How to meet a celebrity
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Stars are people too
You turn on the television and they are there - beautiful people, with perfect makeup and clothes, saying clever things at just the right time - celebrities.
Movie stars and even our national newscasters seem so out of reach, so otherworldly sometimes. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to say hello, to see them in person, maybe even shake their hand?
Well, it's possible, my friend - and sometimes it's easier than you think. Here are a few tips that have helped to satisfy my need for a brush with fame.
Getting started
- Focus: start with a targeted group of celebrities. When they gather, you'll have a better chance at hitting one of them. For instance, NASCAR drivers or ballet dancers.
- Patience is a virtue: Especially if you have a major celebrity in mind, you may have to wait a long time for the right opportunity, and a long line may be in your future. Accept this fact and wait for the right moment.
- Manners make the man: Realize that if a celebrity has opened that door to a wall of fans dying to meet them, they are being very brave and patient, and they are hoping that each fan is not a psycho. Don't be that psycho.
- Know your celebrity: What is your idol up to? As Bono was doing his speaking tour he was more accessible at speaking venues for those willing to pay for the high-dollar ticket. Keep informed.
- Out of their element, in with you: When rock stars are writing children's books, or comedians are giving 'serious' presentations, they are out of their element. This means the crowd around them is not as large, only true fans or business partners have come to see them, and they are much more grateful for the attention they are getting. This is a golden opportunity to get your photo or an autograph.
- Accept your mission: Autographs? Photos with you and the band? In most cases you will have a split second with the celeb, and no re-takes, so decide ahead of time. Actually, decide now. The band may walk into the restaurant any minute now. However: when they say NO, it's usually best to accept that. In more cases photos are OK and autographs are not, because celebs know the value of their scribbles.
- How much is your celebrity worth? Yes, you might have to spend some money. Some stars charge for an autograph, whether it's on a piece of paper or on an 8" x 10" glossy photo they are selling you. Or you may have to buy a ticket to a book signing, and even buy their book (again!) Why? Signing 200 photos at $20 each might be this week's income. Hey, it's a living.
Places stars hang out
- Charity auctions/benefits
- Book signings
- Film screenings
- eBay
- Product launches - for their signature perfume, clothing line, sneakers etc.
- Here's a big one: fan conventions - (see links below)
- University campuses. If you graduated from somewhere, put that alumni card to use! If not, poke your nose into the local campus and get on their mailing list.
- Fan newsletters, sports team websites etc. If you are the fan you say you are, suck up every piece of info you can. Buy tickets to any special-access event the day they become available, and get your butt out there and be first in line!
- THEIR WEBSITE - many celebrities are only stars to a small group of people. Try writing an e-mail or the treasured hand-written note. You would be surprised how many people will return the favor.
- Twitter - there are as many real celebs on Twitter as there are fake ones. And there are dozens of lists of "Celebrities on Twitter" to help you decipher the difference. Use those tools before you find yourself following an impostor.
Who puts stars in your eyes?
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Perfect storm
Here's a case where I've tried lots of things. I've been to numerous concerts and I've even met and gotten autographs from other members of Ozzy's bands. But my opportunity came when Ozzy was out of his element - at Nordstroms, launching a new clothing line. All I had to do was buy a piece of clothing and I got to meet the man and get a picture with him, too! Sweet! The line was short and it wasn't in a dusty hot concert venue. I benefited from keeping my eyes on the newspaper, and I saw the announcement that he'd be in town. Rock on! Celebrity books
Links to fame
- MyHeritage.com
- Try their free face recognition software online on your photos to find out which celebrities you resemble most!
- Celebritology
- A blog from a Washington Post writer all about celebrities. Fun!
- RADAR: Pop, Politics, Scandal, Style
- Pop, Politics, Scandal, Style
Places I've found celebrities
- National Book Festival
- Free, open to the public, and chock full of famous authors of all types. An annual event for the whole family at the end of September in Washington, DC.
- charitybuzz | do good - live well
- charitybuzz: Bid on Top Celebrity Experiences and Memorabilia in our gala online events.
- Barnes & Noble - Find an Event
- Just put in your address and find an event at your local bookstore.
- AFI Silver Theatre
- AFI's Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD regularly has screenings that bring in celebrity commentators for one reason or the other. I saw Linda Carter speaking there, who happens to live in the area.
- Chiller Theatre
- In the Meadowlands of NJ, one of the largest and most popular conventions on the East Coast. There is a good range of horror actors, special effects artists and model artists, as well as television artists for whatever is collectible at the time. This convention is three times a year: January, June & October.
- Comic Book Conventions.com
- Find out about comic book conventions all over North America, and celebrities that range from comic book artists and voice actors to TV stars and film actors. Wherever comics have gone, so go their conventions.
- Rue Morgue Festival of Fear
- In Toronto, Canada, in September - features some well put-together speaking panels, generally focusing on horror movies.
- Autograph Collector Magazine
- In June they release their 10 best and 10 worst celebrity autographers... find out who!
- International Sports & Entertainment Festival
- In Cleveland, Ohio: sports, TV, and film stars.
Celebrity seeker equipment
If at all possible, bring a child with you. Everyone loves children. If they are well behaved, that is. If you can't bring a child, try to be female.
Digging deeper
- Internet Movie Database
- If you're tracking down an actor, this is a great place to start. Complete filmographies are available, as well as links to official websites. If you want to shell out some cash, IMDB Pro provides agency contact info, which will almost certainly get you an autographed 8x10 glossy photo at the minimum.
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia has profiles on many actors that include their hobbies, birthplace, filmography and more. Be careful, though - information you find here is not always reliable. Make sure you verify it with a second source.
- MySpace
- Yup, many celebs really have MySpace pages. However, many people have assumed celebrity names on MySpace. So I recommend you start at one of the above sites to establish whether the MySpace page is official or not.
Conventions and other events
- HorrorFind Weekend
- All sorts of horror, comic, film and TV stars show up.
- New York Comic Con
- Comic book artists, authors and film and TV stars.
- 5-35 Football Autograph event
- Find and buy tickets Towson University Towson, MD at Ticketmaster.com
- Chiller Theatre Expo
- Chiller Theatre is the world's best horror and sci-fi convention - the Chiller Theatre Toy, Model & Film Expo.
Fan conventions
If you've never been to a convention like some of the ones above, you may think I'm loony sending you to a Horror convention or Comic Book show looking for celebrities.It all depends which celebrity you're looking for. I met Adam West, the original TV Batman, and George Romero, the director of Night of the Living Dead, at one of these. (Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman were at one, doing an 'I Dream of Jeannie ' thing). This photo is from one of these horror conventions - that's me with Lou Ferrigno, the original green half of the Hulk.
Even though I typically visit the horror conventions, there are always Star Trek and other sci-fi and fantasy actors a-plenty. It's about marketing. There is a lot of cross-over in these markets.
All in all, remember if you find a celebrity when they are expecting to find fans, they are going to be much nicer to you than if you pounce on them during their family dinner.
Look To The Stars
Celebrity charity action - find them where they're giving
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