Nastiest, rudest, all-around horrific Broadway performers — Page 2

Someone PLEASE tell a Lauren Bacall story! Those are always the best. Or, um, worst.

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Harvey can be a little rude soemtimes and Hunter Foster is ok but not very persanable. I'm pretty sure he takes his sweet old time to come out so he can avoid as many people as posible.

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Updated On: 2/8/04 at 10:29 PM

To be honest with you, I feel quite embarassed to wait at the stage doors and get autographs!! Primarily because of the reaction I would get if the stars wouldn't sign the playbill or whatever.

The only signed thing I have is Bernadette Peters and John Dossett's autograph of the Gypsy cast recording, only because we had to wait in line to have it signed so the autograph was expected. I'm hoping to make it to "Oz" cd signing with Hugh Jackman in a couple weeks.

No one gets embarassed asking for autographs? I just can't do it!!

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A bitch THAT night, hon, she's the stuff that message boards were made for. But respect for Rob prevents anymore from being written.

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"Some actors are sick or tired after a long week...some have personal issues and well, plain and simple could be "having a bad day"...to judge a performer after a show by how they behave at the stage door is unfair, and often, a little jarring. Some actors, believe it or not are also painfully shy around strangers...and really dont handle the attention well at all."


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DD, I have to say I completely agree with you. A lot of people find it hard to believe that performers can be 'shy'. It's not really that strange of a phenomenon. I am a huge ham when I'm 'performing' or just entertaining someone... but throw me into a crowd of people who I don't know and I shut up quickly. I get painfully shy to the point I seem like a different person. Quiet and reserved, and that's certainly not me. I just get embarrassed and anxious around strangers most of the time.

I'm sure that's very common with those performers who have reputations of avoiding stage doors or sneaking out. Being exhausted may be key, too. I just think everyone shouldn't be so quick to judge. When a person is blatantly rude to you, that's reason to judge, but if a person just doesn't plain GO to the stage door or isn't over extroverted when they are there, you just don't know what's going on and it's really none of our business.

Maybe Hunter just doesn't take well to new people. :) Who knows?

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"signing autographs is a simple act of kindness and not required."

I must respectfully disagree. I am a performer myself - working on stage most of my life. Signing autographs is a part of your job. As an actor/singer, your work stops when you get into the privacy of your own home. When you are in the eye of the public, you are still working, whether it be in the alley signing autographs or being recognized on the cab ride home. I've worked all my life to become a popular performer - I'm certainly not going to bitch about and snub my fans now. If these other performers can't handle signing autographs and being kind and gracious to their fans (after all, as someone else posted, they are keeping their asses employed) get out of the business.

Heather Headly after a mid-week performance of Aida. There was barely a crowd of maybe fifteen people at best yet she couldn't be bothered to even stop and say hi. She brushed off one guy who asked nicely for an autograph and hopped into a car--which sat in the road for twenty minutes before moving! Sigh

Oddly enough, Taylor Dayne (great as Amneris) came out the stage door with the biggest smile on her face and was incredibly nice to everyone. I even noticed her go out of her way to walk down the block to greet a group of handicapped folks. She seemed thrilled to meet the fans and no matter her "pop" status, I will always respect her for her kindness to her fans.

Were you on Candid Camera, Eddie Varley?

Perhaps it was a Lunts/Funts thing.

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Jack, I understand your point. And true, I suppose no celebrity or performer is absolutely obligated to sign autographs - there certainly is no law requiring it. However, those performers who choose not to sign autographs or take the time to speak with their fans will untimately find themselves fanless.

I have it on excellent authority that on Halloween, Audra McDonald gives out cheesy candy like Mary Janes and DOTS to Trick-Or-Treaters instead of really good stuff like mini-Hershey bars.

Brian Stokes Mitchell forgot to send his mom flowers on Mothers Day once.

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Master,

How you could consider Mary Janes and inferior, B-list candy is beyond me! You have no taste, sir...NO TASTE AT ALL!!!

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Many celebs are just ever so nice to the fans, the public who they know eventually pays their salaries.

But there is a subset that as soon as that door closes and the public isn't there, they turn into utter terrorists. God forbid you work with them or worse, for them.

Betty Buckley falls into this category. So does Faye Dunaway.

But the major 'Difficult Lineage' is thus:
Pearl Bailey begat Lauren Bacall who begat Betty Buckley

Topol (during The Baker's Wife at least) was no walk in the park.

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How can you classify someone as horribly mean based on one interaction with them? I have met a number of celebrities who were classified as mean, rude, unappreciative yet I found them delightful and engaging. Granted, most of the people I have met, I met them under different circumstances than in teh street or oustide the stage door. It has been at parties or other social functions or backstage and always because I was invited to or accompanied by someone they knew. so, naturally, the attitude would be different
Keep in mind that an actor is tired after a show especially those that have to sing and dance. They step out and find throngs of people shoving Playbills in their face demanding autographs. Most times they do what is expected by the fans and sign and take pics but, there are some nights they just don't have the energy to do it.

Aren't there nights when we all leave work in a bad mood and are ready to lash out at anyone who looks at us the wrong way?

I read the Boy George post and was surprised. He has always been very policte and sweet to people whenever I've met him. Maybe his reaction had to do with the fact that he was talking to freinds and was suddenly interupted by someone tapping his shoulder. Walking up to a stranger and touching them while they in the middle of a conversation could bring out that reaction. Wouldn't it have been better to stand to the side away from him, wait until he finished his conversation then approach him politely without tapping him?

Interupting a persons conversation, dinner, blocking their entrance to the theater or rushing toward them on the street are all rude behaviors and, in some instances can be a bit scary. I was once walking down the street with someone who was recognized by a fan. This person came running across the street, dodging traffic like a maniac and yelling "wait, stop". I was scared and wanted to run thinking this was some psycho coming to attack us.

I've found that most celebrities can be very nice when you approach them with respect, common manners and don't ask too much of them. An autograph and quick photo should be enough. An hour long converstaion is too much to expect. Imagine what it would be like for you to walk out of work and have a total stranger come up to you expecting that you forget everything you need to or want to do in order to stand there and pay attention to them.

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Updated On: 2/9/04 at 07:47 PM