“He Was Like An Excited Labrador”: 30 People Share Real-Life Celebrity Encounters They’ve Had
They say we should never meet our heroes. If they’re kind and happy to take a selfie with you, it could be the best day of your life. However, if they’re rude and unwelcoming, your favorite film, album or book might be permanently tainted.
And if you’re curious about some of the world’s biggest stars that you haven’t had the chance to encounter yourself, you might get to find out more about them from this list. Redditors have been sharing stories of some of their real-life celebrity encounters, so we’ve gathered their juiciest tales down below. Enjoy finding out which stars are sweet and which ones to steer clear of, and be sure to upvote the stories you find most fascinating!
This post may include affiliate links.
Bruce Willis.
I was a NYC taxi driver and i pick him up at a restaurant very late at night. He starts asking me all these questions about the long hours, how much a good cabbie makes a night, etc.
He asks me if I am married, I say yes, asks about my wife. I tell him marriage is great but we aren't together much due to the long hours i drive the cab.
We get to his place, hands me $1,000 and says, "Now go take a week off and spend it with your wife."
True story.
Wow so glad to hear he’s as nice as I imagined him to be
A coworker noticed Robin Williams flipping through a book quietly at a bookstore I worked at. It was during the filming of Good Will Hunting so he had a beard and wasn’t so recognizable- she said “I think that’s Robin Williams!”, he looked up from his book smiled and then put a finger to his mouth “Shhhh, I know”
Tony Hawk, late 90's. He came to our local skatepark for a demo but it was a tiny little indoor park and he couldn't do much. After skating for a bit to appease the crowd, he snuck out the back across the parking lot to the bowling alley. Me and two friends followed him, he invited us to bowl with him, bought us chicken tenders and french fries and talked about skateboarding with us for over an hour. Honestly one of the coolest guys I've ever met, fast forward 20 years later and I get to meet him again at our local skatepark unveiling that his foundation helped pay for and man, he was just as cool. We chatted a bit at the water fountain, I mentioned that as a kid he treated us to chicken tenders and french fries at the bowling alley when I was just a kid, and wouldn't you know it he was like oh in Amity Ct? Wasn't the skatepark called B17? I was simply floored. He went on to explain he was having a rough day that day and just hanging with three little kids bowling and talking skateboarding made him realize just how great life was.
Thank you for everything you have ever done for skateboarding Tony!
So Tony Hawk is the Keanu Reeves of the skateboarding world
Last summer while at an urgent care center in Beverly Hills I met Ashton Kutcher. I was sick and stressed and couldn’t find the office. My anxiety took over (it was one of “those” days) and I crumpled into a tiny ball on the floor and put my head in my hands. A moment later someone tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was okay. I looked up and there was Ashton, pushing a stroller with his baby. He helped me up and walked with me to the doctors office. I wish I hadn’t been so sick during that encounter.. nevertheless, his kindness and warmth was deeply appreciated.
IIRC he quit acting to become an advocate to stop human trafficking. Solid dude.
I met Gordon Ramsay in Cape Town about 5 years ago. He was at a bar, and not a super fancy bar either. I went up and said hello, half hoping he would call me a 'donut' or something, but he was really nice and asked me how I was. I told him I loved his shows, and recipes, and he offered to buy me a drink. Overall really nice man, and his demeanor is very calming. I felt at ease. I hope he is doing well.
I was flying from California to Haiti to do relief work. I was really broke and had a really s****y flight schedule with lots of long layovers. I was absoloutly exhausted, had't slept properly in 2 days. It was around 4 in the morning when my flight landed in Miami. I was waiting at the terminal for my last flight from Miami to Port Au Prince. All of the seats were taken so I was sitting against a wall.
This gentleman got up from his seat and walked over to me. I was thinking in my dilirium 'this guy looks like a homeless version of Sean Pennn'.
Hobo Sean Penn asked me if I would like to have his party's seats so I could lay on something comfortable and get some sleep. I told him 'no thank you, im alright' and he said something along the lines of 'you look exhausted, you really should get some sleep, especially if you are headed to Haiti to do relief work, you will need the rest'. I took him up on the offer, although I felt really selfish about it. I got about 45 minutes worth of sleep that i desperately needed.
It turns out it wasn't a hobo that looked like Sean Penn it really was Sean Penn. I had no idea that he had been doing work in Haiti for years. His kindness was really moving, and upon landing and seeing the ravaged landscape of such an impoverished country, I realized that I really needed that sleep.
I went through an airport security line with Keanu Reeves. He was super cool and open for about a 5 minutes conversation (they had closed the line behind him so it was really just the two of us for a bit). He was even good natured when I asked if I could take a selfie with him. Good dude. Once we got through the line a crowd gathered quickly and security whisked him away.
Stone Cold Steve Austin found my dog that ran away and picked him up off of the highway. He ended up cleaning up our dog and gave him tons of toys before we got him back.
I’m sure this will come as no surprise, but John Cena is one of the nicest and naturally awesome people in existence. He came to visit the new enlisted rec center they built for us back in the mid 00’s to do a meet and greet. While he was only booked to be there from 1400 to 1600, when we told him that most of the SUBSCOL students didn’t get out class until then he said he’d be more than willing to stay later. He hung out with all the guys who came to see him shooting pool, playing darts and Xbox, and pretty much signing everything and taking a ton of pictures. The dude is just a straight up class act.
Not surprising at all. He’s done quite a lot for the Make a Wish Foundation. Some celebs you can kinda feel that they are putting on an act. John Cena is not one of them. Even when he gets angry at a fan, he is authentic. He puts them in their place and tells them not to be so rude and disrespectful.
Jaden Smith wouldn't leave my store thirty minutes after we closed. Neither would his security guard, the girl he was with, or the eight or nine other girls that were clearly asked to stay at least thirty feet away from him. He kept saying "Bro, it's cool. Don't worry, bro, it's cool. It's cool" F**k you Jaden, there are about twenty people in this store that can't go home until you get your stupid entitled a*s out of here.
I have two. The first is Jerry Springer. I met him while traveling when we happened to be staying at the same hotel. He was super nice, took photos and answered questions. All smiles and jokes.
The second is Stephen Spielburg. I met him at some benefit I got invited to as a teen due to having good grades or some s**t and he not only had a super normal convo with me, but when I told him where I really wanted to work (but hadn't been able to get an interview) he took me to the next table where the company's CEO was and introduced me. Worked there for 5 years after.
Met Viggo Mortensen quite a handful of times as he used to go to the restaurant I managed at the time.
He was one of the nicest, most down to earth celebrities we had. He would, after we offered, join us for dinner once the restaurant had closed and would bring small gifts every time for everyone.
When I met Prince Harry at a bar, he was like an excited labrador in human form.
Shared an elevator with Beyoncé back in the early 2000s when she was doing the Destiny’s Child farewell tour. It was my dad, me, Beyoncé, and a hulking bodyguard. My dad being my dad didn’t know who she was and assumed they were a married couple and gave the man c**p about carrying all the bags himself. She laughed, he kinda giggled a bit and they looked at each other awkwardly. Then they hopped off the elevator and walked straight onto a tour bus with her face plastered on the side at which point my dad asked “wait who is that”. 5/7 would share an elevator again.
I went to the BAFTAs after winning a competition in (i think) 2012. I'd won the top prize where you basically got a little mini marquee at the very end of the red carpet just before the stars went into the building/posed for photos. Part of the prize was that the stars would stop for a chat. Considering it was early February in cold cold London, i was surprised at how many of them (especially the ones in short dresses) stopped to chat.
George Clooney was great, shook hands, had a short conversation, and patted me on the shoulder.
Meryl Streep just Oozed class, such a lovely person and was more than willing to stop and pose for photos, and looked GORGEOUS!
But star of the show by far was Chris Hemsworth. Just such a laugh and really genuinely wanted to stop and talk for a bit. He was up for the "young upcomer" prize or whatever its called that year, i was gutted when he didn't win it later on but hey, he's done alright for himself since :)
I used to deliver food from a catering service to the airport for private flights. My favorite encounter was Johnny Depp. Handed him his food and he handed me a wadded up bill, I thought I just got stiffed on my tip.
Turned out it was a freaking $100 bill wadded up into a little ball. Legend.
I served Johnny Depp in the 90s, just drinks, he left me a pile of ashes and change.
I once walked outside of my house to run and grab a coffee. As I was waiting at a cross walk I begun to recognize the fellow waiting in front of me. I said, “excuse me, I don’t know if you know this but you’re John Malkovich.” Then John extended his hand and said, “indeed I am” and shook my hand. A kind gentlemen he was.
I don't know if you know who you are but you're you. HAHAHA!
Amy Lee of Evanescence was absolutely wonderful. Some friends and I waited after a concert for autographs, and prior to Amy emerging, the bouncer-type-guy laid out in no uncertain terms that we weren't to try to touch her.
Well, one friend had had depression and Evanescence was one of the things that got her through her teen years. So she broke down in tears when Amy got to her in the autograph line, and Amy just went in and gave her this giant, comforting hug (hard to do since Amy is SO tiny). She was fabulous.
David Beckham.
I didnt know who he was at the time. I was staying at the grand Hyatt in hong kong and galaxy was there for an exhibition game.
There were a lot of fan girls outside with posters and s**t in the roped off area near the front entrance.
I'm in the elevator and DB walks in. I give him a nod and he gives me one back. Then I ask him if he knows what all the commotion outside is. He just shrugs and says it must be someone famous staying there. We get to his floor and he gives me a wave goodbye and exits.
My work colleague later tells me that Beckham is staying there based on the pics he saw the fans waiving. I look up his pic online and realize its the dude I was chatting with in the elevator.
nice guy.
Part of filming for Central Intelligence was in Boston in my friend's neighborhood/around the corner of it. Apparently, Dwayne Johnson was just so courteous and very fan friendly, loved giving interactions (smiles hugs conversations, the works) and autographs and just making people smile when he had the time. Kevin Hart was a total jackass that didn't want to be bothered, went out of his way to make sure nobody talked to him or got near him and just had the worst holier-than-thou attitude.
I'm a helicopter pilot and had the displeasure of flying Justin Bieber, his father and a couple of his douchey friends. He lives up to his reputation and was incredibly rude.
I worked at a bar in a restaurant while in college and one night Kevin Hart came in to eat. He wasn't really that famous at the time. I didn't know who he was, but I was curious as I had to go to the stock room to get a $1000+ bottle of champagne that he ordered in addition to pouring a bunch of really expensive top top shelf shots. His bill ended being well over $2000. The girl who had his table (who also didnt know who he was) said he was by far the most demanding and rude person she had encountered while working there and that he was extremely demeaning.
He ended up leaving a $4 tip, all in crumpled up singles.
F**k Kevin Hart.
I've posted this before, but I once spilled a very large, very colorful, drink on Kate Hudson.
My girlfriend and I ended up in a VIP area at a music festival totally by accident. We weren't supposed to be there but walked right in not knowing it was restricted and since we were there we decided to stay.
We ended up in a corner as to not draw attention to ourselves and I would walk over to the bar occasionally to get us drinks and bring them back. A few hours and more than a few rounds later, my girlfriend decided she had to have one of the plastic yard glasses of Margaritas that they were selling, so I attempted to bring back one and a few beers on my next trip. I made it within ten feet of where we where stationed, when I sidestepped a dancing girl, tripped, and spilled the entire yard glass on a women. When she turned around, I realized that the women that I had just soaked was Kate Hudson. She was incredibly awesome about it, and luckily my girlfriend had an extra shirt with her that she could change into.
lmao at least she was a good sport about it. i would never get over that embarrassment even time i went to sleep i’d picture it
Met Keegan Michael Key backstage before a show once. I complemented him on his (at the time) new series. He took my one hand with both of his hands, asked my name, and gave the sincerest thank you. Such a nice guy.
On the rude side, Mariah Carey is a b***h. Talked about how much she loved her dog so much and ended up leaving it backstage after the show.
I worked at a gas station near a music venue and spotted Jimmy Buffett standing outside talking to a ticket scalper. I went out to say hello and he said that he was curious to see how much his tickets were going for. He was an incredibly nice guy and offered to buy one of the scalpers tickets for me!
Rob Lowe - met him at a kids party. He's related to a kid that was at my kids daycare. Awesome guy. Very friendly.
Jay Leno - I've met and observed him at the Rock Store many times. Always a nice guy. Friendly. Love the guy.
I used to work at Disney World and encountered many celebrities. I won't bore you with the whole list, but the notable ones: Snoop Dogg: Really nice to the guys, completely ignored the women. We were all gathered at the exit of the ride in between seating new people, and he went down the line and shook hands with/chatted to all of my male coworkers and didn't even spare any of us girls as a glance. Mariah Carey: Total divamonster. Firstly, she demanded that we not just hold the line out of sight while she and her party had a private go on the ride, she demanded that we completely cycle out both ride machines and the line, which took over an hour since I worked at a very busy attraction. Then when the kids in the party couldn't ride because they were too short, she threw a tantrum ("Do you know who I am??!!") as if it was a judgement call we were making, not literally a safety standard set by OSHA. Justin Bieber: Surprisingly not that bad, given that he was at the height of his public a**holery. He was with a group of like 20 people around his age, and they were no worse than the usual frat groups/bachelor parties we handled. Paul McCartney: Super low-key guy. He didn't even ask to go on the ride privately, just asked to be brought on the ride after the other passengers were already in their seats and had a row just for his group. Steven Tyler: By far my favorite celebrity encounter. I happened to be in the break room and he came in to use our bathroom- there was an audible gasp from all of us on break and we just openly gawked at him, and he just smiled and said "what's up". Like ten seconds later, one of my coworkers came out of the bathroom looking totally shellshocked and said "um... I just peed next to Steven Tyler." And then I was off break when Steven Tyler actually went on the ride, so I got to assist with that. His party was really friendly and jokey, and they were good-naturedly teasing us for getting starstruck. One of my coworkers was nervously starting every sentence to anyone in his earshot with "I'm sorry, I'm sorry", and Steven Tyler started yelling over at her "Hey, Sorry! Hey, have you ever played the board game SORRY? I think you'd really like it!"
I met Sacha Baron Cohen while picking up lunch for my office. I work in Film and TV production, so I'm not easily flustered by celebrities, but there are a few that transform me into a AAA battery trying to contain the power of the sun. I normally don't bother celebrities, but he is one of my all time comedy idols and I knew I might not ever have another opportunity. After loading up my car with my order and realizing he was finished with his meal, I worked up the courage to walk over and say something before quickly making what would likely be an undignified retreat. Very poorly holding it together, I told him I was an enormous fan and he stopped and talked to me for a few minutes; asked me about my life, what I do, etc. After telling him I was working on a show at one of the studios nearby, he introduced me to his producer who he was having lunch with and had me give him all my contact info in case they shot anything in Los Angeles. I honestly have never been more pumped about anything in my life. I was riding the biggest high and grinning like an absolute moron all day.
Weird, he was booked for a DJ session at a nightclub in my home town (many many moons ago - about 2 decades, god im old) and he was a complete and utter pompous a$$, rude to everyone, wouldnt even look at people (except skantily clad females), and to top it off his DJ skills were absolute $hite
I've encountered a few celebrities from my days working at a popular casino.
Gordon Ramsay was very polite and very nice to talk to. I left that interaction thinking, what a cool guy. Quite the gentleman.
Ricki Lake is adorable! I didn't even realize it was her at first, but once we caught on she sat down with us to discuss her weight loss journey and stayed for a good half hour. She was witty and charming. Such a delight.
Charles Barkley was very down to earth. No entourage. No security. Just came in to our store to shop and very willing to chat and take pictures if you wanted.
Brad Garrett from Everybody Loves Raymond... what a miserable guy. Would not acknowledge anybody with eye contact. Specifically asked us not to talk to him. And if you approached him to see if he needed any help you got this death stare like you were the foulest piece of garbage.
Oh and as a bonus, the first celebrity I ever met was Liza Minnelli when I was a young boy. I remember she had a big furry coat and this little dog. The dog came over to play with me. She then came over and patted my head telling my dad "You have such a cute little boy". Very nice lady!
My first celebrity experience when I first moved to LA was meeting Weird Al Yankovich. He came in to eat at the restaurant I was hosting at and while his date was in the bathroom before they left he was was sitting in this lounging area we had. Being all of 18 and thinking I was playing it cool I asked "So, you working on anything new?" like I knew him personally or something.
He just kind of shrugged and said not really and was followed by another 40 seconds or so of awkward silence. He wasn't rude or nice; it was obvious he wasn't in the mood though. Which I totally get now nearly two decades later.
Note: this post originally had 53 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Reading all these at once just made me feel sorry for celebrities expected to be "on" even in their personal time
If I'm not too terribly off base, it kinda comes with the territory. I get people have to go out, but the majority of these folks have the means to ensure that they won't have to rub elbows with the unwashed masses if that's their desire. The long and short of it is, you don't have to be a prick to people you run into in public. Go in the back door if you hate humanity that badly.
Load More Replies...
I met Sir Terry Pratchett in about 2005 at a book signing and he gave me a big hug!
When I was in college, the magicians Penn and Teller did a show near my campus. Afterwards, they did the usual meet the audience thing. But as my dad and I were leaving, there was Penn hanging out outside by himself. So we wandered over and talked to him. Guy was very nice and encouraging (there was a time I wanted to be a stage magician myself). He's also huge. My dad and I are pretty big guys, but he made us look small. Afterwards, we wrap up our conversation and he goes to go back inside but the door is locked. He rattles it a little bit, when this little voice from off to the side is heard, as my mom calls out, "USE MAGIC!" Which sums up my sense of humor.
Reading all these at once just made me feel sorry for celebrities expected to be "on" even in their personal time
If I'm not too terribly off base, it kinda comes with the territory. I get people have to go out, but the majority of these folks have the means to ensure that they won't have to rub elbows with the unwashed masses if that's their desire. The long and short of it is, you don't have to be a prick to people you run into in public. Go in the back door if you hate humanity that badly.
Load More Replies... I met Sir Terry Pratchett in about 2005 at a book signing and he gave me a big hug!
When I was in college, the magicians Penn and Teller did a show near my campus. Afterwards, they did the usual meet the audience thing. But as my dad and I were leaving, there was Penn hanging out outside by himself. So we wandered over and talked to him. Guy was very nice and encouraging (there was a time I wanted to be a stage magician myself). He's also huge. My dad and I are pretty big guys, but he made us look small. Afterwards, we wrap up our conversation and he goes to go back inside but the door is locked. He rattles it a little bit, when this little voice from off to the side is heard, as my mom calls out, "USE MAGIC!" Which sums up my sense of humor.
