Close Encounters of the Celebrity Kind

[Dr. Gonzo]

It occurred to me right now coming home from meeting The Doors guitarist Robby Krieger that I've had the good fortune to meet quite a few (what some would call) celebrities in my time.

I've chatted with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Leslie Nielsen, Nicholas Cage, the girl from "Everybody Hates Chris", Pauley Shore, George Carlin, the guy who played Kramer's Johnny Cochran like attorney on "Seinfeld", the girl who played Darla in that 90's "Little Rascals" movie, Larry from Sit N' Sleep mattress stores, Ray Manzarek and the above mentioned Krieger.

I was wondering who have you folks out there met with... or seen in person?

 

[Lance Quazar]

What's with your Doors connection? Is that part of the project you're working on?

 

[Rocket Surgeon]

The Doors guitarist Robby Krieger

Geat opportunity, congratulations. Love to know what you talked about.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Leslie Nielsen
Nicholas Cage
the girl from "Everybody Hates Chris"
Pauley Shore
George Carlin
the guy who played Kramer's Johnny Cochran like attorney on "Seinfeld",
the girl who played Darla in that 90's "Little Rascals" movie
Larry from Sit N' Sleep mattress stores
Ray Manzarek

Love to hear a bit more about the circumstances and how much you were able to converse...

...I hope you punched pauley shore in the throat.

I was part of the Irish subculture's entertainment as early as the middle 70s so I met quite a few people of note, though I'd be impressed if more than a few here know The Wolfetones, The Clancy Brothers (and Tommy Makem) The Chieftans and the like.

The more mainstream: Julius Erving, Daryl Dawkins, Roy Scheider, Doug Flutie, Joe Flaherty, Marty Broduer, Ed Begley Jr, Aidan Quinn, Richie Havens, Bruce Spingsteen, Clarence Clemons, Dennis Miller, George Will, Buck Showalter, Earl Weaver, Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken, Rick Dempsey, Boog Powel, Eddie Murray, Anjelica Houston, Garry Shandling, MANY many many Jets and Giants through the years, but mostly just handshakes. I didn't want to bother them. Some Devils and Rangers (hockey) some basketball and my favorite baseball already listed.

I ran into Doug Flutie and his girl at Great Adventure (Six Flags) sometime around 1987...everyone ran into the arcade because of the rain and I left as it was just letting up. There was literally no one around the "Boardwalk Games" just a couple walking hand in hand down the middle. It was the only time I was star struck, (mostly shocked surprise) but I blurted out "Doug Flutie!" He looked around and I quickly "shushed myself" and actually said "Shuuush, sorry" shook his hand and kept walking.

Roy Scheider (and girlfriend), I met in Greenwich Village not long after. Just walking the street same fashion as Doug Flutie, hello goodbye, but very cool.

I had a few backstage passes for Radio City Music Hall and others and it wasn't long before I bootlegged my own with varying success. It helped to know the way around, ran into Don Henley at The End of the Innocence shows and got kicked out with my girlfriend, but had more success than failure.

Have to go through my tickets box soon...

Ha! just remembered Joe Piscopo! Not much higher than a Pauly Shore, but you put him on your list!

 

[micsteam]

Hey Rocket, I'd love to hear about which Giants (I'm a huge Giant fan) and Jets players you've met. Do you live in the NY Tri-State area ?? Most of the people you've had encounters with and places you've been is around Manhattan area and such.

 

[Rocket Surgeon]

Hey Rocket, I'd love to hear about which Giants (I'm a huge Giant fan) and Jets players you've met. Do you live in the NY Tri-State area ?? Most of the people you've had encounters with and places you've been is around Manhattan area and such.

Most recent was Damien Woody, (before he retired) his daughter is in my son's class. Nice, soft spoken MONSTER of a man. I live less than 10 minutes from the Jets practice facility, and the Giants held training camp at Fairleigh Dickinson University which is about 100 yards from there.

Peter DeBoer's children are new to the school, (since he moved to NJ), seen him at a few basketball games. Another nice guy.

My daughter's softball team played the championship game against the team with Chris Christie's daughter...met him there.

I've always been an Oriole fan so we turned my birthday into a mini vacation and head to Camden Yards for a game every year. We've been lucky to meet a lot of the players / coaches and managers.

A fun way to indoctrinate my kids...

 

[Stoo]

It occurred to me right now coming home from meeting The Doors guitarist Robby Krieger
---
Ray Manzarek and the above mentioned Krieger.

Cool! Very happy for you, Gonzo! I think I've mentioned before that I saw Krieger perform at a small bar in the early '90s (but didn't get a chance to meet him). Care to elaborate on your meeting with Robby?

I've met/know many celebs but my favourite biggies are Pete Townshend & John Entwistle from The Who. I met Pete twice & John three times. Two of those times were nights of partying (backstage & in local bars) with The Who & their entourage in New York and Montreal. More famous celebrities involved in those parties, as well. Oh, the stories I could tell...

Here is me & Pete backstage in New Jersey, 1996:

Pete looks tired and I look like a skeleton! Need to find those photos of myself with Entwistle. They are much better.

I ran into Doug Flutie and his girl at Great Adventure (Six Flags) sometime around 1987...

Funny, Rocket. That same year (at another amusement park, La Ronde), I met Joey Ramone from The Ramones!

Sports-wise, I've met a few, famous NHL players, but the BIGGEST name is the legendary, Guy Lafleur!

 

[roundshort]

Pale Horse & Joe Brody - top that!

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

What's with your Doors connection? Is that part of the project you're working on?

No, while they did just complete a high def transfer of the Hollywood Bowl performance that a friend of mine had a hand in, my meetings with The Doors have not been on a professional basis. The project that you are referring to is a whole different animal.

That last thing with Robby was just a casual thing through that same person.

And the other times were attending events... the last was at the world premiere of "When You're Strange" at the LA film festival a few years back. I chatted with both Ray and Robby for a few minutes.

And all those other "celebrities" (some very much not as much as others) they were mostly on film jobs in the past.

 

[Joe Brody]

Pale Horse & Joe Brody - top that!

I've got nothing but let's see your daunting list.

 

[Le Saboteur]

I was wondering who have you folks out there met with... or seen in person?

Let's see... I've had dinner with Francis Ford Coppola and thrown Nic Cage out of bar 'cause he was high as a kite. A much younger Alec Baldwin bought me a beer at a different bar.

Matt Groening & the entire cast of The Simpsons circa whatever year Futurama came out. Seven of Nine while she was filming the cinematic abomination that was Dracula 2000 is another. Apollo Creed as well. He was exceptionally concerned that we were squirting Windex on his oysters.

Perry Farrell came over to use the bathroom. Lenny Kravitz was a mediocre tipper, as was the neighbor from Married With Children. The chick, not the guy. There's a crapload of other musicians as well, but that should almost be expected.

John Goodman & Dan Akroyd on multiple occasions, but the first time was during the Blues Brothers 2000 tour. John Cusack & Gene Hackman in passing since I had to pass by their trailers to get home.

Harry Dean Stanton & Chow Yun-fat are two of my personal favorites. Harry Anderson was a neighbor for a while, and a couple of US representatives and a Senator crossed my path at one time or another.

There might be a couple of more, but those are the ones that standout.

 

[Pale Horse]

I've got nothing but let's see your daunting list.

I know a guy behind the guy behind the guy, and I have a John Elway signed license plate placard.

 

[Violet]

Got a few, most I've met through cons and some might not be known outside of Australia:

John Rhys-Davies
Karen Allen
Three members of the Chaser team (worked with one for a tv sketch)
Colin Morgan
Tom Hopper
Val Kilmer
The Saddle Club Season 3 cast (worked with)
Tony Bonner (for those outside of Australia, he is the actor who played the helicopter pilot in the original Skippy tv series)
Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (was in the aforementioned tv sketch)
Richard Horvitz
Barbara Eden
Larry Hagman
Bill Daily

 

[Stoo]

Barbara Eden
Larry Hagman
Bill Daily

Holy Moses! The "I Dream of Jeannie" cast! Tell more, Vio!

More notables:
---
Wesley Snipes
Paul Shaffer (David Letterman's sidekick)
Kim Thayil (Soundgarden guitarist) VERY COOL GUY!
Richard Butler (Psychedelic Furs singer/songwriter)
Billy Idol (not because I'm a fan...it just happened by circumstance but he was, surpisingly, pretty cool & down-to-earth.)

and more...

 

[Goonie]

Hmm lets see...
Sir Patrick Stewart
Levar Burton
Brent Spiner
Michael Dorn
Marina Sirtis
Gates McFadden
Wil Weaton
Denise Crosby
John de Lancie
Garrett Wang
David Prowse
Lance Henriksen
Erin Gray
Katee Sackoff
Richard Hatch
Aaron Douglas
Robert Englund
Honky Tonk Man
Ted "Million Dollar Man" DiBiase
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Jim Cummings
Dick Clarke
Suzanne Somers
Chubby Checker
Chris Hadfield (Canadian Astronaut who's getting set to command the ISS)
Jaromir Jagr
Awolnation
The Stanley Cup

Most of these people I met this year at the local comic con. Dick Clarke, Suzanne Somers and Chubby Checker I met back in 1994 at Universal Studios. Met Awolnation after their concert here at this year's Stampede. Also met a number of our Canadian Olympic athletes. And two family friends played in the NHL. And as for the Stanley Cup, I got to hold it thanks to one of our friends that played in the NHL.

 

[russds]

Funny story, I used to work at a coffee/chocolate store in Beverly Hills. I saw and talked to a few celebrities, Carrie Fisher, Paula Abdul, Dustin Hoffman, maybe some others, I don't remember all of them. The coolest though, was the owner of the shop where I worked had her housekeeper/assistant come in every morning to do some cleaning and deliver milk, and I got to know her. Anyway, through talking I found out that this housekeeper was really good friends with the house keeper of John Williams. This was huge for me, as all my life I had been a huge JW fan. I did some grilling, and wanted to make sure she was legit, and she was. I ended up getting some autographed CDs, and stuff, I found out he was a really nice person, and had helped my friend financially with some cancer surgery. Unfortunately she could not finagle a meeting with him, but through those years as I worked there, we talked, and I would get updates on what he was up to and all that. It was fun.

 

[Archaeos]

George Lucas.

It still haunts me.

 

[I Don Quixote]

Tony Kanaan, the Local News at 8 weatherman...
And that's about it.

 

[roundshort]

I've got nothing but let's see your daunting list.

Really, you have to be kidding....

 

[roundshort]

Harriosn Ford
George Lucas
Steven Spielberg
Ron and Diane Miller (Walt Disney's Daughter and Son in law)
Kate Kapshaw
Kathleeen Kennedy
Frank Marshall
Tom Cruise
Nicole Kidman
Penelope Cruise
Tommy Lee Jones
Keith & David Carradine
Demi Moore
Hayden Panettiere
Brad Pitt
Jennifer Anniston
Siouxsie Sue
Budgie
Mick Jones
Joe Strummer
Levon
Leonadro DiCappero
Andy Russell
Lynn Swann
Franco Harris
Mel Blunt
Eli Manning
Nick Mangold
Jason Whitten
Toni Romo
Jason Carpenter
Lance Armstrong
Beyonce
P-Diddy
Bootsey Collins
Geroge Clinton (and a bunch of the Kunksters)
Quinten Terentino
Louis Lipps
Robert Mondavi
Chuck D
all of Dee-Lite
Most of the Ramones (Yes Joey, Markey, Dee Dee)
All of Insprial Carpets
All of The Farm
Mahomd Ali
Snopp Dog
Debbie Harry
Daryl Hannah
Michael Jordan
Johnny Cash
June Carter Cash
Wilt Chamberlin
Joan Jett
Johnny Mosely
Kyra Sedgewick
Johnny Depp
Courtney Cox
Julie Benz
The Orignal cast of the Sapranos
Mel Gibson
Mario Lemieux
Glen Plake
Scot Schmidt
Jenna Elfman
Coach K
David Lynch
Ang Lee
Eli Manning
Torvill and Dean
Joe Montanna

That is off the top of my head. To be totally fair a few of these were just Hi, how are and a hand shake. Some have some pretty cool stories.... I am leaving out a ton of Bands, football players, sports excutives, coaches, etc. I think I hit most of the highlights. I have never been to any cons or have ever worked in SoCal. I left one hockey player of the list who is such a Jag-off his parents even put Jag in his name...

 

[Joe Brody]

Harriosn Ford
[.....]
Joe Montanna

That is off the top of my head. To be totally fair a few of these were just Hi, how are and a hand shake. Some have some pretty cool stories.... I am leaving out a ton of Bands, football players, sports excutives, coaches, etc. I think I hit most of the highlights. I have never been to any cons or have ever worked in SoCal. I left one hockey player of the list who is such a Jag-off his parents even put Jag in his name...

No Trent Reznor, John Cusak (sp?) or Dan Quayle?