You're that guy! You're famous!

December 6, 2008 5:31 PM

Tim Gunn on an airplane, Tommy Lee at a restaurant, Mike Tyson at the Waldorf, and other Brushes with Fame.
posted by Navelgazer (107 comments total)

I can't put my finger on it, but the stories seem like they were written by amateur writers. Maybe it's the bloggish tone. Either way, they add to the authenticity of the stories. Thanks for sharing!
posted by phyrewerx at 5:39 PM on December 6, 2008

Gawker Stalker. Previously.
posted by ericb at 5:46 PM on December 6, 2008

Self Link: My Coffee with Cameron Diaz.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 6:06 PM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]

At a party in Laurel Canyon in 1996, I smoked a joint with the big brother from Wonder Years and various bit players from the X-Files, Wings, and the short-lived NBC sitcom "Mr Rhodes". The helicopter pilot from Wings took most of the women into her bedroom to perform a seance at one point.
posted by autodidact at 6:08 PM on December 6, 2008

I shared an elevator ride with Viatcheslav Ekimov.
posted by fixedgear at 6:14 PM on December 6, 2008

Then we heard the sleaziest voice say the creepiest words ever: "Heyyy, schoolgirls."

Katie just kept walking, but hell, I wanted to find the source of the catcalling. I saw the bellhops, I saw the luggage, and I saw a man standing in a puffy jacket. With a tribal face tattoo.

We doubled back and Katie, now in paparazzi mode, got out her camera and asked for a photo. He giggled in that infamous high-pitched tone, and said, "I knew you schoolgirls would come crawling back." I forced myself to ignore the gross comment.
posted by jason's_planet at 6:14 PM on December 6, 2008

I once used the same internet as most of Hollywood. Also, I live in the same country as both Obama and Britney Spears.
posted by DU at 6:14 PM on December 6, 2008 [3 favorites]

Wow - I'm out of it, because I misread two of these people and was disappointed to find out they weren't who I thought they were. I don't know who Tim Gunn is, but I was bummed to find out he's not from King Crimson (that's TREY Gunn). And I was hoping that restaurant story was about Tommy Lee JONES, not the less cool rocker with one less name.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 6:21 PM on December 6, 2008

I saw Madonna on the TV.
posted by popcassady at 6:24 PM on December 6, 2008

I met Richard Dreyfus at a gas station once, in a small town on a road trip. I had pulled my credit card out to pay at the pump, only to notice that there was no credit card slot. So I went inside to pay, but they requested that I pump first, pay later, because they apparently didn't have the means to limit how much the pump would pump. So I pumped my gas, and paid. When I came back out, Richard Dreyfus was standing at a pump, with his credit card out a confused look on his face. I told him that they only accept payments inside, and only after you've pumped, and he said something along the lines of, "Yeah, I guess they wouldn't know how to do something as simple as accepting payment first," or something equally snarky with the same meaning. I sort of chuckled, and started back to my car, but then turned around and said, "Sorry, but are you..." my brain went blank and the only name I could think of was Mr. Holland. "Yes," he interrupted.
posted by premiumpolar at 6:26 PM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]

I once spent some time between Sarah McLachlan and a sofa.
posted by Floydd at 6:35 PM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]

We participate in a community web site with Adam Savage. Our bits are right next to his bits.
posted by An Infinity Of Monkeys at 6:40 PM on December 6, 2008

I never get tired of telling this story:

My sister was at the Warped Tour in London, Ontario, several years back, and got trapped in the middle of a mosh pit during (I think) Blink 182's set. She got knocked down and stomped on, and she separated her shoulder. A few bystanders helped her over to some security guards, and she was led to a tour bus. A doctor was summoned, and he popped her shoulder back into place. This hurt so much she puked all over herself. Then they took her outside the bus and gave her a chair in the shade and a tank of oxygen to huff on. So there she is, tear-stained and puke splattered, sitting in this chair and sucking on this oxygen mask when none other than Ice-T walks by. He sees her sitting there, flashes her a "peace" sign and says..."Word."
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:46 PM on December 6, 2008 [6 favorites]

I once failed to bum a cigarette of Matt Dillon.
posted by jonmc at 6:48 PM on December 6, 2008

I mowed Chubby Checker's lawn.
posted by Bort at 6:48 PM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I guess I should've know to use a stopwatch to see how quickly snark would overcome the thread here, but whatever. I like Smith Magazine and occasionally when there's a cool new feature up there I'll make an FPP about it.

The story that hit closest to home for me was the Chris Crocker one, actually. Not so much about a celebrity encounter as much as knowing someone personally and then having them become famous out of the blue in a way which made them a laughingstock. Having worked in film and t.v. for a number of years, and now going to law school in D.C., means that any thrill from starfucking has long sense been deadened for me. Still, I've known a couple of people ("Dell Dude" Ben Curtis and Colin Quinn) who were wonderful people if you knew them personally, and generally inspired vociferous hatred from anyone who didn't.

So yeah, I get the hate from anyone seeing this as perpetuating a celebrity-idol-culture, but to me it's cool to see stories that, in general, people are people. Except for Mike Tyson, who's just creepy as fuck.
posted by Navelgazer at 6:52 PM on December 6, 2008

I once had the chance to shake Pierre Trudeau's hand, but was too shy to push forward in the crowd. He was a surprisingly small man with a large head.
posted by maudlin at 6:54 PM on December 6, 2008

Hugh Jackman got hooked on the coffee at a caffe I worked in during the filming of X-Men 3.

Late one stormy November night, after we closed and everyone went home, I was sitting there listening to Dj Krush on the stereo while balancing the day's receipts. I kept hearing this insistent tapping, so finally I looked up to see Wolverine staring through the window at me.

I didn't let him in.
posted by mannequito at 6:55 PM on December 6, 2008 [8 favorites]

When I met Vanilla Ice.
During a family vacation to LA, my father insisted on going to 'a fancy restaurant with valet parking'. Because, hey, it was a vacation, lets splurge. We eventually find some place in Beverley Hills or Hollywood or somewhere thereabouts and as we pull up to the valet, I'm in total shock, because, WHOA, is that Vanilla Ice?!! We'd been in LA for days at this point and this was my first real celebrity sighting.

Anyway, my dad asked him to park it somewhere nice. If I recall correctly, we gave him a decent tip.


&lt/not really>
posted by mulligan at 7:03 PM on December 6, 2008

I gave Wil Wheaton a painting once.
posted by jscalzi at 7:13 PM on December 6, 2008 [2 favorites]

Alan Cumming once butted into a conversation I was having. It totally wasn't even an interesting conversation. He was wearing really ugly orange crocs, too (I loooove that man).

I also saw James Cromwell on the Lexington Avenue Local subway between 59th and 68th street. I only recognized him because i had just been watching a lot of the 6 Feet Under episodes with him in them. I stood staring until he would look over towards me, then I turned away totally flustered. I said "I love your work" right before I left the car, he mouthed the words "thank you" to me. I'm sure he got a kick out of the fact that a 20 year old was falling over herself and flustered over spotting him.
posted by piratebowling at 7:20 PM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]

Mr. F shared an elevator with one of the lead actresses from the Las Vegas CSI once. It wouldn't have been notable if he hadn't been holding a brown paper bag containing his post-vasectomy, uh, sample, en route to the urologist's office on the third floor.

Needless to say, there wasn't any light conversation about what it's like to play an ex-stripper criminalist.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 7:24 PM on December 6, 2008

I know Neil Peart's publisher pretty well. Does that count?

I met Margaret Atwood once. I was Executive Assistant at the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia, so I met well-known Canadian writers all the time and was quite blasé about meeting the likes of David Adams Richards and Alistair MacLeod, but was completely intimidated by Atwood. She was in town for the annual general meeting of the national writers' organization, of which she was a board member, and I was in charge of the volunteers, and making sure the trays of hors d'oeuvres and desserts stayed clean-looking and full, and handling any little logistical issues that might arise, that sort of thing. Atwood came out to thank us for our good work, and when she was talking to me my mind went completely blank and I was completely unable to move or form sentences. There was this horrible pause, and then my mind unfogged for long enough for me to blurt, "The squares are good," and point at one of the dessert trays, and then went back on stand-by. Atwood must get this sort of reaction a lot, because she very gently said something about it being nice to meet me, took one of the squares I'd recommended, and went back to the meeting.

Canadian celebrities Chris Murphy (from Sloan) and Rich Terfry (Buck 65) both did shows at the college radio station where I did a show for five years and served on the board of directors, and used to know me well enough to kind of nod at me on the street. (I knew Rich a bit better since he was on the Board with me for a bit, and he's every bit as genuine and cool as he seems on his records.) Probably neither of them would recognize me now. That's cool. Someday they'll be saying they used to work at the same radio station as Pulitzer Prize winner Joanne Merriam.
posted by joannemerriam at 7:29 PM on December 6, 2008

My wife and I were at a bar last night with some friends, a couple that had just gotten engaged. It was really crowded but we found this basement room that was empty and hung out there. At one point, after going upstairs to buy a drink, my wife came back downstairs and said, "Guess what? I just bumped into Jimmy Fallon."

My friend -- the guy in the engaged couple -- said, "That's a coincidence. We ran into him when were were on our first date. And now, on the night we announce our engagement, we run into him again." And then he went upstairs.

A couple of minutes later he was back downstairs, Jimmy Fallon in tow. Fallon gave my friend's fiance a hug and congratulated both of them. I've never been a fan of his, but I have to say he's a really sweet guy. He hung out with us downstairs for quite some time, chatting with my friend and his fiance.
posted by grumblebee at 7:29 PM on December 6, 2008

In 1991 an inebriated appearing Sam Shepherd hit on my [now] wife in the concession line at a film festival in Charlottesville, VA., which was pretty cool since Paris, Texas was probably my favorite movie of all time. Years later we ran into him dining alone in a cafe in Port Townsend. He was extremely pleasant despite his dinner being briefly interrupted so I could tell him what a fan I was.

Also, Ross Perot called me from his car once to make sure I was taking good care of one of his campaign supervisors. That was surreal. It was like talking to Dana Carvey doing a Ross Perot impression.
posted by docpops at 7:31 PM on December 6, 2008

I met Matt Haughey at a bar once. I gushed about how much I loved Metafilter in a totally nerdy and embarrassing way. He was very cool about it. And tall, holy shit was he tall.

jscalzi, that painting was FUCKING AWESOME.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:32 PM on December 6, 2008 [3 favorites]

I occasionally see semi-famous people where I work, but nothing compares to the time Kelly Gruber flipped me the bird.
posted by Mayor Curley at 7:37 PM on December 6, 2008

John Fogerty.
Asshole.
'Nuff said.

(Fooooggggerttttttyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
posted by miss lynnster at 7:40 PM on December 6, 2008 [2 favorites]

had a beer with Mick Fleetwood, waited on Madonna, listened to Michael Chabon talk about how boring writing is just yesterday.

Oh, and shared a plane with Jim Varney once. I let him have the window seat.
posted by bradth27 at 7:46 PM on December 6, 2008

Also, for those of you who haven't read this important advice yet? At all costs, avoid being in the same room with a combination of these two things:   Gary Busey on cocaine... and a harmonica.

Just trust me. Please.
posted by miss lynnster at 7:52 PM on December 6, 2008 [5 favorites]

I also failed to find The Cake Bible for Andy Rooney.
posted by jonmc at 7:56 PM on December 6, 2008

i had dinner once with jimmy hoffa in a little bar in east st louis. after we ate and smoked cigars we took a little walk...
posted by kitchenrat at 8:03 PM on December 6, 2008

"At all costs, avoid being in the same room with a combination of these two things: Gary Busey on cocaine... and a harmonica."

This seems self-evident.
posted by An Infinity Of Monkeys at 8:04 PM on December 6, 2008

indeed, a harmonica is a very inferior cocaine consumption appliance. I suggest a spoon or dollar bill instead.
posted by jonmc at 8:06 PM on December 6, 2008

A sober, non-musical Gary Busey is not exactly cake, either.
posted by jscalzi at 8:14 PM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]

Way back when, my roommate and I went to a club in Santa Rosa, CA that was also a radio station to see the Beat Farmers. Not sure what to expect having never been there, we got there a little early. Not much was going on so we went upstairs to have a few beers. Sitting at the next table were the Beat Farmers enjoying the vegetable tray management had provided for them to nosh on. So, I said "hey! Looking forward to the show!" They look up, and we talked a bit. Made some comments about the photos hanging up in the bar, especially the one of Janis Joplin with her see through shirt. Then I said, "Country Dick, are you and Mojo going to do that Pleasure Barons tour with Dave Alvin again? That was fucking awsome." They all look at me like "you saw that?" Country Dick said in fact they needed to do that again since it was indeed fucking awesome. We talked some more, and Country Dick says "Gentlemen, you are tonight's winners, and your prize is this mostly untouched vegetable tray." I tell you what, cauliflower and ranch dressing never tasted so good.
posted by Eekacat at 8:27 PM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]

Also, you've never seen so many heterosexual males screaming for "more Dick" than at a Beat Farmers show. RIP Mr. Montana.
posted by Eekacat at 8:29 PM on December 6, 2008

Several actresses have restraining orders against me.
posted by Sailormom at 8:30 PM on December 6, 2008 [2 favorites]

My friend Mike in LA sent me text message last night. He rode in an elevator with Ron Jeremy. How cool is that?
posted by geekhorde at 8:32 PM on December 6, 2008

geekhorde: My old housemate's Christmas card last year was a glorious photo card, the sort you get from your Aunt Valerie in Washington State or whatnot...

of him and Ron Jeremy mugging shamelessly for the camera. Apparently my housemate ran into him at a restaurant and he was more than willing to pose for the shot.

The interior "Sending you warm holiday greetings!" text was a little disturbing, though.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 8:38 PM on December 6, 2008

I'm pretty sure I once shared a subway ride with Thomas Pynchon. I was reading a paperback of V., & this tall, crewcut, bucktoothed geeky-looking guy sitting next to me notices it & says, "Uh, how do you like the book?" There's an air about him.

"It's pretty good."

"Well, um, what's it about?" Said just like that, in italics.

"Gee, that's hard to say. Take a look," I handed him the book.

He takes it, reads the back cover, turns it over & starts reading from the beginning. After a while, he looks up. "Oh, this is my stop." I turn to let him out & he hands me back the book.

"Thanks," he says. "That was very interesting."
posted by Forrest Greene at 9:11 PM on December 6, 2008 [10 favorites]

Friend of mine was at Gay Night at the B Bar in Manhattan, waiting for someone. An older gent walks up to him and asks if he could buy him a drink. Friend said no. Older gent becomes more insistent, telling him why can't someone buy a cute boy a drink in this day and age and generally being a creep. Friend tells him to buzz off. The gent is kinda stunned by this but turns around the leaves. As soon as he's out of earshot, the bartender leans over to my friend and whispers:

"That was Calvin Klein."
posted by The Whelk at 9:19 PM on December 6, 2008

Oh, and I once peed next to Ewan McGregor at a drag bar a few years ago.

No, I didn't look. I already own Velvet Goldmine.
posted by The Whelk at 9:21 PM on December 6, 2008 [3 favorites]

Dave Chappelle comes into the Starbucks I work at every so often. Pretty nice guy. Gets a grande cappuccino.
posted by Quidam at 9:27 PM on December 6, 2008

On separate occasions I spoke briefly and shook hands with Laurie Anderson and Adrian Belew. I have autographed 8x10 photos of Linda Blair and Cassandra Peterson, and books signed by George R.R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, and R. Buckminster Fuller.
posted by Restless Day at 9:36 PM on December 6, 2008

When I lived in Chicago I had a pal that did movie sound stuff, etc and was always getting hired on film shoots in town- think The Untouchables, Ferris Bueller, etc. Anyway, I'm sitting at a lunch table as his guest and Sean Connery plopped down across from me. Of course, I had a mouthful of sandwich, and just about managed a "Mmphglg" when he was off again to somewhere else.
posted by pjern at 9:49 PM on December 6, 2008

My stories: http://www.ga2so.com/celeb.php
posted by dogwelder at 9:52 PM on December 6, 2008

oops - screwed that up. My stories!
posted by dogwelder at 9:52 PM on December 6, 2008

Oh, and I always forget, I got Tiny Tim's autograph too.
posted by Restless Day at 9:53 PM on December 6, 2008

I had a mouthful of sandwich, and just about managed a "Mmphglg" when he was off again to somewhere else.
posted by pjern

He probably thought you were trying to imitate him.

I say that as a Connery fan.
posted by Eekacat at 9:53 PM on December 6, 2008

I saw Billy Connoly today at a Barclay Rex smoking cigars. Seriously.
posted by Mach5 at 10:08 PM on December 6, 2008

1. My father's friends used to run a blues bar, and Dad would sometimes go hang out. One afternoon when I was about four, he and I stopped by in the afternoon, when the evening's act was doing its sound check -- said act was Arlo Guthrie, who was introduced to me and who reportedly serenaded me with the theme to "Sesame Street." I remember absolutely none of this.

2. I fell on Malcom Jamal-Warner and broke his glasses once.

3. I was working in a theater once that shared a rehearsal space with an off-Broadway theater. Sometimes the people performing in that theater got confused and wandered into our space as they were trying to find their way out. One night, during rehearsal, someone did just that - and I trotted over to help them find their way out. It wasn't until I had already asked "can I help you" that I noticed that the confused person this evening was Jeff Goldblum. I forced a poker face onto my face as he asked how to get out the door and I said I'd show him. I lead him around to the proper door -- him looking curiously at our rehearsal as we walked -- and I directed him to the stairs and sent him up to the street. He thanked me, and left. To this day, I don't know whether to be proud of myself or to kick myself that I did not give into my impulse to stop him as he was leaving and ask, "incidentally, Mr. Goldblum, what WAS that watermelon doing there?"

4. While working on the same production, I overheard Fisher Stevens backstage in their dressing room standing at the craft table and saying that the coffee "tasted like ass."

5. I was working as an usher at STOMP off-Broadway for a year, and at some point when I worked there, I seated Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon.

6. I went to see the Broadway production of YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN on my 29th birthday, and brought along a 7x11 shot of me and my Snoopy doll on my SECOND birthday and asked the cast to sign it instead (explaining the birthday connection). So I now have a photo of myself inscribed with birthday wishes from Anthony Rapp, Roger Bart, and B. D. Wong.

7. I would probably be remiss if I didn't mention that I've seen Drew Barrymore nekkid.



I also have two stories about family members:

* My brother and sister-in-law went to a club in L.A. together, and Jason Mewes danced with my sister-in-law. My brother kept giggling and saying "Snoochie Boochies!" to her for over a month afterward.

* My father ran into Spike Lee in MArtha's Vineyard one summer -- he saw Spike walking towards him on the sidewalk, and Dad waited until right when they were about to pass before turning to Spike and asking, "So, WAS it the shoes?" Spike reportedly cracked up and shook his hand.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:21 PM on December 6, 2008

I've met a lot of celebrities, but by and far 'Top Dog'-era Chuck Norris was the biggest cockhead.
posted by Item at 10:21 PM on December 6, 2008

Oh, one more -- David Straitharn somehow got convinced to be in a one-act play staged-reading festival that my theater company produced, and I contributed some cupcakes for the snack table. David Straitharn told me they were very good.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:25 PM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]

I've met a lot of celebrities through places I've worked. Mostly rock star types. I've hunted down bottles of water for Jack White, met a very inebriated Dave Foley, and almost threw Moby out of a walk in beer cooler (What? He snuck up on me! Also, he is a tiny, tiny little wee person.)

At my current job, I've met Elvis Costello, who sat in front of a painting writing in a notebook, and Leonard Nimoy.

My most famous brush with fame, though, the one that felt the most dreamlike, was after I had been painting the bathroom at Emo's in Austin. I was sitting on a barstool, dazed from the fumes, and in walks Johnny Cash. He walked up and shook my hand. "Hi, I'm John."
posted by louche mustachio at 10:37 PM on December 6, 2008 [4 favorites]

In the mid-1980's, I once hit on Tiffany, she of the shopping mall concerts, when she was taking a break from an autograph session at Tower Books (I had no idea who she was other than cute, hadn't seen her actually sitting at the signing table).

I have rarely been eyed more skeptically.
posted by maxwelton at 10:47 PM on December 6, 2008 [2 favorites]

I met [celebrity] at [airport/restaurant/other public space] and they were surprisingly [down to earth/crazy].
posted by odinsdream at 10:47 PM on December 6, 2008

KevinSkomsvold -- Self Link: My Coffee with Cameron Diaz.

"After a few takes I took a break and waited behind a nice looking blonde woman at the craft services table. We chatted for a bit, mostly small talk about the weather and the great coffee and then I asked her what her job was on the movie. She laughed and said, 'I'm in it!' I asked her who she was and she said "Cameron Diaz". She didn't freak that I didn't know her and even seemed relieved. 'Ohhhh!' I said, feigning knowledge of the name. I sincerely didn't know who she was. It wasn't until seeing the movie a few years later that I began the laborious process of kicking myself repeatedly for hours on end. All I remember now retrospect is how decent and down to earth she was."

An old friend of mine is a flight attendant and self-taught specialist in two fields: Antique Chinese Porcelain and British/American Colonial Period Furniture. He became a flight attendant for the sole purpose of being able to travel to museums on his off-time. His vocation allows him to indulge in his avocation and true love: art appreciation. He has quite a following and is often invited to lecture at museums around the world. He's a darling, and lives in a self-induced "bubble." He doesn't watch television, listen to contemporary music, etc. Most free time is devoted to studying, research, traveling and consulting to collectors and museums.

About 15 years ago he was invited to an opening of an exhibition at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. At the private reception he found himself queued at the hor-d'oeuvre table. He soon became engrossed in a conversation with an engaging fellow in front of him.

They chatted for a good 20 minutes about their shared interests in art, photography, etc.

A half-hour into the chat, my friend asked: "So, what is it that you do?"

The reply: "I'm a musician."

"What kind of music? Classical?"

"No, contemporary pop music. Maybe you've heard of me. I'm Elton John."

My friend had no clue whatsoever: "I'm sorry. I can't say I am familiar with you or your music."

Elton John loved it.

Elton John along with his partner/husband David Furnish are close friends with him to this day.
posted by ericb at 10:50 PM on December 6, 2008 [13 favorites]

Okay, this one isn't even mine, but it made the day of a ton of people elsewhere online, so here it is --

A woman was working at some upscale toiletries/lotions/body care shop, and who should come in one day but Tim Curry. This woman had always been rather taken with Tim Curry, and so she was in rather a state. She watched him wander over to a display of honey-scented products, and saw her opening. She would walk over and try to play salesperson. She even planned out what she would say --

"Ah, I see you are interested in our honey-n-clover line. And such a fine scent it is, redolent of the sweetest clover honey, so aromatic that it could convince the very bees themselves to array themselves about your head in a happy, buzzing little cloud of bliss."

What she ACTUALLY said when she walked over to him, was, "That'll give you bees!"

At which point Tim Curry looked at her uncomfortably, and then quickly left. And our heroine went to the back room and spent the next few minutes hitting herself in the head.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:55 PM on December 6, 2008 [7 favorites]

This September, the guy behind me on a SEA-SFO flight was Tay Zonday. I told me wife, and she was all, "who?"

So I went, "the Chocolate Rain guy!" and she was all "what?"

Happily I was able to get the 'Tube up on my phone before we taxied in order to demonstrate the meaning and valu of fame in the age of the series of tubes. I think we kept our voices down enough to not embarrass young Mr. Zonday.
posted by mwhybark at 10:57 PM on December 6, 2008

Great story ericb. Funny how that can work both ways. I've met B and C level people who seemed genuinely miffed that I didn't know who they were.

Another fun celeb encounter:

Getting smacked on the side of the head by Mick Jagger. Our company did security for their shows in Chicago in 1997 and I was assigned the stage front and gangway. The gangway was a long narrow stage that they all ran down toward the center of Soldier Field which led to a smaller stage where they'd commence to put on an smaller, old school show. It was a very cool setup. My job, along with the 150 other people guarding the gangway, was to keep people back as they ran. As they ran, the low-fived everyone on the way and unfortunately Mr. Jagger clipped me dead-on on the side of the head. He hit me in such a way that his ring drew blood above my left ear. I keep that wound festering to this day!
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 11:08 PM on December 6, 2008

Some more: I saw Ralph Nader at the local Green Party chapter headquarters, but we didn't interact at all; I was at a CPUSA conference in Chicago in, like, 1989, and there was a table with coffee and donuts and as I was helping myself Angela Davis came over and did the same. She smiled at me and said hi. Later at a Greek restaurant we sat at adjacent tables. She smokes a pipe.

Way back in 1957 a family friend who was a reporter for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat arranged a photo-op with Elvis Presley and some local fans; this photo ran in the paper. Other photos were taken, of Elvis kissing each of the four girls in turn, but that's the only one my sister gave me a copy of, and since I uploaded it I've seen it pop up on several weblogs. So if you see it on the internets just remember: the thirteen-year-old at "five o'clock" is my sister.
posted by Restless Day at 11:24 PM on December 6, 2008 [6 favorites]

Just give me the coke and keep Gary Busey the fuck away!
posted by autodidact at 11:41 PM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]

Restless Day, that photograph is amazing.
posted by jokeefe at 12:02 AM on December 7, 2008

My friend Mike in LA sent me text message last night. He rode in an elevator with Ron Jeremy. How cool is that?

A friend of mine met Ron Jeremy at this really weird post-rave rave thing that happened here a few years ago. This is roughly how he explained the story:

So there I was, having a drink and I suddenly realised I was standing next to Ron Jeremy. The fucking Hedgehog, man! So I turned to him and said "Wow, you're Ron fucking Jeremy!" He was totally cool, and shook my hand, and I thought "Holy shit, I just shook Ron Jeremy's hand." Then I thought "Holy shit, I just shook Ron Jeremy's hand."

I met Karen Kain once. Went total fanboy babbling falling all over myself stupid.

One of my coolest celeb moments was playing pool and having a drink with Kevin fucking Nealon once. At a gaybar! (NB: he was there because it was pretty much the only thing happening on Sunday nights in Toronto at the time. Was with a stunning brunette woman.) Incredibly cool guy, unbelievably gracious and charming. Funny without being forced. Class act all around.

He kicked my ass at pool.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 12:09 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

Oh, and I once peed next to Ewan McGregor at a drag bar a few years ago.

No, I didn't look. I already own Velvet Goldmine.

Huh. If that had been me next to him I would have likely been arrested for public indecency.

I <3 Ewan. And his.. attribute(s).
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 12:18 AM on December 7, 2008

In a bid for reflected glory my employer named a lecture theatre after the director Tony Richardson, who was from around these parts. His daughter Natasha did the official opening whilst her fifteen times more famous husband stood at the back, idly playing with an Apple Mac that I had put there not quite six months previously. How I blushed.

The best brush with fame I had was taking Sacred Reich to hospital after one of them hit on the wrong girl.
posted by vbfg at 2:26 AM on December 7, 2008

John Waters tried to hit on me in a dive bar. I politely turned him down.
posted by trip and a half at 3:52 AM on December 7, 2008

Oh, and this one time I shared an elevator with the band Chicago in a Berlin hotel.
posted by trip and a half at 3:53 AM on December 7, 2008

I've had a lot of encounters with Japanese celebrities (was teaching English to a member of one of the really popular boy idol groups for a while).


Back in Seattle, I ran into Bono outside of a soccer game (Celtic vs. Manchester United). He chatted about soccer with me and my brother until we got to the entrance, at which point he signed autographs for us.


Bono says I have a funny name.
posted by emmling at 4:14 AM on December 7, 2008

I've ridden in an elevator with Flo from the Progressive-dot-Com commercials. She's taller than you think, has cool shoes, and smells like Rice Krispie Treats. Charlie Ashmont (Joe Pernice's dog) goes to the dog park I take my clients to every so often. Eric Bogosian used to go to the deli down the street from where I lived in NYC.

And then, there's this.
posted by pxe2000 at 5:37 AM on December 7, 2008

Oh, also: Dane Cook stood me up for a date. This was before he was famous.
posted by pxe2000 at 5:39 AM on December 7, 2008

This is all true and I'm writing it down not to brag, but because I haven't thought about it in a very long time and this thread made me want to just, well, make a list!

I had sex with Bob Weir. I had sex with Treat Williams. I danced with Keith Hernandez. I made out with Matt Dillon. Dustin Hoffman pulled me back from stepping in front of a taxi when I was 8 months pregnant. Elvis Costello grabbed my arm to steady me when I tripped coming out of a Lucinda Williams show. Patti Smith invited my daughter and I to watch her show from backstage. I watched Johnny Depp and Kate Moss make out in a restaurant booth. I sat next to Bruce Springsteen and Patty Scialfa at the bar at Fred's at Barneys. I hid Julia Roberts and Patrick I-forget-his-last-name when they were chased by paparazzi. I hired Patty Heaton from Everybody Loves Raymond as a hostess. I sat next to Jimmy Fallon at Wimbledon. I sat next to Bette Midler at a Beck concert at Radio City Music Hall, and when I said, What do you think, she said, Seems like a lot of dry humping to me. Bono and the Edge sat at table one and ordered a burger and a spicy steak in my restaurant. Rumer Willis ran around topless in that same joint when she was a toddler while her parents ate dinner. I recently spent an hour chatting with Liam Neeson about Abe Lincoln and Natasha Richardson about clothes. I shared a smoke with Zadie Smith. I spilled wine on Ian McEwan. I got stuck in an elevator (very briefly) with Alec Baldwin. But my two all time favorites (both left me nearly tongue-tied) were Sam Shepard sitting at the bar next to me writing in a notebook at dusk on a beautiful spring day, sipping a single malt and John Doe (of the band X) having a long chat with me and my daughters (13 and 17) after a show, being blown away to hear that the first lick my youngest learned on guitar was the opening of White Girl, and tickled to hear my oldest had done an acapella version of I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts for her high school talent night.

Forgive me for being self-indulgent here, but it was fun!
posted by thinkpiece at 5:43 AM on December 7, 2008 [3 favorites]

I once stood next to Chuck Palahniuk for a few hours... Really cool and friendly guy.
posted by drezdn at 5:46 AM on December 7, 2008

Years ago, NY mayor Ed Koch was an uninvited guest at the rehearsal dinner (held at Koch's favorite watering hole at the time, Mortimer's) before a cousin's wedding. Talked to him for a bit.

Several years later, Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula was an invited guest at another cousin's wedding. Didn't get to talk to him, but I remember he signed some autographs for some young boys at the reception.

My parents used to be members at a club where Brooke Shields' father Frank was a member. Frank and my parents were at least casual acquaintances. I have no recollection of this happening, as I was too young at the time, but the story goes that Blue Lagoon-era Brooke Shields fed me a bottle.

Any other personal celebrity encounters were in professional settings—interviewing Bruce Hornsby (kicked out my photographer), Larry Hagman (he wore a tie imprinted with unrolled condoms) and Rue McClanahan (I think she was drunk) for example.
posted by emelenjr at 7:22 AM on December 7, 2008

a few years back, i was at a froofy restaurant one night and smoking was only allowed in the hallway waiting area. the other woman at the table & i excused ourselves after dinner to go burn one. there was a guy standing outside the doorway to the kitchen, halfway between the entrance and the door to the restrooms. kind of short, leather jacket, blue jeans: definitely NOT dress code for this place they wouldn't have let me in dressed that way. 'maybe a delivery boy?' i thought. but this place couldn't possibly deliver. 'omg! wonder if he's going to rob the place?' he saw me looking at him and kind of squirmed a bit, looked around, down at his shoes, etc., which didn't make me feel any better about him. we went back to the table for the dessert portion of the evening, me waiting for the rest of the evening for gunman to burst into the room shouting, 'everyone stay calm & hand over your valuables.'

the next day, i got a call from the gentleman who wasn't my date. 'so you got to see bruce springsteen,' he said. 'whaaa? i didn't see bruce springsteen! where? ' was my response. he was a little confused. '[insert his date's name here] said he was standing in the hall while you guys went to smoke.' apparently the boss was waiting for his significant other (can't remember if it was julianna phillips or his home wrecker girlfriend) while she went to thank the chef after their very fine meal.

i'm, uh, a little out of touch.
posted by msconduct at 7:42 AM on December 7, 2008

can't remember if it was julianna phillips or his home wrecker girlfriend

Patti Scialfa is no homewrecker. (also I am seething with envy).
posted by jonmc at 8:21 AM on December 7, 2008

I almost got in a fight with Dustin Diamond because I kept calling him Screech. Apparently he doesn't like that. Tommy Chong walked in on me brushing my teeth in a bathroom when I used to work at a radio station. He was cool. Occasionally, Charles Barkley will pop into the local bar here in Leeds (with entourage in tow). I have no desire to get in a fight with him.
posted by robtf3 at 8:51 AM on December 7, 2008

Hmm.... let's see

When I was little, I was friends and neighbors with Scott Schwartz. He was the kid who got his tongue stuck on the pole in the Christmas Story and starred with Richard Pryor in The Toy. All I remeber of him was that we played baseball and would listen to "Puff the Magic Dragon' while playing with Matchbox cars.

I went to High School with Micheal Ian Black, who I guess is kinda famous. We had some friends in common, but never really hung out. He wore a lot of black and sang in a really terrible band.

In college I got to hang out with the late Chris Farley at our Rugby Formal (he was college roommates with our coach). He drank espressos and smoked Marlboro reds non stop the entire party and sang with the band ala Tommy Boy. My favorite part of the evening was him telling me about how Tom Arnold broke him out of "Fat Camp to go get hot fudge sundaes. He was a really nice guy.

In my adult life, outside of having drinks with a couple NHL players, I have not met anyone remotely famous.
posted by remo at 8:54 AM on December 7, 2008

At a Hollywood party in the early 80's our friend Tom did Cuervo shots and danced with Justine Bateman of "Family Ties" then later took her leather coat as a gift for his girlfriend. He even introduced her to us.
posted by pianomover at 9:16 AM on December 7, 2008

I've taught in NYC private schools for a long time and met numerous celeb parents. A couple of the kids I've taught have gone on to be well known as well. Almost all have been very nice normal folks when you're meeting them outside of their usual context.
posted by blaneyphoto at 9:19 AM on December 7, 2008

I negotiated the final price with Francis Ford Coppola to move an English phone booth from his SF headquarters to his winery in the Napa Valley.

His secretary assured me that I had the job but he just wanted to confirm the price.
posted by pianomover at 9:22 AM on December 7, 2008

No, I didn't look. I already own Velvet Goldmine.

Huh. If that had been me next to him I would have likely been arrested for public indecency.

Not this bar. It's been closed for years, of course, but the exterior of it is the establishing shot for the apartment on Friends. So every time the show came on I'd think "Oh, that's the place where Otto punched that tranny in the neck."
posted by The Whelk at 9:30 AM on December 7, 2008

I'm currently working on a series of drawings inspires by different musicians/artists/writers and, once finished with them, I get them to sign them. Thus far, I've met Jhonen Vasquez (the artist behind Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and the cartoon Invader Zim), Jeffrey Combs (from the movie Re-Animator and the tv show The 4400), and the band Lydia. I've also met Saul Williams (amazing hip-hop artist and poet), Trent Reznor, and Maynard James Keenan. When I worked for the record store CDGB's here in Phoenix about 5 years ago, I met Alice Cooper, George Lynch from Dokken, and The Donnas.

Woot!
posted by Bageena at 9:37 AM on December 7, 2008

I told Anderson Cooper that I'm a big fan.

This still embarrasses me to think about because a) really, I couldn't come up with anything better to say to a celebrity than "I'm a big fan"? and b) I actually kind of hate Anderson Cooper.
posted by naoko at 9:53 AM on December 7, 2008

I bought Mike Watt a beer, and he bought me a shot. I had a nice long chat with Peter Buck before a Robyn Hitchcock show. In college I was in an awful student production with Lauren Graham. I served dinner to Michael Jordan, his (then) wife, and his agent while Jordan was in town playing minor league baseball. He tipped like you would hope Michael Jordan would tip. Damn near paid my rent that month. More recently, Terrell Owens sat at my bar drinking peach iced tea and eating grilled salmon. He was a perfect gentleman. Really, really nice guy, nothing like the clown he is when the cameras are on him. Stayed for close to an hour after dinner signing stuff for the staff and patrons. I think he was in town for a wedding or something.

But the best celebrity encounter I ever had was drinking beer with Pat Hood of the Drive-By Truckers at an outdoor festival while watching a Richard Thompson acoustic set.

Oh, and Thurston Moore once bummed a smoke off me at a Dinosaur Jr show.

I also met Evan Dando, who was a pretentious asshole, but maybe he was just drunk.

My mom used to play bridge with Tobe Hooper's mother. She was terribly embarrassed that her son's claim to fame was "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre".
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:13 AM on December 7, 2008

Oh god! How did I forget this. Okay, so I'm at Comic-Con and I'm helping hawk my book (which is only kinda sorta comics-related but, whatevers) and I've got all the other authors around me and we're hanging out and talking when someone actually comes up and asks to buy a copy. This was shocking for two reasons. One, no one had bought a copy yet. And two, it was Nicholas Brendon. I can only thank god my co-author had no idea who he was cause my mouth was full of dry, itchy marbles.
posted by The Whelk at 10:17 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

When I was a graduate student the 2 resident Nobel laureates, Ham Smith and Dan Nathans, gave a lecture or two in a couple of my classes. Nothing eventful happened.

There was also a grand seminar given by Sir Hans Krebs*, also a Nobel laureate and a grand old man of biochemistry, in which he reminisced about his illustrious career and told quite a few jokes on himself. My favorite was the one in which he described giving a lecture to some medical students, after which one young woman asked for his autograph. Flattered, he agreed and she gave him 6 cards to sign. He asked "Why 6?" and she said that she collected autographs and traded them with other collectors, and it took 6 Nobel laureates to get one good movie star.

*I'm pretty sure I'm remembering correctly that it was Krebs, but the speaker was definitely a household name among biochemists.
posted by Quietgal at 10:45 AM on December 7, 2008

A former professor of mine hired my friend and me to serve the food at her small dinner party. I ate the leftovers off of Maya Angelou's plate that night. For kicks. It made me laugh, a lot. So much fun. 1998ish.

I helped Anthony Keidis carry his christmas presents up to his father's apartment, one floor above my sister's. Circa 1991? it was snowing, and he had on some really excellent boots. Very short.

Annie Lennox gave me a cookie when my friend and I stalked her on her way in to the Ambassador West hotel in ~1983. Too bad I was 12 and unable to go to her concert. Oatmeal raisin from Mrs. Field's. I pledged never to eat it. My love of cookies trumped my fan loyalty.
posted by Stewriffic at 11:44 AM on December 7, 2008

So every time the show came on I'd think "Oh, that's the place where Otto punched that tranny in the neck."

And then Otto's dismembered corpse was found in half a dozen widely separated locations, I'm guessing, based on the... lavish reactions of the trannies I know.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 2:40 PM on December 7, 2008

I remember waiting in line to get into a club in my home town of Melbourne a few years back, idly turning around to find skateboard god and my childhood idol Tony Hawk standing behind me. Despite the impending fanboy meltdown welling inside I managed to keep cool and have a conversation with him. Great guy. He even allowed me and my mate to pretend we were with him when the bouncers recognised him and bumped him to the front. Then when I got inside I found my friends and started babbling hysterically about having met Tony Hawk... just as he walked past us on the way to the bar. Yes he heard me.
posted by nudar at 2:42 PM on December 7, 2008

Evel Knievel, on a pleasure boat in the Florida Intracoastal Waterway, 1975-ish.

Marcia Wallace, in a theatrical bookstore near Times Square, 1983.

Do "brushes" include more extended visits with Christopher Reeve, Carol Kane, and Hamish Linklater?
posted by underthehat at 4:08 PM on December 7, 2008

Heck, I might as well chip in my two (or two hundred) cents. Being an LA native and working in the music business throughout the 90s (mostly as a low-level shmuck at a music trade magazine, so don't hold it against me), I've had many opportunities for celebrity contacts.

Met Adrian Belew and got him to sign my copy of King Crimson's "Discipline." Great fellow.

Met Robyn Hitchcock; didn't find him to my liking (I am pro-Neil Young, he apparently isn't).

Met Radiohead before they were super-huge and got them to sign my copy of "Pablo Honey" (during that time, I told Ed I had a '63 Fender Jazzmaster and he expressed interest in buying it--I still have the Jazzmaster).

Met Meatloaf and he was a SUPER-nice guy. Met Sarah McLachlan (also super-nice). Ted Nugent and Dave Mustaine...not so nice. Peter Frampton? AWESOME.

My friend and I were bar-crawling one night in our (we thought) oh-so-cool vintage suits, and found Daniel Ash (Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, Love & Rockets) DJ-ing at the Lava Lounge in Hollywood. When we said hi, he took a look at our suits and asked if we were just getting off work (LOL-tastic). I later met Ash again via a record label meet-and-greet and enjoyed turkey cheeseburgers with him at a greasy spoon.

Wil Wheaton was a childhood schoolmate of two girls that I dated in junior high. I never met him, but I did have a snarky phone conversation with him once (we couldn't have been older than 13 at the time, this was before his ST:TNG years).

I rode an elevator with Jon and Ken of the Posies and gushed unashamedly. Met them again years later after a tequila-soaked Knitting Factory performance and got a kiss from Ken along with all the other pretty girls (NB: I am not pretty, nor a girl).

Saw Black Francis and Joey Santiago of the Pixies in my favorite Burbank Chinese restaurant ("Frontier Wok"--for real) and got the silent treatment when I asked how the band was doing--probably because Frank was in town recording his first solo album, post-Pixies (d'oh!).

Hung out with Sloan and Kevin McDonald (Kids in the Hall) in the balcony before Sloan's show at the El Rey; Chris Murphy dragged me downstairs to meet Brian Wilson, who was in the audience.

Met XTC's Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding; got my copy of "Skylarking" autographed; managed to freak Andy out by jokingly advising him not to get into a car accident on his way across town.

Shared a flight home from Austin for SXSW with X's John Doe and Metallica's Lars Ulrich. Told John I loved him in "Boogie Nights," which he seemed to get a kick out of. Lars was in the last row of coach, up against the lavs, and he looked like a trapped animal (I found out later that his management company had to book him the flight as a last-ditch effort).

Okay, that was fun...but I'll stop now :)
posted by retronic at 4:14 PM on December 7, 2008

I have tons of these stories, but I'll limit myself to a favorite.

For those of you who live/lived in San Rafael, Marin county, you might remember a great little indy music store on 4th Street, Maximum Music. The owner, Claire, was a sweetheart, and her main employee is this cool guy, Jim Harris. Think of "High Fidelity", and you've got an accurate picture. Jim was a MAJOR Pee Wee Herman fan, and one of the things hanging on the wall, behind the counter, was a HUGE pair of Pee Wee briefs - like a size 90, they were some sort of psychotic Pee Wee product that is rare as hell.

So a good buddy of mine was getting married - big shindig at a hotel (which I'm spacing on, located at the west side of Union Square), and it turns he's really close friends with Paul Reubens, and tells me that Paul is going to be at the wedding. OK, I've got a special mission now. The wedding was on a Friday, so I go to Maximum Music on Thursday morning, and inform Jim that I need to "borrow" the underwear. He gives me an incredulous glare, and tells me to forget about it. I press him, tell him I absolutely need to borrow them for a couple of days, and continue at this for at least 20 minutes or so. I refuse to tell him why, I just say that he'll be happy he let me take them. He's seriously protective, and is worried that I will do something bad to them. After some serious arm-twisting, he finally pulls this thing down from the wall, gingerly folds them up and inserts them into a big manila envelope. I'm warned that if I lose them, it will be my head, and he's not happy that I won't tell him what the urgency is all about. He's staring at me as I leave the store, shaking his head.

I leave the store, and realize that I will need a Sharpie to take with me, and I know that the black-blue-red-purples ones I have back home just won't do. I embark on a search for a single, fat-tipped Sharpie, brown. It's the only thing that will do here, and it takes me a few hours to finally track one down at the Northgate mall.

My rented tux was my last pickup that day, and I now realize that I'll need to fold these monsterously large underwear into something that will barely fit into a pocket of the tux. Looks like a mutant tumor, but what the hell, I'll do just about anything for my friends.

Friday, I head down to the city, the wedding is just lovely, and after the ceremony, there's a reception in the Air Lounge of the hotel. Tons of people, I ask my buddie's son to take me over to meet Paul. As expected, he's surrounded by a throng of fans, but we manage to work our way up to him, and Taroo introduces me to Paul. He arches an eyebrow, and says, "I've heard a lot about you", and shakes my hand. I tell him that I have to ask a favor, that a good buddy of mine is a huge fan of his, and I have something that I'd like him to sign for me. I proceed to pull the briefs out of my tux pocket, and they come out something like pulling an endless scarf out of a hat. Everyone standing around us cracks up, and the look that comes over Paul's face is priceless - he exclaims, "I can't believe someone actually has one of these things, look, there's my face!" (his mug is printed on the front of these things, make your own joke). He looks around and asks if anyone has a pen, I grin and pull the brown Sharpie out of the other pocket. Reubens explodes with laughter, and proclaims that the stories he's heard about my creativity are well-deserved (he had heard about what I put together for the bachelor party, which he did not attend, but that's a whole 'nother story with some serious FX industry celebs). I ask him to sign write "to my good buddy Jim, from Pee Wee", at which point some woman accuses me of being Jim, but Paul pipes up and proclaims "he's not Jim, he's David, and how many people would do this for a friend?". With great fanfare, he lays out the briefs on a tabletop, and inscribes them with quite a flair. I'm so thrilled, and I know how Jim will just lose it when he gets these, I tell Paul, "he's gonna shit when he sees this". Paul responds, "well, let's beat him to the punch", he flips them over and pens in a skidmark. BIG laughter all around, I profusely thank Paul, and leave him in peace.

Little did I know that my buddy had seated between Paul and Dennis Muren for the dinner that evening, I ended up showing LOTS of people these briefs, Paul kept making me pull them out of the tux pocket and sharing the story. Great fun.

Late Saturday morning, I head on over to Maximum Music, and you better believe that Jim grabbed me the moment I walked in and demanded to know where his precious briefs were. I made him get back behind the counter, close his eyes, and I laid them out, face up, on the counter.

When he opened his eyes, he stared at the briefs, and it took a moment or two for the situation to register. At first he was pissed - "David, what the fuck, who wrote this?", I swore it was the real deal, and once he realized that it was legit, he started to tear up, and the next words out of his mouth were, so help me this is true, "I think I'm gonna shit myself", to which I replied, "Paul has already taken care of that for you", and flipped them over. Jim was so moved, dude was crying, he insisted I take the 12-string acoustic guitar he was going to pawn that day.

Jim hung the underwear back on the wall, higher up, and had a wooden pole with a hook, so he could flip them over and show people the skidmark.

Thing is, that's not my best Paul Reubens story, but it's definitely my favorite.
posted by dbiedny at 5:31 PM on December 7, 2008 [11 favorites]

I bought Mike Watt a beer, and he bought me a shot.

I endorse and approve of this activity, and highly recommend it as a good time. Watt is a great guy.

Met Robyn Hitchcock; didn't find him to my liking

He shared a bottle of wine with myself and some friends a couple years ago; I found him to be quite friendly, intelligent and charming. Really funny, too.
posted by louche mustachio at 7:01 PM on December 7, 2008

I once worked at the nicest hotel in Saint Paul, MN. We got celebs in, occasionally:

Jack Lemmon and Sophia Loren both stayed there for weeks during the filming of "Grumpier Old Men." Class acts, both of them. Ms. Loren's natural charisma cannot be overstated. The entire lobby, no matter how crowded, hushed each time she stepped off the elevators.

Pete Townshend (of The Who) checked in one day. The bellman, coming off break, came hustling after him towards the elevators with the baggage cart. Once the bellman got into the elevator with Pete, he turned to ask him what floor and, after a moment said, "Hey, anybody ever tell you that you look just like Pete Townshend?"
Pete replied, "I get that a lot."

But my favorite moment of celebrity-associated humiliation came when Edward James Olmos checked in. He came walking up to the front desk and I remember that I didn't even have time to finish the thought, "Hey that guy looks just like..." when he rasped, "Ed Olmos, checking in?"
I got his credit card and blathered some nonsense about we were honored to have him in the hotel that evening. Then, not satisfied with my own job of shameless ass-kissing, I went on to say, "I've always been a big fan, Mr. Olmos! I particularly enjoyed your work in 'Stand By Me."
He stopped signing the slip for a moment to look up at me, confused. "Uhh...Thanks," he grunted, and, taking the key, was on his way.

It wasn't for another hour that I realized that Edward James Olmos had in fact starred in 'Stand And Deliver.' I never stop wincing at that moment.
posted by BigLankyBastard at 7:12 PM on December 7, 2008

I volunteered in Jerry Brown's commune in the time between his being elected Oakland's mayor and being sworn in.

I know it's sort of a cliche around here, but I have to say it anyway:


Christ, what an asshole.
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 8:06 PM on December 7, 2008

My first initial is "W." Way back when I worked at the House of Blues, for a while I had a nametag that said "W. Lynn." One night a customer asked me what the "W" stood for, and a very drunk Jami Gertz (who happened to be standing next to us), upon overhearing the question, instantly threw her hands violently up in the air and screamed out, "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Over a decade later, depending upon my mood I will still choose that answer when the same question is posed to me. And whenever exclaiming "woo hoo" in any context, I always make it a point to throw my hands in the air and contort into a drunk face *exactly* the way she did. Because doing this out of nowhere completely throws people off.

Anyhow, in turn, my friends and I took to calling it doing "a Jami Gertz." Feel free to try it yourselves, btw. Personally, I find that it's kind of fun to pull a Jami Gertz out of the hat once in a while.

And now that I've typed "Jami Gertz" a bunch of times I must say... wow that's a really odd name.
posted by miss lynnster at 8:21 PM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

And then Otto's dismembered corpse was found in half a dozen widely separated locations, I'm guessing, based on the... lavish reactions of the trannies I know.

Otto is a very angry person. And no, Said tranny had cameo on Ab Fab a year later.
posted by The Whelk at 9:09 PM on December 7, 2008

I've prayed in a mosque next to Hakeem Olajuwon. He's much taller than I am.
posted by Burhanistan at 9:15 PM on December 7, 2008

Otto is a very angry person. And no, Said tranny had cameo on Ab Fab a year later.

I would have difficulty believing that anyone with that name isn't an angry person. Also, episode and role pls!
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 9:29 PM on December 7, 2008

My wife ran into Tony Bourdain at Hot Doug's, a haute hot dog stand in Chicago this summer. He was shooting "No Reservations" and sat down right next to her.
posted by me3dia at 9:33 PM on December 7, 2008

When I was at university, the women's centre I worked at had an annual writer-in-residence.

When they were considered authors for the coming year, I suggested, offhandedly, Octavia Butler, being that I was something of a fan, and figured it'd be cool. I wasn't expecting it to happen, because I was sure the English department would have someone they'd be pushing for, but my boss fought for it, and before I knew it, she was here for the entire week.

And after my initial fangirl babbling at that first social encounter, I talked to her a bit. I got to have dinner with her and she told tales about Harlan Ellison and stood up for me when this pretentious English major started making fun of my research into slash fanfiction. We talked about Babylon 5, and how she hadn't been watching the fifth season because it was on cable, and how she couldn't take up my offer of my tapes, because she'd never leave the hotel room then.

I showed her around the campus, pointing out the bits and pieces I didn't think the other tour guides would've mentioned. I showed her the crumbling 70s' block tower dormitory where I spent a weekend in a hallway during Hurricane Georges, re-reading the Xenogenesis trilogy.

I got to spend some time with my favourite author. And the only things I regret was not letting her see my work and having a one-on-one discussion about it, and not telling her how much her books shaped my life, especially Parable of the Sower.

God, I still wish she was around.
posted by Katemonkey at 5:40 AM on December 8, 2008 [2 favorites]

dirtynumbangelboy:

The episode "The End" as, er, "New York City Transvestite"
posted by The Whelk at 6:45 AM on December 8, 2008

Celebrities- they're just like you and me!

The other night, we sat next to Steve Buscemi, who was eating with his wife at a little Italian spot in our neighborhood. Living in NYC and, especially, being in a relationship with an actor, makes you pretty jaded to celebrity. I think that Buscemi, though, is one of the current greats, so my g/f remarked that I had my "starfucker face" on. Still, he's there for the exact same reason we were, so I left well enough alone. The owner, though, was clearly beside himself at having so famous a customer.

Steve graciously shook the owner's hand and thanked him as he left. After he did, the owner turned to the people sitting on the other side of us, who were evidently regulars. "You know who that was?", he said. "John Buscemi!"
posted by mkultra at 7:32 AM on December 8, 2008

I had a weird year where I kept seeing the cast of Ghostbusters. Rick Moranis in a crosswalk as I was turning onto a cross street in Times Square. Sigourney Weaver at my gym. Ernie Hudson in line for the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Bill Murray coming out of a Barnes & Noble. It was frickin' bizarre.
posted by Mavri at 12:39 PM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

I met Woz and he signed my old iBook (which I no longer have, unfortunately). At the same event I met Cmdr. Taco.
posted by mike3k at 8:28 PM on December 8, 2008