Clone catches CNN’s Cooper by surprise
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper was face to face with his clone at the Bellagio, and “it kind of freaked me out.”
In a city known for its impersonators, Cooper reacted by pulling out his cellphone and taking a selfie after Monday’s UNLV Foundation dinner, where he was the featured speaker.
“As soon as there was eye contact, he was in shock and disbelief,” according to Dr. Randal Shelin, a 20-year Las Vegas resident and radiologist.
Cooper was in town to moderate the Democratic debate Tuesday at Wynn Las Vegas.
Shelin has been getting double takes as Cooper’s doppelganger for years.
Because Cooper’s arrival in the ballroom was delayed, Shelin spent a lot of time explaining he wasn’t the CNN star.
It was tough duty for Shelin, who spent 20 years as a Navy flight surgeon.
“One woman said ‘I’ve had a crush on you for years.’ At least two other approached me saying how much they appreciated my journalistic work. I was standing next to the head table when a food server wanted to escort me to my seat, but I said, ‘No, I’m not that guy.’
“I feel for the guy. I get ‘Hey Anderson’ all the time. In Las Vegas you expect to see celebrities,” said Shelin, who turns 54 on Halloween and, like Cooper, has silver hair. Cooper is 48.
Their introduction took place at a VIP post-gala photo opportunity. Shelin was leaving the ballroom when a regent he met insisted he meet Cooper.
“People were applauding,” said Shelin, who is president of Desert Radiologists.
Cooper posted a photo of the two on Facebook with the comment, “In Las Vegas, at an event for UNLV, I met someone who looks a lot like me. It kind of freaked me out.”
By late afternoon Thursday, the photo had 24,000 “likes” and 1,300 comments.
“I was quite impressed,” Shelin said. “He was funny. He had a very positive message, and he donated his entire speaking fee to UNLV.”
Sarkisian flashback
Dethroned University of Southern California football coach Steve Sarkisian had a career highlight in Las Vegas.
On Dec. 7, 1996, Sarkisian quarterbacked sixth-ranked BYU (12-1) to a 28-25 comeback overtime win against No. 20 Wyoming (10-1) in the Western Athletic Conference title game at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Sarkisian was fired Monday by athletic director Pat Haden, a day after Haden asked him to take an indefinite leave of absence. The dismissal comes amid reports that Sarkisian was a heavy partyer.
Tragic odyssey
When Lamar Odom moved from Los Angeles to Henderson, he left a history of heartache behind to live closer to his kids.
The two-time NBA champion and former UNLV recruit was in critical condition at Sunrise Hospital on Thursday, two days after he was found unconscious at a Pahrump brothel.
In June, two of his closest friends — Jamie Sangouthai and Bobby Heyward — died of drug overdoses.
He reached a divorce agreement with wife Khloe Kardashian in July. The divorce has not been completed.
Abandoned by his father, a heroin addict, as a child, Odom lost his mother to colon cancer when he was 12. He was raised by his grandmother.
Odom’s six-month-old son, Jayden, died in 2006 while sleeping in his crib.
His daughter, Destiny, 17, and Lamar Jr., 13, live in the Las Vegas area with their mother, Liza Morales, Odom’s ex-partner.
On this day
Oct. 16, 2011: Dan Wheldon, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, is killed in a horrific crash on the 11th lap of the season-ending race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 15-car pileup happened at the second turn.
Oct. 17, 2010: The Liberace Museum closes after 31 years. At its peak, 450,000 people a year came to see the famed pianist’s costumes, candelabra and other glitzy memorabilia.
Sightings
Prop comic Carrot Top, in the audience at Elton John‘s show at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace on Tuesday. At the grand opening of Pete Rose Sports Bar and Grill on Tuesday: members of Thunder From Down Under, Chippendales, X Burlesque, “Jersey Boys,” “Rock of Ages” and X Comedy.
The punch line
“Sheryl Crow performed the national anthem at (Tuesday’s) debate, but it looked like Martin O’Malley was the only one actually singing along. In fairness, there’s nothing more American than just PRETENDING you know the national anthem.” — Jimmy Fallon
— Norm Clarke’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. On Twitter: @Norm_Clarke