Meeting a celebrity...

[larry]

Said hello to Barry Williams on a street corner in Branson, MO. Was only afterward that I realized who he was (Greg Brady from Brady Bunch).

Said hello to Ron White at a casino buffett.

Sat next to Megan Fox at a small restaurant near Jackson, WY. Again, horrible with names but recognized her face.

My brother-in-law stood in the urinal stall next to Andy Williams and we dined next to Yakov Smirnoff at Top of The Rock on Table Rock lake.

Through it all i believe it is a small world after all and there is credence to the six degrees of Kevin Bacon.

 

[Nemo2]

Stood two places away from Richard Moll, (the bailiff in Night Court), in a buffet line in Zagreb circa 1987.

They were apparently filming 'something' in the region, no idea what....do recall that, while he appeared 'normal', his wife was somewhat of a diva, (saw her outside the hotel the next morning), expecting treatment normally reserved for visiting Royalty.

 

[marko]

Hanging out in airline club rooms for 30 years I've met a lot of people.

Al Jarreau, Neil Sedaka, Neil Diamond, Kareem, Johnny Bench, Elton John, Ringo, Rene Zelwegger, Herbie Hancock, Howard Cosell and dozens of politicians etc.

I would almost always respect their privacy with just a smile, making eye contact and a nod and maybe a casual "Thanks for your music". Nowadays the really big names fly private but there's still a lot of celebrity traffic.

I was in a hotel lobby in Asia one time and I was standing there looking in the window of a lobby shop (in Asia some lobby shops sell really expensive stuff). After a minute or so I was aware of a guy who walked up, standing next to me also looking in the window but there was suddenly a big bustle of noise and a lot people behind him (and other people keeping them at arms length). I turned to be face to face with Michael Jackson. He smiled and said "Hi"...IIRC I couldn't say anything.

 

[audreyh1]

One time in Austin long ago, we were driving towards a discount bookstore (BookStop) in a high end shopping district, and my husband pointed out that the car in front of us was a custom Acura sports car and probably cost $100K. The car pulled into the same parking lot and parked close to us in an empty section of the lot. Well, no wonder, out stepped Michael Dell! He was wearing some pretty strange plaid Bermuda shorts in pastel colors.

Had quite a few celebrity sightings in Austin. Ladybird Johnson frequented a certain upscale Chinese restaurant. Dan Rather frequented a certain restaurant out on Lake Travis. We'd occasionally stumble into a celebrity in downtown Austin. I can't remember if we ever ran into Willy though.

Oh, and we once saw Thomas Hayden Church shopping in an HEB in Kerrville. He owned a ranch nearby, and his interesting "ranch wear" included pants tucked into a pair of knee-high fringed suede boots.

 

[REWahoo]

Oh, and we once saw Thomas Hayden Church shopping in an HEB in Kerrville. He owned a ranch nearby, and his interesting "ranch wear" included pants tucked into a pair of knee-high fringed suede boots.

I was shopping at a Lowes in San Antonio a few years back and walked past a weathered old guy talking with a store employee about purchasing some Christmas decorations. The guy's voice sounded familiar but I didn't immediately recognize him as he was wearing sunglasses. As they continued talking it hit me - Tommy Lee Jones. He owns a ranch in the area.

 

[Midpack]

Oh, and we once saw Thomas Hayden Church shopping in an HEB in Kerrville. He owned a ranch nearby, and his interesting "ranch wear" included pants tucked into a pair of knee-high fringed suede boots.

Interesting, I saw him with a woman in the San Antonio airport, just killing time near the gates like everyone else. Both wearing jeans, casual. I didn't approach him (usually don't), but I watched someone else approach him - Church was none too pleased at being confronted, and quietly but firmly let the guy have it.

 

[eytonxav]

DFW as a former Dallasite, curious who was the news anchor?

http://www.dfw.com/2014/08/26/920287/report-tracy-kornet-leaving-cbs.html

 

[Fedup]

For me it's celebrity sighting and not meeting. I saw the American actress who played the role of Lady Mary's mom in Downtown Abbey near a flat I rented in London for 5 weeks.
Another one, is my husband is a Lakers Fan, a while back, we saw Koby Bryant driving in a Bentley near us. Pelican hill area.

 

[braumeister]

we saw Koby Bryant driving in a Bentley near us. Pelican hill area.

Interesting how some celebrities really enjoy their cars (think Jay Leno for example). When I w*rked in the Bel Air area, I used to sometimes see Johnny Carson driving his custom Mercedes on Sunset Blvd. Remarkable car.

 

[DrRoy]

I worked for DuPont for 32 years and met Jeff Gordon 3 times.

Ran into David McCullough, the author, in the Atlanta airport early last year.

Last June, DW and I attended Spacefest VII and met many astronauts, including Mike Collins, Alan Bean, Jim Lovell, Al Wordon, and Charlie Duke. Got some autographs there. Gene Cernan, who was the last man on the moon, died in January.
.

 

[pacergal]

Random group over the years: Jimmy Dean, LeeAnn Rhimes, Jesse Jackson, Barry Williams, ZZ Top

 

[MRG]

You folks are hanging with some serious celebs.

I used to golf with G. Gordon Liddy. Well I was golfing, he only had a view of the course.

 

[Nemo2]

You folks are hanging with some serious celebs.

I used to golf with G. Gordon Liddy. Well I was golfing, he only had a view of the course.

Did he hang a white handkerchief through the bars?

 

[NW-Bound]

I have never shared a table with, nor been introduced to any celebrity. If I ran across any in real life, I would not recognize many, despite knowing their names from stories in the media. I often know the name but not the face.

 

[MRG]

Did he hang a white handkerchief through the bars?

Couldn't quite see the facility from the course. The out of bounds fence on a couple holes was marked "Keep out Federal Prison" or something. Occasionally you could see some supervised inmates off in the distance.

I remember my DM telling of being on the course when there was fire at an attempted escapee. They all were on the ground for a while. Nobody was hurt, and the fellow never left the facility.

 

[travelover]

I met Abraham Lincoln. He was in my wallet.

 

[NYEXPAT]

When I was a kid, I walked into Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe's Honeymoon suite. Watched TV for 15 minutes in the living room before going to look for my parents. Passed a
bathroom in the hallway and saw Joe shaving and hightalled it out of their. We were in the suite next door.

As an adolescent walking down the street in Edgartown, Ran in to Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow (wearing pigtails licking a huge lollipop) and Frank said hello to me.

My ex-wife and I held lots of parties (80's-90's) and met and drank with Alec Baldwin, Billy Baldwin, Billy Joel,Angelina Jolie's father, (John Hurt?) Joey Buttafuco and his Wife (after the shooting), Gloria Estefan in a club in NYC, I used to party with Jason Bonham whenever he was in NYC and met a lot of guys from various rock bands.

Bought a couple of beers and had a nice conversation with the President of Peru while he was campaigning for his second election.( he lost and they are now trying to extradite him from the USA on corruption charges)

I have a friend who is a famous Arab sheikh and have partied with dignitaries, rode in motorcades, dined,drank and smoked cigars in private clubs all over Peru. Had a General fly us up to a military base in his chopper and allowed us to fire a wide assortment of weapons.

I am sure there were others but my mind is a bit fuzzy from the 80's till about 2001.

 

[sengsational]

I hung around with this actor for quite a while over the holidays. I even got a present in the mail from him just a couple of days ago. Both of his kids are enchanting. His son, despite being "too young for it", is quite the little quad copter pilot.

 

[AlbaCrush]

My job allowed me to meet numerous political figures, actors, and athletes. I could list over 100. A few of the top celebs: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, Sandra Bullock, and Bill Clinton.

One of my favorite celebrity meetings was at a conference in San Diego. I served in the Marine Corps in my younger years so Full Metal Jacket has always been one of my favorite movies. I was so excited when I met R. Lee Ermey who played the drill instructor in the movie. I had him choke me like he did in one of the scenes in the movie as follows: "Now choke yourself Pyle...Not with your hand...My Hand".

 

[FI by 2024]

I met Newt Gingrich a few years ago. There is a picture of about 5 of us with him out there somewhere.

I've also met Simon Sinek of TEDTalk and author fame a couple of times. Not a fan.

I missed meeting Dean Cain one day when I'd taken the day off work. Still a tad upset about that.

When I was young, I met most of the late 80s/early 90s Runnin' Rebels and the late, great Jerry Tarkanian. I cried buckets when he passed.

I also ran into Andre Agassi and Brooke Shields once back when they were together. I was too young to care much, though.

I've met quite a few military leaders who would be impressive to military people. A couple of astronauts, too. Apparently I missed meeting Secretary Mattis by about 30 seconds a few weeks ago. But based on the stories about him, I'm sure I'll meet him in line for dry cleaning or a sandwich soon enough!

 

[Z3Dreamer]

RFK invited some of the kids from the local orphanage over to his estate. I have a clipping from the Washington Post of me in his swimming pool. I was about 4.

Also have a 1975 picture of me shaking hands/getting some award from Robert Gates. I believe he was deputy head spook at the time.

 

[Zona]

I was having lunch while on vacation on a small island in the Grenadines, and I heard a low-timbred, unmistakable voice at the table behind me. I turned around and it was Donald Sutherland. I knew who it was before even seeing his face -- isn't it funny how a few voices just have a certain memorable "presence"? Later, we crossed paths again while walking on the beach and said "hi", but no more than that. So I guess technically we met...

 

[Midpack]

Not me, but my SIL (college years summer job) served breakfast to Billy Joel, Christy Brinkley and their then new baby (Alexa Ray) at a posh resort in New England. Her description to us was 'Christy was absolutely stunning-radiant-perfect, and the baby was a doll. Billy OTOH looked like a disheveled old basset hound'...

 

[redduck]

.
I lived down the street from Dick Smothers.

Ah, yes, Dickie and Tommy Smothers and the two women they were with. I guess we had some sort of interaction because after the interaction I got fired from my job. Luckily for me, the firing turned into a three-day suspension. They (the women) felt they were entitled. I didn't share their feelings.

 

[Tailgate]

W**ked in radio and television for 40 years, so I've encountered more celebs than I could begin to list, but a couple of fun or funny side notes:

Ronny Milsap- picked him and his manager up at a hotel so he could do an interview at the station I was the program director for.. about 1985 or so. He was still a hot country star. As he approached my car with his manager as his sighted guide, the manager told him the make and model of my car as he opened the door.. guess Ronny could use that information as a blind man in order to navigate.

He sat in the passenger side with me driving. I was playing a cassette and Marvin Gaye was singing 'I heard it through the grapevine'. Ronny sang harmony at the top of his voice and was playing the drums on my dashboard. Very cool.

Ray Stevens- of 'The Streak' fame headlined a show. My boss, a friend of mine and I had lunch with him and his manager. Backstage later that evening at the coliseum, my friend got a little tipsy and was holding a plastic cup full of rum and coke. As the announcer was introducing Stevens and the with the audience cheering, just as he ascended the stairs stage left to take the stage, my friend slapped him on the back and said 'have a great show' and spilled half the glass of whisky on him. The look on his face could kill... but the show went on and was great....we, meanwhile, conveniently slipped out of the back door.

Probably biggest 'celeb' of sorts was George Bush. Used to run into him at the bars during his drinking days long ago. Nice guy and good sense of humor.