# The most famous person you would walk straight past in the street? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2010, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110 "2010-10-14T09:52:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/21 "2010-10-14T14:25:50Z")
walked right by paul newman one afternoon at the indy 500 time trials a decade or two ago. didn’t even realize it until my girlfriend pointed him out to me. i’m 5’10’’ in bare feet. he was a rather short man! i always thought he was tall. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/22 "2010-10-14T14:31:44Z")
Most folks could probably walk right by most justices of the Supreme Court of the United States (or the Chief Justice of the United States) without noticing. I believe they rather enjoy that. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/23 "2010-10-14T14:39:10Z")
> [@mittu](#): > > ETA: Anecdotes of meeting celebrities but not realising are also welcome 🙂 Sometime around '74-'75 I was told a story about a Swedish woman (it was her father who told me) and her Welsh husband who had been out dancing in London. Suddenly she sees someone who looks familiar on the dance floor and says to her husband “That bloke looks very Swedish, he must be a tourist from home or something”. When they got close to the man the husband said something (don’t remember if it was in Swedish or English) and they exchanged a couple of words before the man invited them to his table to have a chat. As they were sitting there having fun the wife suddenly realised who the man was, but she didn’t say anything until they came back to their own table. “Do you know who that man was?” “No idea. Some Swedish tourist.” “Nope, it was the king of Sweden.” The husband didn’t believe her, so he went back and asked the man if he really was the king of Sweden. “Yeas, I am.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/24 "2010-10-14T15:11:19Z")
When the Memphis Redbirds opened their stadium in downtown Memphis–only a few hundred meters from my apartment–I met and had a brief conversation with Mark McGuiree. I didn’t know who he was until someone pointed it out later. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/25 "2010-10-14T15:22:39Z")
Speaking of short, I recently met Richard Dreyfuss. (Oh Ellen, you namedropper!) Anyway, I knew he was short … but geez! I was wearing about 3-inch heels and I’m already 5-9, so I’m TOWERING over him. What does he do but bow when he shakes my hand? So there I stand looking at the top of his head. He was really nice, though! To answer the OP — NPR radio people. I’ve listened to this bunch for years and years and have no idea what any of them look like. Well, I guess I know Cokie Roberts since she’s been on TV, but otherwise, no clue. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/26 "2010-10-14T15:50:50Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > The husband didn’t believe her, so he went back and asked the man if he really was the king of Sweden. > > “Yeas, I am.” 😃 Of course, it’s worth pointing out that this is the _only_ acceptable answer to that question. If you’re the King of Sweden, great, you can answer truthfully. If not - well, who can pass up a straight line like that in good conscience? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/27 "2010-10-14T16:02:42Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Most folks could probably walk right by most justices of the Supreme Court of the United States (or the **Chief Justice of the United States** ) without noticing. I believe they rather enjoy that. Kudos for getting the title exactly right! Jay-Z was the highest-ranked celeb on **GuanoLad** ’s linked list that I wouldn’t know from Adam. I’d walk past most sports hotshots without a second glance; I’d know a lot of entertainers and most politicos, I think. ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/28 "2010-10-14T16:48:10Z")
Even though I follow sports a good deal, it would probably be an athlete of some sort. Without the context of the uniform, it’s hard for your brain to register who you’re seeing. (Even more so for NFL players, who are often obscured by facemasks.) Even though baseball players have their entire face exposed for the entire game, the fact that they don’t need to be particularly tall or muscular to succeed means it’s easier for them to not stick out on the street. I mean, put Roy Halladay in a t-shirt and jeans and he’s just another non-descript white dude. So aside from a few physical freaks like Randy Johnson or David Ortiz, I think I’d notice very few MLB players in their street clothes. **ETA:** The first person on the Forbes list I wouldn’t recognize would probably be Tyler Perry – I know who he is, and I’ve seen pictures, but they’ve only left the vaguest impression. After that, it’s Michael Bay, which is good for him because he pissed all over my favorite toy franchise as a child, so I’d probably want to return the favor. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/29 "2010-10-14T20:38:32Z")
I don’t take much note of faces. I think I could walk past Harrison Ford without noticing him. My wife on the other hand recognizes everyone. She has recognition powers that are near super hero ability. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/30 "2010-10-14T22:24:17Z")
In grad school, our building was taken over for filming of “Mona Lisa Smile”. Five of my coworkers and I got in an elevator with two women- of the six of us, only four recognized Julia Stiles (who was an undergrad at the school, as well) and only two of us recognized Julia Roberts. We knew they were working in the building and they were dressed for filming, but the camera really does make them look hugely different so IMHO it isn’t just a “perception” thing. In my admittedly-limited (20-30 closeups) experience (Julia Roberts being the extreme case), actors are smaller with disproportionately large facial features. They are not “attractive” in the way you’d think from a movie as their makeup is designed for the lighting etc. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/31 "2010-10-15T00:31:55Z")
The entire New York Giants football team. Yankee Stadium last year. The team was a guest of the Yankees and they were sitting at tables in the dining area( I had Legends tickets). I am not a football fan at all. Helmets on or off, I had no clue. I skipped the autograph session. ---
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/32 "2010-10-15T00:50:15Z")
Kiefer Sutherland, at Union Station in Los Angeles as a friend and I were in a rush to get the Metrolink. We found our entrance and turned…right by him as he was filming a scene for “24.” I think he even turned to see who we were as did I. it was my friend who pointed out what happened and who he was. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/33 "2010-10-15T01:28:31Z")
Guy ahead of Kevbo at a local business: “Put that on my account” Cashier:“The name?” Kevbo:\ GAoK:“Al Unser” Cashier:“How do you spell that?” ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/34 "2010-10-15T03:26:39Z")
I literally ran into Mario Lemeux when he was living outside Pittsburgh. I was walking thru a Giant Eagle, trying to find something in the ice cream freezer and _WHAM!_ After I got done apologizing, I said “Holy crap, you’re Mario Lemeux…and damn boy, you’re TALL!” We both got giggles out of that and yes, he found the ice cream I was looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/35 "2010-10-15T03:27:03Z")
The story goes that Will Rogers bet a friend that he could get the notoriously dour Calvin Coolidge to smile. He was introduced to the President at a White House reception, then cocked his hand to his ear and said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch the name…?” And won his bet. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/36 "2010-10-15T04:47:31Z")
The highest ranking name on that celebrity list that I wouldn’t recognize in person is Floyd Mayweather, who I know is a boxer, but don’t know at all. Roger Federer I might not recognize unless I had a chance to stare a little, or he was in tennis whites. > [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Most folks could probably walk right by most justices of the Supreme Court of the United States (or the Chief Justice of the United States) without noticing. I believe they rather enjoy that. I would identify all of them on sight and would ask two of them for autographs, which is tacky as hell but Ruth Bader Ginsburg is one of my very few idols on this earth and I wish she were my awesome, groundbreaking, earthshatteringly brilliant bubbe. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/37 "2010-10-15T04:57:08Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > But that may have nothing to do with his looks, and more with your/most people’s perceptions. People tend to think those people they admire are tall: my coworkers with the Shakira-blindness kept saying “wow, I didn’t know she was so short” for over half an hour. It’s not like her height is a secret. I was somewhat shocked to find out that Tom Cruise is only 5’7". **I’m** 5’7"! I always got the impression that he was taller. And Dog the Bounty Hunter? He’s 5’7" too. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/38 "2010-10-15T05:04:02Z")
Name any celebrity. I will not recognize them. I do not follow people just because they are celebrities; and I will probably not recognize people whose names I know because of their work. Doesn’t mean my friends won’t recognize people. Once I was visiting a friend at his girlfriend’s luxury condo in Toronto, and we rode the elevator to go swimming. I had ny contact lenses out and my glasses off because we were about to swim, so all was a blur. A man got on the elevator and rode it to the lobby. After he got out, my friend said, “Do you know who that was?” I said, “How would I know who that was? I can’t see anything!” My friend said, “That was Ben Wicks!” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/39 "2010-10-15T06:24:44Z")
I feel the OP nailed it. Neil Armstrong - one of the most famous men in history whose name will almost certainly be remembered a thousand years from now. And I couldn’t pick him out of a line-up. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110/40 "2010-10-15T13:43:09Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > > [@Nava](#): > > > > But that may have nothing to do with his looks, and more with your/most people’s perceptions. People tend to think those people they admire are tall: my coworkers with the Shakira-blindness kept saying “wow, I didn’t know she was so short” for over half an hour. It’s not like her height is a secret. > > I was somewhat shocked to find out that Tom Cruise is only 5’7". **I’m** 5’7"! I always got the impression that he was taller. > > And Dog the Bounty Hunter? He’s 5’7" too. Wow! Where have you been? Tom Cruise is well known for being short as well as crazy, look on any gossip site and see him parading around trying to look ‘normal’ and/or macho, in high heels and lifts. (And there is certainly nothing wrong with being 5’7"!) There aren’t that many actors 6 ft. tall or over. (like it matters!) I was told by a wrestling fan that there are a lot of professional wrestlers who look enormous on TV but IRL are much, much smaller and shorter than you would ever imagine. Can’t remember any particular names, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-famous-person-you-would-walk-straight-past-in-the-street/557110.md?page=3)