Close Brushes with Fame Thread

Thread for times you did or almost hung out, interacted with or just missed a famous person.

So I was finishing up my exams and I got a phone call from one of my mom's friends. A movie was filming at her house (The Invention of Lying) and there was a nice young man named Jonah, who didn't know anyone in town, and was looking for someone to hang out with and she wanted to know if I was available to go to a bar and hang out with him or something. Unfortunately I was still at school. If my exams had ended sooner though, I could have gone to the bar with Jonah Hill, which would have been a much cooler story than this. This movie is also the reason why there are random pictures of my mom and Rob Lowe around hanging around her house, and why I have a low opinion of Jennifer Garner.

I think that ranks slightly ahead of the time I met John Kerry, and I told him I was a big fan of Ketchup.

That's cool -- interested in hearing more about Jennifer Garner. Just an asshole?

I go to Vegas every year for March Madness, and sometimes a guy who was a regular on General Hospital and some other TV shows would go and we would hang out and gamble on basketball all weekend. One of my friends from Wake starred in the Annabelle movie and is now in a play that just started on Broadway. That's about all I got.

:RJBatsignal

Run ins of recent memory:

Meeting Wynton Marsalis a few times in my playing days - really cool dude.

Met Carlos Santana in the Albany airport.

Met Bernie in the DC airport - he was on my flight to Charleston during the run up to the 2016 election.

Posted up next to the VIP section for a concert in Denver; ended up partying across the rail from Charlie Blackmon.

That's all I can think of - nothing particularly interesting.

Shooshmoo said:

That's cool -- interested in hearing more about Jennifer Garner. Just an asshole?

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Pretty much. She was everything you expect a high maintenance actress to be. Got really pissed about anyone disrupting her "craft." even little kids.

When I was much younger, my brother and I were knocking on our hotel door in Grandover (staying for an event there) and Stu Scott thought we were knocking on his door (he was next to us) and came out with one of his kids in his arm - shot the shit with us for a few minutes when we were like holy shit you're Stuart Scott. Great guy all around especially for a goat.

Had a couple drinks with David Blatt in Boston a few years ago when he was up for a playoff series as the Cavs' head coach. We were at a rooftop bar and sitting next to him, his wife, and his agent and people were coming up talking to him and taking pictures - we weren't interested in doing so and he chalked up a conversation with us, then bought us the next round. Great guy as well, didn't talk to him about Lebron or anything which seemed to be the exception to the norm because he said it was nice to just talk about life and sports without everything circling back to his relationship with Lebron.

At the ACCT in Washington a few years ago, a hammered Geoffrey Zakarian got onto the elevator with me, my brother, and my girlfriend. He looked at us and basically shouted "how's it hanging folks?" He was in a fresh blue checkered suit. Also ran into Bob Ryan in the elevator at the ACCT a few years back, he was a bit of a curmudgeon it seemed.

I rode the AirTain in Denver next to Lou Holtz. Does that count?

I can’t even.

According to many here most or none of mine ever happened. No sense posting any.

I almost ended Tim Duncan's career with a tuba his junior year at Wake.

Sat beside George Seifert on a cross country flight when he was coaching the Panthers.

A few weeks back I walked past Ned Jarrett (NASCAR HOFer) of my grandfather's era and took a second to stop and shake his hand.

Dennis Haskins (Mr. Belding) rolled into Burke Street Pub in the early 2000's and was super creepy.

DeacHawk said:

Dennis Haskins (Mr. Belding) rolled into Burke Street Pub in the early 2000's and was super creepy.

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Haha I was there that night. That was the most random but perfect person to walk into Burke Street for that age group. One buddy went to offer him a shot and Belding said he didn't want to drink that much and he was in town for "the convention"

tsywake said:

A few weeks back I walked past Ned Jarrett (NASCAR HOFer) of my grandfather's era and took a second to stop and shake his hand.

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Dale Jarrett went to my church when I was a kid. It's still my parents' church.

A few months ago, Johnny Damon was leaving the Delta lounge in Orlando when I was going in.

I got to sit around a friend's living room one night listening to Effram Zimbalist, Jr. swap tales with his college room-mate. Yes, I know I'm dating myself by claiming that as a neat encounter.

Do Wake related brushes count? I played football against Randolph and Scooter. I watched a soccer game with Tim Duncan.

Those don't seem like they should count.

Tags' cousin got me tix to the Phillies/Expos games in 1980.

I'll do that one since it ties directly to someone who posted on this thread.

RJKarl said:

Tags' cousin got me tix to the Phillies/Expos games in 1980.

I'll do that one since it ties directly to someone who posted on this thread.

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Very distant cousin who doesn't know I exist. Don't everyone be asking me for tickets or autographs.

i have to think it wasn't terribly hard to come by phillies/expos tickets in 1980.

When I first moved to LA I found a set of golf clubs to buy off craigslist. When I got to the seller's house, Chris Evans was hanging out in his living room watching TV with him. This was after the first Captain America but before all the Avengers and sequels and Snowpiercer. Shot the shit with them for a bit before buying the clubs and going on my way.

tagsfan said:

Very distant cousin who doesn't know I exist. Don't everyone be asking me for tickets or autographs.

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I'll take your autograph...

He did have a great baseball nickname.

Skip prosser handed me a piece of pizza

I ate breakfast next to George Takei at the Beach Club resort when I was about 13.

Saw a guy with an entourage while hiking once and swore it was lance Armstrong. Fortunately twitter confirmed he was in Europe and saved me $50 bucks.