Nicole Kidman and hubby Keith Urban are on her red carpet A list. So are Meryl Streep and George Clooney. You can also add Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas to that list.
Andover native Kristyn Burtt has talked to each of them on that famous Hollywood red carpet.
Burtt is an entertainment reporter in Hollywood and covered this past Sunday’s 85th annual Academy Awards for the online entertainment site, Starpulse. It was her third consecutive year reporting on the Academy Awards live from the red carpet.
Dressed in a gorgeous black gown with a high slit (by Chogoury Couture), five-inch heels (by Stuart Weitzman) and loaned jewelry from Charles Winston, she said she was comfortable and super ready for the big event.
“I talked with Nicole (Kidman) and she is just great. She looked beautiful and she is very healthy looking,” Burtt said, “not too skinny.”
Thrilled with Massachusetts native Ben Affleck’s award for best movie (Argo), she truly hoped “The Impossible” would be recognized as the movie’s star, Naomi Watts, made an impression.
“I just thought Naomi was outstanding in that movie,” Burtt said.
Meanwhile, Clooney is always a favorite actor of hers, although this year it was his behind-the-scenes production role in Argo that earned attention. And what’s up with his beard?
This Hollywood insider, who grew up in the Indian Ridge neighborhood, said the guys involved with Argo all grew beards for good luck at the Academy Awards.
“They shaved the beards the next day,” Burtt said.
Her favorite Awards night happened two years ago when “The Fighter” was a hot Hollywood movie.
“My mom grew up in Lowell, it was all about Lowell and I could relate to it,” she said.
Burtt keeps in touch with friends from Andover although her family moved out of town years ago. She affectionately remembers ClownTown and playing tennis at Indian Ridge. She grew up at 5 Cheyenne Circle, a home that was destroyed by fire last June.
“Friends were emailing all these links to the story about the fire – just so sad,” she said.
She danced ballet in her youth, and graduated from Pingree School in South Hamilton and from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Now, she does all sorts of freelance entertainment reporting jobs in Hollywood. Just prior to the Oscars, she spent time with the stars of Disney’s upcoming movie, “Oz the Great and Powerful.” The movie comes out March 8.
She’s enjoying her chosen career.
“It’s something new every day. That’s what I love,” she said.
