I was getting our rig smog checked today and the wait was going to be over an hour. So I walked across the street to my favorite Mexican food place. This restaurant used to be located in LA's Farmers Market in Kosher Gulch off Fairfax since 1938. Growing up I was addicted to their Enchiladas. You can still get the famous enchiladas today at their Simi Valley location. The Hollywood famous used to go the Farmers Market and get the excellent Enchalidas too,, and they still go today to the Simi location. I sat at the bar ordered a drink and lunch and glanced over in a dark corner of the dining room. Their sat Lauren Bacall, a glass of wine,, and the famous enchiladas she'd been eating since her Bogart days, working the crossword puzzle by candlelight in the TIMES. I never, ever talk to nor bother celebrities. Even left wing hard heads (though still a really cool person in spite) like Bacall. I was sitting at the same bar eating enchiladas about a year ago. Who should ride up on a motorcycle, walk in, sit at the other end of the bar but Val Kilmer. He ordered the enchiladas, a beer, and grabbed the remote and put "Bully Beat down" on the bars TV. Kilmer is a regular at the restaurant and bar when he visits and rides his horses that are stabled up near the Reagan library. Suddenly a two girls at the opposite end of the restaurant spot him and go nuts. I mean stark raving, screaming, panic stricken crazy screaming his name, and headed our way. It was frighting. I'm chatting with the owner who is bar-tending this day, Kilmer says he has to "pay his tab and run",, the owner then tells him "forget about the bill,, head out through the kitchen". Kilmer did, got on his motorcycle, and vanished. My neighbor is a very famous former pro-baseball pitcher. Yeah, we take his 14 year old daughter and knock down some Margaritas or lemonaid and enchiladas too. His daughter gets a outta shape when people just barge into her conversations on her time with her dad and put a pen and paper in his face for an autograph. Even worse they dial a relative or friend and hand him their cell phones to talk to them,, and then start giving him a play by play of his lifes career. "It takes much less time to be nice to fans than to be mean to them" he told us. He is always so cool to his fans. How do you react when you see celebrities?
If they are not in a situation where they are supposed to be interacting with the public (in the autograph area at a sporting event, signing books, playing in a Pro-Am, etc.) - I leave them alone.
I was sitting in the shade at one of the slop chutes at Magic Mountains Hurricane Harbor one day. A nice looking, tiny, shockingly attractive girl with a big white long billed Duck hunting cap sat right next to me. She was visiting Hurricane Harbor with her nieces. They'd come back from a ride/slide and check in with her from time to time. As did my kids too. In broken "pidgen" english she'd make idle talk to me, probably outta boredom. Sweet as sugar. Mostly she asked me about my kids and wife etc., and I'd reply and throw back a question about her nieces and nephews. About two hours pass, our kids checking in and out with us, eating pizza, sitting in the shady rest area. etc. Then it was break time for the slop Chute / Pizza place employees, and they all converged on us. The employees stood back in a group, and one stepped forward and asked the girl I was talking to all this time if they could take their picture with her and an autograph. "I done sign my name, but you can take pictures" she said in her strong accent. The girl with the big Duck Hunting hat I was talking to was Penelope Cruz. I'd never heard of her, I had no clue who she was.
I have always found that celebrities don't bother me. They seem to respect my privacy. Now when Jay Leno asked me a question about one of my cars, I did answer his question. After all, he is a car guy also.
For me I could care less if I were in a room full of celebrities. They are the same as everyone we see each day to me.
My son hangs out with a few of the NY Giants. They come up and hang out on the lake, fish and take a boat ride. One good thing people don't recognize them with out their helmets and jerseys on. As John said they put their pants on just like you and me. They are a great bunch of guy's.
Here in my neck of the woods I'm the celebrity, so if some others come up and ask for photos of me I'm ok with that but I'm not into the autograph thing!
Val Kilmer? Val Kilmer? You saw Val Kilmer? AW MAN!!!!! I'd like to say I would probably leave the celebrities alone, but if it were Val Kilmer........ JJ
Well I respect the celeb's even when I got on an elevator and met Wolfman Jack....I was only 18 at the time and I reconized the voice just never thought I would meet the guy.....Went back and told my mom who grewup listen to this guy and didn't believe me until later that day we both got on the elevator and guess who was there?? Yep it was Wolfman Jack.....Had a nice short chat and got off and went our seperate ways.....I think he was as surprise as I was meeting him that someone my age would reconize him.....Really wish I couldv'e gotten a picture of him but I think he was glad to just being talked too.....this was back in the day of my dad being at a convention whish was why we were in an elevator...LOL But it was a neat experience!!!!!!
Elevator - now that brought back memories. Atlanta, 1970 - one day on the elevator was Tom Seaver, next day was BJ Thomas. JJ, looks like Val is going to be making a movie at my workplace.
Never really looked at anyone as a "celebrity" before. I grew up with a pro hockey player next door. Went to high school with a popular tv/movie actor. Worked on a Winston Cup drivers Busch car. Played slots with a "Doctor" on E.R. Golfed with a popular saxophonist. My accountant has celebrites in and out of his office daily. They all put their pants on one leg at a time and like to forget who they are and what they do. At the most I make 1 comment on 1 thing or season they had and leave it at that. They are normal people too
