List no. 10: Celebrity sightings

I’ll admit that I am notoriously bad at spotting celebrities — they’re always so, well, normal looking.  Even when I practically brushed shoulders with Philip Seymour Hoffman (see no. 1 below), I didn’t trust my own eyes.  I actually turned around once I passed him, and then had my suspicions confirmed by others who had also turned to stare.  But then again, New York is so full of talented and powerful folks, even someone like me is bound to spot a few here and there (see no. 2-8).

So far, I’ve only had one sighting here in Germany (see no. 9), but maybe that’s just because I’m less familiar with German celebs.  Mein Schatz, in comparison, has shared airplane flights with the author Günter Grass and one of the Huber brothers.

Anyway, here you go, short and sweet:

  1. Philip Seymour Hoffman walking along Washington Square Park.
  2. Sam Waterston filming Law and Order in Foley Square.
  3. Martin Sheen behind the stage of an anti-war demonstration in Central Park.
  4. During a street fair in Brooklyn, we shook hands and discussed falafels with Charles Schumer, New York State’s U.S. Senator.
  5. Janeane Garofalo at either a Sleater-Kinney or Le Tigre show.
  6. JD Samson, member of Le Tigre, greeted the friend I was with (old college classmates) at a Sleater-Kinney show.
  7. Sat at a table next to The Evens at Quantum Leap in the West Village.
  8. Thurston Moore smiled and held the door for me at Lit Lounge in the Lower East Side.
  9. Piotr Trochowski, soccer player for Hamburg and the German national team, at our local Edeka Markt.

How about you?  Any exciting brushes with fame??

My 100 Lists project was inspired by the ever amazing Hula Seventy.

9 comments

  1. I sat in front of Senta Berger at this year’s Passion Play in Oberammergau. (Does that count?) And I have gotten autographs from Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer and George Best during their NASL days.

  2. Reez says:

    Ooh, this is fun!
    1. Saw Tyra Banks with Chris Webber in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf years ago.
    2. Saw Fabio (haha) at some fashion show thing at my college – we went into the VIP area by accident. I guess he is a VIP!
    3. Saw Trevor Hoffman (Padres pitcher/closer) with his family at Legoland.
    4. Braved long lines at a local Walmart (she wasn’t as big back then, I guess) to take my little sister to meet Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana.
    5. My best one is George Clooney, when they were filming a scene from Ocean’s 11 behind my college apartment complex of all places! He actually came up to our little group, signed autographs, took pictures with us, and chatted a bit. He is as nice and easygoing as I’ve heard people say he is…and handsome, of course! Casey Affleck, Matt Damon, and Scott Caan were there, too, but we didn’t get to meet them.

    On my list of movie stars I would have loved to meet are: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, and Paul Newman.

  3. Melanie says:

    I am an American living in HH, too. :) Here are a few of my German Promi sightings:

    Fettes Brot were standing next to me at the Phoenix concert back in November (?).
    While watching the Germany vs. Spain (WM 2010)game in the Schanze, Jan Delay sat 2 rows behind me.
    Ben Becker sat a few tables away from me at a local restaurant in Hamburg.
    A few Olivia Jones sightings on Reeperbahn.
    And my favorite: met Billy Lun from the Subways after his solo show at the Reeperbahn Festival(not a German Promi, but happened in Germany!).

    There’s not much because I am also not as familiar with the celebrity scene in Germany. But friends always point out celebs to me when we are running around town.

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