People "famous" that I have seen: (that I recognized)
TWICE have I seen these:
Tony Randall 57th Street
and upper west side
On 57th street we were flyering, and a fellow worker came up
to say he just saw Tony too.
Then, just the next week, I saw Tony get out of a black limo on the
upper West Side.
It was still before noon, I think. He got out and went to the
Newsstand to get something -
I, the quick wit that I am tried to hand him a flyer like I had the
previous week and said
"Will you take one now?" He shrugged me off once again and got
back into the limo as
the Newsstand was closed. They went across the street to where
the newsstand was open.
"Ganz" - both times on subway
on Upper East Side. He was in the movie "48 Hours"
He was the guy who had the car in the parking garage and when the mocked
how long it
had been parked there he said "I've been bizzy!!"
Jackie Mason central park
west and garment district; when I saw him up by Central Park,
I said hi to him and he said "How's it going?" or something like that
- and he said it like that's
what he has to say a lot to people who say hi. It's not like
he said it without heart, though...
Al Franken - around his
house - the first time I talked to him about getting his carpets cleaned
and he gave me his autograph. When I got back to the house Bobby
said that that was wrong
and that I was into the "praise of men". I kept the autograph,
though, and gave it to my dad on
Father's day, which I think I had Al address it to. One day working
in my dad's office years
ago - I mimicked Al from SNL when I said "What's in it for me - Al
Frankin?!" And he
thought that was funny.
Christ Elliot - once after
work at Rockefeller plaza and once around 72nd at apts. getting
into cab. On 6th Ave. I just saw him walk by while I was handing
out flyers. The next time
it must've been where he lived. He came out to get into a cab
and I did my "duty" as an
evangelical Christian and said (with a little urgency) "Jesus is returning
soon!" He looked
at me like I was nuts and got in the cab.
End of the "double
sightings" the rest of these I only saw once:
Jeff Goldblum - in the village
(Greenwhich Village, New York) - did my religious duty this
time too - and he too, looked at me like I was nuts. What was
that film he did in Greenwhich
Village? (I'm not a big fan - though he's had some good roles)
It was around 1989.
OJ around 63rd east side
near big buildings smiled at us in the van.
John McEnroe - upper east
side in crowd with wife. When I first saw him, it was a crowded
day, and seeing this person walking toward me I thought - 'I knew him;
did I go to school
with him or something?' Then I realized it was McEnroe, and I
once again did my religious
duty and told him "Jesus is returning soon!" His wife looked
at me, looked at her husband,
looked at me and then looked at her husband as they continued to walk
by - Jimmy Mac
ignoring me. I guess she thought he might do one of his explosions.
He was brooding too
much about other things, evidently...
Jerry Seinfeld
- upper west side, of course. This is before he "made it".
When I saw him,
I just thought "What a nose bleed" I could remember seeing him
do routines that were just
awful and boring.
Christopher Walken - upper
west side - looks just as dead in person.
(and I mean that as a compliment..)
Mayor Koch - on the city
hall steps greeting a class of kids - was so strange. We were
walking by downtown on our flyering mission I guess - and it was like
it was staged. Just as
we walked by, all the kiddies were gathered on the steps and he was
coming down a few
steps to meet the cheering children. "Why is this happening right
now?" I thought to myself.
Amad Rashad
in his kitchen after cleaning his carpet - my coworker was wearing
the shirt
Mr. Rashad had given him when he was there on previous jobs.
It's a purple jersey (obviously
from his Viking days) #17 as I recall. I used to mock my coworker
after that day and bow
with both arms waving in front of me because I was accusing him of
being into "the praise of men."
Rita Jenrette - almost...
(had her for a carpet job, but then we ran out of time and rescheduled)
I had told this same coworker of the situation around which I knew
her name and it "worked me
over". He later got the job with someone else and treated his
coworker like "listen to me, cause
I'm the boss" and Rita asked questions about our group like a lot of
people do: "So you all live
together?" They don't understand how something like that can
go on without hanky panky.
The hanky panky went on up top - we weren't allowed as we were governed
by an iron fist.
In Philadelphia
Peter
Boyle at McD's at 30th Street Station. He got a Big mac
fries and a coke. Was very soft spoken.
Teller in parking lot at
Pathmark near city line - my girl friend didn't believe it was him.
My policy is to let celebrities just walk around and live their lives
unencumbered - unless I
really do have something to say. But to prove to my girl friend,
that, yes, I do see these
people around - and why, I don't know - but I drove up as he was putting
groceries into
the trunk of his car with what appeared to be his mom. I told
him I had seen him at the Schubert
and he said yes. I think I even told him the only reason I stopped
was to prove to my friend
who he was. And then I drove off. This was just the day
after Penn and Teller had appeared
on Letterman.
Rollye James at Franklin
Mills Mall after seeing Saving Private Ryan - as I may have mentioned,
I asked her if she had seen the movie - and of course she said no and
I realized later, that's right,
she doesn't watch movies - what a stupid question. She's very
short and very thin. But I recognized
her right away. You wouldn't know she was of small stature when
you hear her on the radio -
which BTW, I hear she's back on WPHT at 10 PM weeknights. I keep
forgetting to tune in.
Anyway, and she'll even tell you - the mental picture people get when
they hear her voice is
some huge momma (like Large Marge in Pee Wee's Great Adventure) driving
a pick up truck
- gun rack full.
Lynne Abraham Saw her on
Wednesday, September 6, 2000. She was sitting on a bench as
I walked by in 30th Street Station on my lunch break. She looked
so small. I didn't think it was
her, but someone who looked like her. On TV they're always attaching
her to horrible stories
and situations, and she looks large and like a man. In person
she's petite and fairly attractive.
On my way back she was now in line for the train and winked at the
fellows standing around.
I suppose they were helping "keep an eye" on her. I was even
thinking of going over to the
bench and saying, "You know what lady, I'll bet people tell you you
look like Lynne Abraham..."
I saw her on the news later that night attending some event wearing
the same black dress.
I miss her husband on WWDB.
Jeffrey Laurie - also saw him at
30th Street Station. This was when I had my lunches around
9 PM at night. And quite often, at least once a month there's
some kind of event at the Station
where areas are roped off for the hoi poloi. Jeff was leaving
the same way I was - but he was
with his posse. I was thinking of thanking him for a good year
- as this was his first year as
owner and the Eagles did very well that year. They're floundered
since. This year looks the
most hopeful yet - like they may at least be a 500 team. (win half
their games)
Malcolm Poindexter - Retired reporter
for one of the major networks here in town. He's a little
man physically, but a "big" man as he was as well known, if not more
than anyone else on any
of the network news teams. I was eating a cheese steak with my
nephew in the upper room of
Jim's Steaks at 4th and South when I used to check up on Cobu.
He was there, I guess with
his wife. (I hope I'm not getting him in trouble!)
Mark Howard - the white haired
anchor man for channel 6. Also Inside Story where I like to
see Irv, but he's not always there. Anyway - it was on a street
in the middle of town - a friend
of mine was going to a dentist down there, like 16th and Walnut or
something - which is the
heart of downtown. What Mark was doing there, I don't know.
Channel 6 is all the way out
at City Line Avenue. I'm sure it has nothing to do with that
Asian Massage Parlor.
John - keyboard player for
Todd Rundgren at Maddie's. This was only a week or two after
I had seen them at Maddie's in November of 1998. I had put pictures
of the show on my web
site - but then the whole site crashed next February and I never fully
restored a few pages.
I was on South Street, and like I said, my policy is to leave people
alone - but then I realized
I was handing out tracks (yeah, leaving people alone...) and my web
address was on there -
and I had a nice picture of him on there from that evening at Maddie's.
I had been standing
right in front of the left side of the stage only a few feet from where
"bongo boy" Todd Rundgren
stood to play the bongos. John was very nice and got me out of
oncoming traffic as that's where
I had been standing when I started talking to him. I handed him
a track with the web
address and left.
Pat Croce - In December (2001) I saw
sitting up on the shoe shine seats waiting for a shine. As I neared to
walk past, he cupped his hands to his mouth, looking straight forward
and yelled, "Hey Ralph!"
Dikembe Mutombo - star center
for the 76ers. This was also at 30th Street station (Croce was at the
train station). I was eating lunch, and down at the end of the way there
was this huge presence filling up the path. I knew it had to be somebody.
As he got close - there was this little head atop this massively huge body.
It was Dikembe - two body guards in tow. They were over six feet, well
built, but next to Dikembe they looked like midgets. My policy is to
leave celebrities alone - but they had made it to the championship and
given us a whole lot. Plus he was going through some stupid stuff in
in Atlanta, so I wanted to give back so I just said, "Dikembe!"
He turned to look, not breaking his stride. I gave him a thumbs up.
He went to the door, must've been a limo waiting. Little kids had run
up and gotten to the door as he was leaving and he declined autographs.
He did look in a hurry and not in a good mood. He's allowed.
He's a good man. (this was in August of 2001)
Bill Murray - star of
Saturday Night Live and Meatballs. This again, was at 30th Street
Station during my break. It was about 6:10 PM, 3-26-03.
It was something. Some celebrities you wonder, is that them?
But as soon as I saw Bill - he was larger than life -
immediately recognizable - actually, most people look worse in
person for whatever reason - makeup - heighth. But Bill looked
much better. He was about ten feet away from me when I first
noticed him - and I thought, what would I say to him?
And I could think of nothing. I hear he's a "you see what you
get" kind of guy - in other words - he doesn't just PLAY a jerk;
he is one. Be that as it may - a talented one.
Besides, my policy is to leave celebrities alone. They went up
a deli counter. I was dumping out some of my coffee to add
water to not only dilute it, but cool it down. I was looking
back, they left the deli counter after a brief minute.
I say "they," it must of been his son - about 17 years old.
They went to Dunkin' Donuts. Left there. Then Bill was
looking across the concourse and his son was inquiring at
Bucks County Coffee. It wasn't till I was across the street
it dawned on me. The bathroom barrier was pulled down for
to do some cleaning - so they were asking where the bathrooms
were - which was right across the concourse. Why they didn't
get an immediate answer - perhaps the people at those counters
were star struck too, even though they are foreigners.
Perhaps they didn't know. While I was pouring my coffee I
was pointing out Bill to a co-worker. He is a middle aged
foreigner. He did not know who I was talking about.
Oh well... He appeared to be an inch or two taller than I
am (Bill) I'm about six feet tall. That's all.