From Meryl Streep to Ben Affleck: People are sharing their best mundane encounters with celebrities
We may put celebrities on a pedestal, but sometimes it takes a worldwide pandemic to remind us they’re regular people, just like the rest of us.
In a bid to entertain themselves while in lockdown, a Twitter user by the handle @MavenofHonor asked people to share their encounters with celebrities doing run-of-the-mill things.
Naturally, the timeline did its thing, with thousands of Twitter users sharing some truly boring stories featuring some A-List stars.
One Twitter user recalled the time she met Meryl Streep eating some fries...
Meryl Streep put ketchup on her fries next to me at Lilith Fair circa’97. I asked “are you Meryl” she smiled all meryl’y and gave me a sweet shhhhhh! Symbol- finger to the lips.
— Maureen Sullivan Mauk (@MoAlohaMauk)
Another said Man of Steel star Amy Adams asked him to referee an argument over a sweet treat in Starbucks.
Amy Adams tried to get me to be the neutral party in a battle with her daughter over a Starbucks cake pop
I said “forget it Amy Adams I want no part of this”— Rich Hill’s Blister *️⃣ (@BlisterRich)
In another thrilling coffee shop anecdote, someone recalled the time they spotted Jake Gyllenhaal getting an iced coffee.
Jake Gyllenhaal walked into a small coffee shop. Asked for an iced coffee, extra ice. Made weird side-eye contact. Left. pic.twitter.com/3REQScOk4U
— w:/joshuaromero/ (@_jrtxt)
Someone shared a particularly intimate moment with Norman Reedus, better known as The Walking Dead’s Daryl.
I had a wee next to Norman Reedus. He initiated a conversation, breaking the cardinal rule... but I responded, because it was Norman f**king Reedus. https://t.co/EXWPSdEFEX
— Morgan Jeffery (@morganjeffery)
Former Batman actor Ben Affleck made a Twitter user’s day at a cat café.
Was in a cat cafe on a date and in walks Ben Affleck with his kids to the same 70 min sessions with us. He’s my fave Batman and I thought I was having a fever dream. Really nice dude. His little boy kept saying I need a playful cat! So I whispered “cat man” pic.twitter.com/uKeDDpbDdc
— Chris Boulos (@Brokencinema_)
Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes on a romantic date in New York was another popular sighting.
Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes stopped me on the street for directions in Greenwich village. they wanted to know where “the most romantic place in nyc” was
— Cat Quinn (@catquinn)
Journalist Jon Ronson saw Arsene Wenger at a buffet, while actor Sanjeev Bhaskar recalled a time he had breakfast near Kevin Bacon.
Seth Rogen commented about how frequently he was appearing, before adding about a time he saw Magic Johnson.
Also once I saw Magic Johnson at a cold stone creamery.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen)
But the celebrity most frequently mentioned in mundane celebrity encounters was Bill Nighy.
The actor, who has a reputation in the industry for being a genuinely nice man, was so regularly mentioned in relation to the original Twitter thread that he started being a trending topic on Twitter himself.
He was spotted in the British Museum.
uh everyone's sharing times they met Bill Nighy and I HAVE ONE
He walked past me at the @britishmuseum and it was so busy, no one had noticed him - I looked at him and he raised his eyebrows and nodded at me like 'yes, it is I, Billy Nighy'.
It was perfect.— Megan Jones (@MuseumMeg)
He bought someone a dog statue.
Worked with Bill Nighy once, was stood next to him outside a junk shop on Clapham high st. He saw me staring at this dog statue, and said 'You want that, don't you?'.
He secretly got his driver to buy it (£25) and presented it to me gift wrapped. I treasure both it and the memory pic.twitter.com/UlobahnJHE— Tom Horn (@tommyhorn)
He posed for a photo while collecting a suit during London Pride.
Yes, I too was fortunate enough to meet the cool cat god and Carnaby Street hippy that is Bill Nighy - sauntering through London Pride with a suit draped over his shoulders. #BillNighy pic.twitter.com/t7YzeVmXQc
— MARK O'CONNELL - Writer, Author, Bond fan. (@Mark0Connell)
He discussed his book while out on the street at lunch time.
Since he’s trending in the U.K., years ago I met Bill Nighy on the street while on lunch break, discretely asked him to take a picture with me, which he did after shaking my hand and then proceeding to give me an in-depth plot summary of the book he was reading pic.twitter.com/BOEA5pm7DS
— Christy Somos (@C_Somos)
He even was happy to oblige for a photo in Pret a Manger.
Billy Nighy once walked into me in a Pret a Manger in London and he was so lovely and let me have a selfie with him 😊 #billnighy pic.twitter.com/pIf8qMFyxQ
— Izzie (@Izzie_Moss)
Even in these deeply depressing and often confusing times, it’s nice to be reassured celebrities are just like us...
...except Bill Nighy, who seems to be especially wonderful.
Read more
These Bill Nighy fan encounters are guaranteed to make your day
Twitter to allow employees to work from home 'forever'
Pictures of 'immortal' 70-year-old Vera Wang with abs go viral