While we might sometimes think of them as this strange other breed, celebrities do still walk among us. Some usedisguises, others are just out there, buying milk and coffee. Because, at the end of the day, you can be a massive superstar and an “average citizen” still might not recognize you.
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For a few years, I worked at Goorin Brothers in North Beach (in San Francisco) and one day this guy came in with a bunch of his friends. They were obviously a bit toasted from drinks they were having in the neighborhood but all very friendly, funny guys.They kept calling one gentleman “Geri” and I immediately hit it off with Geri. He was telling me about how he recently went surfing in Half Moon Bay and simply loved the Bay Area. As a lifelong Bay Area native, I appreciated his enthusiasm and encouraged him to move here, telling him he would absolutely love it, even if he just got a small apartment, despite the rising rent costs in the Bay Area. We really did get along very swimmingly, as me and my co-worker helped him & his friends to pick out some hats.At one point, he stepped outside.My co-worker asked: “Um, you know who that is right?”I replied: “uh…no?”Co-worker: “That’s Gerard Butler.”Me: “Um…I’m not sure who that is.”Co-worker: “Have you ever seen 300?”Me: “….wait. The lead guy?”Co-worker: “Yes!”Me: “But…that guy has black hair in that movie…”Co-worker: “Oh my GOD he’s an actor and he dyed his hair!”Me: “….oh.”So when he came back, with this knowledge, I still tried to be courteous to him and it seemed to be to a benefit because he later invited both of us to a screening of his new movie in downtown SF. My co-worker couldn’t make it so I took my boyfriend at the time to the theater.Well, as we walked up, security intensely walked over to us and said “excuse me, what are you here for?” and before I could finish, I heard someone go “MOOOONIIIIIIQUUUEEE!”It was Gerard Butler. He came running up to me at full speed, picked me up and twirled me around with a full hug. The look of defeat on my boyfriends face is a look I will never forget.Anyway, he was happy to see me and lead us into the theater where he announced his new film “Machine Gun Preacher.”He was a very friendly guy and this is one of my favorite stories. I hope you are doing well today, Geri!
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I was working at Blockbuster, and a guy came in wearing a long trench coat and acting kind of shady. Head down, grabbing a bunch of Blu-Rays, etc. I kept watching him in the mirror because I thought he may be trying to steal them. He gets to the counter with a stack of LOTR movies. I knew he looked familiar, but I didn’t get it until he handed me his credit card… It was Viggo Mortensen. I know he doesn’t like a big fuss made, so I did the opposite and acted like I had no clue. He was on the swim team with my dad in high school, looking back I wish I had mentioned that! My mom saw him getting groceries for his mother once too. Seems like a nice guy, was very quiet and polite!
I was about 8 years old with my family in a canteen at the BBC head quarters, as I was passing, an older lady asked me to return her empty tray for her. When I got back to my table, having returned the tray, my mum was very excited as the older lady was none other than Dame Judy Dench.Me….. completely oblivious!
My brother once was in a restaurant, making small talk with a guy sitting at the bar. Toward the end of their conversation the bartender comes up to the guy and politely asks if he could get an autograph. My brother says, “What, you think you’re famous or something?“The dude laughs and says yeah and leaves. He found out from the bartender it was David Byrne of the Talking Heads.
I colleague took me to lunch at a private club in Hong Kong in early 1995. As he was settling the bill I started walking out the door to his car. A friendly-looking guy walked past me, smiled and asked me how I was. I smiled and said “Fine, and you?” He said “Good, thanks” and walked into the club. My colleague, having watched the exchange, rushed up and excitedly asked what was said. I told him and he smiled and told me that it was Jackie Chan. I had seen a couple of his movies, but he wasn’t the international star that he is today. Still, I thought he was friendly and polite.
In the eighties, my old man had a fight with mum and f****d off for the night. Anyhoo, he goes to Fremantle and ends up getting drunk with some long red haired male with a bandanna and some security detail. Doesn’t think much of it.About 5 years ago, he sees a Guns n Roses filmclip (November Rain) and proceeds to tell me he got drunk with that guy. So, it was only Axel Rose. If only my brother knew!
I was working at Gap in London in the late 90’s. A gorgeous brunette came in and had a browse. She looked very familiar to me, but I wasn’t sure exactly who she was. She eventually chose a few thing and came up to the counter to pay. The name on her credit card was Angelina Jolie. She was so friendly, nice and stunning close up!
I moved from Canada to London in 2004 and worked for a while in one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant. One night, David Beckham came in and he entered through the kitchen not to cause havoc… knowing nothing about soccer, I had no idea who he was. I only learned later who he was when my flatmates couldn’t believe I didn’t know of him.
Not me but my dad - before Bruce Willis was famous, he used to bartend in Wildwood, NJ. My parents went to the bar where he worked all the time and said he was super nice.
My job sent me to E3. Lots of b-list celebs, video game actors, that kind of thing. I’m in the bathroom and the sink is really nice, pretty sure it’s some kind of real polished stone, not synthetic. I put my hand under the faucet and as it turns on and I’m really digging the whole design I go “wow, this is so cool”. The guy next to me says “yeah, It’s really me”.I still don’t know who he was.
2004 or so, waiting in line at LAX, taking forever. Got bored, checked out the tiny bald chick in front of me. Poor girl, is it cancer maybe? She looked underweight. So I imagined what she’d look like with hair… and it hit me: Natalie Portman.
Went to pick up season tickets for work for the Arizona Cardinals, at the office at the training facility. Met 3 huge dudes in the parking lot, all getting into black SUVs. They stopped me, and asked who my favorite Cardinal was. I, being the awkward genius that I am, just stuttered and said “idk I’m an Eagles fan, these are not for me”. Got in the car and went OH F**K ME THEY WERE PLAYERS. Still haunts me to this day around 5 years later.
Friend of mine (for 50 years since we were 11) is very successful in his field but a bit otherworldly shall we say - he is a scientist and engineer, spends most of his time out of the UK in strange places and is not really aware of modern culture. Anyway, he gets invited to a big dinner event and thinks ‘what the hell I’ll go’. So he walks in, sits at his seat between a couple of guys and starts talking to the guy on his right. He is aware that the guy on his left is getting a lot of attention but is having a good time. When everyone settles down as the food arrives he thinks he had better be polite, so he turns to the black guy on his left and says Hi I’m Paul114ks-mate, and guy gives him a big smile and says ‘Hi I’m Will Smith’, and my mate says oh hi, what do you do??.He had no idea.
When I was in Australia, I met/had a photo taken with Margot Robbie (from Wolf of Wall Street). She used to be in an Australian soap opera called Neighbours. I had no idea who she was at the time, just wanted a photo with her because she was gorgeous. Four years later I saw the film and still didn’t realise. It was only when I saw her on the front cover of a magazine with the title ‘formerly from Neighbours’ did it click.
I already posted here once but this one was kinda cool of my dad though. I was technically there, just sorta, uh, in development. Anyway my dad was at an alumni event with the family at his old frat. Purdue university’s phi delta theta. (Some of you already know where this is going). He was talking to a buddy of his while my mom was with my older sister, talking to another wife. Eventually my dad turns around, and thinks for a second and he realizes that isnt just any old wife, thats Mrs. Armstrong, Neil Armstrong’s wife. Taken aback for a moment, until Neil Armstrong himself walks up and starts speaking with my mother too. My dad instantly comes up and asks for some pictures with them all. Thats pretty cool to me.
I was at a training a few years ago and sat in a small session with a guy that seemed familiar. I thought maybe we had just been to trainings together before. We reached the door at the same time and were chatting when I happened to glance at his name tag and realize…my husband had just bought this guy’s latest album. It was Todd Pipes, who was the lead singer for Deep Blue Something (“Breakfast at Tiffany’s”).
Yup. I spent about 20 minutes talking to Sean Penn when he was filming a movie in my home town. He was hanging out, waiting for his part to be filmed and was in the alley across the street. I only found out who he was when I saw the movie.
Does pre-famous count?Got to have lunch with Weezer a week before the blue album dropped.
I was front desk manager at a hotel years back, and I came to the desk while a guest was getting checked in. When we locked eyes I immediately felt a recognition, but it didn’t register how I knew this person, just that I knew them, so I said “Oh hey! How’s it going?” Super happy and all friendly, like we were friends. This guest looked at me kinda confused, said “Hey, goood?” and I just kept walking. Immediately after, I was trying my hardest to remember who this person was and how I knew them.At the time I was on a 30 Rock binge for the second or third time in a year and turns out it was Michael Sheen. I didn’t realize it was him until I looked up his reservation, but I legit was thinking in my brain at the time “Oh look, here’s my friend. Suuuuup” He spent the rest of his two week stay looking at me funny. I was hoping he’d come talk to me so I could save a bit of face, but clearly he felt it was best to keep his distance.
The rock was at my school filming something once. This was back before he was bald and humongous. I didn’t know it was him but everyone was saying how the “pebble” was here at the school. Apparently he wasn’t as big as everyone imagined.
Not me but somebody I know once spent an evening in a pub watching football and chatting with this guy. When the guy left he bought them a bottle of champagne. The barman came over handed them the bottle and said this is from Sean Bean. They didnt realise it was him the whole night, but said he was really down to earth.
The first time I met Danny Glover, I didn’t know it was him. My uncle owns a gas station that I use to work at, and any time Mr. Glover was on town, he would come in (he later told my mom that ours was the only station he would come to when he was in town). That first time, he was in a hurry and accidentally bumped into my mom. He said his apologies and went off to pump his gas that he prepaid. My cousin, who was working at the time, was the one who told us who it was.
Not me, but my friend Chuck (though I was there).The week after we finished some Army training in Texas, and both heading to the east coast, we decided to stop off in my hometown for some stress relief—my hometown has a legendary party scene associated with a major university campus.As we were walking out of the bar toward our car, two young men, one of whom was considerably taller than my 6’6”, were getting into the vehicle next to ours. I recognized him as an accomplished athlete who I had seen around the quad when I attended the school and whose abilities I had admired (having played the same position in high school). I was also aware of rumours that he was giving up his final year of eligibility to enter the draft.I called out to him and we approached and spoke with him for a minute or two while he graciously listened to my drunken expressions of admiration and confirmed the rumours of his early departure were true. He shook my and then Chuck’s hand and we parted ways.As we sat in the car, Chuck asked, “who was that.” “That was Shaq,” I replied. “OK, who’s Shaq,” Chuck asked. I explained that he was likely the next #1 pick for the NBA draft (spoiler alert: he was). “Oh, cool. Some of my buddies like basketball. I’ll have to tell them I met him.”About eight years later I found myself living in Baltimore which was Chuck’s hometown and tracked him down to catch up. During the course of our visit, I asked him if he remembered that night and the basketball player we’d run into. He recounted the fun we’d had and then asked, “yeah, who was that again?” I told him and after about five seconds of stunned silence, he exclaimed , “are you f—in’ kidding me?!?” By 2000, I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a person in the entire country who didn’t know of Shaquille O’Neal.
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I sorta knew but really knew after his album was released.In 1977 or 1978 at the Pioneer Inn in Nederland Co I was checking out with my SO and Dan Fogelberg was paying ahead of me. I thought I knew him but didn’t so I said Hi Dan and he smiled back and said Hi Man.
Buddy of mine went to england, was at a pub and sitting next to a total stranger. They got talking and eventually the guy tells my friend he actually has been in a couple of episodes of game of thrones. My friend hadnt seen it at the time and then the 2 of them went around town, hitting different places and generally hanging out. They eventually parted ways, and when he came back to the states, we tried to figure out who he was. We had a picture of him with my friend, and we were lineing the faces up because my friend forgot his name. Eventually figured it out. It was the man without a name. The assassin dude.
I met the actor who was Barney (the guy in the dinosaur suit). He was sitting at the bar giving away pictures to everyone. Of course I had no idea who it was, because costume and all.
I saw the Ball brothers play in high school. Guy sitting right behind me was Lavar Ball and I thought he was just some annoying fan. He was very loud the whole game right then he was telling the coach what to do so I went home and looked him up and saw he is the father.
I’ve met Michelle Kwan while working at an ice skating show once. It was before the event started and she came up to me asked where the changing room was and I pointed it out to her not knowing who she was. It was only after my aunt came up to me and said I just talked to Michelle Kwan. Probably should have showed more courtesy…
I was working front desk at the power house gym in STL and a couple of really tall and big guys walk in, they weren’t members so they asked me what was de fee. They paid and walked in.3 seconds later my coworker comes running and asks me. Do you know who they are? Me: no…it was Great Khali and another wrestler. They were in town for a WWE show…When they were leaving I took a pic with them
I ran into Mark Chestnut (formerly big country singer) at a Sportsman’s and had a good 30-40 minute conversation with him without realizing who he was till one of the cashiers brought it up. Seems like a cool story in hindsight.
I was in a mostly empty hotel bar with the band Drowning Pool during Ozzfest 2001.
Ron Jaworski came into my work and bought his wife a purse. I had no idea who he was until my co-worker told me after he left.
I photobombed Ninja Brian of the Game Grumps once, not knowing it was him until it came back around on Twitter.
I met mike pence in DC when I was 8. Now he’s the VP 😂.
I got in an elevator with a guy at San Diego Comic Con. No idea who he was. The door opened on a floor and some guy obviously knows who he was.“Oh wow man! I love your work!”“Thanks.”“Enjoy the con!”“Thanks, you too.”The doors shut and I stand there awkwardly for a moment as the elevator keeps going up. I break the silence.“Is it bad that I don’t recognize you?”“I’ve just been drawing for a few years…”He didn’t tell me his name. I felt awful. I tried to describe him to friends and google him and had absolutely no luck.Older man. Bigger nose. White guy with kind of a ruddy complexion. White hair back in a pony tail. I think he had glasses but I may be mistaken. This was San Diego Comic-Con 2017.
Twice: Richard Marx came to visit me in the hospital when I was 6. (I dont even remember this)I met a center for the Tampa Bay Lightning and we talked hockey for several minutes, then he excused himself, came back with a bunch of hats, and introduced himself to my team. I felt really dumb.
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There was filipina actor known for her teen romance films, she was eating pizza with her younger brothers and people were just taking a picture of her then leaving.I thought the pizza must be pretty good for them to take pictures.
I don’t know that he was particular famous. He played for the Rams (a few years back) but lived out here. I met him at the gym. We went out and he was a sleazebag.
Idk if this counts but my family has known Frankie Edgar the UFC fighter since he was born lolSide note Kevin O’Leary from Shark Tank was on my flight from Ft Lauderdale to Newark a couple days ago.
I met Billy Idol’s drummer. We spent some time together. It was a crazy night.
Helped Pat Mcafee when he was buying concessions at my MovieTheater. Wasn’t until he walked away and everyone around me was freaking out that I was like what? And they told me, and I was like oh cool.
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Larysa Perih
Aivaras Kaziukonis
Ilona Baliūnaitė
Curiosities
