The Most Famous Person You've Ever Seen/Met In Person..?

I was staying at a hotel where Stephen King's daughter was getting married, and stood next to him in the elevator for 5 floors (didn't say anything...was trying to act cool)This was maybe 10 years ago.

Saw Ritz cooling down after a local 10k while I was walking to work.

I was standing at an outer barrier at St. Peter's square, eating a snack while the pope car was winding its way around the property. He was hundreds of yards from me and I was not really paying attention when his vehicle suddenly stopped in front of me and he reached out to shake my hand.

I was contemplating some major life decisions at that moment and the improbability of that event led me in directions that have been more than positive.

Slash back in the GnR days. Hung out with him at a bar for a few minutes until I got kicked out (wasn't 21 yet). He was shorter than I expected but was actually a very polite, humble, down to earth person. Runners would be Deena Kastor and Bill Rodgers.

I should specify that it was Pope John Paul.

gimpy old guy wrote:

Anyone else have a date/dinner/drinks with a famous person? And being a guest at a banquet honoring them doesn't count.

HUGE unfair advantage here I ran/worked in high profile NYC restaurants for years and many of the women in my life were sucessfull working models,dancers and actresses.

Mayor Bob Wagner was a guest at my parents apartment, John and Mary Lindsay at mine, Joe Namath and Rod Gilbert and Malcolm Forbes(just for a few moments) were about the most visible or famous to visit my home.

I share my favorite restaurant with a wonderful cast of characters many having stories of some note. Over the years we have become friends. One of the doctors on Mother Teresa's cancer team, a best selling author, Sonny Grosso the French Connection cop and I all have favorite tables along the same wall. Last time the Dillions were down to visit we sat at Tony Bennets regular table and the Italian Trade Commishioner was hosting some of the Italians marathoners running NYCMarathon in the party room while an actor from the Sopranos had a family(wife&kids family !!) dinner in the front room. NYC has this kinda of thing happen all the time.

Counting the summer share house there have been Emmy, Golden Globe, a 5 time Tony winner another with one win, an Academy award nominee and at lest two technical Grammy winners over for dinner or drinks. Had a NFL QB sleep on the couch, the apartment was staging area for a suprise party thrown by a model for her NFL hockey player hubby. Even Norm Tate stopped by after the Millrose one year. Fred Lebow,Tom Fleming and The Dillons other runners of note who have been to one of the Chateau WiT's.

One 1970's Thanksgiving table included a guy who would be convicted of murder, an actress(slash waitress) who would have Hil&Bill at her wedding some years later,a guy who was the garbage collector on Fire Island and a stockbroker who once was Sandy Weils partner. Only in New York , only in New York.

I met Salma Hayek, and believe me, she is just as beautiful (and STACKED) in person as on screen.

I went to school with Kim Fields (Tootie from The Facts of Life).

I met Stevie Wonder because he accidentally went to my ballot place to vote. We were looking at him thinking "what the f**k is he doing here? We're way below his tax bracket." I think he was recording nearby and thought he could just go anywhere to vote. But he was nice, even though the old ladies working the registry didn't know who he was.

Actually, I've met a few stars, as I live in a TV/movie producing area, and they're all over the place.

Andy Devine, Steve Allen, Calvin Trilling

...and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., in '87. We talked for about 10 minutes...he chain smoke unfiltered Pall Malls the whole time. I still get goosebumps thinking about it.

Pdubbs wrote:

saw dave grohl at the rehoboth beach board walk in delaware.

Given his DC roots that makes sense.

Vegas last year. Walking underneath Caesar's, all the shops down there. Came upon the sports memorabilia store. The store had a banner hanging out in front of it saying something like "Pete Rose Today" Sure enough Pete Rose was sitting at a table underneath the banner waiting to sign autographs. My wife and I were wondering if he should really be in Vegas at that moment since he was trying to get in Selig's good graces. This was shortly after his book came out stating that he had in fact bet on Baseball.

Other than this, Travis Shettel from Piebald.

The Mayor

My best bud back in the early 80's, Mike Koepke, had a sister (Connie) married to Willie Nelson for 27 yrs. Met, and partied with, some of the gamut of that cadre. Oh my!

In retrospect I might trade up for Uma though.

I've met Tom Wolfe on two different occasions. The Electric Kool-Aid one, not the Look Homeward Angel one.

Amongst the first jobs I had was working as a page or "messenger" in Manhattan from ages 16-18. Got to meet and converse with a fair share of well known people. I had a regular gig up to Harold Prince's office which was impressive to me being a Broadway fan. I also had visits to Robert Redford, a Bruce Jenner press conference a few days after Montreal, daily runs to Clive Barnes apartment...nice family, Mstislav Rostropovich, Bob Hope, and assorted other lesser names.

Running....Fred Lebow as the NYRRC was really coming into the forefront, Bill Rodgers many times, Frank Shorter, Tom Fleming, Tony Colon, Pete Squires, Marty Liquori, Eamonn Coghlan, Bud Coates, Ted Corbitt, Harry Murphy many times.

Others...Robin Williams, Bruce Springsteen a few times, Virginia Madsen, Mark Levy (Marky Ramone).

Other sports guys....Mike Dunleavy (the older one), Chris Mullin, Leroy Selmon, Wade Boggs, Pete Sampras, Trent Dilfer...the last three lived within a half mile of each other at one time....Shelton Quarles, Bucky Dent, Gil Hodges.

Woody Harilson after conference cross champs 1998

KudzuRunner wrote:

I was in a weekend workshop with New Age speaker Marianne Williamson and when she heard that I played harmonica, she made me come up front and play.

I've been lucky enough to meet & greet many of the great harp players: James Cotton, Lazy Lester, Howard Levy, James Harman, William Clarke, Carey Bell, etc.

During my touring years I shared stages, and backstages, with Ann Peebles, Otis Clay, Chris Smither, and many fairly famous contemporary folkies.

i met Pele and Franz Beckenbauer in DC. 2 of the greatest players in the sport's history, not a bad day.

Iman, I guess.

I've been fortunate enough to meet a few celebs., and many illustrious runners/coaches.

But partying with Willie and friends???

That is transcendent. (sorry, Uma)

skylon wrote:

I've hugged Muhammad Ali. Top that, suckahs.

GAY

Oh yeah, the Dalai Lama.