'Handsome Older Man' From 'Uncut Gems' Is Big Time Tan & Bigger Time HORNY
HORNY WAYNE ALERT!
But wait, first of all - who is Wayne? Who is this man who was not just kissed by the sun, but fully inserted into each & every one of its brilliantly blinding sun-holes? Allow me to explain...
When I saw Uncut Gems over the holiday break a few things really stood out to me...
One was the genuine mental exhaustion I felt by the end following two hours & fifteen minutes strapped into a gambling-stress roller coaster where a grating Adam Sandler was screaming and shouting in my ear through every dip & turn.
Another was how perfectly they portrayed NYC's diamond district. I used to walk down that block to an old job & a few times took my time & explored around a bit, and it really is a whole other maze-like, sparkling world full of absolute wildcard characters.
And last, there was "Handsome Older Man" (as he was billed in the credits)... While watching I kept thinking, "Should I know this person? Is he a famous gambler in real life? How have I missed this extremely tan & delighfully wacky person in my life so far?" The brilliantly white teeth set against deeeeep bronze skin, the shaggy hair, the style, the attitude... I fucking loved this guy.
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And for reasons I can't quite explain he's popped up in my brain several times since, and it turns out I'm not alone...
After a little research I learned he wasn't just some actor done-up to play a role, and the look from the film is not a bit. He's a garment district legend named Wayne Diamond (AKA HORNY WAYNE, of course).
In December Aaron Hunt of Interview Magazine profiled him & I highly recommend checking out the whole thing, but here's a snippet:
Uncut Gems has an extensive mèlange of similarly iconic New York personalities in their first film roles, from Kevin Garnett to the Weeknd to Mike Francesca. But it’s Diamond who ultimately steals the show.
HUNT: You know everyone around here?
DIAMOND: I know everybody in fucking New York! I grew up here. I’m a club guy, I was a lunatic, I was into drugs, I did everything. I was the biggest guy in the Garment Center years ago. I was like Pied Piper to the Sicillian kids, the Italian kids, because I did very good and was very generous. Meyer Lansky [The infamous “Mob’s Accountant” of the Italian-Jewish mob] was my partner. He put me in business with Marie Oliphant [a seamstress] in the Garment Center. If anybody ever knew what was the right thing to do, was it Meyer Lansky. I mean, he’s the greatest human being who ever lived.
I was hooked. And then I started following him on social media and it has NOT been disappointing. I want to befriend this man. I want to be in those photos where he's out to lunch, empty wine glasses littering the table, with the fun & interesting people of NYC. Everyone with him looks like they're legit having a blasty-blast:
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'EYYYYY!
WHOA NOW! HA HAAAA!
WOULDYA GETTA LOAD 'AH THIS GUY?!
BEST PALS HA
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As someone who often holds back on being my weirdest, true self because I worry about what other people might think (but Kate, you talk about your asshole on national radio sometimes!), I just love a true, out-there, authentic character. Someone who is wholly, unabashedly themselves & don't give a fuuuuuck what other people think, and Mr. Diamond seems that way. It's the spice-ah-life.
Anyways, his HORNY WAYNE post made me laugh so here we are with a whole blog about him now. NON-HORNY-MODE WAYNE, if you see this & would like to grab lunch in the city & become best friends, I think it'd be a real hoot. Also, to the readers, can you imagine this guy & Stu Feiner in the same room together? Electric.
*For Lights, Camera, Barstool's fantastic review of the film, click HERE.