Surprising celebrities you've met

[sbk1234]

No, I don't want this just to be a list of name dropping famous folk we've met. But what celebs have you met who really weren't what you expected, or far surpassed what you thought of them?

Me? I was just at a convention this weekend. Who did I meet who was an unbelievably nice guy, but Kato Kaelin. Yeah, the OJ Simpson guy. Sure, he's a bit of a goofball, but he was one of the friendliest people I've met in a long time, and struck me as someone I'd probably hang out with, if given the chance. I never expected that of him.

How about you?

 

[Kirby]

Mine aren't very exciting, but back in college when I delievered pizza I delivered to former Denver Bronco greats Tom Jackson (once) and Karl Mecklenburg (on many occasions). Both were very nice, and great tippers.

I don't know if this counts, but I was once flipped off by Mick Fleetwood. I worked in a building next to a hotel. We went over to the hotel for some coffee and Mick was in the lobby talking to some people and my buddy kept yelling "Mick, Mick, Mick, Mick" and Mick gave us the one fingered salute, which I didn't think British people did. I was mortified by the incident at the time, but 15 or so years later, it's pretty hilarious.

 

[sbk1234]

Maybe he was just saying he thought you were number 1.

 

[Zachary Smith]

I used to work at a movie theater near a major hotel where all the celebrities stayed when they were in town doing one thing or another. I've encountered a boat-load of famous faces including Charleton Heston, Michael Jackson, Jermain Jackson, Chloris Leachman, Didi Khan, Lou Ferigno, Tony Dow, Kim Baysinger, Director Nicholas Meyer and Happy Days actor, Donny Most (to name some of them).

Some of them were a royal pain in the you-know-what (particularly Chloris Leachman and Jermain Jackson--who showed up wearing a stage costume and I had to ask step outside the lobby because he was causing a traffic-jam d/t his many fans--he did as I asked but also flipped me off--he also asked me that all important celebrity question: "Do you KNOW who I am?"). Chloris Leachman and Didi Khan were AMAZINGLY self-important and snobby--Didi fricking KHAN for goodness sake! What did she EVER do to make her think she was important?

Nicest and coolest person out of the whole bunch was Don Most. Terrific guy. He was in town for a week doing some kind of dinner theater and he was obviously bored and lonely. Every day for that week he'd come to the theater, buy a ticket to see a movie and go in for just a few minutes until the concession area had settled down. After that, he'd come back out and hang out with us at the concession stand, just chatting away. He was a super nice and serious guy who had two requests; 1. Call him "Don", not "Donny". and 2. He didn't want to talk at all about show business. He really liked talking current events in the news and especially baseball. It got to the point where we say him so often he was like one of the gang and it was just like, "oh, Don's here!". One idiot broke the second rule and asked him what "the Fonz" was like in real life and Don said, "Henry's a really nice guy". Then he went back into the auditorium and stayed there until that guy's shift ended and he left. Don came back after that and talked baseball the rest of the day. No wise-cracks of "Ralph Malph" schtick or anything of the sort. He was just a really cool guy. I wouldn't mind bumping into him again sometime and see if he might even remember me. You never know.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

I met Kate Mulgrew, and she was a total bitch. But I've told this story before (and gotten flamed for it) so I have little interest in telling it again.

 

[sbk1234]

I met Donny Most when I was a kid. I was wide-eyed and in awe. He shook my hand and was very gracious. Nice to know that wasn't a fluke. Shame about Cloris Leachman, though. I always liked her. Oh, well.

 

[sidious618]

I met Robin Williams in a comic book store. He was awesome and hilarious in person, too. Cool guy.

I met Kate Mulgrew, and she was a total bitch. But I've told this story before (and gotten flamed for it) so I have little interest in telling it again.

PM me that story ASAP!

 

[Newski]

I met Robin Williams in a comic book store. He was awesome and hilarious in person, too. Cool guy.

I met Kate Mulgrew, and she was a total bitch. But I've told this story before (and gotten flamed for it) so I have little interest in telling it again.

PM me that story ASAP!

Same!


I met a lot of people at Cons. I go with my buddy Ian, who has the money for all sorts of autographs, while I kinda stick to the back, or just get a couple. So I've had words with Joe Dante, Dick Miller, Kevin Smith, Jay Mewes, and tons of others. And when I say words, I mean "One or two" words.

The one that took my by surprise was Doug Jones. The most awesome guy in the world.

See, I'm a HUGE Hellboy fan. I mean, Dammit I love me some Hellboy. I did not know Doug Jones, who plays Abe Sapien, was at the con. I went there to meet Joe Dante, and got autographs from everyone from "The Howling" (save Robert Picardo, who was at a different con promoting StarGate or something else I don't care about). Anyway, i see Doug Jones, and I have to say Hi to him.

So, I go up to him, tell him he's a great actor. After all, it's hell having to act through all the costumes and make up, but you can still see his performance through the prosthetics. And I talk about myself, he talks about himself, he gives professional insult, and then we just start bullshitting.

I then realize we've been talking for half an hour. And I say "Hey, my friend over here has a camera. I know I'm not supposed to get a picture unless I buy an autograph, but do you think we can get one real fast?"

He's like "Sure, that's a silly rule. That's not my rule." So, we kinda put are arms around eachother (because the guy is a touchy feely guy) and I'm thinking we should start singing "Can't smile without You"

Instead, i say the obvious "Your as tall as me. That doesn't happen" or something to the like. Then he said "Well, I'm as tall as you, but your much cuter!"


And I'm like "Dude. I'm cuter than Abe Sapien. i rock."




And, for those who are going to pull that "Doug is Gay Card" I urge you to meet him for yourself. He's not gay, is just really hilariously strange.

 

[Zachary Smith]

I met Donny Most when I was a kid. I was wide-eyed and in awe. He shook my hand and was very gracious. Nice to know that wasn't a fluke. Shame about Cloris Leachman, though. I always liked her. Oh, well.

It was about 1982 when Cloris Leachman came to the movie theater I worked at. At first she seemed cool, stood in the concession line just like anyone else. When it came her turn to get served, she asked for a salad. The concession girl blinked and looked at her and asked her to repeat what she wanted. Cloris was obviously irritated and again ordered a SALAD. "A what?" the concession worker asked again, quite puzzled. "A SALAD," Leachman insisted. "Surely you know what a SALAD is?" "We don't have salad, I'm afraid," one of the other assistant managers said. "We have soda, popcorn and candy." Cloris rolled her eyes and in an exasperated voice she demanded to know, "What the HELL kind of po-dunk back-water town IS this where a person can't even order a SALAD?" Now, we are a major mid-western city--NOT nearly Chicago but it ain't Bugtussle either. To this day I don't believe I've ever been anywhere where one can ask for a salad at a movie theater concession stand and honestly expect to receive it. And I've even been to movie theaters in LA. The assistant manager told Cloris there was a deli on three floors up in the mall building we were in and she could get a salad there. Cloris said, "I want one of your people to run up and get me one." I really couldn't believe this woman. Well, my duties took me away from that moment but as the evening continued I learned from my co-workers that Cloris had managed to irritate just about EVERYONE working at the theater. She had been IN and OUT and IN and OUT of the auditorium several times, complaining about the air conditioning, the sound, the focus and making innumerable trips back and forth to the restroom (which, as it became increasingly obvious, she was doing in order to make sure people SAW her and recognized her and then gushed about having seen her).

We, however, were neither impressed nor amused. Finally, at some point during one of her multitude of trips back and forth to the rest room, one of the ushers spotted her coming out of the auditorium, threw his fist up in front of his mouth and coughed REALLY loudly in a way that came out sounding amazingly like "BLUCHER!!" Across the lobby another usher followed it immediately with a sneeze that sounded a lot like the whinny of a panicked horse (anyone who hasn't seen "Young Frankenstein" doesn't get this, I know). To my surprise, though Cloris shot suspicious looks at both of them, she didn't react otherwise except to trot on in to the restroom. She came out again several minutes later and, doggone it if the rest of the staff hadn't caught the "BLUCHER!" cough followed by the horse-whinny sneeze. She hurried back into the auditorium, came out again a short time later to again catch a spell of the "BLUCHER" cough and whinny sneeze going around. The next time out of the auditorium, she actually just stepped into the lobby, heard someone (honestly) cough and spun on her heel and went BACK into the theater. The movie was over not too much later and I never saw Cloris Leachman again. I guess she left via the front exit of the auditorium, maybe afraid of catching a "cough" on the way out.

It was really VERY funny. And, if it sounds cruel to anyone, believe me, she EARNED it with her attitude.

 

[auntiehill]

When I was fresh out of college, I worked as an intern at an Austin Theater. There were only a few celebrities I met there, mostly due to the various fund-raisers we held, but some were in the shows that came through town.

Most were decent enough. I just ran in, handed papers or passed them in the main hall, etc. The only ones who really pissed me off were Dionne Warwick and a local TV anchor. Ms. Warrick demanded that we put a second phone line in her dressing room for her ONE NIGHT appearance, and she wanted to take down a wall backstage to make her room bigger (er...hello. It's a historical landmark). When she did not get what she wanted, she trashed her dressing room, threw stuff at the stage crew (her OWN stage crew, as it was a traveling tour; figure that one out) and generally was just batshit crazy.

The other pain the ass was a local news anchor who had agreed to do a celebrity fashion show at the theater for a local children's charity. Dillard's donated the clothes, various local celebs volunteered and the theater donated the time and staff. The male celebs had to come in for fittings because they were all going to wearing tuxes. They all agreed and had various appointments set up for over THREE WEEKS. But no. This db of a local newsanchor said he just couldn't make it. He was a no show at three or four fittings, and then had the NERVE to complain when we asked him to come a few hours before the show to get a properly tailored outfit---and the tailors had donated their time for this, too. This ass shows up about 15 minutes before he's scheduled to go on. The tailor literally sewed him into a tuxedo.

My boss and I sat clapping politely as he came down the runaway. And she--a 5 foot model of Southern gentility--elbowed me and said, "I hope that bastard is full of pins."

I can't even remember what the fucker's name was, but I remember his face and his bullet-proof black hair.

Actually, most of the local people were really nice. The nicest of them all was Austin news anchor Fred Cantu. He was like everyone's Grandpa. I loved that guy. He was nice as hell.


For the nice people: Mandy Patinkin was really nice. I loved his shows and saw every performance. He even noticed me nervously waiting for all the guests to leave before I dared ask for an autograph. Dirk Benedict was REALLY nice, especially when he saw I had his book in my hand. He was great.

Bruce A. Young was in a performance at a local college, so I went to see him, as I loved him on the show, "The Sentinel." I'd never gone backstage as just a fan, and it was REALLY small theater, so I stepped out and very nervously asked for his autograph. I couldn't even look him in the eye. He just threw his arms around me and yelled, "Aren't you sweet!" He even gave me a cold soda from their ice chest and called over to Tim Russ: "I have a fan!"

John Rhys-Davies was a wonderful surprise. I expected him to be sort of regal or professorial--but he was just a really friendly guy--and one HELL of a flirt. I thought I could make HIM blush, but it was completely the other way around!

 

[Tulin]

IChloris Leachman and Didi Khan were AMAZINGLY self-important and snobby--Didi fricking KHAN for goodness sake! What did she EVER do to make her think she was important?

Do you mean Didi Conn from "Grease"?

As for Cloris Leachman, that makes me sad because I always liked her, but then she could have been having a bad day. I wonder how many of us would be perfectly nice and welcoming twenty four hours per day in public.

I know when I used to work customer service I had some absolute c***s come into my shop. Were they famous people, I'd have had some DOOZIES of stories to share. The fact that they are anonymous somehow gives them carte blanche to be pigs.

God what I would've given for a machete or a pulse rifle, at times!

 

[scotpens]

Zachary Smith: LOVE the Cloris Leachman story! She sounds like a total C-word. I mean, who the hell orders a goddamn SALAD at a movie concession counter?

. . . I was just at a convention this weekend. Who did I meet who was an unbelievably nice guy, but Kato Kaelin. Yeah, the OJ Simpson guy.

Does Kato Kaelin really qualify as a celebrity? I mean, it's been fifteen years since he had his fifteen minutes. Besides, his name sounds like something you take for diarrhea.

 

[Zachary Smith]

IChloris Leachman and Didi Khan were AMAZINGLY self-important and snobby--Didi fricking KHAN for goodness sake! What did she EVER do to make her think she was important?

Do you mean Didi Conn from "Grease"?

As for Cloris Leachman, that makes me sad because I always liked her, but then she could have been having a bad day. I wonder how many of us would be perfectly nice and welcoming twenty four hours per day in public.

I know when I used to work customer service I had some absolute c***s come into my shop. Were they famous people, I'd have had some DOOZIES of stories to share. The fact that they are anonymous somehow gives them carte blanche to be pigs.

God what I would've given for a machete or a pulse rifle, at times!

Yes, Didi Conn from Grease. She was not as openly rude as Cloris Leachman but her every word was dripping with attitude and she wasn't a bit polite. She ordered people around like servants and, though she was wearing an ultra-short mini-skirt and fishnet stockings, anytime you got remotely near her she would huff this kind of exasperated "tich" and roll her eyes as if you'd been either staring rudely for 10 minutes or ogling her like you were watching a peep-show. Honestly, out of costume and with just every day make-up on, I'm not sure how many of the general public would have recognized her or even given her a second look if not for the rather revealing wardrobe she was wearing. That voice though . . . NO mistaking it. She seemed really very bitchy and demonstrated a VERY weird "LOOK at me--DON'T LOOK AT ME!!!!" kind of love/hate response to people who recognized her. I honestly think that a LOT of people who looked at her didn't recognize her at all but were just wondering what the deal was with the chick in the fishnets and the skirt that barely covered her ass.

 

[JonathonWally]

Honestly, biggest surprise of all the "celebrities" I've talked to, Lil Kim.

First of all, she lives up to the name, chick is tiny! Maybe 5 foot 90lbs.

But total sweetheart. Seriously, so gracious and soft spoken.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

About two weeks after 9-11, I waited for several hours in the security line at Philadelphia's airport with Henry Winkler.

I met John Grisham in a gas station. I was surprised at how short he was.

 

[pigletsgiblets]

I've met Kenny Chesney a long time ago and Marina Sirtis.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Ashley Walters of So Solid Crew and Hustle/ Bullet Boy fame is a very nice guy. And I dislike rap.

 

[Misfit Toy]

I've told my stories a couple of times around here, but two celebrities that I would class as "most surprising" would probably be Harlan Ellison - who was much nicer and more gracious than I had expected, and Tony Randall, with whom I had a wonderful discussion about Renaissance art.

 

[Mistral]

For "most surprising" I'd have to go with Michael Madsen or Patty Arquette. They were both on a film I was working crew on in the Az desert. I was waiting for the day's shooting to end and this little boy kept ditching his keeper. I like kids and engaged him in conversation(he was about 3). Anyway, Patty Arquette comes up and says, "My boy really likes you. He keeps running on the set-would you mind watching him until we finish shooting?" I'm like, sure, why not? I gotta stand around until they finish anyways...so she sends the nanny back to the hotel in town and I keep the kid amused. Afterwards, she thanks me and slips a "something" into my back pocket. Turns out to be a $50-back in '92. That's like, what, $100-$150 today? And, for those guys that wondered, yes, they are real.



Michael was even more surprising-or not, depending on what you think of him. The movie office in the hotel was off a service hall and I'm leaning on the wall, a cigarette behind my ear, waiting to talk to the AP about my late check when Michael stomps up, opens the door and goes in. I hear shouting and then the door is ripped off its hinges and collapses into the hall. I almost peed myself. Michael stomps out, turns back and yells, "If you don't have my check by 5 I'm gonna tear your head off and...(you know)." He starts to stomp away, stops and spins around in the hall, looking straight at me. Then he stomps up to me. "Gotta smoke, buddy?" I'm like, um, yeah and hand him one. He fires it up right under the No Smoking sign and asks me, "So, are these cocksuckers trying to screw you out of your money too?" When I nod he's like, "Yeah, buncha f------- amatures, y'know?" I light my cigarette and agree. He goes on for a while about how he's getting his money or someone's gonna die, finishes his cigarette and puts it out on the carpet. "Let them pay for the f-------- damages," he says to me, "Hey, thanks for the smoke, good luck getting the bastards to pay!" and away he goes. Really a fairly pleasant guy once I got over the door thing. Kinda guy you'd like to have a beer with. I guess he did alright after that-his next role was co-starring with Val Kilmer in The Doors.

 

[John Picard]

I find it ironic that I went to the same high school as Kelly (Killoren) Bensimon, who back then was a very nice Midwest teen who happened to be a model. I read somewhere, recently, that she has been voted one of the most hated celebrities (apparently more-so than Kate Gosselin).

My school also had one month, each year, in which all students in all grades participated in a massive school project. One year, the Holocaust was the subject of study and one of the guest speakers was actor Robert Clary. He was extremely warm and funny when talking with the student body and ate lunch with us.