"My brush with fame"

margecat

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I almost met Barbara Bush once!
She visited the library where I now work; it was when I was a teenager; I can't remember if I was working there yet or not (I was "visiting" in the day; I worked part-time, a few nights a week). I was browsing the art section, when she came in, followed by reporters--she was a huge supporter of adult literacy, and my library won an award for it, hence her visit. I'm not into meeting celebrities, so I didn't go over to gawk (and I'm not a gawker, anyway). My Mom was with me, and she went over--and Mrs. Bush accidentally bumped into her, knocking her over. She bent over to help Mom up, apologizing profusely, "I'm so sorry, my dear! Please, let me help you up! Are you o.k.???" Mom thought she was a very nice person.

I did try to meet Glenn Beck at a local book signing a few months ago; we waited at a table in the bookstore, but Glenn was more than 30 minutes late, so we left (we had to get home to feed the cats!). Drat! The only time I've ever wanted to meet a celebrity, and this happens...
 

sandtigress

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Oh, MargeCat's post reminded me of another of mine.

I almost had lunch with then President of Texas A&M and later Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and he gave me my diploma on graduation day, so I have a picture with him.

When I was a sophmore, I had put my bag down at a table, and gone in to get some lunch. When I came back, there was an older man at my table. Assuming that he had just not noticed by bag there, I grabbed it and moved over to where some of my friends had sat down. When I mentioned it, one of them looks and says "That's Dr. Gates!" Apparently he liked to sit and takl with the students at random sometimes. Makes me sad I moved!
 

poppy0109

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I'm not sure I can remember all the rock stars I've met over the years. When I would go to concerts, I always tried to get autographs. Ah, those were the days...back in the late 80's and early 90's.

The latest would be Alter Bridge in 2005. (The guys from Creed, with a much better singer, Myles Kennedy.) I was able to hang out with them for four of the five shows I went to. I have a ton of autographed stuff and pictures. The guys are very nice, polite and humble.

I guess the most famous person I've met and hung out with was Carlos Santana. He was very nice too. We were backstage and he asked if I wanted anything to drink and that I should try some cheesecake because it was really good.


My grandpa (Mom's dad) was best friends with "Uncle" Vincent Furnier. He was Alice Cooper's uncle that he's name after (his real name). I had a chance to meet Alice when I was 15 yrs. old but my grandpa and Uncle Vincent didn't think it was a good idea.
If they only knew how much of a rebellious troublemaking teenager I was. They did get me an autographed b/w glossy for me though.


Let's see if I can remember some of the bands, without having to dig through my closet for the autographs & pics...
-Slash, Guns N Roses (In 1988, I made him an anklet to put on his boot, in GNR colors, and I have a picture from a magazine where he's wearing it on his boot.)
-Mr. Big
-Testament
-Exodus
-Suicidal Tendencies
-Flotsam & Jetsam
-White Zombie
-Submersed (they were in concert with Alter Bridge)

Oh, in 1999 I went to LA for vacation and was really hoping to see/run into someone famous. We saw no one! Two weeks after I get home to the metro Detroit area from LA, I was at National Coney Island eating lunch and a saw Eminem walking out with two huge body guards.
 

mobius

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Bruce Willis and I attended the same high school - unfortunately was/is about
8 years older than me, so our paths never crossed.

I used to work in a hotel just outside of Philadelphia.

One Monday afternoon, I got a call from the front desk and as asked to take a
guest's dry cleaning up to their room. When I knocked on the door, there was
Howard Cosell, on the phone, in his boxer shorts and T-shirt!

The Cowboys were playing the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football
and Howard was waiting for his pants and blazer to be pressed before being
driven to Veterans Stadium.

Howard never interruped his phone conversation, he just took the clothes,
handed me a $5 tip and shut the door.

Then, there was the time I nearly ran over the band Heart in the parking lot of that same hotel.
 

kaete

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I have a couple silly ones...


When I was a kid, I went to a water park in NJ. There, we ran into the kid who was in the first couple Child's Play movies. He was there with his dad and sister. He ended up going on one of the rides with me and my aunt, because his sister was too small and he needed someone to ride with


When I worked at Linens 'N Things, Jane Curtin came into the store and went through my line.

On a trip to Atlanta, my friend and I saw James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins in the Atlanta airport.

My grandmother passed Cher in a hotel hallway.. she gets her own ice, believe it or not


Last year, when I was out to dinner with some friends, we ran into Mr. Jay from "America's Next Top Model." We actually chatted with him for a few minutes while we waited for a car to pull out and make room for my friend to use the wheelchair ramp.
 

zorana_dragonky

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I haven't really met anyone famous.
The closest I have come is meeting members of my favorite bands and some authors and artists at gaming and fantasy conventions.

If you are a fan of power metal, I have met all of the members of Kamelot, Edguy, Simone Simons from Epica, Leaves Eyes, Symphony X, and Blind Guardian. These were all after concerts where we chatted, got things signed, photos, etc. As for authors, at conventions I have met Ed Greenwood who created the Forgotten Realms setting for D&D. I have met him several times, and he always dresses as Elminster, and when he votes in costume contests he votes for very attractive girls.
I have met Todd McCaffrey (Anne McCaffrey is his mother, she writes the Pern series) who writes Pern books also, and Robert Aspirin's wife Jody Lynn Nye. I met a younger author, Brandon Sanderson, as well. I have met a few artists whose work I appreciate also.



DH has had a real brush with fame, though. During his 8th grade trip to the Art Institute of Chicago they got to pick where to have dinner, and his group picked to go to Planet Hollywood. They ran into Arnold Schwarzenegger while they were there. Arnold stopped to talk to the kids and specifically talked to my husband. All DH remembers is that Arnold told him that he was REALLY tall.
DH was about 13 at the time and was 6'4", taller than Arnold!
Apparently Bruce Willis left right before they got there also.

DH has also met Ryan Sandberg of Chicago Cubs fame.
 

wellingtoncats

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Mine are mostly "World famous in New Zealand celebs" but here we go:

- Had McDonalds with the boys from Elemeno P (Music Band)

- Went on New Zealand's Good Morning Show (To talk cats, of course!) and met the gorgeous stars on there. I love Brendon Pongia. He's a former Basketball player also. See his sexy pic here http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-t...ainment/667583

-I've met heaps of the All Blacks (NZ's rugby team) players because we used to own a gourmet pizza shop and heaps used to come in


- I've met three stars from NZ's soap show 'Shortland Street'. I even had afternoon tea with Toni (Laura on the show) as her best friend was buying a kitten off my Nana

- My Nana's cousin is the 3rd in the National Party of NZ (Currently next in line for Deputy Prime Minister)

I'll probably think of more
 

nanner

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Working as an actor, I've had several encounters, but the ones I remember most fondly are from working as an extra (or, as we call ourselves these days, "background actors".....but we're still furniture that eats.)

I was doing background on a low-budget film starring Tim Roth. (He's on a new TV series now...can't even remember the name). They were actually having a pre-shoot make-up thing, where they were trying out make-up on me, and I had a cup of coffee. Tim Roth was in the room, and I had left my coffee on the make-up table to go get something in my bag, and I turned around and he was drinking my coffee! I smiled and sat down again, and he said, "Oh my God! Was I just drinking your coffee? I'm so sorry!!! Shall I get you another?" (He was so polite!) I said, "No, that's okay. I'm sure you don't have any germs."

I was doing background on Splash - the skating rink scene. Ron Howard, at that time (who was directing), liked to set up all sorts of different angles of a shot, so he was in the middle of set-up, and Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah were on the fake ice, (Teflon), skating around, waiting. I was standing by the railing, where I had been placed. Tom Hanks just skated over and started talking! He said, "Wow. Ron Howard, eh? Just think! He worked with John Wayne!!! And Aunt Bea!!! And here he is directing!!" We had a nice little chat. Such a nice guy!!!

One of my favorite encounters was when I was working as a waitress. (Lots of that when you're an actor!
) One night I was serving drinks to a two-top and the girl just stared behind me with her mouth open. The guy with her looked and said, "Paul Newman is standing right behind you." I sort of collected myself and turned around and he was with Joanne and Shirley Knight and a couple of other people. Out manager was pushing tables together for them, and Paul Newman looked right at me, I said, "Hello!" and said "Hiya! What kind of beer do you have?" I told him, he ordered, I took orders from the rest of the table and proceeded to wait on them. What a nice guy!!! Shirley Knight was doing a reading of a new play a couple of blocks away.....Joanne Woodward had directed it. I was told that they had been in the night before, when I wasn't there, but I never thought I'd have a chance to see them! (Good tipper, too.)

Once, when I first started at this restaurant, the first night I worked (rather than lunch), it was packed, and I had a table of two and I was rushing around with my other tables and when the two-top was finished, they paid, and left, I turned around and went to a four-top and they were all excited and were asking, "What was he like? Was he nice? Was he a good tipper?" I said, "Who?" And they said, "JFK Jr. You just waited on him." I was astounded that I was so busy I hadn't even noticed. I was just freaked that it was my first dinner night and I was so swamped. I said to these people, "No way!!!!!" And he was a very generous tipper.

I met quite a few people at that place. Dolph Lundgren, who was an absolute a**.....I won't go into it, he was so drunk and rude. Yuk. But most people were really, really nice.
 

GoldyCat

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A couple of years ago Rita Coolidge did a concert at our Performing Arts Center, which happens to be part of the high school. She invited the high school choir to sing back-up with her on several songs and also asked them to sing some of their own pieces that they were doing for their school concert. Since I accompany the high school choir, I got to work with Rita on the rehearsals and the concert. She was very nice, great with the kids, but also very busy. I actually spent more time hanging out backstage with her band, which was a lot of fun.

The only other "near miss" that I know about is that one of my sister's high school friends is married to Gary Sinese. I do know her friend, but have never come close to meeting Gary Sinese.
 

nanner

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Originally Posted by GoldyCat

...............
The only other "near miss" that I know about is that one of my sister's high school friends is married to Gary Sinese. I do know her friend, but have never come close to meeting Gary Sinese.
OMG! I love Gary Sinise. Now there's someone I'd love to meet!
What a fine actor he is!!
 

alleygirl

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Hmm, unless I just can't remember (which is always possible, lol) I would have to say I have no stories to add! Guess I've never met anyone famous.
 

Moz

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I met Terry Fox's dad last summer. Nice guy!
 

monaxlisa

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Paul Newman!! Wow!
And Scott Bakula, I miss Quantum Leap too!
I went to a Melissa Etheridge concert a few years back and the first several rows got to stand infront of the stage and I ended up shaking her hand. I think that's all though.
 

laureen227

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i was an 'extra' in the bleachers for Scott Bakula's film Necessary Roughness, which was filmed in Denton, Tx. saw him on the field during breaks in filming, playing 'air guitar', but didn't really meet anyone.
that's the closest i've ever come, tho!
 

kiwideus

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I have met Catherine Bach and John Schneider from Dukes of Hazzard. Both are really nice.

I grew up with a few NZ celebrities.

Scribe - a hip hop singer in NZ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scribe_(rapper) He recently opened for Kanye.

Ladi6 - another singer - her older sister was one of my best friends http://www.ladi6.com/

I am still in touch with both of them through facebook.

I also went to school and was good friends with Nicky Watson. http://www.nickywatson.co.nz/ She is more or less famous for marrying a rich guy and then her career took off after that.
 

momofmany

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I thought of a couple more.

I handed toilet paper to Koko Taylor under the stall wall in a bar bathroom. Chicago has intimate Blues clubs, and she and I happened to take a break at the same time. Yes, my cat is named after her.

Ran into Burt Reynolds in Chicago while he was filming a movie. I actually walked out of a restaurant right into a scene that was being filmed. They stopped the camera, he just smiled at me, and I walked away quickly.

Mr T. used to walk down Lake Shore Drive in Chicago all the time. I saw him often.

I was shopping at Crate and Barrel in Houston's Galleria one time. Lyle Lovett was in the store and his fans were pestering him for autographs. I didn't want to disturb him, so simply looked up at him from over a display and told him that I really love his music. He walked around the display, shook my hand and asked me my name and where I was from. He was annoyed at people who hounded him. He obviously preferred my approach.
 

plebayo

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I went to a Gavin Degraw concert one time... I noticed a guy standing in the crowd. It ended up being Richard Lee Jackson. He was in 'Bring it on Again'. His brother is Jonathan Jackson who was in 'Tuck Everlasting' and both of them were on a couple episodes of Boy Meets World. He was looking at band venues for him and his brother's band. He was really nice and autographed the back of a vet bill for me horse. [It was the only thing to write on in my purse!]. At the time I had a MAD crush on his brother Jonathan... but he was pretty cute in person too :p

A long time ago before I was a twinkle in my parents eyes my Grandfather met a very young Bill Murray in vegas. They had a few drinks together and he ended up giving my grandfather a bunch of Silver Dollars which my grandfather gave to my sister that she still has.
 

goonie

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as far as movie stars i've met Goldie Hawn and Bruce Dern
i've met David Copperfield and Gallagher and Gabriel Iglesias
i've met quite a few musicians Paul Rodgers of Bad Co, Ian Anderson &Andy Giddings & Jonathan Noyce of Jethro Tull, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Michael Schenker and the rest of UFO, Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash, every member of Uriah Heep, Rick Derringer, Ted Nugent, Jeff Lynne of ELO, Sammy Hagar, Buck Dharma & Eric Bloom of Blue Oyster Cult
of authors at booksignings i met Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin, R.A. Salvatore, Clive Barker, John Sandford, Terry Goodkind, Dean Koonts, Stephen Hunter, L.E.Modesitt
i probably forgot somebody
 

anjhest

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I forgot to mention that I met Jeremy Piven the last time I was in New York.

And Elisabeth Moss (who plays Peggy on AMC's Mad Men).
 
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