I like to think that I don’t get starstruck. I do work forEW after all. I had no problem interviewing Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto) andDeb Googe (My Bloody Valentine), or hanging out with David Byrne (he likespumpkin pie), but when I saw some reality "stars" last night beforeheading to a concert by Immaculate Machine, I kinda lost it.
Last night I had dinner at Perilla (Top Chef Season 1 winnerHarold Dieterle’s restaurant) with some friends. Being a huge Top Chef fan, I had to try itout (it was amazing). While sitting at the bar, whoshould walk in but Jeff Lewis (pictured, left) and Jenni from Flipping Out! Amazing, right? (Am I the only one excited bythis?!) Why I spazzed out is still troubling me. (I basically turned into abumbling toddler who kept babbling throughout the whole meal.) Maybe it was because Jeff looked hotter inreal life, even if he still had that pouty four-year old face. Or maybe it was Jenni’s glow… seriously, howdoes she do it?! So there you have it, Iwas struck, it was bad, end of the story. (See, how pitiful is that?) I didn’t even talk to them, just stared alittle, fantasized I was sitting at their table. And oh yeah, Harold came out to talk to them,and only them. Must be a "reality TV show" thing.
Gah! So after abrilliant meal, I headed over to see Immaculate Machine (pictured, right). You don’t know Immaculate Machine? You should, especially if you like the NewPornographers, because Kathryn Calder tours with them… when Neko Case isn’t there,which is more often than not these days. But IM doesn’t sound like The New Pornographers. To me, they are a mash-up of everything thatwas good in college rock back in the early ’90s (think The Judybats, BlakeBabies). Jangly guitar pop, lusciousthree-part harmonies, and songs that make you feel warm inside. Take a listen to "Jarhand" and tell me yourlegs aren’t bouncing around. Yep, therethey go. So multiply that by a thousand,and that’s their live show. Oh yeah, Kathryn is amazingly nice, and theirdrummer, Luke, looks like Rhys Ifans. (See, not star struck with music people!)If you see her on tour with The New Pornographers in Europe later on this month, tell her I said "Hi." If you aren’t in Europe,catch them Dec. 7 at the Vera Project in Seattle. (Ha!)
Tell me, who would you be/have you been starstruckover?
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Well, now that I work in the biz, I try to contain my starstruck-ness b/c there are so many people I run into occasionally, but my most star struck moment has to be at the premire of Tyler Perry’s new movie…I saw three Jacksons (Janet, Tito and Jermaine), Magic Johnson and the piece de resistance Saaphyri from Flavor of Love and Charm School…I know, crazy, but I was in a starstruck coma that night!
I met Orlando Bloom earlier this year, and although my legs were a bit wobbly I managed to keep my cool.
If I were ever to meet David Bowie, however, I don’t think I would even be able to breathe. In fact, i’m not sure I would even want to meet him; it would just be too much for my heart to handle!
Joss Whedon recently replied to a comment I had placed on his fan blog, Whedonesque. I geeked out for like two hours:)
Oh wait, have I actually MET anyone? Nope.
i’m the guy who goes right up to celebs when i see them and start talking as if we were always friends. so needless to say, i’ve met a few (kristin chenowith, jane fonda, cynthia nixon, bernadette peters, stephen sondheim, etc). but it was rashida jones (karen from the office) that got me all nervous and goofy. i ended up just quoting office lines to her and smiling like a moron.
i went to sundance a few years back and made a complete fool of myself in front of josh malina. told him i enjoyed watching him on “sports news tonight”.
gah! just thinking about it makes me feel really dumb.
I met Jamie Bamber form Battlestar Galactica (who, in my household, is referred to as “boyfriend # 1”) and promptly babbled on about how much I love the show and EVERYONE in it. He was extremely down to earth and kind in the face of my craziness and even had his wife take a picture of us. Frakking AWESOME!
Last year on my birthday I saw Buffy filming Suburban Girl, but I wasn’t star struck–it was a nice gift though. I’ve also seen RuPaul at Virgin Mega Records, Joan Allen (Bourne Identity) at the airport, Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow at a New Yorker conference, Sam Rockwell (Assassination of Jesse James) in the lobby of an NYU building, Will Smith filming I Am Legend, and Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock from the Sun) filming Music and Lyrics. However, sophomore year of college when i saw milo ventimiglia (peter on heroes or jess on gilmore girls) walk past me, i nearly died because my cell phone was out of batteries and i had no one to tell for an entire 2 hour train/bus ride. i would probably also freak if i saw mark wahlberg, shia labeouf, or paul walker.
While I have never met anyone famous – living in Kansas will do that to you. I have decided if I ever do meet anyone from any of the shows I watch I will respond like kenneth from 30 rock when he met Seinfield.
I paid to get my picture taken with Brent Spiner at a Star Trek convention. That’s right. I said it. And it was worth every penny!
While I was in NYC for work last week, I stood outside the stage door for Cyrano and got a picture with Jennifer Garner. My co-workers came along just to watch me freak out.
Ok…the only name I recognized in that entire blog was David Byrne.
I worked for a summer as a main in Sun Valley, Idaho. LOVED the star sightings I had, both old and new. I was even left a very generous tip from Ron Howard. He’s so nice. My favorite sighting though was James Caan. I was having dinner with a loud bunch of girlfriends at a table next to his. He and his dinner companion spent the entire evening laughing at us because we were being pretty obnoxious, but in a fun way. Now I say I had dinner with Sonny Corleone. AWESOME!
OOPS, I should have checked. I meant to say MAID in Sun Valley. Yup, I cleaned up after the stars!
I had the opportunity to sing with Donny Osmond at a local fundraiser. I’m pretty sure I didn’t sing one note in key and sounded horrible, but all I could think was “OMG Donny Osmond!” Wow, that’s even more lame written out.
At Coachella Music Festival 2 years ago I saw Santino Rice from Project Runway Season 2 walking toward me (more like a runway strut toward me) after the Scissor Sisters played. I was almost jumping up and down, so excited, though no one I was with knew who he was or could share in my joy.
One of my friends got tickets to a celebrity golf tournament in Palm Desert years ago and we blew off work for the day and just sat on the green stalking various celebrities. Clint Eastwood, Joe Pesci, and Matt Lauer were there, but it was Matthew McConaughey that left me just shaking. He stopped after completing his final hole to sign autographs and I was standing directly in front of him with my program extended but was too terrified to say a word. In the meantime, what seemed like hundreds of other women reached around me with their programs and he obliged everyone. He announced he was leaving, and my program was the very last one he signed. He smiled and said thanks and left and I was still standing there in shock while my friend was on the ground laughing.
The celebrity I spazzed out over was Reba McEntire. I am not even a huge fan of hers, but I was at a county fair and somehow my brother and I scored back stage passes to her concert. When it came time to meet Ms. McEntire and have our picture taken with her, I did not know what to say. I could have said “I am a huge fan of yours!” or “Your music is great” or a simple “It is nice to meet you”. But no, instead, grab her arm, look her in the eye and gush “I LOVED you in that made for tv movie ‘FOREVER LOVE’ with Tim Matheson and Bess Armstrong.” She just sort of stared at me for a second before saying “Thank you”. I have no idea what possessed me to say all that to a complete stranger but I did. My brother STILL makes fun of me and this happened 10 years ago!
In 1981 I started watching GUIDING LIGHT…in November 1983, Vincent Irizarry began his 25-month stint as Lujack. I was so smitten with him and I have followed his career ever since. It took me years to be able to meet him…but when I did, I was so pleased to learn that the phrase “never meet your idols” does not apply to him. As a person with a chronic illness, speaking with him in person, in the hospital, is always such a euphoric pick-me-up. I am so thrilled to know that Vincent is as kind as I imagined him to be. He has such a healing presence and I have always taken solace in his existence. He is a truly gentle man, and a lovely human being.
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