Brooke Shields once shared a remarkable connection with former President George H.W. Bush. This bond was so close that she would seek his advice and share various aspects of her life with him. In an event to support the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy's New York Celebration of Reading at the Lotos Club, Shields, now 59 years old, opened up about this special relationship.

Nicknames and Personal Stories

Shields had a unique nickname for the 41st president - "Papa Bush." She recounted how during a time when she was dating someone whose father was an ambassador in Bermuda, Bush became her confidant. "I call him Papa Bush. I was dating somebody [whose father] was an ambassador in Bermuda … He was my confidant about this boyfriend," she said. Lauren Bush Lauren, Bush's granddaughter and the event host, laughed as she remembered, "He loved some good gossip."Shields dated Kelly Gaines in the early '90s. His father, Eb Gaines, was the head of the U.S. consulate in Bermuda under Bush. In 1991, she told Redbook that Kelly was a better kisser than John F. Kennedy Jr. "When I kissed him I got a tingly feeling in my tummy that I didn’t when I kissed John Junior," she said.

Phone Calls and Golfing

Now married to film director Chris Henchy, Shields received a call from Bush in 2010 while shooting a movie two hours away from the Bush family compound in Maine. "I pick up the phone — no introduction or nothing. ‘Rumor has it, you’re close to Kennebunkport’ if you do not come and visit me young lady, you’re in big trouble,'" she recalled. "I said, ‘OK sir, thank you. I’ll be there as soon as I can.’ I call my husband, and I’m like, ‘We’ve got to go to Kennebunkport.’"When they arrived, her husband had to play golf. "My husband arrives late, and I go, ‘You have to play golf.’ I think he played three times in his life. We get there, we get out and, of course, he’s playing with the sports commentator [Jim Nantz]. Papa Bush gave him his clubs carved with every country, carved with monuments."

Driving Around and Gossip

Former President George H.W. Bush would often rely on Brooke Shields for juicy gossip. "I hear, ‘You’re in this cart with me, young lady.’ He’s driving the cart," she said. "We’re driving around, and he’s like, ‘So, tell me how the relationship is. Good kids. I like the guy’ … My husband must have lost 40 pounds just from nerves."The "Blue Lagoon" actress said that both George and Barbara Bush felt like "grandparents" to her. "I don’t have really many relatives. He was that symbol to me. I looked up to her so much … Your grandparents for me were very important in my youth and in my life and in my dating days," Shields said.Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to Tracy.Wright@fox.com.