What celebrities have you "brushed up" against?

[cantdog]

not that I'm stalking you or anything...

We brush up against celebs a lot up here, especially along the coast. What we ordinarily do is just ignore their celebrity and treat 'em like humans. Martha wanted us to bow down, and she was disliked, locally, for that reason, but most celebs seem to respond to the treatment by acting like humans. We don't turn 'em in to papparazzi, either.

 

[deathlynx]

Something on another thread gave me the idea for this silly diversion. What celebrities have you encountered?

Eeep! Quite a few actually...I used to work tech (lighting) for theater and concerts so I've half-met a few...These are just off the top of my head (don't hold spelling against me )...

Kevin Bacon: The road house I worked for had the Bacon Bros play so I briefly met him...talked more to his brother though as he spent most of his time backstage in his dressing room...Got to drive his rented minivan though...

Brock Lesner: I was working a Smackdown show and he was sitting in the caf discussing the night's plots while I was getting dinner...

Stephanie McMahon: Same Smackdown show, I was repairing the castors on a light rack when she wandered by, stopped and asked what I was doing (in a friendly way)...I explained and she thanked me for the good work...

Bonnie Franklin: Working at a local theater I was one of two techs for a small production of Shirly Valentine...It's a one woman show and she was the actress...got some pictures somewhere of us...Small shows breed tight groups...(though I'm sure she wouldn't remember me )

 

[slyc_willie]

Hmm, there've been a few . . . .

Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Manu Ginobilli, Tony Parker, and Robert Horry from the Spurs all come into the restaurant now and then, since we're located close to where they all live. Duncan, especially. He always gets takeout from us before home games. Must be a superstition.

Tommy Lee Jones, at a grocery store here in the city, several years ago. He was wearing a red baseball cap, sunglasses, and a blue windbreaker, trying to be inconspicuous. But his voice gave him away and he got mini-mobbed

Ginger Lynn (sigh) a few years ago in Vegas. She's still freakin' gorgeous.

David Duchovny and Tia Leone when I lived in Seattle. Guess Dave was taking a break from filming the X-files in Vancouver.

Stevie Ray Vaughan, way back when, when he used to stop in at the Gruene Music Hall down here in Texas. He'd come in, have a few beers, play a little, and just hang out. He gave me one of his guitar picks after I offered to buy him a beer (but he always drank for free, anyway). Great guy. Peace to you, Stevie

I saw Woody Allen a few times when I lived in NYC . . . not all that talkative. Drinks way too much coffee.

Lessee . . . back stage with both Sting in Madison, WI, and Journey in Milwaukee . . . do those count?

Johnnie Lee Miller at Black's in Soho . . . he danced with my wife (no, I wasn't jealous . . . well, maybe a little) Then he bought us tequila shots.

Hmm . . . there might be more, but that's enough for now.

 

[hmmnmm]

Bill Clinton while he was governor of Arkansas.

No joke, I almost killed him. I was stationed at an Air Force base in Arkansas that was scheduled to be closed in the early 90's. When a base closes, it's turned over to the state after the military moves out. Clinton was there on a sight seeing tour as Governor to basically see what his state would be getting.

I was up inside the landing gear of a B-52 doing some work. People that work on B-52's know that you don't simply walk under the gear without seeing if someone is up there. Apparently no one told the Governor this, so he stepped into the LG well just as I was jumping down. I had to catch something and pull myself back or I would have landed right on top of him.

As this was happening, I didn't know who the idiot was that came strolling under the gear well, and I was pretty pissed. I had landed awkwardly in trying to avoid the person, and I came up saying something like "you dumba....................." Shit.... it's the governor.

My anger quickly dissipated, and his shock of almost having someone land on him quickly dissipated too. We wound up having a conversation for about 15-20 minutes. Very charming man to talk to.

Reminded me of GW Bush.
I didn't brush against him nor meet him.
But he was having dinner and/or a few drinks in a cafe/bar a couple buildings down - so I heard, so this is separation by buildings rather than persons. This was way before he was president, before Texas governorship. Back when he owned the Texas Rangers baseball team.

........I've been trying to think of a clever way to say that his baseball team didn't win many games, either... but it's not coming together.......

Never mind.
Carry on.

 

[Huckleman2000]

I once saw Oliver Stone choking in a restaurant in Santa Monica - someone had to give him the Heimlich maneuver.

Every now and then I recognize someone I knew from my acting days, in a commercial or some bit part on a TV show. Only they look old.

 

[Seattle Zack]

During my cab-driving days down in Northern California, I met a few. Once I was driving some legal papers up to San Fran (mid-eighties, '83 or '84), right in the mess in the middle of the city, and I get into an elevator with Robin Williams.

It was just us two, sharing a swift ride to the forty-somethingth floor. Up close, he's an incredibly hirsute individual; he was wearing some sort of lavender/pink polo shirt, and his body hair was sprouting from his shoulders all the way down his back through the polyester mesh. So, finally, I get up the courage and ask him, you're Robin Williams, right? Can I have your autograph?

"An autograph is so impersonal," he smirks, like it's a rehearsed line. "How about a Quaalude?" He pulls out this prescription bottle from his pocket and hands me this horse pill, about the size of a walnut. Then the doors open and he disappears.

So that's my Robin Williams story. He smelled great but man, was he hairy.

--Zack

 

[oggbashan]

Electioneering

Back in the 1960s I was active in a political party I've now left.

A general election was coming and volunteers were needed to go door to door asking people to vote for THE party.

The constituency was "The Cities of London and Westminster".

I spent many hours tramping around knocking on doors, saying a few words to the few who answered the door and pushing a party leaflet through the door if there was no answer.

As a dedicated volunteer should, I kept records of who I had spoken to, and where I had received no answer. I would revisit the area at least twice to try to see as many people as possible.

For most of the area I covered everything was fairly normal but in my beat was the City of Westminster, close to the Houses of Parliament. Many Members of Parliament (MPs) had pied-a-terres close by and I was canvassing MPs. My chance of persuading an MP of the opposing party to vote for the candidate I was supporting was nil. A peculiarity of the UK electoral system is that Lords cannot vote (nor can prisoners or the severely mentally ill).

If I disturbed an MP of our party he/she would send me quickly on my way with an encouraging word or two. If however the MP was of the opposing party they might, if they had time, try to detain me with academic discussion about my party's manifesto and the system of elections in the UK, sometimes over a cup of coffee, a glass of wine or whisky or even High Tea. I think the word got around that Og was immune to the wine and whisky because formal tea became more frequent. I didn't mind because I had completed almost the whole of my patch and I knew that swing voters were unlikely in the small area close to the Houses of Parliament I was canvassing. You wouldn't expect to find illiterates in university accommodation: I didn't expect to find anyone except politicians paying high rents to be close to Parliament.

The point of the exercise was to show that my party was actually sending people out door to door in an area where they knew the result was certain. The sitting MP had one of the largest majorities in the UK. If I had time to talk to the opposition without expressing anxiety to get on then we must have sufficient resources to waste - playing mind-games with the other side.

I was pleasantly entertained by at least three Lords from the opposing party. One even invited me to go shooting on his Scottish estate (during the week before the election, of course!). One MP tried to convince me that he might vote for my party but I had recognised him as soon as his butler showed me into the library...

I met some very interesting and famous people, sometimes at length. I enjoyed myself but I didn't convince anyone important to change their party allegiance. I might have won a few votes in some of the other areas, but not close to Parliament.

Community work often brings contact with the famous. My brother organised a massive festival and invited the boxer Henry Cooper to open it. I had to act as escort for "Our Henry" for a couple of hours. I was really impressed. He had been paid to open the event and for another hour of "pressing the flesh" wandering around talking to stall holders, exhibitors and the public. He stayed for three hours and bought things from many of the stalls with his own money. I and his chauffeur had to make a couple of trips back to the car to unload the purchases, most of which Henry gave to a boxing charity to resell.

The famous aren't always as pleasant as Henry Cooper.

Og

 

[jomar]

Kevin Bacon: The road house I worked for had the Bacon Bros play so I briefly met him...talked more to his brother though as he spent most of his time backstage in his dressing room...Got to drive his rented minivan though...

Finally!

 

[neonlyte]

Kirsten Dunst was in St Barts on 5th Avenue for the Easter Sunday service. Didn't see her in church, but bumped into her in Starbucks just around the corner - her daughter was holding on of the 'windmills on sticks' they were giving to the kiddies as they left church.

Oddly, we watched her on television the night before in 'Elizabethtown'.

 

[angelicminx]

My uncle and grandfather both worked for IBM. IBM had huge shows every year at Christmas. My uncle had a hand in organizing several of the shows. I got to meet Janie Fricke when I was about 15. BJ Thomas, The Mamas and the Papas, Erline Mandrell (who is a total sweetheart, and who my uncle took out a few times)... I'm sure there are others if I think about it long enough.

My father had jam sessions with Michael Martin Murphy. I don't recall them. I'm related to Red Skelton, or so I'm told.

Met John Michael and Eddie Montgomery, who are complete jerks. I like Troy Lee Gentry though. His wife is gorgeous and sweet. Met them before Mongomery Gentry's first album was released.

Goldberg... WOW. He's even hotter in person, and HUGE. He scared the hell out of my daughter, who was only 2 or 3 at the time and only weighed about 20 pounds.

My mother went to school with Jim Varney (Ernest). She says he asked her out several times, but she declined because they were such good friends. Ernest, according to her, is Jim Varney personified.

She was in the school band with Governor Ernie Fletcher, and says his wife is sweet as she can be.

Mom also dated Chuck Norris.

My husband has a ton of celebrity stories. He was a magician for over 30 years and made appearances on the Tonight Show, as well as a few other shows. He designed illusions for several of the top names in magic. He partied with several top name actors, musicians, magicians, and porn stars (Marilyn Chambers, among others).

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

just as an aside, if anyone can introduce me to Robin Meade of CNN Headline News fame, there's a steak dinner in it for you.

 

[shereads]

I see O.J. Simpson a lot.

Three or four times.

That wouldn't be a lot of George Clooney sightings, but it's a lot of times to share the air you're breathing with a brutal murderer who's always smiling.

 

[Guest]

So that's my Robin Williams story. He smelled great but man, was he hairy.

I've seen him in public several times, and yes, he's a very hairy. And oddly reticent too, when he's not on. Never talked to him, but saw from his body language he most definitely didn't want to talk. Saw others cooly rebuffed.

What is fun is to not let on you have recognized a celebrity. I mean, they always say on talk shows thats what they want, right? Usually, about five minutes in, they break down and introduce themselves.

 

[gauchecritic]

If you could invite anyone, past present or future to a dinner party... blah blah blah.

Can you actually name one single person (that everyone's heard of) living or dead that you would actually converse with rather than just asking them questions all the time just to hear them talk? Someone with whom you could have a discussion. A meandering discussion about various topics as they came up. Someone you think you might have enough in common with that they would be willing to listen to your prattle. Really. Just one. (I'll give you the answer later)

 

[TheeGoatPig]

(I'll give you the answer later)

THEE answer? Or just YOUR answer?

I might have to go with Whoopy Goldberg or Chris Rock. I am fascinated by their views on society. I don't even disagree with them, but the conversations that would come up would most likely keep us both entertained for hours.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Good answer! haha

Yeah, bumped into Skifs and Brost at airports.

Forgot to mention Jan Bylund and Adde Malmberg... and I once managed to get the e-mail address of Lasse Lindroth. http://www.pollyjuice.se/Smileys/other_hljus.gif

 

[hmmnmm]

The television is on, some celebrity gossip stuff. Christ they're all so boring. They all look like they popped out of a factory, all the same. What happened? I just got older I suppose. Something shifted.
Meaning, that I wouldn't know if I'd brushed up against any of the current crop of 'celebrities' and I wouldn't care. As someone said, they should mostly be ignored for a couple years, maybe they'll self-destruct and we can start all over.
Too bad the terrorists didn't crash their planes into hollywood. That's something we could actually thank them for.

Sorry... should change the channel.

Peace.

 

[jomar]

The television is on, some celebrity gossip stuff. Christ they're all so boring. They all look like they popped out of a factory, all the same. What happened? I just got older I suppose. Something shifted.
Meaning, that I wouldn't know if I'd brushed up against any of the current crop of 'celebrities' and I wouldn't care. As someone said, they should mostly be ignored for a couple years, maybe they'll self-destruct and we can start all over.
Too bad the terrorists didn't crash their planes into hollywood. That's something we could actually thank them for.

Sorry... should change the channel.

Peace.

No, keep watching. How else will you learn to recognize them. And the stories on those shows are so fascinating. I just saw one on the top ten booties in entertainent! And Fergie sent Alanis a cake shaped like humps!

 

[MagicaPractica]

If you could invite anyone, past present or future to a dinner party... blah blah blah.

Can you actually name one single person (that everyone's heard of) living or dead that you would actually converse with rather than just asking them questions all the time just to hear them talk? Someone with whom you could have a discussion. A meandering discussion about various topics as they came up. Someone you think you might have enough in common with that they would be willing to listen to your prattle. Really. Just one. (I'll give you the answer later)

Will Smith or George Lucas.

 

[Vermilion]

His Royal Highness, Prince of Wales. I'd love to hear his views on modern society. Failing that I reckon one of the Pankhursts would make an interesting dinner companion - what on earth would they make of modern feminism?
x
V

 

[oggbashan]

If you could invite anyone, past present or future to a dinner party... blah blah blah.

Can you actually name one single person (that everyone's heard of) living or dead that you would actually converse with rather than just asking them questions all the time just to hear them talk? Someone with whom you could have a discussion. A meandering discussion about various topics as they came up. Someone you think you might have enough in common with that they would be willing to listen to your prattle. Really. Just one. (I'll give you the answer later)

Charles Lamb: Author of essays of Elia.
Thomas Love Peacock
Lord Bacon

 

[CharleyH]

Sorry if that offended you. Didn't mean to.

LOL I WAS THANKING YOU!

 

[human_male]

I stood next to Dirk Benedict (Starbuck) at Tahiti airport baggage claim. I didn't brush up against him or anything. Who knows, he might have liked it. I was pretty when I was younger.

 

[jomar]

LOL I WAS THANKING YOU!

You are welcome. I will gladly speak on your behalf anytime. I have every confidence I know what you mean to say.

 

[cloudy]

If you could invite anyone, past present or future to a dinner party... blah blah blah.

Can you actually name one single person (that everyone's heard of) living or dead that you would actually converse with rather than just asking them questions all the time just to hear them talk? Someone with whom you could have a discussion. A meandering discussion about various topics as they came up. Someone you think you might have enough in common with that they would be willing to listen to your prattle. Really. Just one. (I'll give you the answer later)

King John (John Lackland).

I realize he has a nasty reputation, and purportedly well-deserved, but he had a brilliant political mind. I'm not convinced history has treated him fairly.