# Good celebrity! Here, boy! GOOD celebrity!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 4, 2006, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333 "2006-08-04T15:04:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/1 "2006-08-04T15:04:08Z")
With all the tsouris about Mel Gibson, it’s nice to sit back and think of nice movie stars: good-natured, non-diva, not-crazy people you’d like to have over for coffee. Of course, good-natured, non-diva, not-crazy people tend not to scramble to the top of the show-biz ladder . . . But there are a few of whom I have never heard a bad word:
Rudolph Valentino
Jean Harlow
Marion Davies
Jimmy Durante
Jack Benny
Lou Costello
George Clooney
Dean Martin
. . . just off the top of my head. (Note that Davies, Durante and Benny all had pushy, obnoxious SO’s behind them). Any others you can think of?
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### Author:  [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/2 "2006-08-04T15:13:36Z")
From what I’ve heard, Paul Newman seems to be a fairly decent guy.
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### Author:  [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/3 "2006-08-04T15:14:03Z")
Jimmy Stewart springs immediately to mind
There are likely others – Michael Landon (Eugene Orowitz?) from reports was a pretty nice and interesting fellow.
I thought Valentino was a bit of a Diva? And George Clooney can be a lot of fun if you steer away from politics and such – otherwise he can out-ass Bill O’Riely.
Can we include Barbara Billingsly and Tony Dow on the list – never reached the top, but apparently really nice likeable people – same for Don Knotts and Tim Conway (from reports).
I’m no authority, just trying to piece together what I believe I’ve heard.
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/4 "2006-08-04T15:18:03Z")
> [@ddgryphon](#):
>
> I thought Valentino was a bit of a Diva? And George Clooney can be a lot of fun if you steer away from politics and such – otherwise he can out-ass Bill O’Riely.
You’re probably right about Clooney, come to think of it . . . Valentino’s second wife, Natacha Rambova, was a diva, but Rudy himself was a sweet, simple soul whom everyone loved.
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/5 "2006-08-04T15:29:44Z")
In the theatre, the first name that comes to mind is Bernadette Peters. I’ve never heard a bad word said about her.
Christopher Reeve had a good reputation even before his accident.
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### Author:  [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/6 "2006-08-04T15:35:05Z")
Tom Hanks? He seems like a good egg.
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### Author:  [@Glassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glassy)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/7 "2006-08-04T15:36:43Z")
I have an ex-bro-in-law who worked for years as an extra. He loved working on \*\*Murder, She Wrote \*\* because Angela Lansbury was so nice. She was apparently always very kind and generous to extras, a set of people often regarded, in Hollywood, as lower than underlings. Gigs on her show were much in demand among extras because of this. I’ve been a fan of Lansbury’s ever since I saw her awesomeness in **The Manchurian Candidate** ; it always pleased me to hear that she’s a nice woman, too.
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### Author:  [@Clockwork\_And\_Candy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clockwork_And_Candy)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/8 "2006-08-04T15:37:20Z")
Kathy Bates, Angela Lansbury, Judie Dench and Maggie Smith. I’ve never heard anything negative about them.
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### Author:  [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/9 "2006-08-04T15:42:46Z")
I’ve always had a soft spot for Oprah. Years ago, she quietly paid for experimental cancer treatment for a friend’s father. (Someone from his church wrote to her begging for help.) She never got any publicity for it-- it was just something she apparently did out of the kindness of her heart. You gotta admire people like that.
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### Author:  [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/10 "2006-08-04T15:46:30Z")
Barbara Eden
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### Author:  [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/11 "2006-08-04T16:00:46Z")
> [@Eve](#):
>
> But there are a few of whom I have never heard a bad word:
Better check your research:
**Rudolph Valentino** – Cannibal, often of young Mexican boys he had snuck into the country for just this purpose.
**Jean Harlow** – See below.
**Marion Davies** – Along with Harlow, embarked on a seven-state, nine-day bank robbery and murder spree in 1937. Ended with Harlow’s death at Davies’ hands. Covered up by film studio.
**Jimmy Durante** – Outrageous coke habit. Often robbed church poor boxes to finance same.
**Jack Benny** – Active in white slavery trade.
**Lou Costello** – Regularly beat Bud Abbot in private.
**George Clooney** – Personally responsible for cancellation of _Firefly_.
**Dean Martin** – Died still owing me twelve bucks.
Note: Possibility exists that some or all of these may have slight inaccuracies.
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### Author:  [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/12 "2006-08-04T16:15:36Z")
Bette White
Brad Pitt -I know about the whole cheating thing but his charity trumps that.
Bono
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### Author:  [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/13 "2006-08-04T16:17:20Z")
That should be Betty White.
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/14 "2006-08-04T16:41:56Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#):
>
> Note: Possibility exists that some or all of these may have slight inaccuracies.
Har! You should write biographies, you’d make a _lot_ more money than _I_ do.
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/15 "2006-08-04T16:45:29Z")
Danny Kaye always seemed like a nice guy on screen, and he did years of work for UNICEF. Tell me he wasn’t a raving tyrant behind the scenes, please.
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### Author:  [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/16 "2006-08-04T16:52:33Z")
I’ll second Tom Hanks. By all accounts, he’s awesome.
My votes:
Johnny Depp–There are rumors that he’s not the most stable, laid back celeb out there, but I’ve also heard that he’s really cool about signing autographs and chatting with his fans, asking them what they like, and so forth.
Chow Yun Fat is supposed to be just as nice and laid back, off-screen as he is on-screen, which pretty much makes him the coolest object in the universe.
Bo Derek is rumored to be pretty nice, too.
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/17 "2006-08-04T16:53:28Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#):
>
> Better check your research:
>
> [ **Jimmy Durante** – Outrageous coke habit. Often robbed church poor boxes to finance same.
> Note: Possibility exists that some or all of these may have slight inaccuracies.
Considering the size of his nose, that would be one BIG outrageous coke habit.
One surprising person for this list is Robin Williams. Apparently he is a total professional and all around nice guy.
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/18 "2006-08-04T16:55:05Z")
Jodi Foster is a swell gal. I’ve never even heard anyone diss her gayness.
I’m pretty sure everyone loves Sandra Bullock. I heard she’s as down to earth as they come.
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### Author:  [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/19 "2006-08-04T17:01:36Z")
Decent actors that I respect: (partly because I’ve heard they are good people and partly because they are not media whores. [_Yosemite Sam]I hates media whores[/Yosemite Sam]_
Jeff Daniels
Jodie Foster
Steve Buscemi
Dustin Hoffman
Kyle McLachlan
Kathy Bates
That’s all I’ve I can think of off the top of my head.
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### Author:  [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-celebrity-here-boy-good-celebrity/367333/20 "2006-08-04T17:01:37Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#):
>
> Tom Hanks? He seems like a good egg.
That’s what I came in here to say. Regardless of what you might think of his talent or appeal (seems as if a lot of people hate the guy, but I don’t see why), he’s never shown his ass.
Years ago ('80’s) I played softball with Gladys Night & the Pips when they were performing at the theater where I worked. OK, maybe they’re not Clooney-level celebrities, but they were a lot of fun. Gladys pitched, and she was a sweetheart.
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