Who are the nicest, rudest celebrities you've met? (beastie boys, Sidney Poitier, trailer)
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I ran into Rosie O'Donnell in the store a couple of times when she lived in the area. I was never a fan but she seemed nice enough.
My wife and I sat next to actress Didi Conn in a diner. She was having lunch with her son who has special needs. You could tell she's a really nice person. Very sweet to everyone.
Dennis DeYoung (former lead singer of STYX) - He's either very quiet or somewhat aloof, I couldn't tell which. I found it surprising since he is so gregarious in interviews.
Barry Bostwick - I actually got to know Barry because our sons were the same age and they both belonged to a group that included a lot of parent interaction. This was about 10 years ago. We spent quite a bit of time together and did some minor socializing as well. It was was kind of cool to have a celebrity "friend". I got to see a bit of what it's like to be stopped by fans while walking through the mall and having people staring at you. He wasn't of level where he'd have people mobbing him of course, but he'd get interrupted often enough where I could see it would get old. He's a very nice guy and a good dad. Totally unpretentious and had no problem keeping up with the rest of us who were all 20 years younger. He enjoyed interacting with fans and appreciated that they were the basis of his success...he was always accommodating. We would try to get him to dish out info on some of the people he knew or worked with. I think he had a policy of "if you can't say something good, say nothing at all" because he never had a bad word or offered any gossip about anyone. He likes to work and if you check out his IMDB you see he keeps busy - he does projects of widely varying quality. He did explain a lot of the business end to us and it was interesting stuff. He eventually moved back to the west coast because there was more opportunity and he gave us all his new address with an open offer to visit. We exchanged a few emails in the years after but eventually lost touch.
During college in the early 1990s, I worked part-time at a Chicago hotel and here are some of the celebrities I remember...
Sting - energetic, friendly and talkative to staff. Asked a lot of questions about sightseeing/activities.
Prince - mysterious, aloof and surrounded by entourage. Wore sunglasses and didn't talk to anyone.
Paula Abdul - hurried and surrounded by entourage, but made eye contact and smiled at people.
New Kids On The Block - These guys (including the Wahlbergs) just hung out at our hotel bar for much of the time before/after their shows. They were super down-to-earth and friendly and were drinking/talking with everyone.
Cindy Crawford - quiet but friendly and just unbelievably, jaw-droppingly beautiful (no air-brushing needed). She sat at a bar table with Richerd Gere, but I did not talk to him.
Hulk Hogan - one of the nicest, friendliest people to the staff, and especially to the kids who recognized him. He was joking and fake wrestling around with everyone.
Charles Kuralt - didn't really know who this newsman was at the time, but I had a conversation with him and he stands out as one of the nicest, most gracious people I have ever met.
YoYo Ma - outgoing, friendly and funny, which I hadn't expected from a cellist.
Larry Byrd - extremely loudmouthed, cocky and rude to the staff. I'm not sure if that was part of some bad boy image, but he was completely obnoxious.
During college in the early 1990s, I worked part-time at a Chicago hotel and here are some of the celebrities I remember...
Sting - energetic, friendly and talkative to staff. Asked a lot of questions about sightseeing/activities.
Prince - mysterious, aloof and surrounded by entourage. Wore sunglasses and didn't talk to anyone.
Paula Abdul - hurried and surrounded by entourage, but made eye contact and smiled at people.
New Kids On The Block - These guys (including the Wahlbergs) just hung out at our hotel bar for much of the time before/after their shows. They were super down-to-earth and friendly and were drinking/talking with everyone.
Cindy Crawford - quiet but friendly and just unbelievably, jaw-droppingly beautiful (no air-brushing needed). She sat at a bar table with Richerd Gere, but I did not talk to him.
Hulk Hogan - one of the nicest, friendliest people to the staff, and especially to the kids who recognized him. He was joking and fake wrestling around with everyone.
Charles Kuralt - didn't really know who this newsman was at the time, but I had a conversation with him and he stands out as one of the nicest, most gracious people I have ever met.
YoYo Ma - outgoing, friendly and funny, which I hadn't expected from a cellist.
Larry Byrd - extremely loudmouthed, cocky and rude to the staff. I'm not sure if that was part of some bad boy image, but he was completely obnoxious.
I've had a few encounters of my own but first I'll pass along some tidbits from people close to me:
From a friend who worked for the CBS News Division:
The following were or are highly regarded by the people that worked there.
Bob Schieffer
Charles Osgood
Mika Brzezinsky
John Roberts
Scott Pelley
Katie Couric had a rep for being difficult. I met her myself with a small group and she didn't seem please with the intrusion, but in her defense it was an intrusion - she was preparing for her broadcast.
Another friend worked for a number years in both News and Entertainment at ABC. His blanket statement was that the vast majority of the many, many celebrities that passed through were normal, polite people making their living. A few standouts that I remember him talking specifically about:
Billy Joel - very friendly
Bruce Springsteen - Subdued, quiet but friendly and accommodating
Steven VanZandt - funny, nice man
Regis Philbin & Kelly Ripa - Not overly friendly, but not rude or anything negative.
Diane Sawyer - Kind of aloof.
Elizabeth Vargas - Nobody liked her, was called Elizab*tch behind her back. (This disappointed me greatly)
Peter Jennings - Superior attitude. One time he made a rude comment to my friend and my friend decided to shoot back with a snarky comment about something Jennings was wearing that night. Jennings got a real kick out of the fact that someone had the balls to take him on and from then on they would take friendly snipes at each other, so he enjoyed his interaction with him. He also made it sound like he was one a few who could get away with it.
Neil Diamond - Before he entered the hallway, everyone was instructed to face the wall and not look at him. What more can you say about that?
Finally, my niece was a hostess at restaurant if Florida when Adam Sandler came in with a large group. He was riding high at the box office at that time. He asked to be put in an area where there wouldn't be any intrusions and to please not be making calls to friends that he was there. He was very nice to the staff and he tipped very generously.
I've only seen a few clips of Mr. VanZandt's performance as Silvio Dante on The Sopranos but I was so captivated by him that I intend to watch the entire series. I saw an interview where he describes how he got the part and my respect for him skyrocketed. He and Paul Schaeffer are two guys I'd go out of my way to say hello to if I ever saw them.
I grew up on Long Island in close proximity to NYC. In 1972 I was 17 years old dating a 16 year old, two crazy high school kids. Back then in NY the drinking age was 18 but many places would serve you even underage. I took my date into the city to see Grease in its original run on Broadway. Arriving early I said lets go to Sardi's for a drink. Sat at the bar and ordered 7 and 7's. She went to the bathroom and while she is gone who comes in but Soupy Sales, Bill Cullen, Gary Moore, Peggy Cass and Kitty Carlisle, the cast from To Tell the Truth on dinner break. Soupy sat next to me and I introduced myself and said I was on a date and looking to impress the girl, when she comes back could you act like you know me. Upon her return he turns to me and says "Bob, how the hell are you". Introductions all around and he buys us a drink. Told the girlfriend that he was a friend of the family.
15 years later....
I am out of college and grad school and run into the girl from high school and start dating her. About 6 months in my sister is getting married and I ask her to be my date to the wedding. She quickly asks if Soupy Sales will be in attendance. Caught in a 15 year lie I told her he couldn't make it but sent a lovely gift. At the reception we are sitting at the table with my Mom and Dad. She turns to my Mom and comments on the reception and says "it's a shame Soupy Sales couldn't make it". I dragged her out on to the dance floor just as my mother said, "why the hell would Soupy Sales be here".
Oh what a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive.
I never did but saw Edward James Olmos at Disney World. He apparently wasn't trying to avoid being noticed because he was wearing a NBC (IIRC) studio jacket. Someone I communicated with claimed Patrick Duffy is a nice guy.
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