So a girlfriend of mine from Jr. High/HS posted a great recollection of her past celebrity encounters, so I thought I'd contribute my list of contenders:
-Most recently, I saw Scott Baio walking on Broadway as I was leaving the Princeton Review New York headquarters. This was about the time he was doing that loser show "Scott Baio is 45...And Single" (dork). I forgot, briefly, what a douche he appeared to be on that show and was transported back in time to my infatuation from his "Charles In Charge" days, and screamed at him out the window. He turned to look at me and smiled, and I have a very blurry photo of what IS Scott Baio. I swear.
-When living in Los Angeles during the summer of 2006, I was sitting on the Sunset Strip one early evening eating pizza at Frankie & Johnnie's, and Tom Skerrit walks by. Woo hoo!!! Oh, I love me a little Tom Skerrit...he was in such blockbusters as Alien, Top Gun, Up In Smoke, Ice Castles, A River Runs Through It. The guy has range, and is in my opinion the ultimate Hot Older Gent (Sam Elliot, Sean Connery and Michael Caine are up there as well). He was very dashing, more handsome in person than on screen. I kept repeating his name, as if in a trance, telling my fiance "It's Tom Skerrit! It's Tom Skerrit!" and I believe he heard me because he did look back....and gazed longingly into my eyes. Okay...maybe not longingly, but it's my fantasy, dammit.
-I met Billy Bragg only because I am his biggest fan, and decided to wait in the line (yeah...no line) at 2:00 before his 9:00 show. So, I got to hear his soundcheck, and was almost plastered to the side of the building as he and his bandmates came slamming out the front door on their way to the hotel. He said "Hi", and I'm still not sure what I said in return...maybe just drooled?
-I met John Doe when his band X came to St. Louis. For someone who seems so damn dangerous and imposing on stage as well as in film, in person he's very non-threatening. Probably 5'6 if that, ropy thin. What he lacks in height he more than makes up for in person. So gracious, standing there for at least a half hour after the show, shaking peoples hands and chatting them up a bit. I don't recall our conversation (again, big case of StarStruck) but I walked away thinking he was someone with whom I could order in Chinese and maybe even share.
-I was in a thrift shop in the 90's in the Loop, and was anticipating attending the Indigo Girls show later that evening. I hear some women laughing, look up, and see Amy Ray and the bass player checking out the rags at the rack a few feet away. Since I was all about the IG back then, it was a good day for me. I didn't talk to her, but probably stared enought that it creeped her out. I'm a craaaazy fan.
-During college, I walked down to the riverfront with some friends late one night, just a gaggle of college kids looking for trouble. We saw a small boat docked in the park, and came upon Michelle Shocked and Jeff Tweedy (former of Uncle Tupelo, now fronting Wilco). They were recording something for Michelle, and were taking a break. They gave us some beers, and we all hung out for awhile. Very laid back. It made for a good story when we got back to the dorms, and for the next few weeks tons of students ventured down to the water to see if they'd show again...alas, they did not. SO we got to be supastars for awhile. You had to pay a dollar to touch the greatness that was me.
-I saw a reality television star three times at three different airports, and she was always doing the same damn thing. It was Kara from the Chicago Real World, who is actually from St. Louis. She was always sitting against a wall, legs crossed, talking on her cell phone in a very loud and animated way. Annoying. In real life, and on the show. This was not a brush with greatness, more like an itch with banality.
-in 2001, while lunching at Brandts, I sat next to the actor and actress who played Chloe and Brady on Days Of Our Lives. This was kinda cool, as DOOL was the only soap I have ever watched, starting when I was in grade school. Pretty in real life. Seemed normal. Not a big deal. I think they had the hummus.
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