2.1Mviews
“He’s A Douchebag”: 50 People Share What Schoolmates-Turned-Celebrities Were Like Before Fame
Remember when your teacher would ask the entire class about what they wanted to be when they grew up? There were always a few kids who’d say that they wanted to become adventurous astronauts, charismatic rock stars, and legendary athletes. They were shooting for the stars! And though life happens and we have to let go of some of our ambitions, not everyone gives up on their dreams. Some of them turn theirs into reality.
Maybe you didn’t know it at the time, but the person sitting next to you in class and at the cafeteria was going to become wildly famous in the future. Maybe they were the kids of famous parents and it wasn’t a secret to anyone. Well, that’s exactly what internet users discussed in an insightful thread on r/AskReddit.
Redditors revealed who they or their relatives went to school with who’s famous now, and spilled the beans about what they were like back then. It’s amazing to learn how fun, kind, and down-to-earth many beloved celebrities were… though it’s not the case with everyone. Check out their stories below and let us know which ones resonated with you the most, Pandas!
We got in touch with entertainment, pop culture, and lifestyle expert Mike Sington for a chat about recognizing who will go far while they're still in school. "Many people have talent, very, very few have star quality," he told Bored Panda. We also asked Hollywood's Ultimate Insider about the potential pitfalls that celebrities ought to be aware of, how to stay grounded, and how to behave at your next school reunion if your classmate is famous. You'll find the full interview below.
This post may include affiliate links.
I went to high school with **Taylor Swift**. She was endearing and awkward. Extremely kind and modest. A group of us saw her perform on Good Morning America one morning before anyone knew she was a musician. Went she returned to school later in the week and we were like "WHAT THE F**K TAYLOR?? Who are you?"
Her bashful response, "Oh... umm... I really like to play guitar". Few months later she performed "Our Song" at our annual talent show. There was a silence before the huge round of applause. It was the first time 90% of us ever heard her music.
(I was a senior her freshman year. We had gym together)
Sounds like a shy, genuine talent in it for the fun of it. Love that.
"It’s charisma that will usually tip you off as to who will make it big in the future. Who did everyone want to be around? Who had that undefinable X-factor? Those are the people most likely to be famous in the future," celebrity expert Mike explained to Bored Panda what the signs of someone who will probably go far in life are.
"Having talent simply isn’t enough. The most talented people in school may go on to make a living with that talent, but it’s unlikely to catapult them to stardom. Many people have talent, very, very few have star quality."
Hollywood's Ultimate Insider noted that there are a few major pitfalls that celebrities need to be aware of. "First, be careful of who you surround yourself with. Are those people in your life there to help and support you? Or are they just latching on to your fame for the ride and excitement of it all? Even worse, are they there taking advantage of you?" he warned.
My dad went to the same high school as Prince. Apparently he was a very quiet kid, didn't have many friends.
My Grandma went to school with Elvis. They had P.E. together. She said he was a real ladies' man and he was a total sweetheart.
"Second, focus on the work, not the fame. If you’re constantly feeding the fame machine, the work will suffer, and you could find yourself in the middle of a downhill spiral. Third, never take fame for granted. Fame, can indeed, be fleeting. Approach fame with gratitude and respect. Never forget how powerful fame is and how it has thrust you into the public spotlight. Never let your guard down, even for a second. You can lose fame much faster than gain it."
Meanwhile, rely on your friends and family to stay grounded. Especially if you're becoming famous while still in school. Mike advises spending as much time as possible in the company of your loved ones. "Doing that will remind you, you are indeed still the same person."
"When meeting celebrities who you knew when they were younger, don’t be starstruck. They’re looking for normalcy in their life, and you reflect that, so just be you. It would, of course, be difficult to pretend their fame didn’t exist, so acknowledge it by simply complimenting their work," he said. And that's something to keep in mind for your next school reunion!
The sitter for my kids went to school
With Justin bieber. She said he's a douchebag.
I went to highschool with Ludacris. Back then he was just Chris, and he was hilarious.
My dad went to high school with Neil deGrasse Tyson. They were buddies, but not extremely close. He described him as being "popular, athletic, and an all around good guy". We even have a signed yearbook!
We were incredibly glad to read that so many well-known celebs used to be kind and decent kids while growing up. Unfortunately, some of them weren’t all that stellar. Stars are definitely just like ‘regular’ people in one regard—they’re far from perfect.
They had more or less the same flaws as their classmates, but these were probably later amplified by their fame. When you put any person under the microscope and subject them to attention 24/7, you notice a ton of things you probably otherwise wouldn’t. Suddenly, you start becoming hyper-aware of how outrageously funny/arrogant/charismatic/(un)likable they used to be… though you wouldn’t necessarily say the same things about your classmates who went on to have ‘ordinary’ careers.
One of the best things that teachers can do is treat all students equally. It’s human nature to have favorites, but educators ought to put in the effort to make sure that everyone, no matter their family or financial status, gets the attention they need.
My father went to high school with John Stamos. He says that Stamos was a huge nerd and performed magic tricks at lunch. That is all
My Mom went to high school with Michelle Obama (formerly Michelle Robinson), and even has a yearbook with her signature in it. They were in the National Honor Society together, and had been pretty good acquaintances. It wasn't until one day after Obama was elected, my Mom was watching the news, and jumped in recognition and ran to find her yearbook.
Donald Trump, Jr. Went to the Hill School '94-95 while he was there. He was a cocky and judgemental douche who ran with a posse of sycophants of his choosing and who also always paid his way...dude never seemed to pay his own way. He also bagged his share of girls from the all-girl schools who would get busses in for our dances...dude was well aware of the power of his family name.
The one negative encounter that comes to mind each time I see his smug face on TV is when that m**********r criticized my choice in hats. You see, I fancied myself a skatepunk in the early to late 90's. I had decided to get a straw golf hat and safety pin it up all Australian-like on one side and festoon it with a band make from a cut up school tie...f**k the police. Anyways, he see's me rollin', he hatin'. He yells out, "Hey, that's not a skater hat, f*g!". Ridiculous reason for a grudge, sure...but f**k that guy anyway.
Previously, Bored Panda spoke about motivating students and having a good working relationship with them with Lisa McLendon, from the University of Kansas.
"Just this week I put a current student in touch with an alum who was looking for a summer intern—I knew the student and what the alum was looking for, and I thought they’d be a good match. By Thursday she had the internship!" the professor shared with us earlier.
"It’s always nice to see when your students flourish. I also encourage (and have gotten the university to fund) students to attend an annual professional conference, to see what professionals in the field are doing and start to build their network. Every year a few students go, and they’re always happy to have had such an experience,"
Well i didnt exactly, but Johnny Depp was 1 grade ahead of me and I talked to him occasionally, and i can tell ya, he was the same as he is now, the lead in everything, the class clown/wierdo and had almost barley any friends
Demi Lovato. She was the grade below me in middle school, and then moved to Hollywood just before high school. She was a real b***h and a half. Definitely the biggest mean girl of her grade. I don't really understand why she goes into interviews saying she was bullied so badly; it was her doing all the terrorizing.
Well both can definitely be true. I have definitely been bullied, at times pretty badly, but unfortunately I have also been on the other side of bullying and have done and said things that can't be undone.
My boyfriend went to school with Michael Cera and was good friends with him until he moved away. He really is just as awkward and hilarious in real life and i have been told many funny stories about him.
Some students are genuinely grateful for all of the help their teachers gave them. For example, some send handwritten notes, saying how much they value what they learned. Small gestures like that can help educators stay motivated when things get tough. It’s a reminder that what they do really matters.
According to Professor McLendon, educators can help guide and inspire their students by showing the purpose of what they’re doing in class.
"Relating concepts and skills to real-world activities can help many students understand not just what they’re doing but why. Explaining the purpose of big-picture things like a whole course as well as small things like individual assignments can help students understand why what they’re doing is relevant. Also, putting concepts and skills into the larger field can help students contextualize what they’re doing and see how it relates to things they’ve done before and things they’ll be doing at the next level," she explained.
Tupac. I was in French class with him in either 10th or 11th grade. I was pretty s****y at French, and I don't remember him paying too much attention to the subject either. Then again, I remember little of those days since it was over 20 years ago. I can vouch for his having been really funny though- he had the whole class totally losing it on more than one occasion.
Not me, but OJ Simpson asked my mom to go out with him in high school... luckily she said no...
Zac Efron was in my high school speech and debate league. He accused me of wanting to kill Oprah in a debate. And he won.
Meanwhile, if you ever need to let a student know that they ought to put in more effort into their classwork and homework, the so-called ‘sandwich’ method works wonders.
“Tell the student something good about their work (bread), tell them how something could be better (filling), then tell them something else good, either about their work or about your confidence in their ability to do it (bread). Some students want simple, direct feedback on what to fix, but many want to know that they’re at least on the right track and that their teacher thinks they can do it,” the professor said.
Did you go to school with someone who later turned out to be famous, dear Pandas? Do you know a celebrity personally? Who is the most successful person you’ve seen at your school reunions so far? If you’re feeling up for it, we’d love to hear about your school days, so don’t be shy—share your thoughts with all the other readers in the comments.
Went to primary with Peter Jackson's son (before Lord of the Rings came out). He told us his dad was making a movie, i laughed at him. Oh god why...
My mom went to school with Steve from Blues Clues - she was in the drama department with him. She said he was always acting kooky, but he was super nice and artsy
Just remembered another one; an ex-boyfriend of mine would travel the pond to Ireland every summer (his mother's Irish) and would attend an acting camp while there. Evanna Lynch, who plays Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter series, also attended every year, and they were actually on good terms. He says she more or less IS Luna Lovegood, and that most of what is portrayed on screen is how she is in real life, even down to the voice. :D
My Friends Mom was asked to prom by Will Ferrell in high school. Apparently he showed up to her door completely naked and asked her in front of her parents.
My sister's friend went to school with Heath Ledger and he was good mates with him. She told me when she herself met him he was a really friendly guy.
My father grew up with Neil Young.
They were basically best buds & they stole that hearse together. Neil Young tells of that s**t in his biography.
My mum knew Neil Yonge when they were kids. That is because only 120 people lived in Canada in the 50s and apparently they all knew each other.
My aunt made out with, and then proceeded to puke on Michael J. Fox.
My dad went to high school with Bill Murray, apparently he was quite well liked.
My Mom went to school with Madonna(Rochester, Michigan), she said she was a total s**t which I was not surprised by at all.
I'm classmates with Princess Mako of Japan (the emperor's granddaughter) in 2 classes in college. Apparently there are bodyguards dressed up as students near her at all times.
My Aunt went to school with Ewan McGregor. She said he was a pretty nice guy, and I guess they still keep in touch. She also knows someone immediately related to Clint Eastwood.
Cool to have it confirmed that Obi-Wan is a good guy. I share a birthday with him xD
According to legend, my mom's friends strung Rob Schneider's underwear up a flag pole at their band camp when he was a Freshman...I brought it up with him a few years back when he was visiting town and he jokingly scolded me for "bringing up that painful memory". In high school he was supposedly a dorky, goofy, kind of annoying but lovable kid...from my own experiences more recently, he's silly and loves to make jokes and everything but mostly he's just laid back and very kind. He funded our town's band program and tries to come home for concerts and to stop by and say hello once in a while. He's a real genuine good guy.
I went to high school with LeBron James. In high school, he was pretty humble and down to earth, even when he (and the rest of the school) knew he was going to be an NBA superstar, he kept his class and played it cool through graduation. IMO, his ego didn't blow up until after high school.
My mom went to the same school as Christopher Reeve, she said he was one of those smart jock type of guys, nice too
I had a creative writing class with Melana Scantlin of The Average Joe reality show fame. She was really nice and down to earth. I might have some of her work submitted for class curtique
My friend's dad went to high school with Neil Patrick Harris, and apparently used to bully him.
It’s never too late to reach out and apologize. Both of you will feel so much better. People hold on to stuff like that in the back of their head for their entire lives.
My dad went to college with Bruce Willis. He told me stories of them listening to records in their dorm rooms, and Bruce being a real drunk. Apparently he dropped out because he was an alcoholic... Apparently when he went out to Hollywood he asked one of my dads friends to be his accountant but he thought Bruce wasn't gonna make it.
Dad went to school with Hugh Grant. Very popular dude. Got all the ladies at the neighboring girls schools.
My uncle went to school with Bon Jovi, he shoved my uncle in a locker...
Well I went to high school with one of the Jonas Brothers. Had class together and whatnot.
He was a pretty cool dude, but really into Jesus.
My gym teacher always tells this one story about how she went to high school with Nathan Fillion, and he bought an election for a friend of his by promising almost all the girls in the school he'd go out with them if they voted for his friend.
My cousin went to high school with Natalie Hershlag (Portman) in Syosset, NY. I believe she said she was very nice and quiet. She wasn't around much due to star wars filming.
My friends dad punched Bono when they were in school.
The full story:
So I'm slightly hazy about the exact details but the story goes Bono wrote a song (or sang a song) to my friends dad's girlfriend, as you can imagine he didn't take kindly to this creepy and d******d move. So the the next day he punched him right in the money maker!
Friends dad eventually married his girlfriend and they settled down on a very successful lettuce farm. Where they live happily married.
tl;dr Protects his woman by punching Bono in the sweetest thing and lives like a king on his farm, growing 2 kids and a lot of lettuce.
I called Bono fat. I lived in Vancouver in the 90's. Bono and his crew were in a popular restaurant. After several drinks in several bars me and two of my friends went to the same restaurant. My friend says "Hey look that's Bono" I said "No, that's just a fat guy who looks like Bono" This back and forth went on for quite some time. Two girls walking by the restaurant looked in the windows and started screaming that was when I realized my friend was right. When Bono and crew were leaving the restaurant he stopped at our table and looked me in the eye and slowly shook his head. Apparently, I was the only person not to know that U2 was in town. He was fat!
I went to high school with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I would see him once in a while walking to class or chilling with his friends. He seemed pretty laid back.
Marilyn Manson went to my elementary and a rival high school of mine. He was much older than I but I have talked to people that knew him. They always said he was quite but very intelligent. They said he was a pretty normal kid.
I went to high school with Nina Dobrev. She was really sweet to all her friends, but a total b***h to everyone else. And as soon as she got her break on Degrassi she got her head up her a*s and treated everyone like garbage. Everytime I see her in magazines etc it fills me with rage because of how big a b***h she is.
Quite a few of my friends older siblings went to school with Jeremy Lin (basketball player) & James Franco (actor). They said that Jeremy Lin was pretty average but quite a few of them smoked with James Franco and said he was nice enough but weird as f**k and really distant.
My aunt went to school with Kurt Cobain. She turned him down for prom one year. She said he was kind of a junkie and a loser.
Kurt Cobain…junkie…loser…yep…and an awesome fixture in the history of American music…
Rebecca Black was my "little buddy" when she was in kindergarten and I was in 4th grade. Honestly, she was adorable and very well-spoken and polite for a 5 year old. And I remember for the two other years I went to that elementary school, we still bumped into each other every now and then--she spent most of her time in the library reading, keeping herself only two a small group of friends. And now we've been on Facebook for the past two years or so, even before Friday debuted.
My mom went to high school with Suzanne Collins, author of the Hunger Games. They were friends but my mom said she doesn't remember her that well but she does remember that she was nice.
My dad went to highschool with Mike Judge. He said he was really nerdy and weird.
My aunt went to high school with Ellen Degeneres. They weren't great friends or anything, but she was a pretty outgoing social person from what she said. Also, my dad rode his bike with her for awhile.
Taylor Lautner. That guy is an arrogant jerk.
So, he was playing himself, basically, in Degrassi The Next Class. (sorry. The guy who played Drew on Degrassi was often mistaken as Taylor Lautner. They look so much alike. https://www.reddit.com/r/Degrassi/comments/exkk3w/not_gonna_lie_i_thought_drew_kinda_looked_like/)
I was in the same grade as Joel Zimmerman aka Deadmau5. He was not as popular and not nearly as sexy but was interesting nonetheless.
I'm probably the minority here, but I really don't understand the obsession with celebrities. I don't understand what is so cool about having a class with this random famous person decades prior. And? How is that impressive? I don't get it.
Sinatra. Hope. Astaire. Crosby. Dave Cavanaugh. Bix. Dorsey Brothers. Basie. Satchmo. Chuck Cabot. Carmen Cavallaro. My Dad was among Swing Era greats, arranging and playing music with Big Bands before he was old enough to vote. Bix was his mentor, warning him away from alcohol and drugs saying "it will steal your music." Satchmo liked Dad's version of "Saints" saying it was better than his. Sinatra, Hope, Crosby were just "some of the guys" to him and they would meet often, call the house, hang out. Grew up as a roadie working stage for his company, including shows for Stones, Zeppelin, Janis Joplin,, Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo Springfield (had a crush on Dewey), Jim Morrison (epitomized sensuality), Cream, Country Joe, Queen, Ted Nugent, BOC, Heart, Aerosmith, Kiss... so many I've lost track. As Dad said: It's been a good run.
I wonder what my postman was like in highschool, and that busdriver on line 4, OH and the really nice lady on the phone when I call the theatre for tickets, Garnette Wilkins, anybody went to highschool with her?
Both of my parent went to high school with John Travolta. My mother had a couple of classes with him. She mentioned that he was very funny and everyone liked him. She remembers when he left to act in the movie Grease as well.
The interview with the celebrity expert bothers me. It recapitulates this mythos about *~*star quality*~* as if it's something so magical that only .0001% of people have, like demigods, and that's the only way fame happens. Charisma is a real thing, of course, and I have no doubt some people have more than others. But it's also luck, nepotism, hard work, luck, luck...did I mention luck? The genes for being considered beautiful, oligarchic machinations, and luck. So many people are talented, in so many ways. There are nearly 8 billion people. Celebs aren't magical charismatic eleves that are destined to fascinate us all. Ugh.
Kristy Swanson (Buffy from the original Buffy the vampire slayer) was my babysitter. From what I remember she was a total sweetheart.
My sister met Jean Claude Van Dam before he became famous. He used to come on a small time local cable TV station she worked at to show off his martial art moves.
My stepdad, Terry Gustafson, was in India at the same Ashram with the Beatles. My stepdad was a park ranger and was there in his khaki uniform and crew cut in contrast to the Beatles colorful robes and long hair. John Lennon kept on telling him he didn't belong/fit in (in a friendly way) and that he should Get Back, you just need to Get Back. My stepdad is from Tuscon Arizona. (Jojo was a man from Tuscon Arizona...) There is a new movie on Britbox about the Beatles and their time in India. He watched it and was in about three of the photos shown in the movie.
I was having a really crappy day, and this guy plows right into me. I shoved him hard, "What is your problem?!!!" This was the first and last time I ever angrily shoved someone. Turned out his problem was he was literally being chased by a throng of adoring fangirls, like a scene straight out of the '50's. I didn't quite have time to apologize to Corey Haim.
I went to high school with Jim Parsons. We were in the theater dept together and he was/is really, really nice! I am SOOO happy for his success!!!!
My grandma was friends with Rosemary Clooney back in the 30s she said that her dad and Rosemary's dad were "the town drunks" and that Rosemary was such a sweet girl.. she had such fond memories of those times I wish she was still here I miss hearing my mamaw talk about her childhood...😔
I went to high school with Melissa McCarthy. She was a senior when I was a freshman. I wish I knew then how freaking funny she was!
My mom and uncles went to highschool with Kevin Sorbo. According to them he was a pretty huge Jesus freak and a jock on the football team. He treated people he saw as below him like $hit, according to them. Second hand info from 40+ years ago, but all 4 of them and their friends backed this account up.
This might seem weird, but my aunt’s mom went to school in college with Lin-Manuel Miranda
Went to school w/Hulk Hogan's kids. Was cool and odd being so little and this larger guy walking down the hall says hello. Nice guy.
I was at school with Richard E Grant. He was a bit weird, beautiful eyes, and totally obsessed with acting, so no surprises there
When my brother attended Purdue University, he met Axl Rose. (Axl didn't attend Purdue, but hung out at Chauncey Hill right off campus) Said he was an a-hole. One of my teachers in high school went to college with David Letterman. He would always fall asleep in class then beg my teacher for her notes
A juvenile celeb, one of the Timmys on the LASSIE show, lived in a classic old house across the street from my suburban kindergarten's school but did not deign to associate with us non-TV kids. Sad.
Meghan Trainor was in my high school math class. We didn't talk much because I was a poor kid and she was a rich kid so we didn't have the same lifestyle
I dated Bing Crosby's somewhere down the lines grandson. Dude totally tried to use his relation to bing Crosby to his advantage constantly. Everyone just thought he was a douchebag. Only dated for like a month and then he stalked me after
A friend of my family went to school with David Copperfield. David started his magic career early, making quarters disappear. Thing is, he never made them reappear. My family friend pushed him down the stairs and broke his arm for that.
I went to a very small private school with Juan Castono (many tv shows and most recently Encanto). He was great at football and smoked pot all the time. He was a ladies man then. He was kind of nice (ish)but really funny. None of us knew he wanted to act or model or anything like that!
i never went to school w anyone famous directly i was always a year or two off or was just related to someone who did
Went to the same high school as a famous Orioles family (Maryland). Admittedly much later than they did. Billy Ripkin was a constant substitute teacher in the school. Cal Sr did lots of appearances around the area. Cal Jr really takes the cake and its all negative. We adored Billy. He was amazing and involved. Positive role model, kept his promises when he made them. Cal Sr not much to tell. He'd show up, do his requirements and went back to doing more... busy man. Cal Jr from the time I was in 9th to when my older kids were in elementary would hype the kids up thru letters read by one of his staff and promises voiced by one of his staff. He rarely made appearances, he never kept the promises as they were worded... always fell short with them, and would turn it around when he didn't follow thru with what was promised. The kids always met the goals he set for them to earn a visit, he never showed up etc. Its just sad he did that all the time.
I went to school with a guy who became a professional footballer (soccer), playing at the elite level. In high school he was an absolute a*****e, he once played a prank on another kid by s******g in the other guys schoolbag. Later whenever I saw him mentioned in sports articles I always remembered what an awful person he was.
My mom went to high school with either some, or all, members of the band Bowling For Soup. They were best friends with her older brother, and were therefore pretty much her friends as well. His friends would often come over, so my mom saw his friends a lot and became pretty close with them. Years ago, when my family lived in Guam(my dad got stationed there my the Air Force), the military flew the band over to have a concert on the island. At the met and greet, my mom met up with the band members, who were just staring at her, trying to figure out where they knew her from. As soon as she said her brother's name, it clicked. They had a great time talking and catching up
Me too. Butttt my grandma did go to high school with j.k rowling and they were friends for a while . Shes also my favorite author for making Harry Potter.
My Grandma was a waitress and go-go dancer. She did a private dance and served breakfast the next day to Elvis. What I understand, he was quite the ladies' man. I would go on to assume that he was a d*****bag.
I went to school with Carrie Underwood. She is a couple of years older than me. We were in choir together in high school. She was a preppy ho.
a friend of mine went to school with Tom Hiddleston. She said he was such a sweet gentleman
Not technically from high school, but my uncle went to college with Jimmy Fallon, and they were friends.
I went to high school with Holly Madison the playboy bunny. She was actually named Holly Cullen back then. She was into alternative rock and style. Was kinda a trend setter with fashion. Nice to most people. I was shocked to see her with playboy though!
One of my teachers in OK was Brad Pitt's cousin. My dad almost moved in with John Wayne Gacy after college with a buddy.
My typing class in Jr. High was invaded by "Lets get together, Yeah yeah yeah"... Hayley Mills..
There's a standup comedian named Pete Lee, not a huge name but still fairly well known. He performed at my college and I ended up getting to meet him since some friends were working tech for the show. I was researching stand-up for a script at the time and meekly asked if I could ask a couple questions about his experience in the industry. He sat down with me for a good 30-45 minutes after the show, doing a full on interview, offering a ton of resources, and giving feedback/advice on on the premise for the screenplay. Seriously the sweetest guy you'll ever meet! On the other side of the spectrum, I also had a professor in my film program who said that Jeff Goldblum hit on his sister while she was working as a waitress. Both the professor and his sister are a good deal younger than Goldblum and she said he was super skeevy.
I went to high school with Jim Parsons. He was/is a very sweet guy!! I was in the theater department with him.
I went to church with Emma Stone. She went by Emily then. She was your average teenage girl. She was pretty cool and down to earth. supposedly, and this is coming from my best friend's mouth who wasn't always honest but still mostly trustworthy, they had sex. Still not sure if it's true. Another one, my high school english teacher was best friends with John Ritter. The day he died my teacher came in just bawling. He had said John was the nicest guy he had known.
My gramma's friends son is Robert Foxworth. He was a popular actor on Falcon Crest back in the 80s. He'd always come home to dote on his mama.
I went to high school with Mario Lopez, of Saved By The Bell fame. He was kind of a douche & conceited but not too bad a person, to me. All the girls loved him (obviously). After he got that show, he came back to the school to speak to the drama majors (we were a creative & performing arts school & had majors. Mine was music) about his experience in Hollywood. & he brought a castmate: Tiffany Amber Thiessen. The other well known person was the NFL All-Pro linebacker Donnie Edwards. My first year at UCLA, the actors who played Steve Urkel & Winnie Cooper were also freshmen. Hilariously, people put "I <3 you, Winnie Cooper!" signs in their dorm windows. lol
I went to school with Chad Hurley, his sister Heather was in my grade. He was okay, it was a small enough school that you could end up being on a nodding acquaintance with everyone, and he didn't stick out except that I thought he and his sister looked a lot more alike than they do now.
I have a few. My mom's coworker used to date Jimmy Page and said she left him because he was into some dark s**t. My brother's stepmother grew up with Reese Witherspoon and said she was a total stuck up b***h. A friend of mine is Billy Joe's nephew from Green Day and he says he's kind of a prick. Finally, as I mentioned in another comment, my grandma used to date Nick Cage's dad (Francis Ford Copella's brother) and took him and nick to an opera but she ended up dumping him because he was so full of himself. She said nick was nice though. This was around the time Peggy Sue Got Married came out.
I went to school with Tiger Woods, but didn't know him. He was a peon freshman, while I was a superior senior. Lol!
I grew up with 2 famous people and we were all in the same class. James Gandolfini and Karen Duffy. I know Karen isn't very famous anymore but that's partly b/c of her illness. She does write bestsellers these days. She was more well known when we were young and she was on MTV and doing movies.
Not to much into celebrities but I remember my dad telling me once (and showing me a grade school picture) that he grew up with Henry Winkler. All he said was he was a weird kid. Quite and through a lot of grade school carried his teddy bear. He grew out of it eventually. Not the most popular kid. But apparently he has done well for himself. Pretty much all my dad said.
I went canoeing and rifle practice and rock climbing with blanche Brody. She turns 18 soon I think. She's a lesser known music artists and you can find her on Spotify. I met her when we were 15 or 16 and was the first person to greet her when she first got one of her summer jobs. She writes songs with a similar style to cavetown or girl in red, although she doesn't have nearly as many fans as them lol. She even tells me she still remembers when we first met. (I was sitting on the floor outside waiting for my friend and she came up and said hi, and said she thinks we would be working together that summer. So we sat and talked about guitar, which is what we both were learning to play at the time) I started writing songs and having her do the tune/melody and instruments while I write lyrics. :).
Why does the title say "He’s A Douchebag" but the article clearly mentioned both men and women? I guess it's kinda sexiest.
So many "My friend's parent went to school with this celebrity". What is this, schoolyard storytelling time?
My sister, Claire, was in acting school and even the same class as Danny Masterson during his raping years. They are the same height so he HATED her. The school is affiliated with The Celebrity Centre and he was allowed to do whatever he wanted. It started her disgust with and eventual leaving from the school. She called him a predatory douche waaaay back then. He totally did it. My sister is a b***h but if she says douchebag you can bet on douchebag. She had absolutely no reason to make that specific assessment. No charges had been filed at that time. But he just gave The Vibe. Oh, my mom was a pioneer rape crisis counselor. We were raised to notice The Vibe.
This post rather rapidly went to a name dropping stars-I-knew competition. 🤨 There obviously was sooooo many more people around this potential stars-to-be-born yet the # makes it sound they were a solitar around the star. 🙄 The further down the # less information, the more just getting in the starlight it seams to me.
An extended family member of mine went to high school with Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (back when she was Mary Donaldson). Apparently she was always really nice, down to Earth, had a small circle of close friends but got along with basically everyone. And very pretty. They very briefly "dated" (in that very teenage boyfriend-girlfriend way, they were 15) and then he ditched her at a party to go to a friend's house because he had a case of beer. That was the end of that relationship, but they still got along okay afterwards. Didn't stay in touch after high school. Then suddenly he's watching the news years later and they're announcing her engagement to the Crown Prince of Denmark...
I schooled with, and later married, the sister of a noted SciFi/Fantasy author, who married another star SF&F creator. Their fireplace mantle was loaded with literary award statuettes. Ours sported carvings. No, I shall drop no names, but you've seen her in many video credits and publishers' lists. I survived other close calls with 'celebs' -- hardly worth mentioning now. 8-(
My classmate’s mom went to high school with Whoopi Goldberg. Apparently she’s always been cool, funny, and outspoken.
My first real boyfriend (long and serious relationship) is nationally known in my country, a well respected pundit/editor/journalist/news paper founder/author/radio host and so on and blah blah. He also married into a nationally known and acclaimed musical and literary family, and his three daughters are definitely on their way to success as well. He and his family travel all over the world, doing charity and activism. Meanwhile, I've gotten nowhere in life - unmarried, childless, never finished my education, never provided for myself in full, now living in a small apartment and receiving early pension, sitting in bed all day ëvery day with my cola and cigarettes. To be honest, the stark contrast sucks.
I went to high school with Rob (R.) Kelly. He missed a lot of class either hanging outside (no one has three lunch periods) or in the musical wing of the school, usually in the choral rooms. He was close to Ms. McLin, the choir teacher (she was raised by her uncle Thomas Dorsey, the father of gospel music). He was really fond of sophomore girls and dated a friend of mine and dumped her. He sang at EVERY talent show, he was an extremely good mimic. He could sound exactly alike whoever was popular at the time which meant a lot of New Edition. We used to throw band candy m&ms at him. He only won one of the talent shows when he and a group of guys sang Always and Forever. They beat my band in the talent show (unsophisticated high school kids were too immature to appreciate new wave/synth original songs played by a live band that even included hot backup singers--I was really into Eurythmics, Culture Club, and Prince so I will leave it up to your imagination about my stage costumes).
Anyone know who Jason Fairfield because he lives in my neighborhood
My high school Computers teacher grew up with Papa John. She was to be his accountant for Papa John's and partner, but thought it would never work. She said he was a workaholic, quiet, and awkward. He didn't do much outside of school, but worked for his father a lot. Said he had creepy eyes.
I went to Junior High and High School with Johnny Whittaker. He got hazed his first day. , after that he was just a fellow student. Really nice, intelligent, outgoing. My sister went to Prom with him.
Father knew Pere Rose when I was growing up. I don't remember meeting Pete, but from the stories I've heard from my father, Pete was a phenomenal athlete in every sport he played. Not just baseball.
Not technically from high school, but my uncle went to school with Jimmy Fallon.
Not technically from High School, but my uncle went to college with Jimmy Fallon.
Princess Margaret was the celebrity who officiated at the opening of my new high school building when I was 12. She hung around for a couple of minutes meeting the head girl then was gone. When I was 15 one girl from the upper sixth form was accepted into Oxford. A few years later one of my cousins also went to Oxford. And who cares? It was over 60 years ago! Meaningless to anybody except the persons involved. I'm rather annoyed that I read this thread. Didn't find out much about any of the well known people referred to except that somebody knew them at some point, and wasn't that the point of the thread in the first place? Finding out about famous people before they were famous? Didn't happen. Still in the dark about most of them and quite a few I only know the name anyway. Thumbs down on this one. 🤷♀️
I'm probably the minority here, but I really don't understand the obsession with celebrities. I don't understand what is so cool about having a class with this random famous person decades prior. And? How is that impressive? I don't get it.
Sinatra. Hope. Astaire. Crosby. Dave Cavanaugh. Bix. Dorsey Brothers. Basie. Satchmo. Chuck Cabot. Carmen Cavallaro. My Dad was among Swing Era greats, arranging and playing music with Big Bands before he was old enough to vote. Bix was his mentor, warning him away from alcohol and drugs saying "it will steal your music." Satchmo liked Dad's version of "Saints" saying it was better than his. Sinatra, Hope, Crosby were just "some of the guys" to him and they would meet often, call the house, hang out. Grew up as a roadie working stage for his company, including shows for Stones, Zeppelin, Janis Joplin,, Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo Springfield (had a crush on Dewey), Jim Morrison (epitomized sensuality), Cream, Country Joe, Queen, Ted Nugent, BOC, Heart, Aerosmith, Kiss... so many I've lost track. As Dad said: It's been a good run.
I wonder what my postman was like in highschool, and that busdriver on line 4, OH and the really nice lady on the phone when I call the theatre for tickets, Garnette Wilkins, anybody went to highschool with her?
Both of my parent went to high school with John Travolta. My mother had a couple of classes with him. She mentioned that he was very funny and everyone liked him. She remembers when he left to act in the movie Grease as well.
The interview with the celebrity expert bothers me. It recapitulates this mythos about *~*star quality*~* as if it's something so magical that only .0001% of people have, like demigods, and that's the only way fame happens. Charisma is a real thing, of course, and I have no doubt some people have more than others. But it's also luck, nepotism, hard work, luck, luck...did I mention luck? The genes for being considered beautiful, oligarchic machinations, and luck. So many people are talented, in so many ways. There are nearly 8 billion people. Celebs aren't magical charismatic eleves that are destined to fascinate us all. Ugh.
Kristy Swanson (Buffy from the original Buffy the vampire slayer) was my babysitter. From what I remember she was a total sweetheart.
My sister met Jean Claude Van Dam before he became famous. He used to come on a small time local cable TV station she worked at to show off his martial art moves.
My stepdad, Terry Gustafson, was in India at the same Ashram with the Beatles. My stepdad was a park ranger and was there in his khaki uniform and crew cut in contrast to the Beatles colorful robes and long hair. John Lennon kept on telling him he didn't belong/fit in (in a friendly way) and that he should Get Back, you just need to Get Back. My stepdad is from Tuscon Arizona. (Jojo was a man from Tuscon Arizona...) There is a new movie on Britbox about the Beatles and their time in India. He watched it and was in about three of the photos shown in the movie.
I was having a really crappy day, and this guy plows right into me. I shoved him hard, "What is your problem?!!!" This was the first and last time I ever angrily shoved someone. Turned out his problem was he was literally being chased by a throng of adoring fangirls, like a scene straight out of the '50's. I didn't quite have time to apologize to Corey Haim.
I went to high school with Jim Parsons. We were in the theater dept together and he was/is really, really nice! I am SOOO happy for his success!!!!
My grandma was friends with Rosemary Clooney back in the 30s she said that her dad and Rosemary's dad were "the town drunks" and that Rosemary was such a sweet girl.. she had such fond memories of those times I wish she was still here I miss hearing my mamaw talk about her childhood...😔
I went to high school with Melissa McCarthy. She was a senior when I was a freshman. I wish I knew then how freaking funny she was!
My mom and uncles went to highschool with Kevin Sorbo. According to them he was a pretty huge Jesus freak and a jock on the football team. He treated people he saw as below him like $hit, according to them. Second hand info from 40+ years ago, but all 4 of them and their friends backed this account up.
This might seem weird, but my aunt’s mom went to school in college with Lin-Manuel Miranda
Went to school w/Hulk Hogan's kids. Was cool and odd being so little and this larger guy walking down the hall says hello. Nice guy.
I was at school with Richard E Grant. He was a bit weird, beautiful eyes, and totally obsessed with acting, so no surprises there
When my brother attended Purdue University, he met Axl Rose. (Axl didn't attend Purdue, but hung out at Chauncey Hill right off campus) Said he was an a-hole. One of my teachers in high school went to college with David Letterman. He would always fall asleep in class then beg my teacher for her notes
A juvenile celeb, one of the Timmys on the LASSIE show, lived in a classic old house across the street from my suburban kindergarten's school but did not deign to associate with us non-TV kids. Sad.
Meghan Trainor was in my high school math class. We didn't talk much because I was a poor kid and she was a rich kid so we didn't have the same lifestyle
I dated Bing Crosby's somewhere down the lines grandson. Dude totally tried to use his relation to bing Crosby to his advantage constantly. Everyone just thought he was a douchebag. Only dated for like a month and then he stalked me after
A friend of my family went to school with David Copperfield. David started his magic career early, making quarters disappear. Thing is, he never made them reappear. My family friend pushed him down the stairs and broke his arm for that.
I went to a very small private school with Juan Castono (many tv shows and most recently Encanto). He was great at football and smoked pot all the time. He was a ladies man then. He was kind of nice (ish)but really funny. None of us knew he wanted to act or model or anything like that!
i never went to school w anyone famous directly i was always a year or two off or was just related to someone who did
Went to the same high school as a famous Orioles family (Maryland). Admittedly much later than they did. Billy Ripkin was a constant substitute teacher in the school. Cal Sr did lots of appearances around the area. Cal Jr really takes the cake and its all negative. We adored Billy. He was amazing and involved. Positive role model, kept his promises when he made them. Cal Sr not much to tell. He'd show up, do his requirements and went back to doing more... busy man. Cal Jr from the time I was in 9th to when my older kids were in elementary would hype the kids up thru letters read by one of his staff and promises voiced by one of his staff. He rarely made appearances, he never kept the promises as they were worded... always fell short with them, and would turn it around when he didn't follow thru with what was promised. The kids always met the goals he set for them to earn a visit, he never showed up etc. Its just sad he did that all the time.
I went to school with a guy who became a professional footballer (soccer), playing at the elite level. In high school he was an absolute a*****e, he once played a prank on another kid by s******g in the other guys schoolbag. Later whenever I saw him mentioned in sports articles I always remembered what an awful person he was.
My mom went to high school with either some, or all, members of the band Bowling For Soup. They were best friends with her older brother, and were therefore pretty much her friends as well. His friends would often come over, so my mom saw his friends a lot and became pretty close with them. Years ago, when my family lived in Guam(my dad got stationed there my the Air Force), the military flew the band over to have a concert on the island. At the met and greet, my mom met up with the band members, who were just staring at her, trying to figure out where they knew her from. As soon as she said her brother's name, it clicked. They had a great time talking and catching up
Me too. Butttt my grandma did go to high school with j.k rowling and they were friends for a while . Shes also my favorite author for making Harry Potter.
My Grandma was a waitress and go-go dancer. She did a private dance and served breakfast the next day to Elvis. What I understand, he was quite the ladies' man. I would go on to assume that he was a d*****bag.
I went to school with Carrie Underwood. She is a couple of years older than me. We were in choir together in high school. She was a preppy ho.
a friend of mine went to school with Tom Hiddleston. She said he was such a sweet gentleman
Not technically from high school, but my uncle went to college with Jimmy Fallon, and they were friends.
I went to high school with Holly Madison the playboy bunny. She was actually named Holly Cullen back then. She was into alternative rock and style. Was kinda a trend setter with fashion. Nice to most people. I was shocked to see her with playboy though!
One of my teachers in OK was Brad Pitt's cousin. My dad almost moved in with John Wayne Gacy after college with a buddy.
My typing class in Jr. High was invaded by "Lets get together, Yeah yeah yeah"... Hayley Mills..
There's a standup comedian named Pete Lee, not a huge name but still fairly well known. He performed at my college and I ended up getting to meet him since some friends were working tech for the show. I was researching stand-up for a script at the time and meekly asked if I could ask a couple questions about his experience in the industry. He sat down with me for a good 30-45 minutes after the show, doing a full on interview, offering a ton of resources, and giving feedback/advice on on the premise for the screenplay. Seriously the sweetest guy you'll ever meet! On the other side of the spectrum, I also had a professor in my film program who said that Jeff Goldblum hit on his sister while she was working as a waitress. Both the professor and his sister are a good deal younger than Goldblum and she said he was super skeevy.
I went to high school with Jim Parsons. He was/is a very sweet guy!! I was in the theater department with him.
I went to church with Emma Stone. She went by Emily then. She was your average teenage girl. She was pretty cool and down to earth. supposedly, and this is coming from my best friend's mouth who wasn't always honest but still mostly trustworthy, they had sex. Still not sure if it's true. Another one, my high school english teacher was best friends with John Ritter. The day he died my teacher came in just bawling. He had said John was the nicest guy he had known.
My gramma's friends son is Robert Foxworth. He was a popular actor on Falcon Crest back in the 80s. He'd always come home to dote on his mama.
I went to high school with Mario Lopez, of Saved By The Bell fame. He was kind of a douche & conceited but not too bad a person, to me. All the girls loved him (obviously). After he got that show, he came back to the school to speak to the drama majors (we were a creative & performing arts school & had majors. Mine was music) about his experience in Hollywood. & he brought a castmate: Tiffany Amber Thiessen. The other well known person was the NFL All-Pro linebacker Donnie Edwards. My first year at UCLA, the actors who played Steve Urkel & Winnie Cooper were also freshmen. Hilariously, people put "I <3 you, Winnie Cooper!" signs in their dorm windows. lol
I went to school with Chad Hurley, his sister Heather was in my grade. He was okay, it was a small enough school that you could end up being on a nodding acquaintance with everyone, and he didn't stick out except that I thought he and his sister looked a lot more alike than they do now.
I have a few. My mom's coworker used to date Jimmy Page and said she left him because he was into some dark s**t. My brother's stepmother grew up with Reese Witherspoon and said she was a total stuck up b***h. A friend of mine is Billy Joe's nephew from Green Day and he says he's kind of a prick. Finally, as I mentioned in another comment, my grandma used to date Nick Cage's dad (Francis Ford Copella's brother) and took him and nick to an opera but she ended up dumping him because he was so full of himself. She said nick was nice though. This was around the time Peggy Sue Got Married came out.
I went to school with Tiger Woods, but didn't know him. He was a peon freshman, while I was a superior senior. Lol!
I grew up with 2 famous people and we were all in the same class. James Gandolfini and Karen Duffy. I know Karen isn't very famous anymore but that's partly b/c of her illness. She does write bestsellers these days. She was more well known when we were young and she was on MTV and doing movies.
Not to much into celebrities but I remember my dad telling me once (and showing me a grade school picture) that he grew up with Henry Winkler. All he said was he was a weird kid. Quite and through a lot of grade school carried his teddy bear. He grew out of it eventually. Not the most popular kid. But apparently he has done well for himself. Pretty much all my dad said.
I went canoeing and rifle practice and rock climbing with blanche Brody. She turns 18 soon I think. She's a lesser known music artists and you can find her on Spotify. I met her when we were 15 or 16 and was the first person to greet her when she first got one of her summer jobs. She writes songs with a similar style to cavetown or girl in red, although she doesn't have nearly as many fans as them lol. She even tells me she still remembers when we first met. (I was sitting on the floor outside waiting for my friend and she came up and said hi, and said she thinks we would be working together that summer. So we sat and talked about guitar, which is what we both were learning to play at the time) I started writing songs and having her do the tune/melody and instruments while I write lyrics. :).
Why does the title say "He’s A Douchebag" but the article clearly mentioned both men and women? I guess it's kinda sexiest.
So many "My friend's parent went to school with this celebrity". What is this, schoolyard storytelling time?
My sister, Claire, was in acting school and even the same class as Danny Masterson during his raping years. They are the same height so he HATED her. The school is affiliated with The Celebrity Centre and he was allowed to do whatever he wanted. It started her disgust with and eventual leaving from the school. She called him a predatory douche waaaay back then. He totally did it. My sister is a b***h but if she says douchebag you can bet on douchebag. She had absolutely no reason to make that specific assessment. No charges had been filed at that time. But he just gave The Vibe. Oh, my mom was a pioneer rape crisis counselor. We were raised to notice The Vibe.
This post rather rapidly went to a name dropping stars-I-knew competition. 🤨 There obviously was sooooo many more people around this potential stars-to-be-born yet the # makes it sound they were a solitar around the star. 🙄 The further down the # less information, the more just getting in the starlight it seams to me.
An extended family member of mine went to high school with Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (back when she was Mary Donaldson). Apparently she was always really nice, down to Earth, had a small circle of close friends but got along with basically everyone. And very pretty. They very briefly "dated" (in that very teenage boyfriend-girlfriend way, they were 15) and then he ditched her at a party to go to a friend's house because he had a case of beer. That was the end of that relationship, but they still got along okay afterwards. Didn't stay in touch after high school. Then suddenly he's watching the news years later and they're announcing her engagement to the Crown Prince of Denmark...
I schooled with, and later married, the sister of a noted SciFi/Fantasy author, who married another star SF&F creator. Their fireplace mantle was loaded with literary award statuettes. Ours sported carvings. No, I shall drop no names, but you've seen her in many video credits and publishers' lists. I survived other close calls with 'celebs' -- hardly worth mentioning now. 8-(
My classmate’s mom went to high school with Whoopi Goldberg. Apparently she’s always been cool, funny, and outspoken.
My first real boyfriend (long and serious relationship) is nationally known in my country, a well respected pundit/editor/journalist/news paper founder/author/radio host and so on and blah blah. He also married into a nationally known and acclaimed musical and literary family, and his three daughters are definitely on their way to success as well. He and his family travel all over the world, doing charity and activism. Meanwhile, I've gotten nowhere in life - unmarried, childless, never finished my education, never provided for myself in full, now living in a small apartment and receiving early pension, sitting in bed all day ëvery day with my cola and cigarettes. To be honest, the stark contrast sucks.
I went to high school with Rob (R.) Kelly. He missed a lot of class either hanging outside (no one has three lunch periods) or in the musical wing of the school, usually in the choral rooms. He was close to Ms. McLin, the choir teacher (she was raised by her uncle Thomas Dorsey, the father of gospel music). He was really fond of sophomore girls and dated a friend of mine and dumped her. He sang at EVERY talent show, he was an extremely good mimic. He could sound exactly alike whoever was popular at the time which meant a lot of New Edition. We used to throw band candy m&ms at him. He only won one of the talent shows when he and a group of guys sang Always and Forever. They beat my band in the talent show (unsophisticated high school kids were too immature to appreciate new wave/synth original songs played by a live band that even included hot backup singers--I was really into Eurythmics, Culture Club, and Prince so I will leave it up to your imagination about my stage costumes).
Anyone know who Jason Fairfield because he lives in my neighborhood
My high school Computers teacher grew up with Papa John. She was to be his accountant for Papa John's and partner, but thought it would never work. She said he was a workaholic, quiet, and awkward. He didn't do much outside of school, but worked for his father a lot. Said he had creepy eyes.
I went to Junior High and High School with Johnny Whittaker. He got hazed his first day. , after that he was just a fellow student. Really nice, intelligent, outgoing. My sister went to Prom with him.
Father knew Pere Rose when I was growing up. I don't remember meeting Pete, but from the stories I've heard from my father, Pete was a phenomenal athlete in every sport he played. Not just baseball.
Not technically from high school, but my uncle went to school with Jimmy Fallon.
Not technically from High School, but my uncle went to college with Jimmy Fallon.
Princess Margaret was the celebrity who officiated at the opening of my new high school building when I was 12. She hung around for a couple of minutes meeting the head girl then was gone. When I was 15 one girl from the upper sixth form was accepted into Oxford. A few years later one of my cousins also went to Oxford. And who cares? It was over 60 years ago! Meaningless to anybody except the persons involved. I'm rather annoyed that I read this thread. Didn't find out much about any of the well known people referred to except that somebody knew them at some point, and wasn't that the point of the thread in the first place? Finding out about famous people before they were famous? Didn't happen. Still in the dark about most of them and quite a few I only know the name anyway. Thumbs down on this one. 🤷♀️