Paul O’Grady reveals he was once chatted up by the late Ben-Hur actor Charlton Heston while dressed as Lily Savage
Paul O’Grady has revealed he was chatted up by actor Charlton Heston while dressed as Lily Savage and claims the actor wasn’t aware of who he really was.
The TV star, who shot to fame as his alter-ego Lily, said the Ben Hur legend mistook his drag queen persona for a woman while at an Oscars party in the nineties.
Paul said the late actor, who died in 2008 aged 84, began flirting up a storm with Lily at the buffet table at the glamorous event.
Good times! Paul O’Grady has revealed he was chatted up by actor Charlton Heston while dressed as Lily Savage and claims the actor wasn’t aware of who he really was
Recalling the encounter on his Radio 2 show, Paul said: ‘I met Charlton Heston at the Oscars. I was at the buffet helping myself and he came over and started chatting away.
‘I’m chatting back and blah blah blah and he was very, very friendly. When Charlton Heston walked off, Robin Williams came over and said ‘He’s got a shine on you… he thinks you’re a woman’.
‘Every time Charlton saw me, I got a wink and a nod, and I gave him a wink and a nod back and I thought ‘I’m on here, I hope he’s got his chariot outside’.’
Flirty: The TV star, who shot to fame as his alter-ego Lily, said the Ben Hur legend mistook his drag queen persona for a woman while at an Oscars party in the nineties
Paul, who was 40 at the time, said he was dressed as Lily for a sketch on Gaby Roslin’s Channel 4 show The Big Breakfast.
His producer Malcolm Prince said: ‘Good lord, you got picked up by Charlton Heston.’
Paul replied: ‘Yes, picked up at a buffet by Chuck Heston and I had a sausage roll in my hand at the time!’.
Cheeky: Paul said the late actor, who died in 2008 aged 84, began flirting up a storm with Lily at the buffet table at the glamorous event (pictured in Ben Hur in 1968)
Paul married husband Andre Portasio, a Brazilian ballet dancer who’s 25 years younger than him, in 2017, however reports in November said they still live apart.
Paul and Andre, who used to perform for the English National Ballet, first started dating in 2006.
They got married in a 30-minute ceremony in the gardens of The Goring Hotel, central London, on August 5 2017.
Ian McKellen and comedian Julian Clary were among the guests.
Tranmere-born Paul was previously married to Teresa Fernandes, from 1977 until their divorce in 2005.
He married Portuguese lesbian Teresa to prevent her deportation.
Paul has one daughter Sharon, from a relationship with his friend Diane Jansen. Sharon was born in 1974, and Paul remains close to her.
Recalling the encounter on his Radio 2 show, Paul said: ‘I met Charlton Heston at the Oscars. I was at the buffet helping myself and he came over and started chatting away’