Meeting a celebrity that you admire can be a very daunting experience. Assuming you work up the courage to approach them in the first place, you never know how that interaction will go. They might be rude or standoffish, and therefore shatter all of your hopes and dreams.
Luckily, however, there are plenty of A-listers who are just as warm, funny, and down-to-earth as they seem, and who understand how much they mean to their fans. Recently, Doug Tilley, the co-host of the "No Budget Nightmares" podcast, asked Twitter users to share a "a story of when meeting your hero(es) lived up to expectations," and people did not disappoint.
Donatella Versace may seem kind of icy, but when she met one ambitious young woman, she looked her straight in the eye and said she believed in her. "It was exactly what I needed to hear from someone I idolized at age 17," she wrote.
When I met Donatella Versace she asked me about my creative pursuits and looked me dead in the eye and said she believed in me. It was exactly what I needed to hear from someone I idolized at age 17. One of the most genuine celebrities I've met.
— ELIZABETH🐨 (@IAMLBLUHM) January 22, 2019
When this Forbes music writer met Lady Gaga, the singer took the time out to sign his CD and learn his name. Then she held his hand and thanked him! (For the record, Lady Gaga is still as gracious as ever, as proven by this super-sweet video of her hugging this elderly fangirl.)
User Dave Cobb met Star Wars icon and hilarious author Carrie Fisher on a flight once and told her, "I love your writing!" Fisher, ever the quick-wit, responded with "I love your...reading?!" What a legend.
This is precisely the kind of exchange you want to have with Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston.
And former James Bond Pierce Brosnan high-fiving a camera crew before boarding a plane to Toronto seems very on-brand.
Have you ever dreamed of having Leonardo DiCaprio buy you a shot before walking back to his table with four models and two bottles of premium champagne? Because it happened to this guy.
This grip was working on The Strain when director Guillermo del Toro tapped him on the shoulder and said, "I'm going to buy you an ice cream," which seems fittingly bizarre.
Author Jonathan Franzen is often mocked for being kind of pretentious, but, apparently, he's got no problem inspiring writers in person.
I went to a Jonathan Franzen book signing at 23, telling him I was a writer, too. Immediately I regretted it — for he was a REAL writer — so I yanked back Freedom and dashed onto Prince Street. Hours later, I finally opened the book and read, "To my colleague, Jenna..."
— Jenna Marotta (@jennamarotta) January 23, 2019
And, of course, it comes as no surprise that Tom Hanks was super nice because he's basically the modern-day Mr. Rogers.
i met tom hanks & gave him a letter that told him what he meant to me bc i knew i would blackout & forget the entire english language when i saw him (which i did) & i didn't think he'd even read it but then about a month later he Wrote Me Back. it's framed in my room. https://t.co/a5iYd8sbiX
— Molly Null. (@Molly_Null) January 23, 2019
And, in spite of his mega-fame, Star Wars' Mark Hamill is known for his kindness and generosity of spirit.
When I interviewed @HamillHimself, he was charming, funny and full of wisdom. I even got a photo featuring the infamous Hamill Point. pic.twitter.com/fhue9zYFzK
— Philly Byrne (@PhilipNByrne) January 22, 2019
For more on everyone's favorite Jedi, read this screenwriter's incredible story about a time when Mark Hamill made a huge difference in a kid's life.
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