Meeting someone you look up to can be quite overwhelming (especially so, if you're already socially awkward). No matter how many times you try to convince yourself that they're human just like you, it just doesn't work that way. Upon encountering them, you start to giggle, then the little cool sweat drops show up on your upper lip only for your mouth to open up and blurt out some one-of-a-kind nonsense to a person you were trying to impress. Wait, are we describing first dates or celebrity encounters...
Recently, one radio DJ asked his Twitter followers to share awkward encounters they had with celebrities. And boy, did they deliver! We cut down hundreds of replies to the 65 best ones, so scroll down below to read the full list and enjoy a hot cup of that good old secondhand embarrassment.
This post may include affiliate links.
I met Bill Nye on my 6th grade trip to NYC at a hotel as well. I was a kid, so excited to meet him. I grabbed a used newspaper off a table and asked him to sign it. He looked at me and said something like "can't you see I'm busy". He was just standing in the lobby. My school chaperone grabbed him gently by the arm and said in a low angry voice "you are a hero to these kids. You sign her goddamn newspaper and anything else they want". I didn't even want to keep the newspaper after he was rude to me. My school chaperone was my new hero. F Bill Nye lol
Load More Replies...
Snarky comments? How rude! Was he supposed to be able to control how tall he was?
kinda looks like photo you'd find at grandma's counter, so you nailed it!
"What's wrong with you?" WTHeck? what a mean thing to say to a child with cancer!
Note: this post originally had 66 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
In July I was sitting at my gate in Burlington Vermont about to catch a flight. Self absorbed, not paying attention. Person seated next to me was doing a crossword puzzle and drops his pen. I instinctively pick it up and the elder gentleman thanks me... Nick-Berni...770d46.jpg 
Was behind Orlando Jones in the check out line at Whole Foods. (He was living locally at the time because they were filming Sleepy Hollow.) It was right around Thanksgiving and he'd been going around the store pretending to be talking on his cell phone so he wouldn't be approached by fans. Turns out he and I had the same Kite Hill Cream Cheese in our baskets. I held up a tub and said "this stuff is amazing." He replied with "I know, right!" As he walked away I said "Have a good Thanksgiving Mr. Jones." He smiled and said "You too."
Also, at the same Whole Foods...I was at the bakery looking at pastries when I met this nice British woman who was looking for some vegan options. I mentioned to her a few other places in town that had more to offer. She thanked me and continued shopping. When I got out to my car, she was walking through the car lot. I said "Did anyone ever tell you that you look like the actress that plays the science teacher on "Under the Dome?"" She says "That's because I am." I said "Hot damn girl, come over here. I need a picture with you." It was Karla Crome. It told her I looked forward to seeing her in the next episode of the show. She smiled and said good-bye. The next week, they killed off her character. I was mortified. LOL Me-and-Kar...da4816.jpg 
I was on a train with my dad when I was 19, an older guy accompanied by a younger guy got on. He noticed I was reading Raymond E Feist and asked what booked I liked, I remember being annoyed as he kept talking to me and I just wanted to read. He then asked if I had read trainspotting. To which I replied I had tried but couldn't finish it as it was just awful... he stopped talking to me then. I got off the train and my dad said.. That was Irvine Welsh. I had a blank look and he said he WROTE trainspotting...
Someone should start a thread where celebrities share their silliest fan stories.
I'd walk past 90 % of these people mentioned and not have a clue who they are... :/
IF I ever did meet someone famous i would probably assume I was wrong and think they were a look a like because as I've said before I'm not good with faces
Load More Replies...
Was next to Nicholas Lyndhurst in my local Tesco. He pulled his hat lower and his scarf higher, so I just gave a little nod and continued shopping. Posted this as I have not heard of most of the celebs in this list
I met Voltaire (as in Aurelio Voltaire, the singer) at Wicked Faire once. He told me a rather risque joke involving me and his then wife at the time having the same name. (Mine's spelled differently though.)
Had a chance to greet Peter Dinklage on the street, but his real name escaped me and I didn't want to call him Tyrion ... said hi to Paul Giamatti while walking casually down 5th Ave. ... he just said "hey" and kept walking ... sat next to Alicia Keys just before she had to perform at the Chicago Planetarium for an event the day before she was to appear on Oprah ... chatted in an elevator with Harold Perrineau about the function of an ergonomic keyboard ... saw Ozzie Davis walk out of a building on 57th St. casually and walk in the opposite direction from me ... heard this guy bragging behind me loudly walking up Broadway ... when I turn, it's Savion Glover ... shook his hand and said "hey, Savion" ... nice guy ... missed opportunity as the soundtrack for "Bring in the Noise, Bring in the Funk" had come out that very day ... saw him perform at NJPAC months later ... saw Sean Combs walk into Virgin movie theater in Times Square with his entourage shortly after the Steve Stoute incident
I wonder if the good-natured famous people don't like it when people actually don't know who they are sometimes (by face or name). I went to a SF convention once, and the elevator rides were an adventure in themselves. In one ride, there was a skinny older fellow in a tophat who was being just hilarious. Everyone was quietly laughing and not looking at him, but I was staring and laughing, really laughing, so he was looking back at me. Found out later he was some famous guy from Babylon Five. (My niece told me. She was madly in love.) Kept running into him, and couldn't see him as some famous guy because I'd never seen the show, so I just chatted with him naturally. He seemed to appreciate. I can't begin to tell you how naturally funny that guy was. Still don't know his name.
Now I'm dying to know who that was (and I've never even see Babylon 5!).
Load More Replies...
In July I was sitting at my gate in Burlington Vermont about to catch a flight. Self absorbed, not paying attention. Person seated next to me was doing a crossword puzzle and drops his pen. I instinctively pick it up and the elder gentleman thanks me... Nick-Berni...770d46.jpg
Was behind Orlando Jones in the check out line at Whole Foods. (He was living locally at the time because they were filming Sleepy Hollow.) It was right around Thanksgiving and he'd been going around the store pretending to be talking on his cell phone so he wouldn't be approached by fans. Turns out he and I had the same Kite Hill Cream Cheese in our baskets. I held up a tub and said "this stuff is amazing." He replied with "I know, right!" As he walked away I said "Have a good Thanksgiving Mr. Jones." He smiled and said "You too."
Also, at the same Whole Foods...I was at the bakery looking at pastries when I met this nice British woman who was looking for some vegan options. I mentioned to her a few other places in town that had more to offer. She thanked me and continued shopping. When I got out to my car, she was walking through the car lot. I said "Did anyone ever tell you that you look like the actress that plays the science teacher on "Under the Dome?"" She says "That's because I am." I said "Hot damn girl, come over here. I need a picture with you." It was Karla Crome. It told her I looked forward to seeing her in the next episode of the show. She smiled and said good-bye. The next week, they killed off her character. I was mortified. LOL Me-and-Kar...da4816.jpg
I was on a train with my dad when I was 19, an older guy accompanied by a younger guy got on. He noticed I was reading Raymond E Feist and asked what booked I liked, I remember being annoyed as he kept talking to me and I just wanted to read. He then asked if I had read trainspotting. To which I replied I had tried but couldn't finish it as it was just awful... he stopped talking to me then. I got off the train and my dad said.. That was Irvine Welsh. I had a blank look and he said he WROTE trainspotting...
Someone should start a thread where celebrities share their silliest fan stories.
I'd walk past 90 % of these people mentioned and not have a clue who they are... :/
IF I ever did meet someone famous i would probably assume I was wrong and think they were a look a like because as I've said before I'm not good with faces
Load More Replies... Was next to Nicholas Lyndhurst in my local Tesco. He pulled his hat lower and his scarf higher, so I just gave a little nod and continued shopping. Posted this as I have not heard of most of the celebs in this list
I met Voltaire (as in Aurelio Voltaire, the singer) at Wicked Faire once. He told me a rather risque joke involving me and his then wife at the time having the same name. (Mine's spelled differently though.)
Had a chance to greet Peter Dinklage on the street, but his real name escaped me and I didn't want to call him Tyrion ... said hi to Paul Giamatti while walking casually down 5th Ave. ... he just said "hey" and kept walking ... sat next to Alicia Keys just before she had to perform at the Chicago Planetarium for an event the day before she was to appear on Oprah ... chatted in an elevator with Harold Perrineau about the function of an ergonomic keyboard ... saw Ozzie Davis walk out of a building on 57th St. casually and walk in the opposite direction from me ... heard this guy bragging behind me loudly walking up Broadway ... when I turn, it's Savion Glover ... shook his hand and said "hey, Savion" ... nice guy ... missed opportunity as the soundtrack for "Bring in the Noise, Bring in the Funk" had come out that very day ... saw him perform at NJPAC months later ... saw Sean Combs walk into Virgin movie theater in Times Square with his entourage shortly after the Steve Stoute incident
I wonder if the good-natured famous people don't like it when people actually don't know who they are sometimes (by face or name). I went to a SF convention once, and the elevator rides were an adventure in themselves. In one ride, there was a skinny older fellow in a tophat who was being just hilarious. Everyone was quietly laughing and not looking at him, but I was staring and laughing, really laughing, so he was looking back at me. Found out later he was some famous guy from Babylon Five. (My niece told me. She was madly in love.) Kept running into him, and couldn't see him as some famous guy because I'd never seen the show, so I just chatted with him naturally. He seemed to appreciate. I can't begin to tell you how naturally funny that guy was. Still don't know his name.
Now I'm dying to know who that was (and I've never even see Babylon 5!).
Load More Replies...