Has anyone recognized actors anywhere but a show?- Page 3

[jagman1062]

Posted: 8/1/19 at 12:54am

Seeing other actors or celebrities at shows they're not performing in is pretty common.  For me, Joan Rivers at "The Goat..." and then again at "Act One," Audra McDonald at "Assassins," Hillary Rodham Clinton at "The History Boys," Jerry Ohrbach sitting behind me at "Frankie and Johnny.. (2002)", Nathan Lane sitting behind me at "Dinner at Eight," (and another time walking down 44th St on  his way to host a tribute to Angela Lansbury), Liza at the 1995 revival of "Hello, Dolly!," Elaine Stritch at "Follies," a TV actor whose name I don't remember (he played in Sisters) sitting behind me at Circle in the Square, Steven Sondheim directly across the aisle from me at "Juno and the Paycock" at the Grammercy, Hal Prince (RIP) at "Souvenir," Jerry Stiller at "November," Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows, and also Christopher Lawford, at different shows both at the Plymouth, Betty Comden and Adolph Green at a revival of their "Bells are Ringing," Phyllis Newman sitting directly behind me on closing night of "High Fidelity," and others who I can't immediately recall.  

Many actors at different eateries in the theater district. There was a casual restaurant/diner on 8th Ave called Starstruck that's since closed.  Many performers would pop in there for a meal, either take-out or eat-in.

When I was in grad school in the Village I would see Michael Cerveris walking his dog in Union Square frequently.  I also remember literally bumping into Diana Rigg in Central Park when she was doing Medea.  I was very apologetic and she was very gracious.  Sarah Jessica Parker at a coffee shop on the UWS,  Stephen Baldwin at a parking garage on W 11th.  Richard Thomas at the next table while dining at O'Neal's,  Victor Garber and Scott Ellis up in Provincetown one summer after Garber concluded his run in Art.  Laura Benanti in the car next to me at a stop light on Rt 23 in New Jersey.  Her parents live two towns north of me.  There are others that I don't immediately recall.

Updated On: 8/4/19 at 12:54 AM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 8/1/19 at 9:14pm

Miles2Go2 said: "...Not a broadway actor as far as I recall, but on my way into see The Ferryman, a young woman ran up to a man and said, “Are you famous, what’s your name?”. He said something to affect of “yeah, my name is Dylan.” It was Dylan McDermott. To his credit he wasn’t rude about it. He just moved on after the rude young woman ran off. BTW, he’s even hotter in person."

I wouldn't have said McDermott was my "type", but I ran into him (not literally, and though i recognized him, this was before I knew his name) near my home in Venice, CA, and--for the only time in my life--I GASPED OUT LOUD! He was that gorgeous. (Then I became instantly and thoroughly embarrassed, and then a little sad, thinking how annoying it must be to get reactions like that from strangers.)

Used to run into the "hunks" from BAYWATCH and PACIFIC BLUE all the time, because those shows filmed on the beach near where I lived, but none of them provoked a reaction from me like McDermott did.

Posted: 8/2/19 at 1:09am

I literally ran to catch the #1 last week at 59th Street, just made it, the doors closed, and who was standing in front of me? Lenny Wolpe, who is a character actor/singer who I saw many times in my favorite show, "The Drowsy Chaperone."  He played Feldzig, the producer (get it? Zigfeld scrambled). Always wore a suit. He was in very casual clothes, hot day, and I blurted out, "Aren't you Lenny Wolpe?" I guess loud enough for other straphangers to turn and look -- he bashfully said yes, he was, and I told him how much I loved him in Drowsy.  He told me he had just returned from doing "Guys & Dolls" I think he said in San Diego, and the show before that was, "Drowsy" so he got to see it for the first time in its entirety, not being in it, and how much fun it was.

He said goodbye, got out at 66th Street, so it was quick, but one of those nice moments where you're glad to be a New Yorker where such talented people ride the subway like everybody else. 

[JuneJune]

Posted: 8/2/19 at 5:07am

Not an actor, but Bernie Telsey was on my flight once. I didn't realize it was him at first glance though. I passed his seat while boarding the plane and thought he looked familiar, so I took one last look behind me as I left first class. He was reading a script with a giant watermark across the page (the watermark was just his name, which is what made me realize why he looked so familiar). Didn't catch what he was reading though, as the line of people was moving and the text was too small/far for my terrible eyesight.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/2/19 at 11:31am

Four incidents that stay with me.

Years ago, my wife and I were going to see the Bolshoi Ballet at the Met.  It was our anniversary, and we really splurged.  We purchased Parterre tickets and went to Cafe Des Artistes for dinner.  When we were entering the restaurant, we were having a fight, and didn't notice that they put us in a really bad table.  I was about to complain, when a party of six was seated next to us.  Jackie O and Maurice Temple..., Caroline and her husband, and a couple we did not recognize. We noted that they pre-ordered...their entire meal consisted of a smoked salmon appetizer and a berry-colored sorbet.  We left at the same time they did, to go to the Met...they got into a limo, we walked.  Well, we get to our box, and who is sitting directly to my left, same row...Jackie O.  An earlier time at an ABT performance, we were waiting on an ice cream line on the plaza, and she was right behind us.  Well, naturally we stood on the side eating our ice cream and to gawk...she literally took three licks and threw it out...that was, I guess, her splurging.  

We sat next to Rita Moreno at an Italian restaurant next to the theatre where The Ritz was playing, long since closed.  Two reactions...she definitely played the Diva...talked louder than she had to, and boy could she get into a filthy joke.  My parents, much to my surprise, loved the show and thought she was great.  Well, after listening to the third filthy (not dirty) joke in a row -- and this was 44 years ago, if I remember correctly, so you didn't expect to hear someone at the next table telling a filthy joke in a very loud voice -- they concluded that they had had enough of Rita Moreno that night.

We were walking along the street, probably, 40 years ago.  When we see this large woman in a fur coat literally sitting on the curb.  We thought there might be something wrong, some walked over to ask if there was anything we could do.  She told us, no thank you.  She was waiting for a friend who was quite late, was tired of standing, and just decided to sit down. Since she was large at that point, I wondered how she was going get up, but did not see.

Finally, and background is needed here.  My wife's all-time favorite movie line is (said in hyper-speed)'we have the motive which is blackmail, and the body which is dead.  Well, somewhere in the 70's, when we were still in our 20s, we were at the Gaiety Delicatessen on 47th Street, long since gone.  Who was seated at the next table but Rod Steiger, with some other folks.  It took everything in my power, being an up-tight 20-something, to keep her in her seat.  She wanted to go over to his table and tell him about her favorite line.  Since we were so young, I imagine he would have been graceful, but we will never know.  Interestingly, a dozen years later, we were seated next to his party at a performance in London of Ghosts, starring Vanessa Redgrave. Previously that performance, we had waited on-line for a ridiculous amount of time, because some jerk at the box office window was being difficult. Well, after a good 5 minutes, he finally moved on and the line got going.  It was Timothy Dalton, who was with Redgrave at the time.  What a jerk.

Actually, there was one more that was kind of fun.  For our 10th anniversary, we went to Barbados.  At the resort we were staying at, they were filming one of those shows where a bunch of second hand third tier movie and tv actors compete in a bunch of athletic activities.  There was a who's who of people who had been in TV in the 50s, all of whom I recognized by name (from watching too much TV).  They included Barbara McNair (probably the most successful and still regularly working), Peter Brown from one of the westerns, Robert Horton from Wagon Train, the older son from that show Betty Buckley was in (can't remember the name), Gary Franks, who had won an Emmy for Family, but had not done much since, and a bunch of others.  At the time, over 30 years ago, they were much more recently visible, and still young, so it added to the fun for most of the week.

Updated On: 8/2/19 at 11:31 AM

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 8/2/19 at 12:07pm

Jarethan said: "We were walking along the street, probably, 40 years ago. When we see this large woman in a fur coat literally sitting on the curb. We thought there might be something wrong, some walked over to ask if there was anything we could do. She told us, no thank you. She was waiting for a friend who was quite late, was tired of standing, and just decided to sit down. Since she was large at that point, I wondered how she was going get up, but did not see."

Who was this? 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/2/19 at 1:59pm

Miles2Go2 said: "Jarethan said: "We were walking along the street, probably, 40 years ago. When we see this large woman in a fur coat literally sitting on the curb. We thought there might be something wrong, some walked over to ask if there was anything we could do. She told us, no thank you. She was waiting for a friend who was quite late, was tired of standing, and just decided to sit down. Since she was large at that point, I wondered how she was going get up, but did not see."

Who was this?"

Oops, I forgot...comes with age.  It was Shelly Winters.

[BuddyStarr]

Posted: 8/2/19 at 2:16pm

Living in HK you see lots of people, although most don't live locally but work nearby.  In my building, there were rentals for some of the kids in Matilda and some of the other shows with children (I forget the other show with children running around the same time).  The parents seem to let them have the run of the building which isn't wise especially being so close to Times Square.  We also have several Stage/TV actors living in the building and they sometimes hang out by the doorman.

If you're into star spotting, I'd recommend the Food Emporium on 8th especially between two show days....

[Jessryn]

Posted: 8/2/19 at 3:44pm

When I was heading back to my seat from the accessible restroom at Hadestown there was a man blocking the path talking with his friend. I politely asked to go by and they moved to the side. And that's when I saw that one of them was Taye Diggs. I'm not from New York but I kept it New York cool on the outside, however I was St. Louis not cool on the inside.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 8/2/19 at 6:20pm

All the time in the theater district or at concerts with fellow Broadway performers. There are too many of those to recount. The weird ones are when there's no reason to expect it. Like, I'd been at the Brooklyn Library and happened to pass Gideon Glick as I was taking the train back into the city. 

Also, randomly in the middle of the day I was in the same train car as Famke Janssen for a couple of stops. I remember she was dressed very stylishly so I wanted to check out her outfit but I didn't want her to think I recognized her and was going to bother her. 

I feel like I generally keep hours that are too weird to run into actors anywhere else than in the theater district or at shows. There are some people I'd abandon decorum for but generally I let people be. I'm reluctant to even approach someone if they're not in a show but just going to support a friend like any other audience member. Stage dooring is a socially acceptable time to interact with actors. Any other time you're imposing on someone's personal time.

Anyway, I'm loving some of these stories. 

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 11:13am

Not an actor, but fun interaction nonetheless: In the men’s room at intermission of the final performance of KINKY BOOTS, the guy in front of me couldn’t get the paper towel mechanism to work. I helped him out. Thought he looked familiar but there were dozens of people that day who sorta-kinda looked famous like I should know them. Anyway, at the curtain call, the guy walks out with Jerry, Harvey, Cindy, Darryl, and Hal: Stephen Oremus. 😁

It’s fun seeing actors when they’re here in San Francisco on tour. I’ve seen a few over the years, including Rob McClure and Andrea Martin. And a few weeks ago Wesley Taylor Instagrammed a photo taken on a corner one block from my office. I was so close to meeting him!! I’ve shared my Chita/Midnight Mass story before here and won’t bore you again. 

[Barb Halliday]

Posted: 10/30/19 at 4:40pm

No broadway people where I live however many movies and tv shows shoot in my town and we have seen the actors from the Handmaid's Tale recently as the house where Offred lived for the first few seasons is not far. Another recent occurence is Liam Hemsworth is here right now shooting a movie (haven't seen him yet).

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 10/30/19 at 5:09pm

While I was on line to enter Anastasia earlier this year, I saw Bruce Willis cut the line and enter TKAM. He got some applause from people on the 2 lines.

I'm pretty sure I saw Tom Hiddleston outside the Sondheim on Sunday after the final Beautiful.

I was having dinner with my cousin at Harry Caray's in downtown Chicago years ago and the Yankees were in town. we saw Eduardo Nunez who was a rookie at the time. We ended up saying hello and getting photos.

Years ago, I was on a Delta flight from JFK-Vegas with Chris Brown and his huge entourage. He got the Porsche treatment plane side and then sat in First Class. I was towards the back of the plane with some colleagues. One colleague was towards the front of coach and could see everything up front. The entourage was spread out throughout the plane as it was a full 737-800.

I once sat next to Ina Garten's husband Jeffrey on a redeye flight and didn't let on that I knew who he was. It was late and he was in sweats. He pretty much fell asleep as soon as we pushed back from the gate but I did chat with him briefly as we were happy about the empty middle seat between us. He's just as sweet in person as he is on tv.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 10/30/19 at 5:09pm

OH! I saw Heidi Bickenstaff in a Duane Reade :)  

[magictodo123]

Posted: 10/30/19 at 5:16pm

This person kept coming into my place of work, and I always thought he looked familiar, but I didn't know why. I had to interact with him (say hi and everything) every time he came in. 

This was when Something Rotten! was on Broadway.

Turns out, I had been interacting with Christian Borle.

After that, it took a long time for me to stop blushing when he would come in. 

[gibsons2]

Posted: 10/30/19 at 7:47pm

I saw Timothy Hughes on the C train twice. He got off at 96 st. Both times it was late at night, so I assume he was coming back home after the show. I also saw Christian Borle on the subway platform few years ago when he was in Something Rotten. I saw Laura Linney on the train too (it was L train I believe). I think subway is the most common place to meet any celeb in NYC. Saw several in Chelsea Piers where my kids went for camp and once met Heidi Klum while running, she said hi because I couldn't help staring at her.

Updated On: 10/30/19 at 07:47 PM

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 10/30/19 at 8:19pm

Given my complete and utter fascination with very tall men, if I saw Timothy up close I’d probably melt faster than Olaf sitting in front of a fire. LOL

[whatsername2]

Posted: 10/30/19 at 10:28pm

I once saw Eva Noblezada on the street when I was - ironically - on my way to dinner right before seeing Hadestown. The two of us locked eyes for half a second, and she had the look of "I know you know who I am". I kept on walking and tried to play it cool, even though I was internally freaking out. 

My mom was with me when I saw Eva, and she was disappointed that I wasn't able to point her out in time; however, only a few weeks ago, she made up for it. My mom was in the apartment building lobby of a family friend, where she saw a pair that she remembered thinking, "That looks a lot like Reeve and Eva." Then she realized why they looked so familiar! 

Hopefully I see Amber Grey on the street next time I'm in NYC!

[magictodo123]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 7:25am

Okay he's not an actor, but I love this story so much I have to share it.

 

Years ago, my parents were walking down their block when they encountered a large group of people. In the middle of the group was a black man swaying back and forth. My Mom recognized him immediately and then turned to my dad and asked 'did you see that man?" My Dad, 'yeah, he had a nice tie"
 
My parents had seen Stevie Wonder. 

[Kimberly_E]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 9:08am

Walking around the theatre district before and after shows, I've run into multiple Broadway actors. During my September trip, I saw Andre De Shields, Ryann Redmond, Andrew Chappelle, Kristolyn Lloyd, Asa Somers, Eva Noblezada, and Chad Kimball. On the last day of the trip, my sister and I were taking a tour with Broadway Up Close, and we were telling Tim (the owner and our tour guide) about all of the people we had run into so far. As we talked, Tim led us out of Shubert Alley and onto 44th street. He said "Yeah, if you walk around the theatre district long enough, you're bound to run into someone. Speaking of which, look behind you." We turned around just in time to see Dakin Matthews walking into the Shubert for the TKAM matinee!

Another of my favorite stories is when I went to see Lobby Hero. I was pretty pumped to see Chris Evans (huuuuge crush on him), so I got a seat by myself on the second row, left orchestra. As I was waiting for the show to start, I glanced around and saw a man on the front row who looked familiar, and I was convinced it was Billy Porter. Obviously I was excited, and I started thinking of a way to approach him without being weird. In the end I decided to leave him alone, and I'm glad I did because it wasn't Billy Porter. As I was leaving the theatre, another audience member walked up to him to ask for an autograph, and as he spoke, I realized it was Chris Rock 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 9:22am

[Miserent]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 11:26am

Sutton Foster occasionally shops at the grocery store where I work part time.  The first time I saw her I thought to myself "wow that woman is a dead ringer for Sutton Foster", and then she smiled and I knew it was indeed her!  Being the queeny fangirl I am, I approached her and said quietly so as not to draw attention to her: "Excuse me, are you Sutton Foster?", to which she smiled and replied "I am!".  She could not have been sweeter!  Very down to Earth and kind, no sense of diva attitude whatsoever.  I also saw Seth Rudetsky shopping at the store once, and he was just as funny as you'd imagine he'd be.  We fangirled over Patti Lupone for a hot minute and then I helped him find organic ground beef for a friend of his since he doesn't eat meat. 

Now if only Lupone could traipse on in one day...

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 12:32pm

I was at the final performance of KINKY BOOTS. If you recall, producers held the entire orchestra for industry and friends, so there were lots of industry folks there. At least I think there were. In the very long line at the men's room at intermission, I kept having those "I know him..." vision. Seeing actors out of context of the stage or screen it's sometimes hard for me to instantly recognize them. 

At the paper towel dispenser one gentleman was having trouble getting the motion activation to work. I offered my hand (get your minds out of the gutter!) and it worked. He thanked me, and I didn't think anything of it since I didn't recognize him. At the curtain call when Jerry, Cindy, Harvey, Darryl and Hal walked out, they were accompanied by the guy: Stephen Oremus.  

I used to be a very avid cyclist and spent almost every Saturday or Sunday riding all around Marin County with a cycling club. I saw Robin Williams on many occasions. He always had such a cheerful smile on his face, perhaps masking the growing pain that was to come. But I know the endorphin rush of cycling, particularly whizzing down the countless hills around Mount Tamalpias and elsewhere. 

And while not an actor, we once got passed on the brutal Kings Mountain Road climb in San Mateo County by the famed George Hincappie, best known as the second in charge to Lance Armstrong during his reign. While we slogged up the climb, sweating and cursing, George silently and easily passed us . . . while having enough breath to be talking on a cell phone!

I quit cycling shortly after that. LOL 

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 3:53pm

Not an actor but I ran into Steven Spielberg in the bathroom at Jagged Little Pill at ART. I left him use the stall before me. He seemed like he was in a hurry. I had no clue who it was until I saw all the cast pics with him. I run into theatre people all the time when I'm in NYC. Probably because they are humans and shop, get Starbucks the same as me.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 3:59pm

Nothing will top the experience I had T the one-night benefit performance of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN at Lincpln Center. I was seated and reading my Playbill when my beloved Carol Channing took the seat next to minr.


..
Sorry folks, I'm too emotional to finish this right now.

Updated On: 10/31/19 at 03:59 PM