Ever Meet a Celebrity by Surprise?

[DanielBrown]

Yeah, a few. Most notable is when I was four years old and headbutted the King of Sweden. Wasn't paying attention to what was in front of me while running around. Don't have any memory of it though, have only heard it from my mother.
It was in Drottningholm, the area where the Royal family lives, it happened. It's a big open area to the public. The Queen and one of the kids where with him. Apparently they had been to some horse riding shit with one of the daughters and was hurrying back home(they had no security guards with them).

Spoiler: The French King of Sweden

 

[Dirge Eterna]

I have run into a few celebs. I live in a Suburb of L.A. so its bound to happen. Lets see I have met and talked with Jay Leno 4 or 5 times. A couple times in traffic where he was in one of his awesome rides next to me. Once my son and I were crossing the street and he said Dad look at that awesome car and I turn and it's Jay. He actually recognized me from talking to him before. I go on group motorcycle rides in the hills near Malibu and he rode up to one of the road side bars on a 100 year old motorcycle. He hung out and talked and was just a really great and friendly guy. Sat across from Bruce Willis at a bar, he knew I knew who he was but I treated him just like a regular guy and he appreciated it by following me out the door when I left and giving me an autograph and taking a pic with me without me asking. My wife is a hair stylist and she has met and cut Charlize Therons hair and her kids hair. She wasn't happy about being mobbed by the paparazzi for pics.

A Hockey Celeb, we sat down at a restaurant near the Staples Center where the L.A. Kings play and we met Luc Robitaille. He was having dinner with his family so I had to reign in all of our group of Kings fans from bothering him. He came over after dinner and gave my son a signed puck and when he found out he plays hockey he gave him some tickets for a game. We have met most of the Kings players over the last 2 years from my son playing hockey. He plays in the Kings youth hockey system so we are at their training facility a lot for his practices and the Kings are always walking around.

I met Bill Clinton while he was President several times. I was assigned to the Headquarters of the Air Force in Europe and he came through a lot going to different places. I got to go on Air Force One and Marine one and check it out a couple times. He was a genuinely nice guy and always wanted us to call him Bill instead of following the military protocol. I still have some Air Force One coins and a pic of me standing guard at the bottom of the staircase as he is going up to the plane.

I also met several Pro Wrestlers that were doing USO tours. Met the Undertaker and Kane out of costume at a Best Buy I worked at, they came in asking for new metal and hard rock music and everyone knew I was the local metalhead lol. Nice guys, they asked if I was going to the show that night and I said I could't afford tix so they gave me a pair of tickets near the front, it was a house show so no tv camera's.

 

[ShipofFools]

Not really a celebrity, but well known in certain circles, my friend and I ran into "Mr. Aarde" last new year's eve in a bar.
Mr. Aarde owns most of the coffeeshops in the Dutch province of Zeeland, and we met him while he was wasted off his ass.
He invited us to coffeeshop Plan B for a party, but we were too stoned and paranoid to go. A decision I regret this very day, but thankfully he told us we could come next year, so... aww yeah

 

[Aesir23]

I saw Samuel L. Jackson at my local theatre once. I honestly have no idea what he was doing in Winnipeg since we're not exactly a celebrity hotspot but it was pretty cool.

Although she's not a well known celebrity my mother took me to a cd signing for Loreena McKennitt as a surprise birthday present that year.

 

[Detroit]

Me, my brother and our mother asked for directions once when we had get somewhere in Amsterdam. We got them from Sonja Barend (a former talk show host) and her husband.
While waiting for the train me and my cousin saw a politician (Ronald Plasterk). He was carrying a leather briefcase and I said, wouldn't it be funny if he had a 3DS in there and he'd appear in our Plazas.
And my mother ran into Gerard Joling (a singer and tv presenter) in the gym.

 

[purf]

Nothing internationally famous, I think (or that I remember), but I once worked on a theater production starring Harald Schmidt, Germany's equivalent to David Letterman. Saw Helge Schneider at the premiere party.
Joachim Król gave me a friendly smile at a bar. And I saw Armin Rohde at the supermarket twice. You may have seen the latter two in Lola rennt

Edit, wait: Princess Mary of Denmark, wishing us (more my girlfriend) all the best.

 

[synobal]

Was at a wedding once and I ran into Matt Bomer. Surprisingly I didn't recognize him at first. I just kept looking over at him and I knew something about him was bothering me. I eventually twigged on it.

 

[ShiningAmber]

If you count Anderson Cooper as a celebrity, then yes. He was at staying at the same hotel as I in New Orleans over New Years. He opened the door for me I didn't notice who it was until I thanked him for his courtesy. Needless to say, it was awesome. He is very polite and those eyes! They're gorgeous!

 

[Shocksplicer]

I live in Brisbane, so I've seen Yahtzee walking down the street a couple of times.

 

[Lightknight]

I once held a door open for Burt Reynolds at a gas station near where he lives. It took me awhile to register why I felt like I knew him.

 

[Bipedal Rug]

So me and my friends were at Cardiff Bay- we'd just decided to walk there from city centre on a total whim. Upon arrival at the waterfront near St. David's Hotel we start talking about the one thing a bunch of nerds can't help but talk about at Cardiff Bay- Doctor Who.

I go on a big rant about how Matt Smith is a great Doctor (his first series had just finished at this time) and a worthy successor to Tennant, whilst speculating about the Christmas Special and beyond, when my other friend startes nudging me with his elbow rapidly. I turn to see what the fuss is about, and right there, walking past us and quickly turning away upon being noticed- was Matt Smith, wearing his hood up, clearly not wanting to be noticed.

I didn't call him out as he clearly didn't want to be bothered, but we have... erm... followed him. For a bit. He popped into a nearby Tesco and bought a bag-full of yogurts, before making his way back to St. Davids Hotel. On his return walk, when there was no-one around, I called out "Matt, your awesome!" and he turned back to look at me. Not sure if it was with amusemement, frustration, or pity, but meh- I felt he needed to know.

 

[grey_space]

Well there was this one time my three friends and I were travelling by train and Summer Glau sat down a few seats away from us. We all took turns attempting to seduce her and amusing verbal hijinks ensued....

Oh no wait that was an episode of Big Bang Theory. My Bad.


On a more serious note, at work occasionally I get to meet a few; Phil Jupitus, Michael Mcintyre, Tommy Tiernan, (comedians) Orbital, (Band/dj) Calvin Harris(dj), Mary Robinson, Michael D Higgins(last two Presidents of Ireland), Tall Paul, Groove Armada, Rizzlekicks, Mundy, The Frames, Rudimental. Georgia Salpa(it was a a fashion show she's KINDA a model. I think).

That's off the top of my head

I never get too bothered about it minding them is a fucking chore.

 

[Random berk]

I ran into Chuck Lydell coming out of the bathroom of one of the nightclubs in my home city in Ireland a couple of years ago... two years, I think it was. It was a friend of mine who first recognised him. I don't follow UFC at all, but I actually remembered him from an episode of Deadliest Warrior when he was demonstrating some kind o bladed gauntlet that Roman gladiators supposedly used. We said hello, mentioned the Deadliest Warrior episode, he acknowledged that it was pretty fun, and we went our seperate ways. I doubt he would have been the best person to try and hold an extended conversation with, to be honest.

 

[IndomitableSam]

I saw Samuel L. Jackson at my local theatre once. I honestly have no idea what he was doing in Winnipeg since we're not exactly a celebrity hotspot but it was pretty cool.

Although she's not a well known celebrity my mother took me to a cd signing for Loreena McKennitt as a surprise birthday present that year.

There are more and more of us Winnipeggers here. It's weird.

If it was somewhat recentley, he was doing some filming. They did some at the Legislature (I work there sometimes, usually at another building a block away).

I haven't really met too many myself. I remember when I was a kid at Fort Whyte my sister and I were running around catching frogs when my dad straightened up and watched someone walk by. We kept after the frogs. Turned out it was Prince Andrew. Charles' brother.

I've met a few (non Winnipeg) football players, saw the Barenaked Ladies in a Vancouver Airport once.

Winnipeg is kind of weird for celebrities, though. I'm always disappointed when Mr. Kingsley is here and I don't get to meet him. But there's almost always someone big in town.

 

[IrateDonnie]

I met David Ogden Steirs once when I went to check out a scene he was filming for Doc Hollywood. He's a really nice guy, it was weird hearing him talk without the accent he used in M.A.S.H. though.

 

[lunavixen]

The only "celebrity" i've met by surprise was Julia Gillard when she was still education minister, the few other celebrities are either related to me, or i have met on purpose (went to supanova last Saturday) I met and got the autographs of Barbara Eden (Jeannie of 'I dream of Jeannie'), Tony Todd (he was in Candyman, Xena etc), Gail Simone (Birds of Prey, Batgirl, Wonder Woman) and Nicola Scott (Birds of Prey, Secret Six) and one of my old school mates is an Australian model

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I met Samuel L. Jackson once when I was in L.A. Cool dude. A little intimidating. Probably because of all the badass roles he'd played.

I don't care much for celebrities but I would like to meet Scarlett Johansson. Though I'd probably have a hard time controlling my urge to kiss those pouty lips.

 

[Vegosiux]

Ran into Nick Cave in a cafe when he was having one of his concerts in Slovenia. Went to his concert that same evening, but it was a surprise to just run into him like that.

 

[Kaiser6012]

One or two... The first was a "Met a guy, then surprise celebrity" situation, as my local member for federal parliament is Kevin Rudd, the one-time Prime Minister. He was everywhere when he was only a member - lots of schools remember the "Rudd Bikes" that he donated for raffles and such.

But a more genuine occurrence happened when I and my two brothers were heading back from uni. We were on the ferry as it was passing through the inner city out to the 'burbs and there was a guy sitting in front of us, not really doing anything in particular - I think he might've been checking his phone.

Now, I didn't recognize him at first, but there was a nagging feeling as I looked at him. Then I saw he had a backpack with a Kilkenny hurling (Insane Irish football/hockey/murderball combination) logo on it. (IIRC, apologies if it's a different team)

It twigged just as we were pulling into a stop about two minutes walk from a playhouse when he looked like he was getting ready to leave. When he had gone, I turned to my brothers and saw they were trying to place the face.

"Was... was that just Jimeoin?"
"Holy $@!#$ it is. He's playing the Powerhouse tonight."

And that was the time I was this close to striking up a conversation with a world-famous comedian about Gaelic football. Go Limerick!

 

[MrBenSampson]

I was walking back to my hotel in Montreal after attending Heavy MTL, and I ran into Jeff Waters and Dave Padden of Annihilator. I got my picture taken with both of them. I had a friend at the time who is a huge Annihilator fan, but he didn't go to festival with me, even though I practically begged him. He was pretty upset after I sent the picture to him.