Friendship with Celebrities?

Sorry for my autocorrect. I was typing on phone. Should have been paps, not pals.

I'm friends with a very famous actress. We met at mass.

She's wonderful but when she gets mad she gets mad if you hear what I'm saying!

She once hit a kid with a wire hanger. But other than that she's great.

I met a very famous franchise actor when he was just a skinny boy living and bartending in West Hollywood, and thinking about giving up acting altogether. He and I traveled in the same circles, knew some of the same people. You never met a sweeter guy, and that has not changed. I hear of him through the grapevine from people in our former circle of friends who see him more often. Lots of celebrities are assholes to fans and "plebes," but not him. He's a very kind person, which is amazing considering the kind of attention he was getting even before he was famous (he's very beautiful). Going out with him was insane - he was bombarded by queens and fraus alike up and down Santa Monica Blvd. We follow each other on Instagram. His world has gotten smaller since becoming famous, as it does. Makes me sad for him, since he is a very sincere person; but, he is doing exactly what he wanted to do with his life.

R3 this is sweet. Thank you for sharing this story. I wonder, does he talk with you about his work? Complains about actors and directors? Or you two prefer to talk about other things.

R4, he does very little complaining about work, as he is truly living his dream and is the well brought up type who believes you take the bad with the good. Relationships are much more difficult post-fame; not that they were very easy before. He's so beautiful that he made his partners insecure. Now his fame and all the thirsty fraus and queens make them insecure as well. He has been advised by those who love him to date a "civilian". Partners within the industry have not worked out well at all. He is the type who would like a quiet home with a wife and kids, and that's very hard to achieve when you're dating an actress who wants to put off children so as not to ruin her figure and career. I would bet my life savings that he will wind up with a plain, good natured frau who's great in the sack, is happy to stay home, loves being a mom and knows her way around a kitchen.

I met a woman in 2005 at a film screening in Westwood who had been an indie darling director in the 90's but had at that moved into mostly doing television by then. It's not much different than being friends with anyone else because she's not a household name, but she's a big deal to a certain type of film fan. She knows loads of really famous people and it's cool/weird when I get a Facebook notification saying "[A-list director] also commented on [indie darling's] photo."

Bump

R3, for someone not in show business, what is a "franchise actor?"

R8, it's someone who stars in a major franchise, like the Marvel/DC Universe, or the Mission Impossible series. That sort of thing.

Quite a few.

Maybe about 4 of them would I consider to be actual friends. Three I met in school (I bet you can guess what we were studying) and the last one I met after school (in an adult class) about and over a decade ago. None of them were famous at the time.

We were a very small group in general so everyone knew everyone else's business. One even has an Oscar now. I do okay myself.

What I've found over the years is that when I'm around any one of them or more everyone's much more interested in talking about their spouses (if they have one) or kids (if they have them), maybe some cool place they discovered and of course the past.

Maybe it's because they're surrounded by work all the time so the last thing they want to do is talk about work? (Conversations about technical or craft stuff do happen but that's not often.) We also rarely sit around and gossip about other people unless it's something innocuous.

The best way to describe it (and this is just a random example) is that I could tell you so and so hired some people to fix their deck but I couldn't tell you what the hell they are working on now. I'm sure I was told but that may have been 3 minutes of a much longer conversation about actual life.

I think that may be because I'm from "before."

The only difference between them and any of my other friends is that I'm a lot less likely to mention that I know them or bring them around anyone else I know but I'm sure none of them would care. They're all varying degrees of nice but no one is difficult to be around.

Yes, we follow each other on social media but if I want to talk to any of them I see them, text them or message them. I've only commented on anything they've posted twice and both times I got a message afterwards.

So do your celebrity friends gossip w you about other celebrities?

I would imagine that as R10 said, most conversations between celebrity and their friend tend to be non work related.

I bet they are regular conversations about family, holidays, friends, the good old days etc.

Kerry Washington and I were good friends before she became famous. We talked on the phone every day at least once. Then she left DC when she graduated from GWU, and we lost touch. It was in the pre-smartphone era, and I didn't even have a cellphone at the time. Hated them. Anyway, I didn't expect to stay in touch, so when she left town, that was that. I don't know what she might have expected. She had family and friends in NY, so I didn't feel I was abandoning her. That's just how it was then, when someone moved away.

BTW, this is all very interesting in theory, but name names, already.

Not me, but a co-worker was friends with DL fave Reta Shaw. He said she was a sweetheart with a terrific sense of humor.

This thread is useless without pics.

Who's friends with Jeremy Renner?!

Bump

I knew someone who knew Henry Cavill pre-fame and said he was lovely, but a total dork. He's not surprised he became famous and he was always attractive, but he said he finds it weird to see him all buffed up.

I knew Kathy Kinney before "The Drew Carey Show" through a retail job I had back then, working at a video store. We were chit-chatting and my boss came up and asked me how we should classify the movie "Arachnapobia". I said that it sounded like both comedy and horror, but had not seen it. We agreed on horror because of the subject matter, but he was winking to Kathy, knowing that she was in it. I later ran into her on the street and congratulated her on her sudden success which she said was very unexpected to her, and that she was very grateful. Later, I saw her in New York in passing, but years had gone by, and the streets were too crowded to try and stop her.

Anyone friends with georgina chapman?

R19 thanks for putting Cavill's name, without it the thread wouldn't have come up in the search, and I would have missed R3 and R4. I always love a good fanfiction!

Not a friendship but I worked with John LaChiusa at Tower. He worked as a cashier. I was a supervisor. Had no idea he was a composer. I wouldn't in a million years have known he would one day be a Broadway composer of some renown. Pretty shocking.

Very nice guy and a pleasure to work with.

I know who he is, r23. Isn't it Michael John Chiusa, though?

bump

I know John Krasinski from undergrad days at Brown. Still in touch though I am in NYC and he's LA. A genuinely nice guy. Never would have thought he would become as successful as he has. And actually he would say the same. When we talk, it's much like the poster above -- catching up on old friends and what they are doing, when are you in town next?, his kids etc. almost never talk about Hollywood stuff I guess because I'm not in that business.

Having gone to theater school and working off-off-Broadway, I know a few folk who became famous. It is not hard being with them, but what is weird is reading things about them in books and magazines that you did not already know. Also, if you are telling a story, you do not know whether to say who that famous person in the story at the beginning or at the end, because either way it seems name droppy. (Some of them have odd names, so even if you just refer to them by first name it raises questions.)

The hard ones are the acquaintances who never became friends because they were dicks. They are still dicks, just like the sweethearts you got close to when you were young remain sweethearts.

And I do have a rule not to ask them too much about work. I want to keep it personal rather than becoming a gossip seeking fan. I started this when I realized talking to a friend I had not seen in a long time that she hated working on the top rated show she was part of. It was clear, that the show was painful, so it was better to talk about other friends, politics, etc.

For privacy sake, I won't say who...but I am best friends with a NYC based actor. He's an incredible friend and an all around great guy. His success does not allow him to corme out to the public, and he avoids companionship/relationships for fear of being outed, even though he's been rumoured as being gay for years

Not quite the same but my best friend is a multi award-winning writer and screenwriter. He’s not a celebrity in the “being constantly recognized on the street” way but he has been the subject of a major TV documentary, has fans, and is certainly very famous within our industry (I am also a reasonably successful screenwriter).

To me he is just my friend who is sweet and vulnerable and lonely and a workaholic. It’s strange when other people obsess over his “fame.” We do talk about work and gossip about the movie industry a lot but that’s because those are shared things.

His fans are nice. They turn up to all his events but are otherwise cool and respectful. I have had bad dealings with fans of acquaintances who are actors, but I don’t think writers get obsessed stans too much.

I hate you shits who don't name names. It's an anonymous fucking internet gossip board.

Don’t be silly, no one apart from a psychopath would endanger a genuine friendship (since it would be pretty obvious to the “celebrity friend” who the poster was) just to gossip on DL.

You had the option of not mentioning him at all, "Don't be silly" cunt r31.

What R31 said.

R30, you act like psychos don't search for the names of celebrities they obsess over. And then that leads the psychos to this site and no doubt, the famous person will find out they were talked about and I'm sure they can figure out it was a friend of theirs and there goes another person they can't trust.

r31 = "I've got a seeeeecret, but I'm not gonna tellll you."

You fucking Sgt. Simplesoul.

Don't mention him at all then, r33.

Then this thread wouldn’t exist at all, and where would you be then, obsessed tantrum-throwing troll at r32/34/35?

Seriously why are you so overinvested in knowing the names of complete strangers? I can only assume you’re fixated on some celeb you suspect might be the friend of one of the posters here.

Obviously, r36, said strangers are anything but "complete," or who would give a shit? I'm not fixated on anyone specific. But if you're going to gossip, gossip, already. It requires complete sentences, i.e., ones with subjects, verbs, and objects. And let's face it, the verbs and objects aren't nearly as interesting without the subjects attached.

Unless of course, you thrill to "some screenwriter has a best friend." Or "some NYC actor" has a gay friend because, guess what: He's gay. As if either of those is a piece of news. Again, it's nothing more than "I know a seeeeeecret." I guess it doesn't take much to excite you.

No one who was genuinely friends with a celeb would name them, don’t be so naive.

You can just not click on the thread? Rather than ranting and raving on and in on and on like a loon demanding names.

Besides the thread isn’t about gossip. The OP wanted to know specifics about what it’s like to be friends with a celeb, and people have answered.

I actually named a celebrity I used to be friends with, r38. I left out two others.

The fact you went to school twenty years ago with someone who later became a TV actress is hardly “being friends with a celebrity.”

So sorry that your friend can't come out R28. Maybe there is more to it? His family? Good luck to him.

R29 I would love to know who you and your writer friend are, but I guess that would be asking too much. Title of the documentary?

This thread is about what's it like to be friends with a celebrity. The obsession with names is tedious. And yes I'm the poster above but I get it if names can't be named.

[quote]But if you're going to gossip, gossip, already.

The subject is about what it's like to be friends with celebrities. Not, "tell me who the celebrity is and every piece of gossip about him." People can say as little or as much as they want but the request isn't for them to name actual names and I'd doubt anyone who is actually friends with a celebrity would name a name.

Also, everyone here has been pretty vague because, contrary to popular belief, Datalounge is not a secret. I feel like people want to think it is to make themselves feel better about posting whatever they want. Simply Put: You type "Kerry Washington's" name and it will show up on the next Kerry Washington Google Alert and one of her fans or Kerry herself will eventually end up seeing it. You ever see a thread about a celebrity mysteriously disappear here? That's why it happens.

[quote]The fact you went to school twenty years ago with someone who later became a TV actress is hardly “being friends with a celebrity.”

R40, Honey, you do realize that some people are able to maintain relationships with people they went to school with AFTER college, right? I'm sorry that wasn't your experience. Maybe you should have tried being less of a bore?

For R30:

Matt Damon

Chris Evans

Emma Stone

Anna Faris

Bryan Singer

Carrie Fisher

Sorry if I am being tedious (I am not on both points) but with few exceptions here, as we are on an anonymous board, I don't understand the hesitation to name names. Go ahead and wag you finger at me, I don't care. Dish it bitches.

r44: the poster bleating on about demanding names admitted they lost touch with Kerry Washington after they left school. That is not “being friends with a celebrity.”

The last time I mentioned an actor I knew by name (on a different forum) his insane fans registered on that forum so they could DM me, and screencapped my post and tweeted it to him. And that an ex I hated, not a valued friend I actually cared about.

It absolutely counts as being friends and is a pertinent anecdote.

The "name names.or shut the fuck up" argument is bullshit on both aides because you've ALL taken over and ruined the thread. Happens nearly every time nowadays. Either a troll pretending to be two people argues with himself, or real posters go on and on and on until the thread is dead.

Learn to say your piece, then put people on ignore if you have to. That goes for the "name names" cunt AND the people who couldn't stop feeding her.

r46, because the celebrity would very likely end up finding out about and reading the posts about them, and either they’d know which of their friends had written it (which obviously would end the friendship) or be left knowing one of their friends wasn’t trustworthy but not knowing who (which would hurt them).

Either way it’s a shitty thing to do to a genuine close friend.

Okay:

My late mum was good friends with Derek Jacobi for many years, and also briefly drinking buddies with Kenneth Branagh and Helena BC.

(I can name names in this case because it’s not me, and not current friendships.)

And responding to the point about fans, my grandmother had a decades-long friendship with an “end of the pier” performer/musician who was gay, and he sometimes got her to pretend to be his girlfriend to escape some fan who used to go to all his shows and hang around stage door all night.

My girlfriend is very, very famous and very, very rich. No one knows she's a lesbian, or even suspects. She has had a 'boyfriend' beard who is also gay for 3

My girlfriend is very, very famous and very, very rich. No one knows she's a lesbian, or even suspects. She has had a 'boyfriend' beard who is also gay for 30+ years now. Our friends include Tom Cruise and John Travolta (both gay) Ellen (total cunt). We hate Barbra Streisand (controlling OCD bitch).

I used to work for Doris Duke, no one knows who she is

[quote] This thread is about what's it like to be friends with a celebrity. The obsession with names is tedious. And yes I'm the poster above but I get it if names can't be named.

Nah. What’s tedious is your entitled attitude when asked to--at the very least--name the person. I mean...either your story is bullshit OR you get off on withholding information because you knew people would ask for names. The funny thing is...this “Celebrity” is probably 10 years beyond his/her expiration date and the revelation would be anticlimactic.

R43 here, also R42. I never claimed I was friends with a celebrity, and no one's asked me to name names. What are you talking about?

I'm the one who fucked up Chiusa's name. I admitted I was never friends with him. I'm sure he has no idea who I am. And I can't imagine he would object to something I said except he might be mortified that I outed him as a one time cashier at Tower Records.

"... a troll pretending to be two people argues with himself."

Those exchanges are often the best of DL.

R53 Your name isn't Bernard Lafferty, is it?

No, I am not Bernard Lafferty, nor do I wish to be

R47, and that was my point earlier in this thread. If it's someone well-known or with a hardcore fanbase, they will inevitably find this thread - it's what obsessed fans do. I mean I'm curious who the friends are, but it doesn't go beyond that and I certainly understand not mentioning names.

I was actually tempted for a moment to conduct an experiment by pretending I know that Markle woman just to see how quickly the hyenas show up.

r55, the poster asking about the screenwriter just got the r number wrong, don’t sweat it.

R50, what did your mother think of Branagh and Bonham Carter?

I am friends with one very famous actor. Our friendship came about from a love for a sport, that we share. We both went to this sporting event and saw each other there a few times, got chatting, liked each other, went for a drink at the event, and our friendship developed like that. I never ask about their work, I'm not massively interested, when we're having a drink or meal together, they'll say something work related, but mostly we talk about the sport. I know a little bit more about it than they do, so basically we share views and opinions about that. We've been friends for 16 years now.

That’s very cool R 63. I bet they like knowing you enjoy their company not because they are famous.

Correct R64

Imagine you was friends with a famous sports personality, and you were friends with them because they liked a particularly artist and you were into the same artist but knew a little more about the artist and their work than they did. That dynamic works really well, because you're kind of on a level playing field with them. You know about the art, they know about their sport.

You can tell that a lot of trolls on this thread never actually had friends. Anyone who did have friends would get that there would never be names named.

R13, I never thought about that, but being an elder gay, we never even had email when I was in my teens (much less a smartphone). You're exactly right that when you moved away, that was pretty much it (unless you wanted to write a letter...gasp!).

I also don't get why people won't say the name. On an anonymous message board if someone says "I am friends with Barbra Streisand"-- how the fuck does that matter? I'm sure she has friends- it's not a negative thing to say. Strange!!

Celebrities often test their friends by giving them misinformation and waiting to see if that misinformation pops up publicly. Adele admitted that she did this after she became famous. She saw all kinds of private information online that only people who knew her well would know, so she set about finding out who the leak was. She claimed that she had to drop a couple of friends that she'd known for years. People get really funny about their friends and family members becoming famous. Some of them resent it or want attention for themselves. It's hard to trust people when you're famous, even those closest to you. The dynamics change in all of your relationships.

I'm friendly with Lana Del Rey. I used to do her hair when she lived in Manhattan, this was 2009-10. I haven't seen her or spoken to her in two years, though. Weird woman.

OMG R68, how paranoid is that if it is true-- people like that think they are way more important than they really are. We gossip about them because we see them in the news- not because we really give a shit who they are!

I'm not talking about nobodies like yourself that celebrities will never be friends with, R70. I'm talking about friends and family who betray the famous person and sell them out for their own gain.

I think we all want people in our lives that we can trust.

Agree R72, and we typically know who we can trust-- "testing" your "friends" seems beyond paranoid.

It is nearly impossible to make real friends in L.A.

In West Hollywood my neighborhood had some fun ones. Cassandra Peterson, Jennifer Coolidge and a bunch of porn guys.

You'd see them at the market (Pavillions') or getting coffee, smile, say hello and keep moving.

The only one I still keep in touch with is Pia.

[quote]OMG [R68], how paranoid is that if it is true-- people like that think they are way more important than they really are. We gossip about them because we see them in the news- not because we really give a shit who they are!

Except, she was proven correct and the people she thought she could trust, turned out to be assholes. I'm one of the few people in the lives of family and friends who people know they can trust. They tell me and it's "in the vault." I can't understand betraying someone's trust. Never been my nature and fuck off with the "virtue signaling" nonsense. Just wondering why so many people are such fucking rats. It's a definite sign of envy of the person you're betraying because you're specifically looking to hurt them.

To the NYC person who's a college friend of John Krasinski: he lives in Brooklyn, not LA.

R76, I think you're thinking of Jason Sudekis and Olivia Wilde. I know where they lived in Brooklyn because I'm around there a lot and I've seen them a few times. I'm not sure if they still do live there though.

I am friends with two celebrities. One is a friend from childhood years and the other friendship began when we were teens, so we go back long before they became well-known. One, other than she had much less time because of her career to spend with her friends, nothing else changed. She's still much the same person we always knew. The other became very guarded and distrustful because a few friends and family members fed information to the media. Most of it was innocuous crap such as her favorite foods, whom she was currently dating, political views. Regardless, she keeps a certain distance between everyone except her parents. She's still kind and we enjoy her company, but she seldom discusses anything about herself or anything that might be considered controversial. We know not to ask her anything about celebrity people she knows or works with because she won't answer.

no, r77, r26 spoke of Krasinski, a friend at Brown.

R79, I know, but the poster to whom I was responding said that Krasinksi lives in Brooklyn, not LA. I was correcting him on who he may have actually been thinking of in reference to living in Brooklyn.

Sudekis and Krasinski are constantly mistaken for each other.

Krasinski does live in Brooklyn.

Really? I know I've seen Sudekis and Wilde around. I never knew Krasinsk and Blunt did, R81. I thought they lived in LA.

I know lots of celebrities and a couple of them I would consider very close friends. One Friend has been in the biz for about 30 years and is has been working steadily for 25 of those thirty years, even though he has enough residual $$$ from his biggest hit so that he could've easily retired or coasted like several of his costars. Closeted from the start and probably will never come out unfortunately.

It would be interesting if you asked him if it were worth it. A successful career with enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life. But always afraid of the real you being discovered by all your fans by knowingly deceiving them and crushing their fantasy of you. Meanwhile having to hide anybody you want to be with emotionally and physically.

But I guess that would be a question that shouldn't be asked by a friend who doesn't want to make that person uncomfortable.

[quote]To the NYC person who's a college friend of John Krasinski: he lives in Brooklyn, not LA.

Many celebs, even ones you wouldn't think could afford it, have a home and an apartment/house on each coast.

About a decade ago I lived near (a very famous) one in NYC when everyone thought she lived in LA.

Truth is: she had two homes and flew back and forth since I guess she had business in both areas part of the year.

Good lord, this is a pointless debate; if y'all want Krasinski to be in LA and not Brooklyn, knock yourselves out.

[quote]if y'all want Krasinski to be in LA and not Brooklyn, knock yourselves out.

Are you okay, hun?

r87.. ONLY fat frau who drive their kids to soccer practice in a white mini van as celine dion plays, say HUN!

R75, you wreak of drama...

R78 wow she sounds like an uptight frau, and probably a right winger too.

Honestly, isn't it all innocuous crap- it's not like people are giving out their safe combinations-- like I said, they think, because of the people around them, that they are more important now.

It's "reek" r89. However, you're right about r75.

"wreak" - "inflict."

It’s nothing to do with how innocuous or otherwise the gossip is, it’s still a betrayal of trust to gossip about a friend so publicly.

If you heard innocuous gossip about a friend, would you post on FB going, “Hey Dan did such and such, everyone!”? No, of course not. Maybe gossip privately, because we all do that. But making a public show of talking about someone just shows you don’t respect normal boundaries. If you openly spread innocuous gossip, what else will you repeat?

And that’s without the tabloid and crazy fan factor, where even tiny innocuous bits can get blown up into something huge or be a target for obsession.

I understand why names can’t be named. But I would like to know more about the weird phenomenon of being rich and famous. Do they talk about it, describe how it feels? How do they deal with creepy fans? Do they flaunt their money or act slightly embarrassed about it in front of you?

Oh and, do they describe being in show business as a pressure cooker? Are people generally scumbags? Do they tell stories? Without getting too specific, I’d be curious to hear an honest assessment of what it’s like to toil in the business of show at that level?

And - Do they read comments about themselves online? Do they get bummed out about it? Do they have secret social media accounts?

My famous friend came from poverty, and he’s amazingly generous and insists on paying for everything. He’s not excessively flash in his own life (owns a couple of large-ish houses and expensive clothes, but still takes the subway) but he won’t let anyone spend money on him, not even to buy him a drink. Sometimes I worry he’ll be exploited though I think he is fairly savvy.

Because I work in the same industry we gossip about everything, he tells me all the shit about other celebs, and we bemoan all the craziness and downsides of our industry.

He doesn’t consider himself famous. He’s still afraid each job will be his last and worries hugely whether people will like it.

He’s on social media openly and reads everything. Most celebs I know are on social media, with the exception of a few who are completely against it due to bad experience, or who just never got into SM at all.

I have become friends with a well known Broadway star and his boyfriend because they bought a weekend house in my small town. I was introduced to them by my next door neighbors who met him because they are celebrity photographers. I honestly had to look him up after I first met him, because i am not well versed in Broadway actors. He's done a little TV work too, it seems. Super down to earth and he has quite a female fan base. I'm actually surprised he's not publicly out.

On another note, did anyone see the episode of Catfish with Tracie Thoms? Fans can get absolutely delusional.

A major TV/radio host does this test thing with misinformation that he feeds people he knows. I totally get it, he's super mainstream and has been for decades. He just doesn't want to be a target.

Why in the world should people name names? It's great to hear about these people from a close standpoint without inhibition.

There should be a thread about being close at least in a professional sense to people who are monsters without naming names? There is a well known celebrity hair dresser who has a number of interviews on youtube. Obviously she talks openly and names names and her experiences with Bacall are scorching.

Celebrities behaving badly are always fun if you don't have to deal with them yourself. I worked at Sony at the height of Kathleen Battle's fame and then her infamous downfall. Stories about her were legion even before she was fired from the Met. Even people there who couldn't care less about classical music enjoyed hearing about her bizarre tantrums. The stuff is so strange I wonder if drugs were a part of it.

Ummm because it makes it much more interest R99? It's not a difficult concept.

I like what Paris Hilton does, whenever she travels or is arround an aquantince multiple times she tests them by leaving 10,000$ in a random place in her hotel or house. The person will see the money and after awhile think she just forgot she left 10gs somewhere. She’s actually testing them, if she finds they took the money she knows they are not a real friend and kicks them outta her life.

[quote]aquantince

Oh dear...god in heaven

[quote][R75], you wreak[sic] of drama...

Quite the opposite. I'm quite low maintenance. Only pointing out that people who betray trust are assholes.

Kathleen Battle is an anomaly. Her talent was extraordinary, in every sense of that word, and I don't blame her one bit for being protective or "bizarre", as you said. By virtue of being able to use what lies inside her to achieve what she did on a personal, professional, and artistic level is bizarre. There are very, very few people who have ever existed that fit that description.

I have a few friends who would be considered celebrities or famous. I met them all in different, random circumstances.

First one, about 20 years ago out on Fire Island. It was a mid week night, I had no guests and went out for a drink. Saw some other regulars at the bar, some others playing pool. One of the players spilled my drink, bought me a new one, started chatting with him. We were speaking maybe an hour or so and I asked “I’m sorry, you look so familiar, have we met before?” He was actually surprised, gave me his full name (we’d only exchanged first names) and it clicked. His familiarity was because he was a fairly well known actor. We’ve been friends since - he’s showed up at both parents funerals, surprised me visiting me in hospital, we’ve vacationed together, etc.. Really a sweet guy, very generous, loyal, and yes very handsome.

Another was about 16 or so years ago when I was working in London. Met this wealthy elder gay thru a straight friend from college (that’s another story!) prior to moving, so once he knew I was in London he’d invite me to dinner parties in his big pile of a house. He always had a great mix, all ages, gay and straight. This guy was more famous socialite wise vs celebrity - he’d be in the gossip columns and mags attending this or that or showing off his family place. He’s a titled aristo, discreetly bi as he terms it, and a fun guy to be around. When I’m in the U.K., we get together, same when he’s in NY, periodic phone calls, texts.

Last one, met in London also, probably 8-9 years ago now. I was visiting friends and family, scored a ticket to the rugby at Twickenham, and just started bantering with the fellow next to me. He was visiting too from Australia, we got on well, went for drinks after. Surprised people staring at him, after one asked for an autograph I asked him what was the story. Turns out he’s a well known Aussie actor - started and gained fame on the soaps, done some movies and other series in Australia and the U.K. Contact with him is more sporadic than the others - random texts or calls either about rugby or to say he’s traveling.

Unlike what some others posted, they do gossip with me - kind of like how we all do, usually as part of a bitch and moan session. I do think the friendships survived/grew as I treat them as I do all my friends without any fawning or anything. I also think the fact I didn’t know who they were, how we met, and our common, sometimes odd, shared interests allows them to let their hair down, so to speak, with me.

I don't deny Battle's talent. But she caused a lot of decent people pain and misery. Humiliating people who are extremely talented people in their own right in unconscionable. She was one of the very few people at the time who could sell tickets a lot of tickets to an opera when she was in the cast. And this was a time when the old guard who could do it was dying out. The Met needed her badly.

The General Manager Volpe knew this better than anybody yet still fired her in front of most of the staff. That's pretty bad. But he had no choice. Then everyone in the opera world was relieved and cancelled her contracts because as wonderful as her talent was she wasn't worth it. She was off the rails in terms of attempting to undermine others in an appalling public way. Let alone in small ways to nobodies. Calling her agent to have him call her driver to turn down the air conditioning is funny. Berating people and reducing them to tears at dress rehearsals is not. In fact I've read a lot about opera singers and the very best and temperamental including Callas would never have done what she did. She stands alone in ugly behavior in the operatic world. You read about what she did to Troyanis, Vaness and Elias and you are like I've never head of behavior like that before. Taking on a general manager in public is one thing but embarrassing colleagues who are liked by everyone is another. Something happened to her because as a young singer starting out she was known as a collegial pleasant person.

Very interesting, and thank you for that response, R106.

R101 I think she does the same thing Adele does too.

R101 It's an interesting story.

I would NEVER (although never say never...) befriend someone like Paris Hilton, she's a polar opposite of what interests me.

Still, if I were to find 10K in a room where Paris Hilton (or anybody else) has invited me, I wouldn't take obvs. That's because I'm honest, not because I like her. I might freak out and/or add this to the reasons why I don't want to see this person ever again. Money doesn't interest me and it stains relationships.

I'll add that Paris Hilton doesn't strike me as a very intelligent person, and the people who befriend her might indeed be after her money, so she may not be wrong there.

Is a biopic about Kathleen Battle in the works? Too soon?

R105 Interesting stories. The fact you didn't know who they were initially probably played a part.

I met one of my favourite actresses in the metro a few years ago (she decided to take the seat opposite mine, while there were plenty of empty seats. I was busy on my phone and hadn't seen her come in, looked up and came face to face with, an actress I really like - I told her right away I was a big fan).

She was super cool (she's very talented but not very famous), and by the end of our chat asked where she had seen ME before! We had never met, but she was convinced we had... Named a bunch of places where she believed we could have met. It was fun. I still follow her career. She was much more down-to-earth, communicative and friendly than I'd expected. I'd have expected her to be a snob/weird, she wasn't at all.

Sounds like mental illness, R106.

Do you think she might have been subtly hitting on you R111?

I’ve met a lot of celebrities through my work and got on great with most of them. if you’re not star struck and can hold a conversation it helps. I’ve been surprised at how shy some can be and they are genuinely relieved to be spending time with a friendly person. It’s kind of interesting to see how rude ‘civilians ‘ can be if they don’t like a star.

She strikes me as very straight R113

Honestly I don't know. Maybe we just "connected". Also she's not very famous even though her career is doing well, so that helped.

Used to talk to Peter Allen at the bar of Reno Sweeney when he played there. He was completely down to earth and just as you'd hope he'd be.

Re: celebrities and their hang-outs

A couple years ago I travelled to a music/dance/theatre festival specifically to see one performer. She had several concerts there.

First, she of course attended other concerts while at the festival, so we saw her there.

At her final concert for the festival, we had a 30min-wait until the venue was ready, so everyone was informally queuing in the lobby. There was a tall guy in his sixties (excellent head of hair, very unusual for his age) waiting next to us. He was with 5 or 6 very good-looking, elegant women around his age. He didn't interact much and was mostly focussed on his phone.

This guy was a bit of a playboy when he was young, and his mother was a bona fide star. He's not well-known now. I know what he looks like because I'm a big fan of his mom. Anyway, it was so surprising to see this guy there! I wasn't entirely sure it was him, especially because he looked so young and well-groomed for his age. We got to our seats, and I saw he and his party had the seats we initially wanted (but couldn't book because they were "reserved").

As we left, again the guy! was walking right beside us. I caught was he was saying and knew FOR SURE it was him.

Anyway my point is, it would never have occurred to me to attend this festival in the hopes of catching a sight of this former playboy who is one of my mom's crushes. But, this is what they do. It was a quality festival and a quality concert, and this is where you find people who do interesting things with their lives. Later it occurred to me that the performer shared some qualities with his mom: elegant, natural, beautiful smile and seems kind-hearted. So if you just follow your interests you will come across people with similar interests, it's like a small community. But no, of course I didn't speak to him. He had his childhood and youth plagued with paparazzi without being "famous" himself, so I doubt he enjoys getting recognised by strangers.

Sorry for the long post.

Famous people are people too, they have interests, lives, things they don't like. They live in the same world as we do. If I take your picture and put it in the paper with a story, BAM! you're famous. That story may not even be the whole story about you, doesn't matter, that's what fame is.

[quote]Calling her agent to have him call her driver to turn down the air conditioning is funny.

How about when she called the symphony to complain that the hotel had put peas in her pasta? Now that is some hilarious shit!

I'm friends with a few has-beens and porn stars. I keep them level and down-to-earth.

I liked the story about that bi aristocrat. Wonder who might be.

In the summer of ‘92 and friend and I had an odd series of hangouts with Julia Roberts, she was absolutely down to Earth and fully capable of being a nice human being.

Anyone friends with Ben Stiller?

Ben Stiller doesn't have any friends.

R120 isn't he an asshole??

I'm the one who worked for Sony and talked about Battle. I'd like to add that only a couple of days after this very famous firing she had through us a signing scheduled at the upper west side HMV. Would she show up?

She showed up on time. Though a bit somber she was pleasant. Saw every fan and was unfailingly friendly to them all with no diva attitude.

If only she had conducted her entire career like that.

The contrast about Battle is that as combative and nasty as she was to co-workers, she was exceptionally sweet and kind and gracious to her fans.

She always made time for her fans after shows and would sign, take photos, kiss them on the cheek, etc...

R3 is totally Chris Evans

That is totally incredible R123 R124 about Kathleen Battle. Not as in I don't believe you, just that it is unfathomable that someone would behave that way. It spells major mental illness or at the very least severe personality disorder IMO. Narcissistic, beyond what is usually admitted as narcissistic? Incredible stories.

I know someone who worked on the Zoolander set. Ben Stiller terrorized his assistants. He once trashed his trailer because the toothpaste wasn't squeezed onto his toothbrush in just the way he likes.

Note me but my friend grew up with Kim of the duo Matt and Kim.

Do those of you that have famous friends, hate going to parties that their famous friend throws?

My friend is always inviting me out for a party. I just go at Christmas and their birthday now, because when they throw a party they have other famous friends there, so it's a bit overwhelming when I go.

I'm not into the profession that they're famous for, but when I walk into a party at their's its like A lister after A lister. I just think to myself, it's very nice that my friend wants me there, but I just feel a bit out of my depth.

My friend thinks it sweet when I turn their invite down, because they know I'm not friends because of their fame, but because I like them as a human being, not a celeb. The invites still come though.

When I do go, they'll ask me if I had a nice time and I'll say yes, I was sat with A lister A and A lister B and we were talking about moving house and it's so bizarre to like say that in conversation, where in the normal way you'd say I was talking to Fred and Betty about moving. It's just odd.

R129, your friend thinks it's sweet when you turn their invite down?

I was friends with Liza Minnelli in the mid 1980's. She was a patron at a bar I frequented on the UES. We got friendly quickly and I think the reason we were able to develop as friends was because I never, and I mean never, mentioned her mom. She did, and quite frequently, but I knew that it wasn't something for me to broach. We lost touch after her triumph at Carnegie Hall, circa 1987.

R130 yes because they'll say they're holding a small party for such and such a lame reason. And I'm like, No thanks. Where anyone else would die at the opportunity to go. I'm very chilled and relaxed and am a good party guest. It's just that it's such a weird experience. Just imagine that you're in conversation with Leonardo di Caprio and Anne Hathaway and you're talking about plumbing or gardening or whatever mundane topic it is. It's just plain weird.

But perhaps you have other plans R132-- so odd that you say they think it's cute. Cute? WTF

My few "friendships" with celebrities have usually been through friends of friends, and were awkward enough where we never developed a real friendship. One weird thing I've noticed is right away you become aware of how you gossip and bitch about other celebrities to your "normal" friends. When there's a real celebrity in the room suddenly you're watching everything you say about anyone famous because you feel they might know them, or even be them! Not that you stop talking about that stuff, you become acutely aware.

Also, having sex with celebrities is a whole other ball of weirdness. They are SO into you while pursuing you and then once it's over and they've orgasmed their interest in you and their personality completely changes. They shut down, won't talk to you, and can't seem to get you out the hotel room door fast enough.

Great story, R131

The actress I met in the metro was in a relationship with an actor from a huge acting family. She knew I knew of course, because it sounded like I would know about it, but I did not mention it once. At some point I said something about what I believed her formal training was, and she said "actually, you're thinking about the man I used to live with". I just smiled that she was right. She also complained about a co-star who was rude to crew on set, and I wasn't like WHO??name names!! or anything.

If you behave in a way that doesn't make you seem unhinged, I believe that helps a lot. Again, if they're not mega-famous also.

The sex part is pretty much what I imagined, R134. Thanks for saving us the trouble.

R133 My friend knows that I'm not keen on going, going that's why they keep inviting me. They think its funny that I don't wanna go to a party with like 50 stars. I like that my friend thinks its funny. That's cute, that why we're friends.

I was "friends through a friend" with one of the actors in Swingers. I met him in 1998.

He dated my good friend and co-worker. She and I used to hang out a lot, so it was just natural that he'd be around, too. He was a sweet guy, always pleasant to be around, always insisted on paying for the next round of drinks, never talked about his job, always cool to fans who'd recognize him and come up to say hi.

I actually felt bad for the guy because my friend was something of a starfucker and I don't think he caught on to her for quite some time. (In all the years I'd know her, she always managed to hook up with a lot of C-list musicians and actors. She was hot and always seemed to go to the right clubs and concerts so snagging minor celebs to date was like shooting fish in a barrel for her. ) Social climber, one could call her.

Like I said, he never talked about his work, but he must have felt comfortable with my friend because she used to tell me all sorts of juicy celeb gossip he told her in good faith. One A-lister he worked with had 5 abortions, one A-plus list sitcom actor he worked with was having several affairs while married to his equally famous wife. She also told me all about Morgan Freeman's crack and infidelity habit (I can mentioned that one because he has no professional relationship with him so it doesn't tie back to him).

She would tell me all sorts of shit, and I never asked. I never said, "Hey so-and-so, what hot gossip has your boyfriend told you lately?" She would just volunteer all this information to me.

Knowing this insider gossip got her off, and telling me probably made her think she was a celebrity in her own right. She betrayed his trust because I'm sure he never wanted her to repeat these things. It's how couples tell each other things not meant for public -- it's an unwritten couple's law -- you don't repeat shit told in confidence.

They broke up after 1.5 years of dating. She says it's because he had a drug problem and he didn't want to give it up for her, but in all my time hanging out with him, all I ever saw was an occasional whiskey and weed smoker. I sort of pieced together that he dumped her because she was, as I mentioned earlier, a starfucker. I know this because knowing her, she never would have dumped a celebrity who was taking her to movie premieres, major award shows, comped concerts, and rubbing elbows with his famous friends.

[Sidebar: All of you queens bitching about people not naming names are ruining a good thread.]

I learned about celebrity discretion quite early on when two well known celebrities, one a popular 80's character actress, the other a rock diva, came into a store I worked at in West Hollywood. We were chit-chatting and joking around about something rather scandalous. Somehow our conversation made it into a cheap free rag that was dropped off at gay retail establishments, and word got back to them. The character actress asked me if I knew anything about it, and I said that I didn't even know anybody who worked on that paper. One of our managers interrupted us and told me that someone from that paper had come in to drop it off and said they had written an article about something they overheard. I was glad to be exonerated, and the actress thanked me for my discretion and apologized for thinking it was me. It wasn't an issue her confronting me (gently), but I was very grateful that I was proved innocent of being a gossip.

Good God. These posts are way too long and no real names are named.

It's like a creative writing course.

One thing. Paris Hilton is better and nicer than you think. Smart and funny. And really tall.

Then there was that short, fat girl that used to carry her stuff.

Name escapes me.

I would imagine the reason these people are still friends with these celebrities is because they don't gossip about them and name names.

R140 was that rag “The Hollywood Kids”? It was a lot of fun in those pre-internet days, Lots of juicy blind items.

r134 Kathleen Turner mentioned this sort of. How she was the new thing in town, and how the game, the pursuit between Beatty and Douglas on who would fuck her first, was a competition. Which neither won. :)

The comment about casually talking about celebrities is bang on. I’ve experienced that from the other side, I find I have to watch my tongue with non-industry friends, because I worry either they’ll think I’m name-dropping, or they’ll get upset if it’s a celeb they like. One of my best friend’s favourite actors sexually assaulted another friend of mine, and it caused so much hurt all around.

I had another casual friend who actually was a work friend, a film producer with a decent-ish nascent career (had produced three low- or mid-budget indie dramas, two of which got international distribution) who tried to stalk my much more famous friend because she was so desperate to work with him.

I have other casual friends (people I’ve known since school) who are very into “fandom.” Like not being obsessed with a particular actor, just enjoying online fandom culture, plus I know one girl who goes to the theatre a lot and enjoys stage dooring to get actor autographs. She’s not an obsessed fan, she just enjoys saying hello to actors (any vaguely well-known actor) and collecting autographs. It’s a harmless hobby but awkward for me since so many of those actors are my friends/colleagues/exes/enemies etc.

"One of my best friend’s favourite actors sexually assaulted another friend of mine, and it caused so much hurt all around."

How awful, R145. Did they press charges, or let it drop because they are in the industry and didn't want it to affect her career?

Just in the last couple of years, I have become close friends with an actress and her husband. They bought the house next door and came over to introduce themselves. I thought she looked familiar, but *shrug* whatever. At the first July 4 neighborhood picnic they were here for, we sat and talked for hours. Then she had to leave early because a car was coming to pick her up to go to work. I rolled my eyes and was, like, Sure, Jan.

I saw her at the mailboxes a couple day later and invited her in for a coffee and a piece of pie. We sat and talked for a while before the work thing came up. She said she is an actor. I was thinking, regional theater? But it turned out that she is actually quite famous. She stars in a current, long-running sitcom, and has had several movies on her resume, most of which I have seen more than once. I just never really knew her name.

All I can say is, she is as Plain Jane in person as can be, and she is extraordinarily grounded. We go to the supermarket together occasionally, see a movie about once a month at the local AMC, and she has watched my kid twice when something urgent came up. We pop into each other's houses a couple times a week. Without makeup, you'd never recognize her in public.

Her name is Helen something. Lawson, I think.

I went to Harvard and was very involved there in the arts. Even though I didn't stay along that route in life, I wound up being friends with many people who are now successful screenwriters and TV and film and stage actors, etc. I've kept a few of those friendships over the years.

They have followed the same pattern: when they first hit in big they wanted to namedrop a lot because they were so starstruck, but they did not want to gossip much about other celebrities (and I didn't blame them), except to say which of them were difficult to work with. Now most of them do not even namedrop that much because knowing famous people gets boring to them. We mostly talk about stuff we still have in common: our shared college years and friends, books and movies, politics, etc. But while I'm perfectly comfortable and make a good salary, some of them are quite rich, and so we have much less in common than we did in college.

Friend of mine went to elementary, jr high and high school with a rock star. It's all an act - he's not as wild or crazy as his stage persona. He's a very normal and respectable person even.

It's called show business for a reason - it's a show.

Love that story R150 - of course it's all an act! See Mick Jagger.

I went to a NYE party some 15 years ago and as people were being introduced to me there's this one girl where I just go: "Sure! We've already met! Remember the party at the house with the pool..." registering blank face with her and as I spoke I felt my voice stop until I blurted out: wait no that's a movie. That got a big laugh from the hosts while the girl seemed to want to blend into the furniture. It wasn't a big movie or anything, and it was shot mumblecore style, so it felt like actually spending time with these people rather than watching a movie. I imagine that's part of the reason why it felt like we'd met. The setting of the movie felt so familiar, too, like any large house in the country.

Anyway, after this terrible introduction I had the even more stupid idea to go talk to her later, and mentioned the lead/producer/star of the picture. For some very stupid reason, not realising what I was doing, I said "you two seemed really close". She just looked upset and said nothing. It was the first time I realised there was something wrong with my mindset, and my behaviour. I then switched the conversation to literature but made a mental note never to behave like this again.

A couple years later I found out this guy (the male star) does this all the time: picks up a girl on set/during a theatre run, has a passionate affair with her, then drops her once the show is over. He's been tamed (only recently) by a star actress with RBF. This guy isn't conventionally handsome but coasts on his charm, which he has buckets of.

Someone from Almost Famous? R152

Nobody's American in that story R153.

It's really odd R152, that you actually thought you met the person because you were remembering a movie scene-

Oh, excuse me. I've apparently wandered into Fantasy Land.

The movie was directed not like a movie - like you were there - like a documentary, if you will. And there was nobody famous except for the star in the movie. Nothing happened in the movie that wasn't like a generic holiday in the countryside. it wasn't like a "movie" movie. Think mumblecore.

Not me, but my ex was good friends from high school with a moderately well known actor.

The actor was a nice guy, sort of shy in person and a bit quirky, but as others have mentioned. he and my ex mostly talked about friends in common, their hometown, etc. He might tell us if he'd gotten a role he was particularly excited about and/or if he'd met someone who was more famous and of a different generation (e.g. he once talked to Lauren Bacall at some charity event and was very excited about that.)

The weird part was his fangurls and social media. They stalked him relentlessly and everyone whom they thought might be associated with him as well.

Somehow they figured out my ex was one of his friends. We're pretty sure that it was because another high school friend had posted a photo on Instagram that was hashtagged and thus became public. I say we think, because the actor used a different name on his personal social media account, IIRC, it was a combo of a nickname from elementary school and his grandmother's maiden name.

But suddenly my ex (and the three other friends in the photo) was getting friend requests from people he didn't know, but who turned out to be crazy fans of the actor. They'd find him on Twitter and ask him questions about the actor (he never answered) and a few times we Googled and there were even fans who were stalking my ex (who is a marketing exec and no one famous) and their other friends. As in "I saw that [ACTOR]'s friend Jim was in Miami last week. I wonder if [ACTOR] is going to meet him there." "I think Jim is gay. Maybe he and [ACTOR] are having an affair."

My ex thought it was hilarious, but he never told the actor because he knew he'd get upset--the fans really made his life hell--they'd set up fake accounts on social media to try and trick the actor into thinking it was someone he knew. (e.g., Ex once got a text "do you have a new IG?" "No, why?" -- seems some fan was pretending to be my ex to get into the actor's personal account. Not sure how they figured out his account, as I'd noted, he did not use his real name.)

It was fucked up because the actor wasn't say Tom Cruise level famous where he could hire a team of people to monitor his socials. The actor had "public" accounts that his PR team handled, but the fans managed to find out his personal account and they'd find and publish photos of him at family weddings or friends birthday parties and the poor bride would get inundated by crazed fangurls asking about the actor. They also figured out where he lived and would drive by his house and take photos, track down his neighbors and try and get information out of them.

He had a good attitude about it but I know it got to him after a while, especially because he felt it was his fault other people were getting stalked.

What the fuck is wrong with people who stalk actors like the ones in 3158's thread?

Do they have jobs? Do they do this all day? What are they like? Are they dangerously mentally ill or just silly?

It's weird R159: some are clearly insane but others, at least on the surface, appear to be standard issue housewives with kids and husbands.

I don't know if their families regard their obsessive crushes on say Ben Barnes or T. Chalamet (to use some DL examples) as an odd quirk, a serious mental illness or a joke.

It's the sort of thing that if they were 14, you'd think they'd outgrow, but these were women in their late 20s, 30s and 40s.

A goodly number of the crazed fans I was referencing in R158 were Chinese--they only knew of the actor from DVDs and their English was often incomprehensible (Google Translate was not translating something correctly).

^^that was actually how my ex figured out he was being stalked--he kept getting friend requests from people in China and when he clicked on their profiles, they were filled with photos of his friend.

Reminds me of Charmian Carr who said at one of the SOM reunions she was always recognized as Liesl until she started getting old and then people would say to her 'Did we go to high school together?'

What I've noticed with my celebrity friends is that I most often will defer to them, whereas with other friends I'll be more apt to disagree or put up a fuss. When people claim "I treat stars just like everyone else," they're not sharing the experience of 99% of everyone else on the planet.

It's pretty hard to forget you're with a celebrity, even if you knew them before they were famous (as is the case with me)

I will say this is my hangup, not theirs. The two I know are very down-to-earth and democratic. They do not see the difference between us, but I do.

Organized fandom in China is on another level. Most of their social media is focused on celebrity culture instead of societal issues (which are heavily censored) so young girls form chat groups to discuss their favorite celebs, some getting quite psycho in the process.

I never knew China was so strange.

R158 that sounds like hell! I only lurk in fandoms and it's ridiculous some of the conclusions they jump to. The blame always gets put on teenagers, but there are plenty of 30/40 year olds too.

Fans are WEIRD

And a lot of them latch onto c-list actors. It's even worse if they attend a lot of cons.

Every time I’ve ever worked with a vaguely well known actor I’ve had that same experience. There are so many obsessed fans out there and they don’t think they are doing anything wrong.

I once tweeted about a friend’s engagement and sent three separate groups of fans into meltdown. Why would I be tweeting that some random actor I’d worked with briefly two years ago had gotten engaged?

I would say the vast majority were over 25, with over 35 being the bulk R166. It was creepy when we'd look them up and they'd turn out to be basic fraus, with photos of Jayden and Cayden and fat husband on the church picnic ... and then posting photos of the actor shirtless.

I have read that too R168, that the psychology is that if they are Justin Bieber stans, they are one of five million, but if they're say, Sam Heughan stans (another DL example) they are one of five hundred and thus have a much better chance of actually meeting the guy or getting acknowledged by him on social media.

Another thing I've noticed about hardcore fans is because they live their lives online, they assume everyone else does too, and that the Internet/social media represent a celeb's entire life. So whoever the celeb interacts with on social media, those are the closest people in their life, and anyone they don't regularly tweet with, they can't possibly have any kind of relationship with. And generally they act like celebs are cartoon characters who exist for their own amusement and not real people at all.

For example one of my friends has a lot of psychological issues around self-esteem, privacy, and the need for validation, and usage of social media is a big part of that (and something he's explored in therapy). He usually doesn't respond on social media at all, EXCEPT to fans (because to him responding to fans is "work" and something he feels obligated to do). But he reads everything and he massively enjoys and gets psychological comfort from peers and friends showing support on SM. And then obviously he responds privately.

I make a point to tweet nice, supportive things about all his projects, because I know how much it means to him. We hang out in person enough that of course I don't expect him to reply on Twitter; if you actually know someone, you talk in person or over text, not in a public forum. But then I have his fans making bitchy comments like, "Ugh why does so-and-so keep tweeting X when X never replies and obviously hates him, so-and-so is so pathetic trying so desperately to get X's attention all the time, I'm so glad X can see right through him and never gives him any attention." But at the same time the fans are trying to jam their tongues up his asshole figuratively, we're at home doing the same -- literally.

[Quote] Another thing I've noticed about hardcore fans is because they live their lives online, they assume everyone else does too, and that the Internet/social media represent a celeb's entire life.

I find that so fucking weird. I've seen some stans get upset if an actor doesn't wish their co-star a happy birthday on twitter.

I remember fans thinking a certain actor was mad at another one. And then weirdly a day later the actor posted a photo of them on Instagram using FaceTime.

[quote]r172 I find that so fucking weird. I've seen some stans get upset if an actor doesn't wish their co-star a happy birthday on twitter.

But what about ignoring a sibling (David Cassidy's) death?

R163 I'm the opposite with my friend. We have a love and mutual respect for each other, in that they may be at the top of their profession, but I know the sport that we share a passion for, inside out.

We always try and beat each other getting the first round of drinks in at whatever bar. We were meeting at a really posh hotel once, and I got there early to get the drinks in, but my friend, who was a regular, had rang the hotel earlier and told the barman not to take my money when he saw my friend arrive. So then I had to get my own back the next time we met somewhere else. We're just playful like that with each other.

[Quote] We were meeting at a really posh hotel once, and I got there early to get the drinks in, but my friend, who was a regular, had rang the hotel earlier and told the barman not to take my money when he saw my friend arrive.

That was sneaky of him.

Bump

I work as an entertainment reporter in Los Angeles.

My beat is events so I'm always seeing the same actors over and over and over.

I was very young when I started doing this and for a long time had to figure out how to do my job which was to get close to these folks, gain their trust so they'd feel comfortable with me enough to share stuff they wanted out there.

It creates an air of false intimacy.

I started doing this in an era before social media, so to have someone's home phone or cell phone was a BIG DEAL.

Now, it's all changed. Thanks to social media, we all know what our favorite celebs have eaten for breakfast and so many other intimate details both important and unimportant.

I have become friendly with some; this is going to sound awful, but I don't think, in general, actors know how to be friends. It'll always go back to them at the end of the day.

I know a handful that this doesn't apply to, but for the most part ...no. Just no.

R177 I'm SURE I know you.

[Quote] this is going to sound awful, but I don't think, in general, actors know how to be friends.

You don't sound awful.

R177, I would imagine that it's because there are so few people that they can trust. They're also always "on" because they have a persona that they've built which is hard to drop. Does that sound accurate?

R177 is right. It is hard for celebrities to make friends outside of their career.

[quote]r174 We always try and beat each other getting the first round of drinks in at whatever bar.

Oh, [italic]fuck that[/italic]. Unless we're meeting at a diner, THEY pay.

They make about 100 times more than me! Probably even more. And they have accountants who can do wonders with their receipts.

I will say some of my nicest things have come from their pre-award show swag giveaway event thingies. There's this one messenger bag from (seriously) recycled tires that's super cool/chic ... a little like the one below. I love it and it makes me think of them whenever I use it.

This is completely OT, but Charmian Carr was very pretty.

R163 Deferring to my friends who have a higher social standing is something I tend do to too (and don't like), I think everybody does. There's a couple friends I stopped seeing because of this, even though it's not their fault. They're very considerate but it just grates me in the end.

Not one Jeremy Renner story?!

Just checking back.

What several of you have said is very true.

Celebs are ambitious and always looking for their next big break.

I remember being at an event and being hit on by an actor. It was the guy who played Adam on Dynasty.

The whole time he was trying to get in my pants he was scanning the room looking looking for something better.

And by the way, he was kinda skinny and creepy anyway.

They're all like that.

R178... Joan?

R180, R181; you have points, but no one should use that as an excuse to not feel they need to act like a friend.

Most of these people aren't actors anyway; they're just playing heightened versions of themselves.

How many times have we seen actor play the same role over and over; that's b/c that's who they are.

I thought that I was close friends with Chris Evans, but no because restraining order...

I met Rosario Dawson at a house party once. She was a friend of the house's owner. My friend and I were at the makeshift bar on the lawn, and she was collecting beers for all of her friends. My friend, who is a sometime actress (she did a recurring role on one of the Star Trek series in the early aughts, and will still be recognized if she goes to a con), approached Rosario because she was sure she knew her from somewhere. I was amused/mortified, but Rosario couldn't have been cooler. We wound up talking to her about her latest project, she wanted to know about our lives, etc., because she doesn't like having conversations that are all about herself. She is one of the most relaxed, "non-famous" famous people that I've ever met.

R186 is a scorned Bitter Betty.

R145 yeah..... Right....

Rosario Dawson sounds very cool. Not the first time I've heard she's down-to-earth and relaxed.

She couldn't have been nicer. Topher Grace was also at the party, high AF but very pleasant and flirty (I am female).

That's cool! I'm a lesbian, but I used to find him super cute in TRAFFIC the movie by Soderbergh. Even though he played a jerk.

I could see him being sort of a charming jerk. He was with a very attractive woman but kept flirting with me. She was not amused. He's very funny and knows what effect he has on women. He's also SUPER tall and boyish.

Ah, super tall is not a plus... I prefer men who are petite, 5'8" not taller than me. Can't believe he's still boyish 20 years later... That's a huge plus and his main selling point. Again, largely preferring women even outside of a sexual situation, I would most likely have spoken to Dawson about food.

Also, hitting on another woman in front of his date: not cool. I would not have been amused either (even as a bystander, I don't do "dates").

I find it stupid and shows your level of intelligence to be in awe of someone who acts down to earth and real. I think you play into the whole Celebrity trope thing, and it's really on you. Oh they are so into themselves, always looking around the corner, then they could be the opposite and celebrated for it. Dumb both ways! You think celebrities are the only ones looking over their shoulders for the next best thing, or only into their own interests? Oh fly over states how I love thee! You put them on pedestals when they are 'celebs' and put them on pedestals if they are 'real' and down to earth. STFU. Even psychopaths can mimic these 'real' behaviors. Grow up Rosario Dawson in awe nerds!

Wow, that was weird.

R177, I bet you are right on the money. I have a very good family friend who is friend's with a famous European actress of film and stage. He has been a houseguest of hers several times. My friend had a party to celebrate a big milestone in his life. The actress wasn't there. I asked why not. He told me that if he had asked her, she would have come, but he would have to spend the entire evening with her. She needs the attention.

There might be a misconception between the words "working actor", "recognizable name" and "celebrity". Not too many trolls on this thread, still

Being a celebrity in entertainment must be so strange. Outside of LA, you will mostly be around rich people (in stores, restaurants, country clubs) who are not impressed with you. (I have seen this happen at charity galas where the other wealthy people, business people, interact with them as if they're morons, but the waiters are tripping over themselves for autographs.)

R190 Your friend should have brought up appearing on Star Trek since Rosario is a big fan.

She did, and they fangirled over each other for a little bit. It was cute.

I’m Kathy Bates’ nephew. I house sit for her (LA) frequently and she is extremely generous. Tbh she’s the epitome of “down to earth” and we actually joke about when she filmed a scene in a hot tub with Jack Nicholson. (She says “you know, my secret boyfriend Jack!”) Because of her generosity I get to pursue my music and have tons of free time to travel. She also knows I’d never steal a cent from her.

'Also, having sex with celebrities is a whole other ball of weirdness. They are SO into you while pursuing you and then once it's over and they've orgasmed their interest in you and their personality completely changes. They shut down, won't talk to you, and can't seem to get you out the hotel room door fast enough.'

R134: this clearly applies to 'regular' people, not just celebrities!

That's really nice, R206. Love her and wish her the best.

R199 sounds like an enraged seat-filler.

r209 IS an enraged seat filler!

'Also, going to lunch with celebrities, is a whole ball of weirdness' I mean sometimes they show up really late. It's really quite rude!

lmao nerds the lot of u!

A frau in my building was close friends with a celebrity from a very popular ensemble TV show. She was (is) a big name and the frau was dumpy looking and lived in a 1 BR apartment with her husband & kid. They met through their husbands who worked in the same field. I moved out of the building & found out that the frau got a job as an assistant to a big music star through the celebrity friend.

They were an incongruous pair, these two. The celebrity was tall, thin, pretty and loaded. The frau was short, tubby, ugly & had what they call gig jobs -- as in, not a career. She bounced around getting a job here then a job there. I heard last year that she doesn't work for the big music star anymore.. I don't know if she's still friends with the celeb because the celeb and her husband divorced.

R206 please tell your aunt that we love her :)

That's really interesting R212. You know what they say, no matter how big you are, you always need someone smaller than you.

R206 what a great story. Love her.

Question for you - how often do celebrities actually remain friends with their former co-workers? Has your aunt forged any genuine friendships with other celebs?

Nephew! Don't dish about Kathy Bates, we don't need that! Don't do it.

If he really is Bates' nephew it's not like he shared anything elicit or super personal.

illicit, r217.

good christ.

Sorry grammar/spelling police

R216 - Kathy’s nephew here. Trust me she’s not “Hollywood” at all. And yes, she knows about her loyal gay following! Most people don’t even recognize her when she’s out, but once we were at lunch and a guy said “Tawanda!” To her (a lone from Fried Green Tomatoes) and she took a selfie with him. What drives me crazy is all the invitations to celeb events/parties that she declines. Here’s a tidbit y’all might like: she still sends out handwritten Christmas cards every year to all our family and her friends and we do it together.

She's so cool. Loved all the Six Feet Under episodes with her. Thank you for posting, and you're a cool nephew!

R206 - she doesn’t hang out with people I’d consider celebrities....actually her best friend is a Homemaker wife to a TV producer she’s known for 30 years. The only time she told me she was excited to meet “someone famous” was Barack Obama. She has the photo framed in her study.

Kathy Bates nephew.... is it true that her son or nephew or some family member convinced her to do Water Boy w Adam Sandler cuz he was so funny back then (not really). But damn did she make that movie a fucking hoot.

Thanks for sharing, Kathy's nephew.

R220 better to have an encounter with a Fried green tomatoes fan that a Misery fan?

How amazing about Bates.

I saw her as an unknown(at least it was the first I'd heard of her)in 'Night Mother and a more unhappy depressed person you could not see on stage. I realize she was inhabiting a character but with her looks stance and demeanor you could really imagine her as a person going home after the show shooting herself.

Yet she created a major career for herself and has had much success and seems to be for the most part a well adjusted content appreciative person.

I'm so glad to see attention paid to Kathy Bates.

Delores Claiborne is a masterwork.

Really glad to hear she's as awesome as I always hoped she would be.

And r191, suck my ass. I fucked Tarzan.

R226 - thanks for noticing! Friends of hers will pull me aside and tell me, “your aunt is one of the nice ones.” She honestly never expected the amount of fan support she has and even though I encourage her to do Instagram she laughs it off and says she’s not “cool” enough!

Kathy would have devoured and owned the part in "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"

R229 - as much as I love Melissa McCarthy I absolutely AGREE!!! Kathy would have killed at the bitter New Yorker role.

I would be watching the movie right now if Kathy Bates were in it.

YOU SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT A SQUIRREL!

She owns anything she's in.

[quote]That's really interesting. You know what they say, no matter how big you are, you always need someone smaller than you.

That's never been a problem for me.

R225 made me laugh.

R229, yes! As soon as you said it, I pictured it. Would have been perfect.

I need to stay in this weekend and rewatch Bates movies.

I love that this has turned into a Kathy Bates appreciation thread.

The first time I ever heard of Kathy Bates was when she did (originated, I think) "Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune" onstage in NYC. She got raves in that role, and people really took notice of her as a gifted actress who was perfect for the character, a non-gorgeous, everyday type of working-class heroine. Then they made the movie, casting Michelle Fricking Pfeiffer, of all people, which in my opinion completely changed the impact of the work. It should have been Kathy! Love her.

Gay lady?

I met Kathy Bates in a supermarket checkout line in (I think) Glendale a few months after I saw her in 'Night Mother in the original touring version in LA. I am a woman about her age, and I thought for sure I had known her in Berkeley where I had lived for years because I tend to recognize people I've seen before, even if it's once. She wasn't in films yet I think, so she was just a familiar face to me and not famous. She said she was an actress and told me her name and then I realized I had seen her so recently on stage. It was an amazing play and she was remarkable in it. She was very unpretentious and nice. Glad to hear she has stayed that way, and I'm totally not surprised.

R237, Sorry, just a lady, hon.

OMG I LOVE Kathy Bates. So happy that she has been in many seasons of Americans Horror Story. She just seems like such a cool person!

R239, alright... Doesn't hurt to ask...

r206, I was lucky enough to be in the SMU theater department with your aunt. She was so loved and affectionately nicknamed "Bobo." What she was doing in acting classes at that young age was astonishing, and the smartest of us who thought we could maybe be actors realized we *might* be a 10th as good by 70 if we worked exceptionally hard. Also - we sucked.

Most of us went into other theater professions or civilian jobs but we have always cheered Bobo on and loved her from afar. So proud of all her wonderful accomplishments.

R219 you don't have to apologize to your grammar. She loves you anyway.

Yall realize Kathy bates nephew is actually Kathy Bates... but okay... lmao!

Bullshit, r244. I know him. His name's Norman and he's really sweet.

R242, thank you for the nice story.

r244 "his" name is Kathy... Kathy Bates if u nasty!

So i'm guessing ifgiven the chance, Rosario would totally be up for doing Star Trek Discovery?? I also read she knows how to speak Klingon lol

R240 too bad the scripts suck

Let's talk for a second about the reverse of this game. You all kiss ass of a bunch of celebrities. How about being best friends with one that won a major award on a project you helped them with and they never thank you and also stop returning your calls? That's me.

I'm not the only one. Many celebrities are major narcissists and don't deserve half the praise you give them.

Sounds like a number of people I've known and I've never known a celebrity.

But yes that seems especially galling when they're beloved public personalities.

I love Kathy Bates and love that this thread has turned into a Kathy Bates love-in.

Celebrities are just people. With perhaps a higher incidence of personality disorders, but there are probably other industries you could say that about (the biggest sociopath I ever met in my entire career was actually an investment banker who was involving in the financial side of a film project I worked on, and the two biggest BPD nightmares were a producer and an aspiring director, respectively). My best friend was nominated for an Oscar about three weeks after I was nominated for an award that's just for "emerging artists" (ie newbies) and he was far more thrilled and made a much bigger deal of my nomination than his. Didn't even go to the Oscars, because he knew he wasn't going to win, but agreed to be my date to my awards ceremony.

I saw Kathy Bates in the original Broadway production of “Night, Mother,” and was floored by how good she was. She makes acting look so easy, which is the real secret to it, if secret there be. (Henry Fonda could do that, too; I saw him in “Our Town.”)

About six years later, I saw Bates in “Misery,” and you could tell she, at the very least, would get an Oscar nomination. I was so glad she won, because she so richly deserved it. She’s one of the few Oscar-winning actresses who’s just gone right on working, for years.

I wonder if she sings. She would be a smash in “Hello Dolly!” Or even “Mame.”

( And I was sorry about the films of “Night, Mother” and “Frankie and Johnnie.” Both misfires. Bates would have batted them out of the park.)

More power to her.

R250 Any narcissist does that, they don't have to be celebrities. Let's talk about my brother, who is not famous by any means. I gave him info about an event that he could use for his work, because I knew about the event from my own job. Later he did go to the event but had forgotten how he had got word of it, so "scooled" me about how cool and informative the event was, and how he was able to suck up and impress at work etc. Obviously he never thanked me. He did remember to tell me to shut up and listen.

I want Kathy Bate's nephew to ask Kathy about her role in Men Don't Leave- I LOVE her character in that one.

And I want to know about Ms. Lange.

You can tell by Kathy's nephew's posts that he is an apple from the same tree. Good people.

In short supply these days.

Your friend is really cool R252. Personally I tend to follow emerging artists more because I find their work more exciting and rewarding. I will follow established artists too, but only a few names. I'm much more willing to "try out" things that I've never heard of. But this is just as an audience, I don't produce shows or anything.

Kathy Bates singing from the movie TAKING OFF by Milos Forman. Sorry I don't have the video, this is only audio. On the cover jacket I believe she is third from top and right.

Agreed, R255.

Celebrities are just people. We've got the very competitive to the very relaxed. We've got narcissits and we've got thoughtful friends.

It's the quality of friendship that's the most important. I could not care less about my friend's latest project, who they're working with, or their work gossip and they know that. I just like spending time with my friend because they're understanding, caring, funny, knowledgable and they're just a nice person to be with. We jabber away about our common interest, life, the universe and everything else. They tell me a bit about what they're up to, but I don't probe. Our chat is more about family, life and whats happening in the world. And we just laugh and have fun and fight over the drinks tab!

My ex became friends and then an employee of Lily Tomlin. He was a major fangurl of Tomlin's and went to all her shows, even traveling long distances. He always made something for her, personalized t-shirts and things like that, which he would give her after the show. She became fond of him and invited him backstage and then hired him to write the opener to her shows where she talks a little about whichever city she's performing in. We were invited to have dinner with her and several others after a show once and she was very cool. She told us some good stories about filming on location with other stars. Even though he wasn't really in her inner circle, all of this went to his head and he became almost unbearable to be around because of his bragging, claiming people were jealous of this new friendship of his (nobody was), etc. on down the line. During the first season of Grace & Frankie, she fired him. Never found out exactly what happened. When I asked him, he said he didn't have "the right disdain" as her close friends, a statement I never understood. Gradually, he realized what an ass he'd been to his friends and tried to repair his old friendships.

Kathy Bates got the shaft with Harry's Law (was that the name?); it was an NBC legal show written by David E. Kelley doing well and yet it was yanked.

In the late 70s/early 80s I was good friends with Camryn Manheim, back when her name was still Debbie, or was it Debi? She was creative, fun, and a hippie-at-heart. One ear had two piercings, the other has something like eleven. I remember bumping into with my mom outside of a reparatory movie theatre (remember those?), who that was the coolest thing she'd seen in ages. She loved Neil Young, the Renaissance Faire, smoking pot and Milos Forman's movie version of Hair. Her dad was a big-deal math professor as Cal State Long Beach—everyone in academic circles knew him—and both Debi and her brother were driven and determined to get out of suburban Long Beach, and do something with their lives. In her early college days at UC Santa Cruz, I drove up to Aptos in my (of course) beat-up VW bug with my friend Ricky, where we stayed the weekend in Aptos at Debi's funky rental house that she shared with her bff Kellie, who's cool stoner blond boyfriend called himself White Eagle. We eventually lost touch and it wasn't until the late 90s when I saw her name in the credits of Romy & Michelle did I know that her acting career had taken off. I'm still good friends with someone I met around that time who is family friends with her from years ago, and he keeps me in the loop from time to time. He's the one who told me that her one woman show she performed in her up-and-coming grad school years at NYU that sort of put her on the map—I think Joseph Papp saw it—included a monologue titled "I Am Not a Lesbian." lol

I got maybe 2/3rds through this thread before I remembered that my dad was a celebrity. He was B-list, probably, at best, yet I can find posters discussing him here by a Google search. Many of the posts suggest he may be gay, which he isn't. However, he's supportive.

R262, I was friends with Camryn back in the 80s and 90s.

Really great, fun generous person. And to tie it to the thread, she talked about how great and encouraging Kathy Bates was to her. I lost touch when I moved and had a number of life changes around the time she got pregnant.

Harry's Law was a hit with the wrong demographic - people over 40. So it was shitcanned. I thought it was funny.

How about Friendship WITH BENEFITS with Celebrities?

I had the weird experience of having a question publicly acknowledged and answered on an online forum by a popular tv show writer/show runner in a very casual way. Fans of the male lead in the show immediately followed me on the mistaken assumption that I knew the writer. Amazingly, the actor also followed me, presumably under the same impression, and occasionally liked or responded to my Tweets. This happened several years ago, but I remain a fairly recognized presence in the fandom, even though I am anonymous and have no real connection to either the writer or the actor. I did get to meet the actor once as a fan and that was a thrill. I follow him casually on sm but don’t pursue him or anything. I have never pretended to actually know him and don’t ever expect to, but it’s kind of fun to be a recognized fan.

R266, you mean like Friendship with BENEFITS with Kathy Bates?

R266 Brendan Scannell and I are eskimo sisters.

Was Harry's Law the show about lawyers or PIs who worked out of a shoe store? If it was, I loved it.

I used to love Camryn Manheim on The Practice. Actually, I simply loved the show. It never got the recognition it deserved, IMO.

What do you mean, R211? It got a number of Emmy noms and wins. Also, TV critics loved it (for the first few years at least).

bump

r253....Here she is in the Disney version of Annie as Miss Hannigan....

I always thought Kathy Bates would not just be a great Dolly (she would be!), but a killer Mama Rose in Gypsy. She'd kill that part.

Any other celebrity friendships out there besides (the fabulous) Kathy Bates?

R267 that's pretty cool.

Looks like she's the only nice one.

R248 Rosario speaks Klingon is cool random trivia.

I don't have any celeb friends, but a very good friend of mine is best friends with a young actor who got really, really famous in 2017. I would not call the actor a friend, maybe an acquaintance. He was always very, very nice. Still is. Fame didn't spoil him. Hope he stays that way.

Still in regular contact with my friend, but since I don't live in the states anymore, I don't see him that often. Last time I saw them both was in Budapest last year where the actor was filming. Actually going to meet up with my buddy next week. He is traveling Europe for a couple of months. There is a chance we are going back to Budapest this April and visit him, since he is filming there again.

[quote] Here’s a tidbit y’all might like:

Kathy Bates nephew just outed himself as really Southern - as Kathy is Memphis, Tennessee

Towanda adjacent: a theater professor I worked with knew Fannie Flagg, said she was great fun with fabulous stories. I loved Kathy in Fried Green Tomatoes - when she flips out in the grocery store lot - classic !

We had a poster last year who said Flagg but on her at a book signing event.

You want to clarify that comment R283?

Hit on her, that was.

I can't believe how horrible Kindle is with changing what you write.

It changes hit to but.

R250 said

[quote]How about being best friends with one that won a major award on a project you helped them with and they never thank you and also stop returning your calls? That's me. I'm not the only one. Many celebrities are major narcissists and don't deserve half the praise you give them.

R254 said

[quote]Any narcissist does that, they don't have to be celebrities.

Exactly.

Who was it that said that fame, like having money, "will show you who a person really is?"

It either brings out certain qualities or amplifies what's already present.

That person was always a narcissist. R250 just didn't see it.

Exactly what R286 said! Power will show who you really are. Few people are truly kind, then again that's the game!

Is AIKC Kathy's nephew?

bump

This shows how beloved Kathy Bates is. This entire thread has become the Kathy Bates thread, and I for one, am LOVING it.

r13 I worked on Scandal a bit and Kerry actually took the initiative to introduce herself to me one day. She is very sweet and I kind of have a little crush on her. Would love to kiss those beautiful lips of hers.

r282 there’s a red Mini Cooper in Chapel Hill with my favorite custom license plate: TOWANDA!

For you Rosario Dawson fans upthread, she's dating Cory Booker.

I once said "hello" to Snooki. Jelous bitches? Good because this is the worst zzzzzzzzz fest I have seen on DL in a long while.

I used to talk to Helen Lawson at least once in a blue moon, before she started wearing wiggs.

I used to be married to one!

r190, I worked with one of TG exes (ex's? exe's?). He was a total controlling asshole to her.

I am friends with 2 celebs, who are related. At least 99% of their fans are respectful. However one fan showed up at the older celebs non listed house in upstate NY and was taking pics of their kids. The celeb had to talk to them and tell them that taking unauthorized pics of people's kids was not cool. They were pretty shaken by this event, and pretty much has stopped doing publicity when humanly possible.

I hang out with the younger one more, because we live in the same city, but I was supposed to hang out with both of them at the older one's place during Christmas (they had a whole day of festivities planned). The day of, I was having b'fast with the younger one (we were going to drive up together) when everything was cancelled because their family was decimated by the flu (which the younger one later confirmed). I work with both fairly often too- that's how we met. I adore both of them because they're super low key, kind and have a great sense of goofy humor.

Anyone friends with Luke Perry while he was alive?

I had related the story of my ex being friends with a B/C-list actor with an insane fan base at R158.

The other side of that, which is sort of funny.

Caught up with ex--we're still friendly--and was asking after actor. He was telling me that his friend became Facebook friends with an A-list actor who he'd worked on a movie with and was showing my ex how, when the A-list actor posted something, a whole mess of famous people--studio execs, CEOs-you've-heard-of, other actors/singers/models, politicians-would like it or sometimes even comment on it. He said it was sort of funny to see his friend sort of star-struck by that, so it seems even famous people are impressed by people who are more famous.

R299, it's like watching soap stars go ga-ga over moderately famous prime time or film stars; in terms of fame, if not $, the soap star is infinitely more popular.

Was the fan who showed up arrested?

r301, I'm not sure, they didn't tell me about it, but the younger one did. I figure they'll tell me when I see them again for the summer. If not, then I'm not inquiring. There's a delicate balance when you work with them and are their friend. I'd rather have them think I'm not nosy.

Friends of Camryn Mannheim, can you tell us how she became fluent in sign language? Her skills are impressive!

R302 thanks for the response.

I would hate to be a celebrity.

I think Camryn just studied ASL as a language in school. She worked as an interpreter for years before she got The Practice.

I do not know if NYU had a language requirement for grad school but a lot of places did back then. I know a number of actors who took ASL rather than Spanish, French, etc.

I went to college with Stephen Root, a C+ celebrity. He was always quiet and focused in college. He was introverted and didn't speak much but a nice guy. Saw him a few years after when he started doing a lot of TV and some movies and he turned into a real dickhead. Rude, didn't want to know anyone from the past. Really full of himself. Saw him at a class reunion and he was sitting by himself. I guess he alienated everyone. I just said hi and left.

I'll confirm that R299. I knew a theatre actress who was a fantastic actress (I'm more into theatre than cinema). I was having drinks with her and another sometime actress friend of hers, and the theatre actress kept name-dropping (in this case, Polanski who she is friendly with). And in the story she was telling, Polanski himself was name-dropping! Nicholson, and whoever else. I found all that super-tacky. She was a v good theatre actress, much more interesting than that hack Polanski, and who cares about Jack Nicholson?? Yet these people were way more famous than her, and she didn't have the self-respect to realise that her own work was important. We didn't even talk about the play she was in, and it was a great play. For some it's about the work, for others it's all about fame and who you know. Others still stumbled into it and family & friends are still way more important (good on them!)

Quite right, R302.

Great info, thanks R305!

R306 Some people are not a match with everyone. Unbelievably enough, I'm a fan of Stephen Root (I'll not seek out stuff he's in, but am always very happy to see his name in the opening credits, and then see him in the movie, whichever it is). This is rather not what you'd expect if you met me (I'm miles away from his type). I'll admit I really enjoy character actors. Reading your post I didn't have to look up his name - I know his name.

Anyway I can totally see him having a conflicted relationship with "fame", the life he had before, etc. Who knows what his personal history is. Popularity and fame are not the same thing. Anyway thanks for posting about Stephen Root. I've enjoyed his presence in movies and TV shows over the years.

Sorry your personal experience with the human living his life isn't great.

Someone with no interest in connecting with their past doesn't show up at class reunions. r306 was probably a dick to Stephen Root in college.

That's what I was leaning towards, R311. Gave R306 the benefit of the doubt because I'm generous with strangers :D

My step brother is a personal trainer and has become friends wiv many celebs, he's been given jewellery and vacations around the world, we don't speak much but I see him wiv celebs on insta all the time.

R280 timothee chalamet?

wiv

twice.

There aren't enough chavs on DL.

Even one is one too many, r317

Ha ha. The post upthread about Stephen Root snubbing old friends is hilarious! I have never even heard of him before reading post above!

Anyone know any sports celebrities? I imagine that's a special kind of Hell. At least actors can tell themselves there's another great role in their future, but when an athlete hangs it up it's over. They're still famous, but they're telling the same stories over and over.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the availability of time. My friend and I are lucky because we tend to meet when the sporting event we love is on. Often, because my friend is working on a project they are just not physically in the country to go and grab a coffee and catch up. We text and call each other, but if I text and ask if they are free next Wednesday for coffee and cake, 'No I'm filming in xxxx next week darling, back on the x of x, meet then?' comes the reply.

It's so nice that you actually get a response, R321. The nobodies walking around LA don't bother to reply to most things until they're absolutely sure that no better plans will materialize.

How many of these stories are invented?

If you grow up/live even the slightest bit adjacent to the industry (movies, t.v.) all glamour is immediately lost. I guess if you live in a fly-over state it seems exotic, but the reality is that 99% of the people drawn to the industry are narcissistic, deeply insecure, or power-hungry - in short, assholes. And the few nice people are corrupted by the sexual politics, power, and having to work with assholes all the time. I’ve worked for a major production company and been friends with the gamut, from make up artists to Oscar winning directors. Sure there’s a few bright spots; movie premiers are fun, for example. But mostly I refuse to be friends with anyone in the industry; it’s just too toxic. My last close friendship, the wife worried constantly about her big-name husband cheating on her (because women literally throw themselves at anyone with any clout at all). He probably did, and was he NOT attractive. She was forced to move overseas repeatedly, dragging the kids along, to follow filming, in order to try and keep the marriage together. There’s no fucking glamour in Hollywood, just a load of shallow, self-obsessed jerks.

R324 speaks the truth.

I don't know that people you grew up with are necessarily old friends, but carry on.

this thread is fantasy island.

R321 I'm not famous and I'm certainly not an actress, yet I give the same type of reply in my texts. I don't live a very "local" life.

What a horrible and depressing truth, R324.

R314 Might be.

Strange story, I'm 60 y.o., and I went to h.s. with a gent who is now a famous comedian and author. His grandmother and I went to the same church, and many years after his success, she came up to me and said that I was her grandson's inspiration for going into entertainment. Funny, I never met her grandson, I never participated in any performing arts, and I wasn't trying to do anything intentionally humorous to get attention. On the contrary, I was quiet and retiring. I tried to set het straight about her obvious mistake, but she insisted to her dying day that my every move and gesture exuded master strokes of comedic genius to him. In other words, I was a goofy, funny looking geek. Figures.

Now we want to know R331...

R331, spill! At least a small hint. Bill Maar?

Maar???

[Quote] My last close friendship, the wife worried constantly about her big-name husband cheating on her (because women literally throw themselves at anyone with any clout at all). He probably did, and was he NOT attractive. She was forced to move overseas repeatedly, dragging the kids along, to follow filming, in order to try and keep the marriage together.

That sounds exhausting. I don't see the appeal in dating an actor. I mean, the grass is always greener for them.

He is a director (mega-famous), so they were whoring themselves out for jobs. But it’s amazing how low on the totem pole this behavior goes - just announcing that you’re a lighting tech or go-fer on anything filming can get you laid, because landing jobs is ALL about who you know.

Has anyone's celebrity friend tried to get them involved in their work?

My friend mentioned to me that if I needed a job they could get me one, on such and such a project. I thanked them profusely, but politely declined, saying that I wasn't friends with them for personal advancement, kind of thing, however, it was lovely of them to offer. It was said in the spirit of one friend wanting to help another out, rather than 'wanna join my glamorous lifestyle kinda way'. Cos my friend isn't like that.

Has anyone had that at all?

Yes, from people who make a lot more money than I do (not "celebrities"). They work in areas I detest (banking). So I declined and we moved on.

R338 Fair enough.

"Strange story, I'm 60 y.o., and I went to h.s. with a gent who is now a famous comedian and author. His grandmother and I went to the same church..."

Jim Gaffigan?

Mel Brooks.

R331 knocked a couple of years off of his real age.

Wow, r341 You needed to keep in contact with him, because he lost his mojo around, "Spaceballs".

[quote]My friend mentioned to me that if I needed a job they could get me one, on such and such a project. I thanked them profusely, but politely declined, saying that I wasn't friends with them for personal advancement.

I watched a friend who's a popular author rise up through the ranks where her last book was a Pulitzer finalist. She read something I wrote, liked it, and told me she'd introduce me to her agent. I declined, not because I wanted to save the friendship but because I didn't think I was good enough.

I was going to say Jerry Lewis and the poster knocked decades off his age.

I also have been friends with people who became YouTube/IG celebs and one friend who became a best selling YA author. Both were my assistants at one time, and they make way more money than I do. I occasionally have dinner with the YT kids, but sort of lost touch with the author- I saw her last year at a signing, but she was being whisked away to another event.

R345 they must be insufferable

R280 do you have any other details to share about TC? Either way, thanks for sharing that info!

OK, I'll weigh in… being in show business my entire life I have met an awful lot of names, at one point I had worked with just about everyone who was on a major television program in the 1970's Television scene, became quite friendly with some. These talented people had had their day in the sun and now were re inventing themselves thinking they could and sometimes succeed in having a career in the Theatre. I shopped obscure downtown boutiques and smoked copious amounts of pot with some, drank to oblivion with others, babysat, dined out and in, ran errands and worked fan interference for most. True, most were "on" most of the time, but when they let their hair down it was a whole different side that came out- actual humans with the same issues that we civilians go thru every day. I think the secret to gaining their trust and yes, respect, was to never Fan Out with them, and when their career highlights DID come up to just find a question or make an observation that they had not been asked a million times, if ever. Doing a lot of research on them helped with this, LOL, so instead of asking "So what was Bonnie Franklin like on set?" asking "What about her morbid fear of balloons ?" was the way in. Never pushed unless it was absolutely unavoidable, even if they were in the middle of a front page scandal, show them there is more to them other than enslaving underpaid sweatshop workers stitching your ugly off the rack frocks or carrying on an affair with your dad…….oh, what stories I have, dear god...

R348 feel free to share some of them.

-R280 thanks for sharing comeback if you have more. Especially if you and your friend catch up with the celebrity this April because some crazy stans think the two had a falling out which I never thought but keep their relationship more private.

R350 Falling out? Don't know who you think I'm talking about. But things have changed. April is not likely anymore. If it's happening at all. He is leaving Budapest next week and is gone until early May. My buddy is in Europe till the end of May/early June. If we are going, it's going to be mid-May. Thing is, he is not shooting for a few days in May and talked about coming to Berlin to meet us there. But he also wants to go to London for a couple of days to meet someone there. Very tight schedule. He will be in Budapest until August or September after that though. But I'm not going alone to meet him... looks more and more like it's not going to happen. We'll see.

r346, last time I saw them, they weren't. But maybe they're different with me because I'm substantially older than all of them and used to be surf buddies with the YT kids. I noticed with the YT stars in general, about 2-5 years in, they go into a depression about what people think of them, fame, generating new content (which YT and IG are constantly harping on them about) and sustaining a career in this field. It's an interesting and slightly depressing career. My author friend went to Yale and has a debilitating bone disease, so I think that keeps them more humble and appreciative of what they have.

For example: in order to generate new content, YT will tell them: next week, you're going to this event in Tokyo/New York/Buenos Aires etc., you're going to write a book about relationships, you're going to move to London for a half-year, you HAVE to be a brand ambassador to this clothing/cosmetics/game/app.... The male of the two kids (they're a couple) is worried about aging out of his demographic (he reviews games). For IG, they have to post 3x a day and god knows what else. He recently took some time off (that fabled depression), and restarted a new channel in a different language (his old channel had 8 million subscribers), and it's been tough on his psyche.

[Quote] I noticed with the YT stars in general, about 2-5 years in, they go into a depression about what people think of them, fame, generating new content (which YT and IG are constantly harping on them about) and sustaining a career in this field.

I've noticed it too. A lot of them seem to have some form of mental illness.

R280, R351 Thanks for that. This person's career has had a swift and spectacular rise, so I think your posts are almost certainly regarding that certain young actor who will be in the HW limelight once again come this fall, and yet again, in fall 2020 following the highly anticipated releases of numerous movies in which he's a main character.

Regarding YT, I was floored to see how depressed some of them are (maybe all of them...). There was one I saw a couple of videos of, honestly they were very good. Then it was also vapid stuff, in a way. Even if she was definitely creative about it. Anyway she had a major breakdown (which she also filmed) and I kept thinking: girl, the reason you are feeling so worthless is because everything you are creating is empty... It's this intense amount of energy into... creating vacuuous content... to sell corporate garbage (the ultimate goal). So that's too bad, but that's the way it is. Hope she is in a better place now, hopefully reconciled her aspirations with what she can really do with her communication talents, and still make a living (although I'm not sure she still needs money, but from what I understand, everyone always needs more money).

I'd rather deal with the ego of a legitimate actor than "I have XXX number of followers, I should be on the list"

Youtubers are the dregs of the entertainment industry.

Yeah r355, I think a lot of them feel like frauds because they're not showing their "authentic" selves- living this impossible perfect life and knowing that it's just an illusion. This whole, "living my best life" shit.

Agreed R357

Interesting posts about the YT people. I don't follow any of them, but the economics of it is sort of fascinating.

Yeah, isn't it r360. I just talked to another low level influencer (it's inevitable in my field), and she prechooses 21 photos for an app to post 3x day on IG on a weekly basis... she hates it actually, but to stay relevant, you gotta do what you gotta do.

R361, can you earn a living from only posting photos without doing anything else? Or is someone on the lowest rung--but still making enough for this to be a full time endeavor, also making videos?

[quote] I noticed with the YT stars in general, about 2-5 years in, they go into a depression about what people think of them, fame, generating new content (which YT and IG are constantly harping on them about) and sustaining a career in this field.

But is that any different from a normal entertainer who has to write their own material--like a stand-up comedian?

R348, hi! You needn't name names, but I would love to hear more about your reflections on that kind of life. Or, really, anything you have to say. The 70s are far more interesting to me than current stars.

[quote] T will tell them: next week, you're going to this event in Tokyo/New York/Buenos Aires etc., you're going to write a book about relationships, you're going to move to London for a half-year, you HAVE to be a brand ambassador to this clothing/cosmetics/game/app... - . The male of the two kids (they're a couple) is worried about aging out of his demographic (he reviews games).

Why is YT telling them anything? Isn't it their own show?

[Quote] Anyway she had a major breakdown (which she also filmed)

That was ballsy of her.

r362, the low level influencers don't make that much, but for my particular friends, this is all they have done for the past 8ish years, and have bought a pretty large house in the Valley (she's mid 20's, he just turned 30). And she was living with her mom, he was on a work visa for editing, making minimum wage. I think they probably make $200,000-250,000 between the two of them, unlike Logan Paul or the Kardashians, who has made millions (but a large part of that are endorsements- they can get $10,000 per post for an endorsement of some crap diet tea or collagen gummies). Jenna Marbles (she's been around for maybe 10 years(?) just purchased and furnished a lovely house, but she admitted to scrimping and saving.

Media depression is different than comedian depression. Comedians (I've only met 2 or 3 that are "normal") are very unhappy people to start with- there is some weird need to make people laugh to alleviate their pain. They are also more self-deprecating and know that they are flawed people- they talk about their and everyone else's flaws. Media depression is the quite the opposite.

As far as YT telling them-they pay them via ads, so they can control them to some extent...I think it's just to generate new and interesting content- (which mean more ads)-there are so many times you can review makeup, clothing, etc. That's why you see crazy challenges, or cross pollinating of YT personalities.... watch Aquaria turn James Charles into Aquaria or some shit like that.

As an older person, I don't think my life is all that fascinating to show the world, but because of the profession I am in (entertainment), I have to utilize it, as people will ask how many followers I have or if I have pics on it. Many influencers are starting to get the jobs that we union craftspeople had, just because they have 1 million followers. Talent agencies will ask actors/makeup/hair/wardrobe how many followers they have now, and they all have to maintain their IG accounts accordingly. It's a depressing direction we're heading towards.

R364, thank you so much for the interesting post.

[quote] Media depression is different than comedian depression. Comedians (I've only met 2 or 3 that are "normal") are very unhappy people to start with- there is some weird need to make people laugh to alleviate their pain. They are also more self-deprecating and know that they are flawed people- they talk about their and everyone else's flaws. Media depression is the quite the opposite.

This is such an interesting insight that I have to reflect on it. (And I'm on the East coast, so have to get some sleep. But I will be back tomorrow.)

Thank you

[Quote] Many influencers are starting to get the jobs that we union craftspeople had, just because they have 1 million followers. Talent agencies will ask actors/makeup/hair/wardrobe how many followers they have now, and they all have to maintain their IG accounts accordingly. It's a depressing direction we're heading towards.

I keep hearing different things on how social media affects actors. But maybe it just depends on who it is??

Very interesting post R364.

R366 it is affecting them- a lot off YT personalities are getting hired on CW shows. I think Logan Paul is in the Valley Girl remake.

Also this is huge-to wit:

[Quote] I think Logan Paul is in the Valley Girl remake.

Probably because his ex is in it. I have a feeling it will be terrible.

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R354 Btw, we are now in Budapest. April/May won't work. Decided to go now.

R371 Can you have your friend post some IG stories from there, so we fans can have some content on the side? Of course, your friend doesn't have to do anything directly revealing, but it would be nice to see something.

I worked with an actress once who was in a relationship with a much more famous actor. She worked occasionally but only in small theatre productions or TV guest spots, and mostly temped. She'd been with the famous actor for ten years and knew that he cheated on her left and right, and she told an entire table of people that he was violent to her once. I remember her throwing an almighty tantrum once because paparazzo asked her to move so they could photograph the actor alone. Another time she stormed out of an awards ceremony (out of the building) because she tried to break into the little room where the awards winners do their interviews right after coming off-stage and was denied. Batshit. Last year he finally started letting her be photographed on red carpets with him and I heard they recently married.

I guess now they're married her dream of being papped so she can at least pretend to be a celebrity might be closer to becoming a reality.

Unfortunately his career is quickly going down the toilet.

R373 Well congrats to the happy couple!

R372 Give it a rest! I hardly doubt that poster is talking about the Chalamet kid. Stop obsessing over him and invading DL with his threads.

who's the violent lothario R373?

R375 Ummm....DL is where people come to obsess, my friend. You may be confusing me with other people who also replied to the original comment, as I'm not the only one who's responded to it. Besides, my comment was done mainly in jest, just to see if the poster would actually respond, because they're most likely trolling. And, BTW, I'm not invading DL with "his threads". I haven't created a single one related to him.

Do any of those with celebrity friends find they can be more manipulative than non-famous people?

Enough with the twinkish thesp, please. Go on.

R378 Define manipulative?

Do you mean maliciously or do you mean just day to day using their name to get things like a nicer table at a restaurant?

R373 Well that certainly sounds like a marriage made in heaven. As his career sinks slowly in the west and the light of reflected glory dims who knows what fresh hell awaits them.

More malicious r380. Like manipulating people into doing your bidding.

Lots of people are manipulative, they don't have to be famous for that.

What R383 said.

True r383. But I think fame can provide opportunities to be manipulative that don't present themselves to most people.

R385 I'm sure some must do that. I would imagine that some stars have had to do that to get to the top of their careers, given how competitive things are.

My friend isn't. They're lovely publicly and privately. They're celebrity friends that I have met have been lovely too. I think you can tell a lot about people in general from the friendships that they keep.

[Quote] My friend isn't. They're lovely publicly and privately. They're celebrity friends that I have met have been lovely too. I think you can tell a lot about people in general from the friendships that they keep.

Sounds like you're one of the lucky ones.

R387 They've been in 'the biz' for 50-60 years, so they've been around the block!

I'm friends with Jason Beghe's brother Adam and have become friends with Jason now that he's in Chicago. Jason is a great guy. Very smart. It's odd to me that somebody so intelligent to get involved with Scientology but I think he liked the technology behind it. In another life oh, he just would have continued in school and earned a PhD in Psychology instead.

r389

[quote] somebody so intelligent

Yeah, the world of celebrity is filled with them.

About SM: how much do podcasters like Dax Shepard, Joe Rogan, or Rich Roll make?

I did not realize IG and YT ask influencers to post content!

Influencers are getting paid for what they do, they're employees. It's not a "dream job" as many would believe.

I knew Rich Roll before he became a celebrity (well, of a kind) -- he was a real druggie (which he talks about), now he's a self-promoter, and basically, he's the same person. That kind of relentless self-promotion is a drug of sorts, you never stop to take a breath; you constantly check your numbers, your subscribers, your insta-fame; you're always on unless no one is watching, and that's rare. It's relentless, unpleasant, and requires an enormous amount of energy. Like being a drug addict.

I recently helped cast this small indie movie and I had a handful of actors bragging to me about how many Instagram/Twitter followers they had as a way to either butter me up or get out of auditioning. And they were almost always either wrong for the roles they wanted or shockingly untalented. I kept thinking "who gives a fuck how many followers you have if you're a terrible actor?" Spoiler: No one who bragged about their social media followers was cast in the final film.

R393, I love Rich Roll. He seems to make a good living, have you met his wife? What is she like?

[Quote] and I had a handful of actors bragging to me about how many Instagram/Twitter followers they had as a way to either butter me up or get out of auditioning.

I don't know how you kept a straight face.

Cool, R394! Good for the movie, in the long run.

I used to do casting and directing at a local community theatre. (Okay, we're not talking broadway here; community theatre.)

Whenever an actor would try to get through an audition without a monologue (they just wanted to read from the script), I would wonder how the hell they think they can make it through an entire play in front of an audience if they can't make it through a monologue.

R398 lol does that happen a lot at auditions?

r398 Are you hiring?

R400, it was community theatre. We paid a stipend for gas money. ($50 for the run.)

R398, casting/auditioning is the worst fucking thing in the world. You have to sit through so much shit, and you feel bad for the ones who really suck and are just making fools of themselves.

The whole process is a lot of fun, though, especially if you have a creative team (sound, music, producer, stage manager, scenery) that you work with frequently. And of course, gossip and stuff. If you're interested, you should get involved with your community theatre.

DL friends of celebs, do you find that people bribe you to try to get close to your famous friend? Do people act overly nice/offer you favors/invite you places in the hopes that they'll become part of the circle?

R394, I read an article in NYT that stated exactly that: Now, casting agents wanted to know how many "followers " an actor had on Social media, and that was now a factor in modern casting! That is why movies suck today: Thank God you didn't succumb to that B.S.!!

R402, no.

Who would want to appear that pathetic?

Sycophants and social climbers, R404.

R389 why the surprise some guy fell under the spell of Scientology? Scientologists are the most manipulative schemers around, fawning over someone with the slightest degree of narcissism is child’s play for them. Additionally yr friend is lazy - clearly. It takes mountains of work, effort and determination to complete a a graduate degree in Psychology.

Scientology is none of that. They just hook stupid people up to a magic black box and begin the flattery. He could have gotten the same strokes from an expensive Astrologer pedaling that parlor trick. Your actor friend is not smart.

[Quote] I read an article in NYT that stated exactly that: Now, casting agents wanted to know how many "followers " an actor had on Social media, and that was now a factor in modern casting! That is why movies suck today: Thank God you didn't succumb to that B.S.!!

R402 No, not really.

When it was my birthday recently, my famous friend came over and met friends and family. There was about 20 of us. My famous friend was cool, because they're used to the attention, I'm chilled and my friends and family were respectful and it was a nice birthday party.

R408 that's the way it should be.

[quote]Comedians (I've only met 2 or 3 that are "normal") are very unhappy people to start with- there is some weird need to make people laugh to alleviate their pain.

Yes! I used to work for a freebie comedy magazine in SF and we had a weekly open mike night at the No Name Bar in Sausalito. These (mostly) guys weren't really funny but it was my job to applaud wildly in the audience. There was an old lady though who was a regular at the bar and she would turn slowly, look daggers at whoever was performing, make a loud "Gaaa" sound and then turn back to her scotch. It seemed like most of these guys had somehow managed to squeeze five minutes of laughs out of their dreary lives.

R406 Thank you for saying what I did not dare saying because I do believe the actor had a very rough time with the Xenu people (or anti-Xenu as it were), and his leaving that POS organization is something I definitely respect. However, no matter how empathetic I can be to his plight, I must say that from the various postings I've seen of him, he may be many things and probably a good friend, but he is not smart. And I say this as I like him, as a presence in American film/TV content. There's a major likeability factor in his case and I wish him well. Not what I would call a smart guy.

I was at an awards ceremony a couple of weeks ago with my famous friend, and the minute he left to get drinks some guy shot over and tried to insert himself into the conversation so he'd be able to ingratiate himself with my friend when he returned. But he was rude to me. Like, do you not realize the second you've gone I'll tell my friend all about it and we'll be laughing about how obvious you were?

I frequently get fans of actors I know trying to suck up to me on social media (no, I don't believe you when you say you "loved" my stage play that ran for four weeks at the Royal Court Theatre in London when you live in Brazil) or just act like we already are best friends due to our shared love of whatever actor it is.

R412 You may not believe this, but were it not for Brexit and the general elevated costs of travelling to London from France, I would try out plays at the Royal Court on the regular. I've simply not done it for lack of funds. I was even supposed to go to Wigmore Hall three weeks ago but my outgoing Eurostar was cancelled. I ended up cancelling the whole trip and getting a refund. The price of the concert + the hotel were lost.

Not saying you should believe the Brazilian stalker, but there are theatre/music fans that travel to see obscure productions.

I have a friend who would travel to Europe to see productions of Meyerbeer. I don't know why, they have nothing to do with the opera and are designed to be booed and he could just listen to them on a broadcast. He comes back and complains about them. I find it very odd.

[Quote] and the minute he left to get drinks some guy shot over and tried to insert himself into the conversation so he'd be able to ingratiate himself with my friend when he returned. But he was rude to me.

So i'm guessing you didn't tell him to fuck off?

[Quote] I frequently get fans of actors I know trying to suck up to me on social media (no, I don't believe you when you say you "loved" my stage play that ran for four weeks at the Royal Court Theatre in London when you live in Brazil) or just act like we already are best friends due to our shared love of whatever actor it is.

Lmao

r411, Beghe is a smart guy. He graduated from Collegiate and Pomona and was accepted to U of Chicago law when he decided to try acting. I totally respect what he has done re: exposing the Church of Scientology.

R412 - lol, everything made sense when you said Brazil. I wouldn’t worry. Brazilians are the biggest whores on the planet, they’ll do anything to get their next meal except honest work.

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I has in a temple with Leonard Cohen for a few years. Nice guy but smoked and drank like crazy. He was a really good cook.

[quote]Not me, but a co-worker was friends with DL fave Reta Shaw. He said she was a sweetheart with a terrific sense of humor.

That must have been decades ago. She spent the latter half of the 1970s basically housebound, ill with emphysema, and finally passed away in early ‘82.

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