Famous People That Turned you off?

[livnxxxl]

It sounds to me that David Prowse (Darth Vader) was actually born to fit the part of Darth Vader perfectly.

Although I have never actually met Jennifer Anniston yet I hear that she is not very fan friendly. I can only hope that this really is not the case as I still would like to meet her some day. Other wise I cannot think of anyone that I have actually met that was a bad experience.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I actually spent the day with Prowse at the comic shop I worked at in Morehead, KY back in college (around 96-97). He was in for a signing and while he was a bit aloof, he was polite and didn't mind my asking him some questions, although I didn't bother him too much. Of course I was essentially his gopher for the day, so constantly getting him bottled water and lunch may have made him more tolerable of me. I've heard from others he's generally Sith-like at cons.

I was at Motor City Con in Detroit one year as a "professional guest". Even if you run comics off a xerox machine, you're considered a "pro". Anyway, me and my buddy were about the only two people in the complimentary room at the time, getting a bowl of chili. An entourage worthy of secret service walked by about 4 times in black suits, shades and ear pieces. Who were they with? Number One himself, Jonathan Frakes was with them, clad in a huge Hawaiin print shirt, and you could tell they were scoping the room out to make sure Riker wouldn't get accosted by Trekkies. I just knew they were about to throw us out. They came on in, surrounding Frakes like he was "traveller". They gave us a few dirty looks but we stayed the whole time and just smiled at them. I wasn't about to bug a guy gettin' his grub on anyway. As we walked out my buddy Mitch (who has absolutely no tact) said something about Frake's big shoulder pads not hiding his gut, rather loudly.

As I've said before, even if the celebrity is cool, his "people" are usually dillholes.


Chris

[Mikey]

Yeah, that's what was going on here. it was 1993 and he wasn't busy. My wife (at her first con no less) wanted to meet Darth Vader, he let her stand there for 20 minutes while he chatted with somebody about nothing and then signed the picture for her but never acknowledged her. She was never rude, all she said was "hi" and he scowled at her and handed back the picture. It was the first half hour of the show, nice guy.

That was exactly my experience with classic WWF wrestler Bruno Samartino.
I guess I blocked it out earlier

[palitoy]

. Scores lined up for "Mr. Chekov" who didn't make any effort to disguise the fact he was bored and tired.

I've had a lot of experience with Walter Koenig oddly, you're right, he's not one to suffer fools gladly. I roomed next to him one weekend and he sure knows them swears!

At the first con I went to, he signed for free, people were really taking advantage of him, rolling up with 10-50 items. Eventually he mentioned he had a plane to chat and a group of handicapped people were trapped behind some dealers. He signed one thing out of a dealer's stack and said "That's all you get, now Go!"

I really admired that.

But alone at a table with exactly NO ONE asking for his autograpgh (and I do mean no one) was David Prowse.

Yeah, that's what was going on here. it was 1993 and he wasn't busy. My wife (at her first con no less) wanted to meet Darth Vader, he let her stand there for 20 minutes while he chatted with somebody about nothing and then signed the picture for her but never acknowledged her. She was never rude, all she said was "hi" and he scowled at her and handed back the picture. It was the first half hour of the show, nice guy.

[Mikey]

Adolf Hitler....
I never met the guy, but I bet he was a real jerkbag when asked to sign an autograph.

[Hulk]

Bea Arthur turns me off. I mean jeez, if she doesn't look like a man in drag, who does? No, I've never met her.

[Brown Bear]

Two celeb encounters stand out for me. First was Mr Dressup (Ernie Coombs). I was seven and my Dad was working the show and I met him afterwards. Dream come true for a 7yr old Canadian boy.

He ripped a poster down and signed it and even taped feathers and stuff from the show to the poster. Very nice man.

My second encounter was with wrestler Big John Studd. I was 11yrs old and thought he was so cool b/c he swore. I gave him a drawing I did for him and he said "Thanks kid, I keep all this sh*t"

RIP both of them.

[johnmiic]

And most don't like it when you walk up to them and say "hey, aren't you Steve Guttenberg?" (Even Steve Guttenburg won't admit that's who he is)

I used to get that from Roz Abrahms of Eyewitness news in NYC a lot. She would always shop in my store and say, I'm not her-I only look like Roz Abrahams! That's fine the first time but every time you shop in my store!?!?! You have a problem-get help lady. Wee - don't show her this post!

i got to meet Margaret Cho because i did the art for her 2005 Revolution tour:

she barely cracked a smile and shook my hand, and then her manager awkwardly suggested someone take a pic of the two of us. so i sat next to her, and she looked like she wished i would just leave. ugh.

rob!

Can you post that pic? I'd love to see that!

But alone at a table with exactly NO ONE asking for his autograpgh (and I do mean no one) was David Prowse. At one point the sponsors got on microphone and asked for fans who had a considerable wait for the other celebrities to take time to visit Mr. Prowse. That was the first and only time I've ever seen a guest at a convention completely ignored by a room filled to the brim with fans.

Prowse has a rep for having a bad temper at conventions. What he doesn't realize is when you act badly-word spreads and I guess nobody wants to deal with his BS. Someone else here once posted they also had a bad experience with him. Maybe the rep is un-deserved. It's possible he acts like that because he has himself been treated badly but I have yet to hear of anyone having a positive experience with him.

[namtab29]

i got to meet Margaret Cho because i did the art for her 2005 Revolution tour:



...i got tix to a show she did in Philly, and afterwards i got to meet her. i understand she was tired, having just come off stage about 15 mins before, but she could not have cared less about who i was, even after her manager excitedly told her i was the guy who did her tour art.

she barely cracked a smile and shook my hand, and then her manager awkwardly suggested someone take a pic of the two of us. so i sat next to her, and she looked like she wished i would just leave. ugh.

i didn't expect her to do handstands or anything, but it was a bit of a disappointment, since i thought i had done a good job and everyone was happy with my work(the t-shirt with my piece on it remained her best-selling shirt for years).

i've had the chance to do work involving famous people since, and a lot of the time part of the "bonus" offered to me is to get to maybe meet the famous person in person. i always politely pass and ask for more money instead.

rob!

[mitchedwards]

And don't you just hate it when you've watched their houses for months (but stayed outside of the required 100 yard distance at all times) and you see them leave, so you innocently go into their houses ...(because if they really intended for you to stay out they would have more than five locks on their doors) ... and you just have a quick peek through all their dresser drawers and closets and you find that you are cold, so you put on their pajamas and you think "I'm really tired" so you just lay down in their beds for a little nap... maybe get up and make yourself a couple of sandwiches from their various leftovers in the fridge, so you decide well I might as well just sit down and look over some of their scripts while you eat, only to have them come home while you're there looking for stuff that looks like they were only gonna throw it out anyway and they yell put down my "Oscar" and they have the nerve to get MAD and chase you outta the house! What's up with that? Do you hear me BEN AFFLECK?!?

(was that perhaps a little too much information?)

Thanks for the laugh

[grayhank]

And don't you just hate it when you've watched their houses for months (but stayed outside of the required 100 yard distance at all times) and you see them leave, so you innocently go into their houses ...(because if they really intended for you to stay out they would have more than five locks on their doors) ... and you just have a quick peek through all their dresser drawers and closets and you find that you are cold, so you put on their pajamas and you think "I'm really tired" so you just lay down in their beds for a little nap... maybe get up and make yourself a couple of sandwiches from their various leftovers in the fridge, so you decide well I might as well just sit down and look over some of their scripts while you eat, only to have them come home while you're there looking for stuff that looks like they were only gonna throw it out anyway and they yell put down my "Oscar" and they have the nerve to get MAD and chase you outta the house! What's up with that? Do you hear me BEN AFFLECK?!?

(was that perhaps a little too much information?)

[HardyGirl]

Stop stalking Shaun Cassidy, girlfriend
George

It wasn't him! He doesn't have a MySpace. And all of the times I've met and spoken w/ Shaun (4), he's always been sweet and always remembered me.

[mitchedwards]

That was the first and only time I've ever seen a guest at a convention completely ignored by a room filled to the brim with fans.

Pete Best "formerly of the Beatles" at Chiller Theatre a few years ago.
The guy just sat there totally ignored by everyone.
My buddy was going to ask him for an autograph and ask him to sign it RINGO, but I talked him out of it
I didn't wanna see the poor guy cry

I have to say Pete is a nice guy. I got him to sign one of My Beatles CDs.

[mitchedwards]

William Perry (The Fridge) He had a attitude, and did not want to talk to any fans at the Bears training camp.

[Mikey]

That was the first and only time I've ever seen a guest at a convention completely ignored by a room filled to the brim with fans.

Pete Best "formerly of the Beatles" at Chiller Theatre a few years ago.
The guy just sat there totally ignored by everyone.
My buddy was going to ask him for an autograph and ask him to sign it RINGO, but I talked him out of it
I didn't wanna see the poor guy cry