On an ordinary Sunday night, I was riding the subway with my boyfriend to Chinatown for some pork dumplings and General Tso’s tofu. On the last stop in Brooklyn before Manhattan, the doors opened and a group of hip kids got on. While admiring one girl’s necklace, a strategically dingy-looking guy in the group walked past me to the middle of the train. I did a double take and looked to my right, my eyes locking with a pair of familiar baby blues: I was sandwiched between Chuck Bass and Nate Archibald — known in the real world/outside the halls of Constance Billiard as Ed Westwick and Chase Crawford (pictured) of Gossip Girl. The girl with the necklace? Jessica Szohr who plays Vanessa Abrams on the show.
The wittiest thing I could come up with on the spot was to say, "Chuck Bass rides the subway? Ha, ha!" and run swiftly off the train. Another idea was to approach one of them and whisper, "Spotted on the L train, C and N…" Instead I sat there, elbowing my bruised boyfriend, and throwing all shame out the windows to gawk at them for the entire seven-minute ride. Either no one else on the train knew who they were, or they were being much more discreet about their appreciation for the show. I felt like turning to my neighbor and whispering, "Don’t you know who these guys are?? Dude! It’s like we’re on the set of Gossip Girl! Be affected by this, please!"
Visiting your pop culture friends while you snooze is weird enough, but when they visit you in real life — like when Felicity’s hunky barista Ben (Scott Speedman) used to come into the coffee shop where I worked — it’s just as bizarre.
So open up your diaries, PopWatchers! What music, movie, or TV phenoms have crossed your path, leaving you stranded in the continuum between fact and fiction?
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lisa, you were on the l train coming from williamsburg. no wonder nobody said anything. those hipsters would never let anyone know they watch gossip girl. it would totally be a blow to their image.
now, onto your question: i’ve had a few celeb run-ins in my time. it’s easy to do in new york. alex from the real housewives of nyc once sat next to me on the f train. gwyneth paltrow asked me for a light once on the street. keri russell smoked next to me at the feist concert in prospect park. but the best had to be seeing antonio banderas… peeing in the urninal next to me. that was super uncomfortable.
i totally peeked, ps.
i lived in NYC for years and had many celeb sitings but one of my faves was that Ginger from Gilligan’s Island did her food shopping at the same place i did. i saw her all the time. everytime it blew me away. i faked being sick as a child to stay home and watch her and the gang on the island!
I was working at an Eddie Bauer Outlet store in Chicagoland a couple summers ago – Emma Samms came in with her daughter and bought about $200 worth of stuff.
get a real job you idiot. this blog is a waste of time and you are a waste of space.
John is totally jealous.
I live in Montreal and I saw Sara Quin in the metro the other day. *GASP!*
I volunteered at the Pitchfork Music Festival this year in Chicago. I worked the VIP gate and Julia Stiles passed right by me (apparently, she was dating a band member). Also, about three years ago (in Springfield, IL of all places), I was at Starbucks and in walked Ray Liotta. I kid you not. He has some ties to Springfield, so others in my hometown have had run-ins as well.
what are you doing posting on the popwatch boards, john? keep it to yourself.
just saw andy samberg on the subway at west 4th st. I looked at him and he looked at me and all I wanted to do was come out with something witty and urbane. instead I just smiled and looked the other way. However, if faced with the prospect of N and C, I probably would have acted like an idiot. I was saw Leighton Meester in central park and I literally followed her around for an hour. it was so sad.
We were in New York for the weeked and I saw Penn Bagley near Union Square, but the cab we were in continued on before I had a chance to react with my cell phone camera. Le sigh.
Last week, while dropping off my family at the Newark airport, I saw Fat Joe and a pal walking along. They were carrying their own bags and had no entourage. Also, Fat Joe is not really all that fat!
And I saw Anna Paquin at a Fiona Apple/Nickel Creek concert in Central Park. She was blond for her role in ‘True Blood’ and I spent a good 10 minutes trying to convince my friend that it really was her and not her blond twin.
I love living in NYC.
But Ed Westwick’s already given you the perfect opener! http://tinyurl.com/63dbxg
My sister and I were killing time before meeting a cousin for dinner by wandering around Whole Foods in Chelsea. Who should cross our paths but Mr. Jay from America’s Next Top Model. Normally, we would have just walked right along and giggled afterwards, but my sister is 5′1″ and Jay is well over 6′. Tall people freak her out, so she stared for a bit, and when he started to notice, she blurts out “You’re Jay.” “Yeah,” he replied. Mortified, we kept trying to find the exit but instead kept almost running into him again and again.
The sis also once walked behind Tila Tequila on her way to work. She honest-to-God thought it was a hooker and thought, “Jeez, that’s brave hooking in broad daylight with all the cops around.” Then she saw the tattoo. And called me.
I used to work at a theater in CT, and because it’s gorgeous a few movies filmed there. Once, while stealing from the craft services table, Bernie Mac, in full 70s disco gear, stood right next to me. What a sight that was!
John Waters stops by the Charm City Scooter Rally every year. This time, I jokingly said to him “Aren’t you Steve Buscemi?”, in reference to something I’d read where the two are frequently confused for each other. He didn’t seem to find it that funny AND he didn’t check out my pimped out Vespa PX150. I felt lame.
Way back in 7th grade I was stuck at an airport in Puerto Rico with the band “The Jets”. Remember them? I got to play cards with them for three hours and became buddies with Rudy, one of their lead singers. For a 7th grade kid, that was probably one of my cooler experiences.
Finally, I got to meet Willie Colon a few years ago at an event for my then job. I’d always pictured him as this larger than life delinquent (as he’s portrayed in the movie Vigilante and on his record covers). Guy had a good sense of humor, but he was 5′2″ tall, overweight and balding. I must admit it was a little disappointing…
How could I forget this one? Spike from Top Chef is buying one of my Vespas. As a result, I got to hit up the Good Stuff Eatery on VIP night and meet some of the Top Chefs.
Spike is really cool, very accesible, and is probably one of the funnest pseudo-celebs you’ll ever meet. He takes pictures with people at his restaurant and everything.
Anyway, I couldn’t come up with anything witty to say to any of them, but they were all very nice. Including Lisa (believe it or not).
I saw Sam Talbot from Top Chef at the Union Square Whole Foods about a year ago. Obviously I could not speak to him. He is fiiiiiine.
I saw Sarah Chalke in a base lodge at Vail a few years ago. Saw Adam Brody waiting for the 1 train at 18th street two years ago and tried not to stare at him while we were in the same car for two stops. I recently saw Carmindy from What Not To Wear in my office building and SO wanted to ask her to teach me how to do the five minute face!
But the best one wasn’t seen by me, it was my sister-in-law. She lives in Hawaii, and she saw Evangeline Lilly and Dominic Monaghan walking on the beach one day. She totally followed them and found out – lo and behold – Evangeline Lilly has CELLULITE on her legs! I know it’s the wrong magazine, but… Stars – they’re just like us!
Oh and I saw Gene Shalit (crazy mustachioed movie critic from the Today Show) in my grocery store in my hometown, where he has a summer house. I’m a redhead, and Gene Shalit told me my hair was beautiful. All I could do was thank him and try not to laugh at his mustache.
I live in Southern California and once saw Colin Farrell at LAX (the airport, not the nightclub). We made eye contact and ever since, I’ve told anyone who will listen that he and I are meant to be…including my boyfriend. Oh, and when I lived in London I saw Orlando Bloom at a Japanese restaurant. He’s dreamy!
I once saw Paul Rudd at a barbecue restaurant in Olathe, KS (he’s from the area). I stared at him the entire time we were there and as he got up to leave we made eye contact, I said “Heeeyyy” and he said “Hey” and flashed me that oh-so-adorable “Clueless” smile. It was pretty much the greatest moment in my life.
Also, Martin Sheen spoke at my college graduation in May. I’m an obsessive watcher of “The West Wing” so it was difficult for me to separate Martin Sheen from President Jed Bartlet. He must have picked up a few things from the show because he sounded just like President Bartlet! It was the first time that the line between reality and fiction was blurred for me.
I’ve had alot of random sightings, but the most memorable one didn’t happen with the biggest celeb – it was just the weirdest place. There was a small dive bar in Miami that used to get so crowded that my friends and I would hang out the back door and get some ‘fresh’ air in the alley (it smelled like urine and trash), and one time Ellen Cleghorne (from SNL) was there. She had no problems doing our favorite lines and telling us jokes – she was very patient with drunk college kids.
Michael Emerson and Jorge Garcia from Lost were on my flight from LA to Honolulu yesterday. I briefly contemplated whether I should get on the plane or not. I was standing right behind Jorge while we boarded, but couldn’t think of anything witty to say. I’m sure he’s heard the “ooh, I’m worried about this flight now that you’re here” line way too many times.
I actually passed by Penn Badgley walking down the street. I immediately turned around and followed him for a few blocks until he hailed a cab. It was, maybe, one of the creepiest things I’ve ever done but I just couldn’t muster up the courage to yell out his name and ask for a quick photo! Since I was creepily walking behind him I got to see other people’s reactions as they passed by him and it was pretty entertaining.
It’s definitely odder when you see people with other people from the same show/movie. It plays with your mind, like “is this real or fiction??”. This happened last year for me here in L.A. when I saw some of the guys from Mad Men at a restuarant together. I totally did a double take and was like whaaa??
While in college, my four roommates and I went to a Houlihan’s restaurant on City Ave, Philadelphia, to celebrate one of our birthdays. At a neighboring table, at this very ordinary, middle-America, Shenanigans-like restaurant, sat Pink and her Mom and little brother, who were also there celebrating a birthday. I remember thinking when she stood up and ran off to the bathroom that she was really much shorter than I thought she would be. Our waiter was so excited by her presence that he bought our table a round of shots–and downed one himself right along with us.
Also, way back in 1998 or 99, I was bumped up to first class on Amtrak on the D.C.-Boston corridor. It was one of their highfalutin trains, so I didn’t think it out of place that I ended up seated next to a mid-western state Senator’s wife (can’t recall which one). But the big deal was that a few seats back was, I swear, Steve Buscemi. Honestly, I cannot confirm it was him, he was talking really quietly on his cell phone the entire time, and the Senator’s wife was very chatty, but it looked SO much like him that I like to think he was on his way to New York, for whatever reason. But then again, if Ep Sato is right, it could have been John Waters all along; I mean, the train did stop in Baltimore.
Also, my friend and I met Simple Plan (remember them?) when they opened for Sugar Ray (uh…remember them?) at a small show at my college. Mark McGrath walked right past us on his way to sit in the bleachers and sing. He was a nice dude.
I once saw one of the cast of Murphy Brown while walking back to the Upper West Side one time I was in New York. It was the tall stern guy who also appears in all those Broadway shows. This was ages ago when Murphy Brown was on. I stared briefly and he stared back but I kept walking and so did he. I don’t like recognizing people and don’t want them recognizing me.
I was catching the 8 PM showing of Batman at Century City Mall in Los Angeles and right before the trailers start in walks Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey McGuire aka Spiderman, Kevin (?) from Entourage and the big guy from My name is earl… I walked up to Tobey on the way to the bathroom and said, “I love your movies” without making eye contact, and walked away. Then when the trailers started both Leo and Toby appeared in a trailer and we started applauding whenever they came on screen! So cheesy… even though I’ve lived in LA for years I’m still a tourist at heart <3
as a resident of NYC my whole life i have seen a ton of celebs over the years esp. since i have always been an avid club/ bar/ party goer since i was way too young to be partying in bars! i have met young westwick a few times he is fairly down to earth but a definite socialite and he def. knows he’s famous and everybody wants to be around him to be expected i suppose…. the trio crawford, westwick and szohr are def. out and about enough. in all honesty in NYC celebs and the wealthy and the not so wealthy all blend in together go to the same places and such, so half of the time you do not even notice them. just busy minding my own business…
My husband works as a lawn care salesman and he was looking at a residential property in a rich part of Philadelphia. As the owner was walking him through the house to the back yard, she stopped to introduced my husband to her daughter and her daughter’s friend, Scarlett Johansson! Turns out the property was owned by the mother of an actress named Laura Breckenridge and she was friends with Scarlett. My husband said Scarlett was nice and cute (she wasn’t wearing any makeup), but really short.
LOL I WOULD HAVE DIED!…from a giggle fit…actually, I probably would’ve got off the train and screamed as the train passed.