You might know him as ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E’, the star actor from ‘Call Me By Your Name’ and ‘Death on the Nile’. Or, you’ve seen the reports of alleged sexual misconduct and controversy in his personal life. But for a brief period this summer, one of Hollywood’s biggest names was known simply as Armie, a junior member of the sales team at the Morritt’s Resort, Grand Cayman.
The 36-year-old, who resides part-time in Cayman, became the stuff of island folklore after reports of his fleeting stint as a concierge and timeshare salesman this summer – an open secret that no-one quite believed, perhaps even until now.
In the era of fake news, where rumours swirl around celebrities like the eddies that whirl across the bay off the East End resort, even photographs that surfaced late summer were treated with suspicion.
Armie Hammer in a plain blue polo-shirt running some tourists through the ins-and-outs of a condo sales package?
Was it a case of mistaken identity or preparation for a Hollywood movie?
Truth sometimes is stranger than fiction, though, as senior managers at the resort confirmed to the Cayman Compass Sunday.
Hammer did, in fact, spend around a week at the Morritt’s, shadowing one of their sales managers, his close friend Elliott Bloxham.
Work permit fine
The unusual story didn’t just attract the attention of the US showbiz media, who inundated the resort with calls, it also drew the scrutiny of Cayman’s immigration department.
The resort was investigated by Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman and accepted a $1,500 administrative fine for ‘employing’ Hammer without a work permit.
Sales director Chris Butcher said the actor was not actually employed at the resort and managers had not been aware they would need a permit for such an informal arrangement. They accepted the fine, levied late August, and apologised once the oversight was pointed out.
He said Hammer was on-site for about a week from June 10, seeing what the job entailed and if it might be something he would consider in the future.
“He shadowed and sat in sales presentations whilst they were occurring. He was also listening when clients were getting assistance.”
He said the actor had been a natural at the job – polite, patient and well-liked by the staff and customers.
“Mr. Hammer observed and took in all aspects of the role of a salesman at Morritt’s. He was charming and helpful.”
As for Hammer’s motives for investigating the job, Butcher believes he was simply curious about what his friend did for a living.
The brief work placement unravelled when pictures appeared on social media, showbiz site TMZ got hold of the story and “the world’s press exploded”.
Butcher said the resort was inundated with calls.
‘I am your personal concierge’
One image showed a flyer with Hammer’s image and an extension number with the message, “Welcome to beautiful Grand Cayman. I am your personal concierge and am here to help you get the very best from your vacation.”
The flyer offered discount vouchers for restaurants and attractions. Was it real or fake? The media couldn’t decide.
Turns out it was a bit of both.
“That was my bad,” said Bloxham, explaining he had mocked up a flyer – based on the one he hands out to visitors – for his friend. The extension number was made up.
Armie Hammer selling timeshares at the complex we quarantined in for 2 weeks for @fboyisland is wild pic.twitter.com/aVKSyNUMqn
— Mark Moran (@itsmarkmoran) July 21, 2022
He said the whole arrangement stemmed from conversations on the golf course.
“It was more of a joke than anything else to begin with,” he said.
“He was asking about the job and I just got him to come along and shadow me for a few days.”
A taste of ‘normal life’
Hammer, who lived in Cayman for several years as a child, has faced intense public scrutiny of his personal life, including allegations of sexual assault and abusive behaviour. The claims featured prominently in a three-part documentary ‘House of Hammer‘ which aired last month. The actor has denied the allegations and has not been charged.
In 2021, Hammer was forced to publicly apologise to Miss Cayman Islands Universe and the committee, following a leaked video in which the actor claimed to have had a sexual relationship with a scantily clad woman whom he referred to as ‘Miss Cayman’.
“I would like to clarify that the person in my video, which was stolen from my private Instagram, is not Miss Cayman,” said Hammer in an audio message to the Cayman Compass at the time.
Hammer and his former partner Elizabeth Chambers announced in 2020 they were separating after a decade of marriage. Chambers lives in Cayman with the couple’s children and has also faced her own, unrelated, sanctions for hosting an event without a work permit.
Bloxham said his friend was interested in investigating the sales job as a genuine option.
“The way his life was before, it was nice for him to get away from that and have a normal life.”
He said the Cayman Islands was a bit of a sanctuary for Hammer – a place where he could escape the incessant media attention.
If he wanted the job, he believes he could do it.
“It takes a while to learn this job but he is obviously a very intelligent guy. Some people have a natural flair for it.”
Hammer’s profile didn’t get in the way. Bloxham said he made a couple of sales while the movie star was shadowing him.
“To be fair, a lot of people didn’t recognise him. Or, if they did, they couldn’t quite believe it,” he said.
Hammer is understood to be back in LA and the prospect of a career at Morritt’s appears to be off the cards for now.
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