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I met Vern Troyer (Mini-Me from Austin Powers movies) at a car show in Milwaukee many years ago. It kind of seemed as if they were treating him like an object rather than a person, to be honest. I was sorry to hear of his passing.
I invaded Ricky Martin's space at a club in Chicago once. I pulled open the curtains in the VIP section (not knowing it was a VIP section. Derp) and came face to face with him and his entourage. I said, "Oh, sorry! Hi! Oh, it's YOU," and he barely had time to register that some strange woman was sticking her melon into his private booth before I ducked back out, so I don't know if he would have been nice or not. We'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
I've met Shaq, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen a few times each and they've all been very nice. Shaq is a big goofball and is very generous. Bono is short, old (57 now), and unattractive yet charms 100% of the women within eyesight of him. Not in a sleazy way, he just kisses their hand, lets them hug him, etc. He and the other guys in U2 sign autographs before and after nearly every show whether at an arena or football stadium. Springsteen doesn't sign as much but is very cordial when he does. I've never met anyone who commands as much respect from everyone around him. I've seen multiple New York Yankees be reduced to weak-kneed school girls in his presence.
A friend of mine has worked with every major country music star and many rock musicians. I asked him who the friendliest was and without hesitation he said, Keith Urban.
My husband's Mother owned a home in NY state. It was an old historic home close to a then Movie Director. He had actors come up and visit him, consult, stay w/ him, whatever. My husband's grandmother met Christopher Reeve (pre disability) while walking to the mailbox one day. He must have introduced himself, but she didn't know him (or care, LOL). Paul Newman had visited there, too--not sure they met him though. And, a singer from the 70's who I forgot at the moment.
I went to a Shawn Colvin concert in Lenox, Mass. and this was before she was well known...90 or 91'ish. While someone else was playing, she came in our aisle and sat down on seat at very end. She was small, petite. I didn't make a scene, LOL, just interesting to see her close up.
This is kind of a fun thread, isn't it?! It interests me that so many people have had very interesting encounters with celebrities. I've had a few and of those probably the most memorable was getting to stand next to Willie Nelson and have my picture taken with him. It happened after a concert during which he performed nonstop for nearly three hours. Afterwards, he patiently let throngs of fans queue up near his tour bus and one by one, we were allowed to step up into the huge bus, walk through it to where he was standing, meet him, pose with him, then exit through the door at the other end. This was circa 1994. Another famous person I have met is Diane Sawyer, but it was long before she climbed the ladder to huge success. We went to the same high school, were cheerleaders together, and we both had German class together. She was in high school much as one might surmise: very intelligent, very pretty, nice, with you but not really, aloof. Once while awaiting boarding procedures for a flight from L.A. to Tampa, Debbie Reynolds arrived in the gate area with a woman who looked like Heather Mills. Ms. Reynolds, at the time, was recovering from an injured foot and was using one crutch. Very matter of factly and w/o drawing any attention to herself, she took a seat and waited with the rest of us. I remember being surprised by how how tiny she seemed. She was dressed in all black and had no aura of glamour but was immaculately well put together. People in the gate area approached her and she very very patiently and kindly conversed with them and signed autographs when requested. On board the airplane she sat in seat 1A and shortly before take off the Capt. greeted her and said, "We often have celebrities fly with us but very few of your stature. Welcome aboard, Ms. Reynolds." She replied with, "That's very kind of you to say and I appreciate it." It was a red-eye flight and pretty much she slept the whole way to Tampa. When we landed, she deplaned quickly and the Tampa airport V.I.P. greeters whisked her away from the gate area w/o fanfare. I saw her luggage on the turnstyle and was very amused as it wasn't particularly star quality. As I recall the pieces appeared very road weary and definitely had seen many a mile. They were made of a tapestry and sported some duct tape here and there. Her name was clearly visible on each piece and I remember distinctly a large, round, hat piece which may have been for wigs. She was in Tampa for a one night, one woman performance. A disappointing celebrity encounter involved an evangelist male singer who used to appear on t.v. crusades for decades. I decline to mention his name. In my professional capacity as an airline employee at the time, it was my misfortune to have to deal with him on a couple of different occasions, both of which disheartened me as this person was the foulest, crudest, rudest, most deplorable, obnoxious, hautiest, verbally aggressive individual one would ever ever ever come across. He chewed up people with his "Do You Know Who I Am" attitude as if it were a blood sport. In contrast, I once interacted with Phyllis Diller regarding her travel and with her personal assistant, both of whom were complete sweethearts.
My husband works in TV so whenever big names go through his studio, I try and stop by for a visit.
Here are the ones that I've met:
NICEST
1. Mark Wahlberg
2. Joe Pesci
3. Colin Firth
4. Ben Affleck
5. Gary Oldman
*These actors were so incredibly nice and easy to talk to.
RUDEST
1. Tom Hanks
2. Natalie Portman
3. Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt (I saw them back in Jan. of 2012 when they were still together).
4. Samuel L. Jackson
*I don't know what the deal is w/ these rude celebs but they had major attitudes. Really don't care to see any of their movies now.
Not to be critical, but when I see lists like this I always wonder how celebrities are never allowed to have off days. I am usually a very cheerful person, but I remember an encounter with a gas station clerk who strongly chastised me (a non celebrity) for not smiling and being friendly. I was not rude just not "smiling and friendly". What he did not realize was that I had just left my mother's funeral/after funeral events and was getting gas for the long, lonely drive home. I doubt if anyone would be "smiling and friendly" in that situation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by westegg
Now that's a first with Tom Hanks. I guess he's entitled to one bad day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by luckyram
Yeah....that goes against everything I've ever heard or read about Hanks.....maybe he was having a real bad day? Also, he's a Type 2 diabetic so maybe that had something to do with it if he was having issues when the poster saw him.
Not to be critical, but when I see lists like this I always wonder how celebrities are never allowed to have off days. I am usually a very cheerful person, but I remember an encounter with a gas station clerk who strongly chastised me (a non celebrity) for not smiling and being friendly. I was not rude just not "smiling and friendly". What he did not realize was that I had just left my mother's funeral/after funeral events and was getting gas for the long, lonely drive home. I doubt if anyone would be "smiling and friendly" in that situation.
Totally understood!
Somewhat related, it reminds me of how we can have bad days and appear like a villain, even with a trifling situation. I recently got blocked while exiting a supermarket, where a charity table at a supermarket was. Someone was in no hurry to move; I couldn't easily get through and tried to get around, but it was more clunky a maneuver than expected. I probably came across like an impatient creep who made sure not to contribute anything. I do my own donations, and save spiders from drowning in a sink, so I'm not really a bad person, but some incidents can give the wrong impression.
Speaking of celebrities, I was always impressed how the otherwise intimidating Zero Mostel was so polite to me, a gawky teenager, when I nervously asked for an autograph. I don't think I posted this encounter on this thread earlier.
This is kind of a fun thread, isn't it?! It interests me that so many people have had very interesting encounters with celebrities. I've had a few and of those probably the most memorable was getting to stand next to Willie Nelson and have my picture taken with him. It happened after a concert during which he performed nonstop for nearly three hours. Afterwards, he patiently let throngs of fans queue up near his tour bus and one by one, we were allowed to step up into the huge bus, walk through it to where he was standing, meet him, pose with him, then exit through the door at the other end. This was circa 1994. Another famous person I have met is Diane Sawyer, but it was long before she climbed the ladder to huge success. We went to the same high school, were cheerleaders together, and we both had German class together. She was in high school much as one might surmise: very intelligent, very pretty, nice, with you but not really, aloof. Once while awaiting boarding procedures for a flight from L.A. to Tampa, Debbie Reynolds arrived in the gate area with a woman who looked like Heather Mills. Ms. Reynolds, at the time, was recovering from an injured foot and was using one crutch. Very matter of factly and w/o drawing any attention to herself, she took a seat and waited with the rest of us. I remember being surprised by how how tiny she seemed. She was dressed in all black and had no aura of glamour but was immaculately well put together. People in the gate area approached her and she very very patiently and kindly conversed with them and signed autographs when requested. On board the airplane she sat in seat 1A and shortly before take off the Capt. greeted her and said, "We often have celebrities fly with us but very few of your stature. Welcome aboard, Ms. Reynolds." She replied with, "That's very kind of you to say and I appreciate it." It was a red-eye flight and pretty much she slept the whole way to Tampa. When we landed, she deplaned quickly and the Tampa airport V.I.P. greeters whisked her away from the gate area w/o fanfare. I saw her luggage on the turnstyle and was very amused as it wasn't particularly star quality. As I recall the pieces appeared very road weary and definitely had seen many a mile. They were made of a tapestry and sported some duct tape here and there. Her name was clearly visible on each piece and I remember distinctly a large, round, hat piece which may have been for wigs. She was in Tampa for a one night, one woman performance. A disappointing celebrity encounter involved an evangelist male singer who used to appear on t.v. crusades for decades. I decline to mention his name. In my professional capacity as an airline employee at the time, it was my misfortune to have to deal with him on a couple of different occasions, both of which disheartened me as this person was the foulest, crudest, rudest, most deplorable, obnoxious, hautiest, verbally aggressive individual one would ever ever ever come across. He chewed up people with his "Do You Know Who I Am" attitude as if it were a blood sport. In contrast, I once interacted with Phyllis Diller regarding her travel and with her personal assistant, both of whom were complete sweethearts.
The evangelist sounds like a piece of work. Doesn't surprise me at all. Their personas versus the real them are often 2 different things.
Muhammad Ali was doing a celeb horse race at Maywood Park racetrack in 1979. I was 17 at the time and climbed a barb wire fence to get into the barn/backstretch area to try to get closer. I found him with only bodyguards and reporters there and he stopped everything to speak to me. No stranger had ever asked me "what's your name son" and then he signed an autograph that read "To Larry best wishes Muhammed Ali". As a child I never thought I would become a racist person but a few incidents prior to that had started to make me become that way. My encounter with the CHAMP had a life changing effect on me, the most famous man in the world took a minute to reach out to a young white kid and I was just blown away. I shed many tears when he passed away especially when hearing many others tell similar stories of his kindness. I have tears right now as I write this and have always thought about what a little kindness can do to change the world.
Muhammad Ali was doing a celeb horse race at Maywood Park racetrack in 1979. I was 17 at the time and climbed a barb wire fence to get into the barn/backstretch area to try to get closer. I found him with only bodyguards and reporters there and he stopped everything to speak to me. No stranger had ever asked me "what's your name son" and then he signed an autograph that read "To Larry best wishes Muhammed Ali". As a child I never thought I would become a racist person but a few incidents prior to that had started to make me become that way. My encounter with the CHAMP had a life changing effect on me, the most famous man in the world took a minute to reach out to a young white kid and I was just blown away. I shed many tears when he passed away especially when hearing many others tell similar stories of his kindness. I have tears right now as I write this and have always thought about what a little kindness can do to change the world.
What a nice story. Thanks for sharing!
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I do my own donations, and save spiders from drowning in a sink, so I'm not really a bad person, but some incidents can give the wrong impression.
