(Last Updated On: November 24, 2019)

Every time I go to a Hollywood event someone inevitably asks me how to meet a celebrity like X and how it is I manage not to lose my cool…

As a blogger I interact with celebrities frequently. Some amazing and some, random.  But it’s the chance encounters that still get me. Living in So Cal, they are plentiful.  You never know where it’s going to happen. At the gym,  in supermarkets, and at the occasional preschool function. Even the doctor’s office is fair game.

I can prepare for the celebrity meet and greets, the film premiere round tables and the red carpet interviews. Sometimes it takes a lot of prep. I had to do deep breathing exercises before I trusted myself to be face to face with Oprah Winfrey. That’s all good and well.  But I cannot prepare for the strip mall encounters.

It’s surreal to meet a celebrity at your local strip mall

Example: I ran into a RHOC housewife in the drive thru line at El Pollo Loco. She got out of her car and came over to ask me for help ordering her burrito.

I told her to drive forward to the speaker, because the menu wasn’t where you were supposed to place your order. I  tactfully refrained from mentioning her recent breakup. Or that I liked her new haircolor. I held back. I was proud of myself.

Meeting a celebrity in the wild is a bizarre experience. Your mind plays tricks on you before you recognize them fully. You think “I know this person… but from where? High School? That job I used to have? Did they live in my old Apartment building?”  Your mind will go to all these logical places before it syncs up with Season five of that show you were obsessed with two years ago.

My daughter works at a salon where Housewives (and other celebs) frequently pop in. I’ve seen Jeff Goldblum at the airport, and Ellen DeGeneres at a red light in traffic. I’ve even had lunch with Drew Carey once, the entire time pretending I had no idea who he was… Super DL. That’s another story entirely.

What Not to Say/Do When You Meet A Celeb in The Wild:

1. “OMG!  I know you!”  Resist, despite the fact that you really  feel like you know them. Despite the fact that for 15 minutes before you remembered what show they were on, you kept trying to remember which bunk they were in at camp, or whether they were in your freshman college orientation group or was it that your kids went to preschool together?  You have to remember that they get this a lot and don’t have any fake memories of you. You are completely unfamiliar to them.
2. “So I have this blog and…”   If you are not at a press event with a scheduled Q&A, celebs assume you are wearing a wire and poised to sell spy cam photos to the highest tabloid bidder. In their defense, it’s not entirely narcissistic and paranoid. I’m sure that shit actually happens.
3. “Oh Hi… Can I take a selfie with you?”  Don’t be this person. *

What To Do When You Meet a Celeb in the Wild

1.  Stay cool and assess.  Is this a staged/PR event where people are supposed to recognize them and fawn all over them? Or are they on the DL, just trying to get a freaking burrito like a normal human being without having to indulge someone’s stupid “selfie with celebs!” obsession?
2.  Ask yourself how much I actually care. Is this a person who has done anything you actually find remarkable or interesting?  If the answer is “nope”, which is often the case, move along.
3. Do unto others…. Even if it’s someone that you do actually, truly admire, you might want to think about whether it’s worth interrupting their day to shake hands with them. What’s your ideal takeaway? Just to tell them they are an inspiration? If that’s really important to you, go for it. But be realistic. You’re not going to become BFFs over a handshake.

* I have been known to break my rule about selfies with celebs on a few rare occasions, but only at events, and only when it’s someone my kids are gaga about. Hence my selfie with Grumpy Cat.