We knew them when.
Famous people have to be from somewhere.
It feels like they're aliens and are unreachable.
But they're real and they have origins in some unlikely places.
Most towns, schools, etc, have a few people they can say... walked these streets.
Redditor VirindiPuppetDT wanted to hear about who is your town's claim to fame.
"Who is the most famous person from your hometown?"
I'm not sure who is from my humble beginnings. Just me.
Purple Neighbor
Prince GIFGiphy"Prince."
PowerfulSeat7975
"My dad used to live in Carver. I didn't find out until he moved how close he lived to Paisley Park."
Wax_Mommy
The Neighborhood
"I'll just go with two of my favorites. Michael Keaton and Fred Rogers. I lived a couple of miles from his house and went to high school next door to WGED (where he taped)."
"Our smoking area was on QED's side of the school and he'd come over and chat with us sometimes."
"It was embarrassing standing there with a cigarette in my hand while talking to him. (It didn't bother any of us to smoke in front of the Brothers) I still live in the same neighborhood and it's a catholic school, hence the Brothers."
citsonga_cixelsyd
Walk On
"I’m from NYC, so about a million people. But for my neighborhood, it’s 100% Christopher Walken."
DrVonPretzel
"The King of New York."
Demitrius
"Never knew he was a professional tap dancer!"
catincal
"Could've knocked me over with a feather when someone told me that after I saw some video short he was in dancing and then the movie America's Sweethearts."
LadyBug_0570
The Writer
"Stephen King."
Cockatiel_Animations
"Says he's from Portland, ME... pretty sure Bangor is known for him though. Especially since Derry is based off the city. I'm technically not from Bangor either, I'm from Clifton, ME."
Cockatiel_Animations
"Bangor represent!"
Junior-Lie4342
Normies
John Waters Smile GIF by Locarno Film FestivalGiphy"Michael Phelps for the normies, John Waters for everyone else."
sanibelle98
"John Waters is the best. Dude donated to a museum and asked them to name the bathrooms after him."
dismayhurta
John Waters. Saint. I want a bathroom named after me.
From Nowhere
Oh Yeah Lol GIF by Focus FeaturesGiphy"Brad Pitt. Springfield MO."
NitramXb
"I always wondered how somebody from the middle of nowhere ends up a Hollywood movie star. There's literally zero opportunities for that so how the hell."
PlzRemasterSOCOM2
Just Smile
"Michael J Fox, Burnaby BC. I grew up in Vancouver and heard many stories from friends, back in the day, of him being drinking in clubs, sitting alone, with a dumb happy smile on his face. I never ran into him, but was always on the look-out! lol. I've always had a special spot in my heart for him."
Ubba-Ga
Love Her
"Carrie from Portlandia went to my high school but there’s like 4 towns that claim her because her family moved around the local area a few times."
MadisonPearGarden
"I went to a barbecue at her house in Portland once. It was before Portlandia when she was that woman from Sleater Kinney."
mackelnuts
"I love she is known more for Portlandia than her music. Oddly, I think she might appreciate this."
TheDeadlySquid
On a brighter note...
"Jerry Springer…was our mayor…"
vajayjaybird
"He actually paid a sex worker with a bad check, and she took him to court for the bad check. He was RE-elected after this happened. I feel sad for all of us. On a brighter note... Sarah Jessica Parker, born near, but lived here for her school years George Clooney, which is not true he was actually raised in Kentucky. But his father was a newscaster in Cincinnati which is why he gets tied here."
"Nick Lachey. Doris Day. Steven Spielberg, moved from here when he was very little."
KPinCVG
In the Zone
Season 3 Episode 24 GIF by Paramount+Giphy"Rod Serling. The dude who created that odd show called Twilight Zone. A character mentions the name of my hometown in one of the episodes."
Love Him
"Martin Short."
GloomyCamel6050
Have you seen his Larry David? I thought this was the man himself for over half a decade, and finally looked at the comment section. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PbZdhl5NI6Y"
doned_mest_up
"Or Eugene Levy. The community centre my grandparents would go to would have a contest for a date with Eugene Levy."
Gaslitfromwithin
The VP
"Mike Pence. My dad 'borrowed' his car when he was a teenager. Not much to tell. My dad was friends with one of Mike's younger brothers and used to take it on joyrides in the middle of the night. One night Mikes brother didn't wanna go so my dad went anyway and got caught."
Bucketofbolts559
Breaker High
"Ryan Gosling."
cjpotter82
"My friend went to high school with him in Burlington. Was annoyed about how the teachers bent over backwards to accommodate his Breaker High shooting schedule and to this day will not watch a film he is in lol."
1_art_please
"I grew up near Burlington and would see him and his Breaker High friends at the theatre often. My friend had a crush on him. Another friend of mine helped her dad paint Ryan's bedroom as a kid too."
TheDrunkyBrewster
Bad Religion
stan marsh pictures GIF by South Park Giphy"L. Ron Hubbard. Unfortunately."
BadDiscoJanet
"Agreed. He brought a horrible plague with Scientology. However, Battlefield Earth was an incredible novel. One of my favorites, in fact."
JonSmith12345
Founders
"Probably Les Schwab, the founder of Les Schwab Tires. It's a large chain in the western states, started in tiny little Prineville, OR."
rock-hound
"They would do February Beef Month (?) when I was growing up and in Eugene there was a local bicycle shop that would do February Tofu Month with a purchase of new wheels. Always loved it."
weareborgunicons
"I work for the company and the new owners have left us alone for the most part on the store level. Store quality really depends on the management team that's running it. I've seen clean orderly stores that put a big emphasis on customer service & quality of work and others that are just shit shows."
_lentes
Lead me back...
"Taylor Dayne? She sat in front of me in French class."
M_Looka
"Man her songs were so underrated."
Fomalhot
"I'd forgotten about her! To the YouTube."
LaComtesseGonflable
Creepy
Crow Killer Blues GIF by Rob ZombieGiphy"Rob Zombie."
drycleaningisntdry
"The 1st time I ever heard him talk he was faking a trash English accent and for the next 10 years I thought he was British."
Fomalhot
For the Music
"Cliff Burton is probably the most famous. The high school even has a music scholarship which his parents fund with then royalties they receive in his name."
leftshoesnug
"As a newborn until age 5 I lived in Castro Valley, from 60-65, and my parents had friends named Burton. I just wrote my sister to see if they were the same Burtons. I’m not a big Metallica fan, and never realized he was from there."
Emergency_Market_324
People come from everywhere. Good to know anyone, from anywhere can be anything.
Do any celebrities come from where you grew up? Let us know in the comments below.
Crushes are a normal part of life. Celebrity crushes are even more mainstream.
I tend to fall in love with the male lead of whatever my favorite show happens to be at the time. As a kid, I was certain I was going to grow up and marry Rider Strong from Boy Meets World (though I was so young back then, I couldn't tell the difference between Rider Strong and Shawn Hunter).
As I grew up, I predictably fell for both Nick and Joe Jonas, Andrew Garfield, and, my celebrity obsession for the last eight years, Grant Gustin.
I also had my fair share of cartoon and anime crushes (Zuko from ATLA anyone?) There's no shame here!
Celebrity crushes are not only normal, but something people can bond over.
Curious about what celebrities (or fictional characters) made people's lists, Redditor Jeece712 asked:
"Who was your celebrity crush as a child?"
Jack + Rose Forever
"Leonardo Dicaprio. I cried so hard when I was a kid and my mom told me Kate Winslett was getting married, I thought her and Leo were in love IRL because of Titanic, and I thought she broke his heart. I was a dumb."
– kittenAngst
Jinkies!
"Linda Cardellini as Velma in the Scooby-Doo films. Now it's just Linda Cardellini"
– FireyBrick
"I'm a man of substance. Dorky chicks like you turn me on, too!”
– Mayg14
They Were All Quite Attractive
"Danielle Fischell is an excellent answer."
– KzooKLR
"Ooooh I totally had a crush on Topanga!"
– electrolytesaregood
"I crushed on Shawn for a bit."
– EveryBuddyUp
"Sean was cute af."
– boopandkitten
The Epitome Of A Teenage Heartthrob
"Kelly Kapowski"
– TheWolphman
"More like Kelly KaPOWski!!!"
– 0xB0BAFE77
All I Want Is Your Love
"Natalie Portman....Padme"
– Deleted User
"Me too!!! I was already like 12 but God, it was an instant crush, she is beautiful and very elegant. It started from the second film of the prequels tho"
– inimicali
"Natalie Portman, was falling for her right along with Anakin"
– crepitusss
Wonderful Animation
"Kim Possible. I guess the thing for redheads never went away judging by my girlfriends nowadays..."
– mattu334
"Aladdin. Don't look at me like that."
– Bubbly-Round-7103
"Gwen from Ben 10..."
– Minion__Edifier
"Kim Possible and the mother from The Proud Family."
"They may not have been actual celebrities, nor did I quite understand the feelings I had for them at the time, but goddamn were they the sh*t!"
– BellingerGuy310
Self-Discovery
"Raven, from the really bright and colorful Teen Titans Go. Yet it still took me another 7 years to realize I wasn’t straight."
– soysaucemmm
"draco malfoy.. it was my gay awakening"
– Initial_Sound_5020
"I had my sexual awaking with zac efron in high school musical. I literally jumped my wall to him singing 'the start of something new'"
– Significant_Comment7
That Whole, Full House
"middle daughter on Full House"
– bigtex2003
"Uncle Jessie was so hot. I remember watching with my grandma, we were both there for him lol"
– Keyspam102
"Uncle Jessie’s wife, Becky. Super hot back then."
– RRahl
"Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber) from Full House."
– PlatypusWrath
Superheroes = Super Crushes
"Well, this is gonna date me for sure but, when I was about 4 or 5, Superman/Clark Kent as played by a young Christopher Reeve."
"All my life I crushed out like crazy on guys with dark hair, blue eyes, and glasses. I ended up marrying a man who looks eerily just like Reeve when he played that role (more the body type and the face than the coloring, though). The bummer is that he insists on wearing contact lenses, at least when he goes outside. He thinks it's hilarious that it drives me wild when takes off his contacts when he gets home and puts on his glasses."
– zazzlekdazzle
"Sharkboy"
– sworbfish
"Wonder Woman & The Bionic Woman"
– 5inn3d
"Lynda Carter 100%"
– 4Run4Fun
And A Few That Need A Mention
"Shania Twain."
"That did impress me much."
– happybuffalowing
"Lee Meriwether as Catwoman. Me-freaking-ow."
– swibirun
"Jodie Foster. In retrospect… I never had a chance."
– Gaudy_Tripod
Truthfully, I doubt any of us ever had a chance.
Ah, well, we can dream!
Meeting your idols and favorite artists is a slippery slope. We always seem to forget that they are just normal people, who just happen to live fabulous and glorious lives; through the lens of the media machine of course. We don't know them personally, we just think we do. So it can be the greatest moment ever, or a soul crushing disaster when we finally come face to face with them.
Redditor u/TheBreadMan42069 wanted to hear about the famous faces they've encountered by asking... What celebrity have you met that was surprisingly nice/rude?"no it's okay my darling"
gordon ramsay masterchef GIFGiphyA lot of redditors mention Gordon Ramsay being lovely.
My godsister can confirm. She worked at a hotel restaurant in Cornwall where Ramsay vacations at regularly. She was so nervous she spilt something but he just gave her a really fatherly warm smile and went "no it's okay my darling" and continued on with his conversation.
When I was a kid, my family took a trip to London and we were shopping in Harrod's. Being the kid I was, I was running around while my parents shopped. I ran up to this man, looked up and said "you look REAAAAAAAALLY familiar. Have we met?" And he flashes a smile and says "no, but I get that a lot" and then he walks off. My dad came right over and went "... you do realize that was mr bean you just spoke to right?"
Good Ole Louie....
Lewis Black is freaking awesome. I was in Vegas with some buddies Veterans Day weekend and we spotted him playing craps. I stood near him and watched because a) it's Lewis friggin Black and b) I've never played craps so I had no idea what was going on. He noticed me, asked if I knew how to play. I said I didn't and he immediately spent $200 teaching me how to play craps and wouldn't let me put any of my own money down since I was learning.
We chatted, he asked what we were doing in Vegas and we mentioned celebrating the Marine Corps birthday and Veterans Day. He thanked us profusely for our service and asked if we wanted tickets to his show the following night. I'm a bigger fan than my friends were so I said yes I'd love to come see his show. He said he would leave tickets for me at will call. My sister met up with me the next day and we were super pumped about the show, but joked that it was too good to be true and there wouldn't actually be tickets waiting for us.
Sure enough, Lewis Black is a man of his word and left me four free tickets at will call, and not only that but they were good tickets, like third row center. He put on a great show and I will forever enthusiastically support him. He made great conversation, was patient and kind teaching me to gamble on his own dime, and kept his promise of tickets for me. A+ guy, despite his angry ranting comedic style.
Opposites....
I met Leonard Nemoy at different times. Leonard was incredibly cool. He was giving a talk at the place where I work and we all knew he was coming so we sat at a table outside near the entrance so we could see when he arrived. His security people led him from the car to the building and we said hello as he passed.
They took him inside to a private green room to relax before he went on. To our surprise, after the handlers dropped him off at the green room he came back outside, sat down with us and just hung out, we talked about food and cool places to see nearby. We just chatted like he was one of the crew. Class act guy. One of the neatest celebrity encounters I've had.
Oh course he is....
sexy jeff goldblum GIFGiphyI don't think anyone one would be surprised that Jeff Goldblum is nice, but I can attest to it.
I was an extra in a movie with him. When he arrived on the scene, some nasty film crew woman was screaming at us not to bother him or ask for his autograph (which none of us had done). He must have heard her, because he turned right around and came over to talk to us.
Movie Marathon
Back when they were filming Lord of the Rings all the hobbits: Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins), Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), Billy Boyd (Peregrin Took), and Dominic Monaghan (Meriadoc Brandybuck), came into my mom's video store and wanted to rent all of Peter Jacksons movies. They were so excited to have a movie marathon I thought it was super cute.
Edit: They were nice. :)
Hey Girl....
Paris Hilton - I didn't meet her in person. But I worked for an airline answering phones as a supervisor. She called in to change her itinerary on New year's Day years ago when she was very much in the public eye. It would have been about 3:00 a.m. where she was, and I could hear the party going on in the background. She was my very first call of the morning where I was on the east coast. 7:00 a.m.
I was hungover as hell, and in no mood to be at work. She was absolutely the nicest person to deal with. She was really sweet and patient, she made small talk while I changed her reservation and seemed genuinely kind. I was pleasantly surprised.
Hey Hugh
Its pretty well established that he's nice, but Hugh Jackman is one of the nicest human beings I've ever encountered.
A friend of mine went to the premiere of X-Men Origins Wolverine and they camped out by the theater, he said he woke up and he was told that Hugh Jackman had bought everyone who camped breakfast. It was a little breakfast sandwich and an orange juice I believe, he also said there was at least 100 people there.
Staying Fresh
Will Smith Applause GIFGiphyWill Smith
I worked a private event for him a couple years back. He made sure to thank each and every employee when he arrived and before he left. He had the best manners and was in such a jovial mood, joking around with the staff. Great guy.
Wicked Nice
Met Vincent Price when I was a kid. He was speaking at the college where my parents worked and since our house was next to the auditorium we usually hosted the meet and greets. I was only supposed to be allowed in with the grownups long enough to say hello but when I blurted out how much I liked scary movies he stopped to talk. He was extraordinarily patient and kind to a nine year old kid who just wanted to talk monster movies and show off his monster dioramas.
Good AL
weird al yankovic stare GIFGiphyI work in the film industry.
Weird Al is insanely freaking nice. Like, you ask him for a photo and he'll make a 10 second video for your dad nice.
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Death is always a shock. Even when we know its coming, the moment we face it is still surreal. And it is of course natural to mourn the death of a loved one, but often we find ourselves surprised by our reactions over the death of celebrities. Maybe because through their work they've been there for us in the worst of times and the best. And they help measure our own lives and mortality in time.
Redditor u/ClutteredSmoke wanted to discuss our feelings when we hear about the passing of an artist that has left an impression on us by asking..... Which celebrity's death really stunned you?John
Threes Company Television GIFGiphyAll of the big ones already mentioned here of course - Phil Hartman, Robin Williams... but I rarely see John Ritter in these lists, and that was a huge shocker. He was so young, it was sudden and unexpected, and by all accounts he was a great guy. And he died on his young daughter's birthday.
Farewell Stephen....
There was that one time when a Redditor made a post asking why Stephen Hawking wasn't dead yet and he was reported dead the next morning.
Anthony
Anthony Bourdain.
As a non westerner what I loved about him was his humility, he was never cocky "I can cook your food better than you" or picky "ew look at what these people eat/how they make their food", he was always willing to go to the little places, to eat the street food, to talk to people and in the end he saw all the things that make us human, the shared and universal experience of breaking bread.
It was so sad when I heard the news, every once in a while I see an episode of one of his shows, God bless you Anthony Bourdain.
Far Too Soon
heath ledger wink GIFGiphyHeath Ledger.
I just rewatched Knight's Tale. My teenage self loved that movie and him. 10 things I hate about you was my theme movie.
Within a Day
Carrie Fisher and then subsequently her mother. Despite her known battle with addiction, it still took me by surprise.
Died within a day of each other. I can't imagine how Billie Lourd felt when that all went down.
Debbie Reynolds. A beautiful and talented woman in her own right.
And while double checking this to make sure I was spelling her name right. I now know why there haven't been any Halloweentown movies for a few years.
For Anton
Anton Yelchin. I always forget that the universe randomly and unceremoniously snuffed him out.
Same for a lot of the names on this list.
When I heard the news back in 2016 I was just completely at a loss for words. Still don't know why--I wasn't a huge fan or anything, but I was really into the reboot Star Trek series at the time, and the incomprehensible thought that someone I "knew" was dead really messed me up. I watched Star Trek Beyond when it came out later, and at the very end they had the "In Loving Memory of Leonard Nimoy", and then the next words were "For Anton" and I just started crying in the middle of a nearly-empty theater.
Bernie
Scrolled this entire thing, and while I agree with the majority of these I was shocked that no one mentioned Bernie Mac. While Michael Jackson's death hit me hardest, I still vividly remember hearing and not believing that Bernie Mac was dead.
XO Robbie
robin williams thats the good stuff GIFGiphyRobin William's death hit me pretty hard, he was a legend to me, and all the problems he must have dealt with without anyone to help, it makes me feel guilty and depressed, but i believe that he's happier now and in a much better place, RIP Robbie xx...
Alan
Alan Rickman for me.
This one. It really threw me for a loop because everyone in high school kept saying "I can't believe Snape's actor is dead!" Never having watched Harry Potter, it didn't click until someone explained to me that was Alan Rickman. To me, he was the Sheriff of Nottingham and Hans Gruber, but mostly Elliott Marston. It really made me sad to hear of his passing.
Sweet Girl
flattered brittany murphy GIFGiphyBrittany Murphy.
Her death is so strange, especially since her husband died the same way 6 months later. I don't know if they found a cause for their pneumonia but some have speculated black mold or some other air quality issue with their house.
Jump
Eddie Van Halen.
I was driving home from work that day, had the local afternoon FM sports guy on the radio. This guy is an extremely obnoxious blowhard, but was choking up on live radio as he announced the news of Eddie's passing. He spoke for a few minutes about the man, his music, and his influence on our world over the years. It was very different hearing such sadness and reverence from that host.
Hey Neighbor
mr rogers GIFGiphyMr. Rogers.
The only time I've ever cried after the death of a celebrity. I was pumping gas when I heard it over the radio and I just broke down crying.
Only 22
Christina Grimmie, she wasn't the biggest celebrity but at the time I was just getting into her music and listening to her covers on Youtube a lot. I don't watch The Voice but her covers on that show were really great. When I found out she had been shot and killed by a deranged fan it was truly shocking. She was so young, only 22 with her whole life ahead of her. I still can't believe it.
Part of Me
Chris Cornell.
I miss him. He was such a huge part of my angsty teens, he (and Eddie Vedder) got me through some dark times in my life. It was the first celebrity death that truly hurt. Like I lost someone very close to me.
He's Just Gone
Cameron Boyce. I watched him on Disney shows throughout my childhood and knowing that he was fine one minute and dead the next was hard.
Was looking for this comment. Part of why his hit me so hard was his age. I mean he was only a few years older than me, I grew up watching him, and then suddenly he's just.... gone. I had'd kept up with him after I stopped watching Jessie but his death fully made me realize that death can happen to anyone at any age.
John Candy. I know he was a big guy, but he was also just such a genuine teddybear, and his movies are comedy gold.
Terry
Terry Pratchett. I actually cried at my desk at work that day, I didn't even try to hide it. That one is like a triple whammy for me, because he was my favorite author, he wasn't young but he wasn't super old so I wasn't ready for it yet, and because when I told my dad (who also loved him) he said "He was so young though! He's my age!" And it kind of rattled me to realize that people my dad's age were already dying, because I kind of lowkey thought my dad would outlive everyone and suddenly I had to realize that he wouldn't.
Good Phil
Philip Seymour Hofmann.
Yes! So stunning and upsetting. He was The actor that, no matter what he was in, you knew he would be amazing in it. And he was in the middle of filming the Hunger Games, then just gone. Totally shocking.
When Phillip Seymour Hoffman died I stopped doing dope. His death literally saved my life.
Safe Skiing
Natasha Richardson. My HS science teacher died the same week and in the same way.
Her death is why I started wearing a helmet skiing. I grew up skiing, when people didn't wear helmets, and certainly as an adult felt comfortable in my ability for the runs I would take... but accidents happen and a little plastic & styrofoam can really save your life.
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They always say, don't meet your heroes. But here's the thing- sometimes your heroes are actually just chill, normal people. This can be refreshing in a world of egos.
A Quora user asked: Who's the nicest celebrity you've ever met?
What a nice person.
OK, the women of Quora are the nicest celebrities I have ever met on line.
But … face-to-face? That would be Priscilla Presley.
Now, I've met other influential people. Politicians, including one foreign president, and Generals, including briefing General Powell. Celebrities? Not really.
But Priscilla Presley???!!!
WOW!
She is one of the nicest, most decent, smartest and stunningly beautiful women I have ever met, and she is definitely a celebrity.
One of? That is to protect myself from the other nice and beautiful women I have met and will meet.
August 16 2007. Elvis's 30th Death Anniversary. Priscilla was a STUNNING 62. I was a younger 43. She had finished an interview with Larry King at Graceland.
Work … as usual. High pressure.
Finished the day at BB King's Place AKA Blues Club on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee.
Beale Street puts the French Quarter in New Orleans, Old City Savannah Georgia, Duval Street Key West, and Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco on notice. Etc.
Having a beer at the bar.
A Big Guy sits down, and we start talking. Great Guy!
"Fred, I really enjoyed talking with you."
"John, I enjoyed talking with you. What did you say you do when you are not on Beale Street wasting your time with guys like me?"
He looked down. "Fred, I play football."
"Great! What college?"
"I'm a Pro." Very humble!
"Wow. Now that is interesting. Titans?"
"Yes. Let me do a favor for you, Fred. How'd you like to meet Priscilla Presley?"
"Your kidding! Of course. Thanks!"
"Fred, wait here."
Crowded place. Big place. Nice guy AKA Great guy. Loved talking to him. That's the last time I'll ever see him. Oh, well. C'Est la Vie.
I finished my beer and looked up. It was John. And I mean up. I'm 5′11″. He had to be 6′4″. "Let's go, Fred. She's upstairs in the VIP Room."
"John, upstairs? This is a one story tall building."
"VIP room on the roof. There is the entrance."
Three guys at the door in a far corner. Open collar shirts. Blazers. Clearly packing heat. We walked over. "Hi Mr. Schlimm. Mrs. Presley is looking forward to seeing you."
Door opens. Not searched. Is this real? And who the hell is John. More ESPN for me!!!
Landing. Two guys. "Hi Fred, she's upstairs." WTF!!!???
"Hi Fred." Door opened. John must have some serious juice. Silly me. More ESPN. He's got to be All Pro. NFL Pro doesn't get this with Priscilla on Elvis's 30th Death Anniversary near Graceland.
And as my eyes adjusted, I saw Lisa Marie, whatever she was married to at that time, other people, beautiful room, and the most beautiful creature I ever saw gliding towards me.
Took my hand. Other on my shoulder. Smile. "Hi Fred, John told us a lot about you. You look hungry. Join us for dinner."
WHO IS JOHN. WHY DID HE TALK TO ME. AND PRISCILLA PRESLEY!!!???
The rest of the evening was very decent and a bit foggy.
Got to Olive Branch, Mississippi. Typical 2.5 Star Hotel for expense account. Slept a few hours. Exhausted. Headed for work in Biloxi. I turned on the TV. Repeat of Larry King Live at Graceland. Yep. That was Priscilla before dinner. Lights. Makeup artists. Prepared questions.
She was better looking and charmingly spontaneous in person.
She was the nicest celebrity I ever met. More importantly, a wonderful person.
So was John. MORE ESPN FOR ME!!!
That's actually kind of surprising.
GiphyThe first celebrity I ever worked for was Joan Rivers. Fashion Police. Red Carpet Heckler. The original "Mean Girl!"
I was terrified. They said they needed someone who was really good. I was an OK seamstress at the time and probably far from being really good, but I decided I could fake it.
I went to the store and bought $100 worth of every random sewing supply I could find within my budget. I lamented over what I should wear. I arrived an hour early because I wanted to make sure I got to the venue on time.
It was pouring rain as it does in Florida, when Mrs Rivers came rolling in the back door of the theater with a giant umbrella, a soaking wet assistant and her luggage.
I was waiting for her in her dressing room. I had all my sewing stuff in a neat little pile, ready for any kind of wardrobe malfunction known to man.
She came in, and her assistant and I started getting her unpacked.
She was soooo kind and chatty I was floored. She asked me where I was from, did I have kids and all kinds of other very "interested in me" normal, conversational questions as we were unpacking her.
She had everything crammed into her little suitcase like a Mary Poppins bag.
She had giant cue cards with her jokes written on them, four or five fancy beaded and feathered stage and after-show outfits and an enormous hot pink feather coat that looked like big bird and Barney had a baby! It was barfing pink feathers everywhere, some I still have.
Then she pulled out an industrial size can of Lysol and started spraying it everywhere. All over her chair, table and then she went into the bathroom with it.
She came out and instructed me not to let anyone use her restroom including me! She was sweet, cute and funny and reminded me of my grandmother.
We set out all of her makeup, her glorious perfume, her Sharpie eyeliner, jewelry and so on.
We went through her outfits for the evening, which I steamed and hung on a Z rack.
Then we went to the stage so she could do her rehearsal.
Here is where the publicly known Joan Rivers character emerged. It was like two different people. She was playing a role, being rude, cracking jokes and had everyone rolling.
She laid out her cue cards on the floor across the front of the stage.
We went through all of her costume changes and then we took a long break before the show.
She ate some dinner, met with some VIP guests and then we got her ready.
During the show (now on Netflix of this exact tour) she got her heel stuck in the back of her dress. I stood in the wings watching in horror as it began to unfold… when she realized what was going on, aggressively just ripped the shit out of the back of her fancy dress to get herself unstuck and just made a joke about it. I was dying.
We made her quick change into her Libery Costume and took her bows.
After the show we vodka-sprayed all her clothing and shoved it back into her Mary Poppins suit case.
Then, this happened.
The first and only photo I have of me with any of the now 50+ celebrities I've worked for since that day.
The lesson I learned from Joan Rivers has stuck with me. I have never since been nervous about working for anyone famous. She cured me for life of judging people from the public characters they play or perceptions we may have about them.
RIP, Joan. Thanks for the rest of the vodka, sunglasses and Fashion Police badge. I wear them proudly.
Soft hands.
Chris Pratt.
He is one of the only celebrities I have ever met. I've bumped into Misha Collins and I've met the members of All Time Low. But out of all of them, Chris Pratt was definitely the nicest.
Here's the story:
It was the 4th of July. My friends and I were walking in the parade with our local community theatre float and we noticed a familiar face in the crowd. After we had gotten to our drop off location, one of my friends ran over to me and told me that she had seen Chris Pratt. This wasn't too much of a surprise because he had been to our town several times since he and his wife are wanting to move here with their son. We were still very excited, however. We've been dying to meet him.
Sadly, through several attempts, there was no way to reach him in the crowd and we watched with defeat as he and Anna walked away. We eventually gave up looking for him and started to make our way back to the community theatre to change out of our costumes. On our way there one of my friends saw Chris and Anna walking towards us. Well, not towards us, but in the same general direction. We ended up running into them on the corner of the street and upon seeing us, he exclaimed, "hey there, community theatre!"
It was overwhelming. He knew who we were! We got to talk to him for a few minutes and it was so crazy. He asked if we had any upcoming shows that they could go see (we are all actors) and what there was to do around town. We told him our whole schedule for the dramatic arts and he said he'd try to attend a performance. Then, the craziest thing of all, he asked us for a photo! You can view that below.
(I'm the one in the red, curly wig)
He and Anna were so sweet to us. They never even looked displeased like several famous people do. You could really tell they enjoy being around their fans and talking with them! It was such an amazing experience and I am so thankful that it happened. It's a young, aspiring actor's dream to meet other actors/actresses and the fact that we got to is mind blowing!
Overall, Chris and Anna are two of the nicest people I have ever met. (Not to mention he has really soft hands).
An interesting person.
This was around summer last year, I had gone back to visit my hometown- St. Petersburg, Russia. We were on a tour bus sightseeing different places and museums. We made real good friends with the people in our tour bus as they were really friendly and all. But there was this one woman sitting way at the front who wasn't talking to anybody.
Weird. I thought.
Anyways, we went to different museums and I got a chance to notice what she was wearing. She was wearing all black tights, t-shirt, leather jacket and combat boots. She looked really intimidating and a little off to me, because while people were taking pictures of the Russia painting and Faberge egg; she was taking pictures of tiny descriptions instead of the actual priceless possession.
So I concluded that she was a thief or a con artist. Now bear with me here.
Then the entire group including me went to a Russian restaurant to sit down and eat food, they were all sitting and taking (and mind you, I was the only teenager in this group) so I decided to chat with the lady cus she seems bored.
Once I started talking to her, she told me she was an actress. I had a little panic moment (you know the general one when you meet a celebrity) but I couldn't quite pin point who she was. So I asked her about her works.
She replied, "Are you interested in any DC comic book shows or any Vampire related TV shows?"
And then I said, "Yeah, I watch Arrow and Vampire Diaries."
"Bingo, I've played a minor role in those two shows."
Then realisation hit me like a wave.
She was Kelly Hu.
For those who don't know who Kelly Hu is: She played China White in Arrow.
Much to say I was fangirling over her and all the adults in the group were looking at me like I was crazy.
Overall she seems a bit reserved but she opens up to you once she knows that you've seen her in the big/ small screen and appreciate her work. Plus she is aware that most teenagers would know who she is and hence she is really nice to them. We had lunch together and we talked about how it felt like working beside actors such as Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) and Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen a.k.a Green Arrow).
I felt really bad for thinking that she was a thief. (Gotta tone down all those Mission Impossible movies haha!)
The experience was great, she even took a picture with me and followed me on Instagram.
BEST DAY OF MY LIFE.
Malibu is the place to be.
GiphySo living in Malibu I've met many celebrities and had a couple conversations with them.
I'll start with Adam Sandler. This guy is the best. So my younger brother was about 1 at the time and barely walking and we were in a crowded mall. My parents suddenly noticed that my brother Scott was gone. They were freaking out but they had written their phone number on Scott's arm just in case this happened. They new he probably was back in one of the prior toy stores and were hoping someone would call. Soon enough someone did, we told the guy where we were, and guess who shows up holding my little brother, Adam Sandler himself. He was such a nice guy to go out of his way to help being my brother back.
Next, and this one might surprise you, but Charlie Sheen. So this guy has a bad reputation but his daughter was in my class for a couple years and I new her, I had seen her dad around the school at her volleyball games and things but had never actually met him until this time after I had preformed the lead in a school play, Charlie Sheen comes up to me and holds out his hand to shake mine and says "Hi, I'm Charlie" like all humbly as if we didn't know who he was. Anyways he was really sweet and he said he was really impressed by my performance and said he couldn't have acted that well at my age. He really is a sweet and down to earth guy.
Yes in his past he's made some mistakes but haven't we all. His past doesn't affect who he is as a person. I also respect him because he is turning his life around. He's really there for his kids, going to their shows and sports and dance events and such. He's a really devoted dad and I can tell his kids love him a lot. Don't judge people by their reputations or past, not until you get to see how they are as people, such as Bruce Willis is an ABSOLUTE AHOLE.
Also Kourtney Kardashian is pretty sweet. My dad happens to be her doctor (he was on their tv show) so I got to meet her.
We love a humble star.
Although I haven't had many encounters with any celebrities, the few I've had a chance to meet, have been very pleasant and respectful. The most down to earth, humble, and normal celebrity I've met, is Ed Sheeran. I got to meet him at a private radio show, and not only is he a superb musician, but an outstanding individual, as well. I met him after he had become a huge success in the UK and Canada, but was just getting started in the US.
We were allowed one picture with him, no autographs, but I wanted to try for one anyway. When I got up there to meet him, he gave me a smile, a genuine hug, and told me how glad he was that I came. He told me he loved my shirt, which had song lyrics on it, and offered to sign my stuff anyway. Unfortunately I didn't have a pen, and neither did he, but he wanted to break the rules for me, anyway, which made me admire him even more at what he would do for a fan.
I got to tell him how wonderful his music is, how much he inspires me as a singer, and how much I appreciate his love for his fans and the respect he has for us. He then, smiling really big, pulled me in to a huge hug again and thanked me for my support of his music. I've had several friends meet him, and they've also said how genuine he is.
Seeing as he is my absolute favorite singer songwriter, I am so glad he did not disappoint me. I am so glad to see that his rise to success here in the US has not diminished that laid back humble attitude he has. I've never heard of another fan complain about him.
While honeymooning on a shoestring at the Turtle Bay Hilton on Oahu (we lived in Honolulu) as they had advertised some cheap midweek rates. I mentioned at the front desk that we were kama'aina's (Hawaii residents) and that it was our honeymoon and we got an upgraded room and some other privileges (which we didn't have time to do), making it possible to have a very nice, late meal in their dining room.
There were very few people having dinner that night and we had the full attention of the wait staff. The cast and crew of "Joe vs. The Volcano" was filming in the area and Abe Vigoda, Tom Hanks and some other actors were at a big table in the corner behind us. We tried our best not to stare. To our left, Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan were laughing and eating with a young boy who was trying to eat a lobster and making a mess of it, which Ms. Ryan thought was the funniest thing ever. Mr. Quaid kept smiling at us whenever I peeked in their direction (her laughter was wonderful) and asked the waiter who we were. I guess the waiter knew we had just gotten married and passed along the information to their table.
When they were leaving, both of them stopped at our table and gave us their congratulations and well wishes. Before we were done eating, the waiter came up with the dessert cart, and asked if there was anything else we would like, and to be sure to pick out whatever we wanted of the cake and pastries, as the cart had been paid for by the Quaid's for us as a wedding present.
The next morning, since we had to be up early to get the groom back to work, I decided to order breakfast in the room. We were brought six serving platters heaped with everything 'breakfast' - pancakes, bacon, ham, sausages, eggs, toast, French toast, croissants, orange juice, milk, coffee and all the extras. Enough for a dozen people and tucked into the payment folder, with no bill, there was a coupon to get a beach picnic with a whole chicken, sandwiches, wine, soda and side salads for later (which, I regret, we did not use), all 'compliments' of the film cast & crew.
We didn't get to see any of the cast or crew to thank them, but the desk said that they were all the best guests. Certainly a class act to us!
A good childhood memory.
This goes way back to when I was 10 years old. A production of the musical "Show Boat" was being offered at the 1953 Season First Production at the Carter Barron Amphitheater in Washington DC. I was chosen to be one of small group of children who would take part in the group segments of the story. For me, it was a magical experience. The huge outdoor theater in beautiful surroundings, the music, the songs, the dancing, the actors, everything was like living in a fantasy.
It was during the summer and my mother would take me there with a little lunch and snacks in a paper bag. All of the children, when we weren't needed, would explore the backstage, the tunnels and dressing rooms under the stage, the costume room, just everything. This was a world you would never know about sitting in the audience watching the show. It was always very, very busy with stage hands and actors always on the move.
The playbill states that "Showboat" was "Produced under the personal direction of Constance Bennett". She was a well known Hollywood actress at that time and, to me, she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I remember she spoke with confidence when telling us what to do and she always carried her little dog under her arm. She was always nice to the kids.
Now, to the nicest celebrity I have ever met. Fred Kelly, brother of Gene Kelly, was the choreographer so the kids all spent quite a bit of time with him. We all worked hard and were treated with discipline and gentleness. I was one of the youngest and smallest kids and he always had me in the front of the group. In one of the big scenes, I think it was when the Showboat was either arriving or leaving. There was lots of excitement and waving. I rode on the shoulders of one of the dancers at the end of that scene.
Good luck, Fred Kelly
Ol' Man River was my favorite song. It was so sad that one time I cried. The actor who played "Joe" and sang it was a black man (no black face!) named William Smith who saw that I cried in a rehearsal and told me it was just a song but it told a true story of the south. He signed his picture in my program: To Ann, With Best Wishes, Ol' Man River.
This production was born when the composer, Jerome Kern, bought a copy of Edna Ferber's book "Show Boat" in 1926. About halfway through reading it, he asked Edna Ferber for the stage rights and asked Ziegfeld if he would like to produce it. Oscar Hammerstein II, who had collaborated with Kern to mount other famous plays on Broadway would write the the script and lyrics. So, then it began.
I apologize for going on so long. Once I began remembering and retrieved my old program it was all so clear in my mind. "Show Boat" was the beginning of my education about the old south literally on a visceral level. The actors, the songs, the story…a true learning opportunity. Thank you for reading.
A genuinely good person.
GiphyI was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal for more than a decade, and interviewed a number of celebrities, CEOs and other big-shots—called in the trade "bold-faced names."
Most were courteous, professional and even humble. But one stood out: Garrison Keillor, the host of the long-running radio program A Prairie Home Companion.
During the height of his fame, he gave a speaking tour around the country. I went to one of these events at Lisner Auditorium in D.C., and went backstage afterwards to meet him.
Because he'd just made the cover of Time magazine, he'd been in great demand that day. He'd even been taken around Congress to meet various politicians who wanted to have their pictures taken with HIM.
That night, he'd given a one-man reading of one of his books, which went on for over an hour.
So he must have been exhausted by the time I met him. But the area backstage was full of various VIPs and their families who were standing in line to meet him.
He greeted them all cordially and asked them questions about themselves.
That made the line move slowly, and some people got impatient, particularly when the young man right in front of me was introduced to Keillor.
The young man, about 15, was in a wheelchair, and had a disability that made his speech very slow.
It took him a long time—more than a minute— to stammer out, "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Keillor."
Keillor just stood there smiling as the young man struggled to get out the words, then reached out his hand and said in his honey baritone, "No, it's an honor to meet YOU!"
I just about burst into tears, he was so warm and genuinely kind.
On another occasion, I had the opportunity to interview him one-on-one during one of his book tours, and can attest that he's a cagey interview subject—deflects any question he doesn't want to answer—but his intelligence and quick wit shone through. He also was unfailingly polite and didn't hurry the interview, as many celebs do.
All in all, I think if Americans had a list of artists designated "national treasures," as Japan does, he should be on it.