I had a chance to be a movie extra when I was in the Navy back in the mid 80’s. Two of the movies I was in were Top Gun and Hunt for Red October. As such, I had a chance to talk to the people involved during down time. This included Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards, Meg Ryan, Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, James Earl Jones, etc. I enjoyed the interaction very much and it makes for a good conversation starter. Under the airport scenario, I would not approach them. Like others have said, they have heard it all before…and I have no emotional use for an autograph.
I’ve just given them a knowing nod and a smile but haven’t ever tried to initiate a conversation. Besides, it’s a well known fact that celebrities don’t bathe.
Lessee…I spot Anna Kournikova in an airport.
Yeah, I’d leave her alone.
Then I’d go to the restroom, and chop off my penis.
If it were Billy Joel, and IF he seemed approachable, I’d thank him for reading my letter and playing my favorite (somewhat rare) song in concert. (I did not ask him to play it, just thanked him for writing it and told him how it inspired me; he said on stage that he was playing the song because of a letter.)
Anybody else I’d leave alone. (Still a good story – “I saw Tom Hanks at the airport!”)
Leave them alone.
Why is there no option #3 “Run up and start madly dry-humping his/her leg until you are removed by security?”
Some years back in Spain (Benalmadena) there was an American warship off the coast and Burt Reynolds was on it. Anyway one night he walks into this bar, Pepes, and buys everyone a drink and walks about talking to people as if he had known them all his life, hands out autographs and stays for about an hour or so, I still have the glass he handed to me…childish I know but…
Thanks! I knew I needed an option 3. Mouthbreather, buddy? You there? 
Q
I’d leave them alone.
I was in a number of plays in high school and achieved a minor celebrity status because of it. For years (even sometimes now, 10 years later), I get approached by people I’ve never met who recognize me as “hey, you’re that guy from Austin High”. It makes me uncomfortable enough as it is, and I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be to have to deal with it full-time.
My mother saw Willie Nelson at the Honolulu Airport. No one was bothering him. She smiled at him and he smiled back. I thought that was pretty classy.
My mother also saw Johnny Cash at a mall. She was running in to get something at the store and she noticed a Man In Black sitting outside watching people walk by. She did a full on double-take when she saw him (Mom loves Cash); he caught her eye, smiled, and winked. To me, that’s awesome.
The only celebrity–and I use the term very loosely in this situation–I’ve seen at an airport was Ruthie from the Real World Hawaii. It was about 6:30 am and I wasn’t about to bug anyone at that time. Not that I would have said anything to her anyway, although she’s one of my favorite cast members of all time.
This is the most hilarious, subtle bit of dead-pan humor I’ve seen in ages! Making them high school plays is what really made this side-splitting. Kudos!
My wife once stood behind a rather large fellow at the TARGET pharmacy. When he turned around it was Alec Baldwin…he was polite and simply smiled and took his meds.
Ran into Dolph Lundgren at DFW. We were both waiting for a flight to San Antonio. I was carrying a pretty hefty video camera and I could see that he was wondering what I was up to. I decided to talk to him and asked him if he had a film shooting in San Antonio. He was more than happy to talk about the project he was working on and was curious about mine.
I wouldn’t normally just approach a celebrity though.
Definitely stay away from Tommy Lee Jones!
The only celebrity who ever started a conversation with me was James Garner, right after he narrowly missed running over my foot with a golf cart at the Indy 500. He said, “Oh geez, I am so sorry! Are you OK?”
I replied, “Yes, thanks. You’re James Garner, aren’t you?”
Well, that’s what I THOUGHT I said. My friends later told me it sounded more like, “Uhhhuhuhuh…uh-huh…ROCKFORD!”
In line? Let’s hope they were pills and not a suppository.
If it were someone I didn’t have a strong opinion about I’d treat them like anyone else – smile, nod, perhaps say hello if the situation warrants.
If it were someone I respected I’d speak to them briefly and politely (e.g. “I really enjoy your work”) and move along unless they prolong the conversation. I wouldn’t interrupt someone’s meal or ongoing conversation to do this.
About 20 years ago, Hubby was in a bookstore in Santa Barbara. He noticed this very tall, older woman who looked very familiar. He kept perusing the books and looking up at her for several minutes when it finally sunk in who she was. Nope couldn’t be… He just went back to looking at the books. As she walked by him, Julia Child tells him “I am who you think I am,” and leaves.
I just think that’s so cool.
I once stood behind Richard Gere in a pet sto…
Dammit lieu! Why do you do this to me???
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So do I, and that brings up the subject of the Steve Martin “business card” which he is purported to have given to people who look like they may be approaching to ask him for an autograph. Apparently he hands them this card which states they have had an encounter with him and have found him to be a pleasant fellow. Anyone ever got one of these, and what do you think of that idea?
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It would depend on who it was. If it were say, Ewan McGregor or Mark Hamill, no way in HELL could I just walk away. I would HAVE to at least say hi.
Especially with Mark Hamill, who tends to be EXTREMELY nice about these kinds of things.