Anthony Bourdain was gone too soon.
The celebrity chef died by suicide in Strasbourg, France, in June 2018. He was 61 years old. A year later, Bourdain’s pals Eric Ripert and José Andrés decided to honor their late friend on what would have been his 63rd birthday, encouraging fans to share their favorite memories via social media with the hashtag “#BourdainDay.”
In honor of #BourdainDay, Us Weekly is taking a look back on 25 things the TV personality shared about himself with Us in a December 2014 issue of the magazine.
Read on in remembrance of the Parts Unknown host.
1. Until I was in my mid-teens, I wanted to be a comic book artist. I can draw pretty well.
2. I practice Brazilian jujutsu every day in New York, and anywhere there’s an academy on my travels. It has become an obsession.
3. My 7-year-old daughter, Ariane, is better at jujitsu than I am.
4. My [ex-]wife [Ottavia Busia] is much, much better at jujitsu than I am. She could kick my ass, your ass an dust about anybody else’s ass. Really.
5. I love to cook pasta. I attribute this to my bitterness about not being Italian.
6. I think runny, smelly cheese is one of life’s great joys.
7. I haven’t worn an earring or thumb ring since my daughter was born. Dads shouldn’t have earrings. Or thumb rings.
8. I wish there was leftover pork fried rice in my fridge right now.
9. Although a really lip-burningly spicy mapo tofu would be better.
10. I have a weakness for fried chicken and really trashy mac and cheese.
11. I believe Goodfellas to be the perfect American film. Every shot. Every line. Every action. Perfect.
12. I love nothing more than cooking with my daughter.
13. I recently bought her her very first chef’s knife.
14. If it takes you more than 10 seconds to describe the wine I am about to drink, you’ve kind of ruined it for me.
15. I don’t actually drink that much anymore.
16. I have a secret affection for the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Depeche Mode and Van Halen.
17. My perfect vacation would include a huge pile of books and an angry Chinese reflexologist.
18. I’m more of a cat person than a dog person.
19. All of the judges on The Taste are really close.
20. If I had to eat in only one country for the rest of my life, it would be Japan.
21. If I had to live in only one other other country for the rest of my life, it would be Italy. No Vietnam. No, Spain. No …
22. The last film I watched was Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
23. It’s really me handling my Twitter account.
24. I am afraid of clowns, nurse’s shoes and pressure cookers.
25. I have very rigid criteria for what makes a good burger. And a brioche bun is not part of it.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
