People tend to gravitate toward various celebrities based on the work they do without really knowing who they are in real life.
For example, actors who play nefarious characters may have a legion of fans who love the rebellious persona but can be let down after discovering their personality is actually quite loveable.
We often tend to forget celebrities are people too, and their real-life persona may be contradictory to the type of characters they play in movies.
Curious to hear from those who were in for a pleasant surprise after meeting a star, Redditor BEEPY_BO1 asked:
"Who is the kindest/rudest celebrities you've met IRL?"
These positive chance meetings stayed with Redditors forever.
Not Forgotten
"My sibling has a terminal illness in the 80s and Make A Wish sent our family to the set of Knight Rider to meet David Hasselhoff. Was cool, but that's not what matters."
"Fast forward 30 years and I'm at Heathrow picking up a family member when I see the Hoff standing there on his phone. I approach him and wait for him to end his call. He looks at me and says hello. I tell him that we met. He looks at me and say, 'Was their name ...?' He remembered their name after 30 years."
"That will always stay with me."
– AnsweringLiterally
The Sweet Canadian
"I used to serve Rachel McAdams at a restaurant fairly regularly. She was always super sweet. Very lowkey and soft spoken in person. She and her husband would come in late and keep to themselves."
– overintoxikatied
"I was at a pub in Toronto years ago and we were watching the Blue Jays home opener on the TV. The bar had a long booth seat with a series of tables strung along so you sat pretty close to the next patron."
"Had no idea that Rachel McAdams was sitting next to me the whole time. My friend and I watched the game and chatted with them throughout as they were right next to us. Just regular pub chatter and comments about the game."
"The Jays ended up coming back to win, and Rachel and I high-fived at the conclusion. She and her friend left, and my friend smacked me after they got up and said "that was Rachel f'kin' McAdams!" So yes, she seemingly has the ability to just be low-key and fit right in despite being a beautiful Hollywood actress!"
– skipfairweather
Satisfying His Sweet Tooth
"Ian McKellen came to the spa I worked at and was absolutely lovely. We didn’t sell ice cream but there was a farm shop across the road and I mentioned it and he asked me if I’d take him there."
"My friend who worked in the farm shop had his mouth open the whole time seeing me buying ice cream with Gandalf."
– ClydeinLimbo
They are professionals but are also good with people. A winning combo.
Pure Magic
"Penn and Teller hang out in the lobby after their show in Vegas to chat and sign autographs. Very friendly and yes Teller can talk."
– vandalia
"Teller was really sweet to my brother who is handicapped and in a wheelchair. That meant a lot to me."
– VeryBestMentalHealth
The Perfectionists
"I have worked with Steve Martin and Martin Short, they’re both super nice, respectful, and incredibly dedicated to their craft. They’ll spend hours finessing a couple lines in a show they do every night just to get it right for that evening’s performance."
– snakefest
The Conversationalists
"I was an extra on The Last of Us and met Pedro Pascal. He was super nice. We technically weren’t allowed to talk to the 'talent' and they’d usually ignore us but he and Gabriel Luna talked to us anyway."
– _PlaZma
Talent Recognizes Talent
'Giancarlo Esposito was incredibly warm and also told me I should try and get into voice acting. I have never and will never attempt to do so but it was such a nice compliment for no reason.'
– dronecypher
These Redditors have bragging rights for the best celeb encounter anecdotes.
Congrats Are In Order
"I proposed to my wife at a restaurant in Kauai. Afterwards, Michael Keaton leaned over from his table with his family and enthusiastically congratulated us. Very kind and friendly."
– Warren_Puffitt
Deadpanned By Deadpool
"Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively live relatively close to my hometown and show up to this Christmas event every now and again that our town puts on. Walked out of the ice cream parlor downtown and sitting on the bench right outside is Ryan Reynolds eating an ice cream cone. I looked up at him as I was walking out and made eye contact, and I looked away, then I looked back to make sure it was him, and he looks me dead in the face and goes 'I know right, isn’t it crazy?' And then he gets up and walks away. 10/10"
– Euuphoriaa
Inspired And Encouraged
"I met Weird Al at a con once. While he was signing the photo I bought, I told him about how he inspired me to write my own parody songs. He seemed genuinely interested and asked if I had a YouTube channel, but I told him I just write them, not record them. Super nice dude (at least for the brief time we spoke)."
– Avandra
A Birthday To Remember
"Jeff Goldblum, after a matinee of 'The Pillowman.' Autographs, photos, asking people where they were from, what else they had seen/were going to see. One girl mentioned they were in the city for her birthday as she was taking a photo of him with her friends, he stopped and said “How can you not be in your own birthday picture,” took her camera and grabbed someone from the crowd to take a picture of the group. Would not leave until he was sure everyone got what they wanted (despite his assistant or handler trying to move him along for dinner before the evening performance)"
– alter_ego19456
I met Keri Russell at one of my favorite restaurants. She was dining alone and reading a book.
I'm not usually not one for invading a celebrity's personal space, but because I was a HUGE Felicity fan, I had to say hi.
I told her she was even more gorgeous in person and that I wanted to tell her I admired her work. She blushed and simply said, "Oh, stawwwp!" and laughed.
She then asked about me, what I thought of the food at this particular establishment, etc. She had such a great, laid-back vibe. Not wanting to take up any more of her time, I excused myself.
When she eventually got up to leave, she came over to where I was sitting with my significant other at the time, and she told us with a wink, "You boys, have a good night."
I almost died.
The deaths of famous people can hit people really hard, especially when they were taken from us way too soon.
Curious to hear whose deaths had the biggest impact, Redditor Jrose798 asked:
"Which famous person’s death were you not ready for?"
They made us laugh when they were alive and broke our hearts when they passed.
The Comic Genius
"Robin Williams, he was a legend RIP."
– Thankless_ruler
"Robin Williams died on my 21st birthday. The thought that someone so f'king funny could be so sad hit me like a brick at that age. Haunted me throughout cake with my family. I still think about him all the time."
– BlazedInMyWinnie
Stand Up Legend
"George Carlin"
– eyes-of-strange-sins
We could use his insight these past 2 years. Rip George.
– GingerUsurperFans reflect on those who've made a huge impact on their lives.
He Brought Severus Snape To Life
"Alan Rickman."
"Man could have read the Tax Code, and I would have been in awe."
– lazyasdrmr
"By Grabthar's hammer... The taxes imposed by section 3201 shall be collected by the employer of the taxpayer by deducting the amount of the taxes from the compensation of the employee as and when paid."
– hymie0
Space Fan
"Neil Armstrong and Carrie Fisher. As a huge Star Wars and Space fan since forever, I hadn't even conceived the possibility that they would die someday, even if I was already 17 when Carrie Fisher died."
– Skeledenn
"There are only 12 Apollo astronauts left out of the 24 that flew. Of those 12 left, only 4 walked on the moon. If NASA’s Artemis program doesn’t start producing results soon, the experience of walking on another world will pass out of living memory."
– RogueRocketeer
He Had Passion For Animals
"Steve Irwin’s death broke me as a kid."
– dboz99
"I was in basic combat training, and the drill sergeants gathered us and said counselors were on standby and that we had experienced a national tragedy."
"We were expecting a 2nd 9/11 event. They told us Steve had died and everyone laughed. I was f'king devastated."
"Like so many, he taught me to appreciate the beauty of nature, and its inhabitants. Though a creature could be deadly if mistreated or not respected for its power, it was still worth understanding and appreciating."
"Steve, was an incredibly formative part of my upbringing."
– AldereztheGreat
The Venerated Food Critic
"Anthony Bourdain. He was weirdly like a member of our family, so many of our holiday traditions included watching and rewatching no reservations. All of our favorite meals were from his cookbooks. It was a gut punch for sure."
– Affectionate-Oven306
These young actors had their whole life ahead of them.
Posthumous Oscar Winner
"Heath Ledger. He was on his way to greatness."
– bdbr
He Was Entering The Prime Of His Career
"Anton Yelchin. He was so young and full of life. His career was really starting to pick up. I still feel upset about it."
– zephyr1004
The Beloved Roboticist
"Grant Imahara."
– JrsyDude
"This one crushed me because I had a brief interaction with him shortly before his death. I ran into him at San Diego Comic Con. He took a picture of me and my wife dressed as Rocket and Groot."
– dandroid126
Two Honorable Mentions
"Chadwick Boseman and Avicii, no one even knew that Chadwick was sick and Avicii was like 27 when he died."
– yeetgodmcnechass
I was not ready for the death of Luke Perry, the actor who played bad boy Dylan McKay in the original teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210.
Not only was he a loving father, but he also had the respect of most people in the industry. According to those who closely worked with him, Perry was a presence of encouragement.
I may even have had a crush on the guy. Sigh.
R.I.P., Luke.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
Most of us have celebrity crushes, right?
Whether you're watching them in a movie or seeing them perform on stage or noting how they come off during interviews, there's no doubt that many of them are alluring people.
And some of them even seem like pretty great people, which is why, if given the chance, many an average Jane or Joe wouldn't turn down the chance to marry them.
Hey, why not? Matt Damon did fall in love with and marry a bartender he met while in Florida, so the sky's the limit.
People shared their thoughts after Redditor eenee asked the online community:
"What celebrity would you marry if they asked you to without any date prior?"
"Paul Bettany seems to be a valid choice..."
"Paul Bettany seems to be a valid choice considering he is married to Jennifer Connelly for 18 years without being a couple prior to proposal."
Ehrl_Broeck
Come to think of it, Jennifer Connelly would be a great answer here, too!
"The man is smoking hot..."
"David Tennant. The man is smoking hot, and I hate his wife because she's beautiful and kind and I can't compete!"
tinamason3
I can totally get behind this one.
Yep. I mean... look at him.
Just look at him.
"He just seems..."
"Hugh Jackman. He just seems like a really sweet man. And very easy on the eyes."
SlimePrincess451
Check out his Instagram.
That man is clearly living his best life.
And he adores his wife!
"I'm not gay."
"Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos. I’m not gay. But a billion dollars is a billion dollars."
NotReallyInvested
I kind of hate you for this but whyyyy do we have to live in this capitalist hellscape?
"I'm married..."
"Gillian Anderson. I’m married, but I’ve discussed it with my wife already and she knows she’d have to accept her arrival. My current wife would move into the Ex files."
Starman68
I see what you did there.
Well done.
At least your wife has a sense of humor!
"The man could..."
"Henry Cavill. The man could ask me to drop my pants and they’d already be dropped before he could even finish the sentence."
OtherwiseAd2555
The Strangest 'Wrong Number' Stories | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Before we all had caller ID, wrong numbers phone calls were commonplace. But now that almost everyone screens their calls, it's wrong number texts that have ...You're clearly excited about Season 2 of The Witcher, aren't you?
"My wife's answer..."
"My wife's answer is Jason Momoa. I didn't even have to ask her. She just announced it to me one day."
WillElMagnifico
Your wife has some stiff competition, to be fair.
Lisa Bonet is certainly not going to let him go anytime soon.
"He's 40 years older..."
"Tom Selleck. He's 40 years older than me and I would still climb his geriatric ass like a tree. Had a crush on this man since the 80s."
IllustriousScience-3
I mean, I can see it.
Not you climbing him like a tree, but your other point.
"You can just tell..."
"Brendan Fraser. You can just tell he's a good person all the way through."
nisharfa
He seems very sweet, and he's been through hell these last few years.
It's good to see him enjoying a comeback.
"I'm all about..."
"Rosamund Pike. I'm all about that accent, despite the very convincing psychopath she played once."
hardyflashier
You should watch her in Pride and Prejiudice.
Totally different character.
Makes her Gone Girl performance even more wonderful to see.
We can all dream, right?
But let's be real for a moment.
There are wonderful people everywhere. You'll likely find one someday.
And when you do, a lot of these celebrities won't even be a thought in your mind.
Have some suggestions of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.
Many people would rather focus on the scandals associated with celebrities notorious for bad behavior.
This is a shame since many of their phenomenal talents are overlooked in favor of a juicy tabloid.
But what about the genuinely well-behaved celebrities? Well, they are not without haters too, unfortunately.
For instance, stars like Taylor Swift – who has been a positive role model and ally of the LGBTQ community – still has her share of critics no matter how hard she tries to shake it off.
Curious to hear positive examples from strangers online, Redditor AndweleHarris asked:
"Who's that one celebrity that has like no haters?"
These Canadian actors were found to be simply irresistible.
He Took Us On Excellent Adventures
"Keanu Reeves"
"He is absolute good man. never seen someone with that much love and respect over media."
The Actor From 'Honey I Shrunk The Kids"
"Rick Moranis. The guy stopped acting to take care of his kids after his wife's death."
– joeO44
Aspiring Football Player
"John Candy"
– zen1001
"My favorite John Candy story: Joe Montana was playing for the 49ers in an important game, may have even been the Super Bowl. His team is down, they've got a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it."
"Montana comes into the huddle and starts calling the play, then stops and points to the stands and says:"
"Hey, isn't that John Candy?"
"Teammates look over, and it is, indeed, John Candy. Turns out he was a big football fan."
"Montana returned his focus to the game and went on to lead a game-winning drive down the field."
These European personalities won the hearts of many people from around the world.
The BAFTA Award Winner
"Dev Patel. Seems like the most lovely of people and everyone that works with him sings his praises."
The Natural Historian
"David Attenborough"
"That's Sir David Attenborough to you, peasant."
The Dowager Countess of Grantham
"Maggie Smith"
"Professor McGonagall is the most underrated Harry Potter character in the series."
"She is so funny, even when she is strictly serious! But I mostly praise Maggie Smith for her line delivery in general."
Practically perfect
"Julie Andrews"
– __Soju__
"I effing LOVE her story about how Walt Disney waited for her to give birth before filming Mary Poppins. Keep in mind at that stage Julie Andrews was nothing more than a mildly successful West End/Broadway actress. The fact that one of the biggest film producers at the time wanted her specifically to play Mary Poppins AND he was happy to wait until after her pregnancy is a true testament to her phenomenal acting and singing ability."
"It paid off too: Julie Andrews won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role as Mary Poppins, her feature film debut too!"
People Break Down The Creepiest Research Holes They've Ever Fallen Down | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
A.K.A. André René Roussimoff
"Andre the Giant."
"i was fortunate enough to catch a screening of The Princess Bride in Nashville a couple years ago; Cary Elwes (who plays the love interest) was there after the show and told some stories about working with different cast members. when he got to Andre, he recounted how he was the 'mood maker' of the cast and always had a smile on his face. he even broke his foot during one of the last scenes but powered through it because the other actors had been filming all day and wanted to go home."
"a real shame that he passed away so prematurely."
– 8-chan
These real American idols are truly adored.
Viggo Wherever He Goes
"Viggo Mortensen"
"He once gave my mom some chocolates, she still talks about it haha. In an industry rife with ego and jerks, he's a great guy."
America's Sweetheart
"Dolly Parton"
"She had me at, 'It takes a lot of money to look this cheap!' She does plenty of good in this world."
– Phuni44
Betty White"
"Google her variety show. A ton of people hated her because she wouldn't fire her black costar. She pretty much told those people to f*** off for lack of a better term and it makes me love her even more!"
Emmy Award And Golden Globe Winning Legend
"Danny DeVito."
"Danny DeVito saved the life of a thirteen year old, who says (he's an adult now) that he was suicidal from the abuse he was enduring at a boarding school. On a ski trip, he was on a lift and DeVito, who sat next to him, noticed something was wrong and offered support, referencing the abuse he also endured at a Catholic School. This guy says everyone ignored his cry for help, but DeVito saw a defeated teenager and was the first person to listen to him and believe him."
I can confidently assume Dick Van Dyke has no haters.
How could he? He's a lovable icon and is a very affable person to work with.
I would know. Although it was a brief blip in my performing career, I had the honor to share the stage with the Disney legend known for playing Bert in Mary Poppins.
He was extremely gracious and he shook hands with all of us in the ensemble of our show while looking at us individually with a glimmer in his eye.
He loves people. You could tell. And we love him.
Celebrities hold a special place in our hearts. We see them on screen, we read their books, we listen to their music and podcasts, and we hold them in a high regard.
Our societies celebrates celebrities, as the name suggests, so as we see our hero's lives come to an end, it can feel like a huge loss.
Reddit user aliensockmonkey asked:
Which celebrity's death actually made you cry?
In this thread of emotional comments, people shared their fondness and influence of those no longer with us and celebrated the lives they lead.
This article does contain mentions of suicide and death.
Those who showed us to love science.
"Grant Imahara from Mythbusters and Gran Thompson, they made me get into science."
"I'm not going to go digging for it but I remember I didn't cry at his death, I cried over a tweet from Kari Byron that she posted not an hour later I believe. It wasn't long or thoughtful or beautifully written; it was something like "I was just talking to you this morning" with a picture of him and that was it. It felt like she was broken inside."
"One of the rare individuals out there to have both a keen intellect, a practical engineering and scientific curiosity AND the onscreen presence and charisma to bring knowledge to the masses."
"There were so many years in him to teach. Truly a tragedy."
A wonderful actor and person.
"Alan Rickman. That was just such an unexpected one, & I genuinely cried when I read it. He was such an amazing actor & human, it's still sad he's gone."
- poohfan
"Same. Such a phenomenal actor and a great guy. He kept his cancer diagnosis private so it was such a shock to all of his fans that he was even sick. I'm still trying to figure out how to make Siri sound like him."
It didn't matter what film, so many of us loved Alan Rickman.
"Same. I remember standing in my bedroom, scrolling on my phone and when I saw the news it felt like the wind completely went out of my sails. I sat on the edge of my bed and cried a bit. It feels a little silly to be sad about the loss of someone you've never met but I loved him in Harry Potter, Love Actually, and Dogma. And even though I hated the Hitchhiker's Guide adaptation that he was in, I loved him as Marvin."
A man with great spirit and love for wildlife.
"Steve Irwin. That man was so passionate about wild life and it's good to see his wife and in these past few years his children keeping up the fight."
"I've been thinking about this one a lot since Bindi had her little girl. Steve would have been the most amazing granddad.
I remember Terri talking about how Steve would get up early with the kids, and she'd wake up to the sounds of laughter coming from the living room every morning that he wasn't carting them around the zoo. I could imagine Bindi waking up to Steve just hanging in her house, doting on the grandkids, teaching them everything he knew. That family is missing a lot for having lost him."
The game show host that so many loved.
"Alex Trebek. My immigrant family used to watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy religiously. He was always on TV when I was alive.
And hearing how he died really broke me. Just on his back porch swing with his wife as he went. It made me really think that one day, it will be your last day. And what you wear that day, everything you do, what coffee or breakfast you had or whatever, is going to be your last, and that's it. And just the way he went out was so beautiful."
The commenter later went on to edit his thoughts to say this:
"I want to clarify. I come from a family of immigrants who worked hard their entire lives and continue to, and they worked very hard to learn English. And game shows is what they would watch to help them learn. So these shows remind me of being with my family too."
Two people who shared their art and joy with us and left too soon.
"Robin Williams and Chester Bennington. Linkin Park got me through the darkest parts of my life and kept me alive. Chester's death rocked me, and so did knowing i would never get to see them live. I saw the tribute concert they did for him. I remember vividly during Numb I think, they called out to the audience "I want you guys to sing so loud Chester can hear you!" And I broke down."
"I could hear the audience start sobbing. Every lyric hit me before his death, and hearing Leave Out All the Rest or Numb makes me realize he was telling us his story the whole time."
"Robin was just a pure soul who made me and millions of others laugh, all while hiding such pain and an illness he couldn't control. Its a bit like how we say in Narcotics Anonymous, what happens when the person who kept you from relapsing relapses? It was such a cold and empty world after they left us, and I never even met them in person."
A mother and daughter that we lost so close to one another.
"Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds when they died within a few days of each other."
"I wasn't sure how close. Debbie told her son she wanted to be with Carrie and died hours later. Mother and daughter were very close. It must have been really hard on Carrie's daughter, Billie. She was very close to both of them."
"In her book she's very forthcoming about how she literally stayed alive for Billie. As much as she struggled with mental illness and addiction, her daughter was always her biggest priority, and she wanted to be healthy for her."
A chef that touched kitchens everywhere.
"Anthony Bourdain"
"I'm a chef and his impact on pretty much everyone in my industry is immeasurable. Kitchen Confidential is easily the most impactful book for most all of us. The most amazing way of translating and speaking about food/chef culture. His shows had an amazing way of highlighting other cultures and the way food brings people together no matter where you are from and showing that alot of our differences are purely cosmetic."
"That day was easily the quietest day I've ever spent in a professional kitchen in my life, everyone was just silent and upset."
- Napo2212
"Anthony Bourdain's death inspired me to go back to therapy. It hit me so hard because I loved his food travel shows."
"I loved how he had such a genuine love of food. High class food, low class food, spicy food, sweet food, whatever it was, if it was good food, he liked it."
- Ryan0413
This comment allowed a space for many to open up about their own feelings, so the original commenter added this:
"Thanks to everyone who shared their feelings about him. It's crazy to me to see how much influence he had in so many people's lives of all walks of life, even if they aren't a part of the culinary industry. It's a credit to who he was as a person."
"For alot of the comments here, I just want to say really quickly. If your suffering from depression or having suicidal thoughts, please, please, please, talk to someone. Friends, family, therapist, phones lines, anyone, everyone. You matter, no matter what you may think, and you matter to others around you. Please open up and talk to people."
- Napo2212
An actor that brought us so many laughs brought many tears when they heard the news
"Gene Wilder. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news; I was sitting down in a sandwich shop and it was broadcast on the store radio. I heard it but it didn't really register at first, but as soon as I got home it hit me and I had to lie down and cry for a few minutes."
"According to his family while taking his last breath he was listening to Over the Rainbow. Such a poetic way to depart, I don't know how to describe it. May he rest in peace."
- GSavvage
A man who defined our childhoods.
"Jim Henson for sure, maybe not a traditional celebrity, but the Muppets, Fraggle Rock...man, I'm still sad thinking about his death."
- gavreaux
"I was 14 when he died, lifelong muppets fan. My dad was reading the paper (the paper! How quaint) and told me Jim Henson died. I immediately said "no he didn't" my dad again confirmed that he died and I remember yelling "No! He didn't!" Then I sat down and cried. First time I ever cried over a celebrity death. Jim Henson defined my childhood and I still mourn his passing."
Though there are so many more we could name, these few were influential to so many people during their short times here. Whether we were influenced by their work, defined our childhoods, or helped us fall in love with their passion for life, their lives will hold a special place in our hearts.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/