Have you ever met or seen someone famous?

[Jean in Newcastle]

We were at Gettysburg one Memorial weekend years ago and it was announced last minute that in addition to Pres. Lincoln giving the Gettysburg address the astronaut Neil Armstrong would appear and say a few words...but we were NOT to approach him at all. Guess he was very much an introvert. I could see him coming across like Mr. Darcy in the BBC show - terse, seemingly rude.

 

Unless you are a lot older than I think you are, I am assuming that this was not the real Pres. Lincoln giving the Gettysburg Address. . . .

[hornblower]

I used to work as a border guard in Vancouver aka Hollywood North. All the actors and musicians etc have to get their work permits done so yeah, we got to meet some famous people. 

The royal family btw also has to have their passports stamped but I didn't do that one - one of my bosses drove out to their plane on the tarmac and did their paperwork. 

[Um_2_4]

Penelope Cruz when we were boarding a international return flight in Europe. We had DS3 and DD1 at the time and we passed through 1st class to board. She was sitting there, approached us and went ga-ga over DD1 and how cute she was. 

[madteaparty]

Penelope Cruz when we were boarding a international return flight in Europe. We had DS3 and DD1 at the time and we passed through 1st class to board. She was sitting there, approached us and went ga-ga over DD1 and how cute she was.

â¤ï¸ Only airport famous viewing I had was Emma Thompson at JFK

[Lady Florida.]

I saw (but didn't meet) Barack Obama when he was running to become the Democratic nominee in 2008. He came to my town and we went to see/hear him speak at the community college.

 

I'm related to Jeannette Walls, the author of The Glass Castle, by marriage. Or more accurately she and dh are related by marriage. Her (current) MIL and my MIL are first cousins. I met her at a family reunion (dh's family and therefore her dh's family) in the Tennessee mountains - I just realized it was also in 2008. I had read her book with my book club and wondered how she felt about being there. The area wasn't much different from where she once lived in West Virginia.

Edited September 30, 2017 by Lady Florida.

[Lady Florida.]

 

 

And my kids baked brownies for Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter when they came through our small airport. President Carter had to hang out in dh's office for a bit as they had a Secret Service glitch, trying to get the two of them out at different times. President wrote the girls a nice thank you note, but the SS actually ate all the brownies!

 

Oh, I forgot! When I was living in Americus, GA* and teaching nearby I saw several of the Carters. I saw Jimmy's sister Gloria at a local greasy spoon and saw her and Miss Lillian at the Captain D's. I had the same primary care doctor as Billy Carter but I never saw him there. Jimmy Carter had been president for less than a year when I moved there for my first teaching job.

 

*Americus is near Plains, the home of the Carters. It's the county seat.

Edited September 30, 2017 by Lady Florida.

[Lady Florida.]

My mom went to grade school with Bill Murray. He went to their 50th class reunion a few years ago. I don't have any of my own celebrity stories though.

 

My mom went to grade school with Jeb Magruder, of Watergate fame. 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

Australian content:

 

I was at a child's birthday party with one of my daughters. I spent most of the time hanging by the snack table, sipping cordial and munching on chippies, while chatting to some guy who was a neighbour of the birthday boy. I chatted with him for a decent chunk of the party, while keeping an eye on my daughter playing pass-the-parcel and so forth.

Later on someone mentioned that that guy was a football player. When I got home, I told my husband that I'd chatted all party to some big guy and he's apparently a footy player. He asked his name and I told him (I only knew his first name from casual chatting).

 

Turns out it was the then-current captain of the Australian team. Footy in Australia is a big deal. Me, no clue.  *sheepish*

 

 

Also, as a young-un I was a real teeny-bopper and orchestrated a lot of celebrity meets, hanging out at stage doors etc. Good fun.

[Chelli]

I went through security right behind Diana Ross in Miami's airport. I remember thinking, "Man, that woman's hair looks like Diana Ross's." Once I'd actually walked through the metal detector, the airport security agent looked at me and said, "You saw Diana Ross, right?" I said, "No, where?" The agent said, "She walked through right in front of you!" I sped up to catch up with her. She was tiny which is pretty common for me because I'm 5'10", but she was very petite all over with that huge, gorgeous head of hair, and large over-sized black glasses. I didn't say anything to her, but I was pretty stoked about it.

 

I saw Barbara Bush when I was on vacation in Rome the spring break after I graduated college the previous December. My friends and I were at the Colosseum when all of the guys dressed up as gladiators started coming up to us (obviously Americans apparently!) and saying, "Mama President" and pointing. We looked over and sure enough there was Barbara Bush with her twin granddaughters. She quickly ushered them into the black car waiting for them at the curb, and then turned back to the crowd that was quickly gathering around her. I pulled out my camera to get her picture and at that exact moment one of the gladiators dropped to one knee, grabbed her hand, planted a kiss on the back of it, and Barbara threw back her head to laugh. That's the picture I still have. It's really cute.

 

Since I'm from Arkansas, I've met/seen Bill Clinton multiple times, but my coolest Bill Clinton story involves my grandmother. When he was campaigning for one of his terms as governor, he came through our little tiny town (population 1,100) in the Ozark Mountains. One of his staff workers stopped in the grocery store where my grandmother ran the bakery and grabbed a pan of her cinnamon rolls (she was famous for them in our area). When the staffer got back with breakfast for Governor Clinton, he took one bite of my grandmother's cinnamon rolls and asked where the staffer had purchased them. He showed up to meet my grandmother and got her contact information. About once a month, he'd place an order, and my grandmother would ship her cinnamon rolls to the governor's mansion in Little Rock. Once he was elected president, one of his staff contacted her a few times, and she shipped cinnamon rolls to the White House!

 

ETA: Since Arkansas doesn't have a professional sports team, the University of Arkansas sports teams, the Arkansas Razorbacks, are kind of our professional teams. In 1994, the basketball team won the national championship and two of its biggest starts were Corliss Williamson (went on to play in the NBA) and Scotty Thurman. My dad actually taught Corliss in school and drove his school bus. We were at a local park one time where some guys were playing basketball. One of them broke off and came running up to my dad yelling his name. It was Corliss! I was around 8th grade at the time and totally star struck not to mention intimidated. He was huge! Years later when I was working at the local Holiday Inn and going to college, Scotty Thurman walked in one night to rent a room. He was always my favorite player and I could barely focus enough to check him into the room. I did very shyly ask for his autograph which he was happy to do. My last Razorback story is about one of our best football players ever, Darren McFadden (went on to play in the NFL). My family and I were eating at a restaurant in Fayetteville and as we were leaving there was a group of very large guys waiting to be seated. I was pretty certain they were Razorback football players, but I didn't know exactly which ones. My sister, a huge sports fan, stopped dead in her tracks and wouldn't move. I asked her what was wrong and all she could whisper was, "Darren McFadden." I asked her if she'd like his autograph, and she nodded yes, so I just walked up to him and said, "Hi, you're Darren McFadden, right?" He said yes and I got the autograph for my sister. She never did say a word to him but just stood there gaping at him. LOL

Edited September 30, 2017 by Chelli

[Wheres Toto]

I went to high school with Jane Krakowski but she didn't come to school that often.

 

I've met Regis Philbin, the members of 3 Dog Night (and have a signed drumstick), Peter Noone from Herman's Hermits, and a couple other bands from the 70s/80s.  Clive Barker at a horror convention.

 

ETA; Just remembered I've also met one of the Jonas Brothers.  Don't remember which one but one of them lived very near by with his wife.

 

Dh played one of the first ever pinball machines with Pete Townshend, met the rest of The Who, Genesis and Phil Collins, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, and a couple others.  He was a merchandising manager, in charge of transporting (by van) and selling the t-shirts and other stuff.  He has a huge collection of vintage t-shirts from bands.

 

 

Edited September 30, 2017 by Where's Toto?

[Lady Marmalade]

I went to high school with Jane Krakowski but she didn't come to school that often.

 

I've met Regis Philbin, the members of 3 Dog Night (and have a signed drumstick), Peter Noone from Herman's Hermits, and a couple other bands from the 70s/80s.  Clive Barker at a horror convention.

 

ETA; Just remembered I've also met one of the Jonas Brothers.  Don't remember which one but one of them lived very near by with his wife.

 

Dh played one of the first ever pinball machines with Pete Townshend, met the rest of The Who, Genesis and Phil Collins, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, and a couple others.  He was a merchandising manager, in charge of transporting (by van) and selling the t-shirts and other stuff.  He has a huge collection of vintage t-shirts from bands.

 

Kevin Jonas is the only married Jo-Bro.  

[Cindy in FL.]

I was in a Bible study with Art Fleming, the original host of Jeopardy.

[JFSinIL]

Unless you are a lot older than I think you are, I am assuming that this was not the real Pres. Lincoln giving the Gettysburg Address. . . .

 

But he looked so real!!! ;-)

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I used to babysit for an actress who was in The Couch Trip. Through her I met the lady who played Miss Moneypenny from the James Bond movies.

 

I also met Glenn Close while at MHC. She was the commencement speaker and I ran into her a couple of times. We had one nice long conversation.

 

I've met a couple of famous tennis players - Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Yannick Noah.

 

I also met Newt Gingrich at a book signing.

 

ETA: How could I forget?? DH and I met Arnold Schwarzenegger in May. He was visiting the same museum complex we were and we walked together for about an hour. I've got a few nice pics of him.

 

DD & DH are really good friends with a local drummer who gets them backstage passes to local concerts. They have met quite a few musicians that way. I'm just not into the concert scene so I have never gone.

Edited September 30, 2017 by Scoutermom

[rebcoola]

Sort of back in the day the greater Seattle soccer was a pretty small circle and my much older sister and my Dad where woven pretty tightly into it.  So I know Michelle Akers, Kasey Keller, Marcus Hanneman, and Brian Schmetzer from when I was a kid. I met almost all of 98 women's soccer team.   I also played against Hope Solo though she wasn't a goalie back than.  Also I was classmates with Tara and Dana Kirk who were Olympic swimmers.

[whitestavern]

I've met a lot of famous people. I was in marketing for a large retailer, and we had famous people conduct meet and greets at every store grand opening. Part of my job was coordinating hiring them and meeting them when they arrived at a location, etc. I met lots of soap opera stars (wasn't a soap watcher so wasn't familiar with them) and professional athletes (mostly football and baseball). I met Richard Simmons and Joe Theismann when they came to our corporate headquarters. Oh, and I picked Mike Ditka up from the airport once. After seeing one of his Broadway shows, I met Anthony Hopkins. When I was a kid my very small private school brought flowers to Rosalynn Carter, who was at a function in the town where I lived at the time. She shook each of our hands and was very sweet. Ken Burns lives in the same town, and I've spoken to him a few times. I've met Jacques Pepin several times and was friends with his daughter in high school. I met SWB and Michael Clay Thompson at a hs conference! :)

 

I've seen Matthew Modine, Paul Newman (swoon) and Joanne Woodward. Roger Staubach was a guest at a friend's wedding that I attended.

 

ETA: My very first kiss was at the same small school mentioned above. It was with John Henry Williams, son of Ted. He and his sister were classmates of mine. I never met Ted though. His wife did all the drop offs and pick ups.

Edited September 30, 2017 by whitestavern

[Insertcreativenamehere]

I met John Elway through a work event about 15 years ago. I crossed paths in the Salt Lake Airport with Senator Orrin Hatch around the same time. As a child, I met several professional athletes including the late Kirby Puckett.

 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[Farrar]

I once ate lunch next to Kim Gordon. I was like, look, it's Kim Gordon! Sonic Youth! I was such a dork. No one I was with knew who they were. Sigh.

 

I've seen politicians on the street many times. Most often Lieberman for some reason. Oh, and lots of CNN people. Unrelated to life in DC, I was once on a plane a couple aisles back from Larry King. Dh used to work with Chuck Todd and Mike McCurry at different points in his career, but that was ages ago.

 

Oh, and I've met authors at the National Book Festival, getting things signed with the kids.

[Guest]

It's amazing how many people have met Bill Clinton. That man really gets around. Lol

[sheryl]

My grandparents met Roy Rogers when he visited their hometown for some event. He even went out to their place to look at some of their horses.

 

Ah, that has to be one of the coolest ones!   What a legend! 

 

[mytwomonkeys]

Yes, kind of (famous depending on who you ask, right?). The Black Crowes went to my high school, so it was pretty cool when they became big for a time. They used to do R.E.M covers and were Mr. Crowes Garden in the 80’s. I also knew Kristian Stanfill when he was a teen. I worked at a large church & he was the worship leader for the youth group when he was in high school. One day, a few years back, my husband was preparing a worship set. He was listening to Kristian Stanfill & I saw his name on the computer screen... I was like, “How do you know Kristian?†I had no idea he had gone on to create a career for himself. I was so happy for him.

 

Oh, and my sister is best friends with Travis Tritt’s sister, she also went to our high school. His dad was a school bus driver for years after he became a country singer. So I don’t know him but I know his sister & dad. Does that count? 😊

Edited October 1, 2017 by mytwomonkeys

[happi duck]

Friends and I followed Metallica around so met with them frequently. As they got bigger, other bands would be backstage to meet them too.

 

We got really good at being in the right place at the right time and met bands like Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Anthrax, Queensryche, Joe Satriani, Van Halen, Ozzy etc.

 

I had strange teenage/ya years...straight A, metalhead, Sunday school teacher. There wasn't much overlap of my circles.

 

One of my favorite post concert meetings was hanging out in a hotel bar while David Lee Roth and his band (solo tour) sat around a piano singing old standards. Surreal.

 

I like meeting people that I appreciate just to say "thanks". I don't think I'd approach someone famous just because.

 

I am in awe of seeing Avery Brooks and William Shatner mentioned upthread! I'd love to thank a Star Trek Captain!!

 

Oh, and George Lucas too!

[mytwomonkeys]

Oh. And I have a cool story! When I was about 18, some friends and I drove to FL to see Nine Inch Nails (they were opening for The Jesus & Mary Chain). Trent Reznor was talking to us & telling us they were coming to Atlanta. He said he would put us on the guest list. We wrote our names on a cocktail napkin, and months later when they were in ATL, we actually were on the guest list like he promised. That was pretty cool!

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Ooh, I thought of a few from the dance world.  My kids took a class with, and met, the person who won this season of So You Think You Can Dance.   :hurray:    I won't spoil for anyone, but DS also had a very nice conversation with the winner about their music selection.  We had a ton of fun cheering for someone we had met IRL this year! 

 

DD and DS both have regular contact with Misha Gabriel, who did some choreo for SYTYCD.  They've met and done selfies together, and they comment back and forth with him on IG quite a bit. 

 

DS has also met and danced with tWitch. Somewhere I have a video of him and tWitch having a little throwdown.

 

Ooooohhhh, we just watched the finale last night! We're huge fans of the show. How cool that your son has danced with tWitch! He's always been one of my absolute favorites.

[Hyacinth]

Dh met Faith Hill in an elevator. He said, "Hi." She said, "Hi." He loves that story.

 

I've met a bunch of presidential candidates at meet and greets, including Carly Fiorina and Newt Gingrich.

 

My sister and I followed Neil from the Young and the Restless around a cruise ship for a couple of days. My dad finally approached him, introduced himself, and apologized for his daughters' stalking behavior. "Daaaaaaaa-aaaaa-aaaad!"

[Amber in SJ]

In the category of being once removed from people who have met celebrities....

 

My mom went on a couple dates with Bill Bixby; after "My Favorite Martian," but before "Courtship of Eddie's Father."  Her only comments were, "He was much older than I."  He was very nice." and "He was not very tall."  :)

 

Amber in SJ

 

 

[Callie]

Sarah Palin at a local event, and I went to Jimmy Carter's Sunday School class in Plains, GA. If you are anywhere near there on a Sunday when he is teaching, it really is a great experience!

TM

Edited October 1, 2017 by Callie

[Selkie]

Yes, I've met some famous people.

 

Mitt and Ann Romney, several times - wonderful people, very kind and gracious

Paul Ryan and his family

the Obamas

Chris Christie

Alton Brown

Anne Rice

John Madden

Calvin Klein

Hall & Oates

Kevin Costner

James Earl Jones

Jerry Springer

Sammy Hagar

Jackie Mason

Jessica Simpson

Steve Earle

Jerry Rivers

Sylvester Stallone

 

My favorite celebrity story involves a dog, because I love dogs and don't give a hoot about celebrities. We were staying at the same hotel in Chicago where Jennifer Aniston was staying while she filmed a movie. We had our little dog with us and so did she. There was a small park close to the hotel and several times when I took our dog there, a bellman was there walking Jennifer's dog, Norman. Our dogs became good buddies and played together quite a bit over the course of our stay. We've always joked since then that our dog was a jetsetter since he had hobnobbed with the rich and famous. :laugh:

 

Oh, and one other story. When I was a little kid, Breyer made a horse modeled after one of country singer Lynn Anderson's horses. I had the Breyer horse and also a little book Lynn had written about the horse. Lynn described the horse as having white on its face, but the Breyer model didn't have any white on it.  I wrote her a letter and asked why. She wrote me back and said, "You are absolutely right, my horse does have white on her face. I don't know why Breyer didn't put the white on her face, but they should have."  Pretty thrilling stuff for a horse crazy little kid... :)  

Edited October 1, 2017 by Selkie

[bettyandbob]

OK I have a couple.

 

Joe Theisman lived down the street from my family (before he had the affair with Cathy Lee Crosby). I didn't really meet him, but in the winter the lake on the street often froze over and we'd skate on the lake. Joe Theisman's house backed to the lake. My memory of his was him yelling at us not to touch his hockey equipment. We weren't near his equipment and were  annoyed that he would yell at us like that. And anyway, he didn't own the lake so why hadn't he at least put his equipment in his yard rather than leave it on the lake. Other people who knew him have told me that was a typical interaction. Not a real friendly guy. I think he expects people to gush all over him. 

 

I met Greg Hawkes in a hotel lobby in Richmond in 1988. He was just hanging out. The Cars had a concert that night. I was with a group of teachers at a conference for teachers of children with special needs in the same hotel. I should have recognized him. I love The Cars. And after years of forced piano lessons, I felt an allegiance to keyboardists.  An older woman (old enough that this was not a genre of music she was familiar) said to me "I bet that guy is famous. I bet he's in a rock band." and I was like, no don't be ridiculous, because I'm never near anyone famous. Then she decides we are going to meet him. She'd never heard of The Cars, but was excited to meet him and so was I. He was very nice. He did not invite me to sing back up at the show though. Obviously, he's not the most famous member of the Cars. 

[Kareni]

If you're a science geek, you might recall the name Neil Bartlett; he created the world's first noble gas compound in 1962.  In the seventies, my husband was his lab tech for several years.

 

 

I still want to know whom the celebrities are on this board.  :cool:

 

 

Well, I remember a number of years ago when Ree Drummond (now known as The Pioneer Woman) was just one more homeschooler posting here.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[TravelingChris]

My Girl Scout troop had a Father Daughter dance and neither I nor another girl whose father had also died went.  It wasn't fancy like the OP described.  There was a father daughter dance when my girls were in Scouts.  I believe that my dh took both of our daughters.  Again, nothing creepy about it.  

 

As to purity balls, I have only heard about them on here.  Never came across one being advertised or promoted IRL.  Probably because purity balls and rings weren't an issue in the churches I attended. Our current church had a series of midschoolers and a different one for high schoolers and it had to do with Godly living but framed in the way of better choices and worse choices- not purity and wickedness (or whatever the term those purity people use for the non pure around them).

[Terabith]

I took a writing seminar in high school with John Grisham.

[Terabith]

My dad got his polio shot in Jonas Salk’s kitchen.

[Remudamom]

This is all my sister- Bono, Rick Springfield, Huey Lewis, Barisnakov (spelling, you know, the ballet dancer).  She worked on the road with Bon Jovi.  All sorts of country and rock people.

 

Um... Bear Bryant (Roll Tide!!)  and Nick Saban.

 

Kenny Rogers, Carol Channing. 

 

She's met countless others that I can't remember.  Obviously she works in the entertainment business.  Lots of times I get to tag along.

Edited October 1, 2017 by Remudamom

[Element]

The little boy from The Shining was a bio professor at my community college. I never took his class, but I said "hi" to him in the hallway a few times. Eddie Vedder leaned on me at a Pearl Jam show in the 1990s, and then I met the other members of the band afterwards (but not him.) I briefly met Beyonce's dad in 2000... I feel like there was a big one that I'm forgetting to mention, but I can't think of it now. 

[Dmmetler]

On a more homeschool note, DD is in a program which has a family get together each summer. There we've met (and she's gotten to do classes with) Jim Weiss. Jim Delisle, Arthur Benjamin, and Richard Ruscnyk, among others. And I was very excited the first summer because Horrible Ray goes, too!

 

Logan Guleff (Masterchef Jr season 2 winner and has done a lot since then) is a local homeschooler and has taken the National Mythology and Exploratory Latin Exams at my dinner table :). We haven't gotten to see much of him in the last few years, though-he's a very busy kid.

 

At conferences, we've gotten to meet Sylvia Earle (first female deep sea explorer), David Shipman (the media-go to on Sharks), David Steen (media go-to on snakes) Kirsten Wiley (Island Snake lady, featured on Discovery and Dirty Jobs for her work with the Lake Erie water snake), Stan Trauth (featured on Dirty Jobs on Alligator snapping turtles), Tyrone Hayes (biologist who broke the news on Atrazine), Jim Harrison (who probably extracts the snake venom used for almost all snake antivenin in the USA), Gordon Burghardt (probably the biggest name in ethology alive today), and lots of other folks who are semi-celebrities in that world, but almost unknown out of it.

 

When I was a kid and going to conferences with my parents, one usually fell over my birthday, and I'd been promised that I could pick where we ate dinner. I picked Show Biz pizza. My dad brought a colleague from the conference with him for dinner to talk shop-not realizing that the plans were pizza, singing robotic animals, and arcade games. His colleague went with the flow. My dad commented later that I was probably one of the only people who could say that I'd gotten to near a Nobel prize winning physicist at Space Invaders :). Can't remember the guy's name, but it's a pretty cool memory.

[Guest]

Kinda sorta. 

 

There are two brothers - one plays minor league baseball for the Red Wings and the other plays major league for the Orioles (the third brother was drafted by the Tigers but didn't sign) - anyways I knew them from elementary to high school.

 

And not really a meeting, but a celebrity was on Twitter and I asked a very specific WWYD kind of question, and he replied graciously.  Another, bigger celebrity liked something I had to say regarding an appearance he made, so I guess there's that.

 

My dad went to grade school with David Carradine and Ron Howard so they are in our family photo albums.

 

My aunt was in the original Parent Trap.

 

I've seen Jay Leno out driving his cars around SoCal more times than I can count.

 

Nothing big.

 

 

[Lady Marmalade]

On a more homeschool note, DD is in a program which has a family get together each summer. There we've met (and she's gotten to do classes with) Jim Weiss. Jim Delisle, Arthur Benjamin, and Richard Ruscnyk, among others. And I was very excited the first summer because Horrible Ray goes, too!

 

Logan Guleff (Masterchef Jr season 2 winner and has done a lot since then) is a local homeschooler and has taken the National Mythology and Exploratory Latin Exams at my dinner table :). We haven't gotten to see much of him in the last few years, though-he's a very busy kid.

 

At conferences, we've gotten to meet Sylvia Earle (first female deep sea explorer), David Shipman (the media-go to on Sharks), David Steen (media go-to on snakes) Kirsten Wiley (Island Snake lady, featured on Discovery and Dirty Jobs for her work with the Lake Erie water snake), Stan Trauth (featured on Dirty Jobs on Alligator snapping turtles), Tyrone Hayes (biologist who broke the news on Atrazine), Jim Harrison (who probably extracts the snake venom used for almost all snake antivenin in the USA), Gordon Burghardt (probably the biggest name in ethology alive today), and lots of other folks who are semi-celebrities in that world, but almost unknown out of it.

 

When I was a kid and going to conferences with my parents, one usually fell over my birthday, and I'd been promised that I could pick where we ate dinner. I picked Show Biz pizza. My dad brought a colleague from the conference with him for dinner to talk shop-not realizing that the plans were pizza, singing robotic animals, and arcade games. His colleague went with the flow. My dad commented later that I was probably one of the only people who could say that I'd gotten to near a Nobel prize winning physicist at Space Invaders :). Can't remember the guy's name, but it's a pretty cool memory.

 

We loved Logan!! He seemed like a genuinely nice and thoughtful person on top of being an incredible cook. 

[Insertcreativenamehere]

On a more homeschool note, DD is in a program which has a family get together each summer. There we've met (and she's gotten to do classes with) Jim Weiss. Jim Delisle, Arthur Benjamin, and Richard Ruscnyk, among others. And I was very excited the first summer because Horrible Ray goes, too!

 

Logan Guleff (Masterchef Jr season 2 winner and has done a lot since then) is a local homeschooler and has taken the National Mythology and Exploratory Latin Exams at my dinner table :). We haven't gotten to see much of him in the last few years, though-he's a very busy kid.

 

At conferences, we've gotten to meet Sylvia Earle (first female deep sea explorer), David Shipman (the media-go to on Sharks), David Steen (media go-to on snakes) Kirsten Wiley (Island Snake lady, featured on Discovery and Dirty Jobs for her work with the Lake Erie water snake), Stan Trauth (featured on Dirty Jobs on Alligator snapping turtles), Tyrone Hayes (biologist who broke the news on Atrazine), Jim Harrison (who probably extracts the snake venom used for almost all snake antivenin in the USA), Gordon Burghardt (probably the biggest name in ethology alive today), and lots of other folks who are semi-celebrities in that world, but almost unknown out of it.

 

When I was a kid and going to conferences with my parents, one usually fell over my birthday, and I'd been promised that I could pick where we ate dinner. I picked Show Biz pizza. My dad brought a colleague from the conference with him for dinner to talk shop-not realizing that the plans were pizza, singing robotic animals, and arcade games. His colleague went with the flow. My dad commented later that I was probably one of the only people who could say that I'd gotten to near a Nobel prize winning physicist at Space Invaders :). Can't remember the guy's name, but it's a pretty cool memory.

I met Jim Weiss last June at a conference. He was very personable; my friend and I chatted with him for several minutes before his talk.

 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[OrganicJen]

I ate breakfast in the same room with Robert Redford a couple of times.  He looks much worse in person.  

[Cindy in FL.]

My dh caddied for Donald Trump.

[zaichiki]

When I was a kid my dad worked on some big mansions out in the Hamptons -- and I got to briefly meet Ralph Lauren, the designer, and Cheryl Tiegs, the model. I think there were a few others, but I don't remember the details.

 

Recently I've gotten to meet/chat with/share an elevator with a number of people famous in classical music. I love that feeling of shortness of breath I get when I turn around or look up and unexpectedly see the recognizable face of a famous musician -- right nearby. Does that mean I'm a groupie???  LOL

[Guest]

My dh caddied for Donald Trump.

But then he was fired?

 

(Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

[Katy]

When we lived in Iowa it seemed like we met every politician. I can't think of too many who make the Sunday morning shows that I haven't met, and it's been years. Both parties hold non-televised debates locally, mostly in high school gyms.  You get to ask them questions, speak one-on-one if you want. Politicians considering running for president someday show up at random events in non-campaign time a lot.

 

Have also met random celebrities traveling -airports, hotel pools, etc.

[elegantlion]

I've met a lot of NASCAR drivers over the years, Mark Martin, Richard Petty, John Andretti, Kyle Petty (I have a great photo of us, looks like we're just hanging out), Carl Edwards, Robby Gordon. 

 

The coolest story was more exciting for exdh. We were on vacation in South Carolina and saw a small model of AJ Foyt's Indy car. Exdh had the same model and started talking to the owner of the shop, a very expensive men's store. The guy went on about that was his car and it took us a moment to realize that he meant the real car AJ drove, not just the model. It was housed at the museum in Indy. Ex got his autograph and put it with his model. 

[kitten18]

Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Saved by the Bell) my dd was in the same preschool class as his son so I saw him a couple times a week that year.

 

One afternoon I was at the grocery store, two kids in tow and kind of frazzled. When I got to the checkout line I realized that I had scooted in right in front of someone. I turned around to say that I didn't mean to cut her off and it was Tracy Gold (Growing Pains). She just smiled and said it was ok.

 

Oprah, when I went to a taping of her show. She would shake hands with everyone in the audience. She said I was pretty. ðŸ˜

 

My dd did a ballet event earlier this year with Katie Holmes' daughter. Katie stayed backstage with Suri and kept a very low profile. I thought that was very cool, she was clearly trying to keep the attention off of herself.

[Kareni]

Not me (once again) but my adult daughter.  She was/is friends with the daughter of Nobel Prize winner Eric Maskin and spent the weekend once at their home.  Their home at the time was the Albert Einstein House.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

I saw the Queen Farah of Iran and King Hussein of Jordan when I was a kid in Iran. It was shortly before the Revolution. We were staying in a hotel and I was only a few feet away from them. I was delighted to see the Queen. I didn't know who King Hussein was. 

 

I've seen Queen Elizabeth from up close, in the front of the row, when she visited here back in the '80s. That was a delight. Prince Philip was there also. 

 

I've been to a few concerts but am not counting that. 

 

I saw Arsenio Hall from fairly close when I went to his show.

 

When I lived in New York, I saw a few. Here are some that I remember:

Woody Harrelson

Wayne Brady

Ann Curry

Samuel L. Jackson

 

And I saw Mary Louise Parker when I went to have electrolysis done. :)   

 

Oh, I've also met John Inman from "Are You Being Served?" and had fun chatting with him. 

 

Also met Dr. Laura. This was years ago, before we had children. I would share the photo, but we can't post celebrity photos. 

Edited October 2, 2017 by Negin

[Sneezyone]

Mostly folks I met/saw in college. Lots of films are shot at USC and celeb sighting when you're out studying in W.Hollywood becomes kinda ho-hum. Keyshawn Johnson, Sanaa Lathan, Eddie Murphy...

[creekland]

There are definitely wide open chasms in my education/knowledge considering I don't know the majority of folks mentioned in this thread (with the exception of politics).

 

My mind is bringing up an episode of The Big Bang Theory where Sheldon and Penny are working with flash cards.  Sheldon is learning to recognize the Kardashians (a really tough task I still can't accomplish) and Penny was learning science things like elements from the Periodic Table (super easy).  I identify with Sheldon, except I've no real desire to learn the things Penny knows.   :lol:   Definitely chasms in my knowledge...