Have you met anyone famous, or anyone related to the famous?--Al

-- Al Schroeder (al.schroeder@nashville.com), July 13, 2000

Answers

I live next door to Jim Thome, a Cleveland Indians baseball player. He's a wonderful person and a great neighbor. And wouldn't you know that he always loves to throw baseballs around with the neighborhood kids whenever he isn't working?

Before you say it: no, I am not making this up. *Laughs*

-- Meghan (meghlcl@aol.com), July 13, 2000.

Also forgot to mention that I've met Harrison Ford before. He is such a kind and generous person. My uncle works for the airport where Harrison Ford often lands his own personal jet whenever he is in town. Such stardom... I've also met Ken Griffey Jr. and Albert Bell -- a baseball player for Baltimore. Met two Actors from the daytime soap All My Children last year at the mall when they were shopping. Quite an adventure!

-- Meghan (meghlcl@aol.com), July 13, 2000.

Hmmm... a few times.

Quentin Tarantino - last month in Costa Rica

Witi Ihimaera - my college

Jewel - The Savoy Grill in Kansas City, MO

Sally Field - The Savoy Grill in Kansas City, MO

Bill Blass - The Savoy Grill in Kansas City, MO

(yes, it pays off to be a bartender in a classy joint.)

David Robinson - TCBY in San Antonio, Texas

George Strait - TCBY in San Antonio, Texas

(TCBY was my first paying job)

Walter Koenig - Raleigh, NC

James Doohan - Raleigh, NC

(I got the Star Trek actors' autographs at a promotional signing for "The Search for Spock.")

William Faulkner's niece or grand-niece (I forget) in Little Rock, AR . . . but she hates Faulkner's writing.

Most of the celebs I met while working; however, I talked to Quentin Tarantino off and on for about a week before realizing who he was. I just thought he was a little strange and a so-so surfer enthusiast. I didn't put two and two together until we were both in the pool and it occurred to me to ask his name.

-- Elan Kesilman (elan@elanworks.com), July 13, 2000.

When I was 13, I met Shawn Michaels, professional wrestler. I think he's a bad guy now, since I don't keep up with the wrestling world. But at the time, he was half of the duo dubbed "The Rockers." I thought he was the best thing since sliced bread. I got my picture taken with him, as well as an autograph, signed "Love always."

I also threw a pair of panties on stage (with my name & phone number written on them) of my first concert ever - the New Kids on The Block.

I haven't heard from them yet. Sigh.

-- Lis (lis_beth76@yahoo.com), July 13, 2000.

In 1960 Judy Garland was doing her Carnegie Hall tour through the United States. I was a huge fan of hers and sat in the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel for two days, waiting for her to check in. When she did, she was very gracious, signed an autograph for me, and let me tke her picture. I was mostly struck by how short she was. Two night later, I was row 4 in the hall where she was performing and for the first and only time in my life, rushed the stage and shook her hand at the end of her show--her tiny hand was like ice as she quickly went on to the next hand in front of her.

More recently, I went to the Ovation Theatre awards in Los Angeles and sat with my friend Steve, his partner Jimmy (their show was up for one of the awards), and their good friend Carol Channing. The night before, I'd met Charles Nelson Reilly, who introduced Steve prior to his show.

And, if he counts as "famous," David Gerrold, the writer of "The Trouble with Tribbles" and many science fiction works, has been a good friend of mine for years. (I'm even a character in his most recently published book.)

-- Bev Sykes (basykes@dcn.davis.ca.us), July 13, 2000.

I saw Melissa Crider (from "The Others") while I was at Catalina last month.
I once stood six feet away from Toby Keith.
I saw a local weatherman in the airport.
My sister met and talked to Donny Osmond. (I was jealous for days!)
Dit met Steve Perry (Journey), and once had a message from Tony Curtis on her answering machine.
My mom got a tip once from Burt Reynolds (when he was having an affair with Dinah Shore)
A friend of mine just came back from Greece (!) where he was boating with Nicolas Cage! I'm still a bit jealous about that one... ;)

-- Kelli Jelly Bean Juggler Jelly Bean (jellybean@dsl.telocity.com), July 13, 2000.

I went to school with Chris and Richie Robinson from the Black Crowes. I kissed Richie in a Spin the Bottle game in the 8th grade. We used to listen to them practice in their parents' garage.

-- Susan (housewifey@hotmail.com), July 13, 2000.

Well, when I was 7, Admiral Nimitz came to town to visit my granddaddy and gave me a (proper) goodbye kiss when he left.

I was at a reception with Eva Gabor once, some general's trophy wife or maybe he was her trophy general.

And I met Milton Caniff at the Air Force Academy once.

I don't think any of these people remembered meeting ME, though.

-- Jan Yarnot (fossilfreak@geocities.com), July 13, 2000.

Oh, yeah, and he MIGHT remember, I was at dinner with Pterry Pratchett at the '93 WorldCon and had many other contacts with him. I may have one of the few copies of "Good Omens" signed by BOTH authors.

-- Jan (fossilfreak@geocities.com), July 13, 2000.

Madonna's cousin was my Spanish teacher in high school. She spoke Italian, English, Spanish, and French. She'd been married several times. She referred to Madonna affectionatly as "my sleazy cousin."

-- AJ (joijoijoi@hotmail.com), July 13, 2000.

My sister-in-law is a congresswoman. Guess that doesn't count. But I did meet Ron Silver at a fund raiser for the (then) Senator from Illinois, (Simon). My mom grew up with Bing Crosby, and sang with him a few times. Johnny Cash came over to our house when I was just a baby. He would bring me lollipops, and then "jam" with friends. I got married a few minutes after Patty Duke & John Aston, by the same J.P. in Maryland. They seemed very happy. Their marriage lasted much longer than mine. My second and very permanent husband (He's a keeper) got the autograph of Huey Lewis (Huey Lewis and the News), while both were standing in the same line to pass through customs, in Japan.

That's about it. My mom says our distant cousins are related to Queen Victoria's distant counsins....but I'm still not invited to tea at Buckingham.

-- Planet Earth (imagine@industrial-ideas.com), July 13, 2000.

Living in L.A. and working in the entertainment industry, I've met a number of famous actors, so I guess I've become a bit blase about it, but there are a few whom I absolutely adore and who won't remember me. John Lithgow: great guy, if a bit reserved. Loves the audiences at 3rd Rock. Same with French Stewart, except the reserved part. He's a hoot and a total sweetheart.

But my favorite is Mike Farrell. He lives very close to me and he and I have a mutual e-mail friend (who lives in Holland!). Because of my friend I've met him twice - once to do a favor for him and once to do a favor for our friend. Sweet, gentle guy, a little reserved, super cool and quite tall. Man oh man, does he have some gorgeous blue eyes!

I also came very close to meeting one of my other faves, Matt Frewer. I went to a Max Headroom Reunion Seminar last year. But I was too chicken to go up to him and say hi.

Last year I found out that my cousins used to play with Madonna when they were children (my parents are from Bay City). Apparently she lived down the street from them and went over to their house to play. I was once five degrees of separation from President Clinton. And I'm acquainted with Scott McCloud of "Zot!" fame.

Bev, David Gerrold definitely counts as a celeb in my book. Those tribbles are the whole reason I became a Trekker! Along those lines, I met Majel Roddenberry at a convention and got her autograph. I'm very happy she'll never remember me because all I did was grin goofily at her while she signed. I was very young then and hadn't quite gotten down my smooth lines. (Yeah, right! I'm still a big goof!)

-- Carol (webgal@ordinarygoddess.com), July 14, 2000.

Living in South Africa, we don't get to meet that many international celebrities and I'd never suspected myself of being a closet royalist until Prince Charles came to open the new British Council office downstairs from the Cape Town company where I then worked. I craned right out of the office window as the door of the landcruiser opened on the street below and the Prince stepped out to polite applause. As I saw the domed pate of his head bobbing in the street below I waved like mad, shrieked something about 'Give my love to the boys', and burst into tears. Perhaps they splashed onto his forehead. The head bobbed indoors and I fell back into the stunned silence of my office. Colleagues were very kind but their sniggers folowed me down the corridors all week. Pathetic, isn't it?

-- Mary (ulamary@yahoo.com), July 15, 2000.

They had a BlockBuster video grand opening way back around 1989 or so. They had some sort of prize drawing so I entered it. They called me at home later that day to say the prize I had won was the chance to attend a party with Walter Koenig. It was at a new house in Antioch and people were just sitting around with chips and dips and soft drinks. Walter was friendly and down to earth. Of course, he speaks perfect, unaccented English. His parents emigrated from Russia, so I guess he just mimicked the way they talked to do "Mr. Checkov." He's an intelligent guy whose acting career was hampered at that point by his type casting from "Star Trek."

I also got to meet a female country music star, who shall remain nameless, at one of those twelve-step groups. I was unsure whether I should even go talk to her and admit I recognized who she was. She was nice about it, and even laughed when I told her that the only CD of hers I owned was the one from the cereal box offer. I probably have not met as many celebrities as I could have simply because my usual feeling when I see one is that they would rather have their privacy than the "recognition" that would come from some idiot fan running up to them in a restaurant and saying "Aren't you Lee Greenwood?" or "Aren't you David Carradine?" or whatever.

-- Joe Shedlock (joeshedlock@mindspring.com), July 18, 2000.

Yes. . .mostly musicians though. I met Mitch Miller. Anyone growing up in the 50's probably remembers Mitch. . .you know. . the guy on TV with the bouncing ball. When I was 10 or so, I went to Georgia with my family, and we went to the Grande Ole Opry in Tennessee. There I sat on Minnie Pearl's lap, behind a rope and table where she was signing autograph's. Loved seeing her on Hee-Haw!! HOWDY!!! I also know the mother of the newly famed opera diva, Renee Fleming. Renee's mother was taking a french class with me at the Eastman School of Music.

-- William Westley Wisnom (w_wisnom@hotmail.com), April 04, 2001.

My fiance is Nicholas Cage's neice, kinda. Her father has the same mother as Nich does but different fathers. They never knew that they had a brother until 12 years ago and my fiance's father didn't know his brother was Nich until three years go when Nich looked him up. Jessica, my fiance has never met Nich but he has been given an invitation, and accepted, to our wedding this coming Valentines Day on Catalina, Ca.

-- doug (x4et4themeek4x@aol.com), February 04, 2002.