[/caption]Yesterday I saw my first celebrity in New York. Felicia Day (creator of the Guild and one of the stars of Eureka) came in looking for a seat at one of my favorite coffee places, Think Coffee, near Union Square.
I'm not one for going up to people I've seen on TV. Unless they are at a book signing or at an event where they are being carted out for publicity purposes, I try not to bother them. I guess if we were standing in a queue together, I may say "I really liked you in X. Good work." But that's about it.
My friend actually saw Alec Baldwin yesterday with his yoga-licious girlfriend. He pulled out his phone and jokingly asked, "Do you mind if I take a picture?" He did mind. He turned his head and put his hand out. My friend got a picture of the pavement instead of a star. My friend now thinks he's rude or didn't want his picture taken cause he was looking rough. His wife suggested that he should have taken one from across the street instead. I, on the other hand, think let him be.
Think about it this way. These people are strangers. Yes, they've taken on a job that means millions of people see them being someone they aren't (for the most part). Alec Baldwin may not be that funny in real life nor may Felicia Day know the science behind her lines in Eureka.
Really, you might as well walk into a restaurant and sit beside a stranger and start gushing at them. They will look at you as if you are crazy, ask the waiter for the bill, or have you removed. Or you could start following some man walking a dog down the street and when you get the courage, jump in front of him with your camera and start taking pictures. I'm thinking he probably wouldn't like that very much. In either scenario, do you think it's outside of their jurisdiction to tell you to piss off?
If you do strike up a conversation and the celebrity in question is nice enough to chat back, what are you going to talk about? Nine times out of ten, you will gush and they will nod. Just cause they are famous, doesn't mean you'll have anything to talk about.
So as I settle in to being a New Yorker, I'm sure I'll continue to see celebrities spotted about. But I'm taking to heart that you don't talk to celebrities in New York. You just flick side glances at them. And then mention it in your blog.
In Vancouver I've had a few encounters with celebs. Sometimes I don't realize they're famous until later. Like the time Jennifer Garner came into a bookstore I was working at. I sold her a bunch of books the whole time thinking she was a friend of a friend. On the upside, I gave her really good customer service, I think if I'd known she was famous I might have been a little nervous around her.
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