# Who's the most famous person you've seen in real life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 2, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340 "2018-10-02T22:17:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/21 "2018-10-02T23:31:26Z")
Some previous threads: [Famous people you’ve seen in person (2009)](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=511930) [Brushes with Fame-Celebrity Encounters (2012)](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=653912) [Which famous people have you met? (2016)](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=797631) A couple I’ve met: **Barry Goldwater**. This was around 1988 or so. He paid a visit to a lab I was working in. He was in a wheelchair, and some guy was pushing him. The only people in the lab were me, my boss, Barry, and the dude that was pushing him. Political commentator **[Mike Gallagher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Gallagher_(political_commentator))**. Met him numerous times when I was 13 or 14. Strange story. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/22 "2018-10-02T23:31:41Z")
Michael Jordan, maybe? Many times? He even stepped on me during a game. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/23 "2018-10-02T23:40:19Z")
I worked at the skywalker ranch so…just one story. Once I went down to make some coffee and when I got back to my desk I mentioned to a coworker that someone was dressed as the Dalai Lama and he responded “That is the Dalai Lama downstairs” As no one was ever in costumes there, as they were just working I still can’t figure out why I assume that he was. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/24 "2018-10-02T23:40:31Z")
Up close and addressed directly? Bill _and_ Hillary Clinton; Mitt Romney, Pudge Rodriguez; a score of Members of Congress; Penn Jillette and, in an entirely separate and independent circumstance almost 20 years _earlier_, Teller; Jim Lovell; Eugene Robinson; Ed Rendell and a squad of other former Govs. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/25 "2018-10-02T23:42:34Z")
The best I can do is Rudy Giuliani and Chuck Schumer. They both spoke at a college graduation that I attended. I didn’t realize they were on the bill until after I arrived. I’m not averse to seeing or meeting famous people, but I do usually avoid the sort of crowded and/or glitzy venues where they are most likely to be spotted. I lived in New Hampshire for two presidential election cycles. If I’d wanted to, I could have met and shook hands with just about everybody running for president in the run-up to the primaries. Several of my relatives do that. But it’s not my sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/26 "2018-10-02T23:47:10Z")
I was within about 8 feet of Bertrand Russell at a nuclear disarmament rally in London in 1961, but didn’t actually meet him. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/27 "2018-10-02T23:48:56Z")
Billie Joe Armstrong, of Green Day, when he was seven years old. SF writer David Brin came to talk to my creative writing class because he was friends with the teacher. I also went to a Christmas party at the teacher’s house, and SF writer Harry Turtledove was one of the guests. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/28 "2018-10-02T23:49:55Z")
Met Barack Obama, first when he was running for Senate in '04, then again met him in '08 during his prez run. Both times were union rallies in Chicago that I was working on. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/29 "2018-10-02T23:53:46Z")
In my job I’m around famous people frequently. Recently worked with a certain 7-foot tall athlete. I’d never met anyone that big before, and it’s pretty startling at first. Very nice man, and I was struck by the realization that he must have a pretty challenging life. Other celebrities can, to some extent, hide under a ball cap and baggy clothes if they want to. But there is no hiding when you are that big, and an instantly recognizable face to boot. It has to be tiresome. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/30 "2018-10-02T23:57:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I was at a party once with Stephen Hawking. That’s probably about the best I can do. Runner-up would be Tommy Makem, but although he’s extremely well-known among fans of Irish folk music, probably most outside of that fandom have never heard of him. > > I expect, though, that for a very large number of people, the answer is going to be a President of the United States (current or former). I’ve responded to similar threads in the past with people like Stephen King, Leeza Gibbons, some musicians and athletes; but this reminded me that I once held the elevator door open for Steven Weinberg. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/31 "2018-10-03T01:09:22Z")
I’ve never seen any celebrity that was not either at their own event nor trying to be seen. The ones that were trying to be seen were people I didn’t know and I only knew they were a celebrity because other people recognized them. I _did_ play a board game with Dave Arneson, co-creator of d+d, without realizing it, but the fact that I had to mention that he was the co-creator of d+d along with Gary Gygax sort of removes the name recognition to it. Then again, I’ve been at lots of concerts at The Social in Orlando where you can usually get within 10 and often 5 feet of the band. So just by bands that would be recognized mainstream, by that criteria I’ve seen The Church, Dashboard Confessional, New Found Glory, and Fountains of Wayne up close. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/32 "2018-10-03T01:34:07Z")
Patrick Stewart Ray Bradbury ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/33 "2018-10-03T01:52:14Z")
Was within 10 feet of Pele once while he was signing autographs (didn’t have pen or paper with me, alas). ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/34 "2018-10-03T01:55:54Z")
I met and got cards signed from several of the better-known players from the ‘72 Summit Series - including Tretiak. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/35 "2018-10-03T02:13:44Z")
Also, how could I forget? I saw Kate Bush at a fan event in London back around 1990 or so. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/36 "2018-10-03T02:24:29Z")
The Queen when she was doing a walkabout outside the Saskatchewan Legislature. Not close enough to say hi. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/37 "2018-10-03T02:24:39Z")
I volunteered on the county Fair commission and was able to meet several up and coming country singers. Joe Diffee, Hayes Carll, Alabama Shakes, several more aren’t coming to me right now. I am not much of a country fan. I know it cause that’s about all they play around here. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/38 "2018-10-03T02:26:23Z")
Toss-up between Francois Mitterrand (at the Paris Heliport) and Margaret Thatcher (spotted in a limo during a G7 summit held in Paris). ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/39 "2018-10-03T02:29:00Z")
I guess Lorde would be the most famous non-classical musician I’ve seen in concert. I guess I’m not very familiar with a lot of celebrities. I did used to work with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who now conducts the Metropolitan Opera in New York, but I don’t know how many people in general would know who he is. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340/40 "2018-10-03T02:50:23Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen in a production of Pinter’s _No Man’s Land_. Front row center seats. That the Broadway version? I saw them, too, though from the balcony. I was in the 4th row to see Tony Shalhoub, Anthony La Paglia, Brooke Adams, and Justin Bartha in _Lend Me a Tenor_. The science fiction writers I know or have seen are a long list. The better known ones include Samuel R. Delany,\* Gene Wolfe, George R. R. Martin,\* Terry Pratchett,\* Neil Gaiman,\* Harlan Ellison,\* Isaac Asimov, Anne McCaffrey, David Drake,\* Steven Erickson,\* Moebius, Gardner Dozois\*, Larry Niven, David Weber\*, Ramsey Campbell\*, Hal Clement,\* Michael O’Hare (Babylon 5), Hal Clement\*, Octavia Butler, Tim Powers, Joe Haldeman,\* and many others (asterisks are those I’ve actually talked with). Non-SF include live stage performances by John Astin, Charlotte Rae, Bette Midler (_Fiddler on the Roof_), Valerie Harper, Gilda Radner, Sam Waterston, Mary Frann, Peter Bonerz, Melinda Dillon, Linda Lavin, Jo Ann Worley, Petula Clark, Georgia Engel, Richard Thomas, Pamela Reed, Christopher Lloyd, William Daniels, and Jack Cassidy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-youve-seen-in-real-life/822340.md?page=3)