Which famous people have you met?

Cafe Society
41

OSU Football great Archie Griffin, when I won a Reading is Fundamental poster competition and he visited my elementary school.

Historian David McCullough, who graduated from my Pittsburgh-area prep school long before I did (I mentioned the school both times I’ve met him at book signings, several years apart, and he just lit up both times).

Civil War historian Ed Bearss, several times. He’s 93 now and slowing down a bit.

U.S. Secret Service Agent Paul Landis, who was in Dallas that fateful day: Meeting one of JFK's Secret Service agents - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board

Warren Commission staff lawyer Burt Griffin, who focused on Jack Ruby in the investigation.

Bill Clinton twice, both before and after he was President. I most noticed the bags under his eyes.

Mike Dukakis (I joined his campaign staff early on, when he was still personally interviewing everyone), Dick Gephardt (redder hair than I expected), Al Gore (very blocky shoulders), Jesse Jackson (a very tall guy) and Paul Simon (we complimented each other on our bow ties) during the 1988 campaign.

2001: A Space Odyssey actor Keir Dullea: I met Keir Dullea tonight! - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board

The Grand Budapest Hotel (and many other films) actor Willem Dafoe: In which I meet Willem Dafoe - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board

Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was my college’s commencement speaker.

Ohio governors Dick Celeste and Ted Strickland, and attorney general Lee Fisher.

U.S. representatives from Ohio Marcy Kaptur, Doug Applegate, Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Marcia Fudge, and U.S. senator Sherrod Brown.

Howard Dean when he was Lt. Gov. of Vermont and still a practicing physician.

John Kerry during the 2004 campaign.

U.S. Supreme Court justices Antonin Scalia (he had dinner with several students at my law school including me, and was charming), Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg (at a meet-and-greet for lawyers newly admitted to the court).

And a highlight for me, President Obama and the First Lady: In which I meet the President and smooch the First Lady - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board

42

Penn and Teller (Teller speaks!)
Bridget Fonda
Michael Chiklis
Was on a flight with Laura Bush once, she was surrounded by secret service. I waved and took her picture, she smiled and waved back. So I count it.
Ellen Degeneres before she was real famous, it was when she still did stand-up and was on some forgotten sit-com as the sassy secretary.

43

Let’s see…

Robert Kennedy
Marcel Marceau
Vincent Price
Roddy MacDowell
Nichelle Nicole
Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry, Jr.
Walter Koenig
John de Lancey
Stan Lee
Tim Powers
Peter S. Beagle
Lois McMaster Bujold
Jack L. Chalker
E. Gary Gygax
Peter Max
Kevin Bacon

44

Not thought about it for years but I used to meet Susan Hampshire’s husband (never met her or even knew they were married for years!) every so often when he was in Edinburgh on business. Was a bit weird chatting to him and seeing his big black chauffeur-driven limo waiting outside!
Actually, I just looked him up on Wiki and discovered that he’s now suffering from dementia. Must figure out how to contact them (details I have are 15 years old, at least) and write a letter to him remembering his visits to Edinburgh. Might be of some use. :frowning:

Chatted to Anne McCaffrey a few times over the years and had lunch at a posh restaurant with her and her publisher’s local rep one time she was visiting Edinburgh. He paid. :slight_smile:
Same for Terry Pratchett, except the restaurant wasn’t so posh and there were a couple more people. That time was back in the early 90s but I met him several times from the late 80s onwards.

45

Define “famous”. Celebrities? None. But I did have the honor to meet, and briefly work with, Dr. Gantt before he died.

So in certain circles, I’d say he’s famous.

46

President James A. Garfield (smelled like gangrene and kept talking about his dog)

18th century Castrato Antonio Bernacchi- wanted 2 scudo for an autograph, which I refused to pay

The Wright Brothers- totally gay, both of them, you could tell- I’m glad they didn’t build dirigibles because they were flaming

Willie Tyler & Lester- met them at Lawrence Welk’s Illuminati mixer; Lester knows a hell of a lot more than he’s telling about the death of Nelson Rockefeller

47

Dave Brubeck and I had a nice chat.
Charlie Byrd
Jane Monheit
Bill Clinton (a handshake, really)
Hillary Clinton
George Shultz (Reagan’s SecState)
Miscellaneous other politicians, mostly from Alaska

48

Cliff Robertson - I thought he was rather full of himself, altho, to be fair, it was at the end of a long day for him and a lot of the other people around seemed to want to monopolize him. I do have a photo somewhere of him with my friend Val and me.

49

Quite a few (grew up/worked in resort town), but two of note:

Had an actual conversation with Terry Gilliam. Hung out with Willie Nelson, talked and had a beer.

I bet I’m the only one with Larry Gelbert on the list. :smiley:

50

Oooh, I forgot to mention him! I met him at GenCon, the final year that it was held in Milwaukee.

51

Paula Poundstone
Christopher Titus
Jimmy Pardo
Drew Hastings
Kristi Lee
Costaki Economopoulos
Greg Hahn
A few other comedians that I can’t remember.

52

I’m in awe. That’s like saying you kicked Chuck Norris’ butt in a karate match.

53

I was at what I believe was the last concert Johnny Copeland performed in New Brunswick NJ. A very young unknown Shemekia Copeland opened. He became too weak to continue singing and she stepped in mid song with tears in her eyes. I wish that was taped it was a very special moment. I met both afterwards.

Not very difficult. The meet everyone after their show. Penn was in the lobby during intermission when I saw them. Teller couldn’t be since he died right before intermission.

Lets see who I have met at least long enough to have a brief interaction with.

Buzz Aldrin
Steve Schirripa
Chris “Jesus” Ferguson
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Paul Prudhomme
Michael Symon
Joe Haldeman
Sen Cory Booker
Gov Jon Corzine
Gen Davis Petraeus
Gen Ray Odierno
Several NBA, NFL and MLB players that come from my hometown. One quite famous. I just don’t want to mention the town.

54

I met Woody Harrelson and Steve Guttenburg at a bar in DC. Woody asked me if I wanted to smoke a joint. It turns out they were with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, who I talked to briefly, along with Woody and Guttenburg at some point. It was after Clinton’s inauguration and Woody did a toast to all in the house with free shots while standing on the bar.

Sorta cool trifecta.

55

So you’re within seven degrees of everybody! :smiley:

56

I’ve met three authors:

Terry Brooks at a book signing. Very nice person.

Sharyn McCrumb three times when she stayed at the hotel I worked at. Also a very nice person.

Michelle Cliff when she gave a talk at my college. Kind of snooty.

57

I spent a day with Charles Schulz at his studio and had lunch with him at his ice skating rink cafe.

Met and shook the hand of President Obama just weeks after he won his reelection in 2012.

58

Famous people I’ve had conversations with:

  • Rambling Jack Elliott
  • Al Shugart
  • Grant Baze, a World Champion Bridge player (he called me “a pretty good player”)
  • Jang Bahadur Rana, the 2nd richest man in Nepal (I gave him a business proposal)
  • a guest on Joan Rivers’ ‘How’d You Get So Rich?’ (I won’t name him — it might lead indirectly to my own secret identity)
  • some luminaries in the field of machine pattern recognition
  • “Tiger” Din (he was a famous bandit chief decades ago where I live, but with no Google hits will soon pass into oblivion)
59

I felt inadequate until I read your post. I shook hands with former Laugh-In cast member Jo Anne Worley at a Pennsylvania shopping mall sometime in the 70s. Football player Tony Dorsett once said “Hi” to me when I was working at the campus where the Pitt Panthers trained.

60

Have had (short) conversations with

Tony Randall
Beau Bridges
Kristian Nairn (Hodor on Game of Thrones)
Wesley Eure (if he still counts- starred on Land of the Lost and some other shows in the '70s and '80s)

All of the above were exceptionally nice.

I’ve “met” lots more but a very “wham bam” and no memorable stories.

Though I owe favors to Maya Angelou and Baroness Jane Goodall, but that’s another story. (The baroness gave me a bouquet, but they were confiscated.)