The world is finally learning more about Chicago’s new power couple: Oscar tour-bus passengers Gary and Vickie.
The couple stole the show at Sunday’s Academy Awards, taking selfies with Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, getting TV-married by Denzel Washington and receiving Jennifer Aniston’s sunglasses as a wedding gift.
In a Monday telephone interview with a Chicago TV station, Gary, whose full name is Gary Alan Coe, revealed a backstory worthy of its own movie.
And if it seemed like “Gary from Chicago” was especially happy to be there, he had good reason: Only three days before, he’d been released from prison after serving 20 years for multiple felonies. (Coe is listed as a sex offender on California’s Megan’s Law website for attempted rape.)
“I’m the luckiest man in the world,” he told his hometown TV station, adding that he’s a reformed one as well.
“Change is possible,” he said. “It’s a sad day to be in prison for 20 years and not be able to be a dad, granddad to your children. You know what my son told me today, man, and I almost come to tears. He said he’s proud of me. So to hear your children say that they’re proud of me means the world to me,” Coe said.
As memorable as their live TV wedding was, they will get married officially this summer in California, the home state of Vickie, whose last name is Vines.
The station’s story noted that Black-ish star Anthony Anderson offered to marry them for real on a live post-Oscar telecast, noting he is ordained in California.
“I was trying to get them up here so I could marry them on this show,” he announced. “Why wait ‘til July?”
Gary and Vickie didn’t take him up on it Sunday night, but maybe they can check with Anderson, a two-time Emmy nominee, to see the offer is still good for this summer.
The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
