Encounters with Celebrities who were jerks (Athletes or not)

Albert Fish, a real jerk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMcXkA-dWb4

I'm a journalist so I've had a slightly above average ratio of encounters with celebritries but not a whole lot.

The worst experience I had was with Noah Lyles' mom who cancelled an interview last minute and put me in hot water with two separate employers because I had nothing to give them the next day.

NBA player Kris Humphries on draft night when I was taking a course at University of Minnesota at the age of 20. It was super cool that he didn't go to Madison Square Garden that night. He was pretty typical.

Comedian Frank Calliendo through e-mail, Chris Gethard through Facebook chat (he seemed pretty off the wall but cool), Comedian Ron Funches (did a group chat with us), two voice over stars from the TV show Archer Lucky Yates and Amber Nash (the latter is super nice), TV show creators John Lehr (Quick Draw/10 Items or Less/Geico Caveman) and Greg Garcia (My Name is Earl/Raising Hope), the woman who played B'ellana Torres on Star Trek Voyager, George Clooney's dad Nick Clooney was a bad interview and that was largely my fault and it was early in my career, and humor writer Dave Barry. Also Sam Reich the creator of College Humor videos. All those guys are really cool. Humphries seemed a little impatient. I also interviewed Matt Centrowicz Sr and Jr, Hilary and Emmanuel Bor, and Andrew Bayer. A minor figure is the guy who directed and produced the projects of comedian Pete Holmes

The weirdest one was Mary Elizabeth Winstead who I was in a press junket with and they just stuck her in a room with me for 10 minutes and barely knew who she was outside of Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. My interview wasn't about her so I was just like "so hey, that was a cool movie you were in" it was just an awkward chat, but she was really cool. I just wish I knew more about who she was when she came by.

Outside of journalism:

Newt Gingrich and his wife were at National Airport with me the day that Mitt Romney and Barack Obama's debate was showing on the screen in 2012. Callista Gingrich asked me for directions and I have no idea why she asked me. She wore an extroadinary amount of makeup

Mexican president Vincente Fox briefly met my college Spanish study abroad class for reasons that are entirely unknown to me.

Chris Pratt and Aubrey Plaza were shooting an episode of Parks and Recreation in DC and I was one of many fans who rushed the national mall to see them. Pratt got a picture with me

Jesse Eisenberg was at a book signing I was at and he was pretty neurotic. I don't think playing a man with a mental disease in the social network was an act though I think he has something other than aesperger's

There's a comic club near where I live where I've met Jay Pharoah of SNL, Kate Flannery (Meredith from the Office) and Michael Che from SNL. Michael Che went to a back room and roasted most of us personally. The funny thing was I was looking forward to SNL and found out it was a repeat so I was like "ok, I guess I'll go out." He was kind of drunk and whispered something really close to my ear as he saw me walking across from the 7-11 but I don't remember what.

Ok7272, are you that whiney pain in the arse prıck who's always annoying me for an interview?

FFS WTF do you want from me that ain't been said already?

A contrast in the opposite direction of a guy such as P. Manning for me is George Steinbrenner. He may be the raving lunatic owner of the Yankees to some but I had a number of interactions with him and he was always engaging to those around him when he did not have to be.

fada tyme wrote:

A contrast in the opposite direction of a guy such as P. Manning for me is George Steinbrenner. He may be the raving lunatic owner of the Yankees to some but I had a number of interactions with him and he was always engaging to those around him when he did not have to be.

He seemed like a great guy on Seinfeld.

Seb Coe Total jerk. Steve Jones most genuine guy ever. Daley Thompson very funny. frank Shorter very nice but totally crazy. Steve Scott very nice.

I met Dustin “Screech” Diamond at a gas station near Madison, Wisconsin in 2007. He was filling up his car and was standing at the pump in the next row. I saw him and thought he looked kind of like Screech, but I wasn’t sure if it was him. He saw me looking at said that yes, he was Hollywood superstar Dustin. He was kind of annoying and really full of himself. He also drove a surprisingly rusty mid-1980s Dodge - maybe he did that so people wouldn’t recognize him, or maybe that was all he could afford to drive at the time?

Still Waiting wrote:

Seb Coe Total jerk. Steve Jones most genuine guy ever. Daley Thompson very funny. frank Shorter very nice but totally crazy. Steve Scott very nice.

So you know all that because you had an encounter with them?

This was a few summers - I was headed for a round of golf. I was on the highway and some Chevy Tahoe was in the fast lane going around 45 mph (speed limit is 55). It was causing a bit of traffic. I finally maneuver my way around the Tahoe. Look over to do the classic look over at a dumb driver, lo and behold, Peyton Manning....on his phone...with two hands....texting. I was furious, so dangerous.

Steve Slattery tried to walk off with my luggage at an airport once. To be honest, we both had Nike roller bags. (I got mine from a high end Nike rep and he got one as a national team member).

gettinfreakon wrote:

Bidens full diaper wrote:

Tom Cruise at the Shell station. Total a-hole.

I heard the same from a lady that was a waitress at a swanky restaurant in Denver.

When Tom was coming to check on the construction of his house in Telluride, his body guards phoned ahead and all the workers had to scurry into the woods so that he didn't have to see them. In contrast, Oprah held a party for her workers.

I was surprised by this since Tom Cruise seems so normal... just kidding.

Haha, yeah, not the best looking guy ever, I get it. I meant as in "at the time, he appeared to be aging well." And if you were there to see some of they very attractive women just going bonkers over him, well, lots of ladies seem to find him very attractive.

Here's another one I've shared on LRC before.

I was driving in Wilmington, NC where they used to film a lot of movies in the late 80's. I pulled up to a stop sign. There were no other cars or people around but Nick Nolte was standing on the corner alone eating an apple.

I rolled the window down with no plan in mind. He looked up like "oh no." I shouted "Hey, buddy. In this town we throw the apple cores in the trash, not in the bushes." He began laughing real hard, nodded affirmative, and waved as I drove off still laughing. I never cracked a smile which he seemed to appreciate.

I work in the arts.

Best experiences: Carl Palmer from ELP.

We spent about and hour talking about drums and trends. He is a super nice guy.

Henry Mancini, kind and polite.

Weird Al was always super nice at work.

Donny Most a nice fellow.

Rich Little is dry and funny. A brilliant wit.

Worst experiences: Dianne Carrol: showed up late and complained Ed.

Mitch Miller screamed at everyone around him.

Those two were the worst in 40 years in the arts business.

Ran Grandma's in 1984, my one and only marathon, 2:40:18. Next day jog around Evanston IL with some friends who just opened the Frank Shorter running store and the man himself. Frank jogs up to me and says, "I hear you ran 2:14 yesterday". I politely respond with 2:40. Turns his head and jogs away without a word. Laugh about it to this day.

edward teech wrote:

This was a few summers - I was headed for a round of golf. I was on the highway and some Chevy Tahoe was in the fast lane going around 45 mph (speed limit is 55). It was causing a bit of traffic. I finally maneuver my way around the Tahoe. Look over to do the classic look over at a dumb driver, lo and behold, Peyton Manning....on his phone...with two hands....texting. I was furious, so dangerous.

Manning is someone who has achieved in spite of his entitlement. I'm sure he left Indy to mostly dry eyes. Riffing on that, my boss's son's best buddy's mom was John Elway's side piece for years outside of Denver. Manning's time with the Broncos reminds me of the time Elway threw a tantrum so the Colts wouldn't draft him.

Back when my Son was about 11 years old, I took him to a Orioles vs Tigers game in Detroit.

We were told to wait for autographs near the bus at the back of the stadium.

We waited 45 minutes, and there were only 2 kids there.

We were waiting for Cal Ripken Jnr.

Finally he came out at about 1 am. Just two little kids there and he brushed past them and hopped on the bus. Didn't say anything, didn't look at them.

What a prick.

chogun wrote:

Back when my Son was about 11 years old, I took him to a Orioles vs Tigers game in Detroit.

We were told to wait for autographs near the bus at the back of the stadium.

We waited 45 minutes, and there were only 2 kids there.

We were waiting for Cal Ripken Jnr.

Finally he came out at about 1 am. Just two little kids there and he brushed past them and hopped on the bus. Didn't say anything, didn't look at them.

What a prick.

Sometimes they seem to forget who is responsible for their incredible salaries to play a game.

It was a different era, but in the early-70's I was at a Cincinnati Reds double header. I was about 10. Between games, Pete Rose went into the stands to chat with his wife. Obviously that could not happen in today's world. A group of kids gathered. I was on the outside of a ring of about 30 kids. Pete completely ignored the kids until he snapped and loudly yelled, "Get away from me you muther f*ckers." I never saw sports stars or celebrities with quite the same reverence again.

Flew on a plane with Jimmy Carter. He shook everyone's hand and spoke to some people. Seemed like a good guy. Flew coach with his Secret Service guy and the rest of us.