Brush With Fame

Tell me one of yours!

It can be a legitimate one like "I was nominated for a BAFTA".

But I find the quirky and ridiculous ones more interesting, like "my dog groomer was bitten by Ricky Gervais' dog" or "I saw the Speaker of the House playing frisbee".

I made up those examples!    No relationship to any truth. 

I was once smacked on the butt by a very senior Southern Senator, who has now passed away.  I was leaving a Senate elevator, he was coming in and said "looking good".  I said thank you Senator, went on my way and snerked about it later. 

Clearly, I am still laughing.  HA! 

Bookgirl    Wonder who that could have been... 

I have a couple

I met Clint Black and Lisa Hartman in the truck stop I worked at.

I was an extra in the Zac Efron movie that hasn't been released yet.

I was an extra in the Zac Efron movie that hasn't been released yet.

What's the title of the movie?  Where should we look for you? 

I met The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson, when he was on the Today show in 2000. I was in NYC for spring break and went to stand outside in the cold and rain. I got on the camera shot leading up to his interview and got an autograph and photo with him. He was bloody gorgeous!

I was an extra in the Zac Efron movie that hasn't been released yet.

Ooh!  I was an extra in Green Zone, which stars Matt Damon, and hasn't been released yet.  When you all run out to see it, look for me as a) a CIA agent in a bunker in Baghdad.  I'm the really good looking one (Matt Damon is not in the scene) in a blue shirt and tan pants, and b) a US Army soldier in the cafeteria eating lunch while Bush makes his "Mission Accomplished" speech on a big TV on the wall.  

I met The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson, when he was on the Today show in 2000. I was in NYC for spring break and went to stand outside in the cold and rain. I got on the camera shot leading up to his interview and got an autograph and photo with him. He was bloody gorgeous!

Any photographic proof?

Green Zone -  I'll watch out for you Carl!   

Shook Sean Connery's hand outside the National Press Building in DC after he spoke at a press function there back in either 2001 or 2002. I never got the courage to ask him for his autograph.

Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz when they were filming Vanilla Sky. Their make-up vans were parked right outside the food court entrance for about 3 days. Couldn't believe how short TC is when you see him in person.

Actually saw several famous or semi-famous people outside the NPB between 2000 and 2002, mainly politicians.

Edited: Can't believe I spelled his name wrong when I posted this. That's what I get for trying to hurry and post while I'm at work.

I used to work with Robin Williams' sister in law.

I was on the same flight coming from the US as Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein. Jon and I were walking behind him when we got off the plane. I had no idea who he was until Jon pointed him out.

That's as close to fame as I'll ever get, methinks.

I went to high school with Edie Brickell's little sister, who is, possibly more importantly, Paul Simon's sister-in-law. She used to show us photos of them and their kids (and Garfunkel's kid who had curly red hair just like his dad!) I met Billy Corgan, lead singer of Smashing Pumpkins, at Lollapalooza when they headlined the show ages ago, got a hug and a kiss on the cheek!  I saw Paul Stanley, lead singer of Kiss, at a record store I worked in, he bought a Rubles cd.  I went to George Michael's partner's condo (well, it was both of theirs, I suppose, his name is Kenny Goss, I think?) in uptown Dallas to hang some artwork he purchased from a photography gallery I worked in and I met him a few times, he was hot and extremely nice.  No sign of George, though!  They did have this awesome bronze sculpture of a perfectly shaped male tushy that hung on the wall (could it be a model of George's perfect tush?)    And I had one near miss - Owen Wilson came into the gallery where I interned and left just before I came in for work!    

This is more a brush with infamy, but I was working next to the 405 freeway when O.J. made his "escape" in the white Bronco.  It was one of the weirdest things I've ever watched.

I come from a family of musicians...

So in the 80's, my parents used to work a very rural "farm recording studio" which was very hip back then.  My mom was one of the cooks, my dad was a tape operator/mic operator. They met all kinds of people through there, the most famous being The Rolling Stones. They recorded their 1982 album Tatoo You there.  My dad has Keith Richard's guitar hardware on his Les Paul.

My dad's list of famous people he's met could extend around the room... off the top of my head besides the Stones, its Big Brother and the Holding Company, Arlo Guthrie, the Candian Brass, Waylon Jennings, and so many more...

I've personally met through my dad, The Tolkens, The Platters, the Coasters, the Shangrilas, the BoxTops, a few others...  can't much remember... all those 60s motown kind of groups though that still play...

I worked at a hockey arena in college that also had concerts and from there I've met Van Morrison, David Crosby, and I walked smack right into Billie Joe from Greenday...that was a bit embarrasing! 

My sister sings with the Boston Pops, so she's met Keith Lockhart and John Williams (and Steven Speilburg, because he uses John Williams for his movies!)  

This is more a brush with infamy, but I was working next to the 405 freeway when O.J. made his "escape" in the white Bronco.  It was one of the weirdest things I've ever watched.

Wow. That wins!!!!!!!   

We used to live next door to the brother of Phil Oakey (Human League).  Never met him though.  Brother was nice