What DEAD Celebrity HAVE Have you met?

6 months later he died. The day after his death I was working at a restaurant in Westwood and I waited on Dennis Miller. I told him that I was sorry for his loss of a SNL alumnus. He thanked me but said that he never knew Chris.

Weird that he would say that. Dennis Miller and Chris Farley were on SNL for at least one year together (1990-1991) and even did some sketches together, like this one.

MKS
 
People work together all the time and dont get to know each other much less friends outside of work.
 
Vincent Price. About a year or two before he passed away he was a guest speaker at a special screening of Frankenstein (to discuss his personal and professional relationships with Boris Karloff). It was a brief discussion in the lobby after the screening, but Mr. Price was one of the most charismatic people I've ever met. Even surrounded by fans, he made you feel as though you were the most important person in the room and the only person he wanted to talk to at that moment. Extremely humble and genuinely appreciative that so many people enjoyed his films.
 
Gene Roddenberry. I was on the Campus Activities Board for my college and we got him to come in for our lecture series. This was prior to TNG hitting the airwaves, but the casting had been pretty much completed. His lecture was basically what you saw in Trek. Even though humans have the ability to be so cruel to each other, he was steadfast in his belief that as a race, we could rise above our differences to accomplish anything we set our minds to. Followed (of course) by a Trek blooper reel.

Strangely enough, I remember James Doohan was in town at another college the same day. When Gene was told that, he remarked, "Yes, but I have the best blooper reel."

At the reception afterward with the Campus Activities Board, he sat and talked with us all until we had to get to our next classes. He signed anything that anyone had for him. I just had a piece of notebook paper that he signed. I remember him saying that he told the folks that made Search For Spock that they can't just arbitrarily start calling Klingon battle cruisers 'Birds Of Prey' as the fans will know that was the name of Romulan ships, but he was just a consultant on those later films. I was taken with how large he was. He struck me as a real bear of a guy in size, but a very calm demeanor.

I remember he said that he thought that they managed to catch lightning in a bottle twice with the casting for Next Generation and he was enjoying getting back to telling his morality tales wrapped in sci fi stories.
 
Stan Winston at Wizard World 2002 in Chicago...I bumped into him as he was headed to the restroom ( I know that cause he told me...lol) He stopped and talked with me for a good 15 mins...I didn't even ask him to stop he just did when he saw I was at his booth...Very cool person and very missed....
 
Irvin Kershner at Adventure Con 2007. I was very surprised because very rarely did he ever attend Conventions. He attended C4 and decided to attend Adcon as well.
 
Phil Hartman while acting in the film 'Small Soldiers', Majel Roddenberry while working at a San Jose convention in the early 80's, Chris Farley while acting on a Tom Arnold comedy sitcom at Universal where Chris' brother was a cast member, Charlton Heston while acting on a "Friends" episode, Peter Falk and Patrick McGoohan while acting on a 'Columbo' comedy at Universal, Fess Parker while visiting his vinery in Santa Barbara, Senator Barry Goldwater and President Richard Nixon at a political event, a few others while at work.

Gene Roddennberry story link:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CheckingtheGate/message/5
 
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To my knowledge, the only celeb I've ever met, who is now deceased, is Christopher Penn.

Saw him in a cigar shop in Merritt Island, FL. It was a long time ago (when he was still a skinny, curly-haired dude. Just said a couple words back-&-forth, but he seemed nice enough.
 
I rode up in an elevator with Carradine at DragonCon several years ago dressed as Pinhead form Hellraiser. He started talking to me because I had just attended his band's performance earlier in the night and since most of the audience weren't dressed up, I kinda stood out. He said he saw me walk in and sit down. Luckily too, I had just seen an older movie of his, "Serpent's Egg", a few weeks earlier and was able to say something intelligent about it instead of mentioning "Kill Bill" or "Kung Fu". He seemed really cool. I wish now I'd gotten a pic with him.

Nice! That was the same year I met him. A friend of mine was friends with his agent at the time, and introduced me to him. Very quiet man.
 
Saw Robert Culp at some con, nice guy. Also David Carradine at Book Expo America years ago and then later at Chiller, not so nice.

Also saw Charlton Heston at Book Expo, and we later exchanged letters over his reading of Hemingway's The Snows of Kilimanjaro, which possibly is his best performance.

But the most intimate one was Sterling Hayden, who played Gen. Jack D. Ripper in Strangelove and Captain McClusky in The Godfather. I was sitting on the ledge of the fountain across from the Plaza Hotel smoking a cigar on my lunch break. I looked up and as big as life and twice as ugly was Hayden. Now I was a fan of his because of his books more than his films. I said his name and he looked down at me but kept walking, so I yelled out, "I read your books."

He turned and came back saying, "anyone who says that to me, I sit down," which he did and lit a cigarette. We talked about his books, working with Kubrick and Hollywood, he said that movies had become a "f*&^ed up business." His wife was from Pelham, where I lived as a kid, so we talked about that, too. He had just quit drinking, so I asked him how that was going for him. He said, "the drinking doesn't make the writing any better, but it sure keeps you going at night." He finished his smoke, we shook hands, and he got up and left.

When he died a few years later, I cut his obit out of my local paper and have used it as a bookmark in my collection of Hemingway short stories. It's been in there for almost 25 years.
 
Mickey Carroll the munchkin who played the Coroner in The Wizard of Oz. I grew up next door to him. He died Last February if I remember correctly. My kid brother and his family still live next door to his house now, which is now owned by the people who were taking care of Mickey and his nephew Frank. After Mickey died the last I heard was they put his nephew Frank in a home, which actually upsets me, as Frankie is a good guy and we would always be sure to wave hi to him as we got in our car to leave. When I was an Auxiliary cop and Security Officer, I would always turn on my lightbar to say hi to Frankie as I left or when running by the house. I used to shovel Mickey's walk when it snowed to make sure he and Frankie could get to their cab when they went to the DR or out to places. Mickey stopped driving when I was a kid so he always took a cab or had someone drive his car for him, the problem was he would own the car but the people who were supposed to drive him always had his car elsewhere. And yes I know Mickey Carrol was not his real name, out of respect for his remaining family I won't post it.
 
Forgot that I also met Jason Robards once at Bloomsday on Broadway, which is an event held every June 16 at Symphony Space in NYC. Actors read James Joyce's Ulysses, the action of which takes place on that date. I was in the theater's cafe having a brew with a buddy when Robards, who was a reader that night, came in. I told him how much I'd enjoyed his performances in Long Day's Journey Into Night and The Iceman Cometh (I'm a big O'Neill fan) and he was very pleasant and gracious.

I suppose writers also count (at least they should), so I also met James Dickey, Budd Shulberg, John Updike, George Plimpton, and Joseph Heller (met Heller a few times). Also met Jack Hemingway, who was a nice guy and looked so much like his father it was startling.
 
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Ok, Henry Winkler isn't dead, but this thread reminded me of a story, and I figured it was worth posting...

I met Mr. Winkler when I was about 5 or so. He was at a nearby mall signing autographs and whatnot, a friend of my father's called and told him what was going on, and afterwards my father asked me, "Hey, you wanna go meet Fonzie?" I excitedly agreed, and we left for the mall. After arriving, we stood in line for a bit until it was my turn to go up. I remember looking at him and being a bit confused, since he didn't look anything like what I was expecting. I approached, Mr. Winkler shook my hand and asked me how I was doing. I blurted out, "You're my favorite of all the Muppets!".

He looked at me with a puzzled look, and after a few seconds of silence he smiled and said "... Uhh, thank you". Then he signed a photo for me, patted me on the back and sent me on my way.

I walked back to my father, explained what happened. He thought it was the greatest thing ever. Then he explained that I had just met Fonzie, from Happy Days. Not Fozzie, from The Muppets.
 
Jeff Conway about a week before his death.

I was at Van Nuys Courthouse to be witness for a friend and client of my dad's who is a custody battle over her daughter. While outside and inside the courtroom I see Jeff Conway with his personal assistant or whoever. I believe he was there for his case with his wife or girlfriend who he had been fighting with. One or the both of them were there to talk bout a restraining order on each other. If I remember correctly he had the restraining order on her. I know because he had to go to the same courtroom as me and his case was heard before my friends. My older brother who is in the entertainment business talked with him a little bit outside of the courtroom about what kinda movies my brother had worked on. I am now regret not speaking up and telling Jeff I was big fan of his, and or asking for a autograph or a picture being that I love the 50's and have a rockabilly look. Oh well may he rest in piece!!!
 
I met Elvis on my sixth birthday... we were at a Shakey's Pizza in Memphis when he and his crew arrived, wanting pizza. Elvis ended up picking up the orders for everyone there in the restaurant while he was there, and when he found out it was my birthday, he came over and said "how's it goin', little man?" We high-fived and he went on his way...

Oddly enough, several of my other encounters happened over food. I met Rock Hudson at the Mexican pavilion restaurant at Epcot in 1984 - our high school band had been in a parade that he was grand marshal of that day, and we picked the same place (at random) that he did, ending up at the table next to his. As this was after hours and the park was no longer open to the public, we were all able to socialize a little, as he was curious about our group. Really nice guy.

At DragonCon some years ago, I was in line waiting on a breakfast table at the atrium restaurant in the Hyatt, but the hostess wouldn't seat me because I was alone, and wanted to fill tables with multiple eaters. Right behind me, I heard someone say "well, then this young man is with us! Right?" I turn around and it's Frank Gorshin - so I had breakfast with him and his friends, and heard a lot of fun tales...

I was friends with many of the Babylon 5 crew who've passed. I knew Rick Biggs, Jeff Conaway and Andreas from introducing them at panels at D*C, and Rick and I hung out some at cons - they of course knew me from the music videos I did for JMS. Tim Choate (Zathras) I met at a convention in LA, when Mira Furlan (not dead!) introduced us, and I ended up doing a staged reading of "R.U.R." with the two of them at that convention.

I met several of the passed Trek cast at conventions, but never more than just quick hellos while they were signing autographs. DeForest Kelly in Chattanooga, Jimmy Doohan and Majel in Knoxville.

Jon Pertwee lost a crown during an appearance here back in '87. We met him after the show, and gave him the contact info for my dentist, who he actually went to the next day to get it fixed before the tour left town.

I never got to meet him, but Charles Schulz wrote back to me when I was a kid, enclosing a drawing of Snoopy - unfortunately, that drawing is long lost... :(
 
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Michael Jackson - the king of pop used to come into Golden Apple comics all the time. Got to spend 45 min with him - huge Spider-man fan. I asked him if he had Amazing Fantasy 15 and he said "I always put off buying that one - I think it serves better as an object you long to have. He said he did own one of the promotional Spider-man costumes Marvel used to appearances and once did the entire Billie Jean dance number at a party for his nieces and nephews while wearing it. LOL

Dom Deluise - for Instant Karms

Stan Winston.

Peter Falk

Steve Clark (from Def Leppard) - at the Four Seasons in Houston after thier Hysteria show in the Houston Summit

Sam Kinison - Knew him from the Laugh Stop in Houston

Phil Hartman - during the Small Soldiers shoot. He was a BLAST.

Evel Knievel - he came to a party for Carroll.
 
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