Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Celebrity Run-ins

I was telling a coworker recently that when I was visiting Charleston, South Carolina several years ago, I recognized the good looking guy who held the door open for me and my group as we exited a downtown shopping mall. It was James Marsden, who I later found out was in the area filming the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook.

Over lunch yesterday, we started talking about some of the awful reality shows so many of us are addicted to—on MTV, Bravo, the CW, etc. I told the girls at my table that I have randomly run into three different Real World cast members in my life. I met Julie ("the Mormon") from the New Orleans season after I got off a roller coaster at King's Island about eight years ago. I was standing next to Ace from the Paris season at a Georgia versus Georgia Tech football game about five years ago. My girlfriends and I spotted Mike "the Miz" from Back to New York at a now defunct nightclub here in Atlanta called Vision. 

... Actually though, when I do the math, my encounters aren't all that impressive. (Approximately 20 season of the show with seven to eight cast members per show means that about 150 people have been on a season of The Real World, so I guess we all have a good chance of running into cast members).

I saw Larry King at a book signing in New York (inside FAO Schwarz) and Ethan Hawk when I saw in the television audience of The View (different trip to NYC), though I don't really feel either of those count. 

I digress. These conversations got me thinking about what famous people my blogger and non-blogger friends have met or seen on the street over the years. 

Do tell!

UPDATE! My sister Anna just reminded me that I met yet another MTV personality when I was still in college. I heard a rumor that Bam Margera was in town for a skateboarding gig. I happened to see him and bought him a jager shot. And I guess my sister remembers more of my memories than I do. She also reminded me that Maria, Dan and I saw Andre 3000 in Publix near our house—buying three different types of trash bags, of all things!

That reminds me, too, that I left off another story. Megan hunted down Charles Barkley the night of Maria's bachelorette party. There are pictures to prove that run in.

21 comments:

Mb said...

Fun I like this post and may use it as a theme for an upcoming post myself. In DC (due to my previous life as a caterer) I've run into Larry King as well, Angelina Jolie, Christina Appelgate, Kid Rock, Elton John, Kevin James, Hilary Clinton, Bob Dole, Anthony Williams, Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Jason Campbell, and a few others I can't remember.

K_Streams_Her_C said...

Fun! All those folks AND Ange? I'm impressed!

Ashley said...

Vanessa Minnillo & Orlando Bloom!

Mb said...

I'm total jelly about James Marsden during the Notebook. I love that movie. I love him.

Anonymous said...

Seen a few here and there but nothing could stand up to finding myself next to Kenny G in Vegas. Epic!

annabeck said...

it sounds like mirabelle might win if this were a competition.

didn't someone famous buy you a drink at a bar? or you bought him a drink? the viva la bam guy?

annabeck said...

am i mistaken that you saw andre 3000 at the grocery store... or was that ben? i think it was you...

Mb said...

i wish i was cool to get celebs to buy me drinks. i'm the loser that had an $80 bar tab in miami after buying shots for me, gal pals, and cisco adler. lame.

annabeck said...

katy- i only remember your celebrity run ins because i haven't had any... hopefully my day will come.

Mb said...

anna, you will see a lifetime's worth of celebs in miami on new years. trust.

Anonymous said...

Oliver North, Bob and Elizabeth Dole, George W. Bush, Jimmy and Roslyn Carter, and a few others I can't remember. I have a friend who, literally, bumped into Paul McCartney in London. She dropped everything in her arms and he helped her gather it all up.

Mb said...

Speaking of Bush and other former prezies...I worked an event for the Kennedy Center one year that is annually hosted by GHWBush and his wife. My friend was assigned as Bush's personal butler for the night. He had to make sure the former prez had a glass of straight vodka at all times. They put ice in it to make it look like water. LOLs.

moeko said...

I walked by Usher on Peachtree street when I was going to the Vortex. He was walking all by himself - no posse!
Kevin was on the same flight as Vanilla Ice - and even got a picture with his camera phone!
And when I was 5 I was on a plane from Tokyo to the US with Richard Pryor. My parents told me get his autograph so I took my baby doll to him to get signed. He flipped her over and signed her underwear :)

K_Streams_Her_C said...

Wow! I feel left out for not having politco run-ins! And straight vodka? That's like my grandma.

And I think I saw that cell photo of Vanilla Ice, Moeko. Didn't you show me?

Mb said...

Moeko that's too funny. I hope you still have the dolly panties. Ebay that shiz.

Mego said...

I've got Colin Powell (at the time he was just a general pre-presidential cabinet days)
walked by Al Sharpton at my building the last day at colony square.
Charles Barkley (twice-ish) ones at Lauren's bridal tea(okay i saw the back of his head) and Maria's b-rette!
Shook Dave Matthew's hand at his concert about 6 years ago.

Chi Chi said...

Mira and I have a lot in common when it comes to this topic as I too was a penguin at the Kennedy Center...

Mira, you forgot your favorite person though... Jason Taylor!! LOL

Mb said...

OMG how could I forget Jason Taylor!!! Mofo gave us food poisoning when we ordered room service at his hotel.

Julia said...

I too have seen my share of real world cast members. I can't remember their names but I can describe them: crazy girl from Denver who had a sprained ankle the whole season and the red headed girl from Chicago who got no play. She breathed in my ear at Eatzis and was rather embarrased when I called her on it. I also brought Usher his to-go food at the Olive Garden and he was in a huge Hummer with Chili. He tipped me $100. Also met Elizabeth Dole in a hotel. Several other famous people have been met but not randomly. My dad collects autographs and so I have gone to many book signings. I won't count them b/c they aren't random encounters.

K_Streams_Her_C said...

You may have beat us all, Miz Merren!

Julia said...

It is only because she blew in my ear. When I realized who she was I asked her if she had in fact been on the Real World and she said "Yes, and I don't want to talk about it". Oh excuse me, guess she wants to be alone too. Anyhoo, I told her I wasn't that interested and I would appreciate it if she would not stand so close to me as I ordered my salad. Famous or not, I wasn't interested in her germs.