Who's the most famous person you ever met?

Lantern Jack · Dec 3, 2005

Mine was Majel Barret Roddenberry, the lady who spent some 40 years of her life doinking Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek. She holds the distinction of having been on every single incarnation of Trek, appearing as the computer voice, as well as an actor. She also has producer credits. I met her at a Trekkie convention in Nashville in '97, which I dragged my working class and singularly oppressive father to. It was supposed to be Marina Sirtus signing autographs, but she couldn't make it (which is good, as a friend of mine who books Trek and Star Wars thespians for conventions says she's a total prig; she drove her around town in a limo for a week and Marina hardly said a word to her), so we got Majel, instead, which was a far better treat, as she's uncannily exactly like her character, Lwaxana Troi of Betazed, (Daughter of the 5th House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx), an airy, dismissive, frou-frou matriarch. We all got to ask her questions in a Q&A and I asked her what kind of fish Captain Picard has in his ready room. Actually, someone else asked me, as she couldn't seem to hear me. 15 different people had to shout it out to her before she could process it, my face growing more crimson by the moment. They're lion fish, she explained, when she finally got it. Then she launched into this long-winded account of how she loves animals, excepting the winged rat who recently poo-pooed on her new sheep wool sweater. When it came time to signing autographs, it took her forever for her to apply her Jane Hancock to my book, seeing how she simply couldn't spell my last name---Le Suer, like the peas or the oil. Capital "S," a space between the "Le" and the "Suer." It means "To sweat." Ironic, considering one of my relatives was a servant for the king of France and I hail from a long line of factory workers. Anyhoo, she seemed so dizzy and ditzy and helium-headed, like Gsa-Gsa Gabor on ether, her daffiness was positively contagious, and, even now, I can't cast my mind back to memories of that day without grinning like the Cheshire cat who swallowed the canary.

I also have friends who, apiece, each had an hour-long, bar room conversation with...Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood and Kevin Spacey.

Who's luckier?

elisadasilva · Dec 3, 2005

I spent about 6 months hanging out backstage with Metallica, and others.

aruna · Dec 3, 2005

Mine is Muhammed Ali.

It was 1970, I was 19, and I was walking down a street in Lima, Peru, minding my own business, when I saw a crowd of small people, and a giant in the middle of them, standing in the entrance to a big hotel. I stopped to see what was going on, and recognised the giant as Muhammed Ali. The small people were Peruvuans trying to get autographs. I stopped to watch, and he looked up, met my eyes, and said, "Hi sister, do you speak Spanish?"
we got to chatting and he invited me up to his room; said he was bored.
So I went up to his suite on the top floor (I was really up for adventures in those days!)
The room was full of people: his manager, his agent, a couple of Peruvians he had picked up, just like me. Everything very hectic. he invited us all for lunch, and then he invited us all to go and visit the Gold Museum with him. I got to ride in his car. We had to make a secret getaway through the hotel basement. The Gold Museum is owned by one man, a fabulously rich Peruvian,. Afterwards we went into his mansion next door, which had one room filled with stuffed animals: bears, giraffes, elephants, every wild animal under the sun. Muhammed Ali was very sullen and almost rude to the hosts. Then he sat down on a chair, pulled me on to his lap, and told me how he hated this room becuase of all the dead animals. He said, "That's what white people do, they kill for the fun of it."
Then we went back to the hotel and everybody went away and he asked me to stay, he wanted me to go to bed with him and I refused. He pretended to be very offended and told me I would regret it to my dying day; it was a great honour I was passing up. The whole time, except for that scene at the museum, he was hysterically funny. I never laughed so much in my life!
There was coming and going all the time. At one point he invited a whole bunch of US sailors up to the room, whose ship just happened to be docking in the harbour. Another time, he sent $100 down to a poor lady who had called up to say she had a sick daughter and couldn't afford the medicine.
He was a delightful man, so funny and warm. I truly never forgot him.
At he end of the day he had a fight with the Peruvian champion, and he was wonderful to watch. After the fight he put me in a taxi and sent me home. His agent had arranged for a beautiful Peruvian lady to spend the night with him.

PrettySpecialGal · Dec 3, 2005

I sat behind the Ramones and with their manager on the way to Germany in 1991.
Long flight, that was.

Lantern Jack · Dec 3, 2005

aruna said:
Mine is Muhammed Ali.

It was 1973, I was 19, and I was walking down a street in Lima, Peru, minding my own business, when I saw a crowd of small people, and a giant in the middle of them, standing in the entrance to a big hotel. I stopped to see what was going on, and recognised the giant as Muhammed Ali. The small people were Peruvuans trying to get autographs. I stopped to watch, and he looked up, met my eyes, and said, "Hi sister, do you speak Spanish?"
we got to chatting and he invited me up to his room; said he was bored.
So I wen up to his suite on the top floor (I was really up for adventures in those days!)
The room was full of people: his manager, his agent, a couoke of Peruvians he had picked up, just like me. Everything very hectic. he invited us all for lunch, an dthen he invited us all to go and visit the Gold Museum with him. I got to ride in his car. We had tomake a secret getaway through the hotel basement. The Gold Museum is owned by one man, a fabulously rich peruvian,. Afterwards we went into his mansion next door, which had one room filled with stuffed animals: bears, giraffes, elephants, every wild animal under the sun. Muhammed Ali was very sullen and almost rude to the hosts. Then he sat down on a chair, pulled me on to his lap, and told mne how he hated this room becuase of all the dead animals,. he said, "That's what white people do, they kill for the fun of it."
Then we went back to the hotel and everybody went away and he asked me to stay, he wanted me too go to bed with him and I refused. He pretended to be very offended and told me I would regret it to my dying day; it was a great honour I was passing up. The whole time, except for that scene at the museum, he was hysterically funny. I never laughed so much in my life!
There was coming and going all the time, At one point he invited a whole bunch of US saiolors up to the room, whose who just happened top be docking in the harbour, Another time, he sent $100 down to a poor lady who had called up to say she had a sick daughter and couldn't afford the medicine.
He was a delightful man, so funny and warm. I truly never forgot him.
At he ned of the day he had a fight with the Peruvian champuion, and he was wonderful to watch. After the fight he put me ina taxi and sent me home. Hie agent had arranged for a beautiful Peruvian lady to spend the night with him.

That's the most astonishing thing I've ever heard. If you wrote an essay about this, anyone would buy it!

Optimus · Dec 3, 2005

Dominique Wilkins ("The Human Highlight Reel" from the Atlanta Hawks of the mid 80s-mid 90s).

Dennis Haskins (Mr. Belding! I've waited on him three times in two different restaurants I've worked in. He's from my hometown. What a crappy tipper and all-around creepy guy. He hangs out at a local college club trying to pick up late teen-early 20s chicks).

Michelle Branch (ate in the restaurant I work at before a show).

Jerry Seinfeld (ate in the restaurant before a show).

Some dude from Boyz to Men (Don't know his name. Ate in the restaurant before a show).

Kenny Wayne Shephard (ate in the restaurant after a show. He went to the restroom and came back with toilet paper on his shoe. Never noticed. It was funny. Also, one of the waitresses asked him if he was in Hanson. Ha!).

Victoria Jackson (former SNL alum and Celebrity Fit Club season 2. Ate in the restaurant one day while visiting her family).

clintl · Dec 3, 2005

Ray Bradbury. I did a phone interview with him for the campus paper just before he came to give a lecture at my university, and then met him backstage after the lecture.

louisgodwin · Dec 3, 2005

LUCKY! I love Metallica.

Only famous people I've met are Dallas Cowboys: Emmitt Smith, Brock Marion (I was a bouncer & I actually carded him. Ha Ha!) Tony Dorsett walked in one day. Can't think of any others.

elisadasilva said:
I spent about 6 months hanging out backstage with Metallica, and others.

Celia Cyanide · Dec 3, 2005

I plead the fifth. Don't worry, he was a perfect gentleman.

I also met Ron Jeremy once. I hung out backstage with him, after I won 2nd place in his banana eating contest. Then, after I had 50 bucks in prize money for booze, miraculously, every guy in the place wanted to buy me drink...go figure.

OneTeam OneDream · Dec 4, 2005

President George W. Bush

elisadasilva · Dec 4, 2005

I got to watch Mr. Hetfield beat the crap out of a ninety pound groupie. He's a sweetheart.

louisgodwin · Dec 4, 2005

Yeah, I noticed when I watched "Some Kind Of Monster", that James Hetfield seems to be a real dick.

triceretops · Dec 4, 2005

Had lunch with Cive Barker at an old Book Expo, and met Geore Takei (star trek) at the same place.

Interviewed Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) for my newspaper.

Tri

poetinahat · Dec 4, 2005

Serial "Man on Bus #2"

- I showed Alastair Cooke how to use a Selectric typewriter once (I wasn't much help, being well into the gin by that time).

- Bill Murray was at the opening-night bash for our club's annual show (he was guest of honor). He stayed for the entire show and came to the party as well, which not all of the guests do. The fire alarm went off at around 10:30 or 11; we had to clear the building. Bill was still there after the all-clear, and as I remember, he stayed until 2. I think he said something to me like, "Great party." Smile, nod.

- Saw John Denver on a shuttle bus between Aspen and Snowmass. I was with my family. My younger brother, nine at the time, also blond, at the time also wore his hair in the same style as JD, and had similar round gold-rimmed glasses. As we got on, they saw each other -- they were wearing nearly identical ski hats, so they were near doppelgangers. We all froze, then laughed.

- Had lunch with Ed Asner as part of a student group. It was awkward; he had a lot to say, but it was a last-minute arrangement, so we had nothing to ask.

- Sat a few seats over from Ric Ocasek at a Devo concert. Wondered who the babe with him was. Now I know.

underthecity · Dec 4, 2005

I met William Shatner twice in the '80s, once at some kind of horse competition and once at a car show.

I met all the members of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy after a show.

I attended a talk at a science fiction convention given by David Gerrold (author of Trouble With Tribbles among numerous other works) and met him as well. That was in about 1985 long before I could appreciate talking about writing with a successful author.

allen

Celia Cyanide · Dec 4, 2005

louisgodwin said:
Yeah, I noticed when I watched "Some Kind Of Monster", that James Hetfield seems to be a real dick.

None of them looked good, but didn't you think Lars looked the worst?

That was a brilliant documentary, in any event.

Pat~ · Dec 4, 2005

I've shaken the hands of a few Presidents, a famous ball player lives next door to me, I was suitemates in college with someone famous (her mother is a famous Christian author and spent the night one night), and I know 2 bishops (Africa, South America), one of whom is the archbishop of his country. The other bishop stays at our home whenever he comes to the area. He brushes his teeth like anyone else.

KTC · Dec 4, 2005

ALI! Very cool Aruna!

I met Robert Smith and Annie Lennox. I met the Queen of England...that one sounds a bit far fetched, but it's the only one I can verify. There was a picture of us in the newspaper. I was about 8 or 9. It was the summer, so I was at my grandmother's place in New Brunswick. Her and her hubby were touring there. They made a stop at Burchill's Mill, which was pretty much in my grandmother's backyard. I had on a yellow polyester t-shirt with a picture of the Fonz on it. The Queen and her hubby stopped to talk to me and my twin cousins. (I think they really stopped for the look-a-likes...for a photo op...but I was there too.) I still remember that her hands were incredibly small and delicate and that he smelled like cheap cologne masking a really bad night-on-the-town! They were both really nice though. She bought a cup of lemonaid from the stand my brother and I set up to make money on the occasion. I guess I missed my chance to poison the Queen...but I don't regret it.

KTC · Dec 4, 2005

Oh, I also met Anne Rice. On two occasions. Once at a book signing...we chatted about why she was not going to ever write another story with Marcel St. Marie. (Apparently that was her Great Expectations book...something that couldn't be re-visited!) The second time, she published a phone number in the national newspapers...she wanted to know what the public thought of the Interview with a Vampire movie. I called, just for curiosity's sake. I thought I'd get a recording. She answered. She said most of the time it goes to a recording, but occasionally she picks it up to connect with the fans. She remembered my impassioned plea for more Marcel St. Marie. We chatted about everything but the movie.

SpookyWriter · Dec 4, 2005

I've had encounters with several celebraties, political persons, and sports people. But the one story I always get a kick out of is the day I booted Arlo Guthrie out of my seat. I was on a flight to Alanta, Georgia for a technical convention and had to use the restroom. When I came back to my seat there was a guy sitting in it. I politely asked if he wouldn’t mind moving so I could settle back to reading the book I had brought with me. I really didn’t think much of it at the time, but about ten minutes later a guy comes up to me and says “Do you know you just kicked Arlo Guthrie out of your seat?”.

Needless to say, I was a little shocked but I had never seen him up close so I wouldn’t know him from any other complete stranger. I did kind of feel like a fool and had to fight off the stares of a bunch of passengers.

The flight landed and we had a short delay before going to pick up our luggage, so I used the time to get a beer and have a smoke. I went to the lounge and there he was again. He was talking to a black guy who I vaguely recognonized but couldn’t put a name to him. I sat next to Arlo and hoped he wouldn’t remember me. Well he did and mentioned to the guy sitting next to him how I booted him out of the seat. I sat there, turning a darker shade of red, when Arlo finally introduced the guy he was talking with when I came up. Sure enough, I thought “B.B. King” looked familiar but until Arlo Guthrie introduced him, I couldn’t remember his name. Turns out I was on a flight with John Hooker, B.B. King, Arlo Guthrie and several others who were attending a jazz festival in Alanta.

Go figure.

JoeEkaitis · Dec 4, 2005

Sat on a sofa with Bob Hope and interviewed him for college radio station KVCR-FM before his annual appearance at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino, CA. He did everything he could to put us at ease.

stormie · Dec 4, 2005

Mary Higgins Clark. Several times. Very sweet lady, even though I kept her outside of church in the rain....

maestrowork · Dec 4, 2005

I hate name dropping, but here we go...

I worked with Julianne Moore and Peter Falk and Ellen Burstyn and Rob Marshall (director of Chicago and Memoirs of a Geisha). I spoke to George and his father Nick Clooney at a Jazz club. I've met Julie Andrews. Sandra Bullock. Shaquille O'Neal. Talked with Bono and Chris Tucker. I worked with maestro Lorin Maazel. I'm friends with Ming-Na from ER (and have met half the cast). Ben Stiller. The cast of Will & Grace... Sang for Queen Elizabeth.... Sorry... my brush of fame tend to be limited to actors and musicians. I've met other actors of lesser "fame."

Out of all these people, I can't say who is the most famous. However, I feel privileged to have worked with some of them, especially Marshall, before he went Oscar-bound.

KTC · Dec 4, 2005

Good thing you don't like droppin' names, Ray. I couldn't imagine the size of your post if you did!

Very impressive list! I've always loved Ming-Na. She was one of my favourite cast members. She seemed so sweet, like she was being her true self.

maestrowork · Dec 4, 2005

I have, however, never met any politicians (at least out of my local areas) or presidents or kings (except Queen Elizabeth). I have also never met any famous authors.

Who's the most famous person you ever met?

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