I wouldn’t call it “meeting” him, but one day in NYC I was wearing my lavendar suede workshoes which get a lot of stares. I noticed some guy walking towards me staring at them, which is not uncommon. As we passed he raised his head and looked at me. After we passed I stopped dead in shock–it was Woody Allen!
It was during the whole Mia/Soon-Yi bruhaha. I resisted the urge to turn back and beat the crap out of him.
I’ve met several pro hockey players, but the ones I actually got to speak with are Tom Gilbert, Robert Nilsson, Steve Staios (Edmonton Oilers) and Matt Greene (Los Angeles Kings), all during the IIHF championships in May.
A few NBA players: Dan Majerle, Tyrone Hill, Danny Ferry, Chris Mills, Bobby Phills. It was at a Cavs/Heat pre-season exhibition game in Columbus in 1995. I had a great time. Got some autographs, got to talk to Dan for a while. It was great, because he was one of my favorite players and that was the only season he played for the Cavs.
The only other famous person I’ve ever met and talked to is Dean Haglund from the X-Files and Lone Gunmen shows. He was at the Mid-Ohio comic con in 2005. He was pretty cool. Kind of looks like a blonde Geddy Lee.
I’ve seen in person, but didn’t get to talk to: John Kerry, GW Bush, and Margot Kidder.
I met Ted Nugent at an NRA convention a couple years ago. I’ve never been a fan of his music and his antics as a gun rights activist make me sorry we’re on the same side, so I wasn’t exactly overwhelmed at the privilege of meeting him. FTR, he looks like any tired, old man.
I played drums for Charles Brown when he played at my music school in the '80s. He was playing in the auditorium and the drummer (another student) who was playing for him couldn’t make it for some reason so I volunteered.
I got whined at by Richard Lloyd (the guitarist for Television) at Fez because I didn’t get my drums off the stage fast enough (we were the opening act for Health and Happiness Show).
I shook hands with Richard Nixon
I shook hands with William F. Buckley Jr
I met Chubby Checker and was asked to play keyboards at one of his concerts.
I stood between John Travolta and James Gandolfini in a movie scene.
My daughter was in a movie scene with Salma Hayek.
My mother was picked up and kissed by Burt Reynolds after she tripped in front of him.
My brother sat directly behind and conversed with Steven Hawking on an SST flight; and sat next to and conversed with Ringo Star on another SST flight.
Get Shorty?
No, Lonely Hearts. Interesting movie, but it bombed at the box office (due in no part to my stellar thespian performance, however). As a lark, my family went to a cattle call and three out of the four of us were hired. I was in three scenes that made it to print, my daughter in one…my wife’s scene was cut (hee hee :D). The one with real talent, my youngest daughter, age 5, was the one not given a part. For what it’s worth, John Travolta was very pleasant to talk to and work with…Gandolfini, not so much.
He’s snotty, sarcastic, and demeaning. Example: Jobs came back to Apple when Gil Amelio made the decision to buy Next, and to turn NextStep into Apple’s OS. After a while, Amelio departed, and Jobs was “interim” CEO. The meeting I was in took place shortly after that. In the meeting, which included maybe 4-5 Apple people, and 6-8 in my non-Apple group, Jobs made much of how he had saved the company, and said dismissive things about Amelio, literally rolling his eyes and laughing, in front of us, a group of non-Apple people. It was inappropriate, and just really off key. There were other things, but that really stuck in my mind.
I understand that lot of that attitude is aimed at anyone who disagrees with him, or anyone who doesn’t work for him. He’s the smartest guy in the room, and you’re not, and if you disagree, you must be an idiot. I’m sure more than a few Apple employees would agree with this characterization.
Not quite the same but I was visiting the tomb of Kemel Attaturk in Ankara and had to wait while the Prime Minister of Portugal and his entourage visited same. Later, the same Prime Minister had me waiting to visit a museum in the Gulf.
I have seen from a short distance the Sultan of Oman, Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai and Mr. T.
I worked out with Hulk Hogan. A very nice man.
I met Byeung Lee, one of the ten ninth-degree black belts at judo back when there were no tenth degrees alive.
I know the starting left tackle for the Cleveland Browns quite well. Joe Thomas - he is my nephew.
I shook hands with Rod Grams.
That’s about it.
Regards,
Shodan
I don’t know why, but it surprises me to learn he can fly commercial. I always assumed (not that I really thought about it much) he’d have to fly in a chartered jet. I suppose his wheelchair is no larger than the average, though.
Thanks very much for the answer, squeegee. I love the produce of that guy’s work, but I’m amazed he gets anyone to put up with him long enough to get anything done.
Dino DiLaurentiis - sat beside him at a meeting in which we were reviewing his plans for a new movie production studio lot.
Tyrone Power - Spoke to me as he came out of his sister’s house across the street from my (parents’) house with Debbie Minardos, the mother of his last son, 6 months before TP died and 9 months before the son was born.
Seen close up as they visited my ship in the Med to greet my boss, the 6th Fleet Admiral: Princess Grace & the King of Greece.
Spoke to Dudley Moore as he checked out of Lechmere Sales sporting goods dept. in Danvers, Mass. he was in a play at the Beverly theatre in the round.
Seen as they passed in motorcades: JFK and RMNixon (the latter as a non-paying attendee at his inauguration parade)(I happened to be in DC on business that day)(I still have a No Parking Inauguration Parade Route sign).
Robert Redford drove past me in his Porsche on Washington Street in downtown Boston as I crossed the street right in front of him, on my way to work at 1 Boston Place. Someone yelled that he was coming. (Missed that part).
This would have been over 20 years ago, before his ALS progressed to the point it is now, before he even spoke like a Yank (via his American accented voice synthesizer used since losing his voice entirely after an emergency tracheotomy). He may very well travel chartered-only now, I don’t know. Anyway, according to my brother, he believes their in-flight discussion of the historical use of thymus vulgaris as an embalming agent by the Ancient Egyptians inspired Hawking’s subsequent, A Brief History of Thyme (I kid, I kid :D).
Bill Clinton (At the NY State Fair)
Tim Curry (Spoke to my drama class in high school)
Lou Holtz (Keynote speaker at a corporate event, got a free copy of his book and autograph after the speech)
Motley Crue (They lived 'round the corner from me in the early 80’s)
The Ventures (After a set at the Palomino Club, their drummer was a neighbor of my best friend)
Graig Nettles (Yankees autograph session)
Sparky Lyle (Yankees autograph session)
Mike Torrez (Yankees autograph session)
Luis Sojo (Lived upstairs from my former in-laws when he played minor league ball)
Shawn Green (Signed my son’s glove, played for the local Triple A team)
Jody Shelley (NHL “enforcer”, played for the local AHL team)
Several baseball players that never really did anything in the “Bigs” or even got there
Several hockey players that never really did anything in the NHL or even got there
Ken “World’s Most Dangerous Man” SHamrock (He should’ve kicked my ass cuz I was a dick to him, but was a really nice guy. Long story.)
Had the same social studies teacher as Squeaky Fromme.
My father knew Lou Reed and Felix Cavaliere from hanging out at Syracuse University, came in second to Ronnie James Dio’s band in a “Battle of the Bands”, and got into a fight with Al Stewart (the ‘Year of the Cat’ guy).
Heehee. 
Sorry about the slow reply–wasn’t checking this thread often.
Alan and Ian wouldn’t recognize me anymore–it was a long time ago, but it was fun while it lasted. I first met Alan in 1993 when he was in my hometown promoting his then-new CD, “Try Anything Once.” He was signing autographs, and I brought my (at the time extremely hard to find) copy of Freudiana along with TAO. We had a little chat about that, and he remembered me later when I turned up backstage after the concert with the fan club. After that, he remembered me at subsequent concerts. I was amazed, given how many people he undoubtedly meets. Same with Ian, though I didn’t get to know him as well (he only remembered me at the first concert after I met him) I met Stuart Elliott too, during the *Time Machine *period, and I think I made him happy by telling him (truthfully) that the song he wrote was my favorite on that album.
As for Alan: a nicer guy you’re never likely to meet. Very tall, somewhat intimidating looking (in a “we’re not worthy!” sense, not in a scary sense), but kind, gracious, and very talented. And his accent is wonderful.
Met and spoke to Harry Connick Jr after one of his Christmas shows in Boston
Had drinks with Angelo Moore from Fishbone
Had a conversation about my leather jacket with Ogre from Skinny Puppy and Alain Jourgenson of Ministry during a Pigface show
Chatted with Dickey Barret from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Got an autograph from one of the Johns from TMBG - I forget who is who
Spoke with Steve Ballmer
I’ve corresponded with Henry Rollins
As a kid I knocked over Merlin Olsen’s luggage in the Salt Lake City airport
Most of my brushes with celebrity aren’t really well known outside of Canada.
Went to university with Measha Brueggergosman(opera singer)
Attended a Seder with Henry Morgentaler (controversial doctor and Holocaust survivor)
Gone out for dinner on a couple of occasions with Jean-Louis Roux (actor, former Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec, and my great-uncle)
Had extended chats with both Olivia Chowand Jack Layton(politicians, husband/wife, and active in my neighbourhood’s local politics since I was wee)
Sold a museum admission ticket to Amanda Bynes, and had a brief chat about the exhibits (actress)
Helped Don Ferguson pick out a gift while I was working at BabyGap (actor/comedian)
Also helped Jacqueline Hennessy at the same BabyGap location (actress, twin of Jill Hennessy)
I’ve also seen quite a few celebs out and about during the Toronto International Film Festival. The more interesting ones include:
Peter Dinklage (actor)
Christina Ricci (actress)
George Strombolopoulos (TV host)
Viggo Mortensen (actor)
David Cronenberg (director)
Atom Egoyan (director)
I met HRC and Obama in Iowa last December.
I picked up Henry Rollins from the airport in Des Moines in 1997/98ish.
I was a busboy at a restaurant about 15 years ago and helped serve Woody Harrelson.
Saw all of ZZ top all over houston, but never spoke to them.