … and a tea lover, to boot!
We first learned of Scialfa’s association with tea after the release of her 2004 recording “23rd Street Lullaby.” Featured in the album is a song of the same name – which was penned by Scialfa and received four-star reviews in Rolling Stone magazine – that opens with a sultry reference to Jasmine tea (view lyrics here.) But, surprisingly, her tea preferences seem to lean in different directions. According to a Smoking Gun write-up, Patti’s backstage digs are furnished “with soy milk, green tea, various protein and energy supplements,” while a Fox News interview exposes her as a serious musician and Earl Grey lover.
To learn more about Scialfa, her latest album, “Play It as It Lays,” or tour information visit Patti’s official site.
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3rd March, 2008: Ashley Judd Talks Tea
Actress Ashley Judd has been known to sip both jasmine and nettle tea, but that small fact doesn’t quite do justice to explaining her relationship with the beverage. The movie star with the looks of a model and a portfolio of a pro (she has been nominated for two Golden Globes and one Emmy Award), has been as outspoken about her tea as she has been about her early life with mother Naomi and sister Wynonna Judd of country music fame.
For instance, tea is a morning indulgence and she guiltily notes that “Every morning, I put down all my annoyances on paper so I don’t take them out on people later in the day. I would be completely embarrassed if anyone ever read them. It’s like, ‘my tea is the wrong temperature, and I don’t want to get up.’”
Tea is also part of her identity as a southern gal and she’s proud to say that “… us Kentucky girls, we have fire and ice in our blood. We can ride horses, be a debutante, throw left hooks, and drink with the boys, all the while making sweet tea, darlin’.”
For more information on this southern talent, visit Ashley-Judd.com.
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25th February, 2008: Why Tom Hanks Took Up Tea
Being an in-demand actor can take its toll on the body. Film star Tom Hanks has gained (and lost) weight for a number of his roles, sometimes purposefully and other times not. But after packing on several pounds, he ultimately turned to tea for a dietary solution.
According to AskMen.com, Hanks became hooked on gourmet coffee during filming of Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal, in which he co-starred with actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. “I had to give up coffee because I was drinking too many lattes,” he’s quoted as saying. Luckily Hanks found a sensible substitute, noting “I drink tea now instead.”
For details on Tom Hanks’ next movie, check out this Sundance review of The Great Buck Howard featuring Hanks, John Malkovich and Emily Blunt.
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18th February, 2008: Scarlett Johansson Loves Afternoon Tea
After filming two back-to-back films in England, American starlet Scarlett Johansson “has embraced the English custom of afternoon teas.”
Johansson may be best known for her 2003 part in Sofia Copppola’s Lost in Translation which paired her with Bill Murray in a non-comedic role. It has taken time in London during more recent movies, however, to convince her to adapt the British teatime custom for her own lifestyle, says Contact Music.com. “The way the English allocate a certain time of day for tea and sandwiches is wonderful,” she is quoted as saying.
Afternoon tea isn’t the only time Johansson enjoys the beverage, though. When Elle caught up with her in New York, she was ordering a special hybrid drink: half iced tea, half lemonade.
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11th February, 2008: Megan Fox’s Tea is Green and Blended
It’s no secret that actress Megan Fox has “a passion for green tea ice blended drinks and rock music.” Word has spread from the ABC network where she stars as Sydney in the Hope & Faith comedy to numerous celebrity and fan sites agog over the star.
While currently working with Kelly Ripa, Faith Ford and other cast members in the ABC comedy, Fox isn’t new to acting.
Previously she co-starred with Lindsay Lohan in the film Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. And in 2007 she won several award nominations for her role in the highly rated movie, Transformers.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that Megan likes her tea green. She also owns a rare a green Dean electric guitar and is currently engaged to actor Brian Austin Green according to a Megan Fox fan site.
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4th February, 2008: Hugh Grant Known for College Tea Parties
Actor Hugh Grant may be most known for his role in the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral co-starring Andie MacDowell or 1999’s Notting Hill opposite Julia Roberts. But Grant distinguished himself among his peers much earlier. Some twenty years ago, during his years at University of Oxford, Grant was known to host formal tea parties, say writers at Despardes.
There, “an Oxford contemporary recalls him dressing in a tweed jacket and brogues, to hold traditional tea parties where egg and cress and cucumber sandwiches and Earl Grey tea were served from college crockery.”
Grant graduated from Oxford in 1982 with a degree in English.
For information on other famous Earl Grey lovers, revisit our September 24th post, Earl Grey Fans Include Celebrities.
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