Inside Prince's Secret Midnight Outings

Prince may have been an international superstar, but he also loved going to the movies just like the rest of us.

 

As we find out more about Prince's endearingly regular habits in his hometown of Chanhassen, Minnesota, a source tells ET that Prince would often rent out the local theater after midnight, so that he and few of his close friends could catch the latest films.

As long as they weren't R rated, that is. The source says that the "Purple Rain" singer would only see films rated PG-13 and below, and he would always call the day of to let the manager know how many people he would be coming with -- which sometimes, would only be his bodyguard and another friend. His last theater outing was in March, when he screened the animated film Zootopia.

"He looked great, like he normally does," the source said about the last time Prince was at the theater. "I was absolutely shocked when I heard what happened."

By all accounts, Prince was a fairly normal theatergoer, buying a water, and occasionally popcorn or peanut M&Ms to snack on, but he definitely had a playful side.

"Recently, he hid around a corner and popped out to scare his friends," the source recalls. "He was laughing and seemed like a really normal guy."

Still, he took precautions to stay private. He mostly rented screening rooms after midnight, so as not to cause a scene. He would also wear a wig, sunglasses, hats and scarves, in an attempt to go unnoticed.

A noted night owl, Prince would also often go to the upscale supermarket Lunds & Bverlys either really late at night or early in the morning, another source tells ET. The legendary musician was similarly very private during these outings, coming dressed in a disguise and ordering groceries to be delivered to his Paisley Park estate.

"He loved the sandwiches from there," the source said. "He would buy a lot from the deli section."

On Saturday, ET talked to Desperate Housewives actor James Denton -- who also lives in Chanhassen, Minnesota -- to talk about Prince's legacy in the small city 20 miles southwest of Minneapolis.

"Everyone loved him here, and it was home for him, so nobody bothered him," Denton told ET exclusively outside of Prince's memorial at his Paisley Park complex. "We'd see him riding his bicycle down to the strip mall. It was real funny -- a very normal guy."

"He's just really, really beloved here, and I think that says a lot about him," he added.