Pajiba

I met James Woods when he was filming a (really shitty) movie in my area. I even shook the hand that morphed into a big fleshy gun in Videodrome. It was the crowning achievement of my life up until that moment (and, yes, I was a virgin at the time).

I also met Lou Gossett, Jr. and Gary Coleman (and he didn't even take a swing at me!) on separate occasions.

1. Leo (!) at a rooftop bar in Manhattan while celebrating my cousin's bachelorette party.
2. James Gandolfini looking very uncomfortable being recognized by EVERYONE in attendance at a strip club in Linden, New Jersey.
3. Former NJ governor James McGreevey at a Dunkin Donuts in Roselle Park. He bought two old men inside a cup of coffee and as soon as he walked out the door, one turned to the other and said, "I don't care how much free coffee he give me, I still ain't voting for that fag."

Sadly enough the most famous person I have met is CT from the Real World.

He was doing an event at my school and I got a chance to meet him, this was before the roids though so he was still pretty small.

Wow, mine are lame...

1) Alan Thicke - while making a Woolworth commercial
2) James Doohan - eating lunch at the SkyDome
3) Atom Egoyan - standing in line for ice cream

I met Bruce Baumgartner while working at a summer camp. He lent me a pair of scissors. Pretty much only people who grew up in Western Pennsylvania will know who that is and why its fairly awesome.

1. Ian Smith - Star of the film "Simon Birch". He was in a production of my hometown's children's theater that I stage crewed for years ago. His mother was also my middle school orchestra teacher.

2. Gary Rydstrom - Oscar winning sound engineer from movies such as "Jurassic Park" also from my hometown and went to high school with my mother.

3. Tie: David Gross, Ahmed Zewail - Respectively Nobel Laureates in Physics and Chemistry, got to meet them before they gave public lectures at my school.

Yeah, so mine are pretty lame. I'm from the midwest, what can I say. I'm moving to LA soon, though, so maybe some celeb sightings are in my future.

Met Mark Mothersbaugh (DEVO) at Skeeter's Big Biscuits in Orlando Florida
Met Wall of Voodoo guitarist at a bar in Orlando

Pretty pathetic...

used to work as a photo assistant and met some random groups..

Jay-Z and all of Roc-A-Fella Records (Kanye, Rhianna, bla bla ba)

i worked the smoke machine for a def leppard shoot that was extra hilarious.

i served madonna and her family a few years back. she was haggared looking, but her daughter was beautiful.

the best was bumping into bjork on the street. i think i peed myself...

I only have two.

Michael Stipe, in Atlanta, at an Art Museum. Very low key guy, seemed nice enough.

Barack Obama, in a restaurant in Chicago where he was celebrating his '04 senate victory. Charming, but arrogant.

Dean Cain - At a football game at our common alma mater (large crowd, but not a "fan event" type thing). He was still super fit then, and smelled good when he gave me a hug. Despite my huge crush, I managed not to pass out.

Nathan Fillion - I might have accidentally snuck backstage at a convention that I might have gone to because he was going to be there. I mostly made a fool of myself, but he was gracious and charming, and took our picture with my camera. He's way more handsome in person, but I still managed not to pass out. I'm pretty sure my brain made that "eeeeeeeeeee" sound that heart monitors make on TV, though.

Not sure who my third is. Maybe Tobias Wolff? Met him at work. No danger of me passing out, but still pretty neat. Ooh, or Cornel West, also at work (well, work-related convention). Very affable.

1. Robin Williams while on spring break in SanFrancisco. He was about to film Jumanji at the time so he was all hairy. Very gracious and lowkey.

2. Growing up in Nashville you meet lots of musicians! So I could just reel them off forever: EmmyLou Harris lived one block away. Reba McEntire went to my church. Loretta Lynn's niece was one of my best friends in preschool so "Roletta Inn" as I called her was always at her birthday parties. Kimberly Williams Paisley was in a cooking class with me. I've helped Faith Hill, Taylor Swift, the Kings of Leon and half the cast of Dancing with the Stars while working retail. (all polite, but the Kings of Leon would make out with their girlfriends while I rang up their purchases.)

Hmm. I was on a Ferris Wheel with Tia Carerre. Not in the same car, but she was two away from me. That was kinda cool.

Um. I hung out recently with Andrew Bird's band after they played a show in Belgium. The band are really cool guys. Met Andrew Bird briefly, but it was obvious that he just wanted to get on the tour bus and skedaddle.

Everyone else on my list would be assorted Chicago sports stars (Robin Venture 4 Life, motherfuckers).

My aunt works at the University of Chicago Hospital. She's met some cool ones. Harold Ramis came in a couple winters ago after busting his buddy's head open during a hockey game. My aunt gave him a stern talking to.

Ah, and I almost forgot one of my most delightful celeb sightings. ?uestlove from the Roots in the women's shoe department at Harrod's in London. My best friend from high school had been obsessed with him (she wrote him fan letters every week and for Christmas one of our other friends made her a questlove doll out of a black ken doll and a cotton ball that had been dyed black) so I wasted all my cellphone minutes trying to call her (from London to Atlanta) to tell her about it.

Ian McKellen - saw him in a Lunds Store at like 1130 at night. He was doing King Lear at the Guthrie I think and I wasn't even sure it was him, so I didn't say anything and I was by myself.

...That's pretty much it. Isn't that enough?

In his pre-24 days, Keifer Sutherland was filming a movie in my town. He was a couple of tables away from my friends and me in one of the local pubs one night. When I got up to go to the ladies' room, he was returning from the mens'. We crossed paths in the hallway, I said "Hi," and he said--wait for it--"Hi."

Yep, we totally had a moment.

To this day, I refer to him as "my buddy Keifer."

Oh, and then there was the time I was behind Jonathon Torrens in line for the ATM. (Street Cents? Jonovision? ...anybody?

First of all, Eliza, you met THE Nathan Fillion? Shit, I'm pretty sure that man is half demi-god. A quarter god, if you will (let's be fair, here).

I met the late Peter Boyle once in central park. Seemed a little distracted, but just a really nice man.
And that very day I met Little Richard. I didn't know who he was until my father told me so. I just figured he was gawking at a cross-dresser.
hmmm, this one's lame. That violin-playing fuck who won Canadian Idol the first year I think, Kalan Porter. What a douche. Came off really holier-than-thou.

Mine would be Miley Cyrus. It makes me sad to realize that the most famous person I've ever met is freakin' Hannah Montana. She was walking around Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom at WDW before we opened, shooting something for her show or some other Disney related footage. What I remember most is how freakin' tall & skinny she was, and when she said "Hello," she definitely sounded like a 40 year old chain smoker.

I also saw Uma Thurman and Vincent D'Onofrio while working there, but didn't meet them. The thing about D'Onofrio was, I kept pointing him out to coworkers, and no one knew who he was! Not a single person. I didn't see any guests approach him for autographs or pictures either. Must be nice to be rich & famous yet anonymous when you're out with your family.

I know this doesn't really count, but I was very close to meeting William Shatner when he was at the Space Camp Hall of Fame dinner. I didn't actually get to talk to him because my boss thought I was going to jump on him and hump him or something. She kept me at a distance with threats to my life. I totally got close to him, though.

Sigh.

I met all of the Ramones when they played at my uni in the early 80s. All pretty nice, but you could tell they didn't get along with each other very well. They liked talking about SciFi and bad horror movies. I had wrangled a place on the Student Union concert committee just for this sort of opportunity.

Met the Pretenders sitting in the bar of the old Georgian Terrace Hotel in Atlanta in 1980. They were playing at the Agora Ballroom next door and about six of us were sharing a room at the hotel. Chrissie Hynde was awesomely cool and very nice.

Rode in an elevator with Sienna Miller at the Hudson Hotel in NYC about two years ago. The electronic locking system for the doors was down, so everyone had to be escorted to their rooms by an employee, and she had to wait, while Mr Smith and I were taken to our room first. She has crappy taste in clothes and no manners.

Also met The Police, Iggy Pop, Joan Jett, The Go Gos, X, The Professionals (the two Sex Pistols you never heard of), and others. No, I wasn't a groupie, I just had lots of music industry connections in my youth.

Yes, I am old.

Mine are all lame or relatively unknown.

Tempest Bledsoe (yeah, Vanessa from the Cosby show). She was in town for something or other when I was a kid and my dad was the emcee.

Lead singer of Letters to Cleo, Zephyrfest 1995. I lit her cigarette and we chatted about the sucky attitude of Milla Jovovich (performing at the time) before she went on. Had no clue who she was, and all of a sudden she's on stage shouting "Thanks for the light!"

The members of Dead Eye Dick. They went from New Age Girl into a cover of My Sharona and made my day. Also, he growled into the mike, which was dead sexy and made my friend tell him "You must be awesome in bed."

Fred LeBlanc of Cowboy Mouth.

Ellis Marsalis (the patriarch). I saw him in the elevator at the Performing Arts Center at UNO when he was a jazz professor. I grew up listening to him and my parents always took me to Snug Harbor to see him. It was like being in the presence of a GOD.

I think most of the 'celebrities' that I've met are of the 'best-known in his native land types'. My ex would have better answers for this--professional musician, has been on tour with everyone. At any rate:

I posed as a student from another high school so I could sneak in to see a dress rehearsal of Ben Heppner and Measha Bruggergosman perform some cantata (it was too long ago to remember which one). I got to meet them during their break and they were both very nice.

Having lived in Upper Bongo-Bongo, Nowhere until I was 23, I didn't start seeing people until moving to Toronto.

Jian Ghomeshi (nice, soft-spoken)
Sarah Slean (nice, gregarious)
Hawksley Workman (nice, very, very funny)

I don't know how familiar these artists are to non-Canadians (outside of the Blue Ball Thorn-ass debacle with J.G.)

I saw Viggo Mortensen on a subway (SKINNY), I walked past Shia LeBoeuf at Eaton Centre (expensive Hollywood tan, his suit could pay my rent for eight months).

Would someone like to pay my rent for eight months? Oh, yes! I just remembered that I have a piece of cake! Later, suckers!

Oooh, Kate! I'm so gonna go watch that episode now to see if I can see you. Whee!

The most famous person I've ever met was Brandon Boyd from the band Incubus. I was at a concert and left to use the restroom and the band was signing autographs at a booth out in the hall. Brandon grabbed me and gave me this great big bear hug and a bumper sticker with his autograph. He was really sweet and all but at the time I had no idea who he was and I just really had to pee. It was all very random.

In high school I ran through the swinging door in my kitchen right SMACK into Eliot Spitzer. My Mom was less than pleased. Now, I'm sure she wishes I had killed him.

Not sure if pro-athletes count but, I lived in an apartment that was right next to and (shameface) looked directly into All-Star goaltender Ryan Miller's townhouse.

And hell he's big in Canada ... I met Sam Roberts and most of his band at a concert in Boston this spring.

This question is kind of an invitation to brag, so I'll just go right ahead :)

I had dinner at Danny Elfman's house once (in addition to meeting him backstage at the farewell Oingo Boingo show in '95). My best friend at the time had been close with Danny's daughter. I remember his girlfriend that night was younger than his daughter. I doubt like hell that he would remember me. He had one of the original Jack sculptures in a glass case in his living room. I spent the whole night trying to figure out a way to get it out under my shirt.

I'm actually acquaintances with Davey Havok from AFI. I have his number in my phone, but I don't like talk to him regularly or anything. I usually only hear from him when he meant to text someone else :)

Finally, I didn't meet them, but when Leonard Cohen played LA recently, I sat behind Annette Benning and Warren Beaty, and on the way out we saw Elvis Costello, Rebecca Pidgeon, Neil Patrick Harris, and Penn Jillette.

Oh, I also had the misfortune to see Dane Cook on my way to work this morning (this is probably a good time to mention I live in L.A. I've got absolutely nothing to do with the "Industry", though)

Okay, okay, I got some!

Ivan Neville- he had REALLY good weed.... or so I heard.

Poe- anyone remember her? Her first album, Hello, was the only one I liked but she was really nice and we kept in touch for a while, it was cool.

The SPIN DOCTORS- you are all so jealous.

Love & Rockets... the guys from Bauhaus- they smoked crack in my bff's car.... crack that my BOYFRIEND the Crack Dealer sold to them.

George Bush- there is a picture of me NOT shaking his hand.. I was weirded out.

Bette Midler- AWESOME!

CAKE... John McCrea- what a nice guy. he bought me a beer

Weezer... all of them. They waited with us for our cab because they were worried we were gonna get murdered or whatever hanging out outside a bar in New Orleans.

Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains- he was FUCKED UP.

Art Alexikas from Everclear... my friend's cousin gave him a blow job.... ewwwwwww.

Tres Cool- he was kind of a weirdo. I bummed a cigarette from him. Greenday wasn't famous yet... not really.

AND MY FAVORITE- BB KING. I nearly wet my pants. I have never been so starstruck in MY LIFE.

When I was in college I took pictures for the college paper. My best friend was the entertainment editor so she got press packets and we went to shows for free and sometimes she got interviews. That's how I met MOST of these people.

Guys. For reals. Tara Reid used to do her banking at the bank I worked at for years. She was, actually, really nice, but that was before all the famewhoring and alcoholism. It was pre-Lebowski, even. Her parents were so excited. Her mom was super nice. Her dad was gross. He used to come in in the summertime in basketball shorts and no shirt, all sweaty and hairy and huge. This is the most famous person I have ever met. *sigh*

And, actually, the only famous person. However, also at that bank, I knew Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson, the original Dumpster Baby couple.

Isn't NJ AWESOME?!

Oh! I did also meet Juliet Landau at Chiller Theater. She was super sweet! I didn't have a camera for a picture and I was all sad and then she was like, "Well, do you have a cell phone?" And I was all like, oh yeah! I was a little starstruck by that one, I guess. But I mean, come on! Drusilla!!

Danny Aiello used to bank at the other bank I worked at, though he usually used a different branch. He came into our branch a couple of times, but I never actually got to help him, and I only even saw him one time. What is that, like 2 degrees of separation? And how many degrees is that from Kevin Bacon?

Okay, assuming that book signings and conventions don't count...

1) Telly Savalas. I was in New York with a group of classmates and French foreign exchange students. We were walking along one of the city streets and he came out of a bar/restaurant. I saw him first, as I was in the back of the group. He gave me the ol' wink-smile-and-gun as he passed. He was just cooooooooooooooooooooool!

2) Jim Lonborg. One of the starting pitchers from 1967's Red Sox "Impossible Dream" team. I went to school with one of his daughters, but had never really met him until one day when he and his son came to the baseball field where a group of us were playing a pick-up game. He pitched to us for a while (K'd my silly arse twice on 6 straight heaters), and then we left to give him some time with his son (cuz, y'know, we're thoughtful like that).

3) Lloyd Kaufman and Karim Hussein at the Boston Underground Film Festival. I actually got to sit down and shoot the shit with them and both are incredibly nice, laid-back people.

Don't get me started about the people I've met and talked to at conventions...

PS: Count me in as one of the people who envies Cletus for meeting Poe. I love her music and hope that her dispute with her record company eventually ends so we can get a new album. Good to hear that she's good people!

Coltaine, save me a couch or something, cos I'm coming over to Hawaii RIGHT now.

That's cool, right? sweet.

There's been a couple of bizarre 'star' or 'future star' encounters for me, mostly in NY:

Duran Duran: Ate lunch at a restaurant my buddy's dad owned, came by the 'owner's table' to say hi. Me and my friend were about 14 and swooned. Ah, well, it was 1985 or something.

Anthony Michael Hall: Attended at least one of my Jr. H/HS dance parties. He was ok, but still a bit of a 'too cool for this wack scene'.

Harrison Ford: Waited on his table in CA while they were mixing and looping "The Mosquito Coast". I was WAY nervous but the whole group was very nice, though HF made some kind of joke I didn't really hear and he smiled and said "Don't worry, you're too young to know about that". Of course I obsessed about it was that I missed, and how I could prove to Indiana Jones that I got it, I really got it! GOD I am such a nerd.

And the Biggie, Jen Aniston: Spent about 3 years hanging out with her during our early teens. Sorry folks - I don't have anything juicy to tell you , as I didn't know her all that well. But I will say that she was very sweet and kind of innocent. She was always nicest to the more nerdy friends in our circle - she seemed to hate to see anyone picked on. I have no idea if she is still that way, but my few memories of her are of a nice, kind girl.

So there it is. My top brushes with Fame.

Wait coltaine, you get to meet the hot men of Lost and you live in Hawaii? No fair.

1) I once interviewed B.B. King and Ruth Brown.

2) Wynton Marsalis

3) I sort of met Penn Jillette at a lounge in the Castaways Casino. I recognized him, but it's the ultimate in tacky to acknowledge celebrities in Las Vegas.

3) Sam Butera

4) One night at the RumJungle, Jimmy Buffett hit on my wife. I asked her who the wizened old douchebag was and she said "Jimmy Buffett." I said, "Who the fuck is Jimmy Buffett?" I've never gotten such a dirty look and it was one of my proudest moments.

5) I used to go the same barbershop as Mike Tyson. Man, I miss Las Vegas.

I live in NYC, so I do meet or run into way more than my fair share of celebrities. But my most favorite run-ins off the top of my head:

-Kevin Bacon (I've actually had a meal with him, because his sister lived next to my ex-boyfriend)
-Amy Poehler
-Wallace Shawn
-Jeffrey Tambor
-Salman Rushdie

The only halfway-famous person that I've met is John Baldacci, the current Governor of Maine, who I met at a campaign event when he first ran for the US House when I was about 10, and have shaken hands with a few times at different events in the years since.

Hey, why don't you just try meeting famous people while spending most of your life in a small town in northern Maine.

1. I once pushed River Phoenix out of my way at a nightclub in Portland, ME (Zootz!) years ago; didn't know it was him - although his band was playing the club that night - but this guy was blocking the stairs to the bathroom with a bunch of girls around him. When I passed after shoving him and his harem out of the way I really thought "huh, who'd've figured!?"

2. My friends and I sat at the next table to Wolfgang Puck (and his beard so I understand) at a 5-star restaurant in Montreal called Milos. We were there for the Canadian Grand Prix, and our waitress couldn't stop fauning over his being there, which I thought strange given the place - although she was definitely nuts. Unfortunately, Coulthard, for MacLaren, didn't finish due to crashing difficulties.

3. I was on the runway tarmac with Jan Michael Vincent in LA as a kid visiting Disney. While obscure and maybe near ridiculous, I love the idea of JMV... and he was wearing a white summer suit with no tie, much as expected. Why I remember that is stranger than why he is on this list ahead of better stars. But he was in that really crappy video with the whitish child "acquaintance," so he does have that.

Oh, and former Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams and Eagles former All-Pro RT Jon Runyan. Williams has the biggest hands I've ever seen. It's like he's got catcher's mitts at the ends of his wrists. Runyan is just all over huge.

And my wife fucked Dhani Jones.

Oh, and Sharon, Lois and Bram. Bram was wearing a gold sweat suit unzipped to his belly button, no shirt. Unless you count copious amounts of grey body hair a shirt.

I've met a couple:
1. Idina Menzel. I don't know if anyone on pajiba knows of her, but she's a Broadway star that I adore. I met her on a subway in New York while I was with my boyfriend and I told her I was a huge fan of hers. She was really gracious and then said that my boyfriend looked exactly like her husband (Taye Diggs). She was so sweet and I adore her.
2. Steven motherfucking Tyler in the town where he lives on my 16th birthday.
3. Johnny Depp on the Chicago set of Public Enemies. THere's actually a pretty good story about that, but I'm tired. Annnnd
4. Christian Bale, at a McDonalds near the set of Public Enemies. He was awesome and winked at me.

John Cusack at an art opening in a loft in Chicago. He was all alone and scruffy looking. Seemed very unassuming.

Barack Obama - I worked with him many times when we was just a State Senator. Very smart, very open.

Mayor Richard Daley - had lunch with him at a few events. No entourage, just him, and he's kind of quiet.

Rahm Emmanuel. I accidentally, sorta told him off. But he deserved it. He sent me Christmas cards for a few years after that.

Eva, I am completely jealous. You've met my top two.

Ling, I'm just gonna sit over here and pretend that I'm not most jealous about you meeting the RFR crew. Mmmm... Robby.

1. Edward James Olmos. He came to my high school to have a press conference about something or other, and I don't remember what, although I spoke too.

2. Sarah Jessica Parker. She was named Woman of the Year by the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, which my boyfriend was in, so I got to go to their shindig. She is much prettier in person.

3. Tatiana Ali. She lived in my college dorm.

Honorable Mention: Natalie Portman. I went to college with her, but I never actually met her. I sat next to her in the dining hall once and didn't notice it was her until she got up to leave. She is tiny.

Lily Tomlin. I was working at the Hollywood Bowl in 2005 and the show was A Prairie Home Companion. (Makes sense, given a project she was in soon after.) She was asking me where the restrooms are and as I was responding it suddenly struck me who she was. I asked if it was really her, she said yes, said hi, and we shook hands! Ah!

There were others at the Bowl. I sold a program to Tate Donovan from The OC. Joey Lauren Adams went through my turnstile when I was taking tickets. As did Crispin Glover. (Different events.) I also made eye contact with Ron Jeremy at a Yo-Yo Ma concert. :shiver: I also got Sumi Jo's (opera singer, and a damn good one) autograph one time.

I also shook hands with Edward James Olmos at a Battlestar Galactica event. As well as Mark Shepherd (Romo) who I didn't recognize at first. I pointed to him with recognition and he gave me a half-creepy/half-uninterested smile in return.

OMG, how could I forget to tell this story:

So, before I was born, my folks went to downtown Minneapolis for a book signing. The author? Stephen King, who they were both into at the time. So, they end up getting lost looking for the bookstore, and they realize they're too late to get King's autograph. So, they decide to wander around a bit, kill some time.

They're right in the heart of downtown, and my dad turns a corner too fast and isn't looking, and he ends up running right into someone. Keep in mind, my dad is 6'6", about 300 pounds. He knocked this guy flat on his ass. And as my dad was bending down to help him up, the guy's eyes got huge and he ran away. Straight up, guy got scared and RAN AWAY! My dad says, "Well that was weird."

And my mom says, "Didn't you see who that was?! That was STEPHEN KING!!!"

And my dad suddenly realized, "Oh my god, it was!"

My dad knocked Stephen King on his ass.

My dad usually likes to follow that story by reminding us that the film version of Misery came out a few years later. Coincidence? (Probably)

Oh, here's a by-proxy addition: My mom went to high school with Don Johnson. She said there was always something quite "fruity" about him. No elaboration necessary.

"Oh, and then there was the time I was behind Jonathon Torrens in line for the ATM. (Street Cents? Jonovision?)...anybody?"

Oh my, yes...Trailer Park Boys, need I say more?

My brush with fame includes meeting Emilio Estevez (sp.?) in a downtown Vancouver nightclub many moons ago (he was very tiny, and his bodyguard was very, very big, and Emilio was very, very drunk). And 80's music maestros "The Cure", again in Vancouver, and all I could think was "Holy cow, Robbie's head is fucking huge, like a big round of cheese".

Hmmm ... Waaaaay back in the '80s I spent a year covering/traveling some with a major-league baseball team, so I made the acquaintance of people like Frank Robinson and Tommy Lasorda (bastard gave me a cold) and Dave Parker. (Parker once asked me, "How come I never see you out chasin' no pussy?" I said, "Well, David, I guess we don't drinks in the same bars.") But those were in a professional capacity, so now I have to come up with casual meets. I'll say ...

1. David Lander. We had lunch and talked baseball.

2. Bob Mould played a club in my town a few years ago, about 100 people in the place, and he sold his own merch after, shaking hands, signing autographs. That's kinda borderline against the rules of the diversion, but let's see what else I have ...

3. Think I mentioned (did I?) that when I was in college I was in an air hockey league with mutual friends of Dennis Miller, who attended the same small college I did. He showed up one day and cracked wise during one of our games, so I'm using that.

I was having lunch once in a place where (I'm pretty certain it was) Dan Marino was sitting at the bar, watching football. Maybe a dozen people there altogether. I didn't bother him or ask if it was him, just figured it was and left it at that. So that's not a meet, but it's still kinda cool.

About 20 years ago my much-older girlfriend had a friend who was friends with Bob Seger, and all 4 of us plus a couple others had dinner one night at a restaurant in Windsor, ON. I was not at all familiar with his music (despite having grown up in Detroit) and I remember him being a big asshole -- loud, rude to the waitstaff, dismissive of me, a little too friendly-getting with my girlfriend. But as a sullen, insecure 19-year-old still in disbelief over having a hot 35-year-old girlfriend, I suppose I was a bit insufferable myself.

I saw Sting at last year's NYC marathon. I shook his hand.

I met Zach Gilford aka Matt motherfucking Saracen at a bar in Evanston, IL, a few weeks ago. Got a picture with a friend's iPhone (crappy quality but oh well). Asked him why he was there, apparently he went to Evanston Township highschool and was there for "some acting clinic or some shit, whatever." Didn't know he's 27! Short guy too, relatively. Very friendly as well, said that they're starting shooting for FNL in August and that there will only be seasons 4 and 5, that's it. My friend and I shouted out "clear eyes!" as I left and we got a thumbs up in return.

I met Jenna Jameson once. She is incredibly short and her boobs are ridiculous. She's also really nice.

Oh, almost forgot (mini diversion: best souvenir)

Back in the '70s, World Team Tennis was a pretty good show, most of the best players played in the league. A reporter buddy of mine and I went to the league championship match one year, Pittsburgh against San Francisco. After Pittsburgh won, they shooed the fans (like me) out so I had to wait outside. The fans formed a sort of gauntlet outside the arena exit, and I was at the end of it, out in the open so my friend could find me when he came out from interviews.

So the door flies open and one of the Pittsburgh players, Peggy Michel web.wm.edu/tenniscenter/michel.html came strolling down the gauntlet, looking starry-eyed and probably drunk, walked right up to me and gave me a full kiss on the mouth, and kept going.

After awhile my buddy came along and was boasting about drinking champagne from Evonne Goolagong's glass.

I pissed him off.

I almost ran into (literally ran into) Matthew Fox an a craft store in my hometown in Hawaii. All the LOST stars live there and we would see them from time to time. He was checking out stencils. Also Jorge Garcia checked out my house that my dad put up for sale. He didn't buy. Woulda been cool to have Hurley living in my house!

Naveen Andrews and his girlfriend Barbara Hershey at dinner...

Basically all of the LOST cast (I went to the first and second season premieres)

Colin Meloy (of the Decemberists) just a few weekends ago at the Portland Farmer's Market

Hugo Weaving at a breakfast joint in Sydney. I was literally JUST talking about LotR when my sister goes "don't look behind you...It's Elrond." Craziness.

Almost forgot: I work at a downtown Forever 21 (I know, I know) and some people that were on American Idol (last season? I think? I don't know) came in to our store. I gave the guy with dreads directions to the streetcar while David Archuleta was texting behind him. I didn't recognize the others. Oops?

Christ, Dustin, You met Elvis Costello?!!? I would have been blathering about how "This Year's Model" is the best album evar!!!! EVER!!!!

And TB, I would just want to hug Joe Strummer and there would probably be tears. . . wowsers.

Back in the late 90's, I met the band Cinderella. The ISP I had at the time had a contest, and I won, so I got to see them at the old Caravan of Dreams in downtown Fort Worth, and then got to hang out with them watching Fast Times at Ridgemont High on their tour bus. I still have the autographed picture of the band and the Tshirt stashed away somewhere.

I don't recall ever meeting anyone else famous, but then, I'm sort of the keep to myself and ignore everyone around me, so I probably wouldn't notice someone famous even if they were sitting right next to me.

Not my story, but it's funny:

My brother went to the same college as Viggo Mortensen. On my brother's senior year (a little after FOTR had come out I think), they put up an exhibition of his photos and poetry. So later my brother and some friends went to a bar, and Viggo was there, and they sat with him as he got a bit tipsy and started insulting the college people because they had never paid any attention to him until he became famous. But other than that apparently he was just very quiet and shy. My brother got me his autograph on a LOTR book--he wrote something in Spanish!

1) Jim Jarmusch in Austin Texas during SXSW
2) Britt Daniels from Spoon in Tallahassee
3) Terrence Malick (also in Austin)

OK, I lived in Santa Monica for 20 years so I've met a lot of people. Here we go:

I have played basketball with:

Don Cheadle
Taye Diggs
Woody Harrelson
Dean Cain
Bill Bellamy
Jaleel White
Jay Harrington (Better Off Ted)
Bobby Prescott (Kent in Real Genius and Cole in Bachelor Party)
Richard Tyson (3 O'Clock High)
Daniel Baldwin
Syrus from the Real World (that's a cheat because I've known him since we were 9)

I've met these people elsewhere
Leonardo DiCaprio
Hugh Hefner
Tony Curtis
Carmen Electra
Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley at the Bellagio
Arnold Schwartzenegger
Drew Carey
Daniel Negreanu (met him at a casino valet waiting for a cab and ended up driving him to the airport)
Magic Johnson
George Carlin (who used to go to the yogurt shop my brother worked at. My brother said he was a big fan and GC went to his car and gave him some of his tapes, really cool guy)

I'm missing others, my favorites were Cheadle, who sat and talked with us for 45 minutes after we played, Carlin and Magic.

However, the coolest one was, is and will be Linda Cardellini, who was a college roommate of a close friend and now I consider her to be a friend of mine. We see each other from time to time and she is always really nice to me and my fiancee. I met Seth Rogen and Jason Segel through her before they hit it big. Jason played ball with us while Seth sat up in the back of the stands and didn't talk to anyone. We met like 5 times and I don't know if we ever spoke.

1) John Waters, but if you live in Baltimore and hang out in by the Charles that's pretty much a given.

2) Dr. Ruth. LOVE her. She was speaking at Yale on Holocaust Memorial Day (she was on a kindertransport). Then everyone at the event was invited to dinner with her and she was like, "GREAT. Enough Holocaust. Let's talk about SEX!" Awesome. And about 3 feet tall.

3) Ehud Olmert (former PM of Israel). When he was mayor of Jerusalem, I was 17 and interning for a Jewish org. He spoke at an event that my job arranged, so I got to meet him and hang out with his hot Israeli bodyguard. He was a total creepo though. Did the arm-around-the-shoulder-sideboob-grab when we posed for a photo.

The Queen, back in the 70's - she came to officially open the govt. office I was working in. It wasn't a big crowd sitch, just me and a few colleagues, and a couple of bemused Aussie tourists who'd been passing and saw her. (Also Prince Charles, once at my office - same kind of deal - once at Borough Market with Camilla).

Summer Glau, in the executive lounge at a Hilton. She was there for a con, but she was 'off duty' in the lounge. She asked me how I was, and when I told her that I'd had four hours sleep and felt like crap, she recommended coffee. A very sweet girl.

Eliza Dushku, at a signing event. Yes, I know - but I was working on her event team, not lining up for her autograph, so I was actually around her for two days. Another nice girl. (Really. Not a slut or a diva).

Marky Mark, the one and only. I did some extra work a few summers ago in The Happening (It wasn't THAT bad)and I talked to him after we shot a mess up take and he was pretty nice. We talked briefly, I said hi and made some comment about the weather being so hot. Later when we filmed another scene in the school, the extras were lined up at lockers and he walks down the hall and everyone is excited to see Mark Wahlberg(!) So he comes up to me and goes "Feeling any cooler?" I go, "Yeah, thanks Mr. Wahlberg!" and the extras around me go, "YOU KNOW MARK WAHLBERG?!?!" It was very amusing being there.
My other favorite celebrity I met was David Sedaris at one of his book signings. He talked for what seemed like a good eight or so minutes and gave me his airplane care package as a gift for coming.

Oliver Stone, Ed McMahon, Jane Pauley, Gary Trudeau, Joe Dante, Wayne Gretzky, and some others who's names escape me at the moment. Met them when I waited their tables at Disney World. I spilled popcorn on Ed McMahon, he was cool about it.

Also met Butch Walker twice, that was cooler. And actually hung out with the band Cold at a bar after their show. Cool dudes. Too bad they didn't get bigger. The lead singer (Scooter) hit on my girlfriend then when I said she was with me he apologized. I told him that wasn't very rock star of him.

Spoke with Robert Redford on the phone.

Almost got knocked over by Sam Donaldson.

Saw Louis CK & Janene Garafalo talking at the Nashville Airport.

Got stuck in an atm vestibule with Jill Goodacre. (i tease.)

Mine are only famous in my neck of the woods but hey:

1. The former first lady of our island, Mrs.Hassanali at a 5k. She is one of the sweetest human beings you could ever hope to meet.

2. The present calypso monarch who was a former teacher at my school, Dr. Hollis Liverpool. The man is a riot!

I don't think there's anyone else. Nope. No one.

It doesn't really count, since I didn't really meet him (eye contact was made, though). At a game convention I walked right by Hideo Kojima. I was going to chase him down and charm him with my broken Japanese but at the moment I saw him all nine years of studying I'd done through school left me completely, along with any ability I had to do anything more than stand and gawk.

I managed to regain my faculties and was able to stalk him for a few minutes, but he was surrounded by some small small Japanese cronies so I couldn't really get close.

Rubble44, is Jay Harrington dreamy in person, I bet he is, he makes me go mushy when i see him

Spill Eva!

OK coltaine, I'll switch with you.

1. Björk - I went to hear daughter's christening and some of her new years eve parties which were legendary
2. Jónsi (singer of Sigur Rós) - hit on me at a bar once. I politely declined but was ridiculously stoked.
3. Mikhail Gorbachev - met him in a party after a lecture of his.
4. Margaret Thatcher - same

Rufus Wainwright

I ended up befriending his drummer a few years back, Matt Johnson, and have been (praise Cthulhu) bathing in free tickets ever since. He's very sweet, very gracious, and goes out of his way to make the random hangers on like me feel welcome.

Well, lived in New Zealand most of my life and just moved to Australia, so not many stories there. Did a couple of phone interviews with members of fairly well-known bands (Janet Weiss from Sleater-Kinney and Daniel Kessler from Interpol, though my planned interview with Chrissie Hynde fell through).

Though who cares? I've met Kevin motherfucking Smith. That's enough for me.

Is it a problem that I've never heard of about 90% of the "famous" people cited here? What the hell is a Meb Keflezighi? Ben Kweller? Need to get out from under my rock more, apparently.

1. Mr. Rogers! Before he passed away he actually did live in my neighborhood. My mom and I saw him in the street and she nearly fainted.

2. Elvis Costello: A friend of mine bought tickets for us and we spoke to him briefly after the show.

3. Barry C. Scheck

Met Jason Schwartzman at a screening of Darjeeling Limited. When his Q&A was over he tried to get out of there as quick as he could, but everyone rushed him. He ended up staying for over an hour talking with everyone who came. We talked a bit about Phantom Planet, music, and jean jackets. He also gave me some music advice.

At the same theater a few months ago I also saw Kat Dennings and Michael Cera for a screening of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. I somehow made eye contact with him as he passed by and gave him some sort of half-salute, which he returned and responded with 'Hey, man.'

Pretty cool.

oh wait, elaboration

alicia silverstone - had a very slow response time to everything, was in veganwear, crookedly smiled with her head cocked to one side, sneaking suspicion that she was high...

mo rocca - enthusiastic, lispy, called me hilarious, I cried.

chris thile - weirdly childlike, also lispy, very similar to talking with a /b/tard on teh internets.

My first famous encounter was with the bass player from The Firm back in '86 at Heathrow Airport. Since then I worked special events for both Disney and Universal and have met Eric Idle (awesome), Bill Pullman (drunkenly asked me to dance), Richie Sambora, Sherman Helmsley (he was really friendly, but not nearly as boisterous as I thought he'd be - he was George Jefferson, you know!) and a bunch of other people.

I also met Tim Curry at the big cable show in Atlanta back in the 90s, hung with the cast of Willy Wonka (the original one) while my then-beau was off perusing comics 'n' such at Dragoncon (we also walked down Peachtree Street with GWAR that day, which was absolutely surreal.) Since I worked at CNN for a while, I met Wolf Blitzer and all of those anchors (some nice, some horrendous). William Baldwin fancied a friend of mine during the Atlanta Olympics in '96 and actually showed up at our hotel room. I could write a book...

Oh, and I met Dee Snider in Vegas a few weeks ago. He was awesome.

This is for Colin (yinzer):

I've been to Pirates games with Billy Price AND I once took a piss with Norm Nardini.

i hung out with my musical hero, neil young, his father and grandmother in a hotel room in toronto for an hour.

when i was a kid, my neighbours were cousins with geddy lee, so he was at more than one backyard gathering. he's probably the nicest rock star in the world.

i've hugged lynn swann and mike singletary.

From working in bookstores, I've met:

Frank Sinatra (nice)

James Darren (very nice, chatted with us at the front counter while his wife shopped, I was a big fan from the Gidget movies, but said not a word - couldn't talk!)

Annette Funicello (also nice)

I don't think any of them felt recognized but I was blown away. I mean, Sinatra just stood there buying a golf magazine and I'm like, damn! that's Sinatra! :)

Met Ted Shackelford (Knots Landing! He was super nice) and Michael McKeon (quiet), and the guy who played Hymie the robot on Get Smart (loudmouth jerkoff) when I worked in a video store.

Edward James Olmos came a few minutes before closing time at the bookstore and made us stay open an extra 15 and didn't even thank us. Prick.

Glen Frey from the Eagles is also a dick.

Signings don't count, I know, but I met Gene Simmons last year and it was one of the single greatest few minutes of my whole life because I made him laugh and he got silly with me while we took pictures. LOVE!

Arriving un-fashionably late.

1) Woody Harrelson - came into the sandwich shop I was working at in the summer of '98 and (with puffy red eyes and wearing a legalize marijuana shirt) asked for "orange juice... like... fresh-squeezed." Tipped 5 bucks; nice guy.

2) Elizabeth Perkins - same sandwich shop. She stayed and ate at a table, looking around as if in the hopes that someone would recognize her. I knew her from Big, but my co-workers couldn't place her and two of them (independantly) offered Debbie Does Dallas as a guess.

3) Carly Simon - like, a million times. At the grocery store, on the beach (pouring evian on the sand in front of her to protect her feety-weeties from the heat), in line to get off the ferry, that chick is everywhere.

Ugh, these are so lame.

1) Rascal Flatts - they played a club in my town when they first came out. They were very nice, stayed for a meet & greet long after the show and gave my friend and I hugs and kisses. If I actually liked their music, that would have been cool, but my friend at the time dragged me there (okay, it was in a bar, she didn't have to pull too hard) so I just made like I was a huge fan. I'm a pretty good pretender.

2) Hugh O'Brian. Uh, so, I had no idea who Hugh O'Brian was at the time (and barely do now), but in 10th grade I got chosen to attend his youth leadership weekend camp (HOBY) in my state capital. I guess each year he picks one of his camps to personally attend, and ours was chosen. Oh, for those who don't know, he was an actor in a lot of Westerns and such. I know there was one big role he was known for, but I can't remember it and don't plan on looking it up.

3) So, this is really reaching. Anybody remember Julie, the blond babysitter on "Growing Pains" that Mike dated/almost married? She's my step-cousin (if that is even a real thing. I told you it was a reach). Julie McCullough. She also posed for Playboy at some point, and had a god-awful show called "Robin's Hoods" that my mom and I used to watch and make fun of.

And that's my pathetic little list of "celebrities" that I've met. But as soon as I save up the money it will cost to ship myself to Anthony Hopkins, I will be able to add him to that list.

Got some biggies:

Matt Damon and Robert De Niro:

Sat onstage for a taping of Hardball at my school (Chris Matthews is a douche, incidentally. Saw us waiting to go into the auditorium for his show and called us starfuckers. Lovely man.) Anyway, got to sit about 15 feet away from Matt Damon and Robert De Niro for an hour while they pimped "The Good Shepherd." Damon was incredibly short, meticulously groomed, and just as charming as his is in the movies, chatted with us during the commercial breaks. Robert De Niro kept the whole studio waiting for him to show for almost two hours, came in with long hair, a crusty sort of beard, and busted-ass loafers a la Joaquin Phoenix. He obviously hated Chris Matthews, and barely said anything for the entire interview, letting Matt do all the talking. The man is about as interesting as a brick in real life.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost:

Met them at a preview of Hot Fuzz in Alrington. Seriously, the nicest people I've ever met. They're both itsy-bitsy in real life. Happily signed everything I threw at them, and Nick Frost gave me a huge sweaty hug, and thanked me for coming to see his movie. Also gave my kudos on my rack. A truly awesome dude. I would have beers with these guys anytime, anywhere.

I made Henry Rollins laugh. I punched a boy in a mosh pit and knocked him over in 1992. Hank laughed and said, "That's my kinda woman!" If was the third proudest moment of my life. It started a few years of postcarding, anyone can tell you both he and his assistant Stan were Masters of Postcard Humor. They once ranked women by "taste quality" cross-referenced with hair color.

I had pizza with Beck and his gf Leigh a really long time ago.

That douche singer from the Twilight Singers who looks like a dimestore Elvis. He used to always be around. Bleh!

Met - the whole Fiennes clan, Alan Bennett and Rory Kinnear. Seen very close up - Lauren Bacall and David Schwimmer (at the same theatre bar). Ricky Gervais also seemed to frequent the same sushi place as me for a couple of years.

Don't judge me, but my favourite of all the famous people I've ever met is Simon Cowell.

I was at an RSPCA event in my little town, and in the middle of this muddy field full of scruffy dogs was Simon Cowell with a megaphone, judging the Prettiest Bitch competition. He judges there every year because his mum used to work at that RSPCA branch and she makes him do it (and donate a hella lot as well).
His (gorgeous) car was parked next to these jeeps and some horse boxes, and he said my 12 year old mongrel was a great dog.

For that I will love him no matter how much of a douche he is on TV.

Let's see...I don't have many.
1) Blake Sennett (Rilo Kiley) - Very nice dude.
2) Robert Schwartzman (younger brother of Jason, "Michael Moscovitz" from The Princess Diaries, lead singer of Rooney.)
3) David Sedaris - doesn't totally count because it was an autograph thing, but the whole signing process took what felt like years because he made a point to have nice conversations with every single person. I love him very much.

I've got some cooler ones by proxy.
1) My dad was on the high school debate team with Tony Kushner.
2) Andy Roddick and his brother changed my cousin's tire late one night at a gas station in Austin.
3) My friend met Bill Murray at a bar in Colorado last Christmas.
4) Years ago, my cousin Clay saw Lance Bass at a bar in Orlando. This was pre-coming out. Lance was at the bar, talking to some large, rather unattractive girl. Clay, very drunkenly, walked up to Lance and said, "Dude. What are you DOING?"

Dave Chapelle- Haight St in San Fran, my buddy bugged him for a picture but he was with his kids. I called my buddy an asshole.

Hmmmmm....I've got a few and they all happened in Santa Fe, NM, when I was living there in 1989-1993.

1. Dennis Hopper
I was working at an art gallery and was friends with another gallery's owner. Dennis Hopper was having a show of his photography and before it opened there was a dinner party at the owner's home. It was a casual affair where you went through a line for food, then staked out your seat at one of many tables. I was alone and saw Dennis and ballerina girlfriend (now wife) sitting at a table with one spot open. I jumped on that opportunity! He talked about random shit--like the giant fungus that was growing/taking over a town in Michigan (it had been in the news at the time) and the classic movie Metropolis (he couldn't remember the director's name and I filled in the blank--Fritz Lang!). Then we were taken on a tour of the home to look at all the original Georgia O'Keeffe paintings.

2. Michelle Pfeiffer in 1989. Looked scrawny and pale but you could tell she would've been an amazing blank canvas for a stylist. I sold her a pair of silver spur earrings at the gallery I worked at--it was the pair of earrings that had been there forever and we were taking bets on when they would finally sell. She was very demure and nice.

3. Robert Redford in 1993. I was hostessing at an upscale restaurant in Santa Fe and sat him and his party. He was weathered, but OH so handsome and gracious to me and the staff. I called my fiance to come over and we tailed his silver Porsche through the mountains until he got to his hotel (man, did he drive fast!).

4. Oh, and more recently, Michael McDonald at the Ritz Carlton, NYC. We had just seen him and Steely Dan in concert and we are fans. He was so incredibly nice to us--our then 3yr old daughter was with us and he made a big deal about how gorgeous she was. Gold stars in my book, let me tell you!

Oh, and I was flipped off by Steve Martin in 1980 when I was 12...
Seriously.

1. Bruce Willis - when his daughter was attending the boarding school where I worked

2. Sam Rockwell - stopped by the theater where I now work, when he was filming in my town

3. Lisa Lampanelli - did a show at my theater. She called me a c*nt. Awesome!

honorable mentions - when I was six years old, my family staed at the same hotel as the US Olympic basketball team when they were doing some training - and one day, I sat in the hot tub with Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin. Not that I knew who they were...

-Nine Inch Nails band in 1999 after a concert in France:Trent Reznor was very shy and tired,Robin Fink and Charlie Clouser were strangely funny and Danny Lohner(Brad Pitt whith dark hair and a great skin)was charming and had a Batman voice!
-Billy Corgan before a concert in France(1998?) gave me a Backstage pass! He was very nice with us(he ask us to learn french swearwords)Jimmy Chamberlain was adorable and D'arcy speak a good french! they're nice with fans but they're not friends together!
-in the same time,i met Filter with the ex-NIN Richard Patrick! he signed my Pretty Hate Machine album! he was totally hight!
-10 years ago ,i met Brad Pitt in a library (rue Rivoli)in Paris.He had a bad skin and dirty long blond hair(very grunge)
-i was fired off the French set of 'a good year'by Ridley Scott.I had a visitor pass and during a scene,my phone rang! Scott screamed on me during 5 good minutes! his rant was better than Bale rant! LOL

Andre 3000! He came in to the clothing store where I worked many years ago. So did Usher and Chili from TLC (together, when they were a couple). I served Alexei Nemov when I was a bartender. All of these people are HOT as HALE.

AND twice in one week, I was at the same club as X-tina. She gave a little nod as she passed me & my girls dancing, but was surrounded by bodyguards and looked like she wanted to be having way more fun than she was able. She's teeny-weeny in person and cute as a button.

1. Ralph Nader - on the street outside of my internship in DC, at an organization he founded. I was completely speechless and made an ass of myself.
2. Bill Nye the Science Guy - at a UN conference I attended with 200 other greenpeace protesters - we followed him around, saying "Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill Nye the Science Guy!"" He finally made an agreement with the organizers that he would come speak at our dinner, if we would stop following him...
3. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. - at a speech he gave in Miami where he tore the bush administration apart, and another time I was comepletely starstruck

I am such an enviro-geek.

I met both Ryan Gosling and Amy Adams when they were shooting The Slaughter Rule where I lived. I was an extra. Ryan and I had a nice chat. Amy and I talked for only a minute, but she wasn't at all famous then.

I also met Neal Casal (from Ryan Adams and the Cardinals) in a bar last summer in Seattle. Nice guy.

George Lucas - walking down Bourbon Street in New Orleans, somebody pointed to a fat guy with gray hair and a beard down the sidewalk and said, "I think that's George Lucas." and nobody believed him. I thought it kinda looked like him, so I yelled "GEORGE!" at the top of my lungs. The fat guy with the gray hair and beard turned. It was totally George Lucas.

Also, I met Will Smith after a Frosty the Showman gig in Atlanta. He had just finished performing with DJ Jazzy Jeff - totally epic. I ran into him on my way to a portipotty outside the venue, around the back. He is one huge dude. Friendly, though I really had to pee so he wasn't my main focus.

Bob Costas, and Grace Park from Battlestar Galactica!

simon and garfunkle ,obert skye, jeff foxworthy and air supply.

I met one other famous person who I'd forgotten about: Otto Graham, a pro football hall of famer. I guess, not being a football fan, it really didn't mean a lot to me. I met him when I was in high school. I went to a private school named the Selwyn School, and his son, who went by "Coach" Graham (I don't recall ever hearing mention of his actual first name) was the head of discipline at the school. Coach Graham's family came to visit once, and Coach took them on a tour of the boy's dorm (it was a boarding school), and I happened to be in the dorm at the time.

I work at a Best Buy in Pittsburgh and Tom Savini is a regular.

1. Chuck D
2. Maya Angelou
3. Ashford and Simpson (Solid, solid as a rock)

2& 3 were at the same party...and they arrived together.

I've met:

*That chinese guy with the squint from "Big Trouble in Little China" at the Oakland Airport in like 1989. He signed an autograph for my little cousin.

*Sally Struthers - she did a stint at the American Reperatory Theater in San Jose about 10 years ago and stayed at the property I managed.I agree with whoever said she was the sweetest - she really was. Much nicer than the nobody assholes I used to deal with all the time.

*Bubba Paris, a lineback with the 49ers. He lived in the neighborhood where I worked at 7-11. HUGE man with a big heart.

*Speaking of the 49ers - one of the executives I used to work with also did corporate coaching with local sports teams and other groups. One day a coworker and I rudely barged into his closed-door office and walked RIGHT INTO Joe Montana. Needless to say we backed out very slowly as we apologize profusely.

*That chick that sang that song "Bitch" (Meredith Something) and the guys from Inner Circle (the "Bad Boys" cops theme song) also stayed at the hotel I managed. I took the Inner Circle guys on a late night Safeway run. Munchies mayhaps?

*I also met Bill Walsh, former head coash of the 49ers, at training camp one year. He and my uncle had a long conversation about fishing. Nice, nice man.

Joe Strummer backstage Caird Hall Dundee
Ian Curtis backstage Caird Hall Dundee
Lux Interior backstage Nightclub Edinburgh

1. Lemmy, in 2001 when Motorhead rolled through a small club here in NorCal. Got to buy him a beer and hang out and bullshit with him before and after the show. Very laid back, sharp sense of humor.

2. I was a contestant on Win Ben Stein's Money back in 2000 (no, I didn't win, but I did keep beating Ben on the button in the second round where he plays). Stein likes to do the pre-show chat, which was cool. Don't care for his politics, but he's extremely nice. Kimmel didn't talk as much, but he may have had a Man Show taping later or something.

3. Reggie White in his final game (with the Panthers, at Oakland, Christmas Eve 2000). I had seats right behind the Raiders' bench, right where all the players come out. Jack Tatum also came through our area before the game and hung out for a few.

(honorable mention) Back in the hair-metal '80s, I met the members of Mr. Big several times (mutual friends), and Kip Winger once. Nice guys, all of them.