I recently had the pleasure of reading my friend Suzy Soro’s new book Celebrity sTalker. You may know Suzy from her blog Where Hot Comes to Die or from Twitter where she’s always hilarious (@hotcomestodie). Anyway, Suzy’s book is about all of the celebrity encounters she’s had over the years—everyone from Johnny Carson to The Rolling Stones to Bea Arthur. And what makes it so entertaining is that Suzy is completely unafraid to engage any famous person in conversation; a habit that’s led to some really cringe-worthy moments. Like when she burst into tears in front of Angelina Jolie in a grocery store. (And it wasn’t because Pax threw an apple at her, either.)
I really enjoyed this book because Suzy is a very funny, very good writer, but also because it made me think back on all of the celebrity encounters I had when I lived in Los Angeles. There were probably hundreds of them, however my celebrity encounters differed from Suzy’s in one big way: I never talked to a star unless I had to.
This hands-off approach wasn’t exactly my idea at the start. In fact, it only came about after I first moved to L.A. and was working in the bedding department at the Bullock’s department store in the Fashion Square mall. One day Ray Parker Jr.—the guy who sang the smash hit “Ghostbusters”—came in and I helped him choose linens. I was extremely nervous around him, even though he hadn’t been on the A-list in years, but I kept my cool until he was checking out. Then I very sweetly handed him his receipt, politely smiled and blurted out, “I AIN FRAIDA NO SHEET!”
Two minutes later I was in the back room being given a lecture on “how to handle celebrities without embarrassing the company” by Jill, our assistant manager who smelled like vitamins and Vicks VapoRub. Needless to say, when I helped a member of Whitesnake choose a comforter that “didn’t show stains” a week later, I was a complete professional.
Mortification aside, it was a lesson that helped me later on when I went to work on the Walt Disney Studios lot and saw at least one famous person a day. And also when I worked at E! Entertainment and The Gersh Agency in Beverly Hills. And, most especially, during the years I worked for an executive vice president at Warner Bros. Pictures—a job where it was completely normal to look up from your computer and see Al Pacino standing in your doorway. Exciting, yes, but just one little “Hoo-ah!” or “Attica! Attica!” and my boss would have sent me packing. We had to be respectful always.
That said, one of my favorite things that has ever happened in my life was when Ben Stiller came in for a meeting. As per my duties, I went down to the lobby, greeted him and walked with him down the long hallway to my boss’ office. Usually this was a good occasion to make small talk with an actor, but let’s just say Ben isn’t quite as jovial in person as he is in the movies, so I was feeling pretty tense. We were just about ten feet away from my office and I thought the uncomfortableness would soon be over, but then my co-worker Jeanne suddenly burst out of her office with a penny stuck to her forehead and screamed, “LOOK AT ME I’M ABE LINCOLN’S INDIAN PRINCESS!” Oh, yes, she did. And it was even worse than the time Kevin Spacey saw me using a Thighmaster in the hallway and dryly said, “Yeah, I’m not sure that’s working.”
At any rate, Jeanne then noticed I was with Mr. Stiller, paled, made a garbled choking noise, and immediately ran back into her office to hide. The only thing I could think to do was turn to an unimpressed Ben and gravely whisper, “That’s Jeanne. She has…a lot…of issues.” I’m guessing that experience is why he’s never made a lot of movies at WB, but hey, you didn’t hear it from me. (Two months later, when Jeanne was getting married, we gave her a cake with a giant penny decoration on it and threw handfuls of coins at her when she walked into the room. She’ll always be my Indian Princess.)
I’ll save my other stories for another time, but if you enjoyed reading about that strange little encounter, you’ll love the ones in Suzy’s book. It really is a fun read. And just to prove it to you, I’m giving a copy away to a random reader! Woohoo! It’s like Christmas all over again!
Just leave a comment telling me about one of your brushes with a celebrity. Or, if you don’t have any, tell me the celebrity you’d love to meet some day and where. I can’t wait to read all of your great stories and I’ll pick the winner next Monday, January 7th. Good luck!
A long time ago, I was eating dinner with a friend before heading to a play. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward sat down next to us. When we got up to leave, the waiter asked what we were going to see. “Romeo and Juliet,” we replied. “You’ll like that,” said the waiter. “I know, I read the comic book,” responded my date. To Joanne’s icy stare, we exited stage left.
He’s probably only a celebrity in Austin but I met Robert Rodriguez in the Sears at Barton Creek Mall. He was wearing his trademark red bandana and my husband couldn’t believe he was just shopping for tvs in SEARS. So I went up to him and he turned to me and said “HI! How are YOU!?” he was all excited and friendly because he thought we had met before. (we had not.) But he was very sweet and nice and is very attractive (gorgeous eyes.) We talked for at least 10 min. about movies and Texas and Austin. And he also thought it was funny that my husband was basically spying on us from behind a tv the whole time (he was like “who is that strange man watching us?”) And the best part, the very BEST part, was that during SXSW a year or so later, my husband and I went to Gueros and he was coming out with Quentin Tarantino and Harry Knowles and he remembered me! He stopped and said hi. (Of course, then he left his wife for Rose Mcgowin, so he is dead to me.)
Back in college I was in charge of arranging concerts and entertainment. When down in Houston for a convention Dave Brubeck was one of the entertainers that gave a free concert, to promote an upcoming tour. I went backstage to meet him, and he answered his dressing room door in his underwear and invited me in while he dressed. We talked a while and I left. I did end up booking him and his son for a concert at my school in Rochester, NY. Going up to his hotel to talk to him the morning of the concert he again answered the door in his underwear. So Dave B twice, in underwear (boxers, not briefs).
I live in Las Vegas, and Carrot Top is a regular at the supermarket near my house, where we see him shopping all the time (usually after his shows, many stores in Vegas are open 24 hours and you see most of the performers shopping at 2am). Yes, he is short, and his biceps are huge.
I am a self-confessed celeb stalker. Once upon a time I worked for the White House & was charged with greeting celebs who were coming to see the President (Reagan) on behalf of disability issues. One memorable afternoon found me greeting Kirk Douglas at the South Lawn gate in the “company” limo. I gave my usual warm greeting to him whereupon Mr. Douglas said, “Little lady, I’ve been on a plane for 5 hours–where’s the head?”
Can’t wait to read Suzy’s book!
I once worked in a gift shop in a fancy hotel and met George Wendt, who played Norm on Cheers. His personality seemed to be just the same as Norm’s.
I used to date a comedian and got to sit in the green room most shows, while most were not super famous it was pretty special. I tried making them laugh, the super awesome ones laughed at my lame jokes, the others? Well at least I didn’t get escorted off the premises. I really want to meet Suzy.
I’m actually a celebrity avoider, too. I ran into David Hyde Pierce at a museum once, and I did my damnedest to give him his space. I actually felt badly for him. It must suck to want to just go hang out and get interrupted every 30 seconds.
I once thought I saw Captain and Tennille in my local Walmart. I was mistaken, it was just an old couple in nautical themed clothing from the 70’s.
My husband used to build golf courses for a living & would have to travel all over the country to do so. One year, the kids & I were able to come & live with him on site for 5 months in New Jersey(we live in the Midwest). There were several houses on the estate, and we were able to live in one. Unfortunately, my 2 year old twins’ bedroom was only 100 yards away from where Donald Trump would land his helicopter. At naptime. While I was 6 months pregnant. And I was trying to nap. Every time.
The funny thing is, I only actually met him once the whole time we were living there. And he called me beautiful. But it didn’t make up for him always waking my kids.
I met Robin Williams once in the eighties at a computer convention in San Francisco. Nobody else seemed to recognize him, but I smiled at him and he kinda smiled back! His entourage didn’t, however.
In my 20s, siting poolside at a hotel reading The Alchemist when a very familiar voice says “that is a good book”. I look up and it is Dr. Ruth Westheinmer. I say “Yes, I am enjoying it” and try in vain to keep reading. All I could think about was how much more interesting it would be to chat with a world renowned sex therapist than read about some shepard boys pilgrimage to Egypt. I was way too intimidated to strike up that conversation! Now in my 40s, married and 2 kids later, I could really use that chat.
The closest I came to a celebrity encounter was when Sterling Sharpe came into the golf store my husband had dragged me to while on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC. He talked to us while my husband was musing over which set of clubs his novice golf wife should get.
For the uninitiated, Mr. Sharpe is a former pro football player. My boner about seeing Mr. Sharpe was not nearly as big as my husband’s.
Do I win?
While visiting a friend’s office in the 90’s, she had warned me direly of not bothering any celebrity clients. But. The woman standing near me looked so familiar: the voice and gestures, the dark curly hair, the way she stood waiting, barely disguised impatience. I knew her. I had to ask, “I’m sorry, did we go to high school together?” The woman tersely answered no, barely glancing at me. I persisted, elementary school, college? Same Ohio hometown? Could she look at my face, wasn’t I familiar to her? The more terse and irritated she became, the more familiar she seemed, and I was sure she would be ultimately delighted when I figured out the connection. She finally stalked off, and my friend, a Sony Studios manager, came over clinched my arm hissed, “Would you please leave Nancy Kerrigan alone?!”
I live in LA LA Land, so I see celebs all the time, but it still gives me a thrill! Would love to read your book 🙂
Great stuff, Wendi! I once engaged country singer Mark Chesnutt in a passive-aggressive battle of relocating the beer bottle he kept setting down on top of my gear… does that count? 🙂
Someone else’s post about Robin Williams reminds me about a time we saw him in LA when I was about 10. We had just arrived into town late, late at night and were outside the airport waiting on our ride to pick us up. There he came strolling past us and all I could say was, “There’s……there’s….. there’s……MORK!”
Dustin Hoffman – Waited on him when I worked at the Jordon Marsh company. He bought socks and a tie if I remember correctly.
Whoopie Goldberg – We were both grocery shopping just before Thanksgiving a few years ago. She had 2 carts!
There is a bit more to this, but I’m trying to be brief. =)
I have idolized George Carlin since I was a child.
About 10 years ago, I had taken a client to Vegas and it turned out Carlin was playing at a hotel there. Deciding it was fate, I wrote a note explaining my long time admiration and the circumstances of the trip, asking if he might possibly be willing to meet with us for 5 minutes for an autograph. Gave it to a security guard at the hotel he was playing and asked if he could please try to pass it along.
The next day I get a call from his business manager, he’d received my note and was so flattered, he’d set aside 2 VIP tickets for us for the show that night, and asked that we come backstage afterwards. He was a truly lovely man.
It isn’t often that you get to meet one of your heroes and actually have them live up to it.
When he passed, I cried for a week.
Yeah, Suzy! She’s a lovely girl.
Okay, I’ll bite. I’ve encountered a few celebs over the years. One that comes to mind … I met basketball great David “The Admiral” Robinson outside a restaurant we frequented in San Antonio. I have a great impromptu photo now of me standing next to him. And because we were on an incline, my face is perfectly level with his snackpack. Yeah.
Also … My former-hubs, Derek, was a drummer in the Pauline Reese Band, and one night they had a gig at Saxon Pub. Dennis Quaid happened in, and he jammed on guitar with the band — and did whiskey shots. Since I was a huge fan, Derek copped Quaid’s “used” shot glass and brought it home to me. Still had a few drops of whiskey in it, and of course his, um, saliva, so I coveted Quaid’s DNA in my fridge for over a year. It was quite painful to finally toss it out.
Yeah, people, the cool stops here.
You probably also felt awkward towering over Ben Stiller.
Is there a comforter that doesn’t show stains? I’m interested. For very, very different reasons than Whitesnake.
Ok. Remember one more.
. The year, 1988. I was with my sister and her soon to be husband at a Catholic Church in Toronto, Ontario
They were there because they had to get all churchy to be married in one. Me? I was there because my sister said Catherine O’hara (SCTV, Home Alone 1, 2)was often there.
I sat through the service looking everywhere for her.i might have even said a prayer about it. Or just muttered ‘Jesus where is she’ under my breath .Near the end as part of the service, you say ‘peace” and shake hands with people around you . Well guess who had been sitting was behind me the whiole time? I looked at her, one of my comic idols, and froze. i just stared at her. My sister shook her hand, her idiot ex husband shook her hand. Me? I couldnt get words out. I might have mouthed ‘hi’ I think. She just looked back at me , politely smiled and shifted down the pew. Away from me.Possibly afraid for her life.
I still count it as a win.
For a few years in a row, we saw (or literally ran into) a celebrity on Thanksgiving so I can say I’ve had thanksgiving with Alex Baldwin, Kim Bassinger, Kevin Spacey. I’m sure they’re saying the same thing!
I’ve had to speak with and interview several celebrities and I can tell you each and every time it freaks the hell out of me! I am never comfortable doing it and I am not sure I ever will be!
Wendi, you are so funny. Congenitally funny? Probably.
I was once in the drugstore here in New York on University Place between 9th and 10th Streets and saw Susan Sarandon waiting for a prescription. I kept my cool until she started to leave and then somehow lost all self-control: “I loved you in Thelma and Louise!!” She gave me a big phoney smile and (put on?) a southern-type accent: “Thaaaank ewww!” Left a Really bad taste in my mouth. I mean, I didn’t rush at her or try to block the door or anything.
If I ever meet any one who had anything to do with Ghostbusters I would not have been able to be as controlled as you.
I know I’m late to the party here, but I used to work at Warner Bros. with Wendi… and probably the most interesting celebrity encounter for me was meeting Mel Gibson in the men’s room. This was before he (allegedly) became insane (a nazi), and he was actually quite charming and acted like a real gentleman.
I also read Suzy Soro’s book and found it a quick and entertaining read. Sorta like Kathy Griffin meets Larry David. Great fun.
It was Christmas Eve and my son, who at the time was 14 and too cool to listen to Christmas music, refused to let me use his stereo (the only source of music in our house at the time)to play my new “Country Star Christmas” cd. I’m embarrassed to say that I was so mad I drove to our local KMart, just as it was about to close, to buy my own CD player. As I was in the checkout line, I realized I was standing in front of Gene Shalit, the movie critic. I didn’t say a word to him, but as I was about to leave he asked, “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Geena Davis?” Normally, I’d be nervous, but still feeling grouchy about the whole stereo thing, my first thought was to say, “Is that all you have for a pick-up line?” but instead politely said “yes” and walked out of the store.
In 2006 I worked at Hooters in Minneapolis, MN. Two guys walked into the restaurant and pointed at me and said they’d like my section.
I sat them at a high top and asked what I could get them to drink. One ordered a beer, the other a water. So I asked to see the I.D. of the beer drinker.
He looked at me and said, “You’re kidding me, right?”
Well, I had come to expect people to hassle me when they were carded. We were required to card anyone who looked under 50. So that was exactly what I told him.
He responded with, “Come on now. Can’t you just get me a beer? You know I’m older than 21.”
So, as previously practiced and with a cute flutter of my eyelashes, I responded with, “Well, I gotta know where to stalk you!”
Immediately he said he’d just take a Sprite.
Later into their meal, some kids came running up while I was standing there chatting, and freaked out over Mr. I’ll-just-take-a-Sprite. So I turned to his friend and asked, “What am I missing here?”
Turns out, Mr Sprite drinker was the drummer LouDog from the Kottonmouth Kings and they were in town to play a show that night at the music venue First Avenue.
Needless to say, I realized why you probably shouldn’t tell someone you want to stalk them…. cuz they might actually be someone worth stalking. Whether it’s for their musical popularity status… or the really good weed they probably have on their tour bus.
Oops.
-Ryanne Noelle
Horribly late, but this is a fun thread, so I thought I’d add mine.
One of my flying instructors was Scott Grissom, younger son of Mercury Astronaut Gus Grissom. When I was in the wedding party for my cousin’s wedding in Cincinnati in the 1970s, during a break in the preliminaries, I worked up the courage to call the office of Professor Neil Armstrong at the U of Cincinnati Aeronautical Engineering Department. I got past his secretary by claiming I had a personal message for him from Scott Grissom (totally bogus). When he came on the line, I repeated to him a story that Scott had told me about how to survive an emergency landing on a freeway that Neil had taught Scott years before, then went on to completely embarrass myself asking inane questions about his university research. He was gracious, thank goodness.
Years later I moved from Houston to the San Francisco Bay Area. I got involved with a Web site discussion forum and, in a message I posted, mentioned an organization I belonged to that was related to the main topic of the forum and had monthly dinners. One of the other discussants on the forum, whom I only knew by nickname on the board, contacted me in email to ask if I might help him and his wife attend one of the dinners. I said, “Of course!” and made the arrangements.
It turned out to be Thomas Dolby, the early MTV star who did “She Blinded Me With Science.” When he and his gorgeous wife walked into the next month’s dinner, the organizer pulled me aside and asked if that was really Kathleen Beller (from “Search for Tomorrow,” “Dynasty,” and the Tommy Lee Jones movie “The Betsy”). I hadn’t recognized her!
Thomas and Kathleen and I have stayed in touch, and I shared some other social activities with them and visited their home when they lived in Half Moon Bay. They’ve moved back to England so I don’t see them any more, but I stay in sporadic touch via email. They’re absolutely lovely people, and a sterling example of a Hollywood couple who have built a terrific marriage. I’m quite envious.
-Dan
I was in s.c walking out late from Taylor swifts concert because my friend had passed out and gotten a concussion while we were there. I had just exited the building when Taylor herself came out from the side door. She walked up to me and we had a conversation about football and our favorite music. She hugged me and said if I was ever in Nashville come see her! She walked off and as she was looking back I tripped and fell flat on my face…. Aaawwwkkkwwwaaarrrddd
@ 79. Dan | January 24th, 2013 at 4:10 pm:
Dan post #79 – you never know if people’marriage is terrific, no need to be envious
My celebrity sighting was Peter Tork from the Monkeys. He had always been my favorite Monkey when I was growing up. I asked if I could have my picture taken with him which he happily obliged. My husband, an engineer, couldn’t figure out how to use my ‘smart’ phone camera and after two failed attempts Peter stormed off into his RV and slammed the door. Hey Hey we’re the grumpys…..