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

[TheImportantFart]

Recently I've been bouncing around old forums reading about encounters with celebrities and hearing which ones are twats and which ones are actually quite decent people, so I've decided to bring this exercise to Kiwi Farms. Post about your encounters with famous folk - actors, reality stars, sportspeople, etc. Try to limit it to celebrities you've met in everday settings (restaurants, airports, shops etc.), rather than at conventions (although if you have interesting convention stories go for it) or live on stage or something like that (although if you met them backstage afterwards that's okay). Also, if it's somebody fairly obscure try to give an example of something they've done that people may know about.

I'll kick us off, and I have a fair few:

David Beckham - He was at Legoland with Victoria and his kids the same day I was. I was quite young at the time and didn't follow football so I barely registered him until my Dad pointed him out.

will.i.am - I didn't see him personally, but my Mum and my sister ended up sitting nearby him at an airport restaurant. Apparently he was all on his own - didn't have an entourage or anything. For the most part he kept to himself, but if anyone came up wanting a photo or autograph he'd oblige.

Rio Ferdinand - I was out with my girlfriend one evening in London and we ended up walking behind him. Like I said earlier, I don't really follow football but I recognised who he was and had to identify him to my girlfriend who wondered if he was someone famous. Loads of people on the street stopped him to take selfies and while he looked a bit haggard, he never objected. All the people in my family who do follow football were very jealous I'd seen him.

Hugh Jackman (maybe) - This is listed as a maybe because I'm only half-certain it was him. Me and my girlfriend were finishing a holiday in LA and were sitting in our hotel lobby waiting for a taxi to take us to the airport, when someone I think was Hugh walked out of the lift that went up to the Penthouse suites. This person looked exactly like him and we checked the internet to discover that he was indeed in LA at the time. No news source gave us the name of the hotel he was staying at so we don't know if it was the same as ours and hence the reason I'm not sure it was really him.

A few of my friends are actors, so I've met some famous people through them:

One friend worked for an independent theatre doing general admin tasks like reception and ushering. Despite being quite small, this theatre would attract some fairly well-known actors and through my friend I got to meet some of them, including:

Michael Pennington - If the name doesn't sound familiar, maybe this will help:

He's done loads of theatre work since then, but that's the role most people probably know him for. When I brought up the fact he'd been in Star Wars he said rather dejectedly "Yes, I'm afraid I was." I suppose that's understandable - when you've had a long career, it has to be quite annoying people only remember you for one small role.

Penny Downie - She's probably best known for playing Gertrude alongside David Tenant's Hamlet in the RSC show that eventually got broadcast on television. I only spoke to her very briefly, but she seemed very nice.

Iain Glen - Most of you probably know him as Ser Jorah (aka Lord of Friendzone) on Game of Thrones. Saying I met him is kind of stretching it. He walked past me in a corridor without saying anything because he was in a hurry to get to the stage for his scene.

Through a different friend, I ran into:

Arthur Darvill - Rory Williams from Doctor Who. Again, didn't really get to meet him - he brushed past me on a staircase, but I was in the same room as him for the rest of the evening. I never worked up the courage to go over and talk to him.

I'll post some more stories if I remember them. For now, it's over to you guys.

 

[MerriedxReldnahc]

I'm a huge Metalachi fan and have met with the whole band after a concert twice (the first time just with my favorite member because I'm shy) but at the second show I saw them at I got brought onstage! I was right up front by the stairs and at one point I saw their manager come down towards me, but it wasn't until he grabbed my hand and lead me up the stairs that I realized what was going on. They're all so nice, I got lots of cuddles from El Cucuy (their trumpet player and my favorite member of the band) and a seranade from Nacho Picante (guittaron player). They are all really awesome people who enjoy hanging out with fans after shows.

Spoiler: Me n' Cucuy

As you can see I'm wearing this super jenky set of paper mache leg armor to match his

Also for a brief moment I saw Bob Roll in Solvang, CA. He's a former pro cyclist that now does commentary for the Tour de France and the Tour of California. He was in riding gear and eating a sandwich.

 

[fuzzypickles]

As a kid, I saw Dog the Bounty Hunter get off a ride with his wife at the Magic Kingdom. I never would have noticed him if not for my mom who pointed him out to me.

 

[Jaded Optimist]

I worked at an international airport for a long time, including the private plane terminal. These are my encounters.

Meatloaf: traveled on regular planes, seemed chill.

Steve Nash: Huge jerk. Traveller with his kids and a nanny, left the kids with the nanny while he spent a ton of money at the bar/restaurant and didn't tip. He traveled through on the 4egular and it was always the same. Super rude.

Ozzy: Super nice traveled in a private plane. Gave the staff burgers and soup (no bat heads to be found)

Prince: Pompous, rude, super tiny. We were told not to look at him or acknowledge him.

Bill gates: quiet, polite, nice plane, brought all his own organic food (like a restaurant's worth of food)

Kenny chesney: One of the worst. Nice plane but all he did was freak out at the staff for not having a microwave in the plane, even though we had nothing to do with the plane he flew in on. Seriously miserable, rushed to his show, played, made the staff stay 4 hours late because he didn't want to stay in our town and flew out immediately. Probably the rudest celebrity I've met.

Elvis costello: quiet, friendly, polite. Just seemed to want to be unnoticed, so that's what we did. Flew commerical.

Pamela Anderson was our regular. She traveled on west jet, usually early morning. Polite, including her boys. She looks like garbage though. One morning a server came to me saying she didn't want to serve a table because the woman looked like a strung out junkie, I said I'd take care of it. It ended up just be Pamela with no makeup on.

 

[BurningPewter]

I saw Jesse Eisenburg on the train a while ago. He got on in Clapham London (near the theater he's currently acting in) and stayed on until a very beautiful forest area in Southern England. He was with a female friend his age. It inspired me a little to be honest. Him and his friend just looked so happy and full of life. They were pointing out the window looking at the old castles and trees with wonder.

I stared at him too long though. I didn't remember who he was and was trying to think where I knew him from. He put his hood up and looked at me angrily. I looked back at him angrily because I thought he was a typical Londoner being an ass. I only remembered who he was minutes later.

I feel bad now as from his POV it was some twitching tourettes guy in a Spider Man shirt glaring at him, he probably thought I was some sperg mad about whatever superhero film role he did about to attack, I wish I could apologise to him.

 

[Jaded Optimist]

Sorry I got a few more, I kind of just focused on old job ones when I typed that.

I partied with Gogol Bordello (a gypsy punk band) they were awesome. I saw their show, got invited back stage. The big star Eugene Hutz was arrogant, but I honestly didn't hang out with him much (someone had ta Ken his new fur hat). The back room after party was all stella, weed and xbox360. Their crew was seriously cool and everyone was partying and friendly. The fiddler player whipped his dick out, but to be fair it was the back room of club having an after party.

Reverend Horton Heat: super nice. Played my request, gave me a guitar pick. Jimbo gave me a hug.

Nashville pussy: has always been awesome. Super badass on stage and awesome with fans off stage.

 

[fire_fly]

I met Flight of the Conchords after they played in my city. They were super sweet, I have a poster they autographed for me, and they were nice enough to take pictures (which I won't share as I'd have to edit my face out and fuck that shit lol) and sign something I'd made for a friend that couldn't make it to the show. Kristen Schaal opened for them and she signed my poster, too.

Also, my brother-in-law had a drink with Michael Stipe once, when he lived in Athens, GA. This wasn't uncommon, since REM got started in Athens. Still very cool, and I'm jealous cos I'm a huge REM fan.

 

[Bassomatic]

Most all the famous people I've met were local fame so I won't brag too much on people 99% of you haven't heard of.

Mugsy Boges the NBA player, very nice guy. I met him on vacation with my family at Atlantis, his girl friend (who was a drop dead stunner) was scared of the drag race water slides and he let my brother and I cut in line so she could see it was no big deal. He was there for a golf fund raiser.

World B Free, NBA player - Played Santa at a job my Step dad worked at yearly. Super super nice. He literally goes by World.

Mark Mothersberg of Devo- hung out after the show to get my ticket signed and he was thrilled to see someone my age there (I was by far youngest at the show)

This one is only a maybe because I was quite literally black out drunk for the entire event and based on rough memories and reports of a swamped bartender. I may have drunkenly made out with Kesha. I figure it couldn't really be her because I don't have AIDS. She was in town that week for a show and was a rather upper class pub. No but seriously that's a maybe in my life. Bassomatic has had a really hard sad life.

 

[Ruin]

Bill Nye the Science guy - I was at a Starbucks in Seattle and he was the next person in line ahead of me so I asked for a quick autograph. I also saw Aziz Ansari at a burger joint in Madison.

 

[FuckYou]

BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL!

 

[oasys]

I can't :powerlevel: too much but I have met/worked with a ton of random celebrities.

Not sure who you'd all care to hear about, but I at least want to rant about Lena Dunham. Had to deal with her multiple times this year alone so I'm mad about it. She thinks very highly of herself. If she wants things a certain way it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. She is the type of person who will constantly make unfunny jokes to be "fun" and "a comedian", and her orbiters of course pretend to laugh and feed the delusion. She also regularly cancels shit last minute, like minutes before, which is hilarious because I just Google'd her and the first thing that came up was an article about her cancelling an appearance and encouraging people to take more sick days.

 

[MysticMisty]

Not your typical celebrity but I saw Mark Kelly in town once. Before Gabriel Giffords was shot. Nobody else noticed him (they probably didn't know who he was, honestly), but I just had to shake his hand and said even if people don't really care anymore I think being an astronaut is cool and wished him luck on future missions. He was surprised, but was nice and thanked me. Then his wife was shot a few months later and he retired not long after.

 

[*Asterisk*]

I had the pleasure of running into John McLaughlin before a live show of his at the Santa Fe Lensic. This show, as a matter of fact. It was a brief encounter, but I felt honor'd nonetheless.

He seemed like a pretty chill fella. All the more impressive considering he's probably the best American guitarist alive.

 

[The Dude]

I met James Doohan (the original Scotty from Star Trek) when I was in Junior High and super in to Star Trek. I met the 2003 lineup of Bad Religion when Warped Tour was in town that year. I met Guttermouth when they played a little hole in the wall club downtown. I got to hang out with Fallout Boy when they were just getting popular when my friend's band opened up for them at a different club downtown.

I also ran into one of the drummers for Good Charlotte who is from my state. He was playing a fundraising show with his old local band that my friend's band was also playing at. He and I almost got into a fist fight because I didn't know who he was. He was a real douche bag. He was outside smoking with a few girls all crowded around him. I was helping my friend take his drum kit out to my truck and my friend told me the guys name (can't remember what it was for the life of me) and I gave him a little wave and said "Oh, hey." as I passed. He freezes with his smoke half up to his lips, mouth agape, and stares at me. I looked back at him and asked "What?" He sneers at me and says "Don't you know who I am?" I kinda grin and said "Don't you know who I am?" He rolls his eyes and says "Oh, I just play for a little punk band called Good Charlotte. You might have heard of us." Well I laughed at him. He gets indignant and demands "What's so fucking funny?!" And I replied "Good Charlotte? Punk? You're band isn't punk. You're bubblegum pop poseurs. That fucking 'Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous' shit? Gimme a break. You're not fucking punk." He turns bright red, drops his smoke, all the little girls surrounding him are staring at me, he balls up his fists and that's when my friend started dragging me away because he didn't want to have to call my folks to tell them I was in jail for getting in a fight with a "celebrity". As my friend was pulling me by the arm back to my truck I was shouting back at the guy "Not impressed!"

 

[BurningPewter]

I sat next to Alan Moore for an entire London train journey and forgot who he was. I thought he was a hippy I knew who worked in a comic shop. I looked at him trying to remember where I knew him from and he gave me this meaningful hollow eyed look.

I an pretty sure I helped Sir Ben Kingsley with directions too.

I had the pleasure of running into John McLaughlin

heard a concert of his on BBc radio, his playing is amazing.

Nashville pussy: has always been awesome. Super badass on stage and awesome with fans off stage.

always liked that band total rock and roll.

 

[Doc Cassidy]

Dave Chappell borrowed my lighter.

When I was 16 I was outside the mall smoking and a familiar looking black guy walked up and asked to use my lighter. I kept wondering who the hell he was because I knew I'd seen him somewhere before when it finally dawned on me it was the guy from the movie Half Baked. This was before Chappell Show when he got really big.

I also fist bumped a local NBA player in a bar.

 

[Steamboat_Bill]

The furthest I have ever been to meeting a celebrity outside of a convention was when I saw James Woods at a Barnes and Noble. He was looking for a DVD.

 

[Curt Sibling]

In the early hours before a convention, I met Lance Henriksen, the guy who played the android in Aliens.
I gave him a copy one of my comics (filled with tits and babes) and he seemed quite pleased...

 

[yasscat]

When I was in high school, my friend group (boyfriend, besties, etc.) liked to go to concerts and try and meet the bands and get autographs after the show. I still do this, if it's a small enough show that I think there's a chance, and if I have connections who can help make it happen. To date, I have met:

Davey Havok of AFI (who signed the seat of my jeans)
Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria
Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil
Trent Reznor (yes, I did turn into a babbling idiot)
the guys from She Wants Revenge
Alessandro Cortini of Sonoio
Ilan Rubin of The New Regime
Tom Morello, when he was doing a show for his solo act, The Nightwatchman
various people from various obscure, niche bands.

I've also met some people who are famous in very specific contexts. Samantha Power (who is my bae), Dr. Cornell West, Robert Reich, Boots Riley (he was giving a lecture on something social justice-y, I can't remember what at the moment), stuff like that.

 

[Francis E. Dec Esc.]

I shared an elevator with Hugo Weaving in a hotel in Montreal.

I ran into Alton Brown at the Ikea in Atlanta.

I was riding down an escalator at the airport in Cleveland and Al Roker was riding up the other side.