Charles Grodin Visits Students With Special Needs

Two local students with special needs—and their classmates—got a chance to taste a bit of Hollywood when a local celebrity stopped by their school for a question-and-answer session and a birthday celebration.

On Friday, Sept. 14, actor Charles Grodin, who lives in Wilton, stopped by Saint Catherine Academy in Fairfield to visit with the students there. 

The visit was made possible following a chance meeting this summer at the Red Barn in Westport. According to a press release sent by Helen Burland of Saint Catherine Academy, Kelsey Fontana, of Redding, and Edi Webbe, of Easton, were having lunch with Kelsey's mom and two teaching assistants from the school when Grodin approached the table.

"Once the girls realized that he was 'Beethoven’s dad' (Mr. Grodin played the part of the father in the popularfamily movie Beethoven), they peppered him with endless questions," Burland wrote in the press release.  

Kelsey's mom then explained to Grodin the two girls were classmates and told him it would mean a lot if he would visit the school and meet with the students there. 

Grodin obliged.

According to Burland, when he visited the school, students asked Grodin a slew of questions ranging from whether the actor liked dogs to what Hollywood is like. Grodin then participated in the school's monthly birthday celebration, which featured a cake made to resemble the famous Saint Bernard, Beethoven.

For more information on Saint Catherine Academy, visit the school's website.