Meeting Paris Hilton and mingling with top paparazzi gave two Auckland teenagers a taste of celebrity during a recent trip to Los Angeles and New York.
Andrew Tapper of Remuera and Steven Fernandez of Epsom, both 18, spent a month attempting to change the perception that celebrities are "exclusive".
"We had done the whole LA, Disneyland thing, we wanted to do something different," Steven says.
Andrew, who had spent a morning searching Auckland city for rapper 50 Cent, says you only need to know where to look.
"We had seen American paparazzi websites like X-17 online in New Zealand, so we thought why not follow them in LA?" Andrew says.
The boys made daily visits to LA hot spots such as The Ivy, Goa, Villa and Mr Chow as well as being on the paparazzis’ trail.
They said the paparazzi were willing to tip them off because they were fans, not the competition.
They had a similar dream to most teenage boys: To meet Paris Hilton.
"Paris, she is my number one," Steven says.
The boys spotted her in her SUV on her way to the David Letterman show and when her vehicle stopped at traffic lights they took their photos with her.
"She looks amazing in the flesh," Steven says.
The boys saw her six times throughout the trip and they made such an impression on her she screamed "sexy Kiwi boys" and "God I love you boys" out of her car window.
Naturally the boys were pleased.
They met around 25 celebrities including Marilyn Manson, Leonardo DiCaprio and the entire Hilton family.
Steven was also spotted by his friends on E-News with Justin Timberlake.
They had not told their friends at home about what was happening and when the television show aired people started talking.
"That was bizarre. It made a lot of people who didn’t believe us realise we were telling the truth," Steven says.
Parts of the trip required a bit of persistence and a lot of celebrities were not particularly friendly.
"We spent 15 hours outside Lindsay Lohan’s house and didn’t see her once," Andrew says. "Then her friend screamed at us to go away."
However the boys’ main disappointment is they didn’t get to meet Britney Spears.
"There are celebrities and then there is Britney. The best of the best pursue her," Andrew says.
The boys have been in contact with American paparazzi moguls Perez Hilton and Darron Lyons since they returned to New Zealand to discuss their experience and get advice about the industry and the opportunity to develop their ideas further.
They are currently considering the possibility of creating a reality television show.
Andrew is studying business at AUT, Steven is studying law and commerce at Auckland University and both would like to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
- Sophie Donovan is an AUT journalism student
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