I’m kind of like @stradmom. Just a couple weeks ago I was killing time walking in circles with our dog at a local shopping plaza while waiting for W. There were 3 guys sitting on a bench, and people kept coming up to them and chatting briefly. I happend to be circling close by during one encounter and heard a couple people saying how they were big fans and and had been to their last game. Basketball players of some renown I guess, but I have no clue who.
I’ve spoken to Ted Koppel at length several times. He’s a very nice and bright and humble guy. When I’ve spoken with him, he says he’s just there to support his wife, who has been there for him all these decades. We talked about China and a special he’d done on it. He also talked about TSA not wanting folks to have knives if any sort on planes which made eating in planes more challenging.
Harry Belafonte - on the island of Ischia in Italy, where we spent most summers and he was participating in a film festival. We were in a small beachside boutique and he couldn’t have been more gracious. He asked for restaurant recommendations. He spoke so patiently to my young daughter and posed for a photo with her.
A few of my happy interactions:
–Woody Allen - my mom grew up with him and I saw him at a Knick game and got up the guts to go over and introduce myself. He remembered my mom, asked about my uncle etc. I only stayed a couple of minutes but he couldn’t have bee nicer to me.
–Dennis Franz - was sitting right in front of us at The Lion King many many years ago when NYPD Blue was a huge hit. At intermission I said something inane like “I really enjoy your show” and he said thanks. But then my son (then about 7) said way too loud “I never saw that man on TV, who is he?” and Dennis Franz turned back and nicely said to him “I’m on a grown-up show and it is a good thing that you aren’t watching it.” Thought that was so sweet.
–Saw Paul Newman in NYC and my only contribution was not fainting right there and then. Those blue eyes…
–I grew up a NY Nets ABA basketball fan and Dr. J was the big star. I went to college in Philly and briefly met him soon after he was traded to the 76’ers. I told him I was a big Nets fan and he was very polite and when his car was coming out he told me to check out his license plate (which was NY32 - his number with the Nets – I imagine he got new license plates a some point but it was nice).
Carl Yastrzemski was the guest speaker at my Little League banquet. He signed an autograph and wished me good luck. I once asked Lee Stange where all the ballplayers were while waiting for them to come out of Fenway Park’s locker room. Stange was a Red Sox pitcher. 
Jim Rice asked me for water at my concession stand at an auto show. We didn’t have water so I poured him seltzer water. After taking a gulp he asked me what it was. When I told him, he spit it out, and Fred Lynn and him laughed and walked away. I felt like a fool.
I played in a charity basketball game against Syracuse University’s alumni including 6’ 9" Le Ron Ellis. An SU player fired a pass under my hands that went out of bounds. He asked me if I had touched it. The ball was going almost 100 mph and I was amazed at how strong he was.
No one has mentioned meeting me yet?
How soon they forget . . . . after your prison sentence dies down in the news.
I don’t know if he’s generally famous, but a federal judge with whom I had a clerkship interview is going to be on “60 Minutes” tonight.
@foriobound - Harry Belafonte was on a jury panel I was selecting from once. He was very pleasant but asked to be excused because he had to catch a flight to England.
I also had the late designer, Halston, on a panel. Another prospective juror was a Hispanic woman. One of the other attorneys said to her, do you know who Halston is and she said yes. Then, he asked Halston if he knew the lady. Mr. Halston stood up, walked over to the woman, took her hand and said, “I did not know Ms. X before today, but I am charmed to make her acquaintance, especially as we work in the same field.” I was SO impressed at how he took a potentially awkward and humiliating moment and just turned it into something so beautiful.
I met Tony Danza once. He was not my client. He is much shorter than you would think (so was Patrick Swayze, who I saw in a restaurant once) and literally danced in the hallways. He was very funny and quite nice and asked me to watch him on Johnny Carson that night.
“I don’t know if he’s generally famous, but a federal judge with whom I had a clerkship interview is going to be on “60 Minutes” tonight.”
I know EXACTLY who he is. I worked on one of the amicus briefs in the Trump case ( on the Plaintiffs side) . He’s very interesting and a great legal writer, even though he filed one of the dissents. Lol!
I tried to speak to Claire Danes once, and she ignored me, lesson learned.
I ran into Rupert Friend at the airport, walking towards me - I made eye contact,
Me: Rupert!
He totally ignored me and walked right past me.
I met Tatyana McFadden. I had to push past several chidren to speak to her, and told her I was a big fan. She graciously offered to autograph a poster I had in my car (I retrieved it).
I met Evander Holyfield years ago, I think before Tyson bit him. It was a grand opening for our church event ballroom in Houston and he was a donor. I just said “Hi” as I just missed bumping into him. I had expected him to be taller and bigger.
Others seen with no conversation: John Legend smiling and walking his dog near his hotel in Houston. Saw Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett (long ago) entering Carraba’s for dinner as my friends and I we leaving. Saw one of the ZZ Top beard guys at a different restaurant. Back at UMiami, my room mate and I would sit on the patio at lunch and watch Greg Louganis practice diving.
I was the buffer between Paul Wellstone (MN senator who was eventually killed in a plane crash) and a woman who spotted him in the Minneapolis airport and started screaming at him across me as we walked parallel in the arrival area.
I also got to say, “Mr. Franken, I’m sorry, but you must leave the floor NOW” to Al Franken when I was a sergeant at arms clearing the floor at a MN district DFL convention for a vote he wasn’t allowed to participate in.
@NJres -
I’ll bite… I met Mike Tyson in the cafeteria of the SDNY in 1990 when he was on trial. He was very sweet and gave me an autograph on my business card for my son, who was a newborn. I just wish I knew where that card was now.
And who is Tatyana McFadden. I have never heard of her.
By the way, I saw the interview with the judge. He’s adorable.and I can’t believe that girl stood him up for The Dating Game.
I went through Sunday school and confirmation class with Renee Fleming. Her mom sang in our church choir.
I babysat for Chuck Mangione’s kids a couple of times
My husband sighted in guns and reported a few for Packers players back in the 90’s.
“And who is Tatyana McFadden. I have never heard of her.”
Say whaaaa??? One of the most incredible women on the planet. B-)
I was on the same plane as the Beatles flying from NYC to LA on a Pan Am flight on their first US tour in 1964. I saw them but was too young to know who they were!! The airport was in total chaos and my Dad waited more than an hour for us since we were forbidden to disembark until THEY did. Back in the days, we had to walk down a mobile stairways into the tarmac and then into the gates at the airport just like at present day small airports.
I was sitting next to someone once when I was upgraded to first class. The pilot got his autograph, and many people (mostly teenage girls) were asking for his autograph. One even asked me for my autograph. He wouldn’t tell me what his name was, and wouldn’t tell me what field he worked in or why he was famous. Finally I asked one of the teenage girls who came for yet another autograph. She looked at me in total shock, and said: “that’s,… that’s, … Donny Osmond”.
It turns out he is quite nice, and we had a pleasant chat. He was also very patient with the many autograph seekers. Later I found out that he had been on his way back from England where he had sung for the Queen. It is a small world.
Friends in HS with closer Norm Charlton of World Series Cincinnati Reds (I think we got sent to the principal’s office together once) in the early 1980s. Went to a party at Bill Gates house back in late 1980s. Worked with a guy who was part of the original “21” team (before the events in the movie “21”). I’d love to see that guy against my father in a no-hold-barred poker game … it would have been awesome.
We have a winner!!! Very cool.
Me:
JFK Jr. and Wm. Kennedy Smith (during the trial) seated next to me at the theater
YIzhak Perlman (sitting next to him at movie theater)
Corbin Bernsen (work)
Olympia Dukakis (work)
Noah Wyle (work)
Alan Zweibel
Terri Garr
Paul Schafer
Bill Clinton
Patrick Breen
I’ve met a lot of famous/infamous people in my years of reporting.
But I guess the funniest one was when I interviewed Johnny Bench, who at that point was long retired from baseball. Here I was, a married female at least 30 years his junior … and he asked me out.
For the record, I said no. :))