Half the world recognises the apartment that Carrie Bradshaw lives in. Or the New Jersey mansion where Tony Soprano ate, slept and obsessed over the ducks in his swimming pool. In the 1990s, if you asked a good chunk of the global population where Will Smith lived, they would instantly picture a huge, white abode in Bel Air.
For the real people who call those places home, this can be an issue. Maybe once a month you’ll get somebody opening the door or doing something inappropriate like peeking through your windows. People have no issues about completely invading your space – but you get used to it.” Public intrusion is a common experience for the residents of TV-famous homes.
In 2015, Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, had to urge fans to stop paying homage to his show – because they were recreating a scene where an entire pizza is thrown on to the roof of the house whose exterior was featured as Walter White’s bungalow. And last year, the owner of the apartment made famous by Sex and the City’s lead character erected a gate outside it because “at any hour of the day or night, there are groups of visitors in front of the house taking flash photos, engaging in loud chatter, posting on social media, making TikTok videos or just celebrating the moment”. Eventually, the owners of the Breaking Bad house followed suit, erecting a 6ft iron fence – not that it stopped fans.
Then the second year I thought, no, I’ve got to change it, so I started opening up.” Glenda turned her home into a walk-in tribute to the show. It has a collection of memorabilia including fridge magnets, key rings, tea towels and “nearly every T-shirt you can buy”. She’s set up a photo opportunity in the kitchen with the frying pan Gwen uses to cook her infamous omelettes, as well as a face mask of the character visitors can put on.
She even ended up partnering on tours with a coach firm, whose “Dave’s Coaches” bus regularly appeared in the show, and another run by Knock-off Nessa – who impersonates Ruth Jones’s character. Last year, she welcomed 168 busloads of people to her home, and it has given her a renewed purpose. I’m a hell of a lot better than I used to be.
When you’re meeting people, you’re not thinking about the depression. I had no friends before, and now I got everybody.” Having a home that’s famous for being on TV doesn’t just change the life of its owners. If the show is big enough, it can change an entire area – as a pocket of London’s Richmond found out after Ted Lasso was set there.
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