How Wheaton chiropractor worked red carpet at 'Star Wars' premiere
Wielding a lightsaber can be rough on the musculoskeletal system.
And the stress of awaiting word on whether industrywide recognition will result from the best Jedi acting efforts can induce headaches and stomachaches.
That's where Dr. George Gauthier comes in. For years, the Wheaton chiropractor has been providing his medical services to Hollywood actors and movie crew members.
His loyal service won him a ticket to Monday's red carpet Hollywood premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
"The event went really well. Security was ultra, ultra high," Gauthier said.
Crowds gathered outside the three theaters on Hollywood Boulevard as early as three days before the movie was screened, he said.
During the red carpet event, he caught a glimpse of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas.
"He was a little quiet, a little reserved," he said.
He also noticed producer Kathleen Kennedy and director J.J. Abrams animatedly conversing, he said.
"I got a chance to talk with Mark Hamill, which was great," Gauthier said.
And he chatted with Anthony Daniels, who plays C-3PO.
Gauthier, who describes himself as the official "Star Wars doc," was invited to join the glitterati and see the new movie with his wife, Juli, and their two children, Thomas, 18, and Caitlyn, 24, days before the movie's wide-release premiere Thursday evening.
The Wheaton family of four boarded a plane Saturday and made a mini-vacation out of it, he said, visiting Disneyland and sidetracking for a sky-diving adventure before the big night.
Gauthier, 53, said his relationship with celebrities and movie crews developed over time.
"I've kind of become their personal physician. They like what I do," he said. "They know me, they trust me, they come well-referred to me."
His association with the Hollywood crowd started about 25 years ago, he said. Back then, more movies were being made in Chicago. "Sometimes accidents would occur on the sets in Chicago. I had some connections with some of these production companies," he said.
He provided chiropractic care for people working on several movies shot in the Chicago area, including "Road to Perdition" and "Transformers."
He said he's offered chiropractic comfort to most of the stars of the original "Star Wars" trilogy and some from the three prequels that followed.
"In the beginning, I was star truck, but then I had so many of them," he said.
He's been flown to movie locations, including London, Saudi Arabia, Paris, New York City and, of course, Hollywood.
He also travels to conventions and promotional appearances where celebrities sometimes develop problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome from signing thousands of autographs.
And he's often on hand at awards ceremonies, including the Academy Awards, the Grammy Awards, the Country Music Awards, the American Music Awards and the Billboard Music Awards.
The hours before an awards show, where so much is at stake professional and financially, can be extremely anxiety-producing for celebrities, Gauthier said.
"People get stressed out," he said.
He offers treatments from spinal adjustments to physical therapy to acupuncture.
"I'm there in my medical capacity, if anyone goes up the stairs in high heels and trips, or trips on their dress and hurts themselves," he said.
If an injury is more serious, he said, he can stabilize the injured party until EMTs arrive to provide transportation to the hospital.
The "Star Wars" premiere went off without incident, he said, and his chiropractic skills were not called into service.
"I was very happy we didn't have much going on (medically)," he said.
Gauthier said he was required to promise not to reveal anything about the movie.
"I can say I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. There is so much going on," he said. "It's going to be a box-office smash."