And *I* didn't meet...

[Wendy]

Amanda wrote:

> On the thread of interacting with famous people:
> 
> I snuck backstage at a benefit concert in San Antonio when I was 
14 and met
> Danny Kaye and got his autograph. I don't think I got a coherent 
word out.


Gotta jump in on this one. First of all, I have also met Alan 
Rickman, and will post the photo as soon as I've posted this 
message. He was lovely, btw. 

But I have met some other famous people - growing up in Los Angeles, 
it's hard not to trip over them, sometimes. <G>. Well, actually, 
I've not seen as many as you might imagine . . . James Garner 
(twice - got his autograph, although not sure whatever happened to 
it) . . . oh, there are others, but my best story (and the reason I 
wanted to write this) is a bit of rant . . . <grin> so I think I'll 
move right along to that.

Okay. First, to set the scene: I was in 5th grade (10 years old, or 
so), and Charlie's Angels was my FAVOURITE television show. (No one 
make any comments, please. I was 10, all right? <G>). And of all the 
angels, Sabrina was my favourite. She was perfect - so glamourous 
(not as glam as Jill and Kelly, but still . . . ), and she was the 
*smart* one. I got teased for being the smart one at school, so 
seeing intelligence being valued was really special for me. (Now, I 
cringe at just how awful the show was and not really very good in 
the role model department, but let's leave that discussion for 
another day, shall we?). In any case, I *adored* Kate Jackson. I 
used to pretend to be her when my friends and I ran around playing 
cops and robbers (or whatever the heck it was we played, pointing 
cap guns at one another). She was my favourite person in the world.  

Well, one day my friends and I had ridden our bikes from the Marina 
to Redondo Beach (gad - my rear end hurts at the mere thought of 
trying that now - 26 mile round trip, I think). Anyhow, as we were 
nearly home, riding through Playa del Rey beach, we saw the familiar 
set up of trailers that meant some filming was happening. Mildly 
curious, we slowed down . . . to discover that they were filming an 
episode of . . . you guessed it! Charlie's Angels! AHHHHHHHHH! OMG! 
Yep - there was Farrah Fawcett . . . .ooh! Jacklyn Smith . . . oh, 
and the guy that plays Bosley . . . and then, I saw her. 

Kate. Standing near a trailer, about 15 yards from where we'd 
stopped. Ooh. Kate Jackson. My very favourite star in all the world -
 and there she was. How could I resist? So, I got off my bike, and 
timidly walked over to her. I didn't have a paper or pen, but I 
don't think that even crossed my mind. Just to be in her 
presence . . . As I walked near, she spotted me. Her biggest fan, I 
was. And what did she do?

She whispered to her body guard . . . he hurried over to head me 
off, and said, "Sorry. Ms. Jackson isn't signing autographs." She, 
by this time, had turned and high-tailed it to her trailer. 

What? Not signing . . . what? But I LOVED her. She was my FAVOURITE. 
What do you mean not signing autographs? Of course, I said none of 
this. I just turned away, crushed. Heart broken. Honestly. I still 
haven't forgiven her for treating me like that. <g> For pete's sake, 
I was 10 - obviously not a stalker. And there weren't 50 people with 
me or anything. I don't think my friends even came along. Just 
little old me. And she couldn't even say hello?

<eyes narrow> Well. This is a public forum, so I won't say the word 
that came to mind for *years* afterward anytime I thought of her. 
But I will say that I *still* laugh every time I see her doing a 
commercial for something lame - HAH! Look where you are now! A total 
has-been. Serves you right for having broken my little 10-year-old 
heart. Charlie's Angels was a pretty stupid show, too, come to think 
of it. <G>

So, take it from me that actually meeting your idols isn't always a 
happy experience. <g> Alan Rickman was lovely, though. And he *did* 
give me his autograph - graciously. Bless him. Kate should have 
taken a page out of his book. <ggg>

:-)
Wendy