Philip M. Potempa
- Actor
Philip M. Potempa is a newspaper
journalist who writes about entertainment, theater and celebrities in a
newspaper column and stories which began being published in his flagship newspaper The Post-Tribune and The Chicago Tribune Media Co. in 2016.
Previously, from 1995 to 2015, his columns and feature stories were published in The Times of Northwest Indiana and Illinois, in addition to his writing also being
syndicated and shared with the more than 50 other newspapers in the Lee
Media Enterprises newspaper chain, which includes The St. Louis
Post-Dispatch and other newspapers in their recently acquired Pulitzer
Newspapers chain. Raised on a small farm in Northwest Indiana, he
graduated from Valparaiso University in 1992 with a degree in print
journalism. Although most of his daily writings concern celebrities,
movies, television and pop culture topics, he also pens a weekly column
launched in May 2002 under the title of "From the Farm," in which he
shares memories of his rural youth and family stories, in addition to
chronicling life from the relaxing perspective of a farm family with
traditions steeped in a rich culture that is a far cry from his entertainment column musings about play openings, press parties and who's who
boldface type notable "name dropping" and the nightlife he covers in
Chicago. His weekly "From the Farm" columns, which beginning in May 2015 began appearing in The Post-Tribune and at www.ChicagoTribune.com, have inspired
three popular semi-autobiographical books based from the same title:
"From the Farm: Family Recipes and Memories of a Lifetime" (2004
Pediment Press $29.95) and "More From the Farm: Family Recipes and
Memories of Lifetime" (2007 Pediment Press $29.95) and "Further From the Farm" (2010 Pediment Press $29.95). The first book was
written with the help of his family friend, comedienne
Phyllis Diller and the second book
with family friend singer/actor Jim Nabors. The third book was written with family friend, actress and fellow Indiana native Betsy Palmer.
His books also feature stories, photographs and recipe contributions
from the famous people he writes about from his entertainment
journalism circles, including
Martha Stewart,
Olivia Newton-John,
Tommy Tune,
Edie Adams,
Vicki Lawrence,
Bobby Vinton and the late
twin sister newspaper advice columnists
Abigail Van Burenand
Ann Landers, among others. Primarily
known mostly in the Midwest from his newspaper columns and book
signings, he also occasionally appears on the air as a Chicagoland and
Northwest Indiana radio commentator reporting on entertainment
happenings as well as serving as a television broadcast contributor on
regional PBS television stations and the Chicago NBC network affiliate
WMAQ Channel 5, reporting on similar subject matters, as well as a broadcast contributor on WGN-Radio. In March 2008, he
was was cast by director
Michael Mannin a featured speaking
role opposite Johnny Deppin the Universal
Pictures motion picture Public Enemies to be released in July 2009.
Playing a 1930s newspaper reporter at a jail news conference grilling
Depp as gangster John Dillinger,
Potempa convinced Oscar winning costume designer
Colleen Atwood, who won an Academy Award
for her costumes in "Chicago," to allow him, throughout the filming, to
wear, as part of his costume, a vintage fedora hat from his own
personal journalism memorabilia collection which had once been owned by
famed gossip columnist Walter Winchell.