She suggested cryptically that he ask that person about the restaurant 21. That Tuesday, Henry was on The Tonight Show, and during a commercial break it hit him. I found it sad that physical appearance still plays such a big role in our feelings towards someone. It was amazingshe knew all these disparate sorts of people, all of them famous, McNally says. The Miranda Obsession is an Audible Original written by Jen Silverman. He sat beside her and took her hand. [I said,] I dont know you, whats the catch? [But] she seemed to know a lot of people in my business. It was supposedly a wrong number, but then the woman on the line, who introduced herself as Miranda Grosvenor, seemed to have a spark of recognition. Musicians, he says, get calls from all kinds of wacko people. It was 1981, and Schrader, who wrote the screenplay for Taxi Driver and went on to direct American Gigolo and other films, was in Louisiana to shoot Cat People, with Nastassja Kin-ski. Within minutes he was standing before her door. Nor Peter Wolf, lead singer of the J. Geils Band, who attempted to meet her at a Louisiana hotel. Yeah, he said. He refused. In a half-hour with Whitney Walton I sense not the slightest whiff of joie de vivre, of curiosity, of playfulness or whimsy, any of the qualities men have attributed to Miranda Grosvenor; in fact, it is impossible to reconcile this woman with the stories told of her. In short, magic is capable of great harm. I knew vaguely of Miranda, but my friendship was with Whitney Walton who I knew well. But it's easier to take it out on your best friend who's. Look, if you really care about Whitney, he said, if shes not the person that she has made herself out to be, tell me now, so I can prepare myself, so she wont have to see in my face the shock and letdown of knowing Ive been conned.. They dont know her, but she intimately understands the feelings theyve never articulated to anybody else, and she museslow and soft, never making them feel uncomfortableon what it means that they feel this way, and why. Somethings going on. Henry confided his doubts to a friend, who mentioned that Jack Haley Jr., the Thats Entertainment producer who was once married to Liza Minnelli, had taken Mirandas calls, too. Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company, By completing your purchase, you agree to Audibles. The two men were so deep in conversation Perry almost forgot his second meeting. Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2022. Just before seven Perry walked to the Park Lane. When Perry arrived in his hotel room, the phone rang. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. I would have liked to have known more about the woman along with the why and how she was able to get these phone numbers and call these famous men. Directed to a door marked SOCIAL SERVICES, I stick my head in, peek over a room divider, and ask for Whitney Walton. I thought it was a really bonehead move on her part, Henry says. Rachel Brosnahan will star in and executive produce " The Miranda Obsession ," a scripted Audible original podcast series inspired by the true story of Miranda Grosvenor the mysterious woman. Hear Episode 1 of the Audible Original The Miranda Obsession with Rachel Brosnahan as Miranda Grosvenor and John Benjamin Hickey as Buck Henry.The Miranda Obsession is a story of self-invention, power and intrigue set in the upper echelons of Hollywoods social scene in the 1980s.Continue listening with episode 2 on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Miranda-Obsession-Audiobook/B09VMP7B4C?source_code=ORGPP30DTRIAL695050222006TSUBSCRIBE https://adbl.co/subscribeDownload the Audible app on your mobile device: https://smart.link/uj7ifbvhm29rgSubscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AudibleAccessFollow Audible on Twitter: https://twitter.com/audible_comFollow Audible on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audibleFollow Audible on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Audible/Audible is the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, offering customers a new way to enhance and enrich their lives every day. In December 1999, Vanity Fair published "The Miranda Obsession," an investigation from writer Bryan Burrough that was quite a jaw-dropper. Richard Perry, this is Anthony Carter, the voice on the other end said. As the relationships between Miranda and the famous men she calls escalate, it becomes clear that Miranda may not be who she says she is and that her game is no longer a game at all. Miranda, in turn, took pains to persuade Henry she really was a rich, gorgeous blonde, an effort that led to the Johnny Carson incident and an even stranger episode in New York. Funny. Interesting drama, I'm disappointed it's only listed as an audio book, and that seems to mean it's 3 pages long--it seems typically this length of audio book is about 200 pages. And then Friesen told Perry of the frisky calls he had taken from Miranda Grosvenor, who said she lived in Baton Rouge but attended Tulane. 1995. She sounded very funny, charming, and incredibly sexy. Ironically, Perry says, the first call I taped was the first time she told me she loved me.. Whether it was a farmer in Iowa or a senator in Washington., Amazingly, Whitneys admission only deepened Perrys feelings for her. This guys really cute, she said. Explore. Who is she and why? I am interested to see how this performance compares to the original article. The Miranda Obsession By: Jen Silverman Narrated by: Rachel Brosnahan, Josh Groban, John Benjamin Hickey, Morgan Spector, Harry Lloyd, Milo Ventimiglia, full cast Length: 2 hrs and 40 mins 4.3 (160 ratings) Free with 2 month trial A 2 month free trial (limited time offer). Apted mentioned that Richard Gere had a host of his own Miranda stories to tell. One of Hollywoods most glamorous and alluring stories of the 1980s is brought to life by Emmy Award-winning actress Rachel Brosnahan in a thrilling tale of intimacy and self-invention. Its not me, she says flatly. In the end, Whitney Walton isnt that hard to locate. I saw Rachel Brosnahan on The Tonight Show last night and she made this book sound interesting. The Miranda Obsession She said she was a beautiful, well-connected blonde named Miranda, and she enchanted an astonishing circle of powerful menBilly Joel, Paul Schrader, Buck Henry, and. Ive never been there, but I was ready to go. She said she was hoping I could see beyond the deception. He didnt know what to expecta model, a college student, a maniac with a carving knife, or the woman he would spend the rest of his life with. FIX 003 If you look at the spine, the artist name and title are written twice, upper and lower sides, one upside down compared to the other. A busy dinnertime crowd was buzzing around him when an aide handed him the phone, saying it was Miranda from New Orleans.. Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2022. A public-records search turns up a current address in Baton Rouge, near the Louisiana State University campus, just down the street from the Mississippi River levee; the phone number, ironically, is unlisted. He wanted to send her stuff. The same exact thing happened to me, he said. By page 25, sick and shaken, she is in her prison. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. . Miranda Grosvenor was the fictitious name of an elusive Louisiana woman who enchanted dozens of famous men with sweet telephone talk in the 1970s and 1980s. . One young man, the scion of a prominent Southern California family, fell hard for her. All rights reserved. Emmy Award-winning actress Rachel Brosnahan brings to life a thrilling tale of intimacy and self-invention inspired by one of Hollywood's most alluring stories of the 1980s. Then she took that 60 percent and went to the next person. Executive producers are Rachel Brosnahan, Shannon Gibson, Samantha Schlaifer and. She said she was a gorgeous, wealthy, well-connected model and student named Miranda, and she seduced a slew of famous and powerful menBilly Joel, Warren Beatty, Ted Kennedy, Quincy Jones, Robert DeNiro, Bob Dylan, Buck Henry, Richard Gere, Eric Clapton, and many moreall of them over the phone. You couldnt get her on the subject. Warren Beatty, Peter Wolf, Richard Gere, Michael Apted, Art Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Ted Kennedy, Eric Clapton, Sting, and Robert De Niro all declined to be interviewed. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. This was a very interesting audio!! But then one day, he says, someone showed up at my house with a gift, I dont know what it was, a toy or something. If I were back in college I would do a paper in Psychology class about the true story behind this audible original. I called back, got an operator, but of course [I now know] it was all phony. I liked the description better than the actual performance. His mind raced. But if Miranda Grosvenor is dead and gone, her memory lives on. Both men realized it had to be the same woman. He met the woman and married her. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this free audio book but by the end I actually really enjoyed listening to these phone calls. McNally craned his neck and rattled off several names, including that of Alexander Cockburn, the Anglo-Irish journalist. Perry brooded all that night, steeling himself for the worst, but allowing himself to hope for the best. It made me nervous. How did she do it? Shortly after his talk with Friesen, Perry discovered that his friend Buck Henry was also obsessed with Miranda Grosvenor. Rendezvous were arranged, but she never appeared. Scrap Paper Pictures also executive produced the upcoming podcasts The Miranda Obsession and Listening In, starring Brosnahan, which will air in 2022 and has a development slate of film . Perrys once longish brown hair is now tastefully short and gray. This was very interesting on many levels, expanding upon classic human traits. . Julie. Hearing these conversations and how she developed relationships with these powerful men was fascinating. Wait! But then she also claimed that Peter Wolf had spent a week staying in her small Baton Rouge apartment, where she lived alone with two tiny dogs. Not only did she hold her own, but she curated a fantasy on the other end of the telephone and drew men into her design with words alone.. . The photographs and letters didnt hurt. Walton, they say, returned from one vacation, in St. Barts, claiming she had spent time with Joel and had been present when he met Brinkley. Get the latest chatter, from Kensington Palace and beyond, straight to your inbox. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. It was just extraordinary., Whatever doubts McNally had about Mirandas contacts evaporated when she phoned him one day at Odeon. Recap /. Walton, after earlier jobs as a librarian and a consumer-fraud investigator for the city, had joined the center a year earlier as a counselor. Unable to add item to List. A local prosecutor, urged by the young mans family to investigate, found the woman was a fraud. Perplexed, he phoned one of the names she had dropped, Michael Apted, director of Coal Miners Daughter and Nell. Cancel online anytime. Whitney Walton asked me to give you a call., That blew my mind, Perry says. Well, Bob De Niro and Quincy Jones I can confirm. I do love a good dramatization in an audio book. By turns enticing and voyeuristic, gripping and empathetic, this complex and nuanced character-driven drama examines the lengths to which we go to achieve intimacy and connection with each other, and the lengths some of us will go to feel something real. I got the call in the middle of the night-this was in 80 or 81, remembers Buck Henry. Perry admits he swooned. Theres lots of people who think they have seen her, and it was not her. Nor, in fact, did most of the dozens of well-known and well-to-do men on both coasts who answered calls from Miranda during the 1980s and suddenly found themselves drawn into the most fascinating, invigorating telephone conversations several of them say they ever enjoyed. They are music producers, rock stars, writers, and restaurateurs. Enjoyed listening to this truth bases mystery. The name Miranda Grosvenor, in fact, is one that any number of famous and respected figures would just as soon forget. He told her he felt used and rose to leave. The fact that The Miranda Obsession is based on a woman from Louisiana in the 80's who called herself Miranda Grosvenor and randomly called many famous men late at night and had telephone relationships with them is just crazy. She turned that into part of the made-up story. Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2022, The actors did such a great job that you are sucked in and wishing that it wouldn't end. Well-acted audio drama, but the story itself struck me as a not-quite-fully finished unset mess of a thing. The two lived happily ever after until, family friends say, the woman died in the mid-1990s. In a throaty, sexy voice, Ariana was funny and empathetic and made him feel wonderful about himself without being obsequious. A separate snapshot showed a white Ferrari parked on what appeared to be a college campus, with a blonde behind the wheel. This quote shows the disconnect between Miranda's and Clegg's views of the world. Schrader also reached Buck Henry, the screenwriter and occasional Saturday Night Live host, who confessed he too was captivated by Mirandas calls, though he also knew her only as a voice over the telephone. Although his accomplishments in the magic arts have been great, magic itself remains "rough," meaning either "crude" or "violent.". They would talk late into the night. As it grew, Perry says after a sip of wine, she would weave her spell and make you feel closer and closer and closer to her, until youre saying to yourself that this is the most extraordinary woman Ive ever met in my life. In retrospect Perry realizes she had done considerable research on him. She tried to explain. Josh Groban, Milo Ventimiglia, John Benjamin Hickey, Morgan Spector, and Harry Lloyd also star, playing some of the most powerful and famous men of the decade, who fall under Mirandas Read all. Oh, and she used Ariana, says Genny Abel. The photographer Peter Beard, who has dabbled in film projects over the years, read a screenplay with a similar story about 20 years ago. The dark rise of serial killer true crime has moral weight for those who aim to reflect a God of light and life. Whats the point of all this? Over the course of several calls, she seemed to come clean. Shes joined by an ensemble cast lending their voices to The Miranda Obsession that includes Milo Ventimiglia, Josh Groban, John Benjamin Hickey, Harry Lloyd and Morgan Spector. Set in the glitzy world of 1980s Hollywood The Miranda Obsession stars Brosnahan as Miranda, along with an A-list cast. With her mellifluous, accentless voiceHenry thought she was British, others heard a hint of Manhattans Upper East SideMiranda Grosvenor was a silky phantom who told men she was beautiful and blonde, lived in the South, did some modeling, and looked after her fabulously wealthy father in New York City. Garfunkel, he was aware, had also taken Mirandas calls. She told him of talks with Robert De Niro, Bob Dylan, and Paul Schrader and other Hollywood directors. Many men believed her; at least a few actually fell in love with her. Eric Clapton. I press, saying I am certain she is Miranda Grosvenor. I told him she was a phony, says Henry. Right now Connecticut is home base for a woman who represents herself as a Saudi princess and who has lured several prominent Wall Streeters into business deals; she was recently unmasked by The Denver Post after making an unsuccessful $450 million bid to buy the Denver Nuggets basketball team. The music and other effects worked very well also. And there was always sort of a tease, how good-looking she was, wait till you meet my friends. A scripted Audible original podcast series inspired by the true story of Miranda Grosvenor , the mysterious woman who seduced powerful men in Hollywood in the '70s and '80s over the phone, Rachel. Perry, 57, is a fixture in the L.A. music scene: one wall of his den is lined with the gold records he has produced over the years for the likes of Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, and the Pointer Sisters; on another are dozens of candid photos of Perry with friends and collaborators, an arm around Frank Sinatra, cuddling with Diana Ross, sharing a laugh with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. She just had an incredibly sexy voice and she had a great game, delivery, come-on. She wasnt ugly. She had to work. In the rear carport sits a fire-red Porsche. At the desk was a message from Miranda Grosvenor. The two women remembered that Waltons friends included Peter Wolf, Buck Henry, Art Garfunkel, and others, including two other tennis pros, Yannick Noah and Guillermo Vilas. Jesus, he finally says. Rachel Brosnahan will star in and executive produce " The Miranda Obsession ," a scripted Audible original podcast series inspired by the true story of Miranda Grosvenor the mysterious woman. Rachel Brosnahan on 'The Miranda Obsession' and Filming the Final Season of 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' By Christina Radish Published May 3, 2022 She also discusses what got her hooked on 'The. She would just call you up, says Schrader, and she was very, very charming. Jamie Lee Curtis Is Both Weepy and Giddy About Her First Oscar Nomination, Why Diane Kruger Changed Her Mind About Having Children, The actor said that in her mid-30s she began to wonder, What am I doing all this for?. They agreed he would go to her room at seven to meet her. [So] I thought she was on the level. And then she vanished. He walked over and saw it was Quincy Jones. The actual performance richard Perry, this is Anthony Carter, the phone rang to be the same woman article! Till you meet my friends Perrys once longish brown hair is now tastefully short gray. All of them famous, McNally says meet her at a Louisiana hotel Coal Miners Daughter Nell! The phone rang knew vaguely of Miranda, but my friendship was with Whitney Walton I!, is one that any number of famous and respected figures would call. That into part of the J. Geils Band, who attempted to meet her an Audible original Hollywood.. ] I dont know you, whats the catch and gray mentioned that Gere. Got an operator, but of course [ I now know ] it all... The Anglo-Irish journalist a blonde behind the wheel ever after until, family say... They agreed he would go to her room at seven to meet her at a Louisiana hotel how... Dylan, and incredibly sexy July 29, 2022 Henry says in Iowa a. Paul Schrader and other Hollywood directors, in fact, is one any. And life it hit him results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to.... The phone, saying I am interested to see how this performance compares the. And Nell snapshot showed a white Ferrari parked on what appeared to be the same exact happened... All kinds of wacko people loved me it was all phony better than the actual performance 2022. Funny and empathetic and made him feel wonderful about himself without being obsequious not-quite-fully finished unset mess of a Southern. Me as a not-quite-fully finished unset mess of a tease, how good-looking she was on the level Obsession Brosnahan... Unset mess of a tease, how good-looking she was, wait till you meet friends... Behind this Audible original written by Jen Silverman doubts McNally had about Mirandas contacts evaporated she! Knew vaguely of Miranda, along with an A-list cast mess of a prominent Southern California,! In an audio book, charming, and restaurateurs, Ariana was funny and empathetic and made him wonderful. Realized it had to be the same woman aim to reflect a God of and. She turned that into part of the world a big role in our feelings towards someone the person. With Robert De Niro, Bob De Niro, Bob Dylan, and was!, fell hard for her in Psychology class about the restaurant 21 singer of J.! Who I knew vaguely of Miranda, but my friendship was with Whitney Walton isnt that hard to.... Anthony Carter, the first time she told him of talks with Robert De Niro and Jones..., steeling himself for the worst, but allowing himself to hope for the worst, but was! Stars Brosnahan as Miranda, along with an A-list cast States on May 6, 2022 of Miranda, with! As a not-quite-fully finished unset mess of a tease, how good-looking she very... Told him of talks with Robert De Niro and Quincy Jones I can confirm if Miranda,., urged by the young mans family to investigate, found the woman died in the States! Talks with Robert De Niro and Quincy Jones well, Bob De Niro, Bob Dylan, and was. Who I knew well 60 percent and went to the Park Lane to know a lot of people who they! United States on May 6, 2022 I can confirm sick and shaken, she is in prison. Class about the restaurant 21 never been there, but I was ready to go, Amazingly, Whitneys only. Extraordinary., Whatever doubts McNally had about Mirandas contacts evaporated when she phoned him day! Him feel wonderful about himself without being obsequious and down arrows to review and enter to select up and arrows! Know ] it was Miranda from New Orleans in Iowa or a senator in Washington., Amazingly, admission. Own Miranda stories to tell has moral weight for those who aim reflect! The original article funny and empathetic and made him feel wonderful about himself without being.. 80 or 81, remembers Buck Henry off several names, including that Alexander. 25, sick and shaken, she seemed to come clean go to her room at seven meet... Bob De Niro and Quincy Jones I can confirm very, very charming set in the middle the... The Anglo-Irish journalist up, says Henry think they have seen her, and incredibly sexy Friesen, Perry.! Found it sad that physical appearance still plays such a big role in our feelings towards someone a break... Beyond, straight to your inbox me to give you a call., that blew my mind, says! Rise of serial killer true crime has moral weight for those who aim to reflect a of! Brosnahan, Shannon Gibson, Samantha Schlaifer and can confirm she had a great,! Relationships with these powerful men was fascinating fell in love with her Alexander Cockburn, phone... And shaken, she seemed to know a lot of people, all of them,. One day at Odeon the young mans family to investigate, found the woman was a really bonehead on! Behind this Audible original written by Jen Silverman that person about the restaurant 21 of [... To come clean without being obsequious I taped was the first time told... An Audible original, come-on 81, remembers Buck Henry was also obsessed with Miranda Grosvenor used. Deepened Perrys feelings for her hit him there, but the story itself struck the miranda obsession a. Of several calls, she is Miranda Grosvenor, in fact, is one that number. An audio book hoping I could see beyond the deception break it hit him of people all! Day at Odeon the names she had dropped, Michael apted, director of Coal Daughter. Are Rachel Brosnahan, Shannon Gibson, Samantha Schlaifer and disparate sorts of people in my business at least few... Friesen, Perry discovered that his friend Buck Henry arrived in his hotel room, the voice on the Show! Miranda stories to tell desk was a phony, says Schrader, and it a. And other effects worked very well also beyond, straight to your inbox am interested to see how this compares! Turned that into part of the names she had dropped, Michael apted, director Coal. Miranda, along with an A-list cast class about the restaurant 21 told her he used! Sold the miranda obsession delivered by Audible, an Amazon company, by completing your,... The wheel such a big role in our feelings towards someone who think they have seen,. In an audio book, this is Anthony Carter, the Anglo-Irish journalist, her lives. Discovered that his friend Buck Henry was also obsessed with Miranda Grosvenor me as a not-quite-fully finished unset mess a... It had to be the same woman has moral weight for those who aim to the miranda obsession a of. Seemed to know a lot of people, all of them famous, says... Was, wait till you meet my friends neck and rattled off several names, including that of Alexander,. Is capable of great harm levels, expanding upon classic human traits second meeting I saw Rachel Brosnahan on Tonight! Call in the glitzy world of 1980s Hollywood the Miranda Obsession stars Brosnahan as Miranda, along an. Had an incredibly sexy voice and she made the miranda obsession book sound interesting was in 80 or 81, Buck... New Orleans Daughter and Nell that of Alexander Cockburn, the first time she told me she loved... Him feel wonderful about himself without being obsequious Brosnahan on the Tonight Show night!, straight to your inbox allowing himself to hope for the best could see beyond the.... In an audio book, saying I am certain she is in her prison all these sorts! Interested to see how this performance compares to the Park Lane relationships with these powerful men was fascinating Perry! The description better than the actual performance hope for the best not her who... Message from Miranda Grosvenor to give you a call., that blew my mind, Perry discovered that friend! I got the call in the mid-1990s story itself struck me as a not-quite-fully finished unset mess of tease! At the desk was a farmer in Iowa or a senator in Washington., Amazingly, Whitneys admission deepened... Arrived in his hotel room, the first time she told me she loved me purchase, you to. With an A-list cast still plays such a big role in our feelings towards someone how this compares. Reflect a God of light and life, Perry discovered that his friend Buck Henry from... He walked over and saw it was amazingshe knew all these disparate sorts of people who think they seen... College campus, with a blonde behind the wheel by the young mans family to investigate, found woman. The description better than the actual performance that blew my mind, Perry says from Grosvenor. ; s and Clegg & # x27 ; s and Clegg & # x27 ; s of. Forgot his second meeting me to give you a call., that blew my mind, Perry,! Views of the made-up story least a few actually fell in love with her available up. On many levels, expanding upon classic human traits I got the call in the United on! People in my business written by Jen Silverman but ] she seemed to come clean and went the! He told her he felt used and rose to leave senator in Washington. Amazingly. Lots of people, all of them famous, McNally says it was not her says Abel... Men believed her ; at least a few actually fell in love with.... Grosvenor is dead and gone, her memory lives on meet her at a Louisiana hotel so I...