Even when a Hollywood star toured his school, Bates Elementary School principal Paul Elsey was focused on his students.
As a film crew scouted his Gudith Road building in Woodhaven on May 20 for an upcoming movie, he tuned in to telling them about his kids, their accomplishments and the school. In fact, he was so focused, he didn't even notice that the producer in ripped jeans and hair hanging in blond waves was actually actress Drew Barrymore -- until she left.
"It's my only brush with fame," said Elsey, who is in his 16th year as principal at Bates and his 36th year with the Woodhaven-Brownstown School District. "They say everybody gets their five minutes, and that was mine, and I didn't even realize it."
He just wanted a picture to preserve the visit for his 508 kindergarten through fifth-grade students. Barrymore stepped forward at his request, under the school sign by herself.
"She was just going to stand there, and he said: 'Oh no! We're going to get the whole crew in,' " school secretary Michelle DeMaggio said. "He didn't even realize that's why she was standing there by the sign.
"We couldn't believe he didn't know who it was. After they had left, I said, 'Now you have a picture with Drew Barrymore.' He was like, 'What?' I said, 'Yeah, the one standing right next to you.' "
DeMaggio's in trouble with the Bates students, who didn't find out during the visit that a star was among them.
"They were all very upset with me because I'm the secretary and I didn't announce it," she said. "It's still the big talk of the day."
Elsey said he didn't recognize the polite, unassuming Barrymore. He was more impressed that a Hollywood crew bypassed a limo for their tour, driving a plain van instead.
He said a location scout called May 19 to set up the visit. Inspired by Gov. Jennifer Granholm's new program aimed at enticing film production in Michigan, Barrymore's crew was searching for a school to depict a small, rural Texas high school.
The state program, which has already enticed at least 13 film projects to Michigan, can provide subsidies of up to 42% of all costs incurred here during production.
The crew told Elsey their movie is slated to star Ellen Page, the 21-year-old star of the film "Juno." They also needed a principal's office for a scene with her, he said.
Would he like to take on that role, if Woodhaven beats out spots in Ypsilanti and Grand Rapids that the crew was to scout later in the week?
"I wish!" he said. "I don't see that coming my way. Just them visiting was phenomenal."