What's your name?

The actress Amy Ryan ("Gone Baby, Gone" [Oscar nomination], "Changeling," "Green Zone") was interviewed on stage for an hour last night at a screening of "Jack Goes Boating" sponsored by the Museum of the Moving Image.

She told this story, which I paraphrase from memory:

Before the Oscars, Miramax graciously put me up in the Four Seasons for a couple weeks, and every day it was,
"Good morning, Miss Ryan,"
"Would you like something to eat, Miss Ryan?"
"Can we get you anything, Miss Ryan?"

Then, the day after the Oscars, I was downstairs with my luggage, waiting in line for a taxi (no limo to the airport!). It was early in the morning - Tilda Swinton was probably still drinking champagne, and I was exhausted, catching an early flight to the East Coast. The bellman whistled a cab for me and as he was helping me with my luggage he asked, "And what's your name?"

At first I was pissed! What's my name? Didn't you see the Oscars?

And then I cooled off, and I thought, that's right. Fly back East, go back to your family and your friends, get out of this crazy city, go back and do what you love. It's not about having everyone on the street know your name, and that bellman did me a big favor by reminding me of that, and I'm grateful to him for it.

Thanks to Amy Ryan for sharing this story of how a humbling moment helped her gain some healthy perspective.