Wow, some of you have had some very close brushes with celebrity!

Mine is nowhere near as impressive, but I was on a cruise with Donny Osmond and his wife back in the early 90s. He was politely gracious whenever other passengers stopped him for photos and autographs, but it was clear that the couple would have preferred to be left alone.

I also had a beer with Barry Corbin, who played Maurice Minnifield on "Northern Exposure." He hung out at a local sports bar that DH and I frequented from time to time. He usually sat in the same booth, sometimes with friends but often by himself, playing electronic triva.

Very nice of Donny. I heard a someone on Antiques Roadshow tell how she had gotten her Elvis autograph- she saw him asleep on her plane and her husband WOKE HIM UP and asked for it. She said he was very nice! How gracious of Elvis, and how rude of her!

AuntJen, Donny Osmond is one of the most wonderful human beings. He helped me make a dying child's wish come true when no one else would step up. He didn't do it for publicity because there was none. He did it because he is a very special person.

I guess I am jaded because I lived in celebrity land, but I will always put Donny on top of my list of celebrities I've met and it's too long of a list.

My husband races sports cars. At Sebring (about 1971?) we were pitted next to Paul Newman. Joann Woodword showed me what she was knitting. Also racing in that year's 12 hour race were Steve McQeen and James Garner.

We use to go to a popular local restaurant that was frequented by many celebs....Saw Burt Reymolds, often. He married our usual waitress.

ML

Pretty sure I saw Richard Chamberlain at a little diner north of Boston a couple of summers ago. The LI3 (least important 3) of Aerosmith used to come to my parents' store a lot in the 70s. Steve McQueen hit on my mom at a gas station!

Now, that is pretty impression being hit on by Steve McQueen. Something you would never forget.

sat next to Shawn ?? from Boyz to Men on an airplane - at the height of their popularity. Had no idea who he was, but the flight attendants were falling all over him, and some of the passengers were all atwitter about him. When I got home, I had to ask my son who he was.

Have good friends who live in Santa Barbara-I visit often- so lots of star spotting there. Kind of wasted on me since I am not a movie person, nor star aware...but we ate sushi next to Rob Lowe, had breakfast next to Harrison Ford, shopped along side Kenny Loggins...I didn't know who any of them were until my friend discretely pointed them out.

I got an autograph from John Oates from Hall and Oates after a concert once in Phoenix. He was very friendly and patient, signing for autographs and posing for pictures.

I didn't talk to them, but I was a the same hotel as Van Halen in Hollywood, Florida. I sat in the same bar as David Lee Roth all evening. I saw Eddie and Alex Van Halen arrive in limos and go to their rooms. Eddie lifted up his glass and said cheers to all the fans watching as he headed up the stairs.

I also went to a book signing for Dave Mustaine of Megadeth in Arizona. He took a little time to speak with everyone who came. He was nice and friendly and his pictures don't do him justice. He looked younger in person.

Great stories......it took me three days to remember these and who knows what I forgot. I never have great antique finds or a really old house to share but here are some of my celeb sightings. If this is too long to read, sorry about that. My favorite is the last one.

When I was in jr high my sister and I saw Dick Clark in an airport, we actually approached him and got an autograph. We were so nervous and yet THRILLED.

The night I graduated from college in southern Oregon, Dizzy Gillespie and band came into the restaurant we were eating at, my dad was so excited to meet him and we got invited to a pickup jam session at a bar down the road - fun and memorable even though it was 1974 and hardly my type of music at the time.

Paul Anka was practicing (putting) on putting green at our golf club where one of the restaurants has tables that look right on it. My dad who was very good looking had popped into town (in the 90’s) - he loved music was enjoying the moment of seeing him and then Paul winked at me - we laughed no knowing if we looked like father daughter or old guy and younger girl.

A quite pregnant Gwyneth Paltrow, Apple, and her husband and one of the guys from Cold Play (I forget his name) were in the REI store maybe 4 years go (how old is her son now?). I noticed them shopping on both floors where I happened to be with DS3 who was in college. I hadn’t mentioned it to DS as I didn’t realize her husband was there and didn’t figure he cared that much about her, when we got in line - it was long and slow - DS had the OMG moment when her husband and bandmate got right behind us. DS said he had wanted to tell them how much he enjoyed their music but he wasn’t absolutely sure the other guy was in the band (until we got home and check photos) and he didn’t want to be rude by not acknowledging them both if both were in Cold Play. I have heard she has friends in the area.

John Lithgow used to be at volleyball tournaments to watch a nephew when DS1 played club during High School off season. Tall and very pleasant.

Summer of 1987 we were at Red Robin with our 3 boys then 5, 2.5 and 6 mos. and they seated us next to Richard Dreyfuss and his son that looked about 5. Fortunately our 6mo old had a good time snoozing and didn’t make a scene.

A few years ago I saw Chubby Checkers at a Longs Drugs (like a Walgreens)- he was hawking his own line of jerky, who knew?? He was very friendly and chatty and store employees took your picture with him. Only weird thing was he had a giant cold sore on his mouth but a great smile anyway. It was random, I was picking up a prescription.

Jonathon Taylor Thomas (Tool Time kid) played soccer against DS1 in grade school and jr high. Yep, he was very smallish but a nice kid.

In my 20s, I lived in Portland Oregon and a guy I dated was good friends with the Everly Brothers who both lived up there at the time. We would go listen to them jam, there was another musician from that era that was always there also but it is escaping me, guess I liked the EBs best.

Kristin Davis (Sex in the City) came into the salon where I was waiting a couple of years ago. She is very pretty, very, very short and tiny on top and not so much below, all the way to the ankles. After I saw her, I watched the show (as it is always on some channel). They really did a great job dressing her to show her small upper body and waist, they rarely ever gave her a full body shot-you hardly ever see her below the waist.

Al Gore and Deepak Chopra were having lunch at the same place we saw Paul Anka but only about a year and a half ago, Deepak is there a lot and is very nice, DS3 told him once how he liked his books and DC wrote a lovely note to him and had the locker room attendant put the note and 4-5 books in DH’s locker to give to DS. Re: Al Gore - they were two tables over from my girlfriend and I. They finished and went down to put, Al was way bigger and way shorter than I would have imagined. Tipper must be very very short. As it happens, the two were playing golf directly behind my friend’s husband so he and his group saw him play, and apparently golf was not his calling. Scary bad golfer.

I was walking out of the closing night of Waiting for Godot (the play in NYC) a couple years ago and Harrison Ford was a couple of people over………he graciously waved once to the crown of theatre goers as he ran across the street and disappeared in the night.

Ike Turner lived around here and I was getting my car washed one morning and he was waiting for his big ‘ol caddy that was ahead of mine. All I could think of was how rotten he was to Tina. I should have had Team Tina t-shirt. He actually seemed ok, nicely dressed up.
There was a little market store near here that is no longer there but in from the 50s to the mid-90s they were famous for their homemade cookies and also as the quick mart for hotel guests nearby. I was behind Sidney Poitier once when we were both buying cookies and DH was in line with Liz Taylor doing the same.

John Stossel was leaning against the Fox building a couple of weeks ago when I was in NYC, he was talking on a cell phone and had a big back pack - DS1 was with me and he said he had seen Jim Cramer (CNBC) the day before, also with a big black back pack - so apparently that is what the big guys carry.

Again, in NYC a couple of years ago, I was walking out an apt bldg in midtown and Carrie Preston (Tru Blood) and Michael Emerson (Lost) were walking toward me and turned into the bldg next door. I have read they maintain an apt in NY, I think I know where.

DH and I were in Hawaii around the time Superman with Gene Hackman came out - we spent the afternoon at the beach right next to him and his wife and twin teenage daughters - we did not say anything.

DS3 was the only one in the weight room with Tiger Woods (when we all liked him). Tiger was very intense and never gave any eye contact even when they were facing the same mirror - he war earphones and stayed on task. Probably 4-5 years ago. This DS also was in the gym with Serena Williams. He called me and left me a message that I kept for a long time: ”Mom, I am here at the gym with Serena Williams, of Venus and Serena Williams, and let’s just say ‘she’s a pretty big girl’.

I have seen Tony Hawk (Skate boarder) and Shaun White (snowboarder - the flying tomato) around here, TH lives here and SW grew up here. Quite a few musicians live around here as well. I was in a local men’s store before Christmas and they told me John Travolta had just been in the store and it was not the first time.

My favorite: In 1986, the World’s Fair was in Vancouver Canada. We lived in Portland at the time and I rented a RV and our 2 boys and DH and I were going to go and my father and his longtime companion, Joan, who was from England were coming up to go with us. Well, DH bailed but we went anyway and we were driving around Vancouver and saw all these people lined up 4 or 5 deep. We asked what was going on and they were all waiting for Prince Charles and Diana to come through on their way to some opening. Dad knew the town well enough to know where the motorcade would have to be coming from so he got us there and we parked on this isolated totally empty lot.. Joan got out of the RV with DS1 who was three and walked to the far corner, I then emerged to with DS2. There were no cars to be seen, moving or parked and no other people - and suddenly the motorcade was there. The windows of the limo were down and it was moving so slowly. Diana was looking my way (I was the only person around (Joan was half a block beyond me) but seated on the other side of the backseat, so I decided I better get a good look at Charles who was closer and he put his hand out, looked me in the eye and said “Good Day!” - as the motorcade slowly went down this empty street. He waived at Joan and DS1 as well, we loved it! Diana had her boys within days of our first two. It was very exciting but Dad was still in the rig and missed it all.

OMG - I can't believe how long this is.....hope it is entertaining......

I grew up in one of the outer boroughs of NYC and spent a lot of time in NYC when I was younger. I was sitting next to Julia Roberts when Cabaret first opened on Broadway in the late 90's. Uma Thurman was seated at the table next to us in a Chinese Restaurant in Greenwich Village also in the late 90's. They were both strikingly beautiful in person. I saw Rob Thomas in the airport on my honeymoon. Julianna Margulies in Central Park. Michael J. Fox and Heather Locklear after a taping of Spin City. And as usual, being a New Yorker, I didn't approach any of them, except Michael J. Fox because my sister and I were invited to his dressing room by a friend I knew who worked on the set.

Yours and others, are Highly entertaining, luv r golden!

I'm equally impressed that you recognize so many people I have never heard of either.

"Yours and others, are Highly entertaining, lv r golden!"
I agree 100 per cent! (and I was glad to hear John Lithgow was nice- he's a favorite of mine).

Also, another one- my son saw Luke Wilson in a restaurant in LA a few days ago.

I held a door in London at a play for someone, who turned out to be Alan Rickman. He was just an ordinary guy in ordinary clothes doing an ordinary thing. Kinda weird to see him in that context.

Colonel Saunders said "hello, dear children" to my brother and sister and I; I would guess the year was 1966 or so. And yes, that would be my last official celebrity sighting :)

I forgot that I also met Chubby Checker! He was a patient in the hospital where I worked and it was my job to take flowers and send best wishes from the hospital president. I said I loved the Twist and he said " we had a lot of fun with that."

I also saw Hilary Clinton at the Harvard Club in NYC. Too long a story for here, but I had no idea that she was there and kind of gasped when she walked through the door. She got to have the ladies room all to herself! She's little with sparkly blue eyes.

A year ago some friends and I went to NYC and stayed in the Bryant Park Hotel. We rode the elevator down with Tatum O'neil. I wouldn't have recognized her but my friend did and flat out asked her if she was Tatum O. We asked for her autograph and she seemed surprised that we wanted it.She was just on GMA.

Another time my friend and I were having lunch and in walked Robert Duvall and his wife. He had owned the restaurant at one time.

I'm betting we have gone to the same gym(s), luv : ) Was it near Portland, OR? If so, we've seen several world champion runners and some famous coaches there, as well as stars from other sports. Never a dull moment in those gyms.

Oh, and denali, you're not alone -- many people don't recognize Tatum O'Neal at first...have you read this story?

Here is a link that might be useful: It's so sick. His own words.

Fly, We may have been to the same gyms but not lately. We lived in PDX for several years, our 3 boys were born there and we belonged to the YMCA at the end of Broadway when it opened in the 70s (before kids) and later we belonged to a gym in Beaverton that was right in the middle of things - at the time it was called Griffith Park Athletic or something like that. It was near Nike at the time and that gym did get memorable people in it.

We now live in north San Diego County (since 87) - so the gym "sightings" were near home.

Everyone's "sightings" are great - fun to read!

OT - Has anyone caught the new reality show - The O'Neil's - Tatum & Ryan (I think that's the title)? I found it very sad that these two are capitalizing on a very dysfunctional parent/child relationship.

I was channel surfing last week and happened upon the show. It is being broadcast on the OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) on Sunday nites in our area. I don't think I will be tuning in to watch any further episodes as it left me with such disgust at the prospect of these two allowing cameras capture their supposed familial reconnection. Is there any celebrity who isn't ready and willing to make a buck from allowing cameras capture/manufacture their drama? Sorry to side track, but the mention of Tatum O'Neil made me think of catching the first episode of their new series. Also, I thought that OW was trying to stay above this type of programming on her network, but apparently I thought wrong.

Sorry to sidetrack - carry on with the sightings, they are fun to read!

Fly, thanks for the article When I saw her she did not have on any makeup and her hair was pulled back in a pony tail. She wasn'dressed up at all. Just an ordinary looking person.

work in progress, I agree with you about the O'Neil's . Those two seem to have quite a strange relationship and I can't believe they would want all that to be public! I didn't see this show, but I saw him somewhere else and he was saying that he believes Tatum partially caused Farah Fawcett's cancer because she created so much stress in their (Ryan and Farahs's)relationship. I thought that was kind of off the wall!

I saw Bruce Willis on 405 freeway in LA, in a convertible, with a pretty blond girl. That was years ago.

Also saw Will Smith in Vancouver, BC while we were on vacation. At first, I was wondering what was the commotion about, then I got closer and saw him surrounded by fans.

We saw NBA players Charles Barkley and Derek Fisher at the Atlantis Resort few years back. They were having some basketball thingie going on at that time. But I saw Barkley in the casino playing cards.

I rode the elevator with Yoko Ono at the St. Mark Hotel in SF. She is teeny tiny. I was pretty sure it was her -the newspaper had reported that she and Sean were househunting in SF after John's death. She was with two or three big, burly bodyguards. Trying to ascertain if it was indeed Yoko Ono, I was looking closely at all of them and then noticed one of the bodyguards carrying a gorgeous, soft leather bag, black, with little gold letters on it, Y.O. -I nearly gasped! I caught the eye of one of the co-workers I was with -we were both incredulous. After we exited the elevator, we turned to each other in excitement, and the poor 3rd co-worker with us, said, "What? Yoko Ono? Where?" He had missed the whole thing!

Once here in Houston I went out for dinner with girlfriends. As the waitress brought our check, she asked, "Wasn't that neat? You had dinner right beside Goldie Hawn!" -who it turned out had just left... ooops.... we missed it....

On my wedding day, at a lovely hotel in Sausalito, my mom and I were in a lovely room just off the lobby, making sure everything was ready for the reception. We walked out to the lobby at one point, and there was Bill Murray, who was one of my favorite comedians at the time. I was thrilled to see him, especially because that was my last name at the time too, and it was my wedding day -well, it was just exciting all around! Nobody else seemed to be noticing him, so I cautiously approached him, then asked, "You're Bill Murray, right??!" After he acknowledged that he was, I gushed a bit, "Well, I'm so excited to see you here! I just love your work, and it's my wedding day, and my last name is also Murray!" He looked at me without batting an eye, let the silence sit for an uncomfortable few beats, and then asked. "Are you done?" Ohmygod, I could have just shrunk away... I kind of stammered, "Uh, yeah, I just thought... uh.... " then thought for a minute he was trying to be funny, but nooooo, he was just being awful....

bestyears, how rude of him; if he wanted to be left alone, he could have just said, "have a nice day" and walked away......... at least that's polite.

I know, right? And I mean, c'mon, it was my wedding day, isn't that kind of a universal 'hey, congratulations!" kind of day?

Crossing Bill Murray off my list....

Me too. What a jerk.

I've always read that he is a jerk.

Bad behavior Bill Murray - what a jerk!

I've heard John Mayer and Russell Crowe are also jerks.

I too have heard Bill Murray is a Not Nice person IRL.

Here are my few celebrity sightings:

I was driving around South Beach with a girlfriend in the early 80s and Walter Matthau pulled up next to us. He was being driven, and once we recognized him he actually waved and smiled when he noticed our excited reaction.

Sometime around 1980 I went to a club in Miami to hear Split Enz, and the lead singer tried to pick me up, asking if I wanted to come by their hotel after the show. I turned him down.

I sat next to Dave Barry and his son at a mall fast food chicken restaurant about 15 years ago. That isn't really too amazing though, as he does live in Miami. I made a comment to him as we left, attempting a joke about one of his recent columns. I don't think he got it :/.

My most impressive celebrity encounter was with Al Gore. My husband volunteers for the National Park Service down here and at that time was primarily doing underwater archaeology. Gore was VP and he and his son came down on a private visit. Al Jr. was in his early teens at the time, and he wanted to go diving. So the park superintendent asked if Terry would take them out for the day. I immediately became a volunteer too, so I could go along!

So we spent the day with them. Believe it or not, there were actually Secret Service agents who stayed underwater on scuba whenever he or his son were diving. Al Gore has the public reputation of being stiff, wooden and somewhat of a know it all. And guess what? He is like that all the time :). I have always joked that if I ever meet him again I can say in all honesty "Hi, I didn't recognize you with your clothes on".

His son was a nice kid, I know that he had lots of problems later with drugs and alcohol, which is a shame.

Re my post, I guess everyone knows Mayer and Crowe are jerks!

Tom Hanks and Johnny Depp are supposed to be down to earth and nice.

Runninginplace, I'm glad to hear Walter Matthau was friendly. Funny about Al Gore!

running, my jaw just dropped. Do you mean T.F., the lead of Split Enz through most of their history? OR DO YOU MEAN N.F.??? From the date, I'm thinking T.F. but still wow, wow, wow.

I will be completely obsessively checking this thread for your reply.

If it were N.F. I'd have said something different : )

I live in LA, I work in show biz, and I think almost no one understand how often celebs get their thoughts/days/activities interrupted by casual strangers. I don't excuse jerks, but I've met Bill Murray, and he's a nice enough guy. Maybe you got him on a bad day. Maybe you were so excited you didn't notice that he wasn't in the mood.
But these people can't go to the market without cameras clicking--it gets old, trust me.
Best encounter I ever had--Keith Richards at Musso and Franks. The bartender told me he's their favorite customer, because he laughs at everyone's jokes and tips big.

oh running...are you there?

I went to high school with Johnny Depp and my husband with Jeff Bezos, so before they were celebs. Does that count?

covingtoncat, I would say yes, it counts. Do you remember anything about Johnny?

When I lived in Detroit I saw Soupy Sales in the parking lot of Childrens Hospital. I was so excited I threw a coconut cream pie in his face just for fun. He seemed to love that sort of thing on his show but IRL it wasn't like that. Celebrity's aren't like us real people. That nut jumped me in the parking lot and tried to strangle me, but luckily White Fang and Black Tooth came to my resue. (lol!)

Actually, my mom did see SS in the parking lot but I wasn't along.

.....Jane

covington, any further elucidation would be most gladly received for many of us, I suspect :)

Flyleft, yep, that's my almost-groupie connection guy :). It was an interesting evening; I really didn't know much about Split Enz and had gone with a friend who was a BIG fan. I remember she kept shaking her head that I'd said no thanks!

Ann

Well...I can agree with your friend...and I'm sure they didn't get turned down much back in their homeland, no matter what weird costumes and makeup they wore : ) But which one was it,
running--TF or NF???

Husband & I saw Magic Johnson at a little airport once. He was very friendly. Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick lives in near our town, so I have seen him out and about.

My oldest daughter and I once flew on the same airplane as Ella Fitzgerald. She was being helped on the plane and we had early boarding (young child). My daughter, who was 2 at the time, did a little jig in the aisle and Ella laughed. She said, "ooh, look at that child's legs." I love the story, my daughter- not so much.

Back then he was just John Depp, and left school after our Jr. year, IIRC. When he broke into the big time after 21 Jump Street became so popular, I looked through all my HS yearbooks and he never had his class picture taken. Odd, no? He was in a few of the candid shots, but never the formal photo. I did not really know him, but knew "of" him. From what I remember, he was a nice boy, quiet and never very far from his guitar. Also I remember thinking that he was not tall (I was 5'9"). I was very sheltered/ignorant in those days (think Brady Bunch), and thought everyone had a similar life situation. My memories of him are very vague, but positive.

I forgot about pro athletes - they're in the celebrity category.

I've met 4 Philadelphia Flyers ice hockey players who lived in my town- Mark Recci, Mark Howe, Bobby Clarke, John Vanbiesbrouck and Eric Lindros (who didn't).

Eagles- Donovan McNabb renting movies, Randall Cunningham, Jon Runyan and sad to admit Terell Owens- they all lived here. T.O. overpaid for his house and after he was traded it sat empty for 2 years and he finally sold at a big loss.

I met Franco Harris at a fund raiser in Pittsburgh.

Phillies - there were a couple but the only one I remember was Mitch Williams (Wild Thing) buying produce at the local Acme. I remember staring at his biceps - they were huge.

I rode in an elevator with a couple of the 76's basketball players years ago - but I have no clue who they were.

Sorry, Fly, yes it was Tim!

Ah, thanks--I figured, given the date, but just wanted to confirm that you hadn't done something that would have *completely* baffled me : )

These stories are fun to read. We have had a few brief encounters, such as being in an elevator with Paul Shafer (from David Letterman show) and having Steve Martin ride past us on his bike in NYC. Also, Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin filmed part of the movie "Housesitters" (I think that's the title) in my office lobby, so I watched them work for a while one day.

A couple of summers ago, we were in the Los Feliz area of LA for about an hour, and during that time we had lunch in a diner a few tables away from Sean Hayes (from 'Will & Grace'), saw "Janice" from "Friends" in a store, and ran into Ryan Adams (we are big fans of his music and had just seen him in concert a month earlier... please note I'm talking about Ryan Adams, not Brian Adams!) in Starbucks. My DS (who actually went to the concert with us) was waiting for the men's room and Ryan came out and handed him the key -- DS spoke to him for a couple of minutes, telling him that he had seen him in concert, etc. Ryan was friendly and nice. I was jumping up and down like a fool in front of the Starbucks, waiting for him to come out so I could say something, and he probably saw me -- he went out the back door!

In Feb. this year, Mary Louise Parker was at our hotel in Nevis with her kids and nanny. They were at the pool at the same time as us for several days, and had breakfast at the next table one morning. I was completely obsessed with her the whole time she was there. I'm sure she noticed me, but I was too shy to speak to her!

xantippe's story about Alan Rickman keeps coming back to me...I wonder what I'd say if I saw him--I've seen him in many roles, but unfortunately he will always come up first as Snape in my visual memory from now on...maybe something like our family's favorite line, "Don't---LIE to me, Potter!" (no, I would *want* to say it, but wouldn't).

Like the stories about poor Hermione at my alma mater this past year -- when she'd answer a question correctly, someone would shout out "Five points for Gryffendor!" which makes me laugh just typing it! I'd probably want to say it but wouldn't. The poor (rich) thing evidently felt harrassed there, though...

argh -- Gryff*i*ndor...

Five points from Ravenclaw : (