- As a teenager, Elizabeth Gaus was influenced by Drew Barrymore’s film of a man who tries to date a US actress.
- The protagonist’s painstaking attempts showed Gaus that as long as she tried hard enough, she could achieve anything
Watching My Date with Drew was inspirational for Hong Kong tattoo artist Elizabeth Gaus of The Breakfast Club Tattoo & Art. Photo: The Breakfast Club Tattoo & Art
Comedy documentaries Drew and I: My First Date (2004)Brian Herzlinger stars in the movie. It chronicles his struggle to find a date with Drew Barrymore. He has been a long-time crush on her. The film was shot within 30 days.
Hong Kong tattoo artist Elizabeth Gaus, of The Breakfast Club Tattoo & Art, tells Richard Lord how it changed her life.
I watched Drew, My Date in my teenage years and I can barely remember all of the details – I don’t even remember if I went to the cinema or rented it – but I can remember the guy, Brian, being so tenacious and trying his best to get to meet Drew Barrymore.
Drew Barrymore was my favorite actor so I knew I had to see it. My first impression was that she was playing the role of the leader. But then I looked at the description and thought: this looks fun – I’ll give it a go.
Honestly, I’ve forgotten the ending already, however, I still remember how hard he tried in the movie. I was able to see that as long as we try hard enough, you could be the one who makes it.
The whole thing was incredible to me. This gave me hope that I would one day be able to help others who have achieved their goals. Like Brian, I felt that I was capable of doing anything.
I thought: OK – if he can use his skills and his ideas to meet the girl of his dreams, maybe I can do what I want to do, not in my love life but career-wise. Sometimes you have to actually see it in order to believe it.
Being raised in traditional Chinese families meant that you were taught to avoid chasing your dreams. Their goal was for us to feel content with our lives. They encouraged us not to try and make a name for ourselves, but instead keep our heads down and do the right thing. Get a job that pays the bills and do a good job. You can marry a man and have children. It wasn’t in a bad way.
They simply wanted to make me feel humble. It’s all they know. But it’s a bit over the top if you don’t feel like you should be chasing your dreams.
I watched the movie and tried to tell them I wanted to be more purposeful in my life. This was my dream job for many years. I thought at least if I can’t chase my dreams myself, I can encourage as many kids as possible to be who they want to be.
But what’s the most important part of helping people? It is important to first help yourself. When I was 25 or 26, I thought it was now or never – it was time to do what I really wanted to do. I sent an email to my mentor and he accepted me as his apprentice.
I see myself as an alien who doesn’t know where she belongs. I’m grateful that I had access to a lot of different cultures to give me ideas about different mindsets.
