Kiwi Encounters with Celebrities IRL - It's that guy from that thing!

[M3xus]

So, I got to ask Peter Cullen (original Optimus Prime) where the ATM was.

My sister and I finally got to attend a Botcon (Transformers convention. My god, the autism). We wanted a couple things from the vendor tables, but my sister wasn't carrying cash and we didn't know the resort too well.

So, we're wondering around looking like classic lost tourists when an older gentleman stops us and asks if we're lost. I explained we were looking for the ATM and he points us towards the nearest one. We thank him and head on our way.

We got two steps before my sister realized we'd just asked the man that voiced her childhood hero where the goddamn ATM was. Her face was priceless.

We did attend his panel later, and it was fun hearing him talk voice acting stuff and the kind of shit he and Welker would get up to. I'm still amazed his voice is naturally that deep, I always figured it was a machine.

 

[TiggerNits]

I met Kyle Lamb the other weekend. He was a Delta Force guy that fight in Mogadishu, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was in at a friend's business to do some consulting (He owns a tactical accessories company and consults for SIG on weapons design. He was really nice, extremely jovial and when he found out that everyone else that was there to meet him were all vets he started telling amazingly raunchy stories that has us in tears laughing. Solid dude

 

[Gilkore]

Dick Dale after one of his shows. He was surrounded by cute girls even though he's like, a million year old surf guitar mummy. He asked me about my tattoos and was very nice, then kissed me on the cheek. He might be a dirty old man for all I know but it felt very wholesome lol.

The lady from the Dresden Dolls, Amanda what'shername, before a show. She was as awful and pretentious as you'd imagine. Reminded me of every creepy bpd chick I've ever known.

One of the guys from the industrial rock band KMFDM came into the shitty cheapo haircut chain I worked at years ago. He sat in a chair with a big plastic poncho and rubber cap on with bits of hair pulled through, getting the tips bleached. He looked super sheepish the whole time because I'm pretty sure he knew that the weird goth chick at the counter (me) recognized him. He probably thought he could duck into a normie salon unnoticed and do the extremely un-hardcore thing of having a middle aged soccer mom hairdresser bleach his hair for him without anyone knowing.

 

[Kiwi Lime Pie]

Yeah fuck it. Idk how many farmers are basketball fans, but I was fortunate enough to go to the same college as Kevin Durant.

During one of the summers when I was working my first job at the local hardware store, I noticed a nondescript yet tall black man enter the store and pass me as he walked down the first aisle. I later learned it was John Salley.

For a number of years after college, I used to help out at a pro-am basketball tournament at the end of summer. Although many of the so-called pros were only known locally or played their professional careers overseas, I got to see bigger names from the era such as Rick Mahorn and Isiah Thomas. During the championship game one year, an amateur nobody stole the ball from Isiah twice - possibly on consecutive possessions - and scored two easy layups. Isiah's pride was wounded enough from the experience that he walked off the court into the locker room and quit playing altogether.

 

[Hard Toothbrush]

I once taught English to a soccer goalkeeper who used to play for my city's team in the country's top division. Completely normal guy, very polite, quite soft-spoken. It was surreal to then see him in a game screaming obscenities at his defenders lol

 

[tigergrinder]

A few years ago, I met Andreas Deja of Disney fame at an animation expo. He had this private talk that you had to sign up REALLY early for, it was one of those private events that only let in like 45 people.

For those who don't recognize the name, Andreas Deja was the lead animator for characters like Gaston, Jafar, Hercules, Scar, Lilo, and more. So if you grew up watching Disney, you probably recognize his work.

Anyway, so during his talk he'd sketch characters (and everyone, basically a bunch of young animation students and nerds, would gather around in awe) and talk about the design problems and challenges. He then talked about how he worked on "The Black Cauldron", that piece o' shit that Disney made back in the 80's to be edgyyyy. He was talking about these little demon designs they were working on, including a pair of flying hands with eyes (somehow that was supposed to be scary, Idk lol), and he doodled one.

After the talk and the stream of questions ended, people were going up to him and asking for photos with him, and then once THEY were gone, then it was just a handful of us. Several people asked for the drawings he'd done of Jafar, Hercules, and whatnot. Finally I went up to him and asked, "Can I have that hand drawing?" He laughed and handed it to me, then turned back to answer some more questions from the last few people. But I wasn't satisfied. Then I asked him, "Can you sign this for me? 'Cause if I tell people this was drawn by Andreas Deja..."
"They won't believe you?"
"Exactly!"
And so he did. He even wrote "Good one." A cool dude all around.

 

[Stabmaster Arson II]

Met David O'Doherty after a gig, geniinely a lovely person. So lovely in fact that after the gig he went and stood near the exit doors and shook the hands and spoke to every single audience member. That isn't hyperbole, I mean literally every audience member. Very class act.

 

[Cats]

I met Tim Allen at a restaurant in the early 2000s and just went right up to him and immediately panicked and didnt know what to say my palms were really gross and sweaty and I just held my hand out to shake it but he didn't so i kept looking all around the room and avoiding eye contact but I was standing and blocking his way in the hall on the way to the men's restroom, finally he was just like "Dude, what" and at the same time I blurted out "TOOL TIME" with my head held down away from his eye line and I just kept sweating and standing there, i guess he didn't hear me because he said "What?" and I said "you're the guy on tool time" and he just grimaced at me with this look on his face like I had just puked all over him or something and Tim Allen said "I gotta take a piss" and at the exact same time he said that I said "I watch it all the time" and we interrupted each other and so I then smacked myself hard on the forehead and yelled, "STUPID, STUPID, STUPID" extremely loudly in the hallway and then when he tried to pass me all I could think to do was make those grunting noises like the ones he used to make on tool time like "AEUHHH?! AEUHHH?!" and he kept staring at me with fear in his eyes and went into the bathroom and I just followed him in and I don't remember anything that happened after that because I blacked out

 

[urr13 account]

One time I tried to arrest Mel Gibson and he called me sugar tits then told me the jews caused all the worlds wars.

 

[Meat Target]

I think I once saw Andy Reid at a Chick-fil-A.

 

[BlaireWhitesBottom2]

in my early teenage years i shook hands with Barry Obama and got his autograph, that fucking thing on his nose is huge IRL

mick foley was a sweet heart, dazza from scorpion king was cool and sat on my 12 year old lap (i put my hands in my lap so her ass was in my hands lol)

met the old time tranny porn star brandi scott at a party that was weird

ran into mayor joghn street of philadelphia fame when i was in college

also met kevin nash and hornswaggle who are both cool as hell

tim witherspoon too but idek who he was untl someone told me later on

 

[Kilo Riley]

I've met a few.

A) Met Samoa Joe at a fan signing during his second and final NXT run. Joey Shmurda the GOAT, friendly guy. If you're chill and respectful, so is he. I also met a few other niche wrestling guys at that show (Karrion Kross, Shane Thorne, Dexter Lumis)
B) When I was a young kid my family was heavily involved with Mothers against Drunk Driving due to a family tragedy, and as a reward I got to go to an NFL game... Saints vs. Steelers during the Saints' miracle Superbowl run. I met Troy Polamalu, Drew Brees, Marques Colston, Ben Rapelisberger, and Reggie Bush. I remember it specifically b/c Troy was my favorite player.
C) I happened to be at a Rise Against concert at the same time as Kristen Stewart. I didn't speak to her, but this was during her 'blonde buzzcut' phase, so it was pretty hard to mistake her for anyone else.

 

[TV's Adam West]

I met Chad Muska at a skateboarding event. He's extremely nice and friendly. I told him that I was humbled he was so kind and he told me a story about how he was homeless before he was a skater. Really nice man.

I wrote Al Lowe, the writer for the old leisure suit Larry games an email and he was actually kind enough to respond. We've become sorta pen pals. Extremely funny and wise old boomer.

I met Doug Walker at a convention once, I went out of my way to see him though because he's always been a guilty pleasure. I just remember that I was extremely fucked up because my costume was ruining me, and get there suffering from mild dehydration and he gave me a water bottle. Thanks Doug.

 

[Sparkletor 2.0]

When people start talking about meeting celebrities I like to bring up that I once met Blackie Dammett. Then people say, "Who the fuck is Blackie Dammett?"

 

[.T.N.U.C]

Met some athletes but mostly musicians, no-one too famous apart from Madonna* and, if you're a New Age music lover, prepare to be jealous: Grammy award winner Kitaro (still holds the record for most nominations at 16!)
Hung out once at Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee)'s holiday house as a kid.

I always noticed that the metal and punk musicians were usually all polite and respectful but the pop types were usually all wankers.

Anyway, one day I was at the airport and I see a scruffy bastard standing at the rental car counter.
He looks over and I knew I recognised him. At first I thought it was someone I went to school with.
It wasn't until I saw the sports team's cap he was wearing that it clicked.
It was Russel Crowe at the height of his fame, unshaved, looking like shit in old sneakers, tracksuit pants, stained shirt and a South Sydney Rabbitohs cap, the sports team he owns. I'd have been much more excited if it was an old schoolmate.

*Technically was more "in her presence" than actually meeting her, nothing particularly interesting happened

 

[Pee Cola]

Anyway, one day I was at the airport and I see a scruffy bastard standing at the rental car counter.
He looks over and I knew I recognised him. At first I thought it was someone I went to school with.
It wasn't until I saw the sports team's cap he was wearing that it clicked.
It was Russel Crowe at the height of his fame, unshaved, looking like shit in old sneakers, tracksuit pants, stained shirt and a South Sydney Rabbitohs cap, the sports team he owns. I'd have been much more excited if it was an old schoolmate.

ngl this anecdote makes Russell Crowe sound based af.

No, I don't have any interesting celeb encounters to share, mainly because the only celebs I've crossed paths with are either a bit niche and/or virtually unknown outside of Australia.

 

[Itsnatsutalbott]

I met Sean Astin on two separate occasions.

You see, my father has been running at Disney's running events for a while, and I and my family also come with him and sometimes talk to other runners before the run happens. And Sean Astin just happened to be at two of Disney's runs.

@Admiral Throbnelius

 

[Alex Hogendorp]

I remember doing a photo shoot with some of the band members of the Dutch Darkwave Band Clan of Xymox. Also with deceased celebrities. Andy Fletcher, the deceased member of Depeche Mode with Martin Gore was waving at us and they're possibly the most famous people I interacted with in person. I'll see you guys again when Patriarchy makes it huge. Because I saw them as the opening act for The Cult and I had a photo shoot with one of the members.

 

[DeutschfagAufAbwegen]

Do politicians count? Used to live almost next to Armin Laschet who got close to being Cancellor. Otherwise I once met HP Baxter of Scooter fame and had to ask him "How much is the fish?"

 

[Carlos Thin]

My best friend growing up did animation in Ballyfermot, which is kind of a big deal in Ireland. The whole school was setup by the production company of Amblin Entertainment, which was producing Don Bluth movies at the time. It was a whole animation industry, with the college providing budding talent for animated movies. You talk to people from the time and they thought they were going to rival Disney. Unfortunately they got the tail end of the Bluth movies (all the shit films between All Dogs Go To Heaven and Anastasia), and the company was liquidated in 1995.
Cut to the chase, and my friend got to meet people who actively worked on Don Bluth films, he was so eager to know what it was like working for such a visionary: they said it sucked. They got overworked to meet an extremely high standard, not knowing if their work was going to make it into the film; alongside constant budget cuts so their jobs were in constant jeopardy. One guy said working on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the best gig he ever got