Ever Met a Celebrity at Work?

[Mrs. Charming]

Yep, Tony Hawk.

 

[roscoepc1]

The only one I met at work was John Candy. He came in to buy birthday party supplies. He was one of the sweetest, kindest people I've ever met. I cried like a baby when he died.

In those "young, single and stupid" days, I hung out with a famous-in-Canada Country/rock band called the Good Brothers (8 time Juno award winners, lol). So I knew them very well, plus got to meet lots of other artists etc.

I met Michelle Wright in her alcoholic days (NOT a nice person), John Allen Cameron (kissed his way up my arm, lol), Gordon Lightfoot (very sweet, but terribly scarred on his face), Prairie Oyster members (Johnny P. would whip out about 10 feet of wallet pictures of his kids if you gave him half a chance), Auto Industry mogul Frank Stronach (actually went to a picnic at his estate), and lots more.

I also hung out in a small pub where the members of Glass Tiger would hang out when they were home...the lead singer Alan Frew was an a&&....one of those jerks who dumped his high-school sweetheart wife after he got famous...the rest of the guys in the band were nice...

...also knew Jim Carrey's first wife. She got severely screwed over by him, too.She was a sweetie, so to this day I can't stand Jim Carrey and try not to support his movies if possible.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Yes, it is part of my job.

I have stories, but it isn't really decent to tell them until years pass by.



I can share this story:


It was a few years ago and I was just starting my career in sound. I was asked by our department manager to cover reception on a Saturday. I was happy to do so. We were working on Erin Brockovich. The director was in, food was in, all wasy well with the mixing session; all I had to do was answer the phones and direct and screen any visitors. I had been in entertainment for about six years at this point, so that was easy.

This scruffy guy walks in wearing what looks like a mechanic's uniform. He has keys in his hand and just parked a nice-looking car. He said he was here for the director and named him. I called into the stage and the director was expecting someone and to please send him in. I sent the guy in.

Yeah, it was Brad Pitt meeting the director about a possible upcoming roll. I didn't even offer him coffee or anything, thinking it was the director's car being delivered by his mechanic.

Lesson learned that I still use to this day: Offer coffee to everyone.

 

[GAGirlInVA]

When I worked for a HR company, we ran some big name payrolls various sports teams, adult magzine organizations, etc. Never met any of the stars but boy I saw some doozie paychecks!

I served a bunch of pro golfers, including Tiger. My hometown is where the Master's Golf Tournament is.

My husband had the Globetrotters in his restaurant. They asked to speak to the kitchen manager and when he came out they invited him to sit with them and gave him tickets to their event the next night.

He also met Hershel Walker (sp?) at a food convention. And he set up someone's home phone service. I can't remember his name to save my life (and he's in a conference! LOL)

My SIL's boyfriend's step mom taught (teaches?) Whitney Houston's daughter. (I think that is how the story goes.)

I've met lots of other people though and spotted even more. Lady Antebellum (the guys went to my high school's rival), Dierks, Tracy Byrd, Rascal Flatts, Jimmy Wayne, Trick Pony, Billy Currington, Kenny Chesney, Danielle Peck, Jessica Andrews.

Buddy Jewel is very short/rude with people and the experience left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[pixiewings71]

Tons of musicians. I worked in the music industry for 8 years, for 7 of those I was the assistant to the director of artist relations. I worked with a lot of country music artists and spent a lot of time with a lot of them. Some rock bands as well but as many of those, I was mostly in with the country acts. I was asked not to tell a lot of stories so I don't but I can say that most of the country artists I met were very down to earth and extremely nice people, I have standing invites for a couple of them to go wine tasting next time they are around, I'll be their guide and take them to the best wineries. I also invited a couple to a party I was having, it was my birthday and a bunch of us were going out, I invited some of Dierks Bentley's band (and Dierks) to go hang out, imagine what that would have been like, him going to a club with me on country night....LOL They couldn't go, they were actually leaving that night but that would have been fun. lol

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Yes, it is part of my job.

I have stories, but it isn't really decent to tell them until years pass by.



I can share this story:


It was a few years ago and I was just starting my career in sound. I was asked by our department manager to cover reception on a Saturday. I was happy to do so. We were working on Erin Brockovich. The director was in, food was in, all wasy well with the mixing session; all I had to do was answer the phones and direct and screen any visitors. I had been in entertainment for about six years at this point, so that was easy.

This scruffy guy walks in wearing what looks like a mechanic's uniform. He has keys in his hand and just parked a nice-looking car. He said he was here for the director and named him. I called into the stage and the director was expecting someone and to please send him in. I sent the guy in.

Yeah, it was Brad Pitt meeting the director about a possible upcoming roll. I didn't even offer him coffee or anything, thinking it was the director's car being delivered by his mechanic.

Lesson learned that I still use to this day: Offer coffee to everyone.

Love the story.

It's part of my job as well and celebrities don't phase me. Some are fantastic people and some think they are better than everyone else. I have a few stories but most of them fall under the "code of the road" rule and can't be repeated...

 

[scbelleatheart]

Not at work but while on vacation. A whole week of Sean Connery! Dennis Miller, the original Mr. Clean, Bay City Rollers, Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Anderson, Chesty Morgan and some guy in Vegas that played cards with my husband all night who said he was going to be on Nash Bridges the next week. We figured he was an extra. No, he was the main character. He wanted us to change our airline tickets so my husband could stay and play cards more.
And too many sports figures to count!
We missed Buffett by one day in Ocho.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I've had Mario Andretti (so humble and laid back), Zac and Taylor Hanson (funny), and Amy Roloff (TOTALLY ignorant and rude) on my flights in the past.

 

[lemondog]

Taught at a preschool for several years...a few celebrity kids attented. Mainly the children of famous musicians.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Love the story.

It's part of my job as well and celebrities don't phase me. Some are fantastic people and some think they are better than everyone else. I have a few stories but most of them fall under the "code of the road" rule and can't be repeated...

Exactly. They are just people too. As a general blanket statement, I've found that the top tier people are the best, the ones in the middle can be horrible, and those starting out are terrific! It is sometimes shocking the ones that think they are better than anyone else because it sometimes doesn't fit their acting persona.

My favorites are the old school actors. I wish I could name names but one is my absolute favorite and when they are here, everyone is just happy.

 

[MomofKatie]

I attended the University of Georgia in the mid 80's, when the Athens Inside/Out documentary and music scene was just hitting big. I worked at a downtown Athens ice cream parlor, and served many Athens and Atlanta musicians.

The guys from REM still all lived in Athens then, and they were around town a lot. It was kind of an unwritten rule to leave them alone and treat them like 'regular guys' when they were off the road. We also saw members of the Indigo Girls, Drivin n' Cryin, Pylon, Dreams So Real, and B-52's when they played in town or visited home. It was a neat time to live in Athens!

 

[MyManGoofy!]

I've had Mario Andretti (so humble and laid back), Zac and Taylor Hanson (funny), and Amy Roloff (TOTALLY ignorant and rude) on my flights in the past.

Completely jealous of this!


I used to work at WDW and met a few celebs. Celine Dion, Chili from TLC, Haley Joel Osment, and more sports stars than I can name - mainly cause I never knew who they were until AFTER when someone would tell me who I had just been talking to: Dion Sanders, Vinnie Testeverde (sp?), and someone from the Lakers that I cannot remember but he asked for MY autograph!!

In the 80's my dad owned race cars, so I have also met Richard and Kyle Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin as well as Burt Reynolds and John Schneider.

I cannot say that any of the people I met were anything but nice to me. Well, John Schneider was a little stand offish but not rude.

 

[agnes!]

Yes, it is part of my job.

I have stories, but it isn't really decent to tell them until years pass by.



I can share this story:


It was a few years ago and I was just starting my career in sound. I was asked by our department manager to cover reception on a Saturday. I was happy to do so. We were working on Erin Brockovich. The director was in, food was in, all wasy well with the mixing session; all I had to do was answer the phones and direct and screen any visitors. I had been in entertainment for about six years at this point, so that was easy.

This scruffy guy walks in wearing what looks like a mechanic's uniform. He has keys in his hand and just parked a nice-looking car. He said he was here for the director and named him. I called into the stage and the director was expecting someone and to please send him in. I sent the guy in.

Yeah, it was Brad Pitt meeting the director about a possible upcoming roll. I didn't even offer him coffee or anything, thinking it was the director's car being delivered by his mechanic.

Lesson learned that I still use to this day: Offer coffee to everyone.

The reverse of that is always be nice to the receptionist - you never know who she's related to.

agnes!
PS - Good point about the coffee (and thanks to your story I will if in a similar situation), but you were perfectly pleasant and weren't rude. He seems to want to be treated like an average person.

 

[Talking Hands]

Used to work with one of the guys from Iko Iko years ago. Met many celebs outside of work. Met Jester Hairston (Rolle) from TV, Nestor Torres (flutist), Jim Nabors from Andy Griffith Show, Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Reagan and Bush, Jeb Bush, Claudia Clawson (Christian singer), the group Mercy Me are a few.

 

[scrapquitler]

When I was doing my student teaching, my mentor teacher had arranged for our class (inner city 5th graders) to participate in a two week camping program at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. One of the nights, Paul Newman came in to meet the kids, so I met him that night.

 

[Loves Disney]

As a CM, I've met a fair share of celebrities. When I used to work in the parks (I've since moved back up to New England), I can say I met at least 30 celebrities within a few months time. It also helped that I was working at a pretty well-known ride.

My favorite story from my experience down there is probably when I unknowingly had about a 10 minute conversation with Tom Hamilton (bassist from Aerosmith for those who don't know who he is). As a huge fan of the band, it's probably a good thing I didn't realize whom I was speaking with since I most likely would have been speechless and/or incoherent. Anyway, I was working a position that handles the guests who enter through the alternate entrance (primarily for wheelchair/handicap guests but also VIP guests). The VIP escort left Tom Hamilton so that she could meet him at the end. He was preparing to enter the ride with his wife? Daughter? lol. I like striking conversations with guests so I began with "So where are you guys from?" And the woman answered "We're from Boston." With me being from MA (and living not too far from the city) I used it as a leverage to continue conversation. I began talking about how cold it was up here at the time and went on and on about the weather. The three of us talked until it came time for him to get into the ride. After he left, another CM (a friend) came over to me and asked me if I realized whom I just talked with for all that time. My jaw dropped when I found out! Tom Hamilton had dyed his hair and was wearing sunglasses. He looked like a rocker but when you work in Disney, you see all sorts of dress styles. Without the VIP escort in view, it hadn't crossed my mind that he was a celebrity guest. I had a 10 minute long conversation about the weather in Boston with a member of Aerosmith.

 

[tvguy]

Working in broadcasting it's a daily thing.

Same here, well, not daily, but frequent. George Foreman. Dean Cain. Cruella Deville. Mickey Mouse. Minnie Mouse. Alison Arngrim. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Dr. Joyce Brothers........and going back in my career, Raymond Burr, Bob Hope, Tina Cole, Jay Leno,Juliet Prowse .

 

[Revulkcor]

I was at the candy store in Magic Kingdom in Orlando with my ex boyfriend a few years ago and I turned around to find Shaq standing behind me in line with his kids and wife, must say... me being 5'4", it kind of startled me at first. He bought a whole bouqet of balloons (I think that's what you call it?) and gave them to his kids to let them go on main street... lol

Danny Davis is my cousin. He's a professional snowboarder with Shaun White.

 

[Robinrs]

Love the story.

It's part of my job as well and celebrities don't phase me. Some are fantastic people and some think they are better than everyone else. I have a few stories but most of them fall under the "code of the road" rule and can't be repeated...

I agree. I've found that the BIGGER the star, the kinder they are. The fly by night ones are so full of themselves it's sickening. The ones who've been stars for decades realize that their fans are bigger than they are and they'd BETTER be nice to them.

I remember one time Elton John was coming up to the station and we were told NOT to bother him. Yeah, right. Well, he and his boyfriend walked past my office and I was AMAZED that they were about MY HEIGHT... and I'm SHORT!!!

We all stood next to each to find out who was the tallest and got to laughing like school children. "you're taller, no YOU'RE taller!" Note: I am 4feet 11" tall and those two guys were about MY height. HySTERical!

When I read (especially on this board) how much they HATE celebrities, I shake my head. They are just PEOPLE, with public jobs. Most of the time they are thrown into a world that they have no control over. Their PR people run how they're "seen". Also, putting them all in one group is a form of hypocrisy, because not one is like the other, like all of us.

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

I can't get into specifics due to confidentiality agreements but I have assisted some senators and NHL hockey players over the telephone before. I work for American Express so we are not allowed to say specifically who we've helped though Im itching to share LOL.

I know this isnt work per say but my mother went to University with Martin Short and he helped produced ALOT of her psychology class videos