What is the weirdest celebrity sighting or encounter you have had?

Some details for Austin, TX folks - I lived in the Westlake Hills neighborhood of Austin (behind Barton Creek Sq Mall) back in 1989. I was running along Thousand Oaks drive early one morning when I started overtaking this huge dude out running with his two Dobermans. I'm running just a little faster than him but not much. When I get up next to him I look over to say 'morning and realize it's Earl Campbell. The guys thighs were bigger than my torso it seemed. Anyway, he was really really cool and asked how far I was going, etc. We chatted about his dogs and his knees (they hurt) or about a minute or two before I moved on out of respect. I really wanted to run with him wherever he was going and talk football but ... uncool. He had a house on Thousand Oaks back then.

I saw Bill Nye at a grocery store in Seattle a few years ago. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything. He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?” I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.

The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.

When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.

Overall was a huge douche in real life

i went to see Dr. John at this honky tonk in New Orleans a few years ago but it turns out he wasn't playing there that night. Must have been in the Right Place, but at the wrong time.

2015 World Relays, morning after, all teams flying out from little Nassau airport. Was like a little kid, was in line at starbucks behind Michael Johnson, high fived Jeremy Wariner, in line behind Seb Coe. Talked to Lashawn Merrit for over an hour while our flights were delayed about travel routine, DL payouts, etc. Flew on the same flight home with Dafne Schippers, Churandy Martina, Merritt. Same year at relays, our tickets were mistaken for VIP passes, and we had pre event and during event access to full bar, special reception room. Thought it odd as everyone was dresses in formal attire, dignitaries, local organizing committee nameplates, and we had shorts, tanktop and boat shoes. 2nd day, we again assume VIP, only to be turned away as we were not actually supposed to be allowed access. Knew it was too good to be true.

Does Larry Rawson count as a celebrity sighting?

'95 summer running series on Wednesdays at New Canaan CT.

Saw Larry after I finished a race.

We chatted for 10 minutes, talking mainly about the very fast last laps being run in world class 5ks and 10ks. Bottom line: hard to believe PEDs weren't involved.

Larry's very knowledgeable and thorough.

Saw The Big Show of WWE fame riding a bicycle about 2 blocks from my house. I live in a working class suburb in Miami far from anywhere worth mentioning. So it was odd to see him there. And even odder was this giant of a man (7 ft, 400lb) man riding a little bike by himself on the bicycle path. And he had a sweat going. He was really going after it. After realizing who he was I circled back and yelled "hello" at him from my car. He yelled back "what's up man" and kept on his way.

Several years ago , I was with my wife at a South Beach hotel for a long weekend. Staying at the same place was Magic Johnson. He was there of some sort of business promotion.I saw him multiple times and didnt want to disturb him, as many guests were going p to him, asking for autographs and selfies. I called my older brother , who was a big "Showtime " Lakers fan in the 80's and just about worships Magic. The last day of our trip we were checking out and waiting for an Uber. he was sitting at the hotel entrance scrolling thru his phone waiting for his limo to the airport.I took that opportunity to walk up to him and said, " Go Sparty!" It was during March Madness and his Michigan State team was making a good run in the tourney. he looked up, gave me his big Magic smile and replied, " Go Green. " I left it at that.

I went to University of Miami in the 80s; played pick-up hoops with the football players and was once posterized on a dunk by future NFL HOF player , Michael Irvin, who was such a good basketball player, was offered a scholarship to play at UNC

bfnbehajsjs wrote:

Great thread

Agree...

I met the guy who babysat JFK jr when JFK and Jackie were in the White House.

He joined Foreign Service, and his first assignment was to look after JFK jr.

I asked what Jackie really looked like in person, because camera adds 7-10 lbs. He said Jackie was so charismatic that when she entered a room, people almost ignored JFK.

As a NYer I encounter celebs with some frequency but of course am too cool to interact with them. (Also figure they probably get bothered enough during the course of their day.) The exception is if I don't see the person coming--if they appear right in front of me, out of nowhere--when I'm startled and have a tendency to say something lame like "I admire your work, sir." Wallace Shawn and Chris Noth have been among the "beneficiaries" of that.

Randomly saw Whoopi Goldberg crossing a street in Soho--gave me a really pleasant smile. Passed Harrison Ford walking on the sidewalk in Midtown--he realized I recognized him and just gave a little shrug, sort of rueful. (He's full grown, but not as big a guy as I'd thought.)

And Sarah Jessica Parker in the supermarket. (They live in the neighborhood.) This was a good while back and she was probably around 40. A small person and *much* better looking than any photo I'd seen of her--basically makeup-less and just looked like someone's youngish mom. Didn't say anything to her, of course, but she gave a small smile. Would have been hard not to recognize her: She was on the cover of two magazines at checkout, which I thought was kind of funny.

I'd imagine people in LA have encounters all the time--can't heave a brick out there without hitting some kind of celeb.

Oh, and in '68 I lived in the same building in Flagstaff as Jim Ryun. Was in the elevator with him once or twice but was just a kid and stayed quiet. Probably a relief for him not to have yet another person pestering him--crazy to think how much pressure he was under, and he was only 21 at the time.

After one of those University of Washington indoor track meets, I ran into former NFL running back Eric Metcalf, who was an excellent all purpose back for the Cleveland Browns, at the RAM restaurant at the mall up the street from the UW. Didn’t realize he was the sprint coach at UW when Greg Metcalf was there. Told Eric that when I was a kid, my mom got me a Browns jersey with the #21 on the back since he was my favorite player. I got a little star struck when I started reminding him of some of his punt returns that he ran back for touchdowns, before Greg Metcalf walked in.

As for Greg Metcalf? Just looking at him reminded me about why the message board continues to clown that guy. A real d.