I spent two weeks in LA and who did I see? No one. Not one celeb. Nada. Zilch.

I did spend a couple of hours rummaging through SMG's garbage, but that's another story...

zz9 | June 10, 17:12 CET

zz9, a couple of hours?...sounds like some interesting garbage, unless Sarah just has an awful lot of trash. Are you selling any garbage goodies on ebay? And if so, will you wash the stuff first?

jaynelovesvera | June 10, 17:31 CET

And further down the column, someone spotted a person they called "the invisible girl from Buffy".

lycoming | June 10, 17:32 CET

You mean Clea Duvall?

eddy | June 10, 17:33 CET

It did take two hours. I get easily distracted ("Oh look, something shiny!") and these document shredders they use make things really difficult. I pieced together one document where she "sold her soul to Santa" which just doesn't make sense at all.

zz9 | June 10, 17:38 CET

That was pretty cool. I liked the whole article. Its nice to see what real people think of the celebs they see. Like Wilmer isnt that hot and Kelly Cucuco (spelling ?) thought she owend the place. Joss coming out of Star Wars was pretty cool cause i could totally see him wearing that exact outfit.

Gunn 2 N's | June 10, 17:46 CET

Well, I've lived in L.A. county for almost two years now, and I've only seen - in a candid, Defamer-type way - Christina Ricci. (Although that was kinda cool, 'cos she and her partner took a table directly facing me in a small diner, and I got to, you know, look at her for about 45 minutes. She was extremely pretty - shock, - very animated, and quite unselfconscious. Apparently her guy-pal was someone too, but I fail to keep up with the scandal rags sufficiently to be able to place him.)

But I live in Long Beach and work in the O.C. (As no one around here ever calls it). People who wanna see celebs and live in town can pretty much go to the usual places, and they'll see them. Or so I am told.

SoddingNancyTribe | June 10, 17:49 CET

I live in Los Angeles and there are always celeb-sightings aplenty. You just take it in your stride, especially working in the entertainment business and going to even marginally "in" locales. And, yes, Defamer is sort of like the unofficial industry newsletter (upon walking into the office, my co-workers and I read the latest update before even sniffing at Variety or--ugh--the Hollywood Reporter).

Jace at Televisionary | June 10, 17:59 CET

Maybe she had to sell her soul to Santa to get it to snow in Amends? Oh wait, that was Buffy, not Sarah.

Agree with the prettiness assessment of Christina Ricci; her face is rather striking.

jaynelovesvera | June 10, 18:05 CET

I've often wondered how I'd react and what I'd say if my path was ever blessed enough to cross Joss Whedon's. I'd like to think that I'd be able to express my depth of feeling for the man and his works in a way that would be heartfelt without being embarrassing. Would I tell him how he's made such a huge contribution to my life? How I expect more from others, and myself, by the example of rightness and sacrifice he's put out there via his art? Would I tell him of the endless hours of enjoyment and enlightenment that have come my way just because he's shared his talent with the world? Would I be able to refrain from giving him the biggest hug I've ever given another human adult? Would I tell him that I named my daughter Willow?

Where does the honest appreciation end and the slobbering begin? And would I know the cutoff point? Would I even be able to speak?

Honest to Joss, I'd sure like to think so.

Willowy | June 10, 18:34 CET

Me too, Willowy. All of it, except for the daughter. :)

WhoIsOmega? | June 10, 19:00 CET

i have a friend who lives in los feliz, and claims to have never seen anyone famous, but he's not the sort of person who looks around, so i'm sure he's seen tons, but it just didn't register. my boyfriend saw amber benson trying to parallel park, (and apparently doing a really bad job!) when he was in L.A. last year. (drives a prius. environmentally friendly, way to go!)
northern california is not exactly full of celebrities, but i've seen a few. we do have a wine country, after all. i've seen sean penn, lucy lawless, noah wylie, (there's more, but i'm blanking) and most importantly for me, tom waits. tom waits can also get the type of reaction mentioned above. i used to see him pretty often, but i always kept my cool, somehow!

kittyholmes | June 10, 19:11 CET

I must admit I didn't go to any 'In' places, and I actualy spent only a couple of days in LA as I had a week to cover San Fransisco, Sacremento, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon AND LA. It's a good job they have lots of straight roads!

I visited the pier in Santa Monica and the Third St Promanade, Mullholland Drive, Sunset and that's about it.

If I met Joss? Well, my Buffy coffee mug not being dishwasher proof is an issue that STILL bugs me. Someone is to blame and quite frankly I think Joss has to take responsibility. I mean, in between the three shows, the animated series, Fray, X-Men, Serenity, OMWF etc he could have taken the time to say "Hey! I'm not having MY loyal, and lets face it, lazy, fans handwashing their coffee mugs!"

zz9 | June 10, 19:17 CET

I treat normal people like celebrities and celebrities like normal people. It confuses the sh*t out of everybody. ;D

Bad Kitty | June 10, 19:29 CET

Willowy, I'm not sure if I could keep from being slobbery if I met Joss either. It's weird... if I met Angelina Jolie or something, I could totally keep it cool (while of course marveling at her hotness on the inside), but with Joss I don't think I could not tell him what a huge inspiration to me he is as a writer and filmmaker, and etc.

Same for any Scooby I met. I actually got to hang out with Michelle Trachtenberg once. I think she thought I was cool until I couldn't contain myself anymore and had to tell her Buffy was my favorite show (I managed to act normal for a good 15 minutes). Not that she didn't appreciate it, but I'm sure a bunch of insincere butt kisser types use the words "favorite show" with her all the time and don't mean it.

Actually, she had a great story about how some guy unsuccessfully tried to pick her up in a club. He was like, "Oh, Michelle, Buffy rocks. But that last episode... man did that suck. What was up with that? Wanna have some drinks with me?"

Celluloid Novelist | June 10, 19:32 CET

Williowy, I thought that I was the only one obsessed (or as Alan Tudyk called us "enthusiastic") enough to name thier daughters after TV characters. (I have a Cordelia and Inara)

genia | June 10, 19:49 CET

I live in West Hollywood, and celeb sighting is a little hobby. I've been pretty lucky to see a number of WhedonVerse over the years: Nick Brendon, Seth Green, Adam Busch, Michelle Trachtenberg . The biggest was when my BF shopped alongside David Boreanaz at the Sav-On on Santa Monica and La Cienega (without me!)

Then, this was really odd, I was having a meeting with this really pretentious actor at an outdoor coffee house, when he interrupted the meeting to mumble, "Oh look there's...oh what's his name...great guy...just wonderful, um yeah that's....um..." And I look up and it was Gunn, so I told the pretentious guy, "That's J. August Richards" So, then he makes a big show of saying hi to him and introducing him to everyone else at the table, so I got to meet and shake hands with him....nice guy. Very tall...much taller than I expected.

DearBoy | June 10, 19:51 CET

About 12 years ago, I saw some actor who used to play a lawyer on Young and the Restless. I recognized him because I used to watch that show when I was in high school. He was also in a bunch of truck commercials. Anyway, as he passed me on the street, I said, "Hey, you used to be on Young and the Restless." And he pointed his finger in the air and said "Right you are", and just kept on walking. I wasn't all crazed and fangirly or anything. I was mostly just surprised. I mean, it's Portland, Oregon. You don't expect to see famous faces (or, in his case, sort of famous) in this town.

That's my brush with celebrity. Um, I also heard that a poster I colored at the 1990 NYC Dead show wound up in Jerry Garcia's dressing room. I like to believe that's true anyway.

But if it were Joss. If I were meeting Joss on the street or even a convention or something, I wouldn't know what to say. I'd be in too much shock.

[ edited by electricspacegirl on 2005-06-11 03:23 ]

electricspacegirl | June 10, 20:17 CET

I once met Nathan Fillion on the set of Two Guys and a Girl, whilst on a visit to LA a few years back. I was having an awesome conversation with Ryan Reynolds at the time, so I was kind of just like, oh... hi.

nixygirl | June 10, 20:42 CET

Would I even be able to speak?

In my single encounter, speak: yes. Make any sort of sense: no.

I also managed to trip over my own feet. Way to go, me. Of course, Joss was very nice and gracious, which made me feel a whole lot better about acting like a total boob.

skyfire1228 | June 10, 20:59 CET

I used to run into a lot of celebrities in NYC (raised and worked in theater) before I sold my soul to Corporate America. Generally it was not a big deal, as I seem to have a switch in my head that clicks on when I am looking in someone's eye. It makes me see only the person in front of me, not whatever else is added on.

That said, I am embarrassed to admit that I did have a chance meeting with Joss Whedon about 6 1/2 years ago. It's embarrassing because I managed to react very strangely to meeting him. It was not because he was a celebrity. I had never heard of Joss Whedon at the time, and had only watched BtVS intermittently, although I had lot of respect for it.

I had brought my mother and small son to a business conference in DC and was feeling somewhat uncomfortable about it. I had just gotten out of the last meeting of the day, was frazzled and needed to meet them in the lobby of the hotel and herd them to the bus going to the evening event. Getting my mother to move once she is settled is always a difficult procedure and I started as soon as I found them. As usual she had been talking to two fellows who had sat down on the group of sofas. I knew that extricating her from a conversation with strangers could be complicated and time consuming so I began immediately while trying not to be rude. (I have never felt I succeeded in the not being rude part.)

She, of course, introduced me to both men and explained that the one was a writer. I said something polite and vaguely positive and continued to gather belongings. Then she showed me a flyer or something and said he had written a television show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." I remember swinging my head around and thinking "That's a really good show and a very big deal. He wrote the whole show?...Like had the idea? No, I must have this wrong..." What I said was "Oh, that's great." With a perplexed look on my face that probably made it look like I had never heard of the show and was just blowing the whole thing off. Then I said something like "Very nice to meet you." and scurried off with my charges all the while feeling like I should have said what I was actually thinking and not been in such a damned rush.

On the bus my mom proceeded to tell me about their conversation and that yes, he was the guy who had the idea and everything for BtVS, which she had never heard of, and how he reminded her so much of a pianist/composer friend of hers that she always thought had such endearing idiosyncrasies. I proceeded to tell her that yes, I had heard of BtVS and it was a really good show, while feeling like a total idiot.

Now every time I play the DVD's and Joss comes on, my Mom looks fondly at him and tells me how much he reminds her of her friend. I just think, why the hell did I find it so unbelievable I could be running into a writer who had done such good work and let myself be so preoccupied with the day to day garbage that I let an opportunity like that slip away.

newcj | June 10, 22:08 CET

newcj, that was a great story. How I sympathize with your *palmtoforehead* feeling. I'll bet you've thought numerous times how you'd've handled it differently. Especially now, knowing what you do.

Aw.

Willowy | June 10, 22:55 CET

I met Joss in a really cool way...I gave him a tour of my work facilities as he was scouting locations to shoot Serenity! At the time, Angel was my obsession, favorite show on earth. I had not seen Firefly. Joss was really casual, down to earth, etc. I knew that the location scout had told him I was a fan but I didn't say anything about it. I regretted it later and wrote him a letter.

Usually in those situations where I have met someone who I really admire, I can't think of anything worthwhile to say. Some people get gushy, I clam up. The best part about the encounter with Joss was that it caused me to immediately buy the Firefly DVD's and I fell in love with the series. In our meeting he had revealed some things about the plot (out of necessity since he was scouting a location for the movie) and now that I got to see Serenity in Vegas in May, I understand what he was talking about! He didn't end up using my location (that would have been incredible!) but the location scout was kind enough to send me an Angel poster signed by Joss and a bunch of Angel memorabilia, t-shirts, etc. It was a wonderful day!

Overall, (especially as celebrities go, in my experience) Joss is a really easygoing and kind person who appreciates and seems to feel connected in a very close way with his fans, and a pleasure to meet. I think we are fortunate here at Whedonesque to have a wonderful site that even Joss reads. It makes me feel like in some small way, we have the joy of knowing that there is a possibility that he has read how much his work has meant to us.

SaltyGoodness | June 10, 22:59 CET

I grew up in L.A., lived there almost my entire life, but now I find myself living in the-place-that-no-one-calls-the-O.C. and I never realized how much I took the occasional celebrity spotting for granted until worked caused me to move a mere thirty miles south behind the Orange curtain. Got all nostalgic reading it.

bobster | June 10, 23:19 CET

Genia, you sound like someone I'd like to know. Another friend has just named her newborn Kendra!

We could start a club. ;)

Willowy | June 11, 00:07 CET

Oh thanks Newcj and Saltygoodness for those stories. They were both great ones. And oh newcj...sympathys.

nixygirl | June 11, 00:07 CET

I've never posted here before (not that kind of girl), and I hate to pop my cherry in such a star f***er way, but I can't resist.

I met Joss when I first moved to LA nearly 5 years ago. I'd published a piece (academic-y and stale, but still) on Buffy and my friend who was in town pushing his new book and my husband nudged me until I cracked and approached him at a restaurant in Brentwood (the one and only time I've been to that part of town). We chatted for a while and then he gave me his address (work) asking to read my piece. I nearly shat myself. A very memorable moment for me. I've worked on lots of Buffy stuff--rubbed elbows with other writers and the like--but this was a truly unique experience for me.

A few weeks ago, my husband had a long coffee with Marti Noxon. Seth Green lives in our 'hood. I've brunched a table away from Boreanaz. We're lucky, I know, but that Joss thing will always stick.

mosie | June 11, 02:01 CET

One of the best bits of advice I have seen about meeting celebs, if you want to make a good impression, came from Kylie Minogue. She said the sure sign of a starstruck, obsessed, fan was that they completley ignored anyone with the celeb and focussed entirely on them. If you want to be cool, talk to their friend as well. It makes you come over as a far cooler, balanced and sane person.

Newcj, what a bummer! Not only miss a chance to chat with Joss but you blanked him as well!

And Celluloid Novelist, if I ever meet Michelle, DONT tell her the show sucked. Check. I'll try and remember that. Bugger, that's TWO things I've got to remember, don't diss the show AND talk to her friend, and don't drool. THREE things. Don't diss, friend, no drool, don't stare at her cleavage FOUR things...

[ edited by zz9 on 2005-06-11 14:26 ]

zz9 | June 11, 04:15 CET

Only celebrity I have ever met was Mike Tyson, and I am happy to report that both my ears are intact. Also, his voice is really easy not to laugh at in person.

I met him outside a video store, a pretty crappy one too. I was with my father and my dad happened to know the limo driver, who Mike sent in to rent for him, the driver asked my dad if he wanted to meet Tyson and I guess my dad didn't want to be rude and agreed. It was after he was out of jail, but before he had taken to nibbling on people.

Would be cool to bump into Joss somewhere though.

Odysseus | June 11, 04:42 CET

The major celebrity connection I've got is five years ago when my nan offered Fred Dineage (Presenter of Meridian News, "How 2", and editor of the TV guide with the Echo) some of her loose change for him to get a coffee. She never met him again, and whenever his name is mentioned she growls; she never got that £1.20 back!

I've never met a "celebrity". But hey, who can think of a celebrity to come from Southampton except Craig David and Benny Hill? I cant, and I live here! We havent even had a Big Brother contestant from our city!

Ooh I'm wrong. About ten years ago, when i was in Year 4 i think, I had my picture taken with Kris Agabusi, an English athlete, ooh and even better! Two months ago I stood in a tiny room with Shane Warne (an Australian cricketer who plays for England) and we nodded heads at each other.

But I can still hope, can still dream! One day I WILL meet Zoe Lucker a.k.a. Tanya Turner from Footballers Wives, and I WILL pitchfork Boy George for calling her a drag queen. Yes, my plan is set! Watch out Karma Chameleon!......and then I can go and get that £1.20 back from Fred Dineage while i'm at it.

Apocalypse | June 11, 04:53 CET

You nodded heads with Warney! Now that's kool! ;)

nixygirl | June 11, 05:56 CET

In NYC I have seen Kurt Vonnegut, Yoko Ono, Johnny Rotten and Rick Okasik (spelled wrong but the guy from The Cars). I've seen them all on the streets walking, Kurt was walking toward me and my sister, he looked rather nervous as there was no one else around and he saw that my sister and I recognised him. We just said "hi, how ya doing" and he looked relieved that we sisn't stop him or anything.

Said nothing to Yoko, hardly noticed her, the reson I did was because her body guard or something was a woman and was holding Yoko by the wrist as they crossed the road, the whole holding by the wrist thing was wierd and that's what made me notice her at all.

As a sales rep I walked right into Rick Okasik as we both rounded a corner. He was very nice, and tall (I'm 5'3" and my face was in his stomach when I walked into him) and handsome. Oh and muscular!

I did get backstage at a couple Who concerts and parties, which was cool and The Clash and Mick Jagger were there too. Saw Steven Tyler backstage at Beatlemania in NYC. Oh and I was in Harry Nilsson's hotel room at some Beatlefest convention, he was very drunk and about 10 of us were there hangin out.

That's it - thanks to convention though I have been very lucky to see many Buffyverse people. I go to one convention a year and I really enjoy it.

Passion | June 11, 06:43 CET

Thanks for the sympathy, folks. The next story might seem to confirm that I am a totally driven idiot, but that would be an exaggeration. I am sometimes just... focused. (I blame it all on those years of acting and stage managing...or maybe that was why I stage managed... ;-) )

A friend of mine who is a classical music fan and unlike me had not spent serious time living in and commuting into Manhattan, had tickets to something at Lincoln Center. I drove in with him and was getting a bit frustrated by his passive approach to finding parking. (It can be a blood sport in NYC.) As we came around a corner I spotted someone getting into his car and was intensely telling my friend to get into position. He suddenly got this dreamy expression on his face and said "Is that Itzak Perlman?" I was pointing out that it was A PARKING PLACE! I finally got him to focus by pointing out that it was ITZAK PERLMAN'S PARKING PLACE. That snapped him out of it in time to get the spot. It was cute, he floated about a foot off the ground all the way to Lincoln Center because he had Itzak Perlman's parking place.

Honestly, I did not get a good enough look at him to be sure it was IP, but it sure made my friend happy to think it was. That, and having gotten the parking place, were the most important things...maybe not in that order. ;-)

newcj | June 11, 12:33 CET

Thanks, VJP666, for the Defamer site. Never seen it before, but the encounters with Alec Baldwin and Jason Alexander made me laugh out loud. Funny thing - twice I've been within 20-some miles of seeing James Marsters and David Boreanaz at conventions, but both times I baulked. Not because I wouldn't love to see them, but...I dunno.....I have this fantasy that I'm actually Liz Hurley, and THEN I meet James. Seems somehow so much hotter!

SweetMarilyn | June 11, 15:41 CET

SaltyGoodness, can you invisotext what kind of place you work at? Very curious!

Celebrity sightings: David Copperfield in the lobby of an NYC hotel. I was 13. He was cooler then. :-) And does it count that Dave Roberts (David Boreanaz's dad) has been a weatherman in Philadelphia forever so I sorta feel like I know him?? If you want to see what David will look like in a few decades, check out his dad (still handsome!). BTW I believe Roberts is the stage name - sad that he had to de-ethnify himself to get on the air.

gingeriffic | June 11, 15:56 CET

Whedonverse sightings are pretty abundant here in Beverly Hills. When I first moved out here a few years ago, I lived next door to Emma Caulfield and her b/f... and then my first job was as a lowly PA on BTVS, so sightings galore there. ;)

Funnily enough, I just saw David Boreanaz and his family a few hours ago doing his grocery shopping on Doheny--the third time I've seen them there (which is funny as on Thursday I just watched David in his new pilot, "Bones," which David is fantastic in. Angel who?).

The Joss-man himself is a popular fixture at a certain Santa Monica comic shop. ;)

I work in TV so the novelty of seeing celebs has diminished significantly, even here in their natural habitat. It's more refreshing than anything; you get used to seeing everyone from Nicole Kidman to SMG shopping and eating and doing the same things you're doing, at the same places you're going.

Zz9, I totally agree--while you might think that saying something to a celebrity would be the most amazing thing in the entire world, chances are that they've heard it all before from a thousand people and more often then not just want to drink their Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf ice blendeds in peace.

That said, the first time I spoke to Joss, I nearly peed myself with excitement. ;)

Jace at Televisionary | June 11, 21:06 CET

Maybe the guy trying to chat up Michelle was trying reverse psycology, everyone says they love the show, so if I say it sucked she'll find me honest and irrestable.
Shame it didn't work.

zz9 | June 12, 05:16 CET

Meeting celebrities can also be a major image destroyer - about 20 years ago I met Peter Ustinov at a fund-raising charity buffet that I had to go to as a result of my position in the agency - we were one of the beneficiary charities. Let me put it this way, Mr Creosote had better table manners and personal hygiene! Talk about disillusioned!

catalyst2 | June 12, 07:15 CET

Living in Dublin Ireland the chances of randomly seeing any internationally famous celebrity is minimal.

Not withstanding that as I walked out of a shop on Friday I did see Jeremy Irons and his wife and had to pass by them.

I did see Gates Mcfadden and Micheal Shanks (and his then Girlfriend now wife Lexa Doig though I blanked on her ) at signings though

garda39 | June 12, 10:10 CET

On Rocketship 7 (DB's father's show in Buffalo), they had Cub Scouts come on the show evey once in a while. My younger brother was one of them. That is the closest I have come to meeting anyone from the Whedonverse!

Lioness | June 12, 15:26 CET

How freekin' enviable!
I'd pee if I saw Joss too. And slobber, gasp, etc.
When you grow up in the sticks, celebrity sightings are few and far between. My only googly-eyed sighting was Richard Grieco when I was fifteen. He and Johnny Depp were quite the 21 Jump Street pair of hotties. :D
I worked at an arena for years and saw many a performer pass by. Once I brushed elbows with Randy Travis and my jaw dropped. I saw my boss' face nearby and it was something like: If-you-say-a-word-you're-oh-so-dead kind of thing. He was great but RT was after all being escorted by security. Anyway, the jaw dropped because all I could think was, my god is that man short! I can look him straight in the eye!
Oh, and I spotted Danny Glover at a little reggae show in Negril, Jamaica. Fun stuff.
Whedonverse folks? Not a one.

ETA: *giggling* Whilst traveling I once saw one of Michael Douglas' homes. Does that count? :)

[ edited by April on 2005-06-13 15:51 ]

WhoIsOmega? | June 13, 08:44 CET