1. Use first names only, so that you appear closely tied to the person whose name you're dropping.
EXAMPLE: "Meryl likes me to run lines with her when she's nervous".
2. Don't use names, just hint at projects.
EXAMPLE: "Your film reminds me of something a friend of mine made years ago. It turned out really well but he had lots of problems with a mechanical shark".
3. Make people feel excluded by pretending they're included.
EXAMPLE: "I forgot to bring my phone, could you call up Demi? .... Oh, you don't have her number? ... Maybe you deleted it by mistake."
4. Be dismissive, with absolute certainty.
EXAMPLE: "No, Kristen is not dating Robert, trust me, I know."
5. Mention names of kids. They can be made up.
EXAMPLE: "I think Hanksie would love to do a sequel to Cast Away but I don't think he'd want to be away from little Jay Jay and Millie for so long."
Great piece. Reminded of something Gwyneth told me one time.
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