Have you met any celebrities?

[jrv3034]

Hello all. The other day I ran into Anna Paquin (of X-Men and The Piano fame) at a rehearsal studio in NYC. Which prompted me to post this question:

Have you ever met any celebrities? If so, post their pics!

EDIT: I should also say I've run into the following:
Donald Sutherland (at my brother's college Senior Prom!)
Diane Wiest (on the street in NYC)
Elijah Wood (on the street in NYC)
Mark Hamill (on the street in NYC)
Stanley Tucci (in Central Park, NYC)
Natalie Portman (in Central Park also)
Tony Kushner (at college)
Jimmy Smits (at college)
John Cleese (college also)
Jeremy Irons (at NY City Opera)
Stephen Sondheim (several times in NYC)
Elaine Paige (at NY City Opera)
Rebecca Romjin (on the street in NYC)
Scott Glenn (sitting across from me on the subway)
Cindy Lauper (on the street in NYC)
Tony Curtis (on the street in NYC)
Paul Schaeffer (eating with Richard Belzer in a restaurant in NYC)

And I'm sure there's more I can't think of right now...

Here's Ms. Paquin:

[rainman::|:|]

i've met my share of famous people, but no celebs i'm afraid. i don't get outside the midwest much, and celebs don't come in much ;)

anna paquin tho... she's a pretty good actress...

paul

[leftbanke7]

Nobody outside of local fame and even then they were only so-so famous. Hopefully when I get my degree and start doing movies (whether it be making them or just grunt labor), I'll run into some famous people.

[voicegy]

Uh, did you actually "meet" them and talk to them? Or did you just "see" them?

I've met and chatted with:

John Astin
Patty Duke Astin
Johnathan Harris (RIP)
John Glenn
Gerald Ford
John Travolta
Russell Johnson
Sheila James (Zelda Gilroy on "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis", now Sheila Kuhl, CA State Senator)
Ex-CA Governor Pete Wilson (ok, maybe that doesn't count) :p

[miloblithe]

I talked to Yevgeny Primakov for a couple minutes. . . OK. I'll be honest. Even if you were Russian you wouldn't be impressed. He was only prime minister for like six months.

About six years ago I worked in a bookstore and I was carrying a load up books up some stairs when who should appear at the top of the stairs but Chelsea Clinton. She waited until I got to the top of the stairs and then smiled as I got out of her way so she could go down the stairs.

OK. I got nothing.

[jrv3034]

Uh, did you actually "meet" them and talk to them? Or did you just "see" them?


Good point. I actually spoke with Stanley Tucci, Tony Kushner, Jimmy Smits, John Cleese, Stephen Sondheim, and Scott Glenn. All the others I was in close proximity to (3 or 4 feet) and made some kind of eye contact. I was in the elevator with Tony Curtis, though!

EDIT: OOh, I forgot to mention Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead series) whom I spoke to at a book signing at Borders (at the World Trade Center about 4 weeks before 9/11 :( )

EDIT #2: I also shook Sylvester Stallone's hand when I was 3 years old!

[Inkmonkey]

I met Shania Twain a couple of years ago. I was *cough* getting an autograph for my little sister. She is very tiny.

Was on the same plane as Huey Lewis flying from San Fran to Vegas. He was playing Caesar's Palace for the Millenium.

[Inkmonkey]

Oh and I was in the same cab as Brad Pitt in Vegas. Not at the same time but the driver said he had him in there a few weeks before. He also said that I tipped better.

[coopdog]

We were going to host a party for Hugo Chavez (I believe) along with, a past prime minister of Isreal (I want to say Perez) and a president from some other country at my house. It got close but never worked out. It was going to be a small dinner banquet thing 50 people or so. But later they changed it to more people.

I saw Elisha Cuthbert (http://elisha-cuthbert.trexcatnip.com/pictures/fhm6.shtml) she's the girl on 24. Up at a ski resort here in Utah.

When I was buying a suit The Fonz from Happy Days was buying a suit also.

Bush has driven past my house and had dinner at my neighbors house.

Thats about it.

[jrv3034]

Bush has driven past my house and had dinner at my neighbors house.

Bush... as in President Dubya? That's pretty big. Are your neighbors friends, or big donors, or suspected terrorists? ;)

[poopyhead]

I met Ben Jones
Cooter from the Dukes of Hazard
when he was running for political office in Georgia during the early '80s
I've also met Zell Miller (before he switched), newt gingrich (when he was on his first marriage), Maynord Jackson, Andy Young, and various other Georgia Democrats and a few republicans.

I also attended the College where one of the jumps in the opening scenes and other parts of the Dukes of Hazard were filmed and where parts of In the Heat of the Night were filmed.
It kicked ass to be in the footsteps of such greatness

and Ted Kennedy
and Ted Turner

[Hemingray]

Well, I met Lynn Swann when I was 10, I guess he could be considered a celebrity...

Oh, and I rode an elevator with Linda Blair and didn't know it until I saw her hosting the awards ceremony I had come to see. I suppose if she had turned her head 180 degrees I would have noticed. :D

And, at the same ceremony I got to meet James Cromwell (Farmer Hoggett in "Babe"). And Gillian Anderson was nearby, but she was surrounded by fans and photographers so I didn't bother. :rolleyes:

[scem0]

I met Sarah Jessica Parker at the first showing of 'Seussical', which sucked btw.

That just about does it for me..... I think.

scem0

[voicegy]

Good point. I actually spoke with [...] John Cleese [...]

Damn! Now I'm jealous.

[phonemonkey]

I met Ben Jones
Cooter from the Dukes of Hazard
when he was running for political office in Georgia during the early '80s



I too had the pleasure of meeting Ben Jones. He played at our county fair 2 years ago with his band, nice fellow

I have also met:
Charles Barkley
Charles Oakley
Tom Gugliotta
Muggsey Bogues
Bernard King
Chris Webber
Juwan Howard
and lots more nba stars

Cal Ripken Jr.
Mickey Hammonds
and I went to school with a girl named Kyleen Waldo who was a backup for the girl who had the lead in the movie Prancer.

[estlin]

I retouched the headshot of Balky (Bronson Pinchot of Perfect Strangers) and got to talk to him, he's a very nice and funny guy.
Talked to Halle Berry's assistant with Halle standing next to her, but she wouldn't even look my way...damn!
Met Lavar Burton who's a friend of a friend.
Kind of talked to Elijah Wood in a theatre, asked him "are those seats taken?", hehe...
Oh and almost ran over Andy Dick, and wish I had.

[3rdpath]

bunches...

but the funny thing is...since i don't watch many movies or much tv, my wife usually has to tell me who the people were that i've been talking to.

i'm clueless....

[crenz]

...since i don't watch many movies or much tv, my wife usually has to tell me who the people were that i've been talking to

Oh, so maybe it's because I'm not married yet that I think I haven't met any celebrities :)

[kiwi_the_iwik]

I can't tell you how many celebs I've met/spoke to/worked with - it just sounds too much like I'm blowing my own trumpet, or something. You could easily run it into the hundreds...

My dad, however (who was also a cameraman), once gave me a fantastic piece of advice that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life:

"Treat Royalty like ordinary people, and ordinary people like Royalty - and you won't go wrong."


So - the NEXT question should be:

"What exactly MAKES a celebrity, anyway?!?"

[jefhatfield]

talked with kathy valentine (go gos) and kelley johnson (girlschool) when they were in a band together, talked with steve wynn of dream syndicate, talked with alan jardine of beach boys, worked at hardware store and waited on alan shepard, david packard, joan fontaine, and doris day

...and saw many others but i live in resort town that had clint eastwood as mayor once so it's not unusual to see someone famous from time to time

[tpjunkie]

ive met yogi berra (he lives in my town, and I worked at a stadium named after him in town), and carly simon on a ferry to martha's vineyard.

[sonofslim]

sean lennon (son of john) pushed me at a concert, and one time marisa tomei asked me for directions.

[Josh]

I live in Chelsea, Michigan - so does Jeff Daniels.

Just about everyone in this town has met him, so its really not a big deal to us.

For whatever reason, he's not the most pleasant guy - and alot taller than most people think.

haha I remember one time when I used to work at a local department store, he came in and bought some groceries. Well, he left without taking his stuff (?? I dunno either...)

About 10 minutes later, his wife calls and says "Hi, this is Mrs. Daniels, Jeff's wife... Jeff forgot his things and he is very upset, it would be nice if you would meet him outside with his things."

Sorry Jeff - like any other customer, Im afraid youre just going to have to come in to get your stuff ;)

[ebow]

Does Geoff Marcy (http://astron.berkeley.edu/~gmarcy/) count? He leads a team of astronomers who have found a large number of the extra-solar planets discovered so far. (I guess if I have to explain who he is, he's probably not much of a "celeb" outside of astronomy/planetary science. ;) )

Bill Cosby spoke at my college graduation, and shook everyone's hands as we came up for our diplomas. So I guess I met him.

Friends and family in NYC see celebrities all the time. I honestly don't think I'd recognize most if I were to see them.

[ExoticFish]

Well first and foremost i talked to THE MIGHTY WIL WHEATON! He's a real nice guy, i talked to him at a convention in Pasadena (man is that one nice city) with a friend of mine and we kept running into him and by the time it was over we were joking about "who was stalking who where?".

Anywho, I've also met and talked to:

Actors:
* Alan Ruck

Musicians:
* Scot Lucas & Brian St.Clair from Local-H, great guys they are
* Art and the rest of the guys from Everclear, Art is a snot but the rest of the guys are real cool and funny.
* the lead singer from Lit, my friend actually talked to his mom on the phone while he signed autographs for us
* all the guys from Oleander
* all the guys from Finger Eleven
... i go to a lot of concerts, i've met a lot of other people from bands but they're all bands you've never heard of.

[jazzmfk]

I used to be the band director/music teacher at Columbia High School in Maplewood, NJ. This school, by all accounts a fairly normal HS in a semi-urban setting near the largest city in NJ, has had much more than its fair share of celebrities in attendance over the years. One of them, Andrew Shue, decided that he would create a "hall of fame" where graduates could return and be honored for their contributions to society. (some contributions are debateable, but that's not my point...) As the band director, we were always present at the assembly, and as a voting and nominating member of the committee, I got to do lunch with most of these folks afterwards. Here is a short list of recent inductees off the top of my head:

Andrew Shue (actor)
Elizabeth Shue (very hot actress)
Max Weinberg (more on him at the end)
Roy Schieder (actor)
Lauren Hill (singer, Grammy winner)
Alfred Kinsey (posthumously inducted)
Frank Langella (missed the ceremony)
Arthur Bartner (big deal in educational music, director of USC band?)


a Supreme Court Justice, a children's author, a poet, and more you've probably heard of but I can't think of their names right now....

and some who will be elected soon, probably:
Ahmed Best (voice of Jar-Jar Binks - I know, you hated him....)
Leigh Stevens (world's best marimba player, bar none...)
Zach Braniff (sp? the scrubs dude)
Buzzy Hellring/Joel Silver (inventors of Ultimate Frisbee, 1968)
(BTW: Joel Silver is the famous movie director/producer - but the staff at the school just hated the guy and they refuse to elect him...)

architects, artists, poets, etc...

anyway, about Max Weinberg (drummer for Conan and some guy named Bruce....)
Max's mom still lives in Maplewood. When he was elected to the hall of fame, he came back, and he brought his mom up to the band room for a tour of where he spent most hours of the day instead of going to his other classes. He also played an assembly with our jazz band - which was pretty cool for everyone involved (including me). Additionally, when Conan had Andrew Shue as a guest, Max called me and had me call his answering machine at home and sing the school's alma mater so he could transcribe it and play it as Andrew entered the stage. It was pretty funny to Max and Andrew but not very many other people.... He is a very nice, down to earth person, unlike most of the other people on that list.


Oh, and I met the pope when our school band and brass ensemble played at the Easter Mass at the vatican. Well, I kissed his ring, anyway - it wasn't like "hey, JP, how's it hangin'" or anything...

Oh, and the jazz band played for the launch party of ESPN the Magazine, and we got our picture taken with a mildly drunk Stuart Scott.

Fun thread.

[jxyama]

i've never had an encounter with anyone remotely famous, but my friend ran into the current govanah of kalifohnia...

she noticed him, talking to a guy at the entrance of a hotel gym...

clark: "what should i put you down as?"
govanah: "ah-nold"
clark: "ok.. mr. arnold... could i have your last name as well?"
govanah: "no... just ah-nold."

:D

apparently, he's fairly short, but "big"...

[Xacttech]

Living in Utah, I've met a ton of celebs.

Sundance Film Festival every year in January...

This year I spent a few minutes talking with Jeremy Sisto.

he's a bad ass in the Indie Film world. Rubbed Shoulders with Paulie shore a few times... I'm sure you're all Jealous.

Last year ran into, Matt Damon and Ben Aflek... J-lo was with them.

If you hang out in park city during the Winter you're bound to run into someone famous. Robert Redford, and James Caan live there.

[wordmunger]

In New York City, you almost couldn't help running in to celebrities: Paul Newman, Billy Jean King, Robin Williams, Nora Dunn. Now that I live in Charlotte, we're pretty much limited to local sports figures. Robert Parrish shops at the same grocery store I do. I've seen Jeff Gordon around town a few times. I saw Vlade Divac at the local art film house.

As far as actually meeting people, I haven't done much of that. I used to work with Ethan Hawke's mom, and he would come into the office every once in a while (unfortunately, this was pre-Uma). I've also had a pre-brush with greatness: Pulitzer prize winning playwright David Auburn (he wrote "Proof") used to freelance for me as a proofreader. Trust me, he should stick to plays.

[Juventuz]

I've met a bunch as well, too many to list. Do politicians count as well because if that's the case then I've met TONS. I used to work in the Senate so I was fortunate enought to meet Sens from both sides of the aisles. You wouldn't believe how nice some of them are, politicians you wouldn't expect either.

I went to college with David Boreanaz. Gavin MacCloud is an alumn of my college as well and I met him at one of the recent Homecomig events.

[evoluzione]

have met and chatted too (among others)...

Patti Smith (rock star / poet - had dinner with her and a few others)
Irvin Kirschner (director of Empire Strikes Back - in Leicester Sq, London)
James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano - used to live next door to my old office)
Elvis Costello (drank beers with him down the pub whilst watching Liverpool FC play live on TV)
Jamie Oliver (TV Chef - sat on the table next to him in Pastis)
David Blaine (Magician - on a photoshoot with him)
Cast of Real World NY (before it was on air)

and have seen / passed in the street / rubbed shoulders with...

Liv Tyler (I drank her cup of tea as she had to leave before she could drink it)
Cast of Sex and the City
Harvey and Bob Goldstein (the Miramax brothers)
Ethan Hawke
Bjork
Calvin Klein
Danny DeVito
plus a bunch more, comes from living in NYC I guess

and me and a friend were mistaken for the Chemical Brothers haha

[ffactory]

as a photographer and photographer's assistant i get to meet (but not necessarily chat with) lots of different people, a few celebs, most just 'important'

met ceo of raytheon
met ceo of staples
met lily taylor
photographed colm meaney speaking but didn't get to meet him
met chuck palahniuk
photographed al maysles (doc film maker)
photographed quincy jones speaking
photographed greg pak (director of robot stories)
met gals from le tigre when they stayed with my ex-roommate (they were mean)
met kid koala (scratch dj)
photographed gordon willis (cinematographer of godfather trilogy)
congressman marc pacheco (MA)
photographed publisher of the boston globe
*oh* and once i made a latté for a very tired patty smith!

hmmm, i know there are others i can't recall & they're not all necessarily 'celebs' in the public sense, but more academics and such.

here's lily & no, that's not me:
http://www.brattlefilm.org/guests/lili_taylor/IMG_8444-432.jpg

[gwuMACaddict]

met, spoken, had lunch with various senators, congressman, representatives... also bob dole, renquist, etc... i don't know if that counts as celebrities... not that hard to meet them when youre in dc anyway... bsically any political pundit you can think of...

as for movie stars... talked to kevin costner, ben stein shops at the same safeway i shop at- talked to him once

musicians... levon helm of the band, itzak peralman, yo yo ma

writers... edmund morris, stephan ambrose, william buckley, david frum

[wordmunger]

Elvis Costello (drank beers with him down the pub whilst watching Liverpool FC play live on TV)

Elvis Costello sounds like a genuinely nice guy. I had a friend who accidently ran into him twice. The first time was in an airport and my friend introduced himself. The second time was on the street in Montreal, and Elvis *remembered* him from the first meeting. He gave him two backstage passes for his concert that night!

[g30ffr3y]

i hung out with the band gODHEAD a few years ago... if any of you know who gODHEAD are... me thinks they were the first and only band to ever be signed to marilyn mansons posthuman records vanity label... needless to say they are no longer on that label... but they did release a new album not long ago on relativity or something...

[ejb190]

Well, when I worked at Disney World I would meet up with a few friends from around the park and we would occasionally swap "Guess who I saw?" stories. I exchanged "Hellos" with George Lucas, but couldn't stop and chat!

I had a nice conversation with Bob Ballard (found the Titanic) after a seminar at Penn State. James Earl Jones was also part of that lecture series, but I couldn't get reception tickets for that one.

I have probably met a few other famous people, but frankly, I don't care.

And kiwi, I love that saying!!!

[ToddW]

great thread

On my honeymoon in vegas, I walked into the john to take a piss and took a piss next to puffy himself.

Artie Lang (ate lunch next to him at the bellagio)
Tommy Morrison (boxer who has AIDS now)
Steven Tyler (I was visiting my sister at Tower Records in Memphis and who comes down the escalator but Steven Tyler himself, he was really cool)
Issac Hayes
Bill Clinton
Carl Perkins (he was a family friend for a long time)
Played golf with John Daly
Various evil politicians

Bands:
Diffuser
Flickerstick
Oleander

[bousozoku]

I can only claim to have met Alan Shepherd and a couple of the other astronauts from the Mercury/Gemini era.

[MongoTheGeek]

Gee the closest I've come to celebrities is riding the stairmaster next to Gwen Stefani.

I kept almost meeting Alan Keyes.

I guess what counts as a celebrity.

[RBMaraman]

I exchanged "Hellos" with George Lucas, but couldn't stop and chat!

Believe me, you don't want to chat with him. He's an a**hole to say the least. Read the Star Wars DVD thread to see my comments about Mr. Lucas.

I've met:
1. Matt Williams - Producer (Roseanne, Home Improvement).
2. Al Pacino - Actor (While shooting "The Insider" in Louisville, KY).
3. Russell Crow - Actor (While shooting "The Insider" in Louisville, KY).
4. The Pepsi Girl - Actress (While Shooting "The Insider" in Louisville, KY).
5. George Lucas - Director/Producer (Met him at a fundraiser).
6. Jay Mohr - Actor (Met him on the street in NYC).
7. Michael Mann - Director/Producer (While shooting "The Insider" in Louisville, KY).

[G4scott]

I've seen Tommy Lee Jones on the set of Cheer Up! I also nodded off his double, I think... I was laying on the football field between shots, and this guy in Tommy Lee Jones's costume walked by. I looked up, and then put my hat back over my head...

Quentin Tarentino (no idea how to spell his last name) was also at the filming of Cheer Up!, and I got to see him.

I shook hands with Clinton (I was too young to know about politics), and have seen former, president Bush at a football game.

I think I've seen a couple more celebrities, but I can't remember off the top of my head.

[jrv3034]

I almost forgot... I worked at Disney World one summer (college program '98) and O.J. Simpson walked right past me with his kids :eek: !

Also, my fiancée was walking in NYC, and Harrison Ford slammed into her, almost knocking her into the street. He was on his cellphone and aparently wasn't paying much attention. Anyways, she said he was very sorry and extremely polite about it all. :cool:

[themadchemist]

I've met Jesse Jackson and Bill Bradley after speeches at my school.

My friend, who's a prof, has a funny story with Alec Baldwin. His wife, a few months after their marriage last year, was groped by Alec Baldwin when my friend and she were on a ski trip.

[jrv3034]

...was groped by Alec Baldwin when my friend and she were on a ski trip.

Was he trying to show her his "Shweaty Balls"? :eek: :D

[themadchemist]

Was he trying to show her his "Shweaty Balls"? :eek: :D

I wouldn't be surprised...But I thought it made a good story either way.

[Sedulous]

Hmm, I think "Cooter" from Dukes of Hazard must have been awesome!

Anyway, I lived above Natalie Portman (she seemed very shy) and played foosball with Sara Gore (Al Gore's youngest daughter). I've met Wilt Chamberlain and John McEnroe (who really is a jerk). Also met briefly with Alan Greenspan, George Bush (Sr.), Bill Clinton (twice), Eric Kandell (Nobel Prize winner), and probably could have talked with a few other "celebrity" types but thought I should leave them alone at the time.

[briankonar]

judging from many of your responses, i'm sure i've met or been in contact with several famous people without even knowing it. :eek:

the only famous people i've met and recognized are all locals:

Chris Farley :(
Michael Jordan
Scottie Pippen
Billy Corgan
and another of the Bulls but his name slips my memory...the really old one...Bill something? or Will? who knows. he obviously wasn't very spectacular :p .

[evoluzione]

oh! just rememberes, i hung out, had some beers and shot some pool with Jake Wherry, "The Herbaliser" so he got me into his gig at the Roxy in NYC.

i saw Steve Buscemi in the Chip Shop across the street from me too, i believe he lives in the neighourhood :)

[IndyGopher]

Met the Dalai Lama a few years ago, his brother owns a restaurant in Bloomington, Indiana. We were eating lunch there.. pretty unassuming person.. travelled with just a couple people, neither of whom looked body-guard-ish. Only passed a couple sentences back and forth, but was very impressed with him. Also got a lift back to my car at the track from David Letterman on his golf cart probably 15 years ago. He was a pretty nice guy, got the cart stuck in the mud and a friend and I helped him get it unstuck so he ran us back out to my car. He seemed impressed that I knew who his high school algebra teacher was (she had been mine as well) and I was equally impressed that he remembered her name, first and last, when I referred to her only as his algebra teacher at Broad Ripple (his high school)

I spilled a coke on John Mellencamp when I was working at Steak n' Shake as a teenager, does that count? He remembered it well enough to ask if I was stalking him when we ran into him at the mall a couple weeks later. I promised I had left my coke in the car and was therefore unarmed. He claimed he was only at the mall to replace the shirt I ruined, but his wife denied that. He's another very low-key person. Quite personable.

The only other person I have spoken to that I guess is something of a celebrity is Bob Kevoian of the Bob and Tom Show... He came into the computer store I used to manage and complained about how little Mac stuff we had.

I'm also told I spoke to several sports figures while working there, but since I know nothing of professional sports I both didn't know, and was totally unimpressed. One of my best friends was the manager of Jeff George's high school football team, so I guess I met him, too. That was before he was famous for being a jackass.. but not before he started BEING one.

[Golem]

Seen quite a few local celebrities over the years thanks to living at bondi and doing a bit light security,catering at the local Big event centre when I was young in the 80's. ie Guys like David Bowie and Billy Idol. But I tend to fairly bad with faces ,typically its like walk past a guy with hood up and head down at local shopping centre,walk past him again in next aisle hmm vague recongnition,walk past him again in 3rd Isle except he is surrounded by People.... Oops:) I still dont have a clue...heh once at a Ski resort I talked right though dinner with a really nice guy we shared a table with. Only problem with him was he seemed to think he was hot stuff at Sports. I found out afterwards he was a triple Olympic medalist and was expected to be back competing again in Sydney 2000 <Cough>

But I guess the ones that have really made a impression with me over the years would be Robert Muldoon... 1 Day from being ex Prime Minister of NZ and i was young:)...
Billy Connolly who was just chatting with a Hobo on the street,Wayne Gardener who was a really nice guy unlike his friend who's name I wont mention.

[CmdrLaForge]

Hi,

I met Michael Jackson in Las Vegas. When he showed up a lot of people started screaming and running after him, but his security didn't let anybody come really close. I just stood there in Caesars Palace and he walked very close by me. In fact he really looks terrible ! :o His face is unbelievable ugly !

[kiwi_the_iwik]

Hmmm - one EMBARRASSING turn of events springs to my mind, that I just had to relate to you...

It was around 1997, and I was filming the English Rugby team training on a playing field just outside London - in a rainstorm. Nice. I'm saturated, and looking like a wet sheep, covered in mud. Suddenly, my phone rang - the assignment desk wanted me to relocate to another job.


"Quick - you've got to go to Oxford Street in the city, to film the Queen unveilling a statue."

"Okay - I've just got to go via my house and pick up my suit. It won't take long."

"No - there's NO TIME! You HAVE to go NOW!!"

(Obviously, the job had been "overlooked", and I'd inadvertedly drawn the short straw...)


"By the way - you'll be doing the INSIDE pool camera, whilst Associated Press will be covering the OUTSIDE..."

Great.

So - I eventually get there through dismal traffic, yet still with a little time to spare. Through the police metal detectors I traversed with my equipment - no easy task when you're working on your own...

The bemused looks from the police aimed at my clothing (now CAKED in drying mud) were soon understood when I made my way into the courtyard. I surveyed the scene to find my worst nightmare had come true - Dante had HIS interpretation of Hell, and THIS was mine...

EVERYONE - and I MEAN EVERYONE - were dressed in FORMAL attire. Men in Morning suits, complete with Top hats and cravattes, and women in elegant formal dresses. And, in the middle of it all, there I was in Vans and Cargo pants.

I scanned quickly for the AP cameraman. There he was - his suited form snuggled next to a bush, and his Betacam at the ready on its tripod. It had just started to drizzle, so I had a plan...


"G'day mate. I was wondering if we could swap - me out here in the downpour [it was going to dump down in a minute, and I was hoping I could appeal to his instinct to stay dry], and you in the nice warmth of inside. I mean, LOOK at ME. My desk really stitched me up on this one..."

"Sorry, pal. You've made your bed - you LIE in it."


Jerk.

So, I thought, SCREW it. I walked inside, set up a light and my camcorder in the corner (hopefully out the way of eye-shot), and waited...

Eventually, the Queen arrived, and unveiled the statue outside. Then, she made her way inside, flanked by her entourage. From there, she shook hands with dignitaries and guests alike who had formed a line at the entranceway. I had a great view - yet no-one had really noticed me (maybe they thought if they didn't see me, then I'd never existed, or something like that...).

Waiting in the wings was the sculptor of the statue, who met the Queen, and guided her to a miniature mock-up of the said statue which resided on a small turntable. They stood not more than 15 feet away - the Queen glancing over it, as the sculptor explained his motivation (yawn!). After a minute, or so, the party moved away - I let them move out of frame before cutting. With that, I took the camera off the tripod, and placed it on the ground. It was then that I noticed a pair of women's shoes pointing directly at me, stopped no more than 2 feet away from my head...

I slowly rose - and to my horror, as different parts of the woman in question came into view (knees, floral dress, handbag, gloves...), I'd instantly realised who I was confronted with, even though I'd hoped, in vain, to be wrong. Soon, the Queen and I were eye-to-eye - but not for long. Her eyes began wandering - tilting down to my dirt-encased Clydesdale Horse-style shoes, and back up to my matted and sodden hair. An eternity ensued, as she stood there, looking as if she was waiting for something. I'd become conscious as to how silent the room had fallen, and felt that I needed to explain myself. So, I said the first thing that came into my head...


"G'day. How're you doin'?"


If any of you had seen "My Fair Lady", think back to the scene where Eliza goes to Royal Ascot. "C'MON, DOVER! MOVE YER BLOOMIN' ARSE!!!"

Same reaction.

After gasped breaths from the gallery, the Queen, unmoved by my colonial antipodean twang and uncouthness, smiled and said:


"I'm fine, thank you. How are you?"

"Oh, FINE, thanks." (The Homer Simpson "D'oh!" was still echoing in my empty melon...)

"That's nice", she said, before tottering off.


"Whew! Got away with THAT one, all right", I'd thought. I guessed that I'd better leave before I could get into any MORE trouble. I'd guessed wrong.

A bizarre-looking woman with a HUGE bright red feathery boa, and a face to match, came STORMING up to me as I started packing up my gear.

"How DARE you talk to the Queen like that. Don't you REALISE that you're not permitted to converse with the Queen unless SHE addresses you FIRST?!? And - and - LOOK at the way you're dressed. It's a DISGRACE!! (...Blah! Blah! Blah!...) I'm already composing a STRONG letter of complaint to your employer. What organization do you work for?!?"


It didn't take me long to think about the answer...


"Associated Press", I said, before exiting - Stage Left.

;)

[CmdrLaForge]

Hi Kiwi_the_iwik,

thats a great story and I had to laugh a lot. Did that really happen or have you just watch a Mr. Bean story ?

Cheers

[macka]

I'm apparently related to Mel Gibson in a retarded way, in that his nephew Nick Gibson was my dad's second cousin's daughter's son...or something like that.

Pretty neat. :cool:

[groovebuster]

Mine is longer!!!! :D

[caveman_uk]

I've met

Renee Zellweger - well I stood near her when she was filming in London.
Eric Sardinas - guitarist. At a Steve Vai gig where he was the support. I met him in the bar afterwards.
Peter Beardsley - footballer - at Kings Cross station
Rory McGrath - bloke off of 'They think it's all over...' - on a train to Cambridge
Lenny Henry - comedian - standing at a motorway service station urinal - Yes...I've had a p*ss standing next to Lenny Henry-
David Trimble - Northern Irish MP - Charing Cross Road, London

[kiwi_the_iwik]

Hi Kiwi_the_iwik,

thats a great story and I had to laugh a lot. Did that really happen or have you just watch a Mr. Bean story ?

Cheers

Nope - it's true.

I've become somewhat of a folk-hero in camera circles around London because of it, too...

In fact - one of our crews went to film an interview with Prince Charles once - and he recounted the story to the crew as they were getting ready, as a bit of chit-chat. He thought it was hilarious that the crew he'd been chatting to actually were my workmates!

Apparently, "Mumsie" was very amused.

And NOW, I can actually say that my reputation precedes me!

:)

[iGav]

Clint Mansell (Singer, composer, I was standing next to him in the gents at a PWEI gig in '95, diamond geezer)

Midge Ure (Singer, songwriter, met him many a time)

Mike Mills (R.E.M.'s bass player, shared a beer with him at the bar in Dingwalls in Camden at a Ken Stringfello gig in '01)

The Duran boys @ The Groucho

Malcolm Garrett (my old boss and design superstar)

Anna Friel (Actress, one of my mates is her mates, shared a few beers in the White Horse in Soho)

Gary Numan, (Filter gig at the Astoria)

[themadchemist]

Hi,

I met Michael Jackson in Las Vegas. When he showed up a lot of people started screaming and running after him, but his security didn't let anybody come really close. I just stood there in Caesars Palace and he walked very close by me. In fact he really looks terrible ! :o His face is unbelievable ugly !

my condolences.

[CmdrLaForge]

my condolences.

Yes, thanks. I am not a fan.

[caveman_uk]

Anna Friel (Actress, one of my mates is her mates, shared a few beers in the White Horse in Soho)

You lucky bugger....

[evoluzione]

oh, and i went to school with Paula Radcliffe (women's world record holder for the marathon among other long distance records). knew her bro Martin better than her though...also went to school with Oliver Gavin (not sure what class he drives in these days if at all), Matt Oakley (who set up the winning goal for Everton again Man United in the FA Cup Final!), a guy that played rugby for England (can't remember his name now, oops). Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards I've met, he knows my Stepfather.

[3rdpath]

hey kiwi...that's a great story.

i've got a couple of stories.

once i was working with this female singer/songwriter. towards the end of the session her cell phone rang and she said her boyfriend was down at the end of my driveway outside the gate. i told her to tell him to wait...i didn't want anyone killing the vibe while we punched the last vocal fixes. so we get back to work and about 20 minutes later we're done. we walk down my drive to the gate and theres this guy looking a little forlorn, sitting in the dark on a small pile of bricks...she introduces me to her boyfriend frank darabont. they left and i came inside and asked the mrs why his name sounded so familiar. she informs me that he's the director of the shawshank redemption ( and later the green mile)...i was impressed by his humility knowing the amount of "suck-up" a director gets...

another time, my wife and i attended a friend's dinner party. it was a big table of people and i had a great time talking to this lady named jennifer sitting to my left. she was quite nice. so on the way home my wife and i are talking about the party and i say " i wonder what jennifer does"...my wife just sighed and said " she's on a series called Alias..."

like i said, i'm clueless.

[evoluzione]

" i wonder what jennifer does"...my wife just sighed and said " she's on a series called Alias..."

like i said, i'm clueless.


ohhhh man, i love her!!! she's gorgeous! damn! :)

[macka]

ohhhh man, i love her!!! she's gorgeous! damn! :)

Yeah, she's a great actor.

[WinterMute]

I met/worked with loads of muso types when I was engineering in the studios in London, Bowie, Kate Bush, Robert Plant, Tack>>head, Henry Rollins, L7.... loads more, I once fell over Van Morrison in Notting Hill, he was sitting on the kerb and I went arse over tit... :D

My Uni has studios on the Ealing film studios lot, and we see a whole bunch of movie people, Lucas and the Star Wars crew have done a lot of interiors and blue screen stuff there. I sat opposite Julia Roberts in the canteen one lunch-time and didn't recognise her till she asked me to pass the salt... I spoke to the cameraman on the shoot (Notting Hill strangely) and he reckoned she only looks like Julia Roberts through a camera lense... :p

On a completely obscure note, I was at school with Blaze Bailey of Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden, the British touring car driver Kalvin Burt lived in my road when he was a baby, he used to peddle round in this little red peddle-car telling everyone he was going to be a racing driver when he grew up...

I was at college with Kate Lonergan who played Maid Marion in the kiddies BBC show Maid Marion and her Merry Men...

But my real claim to fame was bumping into the then Leicester Tigers captain Martin Johnson in Leicester just before he became the England Rugby captain, and we all know what a complete balls-up he made of that... The man is huge.

[blue&whiteman]

closest I ever came to meeting one was I went to university and was friends with a girl that was the girlfriend of this guy wayne who was a longtime friend of jim carrey. I never met jim but I saw plenty of pics with jim and wayne together. my friend met jim a few times though.

does that count? :o

[173080]

Liv Tyler (I drank her cup of tea as she had to leave before she could drink it)

Damn You! You've met Liv Tyler? :eek:

Liv Tyler is Awesome! :D

[Mike Teezie]

Hung out with the guys from Incubus for about 45 minutes in New Olreans. The coolest, most down to earth guys I've ever met.

Shared an elevator with Madnonna in NYC.

Bumped into Geena Davis, Dennis Miller, and Troy Aikman in the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Sat next to G.E. Smith (ex Sat. Night Live band guy) in a movie theater in South Hampton.

Me, my brother, and my Uncle were having breakfast in Trump International in NYC, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a really hip looking guy sit down at the table right behind us. I got up from the table to go get something out of my uncle's apartment upstairs, and my chair *slammed* into the hip guy's table. I turn around to say I'm sorry, and it was effing Liam Gallagher looking back up at me. I'm a pretty huge Oasis fan, and I was just dumb struck. I said, "uh.....sorry man" in a feeble little voice. He said "No worries mate" and conitued to eat his food.

My fam was going out to Orso in New York, and I decided to stay in. Of course when they get there, at the table next to them is Jimmy Page. It might be a good thing I didn't go, because I would have hated to pass out and cause a scene in the resturaunt.

My dad shared an elevator with Gwyenth Paltrow.

My dad almost knocked Jimmy Smits down after they collided on the street. He was super nice and said he was sorry a million times.

Saw James Brown standing on the corner trying to catch a cab.

My mom ran into a store to buy something, and I sat in the car. I see her standing in line, with two guys behind her. Somehoe a display gets knocked over, and my mom turns around to0 help them pick it up. It's Steven Speilburg and Mike Myers.

My uncle just had lunch with Salma Hayeck, I'm hoping to get to meet her when I'm in LA this summer.

Having fam in New York and LA, you see lots of celebs.

[eRondeau]

I've met and spoken with a few celebrities over the years, but the only one who made a real difference in my life was Gilligan (Bob Denver). He was signing autographs at a boat show a few years ago, which is a pretty cool place to meet Gilligan if you think about it. I asked Gilligan if I should name my new boat "The S.S. Minnow II" which is a question I'm sure he has never fielded before. He looked at me blankly for about a minute and then said "No, find another name." So I called it something else and a little while later he was busted for pot possession.

[iGav]

You lucky bugger....

she's got a wicked sense of humour... ;)

[jelloshotsrule]

i am the founder and president of the ppp. not to mention being close with all the highest ranking members of said party

if there's one thing that's better than meeting a celeb, it's being one

i am also fred and ben (kevin arnold and cory from bmw) savage's brother. unfortunately, they got all the looks in the family

[noel4r]

I've ran into countless celebrities over the years (I live in LA), but I've only spoken to one. Elizabeth Berkeley (Showgirls) once asked me what time it was.

[taeclee99]

I was at this Indian restaurant, Akbars over on Wilshire Blvd during the weekend with my bro and his friend. Anyway, in the table behind us was sitting none other than the actor John Saxson. He played the dad in Nightmare in Elm Street. Saxson is also best known as "Roper" from Enter the Dragon which is imho the best kung fu movie ever. I did not bother him during his dinner because I have too much respect for the man. But being in the same place as someone who co-starred with Bruce Lee was pretty exciting if you ask me.

What was weird about the whole scenario is that my last name is Lee, my brother's friends name happens to be Han (the name of the bad guy in Enter the Dragon). What is the chance of Lee, Han and Roper being in the same place at the same time?

What I should of told Mr Saxon is, "I look forward to a dinner of epic portions...Gentlemen you have my gratitude!"

[mrjamin]

I've met (some v.briefly!):
Kylie Minogue (now she's tiny)
Hale & Pace (british comedians)
Tiff Needell (british tv presenter and racing driver)
Jeremy Clarkson (british tv presenter)
Stirling Moss (racing driver)
Damon Hill (formula 1 driver)
Chris Blair (not really a celeb, but he's mastered some huge albums)
Lenny Henry (UK comedian)
Philip Schofield (uk tv presenter)
Rick Astley (80s Pop star)
Chris Moyles (radio one dj turned tv presenter)
Judge Jules (dj)
Carl Cox (dj)
Billy Talent (canadian band)
Brandon Boyd (Incubus' front man)
Daniel Beddingfield
*Countless* minor christian celebrities but they're hardly celebrities!

I've been in the same room as/within a few metres of:
Pink
Marc & Lard (radio one djs)
Trevor Nelson (radio one dj/tv presenter)

I know personally:
Susanne Manning (from the latest Pop Idol in the UK, she was in the last 5!)
Jon Thatcher (from Delirious - a more major christian celebrity)
Stu G (as above)

no-one massively impressive, but fame/celebrity status is completely subjective really!

[bbarnhart]

I'm friends with a guy who is a local celebrity. He's the weather guy on a local TV station. He's very popular and everywhere we go, people recognize him and he just eats it up. Then he tells me he gets tired of people coming up to him. Right :rolleyes:.

[3rdpath]

ok, a few more...

i once played mmmbop with hanson...nothing will make you feel as old as knowing the drummer you're playing with is only 11.

traded porsche stories with brad whitford of aerosmith.

finally..this is true...i have a witness...years ago, i got seriously "hit on" by raquel welch at a birthday party. intimidated the hell out of me...what can i say, i chickened out.

[bousozoku]

I'm friends with a guy who is a local celebrity. He's the weather guy on a local TV station. He's very popular and everywhere we go, people recognize him and he just eats it up. Then he tells me he gets tired of people coming up to him. Right :rolleyes:.

They probably blame him for the snow. :D Don't the weather people get the worst of it? People somehow think that they're responsible for the weather.

[aus_dave]

...what can i say, i chickened out.What's wrong with you man? :eek:

[kiwi_the_iwik]

...what can i say, i chickened out.

Oooh - OWNED.

I'd have been morbidly fascinated to see the plastic surgeon's marks - if anything...

:D

[MacMumm]

I have only met a few famous people...

Brooks & Dunn (Country Music Artists) - I worked at the hotel they were staying in, they were very cool and friendly.

Sinbad (Comedian, Actor) - He was at a Mac show I was working for the software company I worked for. He was much smaller than I expected, he always looks so big on TV. He was really polite and nice, and got very annoyed with people bothering him for autographs at the show.

My favorite celebrity I met was by far...

Marlon Brando - While working for the software company, he was using our software and first called for tech. support. We were going to L.A. that weekend for a trade show, and he invited us to his home. My boss and I spent over 4 hours at his house just mostly visiting, it was quite surreal!

[Doctor Q]

I bet I'm the only person who has talked to each of these celebrities:

Dan Castellaneta (voice of Homer Simpson)
Scatman Crothers (actor - remember him in The Shining?)
Ray Bradbury (science fiction author)
Grace Murray Hopper (computer pioneer - coined the word "bug")
Dave Berg (MAD Magazine cartoonist)
Hayley Mills (Disney film actress)
Harry Secomb (star of The Goon Show radio program)
Kevin Fagan (author of "Drabble" comic strip)

I've shaken hands with a mayor, a senator, and a president. Two basketball players who later played in the NBA came to a party I hosted.

Once I ate dinner in the same restaurant as Jessie Jackson. He was taller than the basketball players!

Other members of my immediate family have waited on Diana Ross, Charlton Heston, and Frank Sinatra in retail stores, talked to Mel Brooks, Harry Chapin, John Wooden, Shaquille O'Neal, Matt Groening, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Dave Barry, and the casts of the TV shows "Cheers" and "L.A. Law", and run into these people in public places: Sinbad, Bob Saget, Eugene Levy, Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Jack Nicholson, Don Knotts, Jerry Lewis, Englebert Humperdink, Matt Stone, Trey Parker, Mike Judge, Susan Vrieland, Neal Shusterman, Robert Cormier, and Dr. Dre.

And I received a personal letter from my fellow doctor Dr. Demento (http://www.drdemento.com/).

[3rdpath]

My favorite celebrity I met was by far...

Marlon Brando - While working for the software company, he was using our software and first called for tech. support. We were going to L.A. that weekend for a trade show, and he invited us to his home. My boss and I spent over 4 hours at his house just mostly visiting, it was quite surreal!

ok, you win...

what i'd give to hear marlon brando talking to tech support.

[kiwi_the_iwik]

OK - OK - I give in...


This is who I can remember off the top of my head...

SHOWBUSINESS PERSONALITIES:
Sting
Jamiroquai
Mick Jagger
David Bowie
Kylie Minogue
Madonna
Guy Richie
Val Kilmer
Kevin Bacon
Charlize Theron
Spice Girls
Duran Duran
Stereophonics
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
Rachel Hunter
Rod Stewart
Brian May
Dave Grohl
Sandra Bullock
Mark Knopfler
U2
Fat Boy Slim
Coldplay
Simon Cowell
Beyonce
Bush
Trey Parker/Matt Stone
The Ramones
Soundgarden
Primus
Bjork
Smashing Pumpkins
Depeche Mode
Motorhead
Henry Rollins
Vanessa Redgrave
Ian Mckellern
Antonio Banderas
Tom Hanks
Tom Cruise
Britney Spears
Jennifer Lopez
Sheryl Crow
Robert Mitcham
Robin Williams
Donald Pleasance
Sean Connery
Roger Moore
Desmond Llewellyn
John Cleese
Larry Hagman
Russell Crowe
Joan Collins
Billy Idol
Harrison Ford
Dan Ackroyd
Robert DeNiro
Patrick Stewart
James Doohan
Mel Gibson
Pete Townshend
Peter Gabriel
Brad Pitt
Kevin Spacey
Elton John
Garbage
The Cranberries
The Corrs
Billy Joel
Paul McCartney
Annie Lennox
Dave Gilmour
Dave Stewart
Sugarbabes
Atomic Kitten
Rolf Harris
Mel Smith
Rowan Atkinson
Hugh Grant
Leslie Nielson
Julia Roberts
Spike Milligan

ROYALTY:
Sultan of Brunei
King of Tonga
Sultan Qaboos of Oman
Saudi Royal Family
British Royal Family (at least the top 12)

POLITICIANS:
Tony Blair
John Major
Yassar Arafat
Benjamin Netanyahu
Ehud Barak
Hosni Mubarak
Vladmir Putin
Mikhail Gorbachev
Bill Clinton
George Bush Snr.
George W. Bush
Donald Rumsfeld
Jaques Chirac
Silvio Bellisconi
Gerhard Schröeder
Bertie Ahern
Jerry Adams
David Trimble
David Lange
Robert Muldoon
Helen Clark
Bob Hawke
Paul Keating
John Howard
Nelson Mandela
Thabo Mbeki
The entire remaining Commonwealth Heads of State

SPORTING PERSONALITIES:
Pete Sampras
Jimmy Connors
John McEnroe
Pat Rafter
Greg Rusedski
Tim Henman
John Walker
Sir Edmund Hillary
NZ, Australian, English, Pakistani, Indian, West Indian, South African Cricket Teams
NZ, Australian, English, South African, Welsh, Irish Rugby Teams
English Football Team
Pelé
Ronaldo
Eric Cantona
Various managers/players in the English football league
Carl Lewis
Daley Thompson
Steve Redgrave
Lennox Lewis
Mike Tyson
Dennis Connors
Sir Peter Blake
Chris Dickson
Brad Butterworth
David Coulthard
Jackie Stewart
Stirling Moss
Juan Pablo Montoya
Damon Hill
Colin McRae

...sorry - can't think of any more...

[Mike Teezie]

OK - OK - I give in...

...Britney Spears...

...sorry - can't think of any more...


What was she like?

[kiwi_the_iwik]

Lots of teeth, and a sparkly dress...

Pretty much all I noticed about her. Otherwise, she did a lot of smiling, and said hello a lot. Not much chop close up - unless you're a barbie fan...

:)

[Awimoway]

What was she like?

Yes, yes, kiwi. Now you need to rank and catalogue them according to who was nice and who was rude. Of course, I imagine most of them would be putting on a good face whenever a camera (non-paparazzi) is near.

[kiwi_the_iwik]

Yes, yes, kiwi. Now you need to rank and catalogue them according to who was nice and who was rude. Of course, I imagine most of them would be putting on a good face whenever a camera (non-paparazzi) is near.


Hmm - Oh, yeah - I forgot Oasis. Well - they were DEFINITELY rude.

Goes without saying, really...

:rolleyes: :)

Usually, we get to do proper sit-down interviews with them, so their agent sits in the same room - making sure they don't say or do anything improper. But everyone's generally really cool - they know we're doing OUR job, and they just do THEIRS. Still, you get to chat away, just to make them feel comfortable with us (to prove we're not there to screw 'em over, and that we're nice folks...).

But ultimately, we'd treat them as if they were anyone else - and they really appreciate that.

[MacMumm]

ok, you win...

what i'd give to hear marlon brando talking to tech support.

I talked to him on the phone after my boss told me he had called. I thought he was joking, until I heard his voice on the phone. He had both a Mac and Windows computer, but the Windows machine wasn't even on while I was there. It was just strange sitting in his home talking computers. The first half hour was tech support, the rest was all just fun talk. He is quite friendly and funny.

[howard]

hey kiwi

which of those celebrity meetings was the most interesting?

[gbojim]

I've met and worked with a ton of musicians and actors through touring and providing tech support to sound and film studios. But what I really enjoyed was a particular weekend trip to Toronto. I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan and the Boys were playing the Bills in Toronto the year after Dallas won the first super bowl over Buffalo. I got tickets for Christmas and my wife and I booked the usual hotel that I stay at when in Toronto. Because I'm there at least a couple of times a month, we got upgraded to the exec floors - which is not usual. Needless to say I was really happy to find most of the team staying on the same 2 floors. I got to meet and talk a bit to a lot of the players, but the hilight was eating breakfast with Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson.

[oldschool]

i saw muhammad ali at LAX in 1997. I have met pavel bure who is a big commie jerk.

When i was an extra in a movie that never was released I met Isabelle Glasser and James Remar. Isabelle was very nice but Remar was an ass.

Also after a Jerry Seinfeld concert here in Vancouver, Hugh Jackass, i mean Jackman walked out from a backstage entrance. He tried to act all big and famous and started signing autographs, while people were really waiting for jerry to sign autographs. Jerry left in a limo but Hugh just kind of walked into the night and I yelled out "i guess Hugh's taking the bus"...everybody around me cracked up.

And last but not least at school one day i saw Gil Bellows, the guy that played billy on ally mcbeal. I think thats it...

but none of those people compare with john cleese....except maybe ali.

[Awimoway]

the hilight was eating breakfast with Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson.

I'm not a Cowboys fan, but I can respect that that must have been a really awesome experience.

[ibookin']

I haven't really met anyone famous, except for the cast of the early episodes of Babylon 5 (I was very young). Also, I almost spoke to Steve Wozniak once after seeing him at a panel.

My dad has, though. He has met and spoken to:

-Tommy Chong
-Jackie Chan
-Fabio. (we actually have a picture of him with my dad)
-Weird Al
-The drummer from No Doubt

There are more, I just can't remember them.

[kiwi_the_iwik]

hey kiwi

which of those celebrity meetings was the most interesting?

I couldn't really tell you - sometimes, you can get mentally stimulated by what the talent are saying (i.e. Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Jerry Adams, David Trimble, etc...), and so find it interesting. To tell you the truth - after meeting so many "famous" people, their appearance doesn't phase me at all any more (when I was first starting out in this job when I was still at High School, it was kinda cool. Now, it's just a job...).

But at a push...

When I first arrived over in the UK, I was doing a job for ITN as a freelance cameraman. The reporter had asked me to set up my camera in a small quiet room for an interview. After about 10 minutes, I was still setting up, when a nice South African man in his 60's turned up - the interviewee.

As I was putting up lights, we got chatting (I had no idea who he was - he'd introduced himself as "Donald") - and, of course, being a FIRM rugby supporter, and a fan of the All Blacks, I started ribbing him about the Tri-Nations tournament between South Africa, Australia and NZ's All Blacks, and his country's recent pathetic performance. We were having a good old chat - a decent banter, and some predictions on the forthcoming Rugby World Cup (I'm yet to find a South African not fond of Rugby..!).

It was only when the interview had started, it was when I'd discovered who the man really was...

...None other than Donald Woods - the man portrayed in the movie "Cry Freedom", who had befriended Steve Biko, and fought - at great personal cost - for the destruction of Apartheid.

[Ozi]

this thread is awesome! love reading all the stories... especially the one with the queen! go kiwi!

As an aussie... I haven't met nearly as many famous people as you Americans. As a pov Uni student, I also havent got a good "meeting famous people" job.

However, here goes.

John Howard (Prime Minister of Australia) met, shook hands, quick chat.

Various other federal politicians, ie. Kevin Rudd (opposition foreign affairs) and minister for education, Dr Brendan Nelson.

Sigrid Thornton (actor)
Various AFL stars, seen in bars/clubs.
theres more... but can't remember them... sorry!

But yeah, keep posting cool stories guys!

[Lyle]

After reading some of the other responses, I feel like I need to get out more. ;)

When Jeff Foxworthy came to do his act at my school's homecoming, I got to meet him and talk to him for a few minutes; the band I was playing in was his opening act. I've also met Lewis Grizzard and Sean Hannity at booksignings.

The funniest celebrity encounter occurred when my wife and I went to Disney World for our honeymoon in 1994. Nancy Kerrigan had just won the silver medal in the '94 Olympics and was down there with her family at the same time, and we kept running into her.

I think that the older I've gotten, the less starstruck I am and don't know that I really care to meet any celebrities. I don't know what I would say to them. :)

[sebisworld]

Well, being from a small German town, I've not really met many celebrities besides myself *g* My uncle, however, has the same name as the German David Letterman, so whenever we need something from a company we can ask him to give them a call. It definitely speeds things up.
I also seem to remember to have kissed Britney Spears (how come Apple's Spell Checker knows Spears but not Britney?). I kissed her to get an internship at an Icelandic company that had decided not to take any interns anymore, but I think I changed their mind (I'll know by next week).

Speaking of kissing someone to get things done, what's the English word for 'hochschlafen' (sleeping with your boss in order to be promoted)?

[kiwi_the_iwik]

Here's one more...

I was doing a shoot over in Seattle once, for a show called Beyond 2000. We were visiting a company called Darwin Molecular, whose sole purpose was to break the DNA code.

Touring the computer room, we were confronted by a MASSIVE Cray 3 (or 4...) - can't rightly recall the details, but just that the CPU was cooled by Liquid Nitrogen, and the floor was vibrating...

It also just so happened that the Chairman of the Board was one William H. Gates III...

We were allowed access to the board meeting - and there he was, sitting there, smiling away. The world's richest man.

I'd remembered that in my camera case was a copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator 95 (there you go - it had just come out, and I'd bought it for my brother; an avid flight sim enthusiast and a PC user (BLECH!) - that's how long ago it was...). I went out to get it, brought it back into the boardroom, and asked if he could sign it for my brother as a Christmas present.

He was really chuffed that I'd gone out and bought it - I thought his reaction was really cool. He tore off the shrinkwrapping, and opened the manual, scribing a short message.

A few months later, it was Christmas, and I'd just arrived back from the trip (my shoots used to go for 2 months at a time...). I handed my brother the game, wrapped in Christmas paper. He unwrapped it - and was unimpressed. For he'd bought the game himself not 2 weeks beforehand.

"Aww, CRAP! I've already GOT this bloody game..."

"O-P-E-N I-T, dumbass!"

He obliged.

On the inside front cover, it read:

"To Ashley

Happy Flying!

Regards, Bill Gates"


:)

[oldschool]

great story

[XnavxeMiyyep]

I've met Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons. I got my picture taken with him.

[Doctor Q]

I talked to Maria Muldaur (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=618111) Friday after a concert and I got an autograph too. I've always pronounced it "MULL-dower" but it turns out she pronounces it "MULL-der".

I saw John Wooden an hour ago, at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival.

[wdlove]

I just meeting some celebrities at my Church by twelve hours. Jack Welch, former CEO of GE was married yesterday. He had a veritable who's who guest list.

[MongoTheGeek]

I just meeting some celebrities at my Church by twelve hours. Jack Welch, former CEO of GE was married yesterday. He had a veritable who's who guest list.

Jack Welch is a celebrity.

[evoluzione]

a good friend of mine is a big big photographer who's shot some huge names in the past, but one that sticks out in my mind (i help him out with his Mac etc, and i do a lot of scans for him so i see all his celeb shoots) was when he was in Bill Gates' office, with the man himself, and JFK Jr.

talk about power.

[dontmakemehurtu]

so, basically, I'm the only one here who has actually met, spoken to and touched....

Mo Rocca

For those of you who don't know him, he is a correspondent for Comedy Central's The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and VH1's I Love the 80's, I Love The 70's and The Best Week Ever.

I also met Margaret Cho, comedienne extraordinaire.

I am looking to add both Jobs and Gates to my list of celebs met. I'm still young. Maybe I still have a chance.

[brhmac]

Aw.... never mind. Too deep.

Let's see... I used to be a newspaperman, so these are people with whom I have spoken and interacted...

President Jimmy Carter
the Dalai Lama (of Tibet spiritual fame)

Elmore Leonard (novelist, screenwriter, I was his paperboy)
Marc Brown (author of Arthur the Aardvark series)
Myron Scott (man who named the Chevrolet Corvette)

May add more as my memory cooperates...

[Neserk]

I shook hands with Al Gore.

I saw Richard Lewis in a parking garage waiting for his car on Rodeo Drive.

[russed]

im suprised about the only person that hasnt been mentioned here is steve jobs!

[TEG]

Here's my Short List

Red Skelton
Bill Nye (The Science Guy)
LaVar Burton
Roxann Dawson
Robert Picardo (Twice)
Tim Russ
Ethan Phillips
Nana Visitor
Casey Biggs
Robert Duncan-McNeil
Weird Al
Anne Ramsay
Manu Intiraymi (Icheb from ST:VOY)
Ron Ostrow
Richard Herd
Craig Charles
Robert Llewellyn

I'll have more in a few weeks.

TEG

[Doctor Q]

...
Robert Picardo (Twice)
Nana Visitor
I saw the same two at a Star Trek convention in Pasadena. How many have you been to?

[IrishGold]

*Olsen Twins
*Many football players(relative has played for the raiders/saints/cowboys/packers

Guess thats it, hehe.

[parrothead]

My step-mom is good friends with Oprah.

I hung out with a legendary Kiwi Cricket player, unfortunately I can't remember his name, having never seen a full cricket match (great game, just not a lot of it going on in the US). I met Tom Landry once.

A friend of mine got tackled by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the Portland OR airport. Cuba thought he was someone else and was really freaked out when he found out that my friend was a law student. Anyway, they ended up on the same flight and Cuba invited my friend up into 1st class and chatted with him for a while.

[iBook]

I saw William Hung walk by.

Do you think he knows he can't sing? Does he think he's a "celebrity," or is he laughing all the way to the bank?

[iBook]

Former Vice President Al Gore walked by our booth today.

[Dazzler]

A lot of the celebs I've met have been at book signings, conventions, stuff like that.

Met William Shatner at a book signing in New York (he was signing madly away, but stopped when I said "Thanks Mr Shatner". Must have been the Australian accent, because he looked up and said "Thank you very much").

Saw Christian Slater in Santa Monica.

Met Kylie Minogue at a book signing - small but really, really cute and nice.

Tina Arena (a singer) bought a packet of cigarettes off me when I worked at a 7-Eleven.

Got a book signed by Peter Davison (5th Doctor Who) way, way back in '83.

Met Mel Blanc after the Logies - sweet, sweet man, carried a notepad with a picture of himself and the Warner Bros. cartoon characters he'd voiced so he could give autographs.

Various stars of television shows at conventions etc - had a cup of tea with Gareth Thomas of "Blake's 7".

Met Jimmy Barnes and Ian Moss (at separate times) of legendary Australian rock band Cold Chisel.

And not last, but definitely not the least, Moses himself - Charlton Heston. He signed his autobiography, looked me straight in the eye, shook my hand and said "Thank you".

Oh, and a friend of mine allegedly had sex recently with Enrique Inglasias, according to the trashy gossip magazines. And if you're reading this, "Hi, Emma!!!"

[brogers]

Hootie and the Blowfish
Toad The Wet Sprocket
Edwin MaCain
Train
Jeff Gordon
Dan Quayle as VP
Ted Kennedy and a whole host of politicians

[Zeke]

My wife and I were skiing in Telluride and she laughed at Tom Cruise who fell off of the lift after her on his snowboard. He looked up at her and said something like "Well, that was embarrassing..." Cracks me up whenever I remember it.

[iBook]

Adam "Batman" West @ a trade show

Kurt Vonnegut @ college. He signed my unread copy of "Slaughterhouse Five." He didn't seem happy to give an autograph. Maybe because I hadn't yet read the book?

Henry Winkler when I was a kid and "the Fonz" was cool. Think the play was "Room Service," and I got to meet him after the show.

[Doctor Q]

I went to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl last night (the acoustics of the new bowl are great, by the way). Coming in, I almost bumped into a lady getting out of a courtesy tram. Somebody whispered to me to notice who it was: Jeri Ryan (http://mario.lapam.org/voy/7of9.htm) (Seven of Nine from Star Trek).

For some reason, the venue executives forgot to offer me a courtesy tram ride. I had to walk to get to my seats. No doubt just an oversight.

[Awimoway]

My wife and I had tickets for the "cheap" seats at the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in 2002, and although I'd never seen her before in my life, the lady who sat right in front of my wife (and got to have my wife's knees jammed in her back for the evening) introduced herself to everyone as the governor of Arizona, which indeed she was.

[Kwyjibo]

HAHA DOCTOR Q,

i wish i could say i was unfamiliar with that name, but she recently came up in news in illinois. Her former husband was running for senator and resigned due to the scandal.

[jophilpo]

People I've met:

*Bill Elliott
*Dale Earnhardt Sr. (I didn't like him on the track, but he was a really friendly guy in person)
*The cast of Sesame Street (I got Bob's augograph)
*Ron Jeremy - My roommate and I posed for a picture with him. He threw his arms around us as soon as the camera came out. I guess he thought he was on set =) The girl in front of us jokingly said something about getting her breast signed, and he reached into her shirt and popped it out and started signing away! He's actually a nice, well-spoken person though. Even has a master's degree in special education, which was his previous career.
*Michael Badnarik - currently the Libertarian presidential candidate. One of the few politicians I've seen that comes across as honest and sincere. Really nice guy who obviously loves his country and very knowledgeable about the Constitution.


People I've seen/heard speak:
*George H.W. Bush -
*The guy who played Greg Brady
*William Cohen - former secretary of defense. Spoke about the liklihood of terrorism in the US, just a few months before 9/11
*Spike Lee - Saw him on the street, with several bodyguard types in tow

[Xenious]

I met Jack Black on a flight from London to Chicago. I also met Steve Howe (of Yes fame) at an album signing.

For here today, gone tomorrow famous people I used to hang out with the band the Nixons whenever they played Tulsa, OK. There were a really friendly group. At one show the bar decided not to let anyone in under 21. Zac tried to tell them that my friend was his brother and that their mom would be pissed if he couldn't come in and watch the show. That didn't work either. So since the guys were on stage in front of a big glass window open to the street, they would turn around sometimes and perform facing us as we sat outside on the veranda area.
-jim

[pinto32]

Barring sports figures, I have met Mick Foley (WWF guy) when he came to the amusement park I live by (named it "one of his favorite places to be" in one of his books), and......um....Adam West :p in a supermarket parking lot when I was younger.

[Counterfit]

I wonder...

Am I the only person here ever to have been on national (US) TV? I got my face plastered all over Good Morning America on a ****ing freezing Friday morning in Dec. 1997 playing some Tubachristmas (http://tubachristmas.com/) music for the show. So we're playing Jingle Bells, and the camera guy kneels down to my left, and gets reeaaly close, even moving the stand a little while my cousin wasn't looking :D
That afternoon, my aunt, who was living in Cali at the time, called our house and said she saw me, even though she had no advance warning ;)

I know this guy (http://www.uri.edu/artsci/mus/faculty/buttery.html), and I've also met/talked with Dan Perantoni (another tuba player :rolleyes: ). That's about though, seeing as NO ONE comes to this area. Well, a short clip of Dumb and Dumber was shot on a street next to the reservoir in my town, but I wasn't there at the time. I can also explain why that shot was out of sequence in the movie if you want ;)

[Other.au]

Note: I am only 17 years old.

I have met:

Bill Gates (4 days ago)
John Howard (Prime minister of australia) (PM = President)
Whoopy Gholberg. (however u spell it)
Ali G (out in the australian desert - odd eh?)
Robocop
Leighten Hewert (World #1 Tennis Player)
Jana Wendt (Famous Ausi Newsreader)

Cant think of any more, but im sure theres quite a few to go.

[legion]

Note: I am only 17 years old.
Leighten Hewert (World #1 Tennis Player)


It's "Lleyton Hewitt" and he's #10, not #1. He has only been ranked #1 in 2001. There's a certain Swiss player (Roger Federer) who'd be ticked that you don't consider him #1. (Plus 2 Americans, 2 Spainards, 2 Argentinians, 1 German, and 1 Englishman-- all of whom are seated before Hewitt.)

[Other.au]

The day i saw him he was number one. I am fully aware he is no longer #1. Pardon me for my bad explanation.

[virividox]

just recently the lead singer of mojo fly, hehe small time celeb but still a celeb in manila

[sushi]

I met Jack Black on a flight from London to Chicago. I also met Steve Howe (of Yes fame) at an album signing.

For here today, gone tomorrow famous people I used to hang out with the band the Nixons whenever they played Tulsa, OK. There were a really friendly group. At one show the bar decided not to let anyone in under 21. Zac tried to tell them that my friend was his brother and that their mom would be pissed if he couldn't come in and watch the show. That didn't work either. So since the guys were on stage in front of a big glass window open to the street, they would turn around sometimes and perform facing us as we sat outside on the veranda area.
-jim
Cool! Very nice what the band did.

Sushi

[sushi]

While not a celeb, I met a rather famous person some years ago.

His name was Omar Bradley.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/omarnels.htm

It was quite an honor to meet and have a short chat with him.

He is one of 9 men who have attained the rank of 5-Stars.

Oh, and I have partied a bit with Duran Duran in Seoul Korea when they were there on tour there. Met EJ, members of Kansas & ELO during my college days. Oh, and got an autograph from Smokey Robinson while he was here in Japan.

Went on set for the Japan soap opera called, "Tokyo Elevator Girls", and met the 4 main stars (2 ladies and 2 guys). I was fortunate to be able to stand by and observe the director filming an episode.

Met Yokozuna Akebono:

http://photojpn.org/exp/sumo/ake.html

...and Yokozuna Musahimaru (Neat person):

http://www.chijanofuji.com/Musashimaru1.html

...and Ozeki Konishiki (Funny, smart, and huge):

http://www.costnet.com/konishiki.htm

To see him in person, is quite an experience. Much different than merely looking at his pictures. He was huge -- like a wall -- during his sumo days. Now he is like a big teddy bear. Very popular in Japan these days.

Unfortunately for him, he was rather outspoken which limited him to the rank of Ozeki. He should have been awarded the rank of Yokozuna, but that is another story. He was the first US sumo wrestler and he paved the way for his fellow Hawaiian's Akebono and Musahimaru.

Sushi

[Neserk]

I met Al Gore. I *saw* Richard Lewis in a parking Garage on Rodeo Drive!

[MetallicPenguin]

I have to say, I don't think I've met any celebrities. I'd like to meet Donald Sutherland, funny looking man (especially in 'Salem's Lot, hahah). :D

[plus_c]

My list of celebrities I've met is very short compared to everyone else's here, but here goes...

I met Fred Gallagher and his wife Sarah (of Megatokyo (http://www.megatokyo.com) fame) at an anime convention in February. At the same anime convention, I also met Ian from Mac Hall.

I met Liane Hansen, host of Weekend Edition Sunday (http://www.npr.org/programs/wesun/), last Friday. She's got an incredible story, and is a really good journalist to boot. I'd have met Bob Edwards already, but he's away from the NPR studios promoting his book.

[gwuMACaddict]

talked with sam donaldson for a while a few weeks ago. not much of a celebrity maybe...

[pinto32]

I wonder...

Am I the only person here ever to have been on national (US) TV? I got my face plastered all over Good Morning America on a ****ing freezing Friday morning in Dec. 1997 playing some Tubachristmas (http://tubachristmas.com/) music for the show. So we're playing Jingle Bells, and the camera guy kneels down to my left, and gets reeaaly close, even moving the stand a little while my cousin wasn't looking :D
That afternoon, my aunt, who was living in Cali at the time, called our house and said she saw me, even though she had no advance warning ;)

I know this guy (http://www.uri.edu/artsci/mus/faculty/buttery.html), and I've also met/talked with Dan Perantoni (another tuba player :rolleyes: ). That's about though, seeing as NO ONE comes to this area. Well, a short clip of Dumb and Dumber was shot on a street next to the reservoir in my town, but I wasn't there at the time. I can also explain why that shot was out of sequence in the movie if you want ;)


I have been on local TV a few times (from the time I was about 8 up til about 3 weeks ago), as well as the Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, and CNN.

I hope to speak to GW Bush Friday morning (I am going to a town-hall meeting at my college.....it is intended for his supporters, but thanks to a computer error, I am currently a registered Republican instead of a Green).....I can only hope that I have the chance to ask him a question.....*evil laugh*

[MongoTheGeek]

I did some talking with my dad.

I figure he is one of the few people who went to school with both Naomi Judd and Kofi Annan.

[superninjagoat]

EDIT #2: I also shook Sylvester Stallone's hand when I was 3 years old!

My brother took a wiz by Stallone in a movie theater. :D But I don't think that imparts any coolness on me what-so-ever. In fact, it might make me less cool.

I jamed with Hootie and the Blowfish in Columbia before they got big. Again, I feel less cool just sharing that. :o

Oooo, I actually have a couple I'm proud of. I interviewed Ben Folds for a newspaper article. Also Stephen King. Both were good hour-long interviews. I'm sure neither of them would remember me in a lineup. jhd

[superninjagoat]

I wonder...

Am I the only person here ever to have been on national (US) TV? I got my face plastered all over Good Morning America on a ****ing freezing Friday morning in Dec. 1997 playing some Tubachristmas (http://tubachristmas.com/) music for the show. So we're playing Jingle Bells, and the camera guy kneels down to my left, and gets reeaaly close, even moving the stand a little while my cousin wasn't looking :D
That afternoon, my aunt, who was living in Cali at the time, called our house and said she saw me, even though she had no advance warning ;)

I know this guy (http://www.uri.edu/artsci/mus/faculty/buttery.html), and I've also met/talked with Dan Perantoni (another tuba player :rolleyes: ). That's about though, seeing as NO ONE comes to this area. Well, a short clip of Dumb and Dumber was shot on a street next to the reservoir in my town, but I wasn't there at the time. I can also explain why that shot was out of sequence in the movie if you want ;)

A kid was shot at my high school (didn't die) in '93. Ever the journalist, I took notes and a couple pictures. After they cleared the school, the cops let me stay on the inside so long as I didn't get in the way. I ended up being the media liaison to the local affiliate TV and later the interview was picked up on NBC's nightly news as part of a (cue deep voice) "Violence in schools. Could this be happening in your community?” This was before Columbine, so it was really a minor story. But there I was.

[MacRy]

I've met and chatted to the Late Earl Spencer (Princess Di's dad).

On a slightly less cool note i've also met Charlie Dimmock and Bob Carolgees (only UK members will get that one)....i'm not proud.

[norinradd]

Bob..the legend of tiswas? fantastic

Met David "Darth Vader" Prowse in a toyshop just after Empire strikes back came out sat on his knee and had me photo taken(6 or 7 years old at the time!)

also Griff rhys jones in the Trocadero sweet shop

and Mark owen from take that at the v festival

[Counterfit]

I have been on local TV a few times (from the time I was about 8 up til about 3 weeks ago), as well as the Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, and CNN.

I hope to speak to GW Bush Friday morning (I am going to a town-hall meeting at my college.....it is intended for his supporters, but thanks to a computer error, I am currently a registered Republican instead of a Green).....I can only hope that I have the chance to ask him a question.....*evil laugh* Ooo, cable... I've been one (three?) upped :D

and go get 'im!

[NusuniAdmin]

i have had a handshake with Bill Clinton before (he had a very weak shake...). He loves to make it to the local golf club a few times a year and i just happened to be there the same day. Dont think he has made it out there this year though. I have also hung out with John Defrancisco before (ny state senator). He visits central ny quite often. I have also met up with Gov. George Pataki before.

They are not really celebs but they are just as important i guess...

[edit: ah yes i have also shook Clinton's hand at the ny state fair as well....it was kinda funny. It was a only a few days after our meeting at the golf club]

[MacRy]

Bob..the legend of tiswas? fantastic

Met David "Darth Vader" Prowse in a toyshop just after Empire strikes back came out sat on his knee and had me photo taken(6 or 7 years old at the time!)

also Griff rhys jones in the Trocadero sweet shop

and Mark owen from take that at the v festival

My fiance has also had her picture taken sitting on the knee of Bruno Brooks for the Radio Times when she was younger......we just revel in our crap celebrity shoulder rubbing :)

[nef919]

Seems that I have met and spoken to several celebs without knowing it. Aparently I just don't pay attention to the people I meet on the street. Especially if I don't think that I'll ever see the person again. According to several friends I have met and spoken to at least:
Angelina Jolie
Artie Lang
Belzer
Molly Ringwald
These are just people they mentioned in passing. There are apparently more.

[Doctor Q]

I met Dennis Wholey (http://www.thisisamerica.net/about.html) this last weekend. A bunch of people around him were thrilled to meet him, but I had never heard of him before so somebody had to tell me who he was. They said he's better known in the eastern U.S. than in the west, so I guess that's my excuse for not knowing of him until shortly before we chatted for a minute.

[toaster_oven]

I've met my share of famous people - but these are my favorite stories:

I met Meg White of the White Stripes back when she used to work at Memphis Smoke... The only reason I remember her is because I mentioned to her that I thought I knew her from somewhere (i wasn't trying to pick her up or anything)... she just smiled and didn't say anything. a while later a friend took me to a white stripes show... I kept staring at her the whole time until i finally placed where I saw her before... she caught me looking and winked at me...

I also met a bunch of musicians at the first 2 DEMFs... at the second one I ran into Richie Hawtin (aka Plastikman), although i didn't know it was him at first... i tried to buy a T-shirt from him until someone butted in front of me asking for his autograph... to make matters worse- i mistook a woman at his booth for his mom (actually his girlfriend), and then nervously started talking about the weather... I got out of there as quickly as I could... and avoided him and his booth the rest of the festival...

my most memorable experience was meeting Jim Blanchard and John Engler when they were both running for Governor of Michigan back in '88.. both on the same day. I was on a class trip to Lansing, when we ran into Gov. Blanchard in the state house. he chatted with us for a while and ended with telling us to ask our parents to vote for him - literally a few minutes later we ran into Engler, who told us pretty much the exact same thing. I remember telling my parents later that day that i thought they were both creepy.

man- i miss Michigan...

-TO

[me_94501]

I went to high school with someone who ended up pitching for the Florida Marlins in the World Series last year, but I guess that doesn't really count. A rather well-known opera signer by the name of Fredrica von Stade (link) (http://www.fredericavonstade.com/) goes to my church, so I end up sitting next to her on occasion. I may be lucky (or unlucky, depending on your point of view) enough to meet William Hung, as I'll be attending UC Berkeley in the fall. :P

[Thomas Veil]

In my youth I met Rod Serling briefly when he spoke at a lecture gig, and R. Sargent Shriver, who ran for vice president alongside George McGovern.

Later I was part of a sci-fi convention planning staff that had dinner with Martin Landau, Nick Tate and producer Gerry Anderson from the television series Space: 1999.

And I attended a sci-fi con a couple of years ago where I spoke briefly with Bill Mumy (Will Robinson of Lost in Space and Lennier of Babylon 5), Frank Gorshin (The Riddler on Batman), and a couple of actors from Kolchak: The Night Stalker whose names you probably wouldn't recognize: Carol Ann Susi and Jack Grinnage.

[me_94501]

Note: I am only 17 years old.

I have met:

Bill Gates (4 days ago)

Did you throw a pie at him? ;) :P

[Balin64]

I work in Theatre and my boss is good friends with old stalwarts like Leonard Nemoy; My ex-girlfriend used to work as a nanny at the Colony in Malibu, so I have met/talked with several famous or recognizable people. But the only one worth mentioning:

Angelina Jolie made me a drink: a whiskey coke; San Diego in 1995 when she was out pimping the (lame) movie "hackers". I had never heard of her; I was a staff photog for my college paper and I got there at the right time. I confused her for the publicist and almost asked her out (we're the same age). That was pretty frakin' cool.

[Awimoway]

I work in Theatre and my boss is good friends with old stalwarts like Leonard Nemoy; My ex-girlfriend used to work as a nanny at the Colony in Malibu, so I have met/talked with several famous or recognizable people. But the only one worth mentioning:

Angelina Jolie made me a drink: a whiskey coke; San Diego in 1995 when she was out pimping the (lame) movie "hackers". I had never heard of her; I was a staff photog for my college paper and I got there at the right time. I confused her for the publicist and almost asked her out (we're the same age). That was pretty frakin' cool.

I think you already posted your Angelina Jolie experience in this very thread. But it's a long and long-lasting thread, so you're forgiven in my book. I can't even remember where I put my wallet… :)

[Nemesis]

Have you ever met any celebrities?

I had a lunch with Quentin Tarantino.
He's amazing fellow.

Also talked with Placido Domingo.

[mattthemutt]

I waved at Prime minister Jean Cretin and he smiled and waved back. Oh and the queen of england was there too.

[heaven]

I've met Elijah Wood one month ago in Prague, he was on his way to a restaurant, so he didn't have much time.. But I didn't know he is THAT small! He is really like a Hobbit :D

[applekid]

I saw Gary Sinise at Disney World. He gave a little speech about how he came with his family on vacation. Then they had a parade down one of the streets so I took a picture of him and his family there.

It must be cool for you people in California, NYC, and Las Vegas meeting famous people pretty often.

[wdlove]

I had the privilege of meting David Pogue at MacWorld Boston this week. Got a picture taken with him. Shook hands several times. Got to costar in a him he made and it was posted on his website. Was privileged to be in three of his classes. Also got his autograph.

[atodd]

Nemesis, you are one lucky mofo. You had lunch with the greatest man on earth.

I've only met Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, The Piano) really. it was at a screening of a short film that I had been DOP and editor on, and he said it was really well cut (that was actually the FIRST thing he said about it, even though he didn't know who i was at that point). he commented on how difficult it is to edit your own shots. Had a reasonably long chat with him.

i've also interviewed Hammond Peek (do an IMDB search on him, he's a sound recordist on LOTR, Frighteners, Heavenly Creatures, King Kong). He's a funny guy...many anecdotes up this man's sleeve.

oh yeah, i talked to Michael Dorn at at Star Trek convention several years ago.

I auditioned for one of Jason Gunn's shows (NZers will know who he is), and he was the one who auditioned me. hahar. didn't get in though :(

I'm hoping to meet Matt Bellamy when I go to see Muse in September. Not much of a chance though >(

[TimDaddy]

I've never met any real celebrities, but Orlando Bloom mowed my friend's yard the other day! A movie is being filmed in my town, and they just loved my friend's house. She was about to mow when someone ran up and offered to pay her to wait and let Orlando Bloom mow it the next day. There were so many takes, he actually mowed a significant portion of her front yard! Pretty cool for her, I'd say.

[Duff-Man]

Duff-Man says....I used to work in the music business and as such met quite a few people:
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Robert Fripp
Brian Eno
Motorhead (great guys...really funny!)
Bob Geldof (and the rest of the Boomtown Rats)
the Cars
Conrad Plank (legenday german producer...r.i.p.)
lots of the semi-obscure punk-era bands/people:
Richard Hell
Tom Verlaine
Pere Ubu
Only Ones
XTC
Killing Joke
more too but I can't think of them at the moment

Werner Herzog (film director)

and while trying to catch the ferry home from Vancouver I was at the bus station and they were filming a scene for X-Files...I saw Gillian Anderson standing about 15 feet away....the director guy was telling people they could walk through and everything but to not look or smile at the camera...I was going to wait so I could say I was on the X-Files but I had to get that ferry.....damn.....oh yeah!

[CubaTBird]

I know my 11th grade science teacher met vince neal from motley crue back in the 80's when they were often scene down the LA strip with other bands like slaughter (up all night! sleep all day!) lol, they don't make rock music like that ne more, in ur face balls all out rock music, not this "alternative, sensative, i-just-broke-up-with-my-girl-rock"

[kanker]

I'm a professional musician, so I've met and played for more celebs than I could name, from Blair from "The Facts of Life', to Dick Schapp, to various Unsers and other racing guys, (hey, I live in Indy), Vivica Fox, gave direstions to John Corbett from Northern Exposure (he's really tall), etc... but probably the best was the night I was playing a gig at a restaurant in Indy and a buddy that I was playing with that night brought Billy Preston with him. He used to work for Billy, and Billy was in town for the night, so I got to play 5 feet from Billy Preston all night, which was a little odd, looking up from my keyboard to see Billy Freakin' Preston staring back at me. We hung out on my breaks. Great guy.

[appleguy]

Well I am from the land of the Kiwi (New Zealand)
And due to my job, I come in contact with All Blacks and other NZ celbs all the time.
But when i was in Hawaii last time, I came acorss Drew Barrymore while she was filming 50 First dates, she is a nice lady. :D

[jrv3034]

I just met Jerry Bruckheimer. My wife and I were at a free preview screening of the new movie "National Treasure" in New York, and he was there to present it. He said it wasn't 100% finished... "It needs some work on the colors, and the sound isn't right".

Good movie, by the way. Not the greatest, most amazing film ever, but certainly entertaining. It reminds me of a tamed-down version of the novel "Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown (of DaVinci Code fame). I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I couldn't argue with the price!

Afterward, we walked outside the theater, and Bruckheimer was there, signing autographs, and we got to meet him. He seemed like a very nice guy. Not very tall.

Keep posting your celebrity encounters!

EDIT: Added the photo of Mr. B.

[Blue Velvet]

Does Skippy the Bush Kangaroo count as a celebrity?

:)

[jrv3034]

I should've written this in before... I met and spoke to Twyla Tharp a few years ago. I was working at a temp job in a rehearsal studio building buzzing people in through the door. She was rehearsing something there, and we got to chatting. Very nice lady! I made her a drawing of Pinky and the Brain. How random is that?

[leekohler]

Bruce Willis
Bill Murray
Jimmy Page
Lauren Ambrose
Jerry Springer
Billy Jean King
Bruce LaBruce
John Waters
Tara Lipinski
Marlee Matlin
Brian Dennehy (I know I spelled that wrong)
George Will
Jeremy Piven
Nate Berkus
Cynthia Plaster Caster
Chris Connelly (from Ministry and Revolting Cocks)
Oh- and George Wendt (Norm from Cheers) got me stupid drunk one night at a Wayne Kramer (MC5) gig. He wouldn't stop buying me beers. I don't remember how I got home. :)

There are more, but I can't remember them all.

[Wes]

I can't tell you how many celebs I've met/spoke to/worked with - it just sounds too much like I'm blowing my own trumpet, or something. You could easily run it into the hundreds...


I'm interested, let's hear the list, or the highlights.

[clayj]

Bill Gates (twice)
Steve Ballmer
ex-NC Senator Jesse Helms
Fred Dalton Thompson (from Law & Order and former TN Senator)
Hugh McColl (former chairman/CEO of Bank of America -- this was just last night)
Dale Chihuly (world-famous glassblower -- three times)
Lino Tagliapietra (world-famous glassblower -- three times, one time was lunch with him and his wife)
Gwyneth Paltrow (sorta -- she walked right past me while in Charlotte filming Shallow Hal -- would've taken her photo but I didn't want to get maimed by her bodyguard)
Paul Jenkins (famous artist -- contemporary of Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock)
Wolf Kahn (famous artist -- one of the most-respected artists in the US)
Jason Kyle (#56 of the Carolina Panthers -- long-snapper -- lived next door to me for the past two seasons)
Playboy playmates Jennifer Walcott, Julie McCullough, Nefertiri Shepherd, Lauren Michelle Hill (yes, I have pictures of myself with each of them!)
Jeff Gordon
William Sanderson (who played Larry on Newhart and J.F. Sebastian in Blade Runner... came into Radio Shack back in '90 when I worked there, bought a remote control car and accessories for his son)

My Mom has met Margaret Thatcher... I have a picture of the two of them together. She's also met Pres. Clinton (barf), former VP Al Gore (barf), and former VP Dan Quayle.

[stubeeef]

Judy Norton Taylor - Mary Ellen Walton - playmate
Elizabeth Dole - US Senator
Bob Doe - Do I need to explain
Richard Burr - US Senator
John McCain - US Senator
Evan Bayh - US Senator
John Melencamp & Super Model Wife
Gene Rodenberry - have his autograph
Scott May - NBA Star
John Tesh