I met HHH and Chyna in '97 when I worked for the E.T. Adventure ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. They came through on a private tour. (I was surprised to see them because this was the day before a PPV taking place in another state.) I got a chance to chat with them (even though the park seriously frowns on the employees approaching the celebrity guests) and they were incredibly friendly. HHH even said he was there to see me. Har.
And then my other favorite celeb encounter would have to be the one in my sig. :)
Originally posted by OlFuzzyBastardAlso, Virgil's in the mall once a month for our sports memorabilia shows and I talked to him once and he was in a really bad mood and started going on and on about how little the mall was paying him and how this was a waste of his time and now I guess he recognizes me (or, more likely, the Suncoast shirt), so I try to avoid passing his table lest I get sucked into another long conversation. It's amazing how quickly someone can go from "guy I own action figure of" to "that guy you never want to make eye contact with".
That's a funny story, I heard from a few people that he's an asshole. My mom met Virgil and got his autograph for me at the mall about 2 years ago. Charged her 5 dollars, for what I wanted to tell her to get a refund. She told me she thought he was some big superstar, I told her no he wasn't. "Well he talked to me for 20 minutes, told me he was the black Hulk Hogan." I got a kick out of that line.
Only celeb I really met was the Big Bossman back in 93, at a car show. Really nice guy. Later the same year, I went to Disneyworld in Florida, got on this ferry that takes you across the lake. This tall dude sits next to us, and I say quietly to my aunt, "I wonder if he plays basketball". So as we are getting off all these kids run up to him for autographs. This guy who went with us then tells me, it was Dee Brown you were sitting next to.
As far as wrestlers go.... my favorite meeting was with Owen Hart. I was interviewing a bunch of wrestlers at a press event in Toronto (I think it was early '98), and he was BY FAR the nicest and most accomodating of the bunch.
Then there was another press event later in the summer, and I got to talk to him again. He seemed to remember me (or at least he acted that way; I mean, I seriously doubt he ACTUALLY remembered who I was) and was just as funny as the time before... he was going on and on about a "national hero coming home" and I guess you just had to be there, but it was funny stuff....
I received advice on how to buy a large screen television from James Woods("Call me Jimmy") in 2000. He was friends with the roommate of my friend in Los Angeles.
That was fairly surreal, but not as much of a thrill for me as meeting Mike Bossy a couple of years back. Also, on a flight to Vancouver this summer, I shook Tiger Williams' hand.
My dad has the best story. He meets celebrities periodically at his golf course just north of Toronto, and he had a chance to have a beer with Dennis Hopper, who called Dad "a sick, sick man." You've got to be pretty warped for Dennis Hopper to say that to you.
I have met a bunch of wrestlers going back to before I started working for wrestling companies around Tulsa. But when I worked for NWA Universal, I got to drive "Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels from the venue in Tahlequah to the hotel near Tulsa International Airport. It's about an hour drive or so. I am sure I sounded like a mark for the entire drive asking him questions, but oh well.
Also met Dennis Byrd at Sports Unlimited in OKC when I worked there as well. It was after his accident and he was walking around pushing his cart and I told him I just finished his book and enjoyed it. He asked if I thought it was preachy and I told him no.
Also when I worked at Sports Unlimited, Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller came in to buy some inline skates.
Peter Griffin: Another thing that grinds my gears is when I can't find the droids I'm looking for. Stormtrooper: Yeah, me too. What gives with that?
I shook hands with Shaq. Way before his movie career. Nice smile, lit up the room, for a young guy he really impressed me by not acting annoyed when folks were trying to get an autograph while he was clearly on vacation (in Hawaii). Afterward, he gave me the "hang loose" sign. Impressive from a guy whose hands are that big.
From a wrestling standpoint I have sat next to Big Bubba Rogers on a flight from Newark to Dallas, I have shook hands in an airport with Ivan Koloff & the Macho Man and back in 1987 I bought lapdances for Brett Hart & Barry Windham at Shotgun Willie's in Denver about an hour or so after Brett pinned "The Widowmaker" or whatever Barry's ridiculous WWF persona was at that time.
Looks like Jo Dee Messina wants to fight Gretchen Wilson for Shelby Lynne's old seat at the end of the bar down at the Last Call Bar & Grill.....
I unknowingly cut in front of Ron Simmons at the security checkpoint in the Atlanta airport once. He was actually pretty cool about it.
"It's the four pillars of the male heterosexual psyche. We like naked women, stockings, lesbians, and Sean Connery best as James Bond because that is what being a [man] is." -Jack Davenport, Coupling
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I play sudoku or a logic puzzle on my iPad. The puzzles take my mind off thinking about "I can get X hours of sleep if I fall asleep RIGHT NOW." Sometimes a small snack helps too.