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71,939 Views | 338 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by Max Power
heisatouchdown
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Damnit TC... these stories are making me consider taking a job opportunity I know I have in LA...
Sex Panther
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AG
Do it... L.A. is awesome
TCTTS
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quote:
Damnit TC... these stories are making me consider taking a job opportunity I know I have in LA...

Ha, PLEASE don't think this is everyday life out here. Not by a long shot. Seeing celebrities every so often, sure. I feel like I see one once every couple of weeks. But unless you have job like the one I happened to fall into for a few years, or have friends who know people, everyday LA life is incredibly average. So base your decision on the job itself more than anything (obviously). It's not all glitz and glamour. When I think of LA, I think of traffic, massive amounts of people, and crappy buildings/architecture from the 60s/70s. The vast majority of the city is actually pretty ugly and a huge challenge to navigate. That said, there's so much opportunity, and it can obviously be incredibly fun if you want it to be. I personally love it, but it's taken a long time for me to feel that way.
scubasteve304
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For the last day I get excited when the Focus thread is at the top of the Entertainment Board cause I'm like Aww Yissss, storytime with TCTTS, lol.
TCTTS
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Ha, I've got plenty more if you want them. Those are probably my top three "hot celebrity" encounters, but yeah, I can keep going...
TCTTS
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I once did back to back shoots one weekend with Anne Hathaway on a Saturday and Lauren Conrad on Sunday and they couldn't have been more different. Anne showed up to this house on the beach in Malibu where we were shooting, riding in her assistant's Jeep Wrangler or something, immediately shook everyone's hands, and was the warmest person imaginable. Never an even remotely diva moment. LC, on the other hand, had to have a car service bring her to set, and when I greeted her when she arrived, I said something like, "Hey, Lauren, welcome to set. I'm Ted." Without hesitation, she instantly goes, "Where's Karen?" and from that moment on was just the biggest wannabe diva. Showed me just how valuable earning your celebrity status was through hard work vs. simply aspiring to be a celebrity. Famous reality stars are the absolute worse.

Anyway, the shoot we did with Anne is below. Patrick Demarchelier was the photographer, and this was right after The Devil Wears Prada had come out. She has bit in the movie where she tells Meryl Streep's character that she has Demarchelier on the phone, and so it was kind of surreal being right in the middle of the two of them, with Anne kind of making fun of it herself, even reciting the line. It was my job to hold an umbrella over her between shoots. That girl is super pale, and did not want to be in the sun (but was of course as nice as can be about it).







TCTTS
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I can say the two most attractive celebrities I've ever seen in person, hands down, are Kate Beckinsale and Charlize Theron. I saw Kate at the CVS across the street from apartment a few years back, and she was just absolutely stunning. Taller than I thought she'd be too, which never happens. And Charlize I saw in my go-to movie theater's lobby a couple years back, and she's on that same Amazon/goddess level as Rebecca Romijn. So tall, and just looks like she's from a different planet.
heisatouchdown
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AG
quote:
quote:
Damnit TC... these stories are making me consider taking a job opportunity I know I have in LA...

Ha, PLEASE don't think this is everyday life out here. Not by a long shot. Seeing celebrities every so often, sure. I feel like I see one once every couple of weeks. But unless you have job like the one I happened to fall into for a few years, or have friends who know people, everyday LA life is incredibly average. So base your decision on the job itself more than anything (obviously). It's not all glitz and glamour. When I think of LA, I think of traffic, massive amounts of people, and crappy buildings/architecture from the 60s/70s. The vast majority of the city is actually pretty ugly and a huge challenge to navigate. That said, there's so much opportunity, and it can obviously be incredibly fun if you want it to be. I personally love it, but it's taken a long time for me to feel that way.
Haha yeah, I definitely feel the latter sentiment about LA. I go somewhat frequently for work and have seen some celebrity in some fashion during all my trips out there. That being said, your stories are definitely quite glamorous :P
TCTTS
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I once ate a taco next to Vinnie Chase at 2:00 in the morning on West 6th street. He was a dewsh.


Sounds about right.
Citizen Reign
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So TCTTS, Did you used to be a photographer's assistant, associate producer, or...?
TCTTS
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quote:
So TTSCS, Did you used to be a photographer's assistant, associate producer, or...?


Production Coordinator/Manager. It was (eventually) my job to run the set; basically hire all the various departments, coordinate transportation/meals, and just make sure everything ran smoothly in general. There's three entities for any big photo shoot; the photographer and his crew, the clients, and then the production team. I was part of the production team.
Jacques
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quote:
quote:
Damnit TC... these stories are making me consider taking a job opportunity I know I have in LA...

Ha, PLEASE don't think this is everyday life out here. Not by a long shot. Seeing celebrities every so often, sure. I feel like I see one once every couple of weeks. But unless you have job like the one I happened to fall into for a few years, or have friends who know people, everyday LA life is incredibly average. So base your decision on the job itself more than anything (obviously). It's not all glitz and glamour. When I think of LA, I think of traffic, massive amounts of people, and crappy buildings/architecture from the 60s/70s. The vast majority of the city is actually pretty ugly and a huge challenge to navigate. That said, there's so much opportunity, and it can obviously be incredibly fun if you want it to be. I personally love it, but it's taken a long time for me to feel that way.


The traffic is the killer. But I love everything else about this town. Including the old 60s and 70s buildings.

Mainly, it's the weather and outdoorsy stuff to do. But there's just also a lot of entertainment options in this town you don't have anywhere else in the country.

Just in the last few months I went to a script reading at The Blacklist. Alison Brie. Nathan Fillion. Seth Green. Justin Bartha. All onstage reading this incredible script that had bounced around Hollywood for years. Stuff like that is all over town all the time.
phatbc
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Such a good thread this turned out to be
Jacques
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It's about to stop running, but the thrilling adventure hour has been monthly for years. And it's great. Several big name stars in a stage presentation of an old time radio show.

Professor Frick
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Btw, for those interested, thrilling adventure is recorded as a podcast too. Paul f Tompkins and Paget Brewster are amazing.
Jacques
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She really is great (and yeah, hot too). Their segment is always my favorite. She's always dressed up in character in a pretty tight dress.

One reason it's ending now is I think they're taking it on the road. So it might come to a big city near you soon.
Jacques
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Nm
Jacques
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Meant to edit and replied.
Professor Frick
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I unfortunately just missed them a couple weeks ago for SF sketchfest, TAH was playing the theater down the street from my work
Jacques
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I'm sure they will be back there. The facial expressions are great. Esp craig cackowski
Guitarsoup
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Great stories. Keep them coming. Also, pictures.


Here's my only non-athlete celebrity encounter.

Was in LA for a week or so in ~2006ish and got really good tickets off stubhub to go to the Dodgers game. While there, ran into Arsenio Hall, who was with his son. I said to him, "Hi Arsenio, I loved you as Donkey in Shrek" and he started cracking up. I hope he thought I was serious.
Sex Panther
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One of my favorite celebrity stories happened just a few months ago. I was at a relatively low key bar in Austin, when Taylor Kitsch walks in. I recognized him right away, and turned to my group of friends, and say, "Hey, Taylor Kitsch is here."

They all looked at me confused and one says, "Who?" So I rattle off some of his stuff, "Friday Night Lights, John Carter, Lone Survivor..." And they do a collective head nod with realization to who he is. Then my drunk friend turns and screams at him...

"Bro, you and Rihanna KILLED IT in Battleship!!!"
zgood10
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TCTTS
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quote:
One of my favorite celebrity stories happened just a few months ago. I was at a relatively low key bar in Austin, when Taylor Kitsch walks in. I recognized him right away, and turned to my group of friends, and say, "Hey, Taylor Kitsch is here."

They all looked at me confused and one says, "Who?" So I rattle off some of his stuff, Friday Night Lights, John Carter, Lone Survivor..." And they do a collective head nod with realization to who he is. Then my drunk friend turns and screams at him...

"Bro, you and Rihanna KILLED IT in Battleship!!!"

That is AMAZING.

Did he respond in any way?
TCTTS
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AG
I was actually in line behind him in the bathroom at the movies a few weeks ago. Shorter than I thought he'd be. Saw him once before at LAX years back, but I was sitting down, so it was hard to tell then.

My sister actually kind of knows him. She's been to his house before (they played board games), and they share some few mutual friends. Says he can be kind of weird and out of control.

Sex Panther
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I don't think so, but I immediately turned around so he wouldn't think it was me and put my head down. I was half mortified and half laughing my ass off.

He didn't seem like he was thrilled to be there, and I don't think he stayed long. He was shorter than I thought he'd be too, but he was in pretty damn good shape. He did kind of have that crazy eyed angry look though... You know, that one you see from rednecks at bars on Northgate, like they were waiting for a reason to beat your ass if you looked at them funny.
TCTTS
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So funny. Would have reacted the exact same way you did.
TCTTS
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I have a crazy amount of hot celebrity (and "plain" celebrity) sightings, but I've been trying to think of more actual stories, and I've got a few great ones of just celebs/athletes in general I can definitely tell. I'll start with one of the most random ones that has to do with Andre Agassi. Hands down, two of the most surreal moments of my life, both in one afternoon...

Years ago, we were in Vegas doing a shoot for 24 Hour Fitness with Agassi at his parents house, who live, I sh*t you not, on the corner of ANDRE and AGASSI in this super nice gated community. Behind their house they have a tennis court where Andre trained, with another, smaller house, behind that where he actually lifted weights and what not. An entire HOUSE just for training.

Anyway, at the beginning of the shoot, the photographer was on a ladder, aiming the camera down at Agassi as he served. And for some reason we had only THREE tennis balls. Agassi said he'd supply everything, since we were at his "facility," but he only brought three balls to the court. At first he was just tossing a ball in the air and striking a serve pose, but that wasn't working as well, so they asked him to actually serve a few. I was standing next to the ladder, just there to help in any way, and at that point I asked Agassi if he needed me to go fetch the balls, to which he responded with a half-smile/chuckle and said no, he's good. I was confused for a second... and then I saw exactly why he didn't need me. At half speed, I swear to God, he was able to hit the top white canvas strap of the net like a bullseye, to the point where the balls would come rolling right back in his direction. And I watched him do this at least 15 times in a row, without missing. It was insane.

At that point, after "warming up," he looks at me and goes, "Now you might want to over there." So I jog over to the other side of the court, just beyond the diagonal server box a little further back than you'd be if you were actually returning, and all the sudden I'm staring down Andre Agassi, who's about to - technically - serve to ME. I was obviously without a racket, but I just kept thinking, relatively speaking, not many non-tennis professional human beings have stood opposite one of the most famous tennis players in history, about to "receive" his serve. And then he did just that. For some reason, I thought I was going to be able to catch the ball after its one bounce, and I couldn't have been more wrong. I've seriously never seen an object travel that fast in that kind of proximity. Like, if you gave me a racket, there was absolutely no chance in hell I would have been able to even swing before the ball was delivered. I was just in awe. So, for the next 15 minutes or so, I would let the balls whiz past me, hit the back fence, catch them, then toss them back to Agassi.

That was surreal moment number one.

An hour or so later, after a bunch of different looks/shots, Agassi wants to take a break. It was a super small shoot, and everyone stayed outside, just kind of hanging out on the porch, since there wasn't much to be done, but I had to print something from my computer, which was set up on the kitchen table, which Agassi's parents let us use as our little base. Anyway, at this moment, I'm the only one inside, and suddenly Agassi's incredibly nice dad walks in - this short bald guy with a thick accent - and offers me one of those long, stick-like colored/flavored ice things (I'm blanking on the actual name). It was mid-July in Vegas, I had been outside all damn day, so I said sure, I'll take one. He then tells me to come relax in the living room. I didn't want to offend him, so I follow him into the living room, and he tells me to have a seat on the couch. There are two couches, kind set up in a wide V shape, with two recliners at the "tip" of the V. Agassi's mom is in one, knitting, while his dad takes a seat in the other. And they're watching Judge Judy. We kind of talk about the weather or whatever, then start to get into the episode a bit, and all the sudden Agassi himself walks in the room - flavored icey stick in hand - and sits on the other couch. And I kid you not, for the next 20 minutes, me, Andre Agassi, his mom and his dad, sit in near silence, watching Judge Judy, sucking on flavored ice sticks. I couldn't even concentrate on the episode because it was just impossible not to be in silent awe of the situation I was in. You know, just me and the Agassi's hanging out watching Judge Judy in their living room.

So yeah, that was surreal moment number two, and the culmination of one of the weirdest/coolest days ever.
TCTTS
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When I get a chance, I'll tell my Brett Favre story next. I was a coordinator on that very first Wrangler commercial he did, which we shot at his place in Hattiesburg, MS. One of the funnest shoots I was ever on.
Sex Panther
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Holy ****... you ate ****ing Pop Ice with Andre Aggasi and his family??? It would've been an awesome story no matter what you did, but the fact you guys ate a cheap popsicle aimed at 6 year olds is incredible.

That sounds like a scene from a Wes Anderson movie.
TCTTS
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quote:
Holy ****... you ate ****ing Pop Ice with Andre Aggasi and his family??? It would've been an awesome story no matter what you did, but the fact you guys ate a cheap popsicle aimed at 6 year olds is incredible.

That sounds like a scene from a Wes Anderson movie.

Ha, it totally felt like that. His dad used to be big into boxing, and had this entire area of the living room - like, way more than a shelf - where he displayed all his boxing trophies and memorabilia. Not one sign of his son's accomplishments anywhere to be found. So that just added to the Wes Anderson-ness of it all as well.

Then, as we were wrapping up later that afternoon, his dad was putting on a blue blazer. But not a super dressy one, more of a like worker's blazer, and I noticed a patch/logo on the chest. One of our producers asked him where he was off to, and he said he had to go to work. We all kind of looked at each other confused - he lived in a giant house obviously paid for by his son - and then I asked where he worked. I can't remember the exact casino, but, just to get out of the house, he was a DOORMAN at one of the big ones. Which, now that I think about it, adds yet another Wes Anderson-ish layer.
Jacques
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As the thread continues, I'm reminded of more and more of these...

One night I was at a stereo/electronics store across the street from my place. Gary Coleman comes and starts pointing at this and that, buying stuff all over the store.

I was chatting with one of the sales guys there about a TV. I mentioned to him that I thought Gary was broke.

He laughed and said..."Yeah, well..."

Then he said they'd deliver this stuff to his house, and there wouldn't be anything else in his house. Just what they were delivering. And it would be gone by the next time he came in. I guess the poor guy just burned right through whatever he earned.
TCTTS
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Man, those stories you always hear about with those kinds of celebs always bum me out. It's like they have no other valuable skills, and when they cease being legit famous they're just screwed.
Jacques
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quote:
Man, those stories you always hear about with those kinds of celebs always bum me out. It's like they have no other valuable skills, and when they cease being legit famous they're just screwed.
It's not really a story, but one night I was flying late out of LAX and the guy ahead of me...just looked familiar.

It was the Scott Schwartz from The Toy and A Christmas Story. No real conversational interaction with him. But it looked like the woman at he counter recognized him because there was some banter back and forth.

As he left, I kind of smile and nodded at him and he smiled back. Just sort of to acknowledge that I knew who he was.

I loved that movie The Toy.

But that kid--who is a very short grown man now--just ended up nowhere. And it's sad.
Jacques
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The thread is really getting far afield now...

But that night seeing that guy at the airport kind of crystallized the problem child actors have.

They're basically pressed into action as kids by parents that want to see them be stars. Maybe they're kind of cute. Maybe precocious. If you do enough work you think of yourself as an actor. But you're not. You're a ****ing kid.

For some of them it works out.

Scott Schwartz? Not really. And judging by what I know of his later "career" he just never came to accept that he wasn't an actor. Or struggled with it. Or struggled to find something else in life.
 
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