There’s one thing worse than saying something clueless or silly in the presence of a famous actor or celebrity, and that’s failing to recognize them. Nothing is worse than this. They’ll never forgive you.
Have I ever failed to spot someone? Or failed to act cool and casual if the occasion arose? Never. But people I’ve been with…
A lady and I were walking along Blvd. St. Germain in ’02 or thereabouts, sometime in the early evening. Lo and behold we came upon Tim Roth and a significant other, sitting at a cafe table and people-watching, etc. I smiled and introduced myself, explained that I’d just been in Cannes, complemented Roth on something or other, etc. The woman I was with didn’t know Roth and asked what he did. Roth gave her a death-ray look. The mood went south.
Way back when I attended a Bette Midler concert in Berkeley. Her flamboyant “Divine Miss M.” phase…flaming red hair, flashy apparel, the Harlettes. After the show I joined a small crowd outside the rear stage door. My girlfriend and her younger sister Donna stood to my left. After a longish wait a woman with her face scrubbed and hair pulled into a tight bun came out. She said something to someone and everyone knew it was Midler. Except for Donna. “Who’s that?” she barked. Jumping into a waiting limo, Midler had heard. I felt mortified.
The best policy when you run into someone famous is to stand mute. Don’t even look at them. Okay, you can glance but that’s all. My policy all along.