Brushes with fame?

[Greg44]

My dd just went to Sundance film festival. I actually don't think they saw any of the films, but did eat at Robert Redford's restaurant. And as luck would have it, sat at the table right next to him. They took pictures with their cell phones (without flash) to prove it. When he left he "winked" at them. Their server asked how they liked sitting next to "Bob"?

Years ago when I was going to school in Hawaii, a group of us went out to the Kahala Hilton. It was very exclusive at the time. Dolphins in the pools on the grounds. My friend accidently tripped Helen Reddy in gift shop. We all got a good chuckle out of that.

While I don't think much of the Hollywood celebrity thing...(we all put our pants on one leg at a time). It is fun to see them "out and about"!

Who have you brushed into?

[CathyA]

I met Martha Stewart.........but I later became bothered by her self-centeredness, so my excitement of meeting her waned.
My DH and DS met Al Yankovic and Ken Burns. (not together...hahaha) Even got pictures taken with them. It is pretty cool to see in person, someone you just admired from afar.

[catherine]

My two most exciting:
--Walking past Paul McCartney in London. It was during my Junior Year Abroad, and as it happened, my apartment was on Abbey Road! I was a HUGE Beatlemaniac from the time I was 12 years old, so this was BIG. I never approached him--I was just so star-struck I froze in my tracks and simply watched him until he turned the corner.

--My son was in a Steven Soderbergh movie (so I guess you could say Steven Soderbergh was a famous person I brushed elbows with--he was awesome by the way. SO nice and down to earth and wonderful with my son, who was only 7 at the time. The movie was King of the Hill, probably his least known film but it was critically acclaimed at the time). BUT at the movie premiere, who is standing in the aisle but Paul Newman--so I told my son to go up and introduce himself and before he had the chance, Paul Newman said to him: "I know who YOU are! You were in the movie and you were great!" OMG... talk about a surreal moment, Paul Newman complimenting my son!

I'm a little embarrassed about the name dropping here, but Greg, you asked!

[Greg44]

"I'm a little embarrassed about the name dropping here, but Greg, you asked!"

Hey this is great! It will be fun to hear other's stories!

[Kestrel]

I was "close to" Steve McQueen at a motorcycle race, where he was very busy doing motorcycle things.
Talked with Edd Byrnes ("Kookie" from "77 Sunset Strip", TV show). Had a tremendous crush on him.
Passed Wilt Chamberlain very closely, eyeballs to belt buckle. No conversation. I'm not even sure he knew I was there.
--- These were all a long time ago, early '60s.

A couple of years ago Robert Fulghum did a service at our church and a small group of us had a potluck dinner with him afterwards. Even tho he really wasn't feeling well he told some good stories, we had great conversations, and he signed everything we put in front of him.

[Stella]

My exBIL is a music producer for movies and my sister's current BF is a director, so I've met a lot of famous people through her. She's so intensely private about that kind of thing I'm uncomfortable name-dropping in connection with her. Plus, that list is too extensive to even be interesting. I will tell you that I thought it was hilarious that when she told my nephew that she was going out with her current BF he responded with, "His last film did well at the box office. I approve of this."

I also met some famous people at the coffee shop I worked at in L.A. My favourite was writer/director Charlie Kauffmann, who I only knew as "Charlie" until a coworker told me that "Charlie" had been nominated for an Oscar. Oddly my BIL had worked on the film he was nominated for and also knew him. Kind of a "small world" sort of thing.

Freddy Kreuger once complimented me on my grade point average. That was a little surreal.

My nephew is one of those Hollywood kids who knows everyone and he's such a little networker. It amuses me. He went to see the Jonas Brothers last year (he's 9) and the Jonas Brothers were excited to meet him because he knew people they were having a hard time getting to talk to.

My favourite nephew+celeb story, though is that he mistook Orlando Bloom for my DH at a party once. He saw him and called him "Uncle" before taking a closer look and realizing who it was.

[janharker]

I'm so bad at names. And in both cases it was years ago. Anyway, I once went up an elevator with a famous golfer. He always wore those puffy pants that the Scots wear for golf. He was known for sliding his putter into an imaginary holster. And once I was kissed on the cheek by a Grammy Award winner.

[Gingerella72]

When the movie "Election" with Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon was being filmed in Omaha, NE, they were filming one day at the apartment complex I lived in. When I came home from work that day the film crew semi's and trailers were all over the place, and I pulled into the last space available in the lot, right next to Matthew Broderick's trailer. Didn't get to see him though.

My only other "brush" with fame isn't really a brush, but just a vicarious acquaintance. One of my parents' good friends is Ken Wannberg who worked as a music editor with composer John Williams on most of the Spielberg films and quite a few other big time ones. I always get a thrill seeing his name in the film credits, though he's retired now. Dad was stationed with Ken at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL in the early 50's. My parents met at a party at Ken's house.

[treehugger]

My dad told me he is "kissing friends" with Kamala Harris (CA's new Attorney General). What he meant is that he knows her well enough to give her a kiss on the cheek when they greet each other. Neither my mom nor I had heard that expression before, and now we tease him at bout kissing Kamala a lot.

I'm working as a server at a big gala benefit this Saturday in downtown Oakland. I hope there will be some California political power players there.

[IshbelRobertson]

An aunt of mine was a teenage friend of Sean Connery (actually Tommy, but he felt that wouldn't look good in lights!) I knew his brother, Neil quite well. He often turned up at pubs wearing suits which he assured us 'Tommy' wore in various Bond films!

I met the Beatles a few times when I was a teenager - it was John Lennon who was kind to a teenage fan - the others? Nope, out of it, when I met them!

I have met quite a lot of Scottish 'famous people'... but I won't publish their names on here!