# Have you ever met a celebrity IRL? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 14, 2000, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609 "2000-07-14T21:49:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MagicalSilverKey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MagicalSilverKey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicalSilverKey)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/1 "2000-07-14T21:49:50Z")
[slight hijack]The “partying with Salma Hayek” thread made me wonder… Has anyone here ever actually met a famous movie, TV, and/or musical celebrity in person? If yes, who, and what were they like? I didn’t meet him, but I _saw_ Garth Brooks on the road, in his limo, many years ago while here for a concert. That’s as close as I have ever came to meeting a celeb IRL. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/2 "2000-07-14T21:53:03Z")
Robbie (from the band, Godsmack) posed so I could take a picture, smiled, winked, and waved at me. Sully (also from the band, Godsmack) wrote me a letter. I plan on scanning both and posting them on my web page someday. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/3 "2000-07-14T22:08:44Z")
While in college (many moons ago!) I was invited to a reception for Kitty Carlisle Hart, who had something to do with the New York State Arts Council or something. She was very charming and gracious. An elegant woman. I also gave Geoffrey Holder (remember him from the 7-Up commercials? “These are kola nuts…”) a ride uptown in my Dodge Aspen station wagon one evening. He was the guest at a theater seminar I attended. Afterwards, a bunch of us were standing outside, and since I had to drive to the suburbs anyway, I volunteered to give a bunch of people rides uptown. Mr. Holder came out, and we found out he was on his way to Sardi’s to meet some friends. He talked the whole time, but not in an annoying way. He just seems to me to be “onstage” all the time. A very vivacious personality. I also worked with Val Kilmer before he became famous. In fact, before he even graduated from Juilliard. His senior class was actually writing and producing a play, which I also worked on, sort of as a transfer student. It played that summer (1981) at The Public Theater, and I worked backstage. That’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisCTP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@ChrisCTP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisCTP)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/4 "2000-07-14T22:13:02Z")
Does it count if you knew the person before they became famous? ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/5 "2000-07-14T22:33:08Z")
Well, I have never actually met anyone but… My mom has met Sidney Poiter, Phil Donohue, Marlo Thomas (That Girl), Marlo Thomas’s brother, the producer, can’t remember his frist name, Tony Danza, Robert Urich, Andrew McCarthey, The guy who played Honeycut on M_A_S\*H. Merlin Olsen. There’s more I can’t remember right now. She met all these people while working in Deer Valley and Park City in Utah. It’s quite the mecca for the rich and famous, and she cleaned their houses/condos. My dad is convinced he saw John Denver driving a truck. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/6 "2000-07-14T22:33:43Z")
I shot craps with Drew Barrymore in Atlantic City earlier this year. I’ve already posted the story on two previous threads. Even _I’m_ tired of hearing about it by this point. I lived next door to Art Ferrante, of the Ferrante and Tiecher (sp?) piano duo. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/7 "2000-07-14T22:45:47Z")
I had a nice conversation with Chubby Checker once. Who’s Chubby Checker? Oh my! (shuffles off to sit in his rocker.) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/8 "2000-07-14T22:48:21Z")
One of the Iranian hostages lived on my paper route. ---
**Author:** ![Nanook\_of\_the\_North\_Shore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Nanook\_of\_the\_North\_Shore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanook_of_the_North_Shore)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/9 "2000-07-14T22:50:12Z")
I worked at Blockbuster video right out of high school and met a couple there. Pete Carroll(former coach of the Jets and Patriots)and Play from Kid N Play. I ran into(almost literally) Queen Latifah after she did some charity function at Bryant Park in Manhattan. I graduated high school and was friends with Sara Whalen of the US Women’s Soccer team. My mom WOULD have graduated with Billy Joel, if he had ever graduated high school. They dated a bit, and met up again at the 25th reunion. My brother banged Mariah Carey in high school(Harborfields in Greenlawn LI NY FTR). I think that about covers my family and brushes with fame lol ---
**Author:** ![Sn-man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sn-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sn-man)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/10 "2000-07-14T22:53:48Z")
I was dating a girl who came from a wealthy family, and was invited to a special brunch at the Garden of the Gods country club near Colorado Springs CO. I had the pleasure :(of meeting Pat Robertson at a Sunday Brunch. He was more obnoxious in person than on radio or TV. I not only had to put up with rest of the 700 club, I found out what the definition of a “Rich Bitch” was. Needless to say, if I had it to do over again, I would have done the 4 “F”s with the wench and never met Pat Robertson. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/11 "2000-07-14T22:58:22Z")
I met Tom Brokaw. Even shook hands with him. James Garner, too, way back when _Maverick_ was still on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/12 "2000-07-14T22:58:46Z")
I think ive got everyone beat so far! I met George Carlin on an elevator at the Flamingo Hilton(a lot shorter and thinner in person) in Vegas while there for a convention. Back when I worked for AMEX I spoke with Mark Curry(too cheap to upgrade to platinum) a few times , and his parents don’t live far from me. Before he was famous I went to school and played little league with Antwoine (sp?) from Tony Toney Tone (he stutters, or used too, we called him Triple A, oh and he in a band that played in talent shows when I was in middle school called Time Flight), and I used to live around the corner from MC Hammer (dont remember much about him), when he was a bat boy for the As. And the clincer I dated (three times) Maxine from En Vogue when she was a cosmetology student and I was a senior in HS, and yes I feel silly now for dumping her (I thought she was shallow and goofy) ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/13 "2000-07-14T23:03:19Z")
highjack/ Nanook, can you get me your brothers autograph? I now return you to you regularly scheduled post, already in progress ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/14 "2000-07-14T23:03:24Z")
Eight years ago I spent a week with an old college friend of my Dad’s, a _very_ highly ranked Hollywood studio exec. I wandered a bit around the Paramount lot, and met Patrick Stewart on the set of ST:TNG. He was very friendly, and very short (I also met what’s-her-name, the empath; she was even shorter, and incredibly sexy). Later, at a party, I chatted a bit with Pierce Brosnan (at the time, he was just “That guy who used to be on Remington Steele”). He’s much bigger than he seems, and he was polite, if reserved. Good? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/15 "2000-07-14T23:10:35Z")
Let’s see… Rodney Dangerfield, Mike Tyson, Carrot Top, Adam Ferrara, Teller of Penn and Teller, Loni Anderson, Currently, I work mere blocks from the training facilities of both the Denver Broncos and Colorado Avalanche. Running into any of them is an everyday thing. I know Jan Stenerud, Lou Ferrigno, and Alan Jackson. I have shaken hands with Ronald Reagan, J. Danforth Quayle, Jay Leno, and Norman Schwartzkopf. And, as a footnote, I have personally made fun of Scott O’ Grady, to his face. ---
**Author:** ![jjjfishe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jjjfishe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjjfishe)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/16 "2000-07-14T23:16:29Z")
My dad had lunch the other day at Luby’s and saw Johnnie Cochran sitting at a nearby table. I also went to school at Oklahoma State University… the same place Garth Brooks went to school. I never saw him at school… only in concert… but I did drive by his old house almost every day. There is a huge sign outside that says, “Garth Brooks lived here.” ---
**Author:** ![Raleigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Raleigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raleigh)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/17 "2000-07-14T23:30:04Z")
i’ve met paul newman, the barenaked ladies, brian ritchie (of the violent femmes), and ani difranco’s band (julie wolf, jason mercer and darren hahn). i’ve _seen_ julia roberts a few times and my dad has had drinks with her at the local bar in the town in which i grew up, but i’ve never actually met her. i’ve also met howie day and devon. neither of them are famous just yet, but they both seem to be getting there pretty quickly… ---
**Author:** ![tygre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@tygre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tygre)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/18 "2000-07-14T23:33:14Z")
I met Barry Williams (Greg on The Brady Bunch) several years ago when he was acting in a local theater production. Very polite and well mannered man. Also met Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders awhile back. –tygre ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/19 "2000-07-14T23:43:10Z")
No, I have not. I just know up-and-comers and/or their families. I think these are the same woman: [http://us.imdb.com/Name?Blake,+Kayla](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Blake,+Kayla) [http://us.imdb.com/Name?Sniffen,+Elsie](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Sniffen,+Elsie) Their careers don’t look similar, until you look at this article about Kayla Blake: [http://www.alicemagazine.com/features/2000\_05/kayla\_blake.html](http://www.alicemagazine.com/features/2000_05/kayla_blake.html) Here, it says Kayla played a transvestite on China Beach, and had other roles on One West Waikiki, Nowhere Man, etc. IMDB says Elsie appeared on these programs, not Kayla. If they are the same person, then I know some of her family. We had neighbors named Sniffen, and I remember how proud Mrs. Sniffen was that her husband’s (niece? cousin?) was going to have her TV debut on China Beach-until she saw the episode. Being a strong Christian lady, for days afterwards she was apologizing to everyone whom she had asked to watch it. I thought it was a hoot myself \. Anyway, I wonder why she changed her name. I guess Kayla Blake does sound sexier than Elsie Sniffen, but it still seems kind of sad. There, I have a new brush with fame to replace my tired story about how I went to school in with the girl who plays Alison on Sports Night (granted, I don’t know this Kayla, just some of her family). Wait a minute, Kayla Blake plays Kim on Sports Night! And the girl who plays Alison once bought cigarettes from Sniffen’s store while underage! There’s a whole weird Sports Night-Sniffens-Willamina thing going on here. ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609/20 "2000-07-14T23:46:11Z")
Ooo, ooo… I once received an e-mail from Billy Gould, the bassist for Faith No More. That was pretty cool 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-met-a-celebrity-irl/25609.md?page=2)