Here are some celebrity encounters that happened to us while we were simply living our daily lives:
- The Black Power Ranger - Zach was recently at a comic shop when another customer entered asking for a copy of the Justice League/Power Rangers graphic novel. He heard about the book and wanted a copy since his character was in the story. It turned out he was the actor that portrayed the Black Ranger in the first generation of the Power Rangers franchise.
- Brian Posehn - This is another celebrity comic shop encounter. Posehn is a fan, as well as a writer, of comic books. I've often seen him shopping for books at various stores in the area.
- Kayne - Zach almost ran into Kayne at the grocery store . Neither one of them was watching where they were going and almost had a collision. Thankfully, Zach was much younger so Kayne didn't feel the need to yell at a kid.
- Toby Keith - Dana and I were walking Doc one day when a giant redneck vehicle parked near us. A lumbering redneck stepped out of the vehicle and spotted Doc. He walked over to pet him while saying "Hello Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupeeeeeee". Doc smiled and wagged his tail. It seems that Toby Keith liked our dog.
- Various Kardashians and Katherine Heigl - They shop at a Ralph's near our home. The oddest part is the grocery store is nowhere near the area of town where the Kardashians live so I can't figure out why they shop at this particular location.
- Shia LaBeouf - I had an encounter with Shia late last year that can best be described as a staring contest on his part.
- B.J. Britt - Dana used to work for the Lupus Foundation of America. B.J., along with other cast members of "Being Mary Jane", was a celebrity guest at the event. We got a chance to chat with him as were working the walk and he was great with the crowd.
- Margaret Avery - Margaret is also part of the cast of "Being Mary Jane". Dana had the opportunity to lunch with this lovely lady before the walk and found her to be charming and down to earth.
- Nick Cannon - The MC for the Lupus walk one year. As nice in person as he seems on TV. Nick took the time to work the crowd and talk to everyone that wanted to meet him. He even went on the walk with the participants.
- Mike Farrell - The voice of "Pa Kent" from "Superman: The Animated Series" and part of the cast of "M*A*S*H*". He came in our store back in December. He seemed like he a nice guy even though he DIDN'T BUY ANYTHING!!!!
- Casa Vega - A very "old school" restaurant that has been in business since 1956. I have walked to it many times to enjoy their food. It is also a favorite of many celebrities. Over the years, I have seen stars such as Blake & Gwen, Jessica Simpson, Mariah Carey, the Kardashians (again), Jennifer Aniston and Selena Gomez entering and leaving the building.
- Studio City Farmers Market - There is always a crowd of paparazzi at this Sunday valley staple. While I don't understand why there is a demand for photos of celebs buying fruit, I guess someone wants to see photos of Sandra Bullock buying oranges.
- Hal Sparks - Zach opened for Hal during the Burbank Comedy Festival. We had the chance to chat with him after the show. Hal was very complimentary about Zach's comedy and also gave him some very helpful advice about how to further his comedy career.
- Mike Arnoldi - Don't recognize the name? Mike was a child actor in the various "Bad News Bears" movies. He is now a publicist for red carpet events
We've also had the chance to meet other actors and directors over the years on various sets and at red carpet events. These encounters were at places where you expect to meet others in the industry.
It's always more interesting to see celebrities in "real life" when they are not "on for the camera". We have met very few jerks over the years. It just proves that if you treat celebrities like regular people, they will act like everyday people around you.
