The Canadian magazine The Walrus has an article on namesakes, and the results of googling for them online.

When I tried this exercise I was unsurprised to find that one man was exclusively the subject of the first fifty or so hits that I examined. The man in question is a renowned television and film producer, who thus has many links on Internet Movie Database and similar websites.

The paths of this particular imposter and I have crossed on one memorable occasion in the past, when I received a curious email to my hotmail account. The email was from Universal Studios and asked me to review the contract for the director of a forthcoming blockbuster. Attached was a large Word file, the file name of which was that of a (fairly) well-known director.

Being of a particularly cautious disposition, I did not open the attachment for some time, thinking it may contain a virus. There was also the ethical question of opening an email not meant for me.

Finally, curiosity got the better of me and I opened the attachment. The complexity of the agreement was staggering, running to around fifty pages, mostly of impenetrable legalese. I was able to ascertain that the director was set to receive around $4 million. The most interesting aspect was the details of what was required in terms of on-location accommodation and associated luxuries.

The movie went on to gross over $60 million worldwide. I am still amazed at the carelessness of the person who sent this highly sensitive document to a hotmail account without a password. I would never have disseminated the contents, but I am sure there a plenty of people who would have. I was happy enough with just having a (cautionary) tale to tell.