I was going to write a very funny post today but I took Dorothy Barker to the vet for her annual shots and she had a very severe allergic reaction to one of them and the vet has been observing her for several hours now and thinks she’ll probably be okay but I’m a mess so I’m not funny.
Also, I spent most of the morning watching my kid have an ultrasound because apparently fucked up stomachs run in our family and the ultrasound tech spent an inordinately long time photographing her gallbladder and since mine and Victor’s both tried to kill us I suspect this does not bode well.
Long story short, I need a distraction so please tell me about a celebrity encounter.
I’ll start: One time I got lost in a parking garage with Dan Rather. He was very nice. It’s not a great story. Sorry. My head’s weird.
UPDATED:
UPDATED X 2:
UPDATED X 3: The vet gave Dorothy Barker a giant hump on her back because they pumped her up with a lady lump of fluids and meds and now she’s like a quasi-Quasimodo if Quasimodo was a dog. She’s feeling much better though and they didn’t even charge me to hump my dog, which is a sentence I never thought I’d have to write. Thank you for the well-wishes. Fingers crossed this is the last time I have to edit this.
I met Susan “Stop the Madness!” Powter at a women’s music festival in the mid-2000s. She was very nice. 🙂
I did a television commercial using Orson Welles as the spokesperson, and he took me to dinner afterwards. We shared a table with his little poodle. I ate his dessert and mine too.
I saw Lorde in concert in Portland a few years back, and that guy who plays the main character in Grimm (the tv series) was there and took photos with people after the show. I’ve still never watched Grimm…
I once saw Johnathan Pryce early morning at a cafe looking a little worse for wear with two people who insisted on talking loudly about where they were sitting with Johnathan Pryce. I felt sorry for him so did not bother him to tell him I loved him in Brazil.
I also once saw Willem Dafoe muttering to himself in the pasta aisle in Gourmet Garage. I thought about how I would feel if someone caught me muttering to myself in the pasta aisle, so I also did not say anything to him.
My work once brought in some famous basketball players (couldn’t tell you who). Everyone was fawning over them by my desk, so I asked the basketball player nearest to me to move so that I could get some work done.
Katie Couric was using the same bathroom as me at work, and she said to me, “You work here? It must be amazing!” While washing my hands I said, “It’s funny. The magic wears off.” I don’t think she was expecting that.
In fairness, I wasn’t expecting to see her.
James Taylor worked out at the fitness facility where I worked. He was so kind and he gave us tickets to his show after he was finished!
I got to meet Mark Gatiss at last summer’s Sherlocked! convention. I was dressed as Mycroft and he complimented my costume. I also gave him a bottle of my homemade mead which I’d labeled “The East Wind”. He voiced his appreciation that someone thought to bring some wine 🙂
When I was doing field work in college, up near Las Vegas, NM, we were standing near a gate to a pasture observing the (“sexy”) geology when a truck pulled up. It was a dirty, sweaty, smoking cowboy who was wondering WTH we were doing with a cargo van pulled up to his gate. As he got out of the truck he spat on his cigarette to put it out before dropping it on the ground. Eventually he got close enough for all of us to realize it was Patrick Swayze. Apparently, someone had been stealing cattle from his ranch and so when he saw a crew of rough looking geologists he was pretty sure we were up to no good. Ha! He hung out with us for quite a while!
That sounds like a horrific day 🙁
I don’t have any celebrity stories that are more than “I got their autograph at a con” because I’m boring. And live in the middle of nowhere.
I met Ed Greenwood at GenCon one year. We exchanged hellos. That was it.
A few years later I saw Wil Wheaton at a bar, while at GenCon. He looked busy, so I didn’t say anything and just finished my burger.
Those are my two sole celebrity stories.
I grew up in Orange County, California… so there were known or minor celebrities about regularly enough that it didn’t usually move me. But one year in college I was in line to go to San Diego Comicon and I saw one of my FAVORITE artists/musicians/briliantness outside smoking a cigarette. I meekly walk up and ask him…”Hi, are you Voltaire?” He smile and said he was. I told him I was a huge fan and had been listening to his music since I was in high school. He was super sweet and took a selfie with me for my Myspace with my disposable camera. I lost the camera (because of course I did) but I will never forget how kind he was to me even while I was shy fan girling all over his jacket. And yes, Fan Girling is now a verb.
I met Tim Curry once. I was a teenager and he was doing a show on Broadway my grandparents took me to. He was very nice and not at all weird so it was a little disappointing but still kind of exciting.
Burgess Meredith hit me with a bathroom door in the hallway of the State Door Deli when I was in high school. Bonus: I rode in an elevator with Billy Joel that same weekend.
I saw Spike Lee in a Chick-fil-a in midtown Atlanta and my husband and I were debating whether to approach him and his entourage. Other people seemed to try and they weren’t having it. I was like, “no, we shouldn’t. He’s a Chick-fil-a. Let him enjoy his chicken.” I got approving nods from bystanders. It was a good day.
I once passed by Keanu Reeves but didn’t realize it until my companion VERY LOUDLY WHISPERED (oxymoron?) to me who he was… which I am sure he heard… which I am sure mortified us both.
Oh, and once I was at a food mart, talking over my shoulder to a friend about what we were going to get for lunch, and slammed, full body, into a Very Tall Tim Robbins (seriously – dude is TALL) (like, my nose hit his mid-chest, and I am an average-to-slightly-tall woman).
There ends all of my celebrity encounters.
I saw Courtney Cox (then, Cox Arquette) at a bar in Ann Arbor, in 2011-ish. One of my friends thought she wasn’t her, and she was like “leave the poor girl alone, she probably gets mistaken for her all the time” … until we saw others going over to her too. We approached her and she took pics with us, though didn’t say much.
I think she was in town shooting the new Scream movie, also. I’m a HUGE Friends fan so that was pretty exciting.
I ran into Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz in LA. Had no clue it was them but was enamored with Penelope’s heels and told her my favorite Barbie had shoes just like those.
I met Kermit the Frog and the guy who used to put his hand up Kermit’s ass. Kermit without the hand is the saddest thing ever.
Its not a celeb encounter exactly but my Great Uncle was Harold Russell, who became famous for selling the Oscar he won after he lost his hands. So, uh… yeah.
my mom and i were in new york in 2001 and she almost ran head-first into trump. sadly, she missed.
One day when I was in high school I’d stayed late because of a club thing, so I was walking down the hallway and was stopped by a guy who asked me how to find the library. I gave him directions and moved on, then heard someone else walking behind me stop the guy with a squeal of, “OH MY GOD YOU’RE DONNY OSMOND!”
I met Anderson Cooper at my workplace and he was really just like this nice guy with super blue eyes and a really expensive haircut. But, seriously, like totally just this dude who loves his mom and texted her a photo of some stuff I was showing him about an interview she gave way, way back in the day.
Chuck Norris came to my middle school and I got a picture hugging him. He was shorter than me, and left orange makeup all over my shoulder. Chuck Norris jokes got a LOT funnier once I pictured everyone saying all that bad*ss stuff about a little old man in orange cake makeup.
One time my husband took me to Las Vegas and we saw Siegfried and Roy. They happen to mention that Sir Anthony Hopkins was in the audience. I was a huge fan and tried to find him as thousands of people are exiting the arena I’m searching frantically. Later that night I was talking smack about how it’s just as well I didn’t run into Anthony Hopkins because then I would just have to leave my husband behind Etc. My husband said, yeah, put your money where your mouth is he’s right there on the slot machine. I ran over to him and essentially hug-raped him.Also, There may or may not have been an instance where I yelled at a bunch of Japanese tourists to get in line. 🙄 Life is complicated.
My celebrity story would probably end with a friend shrieking, “HOW THE HELL DID YOU NOT KNOW WHO THAT WAS???”
I.., I really don’t pay much attention to that kind of thing.
We printed this wine label for Steven Seagal where I worked. I think it tells a story all by itself. https://www.flickr.com/photos/suebobdavis/2399583353/in/photolist-4E3uwM
I volunteer for Comic Cons out here in NM, and I got to tell C. Thomas Howell what “bless your heart” means.
Once upon a time I worked for QVC. Richard Simmons was a frequent guest. He once chased a co-worker around the parking lot trying to take her hotdog away from her telling her she’d regret eating it. As far as my best encounter there, I was 18 and Joan Rivers told me I was fabulous.
Not my story, but my brother works in a building that is also a recording studio. Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters sat down at joined his table for lunch in the cafeteria. Apparently he’s a really cool guy.
I met Laura Branigan at the Ashworth Hotel in New Hampshire as a little kid in the 80s. She loved me and held me in her lap.
When I worked for a car rental agency I was told no more private flights were coming in, so I closed and went home around midnight. George Carlin arrived an hour later and couldn’t get his car. Other than seeing Gregory Hines at a distance, that’s the closest to an encounter I’ve had.
Christopher more cowbell Walken yelled at me. He was mad at the place I work at.
My husband (when we were dating) knocked Demi Moore flat on her arse as he was entering a tiny cafe and she was leaving. She’s so small he was looking right over top of her.
I used to work in retail and Drew Barrymore came in to my store. I treated her like anyone else, asked if she needed help with anything, she looked at me funny. She said “No, thank you, just looking.” I walked away and then she cackled really loudly. Not two minutes later, she walked up to me and asked where the restroom was, I told her, but she didn’t go. It was odd but delightful.
One time I was in a coffee shop and all of a sudden everyone was silent. I looked at the person standing next to me and it was Val Kilmer. (This was young A List Val) Honestly have never experienced that kind of charisma since. It was breathtaking. I think everyone just lost their power of speech for a moment.
I once rode across the river on a ferry in Florida with Colonel Sanders of KFC fame. The original one. He didn’t even smell like fried chicken! 😠
David Hewlett used to live in the same town as me (for filming purposes) and I’d make him and Jane lattes, or get them ice cream. He was really down to earth, and I treated him like he was any other customer, which I think he appreciated. His wife knew I knew who he was, but I never said anything to him.
I don’t remember ever meeting any actual celebrities because my life is supremely boring, and I’ve always been disappointed about that. The closest I came was meeting Gail Gand, who used to have a show on Food Network. She had a restaurant with the Hearty Boys (who ALSO used to have a show on Food Network). I was eating in their restaurant and she was standing near the back talking to an employee. I had to ask where the bathroom was, and she told me. I was pregnant at the time and made a joke about how locating the bathroom was a big priority for me in my current condition, and she laughed. The end. [cue sad trombone]
PattiLuPone came to see me in a show in high school summer stock. One of the crew’s dad worked on Evita and they both thought I sang like her. I was too stunned to say anything coherent.
hugs! Hoping that everything works out. (I’m also in the homicidal gallbladder club.) Only celebrity encounter I’ve had is seeing Flavor Flav after a Public Enemy/Anthrax concert in the 90s. Went to high-five him and missed.
I met Charles Barkley at my work, he stared at my boobs, I stared at his belt buckle…
Richard Thomas (John Boy Walton) came into my work (Acme Rents/Calif) back in the late 70’s. I got his autograph. He was very nice! I don’t remember what he needed to rent.
I spent 5 weeks doing wardrobe for a regional theatre in Virginia and I got to hide behind a piece of patriotically flag painted scenery and strip Dick Van Patton down to his boxers every night for a bit in a variety revue type show. Such a nice man.
Many times when we scan a gall bladder, we actually scan an entire right upper quadrant exam. So images of pancreas, liver, gall bladder, common bile duct and right kidney. So may not have been an extraordinary amount of pics of her gall bladder! Hope all is well with everyone and every pup. <3 Ultrasound tech fan.
One year at comic con I saw a panel with Whoopi Goldberg and she took pictures with someone dressed as Fairytale from The Page Master
While jogging down the sidewalks of Lakewood Ohio lost in my own little world, I almost pancaked Hal Holbrook AND Dixie Carter. They were quite gracious about it.
I interviewed Anthony Bourdain, who was lovely and humble and made me want to put down my little reporter’s notebook and run away with him, even though I’m a vegetarian and he would probably hate me.
Do baseball players count? I’ve met several of my heroes from the Dodgers. Tommy Davis, from the 1963 & 1965 championship teams was very nice to mw. He signed baseballs & pictures for me & my Dad. He was wearing his 1963 World Series ring. I asked if I could get a look at it & he actually took the ring off and handed it to me. I almost died. And wondered if I could get out of there with it before security could tackle me. 🤔
Once I stood in line for a movie behind Tia, Tamera, and Taj Mowry. I didn’t actually realize who they were, but my mom was the HUGEST fan of all three of them and their shows, so she elbowed me very hard in my very bad sunburn to tell me I was missing out.
This is a sports-ball thing. I am a rabid UNC Tar Heels basketball fan. At my favorite local indie bookstore, over a decade ago, Coach Dean Smith was there for a signing. Without thinking, I flung all my team gear onto my body and drove over there. Luckily, I was the only one there at that time. I bibbled at him like an idiot while he graciously smiled and shook his head as if to say, “What did I ever do to deserve this?” At one point, he looked at his wrangler and said, “She’s . . . certainly vivacious.” (I think it was a plea for help or a pre-arranged signal or something.) Though the bookshop had made it clear that he didn’t personalize his autographs, he asked me my name, signed his book to me, and shook my hand. I will never forget it. It was one of the best moments of my life.
My mom used to be Ronald Reagan’s tailor. Except she didn’t know it was for him. And we, her children, didn’t find out until he died and Nancy Reagan called my sister. Who definitely thought this was a joke. It wasn’t. The funniest part is that my mom never had anything good to say about Ronald Reagan. And she was hemming his suits.
One time I was in an elevator after running at the hotel gym and Fred Lehne was on his way down to the Supernatural convention. I awkwardly told him how great of an actor I was and shook his hand while I was all sweaty. He complimented me on my dedication to the gym. Sweated all over Fred Lehne!
My husband took a photo of me in Hawaii, and only later we realised that Owen Wilson was in the background. So I was literally photo-bombed by Owen Wilson. You’d think it would be the other way round…
I’ve never really met any celebrities. M.C. Hammer follows me on Twitter though. That’s kinda cool, but not like super cool. Also all the hugs for your kiddos, two and four legged
I rode in an elevator with LeVar Burton and Robert Beltran. They were absolutely tickled that I had loved them since childhood and shook my hand before their security got twitchy.
My group of friends and I ran into Jon St.John (Duke Nukem) in the dealer’s room at Magfest this year. He is ridiculously sweet, and an absolute laugh riot.We got some great pictures while he harassed us for being shy about asking.
I once saw Emeril Lagasse at a grocery store buying a pre-prepared bag ‘o salad.
Ok. I went to school with one of Paul hogans sons. We had the same roll call room. Standing there waiting to go in and the son walks over, and goes. ‘ know who I am’.. winks and looks all smug. I just laugh and go ‘ yeah, we’ve been in the same roll call class for 4 months”. He just stammered and walked off.
I worked a USO event and met a few celebrities, most notably Joe Nichols, the country singer, who warmed up in the staff dining area and, who, when I needed to stop him from leaving the staging area before the big intro, put his hand on my waist, leaned down and said, ‘Sorry darlin’, I couldn’t hear you” I swooned. He took photos with anyone who asked and seemed like a genuinely kind person!
I worked as a nanny in England and the kids I cared for went to school with Paula Yates’ and Bob Geldof’s kids. I remember thinking it was cool because Paula was a host on the morning tv news show I watched. Of course, Paula left Bob for Michael Hutchence, and he died, and Paula died of an overdose, and then her daughter Peaches, one of those sweet kids I used to see at the school died of an overdose, leaving behind a new baby. All of this makes me feel very sad and also very old. Now I need somebody to distract me. I’m sorry.
One time I saw Robert Eglund (aka Freddy Krueger) in an airport and accidentally stalked him for a while because apparently, our flights were leaving from neighboring gates. I was texting my best friend the whole time, fangirling like a moron and he kept watching me like I was a crazy person.
Also, once I almost walked right into Patrick Swayze at a horse show. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life
Both times I was way too star-struck and nervous and introverted to say anything to them.
I’m from Ventura, California and I saw John C. Reilly at our local pier resturant. I adore him and wanted to say hi, but he looked angry with the cashier and was dressed so poorly I would have mistaken him for a homeless person, if i didn’t know better (we have A LOT of homeless people here with the fair weather and great resources for the homeless). So, I chickened out because most comedians already seem a little angry to me and I don’t wanna mess with a man that will be bitch to the “Shake and Bake” NASCAR move.
I was in a nice hotel that had a locker room attached to the workout area and pool. I was coming back from the outside pool, carrying a copy of InStyle with Kate Hudson on the cover. When I came into the locker room, Kate Hudson was standing naked at a locker looking like she hoped I didn’t recognize her. I thought about asking her to sign my magazine, but just kept walking instead.
I was at a bar by the beach in Marina Del Rey, CA when I hear this voice say”Is it you that smells so good?” I turned to see Jason Bateman standing there looking at me. Like a dumb ass i responded “I hope so.” He just smelled and walked away with his drinks. (sigh)
I’m glad Dorothy Barker is going to be OK! Its as hard as having a sick human child!
Best wishes for your daughter. Health concerns like this are so hard to deal with at times with so many questions and unknown. I certainly hope Dorothy Barker gets past her issue too. My daughter’s weiner (yes dog) had a health scare recently and it was difficult to see her and my ex husband so worried. Pets get to be part of the family and when they hurt, we hurt.
Celebrity encounter…I once met Paulie Shore. Yes he’s a celebrity, sort of. He was very nice and stopped and said hello after I screamed his name in a busy nightclub in Wisconsin. This was before cellphones so no picture opp. Oh well. It’s still remarkable mainly since he’s the only celebrity I’ve ever had an encounter with.
Cheers to you miss! Well wishes all around.
I had random encounters with famous musicians before they were famous…. Like Jonny Lang or the guys from Eve6…. We were all very young, like junior high/high school age. Nothing interesting though.
When we were touring the Capitol in Washington, my mom stopped to ask directions to the bathroom. The man she asked turned out to be our senator from Arizona, Dennis Deconcini (which will tell people how old I am…
I was a customer at a restaurant on Kitchen Nightmares. We went on a “BEFORE” night, when the restaurant was very terrible. Gordon Ramsay approached our table, surrounded by cameras and a sound guy, and asked what was up with the tempura battered cheese mushrooms on our table and I just stammered and stammered, then erupted into embarrassed giggles. Cutting. Room. Floor.
I’ve met YOU twice at book signings! The first one, I had purple hair and I was wearing my kitty “Claws” Jaws-pun sweatshirt and you said we must be sisters and it made my night!
I literally ran into Dan Marino at a convention in the early nineties. He was very kind and funny, and couldn’t speak a word.
The majority of my celebrity encounters have been me thinking “I KNOW that person is famous, but I can’t remember who it is.” No telling how many great stories I missed with my failure to recognize faces most of the time. But I did have dinner next to the wrestling Von Eriks once (they lived nearby). And I got to meet Billy Crystal when I ushered for his show about seven years ago –very nice guy. At least I had advanced warning on that one, so I was sure who he was!
I met Ron Jeremy once at a Sexpo in Minneapolis. He was a douchebag (I really want to say he was a dick, but that seems even more inappropriate than saying I met Ron Jeremy at all, much less at a sexpo where I had one of those ridiculous “romance party” tables in my misspent post-college years.).
Once in LAX I saw Michael Sheen in a head-to-toe tweed suit (including hat). All I could think was “Wow, he’s WAY shorter in real life.” It made me sad…I thought he was a babe until I realized he doesn’t even reach my shoulder. Sigh.
Hope DB is ok!!
Many, many years ago my sister took her little sister (me) to dinner at a small local airport restaurant. There was much activity on the tarmac so my sister asked the waitress what was going on and it turns out that Paul McCartney and his band Wings were landing in a few minutes. I was too young to understand who Paul McCartney was but my sister was freaking out! Long story short, we were able to go down to the gate and were withing just a few feet from Paul and his wife Linda when they were getting in a limo. Another time in Boston I was in a hotel lobby line with Tony Bennett. Hope your day gets better and good luck with your daughter and dog.
I was front row center at a Seal concert at Beacon and I spent one too many times looking over at Gary Oldman to my left. Seal clubbed me in the head with his mic stand and I didn’t see it coming. Saw stars. Also sat one person away from Paul McCartney at Beacon Theater and my eyes went all cartoon AY OOH GA when I saw him and Nancy sit down. He was very nice to all that approached him. I was too humina humina humina to say anything.
I love Barry Manilow! During his concerts he picks someone from the audience to sing his song “can’t smile without you”. Well he picked me at one of his concerts! It was an amazing experience- even tho I can’t sing a note! When it was all over I they gave me a video tape (it was so long ago) of it. When I am feeling down or depressed I pop it in and watch my younger self habving the time of my life.
Mine isn’t great but here you go: I used to work at an event company that did summer picnics for a schools in a nice area of LA. I saw Lisa Kudrow, Courtney Cox and Sylvester Stallone during my time there
I hope they are both ok!
I once spoke on the phone with Lily Tomlin, who my then- boyfriend met at a lounge in an airport. She was very sweet & told me he was a looker.
I also once met Wynton Marsalis (the jazz musician) backstage because my best friend’s brother was his tour manager. I made an ass out of myself by saying “Stacy used to play the tromomobone” the way that Homer Simpson once said “saxomophone”. He very kindly ignored my idiocy and shook my hand.
Jeez, I hope Hailey and Dorothy are going to be okay Jenny.
I’ve never met an American celebrity.
I’ve met an Australian celebrity though. Her name is Jana Wendt, she interviewed me for our version of 60 minutes when they did a story on the Bali bombings. She is really very nice.
I used to work at a talent agency in Los Angeles and I stood in the elevator with Jeremy Piven on 3 separate occasions. He was not friendly, but on the bright side he never sexually harrassed me so there’s that!
From her 8th-story office window, my daughter saw the top of Tom Hanks’ head while they were filming Sully.
One time i was working as a lift operator (as in a person who presses the buttons even though it was not the 1950s) at a concert. I managed to ask David Campbell (a performer for the show, and now a hugely popular morning show presenter AND Jimmy Barnes son -Jimmy Barnes is ICONIC Aussie Singer), who he was most excited to see. He did not at all seem impressed I didn’t know (or care) who he was. But mate, pressing buttons is a hard job.
It was not, not at all, but standing in a lift for 8 hours and people not realising that is your job is hard.
I went to a signing for Neil Gaiman. The line was really really long. After 7.5 hours, finally got to him and I gushed… About his writing and his humanitarian work and how I’m in awe of the kind of person he was. And after 7.5 hours of signing he was as kind and sincere as a person could be. He stopped signing, talked to me for a moment, then stood up and hugged me. I’m still in awe of the kind of human he is.
I hugged Alice Cooper and his wife once. Such lovely people. I cried. 🙂 (hope all will be well…. hugs to you!)
I met the guy who plays Duckie on NCIS and was so dumbfounded I just asked him to run a half marathon with me….I mean I was AT a race but he was in a suit LOL
I met Scooby Doo at Universal Studios last summer. Honestly, I was pretty psyched.
I sort of “met” Nicholas Cage at the Voodoo museum in New Orleans. It was right after Moonstruck-anoth customer was all
over him but I didn’t want to intrude. I will say he was very nice and humble.
I went to Jazzfest in New Orleans with my sister who stays up much later then I do. She insisted on going to ar jazz club and I got so tired of standing, I asked a gentleman sitting out the front door on a bench if I could sit with him. We chatted for a pretty long time. People kept asking him to take a picture and he kept politng declining. I couldn’t figure out why he wouldn’t just take their picture for them. I finally asked him and he explained they weren’t asking him to take their picture-they wanted a picture of him. I asked him if he was famous and he looked at me like I had two heads. You see, I don’t watch a lot of movies and I’d been sitting with Laurence Fishburn!
I smoked a joint with Bob Saget at a bar in Toronto in the late 90s…
All the mojo to Hailey & Dorothy Barker <3
I’d lived in Los Angeles for a few months when I saw that Wil Wheaton was going to be hosting a show called The Wil Wheaton Project takes a moment to pour one out for the chickens and firemen and that they needed audience members. It was free and a simple bus ride down the street, so of course I signed up. Not to mention I’ve been a fan of Wil’s literally my whole life, fed as I was on a steady diet of Star Trek and particularly TNG because it was my mom’s favourite.
We get into the studio and sit down. They announce there’s a special guest from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D there for a segment. I nerd the hell out and make a happy little gasp that is, apparently, audible. I blush and cover my face with my hands while the audience, crew, and Wil all chuckle at me. And when it’s time for said special guest, Wil tells him how excited I am that he’s there. It’s J August Richards, aka one of my fandom faaaaaves. So J comes over to say hi and looks at my nametag. I slap a hand over it and overreact, saying “It’s misspelled! Don’t look at it. They misspelled Elisabeth, it’s with an s not a z. Just call me Beth.” J continues to be the absolutely funny and charming human he is.
Cut to two weeks later when I attend another taping. This time, Wil remembers me and asks me if they spelled my name right this time. They didn’t. We commiserate about how people never spell our first names right even when it’s right there in front of them.
And that’s the beginning of my friendship with Wil Wheaton.
There is a local (chicago) TV News host named Dick Johnson. I took up a second job and so happened to work with his wife. She introduced him to me while telling a lovely story about all of the errands he had just run for her while she was at work (he had come and picked up her car to put gas in it and wash it) and I made a fool of myself by saying, “Wow, I sure could use some Dick in my life.” Yup. That’s my life.
I once ran into a Beach Boy at a Reds’ game. Ran into as in we nearly knocked each other over. And when I was in college, I sold a picture frame to Rob Lowe’s dad. He is not a celebrity, but I’m awkward and was nervous anyway. I messed up the picture frame, wrapped it up, and prepared it for shipment. So if Rob or Chad wondered why their dad bought them a crappy frame, you know NOTHING.
I met Bruce Springsteen and it was the best day of my life. I mean, it was the best day that didn’t involve me giving birth to a beautiful baby. Also I met Patti Scialfa and Tom Brokaw because they were with Bruce. John Kerry was also there as he was running for President at the time, but I didn’t get to meet him. Actually, I think he was the main point of the rally but BRUCE!
I was working the box office window up at Williamstown Theatre Festival and it happened to be my birthday. My wonderful coworkers hung a sign above the window that said “This is Sue. It’s her birthday! Don’t tell her about this sign.” All day people were wishing me a happy birthday, It was pretty great. Well, Joanne Woodward came to pick up her tickets to the show that night. First of all, her credit card said Joanne Newman which I thought was the most adorable thing. And then the credit card machine was taking forever and she was lovely and patient. Well, then she looked up. She got a huge smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. “Are you Sue?” “Yesssss?” “Well happy birthday, Sue!” I died. She said it with so much joy, like she was super excited it was my birthday. It was really wonderful.
That night, I was working at the other theatre’s box office and as she was walking in, she saw me, grinned, waved, and mouthed, “Happy Birthday!”
Side note – she’s gorgeous and has this light that just shines out of her. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Once upon a time in Lake Placid, Jimmy Fallon held the door open for little ol’ me!
Judge Reinhold used to come through my line at the health food store on the regular. I was unable to convince the bagger that he was NOT, in fact, “that guy from Wings, ” and she asked him for his autograph and told him she loved him on “Wings. ” I was so embarrassed for her.
I used to work at an aromatherapy store on Robson Street in Vancouver back in the early aughts. There was a lot of film and TV work happening at that time, so there was a parade of celebrities that came through at various times: Tom Berenger (he was greasy and weird), Diane Ladd (she was delightful), Chris Klein (he wore a beanie that made it look his head like a too small condom on a large penis), Anthony Michael Hall (I was the only one in the store and was so obviously starstruck that he and his lady friend took a lap and hightailed it outta there). My favorite, however, was when Keith David came in wearing a white jacket with a grey printed wolf landscape on the back. I couldn’t place him right away, because his typical movie genre was not in my perview at that time, so I asked him, “Are you an actor? You look familiar”. He leaned in close to me and said, “I’ve been called worse”. I didn’t push further and we spent the next hour plus picking out candles and lotion. Imagine a large, fairly ferocious looking man asking your opinion on lotion! I will never forget that encounter as long as I live.
Hope this helps, doll! It’s the least I can do for all you’ve done for me. <3
I was going down an escalator behind Tommy Hilfiger once. That was the only time I ever fit into anything touched by Tommy Hilfiger. The more I type Hilfger I wish it was Hilfinger. The end.
Garrison Keillor spilled champagne on me at the MET while signing his own ticket stub for me. I was 16.
I am a huge Barenaked Ladies fan. My husband took me to see them at the MId-America Ribfest in Iowa (honest to goodness) and they signed autographs after. I fangirled all over Ed (lead singer) and asked if my husband could take our photo. I look like a strung-out lunatic in them – my eyes are open wide, my pupils are enormous, and my grin is maniacal. Poor Ed. My knees buckled after and my (very kind) husband said, “Please, Honey, can we not do this here?”
I rode an elevator with Pete Rose once.
Donny Osmond called me up on stage during his Vegas concert two years ago.
I met Donald Faison at a special screening of “Which I Was Here” and he smelled amazing.
I met Glennon Doyle recently and told her a quick story about one of my kids and she told me I must be an amazing mother. That felt pretty awesome!
Besides authors I don’t have any good celebrity encounters. Ashley Judd was a student at UK at the same time as me and according to a former coworker I likely helped her several times but I don’t remember it. I displayed poor sportsmanship toward future nba player Rex Chapman in high school and had to write an essay on sportsmanship the next day. I’ve met the lead singer of Bowling for Soup and the Dollyrots at concerts. Nothing of great excitement. I have had lunch with Chris Moore, though.
My ex-wife worked at a Greek restaurant as a teenager. At the time, Dylan McDermott was in town shooting a movie. He came into the restaurant and ordered a Greek salad. When he received his food, he was disgusted, and demanded to know why there wasn’t any lettuce in the salad. When he was told that “there is no lettuce in a Greek salad,” he got very upset, and accused the restaurant of being “the kind of place that would use ketchup in their spaghetti sauce, and claim it was normal.”
The owners of the restaurant are two brothers from Greece. They take turns each year with one of them living in Greece and perfecting recipes, while the other one runs the restaurant, then they switch. All of the staff (other than my ex and her sister) at the restaurant are their family from Greece.
Mr. McDermott was asked to leave the restaurant. In fact, he was asked to leave the town.
There is a kind of a happy ending, however. The town received a written letter of apology from Mr. McDermott, and all of the other actors on the film were lovely.
I just went to Dan Rather’s talk in Charlotte. He’s a great man. I didn’t get to meet him, though. I once saw Flava Flave in a Target in Las Vegas back when his Flavor of Love show was popular. Or at least my roommate watched it all the time so I assume it was popular. I was near the registers and he came in and shouted “Flave Flave in the House!” All the young women in the store squealed and ran to him, including all but one cashier. Not being a fan of his I approached the remaining cashier to check out. She was in her fifties and very nice. She whispered, “I don’t know who that is.” I whispered back, “I’m sorry that I do know. You’re not missing much.” That’s my only celebrity encounter. My roommate was jealous that she hadn’t gone with me to Target and mad at me for not getting Flava Flave’s autograph. The idea had not occurred to me. Apologies to any Flava Flave fans.
Um, met former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark in a shopping mall. Said hi and shook his hand. Ditto Dan Akroyd.
Met gold medal sprinter Robert Esmie at work a couple weeks ago. He complimented my haircut.
I lived in Boston in the mid 90’s- I was broke and worked nights and spent most of my days at Boston Public Library & if it was nice out I would scope out a bench on Comm Ave. So one day I’m sitting there reading One on One by Tabitha King- which I had just checked out of the library- and I hear this strangely foreign (for Boston) voice ask me if I’m enjoying book. I look up and Stephen freaking King is standing there. I could barely speak. But I assured him that I was enjoying the book greatly and pulled out 2 of her other books and one of his (all library copies) to prove that I was an actual fan/reader. He was the most genuine and kind person and we chatted about books, life, libraries and Maine (where I had spent summers for my entire childhood) for about 30 minutes. It was one of those days that are so surreal you always wonder if it was a dream. <3
This is a local to Austin. I saw Vince Young talking to some very animated guy right in front of the building I work in. Vince and I had this whole conversation with just our eyes. My eyes said: “Hey, I know who you are!” His eyes said: “Cool, can you help me out here (with this guy)?” Mine said: “You are on your own, Buddy! Good luck! But it was really cool to see you.” His said, “Ok lovely lady, You sure are cute!” Well… I think his eyes said that last part, so I will just keep it as part of the story! 🙂
I played beer pong with Carl Lewis (Olympic Gold medalist and major star in my opinion!) at my friend’s baby shower. Truth.
And once I was stuck in an elevator in the middle of the night and David Crosby knew about it because I was tweeting w him when it happened. I thought that was funny – that I was stuck in an elevator and my husband didn’t know, but David Crosby did…
Mark Harmon and his wife Pam Dauber used to come in to our antique shop when I lived upstate NY. They had a vacation home near by. I used to think it was pretty funny that Mark always picked through the sale crap section looking for bargains. Hard to believe he was so hard up he needed to pick through the bargain bin!
I once spoke to Lars Ulrich on the phone (Metallica drummer). Privacy concerns prevent me from going into context, but it was unexpected and I was very professional…so there.
Steven Tyler is from around here, so everyone bumps into him from time to time…at Walmart of all places! lol
I went to a book signing by Neil, and gave him tenticals. I made him a book mark because early that day he posted about losing his. So I braided some hemp twine together a put a squid token from my Shire of Coppertree event, and when I got to the front of the line I told him “I made you a gift because I figured you could use some more tenticals in your house!” And he loved it. Made my night.
Years ago I sat behind Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) on an international flight. Everyone who walked past would stop and fawn over him, saying how great he is, etc. I saw him reading the sports section of the paper, so I leaned forward and asked him to give me an update on where the Cubs were in the standings, with no acknowledgment of who he was. He seemed a little nonplussed, but he gave me the info anyway.
I was pregnant and dragged to an indy car race by my husband. We were wandering through the various pit crew areas before the race when I spotted a famous race car driver. I turned to look at him and walked right into the arms of Paul Newman. He had to hold onto me so I didn’t topple over since my center of gravity was a bit off. He really did have the most amazing blue eyes but he was so much shorter than I expected. I spent the next several minutes sputtering “I just touched Paul Newman!” to anyone I made eye contact with. My husband just rolled his eyes and kept walking. It made going to that race completely worth it to me.
I met the founders of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (OG Ghost Hunters) in NY Penn Station once. They were cool.
I went to see a Broadway production of a play I had been in high school. Coming back from the bathroom during intermission, I nearly ran smack into Michael Patrick King (producer of Sex and the City) in the aisle, then I glanced to his left and saw SJP!!! Chris Noth was there, too – one of the cast had a bit part on SATC.
When I was 10, I saw Mr. T dressed as Santa in Rockefeller Center.
When I was 30, my friend and I went to the Bronx and saw Martha Stewart eating a slice of pizza at a joint on Arthurs Avenue.
I have had dinner with Justice Stevens. He is charming. I have had dinner adjacent to Newt Gingrich. He is not.
I live around the corner from Guy Fieri. We’ve lived here 9 months and I’ve never even seen him, let alone get invited to Flavor Town. I’m getting ripped off.
I used to work at a talent agency in Los Angeles that repped a number of very famous people. While there I took 3 separate elevator rides with Mr Jeremy Piven. He never acknowledged that I was there, even though I was the only other person in the car with him. Not a very friendly guy, but on the plus side he never sexually harrassed me either so I call it a win.
I saw one of Charlie’s Angels in Sax 5th Avenue in NYC when they were still hot.
One time when I was a child I was in the same pool as Mark Spitz. Back in 1972 he was like Michael Phelps–won 7 gold medals in the Olympics. Every July my extended family on my father’s side had a swim party to celebrate my grandma’s birthday. This was in Sacramento, CA, and there were lots of us–aunts and uncles and 19 cousins, so we were at a swim club. Anyway, we recognized Mark Spitz but we didn’t do anything different. Someone pointed him out and then we just kept playing in the pool. I guess that’s not really a story, but at least it’s a nice memory that isn’t stressful. For anyone who’s curious, here’s a link where you can read about him https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Spitz
I worked for a Dentist in Melbourne that was the emergency dentist for one of the 5 star hotels. Had David Bowie in the chair with a loose crown before a concert. He then gave us tickets.
I met Paul Newman once at Kenyon Festival theatre in Gambier, Ohio. I went to high school in a town nearby and was an usher. He snuck in to see Joanne Woodward (she was in Hay Fever, very funny) after it started and asked my for a stool so he could sit in the back of the audience. He really was really that handsome.
My friend and I enjoyed watching Rob Lowe on the beach in Atlantis in the Bahamas; we followed him over to the beach after we noticed he was using one of the beach bungalows next to the adult pool where we were hanging out drinking delicious cocktails served by beautiful women who all looked like Rhianna. We had a great time and our husbands just shook their heads at us like we were ridiculous school girls and we just said, “we’re watching Rob Lowe, you can go do whatever you want” and I don’t think they appreciated being ignored while we ogled a celebrity but we had enjoyed several beverages so we didn’t care. On that same trip we met LeBrawn James’s grandmother at the spa and I feel sure that she was telling the truth as she announced it to everyone she met because why would you impersonate someone’s grandmother? Also, that inspired us to refer to the gigantic shrimp cocktail we ate near the pool (which on the menu was “prawn cocktail “) as LePrawn James. We laughed a lot and our husbands rolled their eyes a lot on that trip.
Favorite celebrity encounter was when I met Arthur Darvill at a con and got a photo with him and Flat Rory. Actually, the BEST part of it all was when TheBloggess liked that Twitter post 🙂 Squee! Other memorable celebrity encounter was meeting the great Carrie Fisher at a con (I sense a theme). She was amazing, and I just adored her. She listened as I rambled on, and concluded that we were in the same tribe.
My ex used to do tech for the local theater so I met several celebs through him, but the best by far was Bob Newhart. He’s been an idol since I was a kid. Such a nice, patient man. Never lost it even when an insane woman kept screaming “BAHB! BAHB!”, to try to get his attention.
I was walking through a train to get some coffee and I’d been reading The Martian for 4 hours and I was a bit sleep deprived and heady and I THOUGHT i saw Misha Collins and I about had a heart attack before i realixed it wasn’t him. Also not a great story.
However when my mom was 6 months pregnant with me she got chewed out by Leonard Nimoy so that totally counts, right? (She was the manager of a theater he was appearing at and a hotel manager that had always been rock-solid in the past pulled a totally idiot move and set up a PRESS CONFERENCE for Nimoy without asking. It wasn’t really Mom’s fault but of course she got the yelling-at. Which she bore patiently & understandigly and then never used that hotel again.)
I went to a White House Christmas Party one time because Chelsea Clinton invited all the students from her ballet school. Whenever she was in dance class the security guards had to wait outside.
I saw Lyle Lovett at a little bar in Bryan, TX and we casually exchanged nods. I also danced in the aisle of a theatre with Angelique Kidjo. Then there was the time I met Jenny Lawson at BookPeople – it was magical! I saw Victor there, too, but I was too shy to talk to him.
I met Ron Jeremy at a strip club event, after schlepping my very drunk friend to the grocery store for much needed food. She ran threw the Jewel asking incredibly loudly so all could hear if we though the Pringles container she was carrying was a good measurement of his schlong. It was quite the evening to be designated driver. I don’t even like strip clubs. Burlesque, all the way!
I once saw Robert Webber, a long-time Hollywood character actor whose most famous role was probably as Cybill Shepherd’s character’s father in Moonlighting, in a Steak & Ale in Riverside, CA. No encounter, I just recognized him. No IMDb back then (this was in the late 1970s/early 1980s) so although I knew I had seem him frequently in guest starring roles on TV, I didn’t realize the extent of his career until the internet came along.
HOW COULD I FORGET THE BEST ONE: TEQUILA SHOTS WITH CLARENCE CLEMMONS!!!!!
I saw Steve Martin walking around the Plaza Art Fair in Kansas City. My sister and I weren’t convinced it was him but then he smiled. We debated whether to say anything but then another woman yelled his name: though he shook her hand and was very nice about it, he left pretty quickly after that and we felt bad that he didn’t get to enjoy more of the festival.
I saw members of Bruce Springsteens band (and others) doing coke in a stairway at a family event that I was invited to. I won’t say who those people were but suffice it to say most everyone was doing something or another. It was the 80’s.
PS: Had my gallbladder removed some time ago. Have not noticed any issues other than I temporarily had to refrain from eating nuts.
I once walked into the boobs of the lead singer for a German band. Her boyfriend was right behind her and gave me a quick glance and said something in German. I’m not sure if it was condescending or not since the entire language sounds like you’re being yelled at (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcxvQI88JRY).
I met Tom Arnold at the (now defunct) Metro Music Cafe here in Wyandotte. He was nice, is very tall. I also once saw Charles Barkley in the (now defunct) F&M store, buying a card.
A law firm I worked for sent me twice to Dennis Rodman’s house to notarize documents for him. The second time, I interrupted his phone call with Madonna. While working at the same firm, I was walking through the reception area and the receptionist asked if I would hand a cup of coffee to the person in the conference room. I knocked on the door and Tommy Lee Jones answered.
Also, try titer tests next year for Dorothy. Her antibodies may be high enough that she doesn’t need to be vaccinated again.
Patrick Swayze nearly ran me over with his horse at the Arabian Horse Nationals. And then when I said, watch where you are going he asked me if I knew who he was. Um yes, no, I don’t care, watch where you’re going
Allison Mack, who played Chloe on “Smallville”, sang “Cheer up Charlie” from “Willy Wonka” to my autistic 3 year old (named Charlie) while we were getting autographs at the Superman Festival in Metropolis, IL. She is still my favorite.
I rear-ended a cab. Larry King’s wife was the passenger. When I called the insurance company, I said, “Uh, there’s something you need to know” and proceeded to tell the rep. She said, “Larry King, Larry King?” And I confirmed it. I thought my life was over and I’d end up in financial ruin. But it resolved just like any other accident for I might have been at fault.
The first time I went to a sci-fi convention, Andrew Robinson of Star Trek DS9 serenaded me with a few lines at the photo op and nearly signed my photo “To Andrew, (message) from Andrew” because our names are so similar! He was very apologetic and a very nice guy.
I walked by Norman Reedus on my way to work in NYC once. I saw him from about a block away, stared awkwardly trying to process if it was really him, he saw me staring, gave me a nice nod as he walked by, and I nodded back and kept going. I still sometimes think I dreamed this.
I also met Nathan Fillion at NYCC and Zachary Levi at the stage door of She Loves Me, and both are exactly the wonderful gentlemen you’d hope.
Hope Hailey and Dorothy Barker get better soon 🙂
I ran into Richard Dreyfuss waiting for takeout at Chin Chin in Studio City (California). He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him, so I went over and asked if he taught high school biology (my biology teacher kind of looked like Richard Dreyfuss). He said, “no, I’m Richard Dreyfuss.” I said, “Of course you are! I loved you in that movie with Holly Hunter!” Then I walked back to my cousin, who was trying to to laugh hysterically at my stupid.
I bet Richard Dreyfuss still tells that story.
I was staying at nice DC hotel because I got a Priceline deal. It turned out to be during the weekend of the Kennedy Honors & their were all these celebreties staying there. I went downstairs for an early breakfast & the only other person there was Annete Bening reading a script. All I had with me was the first Harry Potter book, so I asked her to sign it. Later that morning Sam Waterson signed it. Also someone who said, “Would you like my autograph too?” I have no idea who it was but I didn’t want to disappoint him. I can’t read his signature.
When I was 8(?) I was at a celebrity golf tournament (“The Crosby”) getting autographs; I didn’t know these folks, but they. were. famous. One guy, named Jimmy Dean, yes, the Jimmy Dean, gave me an autograph and leaned down as if he were going to whisper in my ear … at this point, the crowd became aware of what was going on and got silent. I just stood there, stupidly, with Jimmy Dean bent over with his face next to mine until someone in the crowd yelled, “Give ‘em s peck!” And that’s the longest I think Mr. Dean ever waited in public for a quick peck.
At that same tournament, Alex Trabek told me that all my many freckles would come together for a tan.
I met Jimmy Stewart when he was at the 50th anniversary at Mt Rushmore. I asked him if he really liked Campbell’s soup, or just sold it. He said that it was good, but his wife’s was better. Then he asked me what it was like to work at Mt Rushmore. Super nice guy!
I was working in a hotel in Asheville NC and I had the honor of handling the luggage for Michael Caine who was in town filming Mister Destiny. When I took the first piece off the luggage cart to put into the taxi the brake on the cart failed causing the rest of his luggage to roll downhill toward a busy intersection. I had the opportunity to chase Michael Caine’s luggage down the street.
Okay…so I used to live in a place called Effingham, IL. Sounds like a fake name for a bad town that everyone hates, but it’s actually a nice place. It’s called the Crossroads of America because every highway and railway runs through it. Even if it REALLY doesn’t, it feels like it.
With that being the case, lots of people crossed our paths there. The local grocery store was IGA. One night back in the 1980’s, we were shopping and I saw someone I SWORE was Rick Springfield. I was only 9 or 10 so everyone dismissed me. It was his big hey-day and he was the SHIT. Anyway, I stalked him like any self-respecting kid who thinks they saw a star would until we were all leaving.
He was several feet ahead as we left the store…and he was heading to a big tour bus with RICK SPRINGFIELD emblazoned across the side. Of course, I lost it and started shouting that I was right. I WAS RIGHT!!
He heard me and turned around.
Now here’s the cheesy but really still kind of awesome thing. He walks back to us and touches my cheek. He looks deeply into my pre-teen eyes and says, “I bet your boyfriend’s name is Jesse.”
I breathlessly asked, “Why?”
He (no crap) bounced backwards playing air guitar while singing, “Because I want, I want Jesse’s girl!!” Then he turned and ran to his tour bus.
About a year later, John Schneider (Bo Duke) had just started his music career and was touring. His bus stopped at that same fated grocery store in that Podunk town. I followed him to the checkout and Teen Beat magazine had him right on the front there in the racks. I told him I thought it was him. He smiled and said, “I get that all the time,” with a wink at me. Walk outside…another bus with his name on the side.
That grocery store had the BEST clientele!
http://www.bjhyman.com
When I worked at Lord and Taylor in Houston, I sold socks to a woman accompanied by Lyle Lovett. It was pre-Julia Roberts, so I think he was surprised I knew who he was. His hair was amazing even back then. I wish I could talk about other encounters, but I’m a nurse and can’t (did travel assignments in Santa Monica and Santa Barbara-oh, the stories I could tell).
I hope that your day gets much, much better.
All of my celebrity encounters are ridiculous.
I accidentally: (1) tripped Roger Federer when I was walking in front of him and stopped suddenly (I didn’t know he was behind me); and (2) fell headfirst into Maggie Gyllenhaal’s lap.
Saw Lauren Hill and Wyclef Jean at a Hardee’s after a concert.
AND … Busta Rhymes stopped a concert mid-song because my friends and I weren’t standing up (in our defense, it was a long day, and he wasn’t the headliner). After being yelled at by Mr. Rhymes, we stood.
When I was a little girl my mom worked in a toy and kids furniture store in Denver. One of the players (way back when) was Dan Issel. I remember him coming in with his new baby in his palm (not exaggerating at all teeny baby/big man). I stood on one of the bunk beds trying so hard to be as tall as he was. He was nice, it was cool.
Another local… I met this really cool author at Book People. She signed my book and took a picture with me. Her writing spoke to me on so many levels as she is so down to earth and shares so much of herself with her readers. I will never forget meeting… Jenny Lawson! I was with a group of Jennifers…. 4 of us total in the picture. 🙂
This is more about avoiding a celebrity encounter which is not at all what you asked for but it’’s a distraction nonetheless. Al Gore once knocked on my door and I refused to answer it. It was when he was campaigning for President. I woke up on a Saturday afternoon to Secret Service men standing on my front lawn and the street clogged with government vehicles. Al was standing on my doorstep alternately knowcking and turning to wave at the tv cameras in the street who were all there to dcomebt his “meet the people” event. Screw that. I was not going to be a pawn in that game. Not with bed head especially. So I peeked at him through the windows and let him knock awkwardly til he gave up and went away.
I’ve cashiered for a few small scale celebrities at stores, but my big deal is that NYT bestselling author (like you!) Patricia Briggs has twice gone on camp-outs with some of her fans, and I got to be one of them. She and her husband told stories on themselves about oopsies, also like you.
You might consider getting Hailey’s gall bladder and appendix pro-actively removed, along with her tonsils. Those three are nothing but a pack of ringleaders.
I once RAN into Sigourney Weaver backstage at a play. I am five feet tall and she is an amazon.
Better story – Had a screaming fight with my college boyfriend in a hotel lobby. When we calmed down, we looked over and Dennis Hopper was sitting in an oversized armchair, smoking a cigar and watching us.
While Bill Bryson was signing his book for me, I told him it had made me laugh while I was in hospital. Instead of saying something like “I’m glad you enjoyed it”, he stopped writing and said, “Oh! I do hope you’re better now.” Such a nice man.
I once saw Tenacious D at a concert in Columbus, Ohio. We got backstage passes for a quick meet & greet/signing of the cd. I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to leave early but I also super duper wanted to meet Jack Black so I toughed it out. When it was our turn, he noticed I wasn’t feeling so great. He drew a picture on the disc and told me he hoped it would cheer me up. It was of a stubby penis. It still makes me smile/laugh to this day.
I work at a vet hospital, and one day about a year ago Chuck Norris and his family came in with their dog. Being a Texas native, I grew up on Walker, Texas Ranger, so this was exciting. I can’t ask for pictures or anything at work, so when he came up with his wife to check out, I was trying to chat with them. His wife did all the talking while Chuck stood right in front of my desk, smiling enigmatically every time I glanced at him, but he never said a word. His eyes seemed to say, I know you know I’m Chuck Norris, but he never said a word.
But the eyes of the ranger were upon me. 😉
Years ago, Debra Winger was doing a show at a theater I worked at and I asked her to autograph one of her headshots. I normally don’t do that, but it was for a friend who was in hospice and a major fan since her “Urban Cowboy” days. She was perfectly happy to give it to me, and when I explained who it was for, she sat us both down and spent about 15 minutes talking with me about my friend and sharing a relevant story from her life. In the end, she hugged me, autographed the picture, and wrote a lovely note to my friend. I overnighted it and for the next two weeks anyone who came into her room had to stop and admire the picture.
I only met one celebrity in my whole life – it was Helen Hayes, and she was already in her 80s. I was working in a program for the elderly and she was the narrator of a documentary that included our program. I was an accountant, not working on the program, but when she visited, I got an introduction anyway, because I was a bit of a film buff. And she said, “Oh, I’m a little embarrassed to meet you, because I just came from filming, and I have on way too much makeup.” I thought that was really sweet – she cared about the impression she was making on ME – the accountant. I thought – “Don’t worry. You don’t look like a hooker.” But I didn’t say it out loud.
Tim Gunn. I met Tim Gunn and I told him that I was really self-conscious about what I had on considering who I was standing next to. He laughed, hugged me and told me that I looked “lovely.” Yeah…so I have that going for me. He was as nice as you would imagine.
I can’t say that I’ve had a celebrity encounter, although I commented on a Facebook post of Amanda Palmer’s and said that I hadn’t been seeing her posts because I realized I hadn’t hit “follow” on her page. Not long after, she advised everyone to hit the “follow” button to make sure they got updates. I don’t know if that counts.
The rest of my family have had encounters with celebs, though. My sister has met both Dallas Green (on a plane) and Kevin O’Leary (in an airport; he was rude, of course), my dad once met Kirk Douglas (and shook his hand!), and my mom met Desmond Tutu (and, again, got a handshake). My brother also called in to the local news discussion program and told the host (a former city councilor who really helped our neighbourhood when we got flooded just after Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S.) about his best and worst Christmas presents.
I witnessed (I was already right there on the beach before the big crowd arrived) Danny Bonaduce wreck/slam his boat onto Venice Beach. He must have been asleep or something… he and another guy came out in robes. They tried to back up the boat but it wasn’t working. The coast guard showed up and it was a big spectacle.
As an undersized lad of 12, I was in line to shake hands with former President Ronald Reagan as he was walking along the edge of a crowd after delivering a speech. He was two people away from me when I got shoved out of the way by a fat lady who then took my place.
Oh, and I’ve been hugged by Michelle Obama.
I drove David Sedaris and Sarah Vowell in my car from the venue where they spoke to their hotel. They were both sitting in the back seat chatting away, and it was so cool and also so weird to hear their voices FOR REAL in my car instead of coming out of the dashboard speakers.
Holding your tender heart from afar, Jenny. One time, I saw Dennis Rodman in a Vegas mall and I followed him for a bit like the rest of the nutjobs who did, as if I had some interest in him, any interest at all, which I did not. I cannot explain my actions.
At Comic Con about five years ago, I attended a panel with Christopher Moore and afterward my boyfriend-at-the-time shoved me up to the stage so I could tell him how much of an inspiration he is to me. I nearly fainted from the anxiety and could barely speak, but managed to get out something resembling words. He told me, “Thanks, have some chocolate,” and handed me two Hershey’s Kisses. I still have one actually. I didn’t mean to keep it for five years, it just got stuck in a box of random shit from Comic Con that I didn’t bother to go through until last year. I figure it’s probably too old to eat, so I decided to embrace how creepy/stalkery it is to save food given to me by one of my favorite authors and stuck it in a little plastic display case. It’s a great conversation starter, actually. Everyone wants to know why I have a Hershey’s Kiss in a display case on my desk.
I was lucky enough to be one of the coaches to teach Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood (sp?) and their touring staff how to curl. 40 crazy musicians and event staff on the ice, with booze? It was fun. Plus, I got to see Garth Brooks “stone surf”. yes, that’s a thing. They all seemed like family… Won the day with the picture of me and Mr. Brooks as proof of my story — he looks great, me? I just looked messed up and star struck.
I once tried to ID the previous governor of WA State because I didn’t know what she looked like and she was holding an event at the show venue I worked security at.
I saw David Spade buying shampoo at Ulta.
I was a nanny for a late night talk show producer thirty years ago. I’d chat with Bill Murray, Billy Crystal, and others by phone regularly, but my favorite person was Jamie Lee Curtis. My boss brought us for lunch to their hotel room and she hugged the stuffing out of me when we met and when I left. Very genuine, very present. I’d back her in an alley-way knife fight any day.
I was getting yogurt near my home in Sherman Oaks, CA- the guy in front of me is chatting away with the server behind the counter. When they are finished, the man in front of me turns around and it’s Eric Roberts. (most won’t know him, but he is an actor and Julia Roberts’ brother and I was a HUGE fan of his for years) I stood frozen and blurted out, “Oh my gosh, it’s YOU. My heart is pounding and I ‘m gonna throw up!” He smiled, held out his hand and said, “Hi, I’m Eric .” I said, “I KNOW!”. (very smooth) After a few minutes I got my yogurt and left. Cut to 15 years later and my husband is working as a prop master on a film with Eric. After a few weeks of filming, they were chatting and my husband started to bring up the story to him. Before he could even finish , Eric said, “I remember her!.” My husband didn’t believe him until he said, “Yeah, it was at Humphrey Yogart on Van Nuys Blvd. No one has ever said they were going to throw up when they met me before.” I was later introduced to him at the film’s wrap party and I was much more composed….but still felt like I would throw up!
I painted a house with Cal Ripken Jr. (famous baseball player) once (we were doing a Habitat for Humanity thing). He was extremely gracious.
I had a murderous gallbladder too. And my Shih Tzu had a reaction to her annual shots as well. I understand these things. As for humorous celebrity encounter…no humorous ones. But once, I was leaving a convention and stopped in front of a hotel as a women in a wheelchair was being wheeeled inside. I realized it was Nichelle Nichols! I couldn’t speak or move. So I stood there like an idiot, just waving. She never even noticed me there!
I used to be a dog walker in Toronto in the early 2000s, one sunny Sunday I was walking a little pitbull who loved people but hated dogs, when I spotted an older gentleman walking toward us with a jack russel on a retractable leash. I asked him to keep the leash short while we passed each other because Magic wasn’t good with other dogs. He laughed and told me Ruby wasn’t fond of other dogs either. We were exchanging Sunday morning small talk and dog stories when he paused for a bit, like he was expecting me to say something. We chat a bit longer and part ways.
I get to the park and see a woman whose dog I walked as well so we’re chatting while the dogs pee on stuff when I see the gentleman and Ruby on the far side of the park.
‘You see that man over there? He has the most amazing voice, he sounds just like Donald Sutherland!’
‘That’s because it IS Donald Sutherland, he owns an apartment in my building.’
‘That explains the expectant pause in the conversation…’
I was wearing a threadbare vintage MAS*H t-shirt.
I met Mark Gatiss twice in the same week… Both times I just froze and look at him as if I was a crazy lady (I am a crazy lady, but he didn’t need to know that). Also, when I met David Tennant I said “Can I hug you?” and he said “Of course! It’ my pleasure!” and I almost died.
I got to meet Steve Perry (from Journey) after a show in 1995! Went backstage, he talked with us and singed his autograph on photos and a t-shirt Inhad bought. Never in a million years had I thought it could happen yet it did!!! Happiness and joyful ness abounding😊
I was the animal handler on a movie in Ft. Worth with Nick Nolte once. He came to scout the location in his PJ’s. He’s sorta known for that. But, he was a really nice guy, even after they had to go rescue him from the titty bar at 2:00am.
Also, why are you still getting annual vaccines for Dorothy Barker? She doesn’t need them! Please look up the fabulous vet Dr. Jean Dodds.
I worked in a office building that housed a number of small film production companies and had a reception desk at the top of a very steep staircase. One day, a guy bounded up the stairs: I recognized him from high school and said hi! – he said “Hi!” back and we caught up before he went to his meeting. That’s when I realized that I didn’t know him from high school and he was “Ross” from “Friends.”
I was at a gallery open years ago, and a disheveled guy with dirty hands pinched my ass. It was Dale Chihuly 🙄. I thought he was the janitor.
I sat next to Ed McMahon at a quarter video poker machine at the Bellagio in Las Vegas…he was teaching a young boy (oh god, I hope it was his grandson) how to play. My husband and I were so surprised we didn’t say anything.
When I was a kid, I went to a resteraunt with my family. The waitress said to me, “I’m not supposed to tell people this, but that’s Shari Lewis from the Lamb Chop TV show over there!” I loved that show and turned around to see, and there she was–Shari Lewis, with some dude, eating her breakfast. My parents were like, Go say hi to her! But I didn’t. I missed my ONE chance to meet Shari Lewis, because the waitress wasn’t supposed to have said anything and I didn’t want to bother anyone or get anyone in trouble. It was a manner of honor! Of rule-following! Of being a good girl! Also, my nickname growing up was Sister Mary and I was not invited back to many parties.
When my (now 20 year old) son was 6.5, he went to Philadelphia with my mom and step-dad. The hotel they were at had mirrors in the elevator and the minute my son got on he started making faces at himself and getting super absorbed into the activity. Then William Hurt got on the elevator. My mom said that he chuckled at my son and Iain suddenly realized there were other people on the elevator and bolted the minute the door opened despite nkt being the right floor so my mom had to chase him.
Also I saw Famke Jansson speak in a small setting against human trafficking. She ate lunch with everyone and was friendly afterward. The I went in the bathroom and a Boston Terrier ran under the door of my stall to say hi. Famke was in the stall next to me and she told me she takes him with her everywhere. His name is Licorice.
I met you at one of your book signings in Dallas a couple of years ago. You said you liked my shirt and I told you that I knew you would, and that’s why I wore it. Later, I worried I came off as creepy.
I live in New York, and people think we see celebrities all the time. The thing is, unless you are really a fan they generally look normal on the street. But, a friend of mine introduced me to an actor I recognized from TV, and we had a great conversation at a bar for about 2 hours. He was lovely.
My story is not much better than yours, sorry. I am sure your vet will make sure that Dorothy Barker is ok!
I met Captain Janeway about 20 years ago. She was lovely.
Many years ago, I had a nice chat with a young singer named Katy Hudson backstage at a concert that was being held in a dusty auditorium in Colorado Springs. She was being promoted as the “next big star” in Christian music. After an entertaining, if rambling, conversation, it was clear to me she didn’t fit that niche. She was insanely funny and far too worldly for Christian music. I told her so. She laughed and said, “You’re probably right,” then went onstage to assault the meager crowd with her thrashing guitar-playing and unpolished but uniquely compelling voice. A few years later, she changed her name to Katy Perry.
I got to meet Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman (separately) a few months apart. There were tickets and standing in line involved for both, but Amanda gave me a hug and I got to pass it onto Neil, so those were good encounters.
Oh crap… that just sucks.
OK, So after my family and I left the theatre where we’d been to see “Willow” (which should give you some idea of how long ago we’re talking here), we decided to got get Sushi at a little spot in the trendy part of town were we were. Next to us was a very nice family, I noticed the gent was wearing a walking cast, and we chatted a bit… nothing to it. As we left my Mother was clearly trying to not to giggle. I asked why and she said “you have no idea who that was do you?”. I said no of course not… and she tells me that we just sat a whole meal beside Alan Frew, the lead singer of GLASS TIGER (American Translation: Think finding yourself next to the lead singer of Duran Duran in like.. 1988). She would not let me go back for an autograph and to this day likes to tease me that I didn’t recognize him…
Oh, and Mick Jaggar waved at me in the middle of Sympathy for the Devil on the Voodoo Lounge Tour…. He waved at ME dammit! 🙂
Ooh! I have a good (if not particularly kind) one. When I was coming home from my honeymoon, I walked into a tiny Caribbean airport and had the unkind thought that the main in front of me at the security line was incredibly ugly.
My second thought was “Wait! That’s Ric Ocasek (from the Cars). And he was accompanied by the extremely attractive Paulina Porizkova (supermodel at the time).
Even crazier, about 15 years later, I wound up in an elevator with Ric in Boston. Double-celebrity encounter!
And by the way, I just looked it up and Ric and Paulina are still married all these years later. That warms my heart
I saw Dog the Bounty Hunter at my gym a few times. He was working out and also wearing his shades and leather and sunglasses and had his hair all ducky on top like he does. He has THE TINIEST FEET I HAVE EVER SEEN ON AN ADULT. Like I doubt he’s a men’s 6.
Last summer was glorious for celeb encounters. I met, talked with, AND touched Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, and Jonah Ray. I also saw and heard Jimmy Buffett play “Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Attitudes” during an impromptu sound check outside Wrigley Stadium.
I was on a music cruise, and the gentleman sitting next to me asked me if I’d seen any of the John Prine sets yet. I said no, I’m not really a fan. Then I realized I was talking to John Prine. 5 years later, I still feel terrible, like he thinks I insulted him on purpose.
Oh, I’ve got WAY too many. Enough to write a novella-length book at least. I’d call it Humiliations Galore. But here’s a quick one: For the Star Wars: The Force Awakens premiere in Hollywood, I waited 5 hours outside in the freezing cold wind for my celebrity couple to show up. It was ungodly cold for Southern California in December (like a wind chill factor of 38). Along comes Cuba Gooding, Jr., waiting for his son to park and his publicist to escort him down the half-mile long red carpet. We were literally huddling together for body heat. I said to him, “I think I just involuntarily froze my eggs.”
He had a good enough sense of humor to laugh.
The drummer from gun and roses smacked my ass at a bar. I was not please or flattered. In fact I almost punched him, but my friends thought it was awesome.
Another time, Martha Stewart called on me during a Q&A session. I was so excited I got verbal diarrhea and told her “I love you”!
I’m so cool 😖
As a summer student, I worked in the same department as Neil de Grasse Tyson, back before he was famous (25 years ago…). He was a post-doc. Very nice, ate a lot of tunafish and carrots at lunch. My mom thought he was hot. 🙂
I’m borrowing my mom’s story because it’s better than any of mine. When I was in junior high school, she was working at a flight school as head of the sales department. She had to deal with people all day and while she was amazing at it, it definitely got to be overwhelming.
One morning, she went in early to work in order to catch up on some paperwork while things were quiet. The front desk was expressly told not to page her for any reason until they officially opened. They paged her anyway, saying that a potential student wanted to talk to her.
She goes downstairs, already annoyed, and is confronted with this short, scruffy guy with long hair, a bomber jacket, and aviator glasses. He holds out his hand and says, “Hi, I’m Jimmy Buffet.” Without breaking her stride, my mom likewise holds out her hand and says, “Hi, I’m Lady Di.” The man takes off his glasses, smiles, and says, “Honest, it’s me.” It was indeed.
Being a huge Bufffet fan, my mom was mortified. Jimmy Buffet, being himself, was of course absolutely cool about it. When she said she was a big fan, he asked what her favorites were. Since this was after he had started to make it big, she had told me that he seemed both surprised and pleased that the albums and songs she named were some of his earlier work. They had a nice little musical discussion before talking about the flight school.
That’s it! He unfortunately decided to get his instrument rating elsewhere, but it was a neat if initially embarrassing encounter for my mom.
Years and years ago, I once saw Redd Foxx across the room the in an airport. He was wearing a big fur coat and had a fancy looking lady with him.
When I was 5 I met Daisy Duke at our local car show. I freaked out because she was freckly all over and called her a fraud. I’ve always felt bad about that, now that I know she paved the way for my realizing NOBODY IS PERFECT.
I met Prince once when he came into the record store I worked in. At first I didn’t realize who he was because he was TEENY and wearing high heels – with his hair grown out a bit, I thought he was a woman. Then he walked up to 5’10” me, looked WAY UP with those crazy doe eyes, and asked where the blues section was. For a hot second I couldn’t remember, but recovered and led him to it but warned him it was a small section (blues didn’t sell well for us so we ignored it a bit). He asked for an album but we didn’t have it and he gave me the single best eyeroll I’ve ever seen.
He shopped a bit more and bought a bunch of CDs, paid for by a very large, very well-dressed bodyguard who pulled out the fattest wad of $100s I have ever seen and probably will ever see again.
Our 13 year old Vizsla, Achilles, has been having some intestinal issues lately so my husband, Tom, and I have been VERY in tune to the dog’s digestive system. Yesterday, I walked him (the dog) in the morning and was thrilled because all of his “business” came out normal.
I marched into my husband’s home office, put my hands on my hips and announced, “GOOD NEWS! A very firm and healthy poop today!”
Tom shook his head, stared at the computer screen and said (to his EXTREMELY QUIET sales team on a con call), “that was my wife…she’s talking about the dog.”
Thought this might cheer you up. It’s entertained me for 30 hours so far.
My step-cousin’s teenage years got made into a Lifetime movie in the early 90s. John Stamos played her pimp.
I met Michael Stipe at a book signing. I was so flustered after he signed my book that I closed it and started walking away, only to have the photographer (and author) of the book ABOUT Michael Stipe, who was standing next to him, ready to sign the book, call me back, like, “thanks for not acknowledging me and the book I WROTE!”
I felt like an asshole.
I also saw Nick Cave when I was standing in line for a porta-potty at Lollapalooza. I stared at him, because he was so creepy looking, and I didn’t know who he was. So he waved at me, and I did that, “who, me?” thing and looked behind me. Then I saw him onstage later and realized.
I felt like an asshole.
In a hallway at a convention center, Robert Englund put his hand on my shoulder and leaned in to fake bite my face as he was being led through a door. Freddy Kruger was a hair’s width away from my face with his teeth bared.
I once almost stepped on an adorable small woman covered in tattoos, while visiting an excellent bookstore in NYC. I apologized but only cursorily. And then realized that I’d almost trampled Janeane Garofalo, and tried not to stare or stammer and make it worse.
So this isn’t really a story about me meeting a celebrity, and instead about me poorly sharing space and being generally embarrassing, which is… pretty much par for the course, really.
I am have mild face-blindness. So I often don’t recognise celebrities, or it takes me a while to figure out who they are. With that in mind:
I was driving home, and there was a woman at a crosswalk, waiting. So I smiled and waved her on. She smiled back and waved enthusiastically. I was confused, but assumed she was waiting to be picked up by someone, so I started to go again. She started to go then too. What? So I stopped again, and waved again, this time with a WTF look on my face. She waved again and I started again. She walked AGAIN. So now, I’m like omgwtf this idiot. So I waited, and waved her on and just sat there until she went. When she was more or less right in front of me, she waved, but looked super embarrassed, and I thought ‘good, that was stupid’. And THEN it hit me. That’s Lea Michele, and she thought I recognized her, which was why she was waving. facepalm
I have done this more than once. I literally slammed right into Phil Donahue on the street – like walked right into him. When I recoiled, he smiled at me, with that look like he expected me to say something. I said, “Sorry! I’m rather clumsy.” He was gracious and I picked up my shit and started to walk away. I knew I should know him, but whether it was because he worked with my husband or was some serious celeb, I had no idea. So I said, “Have a nice day. Hopefully no one else smacks into you.” And he looked pissed right off, which I assumed meant I was right, that I should know him. Wasn’t until I was home that I figured out who it was. Oops!
I’ve got more. I’m really bad at this. 🙂
The summer before I started college, I was at a psychology conference with my parents, who always took me to their conferences as an educational experience. During breakfast in the hotel restaurant, this elderly guy and a younger woman walked right by our table, and my mom started fangirling frantically, grabbing my hand and basically crushing the bones to powder. Turns out the elderly gentleman was BF Skinner with his daughter. (He wasn’t in the best of health at that time, so we didn’t bother him, but I’m pretty sure he had to have noticed my mom freaking the frak out. Hopefully it entertained him a bit.)
I was at ComicCon and saw Jason Mamoa’s assistant get really angry about something and try to rage throw a large trashcan across a hallway while yelling “IS NO ONE GOING TO HELP ME?”. I don’t know what she needed help with but unfortunately (for her) the trashcan was a lot heavier than it looked so she ended up just kind of knocking it over in a very anticlimactic way then walking away as a con employee asked her “are you going to clean that up?” (no, she was not going to).
Possibly this was funnier in person.
I met Jane Fonda after a talk she did in London last October. I was so starstruck I just mumbled something and she went in for a hug. The sweetest, most beautiful person I’ve ever met.
Sending all of you so much love and strength. <3
In 2005, I went to the movies with John Taylor, Simon Le Bon, and Nick Rhodes. We saw Corpse Bride. Standing in a crowded line for popcorn with Simon (who was cheerfully loud), I couldn’t believe no one recognized that a member of Duran Duran was in their midst.
I rode in an elevator with Bruce Willis. I also inadvertently flashed Gene Simmons. Not at the same time. Because that would mean that I probably flashed Bruce Willis as well. I didn’t. They were two separate instances. This would have been a much cooler story if they weren’t.
My last post makes sense ONLY if you consider “poop” a celebrity.
I met Willard Scott once at a gas station in VA while on vacation with my family. He was very sweet.
I arranged for a YouTube celebrity to speak at an event in my hometown. She only knew me by my twitter handle and the first time I saw her at the event was in the bathroom. So I made small talk with her until it came out that I was the person who brought her there. Then she mentioned the conversation at the end of her speech. I have never been so embarrassed and proud simultaneously in my life.
Our tour bus to Universal Studios almost backed over Alfred Hitchcock.
I used to work at a coffee shop near where they filmed the show One Tree Hill in Wilmington, NC. Moira Kelly was a frequent patron. She was super quiet and polite and tipped well. Paul Johansson came through the drive through once. He was rude and boisterous, wanted everyone to know he was a celebrity, and did not tip well. He did however grab my hand while I was handing him some equal packets.
Once, on a Halloween many years ago, I’d just decided that I was going to hang out with friends without a costume. We weren’t doing anything special, so it wasn’t necessary. My friend’s little sister decided that this wouldn’t do, tracked down some stuff they had sitting around, which wound up being parts of a bunny costume (ears, and tail) a white puffy wig, and face paint, so she goes forth with painting my face as well as a 14-year-old can. I’m not all that easily embarrassed, so when my friends suggest that we run to a Walgreens to pick something up, I’m like sure, I’ll go like this. We go and pick up our items, go to the checkout when I notice my brother staring intently at someone that has just walked by. Keep in mind, this is the late 90s, but it was the lead singer of Everclear (I don’t know how widely popular they were, but in Portland OR where I lived, they were very popular.) So my brother starts freaking out, my friends do too, they start stalking him through the store and I go along with, we’re all trying to verify if it’s him. It definitely is. So we bust out a camera (disposable, this is pre-cell phones with cameras) and take actual pictures with him. My brother goes first, and is freaking out a little, so I quietly tell him to just calm down, he’s just a regular guy, and Art (the lead singer guy) goes “Yeah man, listen to the bunny.”
I still have a picture of me in that terrible costume with Art Alexakis in a Walgreens on Halloween.
Nearly 30 years ago I rounded a corner in a hotel corridor and collided with Kathleen Turner. For reasons unknown Miss Turner was holding a small plate of cheese and some of the cheese cubes fell on the floor. Miss Turner gave me a really filthy look and stalked on down the hall. I’m sure I stood there gawping for a moment until I staggered back to my own room. I don’t know what happened to the cheese.
I bumped into Kevin Sorbo at a convention. I am 5’6″ and my nose hit his chest. I had also put my hands up when I realized I was about to crash into someone and so they landed on his chest as well. He was wearing a sweater, and although I was not into Kevin Sorbo or very muscly guys, I had to appreciate how the sweater felt over his muscled chest. He was in a hurry of some sort, said, “Sorry!” and literally picked me up by the shoulders and put me to the side, at which time he made a bee-line for the men’s bathroom.
When I was 23 my sainted grandparents took the whole family to Hawaii (!!). Since I lived in Phoenix with them we were flying together to meet the rest of the family on Maui. 6AM at Sky Harbor with my grandmother while my grandfather checks us in (pre 9/11!) and who do I see? DENNIS FRICKING RODMAN. Now, young’uns – this was PRIME very hot, bleach blonde, basketball playing Dennis Rodman. Not the Hope For Us All in North Korea like he is now. He was wearing sunglasses and a vest (no shirt of COURSE) (well, and pants) and he’s standing at a counter checking me out. Like REALLY checking me out. He does the thing where you pull your sunglasses down and do the deep sexy stare right into me and gives the wink/head nod of attraction approval. I smile and nod back, now walking away with my gray haired grandparents. Out of his life forever. Unfortunately right into the middle row of a plane full of teenage Mormon choir singers on their way to Honolulu. Singing the whole way across the Pacific. That first Mai Tai was the best drink of my life.
I’ve also helped Stevie Nicks and Lauren Bacall (separately, obviously) while selling Native American jewelry in Scottsdale, but those stories aren’t as good.
Deep breaths – we love you, hear you and feel you Jenny! But not in a creepy way, in a lower the sunglasses connection way. Wait – that’s kinda creepy….
Danny Elfman came to my house once. It was in the 80’s when he was doing Oingo Boingo. My stepmom was showing him a house for sale, and they stopped by so she could pick up something from her home office.
I was travelling with some work colleagues one time and we were catching our flight home from LAX. It was early and we stopped at McDonalds in the airport and happened to grab a seat right behind where the ketchup dispenser was. About 3 people tried the dispenser and it was obviously empty. We sat there long enough we were kind of laughing at people’s attempts. Finally another guy came through, did it again, we are were laughing and one of us said “we could be useful and go tell somebody it’s empty”. The guy grinned at us and said “but it’s so much more entertaining to make fun of us”. He wandered off and one of the guys I worked with said – that was the guy from Galaxy Quest. We all looked at him and knew suddenly he was right. It was indeed Jed Reese, the nicest guy in Galaxy Quest. http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/marvelmovies/images/3/34/Jed_Rees.jpg
I was working on Nantucket Island one summer. In a shop, looking at sweaters I could ‘t afford) when I heard a soft voice ask the clerk for one in each color. It was Jackie Kennedy. Joel Grey was also giving directions to tourists one day by the ferry.
Once Kevin Tighe asked me (well, us, there were two of us) to pull all kinds of bad doctor murder mystery books so he could research for a character on Law and Order, SVU. He was charming and funny, and he was great in the episode too!
I met and shook hands with Idi Amin when I was nursing in Saudi Arabia and caring for one of his children. He was imposing and very tall. I also met King Hussein of Jordan and shook his hand. I spoke to John Lennon accidentally on the telephone when I was around 16 but didn’t know it had been him until after when my Dad told me. Myself and a friend met Charleston Heston at a luncheon in honour of a book he had written (my friend loved him, me, not so much) and I saw Pearl Bailey from a distance going up an escalator at the Cairo Museum. That’s all, for now, folks!
I sat on a car outside a casino. it was Kenny Rogers’s, and he came out and sat on it with me.
I sold frozen baby mice to Tiny Tim (“Tiptoe Through the Tulips) and his wife when I worked for a pet store. Her credit card was taking a long time to go through and they stood there an kissed while they waited. It was kind of gross!
I met you at a book signing when your first book came out. That was a much better celebrity meeting 🙂
I was walking in NY with a friend on our lunch hour. As we passed a building, Rod Stewart cane walking out – he was in a shiny suit and we recognized him immediately. As he saw us looking at him, he gave us double finger guns. Then we all went on our way.
When I was a (weird) kid, I was obsessed with Jack Lemmon (IKR?!). Round about senior year in high school my French class went to NYC for a field trip, and we got to vote on a Broadway show we wanted to attend. My idiot classmates chose “42nd Street” instead of “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” with, you guessed it, Jack Lemmon! (Fun fact: co-stars were Kevin Spacey and Peter Gallagher). Anyway, I was SUPER excited just to know I was going to be in the same city with Jack Lemmon! I imagine I drove my friends and my family absolutely bonkers during the lead up to the trip. I thought of nothing else.
At some point during the trip – maybe our first day – the teachers dumped all of us off in Times Square, ordered us to find dinner and meet up at the theater for “42nd Street” before the show started. What I remember of the meal was that I was too excited to eat, and kept bugging my friends to hurry so we could visit the theater where LDJiN was playing and get a photo of me standing outside. Eventually, we did make our way to the theater, and on our way we hatched a plan to buy tickets on our own and skip out on “42nd Street.” There were four of us, and two of my co-conspirators charged ahead towards the box office while my other friend, let’s call her “Tracy,” and I walked more slowly to take in the scenery. Just then, I glanced down an alley right next to the theater and saw…Jack Lemmon! At least, I was pretty sure it was him. I asked “Tracy” to verify which she did, BY screaming, “OH MY GOD, KRISTIN! IT’S JACK LEMMON. GET HIM!!!” so loud that even people on the other side of the street were startled. I. was. mortified. So, I did the only thing I could. I turned and ran back in the other direction. Hahaha! By the time “Tracy” caught up with me and got me headed back towards the theater, we could just see my other friends (who miraculously did not hear what had just happened) go into the theater, followed almost immediately by Jack Lemmon. Same door. They emerged just as we got there and looked dejected. No tickets. But we were like, “Did you see him? He walked in the door right behind you? Did you see him?” Needless to say, they had not noticed.
So, we took my photo in front of the theater and saw “42nd Street” after all.
There’s a nice ending to the story. Once I got home, I wrote a letter to Jack Lemmon care of the theater and apologized for something I figured he HAD to have noticed since it happened about 10 yards away from him. I also got in a bunch of gooey stuff about what a huuuuge fan I was. Reader, he wrote back! And I still have the letter.
Hope that cheers you up. I love my animals, too.
I met one of the guys from Devo while working in a World of Science store in high school. We had a bizarre conversation where he explained who he was in great detail (“Have you ever seen the “Whip It” video? We wore red plastic hats!”) and teenage me remained clueless. He was not pleased that I wasn’t in awe of him.
I almost hit Julia Child with my car. She stepped off the curb without looking. I started cussing until she looked at me and I realized who she was. Still think it was pretty stupid to walk out into a busy street. But I would have felt awful to hurt my favorite TV cooking show host!
I met JENNY MOTHERFUCKING LAWSON at a bookfest here in Cincinnati. She signed my Furiously Happy book, and when I told her how much I was looking forward to the You Are Here coloring book, she told me, I couldn’t have done it without you. Which I realize she probably said to everyone who mentioned it, on account of how we’re all in this tribe together, you know. I also got a great photo with her.
— Which is different from the time I met Micky Dolenz of the Monkees. I paid $$$ for a meet and greet event (this was in like 2001) and he totally groped my butt, but also, when my husband (now ex) took the photo, it just shows us from the necks down. I went around the event and got in line again next to another fangirl I knew, and Dolenz was like, didn’t I just see you? And I explained about the photo and we took another one which appeared ok, but it was unrecoverable from the camera roll. That’s not why we divorced, but it may have been a contributing factor.
One time in the 80’s I was going to a party after my job working at a popular bar in Redondo Beach, CA. I stepped into the elevator of the condo complex where the party was, and there was Tommy Lee leaning up against the wall, completely wasted, smiling his head off & holding a six pack of Heineken. He greeted me like he totally knew who I was and started to tell me about something that happened that night, but I could not decipher what the hell he was talking about. I just smiled and said things like “Oh wow, that’s crazy…” and as I left the elevator he handed me the six pack and said “HAVE A GREAT NIGHT!”
I worked in film publicity for a short time and one of the movies I worked on was X-Men 2. I was an assistant and you learn quickly in Hollywood that many consider assistants to be below notice, so you keep a running mental list of the decent ones. I was working at the X2 premiere party, hanging out at the swank restaurant with coworkers and around the actors who’d come from walking the red carpet. The party didn’t really start until after the screening ended, so the crowd hadn’t arrived, the actors had seen the movie before so most skipped the screening. Alan Cumming has brought Geri Halliwell as his date to the premiere, but as he told us when he arrived alone at the party, she’d gone home after the red carpet as she’d had a colonic before the event and was experiencing , “anal leakage.” That story alone, and including the assistants in the group he rebaked with it, would have endeared him to me for life. But then he started in on how Fox had put Ian McKellen up at some incredibly fancy hotel in London when he did press for the movie, so fancy the toilet in his bathroom was golden. And he had a photo. He pulled out his camera to show us and started swiping through photos. Something, something, “cute boy I shagged,” and then the photo of Sir Ian, grinning next to a golden toilet. So if you’ve ever wondered, yes, Alan Cumming IRL is just like you’d hope he is.
I used to live in Colorado and I am a big Broncos fan. John Elway was playing in a golf tournament in Southern California years ago and I was in the galley watching. Before I knew it he started walking right toward me. I smiled stupidly, thinking “wow, how does he know I’m a fan from Denver!” Then he said hi and walked past me to where his ball was lying. Sooo embarrassed. >_<
Pres. Bush Sr sat RIGHT behind me in an empty pizza joint in Houston and kept kicking my purse. Secret Service sat across the restaurant. He was a regular at this restaurant. I was pissed! I know you ruled the greatest country but don’t go kicking my $35 purse from Mervyn’s. This was a long time ago when money was tight. Our friends finally joined us and once they realized who was behind me about shit their pants. They are big Republicans. I am not. He had skim milk with his pizza. YUCK! We moved tables because their dog was with them. He stopped to pet the dog as he was leaving our table outside. Made their day. I kept eating….
I was at dragon con. After an hour long panel with the stars of ‘warehouse 13’
Imade a mad dash to the potty. After I finished (so much relief!) I left the stall and ran smack dab into Allison Skaglioti(I’m sure I spelled it wrong) one of my favorite stars from the show. I blushed, mumbled “sorry” and ran out of the restroom. She was doing autographs on the walk of fame later, but I was so ashamed that she’d remember me as “the chick who ran me over in the toilets” that I didn’t get her autograph.
I was once run over by Richard Hatch (Apollo from the original BSG) at a different convention, he was leaving the autograph room with his supplies and ran over my foot with the suitcase of headshots.
And my favorite was the very first dragon con.
Husband and I were walking around the hotels trying to get our bearings, when we heard there were mermaids in the hotel pool. We head to the pool and take a wrong turn, ended up headed to the work out room. Where Lou Farigno was standing in the door waving at people. He was extremely nice!
I forgot that I also signed the Olympic Speed Skater Apollo Ohno up for a Blockbuster Card when he was at Northern Michigan University’s Olympic Training Center.
I’m a retired librarian and have been to many library conferences in my day. Back in the day we weren’t known for our partying ways (in the 60’s the national library group was asked not to return to Las Vegas because they hadn’t spent enough $$). One year during a conference in Wichita KS a librarian friend and I got on an elevator to go up to a shelving sales rep’s suite where there was a bathtub full of ice and booze, and ALICE COOPER got on with us! He was very nice and talked with us a bit, so we invited him to the party. No snake, no chicken, just a nice guy. He didn’t make the party, but we got a good story out of it. Sending good thoughts for Dorothy Barker and your daughter. Gall bladders are bastards when they don’t work.
I met William Shatner. Everything you’ve heard about him being an ass is true. He put the “shat” in Shatner!
I’ve met members of my favorite band (Marillion) on many occasions but the most memorable was at a concert in the UK I was at the after show with my drunk friends (I was the only sober one) and the keyboardist came to talk to me. Drunk friend proceeded to join the conversation and essentially bully him in to complimenting my cleavage (“Hey Mark, aren’t THESE nice?”). I really wanted the ground to open up and swallow me at that point.
Flash forward almost 20 years to last Monday morning. Took a little trip locally to see the band and ended up in the same hotel both nights. I regretted my decision to wait until I got home to wash my hair and wear grungy clothing for the drive home when I went to have breakfast and ended up eating breakfast 5 feet from several of the members (including aforementioned keyboardist).
I’m the person who sees famous people in strange places. Emilio Esteves in a brewpub in Santa Rosa, Kelsey Grammer having tea in NYC, Richard Dawson, Jane Seymour and Gary Busey at Disneyland (not at the same time), Reggie Jackson on the street in Berkeley and Desi Arnez Jr at a URI Geller show. I rarely ask for autographs but I will say that most of them were very short except Reggie. I’ve also met a few of my favorite authors at book signings but these were more random, sightings and I figured they were better shares.
I once met Tony Randall and told him, “I love everything you do- even Love Sydney!” He replied, “EVEN Love Sydney??” He was teasing me but I was embarrassed.
I met Bethenny Frankel with her husband, Jason, who turned out to be a wacko. He wasn’t a wacko that day, they were both nice.
Saw Mohammad Ali walking down the street in NYC in a full length fur coat.
I met Bozo the Clown (I was on his show). That’s all I got.
I lost Shari Lewis and Lambchop at the airport.
I saw Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins open for Red Hot Chili Peppers back in 1991. I got bronchitis because we slept outside all night to get front row tickets. During RHCP, Eddie Vedder came from off stage and dove into the mosh pit to crowd surf (most 90’s phrase ever?) and kicked me in the head when he jumped. Bronchitis=worth it!
Sorry to hear about your concerns. Is it a teaching hospital? I had an ultra sound at 8, I couldn’t get the whole wiping right, so they checked my bladder for damage and it was a teaching hospital. This meant med students got to play after the tech. That guy tried to ultrasound my lungs by stabbing me from under my ribs. I was lucky to be a skinny kid.
Okay celebs. Well I grew up in So Cal, that’s the hip way to say Southern California yo. When I was 14, I was lucky enough to have a cute and well off boyfriend. This meant I got to go to fancy places like golf clubs, church, and from time to time a nice restaurant. For whatever reason, we ended up in LA and Musso and Frank’s for a linner. I was new to fancy any thing and super nervous. I know you’re thinking it’s a restaurant they have food, claim down, but this was the first place I had ever been with a valet. It was amazing. So the waiter seats us in the main dining room and being a wee girl with nerves and the fear I would show this guy and his rich parents how much I could really put away, I drank a lot of water. Of course, I had to then go to the bathroom. I excused myself and hit the restroom. I don’t know if you’ve been to this place, but the bathroom is in the back through a smaller dinning area with booths with high backs for privacy. I walk through this maze and caught sight of Ron Howard and… George Clooney!! I couldn’t help but be star struck. Maybe they will see me and think she looks perfect for my next film. This thinking led me to end up in the bathroom at least 3 more times. I know my boyfriend’s mother thought I was either on drugs or had no bladder. And George noticed after the second time, I got a very “pretty” dirty look.
I met Eddie Mecca (Laverne & Shirley’s the big Ragoo) at an airport years ago. We started chatting. He’d recently been in the movie A League of their Own and talked about having to kiss Madonna among other fun stories. He mentioned that sometimes the ticket agent would recognize him and bump him up to first class. Our flight was very delayed, and when we reached the airport for our connecting flight I got to the ticket agent first. I smiled sweetly and told him our delay wasn’t his fault. He bumped me up to first class. I saw Eddie again, when we all got off the flight in Phoenix, (he’d been somewhere back in coach), and he said, “I guess they recognized you.” Cute, funny, nice guy.
Shortly after I had my daughter, I got the delightful opportunity to go Austin for the grand opening of a resort (Turtle Creek). After dinner we were treated to singing by Cab Calloway. As we were leaving, Cab was standing near the exit; when he saw me he serenaded me. It was and still is one of the best things ever. Well, that and getting to sleep in one of the Four Season king sized beds without a baby to pester me.
Ok, strap in. In college, I worked as an administrator in the Psychology Department at my school in Los Angeles, CA. The Psychology professors also sometimes had clinical practices and saw patients in their offices, which were on the lower two levels. These floors had restricted access because the animal rights groups would go down and trash the labs because some of the professors ran rats through mazes—complete with shock therapy—thus proving that rats don’t like this. And, neither do people, it turns out. So I was there during lunch and everyone in the office was out. Actually, probably everyone in the building was at lunch. I was a student and thus had no need for lunch. This woman shows up at the window wearing what can only be described as Rodeo Drive 80’s chic: big hair, sun glasses, animal print jacket, gold lame tank top, skin tight white jeans, gold lame mules. She comes up and states “You need to open the hall door because my HUSBAND and I have an appointment with Dr. Soinso.” I replied politely “You need an escort to go to the lower floors. I…” “Well then you NEED TO ESCORT US!” “Ma’am I can’t leave the office unattended and everyone is at lunch. Let me call him for you and he’ll come and get you.” I called and paged him. No answer. I told her “I’m sure he’ll be up to get you in a few minutes. Did you have an appointme….” “OF COURSE WE HAD AN APPOINTMENT!! You need to escort us down to his office RIGHT NOW.” “Ma’am, I can’t leave the office unattended…I’d be fired.” “Well I. Don’t.Care!!” (And now I’m thinking: And now I don’t care about you.) She continues, “LOOK. I have a CELEBRITY HUSBAND (gesturing down the hallway) and we can’t just have him being LOOKED AT BY EVERYONE WALKING BY!!!) I’m looking at her and trying to figure out which celebrity she’s married to, and nothing’s coming up. I’ll admit here, to you and your blog readers: I ain’t proud. I was curious so I leaned over the counter and looked down the hallway. And there, wearing a white fedora, white framed sunglasses, Hawaiian shirt and white pants was…. Jim Belushi! Keep in mind it was the 80’s, he really wasn’t that much of a celebrity back then. And here’s the thing: If you yell at me for no reason, and I have the ability to NOT help you WHILE FOLLOWING DEPARTMENT POLICY…guess what? You’re going to find yourself, standing in a hallway, with your celebrity husband. So I said “Huh! How about that…” and then looked back at her and said “But I’m sorry… I can’t let you down stairs unescorted.” She was just about to blow a gasket when the professor sidled up and said “I’m so sorry I’m late. I’ll escort you to my office now.” And she’s gushing “Oh Doctor! I have SO much to TELL YOU.” And Jim Belushi is pulling his white fedora down farther over his face in an attempt to disappear and vanished behind the door marked “Staff Only.”
I met James Taylor at a backstage album signing and he seemed FAR more nervous about dealing with all of the people than I was meeting him. Bless his heart!
I saw the movie Lost Boys when it came out in theaters and sat behind George Michael and his friends. I ALMOST touched his jacket leaving (swooney teenager at the time) but was too cool/scared to ask for a photo or even say hi.
I was briefly Thomas Dolby’s coworker. He is very kind. I worked very hard to control my instincts, and did not just shout “SCIENCE!” at him.
George Takei – met him at a street festival in Chicago about 15 years ago, and he was taking the time to chat with every single person who wanted to meet him and snap a picture. I asked him to hold my barrel of monkeys monkey, explaining that it’s a thing my friends and I do, get the monkey pictures with celebs. I finished by saying “the monkey gets around.” George smiled and said “if he’s with you, I bet he does.” Took me a minute to realize it was a (joking) jab before everyone started laughing.
I met Harrison Ford when I was about three years old. Well, actually my head met his crotch.
Okay, so the story. My dad used to own his own small airport. During this time I used to look at planes like they were rollercoasters at Disneyland. Seriously, flying was my thing. Well, my dad needed some supplies for his business so we went to this other business/airport. When we got there I went running because I saw a plane and thought my dad was going to take me up flying. Not looking where I was going because I was three and didn’t care, I went head first into Harrison Ford’s crotch. My mom started to apologize rapidly, not letting the man talk. (I walked away to the plane I was heading towards because I was small and didn’t care.) It wasn’t until we were leaving my mom realized who it was I had very personally just met. She wanted to go back and ask for his autograph, but by then they were far enough away that my dad could drag her away.
I sat a few rows behind then Senator Al Franken on a flight from Charlotte to Savannah. A pen had exploded inside his shirt pocket and he cracked jokes the whole trip.
I live near Calabasas, CA, aka home of the Kardashians and a slew of other celebrities, but I haven’t had that many celebrity encounters. (I do get a kick out of seeing celebrity photos in the weekly rags and going “Hey, Britney Spears is at MY Cheescake Factory, I recognize the store next door!”) But here are my four:
I was walking out of a matinee with my boyfriend and noticed a woman coming towards us wearing a really cute outfit. I looked up from her outfit to see that it was Shannen Doherty, and if looks could kill, I would have been slain on the spot, only to be revived by dark magic so she could do it all over again.
I was sitting outside at a restaurant with a group of friends. I had ordered a plain hamburger, and when it came, I bit into it only to find the meat had been mixed with onions. I hate onions so much you’d think they murdered my family, so I began gagging…much to the consternation of Giovanni Ribisi, who was sitting by himself at the table next to us. He asked my boyfriend, “Hey, is she alright, man?” and, upon being informed what was going on, he shook his head and said “That’s not cool, they should have said that on the menu.” I AGREE, GIOVANNI RIBISI, THANK YOU.
Saw Phil Margera at the grocery store and flipped out because I’m a HUGE Jackass fan. I shook his hand and gushed about Jackass. He was very nice.
Went to dinner at Kate Mantilini’s in Beverly Hills with my boyfriend and his parents, who were visiting from out of town. Lisa Kudrow was sitting next to us (side note: I JUST now realized how weird it is that two of my celebrity encounters were Phoebe from Friends and the guy who played her brother), and Mel Brooks was a few tables away. My boyfriend’s dad is a HUGE Mel Brooks fan and he was so excited by this sighting he was visibly trembling. We didn’t bother either Lisa or Mel because they were with their families and eating.
I sang in a community choir for MLK Jr. Day with Bobby McFerrin, and the Obamas showed up! That was pretty badass. I was awkwardly on crutches after getting hit by a delivery truck, so I was sitting at the front of the choir, and Bobby McFerrin chatted with me during his water breaks. Alas, I was also on a lot of painkillers and didn’t have anything very witty to say…
When I worked at Kennedy Space Center I saw John Denver (RIP) in the VIP section watching a Space Shuttle launch. At another job, Roger Staubach came to my workplace, saw my name tag and said his wife’s name was Marianne (spelled just like mine)!
Really old stuff because I’m really old I guess. My husband and I met Penn, of Penn and Teller, in the early ’80s when they weren’t too well known. We went to their show in Chicago and during intermission we went outside and there he was, having a smoke. He asked us how we liked the show, and we chatted for the whole break. He is a big guy to stand next to and he already had his one-pinky nail polish at that time.
Before that, I waited on Carol Burnett when she hosted a cast party at the restaurant where I worked a summer job. She called me “hon” and was very nice and a great tipper. I also had a job in a fancy gift store, and Jean Marsh, who played Rose on Upstairs, Downstairs, came in and bought a teapot. She was in town for a summer theater show. She complimented my gift-wrapping skills in her lovely English voice.
Anal retentive note about my comment above: sorry for the spacing, I don’t know what happened there.
I took Martha Reeves and the Vandellas grocery shopping…
I was on one of the early episodes of Oprah’s book club. She flew me first class to Vermont, where I stayed at an amazing inn, ate lovely food, met Oprah and the author of the book and several really nice ladies who were on the show with me, and it was awesome. I was unemployed at the time, bored, and sad about not finding a good job- we had just moved to a small town, and I had left behind a great job. So I set being on the book club as a goal. It happened, and I realized that I have much more agency in my life than I had been feeling, and it really helped me get over the hump.
A friend of mine went to a comic book convention and met Jason Mews from Clerks and other Kevin Smith movies. I had a project due and couldn’t go. My friend told him that I couldn’t be there and Jason Mews called me on my cell phone and talked to me for like 10 minutes. He also signed a picture with: “School Rulez… Nooch!”
I was at a food and wine event in Seattle. These women were going crazy for this actor – so I said I’d take their pictures with him. I end up with like 5 cells phone. When I’m done taking the pictures he looks at me and asks “So what are you the paparazzi?” I knew he was an actor but not who he was and I didn’t like his tone so I replied “I’m sorry I know your an actor but I have no idea who you are” and walked away. When I went to leave the pavilion – just to rub it in – I asked him what show should I watch to see his work – his reply “Buy at TV”. Oh my Kyle Mclaughlin. That’s what I get for being a History/Discovery/Food channel junkie.
In 1993 I saw actor Hal Hobrook in a movie theatre with about 3 other people looking for seats together. I didn’t want to bother him so didn’t approach the group. I later read in local newspaper he was visiting relatives in our city.
I also met a Nobel Prize winning Chemist. He came into the college library where I worked to read journals and look up stuff. He came every summer to visit his Mom in our small town. Very professional guy and was always glad to talk to students about his research.
Saw OJ Simpson at the airport in Tampa. Wasn’t sure it was him at first, certainly did not want to approach. Though, did want to yell “the juice is loose”….
I’m a celebrity chef fanatic. One time I saw Alton Brown at the ATL airport. I didn’t want to bother him so I just stared at him from a distance like a weirdo. A few years later, I went to a book signing and met him. I was a giggly idiot and nearly peed myself. Luckily it was at a Williams Sonoma and they had all these bourbon samples out so I drank every sample I could get my hands on. It wasn’t pretty but I got a nice picture out of it.
I live in a small town in the middle of Illinois, Andrew McCarthy came to our library on his book tour. He was really great, took pictures, signed stuff, but his book was terrible.
Diana Ross brought me on stage to dance with her at a Las Vegas concert once. I’m not a great dancer, but I was right in front of the stage and I guess she liked the way I looked. It was a very surreal experience.
I got close enough to smell Ralph Nader after a rally in Detroit in 2000.
I recently got to hug David Tennant at Wizard World New Orleans. I was more excited then my poor, embarrassed husband and teen son. Then got to hear Stan Lee speak. It was a banner day.
I met Felicia Day. She was super sweet. I was an incoherent, blithering idiot.
When my colleague was telling me that Torrey Smith was coming to our school to speak to our students, I said, “Who is she and what is she talking to them about?” HE gave a very nice talk about sportsmanship and what it is like to win TWO Superbowls
Don’t have a funny celebrity story, but yesterday the pond behind our house froze over, and my daughter and I watched ravens skate around. It was like watching something out of a dream. Love and light to you and your family. You rock, Jenny.
I can really only think of one celebrity encounter that might make you smile, Jenny.
Years and years ago, I worked at a fast food place in the food court of a local mall. At the time, Marc Summers (of Nickelodeon’s Double Dare fame) was hosting some kind of show on the Game Show Network aimed at college kids. SOMEBODY, in their infinite wisdom, decided to take the thing on a mall tour (because they had timewarped back to the 80s? I have no idea.) and the mall I worked at was one of the stops.
ANYWAY..I’m working on hand out and I call out a random number. This guy who looks an AWFUL lot like Marc Summers comes to get his bags of food.
Me: ZOMG! Holy shit do you know who you look JUST like?
Guy who looked an awful lot like and probably WAS Marc Summers: Uh..yes?
He grabbed his bags of food and practically racewalked away from my counter. I felt like SUCH an idiot.
I walked past John Ratzenberger (Cliff, from Cheers) coming out of a supermarket once back in the very early 90’s. It hit me that’s who it was after I’d entered and he’d left. I didn’t go back out to say hello because, at the time, I was a kid, and I didn’t know his name. Ahhh. See what I did there.
When I was 17, I went to NYC on a class field trip. We got all dressed up to see The King and I, featuring Lou Diamond Phillips as The King.
Afterwards, he came downstairs and took pictures with everyone, most of us one on one. Mine turned out pretty nice, so my mother took it to work and hung it up.
Now, around this time, my mother hated every dude I dated. People would come to her desk, see my picture, and ask who the guy was.
“Oh, that’s Katie’s boyfriend!”
“Really? He looks like… oh, that guy. I can’t remember his name.”
“Lou Diamond Philips?”
“Yes!”
“I know! He gets that a lot.”
She finally stopped when I got engaged to one of the dudes and had to start putting up pictures of the two of us and our kid.
Jenny, what i want to know is if you had the presence of mind to ask Dan Rather “What’s the frequency, Kenneth!!” I am sure he would have found it hilarious. And when i was the guest of the CEO of Churchill Downs at the Derby I met Bobby Knight, Daryl Hannah, John Forsythe, and had dinner with Wynona Judd. None of them appeared impressed with meeting me.
I know the guy who does the voice work for the Google Pixel 2 phone commercials. I have known him since he was about 12. He is a sweet guy and deserves all the success!
Rang up Andy Rooney when I was working at Borders, He had the scariest fucking eyebrows you can imagine. Cranky old bastard in person, too.
Ann Richards sat in front of me at the Thelma and Louise movie
Rocky Kanaka did a makeover of the kennel I worked at for Save our Shelters.
Cool program, and great for our rescue, but lets just say reality TV has very little reality. Also, many, many, many years ago, my Aunt met Due to Hoffman. He gave her his socks. I wonder if she still has them.
I used to massage olympic athletes.
I rode in an elevator with Richard Simmons. I had just bought new bedding, so I filled up nearly the whole elevator with pillows and a comforter etc, etc.. but he squeezed in. Luckily he is a small man who wore his staple short shorts and tank top. we rode a few floors together while he cracked jokes about my abundance of bedding.. He offered to help me to my car. He was a very sweet, lovely man.
B.B. King told me I was the man.
John Popper of Blues Traveller beat me in thumb wrestling.
After trying for an entire meal, I got a chuckle out of Sean Yseult.(bassist of White Zombie).
None of these people would have the slightest recollection of me, but nonetheless, the stories are true.
I once grabbed Davis Gaine’s butt at the stage door after Phantom of the Opera. He wasn’t pleased (I’m so sorry Davis!)
I impressed Steven Tyler by reading the Aerosmith autobiography in less than a day. This was discussed during a phone call with him – back in my college days. He called back, but dialed my home number instead of the dorm, and spoke to my mom. When he tried to leave a message, he kept saying, “But I’m Steven Tyler. I’m in a band. It’s called AEROSMITH,” and my mother just said, “Ok, that’s nice, I’ll tell her you called.” It clearly caught him off-guard that she didn’t know/care who he was. Does that help or do I need to tell you the Barry Williams or John Cusack story, too?
Oh, Jenny, I’m so sorry. What a world of worry. At least you know what you’re worrying about. I’ve been worrying all day and I still can’t figure out why.
I attended a Victor Borge concert when I was in high school. I met him after the show to get his autograph and I told him that I had all of his records. He said “What a lucky girl you are.”
A few years ago, I saw Itzhak Perlman in concert. (I was underwhelmed, to say the least, but he’s getting old.) When I was next to get his autograph, I jokingly asked if I could kiss his ring. He looked at me with a straight, non-humorous face and said no.
I’m boring, and I never get to meet famous people, but once I had a dream that I was drowning in quicksand, and Dick Clark pulled up in a pickup truck and saved me. Does that count?
I was walking through the Tuileries in Paris, and a little boy ran in front of me, tripped over his own feet, and fell down. I bent down to see if he was okay, just as the boy’s dad rushed forwards to scoop him up and carry him away. It took me a minute to figure out why the man looked so familiar. It was Ethan Hawke. Incidentally I also saw Mr. Hawke later that week while I was getting gelato, and the week after in a coffee shop.
Has my picture taken with Penn and Teller after their Las Vegas show.😍
In restaurants, saw Heather Locklear at an Italian one and then watched Clint Eastwood steal a french fry off a plate of a friend at his restaurant in Carmel. Passed by a pissed-off looking Doc Severinsen at Burbank Airport. Talked to Phil Lesh at a bookstore in Denver. And then as a teenager, my boyfriend’s father was a producer for the Dinah Shore show. I was introduced to Bob Barker on his set. He seemed okay but I remember lots of makeup and a limp handshake.
Katie Couric stopped me once when we were doing fire drills at the college where I work because she saw the commotion. She asked me what was “going down” and I explained that it was just a fire drill. I must not have showed suitable recognition, because she said, “Oh. I thought I was going to have to call my NEWS ROOM.” Right. I got it.
I was in the mall years ago and heard a distinctive voice next to me. It was Tone Loc picking out a shirt to wear on stage that night here in Humboldt County. I gave my opinion and he told me I was a “nice lady”. Hope he sang Funky Cold Medina in that shirt.
I want offered a diet cherry Dr Pepper to Bruce Willis at Walmart convention. He declined the offer, but was very gracious.
I met Meatloaf twice at a local radio station in NJ. And the second time he shared his pizza with me. It was a everything type of pizza and gross so I didn’t eat it.
I sat at a lunch table with Charlaine Harris at a convention and told a story about my terrible college writing teacher, and she was totally outraged & super encouraging.
She’s not really a celebrity, and it wasn’t really an encounter… BUT! I live in Portland, Oregon and our beloved downtown toy store used to have a huge table in the back with one of each of their windup toys (dozens) for you to test drive. My dad and I were back there playing one day at lunch (as we were wont to do), looked over and standing next to us playing with the windup toys was Ursula K. Le Guin. We nudged each other but decided not to bother her. It made me happy then and now.
I get to hang out with my favorite author for a few minutes whenever she posts to her blog. It’s usually random craziness about stuffed animals, real pets with really cool nes and her husband and daughter who love her to the moon and back!
I once met Viggo Mortensen in a hospital when I was visiting my friend & he was visiting his father. He was very quiet.
I hung out and smoked cigarettes with Eric Burdon and the Animals in a hotel lobby bar -they were completely ignored except by me- all the other 14 year olds were trying to climb the balconies to get to Herman’s Hermits, who they were touring with…
… or the time I pretended to be the mayor and got invited to Huey Lewis’s Hotel Party- he was so gracious and wanted to talk about trout fishing all night- probably because he thought I was Mayor…
and then there was the time…
Mine is sports related. I was at the baseball winter meetings, trying to pretend I wasn’t slightly drunk. I was talking to a group of guys and suddenly felt someone lean against my back…like I was a wall and was holding them up. I looked at the guy next to me and he said “Oh, it’s just George.” A very drunk George Brett (pre-recovery) was propped up against my back. I put my drink down on the table beside me and George picked it up and used it as a spit cup. I was crushed that a guy I watched on tv with my dad was so unimpressive in real life.
I met Robbie Williams in a bar after he headlined a small town music festival… he was just as much of a pompous ass as you might expect.
Most of the Spirit of the West band members signed the cast on my broken arm after their concert.
And I sold garden plants and potting soil to Maury Chaykin one summer. He was lovely, and surprised to be recognized as the guy from “Whale Music”, given that he’d since acted in much better know films….
I “met” Macy Gray in an elevator at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. She was a complete B.
One time my boyfriend and I were having a fight and I ended up making out (in front of him) with this random guy at the bar. The guy was an incredible kisser, amazing at karaoke, and told me he worked in comedy. He seemed like he was wearing a disguise with a wig and makeup. There was something familiar about him that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
A few days later, my boyfriend and I patched things up and started to piece together the details of that night and the mysterious stranger. We are both now 99% certain that it was Jimmy Fallon!! And now my boyfriend is totally cool with me making out with him that night. That was my one celebrity pass! Ha!
I baked scones for Ozzy Osbourne! My cousin was driving a tour bus from LA to Vegas, and Ozzy was craving scones, so my cousin told him that I lived in Vegas & could bake him some. So, my cousin calls me at 2am to ask…I could hear Ozzy in the background saying “She doesn’t know how to bake a fucking scone!” But I did!! I asked if he wanted current or cream scones, and would he like some lemon curd…then heard Ozzy say “I..I..guess she DOES know how to bake a fucking scone!” Next day, I took them to UNLV’s Thomas & Mack stadium where an Ozz-Fest was happening in 2000! While on the tour bus, Ozzy was holding his teacup, gazing out the bus window to watch all the extreme Marylin Manson fans with their crazy harsh makeup & piercings…and Ozzy says: “I’ve never felt so fucking normal in my life!”
Some doink, who shall remain nameless, thought a Norwegian flag was a confederate flag and reported it to a new agency. This was in Ballard a suburb of Seattle and where a huge number of Scandinavians live. Uff da.
Back in the mid-90’s, I saw Robert Downey Jr. at LAX getting off of a Southwest flight. A chauffeur was waiting for him, holding a huge “DOWNEY JR.” sign (very inconspicuous). This was right before his prison stints for drugs; he was really nice and possibly high.
Harry Chapin kissed me on the lips. I was a college student being an assistant to the roadies, so I could see the concert for free. He always signed things for the audience after the show, and when he was coming across the stage afterwards, I said, “Hey, Harry, would you sign my shirt?” He agreed, so I handed him a pen, turned around and hunched my shoulders so he could sign my shirt. When I turned back around, he handed me my pen and kissed me on the lips!!
I met Sherman Alexie twice too. And David Seders twice. Both at book signings.
I met Catherine Tate at Denver Comic-Con last year and she’s just simply wonderful. I was waiting in a really long line to get her autograph, playing a game on my phone, and I saw someone walking down the exit line. I didn’t think much of it at first, since it was the exit line, but then as they got closer, I realized it was her. She had to use the restroom, as she’d been herded to the autograph session immediately upon arriving at the con, and instead of just leaving her post to go, she took the time to personally apologize to EVERY SINGLE PERSON in that line before she left. Later that evening, some friends of ours ran into her in downtown Denver while getting ice cream and she was just as sweet. She even took selfies with them both 🙂
Growing up in southern California, I have had many celebrity encounters. Most of them were either at work or in a bar. I met Luke Perry at one of my jobs, he was incredibly polite and laid back; his son is one of the most physically beautiful humans I’ve ever seen and was just as nice as his dad. However, one of my favorite stories is about Tony Shaloub. A large group of my friends were regulars at the local dive-y pub and we were all congregated around the bar on a busy Saturday night when in strolls Monk. I honestly don’t know if he thought we couldn’t hear him over the band or if he was trying to be heard… in any case, he says pretty loudly “Oh wow, so this is a real blue-collar working man’s bar, huh?”. He then proceeded to order food that wasn’t on the menu and complain about how long it was taking to get.
My husband and I were walking down Broadway in NYC after a performance of Phantom of the Opera when he bumped shoulders with a man walking in the opposite direction. I started squealing like a little girl, “Do you know who that was???? It was TIM CURRY!!!!” He was starring in Spamalot at the time, and we were fortunate to see him starring in that show a few months later.
I hope you, your daughter, and Dorothy Barker all feel better soon!
I hope all turns out well. Sending good thoughts! <3
Here’s my famous encounter:
In the mid 2000’s, Dan Aykroyd did a bus tour through Houston with a high profile Vodka vendor. They stopped at every bar and gave out free shots (and free pictures). I had no idea this was happening, but luckily I was dressed up for a night on the town (black and red polka dotted 1930s dress, and long black hair with Bettie bangs). I was feeling very confident…and very tipsy. When he walked in, I heard people murmuring. He was so tall, I could see him over the crowd. I’m 5’2”. I never see over ANYthing. I fearlessly walked up to him, shook his hand and said how much I adored him. He smiled and said, “Come here, sweetheart!” He spun me around and sat me down between his legs for a photo op. Then he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a big hug. My phone had died moments before the picture had been taken, so a random person took the photo and I asked them to text it to me. The lighting was so terrible the photo didn’t take. I was so sad. The one thing I remember about Mr. Aykroyd, other than his infectious smile and towering height, is that he has the largest, softest hands of any man I’ve ever met.
Living i NYC makes this a bit easier but here are a few for you….
Gave the Today show the finger walking to work last week – live and on air
Have run into Jackie Mason in a number of bars and places going out – not sure what this says about him or ME
Tom Hanks leaving a restaurant very early in his career – i spotted him and he RAN – i had no intention of even going near him – but he’s very scared
Al Pacino – my old beau was his driver so i was planted at a movie theater when he roared up to run out of the car and go in…well worth it to see him in a white suit and…HEADBAND
Dancing in a club – Keith Harring (Because while everyone plays the Kevin Bacon game, in NYC if you went out to the clubs in the 80’s you met Keith at SOME point)
Hope those gave you some giggles girl – BESOS!
My company once hired Clinton Kelly (What not to Wear) to do makeovers & then emcee a runway show. He was very nice, funny and took the time to talk to us about our styles, hobbies, etc. He spent extra time with everyone. Picked out a very edgy outfit for me that still complied with the company dress code.
I was a stripper a million years and 30 pounds ago. I gave $200.00 worth of lap dances to Joe Montana.
Last year on a trip to LA to visit friends, we all annoyed Jesse Tyler Ferguson by accident in a coffee shop in Hollywood. The four of us walked in right before him, trying to decide what we wanted and he seemed a bit in a hurry so they just let him go first. He was out of there in a flash.
I went to school in Athens, GA in the 90’s, and it was basically everyone’s goal to see Michael Stipe from R.E.M. in the wild at some point. I finally saw him in a local dive bar, the last bar of my 21st birthday pub crawl. My friend nudged me and whispered “Look! It’s Michael Stipe!!” My response was to point aggressively and say, in my best outside voice (because alcohol), “WHO, THAT SKINNY BALD GUY??” I did not get a picture.
My husband was the sober one escorting a drunk friend on the street in downtown Athens, when his friend spotted Stipe and screamed “HOLY SHIT! IT’S THAT SHINY HAPPY MOTHERFUCKER!” So at least I didn’t say that?
My husband and I were gambling in Vegas. While we were sitting at a blackjack table, Cuba Gooding Jr sat down to play. I whispered to my husband who was sitting beside him but he didn’t believe me. Another man sat down at our table and everyone introduced themselves to one another and he said “hi I’m Cuba”. Later that night we went to see Rita Rudner and a couple of seats down from us was Ann Margret. We didn’t approach – she was there to enjoy the show just like the rest of us (Rita Rudner is hilarious for those of you who haven’t seen her). My husband won pretty big at the casino that night. All in all a great trip!
I was working out at my gym and Joe Thiesman came in and started working out next to me. My trainer told me not to bother him so I didn’t.
Also, I went to college with Ralph Sampson. He walked by me while I was sitting outside on a sunny day. I said hi and he said hi back.
Also, I was on the “Ranger Hal” show in 1965. He was famous then in the Washington, DC, area.
The end.
Let’s see…I’ve met a Texas Governor – Mark White. I nearly met Al Gore (we both deplaned @ gates side-by-side in Atlanta many years ago)…and as a kid, I met the baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan before all his no-hitters. My brother & his son were on the same soccer team…the Crab Legs (yeah, the kids chose it)…they had a perfect or near-perfect record…lost all or nearly all their games! One time @ practice, I ran to my dad to get money for a coke & he’s chatting with another dad. As I began to interrupt, my dad stopped me & said “Chelle, do you know who this is?” I shook my head. “He’s the Astros’ pitcher, Nolan Ryan.” Dad gave me a meaningful look that meant ‘be mannerly’ so I turned & said, “Hi Mr Ryan, nice to meet you.” Then I whipped around to my dad & asked “Dad, can I have money for a Coke?”. He gave me the money & I ran off, none the wiser that I’d met a man destined to be one of the greatest baseball pitchers ever,( if not THE greatest).
I saw Jon Stewart in Washington Square Park playing with his kid. I made this like big-eyed “oh you’re famous” face and he smiled at me and we both went on our way like nothing had happened. Which, nothing had.
I knocked Danny Bonaduce off his unicycle with a pool noodle. He hit the ground flat on his face. It was not the most interesting thing that happened that day.
A friend and I planned to go to Placido Domingo’s restaurant Pampano in NYC last October. All day I kept saying we were going to see Placido. She would roll her eyes and say just because he owns the restaurant doesn’t mean he just hangs out there. I told her that when he finds out we are there, he will show up. Cue more eye rolling. We were just finishing up our (delicious) dinner, when who walks in? I was calm, but my friend freaked out so badly that he actually came over to our table. (I think it was less obtrusive than calling security). He was suave and charming and just all around dreamy.
I worked as an usher at an outdoor music venue in the mid-90s. One evening, I was assigned to the entrance of the VIP area, so I had to check that everyone entering the VIP area had the right kind of pass. One guy tried to get past me without a VIP pass, but I wouldn’t let him through. He pulled the classic line, “Don’t you know who I am?”
(narrator: She did not know who he was.)
It was Danny Bonaduce. I didn’t recognize him, and I didn’t let him through until another usher came over and told me who he was. I was embarrassed but also mad.
Long story short… Danny Bonaduce is an ass who threatened to have me fired for doing my job.
I was at The Memorial Golf Tournament in Columbus, Ohio and met pro golfer Brandt Snedeker. I was sitting out of bounds near the green and the ball he hit landed on my knee and bounced back into play. At the start of the next hole he signed the ball and gave it too me- seemed like a nice guy. I very painfully limped back to the car after the tournament. 🙂
I have a couple of Wil Wheaton ones. One year (this was over a decade ago, closer to two) He was at a Con in Tulsa OK. I, my sister and a bunch of online friends who all knew each other through his online forum (it was a thing, long gone now) who lived in the general area of OK were all going to be attending so we decided to have a meet. On his forum, he was the HMIC (Head Monkey In Charge) so the rest of us called ourselves Monkeys. We were going to be spending evenings doing fun stuff together as a group all weekend so it was a Big Deal(tm) to us, geeks that we were/are. On Saturday, we planned to get together, and so that we could make it as celeb-friendly as possible, we rented a side room at a local bar and invited him to come hang for a while, no pressure. He didn’t show. We all had a blast anyway, and my sister had a custom-made T-shirt and we all signed it.
Sunday. Several of us go to his autograph line. (We were nothing if not loyal). I waited off to the side while my sister went, wearing the t-shirt she had us all sign. When she got up to the front, she stripped off the shirt (luckily, she was wearing a tank top underneath). Anne’s jaw dropped (Wil’s wife) his eyes popped and I tried desperately to evaporate into an invisible mist so that no one would ever know I was related to/with this incredibly tacky creature. Alas, I failed.
I’m pretty sure he thanked his lucky stars he didn’t attend our meet from the night before.
The second time I met Wil Wheaton, it was a few years later, and he was at a Con closer to where I live. I attended with my husband and baby son. Went through the line, identified myself as a Monkey with a baby Monkey. He kindly took a picture with us, even held my son. I did NOT remind him of the previous incident.
2 years ago I met Nathan Fillion at a Comic Con. He was incredibly charming, and for some reason I always feel the need to tell people how incredibly shiny his hair is – it’s practically ethereal. The next morning, my hubby & I were in an elevator with David Anders (who was either intensely hung over and/or possibly still somewhat drunk) and he was raving to his assistant about his toque… How it was the best purchase he’d ever made, because it was great for keeping his head warm, and if his head was warm enough on its own, then it was a great big pocket to carry his stuff around in, because he sometimes has too many things to fit in his actual pockets.
I ran into Megan Rapinoe in the loo at a show in Portland. It was kinda awkward.
Many years ago, I was out dancing at a Seattle club called the Fenix Aboveground to my favorite blues band, the Duffy Bishop band, and I ended up dancing with the actor from the show Northern Exposure who played the character Chris…the radio host and all around philosopher on the show.
Not much, bit it’s all I got. He was a pretty good dancer, BTW.
When I was four I met and danced on stage with Dick Clark at a car show.
I was a little girl waiting in the airport with my mother. A man walks past waving and surrounded by all these women. I ask my mom who he was. She tells me it’s some dude called Englebert Humperdinck, which already sounds bad enough. It gets worse when she tells me that women liked to throw their underwear on stage while he’s performing. In retrospect it was probably the first I was legit puzzled and grossed out simultaneously.
As a toddler, I grabbed John Wayne by the pant leg and would neither A) let go or B) Stop screaming. Apparently, from the shin down, he looks exactly like my mother.
David Letterman once almost knocked me over in a CVS and then glared at me like it was my fault. Also, I saw Gene Wilder at a record store in my hometown. He was super-nice to everyone and had an adorable dog with him.
Sending healing and soothing thoughts to Hailey, Dorothy Barker, and you.
Mine is rather lame, but I’ll join in. A few years ago, the drummer for Blink-182 got into a plane crash & suffered bad burns. Turns out he came to a burn unit in my home town of Augusta, GA. At the time, I worked at Target. I was just doing my thing, when I see a girl who looks an awful lot like Mandy Moore. I said to myself, “What the hell would Mandy Moore be doing in Augusta?” and went about my way. I kept glancing at her though. Because of my anxiety & disbelief, I didn’t say anything. I later read an article about how Mandy Moore visited Travis Barker in the hospital. It was very funny because literally NO ONE was talking to her, probably because no one actually believed she was in Augusta.
Jenny I think you will like this one….Back in the 80’s I was a waitress close to a place where there had concerts…I waited on Wolfman Jack and he was an ass and he blew his nose in the cloth napkin…and laid it back on he table and didn’t tip..I know you shouldn’t speak ill of the dead….but!
I wrote Kiefer Sutherland a parking ticket once. He apparently thought that he didn’t have to pay the meter (I may have fangirled a little when he passed me at the entrance), but regulations are regulations.
He hardcore lost his shit. I’m surprised video didn’t end up on YouTube.
My friends and I saw Danny DeVito in Water Tower Place in Chicago one day – he smiled and waved at us from the escalator.
I met Alex Trebek, because I was on Jeopardy. That was fun (being on Jeopardy – Alex is interesting, but not what I would call fun. Plus he said something kinda sexist.)
I was just on a plane with the MO Attorney General who is running against Clare McCaskill for Senate. I am very disappointed that I opted not to kick him in the nuts – the story of him saying something incredibly, obnoxiously ignorant came out a couple days after the flight.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article197603534.html
About 30 years ago I was working at a hotel in Maryland and Tina Turner and her chauffeur stopped in to have lunch in our dining room. It was after 2:00 in the afternoon so the dining room was “officially” closed before being reopened for dinner so it was just Tina and her driver eating lunch. She graciously signed autographs and chatted with those of us that were working that day.
I was in a community theater production of “Oliver!” with Jesse Eisenberg when he was about 10 and I 15 (He was Oliver, I was Bet). Years later, I found out from an interview he gave that his great aunt grew up in the same town in Poland as my great grandmother, and I got in touch via a mutual friend so that I could put our parents in touch about that. I behaved like a proud momma.
33 years ago I was sitting in the Albany NY airport with my then 3 year old daughter flying home to WNY last minute because my daughter had a rash that a pediatric dermatologist (yeah, they had those 33 years ago and you could see one without a referral or a $50 copay) could not diagnosis.
I was scared out of my mind because I was pretty young and my baby had some kind of downstate jungle rot that a guy who went to school for childhood rashes couldn’t name.
So there I sat, probably looking like as pale as almond milk sorbet when a set of eyebrows attached to a man sat down next to me. It was Andy Rooney of 60 Minutes fame. He asked me if I was okay because I seemed upset, and after telling him the whole rash story in one breathless sentence, he patted my hand and proceed to tell me crazy stories about the famous people he had met during his career for the next 45 minutes until my flight was boarding. He was 66 at the time.
26 years later when he passed away, I cried a little for the loss of such a kind soul.
The rash? It ended up being prickly heat which lead to my life long distrust of pediatric dermatologists and Albany NY.
I was at a restaurant and saw a guy who looked like Greg Louganis so I said, you look like Greg Louganis. And he said, that’s because I am Greg Louganis. And I said, oh.
I grew up in Sun Valley, Idaho and saw many celebrities, but the most memorable was when Clint Eastwood came to our house. My dad had invented some tiny pocket reading glasses, and Clint wanted to buy a couple dozen of them for party favors. He shook my hand, sat on our couch, and threw the ball for our dog. Soft spoken, down to earth. And TALL. Great guy.
My friends’ kid plays The Motel on the more recent seasons of Trailer Park Boys.
I don’t know if this counts but I’ve met a few WWE wrestlers…. back in the day I was really into it and even wanted to be a wrestler. Anyways, I was obsessed with Jeff Hardy for a really long time and after the show he was outside signing autographs and I went complete fan girl and gave him this ring I was wearing (cheap teenager ring from Claire’s or something) and he kinda paused and looked around and decided to give me his gum…. which I took and put directly into my mouth. I’m not proud of this now, but at the time I sure was. Also before John Cena got big I shook his hand. Hope this disgusting fan girl story helps! Xoxoxox
My Mom was on Oprah.
My parents and I were walking in Central Park, and we walked right past Angelina Jolie taking a carriage ride with her kids. I felt sorry for them, because even then, they were being hounded by photographers.
I have a friend who chatted with LaVar Burton in an elevator.
I went to college with David Bowie’s son, Duncan Jones the filmmaker, but I didn’t know him at all. But David Bowie was at my college graduation so there’s that.
When I was 12 we went to Benihana in Studio City for my moms birthday. We sat at the teppan table with a bunch of other people but there was one empty seat left next to me. The hostess sat an elderly gentleman next to me who said hello in this amazing brogue. It was freaking Jimmy Doohan. We need more power Mr Scott. He was the sweetest man ever. He told stories through dinner and convinced this banana hater to try his dessert, right from his fork. Good memories of a gentle soul.
In high school, I met Don Henley. The whole scenario about how this happened is too long to go into, involving promises made to teenagers for amazing fundraising efforts. He was not nice. This story saddens my husband, because he loves The Eagles, even with all their drama.
I once met an honest-to-god munchkin. From The Wizard of Oz movie (original, with Judy Garland). Oi, did she have stories…
I used to work on the MGM movie lot, so we saw celebrities all the time, and it didn’t phase me. But one day I stopped dead in my tracks, and said OMG that’s Mel Brooks! My friend who was with me at the time thought it was crazy that THAT’S the one that impressed me.
Years ago my sister and I saw Kevin Spacey standing outside of a theater. We had a discussion about whether or not it was him, and openly gaped at him like infants do to strangers. He saw us, got clearly uncomfortable, and walked away. Neither of us are really fans, we just were trying get to figure out if it was him. It was.
Ugh, girl, I have been there from all sides. Was racked with stomach problems when I was little, both parents had so many organs removed, I lost count (as well as losing both of them very young). I lost my puppy last year, as well.
Your lil’ guy and girl are going to be fine, though. It sounds like they are both in good hands…but so brutal to watch them suffer.
Okay, so celebrity sightings. Here’s an excerpt from a post, “Whipped Cream”:
“Speaking of hair, I cut my hair like Jennifer Anniston’s once, when she had it short. I look terrible with short hair. It makes my features look out of proportion, my nose mainly. I actually ran into her once at the health food store, Jennifer. We were at the salad bar, each going for the last dolma. I took it from her. Retribution for the bad haircut.”
https://thoughtcatalog.com/natalie-brooke-breazeale/2017/05/what-not-to-say-to-the-cute-guy-at-the-coffee-shop/
I also did that thing that you NEVER do when you live in Hollywood. I casually walked up to the dude at the gym who looked vaguely familiar and said…
“Hi! Sorry to interrupt you mid-rep, but you look so familiar.”
He internally rolled his eyes, not even bothering to look up.
“I’m Ben Stiller.”
I’m convinced he blackballed me, which is ‘the only’ reason you have yet to see my name in lights.
Courage, dear heart. You come back as much as you need…”not funny” is equally as valuable.
I don’t know if I’ve met a celebrity. I’m oblivious to a bunch of stuff. Someone would have to point it out to me.
However, the lesbian chef at my clients university might have flirted with me the other day. She noticed and complimented my hair, which no one ever does. It wasn’t till later I realized she might have been flirting with me.
I can help a sista’ out!
Just returned from Cabo where a spent the afternoon 20 ft away from Mr. Big frolicking in the ocean.
And yes, I did take pictures of Mr. Noth!
Bill Berry (of REM) and I judged a best mutt contest. We both took it very seriously. A very old shepherd mix with a grey snout won.
I met Puddles Pity Party after his awesome show in my area last November. He takes time to meet with all his fans after each show, and is wonderful with everyone. That voice coupled with the humor he incorporates for the live stage is pretty impressive. Btw.., I used to be very leery of clowns until Puddles came along. He’s really redefined the clown caricature into something worth watching. This clip might be the best thing you see today. That note near the end? Wow!
Mine aren’t super interesting (I met Andy Weir and Christopher Lloyd at a con once), but I’m 98% sure I sat behind Lily Tomlin on a Southwest flight once. Also I met Lorenzo Lamas at a family reunion when I was like 7. I totally have a picture of little me and Renegade-era Lorenzo with his long hair and a fabulous silk shirt.
Sending sympathy.
Celebrity encounters – last year I went to a one man show Sir Ian McKellen did. At the end he asked for volunteers and a bunch of us got to go on stage. I went, so I can honestly claim I have performed on stage alongside Ian McKellen. (And he held my hand for the curtain call!)
A few years ago I got to drive Pat Rothfuss to a signing – he’s a lovely man, and really friendly.
Another time I was at a convention where George RR Martin was GoH. I happen to have a couple friends who are friends of his, so I ended up getting introduced (twice) and having a long conversation, which was nice. (I’ve never seen or read any of GoT..)
Also Neil Gaiman, who makes a wonderful cup of tea, and gives the best hugs 🙂
(although my favourite is my brother-in-law’s encounter. He once pointed a gun at Prince Charles. Completely legit. As he says, if they put you on guard duty at a military facility and tell you to be strict about security, you can’t then complain if you take a robust approach to people who show up un-announced without proper ID.)
I was eating at a local restaurant and Tammy Faye Baker was eating at a table behind my family. She reapplied her lipstick multiple times during her meal and had on just as much makeup as you’d expect from her TV appearances.
Back when I was single & hot, & living in LA, Oscar de la Hoya & his entourage tried to get me to go party w/ them in their limo. I was having none of it. I said, “I don’t date midgets.” That did not go over well.
Not my story but my husband got to meet you, for me! He was in Ontario and I was in NY with our son. I couldn’t get to your book signing but he was able to get to one in Toronto. He had no idea who you were but ended up loving you. Sad part of the story is he is legally blind and can’t drive. He rode his new expensive bike to a train station to get to the city to see you and when he got back the bike was stolen.
I am a huge fan of all things ghost. I had the opportunity to meet Britt Griffith, who was on Ghost Hunters. I creepily blurted out “I recognized you by your tattoos” in a stalkerish way. He was a very nice man despite my awkwardness.
Hope both your daughter and dog are feeling better soon. Vanessa Williams was one of my freshman year roommates.
I met Boxcar Willie once when his bus broke down and it was brought to the company I worked for. Long story short – he was a dick. Also, his music was horrendous as well. In case you care to check out his dicky horrendousness here’s a link. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though. :o)
I met the Oscar Meyer Weiner boy -but he was an older man when I met him
On a plane. Also met James Brown twice because he used to do a song with UGA Redcoat band every year and
I was in the band
1987 Met Geraldine Page (got her autograph) after her performance in Blythe Spirit. She didn’t show up for the show the next day & they discovered she had died that night.
I try to avoid celebrities now.
I live in LA and was hiking with a visiting friend. We decided to take a loop instead of an out and back I’d done before. When it seemed like we’d never reach the parking lot, I asked a hiker coming the other way if we were getting close. She assured us it wasn’t much farther. (She lied but that’s another story.) Behind the hat and sunglasses, that (mostly) helpful hiker was Hilary Swank.
That was a much better encounter than the time I started chatting up a guy at the grocery store, thinking he was an administrator at my daughter’s school. He said kindly “I think you have me confused with someone else?” I told him who I thought he was, and he said “No, I’m Dennis Haysbert.” We had been seeing him every week on “24” which is why he looked so familiar. I sheepishly said “love your show”–then proceeded to cross paths with him THREE MORE TIMES as we cross-crossed our way through the store. Oy.
I was at the fair once and saw Steven Tyler walking around holding a toddler on his hip. He was dressed exactly like he is on stage.
I met Tom Hanks when I had no pants on 🙂 This was a long time ago, I went skiing with my friend and boyfriend, had a bad fall, twisted my knee and had to be taken off the mountain by ski patrol. 🙁 They took me to the E.R. at the resort and had me sitting on a table with my ski pants off, but a blanket covering me. The movie “Splash” was a few years old. (Yes, it was that long ago and I am that old) Anyway, Tom’s son had also had a bad fall that day and was taken care of by the E.R. staff. Tom came in and thanked all of the staff for taking such good care of his son. I had been crying, looked like hell with a blanket covering my luckily clean underwear. He looked at me and smiled, I wanted to ask him for his autograph, but was too chicken to ask. He was a class act then and still is today as far as I am concerned, but I met him in my underwear and get funny looks. 🙂 Hope your family feels better soon, furry and non-furry.
Once when I was drunk leaving a friend’s birthday party at a very fancy restaurant, Tyler Perry held a door open for me. As I was walking out, I looked up at him (dude is TALL and I am not) and said, “Why, thank you, Tyler Perry.”
And then I tripped over his shoe and fell flat on my face. It was a very dignified.
I went to a Rancid show back when they first started out and it was sold out and we were all sad and standing outside the venue, and I noticed Lars Frederickson walk out one of the side doors so I ran over and kinda fangirled at him, and he went to their tour van and got me a bunch of t-shirts and took me and my friend into the show. Punk is never dead.
I have two: I was at a bar and wanted a drink and so squeezed myself between two people to try to get served by the bartender, who was super busy. John Goodman to my left said he thought I might have better luck than he had!! Who wouldn’t serve him?????!!!???
I was in a Starbucks in Toronto and saw a guy who looked super familiar, like I thought he went to my high school or something, but I couldn’t place his face… then, another customer walked up and asked Mike Myers for his autograph and I suddenly remembered who he was!! Groovy baby!!
I was a legal secretary at a big entertainment law firm in the early 90s. My boss was negotiating Gene Kelly’s prenup (he was 80 at the time & about to marry the 32-year-old who was ghostwriting his autobiography). He was a very kind, sweet man & we’d chat briefly on the phone whenever he called for my boss. One day he came into the office, and my boss introduced me to him as I delivered the prenup to the conference room. Gene immediately stood up, shook my hand, and performed an impromptu soft shoe dance for me right there in the conference room, while singing a little ditty that he made up on the spot that rhymed with my name. I was blown away! Dude still had it going on at 80 — handsome, charismatic, and I dunno — “twinkly” is the word that best described him. Definitely still had megawatts of star power.
I got Garrison Keillor’s autograph at an after-commencement gathering at Well’s College. This was a few decades ago, when Wells was still a small, women-only school. He did not grab my ass.
I am the worst at movie stars/celebrities etc. But I work retail in Vancouver and we frequently get celebrities in our store. I often don’t recognize them beyond the “I know they’re famous”.
But Trevor Linden (prob the most famous hockey player in Vancouver) comes in occasionally and he once spent 5 minutes massaging my friend’s hand as she tried on ski gloves for him “to see if they would fit his wife”. He also sat across from me in spin class once and I basically spent the whole hour trying not to stare at his ass and then could not get out of there fast enough to text my friend.
Also, every year I work as a manager for a rugby tournament so I get to hang out with the players all week (who are “famous” to a certain set of fans I guess) and we stay in a high-profile hotel in the city where all the movie stars also stay while they’re filming. One year while we were there, Dakota Johnson was staying there (one of the 50 Shades movies was filming) so I saw her almost daily (she was always slightly bitchy. I never said anything to her).
Also, because of it’s notoriety as a “celeb hotel” there are often hordes of young teenage girls outside waiting for whomever they think is staying there. Obviously the early-20’s rugby guys think it’s hilarious to moon all the teens out of their hotel windows. Needless to say, the teens had no real idea who all these boys were and kinda hightailed it outta there quickly after that.
Well, the boring one is that when he was running for Governor of Louisiana, David Duke sat at the next table in an IHOP in New Orleans. The fun one was that once I went to a book reading and signing, and I got to meet my favorite author and tell her she was my hero. You still are, Jenny!
Saw Danny Devito & Rhea Perlman with their small child at Disneyland. My small son was in the aisle & stopped right in front of their stroller. They were nice enough to not run him over so I smiled & nodded at them. Also sat behind Neil Gaiman & Charles Vess at the screening of “Stardust” during Comic Con in San Diego. It was a great show!
I was once asked by a friend to babysit Eddie Fisher after his [now infamously botched, kinda like Kenny Rogers’] face lift. I said no. Friends don’t ask friends to babysit post op has been celebrities.
My wife and I saw Alice Cooper and his wife in a grocery store late at night a few years back. Just grocery shopping like an ordinary couple. No one bugged them while they shopped and they seemed very happy together. It was nice to see what he’s like when he’s not in character.
One time I was in a hot tub with Dax Shepard in New Zealand. This was before I knew who he was. I was taking a break from Peace Corps in Micronesia. He was filming a movie. He seemed like a nice guy. You and your girl really need to try a good family naturopathic practice please!
I sold Captain Lou Albano, from wrestling fame, a pack of cigarettes once. Yes, he really dressed in Hawaiian shirts and had a rubber band in his beard, but he didn’t look very well at the time.
I was on jury duty with George Carlin. We participated in the same voir dire but neither of us were chosen for that jury panel. When one of the attorneys asked his occupation he said actor (as opposed to comedian. This was in the 90s, when he was on a sitcom).
Once I got to interview Captain Kangaroo for a magazine article. I had to stop myself from saying,”Sorry to hear about Mr. Green Jeans.
I have to tell my Dad’s story because he was in a cafe and started talking to… Allen Ginsburg!!! He said he was really nice. I’m still jealous.
I met you!! I was so nervous at a book signing and talk you did in California!! I was so happy/scared/excited to meet one of my favorite authors, I blurted out and had you sign my book with something about burglery bobcats . (you were having stalker bobcat issues at the time) and would love to have a coloring book of your art. I loved your reading of chapters from your book, you were amazing! I hope everyone feels better soon 🙂
Met the Von Trapp grandchildren – they are a singing group and my brother was their sound engineer and we got the meet them!!
Bill Nye did a show in my town one New Years’ Eve. The next morning we saw him in the hotel restaurant having breakfast, and my sister and I and our two best friends went over to ask him to sign some Bill Nye trading cards we had. He refused because he didn’t want to be bothered. The 4 of us under 12 were the only people in the restaurant who were children and weren’t hung over af. He sent us away with, “cool cards, though.”
tl;dr Bill Nye is a dick and I’ve spent the last 20 years telling people.
I got to meet Meatloaf (the musician, not the food) once. I went to see him perform on my birthday and a mutual friend (Meatloaf’s best friend) asked him to wish me happy birthday during the concert. He did and it was a complete thrill! That same friend arranged for me go meet him after the show and He pointed his finger at me and said ” Listen, I have never F&^ing done that before, and I’ll never F&^ing do that again” “It get’s me out of character, I don’t get out of character during my show!” Then he gave me a hug and took a picture with me. It was AWESOME!
I tried to post the photo, but my computer is not cooperating.
I met NPH at a book signing. When he walked by where we were standing in line(not even close to us), I turned bright red. My friends thought it was hilarious.
I was once on a cruise thrown by the band Barenaked Ladies. One of the acts on the boat was Harland Williams. We were waiting by the elevator to go up to the buffet for food and I told my friend what I was planning to get, using a family term that isn’t exactly PC. She burst out in uncontrollable laughter, right as Harland Williams walked around the corner, so it seemed like she was laughing at him. She tried to explain to him what we were laughing at, and he just stared at us like we were crazy.
Jean Martin (1919-2004) was an American singer and actor. Born in Texas, she moved to New York and worked in radio and television during the 1950s. She was married to William Black, who was the founder of the Chock full o’Nuts restaurant chain and coffee brand.
Not much, Jenny, but it’s all I’ve got.
It was in the early to mid 60s, and I was an impressionable teenager when I met Jean Martin. She was visiting my friend’s mother and I was invited to go to the beach with them. I almost fell over backwards the first time I saw her! I’ll nevah forget it! 😮
She was wearing high heeled boa mules, a leopard patterned two-piece bathing suit, a kimono, and HUGE sunglasses, carrying a beach bag and a paperback book. She was beautifully made up, and her long, wavy blonde hair was worn Veronica Lake style. I had never seen anyone so glamorous so close up before. It was awesome! She was very sweet to us kids. 😊
I was less impressed when my friend showed me an autographed picture of Jean out on a publicity date with Adam West.
Well, that’s it. Hope you like it. 🤞✌️❤️
I work at a Federal agency and while I cannot say enough about how I oppose the policies of this administration, the heads of my agency know my service dog’s name and respect their distance to my baby girl.
Hey!! My gallbladder almost DID kill me!! Yaay. Good times.
I was 36 hours from chekin out when some smart dr finally realized I was ill.
Celebs? I massaged Wes Craven & his wife a few years back.
They were sweet.
I met Princess Diana when I was 11 years old; I was part of her honour guard when she came to visit Vancouver. She was super nice and lovely, very soft spoken and wearing a pretty dress suit. My cousin and I stood beside Jared Padalecki (from Supernatural), looking at rugs in downtown Vancouver. Wasn’t until he was about to buy a really expensive rug, when I heard him talking, that I realized it was him. Then I got embarrassed that I was eavesdropping so I shuffled away, dragging my cousin with me.
This is not that impressive but I am friends with three Olympic Gold medalists and I have held medals. Very down to earth normal people who worked their butts off to be exceptional at something.
I was in Whole Foods in Santa Fe when I spotted someone I recognized but I could not remember her name. I mulled it over through the whole store and it suddenly hit me… That was Lauren Hutton. I looked up and I was standing next to Julia Roberts.
Only a secondhand celebrity encounter, but my husband peed next to Brad Pitt at the Kentucky Derby many years ago. And that’s all to that story because evidently peeking in the men’s room “isn’t done”.
I’ve met a good number of the cast from the Lord of the Rings. John Rhys-Davies gives amazing hugs, and will smooch your cheek whether you ask for it or no. Sean Astin is also adorably affectionate and a good hugger. Elijah Wood really is that beautiful. So is Miranda Otto. Andy Serkis is very friendly and sweet. So is John Noble…! I was lucky enough to be rooming with a friend in an executive suite at a hotel where one con was taking place, and Billy Boyd wandered into the hospitality room while we were in there. We gave him his space but he walked right over and sat with us and chatted for a good 20 minute. He was my absolute favorite at the time and that I made him laugh was one of my proudest moments.
My sister used to work for Henry Mancini sometimes. One time she took me with her (I had just turned a shy 18) while she watched over his 30ish son’s party at his house (it wasn’t huge). I was introduced to him in his kitchen. He had come down in his pajamas to grab something to eat (avoiding the party). Such an amazing sweet man. And his Oscars and Grammys were on display in his main room -right there-.
So yeah. Pink Panther. Pajamas.
Going from most recent to ancient history, here are the ones I remember. I’m sure there are others but my memory… well, I blame all the psychotropics.
When I worked at a high school a few years ago, Drake Bell (Drake and Josh, anyone?) came to give a concert. I was working late in my office and the admins brought him in to use the restroom right across the hall from me. They stood there chatting and I could have met him but I was too shy plus I thought it would’ve been weird for a 50-something woman to ask for a selfie with him. My daughter was so pissed off at me.
I once sat next to Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls) in the front row of a very intimate concert by Suzzy and Maggie Roche. I think she was with her wife.
And, the ancient history: my mom took me to the airport to meet Richard Nixon when he was campaigning for President in 1959? 1960? Anyway, I’ve always said my oddest factoid is that I was kissed by Nixon. I was just a baby, so I don’t remember it, but I wish I had a picture. 😁
I once propositioned The Edge (guitarist, vocalist of U2). Standing outside a concert venue, waiting for the band to arrive, with a huge crowd of like minded fans. He signed my poster board but I couldn’t speak while he was within arm’s reach of me. Once he was a few people down the line my speaking abilities returned, so I asked, “Will you come home with me?” And he grinned and CHUCKLED!! That made me so very happy. That I brought amusement to him, if only for a few seconds. This was over 10 years ago and I still grin like a maniac when I tell the story. (The mortification set in the next day “holy shit! I propositioned The Edge!” but has since faded. And no, he did not come home with me. But I do still have the poster board he signed.
I once babysat Willie Geist from The Today Show when he was a little boy. He was great, but his younger sister attacked me with a metal baseball bat. Needless to say, that was a one-and-done experience…
Also happened in Vegas…my ex and I were at the Fashion Show mall the afternoon of the Holyfield/Tyson fight…yes, the ear biting incident! As we were leaving, Evander Holyfield and his entourage were all walking towards the same exit as we were…so I yelled over to him “Hey Champ! Kick that rapist bastard’s ass tonight!” His group all laughed and Evander told me to “Come over here Baby!”..so I did and he gave me a big hug while someone in his group took our picture!!
Brian Dennehy was in town filming First Blood. He came to the cabaret and I asked him to dance. We sat at his table and I eventually passed out on it. He asked my friend if I was okay. Lovely. But, I did get a picture of him with my daughter the following day. He was super nice.
I road in an elevator with Tom Hanks (circa 2002). I was staying in the same hotel – I realized it was him and a bunch of his people. I mean there were probably 2 people in-between me and Tom Hanks – and I imagined all the things I might say to him … by the time I’d almost worked up the courage to speak to him – he was off the elevator and I had managed to ride past my own stop.
I’ll still take it. 🙂
I met Sean Gunn at Dragon*Con last year in the walk of fame. There was a long line of people but it wasn’t organized, so I asked if they were waiting for Sean but none of them were. Turns out there were actually 2 lines for celebs on either side of Sean, but NONE were for him! I walked right up and said hello, then said “I love ‘Gilmore Girls’! It’s too bad everyone hates Kirk.” To which he replied, “Who hates Kirk?!” in a very offended way. I stammered something incomprehensible and said, “Well, it was nice to meet you” then slunk away sheepishly!
I have several because I am a huge sci-fi nerd. I’ve met most of the cast of Star Trek (Next Gen and DS9), Babylon 5, and Firefly. My two favorite encounters: Andreas Katsulas (G’Kar from B5). We spoke for a bit, I asked if I could take his picture. He came out from behind his table, handed my camera to his assistant, then took me in his arms and danced me around while serenading me with “Dancing In The Dark”. Also, Timothy Zahn (author) is very cool. We were at DragonCon in 2016 in a line to meet Jewel Staite (Kaylee Frye from Firefly), and I happen to glance at the badge of the guy in front of us. I see “special guest” and then his name. He talked to us, showing us pictures on his phone of new book covers.
Chuck Berry was playing at my college and I was supposed to pick him at the hotel. He wasn’t there. He decided to walk over to the campus. I found him trucking on down on Hempstead Turnpike with his guitar. I pulled over and asked him if he wanted a ride, he graciously accepted. He was kind as well as super talented!
I was at a concert at a small club in a small town and saw Jonathan Cain (keyboardist for Journey) and felt the need to talk to him. I proceeded to approach him, interupting his private conversation to tell him that I really liked his work and that Journey had meant so much to me growing up. Then I second guessed myself because, you know, Journey’s heyday was awhile ago, so then I continued by saying “not that you haven’t done anything since then. I mean, you are not old, I mean…” I continued to dig myself a hole that I wished I could just jump into. It was awful and awkward and I slunk away. That will teach me to try to talk to celebrities.
Shared an elevator with a very nice, very short blonde woman and her mom, discussed the hotel bars and the merits of each. She got off on a different floor than us and I said, “wow, she looked just like Kirsten Dunst!” My dad, who was also in the elevator, said “That WAS Kirsten Dunst.” I just assumed it couldn’t be a celebrity because I never meet celebrities. Also one time walked straight past Whoopi Goldberg at a Disney hotel. My dad was also with me then and started talking to her. Best part is is that my dad barely knows any actors/actresses and gets them all confused on screen lol
My husband and his friend once ran into Austin Powers (can’t remember the actor’s name) in the bookstore, and helped him find a techy/programming book, but hubby couldn’t get himself to say anything. Meanwhile, I’ve never met a famous person in my life and would have had NO problem finding things to say. (also…sending hopeful vibes your way that everything works out as well as possible…)
My best celebrity story: My friends and I are meeting at a coffee shop on Ventura Blvd. in the Los Angeles area. At the next table is a guy sitting there with a dog. So my first reaction is DOG! I go up to the guy, “hey, can I pet your dog? What kind is he? Do you have any others? Dog dog dog dogdogdog.” We talk about 3 minutes, I refill my personal dog meter and go join my friends at the next table, again. One of them turns to me and says “You know that was David Carradine, right??” I totally had no idea. I practically didn’t even see him.
I spent some time in a long Comic-Con line with Wil Weaton. He was delightful.
I made Willie Nelson a Father’s Day card when I was about 9, and he gave me the vest off his back. It has “Made for Willie Nelson” stitched into the label. It’s my Big Celebrity Moment to this day (and I’m still making cards!).
My husband had a lunch meeting with Shaq (and 10 other people). He said shaq ate his Goodcents hoagie in about two bites!
I had dinner at Brian Johnson’s house (the guy from AC/DC ). He grilled the steaks and I set the table. And I presented Stephen King with a monogrammed bed for his dog Molly, aka the Thing of Evil.
We’re counting meeting you as a celebrity encounter, right? Because my favorite celebrity encounter was when I gave you a raccoon penis bone during a book signing in Houston, and you loudly exclaimed, “Thank you for the penis!” And then everyone else in line got very quiet. That was awesome. (Please tell the penis bone I said hello.)
My second favorite celebrity encounter was the time I got introduced to Kevin Nealon after a comedy show. He was eating Kettle Chips straight out of the bag and offered to share them with me. I’ve always thought that was quite neighborly of him.
Well, when I was in high school they were filming high school musical 3 at my school (my senior year and theirs, so poetic) and I was VERY unimpressed because a. Not a great series, and b. They wouldn’t let anyone have a hall pass while they were filming so if you needed to have an emergency like diarrhea during class (never saw this happen but seriously), you had to do it in the classroom. Anyway, I got through this whole experience very stoically until suddenly I was getting on a bus in the school parking lot one evening to leave on a choir trip to California and as we pulled into the parking lot, there was Corbin bleu and I started yelling uncontrollably in the car that it was him and I was so excited and he was handsome. So, all my stoic crew went out the window but I did see him.
I was shopping at a Whole Foods one day and there was a short older main in front of me going very slow, I was feeling a bit aggravated and was going to go around him when I realized it was Martin Sheen, Emilio was with him. I didn’t want to interrupt their shopping so I didn’t bother them.
I have also sold books to Ron Howard and fish to Diana Ross. And once I got very close to Bob Hope, but was to shy to ask for an autograph.
My brother and I sat behind some actor (honest to god I can’t remember who) at a baseball game when we were teenagers. My brother wanted his autograph but we’d seen the actor turning down people when he was walking to his seat. So my brother says to me extra loud, “Oh, there’s no point in asking. After all, it’s not like he’s as nice a guy as Mr. T.” Actor turns around and demands to know when my brother met Mr. T. My brother tells him a tall tale about being on an elevator with Mr. T and what a great guy he was and how he gave him an autograph without my brother even having to ask and the actor immediately tore off a corner of his scorecard signed it and handed it to him.
I was in a NYC diner waiting for my friend. The man at the next table was doing a crossword puzzle, and asked to borrow my pen. My friend arrived & whispered that it was Wallace Shawn who had my pen! Also, when I was Queen of the Internet I swing-danced with Robin Leach and hung out with Penn Gillette at the Cool Site of the Year awards party. And for you Canadians, Arthur Black once taped a show in my living room.
I met Sean Connery in Minneapolis back in the early 80’s. He was on the board of a rapidly growing business that was a customer of mine. He pulled up in a limo and the driver opened the door and there he was. Tall, bald, tan, and sporting a big grin with that terrific voice. When he walked in the women swooned (well, almost) and the men were stunned. He seemed to be a genuinely nice man and shook everyone’s hand. It made my day.
A few years ago, Cal Ripken from the Baltimore Orioles was in the audience at a legal studies event at the local community college, but we weren’t allowed to approach him or talk to him, because he was trying to be discreet.
Okay, don’t get pissed because I haven’t met any celebrities. But please go to the Dogs Naturally website and check out their vaccine schedule. “Annual shots” are bullshit. You should at least be informed and once you know you will never have to do this to your animals again, you will immediately feel better! If in doubt, just get a titer (bloodtest) reading to determine if the vaccine(s) he/she already has are still working. Non-holistic vets don’t like this, but will do it if you ask. Then you get to give them a great big raspberry when you find out your animal is fucking fine as is, thank you very much.
saw kd lang at the car wash in studio city. saw jay leno at gelson’s on ventura in studio city buying swansons chicken dinners, for his night crew i guess. raced ted danson on benedict canyon, he in a porsche, me in a minivan!
I was working the graveyard shift at the truck stop, it was probably 2 AM. A tour bus rolled in and who should get off? Stephen Stills! I couldn’t say anything like “Hey! You’re Stephen Stills!” because that would be rude. Instead we talked about being awake late at night and how far he had to travel.
I know, not much of a story but it was Stephen Stills!
I met my friend that did a red dress photo shoot with me at the Barnes and Noble in Edina, MN and we listened to the Mighty Bloggess read from her best selling and hysterical book “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” and then I got to meet her and tell her that her words and her post about the red dress and being worth it were the reason I made a decision to have a medical procedure that changed my life and that surgery helped me on my way to being furiously happy! And I even have a picture to prove it! I think I win the award for longest run on sentence! Yay me! Love you, Jenny.
P.s.s. But not in a weird stalker way!
I just had a liver ultrasound, and I really felt they spent too much time on my gallbladder for there not to be an issue. When I got my results it clearly said my gallbladder was fine. It’s probably fine.
Got to be onset while a friend’s dog filmed a movie with Rory Culkin. Nice guy. Ate two tables away from Tom Cruise in a NYC restaurant when his hair was still long from Interview With A Vampire. Passed Sally Field at the bathroom in the same restaurant but a different visit. ( It’s a small Italian place where Broadway people tend to eat.) As a kid was in an elevator with Karl Malden.
I met James Patterson, and he told me that while they were filming Kiss the Girls in the woods, they all called it Kiss the Squirrels. Haven’t been able to think of it otherwise since.
President Bill Clinton came to speak at the school I was student-teaching at in 1996.. as did Malik Yoba (Cool Runnings). Walter Mondale was in a seat across from me, reading a newspaper and looking like a regular old grandpa while we waited to board a plane from Minneapolis to DC. I spotted Richard Thomas (John Boy from the Waltons) at Union Station in DC but was to shy to approach him- I would have loved to say “Goodnight, John Boy!” 🙂
Saw Kelly Ripa at a performance of the Nutcracker at the Lincoln Center in NYC, after the show our group was about to approach her but we saw she had her young daughter with her and decided not to. Lots of other people were hounding her, and she looked over at our group, noticed that we backed off, and with a grateful smile, waved at us as if to say thanks for respecting her and her daughters space. She is even tinier and prettier in person than she appears on tv.
I worked as a Hotel Desk Clerk about a hundred years ago. I got to meet my all time fave female rocker, Cindy Lauper, who was very pregnant and registered in the hotel (for security reasons) as “Miss Large Marge.” I was so stunned I didn’t even get her autograph, just shook her hand with the star struck eyes and a length of saliva hanging from my chin.
At the same hotel, because it is in his hometown, I also met Allen Iverson of the NBA – ya know, back when he was “a star” and simultaneously in trouble with the law and definitely NOT giving back to the community positively. I will simply say we had a less than favorable encounter at the front desk of that hotel and he did not shake my hand but did put his face close enough to mine to attest that he was not, on that particular night, practicing good oral hygiene.
That’s all I got for now. Except my husband keeps meeting Joe Montegna at a convention they both attend every year and it’s totally pissing me off because they are literally on first name basis and I’ve never met him! He’s super sexy to me – perhaps it’s his “Criminal Mind.”
I was visiting NYC for the first time and literally bumped into Christine Baranski coming out of the Times Square MAC store. Being Canadian I of course apologized profusely, once it registered who she was I did that silent “wait, you’re…” face and she winked at me as she went on her way.
I was also an extra in a movie (diary of a wimpy kid 2) years ago. Steve Zahn plays the kids dad in that. I never actually talked to him on set but he spent a lot of time chewing tabaco and spitting it into a clear water bottle he was carrying around and giving his balls a deep scratch.
Many, MANY years ago I popped into the office kitchen to grab a quick cup of coffee before starting work and ran smack dab into Roger Staubach in his underwear. Now, there’s a perfectly reasonable story as to why Roger Staubach was half-nekid in our office breakroom at that moment, but I think the story’s better without the explanation. He’s a big boy!
I was heading towards the entrance of a big public building in a business area in London. This was on s weekend and that part if central London has no tourists so there was no-one in the street except me heading for the building from one side and a woman heading toward me from the other side. We were about 100 yards apart when we noticed each other. The building was hosting a met of a club I was very active in and the woman looked very familiar, but I coul not remember her name. I was worried. I knew that face really well. I was sure she would be really offended by my failure to recall her name and I was working so hard trying to work out who it was I didn’t realise that I was really staring at her. When we were only 10 yards apart I finally recognised her. Not a close friend, but a famous TV presenter. At the same time as I recognised Carol Vordaman I realised i’d Been staring and noticed how scared / freaked out she was looking, not surprising as she walking down a deserted street with a strange man staring intently at her. Mortified I ducked into the building and the encounter was over.
We were backstage at a Hall and Oates concert in the 70’s and they walked by wearing towels on the way to the showers and they flashed us. And I met Walter Cronkite at a book convention. And I met you in Raleigh!
Meeko, the raccoon tried to steal my waffle at Disneyland. Then he hugged me. He’s much bigger than you’d think from the movie.
One of my college roommates worked sound (DJ and live) at a dance hall in College Station in the mid-90’s. People would sometimes call our house before a performance to set up sound checks and stuff, and one day I had to entertain one for a few minutes while my roommate got out of the shower. I chatted with a very polite older guy about what was going on around town, the weather, etc. before my roommate takes the call upstairs and I hang up. When he was finished, he comes down grinning at me, all “Well? Isn’t he cool? What did you talk about?” “What? The dude on the phone? He was nice – why?” I had shot the shit with Willie Nelson and had no clue.
– Brandi
Many years ago I was in a junk store in Los Angeles, looking at some pile of something or other on the floor. A man’s shoes walked up to me and I lifted my eyes to see Jonathan Winters standing before me. He launched into various stories from his life, some funny, some not. I didn’t move a muscle, as I knew how precious the moment was. An hour later, he thanked me for my ear and for allowing him to talk. I thanked him and that was that. I’ve had many celebrity encounters, but that is one of my favorites.
I once met my favorite author.. Jenny Lawson. Maybe you’ve heard of her. Well, I was not thinking, and forgot to bring my book, so when I finally got my turn to meet her, I lost my ability to speak, other than to ask if she could sign my arm. I got a picture of the whole thing and it was my facebook profile for awhile. I was so excited to meet her, but then the fear of meeting such a famous awesome person.. I couldn’t put words together to form a coherent sentence.
Met Earl Campbell at a sports memorabilia store in Las Vegas, got an autograph and a couple of personal pictures with him. Met Penn & Teller after one of their shows. They take pictures after every show with the audience members, very cool of them. Met Frank Beard of ZZ Top back in the 70’s. There were a couple of others but the names escape me at the moment.
Back in the ’90s, I spent four days on the set of “The Patriot.” I was a copy editor at my newspaper, and they were recruiting Continental Army soldiers. So I stood in line, submitted my application, wrote on it my position with the newspaper, and waited.
Months later, I got the call. They needed me! I was told to report to the set (a farmer’s field in Chester County, South Carolina) at 4 a.m.
I got the uniform and went to the make-up tent, where I got the full treatment, even though I was a spear carrier. Pancake makeup on my face and hands, and artificial dirt smears all over to make it look like I was living rough. They had at least a thousand guys out there on both sides to shoot the battle scenes.
But you want to know about Mel Gibson, right? Truth be told, my encounters weren’t personal. But dig this:
We were out in the field. It was about 6 a.m. and we were lined up in the cold. We were supposed to charge across the field and meet the enemy, bayonet to bayonet. We were to meet and then stop, because the charge was the thing, see? Guys yelling and screaming and racing towards each other like it was a Harry Potter release party and the last copy was on the other side of the field.
We were waiting for the sun to rise. We were fucking freezing and talking and waiting for the order.
All of a sudden, it became apparent that something was happening. Behind me. It seemed to get quieter. Some shushing. Phrases. Like a key change in the movie’s music that tells you “somethings about to happen”
To my left, someone breaks through the line and walks toward the middle of the field. It’s Mel. At 50 yards, you couldn’t miss him. He was wearing a loose shirt and buckskin breeches, like a civilian from that time.
He didn’t do anything but walk toward the middle of the field, turn right, and walk between the two sides.
The field went dead quiet. You’d think a thousand freezing guys would be saying something, but I swear to god, hand on my heart, not even a “Hey Mel!” escaped us.
Mel Gibson was among us, and we were awed. He walked down to the end, where the camera was, and when he was done, the assistants in the loudspeakers gave the orders that would unleash the charge.
That’s Hollywood charisma.
I got to give Martin Sheen a hug when he did a talk at Indiana University. I will treasure that picture of us together for all time.
Talked to Keanu Reeves on the phone once!! Partner in a law firm I worked for knew him (& of my admiration for him!) and when he went to CA (we are in MO), has him call me! I’m still feeding on that joy 14 years later 😍😊
A group of us went to Florida when Garth Brooks was spring training with the Mets. We decided that since we were kind of on “spring break” (we were all way past college), we should get tattoos. Then we decided it would be cool to get Garth’s signature tattoo’ed on our ankles. So we had him sign them. There are 4 women in this world with Garth signed tattoos. Also, he is very, very personable… everything you would hope he would be.
Had a weird Twitter encounter with Arnel Pineda from Journey. Was watching Journey, Live from Manila on TV one day and tweeted about it. A couple of hours later my Twitter feed was blowing up from some angry Steve Perry fan(atic) who was ranting about what an idiot I was, how Steve was the only true Journey singer ever, and how Arnel should be ashamed. Then she turned on Arnel saying all kinds of horrible things to him. I felt really bad, so I tweeted him and told him, “Sorry to pull you into this sh**storm”. He was cool, he replied and said no problem, don’t worry about it. Really nice guy. Gotta love social media.
I’ve never met a celebrity, but one time at a game convention my friend was mistaken for Wil Wheaton by some dude. The dude even wanted to take a picture with him. My friend refused. I told him he should have taken the photo and then given the dude an autograph that says “I’m not Wil Wheaton.”
I’m sorry. I’m sure Hailey and Dorothy B. will be fine.
Once I was with a very important customer in the fancy lobby of their infamous corporate headquarters (downtown Chicago). Unbeknownst to me, Stedman (you know, Oprah’s boyfriend) stood mere feet away. My customer quietly pointed him out. In my excitement, I turned and accidentally shouted, “STEDMAN’S HERE? WHERE? WHERE’S STEDMAN?” Of course, Stedman heard me. So did everybody else in the busy lobby.
I saw Georgio Armani at an Aspen restaurant that offered a buffet lunch. He ordered off a nenu, but he stole a muffin rmfrom the buffet.
Tom Hanks was with friends in the lift line and told them he wanted to take the green run and meet them at the bottom. No celeb ever admits they’re not an expert, loud enough for everyone to hear. But Tom…
Arnold Schwarzenegger came into a very fancy antique store I worked for. The mgr asked him not to smoke his cigar in there. He said, don’t you know who I am? I’m a movie stah.
Last, but not least, Julia Roberts cut a long line at a Taos liquor store. A man in line pointed out that there was, indeed, a line. She said, Don’t you know who I am? The nsn replied, Yeah, the last person in line.
My husband and I met Bruce Campbell at a book signing in a nearby city about fifteen years ago. At the time, my husband was office mates with Bruce’s older brother. Bruce greeted us nicely but with professional distance until my husband said, “Your brother Mike says hi.” That’s when Bruce did a double-take, gave us a real smile, and asked my husband how he knew Mike. I have a picture of the three of us somewhere (plus a signed copy of If Chins Could Kill). He really is the nicest guy in show business.
We also met Brian Thompson at my husband’s co-worker’s wedding. Brian played the Master’s right hand man in the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and has also been in a bunch of other stuff (see http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0859921/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t560). The weird part about that whole thing was that while we were sitting in the church waiting for the wedding to start, I saw him walk down the aisle and my brain screamed, “VAMPIRE!”, but I couldn’t figure out why. Somebody mentioned at the reception that he was an actor (and the groom’s brother-in-law).
I met Paula Poundstone when she was the closing session speaker at the Illinois Library Association Annual Conference several years ago. I haven’t laughed that hard in awhile. I also got to hang out with Peter Sagel (host of Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me) when I was on the Illinois Library Association’s conference committee and he was a speaker at the Illinois Author’s Dinner. Finally, I met Ferguson Jenkins at a Cubs spring training game once. He’s a huge flirt (also, funny, smart, and very attractive).
I used to work in radio. One time the Barenaked Ladies were playing at the station where I worked and one of the sales people asked me to run down to her office & get her baby’s pacifier out of her jacket pocket. I went downstairs to her office which was a large space shared by a couple sales people & went to her chair where she said her jacket was & started going through the pockets. I pulled out a pick of cigarettes & was thoroughly confused because I knew she didn’t smoke. It was then that I looked to my right & noticed the ENTIRE BAND staring at me going through the pockets of one of their jackets, not the sales person because apparently they were using that office as a green room before they performed. I just put the jacket down, mumbled an apology, & slowly backed out of the office. Oh did I mention I had only been working there for a few months & this was the first big name group that had been there since I had started? Yup go me!
I met Nelson Mandela right after he was set free from prison.
He went on a world tour to thank everyone who had been fighting apartheid.
What an amazing person!!