Celebrity Sightings: Big Names Hang Out at the Big Lake

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James Stewart, George Clooney. Mick Jagger. John F. Kennedy Jr.

There is an impressive list of big names who have come to the Big Lake to perform or just to visit, stretching from the days of vaudeville.

Duluth to Wawa, Marquette to Bayfield, local innkeepers never know who might drop by for a cozy room, dinner or a cup of coffee. Some encounters stand out.

The 84-year-old Landmark Inn in Marquette has hosted plenty of celebrities overnight since its days as the Hotel Northland.

But when the Rolling Stones walked unannounced into the lobby in 2002, they weren’t looking for a room, just a cappuccino. They’d arrived by jet for the funeral of their road manager and close friend, Royden Magee, who resided in Marquette.

“Surreal” is how Michelle Cook, the Landmark’s sales and marketing director, describes the experience. Her personal brush with fame was an elevator ride with guitarist Ron Wood to the inn’s top-floor lounge.

Because of the solemn occasion for their visit – the Stones played “Amazing Grace” at the funeral – the inn’s staff respected their privacy, so there are no photos with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood or Charlie Watts. Band members did cross the street to the Peter White Public Library and the Marquette County Historical Society museum.

The Stones’ visit is one snippet from the inn’s history of celebrity guests. The longest encounter was during the filming of the classic 1959 courtroom drama “Anatomy of a Murder,” when the crew and cast, including James Stewart stayed. Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon was with “Saturday Night Live” when he spent the night in 2000 for an appearance at Northern Michigan University. Comedian Bill Cosby, in town for a 2004 show, joked with staff.

Duluth and Thunder Bay have had their share of celebrities at local lodgings after a performance. George Clooney and Renée Zellweger stayed at the Sheraton Duluth Hotel in 2008 to promote “Leatherheads,” a romantic comedy loosely based on a Duluth football team. “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” host Guy Fieri stayed, too, for an episode in town. He took time to visit with the hotel’s Restaurant 301 kitchen staff.

In 2012, Steve Martin and his band, the Steep Canyon Rangers, performed in Duluth. Sara Zeleznikar, the Sheraton’s director of sales, recalls being called to the front desk to help a guest. “From the back, it appeared to be a very unassuming man in a fedora. … I said, ‘Excuse me, sir. How can I help you?’ And Steve Martin turns around. He wanted a meeting space to have a jam session with his band. I served them water, tried not to stare and enjoyed seeing him in his comfort zone. It was a very surreal experience.”

Wawa, Ontario, hosted the crew of “Snow Cake” for several weeks in 2005. More than 100 film folk stayed at Wawa Motor Inn, including Alan Rickman (“Harry Potter”), Sigourney Weaver (“Alien”) and Carrie-Anne Moss (“The Matrix”). Off set, Alan strolled about town, chatting with people and grocery shopping. “The town was abuzz,” says Rod Morrison, then town Wawa, adding Alan was “always available, always curious.”

Alan liked Wawa back, praising its “seriously good hamburgers, amazing pies and the buttered tarts” in the National Post. At night in his room, he’d “make a log fire, eat incredibly fattening food and watch TV.”

In October 2014, Laurence Fishburne (“The Matrix”) was in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, to play an assassin in the thriller “Standoff.” SooToday reported Laurence sightings at places such as Gliss restaurant. The actor was described as polite and pleasant.

During winter filming of “The Good Son” (1993) in Two Harbors, Minnesota, the cast and crew stayed at Superior Shores Resort & Conference Center. General Manager Darrin Young, then a bartender, served drinks to the movie folks and recalls seeing actors Elijah Wood and Macaulay Culkin in the lobby. Over the years, Superior Shores also has hosted sports figures, such as the Vikings’ Joe Kapp, Jim Marshall and Chuck Foreman.

In Bayfield, musicians playing at Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua have stopped at Greunke’s First Street Inn – Leon Russell, Taj Mahal, Koko Taylor and Johnny Cash among them. Before boarding a ferry for a Madeline Island wedding, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston stopped for coffee.

John F. Kennedy Jr. and three friends checked in while owner Judith Lokken-Strom was away for a day in August 1995. The group kayaked in the Apostle Islands on the weekend, and Judith was stunned when they walked in that Monday morning. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that’s John Kennedy.’ I asked the staff and they said, ‘Oh, yeah, they stayed here Wednesday.’ Nobody told me.”

John’s group was lucky to get a room in mid-August in Bayfield. “He had the humblest of rooms – bath across the hall, no TV. One (room) had air,” Judith says. The bill totaled $107 for four guys in two rooms, including breakfast.

Before John departed, Judith asked if they’d enjoyed their stay. He politely affirmed that they had. “I know John Kennedy thought it was absolutely beautiful. Of course, he was used to New York. … I think he just loved going some place with anonymity, and he would not have to deal with a bunch of people. He actually signed his own address, his own signature for his credit card. Everybody treated him as normal. I think he enjoyed it.”

And you can find John F. Kennedy Jr.’s signature framed on Greunke’s wall to prove it.

Dropping Names

Just a few famous dining and lodging guests from over the years:

At Greunke’s First Street Inn in Bayfield, Wisconsin: performers Johnny Cash, Leon Russell and Taj Mahal and actors Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, plus John F. Kennedy Jr. near the launch of George magazine.

At Greysolon Plaza (formerly Hotel Duluth): Henry Fonda, Charles Boyer, Crown Prince Olav of Norway and President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The hotel lobby was a location for filming “Iron Will.”

At The Landmark Inn (formerly Hotel Northland), Marquette: Amelia Earhart, Abbott & Costello, Duke Ellington, Louie Armstrong, the group Peter, Paul & Mary. The cast of “Anatomy of a Murder,” including James Stewart, Lee Remick and George C. Scott. Author-poet Maya Angelou, comedian Jimmy Fallon, Bill Cosby and the Rolling Stones.

At the Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield: Ben Kingsley (“Gandhi” and “Schindler’s List”) scouting movie locations.

At Sheraton Duluth Hotel: George Clooney and Renée Zellweger, Steve Martin, Merle Haggard and Guy Fieri.

At Superior Shores Resort & Conference Center in Two Harbors, Minnesota: The cast and crew for the 1993 film “The Good Son” (which featured a dramatic ending at Palisade Head near Silver Bay). Guests included young stars Macaulay Culkin (“Home Alone”) and Elijah Wood (“The Lord of the Rings”).

At Wawa Motor Inn, Ontario: Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver and Carrie-Anne Moss while filming “Snow Cake,” and Canadian classical pianist Glenn Gould on his getaways in the late 1960s and 1970s.