I once stood next to Clint Eastwood...I thought he'd be taller in real life
 

This was a few years ago even before he began to shrink. He and I was standing side by side waiting to check in at the Claremont in Berkeley. I thought he would tower over me but he really wasn't as tall as I thought he'd be.

Same thing with Gov Ahnuld. I don't even think he's 6 feet tall. Wide shoulders and deep chest for sure but, no giant.

One dude who's pretty tall is Danny Glover. I've seen him once or twice in SF. He must live there somewhere.

The only celebrity who was exactly as I thought he'd be was Prince. Saw him at LAX many years ago. Surrounded by his entourage, you could barely see his head. This was during his Purple Rain days. Short, skinny a$$ dude with eye make-up and a mustache that looked penciled-in.

Got any celebrity sighting stories?

Flew for Warner Brothers for 6 years. Lots of surprises that way.

Lived in L.A. all my life. I can't even begin...

I once drank with Paul Newman for an hour in an empty bar in Newport RI in the early 80's. I had no idea who he was and I am sure he had no clue who I was. Mostly drank beer. I always belly up tp the bar and thais old coot seemed harmless. We pushed a few down and told some dirty jokes. He told me he had to get back to a friends boat and I had to start my shift waiting tables. It was only after he left thatmy buddy behind the bar told me who he was. I thought, "ya, he did have nice eyes, but man was he short!"

That same summer I bumped square into Lee Iococa and some very very hot blonde at Scoops Ice Cream shop in Newport - when I say bumped I mean the blonde turned right into me and smered my Choco-Peanut butter ice cream in a warm waffle cone all over my chest. She just looked at me and didn't say a word. Lee grabbed her arm and lead her out acting all sorts of disgusted at me. I didn't do *****, the bimbo walked into me. Freak! And your cars suck too! (The things you wish you said...)

I've met Ron E. Madaio...:D

LOL! You should have said to Lee: "If you can find a better bimbo, buy it..." :D

my dad worked for a radio station in KS that played 'old people music' so I got to meet John Denver, Andy Williams (twice), and a ton of other bands that played in Salina. You know the Question Mark guy from the commercials? I met him at the station one time... he's nuts! :)

You mean the geek that trys to sell books on how to get goverment grants?

yep, that's him :p

*sigh*... I'm sheltered.

My parents use to own a tour bus that took musicians around the US. During the time they owned the bus I got to meet Kenny Loggins, Luther Vandros, Anita Baker, Blind Melon, and the Spin Doctors.

My mom use to ask why I wasnt all giddy when I met them. I came to realize that they are just intertainment for me and nothing else. Same with actors. There just people.

Now Bill Gates or Ted Turner I would love to spend a few hours with.

I was in a club in LA back in '90 when some guy pushed me out of the way. Since I'd had a few drinks I turned around with a what the fuch look to see a body guard leading Arseneo Hall and Eddie Murphy heading back to "their" table. I always thought Hall was tall but I bet he's not even 6' and Murphy is maybe 5'6". What I remember more about the evening was the girl accross the bar that lost her top exposing a nice set of tatas. She just pulled it back up like nothing happened. I also remember the hottest girl in the club (and there were many) was a grocery store checker I had seen earlier in the day.

I met John Walker. Does it get any more celebrity than that? ;)

Randy

Saw Bobby Flay, the celebrity chef in NYC a few weeks back. He looked just like he does on TV. Apparently, make-up makes no difference.

Now as far as sport figures go, Joe Paterno was the one who suprised me. He always looks so small on the field next to these pituitary cases, but up close, he is quite large. Common sighting at Penn State. The incident that sticks in my mind had him exiting the PSU Creamery with a cone of "Peachy Paterno" ice cream.

The only celebrity I have seen in recent years was Nicholas Brenden. (And if you can tell me who he is, you're as much a dork as me!) Saw him at the airport in Dallas. He was definitely in the mid 5' range.

I lived in an apartment complex in Indianapolis for a short time when I was a kid. Gordon Johncock stayed in the apartment building next to ours during the month of May. He used to mess with us kids all the time. Nice guy. We came home one evening and there was an open topped trailer out in the parking lot with a tarp over it. Gordon was out there doing something and me and my dad walked over and sure enough, his Indy car was on the trailer. He pulled the tarp back and we checked it out.

We also lived in Speedway (IN) for awhile and we were driving past the Holiday Inn one afternoon and some ol' nasty guy was working on a dragster in the parking lot, so my dad whipped the car in and we got out and went over to see what he was doing. It was Don Garlits.

Ahhh..the good ol' days...

Mike

Thought of another one. Dan Pastorini (Oiler's quarterback in the late 70's) was working for a coatings company in Houston and came by the shop. I remember watching him as a kid and he looked so small compared to the other players. The guy's actually pretty big. He's about my height, 6'3". He bought a kart and went out to the track to practice with my boss and me. He said he was 220lbs, but after push starting him I'd say at least 240lbs if not more. Seemed like a nice guy. I hear he's about to start racing Porsche's again.

I think Dan Pastorini's car (some sort of 911) has been for sale in the recent Panoramas...

Man, that guy could throw the ball just about farther than anyone I had ever seen...

Mike

I was waiting to cross the street one day in Yokosuka, Japan and I saw an enormous shadow coming from behind me. I looked around and saw that it was Akebono (Chad Rowen, the Hawaiian-born 64th yokozuna, and the first foreigner to achieve sumo's highest rank). He was large and thick!!!

I saw God once in a little bar in Kathmandu called "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds".

But that was a few years ago and I haven't seen Him since.

I installed a wall heater for Charlie Brown...

True story!

i was at MARS bar in SF. saw jerry rice, with a bunch of huge ass 49ers. rice is not a big man. his teammates were huge! i stood behind 2 of them in line for the bathroom. a third huge man, tried to cut in line in front of me to stand next to his teammates. he looked at me, and i said, "dont make me kick your arse" all three laughed and let me go ahead of them. very nice guys, and they were with a bunch of sporty HOT chicks. i wanted rice's sig, but i didnt want to admit that i didnt reconize anyone else...

Jeez... in L.A., you're tripping over them all the time. I'm not into bothering celebs nor getting their autographs.... though sometimes, I've wished I had:

Chris Farley -- sitting alone in a deli in Santa Monica, really craving attention.

George Harrison -- talking with Cheech Marin. Couldn't bring myself to interrupt; exchanged nods.

Pierce Brosnan. By all accounts super nice & approachable. The guy is all over Malibu.

Britney Spears -- a bit more ordinary in person.

I once was at a trade show and Stallone came in with his entourage. He's 5'9" and had carefully chosen everyone accompanying him to be no taller.

Mel Gibson -- probably 5'8." We were racing to get our claimchecks to the valet. I won.

Jack Nicholson -- what can you say about Jack? He's just the coolest guy, ever. Very offhand about his money & power. About 5'9."

Don Henley -- famously unfriendly and intense.

Jaclyn Smith -- I got an award from her... I pretty much couldn't speak/think. Looked great close-up.

Dennis Miller: a-hole.

Lee Iaccocca: pretty decent guy, but used to a life insulated from 'common folk.'

And a couple dozen more that don't come to mind at the moment.

I once saw Herve Villachaize in a liqour store with a chick who was about 6'6". Now that made him REALLY look short.

His girlfriend for a while was Susan Tyrell -- not a small girl by any means. Check 'em out in "Forbidden Zone."

John Wayne...he was huge. Of course I was only 6 at the time. He was on the Washington coast filming the car chase on the beach scene from McQ.

Janine Turner - Northern Exposure, talking to me with her mouth full of a Taco Time chicken burrito...that was weird.
Harry Anderson - Night Court (tall...like 6'5" tall)
Eddie Vedder - Pearl Jam vocalist (short), saw him in the early '90s at a local pizza joint my GF worked at.

I talked to Turner and Anderson but only because they asked me a question...otherwise I wouldn't approach any celebrity.

Is Harry Anderson the actor who played the Guard on Night Court...if so I talked to him quiet a few times...the first time I asked to borrowed a book of his on Artist signatures...he likes to collect Plein Aire art...I didn't even recognize who he was....

A good friend of mine is Harry Landers...He played Dr. Ted Hoffman on the Ben Casey TV series...he was also in the Wild Ones with Marlon Brando... etc etc

When I live in So CA I used to frequent Abels Auctions...I used to rub elbows with the rich and powerfull in LA and didn't even know who they were... we would just chit chat about the latest auction and what we found there...

No, Harry Anderson played the judge, who was named Harry.

Drew Barrymore showed me her tits once.

Sooooo...I got a 2nd look from Julia Roberts....but that was before I moved to LV and started hitting the Buffets...

gotta love the passion but the product is kinda meeger!

The apartment where they filmed was around the corner from the house I grew up in. I was a little tike then too. I have a picture of me and the Duke and I'm sitting in his chair. I was too young to have a clue who he was.

Ohhh I totaly forgot.....on Sunday while I was fleecing...I mean playing Poker with DTW....I was sitting next to M-16..aka Jefferies KIA....anyway he's going to fight James Toney on Oct 1...PPV...for 7 figures...We've talked briefly since about investing money...

At the "Penthouse" in downtown Vancouver, BC in the mid-nineties.

My friend and I were sitting at this long table near the stage enjoying the "show". We were the only two at this huge table so when I group of people needed seating the manager asked if we minded if they sat with us.

Dave Navarro and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers along with three or four girls, one of which I later learned was thier tour manager.

Sat and drank and enjoyed the scene with them for a couple of hours before last call came. Navarro looked pretty freaky but was actually a pretty cool dude. Smith could've been any other guy off the street, nice enough though. I never did ask where Anthony and Flea were...

That's my only brush with rock stars except for watching Eddie Vedder pick up a pizza to go :)

I see them every day on the studio lot and on locations. I don't speak to the talent. Jennifer Garner (aka Mrs. Affleck) is prego right now and huge. Very nice lady. Geena Davis still looks good. don't know if she's nice or not, have seen her very much. The ladies on Desperate Housewives are all nice and not catty like you read in the trades.

Years ago, I interacted with her slightly. Probably one of the nicest actresses, ever. Modest and genuine.

and smart too!

Almost forgot...Joel McHale, host of E! network show Talk Soup is a H.S. friend of my wifes....but now were talkin' small potato's. :)

I grew up in LA so you do tend to see a lot of 'em.
Kevin Costner at a movie theatre in Universal City
Gary Busey at a club in Malibu
Ricardo Montalbon on the set of Fantasy Island
Claude Akins in San Marino
Tippi Hedron at an art supply store in Arcadia
Kurt Russell twice. Once at Brackett Airport where he just came in in his Bonanza, once at Santa Monica Airport where he got out of a nice 400 series Cessna.
I did see, briefly, the back of his head, Steve McQueen, It was not long before he died. It was at Santa Paula and he taxied by in I think what was a Tiger Moth. My Dad and I had just landed there in a Decathelon (he was flying) and he said "look over your shoulder - quick".
Many others just can't remember

Many years ago I almost got in a ruckus with Rick James one day at the New Orleans Hilton or maybe just his bodyguards. I had the only free table and had been there for hours. He proceeded to sit next to me, kept bumping my knee, acting stupid and trying to get me to move. After $250 worth of Vodka and much more than that of another substance, I wasn't in the mood to move. He actually blew his nose in his hand and wiped in it his hair. I told him "you can dress him up but you can't take him out" that's when the body guards stood up the first time of several times. Never got him to say "I'm Rick James B*tch" though.

Funny, I wonder if anybody remembers Susan Tyrell. I grew up with her little sister, Baba.

But my favorite celebrity story involves another woman. Back in the late 60s, my father was good friends with a rising young German oncologist, Dr. Ernst Windor. "Ernie" was a true character, brilliant and rakish, a real ladykiller with his thickly accented charm and even thicker mane of black hair. We went over to his house one Saturday morning, to pick him up for a tennis game. As my brother and I were standing at the bottom of the stairs, we heard a soft voice over and behind us... "Ernie will be right down. Can I get you anything?" We looked up to see Kim Novak, in nothing but a man's large dress shirt, smiling and descending the stairs. I was a little young for the full effect of this dazzling and unexpected sight, but my older brother, about 15 at the time, can remember to this day the shiver of thrill he felt to see the woman of his dreams in the flesh -- and more of the flesh than he had a right to hope for. All through the tennis match he couldn't wait to take "Ernie" home. Alas, she had left by then.

Ernie Windor died a few years ago after a really incredible career as a cancer researcher and public health advocate in New York. I was lucky to have known him, for more reasons than his various romances with beautiful women.