[dcmacdaddy]

I saw somebody famous when I was in the City yesterday and thought I would post it here. Maybe we can make this thread a stickie
and have everyone update it as they have new sitings. Feel free to use the text below as a template.

Name:
Significance:
Location:
Context:
Comments:


Name: Patrick Vieira and his wife(?)
Significance: European football great who played 10 years for Arsenal. Is captain of the French national soccer team.
Location: mid-town Manhattan
Date: 27 June 08, early afternoon
Context: Saw him coming out of Bergdorf-Goodmans on 5th Avenue--It is almost across the street from the Apple Store--and get into a chauffeured Maybach. It took me a minute to figure out why I recognized him but I knew immediately he had something to do with Arsenal. They were heading down 5th Avenue still when I lost site of them in traffic.
Comments: He is really tall in person, not like most football players.

[Tiresias]

You mean sightings.

[Chuckit]

Title fixed.

I haven't really seen many famous people outside of the obvious places they're supposed to be (sets, concerts, Comic-Con, etc.), though everybody else in my family seems to meet them all the time. My dad once ran into Lindsay Lohan at a McDonalds (during her super-skinny phase, no less). My mom met and made fun of one of her favorite actors, John Corbett. He was in disguise going to see a concert and she didn't recognize him until after she'd heckled him and he'd walked away.

[subego]

My SO saw the "What, What in the Butt" guy on the street.

[Spliff]

How famous is famous?

I saw Callum Keith Rennie (of Battlestar Galactica) come into a Starbucks the other day. But he's Canadian, so it doesn't really count.

[64stang06]

I worked at the Apple Store in Columbus, OH a few years back and so we had a few good sightings. Saw Dave Chapelle, Mark Curry, Collective Soul (the whole group), and Archie Griffin. Nothing too exciting, but hey.

[rickey939]

Rickey Henderson.

[::maroma::]

Name: Andy Dick
Significance: One time funny man, current creepy man
Location: Beverly Center Mall, California
Context: He was walking out of a Sony Style store with a laptop or something. He was with some woman. I was standing outside the store, in front of the Foot Locker that was next door as he walked by. He and the unknown woman got on the nearby elevator and took it up.
Comments: He's a smaller man than I thought.

[Mrjinglesusa]

Name: Mike Myers
Significance: At the height of the Austin Powers craze
Location: A Japanese restaurant in Maui, Hawaii
Context: He was sitting alone at a table right next to ours (I was dining with my family). I asked the waiter if he comes here often and he said yes he does and he likes to be left alone.
Comments: He looked a little lonely. Just seemed a bit weird for this famous comedian to be sitting all alone in a restaurant with absolutely NO ONE coming up to him. A few days later, he was seen on a beach with Helen Hunt as reported by US or People magazine.

Name: Vlade Divac
Significance: Played center for the Sacramento Kings during their good years
Location: A Japanese restaurant in Sacramento, CA
Context: He was sitting with his family at a table right next to ours (I was dining with my family).
Comments: Nothing too exciting. We gave him a nod as we left and he smiled and nodded back. I think he appreciated that we didn't make a big deal out him being there.

[Atheist]

Having lived in Capitol Hill and worked in Georgetown for many years I saw countless famous politicians. It loses it's novelty rather quickly.

I almost knocked Larry King on his ass crossing M street in Georgetown. I wasn't paying any attention and blasted right into him. He's a tiny little man. Reminded me of Mr. Burns from The Simpsons.

My strangest encounter is pissing next to Burt Reynolds in a bathroom at the Palm Beach International Airport. (No, I didn't look.)

[OldManMac]

Met Jeff Daniels seven years ago. He lives near Chelsea, MI, and owns the Purple Rose Theatre there, which does plays, etc. His production company uses Macs, and I was working at a small Mac dealer in Ann Arbor, when he came in to pick up a machine from repair. Super nice guy. I've waited on Niklas Lidstrom's wife (Detroit Red Wings great), at another location, and I recently got to spend about 20 minutes with Arlo Guthrie (Alice's Restaurant folk song, among many others, and son of Woody Guthrie, famous folk singer). About ten years ago, a few friends and I went to a Jimmy Thackery concert (well known blues guitarist), and one of the friends knew Jimmy, so we got to spend about a half hour hanging out with him after the show. I've met, or seen quite a few local celebrities, including Steve Garagiola, son of baseball player and announcer Joe Garagiola, Sr. Steve is a local anchorman and recently bought a new iMac.

[Face Ache]

Name: Leslie Nielsen
Significance: Naked Gun actor
Location: Darling Harbour, Sydney
Context: Early morning stroll, before the crowds got there. We did that nodding recognition thing you do when you want to acknowledge someone without bothering them.
Comments: Tall for an old guy.

Name: Danni Minogue
Significance: Actress? Singer?
Location: Home & Away (soap opera) set
Context: She was sitting in a corner learning her lines. I didn't notice who she was at first.
Comments: Plain (pre-surgery).

Name: John Woods
Significance: Australian actor
Location: His car
Context: Gave me a lift to a job
Comments: Nice bloke. Gets stares at traffic lights.

Name: Gough Whitlam
Significance: Former Australian PM
Location: At work, Sydney CBD.
Context: Caught the lift with him several times. Did that nodding thing.
Comments: Tall. Possibly immortal.

Name: Princess Diana
Significance: Princess. Dead.
Location: My desk at work.
Context: Never actually met her, but there was a photo taken of her sitting at my desk, in a frame on the wall behind my desk.
Comments: Pity I didn't work there the year before.

When I lived in Mosman, in Sydney, there were celebrities crawling out of the woodwork. When you turned on the bathroom lights, little Rolf Harrises would scatter for the dark corners.

[Andy8]

Name: William Fichtner
Significance: Actor
Location: Mid-Levels Escalator
Context: He was trying to get up to The Peak from the escalator, so I gave him directions on how to walk up from where he was.
Comments: He was a bit lost, very unshaven.

Name: Karen Mok
Significance: Actress, Singer
Location: Flight from Hong Kong - Taipei
Context: She was sitting next to me on a flight, and I did not know who she was until I got up to go the bathroom, the stewardess told me who she was. Doh!
Comments: Looked pretty plain in jeans and a t-shirt.

[imitchellg5]

Name: John McCain
Significance: Presidential candidate, Senator, Vietnam prisoner of war
Location: Flight from Denver to Aspen
Context: He was on his way to a Republican retreat sort of thing up in Aspen, Colorado. Very ritzy place.
Comments: He looked a lot younger than he is.

Name: Ashley Simpson
Significance: Singer, actress
Location: Flight from Denver to Aspen
Context: She was apparently going to a concert. My dad (the pilot) had to store her guitar in the cockpit.
Comments: Cute butt.

Name: Al Gore
Significance: An Inconvenient Truth, ex Vice President
Location: McChord AFB, Washington State
Context: I was on base, near the ramp, when he exited Air Force One (this was during his vice presidency). Only about five people were there to meet him. He planned on climbing Mt. Rainier, but couldn't due to weather.
Comments: He actually looked like a nice guy. He was all smiles, very warm and friendly with the officials there to meet him/

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by Atheist 

Having lived in Capitol Hill and worked in Georgetown for many years I saw countless famous politicians. It loses it's novelty rather quickly.

I almost knocked Larry King on his ass crossing M street in Georgetown. I wasn't paying any attention and blasted right into him. He's a tiny little man. Reminded me of Mr. Burns from The Simpsons.

Yeah, I didn't include politicians because, well, they're politicians. I lived in DC for 14 years, I saw so many political-types it became passé. Although I did try to go out of my way to see Sandra Day O'Connor when she came to my place of work in DC; She is very regal in her bearing and quite graceful for being such a tall woman. As for non-DC political sightings, I have only one.

Name: Henry Kissinger
Significance: Warmonger par excellence
Location: elevators leading to the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center
Date: June 2007
Context: He was going to a reception in the Rainbow Room I was going to a reception in another part of the same floor
Comments: He is a small, squat man who looks like he should be a bridge-troll somewhere.

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

Name: Al Gore
Significance: An Inconvenient Truth, ex Vice President
Location: McChord AFB, Washington State
Context: I was on base, near the ramp, when he exited Air Force One (this was during his vice presidency). Only about five people were there to meet him. He planned on climbing Mt. Rainier, but couldn't due to weather.
Comments: He actually looked like a nice guy. He was all smiles, very warm and friendly with the officials there to meet him/

I've met him too. Both when he was Vice President and afterwards. He seemed pretty personable both times.

<nit-picking mode>
Whatever plane the Vice President is flying on is called Air Force Two. The plane the President flies on is known as Air Force One. The President never flies on anything other than the special military planes designated for his use whereas some Vice Presidents have flown on commercial planes before. (Al Gore did this once on a shuttle flight from NYC to DC. And even though it was a non-military plane it's radio call-sign temporarily became Air Force Two because of his presence on board the flight.)
</nit-picking mode>

[SpaceMonkey]

Name: Caroline Rhea
Significance: Comedian/TV show host
Location: Coffee shop in upper west side NYC, a few months ago.
Context: I saw her from across the room. She was having lunch with a couple of people.
Comments: Yeah, that's pretty much it.

[coreythemagnificent46]

Place: Soaring Eagle Casino
Famous Person: Weird Al Yankovic and Steve Jay Bassist
I had just seen Weird Al in concert live.. I left the concert hall with my gf at the time and we were walking onto the gaming foor.. Weird Al and Steve Jay was standing next to the dollar slots.. I shook both there hands and got an autograph.. Weird Al is the funniest man ive ever met.. Ill be seeing him here soon in july.

[Trygve]

Name: Mr. T
Significance: Big guy with a mohawk and gold chains
Location: Mall in Reno, Nevada
Context: He was out shopping and had a group of twenty or so guys with him.
Comments: He's a big guy with a mohawk and gold chains

[SSharon]

Name: Idina Menzel Idina Menzel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Significance: Broadway -> Movies -> Singer
Location: Town Hall in NYC
Context: She had a concert this past week in Town Hall on 43rd St
Comments: Idina Menzel is related to my wife so we got to meet her after the show. She is also 100 times funnier than I expected and was a really down to earth person.

[Tiresias]

Name: Robbie Williams
Significance: English singer-songwriter.
Location: An outdoor cafe table in Ponsonby, Auckland.
Context: In the company of a harem of beautiful young women; three, possibly four strong.
Comments: Wearing a black muscle shirt. Gesturing with fork over a plate of half-eaten eggs Benedict.

[hyteckit]

At my college back in the days

Name: Michelle Kwan
Significance: Figure skating
Context: Was in my college classes and was a friend of a friend

Name: John Cho
Significance: Actor in Harold and Kumar
Context: Came to my Asian American studies class to talk about Asians in the TV/Film industry

Name: Danica McKellar
Significance: Winnie Cooper of Wonder Years
Context: Keep running into her at around the Math Dept. She's a math major.


Others including playboy model, pornstars, and models who don't want their real name revealed.


In Sherman Oaks where I use to work

Name: Pete Sampras with his wife Bridgette Wilson
Significance: Famous tennis star and his wife is an actress.
Context: Having lunch at the Cheesecake factory. Also Pete Sampras was at my university playing tennis.

Name: Katey Sagal
Significance: Famous for playing Peggy Bundy in Married with Children.
Context: I think her accountant works in the same building I was working in. Saw her many times. Was alone with her in an elevator. She spoke to mean in a British accent and said "Hello Darling". Didn't know how to response. I just said 'Hi'.

Name: Michael Richards
Significance: Famous for playing Cosmo Kramer in the sitcom Seinfield
Context: I think he has the same accountant as Katey Sagal mention above

Others personality, comedians, radio jockeys, and musicians/singers since the building I worked at had a few radio stations including Fox Radio, Premier radio, and KIIS-FM. Yes, Ryan Seacrest works at KIIS-FM.


In Malibu were I work at hung out

Too many to list. Mostly at restaurants.


Oh you said new sightings. I don't hang out in Malibu or Sherman Oaks anymore, so not many lately.

[Face Ache]

Originally Posted by hyteckit 

Others including playboy model...

I had that months Penthouse cover girl sidle up beside me at a bar, ask my name and start making small-talk. Then my stupid girlfriend had to go and blow it.

Never seen my ex travel so fast.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by hyteckit 

Name: Danica McKellar
Significance: Winnie Cooper of Wonder Years
Context: Keep running into her at around the Math Dept. She's a math major.

Heh. I never knew the significance of this picture until today.

[Zeeb]

Name: Nathan Lane
Significance: Famous actor on Broadway and in Movies
Location: Outside of Au Bon Pain in midtown
Context: He was trying to hail a cab just outside the plate glass window I was eating by
Comments: He saw me and actually waved and smiled. I smiled and waved back after which he mouthed something I couldn't discern. Ha ha. What a flirt! I suppose I was too. He got in his cab and left.

Name: Ron Pearlman
Significance: Best known for playing the Beast in Beauty and the Beast
Location: The SAME Au bon Pain in midtown
Context: He was eating at a table across from me
Comments: He was also friendly and smiled when he realized I recognized him. I always assume famous people want to be left alone and so I didn't approach him.

Name: Jerry Orbach
Significance: Played a detective on Law & Order--also was an accomplished Broadway actor.
Location: The elevator in the building I was living in
Context: He looked tired and didn't look like he didn't want a fan to fawn over him.
Comments: I turned around and looked at the elevator numbers until I reached my floor. ha ha. I had no idea he lived in my building until that day.

Name: John Norris
Significance: Former? MTV VJ but was on air at the time
Location: A gay bar in the east village the name of which is another name for a male chicken--its not rooster.
Context: I came in with my friend and there was a group of people standing around someone sitting down. My friend and I went to check it out and it was him and a small entourage that was seated.
Comments: My friend and I sat down in another area in the bar and talked. Later, John Norris sat down right next to me in the bar, bought me a beer and started talking. During our conversation, he claimed there were gay members of both 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys. Who knows if he was telling the truth? But since then, Lance Bass came out.

Name: Puff Daddy!
Significance: Rap star and super rich guy
Location: 4th Avenue in Brooklyn
Context: He was jogging in the NYC marathon that year so a lot of people saw him
Comments: Kind of a shame there was more attention for him than the front runners in the race that year. He was jogging in diamond stud earrings.

Name: Carson Kressley
Significance: Queer Eye for the Straight guy style expert
Location: 4 train headed for Brooklyn
Context: Just sitting there across from me
Comments: The outfit he was wearing was hideous.

[SSharon]

Some of you may also appreciate this meeting

Name: Boris Gulko Boris Gulko - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Significance: he beat garry kasparov in chess
Location: I see him in synagogue all the time
Context: he lives in the same town as my in laws
Comments: I'm sure none of you have heard of him, but in my mind anyone that has beaten Kasparov at chess is famous. As wikipedia will tell you he even won using black pieces.

[RobOnTheCape]

I saw David McCullough this morning at the local store.

Paul Benedict (last month)let me jump in front of him since I had only one item at check out.. (among other parts he played a character for years on The Jeffersons".

Ran into Rick Ocasek of "The Cars" at the same market last summer.

I always see the comedian "Lenny Clarke". Remember the firefighter in "Something about Mary" - who's great line was "We got a bleeder!".

Meg Ryan a few days ago.

Carley Simon regularly.

[residentEvil]

you do realize that both the pres and vice-pres could have been on the plane; therefor making it Air Force One.

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy 

I've met him too. Both when he was Vice President and afterwards. He seemed pretty personable both times.

<nit-picking mode>
Whatever plane the Vice President is flying on is called Air Force Two. The plane the President flies on is known as Air Force One. The President never flies on anything other than the special military planes designated for his use whereas some Vice Presidents have flown on commercial planes before. (Al Gore did this once on a shuttle flight from NYC to DC. And even though it was a non-military plane it's radio call-sign temporarily became Air Force Two because of his presence on board the flight.)
</nit-picking mode>

[residentEvil]

as for who i've met:

Presidents:

Pres Carter - habitat for humanity; worked one summer helping out in Detroit...and he showed one of the days. I had a donut with him.

Both Bush's have been at the Universities I worked at during their 1st year of office. I got bird eye views of both speaking.

Actors -

Most the primary cast of 8 Mile cept Kim Bassinger (not in the scene); they used my loft and the building next to it for 2 weeks of filming. Final cut was only around 30 seconds or so. Rodrigo Prieto (cinematographer) cut his hand and he used my place/first aid kit to clean himself up. He and a few other riggers/etc came in and shot some pool while waiting for the stars to show up; they just finished with the stand-ins.

Musicians -

Dinner with King Diamond before a show in Royal Oak; drinks with Glen Benton after a show at Harpos; dinner with Doyle, Jerry Only and "Fireball" from ISS (rest in peace) in New Orleans before a show; countless meet n greets but those weren't one on ones.

Athletes -

Pretty much all of the Detroit Tigers who have played since 1980; highlights include a cruise with 4 members of the '84 team...had lots of one on one time with them and their families specially Dan Petry. A friggin blast! To this day, he will still go out of his way to say "hi" if he and I are at Comerica Park at the same time.

Drinks at the bar with Kyle Petty just 2 weeks ago just after Petty Enterprises was sold to some firm in NY. He was very upbeat; the firm should be able to pump a lot of money into the team so good for the young drives Kyle and his dad works with.

Dozens of meet n greets including ones with Dale Jr; Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart (asshole!) and Richard Petty but not one on ones.

I'm sure there is more just can't think of them right now.

Close encounters -

Bob Seger's boat dock in Lake Huron is next to a friends. I seem to miss him; but my friend's family fish with him often.

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by residentEvil 

you do realize that both the pres and vice-pres could have been on the plane; therefor making it Air Force One.

It was only the VP.

[OldManMac]

Originally Posted by residentEvil 

you do realize that both the pres and vice-pres could have been on the plane; therefor making it Air Force One.

<nit picking mode> It's highly unlikely that the President and VP would be on the same plane. <nit picking mode off>

[Railroader]

Name: Mike Tyson
Significance: World Champ, loco
Location: McDonald's on the strip in Las Vegas (baby!)
Context: Preparing to order and eat fatty food
Comments: He's shorter than I expected, and his voice is octaves higher than I thought possible. He was with another guy who never said a word even though Tyson talked nearly non-stop.

[finboy]

Originally Posted by subego 

My SO saw the "What, What in the Butt" guy on the street.

Stood in line at the YMCA with Katarina Witt, didn't pay attention to who it was until one of the kids who worked there asked me later what we had talked about. We talked about weather or something -- nice person. And yes, she's very hot in person.

[Mrjinglesusa]

Originally Posted by finboy 

Stood in line at the YMCA with Katarina Witt, didn't pay attention to who it was until one of the kids who worked there asked me later what we had talked about. We talked about weather or something -- nice person. And yes, she's very hot in person.

Was that pre or post Playboy spread?

[BigBadWolf]

On the airplane I have sat next to Pharell Williams, Colin Powell, Robert Wagner, and Steve Merchant. Living in LA and working in "the industry" I see celebs way too often as well.

[finboy]

Originally Posted by Mrjinglesusa 

Was that pre or post Playboy spread?

I didn't know she had a Playboy deal. It was either summer of 92, 93, or 94. She was touring with a skating group, and the YMCA was the "health club" for the Omni hotel, next door.

Another brush with celebrity: Once sat across the aisle from the great Joe Vito, accordion player for Doc Severenson. Really great guy, we talked all the way from Denver. It ended up that we had played with some of the same musicians at one time or another.

[Timo]

Mrs Timo says she and her father saw Paul Giamatti out on Atlantic Avenue yesterday. Says he looked better in person than he did starring in John Adams.

[SSharon]

Apparently I'm not very good at this thread since I keep forgetting to post famous people. This isn't so much of a sighting, but I figured I would share it anyway.

Name: Hillary Clinton
Significance: Senator, almost president, all around bitch
Location: Jerusalem, Israel
Context: Emergency Medical Technician graduation
Comments: Clinton gave my class our certificates after we took the EMT course in January 2002. Exactly a week later our EMT instructor was killed in a terrorist attack and we ended up being his last class.

[pooka]

Originally Posted by residentEvil 

drinks with Glen Benton after a show at Harpos;

I gotta ask...

What was he like?

[dcmacdaddy]

Name: Renee Zellweger
Significance: scrunch-faced actress
Location: 700 Charles Street, Baltimore, MD
Date: 01 July 08
Context: Went to check out an exhibit at the Walters Art Gallery only to find it closed. Wandered up the street and saw a lot of old (1930s - 1950s) cars parked in the square. Turns out the Washington Hotel--located at the above mentioned address--was being used to film a scene in a movie about the life of George Hamilton (the ultra-tanned playboy). She was in the passenger seat of a baby blue Cadillac convertible of late 1940s vintage. (I have no idea what personage she plays in the life of a young George Hamilton, though.)
Comments: Saw her from about 15' away. She is quite petite in person but pretty, even with the scrunched-up face.

[Randman]

Ok, not counting people I've interviewed but just those I've run into or across.

Pelé.

Jackie Chan.

Frank Thomas.

Jenna Jameson.

Chris O'Donnell.

Vince Neil.

Ron Jeremy.

Angel Boris.

Jimmy Carter.

Brett Hull.

Eddie Van Halen.

Sammy Hagar.

Jon Bon Jovi.

Shae Marks.

John Lithgow.

Zhao Wei (Vicki Zhao).

Ronny Cox.

Huey Lewis.

That's all off the top of my head.

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by pooka 

I gotta ask...

What was he like?

pretty short he was just walking around after the show. nobody was approaching him or anything. i don't believe anyone knew who he was. he wasn't behind a mic stand growling with a guitar in his hand you know? i knew who he was and walked up to him and gave him a beer. i asked if he had visited my site (i ran a Deicide page for 3 or 4 years even had some of my site stuff like quotes, etc at Trevor Brown's site about his cover art contreversey). he said he hadn't but was glad that i was keeping a site going. there wasn't an official site at the time, just one of those shitty pages at roadrunner; i think, the original label. there was me and another guy running two sites that kept good tabs on the group and had regular updates. told him i look forward to some new **** and bitched him for not doing the taping of the live CD here in Detroit. he finished the beer and said it was time to finish packing and move on. told him thanks for the talk and see ya around.

[Paco500]

People I have had actual interactions with as opposed to just seeing:

In the Hamptons:

Billy Joel, Christy Brinkley, Kevin Bacon, Kira Sedgewick, Paul Simon, Chevy Chase, Al Pachino, Roy Scheider

During the '92 Presidential Campaign:

Jerry Brown (very cool guy) and Bill Clinton

Musical Folks:

The Proclaimers, Obie from the Four Tops and the lead singer of the Spin Doctors whose name I forgot

I've seen a bunch of others, but these I actually had more than a few sentences with.

[Uncle Doof]

Originally Posted by Randman 

Ok, not counting people I've interviewed but just those I've run into or across.

Angel Boris.

Hope you were wearing your safety glasses. Pointy!

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by Paco500 

In the Hamptons:

Billy Joel, Christy Brinkley, Kevin Bacon, Kira Sedgewick, Paul Simon, Chevy Chase, Al Pachino, Roy Scheider

Jeez, why didn't you just break them down into the obvious couples?

Billy Joel & Christy Brinkley
Kevin Bacon & Kira Sedgewick
Paul Simon & Chevy Chase
Al Pachino & Roy Scheider

Oops. Nevermind...

[Paco500]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

Jeez, why didn't you just break them down into the obvious couples?

Billy Joel & Christy Brinkley
Kevin Bacon & Kira Sedgewick
Paul Simon & Chevy Chase
Al Pachino & Roy Scheider

Oops. Nevermind...

Well Al and Roy were just a summer fling.

[Paco500]

Dp.

[osiris]

Names: Robert DeNiro, Martin Landau, Eli Wallach, Julia Roberts, Adam West, Al Molinaro (the Nose), Oliver Stone, + many more I can't remember now
Significance: huh?
Locations: Hollywood & NYC
Context: Business
Comments: mostly one on one lunches

[Tiresias]

One-on-one lunches with you?

[osiris]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

One-on-one lunches with you?

With one or two others, usually an attorney or agent of mine and theirs.