Have you ever sent fanmail to a celebrity?

When I was 13 I wrote a fan letter to a soap actress. Her name was Susan Keith and she played Cecile de Poulignac on Another World. She played a mean bitch and I was sort of in love with her. She replied with a very nice letter and sent a picture. She was funny and very touched by my letter. That was my first and last fan letter...

Believe it or not -- Ron Corning. My friend really wanted to meet him, so I gave it a try. He answered, suggesting we attend one of the station-sponsored events.

Only children and mentally ill fangurls write celebrities.

Parker Posey. I requested an autograph. I even decorated the manilla envelope with my favorite quotes from her movies.

She never wrote back.

Bitch.

(Now that I think about it, she might have thought it dangerous to write me back...)

I sent an e-mail to Tab Hunter to let him know that the DL was discussing he and Anthony Perkins. I thought he might like to join in and clear up any misconceptions. He did not reply back.

I've contacted a few in my lifetime (I just turned 30). Those who responded include:

- Dan Wilson, the lead singer of Semisonic; he was appreciative of the praise I heaped on the band...the response actually came within 30 minutes of me sending the original e-mail

- Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Newman on "The Young and the Restless"); I sent her an e-mail shortly after she came back to Y&R; I told her she was doing an amazing job and it was good to have her back on the show; I also said that she deserved an Emmy for her work, and the following year she won a Best Actress Daytime Emmy; she was unbelievably sweet and humble in her reply (she thanked me for all of the kind words)

- Anderson Cooper; I contacted him back in 2003 when he was filling in for Aaron Brown (the big stories at the time were the Columbia space shuttle disaster and Lacey Peterson--who had only been missing for a month); I told him that I enjoyed his work and I looked forward to him getting his own show on CNN; he was quick and his response and absolutely hilarious; I was struck by how gracious and humorous he was, and while the drama that surrounds his personal life is kind of pathetic, I really do believe that he's a genuinely nice guy

- Robin Meade (hosts a morning show on HLN); typical beauty queen; perky and sweet--she didn't seem particularly genuine, but she seemed to appreciate the compliments I gave to her

I just remembered that I sent an e-mail to Joy Behar when Elisabeth was new to the show. I asked her how she was able to maintain control and not slap the fuck out of her. Joy did not reply.

I covered both of R3's conditions: I wrote to Melissa Sue Anderson (Mary on "Little House on the Prairie") when I was 11 or so. Never heard back. And while I was recuperation from clinically depression, I wrote to Tom Hulce because of his performance in "Amadeus". Got to meet him in person while he was doing "The Normal Heart" in New Haven.

I'd write some hate mail to Elton John if I knew his address.

As a teen I sent one to Johnny Carson, Buddy Ebsen and the show ST. ELSEWHERE. Carson's people sent me a form letter saying thanks and that Mr. Carson reads his mail, but doesn't personally respond. Ebsen replied to me. It was short (1 or 2 sentences). I got a signed cast photo from ST. ELSEWHERE.

My list is strange but here goes-

Ann B. Davis sent an autographed photo, as did Mary Tyler Moore, Kathy Garver, Karen Valentine, Patty Duke, and several others. I got a photo and letter from Michelle Lee. Ann-Margret and I still exchange Xmas and birthday cards but I worked for her for a short time. Years ago, my best friend and I were drunk and decided to write to Edie McClurg. We did and several weeks later we each got a letter and photo. In the letter/s, she told us she loved all her fans "drunk OR sober".

My friend and I were in a Burger King when we were 13 and I swear we saw MC Hammer. She said it wasn't him. I wrote asking if he was at the Burger King in Seaford NY on that date.

Two weeks later I got an "personal invitation to join the MC Hammer fan club". With bigger stars, I doubt anyone ever reads these things at all.

Yes....When I was 10 or so I went through a classic film phase and wrote to Bette Davis asking her to please sign the picture of her that I cut out of a magazine and she returned it and an actual 8x10 glossy autographed photo

I wrote to Gloria Swanson telling her how much I enjoyed Sunset Boulevard as well as her early silent films and she sent me an autographed 8X10 from Sunset and a nice note thanking me for being such a sweet young fan

I always wanted a Garbo Autograph but NEVER got one........

I wrote to many film stars of the silent and golden era of films who were still alive and I got a pretty good 80% return rate...It also helps when you include a self addressed stamped envelope.....LOL someday the collection might make a good retirement fund

I wrote a very strange email to Brian Unger when he was a correspondent on The Daily Show, back in the Craig Kilborn days. I don't know what I was thinking, but I told him I thought he was hot. No response, of course. I must have been drunk...

As a kid, I wrote to Debbie Gibson, Sigourney Weaver and Jodie Foster.

Never heard back from any of them. The cunts.

Some people of note will answer on twitter.

Twitter is a free-for-all

I sent a Farside card to Johnny Carson when he retired, to let him know how much I enjoyed him over the years.

I also wrote to Bette Davis and she sent me 2 signed 8 x 10 photo's. I still have them.

I wrote Cleo Laine when she turned 80. I always liked her music and spent a pleasant 20 minutes once with her while she was stuck on the street waiting for a late car after a performance - talk about down to earth.

However, I had a friend who sent Robert Goulet two dozen roses and picture of himself nude with a teddy bear strategically placed. The delivery was made to Goulet's dressing room where he was appearing. My friend was disappointed that Goulet never called. Of course he was completely drunk during his run, breaking character to tell terrible stories about Carol Lawrence. It was the alcoholism that made him so appealing to my friend, poor dear.

Some show business people have question and answer sessions on twitter. Rob Thomas, the singer, has them occasionally. As does Scarlett Johannson.

David Cook (American Idol winner) does question and answer sessions on twitter, as does Chuck Wicks (country music singer and Dancing with the Stars contestant)

I wrote to Donna Summer's fan club about tour info in 1987, and got a handwritten note back from Donna explaining the fan club was then defunct and a signed photo. I was glad that Donna personally got to read that I was willing to fly wherever I had to to see her in concert. A new fan club started up a few years later and ran until the late 90s when the internet made it obsolete.

r15, when did you write them? I heard or read, I have no idea, that Jodie used to write to fans and even call them, before Hickley. In fact, that's why there's recording of Jodie/Hinkley phone conversations, she would take the call.

Missed your chance?

That's pretty cool, r22 that she wrote back even with her fan club closed. Can you imagine stars now writing back a personal letter explaining that?

How does the internet makes fan clubs obsolete?

I wouldn't write a letter, since I don't write letters to anyone, but I send notes on email, Twitter and Facebook to various celebrities all the time. Why not? It's for entertainment purposes only, and sometimes they write you back. They ask you to Tweet them so it's all good.

A fan site that has updated every Sunday night for nearly 15 yrs now, r25. That's the new fan club.

R26's post from start to finish makes me sad and fearful for the future of our culture.

Mariska sent me a pubic hair, just one, but she did fulfill my request.

Laura Weber. She very graciously responded with a hand-written postcard. Gracious, because my 10-year-old self had been inadvertently ham-handed in my fan letter.

I was a bored child. I have autographed pics from Mary Tyler Moore, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and tons of 70's movie stars. Individual and cast pics from MASH, Little House, the Waltons and several other big 70's stars like Loni Anderson. In the late 80's, exchanged several letters with James Stewart and Katharine Hepburn; their replies are on their personal letterhead. Have a couple nice letters from Queen Elizabeth's Lady-in-Waiting. When Henry Fonda died, I sent a telgram to Jane expressing condolences; she sent an in-memoriam card with a picture of Henry as Tom Joad on the front and his (Steinbeck's)famous quote on the inside; Jane signed it.

Yes, I was bored.

r28, sorry Grandpa, the internet is here to stay. I can imagine what your take on electricity and indoor plumbing is.

Sent a letter to Rosie when she was a vj on VH1. She sent me a letter back with lots of humor and thanks. Still have it.

[quote] In fact, that's why there's recording of Jodie/Hinkley phone conversations,

Really?? Very interesting.

When I was 11 I sent a request to Cheryl Ladd for an autograph. We moved so I don't know if (a) my mother actually mailed it and (b) if she did if the pic came after we moved.

Not quite a fan letter but I did send a letter to Elton John when I was a chid. The house he lives in in Old Windsor was the house my grandparents met in (when they were both working for the owner). When it was coming up to their 50th wedding anniversary I wrote to ask if they could visit the house. He was very nice and arranged a tour, champagne and a meal. He was really lovely to my nan and granddad.

When I was 12 I sent a letter to Michael Jackson, and he replied asking for my stats.

I just found the letter I wrote to Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore when I was in grade school. I told them if they were ever in my small town they could come by and visit. I wrote to Helen Reddy in high school and received an answer. I latter found out it was an assistant that actually wrote it.

Because a friend of hers listed her address here on DL I sent Betty Hutton a "thank you for being you" kind of a card.

Then she died.

Dorothy Hamill, around 1977 when I was 17. I got an autographed photo in return.

Late in her life, when I was a kid, I wrote a fan letter to Ethel Merman, commenting on some of her performances and asking some questions. She wrote me back, in longhand, a great letter answering all my questions. It was written on legal pad paper with a felt tip pen. Very casual and friendly - signed "Regards, E.M." and mailed in an envelope on which she had written "Air Mail". This was many years after the "air mail" distinction was applicable.

We've done this type of thread several times before and I never get tired of reading the replies. There are always some that are new to the discussion and many are delightful stories.

As much as I loathe Elton John, I'm glad he was so kind to the nan and granddad of r36.

No lie, I wrote Rosie O'Donnell a fan letter when I was a young teenager and she was a VJ on VH1. I thought she was hilarious. She sent me back a postcard w/ her autograph, which I still have. I'm a gay male BTW.

When I was 12 I wrote a letter to Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson. I never heard back.

Have you ever sent fan mail to a family member?

I wrote Lauren Bacall.

Her reply was an envelope of white powder.

I don't feel so good.

[quote]Laura Weber. She very graciously responded with a hand-written postcard.

Do you mean Genie Francis?

About 20 years ago, I sent fan mail to a local anchor after a particularly interesting noon newscast. First she did an interview with someone about testicular cancer, who was urging men to feel their balls (this was 20 years ago, and kind of made me snicker.) Jill didn't flinch. Then she did a segment with Bobcat Goldthwait. He made a total ass of himself, but Jill remained poised.

She sent me a sweet reply on purple paper, written with purple ink. I sent her a couple of more over the next few years.

Cut to the present. Her morning show has a live chat, and we have become reacquainted. She is still a doll.

I wrote a fan letter to the whole cast of 90210 (original) and to my amazement, got a response back in the form of a poster.

I also wrote to Micheal Jackson, Tia and Tamara Mowry and the boy group Immature. They never wrote back.

C. Thomas Howell. Got an signed photo EIGHT YEARS later! a

Better late than never, r50. I wrote to Olivia Newton-John back in the early 80s, during the height of her fame. About two months later I received a printout of "Olivia from A to Z" about her favorite things etc. Then, about 2 years later I received a personally signed photograph from her.

OK, here goes:

As a 10-12 year old gay boy I wrote fan letters to Valerie Bertinelli, Nancy McKeon, and yes....Lisa Welchel.

I got standard letters/autographed pics from all of them. Nancy's was actually a post card and it had a real ugly-ass pic of her. I was pissed she didn't look like "Jo."

The letter from Lisa said it was from her grandmother who took care of her fan mail because Lisa was "too busy" to do it herself. She threw in a pic of Lisa from the show that looked like one of those wallet sized high school pictures you get.

I also wrote to Madonna. She sent me a fold out poster of a pic from the Material Girl video with a letter on the back. The letter was hand-written & started off with "I'm writing this just for you. I'm sitting in my hotel room during a break from the tour" but it looked like a photo-copy. That said, she did reference all of the questions I asked in my letter so I always held out hope that she did really write to ME.

I sent a birthday card to Troy Aikman and got an offer to join his fan club.

I think his mom ran or still runs his fan club.

I find these responses very entertaining and I have also always wondered how you know how to contact the celebrity...where do you send your request? What address do you use?

[quote] but it looked like a photo-copy

How can you not tell if something's a photo-copy or not?

[italic]How can you not tell if something's a photo-copy or not?[/italic]

I just meant that it wasn't like she sent me a page ripped out of her notebook or stationery that she wrote on. It was printed on the back of a poster on glossy paper and looked mass-produced.

Kate Bush.

In the mid 80s I sent an unsigned birthday card to her, asking her to sign it and post it on to a friend of mine.

And she did.

Writing celebrities was a hobby for me. I wrote tons of soap opera actors (Ricky Martin, Sarah Michelle Gellar, etc. They both sent signed photos). I almost always received a response. Jimmy Stewart sent a card not long before he died.

I emailed Lily Tomlin a few years back. Of course I told her how much I have loved her forever, and I asked if there would be a CD version of her comedy albums coming out.

Two or three months later I received a very nice reply email, short and sweet. She thanked me for the note, and promised that CD's were in the works.

Now I love her even more.

[quote] I find these responses very entertaining and I have also always wondered how you know how to contact the celebrity...where do you send your request? What address do you use?

When I was a teenager I used to write to people for autographs. This was from about 1995-2001.

I used to get my addresses a number of ways. There were books, and at the time a newsgroup (remember those?) where people used to post their successes. I don't know if it still exists. There was also a free website where people would post addresses called StarArchive which I think is now called something else and is no longer free.

For people who were currently working, I'd send to theatres or sets and sometimes to their agents. For people that weren't working much I'd usually send to their homes. In retrospect it was a little eerie that I had, say Estelle Getty's home address.

I collected mostly television stars and some politicians. The politicians ALWAYS sent something because for them, postage is free.

Looking back at the people I wrote to and got responses, it was pretty gay for a teenage boy to send letters to. Some that spring to mind, Isabel Sanford, Linda Evans, Bea Arthur, Jerry Herman, Conrad Bain, Joan Collins, Sarah Jessica Parker, Joe E. Tata, Lisa Whelchel, Nancy McKeon, Charlotte Rae (Mindy Cohn and Kim Fields NEVER answered), Peter Graves, Marla Pennington, Dick Van Dyke, Liza, Whoopi, Dorothy Lyman, Phylicia Rashad, Charlton Heston (yes I know).

I never really asked questions, but I remember writing a really sweet and probably cheesy note to Mary Beth Peil (Grams on Dawson's Creek) and getting a nice note from her. I also remember asking Marla Gibbs if there'd ever be a "227" reunion and her writing back "maybe?"

I have about five binders, but haven't sent out a request in years. I'm not embarrassed about having collected, but it just seems strange as an adult.

Not exactly fanmail, but I wrote to a celebrity and got overwhelming response. I got response [bold]by the ton.[/bold]

I wrote to Dear Abby that my military unit would be away from the USA at Christmas time and it would be nice if we could get some Christmas greetings from the folks at home.

Omigod, you can't imagine the result. Tens of thousands of letters/cards and thousands of packages. They arrived by tractor-trailer nearly every day for a month.

Thousands of people baked chocolate-chip cookies. We got three Christmas trees wrapped in wet burlap and plastic to keep them fresh. We got tapes from choirs. Entire schools drew Christmas pictures.

We had about 2,000 guys in our unit and there were volunteers working through the night, every night, opening packages and sorting the letters and cards. The drawings by kids were taped up on the walls of all the passageways. At all hours of the days and nights, there would be guys looking at the pictures and basking in the glow of good wishes they represented.

Several times a day, there would be an announcement of the Operation Dear Abby Mailcall. Guys from every office would come to get stacks of holiday greetings (and cookies) and there would be hundreds of men spending breaks and off-duty time writing replies. We were half a globe away from the U.S. but we knew the folks back home cared about us. Never in my life could I have imagined that one letter would generate so much mail and good will.

I sent a fan letter to Wolman Mac thanking him for showing 'The Legend of Bigfoot' and he sent me a Bigbutt whistle prop from the sketch portion of the episode.

Not quite in the same vein, but when I was a young adolescent, I wrote to my then favorite author, Madeleine L'Engle, gushing over her books- and wanting to add something personal- I also included some Chinese paper-cutouts that were precious to me.

So she wrote me back a beautiful long-handed letter, carefully acknowledging all of my comments, and I'm embarassed to admit, asking if I had made the delicate cutouts myself. ( I hadn't) She encouraged me in my own youthful scribblings in the most soulful way imaginable. I was walking on clouds for days.

P.S.- Great story R61!

That is also a great story, R63!

[quote]I just meant that it wasn't like she sent me a page ripped out of her notebook or stationery that she wrote on. It was printed on the back of a poster on glossy paper and looked mass-produced.

I don't get how it could have been photocopied. You said in your original post that she answered your questions.

I sent a long fan letter to Joan Crawford after I saw her on TV in "Queen Bee." I must have been around 13 or 14 at the time, and was already acquiring a taste for unrepentant, high-quality bitchiness.

I got a nice typed letter back and a personally autographed photo thanking me for all the nice things I said about her and how much she appreciated my taking the time to write to her.

About ten years later, my mom, with the help of two my aunts during one her of Spring Cleaning Invitationals, tossed out the box of memorabilia that included that letter and picture along with photos and/or letters from Connie Francis, Troy Donahue, Brenda Lee, Roger Smith and Robert Conrad.

I had stored it in the depths of the basement rather than drag it across country to my tiny studio apartment in L.A. They decided that "he'll never want to see this junk again" and away it went.

That's OK reply 66, as the movie showed, assistants took care of the fan mail.

I wrote to an author whose work I adore and he sent me an early copy of his next book along with numerous other articles he'd written and has kept up email and phone correspondence with me for over a decade.

r67. Thanks for the info - I never saw MD. If it was just an assistant signing everything, I feel a little better.

I sent a handwritten letter in my best Palmer script to 280 Main Street, Amherst, MA 01002. Emily never answered.

I sent a sycophantic letter to Maiah Carey, and she sent me back a basket of puppies, which was nice.

I sent a delicate handwritten note to Khloe Kardashian, and in return I received a stool sample and a small vial of urine.

I've corresponded to author Ann Rule a few times. She seems like a really nice person.

I did read something on her website that made me think she was really naive, even after studying the behavior of some of the most evil people out there. She met Ryan O'Neal on the set of the Diane Downs movie and said he couldn't have been nicer. She didn't believe the stories about him being abusive!

I've told this story here on DL before...

When I was 15 I wrote a letter to the author James Kirkwood after reading his novel 'Good Times/Bad Times', which, at the time, had a profound effect on me. I received a hand written note back from him.

Approximately 15 years later, in a very roundabout way, I met him through a friend from Atlanta. The friend was visiting me in NYC and we were invited to Kirkwood's apartment for drinks. While we were there, I sheepishly told Kirkwood that I had written him a gushing fan letter years ago. He got up, went in to another room, and returned with the letter I had written him. I have no recollection now about what I wrote in the letter, and didn't ask him then what was so special about the letter that he had it at hand.

But, damn, that was cool.

He was a very nice guy, and though I never got to know him well, I did run in to him a few more times and he always remembered me.

I sent a fan letter to Jack Webb, star of TV's "Dragnet." Received a 5X7 B&W. His signature was part of the photo.

I sent a letter to Douglas Hodge at Christmas after seeing him in La Cage aux Folles in London. He sent me a very sweet note back.

In the 70s I sent a fan letter to James Cagney. I was around 10 yrs old at the time. He sent me a signed photo which to this day I am not sure what it says.

I remember your story, R74. Thanks for retelling it.

Who was the author, r68?

One of the funniest things I've ever read on the DL was a story about the 80s by someone who wrote to David Hasselfhoff during his Knightrider days. He was sent an 'autograph' from KITT instead, which was a tyre track on paper. The randomness totally cracked me up.

Any fanmail lately?

Yup! Sent a letter to Christopher Reeve and George Michael when I was 11 and 15. No response.

Once.

As a young gay, I wrote to RuPaul via email. I thought I'd never hear back but I wanted to thank her for being fun and happy and always positive. I felt, at the time, that there were so many gay people who were fighting all the time and we always seemed angry. Just thanked her for showing the world that gays can be fun, too. I think this was when she had her talkshow.

She wrote back saying "I have always believed in sweetness and light and I hope you will carry those with you as you grow older" among other things. I thought it was sweet. If I dig through my old emails I bet I could find it. Bet she didn't really write it . . but is/was she "big" enough to have an email response team?

As an adolescent/teen I sent fan mail to a few people, and (as I think I mentioned on another thread), one of my favorite replies was from Deborah Kerr, who sent a hand-written note. (She was appearing in "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney" in Baltimore, so I wrote care of the theater).

Other theater folk who responded included Lynn Redgrave, Glenda Jackson, Patrick Stewart, but I got a very scoldy email from Kathleen Turner's agent telling me NOT to write to her at the theater.

I've also written letters to various authors, and treasure the reply I got from Anne Tyler. Anne McCaffrey also sent a fairly long, detailed response.

I have done a fair amount of freelance journalism, so I have saved some notes from celebs I dealt with professionally. (Usually something like: thanks for the interview).

Email has changed things a bit, and I've had email exchanges with Courtney Love (who mistook me for Kathleen Hanna), Amy Ray (after the Indigo Girls were "disinvited" from an appearance at my former high school), and a few others.

Way back in the early days of the 'net, I once got into an online chat with a guy who called himself "Prince R. Nelson" and didn't realize til AFTER that it was Prince.

R83, please tell us the details of your conversation with Prince.

I wrote to Blondie when I was 15 and their first album came out. I got a bunch of signed glossies, a press kit from their label and a letter from the president of there fan club, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, who later when on to form The Gun Club, we remained friends until he died. He was a mess, but he was a sweetheart and he introduced me to Grant Hart (Husker Du drummer), which is a whole mess of a story in itself.

When I was 14, I loved Steve Winwood's album "Arc of a Diver"--not just the music, but the cover art as well.

I wrote to the record label asking if the cover art was available as a poster.

I was shocked to get an original mock-up of the album art, signed by Steve Winwood thanking me for having "excellent taste in art and semi-excellent taste in music." Ha.

Yes, tell us what Prince said, please.

I think I wrote a fan letter to somebody when I was a kid, but I can't remember who I sent it to.

I can understand kids doing it but I don't know why any adult would. It's a silly thing to do, writing to somebody you don't know. I have no idea why any adult would write a fan letter, unless it was somebody who collected autographs as a hobby.

[59] I hate to break it to you, but I've had long-distance dealings with Lily Tomlin, and she is one of the most selfish, cold-hearted people you could imagine! Anything nice she does is just when it's convenient for her. Anything beyond that, and you can forget it!

Sorry, but I had to let it out---the lady is a jerk!

So r81, did you jinx those guys and put a curse on them? Have you written to people who didn't have totally random tragedies after not answering your letter?

I don't remember how I got his NY address but I sent a fan letter to Chris NOth who sent back an autographed picture. He addressed the envelope as the handwritting on the pic matched the envelope. The return address was CA but the zip code it was mailed from was NYC.

I sent a fan letter to Kevin Spacey. Got an autographed pic weeks later (this was during the Iceman days) with an apology for being so late.

Also got a signed pic of Russell Crowe during his Gladitor days. Looked like someone else wrote the salutation but he signed the pic. Also included postcards of his band and little pics of him.

I wrote to Pamela Sue Anderson when she was on television as Nancy Drew. The bitch never responded. I hate her now.

Many stars have a professional fan mail service. They don't even read the fan, but arrange to send a standard 'form' letter back.

And this comes out of their pocket, all the photos, envelopes, mailing costs, etc.

Then you have stars that don't even bother with fan mail, they just ignore it.

Michael Weatherly (NCIS) is one star who doesn't even glance at his fan mail. His explanation is that they are writing to the character they see on TV, not to him.

Yes. I went through a period of watching Young and Restless and wrote Jeanne Cooper a letter asking for a photo. I included a short note pertaining to her story line at the time. She replied back with a glossy and personalized message specific to my letter. Still have the glossy, envelope, etc.

I also have signed glossy from Clint Eastwood in the 70's when I wrote to him.

Sandra Bullock actually CALLS her fans back

Go to 3:50 at the video

I don't do this sort of thing, but I knew a gay college kid in the 1970s that sent Barbra Streisand some God-awful repo Sarah Bernhardt poster. It was embarrassing - total garbage. Well, what do you know, he got a hand-written thank you response from Ms. BS!

Johnathan Frid. He sent me a 5x7 as barnabas Collins with a crawled autograph.

Theatre Queen

I wrote to Angela Lansbury about Sweeney Todd. I asked a ton of questions about the show, her acting choices, everything she did in the show because I was so obsessed with it and her. She sent me a great handwritten reply. I was shocked how detailed her answers were.

Wrote to Sondheim in the early 80's asking how to get a (then) unpublished song of his I wanted to sing for auditions. He sent me a complete piano score copy with a nice note.

[quote]I wrote to Pamela Sue Anderson when she was on television as Nancy Drew.

I was a fan of her's too. I love the episode of "Nancy Drew" where she rips off her top and starts cavorting in the sand.

This is embarrassing, but I sent some fan letters to a couple of soap stars when I was a teen.

I had sent Ruth Warrick (Phoebe, All My Children) one and didn't get a reply for like two or three years--I wasn't even living at home anymore. I had totally forgotten I'd written her but I think I had just watched her in Citizen Kane or something. She sent a nice letter saying that her "former" assistant had been hiding fan mail so she wouldn't have to deal with it, and Ruth had found boxes of unopened letters that had been hidden and was striving to answer them all. I thought that was pretty sweet.

My Julianne Moore obsession had started when she was on As The World Turns, so when she was leaving the show, I wrote her. I knew she was already gone from the show so I didn't expect much. Somehow she got it, and wrote me back a lovely, 2 page letter with three autographed pics--including one of her and Valerie Bertinelli from "I'll Take Manhattan". It wasn't just a form letter either, she actually referred to several different things I'd said in my letter. So, I've pretty much loved her ever since.

SERIOUSLY.

I left a note at a theater that Joan Allen was performing at, and she sent back a very sweet handwritten note on girly paper. It made me love her even more; she was very gracious.

I sent Jeanne Cooper a note about how much I loved her perfume and she responded very graciously.

I hope she pull through. Lovely woman.

"I sent a birthday card to Troy Aikman and got an offer to join his fan club.

I think his mom ran or still runs his fan club."

LOL, I sent him a fan letter when I was 12. I never got a response, so I assumed he just laughed at it and threw it in the trash. I guess it was his mom who was laughing at it :)

Only once. I sent a letter to a celebrity who was dealing with some professional difficulty. I didn't get a written response, but I was amazed when the letter was acknowledged, using my name, in a radio interview. That was cool, I thought.

Anyone have a good fan address for Carol Burnett? I'd love to send her a letter telling her how much I loved her comedy and how it probably saved me from destroying myself when I was severely depressed.

I wrote Barbara Bush once about a charity she and I both have an interest in.

She came to my house and head butted me personally.

I wrote a letter to Mariah Carey when I was in elementary school (one of my "dialing the telephone with a pencil" moments). She never replied, probably because I asked if she was white or black.

I wrote Buddy Ebsen, Johnny Carson and the show ST. ELSEWHERE.

Buddy wrote me a short letter.

Carson had a rep respond for him.

I got a signed cast photo from SE.

On a trip to England, I came upon John Gielgud in Oxford in 1992 while he was shooting the outdoor procession scene in the "Twilight Of The Gods" episode of INSPECTOR MORSE. I behaved like some sort of loony paparazzi, he noticed, and when they cut for a bit, he cruised me. Hard. I met him, shook his hand, and got his autograph. He was so stately, but kind. What a wonderful experience! Months later, a friend helped me find his home address in England and I sent him copies of the best pictures I'd taken of him. Do you know he took the time to write a thank you note and greeting on personalized note card stock with his signature? I was beyond thrilled and treasure the whole experience.

I wrote to several celebs, asking them to record some greetings on audio cassette tapes for a project I was working on. I got tapes from Johnny Cash, Lucille Ball, Helen Reddy, Jane Withers, Loni Anderson, and Carol Burnett. (Sorry R105, I no longer have CB's address.) Johnny Cash recorded an interesting story about when he was in the Air Force. I think he said he was stationed in Germany. Who knew?

Oh R109, that's so heartening to hear. I always thought Gielgud would be very standoffish and nasty; no doubt your good looks enticed him.

I wrote to Brian Dennehy many years ago and he replied with a very nice note and an autographed photo. A total class act.

Diane Keaton, on the other hand, either didn't receive my nice missive or ignored it when I sent her a beautifully illustrated note saying how much I'd enjoyed her book on her mother.

Yes. Responses from: Julie Harris Donna Douglas Marla Gibbs Karl Malden Kevin Costner--personalized with note Kelsey Grammer Fran Drescher-personalized with a very nice note Charles Shaughnessy Dixie Carter--personalized with a nice note Bea Arthur Jean Smart Delta Burke (with a short note) Whoopi Goldbery (with a short note) Julie Andrews Mary Tyler Moore Valerie Harper--personalized with a nice note Betty White Vicki Lawrence Juliet Mills Dame Maggie Smith Sharon Gless Kaye Ballard--personalized with a nice note Matt LeBlanc Doris Day (it looks printed, not handsigned) Patty Duke (looks printed, not handsigned) NO RESPONSES FROM: Carol Burnette/the other cast members of Designing Women and Golden Girls and Frasier. I did this as a kid and as a teen.

R34 yes.

In the past I used to blog about some reality TV shows and I received email from some of the participants, commenting about what I wrote. Once in a while I tweet replies to the actors and athletes I follow on Twitter, and I've gotten a lot of replies and likes from them. Interacting on Twitter can be interesting.

In the fall of 1993 (when I was 13 and had just started 8th grade) I wrote a fan letter to Jason Priestley. At the time, I was crushing on him big time and watched 90210 diligently. I'd found his address in one of my sister's Teen Beat or Tiger Beat or one of those types of magazines.

Anyway, the letter ended up being several pages long (both sides), in which I told him all my ideas for movies, including one titled HIS THREE GIRLS that I wanted him to star in,. It was about a high school popular jock who is fought over by three female classmates, who were gonna be played by Goldie Hawn, Madonna, and a girl in my grade named Sarah Legere, who I was not even friends with but she was in the drama club and acted in local productions. (She didn't know I had cast her in my movie.) The fact that Priestley was 24, Hawn was 48, Madonna was 35, and Sarah was 13 didn't seem to matter to me or crossed my mind.

Also, the movie CALENDAR GIRL had just come out, which I'd learned contained a nude beach scene. This was confirmed by an Entertainment Tonight episode I watched, in which Priestley was interviewed to promote the film, and he stated that it was a real nude beach with actual nude patrons and that he was indeed fully nude, and that during takes someone would run up to him and put a robe on him. Anyway, I was intrigued by this tidbit, so I asked him in the letter if it was embarrassing/uncomfortable being nude on camera. Also, he'd recently appeared on Jay Leno with Penny Marshall (who produced the film), and I asked if Marshall got turned on seeing him naked? She'd joked on Leno about Priestley having 'nice buns,' so I took this to mean that she was there for the shooting. Much later I deduced that she probably wasn't there and that she had merely watched the film at the premiere.

Also, I included a pocket watch that I had stolen from my dad to give to him as a belated birthday present (his b-day is August 28). So I put the thick envelope stuffed with 10 pages of lined paper and a pocket watch in my mailbox and put the little flag up. I was disappointed the next day when the envelope remained and had a note on it saying that it was too heavy. So I took out the watch and tried again. The next day, it said 'insufficient postage' or something. Exasperated, I put about 8 stamps from my mom's desk and tried yet again. The third time was a charm! Now, all I had to do was wait.

I went through most of 8th grade until I finally got a reply in the spring of 1994. I was on my bed reading after school, when my mom came into my room and merely dropped the postcard on my desk, without saying a word. It was this very same photo of Jason Priestley (see below) and on the other side it read "Best of luck!" and signed "Jason Priestley." I was over the moon with joy! That is, until my siblings pointed out that the salutation and signature were clearly stamped. And that's the first (and last) time I ever wrote to a celeb.

However, in 1995, I did plan to send Jodie Foster an Oscar statuette I'd made in art class out of clay and spray-painted gold. On the base I had inscribed "To the REAL Best Actress Winner." I had been rooting for her for NELL and was so devastated that she lost. For many years afterward, the sight or mention of Jessica Lange made my blood boil. I hated her! haha Unfortunately, I was unable to find Foster's address, and the clay Oscar got lost over the next 8 years, when I moved a total of 5 times in that short span.

I have always wanted to write a fan letter to my Top 10 favorite celebrities who have impacted my life via their music or films

I don't want autographs or photos, but I'd like a small acknowledgment that they have received it. Not that I would hold my breath waiting for a response.

The fact that I'm 38 stops me from doing it... not sure if fan letters are solely the domain of teenagers (who probably don't even write letters these days anyway)

So should I still do it? What do you guys think? (oh and be nice!)

As a young gayling Ben Affleck used to have a website and he would respond to people who asked him questions. I wrote him there and got a response. It was a great time when he was that open (pre-JLo of course).

Around the same time I did the same thing to Ryan Reynolds and got an incredibly funny response.

To be honest, I loved watching Ben Affleck in Chasing Amy and Mallrats but I thought Ryan Reynolds was incredibly funny and it meant so much to me that both times that they acknowledged me.

R116,

I've noticed that a lot of celebs (especially on Twitter) tend to respond to younger people before they would an adult and honestly, as in the post I just posted, it probably meant a lot more to me as a kid than it would now. I think they knew that. I would never write anyone now. However, I'll always have a soft spot for Ben Affleck and Ryan Reynolds because of that. I think they also knew that too.

I remember Rosie O'Donnell giving a great example of how she felt about celebrity and something as simple as autographs years ago. She said she doesn't sign them unless it's for a kid. Back then she was still being noticed for being Betty Rubble. She didn't understand what an adult would need with an autograph. Celebs go the extra mile for younger people when they're in the mood. Whoopi once came out of her trailer to meet me when I walked home from school (instead of taking the bus) to go to the set of a movie she was shooting in. Some PA found me and took me to her. I have loved her ever since ... but again I was 15! Now it would be creepy!

I emailed a certain actor/playwright who has a website and email contact, and I thought we had quite a good conversation going. But as soon as I talked about myself and not him, he lost interest and stopped writing.

Jane Fonda's website used to have an ask Jane facility which I used one time and she replied. I told her that her voice had been dubbed in a L'Oreal commercial that was running in my country (not USA). She responded with "Yikes" and that she would look into it. But then she changed the site and I couldn't work out how to write to her again.

When I was about 12, I wrote to Alfred Hitchcock (!) and gushed a little, asked for an autograph. I got back a singed card that had his name embossed on the top. I've always wondered if he actually signed it.

Facebook is another way to possibly contact someone who has a personal page. I found one for someone I am interested in and although their friend quota was said to be full so I couldn't request to be their friend, I can still read their frequent entries.

Tom Synder wrote back with a nice letter and signed picture. My ex wrote to him in the mid 90s.

I wrote to Jackson Browne because his song "I'm Alive" was playing when I woke up and realized my apartment was on fire. This was also in the 90s, when that song was new.

I just said thanks for waking me up and that I enjoyed his work. Nothing crazy, I was about 21, living with someone and working full-time, not a child, but not an obsessed fan. The fire had a profound effect on me, I guess, and I really felt his music was great at the time.

I got a weird standard letter saying he didn't have time to read it, but thanks for writing. That seemed worse than no response--I really didn't expect a response anyway. The way it was worded made him seem like an egomaniac, but I'm sure he didn't write it.

A word about autographs--I really don't understand the appeal--at all--I would be embarrassed to ask for one.

U bitches are old! I dint know half of these people

I think I told this on another thread. I'm a fan of silent films and found an old fan magazine with an article on Baby Peggy. Knowing she lost all her own memorabilia from reading her biography, I contacted her biographer to see if I could send it to her. He gave me her address and she sent back a note to tell me about her book on the silent film cowboys.

[quote]Knowing she lost all her own memorabilia from reading her biography, I contacted her biographer to see if I could send it to her.

Send what to her? You really need to elaborate.

Kate Bush. As a teen boy I wrote her and told how much her music meant to me. I guess I had asked for a photograph since I had also sent one of those international postage paid notes that you could use to pay for stamps in a foreign country. Well she answered me with a big head shot, the one from the cover of The Whole Story, and she had written 'To *my name* love from Kate Bush XXX' on it. She also returned the postage paid note unused.

I remember coming home from school and opening the letter. It was just unreal. Too bad I missed her concerts last year. I still love her music deeply, and I obviously respect her hugely.

The old fan magazine, r126.

Bumping and seconding R116’s question; is it weird to do this as an adult?

My asking this is a little less extreme as I’m only in my mid-20s and I only want to write to one famous person thanking him specifically for talking candidly about depression (which I have also undergone) rather than 10 people, but I’m still in two minds over whether to do it.

Though I’m a Millennial I feel gross about hitting up celebs via social media and thinks it’s crass and lame to publicly gush over someone online, but then again I guess a handwritten letter these days may be construed as creepy and stalkerish. I’m not a total obsessed fangirl, but I’m a writer by profession and I want to use that as my mode of contact if I reach out at all.

The guy I want to talk to is a pro-wrestler too...does that change the answer?

In the 1970s, I wrote a letter to Farrah Fawcett at the height of her Charlie's Angels fans. I'm still waiting for her to respond. I guess she's kinda busy with her son in jail and all.

No, not really.

In the early 2000's RuPaul had on online blog that he wrote in pretty much everyday. He'd talk parties he'd attended, about tv shows he watched, movies, music and he would post his playlists from his workouts. He was very accessible, I emailed him a few times and he answered. It was great having that kind of access to him. That's the only kind of celebrity "letter" I've ever put out there.

Hey r 130.

Farrah Fawcett is dead to you.

Letters and photographs to stars are "autographed" by their assistants. I've signed for a major actor, just for kicks.

r133 = Christina Crawford

[quote]Though I’m a Millennial I feel gross about hitting up celebs via social media and thinks it’s crass and lame to publicly gush over someone online, but then again I guess a handwritten letter these days may be construed as creepy and stalkerish.

If you are writing to someone Gen X or older, a paper letter may be appreciated. I have written to several authors thanking them for their work and how much it means to me and saying that I don't expect a response (I legitimately don't and who wants a stamped photo?). I keep it non-gushy, but personal, and have always received replies either by post or email.

I messaged a B+/A- actor about something related to his show and he replied. From then on he would read my messages and suggestions.

I send about five pieces of fan mail per year. The only responses I've had are from: Mel Brooks, Ellen Conford, Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke, Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, Stephen Fry, illustrator Arnold Roth (beautiful color cartoon he made for me), cartoonist Al Jaffee.

r125 Cool! There's some question about the infant in Chaplin's "The Kid" (1921), Silas Hathaway, being alive in 2019. I'll be writing to his son to see what the status is.

r116 you should still write, especially to people who've had an impact on you when you were growing up. I did so to one actor and he, or at least his personal assistant, sent me a glossy signed photo, unsolicited and at their postage cost. I'm thankful to have it.

It is precious that some of you think these replies you received were from the actual star and not from an intern.

Don't send fan mail to Ringo, he is too busy.

Opening And Answering Fan Mail For Movie Stars

[quote] We hate to break it to you, but Richard Gere, Samuel L. Jackson, and Anna Paquin do not open their own fan mail. In the old days, movie studios employ people to read and respond in the name of Judy Garland or Mickey Rooney. But these days, as the Wall Street Journal reported today, those letters are opened and sometimes answered by Shelley De Angelus.

[quote] The stars forward her requests for prom dates, cash, or just an autographed photo. Chances are if you've ever written to one of the stars she works with, Shelley has read your letter too.

Never. It’s stalkerish behavior that creeps me out.

R142 I remember on the junket for X-Men 3 that Anna Paquin was saying she would get cute letters from little girls saying they loved her as Rogue, but then she’d get creepy emails from 29y.o fanboys wanting to cyber or roleplay with her.

1) Sent a long letter to Amy Sedaris about going to high school in Raleigh. I'm the same age as her brother David, but we went to different high schools. She sent me back a nice handwritten note and a copy of one of the plays that she and David co-wrote.

2) Sent an e-mail to Joseph Gianniscola (sp?) who played Vito on The Sopranos, after his character had his big gay storyline. He replied 'thanks'.

Three times

When I was a young teenager I wrote to the management of Texas (the Scottish band) to tell them I loved the new album and asked if there would be a songbook released later on because I played the piano. I had heard growing up that you needed to make your envelope stand out if you wanted your letter to be opened quickly, so I had drawned Grimmy scaring the mailman all over the envelope, it looked very funny and colorful. Sure enough I got a very quick answer barely a week later, it was a big kraft envelope containing a large real photograph of the band from a new promo shoot (it wasn't cut and still had the printer's markers around it) with the signatures of 3 members on it (out of 4 lol) and an advanced copy of the songbook ! :) It was fantastic I was happy as can be and wrote a thank you letter with another drawing all over the envelope (this time of Attila having an extreme reaction from reading their letter).

In high school I wrote Catherine Deneuve to tell her that the movies she did with Téchiné stood out for me, asked if she agreed that there was something special about them and blah blah blah. I was obsessed with cinéma at the time and had nobody to talk about it with so I was kind of talking to myself really, like sending a message in a bottle. To my astonishment I received an answer months later, it was a short handwritten letter saying nice things about Téchiné accompanied with a signed poster of my favorite movie they had done together and which I had mentionned at length in my letter (Ma Saison Préférée). Both were signed CDeneuve but I didn't believe it was really from her hand. Very nice and generous in any case.

The third one I sent to Annie Lennox's management, I sent my concert ticket from her tour at the time and asked whether it was possible for Annie to autograph it if she ever dropped by. I sent a return envelope in it but without the stamps because we were in different countries. Months later sure enough I received the autographed ticket back, to my name and with a little smiley face drawned next to the signature. I was very happy!

This was the 90s. I don't think anybody does "mail" anymore these days do they? But at the time it was very cool and whoever said celebrities will make a nice gesture if it's a kid writing is spot on I think.

Apologies for grammar mistakes as English isn't my native language.

Wrote a fan letter to Pauline Kael in my teen movie nerd years & was thrilled to receive a nice hand written reply on New Yorker stationery.

I wasn’t a fan of him, but I wrote to Mr Gorbachev once.

Chris Isaak and PeeWee Herman both wrote me back.

Merrill Marko emailed me back, Tom Green emailed a couple of times but I stopped replying to him.

Steve Martin twice and Andy Cohen once dmed me on Twitter.

As a small child we sent one to Judy Garland. A few days later when we met her as she was being hustled from stage door to limo we asked her if she got our letter. "Yes, but I haven't read it yet" was her rushed reply. Then she got into the limo and was gone!

R45 I called Bobby Sherman's parents house and spoke to his mother. I asked her to tell him how much I liked him. This was during his time on "Here Come the Brides".

I read everything written about him, including where he grew up - Sherman Oaks - and that his Dad's name was Robert. I called 411 directory assistance and got the number. Lol . . . I was shocked. Those snooping skills were honed early on and when the internet came along, I became an excellent at tracking down information.

Yes, I was 10 yrs old. For Christmas that year Santa brought me the Cher doll. I loved that doll. The one problem though was the eyelashes. They were so long that the hair would get caught in the all the time. I sent a letter to Cher to let her know that she may want to trim her eyelashes because I was worried her hair would get caught in them and she may be hurt if she couldn't see where she was walking. I did get an 8X10 signed by her and Sonny. I was quite upset she did not thank me for the safety tip.

R129 incredibly there are wrestlers who still receive and open personal physical fanmail letters. A few are even Millennial. I think it is still quite rare courteous behaviour though, and only happens with the mid card ‘face’ guys (I.e lower level stars playing heroic characters) in the bigger Feds. Canadian cutie Tyler Breeze (at the link) is wonderful about it, to kids and adults.

I wouldn’t count on getting through to 95% of prowrestlers in any way other than sliding into their DMs with a skanky profile pic. Expect most of them to be gross and try to hit you up for sex or money too.

I wrote to K. Hepburn about her books, just sent to ' Hartford, CT' and she replied, a very lovely and warm letter. Typed but signed by hand, on a beige paper with the title' 'Katherine Houghton Hepburn' ' in red . A note to Redford telling him how much I liked' ordinary People '. His secretary sent a note apologizing on his behalf for not answering personally because of hectic schedule but sending his best regards. Alan Bates called me up and we had a very passionate affaire. The sex was off the charts. Do I win ?

r107 someone or something replied to my friend chad from mooriah’s twitter account. he nearly shit his pants.

Twice:

When I was about six or seven, I wrote to Julie Andrews (with my mom's help) and told her I loved her in The Sound of Music. She sent back (iirc) a signed picture and a little pre-printed card that said something like "With Compliments from Ms. Andrews.

When I was in high school and going through my theater phase, I sent a letter to Betty Buckley. She sent back (again, iirc) a personalized note and signed picture.

I know Betty Lynn has a reputation for being cunt-ish, but I thought that was a lovely gesture.

R155: We know someone else who wrote to Kate asking for career advice, and received a typed but hand signed reply on stationary reading Katherine Houghton Hepburn.. Houghton, her maternal grandad(?) founded the Corning Glass Company

He was not in the movie R158, he directed it

I wrote a letter to Hostess in the mid 70's saying how much I loved the Ann Blythe commercials where she stuffed her kids with ho ho's, twinkies and cupcakes. Amazingly I got a reply back from Ann that those were her real children, not actors and that she hoped they would never follow in her footsteps. She planned to save their wages from the commercial to start a college fund. She advised me to NOT snack on Hostess foods everyday but to have an orange for apple instead. It was kind of weird.

Wow, this is an old thread. It was started in 2010.

I was 6. I wrote to Mr Crow from Irish TV program Wanderly Wagon. Guess I knew back then who my tribe was as he flames to space. Bitchy, smart alecky and better than the mere mortals!

Mr Crow makes his entrance at 1:04

We wrote a letter to mae west when we were living in santa monica in 1979/ a week later an envelope with an autographed photo of mae appeared on our doorstep!

I wrote many a fan letter to Madame.

R161 Yet it is still interesting.

Two, when I was growing up in the 70s. First, Sally Struthers, who sent a signed photograph, personalized to me. A head shot in which she wrote "thank you for watching my TV family, Sally" in green marker, around the shape of her head. The same photo as linked below (not mine).

And Melissa Sue Anderson. My cousin wrote to her, and got what we thought was a very detailed response (a letter, two photos, and a fan club membership form). Of course, when I wrote to her and got the very same thing, we realized it was a pre-packaged response from a fan club. The folly of youth.

Then I turned eleven, and my fan letter days were behind me.

We must carry on the pointless bitchery of our long dead ancestors, R161.

A lot of actors have webpages with contact info. As long as it is respectful and not too personal, I think many of them appreciate the recognition.

As a teen, I adored Patricia Neal. I read her autobiography a few times and just loved "Hud" and "The Fountainhead". I wrote her a fan letter and sent it c/o her publisher. She responded back on her personal stationery with her return address (East End Avenue). I wrote her a second note thanking her for her kindness and she responded again. I eventually met her at a luncheon and we took photos together. She was everything I had hoped for from a famous star!

...With Peace and Love, peace and love

I wrote a letter to Daddy!

I wrote three letters to Gerard Depardieu but he never wrote me back. ☹️

[Quote] One of the funniest things I've ever read on the DL was a story about the 80s by someone who wrote to David Hasselfhoff during his Knightrider days. He was sent an 'autograph' from KITT instead, which was a tyre track on paper. The randomness totally cracked me up.

Celebrities were a lot more willing to correspond in the 80s and 90s - before the internet. I received The Address Book by Michael Levine as a gift, and ended up writing every person I liked even slightly.

I had about a 75% response rate, and ended up getting signed 8x10 photos in the mail for years after I sent them.

My favorite ones were from Sean Penn, Christie Brinkley, Vanity, Heather Locklear, David Letterman, the cast of Cheers, Bette Midler (who wrote about my "messy, but sincere" letter) Jackie Collins, Milla Jovovich, Jamie Lee Curtis, Olivia Newton-John, Lynda Carter, Dan Aykroyd, Danny DeVito, Jaclyn Smith, and Tanya Roberts who kissed the envelope.

Wow r174, you win!

What did Sean Penn write in response?

R176 he sent me this photo signed to me

I used to work at the William Morris agency in the early 2000s, and would keep mail for celebrities in a bin. It would eventually be forwarded to them in a large envelope, or set aside for them to pick up when they came in, like Bill Cosby, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Tiffani Amber Thiessan, Kathy Griffin.

Some have their assistants sign for them, or have an obvious embossed stamp with their signature. Usually fan club addresses are pre-signed. But a lot do read the actual letters, regardless if they respond.

I wrote to Sheena Easton around 1995. She sent back an autographed picture.

My grandmother had a regular letter exchange with Janis Ian (notable as the very first musical guest on SNL). My grandmother was a poet and writer who also wrote song lyrics and she sent some to Janis Ian. I don't know if Janis ever used or recorded any of my grandmother's lyrics, but she did compliment her work. It was a big fucking deal whenever a new letter from Janis would arrive, although that was before I was born.

So much mail sucks that getting a signed photo makes your day.

I wrote to Patti LuPone after she got fired from Sunset Blvd. because I felt bad for her and Glenn Close couldn't fucking sing. She wrote me a nice note back and, surprisingly considering her autobiography, didn't dish.

jd salinger when I was ten.....he dint write bak.

Somewhere, in a box, I have a reply to a fan letter from DL eternal legend Olivia de Havilland. I hope I didn't pitch it. It was typed on blue air mail paper (remember that almost tissue paper blue air mail paper) and signed personally... sent from France. Being an idiot, I probably pitched it.

When I was nine in 1976, we had a class assignment to write a fan letter to a celebrity that the teacher would check over and we would send off. A girl in the year before me had sent one to President Ford, and had received an auto-signed thank you response our principal put in our elementary school's display case.

I wrote mine to Prince Rainier of Monaco, whom I complimented in my letter on marrying someone as beautiful as Princess Grace. I did not receive a response. To this day, I do not understand how my parents (who knew I had done this) expressed surprise when I came out of the closet at 21.

I sent one to Linda Blair in the mid-70s when I was about 12. I hadn't seen "The Exorcist" yet, but I had seen her TV movies ("Sarah T: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic"; "Born Innocent"; "Sweet Hostage"). I asked if she had any movies coming out or something like that.

I got a nice reply back from some rep. from a TV or movie studio(?) and it included some literature about the upcoming "Exorcist II: The Heretic".

When I was a boy I wrote to Gloria Vanderbilt. Among other things I said it must have been fun to grow up in such beautiful houses. She wrote back and said that was a long time ago but it was glorious.

[R89] that is the exact opposite of my experience with Lily Tomlin. I had the opportunity to meet her once and told her that my best friend was likely her biggest fan. She recorded a personal message to her, autographed a photo I brought along and then asked me for her home address. Two weeks later an Edith Ann doll arrived at my friend's home also autographed by Lily. She was hilarious and kind in person

I wrote to Dorothy Killgalen

Her address was Hades, below...

[quote]jd salinger when I was ten.....he dint write bak.

With your spelling, you're surprised?

I sometimes respond to my favorite soap actor in his Instagram stories. He writes back to thank me. He once thanked me for suggesting they pair his character with another male character as a romantic couple. I have no idea if the actor is gay. His character is straight.

Not Lynda Carter, R60?

I sent one to Arlene Francis and she tried to have me killed

My dad collected art and Saturdays were spent digging through antique shops and going to auctions.

On one trip we found this really ugly painting which my dad bought. I couldn't understand why, it was that awful.

Turns out it was by none other than DL icon Joan Crawford. Yes she painted but not very well.

I had no idea who she was.

After explaining, my dad had me write her a letter. He wrote it, I just copied it.

Joan sent back a note and an 8x10. I guess she really did answer all her mail.

Still have the painting, it's still awful but it's a fun story.

P.S. J.C. left all her "artwork" to Brandeis University. I think it's in the basement.

I wrote to l’impératrice Élizabeth d’Autriche, in care of her pseudonyme at the Beau Rivage, and implored her to join me for tea on the bateau Genève. I told her I had a perfect emerald to deliver as a gift from our mutual friend Prince Félix Ioussoupov She charitably accepted the RDV but SHE NEVER MADE IT ONTO THE BOAT.

I sent my dirty undies to Judge Judy

Back in the 1980s, I sent Elizabeth Taylor a fan letter. I especially enjoyed her work on “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” among her many other films. I received a wonderful letter from her and she appreciated my comments about “Virginia Woolf”. She is my favorite movie star. I saw her on Broadway in “The Little Foxes”. It was unforgettable to see her in person.

I wrote to Jimmy Stewart and received a thoughtful reply. He signed a photo I sent for his autograph.

I received autographs from Loretta Young, Lillian Gish, Vincent Price, Angie Dickinson; they personalized their autographs with very kind words. I sent them photos to sign.

Lana Turner signed the photos I sent, with a form letter. It stated she will only sign two photos at a time. Yet, she personalize the autographs.

Bette Davis signed a photo from “All About Eve”. I cherish it.

I sent Hedy two photos to sign. She only sent one back, but she signed it. I read was near blindness, she might have lost the other photo.

Helen Hayes, Gene Tierney, June Allyson, Lauren Bacall and Kim Novak all signed my photos. I sent Shelley Winters a photo, but she signed it will a dried up pen. You could barely see the signature.

James Stewart was so gracious; he signed my photo and sent a handwritten greeting.

I didn’t send anything to Katharine Hepburn. I read she didn’t sign autographs. I didn’t want to waste my time. I heard that if you sent her a fan letter, your grammar must be perfect or she’ll sent the your letter back, marked with corrections.

I should have written to Audrey Hepburn and Ava Gardner. I stopped writing fan letters and emerged from the closet during the Reagan years. (Go figure).

I got fan mail from some flounder.

I always write letters. No email or tweets. I also send them a picture to autograph with return postage paid envelope. There used to be a place on 14th street called Jerry Olingers movie memorabilia store. You could pictures of anyone in there and buy them then send them to the stars to sign. They had a whole binder of just Edy Williams. You had to ask for it.

When I was a kid I wrote Lynda Carter a fan letter and she sent me a pic in her Wonder Woman outfit autographed. I have Morgan Fairchild, Ken Shriner and Robin Mattson from General Hospital. Taylor Miller as Nina Cortland. Mandy Drury from CNBC, Audrey Landers. The hardest to get we’re Louise Lasser and Wanda Ventham. Took me a few years to get them and that was after sending pics with return postage to them several times. I got one from Diana Rigg in her Queen of Thornes costume and she sent me a note back. I sent this to her when she was doing My Fair Lady on Broadway. Wanda Ventham also sent me a personal note. I was so happy to get hers. Oh and of course, Edy Williams.

I sent a papyrus missive to the Whore of Babylon asking for career advice.

Yes.

About 1992, Liz Taylor was in the hospital with pneumonia. The news reports did not include the boilerplate “She’s inundated with well wishes from fans and admirers“. That bugged me because she was out front with support for people with AIDS. So I sent her a card at her hospital just wishing her well.

I was surprised to get a response. It was an engraved thank you card, with an engraved signature and a return address. It seems that the address was her personal assistant, and not her publicist or agent. Seemingly, only one degree of separation. At the time, a store in Ptown was selling her autographs for ~$600 each. So, I sent her another letter asking for her autograph, with a photo of her, and a stamped return envelope, and I tossed in an autographed picture of me, for humor.

She responded quickly with the signed autograph by return mail. I literally jumped off the ground when I opened it.

I framed it. Its starting to fade, now, but it’s been hanging in my living room for 30 years since!

(The autograph on the photo matches the engraved signature on the card, suggesting that it is authentic, and not signed by a flunky.)

My success with Liz started me in a tear.

Here’s an Ella Fitzgerald autograph.

Somewhere, I have a Vincent Price autograph. He addressed the “personal sized” envelope himself in old-man chicken scratch. I thought that was very nice.

I also have a Dan Quayle, Jon Claude van Damme; George H. W. Bush, and a young Robert Downey Jr.

I wrote a young, cute George Stephanopoulos. I got home from work one day with a message from his office. I called, and the rep told me I forgot to give my return address. She said she tried to call a few times, but didn’t want to leave a message. I though, maybe she thought I lived with my folks, and didn’t want to give away my school boy crush? Meanwhile, I was 30. They were very nice.

Katherine Hepburn’s aide responded to my letter, stating, “Miss Hepburn does not send autographs, or anything else, through the mail.”

Jimmy Stewart’s aide responded to tell me he was too ill to respond to me request. Sad.

I got a Sophia Lauren for my boyfriend, for some reason he liked her.

I wish I was a little more aggressive with historical figures. Hirohito, WWII Wehrmacht generals, QEII, Diana, Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Liberace, so many possibilities!

I think that was the end of it. All between 1990 and 1994.

Oh, I got a hoof print from the Christmas Moose. It was smeared with peanut butter, so I think I slipped it between the pages of a dictionary for storage.

Ha, I found my post from 2010.