Smiles of the Rich and Famous

[Kinsmarck]

A quick story to start:
As an avid fan of manga, anime, and gaming, I make a point to attend Austin, TX's Ikkicon Anime Con each year. This past january, while at a celebrity interview and improv panel, I had the honor of meeting one of the industries' most pleasant individuals, Vic Mignogna, best known for his voice acting as Edward Elric of Full Metal Alchemist , Broly of Dragonball Z , Kurtz Weber of Full Metal Panic! , and others. As seems to be a refreshing trend among workers of these industries, Mr. Mignogna was a genuinely nice guy, a true pleasure to speak with and enjoy the company of. Throughout the panel, and throughout the con proper, during which I bumped into him more than once, it really shone through how much he cares about his fans, how little his ego has overshadowed his opinion of himself. I found myself extremely impressed with him for that, and while I know he'd not even make the cut of the D-list of Hollywood, it still brought a little smile to my face to encounter a celebrity of sorts who still rung true of the common man.

So, Playgrounders, I ask you: What experiences have others hereabouts had in their brushes with fame and fortune that caught them off guard in their pleasantness? I hear George Clooney is actually a very charming, down to earth fellow.

[zeratul]

I have several of these actually

Taylor Hawkins (Drummer For Foo Fighters) ~ I was having breakfast at this hotel in Cambridge Massachusetts with my family and I saw him at a table near us also having breakfast. After several minutes of freaking out and going "Holy **** is that actually Taylor Hawkins?" Me and my dad went up to him, and a friend of his (I believe a member of Taylor Hawkins and The Coattail Riders). We talked a little about metal, and he said that since I'm not 21 I should start working on my fake ID to get into their show. :smalltongue:

Chris Bowes and Dani Evans (Alestorm) ~ I've talked to these guys at both of the concerts I've seen them at. At both concerts Dani and I had pretty long chats about guitars, guitar malfunctions, touring and beer, they're really nice funny guys, if you go to the shows I recommend chatting with them.

Paul Ablaze and all the other members of Blackguard ~ They had just done their opening set for a show with Korpiklaani, Primordial, Moonsorrow, and Swashbuckle (it was one hell of a show) and I went up to the merch booth to tell them how awesome their set was and buy some merch. Paul was actually really surprised that I thought the set was good since apparently he had been having some technical issues with the sound equipment and thought he had sucked, so he seemed pleased to hear otherwise. Later in the gig whilst clapping along to some song (korpiklanni in all likelihood) I accidentally clapped onto their bassists nose, and quickly apologized. >_>

Terji Skibenæs (Tyr) he drunkenly bumped into me (almost falling over) and said high, he was really really drunk.

[ForzaFiori]

Most of my "famous" people are really only locally famous. However, I have worked on the house of most of the athletic coaches at Clemson, and they're much nicer than you'd expect from a head coach. Some of them even offered to insure I got a spot at walk-on tryouts for their team.

[Skeppio]

I met Charles Martinet, voice of the Mario Bros, last year. He was really friendly and stuff. Unfortunately, I was so excited to meet him, I forgot to ask him who his favourite Super Mario character was. :smallsigh:

[Don Julio Anejo]

I danced with Sarah Chalke (aka Elliot from Scrubs) once in a nightclub :wink:

[Xyk]

I danced with Sarah Chalke (aka Elliot from Scrubs) once in a nightclub :wink:

Noice! That's something worth bragging about.

[Haruki-kun]

I met Charles Martinet, voice of the Mario Bros, last year. He was really friendly and stuff. Unfortunately, I was so excited to meet him, I forgot to ask him who his favourite Super Mario character was. :smallsigh:

This. I met him two years ago, too. :smalltongue:

I think that's the closest I've come to meeting anyone famous, though.

[Falgorn]

I met David Akers, pacekicker for the Philiadelphia Eagles. He was pretty nice, and really liked arena football, the place where I met him at.

[Silly Wizard]

Wow, you guys are lucky. The only big-time guy I even -saw- was Tiger Woods. Never talked to him, though.

Other than that, I know some small-time celebrities. I know and went to school with T-Breeze from Troop-41 (a pretty popular rap group around here), as well as a good deal of rappers and R&B singers from Main Event Music, and StarCity Entertainment.

[onthetown]

I met Natalie MacMaster, who is my idol. It was pretty much one of the major defining moments of my life.

Originally, I wasn't going to meet her. We just went to one of her concerts for my birthday. When we were buying a DVD out in the lobby, we got to talking with the product-seller-ladies and they found out I was there from another province for my birthday. They said that they didn't think she was coming out to meet people tonight, but one of them went backstage to find her and tell her that it would mean a lot to me to meet her. I was baffled and stayed quiet because I didn't believe it was happening.

Then she came out and over to me and said, "Are you Kris? Happy birthday, it's great to meet you," and gave me a big hug. We talked for a few minutes and she's pretty much the nicest lady on the face of the earth. It turns out that she played a few sets with my great uncle a few years back, which was great. She gave me another hug and agreed to a picture, then we talked some more and she said she should get going.

This woman was 6 months pregnant, put on an incredible show including her stepdancing and skipping around the stage while she played, and then came out to see me just because it was my birthday.

My friends say that I look happy enough to kill somebody in the picture.

I also met Ashley MacIsaac and a few local fiddlers who are well-known around here. Ashley was great and I took lessons from one of the local 'celebs', and one of the jazz violinists who was nominated for an award or two played my fiddle.

So basically, nothing but fiddlers. This makes me happy.

[skywalker]

I danced with Sarah Chalke (aka Elliot from Scrubs) once in a nightclub :wink:

Da-yum!!

All my people are (or were when I met them) only locally famous. Frequently, I find that if the media has portrayed them as "below-average," they impress me. If they've been portrayed anywhere "above-average," they don't live up. You know what it boils down to? Famous people are just that, people. They have good days and bad ones, and it can often be a really bad day when someone you don't know has shoved a camera in your face unexpectedly. Obviously there are more and less nice people in the world, but really, I think it's mainly a wash.

[Kneenibble]

When I worked in a pub's kitchen a few years back, I met the guy who played Billy on Ally McBeal ****ing hammered and stoned in the back alley talking to the owner when I went to take out the trash. He was very nice actually.

[Kinsmarck]

Okay folks, I don't mean to nag at people, but lets avoid future posts that might be seen as slanderous or potentially defaming of character with regard to our rich-and-maybe-famous run-ins. I may be of the mind that one shouldn't have put themselves in situations that one might regret the consequences of in the first place, but I also don't want to incur the wrath of any mod-hammers. <_<;

So, my fellow Playgrounders, as I asked in the OP, what have your positive , encounters been like when bumping elbows with the highbrows?

[skywalker]

Okay folks, I don't mean to nag at people, but lets avoid future posts that might be seen as slanderous or potentially defaming of character with regard to our rich-and-maybe-famous run-ins. I may be of the mind that one shouldn't have put themselves in situations that one might regret the consequences of in the first place, but I also don't want to incur the wrath of any mod-hammers. <_<;

So, my fellow Playgrounders, as I asked in the OP, what have your positive , encounters been like when bumping elbows with the highbrows?

First of all, you yourself are highly unlikely to see the wrong end of the hammer merely for being in the vicinity of any inappropriate conversations. Heck, they try to warn the people who did something wrong rather than infract them straight away. The worst that could happen to you is that the thread could be locked. This is not something to be worried about. It happens all the time, and it doesn't mean anything bad about you. Strictly speaking, the thread isn't particularly yours once you post it. The actions of another person in a thread you started in no way reflect on you, unless you were trolling to begin with (which you weren't).

So, use some common sense. It's a good idea to respect the moderating staff, but it's just silly to fear them.

Second of all, every experience that's been posted has been positive, to my eyes. *shrug*

[Kneenibble]

What I wrote would be libel, not slander, if it was untrue. :smalltongue:

And it was a positive experience. We talked about the value of the local historic buildings as movie sets.

[RabbitHoleLost]

David Prowst, the "Body" of Darth Vader is the sweetest old man I've ever met.
At Fandays in Plano, Texas, last year my friend didn't have the money to take a picture with him.
He pulled her into a hug and took a picture with her for free anyways.

[Mr.Moron]

David Prowst, the "Body" of Darth Vader is the sweetest old man I've ever met.
At Fandays in Plano, Texas, last year my friend didn't have the money to take a picture with him.
He pulled her into a hug and took a picture with her for free anyways.

Call me cynical but if your friend was over 15 and under 30 I imagine the old man might have been motivated by something other than sweetness.

[Vaynor]

I once met Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips. That was pure, undiluted awesome.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I lived in Nashville for a time, trying to get a music magazine off the ground. Met a number of pretty well known artists and got some interviews.

Brad Arnold, vocalist of 3 Doors Down

Will you be my kryptoniiiite...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v348/21/13/611791795/n611791795_1632064_757.jpg

[Ponderthought]

I quite literally ran into Zack Wylde at Ozzfest. Nicest ( and most ferocious looking) person ive ever met.

I also talked to the lead singer from In This Moment, but she turned out to be a complete bitch.

[Serpentine]

Hokay, lets see...

I've met this guy:
http://www.icmi.com.au/images/ACTIVITY-677.jpg
(Australian Demtel guy of "But wait, there's more!" fame)
I don't remember much about it, and it was only brief, but Goddamn that guy's huge. Tall-huge. Towering.
At the same time, I met an Australian paraolympian, but I can't remember anything about her except that she was in a wheelchair.

This lady is a friend of my dad's:
http://www.mcmanagement.com.au/images/modified/Glenda-Linscott.jpg
She is Glenda Linscott. She has been in several Australian TV shows - including Prisoner and the short-lived crime series Murder Call. I visited her on the set of the latter, and the cast of the show all gave me their autographs. I didn't ask for 'em, Glenda just sorta decided I'd have 'em. I'd talk about how nice they were, but I only met them very briefly, and who's not nice to a 12ish-year-old girl? Oh, and she's been in a few movies, including a dodgy old horror movie, and The Man Who Sued God.

This woman:
http://www3.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Inside+Film+Awards+Awards+1op3QFQJgonl.jpg
from this show, among other things:
http://www.qtrax.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/rockwiz-julia-brian.jpg
has eaten my dad's extra-super-specialawesome spaghetti bolognese at my house, when she was in some plays his theatre group was running. So I've met her, even if I don't remember her.

My father has been in Taming of the Shrew with this person:
http://www.fastkidinc.com/fastkid/images/new_photos/fely.jpg
(I'm pretty sure it's this one - Fely Irvine, new member of Hi-5)

Mel Gibson owned (owns?) property around where I went to high school. His sister's family lived across the road from my mother, and I was friends with his nieces (I've recently reopened communications with them, thanks to Facebook. Not sure yet whether we still have enough in common to be friends, but they were pretty coo' back in the day...). They are all rednuts. I only visited mum during the school holidays, so I was never there when Mr. Gibson was visiting them, but apparently he taught my friend's brother how to spin a gun. They moved away a few years before I moved in with mum :smallfrown:

I've met a former premier of New South Wales. Don't remember which one.

My baby nephew has been kissed by former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, and Tripod.

My boyfriend picked up Lloyd Kaufman from the airport. I think he went a bit fanboyey, unfortunately.

This woman:
http://www.ipoz.biz/Titles/images/LibbyHath.jpg
who wrote this book:
http://goldcreek.act.edu.au/yara/pages/reviews/covers/thunderwith.jpg
signed my copy of this book:
http://goldcreek.act.edu.au/yara/pages/reviews/covers/chrysalis.jpg
She was at some event my dad was taking me to. A colleague of his knew her and dragged me over to meet her. I think I was reading Chrysalis at the time, which is why I had it with me, so this friend of dad's got her to sign it for me.

This woman:
http://www.randomhouse.com.au/authordatabasemedium/Masson,%20Sophie.jpg
who writes things like this:
http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n44/n221741.jpg
comes into my library a lot. She donates a lot of her books.

Umm... Pretty sure there's more, but that's all I can remember now.

edit: Oh yeah! My dad knew one of these guys:
http://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/uploadedImages/Website/Your_Council/Media_Releases/2010/Bananas-in-pajamas.jpg
Can't remember which, I think B2.

Also, he used to date one of these ladies:
http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/Content/Shows/Thumbnails/Food-Lovers%27-Guide-to-Austr.jpg
from Food Lovers' Guide to Australia.

[Moonshadow]

This woman:
http://www3.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Inside+Film+Awards+Awards+1op3QFQJgonl.jpg
from this show, among other things:
http://www.qtrax.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/rockwiz-julia-brian.jpg
has eaten my dad's extra-super-specialawesome spaghetti bolognese at my house, when she was in some plays his theatre group was running. So I've met her, even if I don't remember her.


:eek: OH MY GOD, you've met Julia! My envy levels have just sky rocketed! I love her so so much, heh.

[Asta Kask]

I've discussed neurology and Parkinsson's Disease with this man:

http://www.sahlgrenska.gu.se/digitalAssets/1277/1277268_Arvid-Carlsson220.jpg

Who is the winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology in 2000. His name is Arvid Carlsson and he is as sharp as ever.

[RabbitHoleLost]

Call me cynical but if your friend was over 15 and under 30 I imagine the old man might have been motivated by something other than sweetness.

While Leo is normally hawt, this is what she looked like that day:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/Hito-chan/LeoDarth.jpg
Mmmm, the green paint didn't show up so well on her face that day. She was cosplaying Luminara =P
So, you tell me if your skepticism was correct.

[Emperor Ing]

I met this guy several years ago at an airport

http://www.nndb.com/people/422/000031329/lesko.jpg
(Matthew Lesko)

he maybe like that IRL, but he's still a really cool guy.

[KenderWizard]

My all-time favourite meeting-a-celebrity story is, fortunately, not mine but my uncle's. Fortunate because I would have been very cross with myself if it'd happened to me! Story below for neatness of post:
So, my uncle is in a pub with a group of friends, and he goes to the bar to get a drink. Gets his drink, turns around, and someone bumps into him, and he spills a little bit of his drink. The guy goes "Oh, I'm sorry. Here, let me buy you a drink to replace it." My uncle goes "Nah, don't worry about it, barely spilled any of it." and walks off. He sits back down at the table with the others, who are all staring at him, until one goes "How the *boop* do you know David Bowie?!" And that is how mu uncle failed to talk to David Bowie, or get a drink bought for him by David Bowie. But at least the story shows Bowie is a nice guy!

Personally, one of the nicest people I've ever met is Tracy Hickman, who co-wrote loads of the Dragonlance books. He was nice enough to come to our small, Irish convention last year, and I got to help him run a mini Killer Breakfast (his big GenCon event). He's a really nice guy with a great singing voice, and I've emailed him a couple of times since, and met him again at GenCon this year! He introduced me to his wife, who is so sweet and lovely, and he'd told Margaret Weis about us and our convention.

[Syka]

I got to meet Kal Penn about two years ago when he was visiting college campuses. I knew he'd be on campus, but figured our campus was so big I'd not see him anywhere. I go to eat lunch with some friends and this transpires:

Friend 1: Kal Penn's over there (after I sit down).
Me: What? Where?!?
Friend 2: *points him out*
Me: Watch my stuff! *scrambles to get a notebook and pen*
Friend 2: You aren't going over there, are you?
Me: *runs off*
(I manage to intercept him as he's about to leave the plaza. He gladly stops (despite his handler's death stares) to sign my notebook and ask how I'm doing and tell me I should vote. I'm grinning like no tomorrow as a walk back to my friends.)
Friend 1: You didn't...
Me: I so did.
Friend 1: How?
Me: Worst he could say is no. Not like he'd punch me or something. :smallbiggrin:


Yeah, they were jealous.

I've also met Kelly Slater (in elementary school, my 4th grade teacher had grown up with him so he came to visit our class), and a few other minor celebrities via events I've gone to with Oz. I also talked to Rob Zombie's sound tech. I probably could have met Rob Zombie, except it would have required stranding my friend in the middle of a gigantic crowd at night and potentially not finding him again, lol.

The person I'm HOPING to meet is Alan Tudyk. Transformers 3 is filming in Central Florida and I've got some friends who may be working on the set. I'm hoping beyond hope he'll be in the area and I can figure out a way to meet him because I've been a fan since I was 12. :smallredface: I told Oz if, in the future, he ever works with Tudyk and doesn't figure out some way for me to meet him, I will not be happy.


My sister got to meet Hoobastank. They blessed a notebook for one of her Hell Classes. That was pretty hysterical when she told us.

[Mr.Moron]

While Leo is normally hawt, this is what she looked like that day:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/Hito-chan/LeoDarth.jpg
Mmmm, the green paint didn't show up so well on her face that day. She was cosplaying Luminara =P
So, you tell me if your skepticism was correct.

Well, his hands are both in plain sight so that's a good sign I guess. Still, there was a hug involved which remains somewhat suspect in my mind. I'm going to give it a 60/40 chance in favor of it being dirty-old-man rather than sweet-old-man. It's a very scientific analysis.

[Gullara]

Personally, one of the nicest people I've ever met is Tracy Hickman, who co-wrote loads of the Dragonlance books. He was nice enough to come to our small, Irish convention last year, and I got to help him run a mini Killer Breakfast (his big GenCon event). He's a really nice guy with a great singing voice, and I've emailed him a couple of times since, and met him again at GenCon this year! He introduced me to his wife, who is so sweet and lovely, and he'd told Margaret Weis about us and our convention.

If Tracy Hickman was at a convention near me he'd have quite a stack of books to sign. *counts* 14 to be exact.

[SilverSheriff]

Accidently bumped into Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw, waved to Robert Picardo. Both at GenCon.:smallbiggrin:

[Gullara]

Accidently bumped into Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw, waved to Robert Picardo. Both at GenCon.:smallbiggrin:

How awesome is that. Which reminds me, I haven't watched Zero Punctuation in a while.

[SilverSheriff]

Doooooooooo eeeeeeet.

[Zexion]

Well, my parents have friends at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and when they ran a show on video games and media culture ("Krazy!") my father was able to secure two VIP seats at a talk Will Wright (creator of the Sims and Spore) was giving, and tickets to the VIP lounge after the talk. So, the adults are talking with Will Wright eagerly, asking him questions about his business models, and I go up to him and ask him what the Genesis Device does in the game. So he says goodbye to the adults, walks over to a couch with me, sits down, and starts telling me all about Spore and the planetary tools, and how they represent real-life systems, etc, for about half an hour. It was the most incredibly awesome awesomenest thing ever. :smallbiggrin:

[skywalker]

My ex-girlfriend's dad met Al Gore once. Heard his voice in an art museum and was able to recognize who it was. I think he said he was in Vienna. Anyway, apparently he and Al had a rather involved conversation about some issue they hold very similar views on at length. I was impressed...

[Snares]

Went to Buckingham Palace on a poetry trip once, where I had a short conversation with the Queen about poetry and paintings. She's very skilled at talking her way through a crowd - she has had an awful lot of practice at it though.

Had my picture taken with Frank Lampard way back when he was still a young player at West Ham.

I saw Steve Choi from RX Bandits (one of my favourite bands) once before a show, and gave him a little wave.

Met several authors - Monica Ali, Derek Landy, Tracy Borman, Alison Weir, Julia Jarman and Linda Newbery. All were very nice, especially Derek Landy, who's hilarious. :smallcool:

Saw Tracy Emin in the market in Spitalfields.

I think that's about it.

[skywalker]

Went to Buckingham Palace on a poetry trip once, where I had a short conversation with the Queen about poetry and paintings. She's very skilled at talking her way through a crowd - she has had an awful lot of practice at it though.

Thread winnar.

[Mauve Shirt]

I spoke to J. K. Rowling at a book signing several thousand years ago.

[CrimsonAngel]

I want to meet Felicia Day and Jim Parsons.

One was born near were I live and is in my favorite show, and the other is just awesome.