“I Told Him I Didn't Want His Autograph And Walked Away”: 65 Times People Ran Into Celebrities

Jazz guitar legend John McLaughlin. He was one of my musical heroes. I ended up going to a music school for college, and he came there to do a show. One of my friends was working security and he turned a blind eye when I snuck backstage lol.

I introduced myself and told him that he was one of the big reasons I was in music school. He invited me into his dressing room to chat. We spoke about music for a little bit, and then I asked him how he played one of his songs cuz I could never get it right. Long story short, it ended up being an almost hour-long private lesson that did more to improve my skills than the three semesters I'd already spent in school.

In the middle of it, his wife came in and said "John, we have a problem. I've backed the car into a wall." He just smiled and told her "Don't worry, I'll see to it in a minute. I've got something important here."

Truly a life-changing experience.

When I was a kid in the early 1970s, Muhammad Ali moved into the same town, about a mile away from where I lived. One day, my friends and I rode our bikes to his house to see where he lived. We were at the end of his driveway when the door opened and Ali came out. We thought he was going to chase us away. Instead, he waved us down and invited us inside. We stayed for about two hours. He was as nice a man as you could ever meet.

Met Dolly when I was 8 as her hairstylist was a friend of my moms and she was exactly as she is. Gave me a big hug and she smelled of roses and baby powder.

I worked for Jimmy Carter. What a wonderful man.

John Candy. Met him when I was 9 in a restaurant. Asked him for his ketchup, my parents were mortified. Then he chatted us up for 5 mins, asked for some recommendations about where to eat while he was in town. Absolute Canadian Gentleman.

I met Johnny Depp at Ohare airport when I was like 8. My mom took our picture and then had him watch me while she used the restroom. He agreed and stood with me while she used the restroom, didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. Nice guy is all I remember.

Michael J. Fox sent one of his children to my school and came to speak to our class. This was after his diagnosis so everyone was very respectful and asking polite questions about his health and future and finally about 3-4 of them he goes "No one wants to know what it was like to drive the DeLorean? Or kiss Heather Locklear?"

Broke the tension in a big way. I saw him every once in a while at other school events and he was never anything but kind and personable. Wish him every kind of the best.

A few years ago I had a candid quick interaction with Obama leaving a hotel out the back of the building in his secret service cars. From where I was standing about 10 feet away on the sidewalk, in the middle car he was in the back passenger seat. I didn’t have time to get my phone out (probably for the better) so I just sheepishly grinned and waved and he visibly laughed, smiled and waved back.

It was cool, Barry is the man.

George Clooney happened to be at the same gentlemen's club I had my bachelor party over 25 years ago. While I stepped away to use the the restroom, my friends had gone up to him and told him it was my bachelor party. When I got back, he waved us over to his table and said I heard you're getting married, congratulations and bought us a round. Super nice down to earth dude.

Robert Plant. He stood on my foot, accidentally. Turned to me and apologised. I realised who he was, half way through telling him not to apologise, and ended up saying “no need to apologise, you’re Robert Plant!” He laughed, and said “well, there is that, yes.”

That’s it. But from that brief interaction I’ve concluded he’s awesome. This was around 30 years ago.

Alice Cooper.

He was in front of me for the line to board the plane. Actually his band called him in to the line in front of me. He turned around and asked if it was ok that he get into the line in front of me.

Chatted for a good 5 mins with him while we waited. He is completely chill and a cool guy to chat with.

I met Robin Williams in a local pet store when I was a kid. This was in the 80s - not long after *Good Morning Vietnam* came out and he was apparently just shopping. He signed my paper bag of bird seed. He was quite kind (no surprise) and found it amusing to sign a bag of animal feed.

Gordon Ramsay. Made him a margarita. He was exceptionally kind. He came in the next night as well. And gave me a very friendly and respectful bow when we recognized one another.

Didn’t exactly meet them. I saw them and they saw me. I was in selfridges in London with my mum. We were in the kitchen appliances area. In walked Alan Rickman. I saw him and instantly recognised him. I sidestepped over to my mum and said under my breath that Alan Rickman was there. Now, my mum wasn’t tall, she was SHORT. In between me walking over to her and her hearing what I’d said, a very tall black man stood in between her and Alan Rickman. She looked at me then back at him then said very loudly “THAT’S NOT ALAN RICKMAN. ALAN RICKMAN’S WHITE”
Needless to say this was heard by mr Rickman and he looked at me desperately trying to find a hole to crawl into. He smiled at me.

I met Obama and Michelle at a children’s hospital fundraiser even before for he was running for president. He oozed charisma like nobody I had ever met before or since.

I met John Cena, he laughed at my joke, like *genuinely* laughed. He was very funny and kind! My friend asked for a hug and he gave her a very good one, not a hover-hand type thing.

It was great 🖤.

Princess Anne

She was really nice. Very normal, buying discounted Christmas decorations and a rake. I was at work on the till and I signed her up to our discount card scheme lol.

I went to high school with JD Vance. He wasn't a celebrity then, but he was notably a jerk.

Working in a bog standard British pub, Lady GaGa skipped in one dull winter Sunday evening, shortly followed by her dancers. Getting quite gobby one of them asked what they were “going to get for free”. GaGa heard this and launched herself to the bar saying:

“NO! We’re going to pay for EVERYTHING”.

Because she was such a sweetie we reopened the kitchen and served up 14 helpings of fish ‘n’ chips to them all.

Even the Travellers we had in were soon taken with her and ceased their initial catcalls, going on to act as human barricade for her against the paparazzi that were swarming her when she was leaving.

I was very briefly interviewed by a national paper the next day, and when asked what she drank I demurred from answering citing my respect for her privacy.

She was drinking large Famous Grouses and diet Pepsis and left a £50 and $70 tip for us staff.

Not a huge celebrity, but I met Mike O Malley about ten years ago. I said I was a huge fan and he suggested I come back like an hour later and he’d chat with me and get a photo. I went back as instructed, and originally a security guard was gonna send me away - but then Mike came around the corner and actually started arguing with the guard. The guard was like “we can’t just let him in here, we have no clue who this is” and Mike was like “look I gave him my word can you just be cool” and eventually the guard gave up. I ended up chatting for like 15 minutes and even got the photo he promised!