Whosthatwithjeremy.com draws celebrity laps and star status for father's son

Jeremy's dad, Michael Zorek, has snapped hundreds of photos of his son with celebrities and has posted them online at WhosthatwithJeremy.com. Today 3½-year-old Jeremy is now a celebrity himself, with the who's who of New York calling him for photo opportunities.

When stay-at-home dad, Michael Zorek took his 4-month-old son Jeremy to see professional football players Tiki and Ronde Barber at a charity mini-helmet signing, he had no idea of the adventure he was about to embark upon.

"They were really nice," said Zorek, a New York City resident. "And I thought to myself, 'Gee, wouldn't it be great if I could get a picture of Jeremy with them to go along with the helmet?' The Barbers agreed to my idea, so I took Jeremy, placed him on the table between them, and snapped the photo."

Later that evening, Zorek emailed the photo to friends and family with the subject line "Who Is That With Jeremy?" The photo was a hit, but Zorek thought nothing more of it until a few weeks later, when he learned that Jamie Lee Curtis would be appearing at a neighborhood Barnes and Noble, signing copies of her newly released children's book, I'm Gonna Like Me.

"I read about the signing in the newspaper and thought it would be great to have a signed copy of Ms. Curtis's book in Jeremy's library, for when he got older, Zorek said. "I took Jeremy and waited in line at the bookstore. As chance would have it, we were standing right near her when a photographer suggested that she do a few publicity photos with some of the kids. Jeremy wound up sitting on Jamie Lee's lap."

Again, Zorek emailed the photo to friends and family, this time with the subject line, "Who Is That With Jeremy 2?" Upon receipt of this second email, a friend of the family suggested that Zorek create a website featuring photos of his young son posing with various celebrities. Michael accepted the challenge and after a few lessons in web design, the site www.whoisthatwithjeremy.comwas born.

Now there was a place where friends and family could go to see pictures of little Jeremy schmoozing with a veritable who's who of New York City's rich and famous. As for the rest of the world, however, the question still remained: would people actually visit a website in order to see photos of a baby they didn't know? The answer, Zorek would soon learn, was a resounding yes!

Viewing the project as a fun legacy for his young son, Zorek worked to expand the gallery of photos. Meanwhile, news of the site spread. Eventually one successful blogger stumbled upon it and provided the link to his readers.

"We went from about 1,500 visitors to over 100,000," Zorek recalled. "Before we knew it, we were on USA Today's list of Hot Sites!"

But the best was still to come. "I remember calling my wife at work and telling her, 'Honey, you'd better sit down, because you're not going to believe this. CNN called and they want Jeremy and I on one of their shows,'" said Zorek.

Michael and Jeremy were featured in a piece by reporter Jeanne Moose and went to the CNN studios in NY to meet Anderson Cooper, during whose show the segment aired.

As a result of all the publicity, whoisthatwithjeremy.com can now boast that it has had over 600,000 visitors and 3,000 emails from people in over 50 countries, including the United States.

Zorek considers this worldwide popularity to be the biggest reward of running the site. "Meeting celebrities is great, but what truly amazes me is the way ordinary people have been touched by Jeremy and the site, Zorek said. "Ninety-nine percent of the emails I've received are so positive. Jeremy's photos really raise people's spirits. It's unbelievable."

Two examples of inspiration can be found through the man who had recently lost his daughter and found the bond the bond between Michael and Jeremy so touching, that he wrote an email praising their relationship. And Kristy, the wife of a US serviceman stationed overseas, who wrote, "Your pictures and comments on your website really lightened my day. I will come back to see your new pics or just to get a laugh when ever I need one."

In fact, Jeremy has so touched the hearts of everyone who sees him, that fans from around the world email the site with their New York travel plans so that they can arrange to meet Jeremy and have their photo snapped with him. Moreover, celebrities now approach him and his father requesting that their portrait be taken.

Quite a claim to fame for a child who will turn 4 years old this March. So what does the future hold?

"As long as Jeremy enjoys doing this, we'll do it," said Zorek. "But I certainly wouldn't force him. I don't stand in line for book signings any more, but if we run into someone famous we stop, or they stop us. In fact, we were stopped just a few weeks ago to be on the Ellen DeGeneres Show - not as Jeremy Zorek and his father, but a 3½-year-old and his stay-at-home dad. Jeremy even sang a song, and was really good. He really made eye contact with the audience."

So does a show business career lie ahead?

"I don't know. Whatever Jeremy does, I just want him to know that he has a power to touch other people and to make a difference in the world," Zorek said.