Did you have any brushes with fame?

[IraRat]

A totally ridiculous and REALLY off-topic thread, but maybe we'll get some cool posts:

In the 60s, my Dad had Ed Sullivan in his cab. He only tipped him a dime, and a dime stunk as a tip even THEN.

In the 70s, I saw John Travolta and Sylvester Stallone filming "Staying Alive," the sequel to "Saturday Night Fever." They were like a hundred yards away, but they looked really short.

In the 80s, I was in Central Park and saw actor Lou Jacobie (Jacoby?). He was an older fat guy who usually played the older Jewish shlameel. He did a TV cookies campaign where he said, "I won't like it...I won't like it." He was also the "YOU CUT THE TURKEY WITHOUT ME!?" guy in the movie "Avalon." I went over to say hello, and he was very nice and flattered to be recognized.

Also in the 80s, one of the paste-up girls at my ad agency wanted to be an actress. I worked with her about 2 years, and she left to find fame and fortune. Her name is Gina DiaDegacomo, something real Italian like that--I can never remember the last name. Well, shortly thereafter, I see her in the movie "Good Fellas." She played Ray Layota's (spelling?) mistress, the one he took to the club in New York through the kitchen, and the one he set up in an apartment. Over the next few years, I saw her on NYPD 3 times. Once, she played a hooker, then a drug addict, then a drug addict hooker who was murdered.

Yes, I've lived a charmed life, having rubbed elbows with greatness.

[gailkaitschuck]

I once met Bozo the clown when I was part of the peanut gallery on LunchTime Little Theatre in Chicago (good lord, that was at least 45 years ago).

Gail

[shil]

I took a leak next to Martin Short in the can at Second City. We did not shake hands.
I once showed Andrea Martin how to use a video rental machine.
Saw Dave Foley waiting for a ride at the airport.

Lots of celebs here in Hollywood North.

[IraRat]

I FORGOT ABOUT MY "ALMOST" BOZO EXPERIENCE!

He was on vacation when my sister and I went to see the show in New York, and Chuck McCann was filling in.

AND SHIL PEED WTH MARTIN SHORT!

This is a great thread already.

[GeorgeTelford]

Hi Ira

Gina Mastrogiacomo Played Janice Rossi

Sadly deceased aged 40 in 2001 of heart infection

[Sarge]

Being in California does have some benefits...

I was an extra in the movie "Junior" starring Arnold Schwartzenegger, Emma Thompson and Danny Devito. If you get the widescreen DVD version you can see me as one of the cops holding back the crowd in front of the fertility clinic. When they cropped the film to fit TV, I was cut out.

I'm also an extra in an episode of Nash Bridges. Again, I played a cop. This time I can be seen handcuffing two prostitues and escorting them out of a jail cell.


Being an extra in "Junior" was a total fluke. They were filming in Berkeley and the PD had a contract with the film crew that stated that they needed to hire X number of cops to provide security. I was one of cops doing "security." We had access to everything, so I hung out eating the actor's goodies. While I had my hand in a container of cashews, some very plain looking woman came up and starting eating out of the same container. I was looking at her and was giving her the old low-level "stink eye." About 30 minutes later I found out it was Emma Thompson.

BTW, Arnold is not that tall, maybe 6-1. He was very nice, but he is so popular that he had body-guards around him constantly. Danny Devito is tiny. He too was very nice, but like Arnold he is so recognizable that he had body guards around him constantly. Emma Thompson literally walked all around Berkeley without anyone giving her a second look. She was much nicer than me...she never gave me the stink-eye for eating out of HER cashew container.

Nash Bridges starred Don Johnson and Cheech Marin. Don has that ruddy "I've been drinking too much for years" complexion. He was also kind of a turd to be around. Cheech was very nice.

In my role as a police officer, I was interviewed on the radio and newspapaer several times, appeared on television during a SWAT incident and overall left an impression on society that lasted shorter than a hole in water.

All that and I can't say I've ever drained the lizard next to anyone famous.

-Sarge

[Guest]

Ira,
I've met quite a few well known musicians over the years. There's something about Humboldt Co. that makes it a popular spot for musicians...
My favorite as far as nice people goes... The members of Little Feat
I've met several famous athletes during my time doing sports photography... My favorite as far as a nice person goes... Mickey Mantle.
Rubbed elbows with the elite of Nascar for a few years before I got married. (Saying, "I do" ended that)
I met all those guys...
Ken Schrader has got to be the most down to earth guy I've ever met. Ernie Irvan was my favorite back then... Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace are very interesting cats and Jimmy Spencer is from another planet. Davey Allison was one of the nicest individulas I've ever met on this planet.

But my biggest brush with fame was being in a movie... (I can't believe I'm admitting this) Halloween 3.
I was even offered a talking part... All I had to do was say one word... "Misfire." I was just recovering from a bout of pneumonia. (Messed my lungs up brazing galvanized conduit)
They did three takes and everytime, even though I tried my best... it came out in a horse tone. "We" weren't people... we were robots that looked like people... It was the corniest scary movie ever made... I'm one of the lab techs carrying the stretcher of the lady that got her face blown off by a misfiring Silver Shamrock trademark badge, which was attached to all these masks that were goimg to kill all the little kids at Halloween.
I've been on Good Morning America a few times also during my days as a kinetic sculpture racer also... I think Kai will be able to elaborate on this one.

[goldcoop]

I believe it was Baltimore Airport where I saw Andre The Giant (was a pro wrestler, now deceased) was so tall he had to duck considerably going thru the gate. He was carrying a brief case with a bunch of bumper stickers on it; the one I remember was "get to close & I'll fart"!

NHRA drag racers Don Purdome, Dick Lahie, Garlitz, etc. in the Philly Airport heading to Reading, PA for a NHRA event.

Met & spent some time with Charles Shultz (cartoonist, also now deceased) of Peanuts fame, great guy; answered all letters from kid fans personally!

Almost ran into Robert Redford coming out of "The Met" in NYC.

Said hello to Ted Coppell in DC outside of the Smith.

Sat a few seats away from Mao the basketball player on a flight to Shanghai.

I think that's all the excitement I've had!

Cheers,

Coop

[IraRat]

Hi Ira

Gina Mastrogiacomo Played Janice Rossi

Sadly deceased aged 40 in 2001 of heart infection

George...really? How did you know that? Wow, this is a bummer. She was one of the coolest gals I knew. This is a jolt to me.

But we have some really great stories here--and we haven't fought about politics once.

[JunkMan]

When I was 9 years old (1967), my mom won a radio station contest where I was supposed to meet Batman (Adam West) and ride in the circus parade with him. He showed up late, so he wasn't in the parade (I got to ride with a clown). I hung out by his dressing room so I could get his autograph after his skit in the circus show, but he was too hot in his costume, so I wasn't allowed to talk to him or get his autograph until after he changed. What a jerk Really bummed me out. I do have a picture of him and I somewhere, but he is in civillian clothes with dark sunglasses.

I have served pizza to several bands and entertainers while a vendor at the Buffalo Chip campground for the last 15 years during the Sturgis Motorcycle rally. Can't remember who most of them were, really wish I would have kept track of them I was backstage just before the Toby Kieth concert this year, but he was in his bus when I was there.

[SteveH]

I once took and ass eating in Corpus Christi, TX, from a Vice President of the company I worked for whose name was Clint Faucet, and found out later he was Farah Faucet's uncle. (Of Charlie's Angles fame)

[IraRat]

When I was 9 years old (1967), my mom won a radio station contest where I was supposed to meet Batman (Adam West)

You sure it was the real Batman?

Because we had that same deal going in Brooklyn, when the movie came out, and the guy in our parade down Avenue L was definitely NOT Adam West.

He looked Puerto Rican!

[emiller]

Being from California and at my 13th airport there just too many to list
especially now working at Scottsdale airport in Arizona mostly fortune 500 company people, but alot of athletes.

[Joseph]

Back in the early '70s I worked at the San Clemente Inn where I made the acquantance of Scatman Caruthers who was playing there. Also waited on Jo Anne Worley ("Laugh In"), Ed Platt (the Chief from "Get Smart") and probably a few others I've forgotten.

Joseph

[asianflava]

One summer we went down to Rockefeller Center to buy some David Letterman t-shirts. This was when he was still at NBC so you know how long ago this was. Everyone was hanging out by the elevators across for them gift shop. We didn't know why, so we hung out there too. A few people came out and my brother recognized the band members. We got pictures and autographs from them all except Paul. David Sanborn was also playing that night, we saw him but didn't recognize him because he wasn't a regular. No one else gave them any notice since, we were the only ones, they were really cool. Later on, Robin Williams came down. We got pics and signatures from him too.

My wife Saw Rue McClanahan at a shop in Venice (Italy) and I saw Jud Nelson at the Venetian (Las Vegas). It is funny becuase when I see a celeb, I think "hey that guy looks like X. Oh wait a minuite, that is X."

My brother, who wasn't with us on that NYC trip, loves getting pics with celebrities. He has a web site of his pics, mostly B actors and the like.
http://www.whodigsben.com/frameset2.html