Remembering Big Al

There are some dates, when they come around each year that cause my mind to drift - to ponder, remember and reflect.  February 26th is such a date for me. Why, you might ask? Because this was Big Al's birthday.  

And who was Big Al, you might ask?  He was a small Lebanese man who was larger than life! Hence the nickname, Big Al.

I met him in 2003 while working on the Spielberg movie, The Terminal.  He was there working as a background actor and I was too.  And it wasn't long before we became fast friends.  The days on the set were long and even though he was over 80 years old he would wake up at 4:00 in the morning and make the trek to Lancaster from Inglewood each day for three weeks for a very early call time.  (With the help of his good friend and talented A.D.,  Dave.) After the movie was finished filming Big Al and I remained friends.  Since I never had the opportunity to meet my own grandfathers, he took on that role for me.

One of my favorite memories with Big Al was playing Backgammon with him. He was sharp as a tack and won most every game!  He was also quite the chef. One of his specialties was hummus. He would make it from scratch and it was really delicious!  (See his recipe below.)

Big Al was born in Beirut, Lebanon on February 26,1919.  Although he died on December 24, 2005, he will always be in my heart.  He may be gone, but I will never forget him.