Six unimportant things about me — Celebrity Sightings!
Pip tagged me to write six unimportant things about me and (after getting really bored writing about what kind of tea I drink, and how much I love roast potatoes) I decided that I might give it a little twist (I hope that’s ok Pip) — and have turned it into six unimportant things about me that involve celebrities.
So, top of my list:
I met Johnny Depp in the late 80s, had his autograph and have lost it.
Not long ago, Amelia and I were walking through Chadstone singing “I LOVE you, I LOVE you” quite loudly to each other (as you do) and we walked straight by Anthony Callea who looked like he thought we were singing it to him. I hope that made his day because it made mine! I laughed a lot!
I saw Tobie Puttock (does he count?) down at the Camberwell Flea Market recently. His quite gorgeous friend saw me doing that “I think I know you… who are you?” expression and looked at me in a very scary “keep the f**k away” kind of way as if I might try to mob him.
I have only ever written one piece of fan mail and that was in high school to River Phoenix.
My current favourite celebrity is Michael C Hall. I think if I saw him my neck would spasm and my mouth would stop working and I would manage to say something like “fuh duh oh… garrggle”.
I met and had a pretty nice conversation with Anita Roddick back when I was designing at The Big Issue. She was a pretty amazing woman and told me that I should try dumpster-diving for a lark.
That’s it! I can’t believe I can’t think of any more. Maybe I will remember some at 4am as I usually do with this sort of thing. Oh, I once served Barry Humphries when I worked in a book shop… and I have stood next to / behind / in front of famous people in crowds and I even saw Karen Knowles the other day but it’s all a bit lame. I tag EVERYONE because I love celebrity sighting stories. Let me know in my comments if you blog it.
I was leaving Paddy’s market in Sydney and crossed the road halfway to the median strip and who did I literally bump into? Geoffery Rush.But I guess since he is a Camberwell regular that isn’t that exciting a spot is it?Oh. Once I was in Coles behind Sophie Monk from Bardot. Does she count?
Tim Rogers once asked me to stay for a drink after a show……and I turned him down!! I’d gone up to thank him for a great show because, well, it was a great show, and also he had some unpleasant loudmouths in the audience which had him looking a bit down, but I had a baby at home being babysat by my 22yo brother, so was anxious to get home…Also, I went to summer camp with Marieke Hardy when we were about 10 or 11. And I accidentally took her book (Harriet the Spy) home with me after I’d borrowed it.
That’s all I can think of right now.
Oh, wow! Johnny Depp! Drool, drool! I’d be so excited if I met him I may not survive. There are not so many exciting celebrities to meet when you live where I do, how about seeing Sam Newman? Not quite the same as Johnny! And we thought we saw Hamish whateverhisname is from Spicks and Specks the other day and got embarassingly excited only to find out it wasn’t him.By the way, I just found out you’re back. So glad.
I went to Denise Drysdale’s for a New Year’s party once. Ernie didn’t.
I love celeb signtings! I happen to always see different celebs in west hollywood on Melrose..just the other day I saw Nikki Hilton , Marisa Tomei and Nicole Richie at the high-end womes store Beckley Boutique. far down west on Melrose next to Dr Teas you can always find a celeb hanging out!
I’m originally from Los Angeles, so as you’d imagine, I had tons of celebrity sightings. But the most memorable by far was at a Border’s Bookstore (do you have them in Australia? prob. not. Big chain store) in Westwood. I was in a hurry and was rushing through the store and BAM! Collided right into Whoopi Goldberg. “Whoopi!” I exclaimed. And it came out sounding squeaky and cushion-like. It was very awkward. I think she thought I was mocking her but I was just surprised. She glared at me and hastily gathered the books that fell (!! that was how hard I bumped into her!). I caught some of the titles and they were definitely self-help.
I haven’t blogged about my most recent celebrity sighting: We sat behind The New Pornographers when we went to see “The Darjeeling Limited. Of course, I didn’t recognize any of them. But my husband did! (I blogged about past sightings awhile back.)
I have a terribly exciting life (not!), and have managed to come up with six minor celebrities. Not an international star amongst them!
Oh, and I’ll certainly let you have Toby Puttock, because I’ve got Leila Hayes! Google her. Terribly exciting.
Ohhh I should have added some of the exciting press conferences I got to go to in the 90s thanks to my work on a student paper! The Rolling Stones was the most impressive one I think. There were lots of famous people sitting around as part of the “press”too.
I love celebrity sighting stories! And your’s are very funny, I especially like the Anthony Callea story.I work in a bookstore in Greville St, Prahran and have served Susan Sarandon, who was haughty and a bit rude and “attended to” by an exquisitely beautiful young male assistant (she bought a Sebastian Salgado book). And Nick Cave who was lovely and looked to be wearing very expensive trousers. He also had his two gorgeous, amazingly well-behaved little kids with him (he bought beautiful drawing books for his older son and Dr Seuss for the younger children).
I have seen Jeff Goldblum 3 times, not sure why I keep seeing him…but in case people don’t know, he’s very very tall. Patricia Arquette was behind me in line at Whole Foods (I live in LA), and my husband commented to me that she had huge ankles and that he liked mine much better (what a sweetie pie). I went to a barbecue for a work colleague and saw Sandra Oh (I think she was a neighbor or something). It was a very awkward feeling trying not look at her because I didn’t want to feel like I was staring. It was right when the Grey’s season ended where her wedding to Burke was called off, and I just wanted to tell her that I thought it was for the best…thank god the conversation only took place in my head.
I run into Barry Jones on a regular basis. It’s got so that my first reaction is to say hello because I feel like I know him, perhaps a friend of my aunty or a former colleague of Mum’s or something. But I usually remember just in time that He Doesn’t Know Me. (For foreigners, Jones is a former politician but is mostly famous for being very well read, oversharing trivia, and generally just being Barry Jones)I also see Sigrid Thornton regularly, but that’s because we have the same local supermarket.
Thanks for the giggle Claire. Celebrities are pretty thin on the ground in Melbourne aren’t they (unless of course your count AFL players) – you bump into them all over the place!
I was at Melbourne airport last year on October 1st (I remember the date only because it was my 26th birthday). I was wiating for my flight home back to Adelaide when I see Daniel Johns and Ben Gillies (from silverchair) walking towards me. I stopped breathing, and I blame the lack of oxygen for my next move. I jumped up and RAN to them, and said something stupid about having been at their awesome show a few nights earlier and how much I had loved them since I was 13. It was very tragic and sad, and I cringe outwardly everytime I think about it. They were very nice though, and thanked me for my love and oh the shame. So ashamed. I wish I was cool.
hm, it’s very difficult to run into celebrities in Cologne, Germany. It’s a shame, but I actually never met a real one, now that I come to think of it. I just almost ran into an actor of a cheap German Daily soap at the supermarket and I said “hello” and walked on (he also waved, certainly thinking we must know each other) — it took me a few seconds to realize, that the reason why he looks familiar to me is, that I’ve seen him hundreds of times in TV before and that HE doesn’t know me. Embarressing!
I don’t have a blog at the moment but I was walking home from the gym (looking a mess) with my boyfriend, when Vince Vaughn asked us for directions, he’s a very tall man! Oh and we saw Lulu and her hired help picking out wine in oxford street’s John Lewis food hall and proceeded to stalk her round the shop for a bit because we couldn’t believe that it was her – she’s a very tiny lady!
Hi Claire, oh you set me off. I was already laughing when you wrote about that one dream a while back and this one was fun too. I also did a post about this on my blog. Thanks for the giggles …
I’m related (was related? ) to John Denver.I served Kerry Armstrong a vodka and apple juice once and she was the nicest person I have ever served in 10 years of bartending.
I also served Alan Brough at the Adelaide fringe and almost said hello like I knew him.
Nick Barker has fallen asleep on my lap.
I once had to help carry Tim Rogers up the stairs and into bed cause he was so drunk after a live show.
Conway Savage tried to give me a smooth one liner once but ended up spilling his red wine all over himself instead.
I used to share a house with Mia Dyson’s sister. I also dated her cousin.
I saw Julia Gillard at the airport once and she was talking on her mobile. She referred to Kevin as “Rudd”.
The same airport I caught a plane and Kate Ceberano was traveling business class but her brother Phil who was supporting her at her gig that night was in economy with the rest of us.
I had no idea that I had met/seen so many famous people until just now.
Leah xxx
I had a class in high school with a boy that was in the movie Independence Day. It was a 5 minute part. Also Tim McGraw’s “supposed” younger brother once tried to pick me up outside a bar in Park City, Utah (does the brother of a celebrity count? probably not). And I guess the most obvious celebrity encounter I’ve had is with Terry O’Quinn from LOST. He is my husband’s uncle and I met him once. Very nice man, but he wouldn’t give us any clues as to what the hell is going on with his TV show. That was a little frustrating.
I agree and I agree about Michael C. Hall
I would definitely recommend dumpster diving – so much fun! And so exhilarating!
I went to teachers college and did Drama classes with Peter Rowsthorn.That’s it really. There’s nothimg to blog about.
This isn’t my celebrity story – but it is my uncle’s so I hope that’s OK. He is a very shy person but was in Los Vegas watching a high stakes poker game when someone sat next to him. They sat there for about half an hour or so with people coming up to the guy saying”hi frank”. It wasn’t until someone said “Hello Mr Sinatra” that my uncle worked out who it was next to him. Being very shy he immediately broke out into a cold sweat and ran away outside. While recovering from the shock of sitting next to Frank Sinatra he noticed that all these people were pointing at him and laughing. Once again he was completely mortified and turned to run away again only to find that Warren Beatty and Jack Nicolson were behind him making faces behind his back to amuse the crowds. It was literally one of the worst experiences of his life.
Oh cool post! Yay! OK.. We saw Terri and Bindi Irwin on Tuesday night coming out of Guys and Dolls in the city.Because we have a shop, it’s a bit of a cheat, as we always get interesting visitors. The band Operator Please visited our Fitzroy shop a couple of months ago. In our Richmond store, we have met Jimmy Barnes, Dannii Minogue, Kate Ceberano and Tim Robbins (perhaps the very day that you met Susan Sarandon?)
AND a couple of years ago, a guy who was the spitting image of Prince Frederick, complete with accent and entourage… WHILE MARY was visiting Australia. Um.. Angus Sampson.. does he count? The band Nightmares on Wax. A few rejects from Australian Idol… I could go on.. but it’s getting a bit B grade now, isn’t it!?
xx
Such a cool post! And we live a burb that lots of celebs live in and sometimes visit. Once we saw Eric Bana strolling down one of the laneways in Mosman while we were in a cafe. Peter Liebmann, Tracy Grimshaw and Paul Clitheroe are always at the newsagent. I walked past Symantha Perkins while she was packing up her kids in their 4WD…quite loudly, too. And lastly, we saw and my husband briefly spoke to Keifer Sutherland in the local Coles, of all places. He’s surprisingly short. Thanks for the tag! I’ve been a long time fan of your blog.
After reading all of those comments I have to say I am most jealous of Kathryn, whose Husbands uncle is Locke from LOST. KATHRYN! Please beg your husbands uncle to help me meet Naveen Andrews! I would be forever grateful!I, on the other hand, don’t really have any good celeb stories. Chronic Future once put me and my brother on their guest list for one of their shows. But it was before they were “famous”. Uhm, and also my parents and brother once met Samuel L. Jackson on a golf course in Mexico. Mr. Jackson commented that his daughter didn’t like skateboarders. (My brother was wearing a skateboard related shirt.) 😀
Ooh, I couldn’t resist! Mine are here: http://www.etches-johnson.com/?p=1985.
First, I want to say, I am so glad you’re back – I missed you for the last year or so.I met Dr. Ruth at a fancy hotel I worked at – she came down to the bar just as we were closing to get a bottle of sparkling water. She’s quite small.
Dan Akroyd was about to come in a bookstore I worked at as I was leaving. I flung the door open hard and bonked him in the head. He’s very tall.
At the same bookstore (in Chicago) Studs Terkel came in from time to time. He always called me sweetie.
At a different bookstore Phyllis Diller came for a reading. She also called me sweetie and wore a marvelous orange caftan.
All right, here are my six very meaningless semi-celebrity encounters.http://funkyanddelightful.blogspot.com/2008/05/brief-encounters-with-semi-famous.html
Johnny Depp…*screams*Many moons ago I chased Harrison Ford down the streets of New York – when I was going through a teenage goth phase. That’s been my most memorable celebrity encounter. I was surprised by how thin he was in real life at the time. Also that he didn’t do an Indy type move but rather took a sharp right and disappeared down one of the cross streets.
Oh man – the only very minor ‘celebrity’ I have met is Rima of the current series of Big Brother… before she was ‘famous’. Not worth blogging 🙁
Vince Colosimo goes to our school. The first time he laid eyes on me I was shouting at my child. Nothing like a good first impression…
OOh, well i’ve cooked for a number of celebs including Bob Geldoph, Rhys Ifans, Michael Palin, Robert Carlyle amongst others. I crossed the road with Billy Zane in LA, Saw Keifer Sutherland and Holly Hunter filming a movie in Canada. I worked in Marco Pierre White’s (although i never met him) restaurant in London with Curtis Stone. I met Kate Cebrano and her daughter at a playgroup i took Mia to and Peter Rowsthorn spent a lot of time in our cafe (i’ve even been to his house so our kids could play together!). Oh yeah and i’ve seen Harold Bishop from Neighbours power walking a few times! :)Oh and William Hurt is my friends uncle!
I ended up working in the same firm as Karen Knowles when she became a lawyer. It was quite weird working with her because she was my childhood idol. I spent every Saturday evening in rapt attention to Young Talent Time. Seeing her 30 years later was quite weird. And, strangely, she looked exactly the same as I remember her.
Thought I’d join in….I met Billie Zane at a BBQ in whale beach at the house next door to my grannies and also Bryce Courtney (twice) while in my last year of school.I worked at a hotel in London doing room service and met Kate Moss ( she heard me saying a few things about her on my way out of work..oopps!) , Michael Stipes, D&G (very interesting), and Sam Neil (very down to earth). I also worked in a bar in Notting Hill where Paula Yates used to be a regular…served her many drinks! I have an aunt called Anouska Hempel.
I too wrote one fan mail to River Phoenix, he was also the one and only celeb whose picture was on my wall…a loooong time ago!
This is the god’s honest truth.I was a little tacker of no more than 5 or 6 on my way to school with Mum. Not a gifted driver at the best of times, she ran over a dog a metre or two in front of a young guy trying to hail a lift. We both leapt out of the car to see if we had nixed the dog, (it survived and marched off in high dungeon). In the meantime the hitchhiker came over to gently offer his assistance. Mum, not one usually for picking up hitchhikers, offered him a lift. I remember he sat in the back of the car with me, his guitar between his legs. I hadn’t yet learnt that grown-ups thought it rude to stare so I sat ogling him for about twenty minutes. He had a mild case of acne, a shock of chestnut curls and was gently spoken. We dropped him on the outskirts of Nambucca Heads and I thought nothing more about it until a month or two later hunkered down with my cup of milo in front of Simon Townsend’s Wonder World. Blow me down there was The Hitchhiker heading a new upcoming band called INXS. Whaddyaknow? In hindsight wouldn’t it have been nice if my five year old self had made some wise comments about the evils of drugs and cautioned him against shacking up with women who give their children ridiculous names. Live and learn.x
i once got to ask carl sagan a question at a press conference…and…i’ve gotten autographs from the violent femmes, 10,000 maniacs, joshua bell (so dreamy), holly near, and madeline l’engle (my favorite). this means that i’ve never really met any celebrities who haven’t actually been paid to meet and greet the unwashed masses.
Oooh, I’ve loved reading these comments… what a fun topic! I once ordered a coffee in a cafe next to Nick Cave, who was buying a packet of cigarettes at the time. (As an aside, years later we learned though a workmate of Matt’s that NC had accidently spilt cigarette ash on her at a restaurant two doors up the road later on that same evening. He was apparently LOVELY – chatted happily away and later bought her a bottle of champage by way of apology for the ash incident). Um, we walked past Adam Hills in the street last year, he was taller than I expected and rather fetching. I also met some interesting people through working for my university student newspaper in the early ’90s – although far too many boys from bands and not enough other people. The nicest was Amanda Brown from the Go-Betweens. She was lovely and complimented me on my cardi! It made my year! 😉
Oh, shoot! I forgot to add that I actually ran into Cynthia Nixon while trying to get into a shoe sale in New York with my husband’s aunt some years back. And I also met Mother Theresa when I was a kid, but I wouldn’t call her a celeb, though. More like a very important and notable person. 🙂
Well… all these celebrities! I posted mine on my site. Nothing to exciting. http://goodwolve.blogs.com/moxielife/2008/05/a-bit-of-friday.htmlFun to try to remember though. Grizzly Adams!
I know this probably doesn’t count, but when I was little we went and saw Prince Andrew and Fergie and we were only a few metres away from them. I also saw David Wenham walking down the street, Jane Turner shopping at a second hand store in Prahan, Deborah Mailman at the airport, a guy from All Saints at the footy, Herb Elliot (former Australian olympian), Nova Peris Kneebo (sp?) in Canberra, Ivan Lendel – who was very nice and gave me his autograph, and I served Flame (gladiator from the old series) when I worked at a bakery. That’s about it I think!One of my favourite celebrity stories is from my friend who served Ben Harper at a cafe and he gave her one of his bracelets!!
I was doing the Harbour Bridge climb with my Germn exchange student and our group had to wait on one more person. We were waiting around for quite a long time and while other groups kept going ahead of us I was muttering under my breath how utterly ridiculous it was we were being held up by one person. I even asked our leader why the remaning person couldn’t go with some other group. Finally the remaining person arrived and to my shock it Matt Damon!I couldnt even look at him i was so star struck.
OMG River Phoenix! The day he died I had to take a day off work at the local milkbar and cried all day long. I saw thought I would marry him! Ok..Now that I’m all grown up… I ate some of Tobie Puttocks riccotta cakes at a demo he was doing at the organic expo last year. I had my photo taken with the late Peter Brock, and mums cousins hubby is Peter Mckenna (Collingwood Ledgend apparently). Jane Hall from neighbours went to my school as did Jesse Martin and I regularly bump into Toady Toadfish and the chick that plays Steph (Carla?) in Neighbours around my home town. Steve Irwin nearly ran us down on his bike at The Australian Zoo and I nearly ran down Nathan Buckley on Toorak rd as he was tring to get in his car. I also met Steady Eddy at Luna Park and said G’day to Merv Hughes (he is huge) at the Royal Melb Show. Oh and at work I have served, Greg Evans, Glen Archer (The Roo’s), and worked with Dick Clay. (a Tigers Legend)
I nearly ran over Nick Cave. I was driving down Victoria Street, Richmond. It was dark and pouring and the traffic was moving slowly. He walked right out in front of me with a kid on his shoulders and I had to slam on the brakes. I stopped less than a metre from him.I had a chat to Gough Whitlam at one function, and Kim Beazley at another. They were friendly.
I won a competition when I was a kid and met Princess Di and Prince Charles. Princess Di said ‘hello’ and that was it. Prince Charles did all the talking. He talked about sailing and I pretended I knew what he was talking about.
Daisypatch: Dick Clay is a legend. Go tiges.
i think it is melbourne. I used to shop at the Balwyn supermarket and see heaps of celebs. Frankie J Holden, that French chef (can’t think of his name), Jeff Kennett, Geffory Rush.funny theme.
i only have a few:i met jason schwartzman at a screening of the darjeeling limited. he did a q&a after the film, then hung around the theater to sign autographs and take pictures.
i sat in a press conference with madeleine albright when she was the secretary of state.
lastly, when i was a little girl i fell asleep on my mom’s lap at a dolly parton/kenny rogers concert in denver and they sang me a song. but i don’t remember it at all.
yay for celebrities!
OMG totally with you on Michael C. Hall!!! I trust that means you are a Dexter fan too. Oh my gosh I think I like that series even more than Heroes. If it’s even possible. How can a serial killer be so adorable???
I am SO with you on Michael C Hall! I love Dexter!!
OK, I have to chime in. In the past year, I was behind Woody Harrelson on a plane from LA to Maui. A few months before that, I was at a kids museum in NYC and stood next to Debra Messing while our kids made clay sculptures. I just remembered Debra and Woody played boyfriend/girlfriend on Will and Grace. It’s like a love triangle. Them…and me!
This is such a great idea for a meme and what about Johnny Depp, I’m so jealous. How did you resist the urge to touch Tobys beautiful curly locks, he is such a spunk? I’ve blogged my six with the most famous being an Oscar winner and old tennis player ha ha!
Cute meme – funny how we all love to brag about our celebrity encounters. The more B grade they are the better!Here’s mine:http://jimmy-trickle.blogspot.com/2008/05/6-unimportant-things-about-me-that.html
PS. Great to see you back at the keyboard. Reading your blog has inspired me on so many levels and kept me company on lonely days – and yours is the only archive I’ve read from start to finish! (I believe we probably passed each other whilst studying at RMIT Brunswick in the Matchstick building) This started as a compliment but is turning into a creepy stalking anecdote – so I’ll leave it there!
Hi Claire,As a Melbourne girl in LA I have been having a ball with celebrity sightings and writing home about them. This month has been my best – Julia Roberts nearly ran me over as I was riding to work driving her black prius. I also sat three rows away from Posh Spice, her three boys, nanny, security detail and bff Kate Beckinsale last Sat night at a movie.Loving the blog again.
Alicia
Since I went and lived in Brooklyn, NY and worked many years in NYC I have had many celebrity encounters a few fun ones ring my bell, like hanging out with JFK jr. at El Teddy’s. Hanging out in a club with my girlfriend and Lenny Kravitz and also Russel Simmons.I have a crazy fond memory of hanging out with Jason Preistly in New Orleans when I did a convention there. I was hired by Lifetime tv to give away one of a kind painted canvas totes and the first night Jason Priestly stopped by with someone from Fox and we hit it off and hung out at Pat O”Briens that night. I think we closed the bars down and mostly I remember him chain smoking cigs! He was nice, not my type he seemed more like my little brother.
I have many others that would take a long time to mention. I love your blog and will have to come back!!
I actually saw Michael C. Hall walking around my neighborhood on September 12th 2000. That was the day after Sept. 11th and I lived in Manhattan. It was very surreal on a very surreal kind of day. He was still on Six Feet Under at the time and it just seemed rather morbid to see a funeral director in our neighborhood. I didn’t approach him.I never saw him in the neighborhood again.
When I was early elementary I went to the children’s museum here in Portland and my mother tells me that Robert Downey Jr was there with his son. According to my mother I served him tea in the play kitchen and was chatting his ear off, obviously not knowing his celebrity status. She and my aunt stood there in shock, while I just kept being my chatty self. I of course do not remember this, but it is a funny story that my mom tells me every time we watch “Only You”.
Getting in very late on this one but felt it funny I read this on the day the girls and I had a chat to Georgie Parker at an in store appearance, she was very kind and spoke to Lucy about Play school though she was actually promoting a new show and Alice about her glasses though it was past the time she was suppose to be there.I do have a real sighting though from when I was a teenager from the country in the big city (Melbourne) for a school excursion, I was in a cafe with a group of kids from my school, who moved back from the counter as a guy entered from the back. I didn’t look up at him but when the guy behind the counter went to take his order before mine he said I was first I ordered then looked over at his fancy cowboy boots then all the way up to the very attractive face of Lou Diamond Phillips! and said “Nice boots” I don’t remember the rest of the conversation but according to my screaming friends outside after he left I was very cool and not at all my usual embarrassing self.
I saw Karen Knowles at the Choir of Hard Knocks concert last year.How dull she was.And still wearing her school formal dress…Sorry, that was a bit snide.How fun it is to meet famous people.Recently I met Rob Thomas and Paul Doucette from Matchbox 20.I’ve met many other rock stars too.The fan mail… well I wrote to Shane Warne when I was about 12 – sent him a wedding present (a picture frame with a photo of myself in it!!) and he wrote back. This was BEFORE text messages, by the way. So glad you are back, I’ve missed you!