Celebrity encounters, exceeded your expectations or not?

[Anonymous]

Exceeded:
Pierce Brosnan - so charming and funny. Ran into him a 2nd time a year or so later at the JFK baggage carousel and he remembered me.

Guy Ritchie (pre-Madonna) and the entire main cast of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (Jason Statham, Vinnie Jones, etc): hilarious guys, kept giving me free drinks despite the fact that I was 17. We talked a lot about American football. I got the impression that for a few of them it was their first time to California. They wanted to know what it was like to grow up in LA.

Below expectations:
Madonna, Scottie Pippen, Zooey Deschanel

[Anonymous]

Sir Richard Branson came to an event here at State. None of us were impressed given many of us run protocol with higher profile individuals. But he was down to earth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Paul Newman. I worked at one of his camps years ago. Down to earth guy in t-shirt and shorts sitting among a bunch of VERY loud 9y olds drinking (his brand) lemonade and eating spaghetti looking like he was having the time of his life. Later on he came to arts and crafts (where I was working) and did some woodworking with some teenagers.

Super nice and low key guy.

Love this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Muhammad Ali - He emerged from an elevator at a DC hotel and paused for a second about ten feet away from me. He looked at me, smiled and winked. Seconds later he was swarmed by other hotel guests.

I can picture this so easily. If it had been me, this would have been the best moment of my life, lol.

PP here. Same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Idina Menzel - and yes, she exceeded them. She was so lovely and down-to-earth. This was back in 2013 right before she really blew up in the mainstream from the success of Frozen. She was in DC doing If/Then at the National Theatre. I knew who she was because I'm a big Broadway nerd and had seen her in Wicked.

She and her son were at either the natural history museum or air & space museum when my son and I were there one gloomy Monday. Our kids interacted and we did the polite mom talk "how old, so cute, blah blah". The kids kept meeting up at the same exhibits/activities and we chatted more.

There was a guy there who lingered nearby but not so nearby that he looked like he was her bodyguard, haha. If you didn't know who she was, which most didn't at the time, then he looked like a solo dude enjoying the exhibits nearby but always within reach and with them in his sight.

Hit enter too fast. I forgot to add, I saw If/Then that next weekend and did stage door with my friend afterward to get her autograph. She remembered me and signed my Playbill with my name instead of just signing her signature like she was doing for others. That was totally without prompting, too. I couldn't believe she remembered my name from like 5 days prior.

That's so sweet!
I'm surprised she would have had a bodyguard then, but maybe I shouldn't be?

[Anonymous]

I was out of town on business about 30 years ago and the hotel screwed up my reservation so had to put me on the top floor that only had access through a special second keycard. Why? Because the bands touring that city that night had bought out that floor. So I spent the night with The Grateful Dead and Crosby, Stills and Nash running up and down the hallway. Honestly, they could not have been nicer to the lawyer in her business suit. And they were clearly having the time of their lives even though it was probably the 10 millionth time they had done that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Muhammad Ali - He emerged from an elevator at a DC hotel and paused for a second about ten feet away from me. He looked at me, smiled and winked. Seconds later he was swarmed by other hotel guests.

I can picture this so easily. If it had been me, this would have been the best moment of my life, lol.

PP here. Same.

I don't think I'd recognize him even if I were in an elevator with him.

[Anonymous]

Lady Gaga. She's lovely one on one. We were in NY and my DD had a meltdown on the street and screamed "I just want regular Italian food!" (meaning, not fancy) and a woman turned around and told us she knew an excellent place. She gave me an address and told me we'd be taken care of. That was her. Whole meal was free. She must have described us to someone at the restaurant.

[Anonymous]

I had a wonderful encounter with Oprah in 2002, she had just moved next to my friend and we were home from college and my friend’s dad invited Oprah over for lunch. She spent several hours with us, asking us lots of questions about what we were studying and wanted to do with our lives. She was so kind and lovely and warm.
Most of the celebs I now know socially are extremely kind and down-to-earth, but I don’t live in California anymore and I think non-CA based celebs are more chill. They are just normal people who are living their lives, being parents etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My BIL went to St. Barts this past winter. He and a couple of passengers on his flight there from wherever they connected, had some sort of difficulty in the airport or with customs. Amongst those passengers was a teenage boy who seemed lost so BIL helped him navigate the whole issue and they all arrived safely in St. Barts.

A few days later, BIL was at a restaurant and all of the sudden, the jaws of everyone at his table dropped because Sir Paul McCartney came and sat at the next table, right behind BIL. He was frustrated that he couldn't turn around to look but didn't want to seem stupid or to bother Sir Paul. About halfway into their time at the table, he feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns around and it's Paul trying to get his attention. BIL turns around and Paul says "My grandson tells me you helped him out at the airport the other day, I just wanted to say thank you."

Moral of the story, always lend a hand, you never know who's grandson it might be!

What a great story!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lady Gaga. She's lovely one on one. We were in NY and my DD had a meltdown on the street and screamed "I just want regular Italian food!" (meaning, not fancy) and a woman turned around and told us she knew an excellent place. She gave me an address and told me we'd be taken care of. That was her. Whole meal was free. She must have described us to someone at the restaurant.

How did you know it was her? Was she dressed all crazy? Did she say she was stephanie or gaga?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nathan Lane (who I adore) was cranky. He turned gave me a half smile. I smiled back, We were the only people in Starbucks at ~6am. He was getting boxes of coffee and breakfast items. Short, long trench coat, skinny mustache. I was behind him just to grab a simple coffee with only one barista. Was working up the nerve to do my best Atticus Spartacus impersonation to “wig” him out. His loss since he didn’t offer to let barista serve me first when she asked me what my order was. I’m pretty, but alas he’s gay.

Alec Baldwin was fun to watch early morning pulling up to the beach in a town car wearing dressy loafers, swim trunks, wet towel over shoulder, limping to the ocean. ✅Big donor though.

Billy Joel in a local shop sooooo drunk. Also short. Polite and functional.

Christie Brinkley walk-skipping and singing her way down Main Street, ALONE.

Paul McCartney almost ran his bike into DH on his bike. He was very apologetic and self deprecating. Known to buy lemonade from kids stands.

Jimmy Fallon loves fans, always takes selfies with kids.

SJP promised to make a donation to a local charity. Nope.

Another one that’s too close to home (literally), that would out me.

Why would anyone care who you are?

Ooh. Somebody lives in the Hamptons. Amagansett, East Hampton or Sag Harbor?

Which one is nicer and why do they say east hampton isn't the real hamptons?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nathan Lane (who I adore) was cranky. He turned gave me a half smile. I smiled back, We were the only people in Starbucks at ~6am. He was getting boxes of coffee and breakfast items. Short, long trench coat, skinny mustache. I was behind him just to grab a simple coffee with only one barista. Was working up the nerve to do my best Atticus Spartacus impersonation to “wig” him out. His loss since he didn’t offer to let barista serve me first when she asked me what my order was. I’m pretty, but alas he’s gay.

Alec Baldwin was fun to watch early morning pulling up to the beach in a town car wearing dressy loafers, swim trunks, wet towel over shoulder, limping to the ocean. ✅Big donor though.

Billy Joel in a local shop sooooo drunk. Also short. Polite and functional.

Christie Brinkley walk-skipping and singing her way down Main Street, ALONE.

Paul McCartney almost ran his bike into DH on his bike. He was very apologetic and self deprecating. Known to buy lemonade from kids stands.

Jimmy Fallon loves fans, always takes selfies with kids.

SJP promised to make a donation to a local charity. Nope.

Another one that’s too close to home (literally), that would out me.

Why would anyone care who you are?

Ooh. Somebody lives in the Hamptons. Amagansett, East Hampton or Sag Harbor?

Which one is nicer and why do they say east hampton isn't the real hamptons?

No one says that. It’s Westhampton that’s not in the real Hamptons

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Guys, it’s Gwyneth. Not Gwenyth. Literally not one person has spelled her name correctly in this thread.

Thanks. Also, no one gives a shit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nathan Lane (who I adore) was cranky. He turned gave me a half smile. I smiled back, We were the only people in Starbucks at ~6am. He was getting boxes of coffee and breakfast items. Short, long trench coat, skinny mustache. I was behind him just to grab a simple coffee with only one barista. Was working up the nerve to do my best Atticus Spartacus impersonation to “wig” him out. His loss since he didn’t offer to let barista serve me first when she asked me what my order was. I’m pretty, but alas he’s gay.

Alec Baldwin was fun to watch early morning pulling up to the beach in a town car wearing dressy loafers, swim trunks, wet towel over shoulder, limping to the ocean. ✅Big donor though.

Billy Joel in a local shop sooooo drunk. Also short. Polite and functional.

Christie Brinkley walk-skipping and singing her way down Main Street, ALONE.

Paul McCartney almost ran his bike into DH on his bike. He was very apologetic and self deprecating. Known to buy lemonade from kids stands.

Jimmy Fallon loves fans, always takes selfies with kids.

SJP promised to make a donation to a local charity. Nope.

Another one that’s too close to home (literally), that would out me.

Nobody gives a shit