Share your brief encounters.
This post may include affiliate links.
I almost ran into James Corden. But the fűcker managed to jump out of the way.
Congratulations! You found a way to sneak "fűck" into Bored Panda!
Many years ago, I was part of a Summerstock Theatre program in Hannibal, MO. We were working late one Saturday night, when Helen Hayes walked into the theatre. She was travelling down river on a riverboat--it docked in Hannibal and she saw the theatre and stopped by. She stayed for a while, chatted with everyone, and was completely sweet and charming. We have a group shot with her in the center. She was tiny.
Craig McFarlane - The world's greatest blind athlete.
I grew up in his hometown and my mom and dad were chatting with him and his wife in our front yard. I had read his book and thought he was the coolest!
He said hi to us and we thought that was so weird because he was blind, so how did he know we were hiding in the bushes? Haha.
My first celebrity sighting when I moved to L.A. for college was Dudley Moore. My roommate and I were trying to cross the street to go to Venice Beach and he was in his gold Rolls Royce and tried to pick us up kind of grossly. She went full Brooklyn on him and he rolled up his window and wouldn't look at us.
President Eisenhower. 1959. I was 9, and my cub scout pack went to West Point for the Friday Review. On the way back to the bus (which seemed to have been parked in the next state), a little motorcade went by, then stopped because we were all waving. Eisenhower got out, shook all of our hands and asked our names and where we were from, and that was that. I told my mom, she was excited for me. My brothers hated me. All normal.
In the 1970s I was in a hardware store on Forbes Ave. in Pittsburgh. I was shopping for a watering can. A man next to me was also looking at watering cans. I looked up and said "Oh! Hi Mr. Rogers!". He smiled very pleasantly at me then went about his business. (He was wearing his trademark cardigan sweater over a dress shirt and tie.)
My wife worked at WQED (Pittsburgh's PBS TV Station, home of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood) for several years, and saw Fred Rogers almost daily. She, and everyone else I've ever known who met him, said the same thing. He was just as kind and nice in person as was portrayed on his show.
Chuck Norris came into the restaurant where my wife and I were eating back during the time he was on Walker, Texas Ranger. He was very pleasant, but could barely eat his meal because of people coming to his table to talk. I never wanted to be famous anyway, but that just reinforced it.
I ran into John Malkovich in a small gallery in Amsterdam. It was very surreal to be in a foreign country and register "this is a movie star and I recognize him". I think he realized I recognized him, and he turned around and walked out. It seemed to me he was enjoying walking around NOT being recognized? Verified by internet that he was in town for an event.
This is a bit UK centric.
I was on holiday in Dorset in June and bumped into Huge Dennis.
The Hairy biker Dave Myers used to shop in the supermarket I used to work in. RIP Dave.
Not necessarily on the street per se, but, I've met a few that have visited the 2 movie theaters I've worked/am working at. MC Breed (rapper), Jeff Bridges, Tim Allen, Drew Barrymore, and Ed Norton at my old theater and currently, I've hosted Jerry Sienfeld a couple times as he's rented out a theater when he comes to Reno for his comedy tours.
As someone who worked in London, I saw quite a few (not all will be well known outside the UK): Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone (I was close to City Hall so saw both when they were mayor), Nish Kumar (who I also met when he was co-host on Pointless and I was a contestant), Kate Garraway, Richard Arnold, Fiona Phillips (I imagine GMTV was close by), Rev Richard Coles, Peter Bowles. I also saw Tom Courtney at the PGA golf tournament (as well as Seve, Langer, Faldo, Lyle, Woosnam etc, but I guess they don't count). I make it a rule though never to speak to them just because I know who they are. Fair enough if they're being paid for an appearance (eg at a premiere) or it's their job (eg mayor) but not if they're just out shopping or walking, they're entitled to a private life.
Not on the street, but I had an awesome brief encounter with Bret The Hitman Hart when I was a kid. I was taking a drama summer camp that his daughter was also in and he came to watch the final performance. Super nice guy. First of all, he was huge. This blew my mind because compared to most of the other wrestlers he was one of the small guys on TV. But in real life he was gigantic. He also told me something I'll never forget in regards to people saying that wrestling is fake. "People have no idea how hard it is to beat the s*** out of someone without hurting them." Such a cool guy.
Kevin and jannetta off Travel guides an Australoian TV show. Aswell I have seen the Bangladeshi soccer team and the Chile basketball team and
Fred Penner. Saw him in a small shop. I didn't approach him. My mom pointed him out as we left. My brothers loved him, but I felt I was too old for children's entertainers. It was still cool that I lived close by to him.
Fred Penner did an exceptional tribute to Pete Seeger at the Ottawa Folk Festival.
I used to live round the corner from Pat Sharpe. He of Funhouse fame. At the Acorn User Show 1991 I almost accidentally knocked Carol Vorderman off a chair.
Vorderman could do with knocking off her high horse occasionally :)
In the space of 30 seconds, I nearly knocked Brian May down a flight of stairs and In the space of 30 seconds, I nearly knocked Brian May down a flight of stairs and almost knocked Eric Clapton out flying through a door running away from the shame of Brian May. Also, John Cleese held that door open for me on a different occasion. I work in private medical in Chelsea, so seeing famous people is par for the coursealmost knocked Eric Clapton out flying through a door running away from the shame of Brian May. Also, John Cleese held that door open for me on a different occasion. I work in private medical in Chelsea, so seeing famous people is par for the course
Not so much in the street, but former UFC/Pride FC Fighter Dennis Kang came over to my MMA gym, and I got to have a round of Jiu-Jitsu with him.
I had a good experience with him. He was a very nice, albeit quiet, man.
Other than that, I nearly literally walked right into one of the guys from Anime Nightclub 3 (a small YouTube channel who do remixes of anime songs) when I went to a recent anime convention. I apologized, recognized him, and I asked if I could take a picture with him. All the guys from that group are really cool people.
I say on a bench in the mall next to Wanye Morris from Boys 2 Men in '92 or '93. I knew he was a celebrity but I didnt recognize him until later. We chatted about basketball while my mom was in the lady stuff store.
I was walking down the street in downtown Richmond, VA several years ago and ran into Harry Lennix, whom most of you may know FBI Deputy Director Cooper on "The Blacklist." I; however, know him best as Dresser from "The Five Heartbeats," which is one of my favorite movies. He's a really nice and gracious guy.
Not exactly on the street, but Rat Scabies and Dave Vanian from the Damned came to my 7 th birthday party, cos they had friends of my sisters boyfriend, Dave Ruffy, from the Ruts
Dan Ackroyd (Elwood Blues), in Kingston, Ontario. I saw him and gave him a puzzled look. He smiled, nodded, and waved me over. Thanked me for not drawing attention to him & his wife.
In Dallas, Texas in the mid 1970s, at separate times, I met Leon Russell and Jackson Browne. Leon was a drunk grouch and Jackson thought very highly of himself.
Many years ago while in Las Vegas, I almost knocked Redd Foxx down some steps. Of course I apologized. He was very gracious.
I was in a shopping mall when someone walked past, said hi and waved. The face was familiar so I stopped and we chatted for about 10 minutes - with me desperately trying to figure out where I knew him from. We said our goodbyes and as he walked away two rather large gentlemen followed......it dawned on me then I had been talking to Kostya Tszyu the boxer. Had never met him before but he was delightful.......
My other big one is having given dating advice to Hugh Jackman (way before he made it in Hollywood) - he was such a lovely man (and gorgeous)......
I was walking down the street going home when celebrities were in town and a girl yelled "I just saw Kim Kar"trash in it. It was that f*****g musk tank. I'm like I don't care, I had just got off the train and was walking and I want to go home.
Barry Manilow, Stephen Stills, Creed Bratton, Cher, John Denver, Bea Arthur, Susan Tyrell, Neil Young, Morgan Fairchild
I was walking down a street in NYC, Manhattan, and this man comes walking towards me, I couldn't place him, he had this smile on his face and as he passed he had these brilliant piercing blue eyes, like sapphires. I was mesmerized. he patted me on the shoulder as he passed. It took me far too long to realize it was Paul Newman.
In the space of 30 seconds, I nearly knocked Brian May down a flight of stairs and almost knocked Eric Clapton out flying through a door running away from the shame of Brian May. Also, John Cleese held that door open for me on a different occasion. I work in private medical in Chelsea, so seeing famous people is par for the course
Barry Manilow, Stephen Stills, Creed Bratton, Cher, John Denver, Bea Arthur, Susan Tyrell, Neil Young, Morgan Fairchild
I was walking down a street in NYC, Manhattan, and this man comes walking towards me, I couldn't place him, he had this smile on his face and as he passed he had these brilliant piercing blue eyes, like sapphires. I was mesmerized. he patted me on the shoulder as he passed. It took me far too long to realize it was Paul Newman.
In the space of 30 seconds, I nearly knocked Brian May down a flight of stairs and almost knocked Eric Clapton out flying through a door running away from the shame of Brian May. Also, John Cleese held that door open for me on a different occasion. I work in private medical in Chelsea, so seeing famous people is par for the course