Throughout their lives, actors, singers, athletes, and other celebrities meet more fans than they can count. They're used to it. To us regular people, however, seeing or — even more — talking to someone famous can feel surreal and thrilling, and definitely worth telling the internet the about.
There's a long-running thread on Reddit where users have been sharing their most memorable celebrity encounters — the good, the bad, and the downright bizarre. After all, it's quite unreasonable to expect every spontaneous run-in with a stranger — regardless of their name — to go perfectly smooth.
#1
Some location scouts decided to use my parents' house for a couple scenes in the Steve Martin/Laura Dern/Helena Bonham Carter movie "Novocaine".
My dad was and is a pretty good banjo player, and he asked Steve to sign two of his banjos. He did, but then they jammed for about 20 minutes in our living room, Helena Bonham Carter sitting on the floor fawning over Steve Martin and half the crew standing around watching as well.
It was super cool.
And here he is, in my parents' old living room
Image credits: gleam
#2
My sister was waiting tables in NYC, and ended up serving Patrick Stewart. She didn't want to bother him, so she just did her job, but at the end of the night she told him how much she had enjoyed seeing him in a production of Hamlet that year (2008), and that she hoped he was planning to do more theater in the US.
My sister was prepared to leave it at that, but apparently, he was so thrilled at someone who wanted to talk about his theater work (as opposed to Star Trek), that he ended up talking to my sister for a while about his experiences on stage. Just a really nice guy who loves acting.
Image credits: Verklemptomaniac
Another reason not to form our opinions of these stars based on one or two times they went out is that we don't know if they're genuine or not. The reality is that many "spontaneous" celebrity sightings are calculated moves to keep them relevant, maintain attention, and satisfy our insatiable curiosity about their lives.
"We idolize the life that [celebrities] live and the glamour they carry, but they are also so different because their world is a fantasy," says Jasdeep Mago Jethani, a neuropsychologist and relationship coach.
Bumping into someone we know makes us high, literally. "The neurological responses in our brain spark a lot of emotional reactions, and subgroups of neurons create a powerful neurochemical response," says Jasdeep.
Unlike scheduled meet-and-greets where we expect to see a star, a public spotting feels like we’ve stumbled onto a secret, even if we're just witnesses and not the participants.
#3
Paris Hilton. Met her at the premier of "The L Word". She could not have been nicer. Introduced herself, asked about what my friends and I all did, seemed genuinely interested, chatted for a bit. She had water in between her drinks so as not to get drunk. The only part about her that sucked were all the leeches that came with her trying to glom on to her fame. When she wasn't being constantly interrupted by people demanding photos and autographs, I found her very down to earth and clever. The whole s**t she does to be famous seems to just be an act. I never thought of her as an idiot again.
Image credits: pietro187
#4
Bruce Willis
I was out playing golf with a buddy one day when I heard another golfer call up from behind asking he could join us. We said sure and as he got closer we realized it was Bruce Willis. We played 9 holes with him (he's a pretty good golfer) then he bought each of us a beer afterwards. Awesome guy.
Image credits: redspur26
#5
I was in New York with some friends on spring break and we all decided to try and grab some last minute, seat filling tickets. It's where you pretty much have to sit alone and get bizarre seats but the tickets are really cheap and you can get them pretty much the day of the show without a big problem so long as you aren't picky about the show. Well I lucked out and got into "Exit the King" with Geoffrey Rush on opening night. It was great, but that isn't the story.
During intermission I went to use the urinal and Hugh Jackman comes and pees next to me (no I didn't look at his w**g like all my friends ask if I did). I think "Woah, it's Hugh Jackman" and keep doing my thing. Then Kurt Russell walks up the the urinal on my left. We all finish at the exact same time and move to the sinks. I tell Hugh Jackman I love his work and he makes a great wolverine, but that I thought Wolverine Origins looked like it was going to be terrible (I don't know why I said this, I guess because I was starstruck). Kurt Russell laughs and Hugh Jackman says, "Oh, like Deathproof was something to write home about."
All three of us laughed and parted ways forever. It was so bizarre.
**TL;DR I can pee longer than Wolverine and Snake Plissken.**.
Image credits: bthoman2
It’s a moment when the barrier between the ordinary and extraordinary shatters, and our brains are wired to value scarcity. So, when we see a famous face in a mundane setting, we feel like we are getting a taste of something exclusive. It's like getting a backstage pass.
But many stars and their publicists orchestrate these seemingly random public moments, tipping off paparazzi to create buzz and keep their names in the media. In an age when a Snapchat story can lead to legacy media headlines, celebrities need to maintain visibility to stay culturally relevant.
Whether they're promoting a new movie or an album, or simply trying to stay in the limelight, even brands can try to capitalize on these "spottings" and offer a hefty check to the celebrities who, for example, choose to wear their clothes during that day.
#6
I had presale tickets to a Nine Inch Nails show in Atlanta a few summers ago. The system was set so that you could only pick up your tickets at will call if you bought presale. Whoever wound up running the will call booth was dumber than an emu and a couple dozen of us wound up missing half of the NIN set. To make amends Reznor/his PR people gave us free pit tickets to the show in Charlotte, a free chartered bus for travel, free admission to sound check, and the opportunity to meet the band before the show. When I finally met Trent, he apologized one more time.
Image credits: anon
#7
The funniest celebrity story I ever heard was about Jim Carrey. I had a friend who worked behind the scenes at Universal Studios Hollywood and loved to share this story whenever he had the chance.
One day while filming How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Jim Carrey was apparently bored out of his mind and wanted to cause a little mischief. While the tram tour guide was showing the infamous "Psycho House" to a group of park visitors, Jim Carrey decided to dress up as a psycho k**ler with a fake knife he was able to retrieve from a costume director. Just as the tour guide started to drive the tram away from the house, Jim Carrey jumped out from behind the Psycho House and started running after the tram at full speed while slashing in the air and screaming at the top of his lungs.
Apparently, Jim Carrey's acting ability was pretty spot on, as he was able to scare the c**p out of a few of the guests. After a few minutes he removed the mask and shared a laugh with everyone on board the tram. He even signed autographs and took pictures with everyone that was involved in his own form of self entertainment.
Image credits: Sidow
#8
I was in Disney world, in the Magic Kingdom to be exact. It was late and I saw one of the shows they have every night as I was headed out of the park to head back. I saw Wayne Brady. He was signing and doing his "I'm Wayne Brady and I'm awesome" performance. I approve.
So I ran over towards where he had to leave the stage/area he performed in to see if I could get a autograph or high-five (yes I am still a high-five'ing white boy). He began to walk by me but said good night to me as he walked by, too far to high-five. I yelled out "Say: I'm Wayne Brady b***h".
He was all smiles waving to the crowd,and heard my comment. he slowly sauntered over to me, seemingly not paying attention to me. Then he turn to me, and said "Is Wayne Brady gonna have to get 'out this car...and choke a b***h?" In a total dead-pan face. Then skipped off like nothing happened.
WIN.
Image credits: City_Wok
#9
Alec Baldwin attempted to rescue me and my friends about 15 years ago.
I grew up near Wilmington, NC, and my friends and I were out fishing in a small boat. Our lines get tangled up in the motor, we can't steer the boat, and it ends up washed up on the beach on an island. Waves are constantly crashing over it, filling it with water way faster than we can bail. We send one friend to the intracoastal waterway side of the island to get help. He comes back with some random guy, and Alec Baldwin.
Alec stayed there and helped us for a good 15 minutes, when he easily could have just left these 4 dumb kids who weren't in any real danger. Super nice guy. Eventually even with their help we couldn't free the boat, so they took my friend onto their boat (with Kim Basinger and her friend) to their house, where my friend called for help. Eventually some Coast Guard guys came with a bilge pump to free us. Thanks Alec!
Image credits: LincolnMoneyshot
However, a little gossip isn't necessarily gonna hurt us. As Carlin Flora once put it, dishing dirt is an efficient way to navigate society, and a way to determine who is trustworthy and who is not. Forming "alliances" to defend an actress or trash a comedian can help us connect to the people in our own lives.
#10
I walked past Conan O'Brien on a street corner in Greenwich Village, NYC. I am a HUGE fan, so I double backed to say hello. Conan was with his wife (this was approx 2 weeks before the NBC fiasco went public, so he was probably stressing about that) and I was with two s****d friends. So I'd forgive Coco for being dismissive... but he was not. He was as friendly, approachable, and genuine as he appears on the show, if not more. He gave us several minutes of attention, he spoke to us, looked at our eyes, listened, joked, he was the f*****g man.
tl;dr Conan is awesome.
Image credits: anon
#11
Not my story but its too good not to post. A friend of mine was visiting California when he ran into Dave Chappelle at a hotel. My friend and a few others realized who he was and went to approach him for a picture. Dave was near the elevators and shoved a twix in his mouth so he couldn't talk like in the commercials then hopped on and shut the doors. F*****g Hilarious.
Image credits: shmoey
#12
My wife worked for Bill Clinton in his Harlem office. Bill has the top floors but the bottom ones are are for distributing social security and unemployment checks. People have to wait in line in the lobby to then go up and get their checks. One day Brad Pitt and Angelina were supposed to be coming in for a meeting. They were about 20 min late when someone decided to check on them. Turns out they were waiting in the line (even though they didn't have to) because they "didn't want to be rude and cut in front of all the other people." How can 2 people be that attractive and that nice! It is not fair.
Image credits: nolefan0220
#13
Best: Eating breakfast next to Johnny Cash at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis/hitting him with a straw wrapper. I was 7 at the time so I didn't think it was awesome then, but hearing the story now? Uber cool.
I was doing that thing where you blow the wrapper off your straw and shoot it at someone. I was aiming for my parents, but the d**n wrapper just went wherever it wanted and flew right in front of Johnny Cash and landed on his plate. My parents made me apologize and apparently he tossed a napkin at me in retaliation. If only I had been old enough to appreciate how amazing that was.
Worst: Ate breakfast next to Gary Coleman at a Cracker Barrel. 'Nuff said.
Image credits: anon
#14
I was bouncing at a c***py bar in boston around the corner from a venue with a beach boys concert. After the concert, lots of fans come in, i am not really paying attention and one of them has no ID. I tell him he can't come in, not looking at the the shorter guy he is with who says "he is with me, I got my ID" and gives me his California license. It says John Stamos. I look up and sure enough it's John muthaf**king Stamos with a little smirk, short unshaven still really good looking with a hat on. I let them in and they drink at the back of the bar totally incognito. On the way out he thanks me for letting his friend in. I find out later he was playing with the beach boys and the guy with no ID was in the band. He was a nice, unassuming guy which makes me hate him even more for baggin Rebecca Romjain. D**n you Stamos!
Image credits: anon
#15
I think I talked about this somewhere else but f*****g Danny Bonaduce came in my work the other day. I work at a pretty well-known liquor store for the area, most celebs who are from Philly and whatnot come in cause we're cheap. But anyway, I was the only cashier on at the moment and the store was dead so he was like, the only customer. I was going to say hi or acknowledge him in some way, shape, or form until he started making it publicly known to all my coworkers and I that he was f*****g Danny Bonaduce. Like, legit, when I *didn't* freak out about who he was, he made sure I knew who he was by taking things out of his wallet and showing them to me. LOOK, I'M CERTIFIED TO SAVE YOUR LIFE (shows some sort of CPR certification card or some s**t) just to make sure I saw his name. I didn't ask him for ID for his credit card or ANYTHING. I didn't want to let him win.
Image credits: anon
#16
I got to meet Adam and Jamie from Mythbusters last fall when they were speaking at the college that my father works at. He's a janitor, so before the show started, him and I were backstage sweeping/cleaning in general. So, it's about two hours before the show starts, and while we're back there, none other than the two Mythbusters come strolling in, each holding f*****g *fire extinguishers*. Adam took notice of me holding a broom, and asked if I was seeing the show. I told him yes, but said I was helping out my dad first. So Adam was like "Well, I don't want you to fall asleep, we have a lot to talk about!" and proceeded to take the broom from my hands and start sweeping. Jamie had wandered over by now, and my father, Adam, Jamie, and I we all having a good laugh. So, Adam gives me back the broom after a bit, and says, jokingly, "Now clean the stables!" After s******g my pants at *The Princess Bride* reference, I replied, "As you wish.". He was wicked surprised that I got it (for some reason), and told me that he thinks I'll love the show. Eventually, showtime rolled around, and before he went on, he handed me the fire extinguisher and told me to hold it for a second. Then, he took it from me and sprayed Jamie with it at one point in the presentation. So, yeah...Life. F*****g. Complete. After the show, Adam and Jamie said bye to the staff, and signed some stuff for us.
Also, when I was in eighth grade I got to interview Andy MacDonald for our local TV channel. That was fun, too. He's a super chill guy, his manager was a complete b***h.
Image credits: OriginalObscurity
#17
I had just walked into the Whole Foods in Austin when I heard a commotion near the entrance behind me. I turned around and saw a tall blond shirtless man. He was jacked and handsome. Also, he was being asked to leave because he wasn't wearing any shoes and it was store policy. I knew who it was underneath that scraggly beard.
Matthew McConaughey. The patron saint of Texas.
I went out to my truck and picked up a pair of sandals I had left there from a trip to the beach. That was the day I solved his munchies crisis. And lost my favorite pair of sandals.
Image credits: ---shaboom---
#18
Beastie Boys
In 1988 I was in 8th grade or so and we were hanging around downtown skateboarding when we decided to skate around the coliseum. Since we were young and poor we did not even think twice about the billboard showing that he Beastie Boys were playing that night with Fishbone. So we continue to skate for a while then these guys come out back and asked to use our boards. HOLY SHIZBUCKLES it was the Beastie Boys. We hung out for a bit and skated and let them use our boards then they just went back in. We were so stoked but still no one believed our story. Even my brother who went to the concert later that night.
Image credits: lokicola
#19
In 2004, I was in Boston for the Democratic National Convention for school. Somehow, some of my classmates and I got into the MTV party that was being hosted at which President Clinton was supposed to make an appearance. He didn't show....BUT, I did get a dance with Natalie Portman!
There were different celebrities taking turns on stage just giving pep talks about voting and such. She gets on stage, and is hammered. Full on "How are you guys, woooooooo!" She then shouts, "I wanna dance with all of you." She exits the stage and gets rushed. Her mini militia of security guards were not having it. They marched past the bar looking like a football offensive line.
As soon as they passed, I slipped behind them and walked right up to Natalie (I was already pretty wasted). "So how about that dance." One of her guards is already grabbing me and pulling me away, and she grabs me and tells him, "No its ok, I wanna dance."
Best. Dance. Ever.
**TL;DR : Danced with Natalie Portman.**.
Image credits: shaggymr10
#20
A couple of years ago, my sister and I were hanging out at the hotel pool in Sevilla. There was no one in the water, so we jump in and frolic. We both spot Bruce Springsteen lounging poolside. We don't really know what to do, so we just keep playing around, doing stupid things like handstands in the water. A few minutes later, he gets in the pool, applauds our handstands, and asks if we're dancers. We giggle and he keeps chatting with us, mostly about his kids (who are around our same ages). He asks where I'm going to college in the fall (UChicago) and he asks what date I start. Turns out he's playing a show in Chicago the DAY BEFORE my orientation week. He gives us his assistant's e-mail address and offers up front-row tickets to his show for our entire family.
Thrilled, we continue to talk (maybe 20 minutes or so), get a quick picture with him, and he's off.
Our parents FREAKED when we told them about our day at the pool. And, needless to say, we went to the concert -- which was awesome.
Love that man.
Image credits: la_derpina
#21
Dane Cook went to my high school, and before he got really famous the classes before me tried to get him to come back and talk to us and he basically told us to go f**k ourselves (even though he was still pretty much unheard of, this would have been 2002 or 2003). Flash forward to whenever his Tourgasm tour was, and he decides he is going to show up with a bunch of cameras, so he makes all these demands about who can be there and who can't, including making us bring back some teachers that weren't there. Even though I didn't really like him that much I had him sign an autograph, and he took my Sharpie. (Not actually a huge deal, obviously, but I just dislike the guy.)
So he shows up, is basically a complete c**k, and performs a s****y censored version of his s****y comedy instead of doing an inspirational speech. So I watched the episode of his show where he goes back to my school, and he's crying, saying how he always wanted to go back because it felt so good to be accepted, how he loves us so much, how he always wanted to go back. F**k him, he was a d****e to us.
**TL;DR: Dane Cook went to my high school and he sucks.**
Edit to add: during the performance I was seated next to his mom, who kept asking if we thought he was attractive. His mom mentioned what a s**y young man he had become. Weird.
Image credits: beckiface
#22
Nick Swardson was playing at this college in my town (before I ended up enrolling) and I was told tickets were for everyone but it turns out, when I got there, that they were for students only. So while everyone was being let in I'm trying to find a way to sneak in or something. After a 15 minutes of wandering looking for a backstage door I saw a door slightly c*****d and as I passed it I saw Nick sitting on a couch. After a little self debate I decided it couldn't hurt to just walk in there right? So I went up to the room and just walked right in. Everyone immediately looked at me and after a short pause Nick goes "What's up?" and I respond with something like "Hey I don't go here but I'm a big fan and I wanted to see your show but It's sold out" so he responds by saying "Really!? Wow" he then turns to one of the kids who set it up and asks "Is it cool if he just stands on the side of the stage or something?" This kid then responds back with, and I'm not joking "If that's your wish" and then Nick said to me "Yeah as long as you don't scream and try and stab me or something it's cool" I didn't end up standing on stage but I did get in for free.
**TL;DR** Met Nick Swardson, asked to see his sold out show, he let me in for free.
Image credits: DrAbednego
#23
I actually met Yao Ming years ago and he was probably one of the nicest guys ever. I figured he'd just say a few things and leave but he stuck around and chatted with me for at least 10 minutes.
I was really sad the day he retired.
Image credits: ChocolateJigglypuffs
#24
This didn't happen to me but to my next door neighbor up the street. One of the best stories I have heard.
Every year he used to play golf in one of those big tournaments where you pay a bunch of money to play with a random celebrity and all the proceeds go to charity. Well anyway to his surprise he gets paired up with Clint Eastwood. He meets Clint who doesn't really say much at all and they begin the tournament. For the first 2 holes Clint goes about his golf game smoking a cigar and still not being very talkative. Well they get to the third green and my neighbor is lining up a hard putt and asks Clint "Whaddya thinkin?" Clint stares at him for a moment, pulls the cigar slowly out of his mouth and replies. "What am I thinkin'? I'll tell you what I'm thinkin'. I'm thinkin' about p***y...I'm always thinkin' about p***y...and if you ain't thinkin' about p***y, your minds a wanderin'" Put the cigar back in his mouth and didn't say another word.
TLDR- Clint Eastwood is always thinking about ladies vaginas.
Image credits: Doo_Doo_Puss
#25
Worst: I was walking Venice Beach during spring break with my friend..and I see a hat vendor shop and me being addicted to hats goes into the shop for about 5 minutes while my friend Rosa stopped to talk to some girl and take a picture. I walked out found her and said "Alright I'm done let's go eat" and she gives me this stare..like "are you kidding me" Me being oblivious just went back to the hat vendor to look some more.. Come to find out she had ran into **Emma F*****g Watson.** I mean this girl is the background of my phone and I've always wanted to meet her and get a picture with her. When she told me that I felt like crying for a week.
Best: Spring break the next year. We were looking for a parking spot on Hollywood Blvd and parked in $10 lot behind a store..A friend and I were pissed that we had to pay $10 for parking and would have to walk for about 10 minutes to get to the blvd. As we get out of our cars complaining. **Ryan Gosling** walks past us, and we go speechless. He chuckled and said to us "Hey guys what's up" I was starstruck and Aaron (my friend) just says, "Nada, paying for parking is a b***h in California". Ryan ask where we're from, tell him we're from Texas. He says that was cool then paid for our parking for the whole day
Edit: Oh, I also met Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long when I lived in Germany. Dad pulled me out of school to go see them.
Tl;Dr: Ryan Gosling paid for my parking and I'm an idiot for not recognizing Emma Watson b/c of my obsession over fitted hats.
Image credits: MaynardJayTwa
#26
They Might Be Giants 1994. They played a local college and I was so excited to see them. My friend and I waited by the back door after the show to hopefully get an autograph or a hello or something from our heroes. We were the only ones there. Just two 16 year old fans not bothering anyone. John Linnell comes out of the door and we're like "Hi!" and he just completely ignores us and keeps walking. Then a few minutes later John Flansburgh comes out and we're like "Hey great show!" and he says "I don't have time for this." and kept going. We were crushed. One of the other guys from the backup band came out and was nice to us but the damage was done. I never bought any of their albums after that. EDIT : best was seeing David Sedaris on the campus of NMU just walking around. I had to say something, he's my favorite author. He was very nice and asked me a lot of questions about my life and seemed genuinely interested. It was a great moment.
Image credits: anon
#27
I used to play a lot of hockey when I was younger, and when Wayne Gretzky was traded to the NY Rangers in 1996 he and Mark Messier got a bunch of kids from my hockey rink to play street hockey with them for a Sports Illustrated photo shoot. I was lucky enough to be one of those kids. Wayne and Mark were the nicest guys in the world, they ended up giving us their sticks, gloves, jerseys, etc. Real class acts. I've seen Gretzky a number of times since then and he's always been super nice.
Image credits: Bucks
#28
I was in Grand Rapids having lunch with my SO. I looked over at a couple of guys at another table and said, "hey, that guy looks like a gay Nick Swardson" (The guy had a weird mustache and was wearing some very odd clothing). We laughed about it and went on with our meal. We were getting ready to leave and they were leaving as well. It turned out it really was Nick Swardson. I told him how much I liked his stand up and he appreciated it. After we parted ways, my SO points out that the other guy he was with was Jesse Eisenberg. The two of them were in town filming 30 Minutes or Less.
**TL;DR** Sometimes gay Nick Swardson *really is* Nick Swardson, and he eats lunch with Jesse Eisenberg.
#29
Best: I saw Owen Wilson at a U2 concert. I called out "Ka-Kaw! Ka-Kaw!" from about 50 yards away (Bottle Rocket reference...). He immediately turned around looking for who called. I pointed at him, and he give me the two-arms-extended-pointing-at-you-cause-you're-the-man move.
Worst: Saw Octo-mom at Disneyland. That is all.
#30
I met Ben Folds after a show in Ohio. It was winter, and it was d**n cold, and he was just hanging out outside talking to people and joking around. He was so awesome! And the show was amazing too!
#31
**Worst:**
Ben Affleck. Is. A. Chump.
I was working at a Virgin Megastore, and he walked up to the counter with a basket and looked at me and dropped it on the counter - from about a foot high. It slammed on the counter and he looked at me and said:
"Here you go - ring that up big-guy." *Said in the most condescending way possible.
Was unable to call him anything, and had to just deal.
**Best:**
Robin Williams. Huge comic book guy - we chatted about comics for about 30 minutes on a Sunday at the same Virgin as above. It was slow and rainy and he was just hanging out and shopping.
**Bonus:**
Owen Wilson.
Didn't happen to me, but a co-worker. Was upstairs reading magazines and it was past closing time - my co-worker goes up to let him know that it's time to scram. Go up to him and this happens
CW: Excuse me
Owen: *turns without looking towards CW, hand extended for a handshake, expectant look on his face*
CW: We are closed, I have to ask you to leave
Owen: Embarrassment washes over his face and he quickly turns and leaves.
Looks like Owen was expecting my CW to be a fan looking for an autograph.
#32
My best is my worst.
A couple months ago I was in NYC, the night before moving out of the state. I was waiting for the subway and I notice Louis C.K. walking my direction. It felt so strange because I'm a huge fan of his and his demeanor when walking alone seemed exactly like when he's on stage or in his show(s).
He had a camera and was sort of filming himself as he walked along the subway. He walked right by me and I didn't want to be intrusive or annoying so I leaned really far back as he passed until he looked at me and I nodded and he just smiled and nodded.
Then he kept walking up and down the track and my brother who was with me talked me into asking for a picture. I felt like an idiot because I didn't want to be that guy, but I decided to anyway. So when he walked by again I said, "Hey Louis," and when he looked up I said, "Mind if I get a picture?"
But the subway arrived right before I asked and I didn't even noticed so he just said, "Sorry man, subway" and pointed at the train politely.
He was a really nice guy about it, considering I was bothering him in public, but I felt like an idiot for not just leaving it at a cool head nod.
This all would have seemed far less important to me if I wasn't a long-time fan of his.
#33
During my freshmen year of college BJ Novak (Ryan from The Office) was supposed to come perform at my university. He came down with the flu and had to cancel. He was replaced by some guy nobody had ever heard of: Zach Galifianakis. All my friends were upset that BJ had cancelled so I went to the show on my own and got a seat like five rows from the stage right on the aisle. During the show he came into the audience and started asking various audience members questions. At the time I was unfamiliar with his "Between Two Ferns" routines so I was unaware of how dangerous this situation could be for somebody sitting in an aisle seat. Sure enough he made a beeline right for me. Our exchange went something like this:
**ZG:** What's your name?
**Me:** Steve.
**ZG:** What's your deal? (said in a friendly way, not confrontational)
**Me:** I study Economics. (the other people he'd spoken to had said their majors, so I just followed form)
**ZG:** And what do you plan to do with that when you graduate?
**Me:** I have no idea.
**ZG:** Your parents must be very proud.
Then he left. I got off easy compared to some of the other audience members he spoke to. That next summer The Hangover came out and I got to tell my friends that I "knew" him before he was famous.
#34
Repost of an earlier post.
I worked an Embassy Suites for 7 years and at this time was a night Manager. My best famous person story is the time when System of a Down (one of my favorite bands) stayed at the hotel and arrived around 1am. They were hungry and asked my to drop them off at a restaurant that was still open. I brought them to an all night greasy spoon diner and told them to call me for a ride back. A bit later they called and on the ride back asked me if there were any s***p clubs in the area. They said they would pay for me to get in and give some cash to hang out and drive them home when they were done. I would have done it for free. I dropped them at the hotel to change and waited. I was pumped to go to the t**ty bar with rockstars, but they called down and said they were going to hang out and drink Coronas instead. They crushed my dreams.
#35
I grew up in Los Angeles, so I have a s**tload of these, but this is probably my fav.
I met Hilary Swank at the wrap party for Million Dollar Baby because my boyfriend at the time was a PA on the set. It was an informal atmosphere so everyone was just chatting, enjoying some beverages and munching on some finger foods. Somebody introduced me to her, and I said, "Hi, I'm JeanJacquesRoussbro." She replied, "Hi, I'm Hilary," like there was a chance I didn't f*****g know who she was!
She was unbelievably sweet and down-to-earth, for the record. It was also her birthday that day, IIRC. She's extremely beautiful in real life, much more so than in pictures.
#36
Best: Two weeks after moving to New York, a friend gave me an extra ticket to a benefit concert in a tiny, tiny venue. There were a total of three people in the room who were under 30 - me, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Fallon's friend. (He was on SNL at the time.) A friend of mine was a huge fan to the point of having camped out outside of Rock Center a few times, so I knew I'd have to say hi to him just so I could report back to her. At the after-party the three of us ended up drinking and chatting for an absurdly long time and he was completely cool. It was like hanging out with anybody my age at a ridiculous schmancy party.
Worst: Volunteering backstage at President Clinton's New Year's Eve bash in 1999/2000. We were each assigned a celebrity performer, and we'd then have to go knock on their trailer door and walk them to the green room when it was time for them to perform. I was assigned Mick Jones of Foreigner. (Easily one of my least favorite bands of all time, incidentally. And really, does this guy even count as being famous? Halfway into this story, I'm not even sure.) I knock on his door, he's a complete entitled j*****s about not being ready. I said, "Okay, I'll wait out here, just come out when you're ready." I loiter outside the door, a few feet away. 10 minutes goes by. Suddenly the door swings open really hard. I jump to attention. Foreigner dude is standing in the doorway, wearing full black tie from the waist up and some kind of satiny briefs from the waist down, and he is staring at me like I had just pulled the door open and he is now going to murder me. He quickly pulled the door shut and finished dressing and was, in fact, cold as ice on the way to the green room another 10 minutes later. It was the longest 50-yard walk of my life.
Thankfully my next assignment was Slash, who was super-duper chill in this kind of awesome big brother type way, and even gave me a guitar pick after the concert. Also met Bono close to midnight but did not try to kiss him.
**tl;dr: spent an evening drinking with Jimmy Fallon, flashed by the second most famous guy in Foreigner.**.
#37
Went to an Obama rally in 2008, me and my friends were towards the front and got to shake his hand. When he went to go shake my friends hand she blurted out "I'm in love with you!" He said, "Why thank you very much" and moved on to the next person.
#38
A few years ago, I was working at a PF Changs. Bon Jovi came in with a few of his people and there was a huge group of middle aged women following him around the shopping district the restaurant was in(maybe 10-15 women). It was about 2:30 and he was playing a concert that night. I didn't say much other than my usual spiel, since it was company policy not to bother celebrities. After they had paid, I asked him, "So what's it like being Bon Jovi?" He replied, "F*****g awesome!" Everyone laughed and they were on there way.
#39
A few years ago my family and I went on a trip to London, England (we're from Toronto), and on our first day we went down to have breakfast in the hotel and Thom Yorke was sitting in the very small restaurant in the hotel! My brothers and I are all huge Radiohead fans so we recognized him and silently freaked out instantly. I have a big family and there were 8 of us on this trip and so when we asked for a table for 8 the hostess struggled to find a large enough table. As she was looking around Thom noticed and said "I can move if that helps". I thought it was really cool that he noticed and offered to move to accommodate strangers. There are plenty of non-famous people who would never have done that. We ended up sitting at separate tables but I got to sit about 3 feet from him. When we sat down the waitress brought a glass of orange juice to his table and as she put it down said "Oh! You asked for Grapefruit Juice didn't you?" and he graciously said "I did, but this is just fine". Again, that really impressed me in a weird way. I then ordered Grapefruit Juice in an attempt to subliminally impress him. It was disgusting.
#40
Trent Reznor.
Both worst and best. I was 17 or 18 doing seasonal work at a Best Buy, he was visiting family for Christmas and buying presents. My manager told me he'd been coming in for years and not to bother him unless he approached me for help.
F**k that, I'm going on break. I go smoke a cigarette and see him and his assistant loading his SUV. I go talk to him just wanting to say I'm a fan. Very nice, asked if he wanted me to sign anything. I had my copy of Pretty Hate Machine sitting in my car and went and grabbed it. Thanked him for signing it said it was nice meeting him.
Two days later my car was broken into, that CD and everything else of worth was stolen from my car. About a month later my girlfriend broke up with me. Three months later my permanent job at the time (not the seasonal job) was forced to let me go due to cutbacks.
Trent Reznor cursed me by signing a CD.
Image credits: FatalErection
#41
When I was about 9 years old I went with my dad to a cherity golf event hosted by Tiger Woods, my dad knew alot of people and I was able to get almost ever famous person's autograph. We saw Tiger Woods walking near us and I yelled for him asking him for his autograph
ME: "Tiger Tiger! Can I get your autograph?!?!?!?"
TIGER: *walks over looks me dead in the eyes* "No" *then walks off*
He was the only person that wouldn't give me an autograph, I got "Hurculies'" autograph, Phill Nickelson and many more.
Image credits: anon
#42
I went to the Comedy Store for a show. I went to use the rest room (a #1 if you must know) and as soon as I exited, someone yelled, "THIS GUY JUST TOOK A S**T!". Turns out it was Tom Green...
Image credits: benhamin_nunu
#43
I saw Jack White, Meg White, and Renee Zelwegger (sp?) leaving an adult bookstore in Toronto. My friend proclaimed, "Hey, you're Jack White!"
He smiled, and they got in their hired car and left.
#44
Not so much as an encounter, but it was kinda funny and I still laugh about it. I managed to work my way to the front of a Rob Zombie concert at the beginning of the show. He was doing the typical are you ready to rock and getting everyone amped up and everyone was screaming and all as usual. Anyways he looks down, makes eye contact, and points right at me. I won't lie, I just froze for a second, made the devils horn symbol and yelled "Yah rock!" He waved me off dismissively with a pfft and went on with his set. I felt like I let Rob Zombie down.
#45
Isaak Asimov had a big crush on my mother - I saw him all the time at her Mensa events. I remember him as the cool, funny looking old guy with the great stories.
#46
I was Ralph Fiennes' cocktail waitress. He was a bit sleazy/flirty and I liked it.
#47
Met Bruce Campbell at a film festival and he invited my friends and I to join him for dinner. Really great down to earth guy.
#48
Someone on 4chan posted Billy Bob Thorton's phone number once. I don't know who did it. I didn't believe it at first but I called the number. Some dude picked up and said Billy Bob was singing karaoke. At this point I didn't believe it was really his number anymore so I just told him to tell Bill Bob that "Jon" had called and to call back when he could. Then I hung up.
Three minutes later I got a call on my phone, I pick it up and **BILLY S******G BOB M***********G THORTON IS ON THE LINE.** I am absolutely 100% sure it was him, it sounded exactly like him. He asked who I was and why I called and I just told him I was a fan and I just wanted to call to say hi. He was really nice, he thanked me for "sharing the love". I asked him what he was working on at the time and he said he was shooting the Astronaut Farmer movie and that he was having a lot of fun with it. The conversation only lasted about 5 minutes.
To this day, nobody I have ever told about my phone call with Billy Bob Thorton in person has believed me. But either it was him, or a very talented imposter, because it the man on the other side of that line sounded exactly like him.
#49
Camped next to Rickey (Rob Wells) from Trailer Park Boys (In Nova Scotia), we drank with him and smoked with him, Best encounter!
#50
I just had dinner with Jim Butcher (author of The Dresden Files and Codex Alera) last night, along with some other people from my school's science fiction society.
He is incredibly witty and articulate, which is, of course, to be expected. He was very tired (last day of the signing tour), but he clearly loves having an audience. Really down to earth, not arrogant at all.
He also told a few stories. My favorite: Back in the nineties, he was having a discussion in a chatroom (he described it as "one of those conversations where you just hit caps lock and off you go"). He was arguing the point that a good writer can take even a well-worn idea and make it an interesting read, citing Romeo And Juliet as a common plot that works really well. His opponent was of the opinion that it took a really good, original idea to make a story. So, the following (paraphrased) discussion happened:
"Fine. I'll give you an old, stupid idea, and I dare you to make a good story out of it."
"You know what? Give me two ideas. I'll totally do it."
"Okay. First idea: Lost Roman legion. Second idea: Pokemon."
Then, after writing the first ~hundred pages of Codex Alera, his opponent asked for what Butcher had written. Jim replied that he wasn't going to post it on line, because he was thinking about maybe getting it published. His opponent declared himself the victor.
He also talked about LARPing a lot, and was pleased to discover that pretty much everybody at the table was an active larper. He is in the process of buying a ranch that he will convert into basically a larping colony where he can play 12-day games. He liked the fact that we had a 10-day Harry Potter game this year.
He recounted his proudest moment as a father: He and his son using the coordinated battle tactics that they had drilled so hard that they became pure instinct to take down a horde of NPCs in a larp without being hit once.
He also talks about how he shows up at his book signings without much fanfare (we offered to provide men in suits and earpieces if he wanted), and is often not recognized right away. Conversations go something like this, sometimes:
>"Hi, I'm here for the signing."
>"The line starts over there."
>"No, I don't need to wait in line, I-"
>"Everybody needs to wait in line, sir."
Mostly, he was just a witty, engaging, and very tired guy. The kind of person I would really like to hang out with.
#51
Met Flight of the Conchords a few years back in a bar in Ann Arbor, MI.
Jemaine was pretty uninterested in talking to me and my buddy, but Bret was genuinely a nice guy and a lot of fun to talk to. He suggested I switch careers to build robot cars.
#52
Back in the 90s when I wanted to learn HTML I was (and still am) a huge fan of Neil Gaiman so my first project was a fan site about him. I realized that the sites I liked the most were more news-centric than gushing fanboyism so that's how The Dreaming ended up.
Neil found out about the site fairly quickly and loved it. Back then he had no official site and when people at readings asked for one he pointed them at mine, saying "it's the closest thing to an official Neil Gaiman site on the Internet".
He eventually came to Seattle on a reading tour (I think for Neverwhere) and I drove down from BC to attend, bringing a few books to get signed. I stood in line with everyone else and when I got to Neil I reintroduced myself (we'd met briefly once before).
Neil perked up happily and said "Joe! So great you made it! That man over there is Jon S. He knows where we're going for dinner tonight and I'd love you to join us as my guest."
I picked my jaw up off the floor, got my books signed, thanked him and talked to Jon. One of my questions was "how many others will there be?" thinking dinner would be filled with important Seattle people and friends.
"Well, let's see... there's you... me. Neil."
After the signing we went to a sushi place that Jon was a regular at. At the time I was a small-town boy raised on steak and potatoes and had never had sushi before. I let them know and they declared I had to try EVERYTHING. Jon told me it was fine to not like something and if I didn't there was no insult.
Between mouthfuls of great nigiri (I quickly discovered I really dislike seaweed) Neil and Jon and I talked about the web, storytelling, being a non-creepy fan (my site was about Neil's work more than about Neil himself, which he appreciated), and Neil's family.
Afterward Jon went home and Neil and I went to the bar at his hotel and had a few drinks and continued our conversation. A few people recognized him and came over to get his autograph, he obliged politely but didn't invite them to join us.
It was just so great. He was incredibly friendly and polite and... real. He wasn't at all pretentious, put on no airs, was a bit embarrassed about his fame but really appreciated his fans and didn't see their interruptions as a bother at all.
#53
10 Things I hate About You was shot at my highschool. I never met him but nobody had anything good to say about Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Everyone said Heath was a real class-act though.
#54
I was on the boxing team on an aircraft carrier (USS Harry S. Truman) and there were roughly 20 of us. We had organized a big boxing tournament for the end of our 7 month deployment to be held in the hangar bay, it was going to be the biggest thing during the deployment that we had for entertainment. Our PAO (Public Affairs Officer, like the PR guy for the ship) made some arrangements and managed to get Rich "the Ace" Franklin, Mike Pyle, and "Big" John McCarthey onboard to do a little exibition, Q&A for the ship, sign pictures, and an actual 1 on 1 training session with EACH of the boxers. These guys are amazing when it comes the the mechanics of fighting, and we learned a lot. They were really cool to us personally, and to my knowlege, they came out for free. The boxers also got to eat breakfast with them the next day, which is when we actually got to talk to them like they were just guys and not celebs. Favorite bit of that:
Me: "So Rich, does this career pull in the chicks like crazy or what?"
Rich Franklin: "Yeah, but not like you want it to. It usually goes 'Oh my god, you're my boyfriends favorite fighter!'".
#55
I have quite a few...Worked for a local radio station as a promotion girl and quickly became the coordinator of all the other girls (not hard, be s**y and friendly and on time. done) working a large multiband show when a big black dude rolls up and asks to speak to me. Wants to know if myself and the other girls would like to dance on stage with Snoop...Yes please! good exposure for the station and why the hell not? cut to dancing to that "beautiful girl" song with 15 other girls and we all go to leave the stage and one of the PAs say no Snoop wants you two to stay, dance another song with Snoop...hung out after and drank heinikens with him. There was pot every where in the "green" room. He was really nice and didn't even hit on us.
#56
Chris Farley on his last movie before he died. I met him on set, my father was playing a small role in the film. He was so nice, loud and bubbly as always seen on tv. He signed autographs for everyone including me. Jamie lee Curtis was also there and she was just as nice. I don't know why she was there though she wasn't in the movie. I use to be an extra actress as a kid and I met a lot of actors. I would also have to say Danny Divto is super nice because he let me fall asleep in his chair on set for Jack the Bear. I was dressed up as raggity Anne for the Halloween scene.
#57
When I was four I was on a party boat in Acapulco with my parents, a pirate midget, a bunch of big-tittied blondes and John Wayne. Everyone got drunk and dove off the boat and swam to shore, leaving only myself, my mom, the pirate midget and John Wayne. I didn't know it was John Wayne until years later. He seemed like a nice guy at the time. That's all I remember.
20 years later I'm at Pantera's halloween party. I had always heard about Phil's d**k being massive. Well, there was this guy named Buck who had a micropenis, I mean barely even there. Whenever he and Phil were in the same room they liked to pull out their d***s side-by-side. Oh, I should mention that everyone took these horse-sized capsules prepared by the *Medicine Man* himself (yes, he really existed). Inside these caps were: mescaline, acid, m**h and mdma. They were truly the s**t. So, everyone's peaking hard and here come Phil and Buck with their d***s out. All I remember was being in awe at two things: how massive Phil's d**k was and how tiny Buck's was. I spent the remainder of the evening contemplating the extreme variety of d**k size. The idea that one man could be blessed and another cursed so arbitrarily made me better appreciate my six and a half inches. RIP Darrell.
#58
Best: Going to high school with Miss USA 2011
Worst: Grinding on John McCain in a tightly-packed elevator for 30 seconds.
#59
Best: getting to talk to, and then months later get picked on from stage by Patton Oswalt - worst: getting tongue-tied and sounding like a moron when i met Mike Patton before a Mr. Bungle show.
#60
I sat next to Margaret Cho on an airplane, helped get her bag into the overhead.
She didn't say thank you.
#61
I talked to Bill Nye on a tech support phone call once. I couldn't fix his Mac and he was mad.
I also saw Wisconsin's US Senator Mr. Dave Obey in his underpants once.
I've lived a full life.
#62
Saw Rick Pitino in the Miami airport on my way back to Boston. I asked him if he knew which door Larry Bird was walking through.....he flipped me off.
#63
Not mine, but heard from a friend:
We were in NYC seeing a play that Martin Short was in or directed or something. Anyways, we catch him as he's leaving, and we got a chance for a picture with him. As my friend is taking the picture, in order to get the greatest reaction shot ever, he goes:
MR SHORT MR SHORT! I LOVED YOU IN *CLIFFORD*!!
The look was priceless.
#64
Best: i work for a nonprofit in new orleans, and a local musician with some international acclaim was at one of our events. he saw me with a grape soda, and asked me to get him one. i went back to the coolers only to find there weren't any left. when i came back and told him, he mock-exasperatedly said, "of course there's no grape soda left! this is new orleans!".
#65
Best--chatting with Leonard Cohen and showing him around the backroom at the bookstore.
Worst--Kira Sedgewick holding out two hands filled with change and simply dumping it into my hands because she apparently couldn't figure out how much her magazine cost. It was sad and upsetting.
#66
Christopher Mintz (McLovin) sniped my cab in Vegas at New York New York. He said sorry, and remains neutral in my book.
#67
**TLDR: My parents invited Huey Luis to sit at our dinner table, he chugs their *entire* bottle of wine and leaves.**
I lived in an affluent part of Northern California growing up, and there were lots of celebrities who lived there and had children going to the school I attended. One night at our favorite italian joint, my parents and I spotted Huey Luis (of Huey Luis and the news) eating and drinking by himself. They invited him over to sit with us, and he did so.
My parents started to make small talk while he kind of complacently stared into space, responding with some grunts of acknowledgement here and there. All of a sudden, he picks up the *full* wine bottle on the table, and proceeds to chug the entire thing in front of us. Puts it back on the table, lets out a sigh of relief, and says "thanks, that was great" and walks out the restaurant. I don't think he even said one word.
#68
Best: Met Wavy Gravy, who was dressed up as a clown, emceeing an outdoor concert at our school. Trippy dude.
Worst: worked at a call center, spoke to Zsa Zsa Gabor. She wanted to do the "Feed the Children" thing. She was sweet and ever-so-sophisticated, dahlink. Why was that the worst? I worked at a CALL CENTER.
#69
Other celebs I've met:
Tim and Eric- they did a show in Asheville and I met them after. Sweet guys, Eric seemed genuinely happy to meet such a huge fan.
Ellis Paul- a folk singer from New England that I've been listening to since high school. We were leaving the bar after his show in Asheville and he was coming in the door. Another guy that was super happy to meet a fan.
Acoustic Syndicate- a great bluegrass band that I've listened to since high school. I finally got to see them live when they played at the LEAF festival in Black Mountain a couple months ago (my brother is the videographer for the festival). Watched their set from back/side stage and got to hear them play my favorite song of theirs, but had to leave early because there was other stuff to shoot.
After an hour or so we came back around by performer's greenroom/tent and they were packing up. Got them to talk on camera for a bit and then I thanked them for the show, particuarly for playing my favorite song. All nice guys, especially the lead singer/banjo player follows us out and stops me to talk about the song for a while. That turned into about 20 minutes of just bullshitting about music and the mountains and whatnot. Such a great time.
Zack Galafianakis- I didn't meet him, but my brother did at a library in North Wilkesboro. Showed up at the end of the event and security told him that Zack was done signing autographs and doing photos. My brother told him that he drove two hours just to meet him. Zack overheard and he said, "Wow, sorry about that." Took a photo with my bro and signed a dvd for him, talked about doing Tim and Eric.
#70
I met Kerry and Grant from Mythbusters, pretty much had lunch with them. Couldn't think of anything interesting to talk about.
#71
I had brunch with a couple of friends in DC, and then we decided to go drunk shopping at H&M afterwards. John Lithgow was there shopping with two women who I assume were his wife and daughter. Of all the places to run into John Lithgow...
#72
I have a hilarious story that happened to my neighbor. Her name is seriously Elizabeth Taylor. She was out one evening at the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. She comes over to my house and asks me who Harry Connick Jr. is. She's never heard of him because she almost exclusively listens to country, and is a little out of touch.
Evidently, Harry Connick Jr. was playing a show in my city that night. I've heard he's rather down to earth and runs his own errands. He went to the very same pharmacy, and was waiting for a prescription for himself while my neighbor was sitting there. People start to recognize who he is, and women are coming up to him asking him for autographs. My neighbor kind of just blurts out, "who are you, are you someone special?" He responds by telling her, "Well, I'm Harry Connick Jr." This information means nothing to her, and she just casually responded back with, "That's nice, and I'm Elizabeth Taylor."
I would have loved to have been there to see what must have been an absolutely deflated look on his face.
#73
JK Rowling in the cheese aisle of Asda in Edinburgh. Said Hi and I was a fan. She said Hi and thanks. I cursed myself for being unable to think of a Harry potter related cheese comment.
#74
I have a few, but the best time I ever had hanging out with an actor was playing pool with Matthew Broderick. I really wanted to play pool one night, and my boyfriend took me to this Billiards place on Houston St (SoHo Billiards). He used to play there a lot and called some of his friends in to come play with us. Turned out his friend "Matt" (this was early on in our relationship) was Matthew Broderick. He's a cool guy.
In New York City, it's really easy to meet a celebrity.
#75
Worst: About a couple of years ago, a friend of mine worked at Disneyland and during their unofficial Gay Days, Disney decided to film something for Miley Cyrus at the park. Well, my friend was working Miley's event as crowd control and while she was offstage, Miley Cyrus walked up to my friend (I was standing next to him, just chillin') and out of no where, just called him the other F word. She walked away and my friend and I just looked at each other and burst out laughing. Miley came back and called out "F---in' F--!" a few more times before she finally left for good.
It was so out of left field, he did nothing to provoke her, *hadn't even talked to her before*, and because he was representing The Mouse, there was no way he could retaliate or say anything back without loosing his job.
And my BioDad once hit on Nikki Sixx back in high school while at a party. Nikki had really long blond hair at the time and my BioDad walked up behind him and said something cheesy, like, "hey good lookin'". Nikki turned around, BioDad saw who it was and said "oops, sorry man!".
#76
I've got a few but the funniest one has to be meeting Pat Morita (aka Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid) at a hotel lobby in Beverly hills when I was probably about 14 or so. He was drunk out of his mind stumbling around, talking to my family and I. It seemed he would have been content talking to us the rest of the night but finally we said we had to go, pretty hilarious. R.I.P.
#77
My stats TA used to be a waiter in Los Angeles. He said that Jon Lovitz was hella nice, Will Ferrell is a wonderful tipper and person, and Felicia Day was a huge b***h.
#78
Awesome true Bill Murray story, here.
By far the coolest celebrity encounter ever. It was SXSW 2010 in Austin, Texas. My friends and I were outside a popular music venue called Stubb's after seeing a few bands play, and we were discussing what show we were going to next. All of a sudden, a man grabs my friend from behind and pops his head over his shoulder. It was Bill Murray. All he said was "your friends will never believe you." and took off. We were in shock and just burst out laughing afterward, hardly believing what just happened.
