What Not to Say to Billy Dee Williams

Okay, here's the scenario:  It's twenty years ago, and I wake up at my girlfriend's house and look out the front window to see the street filled with people.  Not just any people, though.

Movie people.

Somehow we missed the letter they sent out saying that the street would be shut down due to filming.  Luckily, she had already gone to work.  Even more luckily, I had the day off.  Even more luckily than that, my buddy Paul was a PA on the set.

The big names starring in this little movie (that went straight to dvd) were Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper!), Tobyn Bell (Jigsaw, but not yet), and my man Billy Dee.
Getting a chance to meet any of them was a longshot, especially since I didn't want to overplay my Paul hand and get him in trouble with the powers-that-were.  But Pauli came through and before I knew it I was standing in a lot waiting for the chance to meet Lando Freaking Calrissian.

He was very kind, and warm, and friendly.  He posed for the above shot and signed a press photo for me, and in the short time we were able to talk, the following exchange happened (by the way, this meeting happened just before The Phantom Menace hit theaters):

Me:  So will Lando be making a comeback in the new Star Wars movie?
BD:  What do you mean?  I'm not making a comeback.  I've been working this whole time!
Me:  No, I mean...what I meant was...Lando...I...<crawls in hole and dies>

This has all come back to me because I just watched the trailer for the Episode IX of Star Wars and was happy to see Lando on the screen.

Just as I predicted.

Only twenty years too early.