Working with celebrities

HBlack

HBlack

Underage Member
So I know a lot of people around the forum work with recognizable names in the industry, so I thought it'd be cool to get a collection of stories going. Thoughts on encounters, their personalities, things that happened... Things about people you've heard of but would never be able to learn from interviews/BTS is pretty interesting.
 
Ok, I'll give it a go.

Worked with Laurence Fishburne on a feature. Cool guy, very laid back, approachable, and loves to ride motorcycles (BMWs) like I do. Talks about his daughter a lot. Refers to himself as Fish.

Worked with Paul Walker, also a very cool guy, totally down to earth, we ate breakfast together a few times. Loves to race Porsches - as do I! Is happy to take a picture with you, but will always make a funny face just as the flash goes off. Used to work as a bus boy at the Chart House restaurant here in Dana Point.

Worked with Olivia Wilde (OC, HOUSE). Loves '50s and '60s cars, a mega democrat, was almost certainly screwing Paul Walker on the feature they were both working on. Stuck up, wouldn't give me the time of day, very high and mighty. When her and Paul would go fondle each other in the corner off set, I almost wanted to tape the whole thing and send it to Olivia's husband, but I didn't.
 
I asked Kevin Sorbo how much his autograph cost. Turns out that I had to give him 30 bucks, so I turned and walked away. BTW, Meet the Spartans sucked.
 
Worked with Olivia Wilde (OC, HOUSE). Loves '50s and '60s cars, a mega democrat, was almost certainly screwing Paul Walker on the feature they were both working on. Stuck up, wouldn't give me the time of day, very high and mighty. When her and Paul would go fondle each other in the corner off set, I almost wanted to tape the whole thing and send it to Olivia's husband, but I didn't.
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I was on her IMDB page today, thats funny.

I dated a girl that was in love with Paul Walker, unfortunately I drove a 91 Toyota Camry and not this....

Cars%20-%20Mitsubishi%20(The%20Fast%20And%20The%20Furious).jpg


Also I wasn't an undercover cop.
 
HBlack said:
So I know a lot of people around the forum work with recognizable names in the industry, so I thought it'd be cool to get a collection of stories going. Thoughts on encounters, their personalities, things that happened... Things about people you've heard of but would never be able to learn from interviews/BTS is pretty interesting.
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I don't like being around celebrities. I always want to ask them stuff but never do because I realize I'd come off as a total jerk who was just looking for an excuse to talk to them.

One thing I'll say about some of them, they actually look better in person than they do on screen--though I think Julia Roberts is an exception to that rule. Joan Chen in her prime would blow your mind. Reese Witherspoon is no slouch either. Wynonoa Ryder oh my.

They're just amazingly gorgeous people--you can't pull your eyes away.
 
He actually CHARGED you for an autograph? You kidding me? That is absolutely ridiculous. Was it a formal autograph situation like at a mall? Please tell me that. PLEASE.
 
brianluce said:
I don't like being around celebrities. I always want to ask them stuff but never do because I realize I'd come off as a total jerk who was just looking for an excuse to talk to them.
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Not always. A lot of "celebrities" are very down to earth... a bit strange, perhaps. I've met Owen Wilson, played pool with the guy quite a few times and had some cool conversations with the guy. I was sad when he wound up in the hospital a bit ago...

ugafan said:
if i ever get famous, i'm going to tell people that the autograph itself is free, but it will cost $4.95 for shipping and handling.
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LOL. That reminds me, I saw someone selling a porch bench for a penny, but shipping was about 150 bucks... I checked the guys feedback and there was someone who actually COMPLAINED about his bench that cost him a penny (well, plus shipping)... :shocked:

Jared Meyer said:
It's Kevin Sorbo - he probably needed that to pay his phone bill for the month.
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No kidding...
 
brianluce said:
I

One thing I'll say about some of them, they actually look better in person than they do on screen--though I think Julia Roberts is an exception to that rule. Joan Chen in her prime would blow your mind. Reese Witherspoon is no slouch either. Wynonoa Ryder oh my.

They're just amazingly gorgeous people--you can't pull your eyes away.
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I happened to be on a plane to the coast years ago. Linda Carter (Wonder Woman) was in First, her child (I guess) and nanny were in coach, but she came back several times. Absolutely the most stunning gorgeous woman I have ever seen, made my eyes water.
 
Booker Bradshaw once told a great story from his time playing Dr. M'Benga on the original 'Star Trek...'

They were on the last shoot day for "A Private Little War," a story wherein Spock gets hurt and - as part of his weird Vulcan self-healing discipline - needs to be brutally whacked about the face and head to bring him back to consciousness (yeah, fine, trekkers already know this, but everybody's not a trekker...)

So the scene consists of Spock getting these little reluctant sissy-slaps from the nurse; when M'Benga walks in and sees what's happening, he shoves her aside and starts hell-for-leather-clenched-doubled-fists bashing Spock in the face.

Now, apparently Leonard Nimoy had a hot date or whatever out-of-town, and wanted to nail every take as fast as possible, so as to make his flight. So he tells Booker the just hit him as hard as he can, to make it look real - "Don't worry about hurting me; I'll be prepared for it, it'll be great and we'll have it in one take."

So Booker takes Nimoy at his word, hauls off and smacks him so hard that Nimoy's Vulcan ears come off and go flying across the set. And Nimoy, who was not prepared to be hit that hard, starts bellowing furiously and chasing Booker around the stage...


...sounds like good times.
 
I've met a few celebrities but there have been three that I've actually had the chance to have legit conversations with. I once made a short with Jean Claude Van Damme, talked to Matt Damon at a party here in Boston, and talked to Shia Labeouf on the set of Indy 4 this past summer. All really nice guys, but Matt Damon in particular was super nice, I really have a lot of respect for him.
 
I was staying at the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui for a couple days with my family about 7 years ago. NBC was taping an NBA skills event that was shown on Christmas day (some big name players). My sister and I were at the beach all day. When it was getting got late we went to the outdoor showers to wash off the sand. My sister tried to turn the water on, but couldn't. So I called her weak or something to effect. There was a man with his back to us in the next shower. He turned to us and said, "Even I have trouble turning on the shower. Do you need some help with that." He turned the shower on for us and made some small talk. My sister really form words to talk back because it was George Clooney. I felt bad for the guy, because right after he got hounded for autographs. He had a snorkeling mask on his head. Maybe we blew his cover? lol
 
Sad Max said:
Booker Bradshaw once told a great story from his time playing Dr. M'Benga on the original 'Star Trek...'




So Booker takes Nimoy at his word, hauls off and smacks him so hard that Nimoy's Vulcan ears come off and go flying across the set. And Nimoy, who was not prepared to be hit that hard, starts bellowing furiously and chasing Booker around the stage...


.
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This is obviously a fabrication or some sort of urban legend as everyone knows Vulcan culture is based on logic and not emotion. I'm kind of disappointed that you'd post something like this. It really discredits you. What are you going to post next? That Mighty Mouse is stronger than Superman? Learn the facts before posting such nonsense.
 
I'd point out that while Spock is a Vulcan, Leonard Nimoy himself is still human...

...except that somehow that seems like a mean thing to do.

Setting all that aside...

Patrick Stewart - magnificent singing voice, and likes to sing to himself. Very generous guy; he'll offer to hold your plate for you if your hands are full in the chow line...

Bruce Boxleitner - wonderfully obscene sense of humor, and can lift himself three feet into the air by the seat of his own trousers. I still don't know how he did that...

Harrison Ford - another really truly generous person, who seems to prefer hanging with the carpenters talking tools and finishes to spending time with suits. Which, I guess, is not a surprise...

Daniel Day Lewis - seemed kind of cold, but I think that has to do with being unwilling to get distracted by anything or anyone outside his character. And one absolutely crazy-ass mf'er if you put him behind the wheel on a logging road...

James Cameron - The word's over-used...but I believe he *is* a genius. His detail-grasp of seemingly every element contributing to every shot, every scene, every set, everything, has to be seen, to be believed - I have seen people shooting little shorts, with less grasp on the project than Cameron maintains on a hugeaceous complex hundreds-of-millions-of $$$ show. And despite his reputation - maybe I was just lucky - I found him perfectly pleasant to work for.

Gary Oldman - another really-really-wrapped-up-in-my-character-don't-intrude-into-my-field-of-vision type. Hey, whatever works, for him.

Jeffrey Jones - just a nice fellow. I think a lot of his personality comes through in his performances. Deadwood comes to mind.

Michael Mann - an absolute perfectionist who can't be snowed by his crew, because, well, he's done most of our jobs himself. He's usually kind to below-the-line, but if you are a department head, don't expect kid-glove treatment...

John Lovitz - a madman! one of those anything-for-a-chuckle guys, and maybe the most creative ad-libber I can think of.

Clancy Brown - I dig Clancy. I just do. He looks a little scary, but he's great dinner company.

Ewan MacGregor - Spent a couple lunches talking bikes, on The Island. Possibly the only pleasant memory, of the show...

Andy Richter - Just a sweet fellow. Rather like a lot of the characters he plays...

Dennis Hopper - As real a guy as real can be. A total pleasure to work around. And smart; if you keep your ears open around him, sometimes, it's quite educational...

Kate Beckinsale - Turbocharged nasty-ass psychobabe demon from hell. 'Nuff said.

Benjamin Bratt - Kind of standoffish. I think he'll speak to people if he has a specific reason, otherwise...

Ian McShane - I found his portrayal of Al Swearengen so frightening that it was weeks before I realized that he's a perfectly pleasant fellow who actually goes out of his way to learn trivia that other people are into, so as to have extra topics of conversation between takes and at lunch...and he was jazzed that I recognized him from The Battle of Britain.

Roy Scheider - Very, very, very professional. And extremely image-conscious. Comes off seriously well-educated. Maybe he just reads, a lot. And, willing to speak truth to power, which is damned rare, in this business.

John Hurt - Is it a secret that he likes to drink? Well, it's not a secret, any more. What's a little scary, is watching him kill two bottles of wine, almost by himself, and show no effects whatsoever. On stage, he makes everything look effortless.

Johnny Depp - Wrapped up in his own Depp-Universe which extends about three inches from his skin, in every direction. For some reason, when *he* does the actor-immersed-in-the-reality-of-my-role stuff, I find it irritating to be around. Well, okay, Depp pointlessly and gratuitously f*cked over some friends of mine and their crew on 'Pirates II,' just being a silly-ass prima-donna, and it still pisses me off (although he behaved on Astronaut's Wife, even if the performance was kind of flat).

brianluce said:
What are you going to post next? That Mighty Mouse is stronger than Superman?
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Aw, let's not be silly, now.

Everybody knows Mighty Mouse is a cartoon character, and - minus animated spinoffs - Superman is a real person...
 
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