Wonderful Experiences Meeting Actors in Real Life

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 11/28/16 at 11:02pm

I was going to post on the good stage door experiences thread, but thought this might be thread hijacking. I'm curious as to your experiences meeting actors in non-work settings, away from the frenzy of the stage door, when they are perhaps tired, and when they are away from the spotlight and can more be themselves. I don't stage door when in NYC and I live in San Francisco, so don't get to see many actors away from the theater. But one time stands out.

A lifetime ago I worked at a Catholic parish. After a Christmas midnight Mass, as the congregation had mostly left and the lights were dimming, I was scouring the pews to pick up missles and hymn books. I saw a couple quietly walking around observing the statues and artwork. One looked familiar and sure enough it was Chita Rivera, in town for the THE KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN tour which I happily had just seen a few nights earlier, an Xmas gift from a friend.

She just had the unexplainable aura around her, that self-confidence that comes I suppose with being adored by so many and being so used to having people every day look at you and recognize you. As we were chatting, one of our parishioners, an elderly blind nun, joined us with her companion and as she did, started sharing prayers and some scattered stories. We all knew the nun well and she was beloved to us, but to others they usually tried to get away from someone they viewed as crazy. Not Miss Rivera. She listened intently for several minutes to the nun's ramblings. The nun couldn't see but I did, how Miss Rivera was genuinely interested in listening. She reached out and held the nun's hand while patting and caressing her shoulder. 

A true class act. 

[BakerWilliams]

Posted: 11/28/16 at 11:07pm

Michelle Williams is slightly odd, but very very very nice in person.

[broadwayguy91]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 12:48am

BakerWilliams said: "Michelle Williams is slightly odd, but very very very nice in person.

 

"

I think she's just very introverted, especially in a crowd/ group of people. When Hollywood Reporter did that 2016 Tony Actresses Roundtable talk, she was the least comfortable of all the participants.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 1:06am

I think there are two famous Michelle Williams, the blonde actress and the girl from Destiny's Child that was in Aida. Which one are you talking about?

 

 

[The Josh]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 1:30am

I've been starstruck exactly once in my life- when I met Jessica Chastain after The Heiress.  She was wonderful, and helped me through our brief interaction even though I could barely speak!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 1:37am

I think there are two famous Michelle Williams, the blonde actress and the girl from Destiny's Child that was in Aida. Which one are you talking about?

 

Oh, everyone knows damn well which Michelle he's talking about and it ain't the one Beyoncé or Kelly don't talk about either.   

[broadwayguy91]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 1:38am

muscle23ftl said: "I think there are two famous Michelle Williams, the blonde actress and the girl from Destiny's Child that was in Aida. Which one are you talking about?

 

 

 

"

I'm supposing the one who was one recently nominated for Best Leading Actress in A Play, since "Poor Michelle" hasn't been relevant in a long while.

At least that's the Michelle I'm referring to

[JBradshaw]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 1:48am

Michelle Williams - the blonde

Michelle T. Williams - from DChild. From personal experience she is crazy fun to be around. 

M23 love the profile pic. Big fan of that show. 

Does this count for a story? It was 96. It was Philly. Music of ALW and Les Mis were in town. I ripped a music of ALW window card out of a resturant window. I was sitting holding it waiting for my friend. I started talking to this lady smoking next to me. She commented on the poster. We chatted a bit. My friend arrived. They knew each other (it was a new friendship w my friend). That lady was Laurie Beechman. 

Or once I was shopping in Williams Sonoma and Hugh Panero was behind me in line.

[tripelite]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 2:25am

Speaking of... I saw Martin Guerre in Los Angeles in 2000, and the next day I saw Hugh Panaro at my gym (sans wig).  He was very gracious and when I told him how great he was, he sighed and said something like, "Thanks so much, but I'm thinking of giving up performing."  I was shocked.  "What?  You're fantastic!  The theatre needs performers like you." (of course, he was in Martin Guerre, which could make anyone want to give up performing  He was flattered, thanked me, and we went back to our respective workouts.  I take no credit for him continuing to perform all these years, but I'm glad he did!

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 3:24am

During the Sydney run of Les Mis I dated Hayden Tee for a few weeks. We both went out separate ways as it wasn't going anywhere serious but he was still a genuinely lovely human being. He never took for granted how lucky he was to be doing what he does.

[StephieElise]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 5:48am

I live and used to work near where the Australian soap opera Neighbours is filmed so have met a fair few of the cast when they'd come into my work. Tom Oliver who plays Lou and is the longest serving cast member was a regular customer and an absolute gentleman. He scaled back his work on the show so he would do 3 months on then 3 months off and he would spend his off time volunteering at an orphanage in Cambodia.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 7:26am

Baby Uzo Abuda and Corbin Blue-My first stage door. Uzo and I talked for 5 minutes. Corbin was so touched and he was literally the sweetest

Victoria Clarke-We talked 5 minutes about acting and singing. Class act!

King and I-Ruthie was adorable and she freaked around when I call her Tony Winner :)

On the 20th Century-Peter Gallagher was the person who only came out and he was so adorable and down-to-earth. "I thought you were going to hug me?" 

The whole Anastasia cast was so amazing!

Jenn Collela was so sweet and pretty excited when I met her after Come Far away and she called me "beautiful" and "baby girl"

I met Sierra and Laura Osnes and they were so warm and interactive. Laura signed my Cinderella iPhone and she was like, "Oh my god, Cinderella!!!" And I just met Santino too and that was his reaction too and I told him how I freaked out when he was cast as Hans and I made him laugh, "That's great!" 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 8:10am

Amy Adams. Not just one of the nicest celebrities, one of the nicest people I've ever met. Period.

I was on the house staff of Into the Woods in the park and was working the gate that leads to the stage door the night after the first preview (which was rough). It was about 15 minutes before audience started showing up and actors were trickling in. I was sitting on a bench right outside the backstage entrance, looking through my ticket scanner, when she took a seat right next to me. I knew immediately who she was (I'm a huge fan) but didn't want to say anything since she was eating a sandwich. Color me shocked when she tapped me on the arm and said "Hi, I'm Amy." Naturally, I was so blindsided that my default was to be sarcastic and act like I had no idea who she was. The kicker is that she immediately was like "Oh, sorry, I'm Amy Adams. I'm in the show." So I backpaddled and explained I was just making fun and I knew exactly who she was.

She couldn't have been lovelier. We chatted for a few minutes about how a rocky first performance is good luck, how fun the show is, etc. I told her they were going to have a great second preview and she seemed genuinely thankful and hopeful, clearly someone who really loves her work and just wants it to be the best it can be for the audience.

She topped this interaction a week or so later when she showed up with cupcakes she made the cast and crew for HER OWN BIRTHDAY. And she offered some to us at the stage door. I turned it down, like a moron, because I didn't want to take advantage of her kindness or some irrational reason. Anyway, this is all to say that Amy Adams is a damn sweetheart.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 5:59pm

I always like the performers who embrace that they will largely be remembered for one role for the rest of their lives. I believe this is the case partly because I'm a Jesus Christ Superstar fan. Yeah, yeah, anyone who's known me long enough can see where this is going. :P

Ted Neeley is one of the kindest, most genuine people I've met in the business, and I've been a producer for 11 years. I've witnessed many a line of fans after a performance who all got exceptional treatment from Ted. I remember one occasion in particular after a JCS matinee. It was dark, it was cold, it was raining, but Ted was the most patient person. He didn't rush a single conversation. I don't think he even looked up to see how many people were still waiting to talk to him. This went on for an hour and a half, when he could easily have been resting up for the evening show. That's class.

Our friendly acquaintanceship has not been without its occasional bumps in the road, which all such relationships have, but it's been a great privilege to know him and many of the other members of the film cast, both through stage-dooring and through attending the recent spate of reunion screenings. Always a pleasure to chat with them when they are in town!

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 6:53pm

Elisabeth Moss is a huge ballet fan and can be seen going to ballet performances, often just sitting in the cheaper seats. I was once sitting next to her. You realized what a great actress she is because she had NONE of Peggy's mannerisms. She's tiny, slim, and very feminine looking and sounding. Looked like a different person. She was very nice and sweet and I was awestruck that wow, Peggy is really an act, because the real life Elisabeth Moss looks and talks nothing like her.

[loveinnewyorkcity]

Posted: 11/29/16 at 9:09pm

Nick Jonas was one of the most gracious and kind people I've ever met. He signed for EVERY SINGLE PERSON at the How to Succeed stage door, even when there were hundreds. I remember one time there were five people waiting for Darren Criss before a matinee and he walked right by them, trying to cover his face.

Frankie Valli was nice enough to sign at the stage door of the Lunt Fontanne this year when he did his week of shows. He signed for a good fifty people. Didn't talk much but still took about a half hour to get to every person at the barricades.

Not an actress, but I met Taylor Swift a few years ago and despite her bad reputation for being 'fake', I thought she was very sweet and down to earth. We chatted for at least ten minutes and she was gracious enough to offer to take a photo and sign something for me. 

Leanne Cope is also a sweetheart! As is Zachary Levi, though everyone knows that!

 

Posted: 11/30/16 at 12:24am

I once met Paul Dooley, who played (among many other roles during his career) the father of the boy with blond hair in "Breaking Away," that wonderful bicycle movie.  Paul's character is married to Barbara Barrie -- they are 'regular folk' who live in this Indiana college town.  I have always loved that movie, and always loved Paul in it, so when I got to meet him (it was at some kind of fundraising thing -- in the 1980s -- can't remember the details) I got to tell him how one of my favorite scenes in that movie is when his son is serenading the college girl, and he is wooing Barbara.  The camera keeps cutting back and forth between the two couples.

In this one set of shots, Barbara has a flower behind her ear and very flirtily takes the flower from her hair and puts it down seductively on the bedside table.  Then Paul very gallantly removes the pen protector from his pocket and also gracefully lays it down.  It's just a small move, but I remember how everyone in the movie theater laughed when he did that -- it was so endearing.  So I got to tell him how much I loved that scene.

He almost jumped out of his skin.  "That was my idea!" he said, "The pocket protector move -- that was my idea!  No one has ever mentione that before -- that was MY idea!!!"

He seemed so happy -- it did occur to me that maybe everyone talked about that scene and he was used to hearing it -- but I really don't think so.  I think he was truly thrilled that someone noticed that romantic move he invented.  It made me so happy to think I could say something that made Paul Dooley so happy. 

[@z5]

Posted: 11/30/16 at 12:50am

When I met Al Pacino after China Doll, he was one o the most fun and nice people, he was awesome. 

Jennifer Hudson is another one that is such a class act and nice woman. I got to meet her backstage after Color Purple and she was amazing. 

Annaleigh Ashford is another one of my most memorable and nicest encounters.

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 11/30/16 at 1:28am

I love Paul Dooley. (checking ibdb, he was US and replacement for Felix in The Odd Couple and was in the 1954 production of Threepenny Opera) I remember the movie, and much of his work, but not that particular scene. How nice that you were able to express your enthusiasm for it. 
So many magical, singular moments that come from an actor's knowledge of the character!

Updated On: 11/30/16 at 01:28 AM

[Mediamaven2]

Posted: 11/30/16 at 7:23pm

Ran into Daveed Diggs  on West End Avenue one Sunday late morning just before tony nominations last year; Ham hysteria in full force but less 'stardom' around him perhaps. It was around April.  I had stopped in front of a building where someone I know lives  on my way home from the gym, talking to the doorman.  From afar, I saw Daveed approach. How could you miss that hair even a block away!! I couldn't believe it. Of course I spoke to him, like a jerk. He was so down to earth.  He actually STOPPED.  Paused to chat.  He was walking a dog. Really tried to be human and cut through that BS of me being like, "wow, you were really terrific and I so enjoyed the show..." blah blah blah.  He was just so cool. Asking what my name was – too cute -- just trying to be normal !!!! Too bad I wasn't!