I met my first celebrity while working at the Steinway building in New York. Down the street from CBS Studios. It was 1967 and the filming of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” was finishing up. For several weeks, each lunchtime I bumped into Sidney Poitier on his way to lunch. He was tall. I’m short. Tall people — even non-celebrities — awe me. And he was oh my wow handsome.
We crossed paths at least a dozen times during a three-week period and never once did I have the courage to do more than look yearningly in his direction. Later, I could think of lots of cool stuff I could have said, but I was tongue-tied and incoherent. I could just look. That would be my pattern with celebrities for the rest of my life, at least on first meeting. If I was able to spend time with them and get past awe, recovering my ability to form words, I could have a conversation.
So while I passed by, mute, other people stopped him, asked for autographs and he graciously complied. But not me.
The area was crawling with celebrities. CBS wasn’t the only studio in the area. NBC’s 30 Rock was not far. And the Russian Tea Room, a very popular eatery for stars of stage and screen was across the street. One day, at the deli where everyone ate — it was the only fast lunch place on West 57th street — I found myself sitting next to George Hamilton. 55 years ago, he was unreal, so good-looking he might have been molded from dreams. What did Marilyn say? He was right next to me at the counter, knee to knee on stools at the counter.
“Pass the ketchup, please?” I squawked. It was the only thing I could think of. There’s a very small possibility our hands brushed during the transfer.
Fortunately, stars are familiar with these reactions. They are aware the effect they have on “civilians” and do not necessarily assume we are babbling idiots or mute. They just assume we are star struck. And that’s what we are. Star struck.
I am not normally tongue-tied, but each time I’ve met a celebrity, I can’t say a word. I stand there like a stuffed dummy making gurgling noises. I did once have a little tug of war with Carly Simon over possession of a clearance sale blouse in Oak Bluffs. We didn’t talk. She pulled. I pulled. She had height on her side; I had grim determination on mine. I got the blouse. She could have out-talked me, but fortunately for me, no words were required. We eye-balled each other and she decided it wasn’t worth a cat fight.
Married to Garry, I got to meet President Clinton and his family twice. Close and personal with POTUS, most people find they have nothing to say. It’s not just me or the man. It’s the office. The aura of power surrounding it. Not to mention William Jefferson Clinton was a big, handsome guy in whose presence I would likely have been awed even if he weren’t the Prez. I believe I squeaked out “You’re the President; I’m not.” Witty, eh?
It turns out that my behavior isn’t unusual. Regular people in the presence of fame and power tend to stutter or blurt out something stupid. No one is immune, not even celebrities meeting other celebrities. We are all, on some level, Star Struck.
Just once, I’d like to meet someone I admire and say something intelligent. Anything coherent would do.
Related articles
- Daily Prompt: It Builds Character (dailypost.wordpress.com)
- Vineyard Summers, Alfred Eisenstadt, and Me (teepee12.wordpress.com)
- Daily Prompt: It Builds Character (housewife40.wordpress.com)
- Daily Prompt: My Dinner With…Frankenstein’s Monster (mamatattoo.com)
My dad told me a funny story about one of his collegues, who had the misfortune of meeting Kirk Douglas whilst a little tipsy… Then again, I could have died the day I had lunch with Colin Welland and my my dad came over and said ‘The British are coming, the British are coming! Do you wish you’d never said that?’…
LikeLike
Maybe considering what I might have said, it’s just as well I was mute! Lord knows what I would have burbled … I might still be cringing in shame 30 years later!
LikeLike
I was so embarrassed, but it wasn’t quite as bad as, Oi, SARTACUS! OI!’
*shakes head*
LikeLike
Yeah, that’s pretty bad, though I think “You’re the President, I’m not” is also a classic.
LikeLike
Absolutely. There’s certainly a little more gravitas to it – imagine name dropping the president, when you’re actually the president. It’s got to be near the top of the list of things for presidents to say… Well, provided you’re as simple-minded as someone like me!
LikeLike
I actually enjoy name droppers. I love listening to the stories. Everyone but me seems to have found their tongues, if not their brains.
LikeLike
I live in a quiet place in the UK and run into soap stars and comedians fairly regularly. Touch wood, I’ve never made a fool of myself yet… maybe when I’m president!
LikeLike
Well, I haven’t totally disgraced myself. Silence is good that way. When Garry was a working reporter, we met a lot of celebrities, but they considered him a celeb too … sometimes that got pretty funny as they out-admire one another. By the way, the spam filter thinks you are spam and I have to keep removing you. I’ve had this problem with other people and I don’t understand why it picks on one person. It just does.
LikeLike
That’s really odd – I had exactly the same thing said to me today by someone else. I’m definitely not a bot…
LikeLike
For some reason, the spam engine has got it into its programming that you’re a dangerous dude. No idea why, but I keep unspamming you.
LikeLike
I’m sorry about that, I had a look in the settings but I’m none the wiser – I’m still pretty new and haven’t done much but write stuff and read a fair bit. Paranoia Police – I hope I haven’t been doing anything wrong 😮
LikeLike
I’ve had this happen with other people for no special reason and for a while, it happened to me. Eventually, it stops spamming you. It’s common enough so I always check my spam folder to make sure they aren’t doing exactly this. It has happened before. It will happen again.
LikeLike
I hope it sorts itself out. Thanks for the info anyway, I’ll have a read up tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your day 🙂
LikeLike
In the mean time, don’t worry. Most of us look to make sure they haven’t snagged a real blogger in their net!
LikeLike
Hehehe 😀
LikeLike
Pass the chuckle please. You are a riot.
LikeLike
Yeah. A riot. Maybe when I grow up, I can be an angry mob?
LikeLike
I’ll be part of it.
LikeLike
My granddaughter is organizing it.
LikeLike
I’ll bring my grandson. Wait! I don’t have one.
LikeLike
Find a kid on the street and adopt him 🙂
LikeLike
I never would’ve figured you for a star-struck! I haven’t been star-stricken since Gerald Ford passed through town close enough for late to the line me & first two children to see his dimples. I could tell you a funny story about being in a church not long ago awaiting confession with Tommy Makem. I didn’t chat him up, simply because he looked much too guilty. Well, all us Irish do — it’s because we are. Anyway, I enjoyed this one too, Marilyn.
LikeLike
Actually, I wouldn’t have thought it of me either. But there it is. Like the fact that I’m totally camera shy, but have no problem doing public speaking to a live audience. Go figure.
LikeLike
We are simply complicated creatures. 🙂
LikeLike
To this day A Raisin in The Sun is one of my top five – amazing performance by an amazing man!
LikeLike
Sidney’s breakout role. It was a very important film in many ways.
LikeLike
That’s cool! I have never seen a celebrity out in public, but I did get to meet and talk with Norman Mailer once. I was with a group of students, and I asked two different stupid questions, but it was still cool to get to meet him.
LikeLike
Authors REALLY awe me. I save my dumbest moments for them.
LikeLike
Never met anyone famous, save for working in the State Capitol Building, and running into (very locally) well-known politicians. I don’t think it counts. Hard to say how I would react, but I think telling the Prez that he isn’t, is quite funny. Nice post, Rowmie! 😀
LikeLike
It was a humbling experience 🙂
LikeLike
Meeting/sighting celebrities–I always end up feeling like an idiot with nothing important to say…:)
LikeLike
Join the club.
LikeLike
At least you didn’t slobber and I don’t think you described your nose ever running. An interesting group of people to meet.
LikeLike
No, at least I didn’t drool of spray snot. I suppose I should be grateful.
LikeLike
i have entire weeks in here when I can’t post, it rejects my email addy (get a real one, it sneers), it spits my posts out like old chewing gum. Very frustrating.
and yes, i hear you about celebrity. I ve never come close to anything like George Hamilton (be still my heart) or Sidney Poitier, and if I did i suspect id gurgle, too. lol. That is funny…
LikeLike
I have gone through the same thing and I don’t understand it. Changing to gmail really helped. Charter is a bad ISP.
Many of us are reduced to putty in the presence of fame and power. Why? I think we can speculate and probably be right. George Hamilton was beyond handsome — he really looked unreal. NO one can be that good looking and be human..
LikeLike
I’m equally embarrassed by how rarely I recognize the famous people I’ve met. I’d rather talk about ketchup than blithely go on, until someone interrupts to tell me that I’m talking to a celebrity. 🙂
LikeLike
That too. Some celebs look like what you expect, but others are surprisingly average-looking when they aren’t in makeup and costume. Charlton Heston looked like my uncle Abie when he wasn’t in makeup. He had trouble buttoning his shirts straight.
LikeLike
You took the words right out of my mouth. I haven’t been up close and personal with many celebrities but even when I’ve had the opportunity to speak to very accessible sports stars I just can’t do it. “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” is one of my favourite films. I really liked Sidney Poitier in “To Sir With Love” too.
LikeLike
He’s one of my favorite actors with an amazing body of work.
LikeLike
There’s always my Tom Cruise encounter that balances all of this..
LikeLike
But you’ve met Presidents, Popes, The Queen of England, Mother Theresa, Katherine Hepburn. You’ve met EVERYONE.
LikeLike
OMG, I love Sidney Poitier! I am so jealous that you met him, green with envy!
LikeLike
That’s the thing. I COULD have met him. Instead, I just passed him on the street. Often. For several weeks.
LikeLike