Margaret Pomeranz talks movies, meals and her A-list mates

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Margaret Pomeranz has published a cook book with her daughter-in-law
Sharing both her favourite recipes and stories of mixing with movie stars
Her dining room has been graced by the who's who of Hollywood
Helen Mirren has shared a bottle of Chardonnay at Pomeranz's place
Rosanna Arquette, Ethan Cohen and Frances McDormand, Taylor Dayne, George Miller have all been dinner guests at her home
Married to Margaret's son, Philippa Whitfield Pomeranz, runs a production company and tells stories of her time in L.A. in the book

Published: 19:57 EST, 25 April 2015 | Updated: 09:05 EST, 26 April 2015

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Not many journalists could say they have shared a few laughs over a bottle of chardonnay with Helen Mirren in their lounge room after an interview - but Australian film critic Margaret Pomeranz certainly can.

The well-loved film reviewer offered to hold the interview with Mirren at her home in Sydney in 1988 because the small art film that the acclaimed English actress was promoting didn't have the budget for a hotel room.

This story is just one of many incredible anecdotes from Pomeranz who has spent three decades not only meeting the biggest movie stars in the world but having many of them sit down at her dining table and enjoy a home-cooked meal.

Helen Mirren went to Pomeranz's house for an interview and then shared a bottle of chardonnay

Pomeranz was impressed with how Mirren was confident and relaxed enough to be herself when they met at her house for the interview.

'We did the interview, she didn't seem to be in a hurry so I asked if she would like a drink,' she said.

'We decided on a very good bottle of Australian chardonnay - I wasn't going to bring out the cheap stuff, I can tell you.

'It was a really magical hour with this highly intelligent and funny woman. We shared stories, we laughed, we drank some more.

'Rarely do you get the chance to see the real person in an interview........but, very occasionally, I've been lucky to see the real person and this was one of those times.'

Pomeranz's dining room has become the venue of a who's who of Hollywood - to the point that she found it hard to list many of the highly-esteemed actors and directors as she doesn't put them up on a pedestal.

Pomeranz only discovered that Rosanna Arquette was a vegetarian just before she came over for dinner and had only cooked a beef dish but her catering friend saved the day with ratatouille

But after a bit of prompting - the big names and intriguing stories start flowing.

She recalls clearly the day that Rosanna Arquette came over for dinner in 1990 because she was keen to meet a certain Australian director that Margaret knew.

'That was a disaster - I had prepared my Balsamic beef dish and was then horrified to find out on the day that she was a vegetarian,' she said.

In a mad panic - Pomeranz called a catering friend who saved the day by whipping up the 'most fantastic' ratatouille and delivering the dish to her place.

'I claimed it as my own - I was shameless and now I've got the recipe,' she said.

'Rosanna loved it - she was hilarious - she's such a live-wire - she's a really gorgeous girl.'

Pomeranz loves to open up her riverside home in Pittwater, an hour north of Sydney, to cook for big groups and equally enjoy the leftovers the following day for breakfast or a snack.

'Frances McDormand came for dinner when she was out here doing the movie Paradise Road in the 90s and Ethan Cohen came too - I don't know how that came about - but that was a dinner with George Miller and other friends that were filmies,' she said.

American film director Ethan Cohen (left) and actress Frances McDormand (right) were invited to dinner at Pomeranz's house on the same night as Australian film director George Miller

Pomeranz has wined and dined with some of the biggest celebrities in the world

It isn't just film industry types that Pomeranz has cooked up a feast for.

Her daughter-in-law, Philippa Whitfield Pomeranz, is good friends with 90s pop singer Taylor Dayne who set met when she living in LA, and she joined her on tour in Australia.

'By the end of the tour we were in desperate need and went to hang out in the beach house with over a weekend with Margaret,' Pip said.

'Those two women got on like a house on fire.'

So much so that Margaret invited Dayne to the celebration of her and David's 25 years in television - and Margaret bopped along in the front row at one of Dayne's concerts despite her usual hesitance to be noticed in public.

Her sister-in-law, Pip, (second from left) and Taylor Dayne (second from right) spent a weekend at Pomeranz's beach house

Pomeranz has been a familiar face on Australian television for almost 30 years with her co-host David Stratton on The Movie Show on SBS and then At the Movies on ABC before deciding to end their much-loved on-screen partnership last year.

Pomeranz and David Stratton (right) worked together on movie review show for almost 30 years

But nowhere near ready to retire, Pomeranz became the co-host of Screen on Foxtel in March 2015, and will also be host her own show - Margaret Pomeranz Presents on Foxtel Movies Masterpiece.

Pomeranz, who fell into being an on-screen film reviewer when she was the producer of The Movie Show after David didn't feel a connection with his previous co-hosts, had to learn very early on in her new career not to be awestruck with her famous interview subjects.

She quickly learnt that lesson while interviewing Black Widow producer, Bob Rafelson near the beginning of her career in 1987.

'I had really done my homework and watched every movie that he had directed - I was in awe of him and it showed - he was so dismissive of me at one point that I nearly burst into tears and walked out of the room,' she said.

'But I stood my ground and got rid of my awe and started really talking to him about his films and we ended up great mates just from that encounter and discovered we both have a shoe fetish.

'They don't want anyone to be in awe of them - they wanted to be treated as real people that was a life lesson for me and I've done that ever since- no matter who I am talking to.'

Pomeranz played the mother to Guy Pearce's character in the movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Pomeranz said it was a pleasure to be a part of the Priscilla Queen of the Desert crew

Pomeranz described actor Hugo Weaving (left) as 'always fabulous'

Priscilla Queen of the Desert director Stephan Elliott approached Pomeranz to be play a cameo role in the hit movie and she agreed as long as she didn't play the role of a mother.

But when she received a fax informing her that she would be playing Guy Pearce's character's mum Pomeranz instantly changed her tune.

'I thought to myself, "alright if I have to be anyone's mother I'm glad it Guy's!",' she said.

'I went into makeup, got into costume, strutted my stuff with a lot of help from Guy - this experience told me I'm no actor!'

Sean Penn approached Pomeranz in a bar at the Venice Film Festival and they chatted over a few drinks

Stratton (left) and Pomeranz (right) once went on a successful mission for a dunk confit in Paris

Although Pomeranz has learnt to play it cool, she was blown away by meeting her idol Sean Penn for the movie, The Indian Runner in Cannes in 1991.

Pomeranz gave five stars to the movie, which only opened in a couple of cinemas in Australia, then it went onto performing better in New York.

Years later at the Venice Film Festival, David and Margaret were staying at the same hotel as Penn and his wife, Robyn Wright, and passed Penn in the foyer.

Much to Pomeranz’s disbelief, David walked up to Penn and said ‘Did you know you have this woman to thank for your movie doing so well in Australia?’ when Penn didn’t get a chance to reply as they were interrupted by another Australian journalist.

Although Pomeranz ‘nearly died of embarrassment’ – it resulted in a very surreal and memorable moment a couple of nights later when Penn approached her sitting on her own in a bar.

Pomeranz was 'trying not to notice this hero of mine' as he approached her and said: 'We were interrupted the other morning; mind if I sit down?'.

She describes this moment as one of her most precious memories which is a big call from someone who has met all of the movie greats.

'And so we shared a few drinks and had a real heart-to-heart about film for an hour and a half before the crowds started coming back,' she said.

'It's such a relief when people you admire from afar turn out to be intelligent and fine up close.'

Pomeranz first interviewed Russell Crowe (left) while on set filming The Crossing in 1990

Pomeranz has watched Russell Crowe's career grow from first interviewing him in 1990 while on set filming The Crossing right up until her final interview for At the Movies show for his latest movie Water Diviner.

She has interviewed the Kiwi, who Aussies claimed as their own eons ago, at least nine times over the years with Crowe jokingly calling Pomeranz an archivist for his career.

Pomeranz described her final chat with the star as 'a moving experience'.

'For sentimental reasons, I was pleased that it would be Russell - he's had a gignatic career in Australian and international films, but has always flown the Australian flag overseas,' she said.

'We looked at the photo of us together taken all of those years ago at our first interview and he tried to pin the date on his hairstyle at the time.'

The last interview Pomeranz did before retiring with David from At The Movie was with Crowe

Pomeranz and Stratton have had many superb dining experiences together

With a lot of prompting from her daughter-in-law, Pip, who works in TV production, the pair have joined forces to release a book revealing their favourite recipes and best celebrity yarns from over the years.

Both women, who have a very close bond, have a real passion for bringing together those they love over a long lazy meal with wine and laughs aplenty.

Although Stratton and Pomeraz regularly disagreed about films on their TV shows, the formidible duo agreed on good nosh.

Pomeranz has had many meals with Stratton who she describes as a ‘real foodie’ and a good nose for sniffing out superb restaurants all over the world.

She recalls one night in Paris when the formidable duo went on a successful mission to find the best duck confit.

Although Pomeranz has never had a bad dining-out experience with Stratton, she can’t say the same for his wife who came around for dinner one night.

‘I had made this huge pie and I tripped coming out of the kitchen and the whole thing went splat on the floor and it was irretrievable – I was just mortified,’ she said.

‘I have had my fair share of disasters I’m telling you.’

Pip summed up her MIL (mother-in-law) to a tee: 'her heart is as full as her fridge'.

You could speak to Margaret for a week non-stop and still not hear all of her amazing stories of rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous over the past three decades but the book gives you a great insight about her love of family, friends, film and of course - food.

Let’s Eat: A Cookbook Celebrating Film, Food & Family, Margaret Pomeranz and Philippa Whitfield Pomeranz published by ABC Books. Available in stores and online from April 27

Pomeranz (right) along with her daughter-in-law (second from right) have released a book with their favourite recipes and stories of mixing with celebrities over the years