rudest people at stage door- Page 4

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:10am

i'm not really an autograph seeker. (i never really understood the concept of getting an autograph, then going home with someone's signature. for what purpose? to each his own, however.) i have met some actors who were just hanging out before or after, or ran into them at other places. if i dig someone's work and they are hanging, i generally like to say, if they do not seem busy, "i enjoyed/enjoy your work." (I hate inconveniencing someone in their off-time if they really look like they wish to go un-noticed.)

over the years, some sweet folks i have met include: anne meara (who had a 10 min. chat with me and my mom. we are both HUGE meara fans), robert sean leonard, scott foley, mario cantone, harvey fierstein (who actually called me on the phone AND wrote me a lovely letter when i was 'coming out' and directing one of his plays back in college in 1989), parker posey (quite a pieer), sarah jessica parker (who was a LOVE. i met her at GMHC in Chelsea where I used to work. then ran into her again a few mos. at the FIRST WIVES CLUB screening. she walked over and said hello and actually recalled my name! she's quite small in stature. LOL), sigourney weaver who was incredibly down-to-earth. lesee, who else was nice? oh, sally field was fun. kim crosby was a sweetheart. justin kirk was very pleasant after LOVE VALOUR COMPASSION. he was just standing next to me in front of the theater after the play. he got out there fast and seemed to be looking for someone. I complimented his work and he looked surprised, looked around like i was speaking to someone behind him. he then laughed and said 'oh, u mean me? wow - THANKS.' then he chortled. i thought 'you're the only cast member out here. who ELSE would i be talking to?' lol he seemed quite humble. charles busch also seemed VERY humble about his writing and his performing when i met him. he looked thrilled to be recognized, actually. the same goes for the actor, paul joynt, who was the original 'alan' in TORCH SONG TRILOGY when i ran into him. oh, i met nathan lane YEARS ago in the lobby of an off-b'way. musical he did called IN A PIG'S VALISE. this must have been 1988, WAY before he found his big fame. i recalled him from his OLD tv show. he was quite sweet and witty, a little flirty.

rude encounters, not many.

some sidewalk sightings of people i never spoke with: anne hampton calloway, bill irwin, hunter foster (man - he's short!),jason patric, kyle chandler, matt borderick, bette midler. ya know, sometimes seeing the show's enough. if i truly dig someone, sometimes it's fun to hang about and casually steal a brief glance or 2 of them then move on. but, ya know, they're average people, just like us. when a friend took me years ago to the screening of the FIRST WIVES CLUB and the doors closed and the media were gone, they all interacted like average joes. i had rosie o'donnell sitting a few rows behind me, goldie hawn and kurt russell were a few feet away to my right. bette was right near to me at one point. but, ya know...they're just people =-)

[That Groovy Guy]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 9:53am

Kathleen Turner at The Graduate...seemed like she went out of her way to be nasty to people. She only signed for people that had Playbills for the show, which I can understand, but that doesn't mean she has to ridicule the others. This one middle aged lady next to me asked for her autograph and she looked at the piece of paper the lady had, looked at the lady, laughed her manly laugh and sneered "nice try!"

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 9:57am

I used to work for Kathleen. She is very aware of people who are autograph sellers. A plain piece of paper is a red flag. Sad that that's how it has to be, but it is.

[Spooky]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 10:21am

why is a plain piece of paper a red flag??
a plain photo sheet I can understand, but paper??

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 10:24am

It's easy to transfer anything from a plain sheet of paper...especially these days. And I wouldn't say she was going "out of her way to be nasty" when she was signing for everyone else.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 10:39am

Nathan Lane has been rude every time I've seen him, including one time when he made fun of me after I complimented him. Hi Nathan. I can't think of anyone else who was particularly unfriendly.

[mallardo]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 10:49am

Kathleen Turner has a well-earned reputation. Ask those who've had to work with her.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 10:53am

Hello - did you not read my post?? And she's by FAR not the worst person I've ever worked for.

Updated On: 9/1/04 at 10:53 AM

[Spooky]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 11:14am

"it's easy to transfer"
who comes up with this stuff? no autograph person in their right mind would transfer anything, they just forge it.

Blank photo sheets is different, you can put any photo on top of the autograph once it's signed (so if someone doesn't like the sign a particular photo) voila.

But the transfer stuff and "lifting" of autographs...not happening, especially in the case of someone like Ms Turner

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 11:33am

Recently Nathan Lane cut in front of me at the checkout line in Citarella. If that wasn't rude enough, when I politely asked him to autograph my wrapped pound of sea scallops he made are face at me and flipped me the finger. Then he intentionally bumped into me and my shopping bag while I was walking home.

When I got back home I noticed that my pint of Haagen Dasz Fudgie-Wudgie Double-Syrup with added Choco-Chunks Ice Cream had been stolen.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 11:35am

That's not the first time I've heard of Nathan doing exactly that.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 11:37am

I should also have mentioned that he stole my jacket because he said he liked it so much that someone as tasteless as me could never have purchased it.

[Tom1071]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 2:35pm

What do you want from them? Broadway performers and celebritites don't owe you anything. They're just ordinary people who have extraordinary jobs. When the show is over they are exhausted and then they have to go outside and face 50 to hundred people that they don't know and that know nothing about their personal lives when really all they want is probably to just go home. Sometimes it's just hard to fake pleasantries with strangers and some of the fans at the stage doors are crazed. Just remember, the stage door was not included in the ticket price. You take your chances there and truthfully you have no right to have any expectations.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 2:37pm

Tom, pay me what they get paid - a little less than my current annual salary WEEKLY...and I'll sign your naked body. Every night. 80 times.

Updated On: 9/1/04 at 02:37 PM

[worrell4077]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 2:43pm

I've been fortunate to meet very nice people, it's just the people at the stage door that can be rude.

One would be at the Boy From Oz stage door. Me and my mom just got back from seeing Avenue Q to try to get Hugh to sign a birthday present for my aunt. So anyway we're just standing there and it starting raining. So these women who were right in front of me and my mom and opened there umbrella and it was blocking the view of the everyone behind them and the point of the umbrella was very close to my mom's eyes, and someone did ask them to please put that away, but they kept it up until the rain stop.

[NBRISBY]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 2:50pm

What mysterious "they" get paid your annual salary weekly? Unless you're a star like Hugh, Idina, Kristin, or Nathan Lane, they're probably raking in salaries closer to that of Tonya Pinkins (around 2K a week). Not nothing, but...not so much money that they roll around in it and giggle.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 3:02pm

LOL, I like that picture though...no of course I'm talking about the huge stars - Tonya was on a special contract - all the other leads in other shows get paid quite a bit more than that, but from what I hear, she was always very friendly anyway. My point is, part of the $100 we pay for our tickets goes toward their ample salaries - so they can at least be pleasant.

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 3:19pm

Having fan's waiting at a stage door is a really sweet compliment. As an aspiring actress it is something that I look forward to one day. I understand most times actors are very tired after performing,but it never gives an excuse to be rude. It is easy to say hello, and something along the lines of "sorry no autograph's tonight, thank you for coming". My personal opinion is that being real and able to relate to fans is very important, because they are the people who will keep going to see the show,movie or buy the cd that that performer has in the future.
PS. I didn't know ensemble members made almost $2000.00 a week! That's like a million dollars to me! I would sign a billion autographs a week if I were making that much to be in a show!!

[robbiej]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 3:28pm

But what if your fans are Puerto Rican drag queens?

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 3:34pm

I love them! You people sometimes take things to far. Now be mature and get back on topic. Updated On: 9/1/04 at 03:34 PM

[mallardo]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 3:36pm

Rathnait, I've seen Ms Turner in action, I know whereof I speak. This is NOT a highly regarded human being.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 3:44pm

Mallardo, so have I. Let's just say perhaps I've seen more sides of her than you have, and leave it at that.

[Missy37]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 3:52pm

I worked on a show with Kathleen years ago and she was always nice, I never saw her being rude. Both her and her husband are really nice people.

[Copeman63]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 4:28pm

Just to play devil's advocate, Vanessa Redgrave missed 4 performances of LDJIN the week of her mother's passing. I was a bartender there and had to hear countless people complaining. Her understudy was fabulous, I wish I could remember her name... I'm lucky, I don't think I've ever met a bad performer at a stage door. I think it's because I treat them like normal people. If someone is amazing, I'll try to tell them, but some people are crazy... Just because you've seen a show so many tiems does not make the performer your friend. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go sneak out of my house from the back entrance to avoid those crazy autograph hounds out front.

[SamIAm]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 4:52pm

when you have met and smiled at as many people as these actors have you will understand that it does become trying when there are many people who are rude to you and who obviously don't care how cold it is outside or how tired you are.

The whole concept of being asked to sign an autograph sounds enticing until you've done it 2500 times. Most people try to be reasonable but it's the access that NY fans are used to having and that access that many people abuse that makes it tough to keep smiling.