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So, this zombie thread came back to life ? OK, I'll chime in. Over the years I've appraised dozens of celebrity homes. It's interesting when you meet them where they live. By far, the nicest ones who come to mind are Hal Holbrook, Don Rickles, James Cameron, Pink, Gary Sinise, Tom Hanks & Kris Jenner (butter simply will not melt in this woman's mouth, she is so nice). I've also done a few who were not particularly nice, but I won't name them here.
On my 13th birthday (1978), my mom secretly called the Dallas Cowboys and got ahold of Roger Staubach's personal assistant. He was my idol. The assistant promised that if Roger was in town, he would call me on my birthday to speak with me as my present (we were poor). She told me as the night wore on, so of course I waited by the phone the rest of the night. Ended up, he was in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl and that's an expensive call so I completely respect that. Two weeks later, I got a personalized autograph from Roger.
At a Seahawks/Cowboys game in Seattle in 1979, I got the autograph of Harvey Martin, Charley Waters, Cliff Harris (all of the Dallas Cowboys) and Frank Gifford and Fran Tarkenton, who were commenting for ABC Monday Night Football that night. The Cowboys were class acts (Waters suffered his career-ending injury that game). Tarkenton scribbled his sig and handed it to Gifford, who dropped it and literally walked over it as I reached down for it, nearly running me over. Tark was fine, Gifford was a jerk to everyone.
In 1992 & 1993, I went to the VSDA convention in Las Vegas. Met a bunch of celebrities there:
Uber-sweet: Cindy Crawford (asked about my Cubs shirt I was wearing when I walked up for our selfie together), Reba McEntire (talked w me like a friend and made sure I got a pic w her when I forgot I was holding a camera), George Carlin (best experience: was writing my name wrong on the autograph and when I said something, he said it was the drugs from the '60s coming back. When my camera didn't work for our pic, he told me to come back when it did. When I got it working, I had to step to the front of the line and he said he remembered me and waved me forward. Very nice man), Julie Strain (posed for me personally in the back hallway one day and remembered me the next day when asking for her autograph in line), Irene Cara (allowed me behind the desk for a selfie with her -- right next to Za Za Gabor: more on her below...), Sara Suzanne Brown (SUPER nice - allowed me to take video of her as well as a selfie and autograph), Robert Davi (genuinely a nice man in real life who VERY MUCH appreciated his fans), porn actresses Ashlyn Gere & Tori Welles, Mermaid Julie Black of Bennett Marine Videos - nice, classy ladies, all.
Nice to fans: Mimi Rogers, Dona Spier, Kathy Smith, most of the early-90s Playboy Playmates, Rachel McLish, Nia Peeples, Patrick Bergin, Joan Severance, Charlene Hilton, Leslie Nielsen, Estelle Getty, Bobcat Goldthwaite, Dana Carvey, Samuel L. Jackson, D.B. Sweeney, Moira Kelly.
Neutral: Dom DeLuise, Tanya Tucker, John Cullum & Elaine Miles (both of "Northern Exposure" - John was a bit arrogant while Elaine was just very quiet, as you'd expect), Charlton Heston (he smiled for stacks of Polaroids but I never heard him say one word to the fans), Kenny Rogers (ended up standing next to him for 10 mins while his and my personal oil portraits with 40 Playboy Playmates dried - I smiled at him but he wasn't interested in talking to anyone but the Playmates, can't blame him), Dominique Wilkins (saw him walking by himself in a back aisle just visiting the show. He wasn't there to meet fans and he and I locked eyes for a long few seconds. His look said, "Please don't say who I am." So I just let him walk by without saying a word.)
Worthless: Andrew Stevens (yes, he's as arrogant as he portrayed in movies), Jim Brown (one of my childhood heroes, I made the mistake of innocently telling him he had an attractive daughter who was standing behind him. She smiled sweetly at the compliment. The mistake is that I'm a white guy. He don't like white people clearly by his reaction.), porn star Savannah (she was on drugs - committed suicide a couple years later sadly),
Plain rude: Charlie Sheen (blew cigarette smoke in EVERYONE'S face as he signed), Za Za Gabor (I see in multiple posts above she's notorious. I can attest: Her personal assistant had her lift a LARGE mirror in front of her face to apply heavy makeup EVERY PERSON in line. Not an exaggeration - one-fan-at-a-time. Her assistant should have permanently mounted the damn mirror. Then she was RUDE to the fans. Zero selfies. And this was when she was a VOICE ACTOR on "Happily Ever After". No wonder Dom DeLuise for the same movie got up and just started wandering through the line signing for people so he didn't have to sit next to her like poor, sweet Irene Cara. Za Za must have her own personal penthouse in hell. She deserves it. Nasty woman).
Hundreds of by-mail autograph requests came back from the early-'90s but those weren't really in-person. My favorite though was from Halle Berry that she personalized by writing a sweet little note on her photo to me about my letter I'd sent, and Morganna The Kissing Bandit sent back an autograph with her lipstick where she kissed the pic so that was fun.
At an airport, when my wife was a teenager, she once literally bumped into Muhammed Ali (right before he showed signs of slowing down) but she was too stunned to say anything. She just let him walk on, then he was mobbed by autograph hounds. She said he was nice to them for what it's worth.
I'm sure others have better stories. Just my brief brushes w fame.
I have met only one well-known personality. It was Tennessee Williams.
In the summer of 1972, I visited a friend who was living in NYC. My friend rented a room from William E. Hunt, who was a theater director. Mr. Hunt was scheduled to direct an off-Broadway production of Tennessee's play, 'Small Craft Warnings.'
There was a reading of the play at Mr. Hunt's apartment and Tennessee Williams was present. My friend and I were allowed to stay for the reading, but had to remain in the kitchen.
After the reading was finished, my friend and I were introduced to Tennessee. It was a short conversation, but Williams was pleasant to both of us.
There is a celebrity, who for the longest time, I had in the “rude” category, but has moved his way into the “nice” category.
There are a lot of big-name celebrities in the little beach town in Eastern Long Island where my vacation home is located, but the one guy you could always count on seeing in town, is Alec Baldwin. Main Street is only one block long, so there are not many places to go, so for the last 20 years, on a daily basis I would see him either at the coffee shop, the gym, or on a grassy area called the square. And for 20 years, he always seemed like this grumpy, kind of angry guy who had no interest in friendly chit chat.
Then, I dont know if having 4 toddlers softened him up, or maybe it was the court-ordered anger management classes, but at the beginning of last summer, I was sitting on a bench on the square with my dog. He and his wife were running around with his kids on the grass, and suddenly he hobbled toward me, with his hand on his lower back, and sat he next to me on the bench and started talking to me. After that, the rest of the summer, whenever he saw me, we would talk for a little bit. Turns out, he is a really nice guy. He is dramatic, and seems like “actor” mode is ingrained in his personality, but very nice. His kids are his world, and he talks about them constantly. At the end of the summer, we were talking at the gym, and on the way out to our cars I asked him if he would take a selfie with me. This was something I was hesitant about, because, A. He does not have a good track record with people taking pictures of him. And, B. It seemed like we were becoming acquaintances, so I didn’t want it to become a celebrity/fan kind of relationship. But at this point, I figured it was relatively safe that we moved past that. Plus, it was the end of the summer and I figured by the time I see him next summer he would forget about the picture. Anyway, he couldn’t have been nicer about taking the picture. He even rearranged us, saying “It will look better this way.”, and he was right. We were both all sweaty and in our gym clothes, but we both have big smiles on our faces, in a great pose, with his hand on my shoulder like as if we are old friends. It is one of my favorite celebrity pictures that I have.
Many years ago, Boxer Riddick Bowe came to my job and posed for pictures and signed autographs. He was a very nice, BIG guy but I felt a little bad for him. He was slurring his words a little (being hit in the head) brutal sport. He said I had a "pretty smile" in the picture we took. Sweet guy.
Angelia Jolie was filming Salt in my old neighborhood. At night, her people called ahead to a local restaurant to give them a "heads-up" that someone "big" was coming. I don't think the place was crowded at all (it was late) but she showed up and was actually very nice to the staff. They said she tipped well and told them, "oh yes, Brad is home watching the kids." I saw the picture she took with the staff on their wall. She had blonde hair in it.
In the 1980s, my little sister went with her friends to ABC Studios to get autographs of soap stars. She said most of them were very gracious. Susan Lucci was very nice. Let her take her pix and gave her an autograph- her handwriting was lovely. (No, I wasn't born when he was alive but Babe Ruth had an awesome signature!!) I've seen it on those Antique shows... He would have been so cool to meet.
I don't know if anyone remembers Joanie Greggains? She hosted Morning Stretch - a big fitness trainer. I started using her tapes as a teen, then bought her videos - I got into good shape - she was always a favorite. Sent her a fan "email" and she actually replied back very nicely! Love Joanie G. - much better
personality (and exercises) than Jane Fonda.
I do like John Mellencamp's music but don't like him as a person. My friend got awesome seats for us to see him at Carnegie Hall - 4 rows back from the stage. He chewed gum like a cow, kept turning his head to the side and would spit on stage! He was pretty gross.....I know he isn't fond of NY - he's an Indiana boy but hey - NYers bought your (pricey) tickets, showed up, show some class... Wherever that guy is "in the moment" he always seems to resent being there.
It sounds like the ultimate nice guy was the late John Candy! Sigh, gone too soon.
I had the honor of meeting Mick Jagger at the executive terminal at PHX airport... what a nice dude. While the guy I was with who worked there and I were dumbstruck, he chatted with us as he waited to go to his chartered airplane as if he'd known us since we were little kids.
Same place, met Stevie Nicks. She was neither friendly nor talkative, and in retrospect she was pretty high, so not really a fair assessment.
At an air show where I was sitting static display I met the headliner for the evening concert, Jimmy Buffett. He is as fun and personable as his stage show lets on.
At a steak place in Amarillo (!) my wife and I were seated next to Chris Isaak. You'd never guess who he was, and he was not annoyed when anyone stopped by to briefly say they loved his music.
I was commissioned by Barry Goldwater, and met John McCain the same day. Down to earth political maverick types. Also, I met Mike Huckabee when he was governor, and he's probably the most interesting and just-plain-folks politician I ever met. Can't say the same about two other senators, an attorney general and a governor I have met. (For those interested, a 50/50 mix Democrat/Republican)
Many years ago, Boxer Riddick Bowe came to my job and posed for pictures and signed autographs. He was a very nice, BIG guy but I felt a little bad for him. He was slurring his words a little (being hit in the head) brutal sport. He said I had a "pretty smile" in the picture we took. Sweet guy.
Angelia Jolie was filming Salt in my old neighborhood. At night, her people called ahead to a local restaurant to give them a "heads-up" that someone "big" was coming. I don't think the place was crowded at all (it was late) but she showed up and was actually very nice to the staff. They said she tipped well and told them, "oh yes, Brad is home watching the kids." I saw the picture she took with the staff on their wall. She had blonde hair in it.
In the 1980s, my little sister went with her friends to ABC Studios to get autographs of soap stars. She said most of them were very gracious. Susan Lucci was very nice. Let her take her pix and gave her an autograph- her handwriting was lovely. (No, I wasn't born when he was alive but Babe Ruth had an awesome signature!!) I've seen it on those Antique shows... He would have been so cool to meet.
I don't know if anyone remembers Joanie Greggains? She hosted Morning Stretch - a big fitness trainer. I started using her tapes as a teen, then bought her videos - I got into good shape - she was always a favorite. Sent her a fan "email" and she actually replied back very nicely! Love Joanie G. - much better
personality (and exercises) than Jane Fonda.
I do like John Mellencamp's music but don't like him as a person. My friend got awesome seats for us to see him at Carnegie Hall - 4 rows back from the stage. He chewed gum like a cow, kept turning his head to the side and would spit on stage! He was pretty gross.....I know he isn't fond of NY - he's an Indiana boy but hey - NYers bought your (pricey) tickets, showed up, show some class... Wherever that guy is "in the moment" he always seems to resent being there.
It sounds like the ultimate nice guy was the late John Candy! Sigh, gone too soon.
My friend has known Joanie Greggains for over 40 years and has said very nice things about her (and I've known my friend longer than Joanie Greggains has).
Only celeb I ever met was Neal McCoy as my wife and I were flying out from our small airport (no jets, just turboprop feeders) to, ironically, our wedding. Dude was as pleasant and happy to talk as could be. Just a great time in a plane with less than 50 people. I don’t care if you’re into country music or not, you gotta respect this guy.
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Last to the party...
Love Joanie G. - much better
He was pretty gross.....I know he isn't fond of NY - he's an Indiana boy but hey - NYers bought your (pricey) tickets, showed up, show some class...
Wherever that guy is "in the moment" he always seems to resent being there. 
Sigh, gone too soon.
