38 Regular People Shared Their Most Memorable Celeb Encounters, And The Stories Really Range From "Aww" To "Yikes"

We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about their best and worst celebrity encounters. Did your favorite celeb make the list? Were they kind to their fans? Read on to find out:

Disclaimer: Though people claim to be speaking from their own experiences with celebrities, BuzzFeed can't confirm the validity of these stories.

1."I met Seth Rogen. I was given a grant from the charity he and his wife Lauren Miller run called Hilarity for Charity. It’s an organization that helps caregivers who watch after those with Alzheimer’s or dementia. I received a grant to have someone watch my mother who I was caring for 24/7. With the time off I received, I decided to go on a short three-day trip to New York to visit a close friend. When I got on the plane at LAX, guess who was on my flight? Yes, Seth Rogen himself! The very guy whose wonderful charity allowed me to even be on that flight. I held back tears and told him how much the grant meant to me as a caregiver. He was super super nice and even let me take a picture with him. I also got to hear him chuckle, which is just pure gold to hear in person because I love the way he laughs. Best experience ever!"

"I forgot to mention that when I first got on the plane, I saw Martha Stewart sitting there! I was going to say, 'Hi Martha!' but she looked angry, so I decided not to. That’s when I saw Seth sitting across the aisle!"

—Anonymous

2."I got the chance to meet Kelly Clarkson. I stuck out my hand for a shake as I introduced myself, and she immediately said, 'Oh no, no!' I was crushed because she’s my favorite singer, and I thought I made a mistake. Then, a second later, she said, 'BOY, YOU BETTER GIVE ME A HUG!' and squeezed me. I almost levitated to heaven. The next five or so minutes were so chill and fun — she’s awesome! I met her again about six years later and had such a good time."

—toneyo03

3."I met Chris Rock years ago — it might have been the year that he hosted the Oscars. It was at a Barnes & Noble in New Jersey. The store was basically empty. I was on the second floor with my mom when I spotted him with his family (he was married at the time). I was not the biggest fan because I thought he was loud and obnoxious. In reality, he was super sweet and quiet. We had a nice five-minute conversation about books while he waited for the salesperson to find him something. His ex-wife, on the other hand, seemed like a braggart. She was speaking loudly to a woman that came with them. She said something along the lines of, 'If the girls want the Corbin Bleu CD, we can just get it from him,' and 'That show that my husband, CHRIS, hosted was the most watched show in history.' Not sure if or why she was doing that for us. However, my opinion of him changed after that encounter."

—estefaniadiva

4."A couple summers ago on our day off, my mom, sister, and I drove a few hours from home to the town where they filmed Schitt's Creek since we loved the show and wanted something to do for the day. Turns out, Annie Murphy (Alexis Rose herself) had the same idea that day, and we ran into her and her husband wandering the streets. She stopped and chatted and posed for a photo with us. You can even see Roland's house in the background! She was the absolute sweetest, and nothing will ever live up to that afternoon. EVER."

—chelseatot

5."When Taylor Swift was still starting out, she was an opener for Brad Paisley. I waited in line after the show to meet her for an autograph. When it was finally my turn, I was starstruck. She was so tall and so pretty. She looked down at me and said, 'Thank you so much!' I was dumbfounded. What the heck was she thanking me for? Thank YOU so much, Taylor, for letting a little teenager like me take a picture with you! Unfortunately, the photo I have with her is awful, but at least I have the tale to tell!"

—Anonymous

6."I ran into Taylor Swift in the restroom of a restaurant a couple of years ago. I needed a tampon, and she gave me one! She was very nice and down to the earth for someone of her status...at least that’s the feeling I got from the minor interaction I had with her."

—Anonymous

7."JoJo Siwa once cut me off in traffic in her very personalized, wild convertible."

—Anonymous

8."I met Camila Cabello and Ryan Seacrest at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia when they were there for their radio show. I was visiting family at the time and had gone downstairs to get food. We heard people talking about a celebrity coming, so we quickly ran to the 'Seacrest Studios' and beat the crowd. I couldn't believe I was so close when they walked past me into the studio room. A nurse saw how excited I was and ushered me behind this rope so I could meet them after the show was done. I was freaking out! I loved Camila's music and was actually seeing her open later that night for Taylor Swift."

"I was shaking and couldn't stop smiling, but she was kind of cold, and the entire interaction seemed fake. Ryan was quite the opposite. He was warm and asked me questions about myself. I told him how much I loved Taylor Swift, and he said he would tell her about me. After we talked, Camila rushed out while Ryan made his way through the crowd, shaking hands and having conversations. He said goodbye to me and told me to have fun at the show that night!"

—Anonymous

9."John Travolta and his family were staying in our small Montana town while he filmed Broken Arrow. He was often seen around town eating at restaurants and even shopping at the grocery store. While grocery shopping one day, we heard someone singing along with the store radio in the next aisle. We looked to see who it was, and sure enough, it was John Travolta. He just kept singing and shopping. Great, down-to-earth guy."

—Anonymous

10."My friend switched bracelets with Miley Cyrus in a bathroom of a New York City club."

—Anonymous

11."I met Leslie David Baker (Stanley Hudson from The Office) for an Office-themed baseball game. He was the NICEST person! We didn't have a lot of time with him, but he took a picture with the little gift we brought him. He was supposed to throw the first pitch for the game, but basically spent the entire night taking photos with fans who came to see him! It was so nice of him, and he made a lot of people happy."

—expirationdate

12."I've had a crush on Joel McHale since he started on The Soup. I ended up winning a contest where part of the winnings included a whiffle ball home-run derby. The opposing team had Andy Cohen. My team had Joel. Joel went down the line and shook everyone's hand and asked everybody their names and where they were from. When the game was over, I figured this was my shot. I made sure to walk with him over to the dugout. I told him, 'I just love you. Between The Soup and Community, you have no idea.' He put his arm over my shoulder and said, 'Aren't you sweet? We should take a picture.' I had to leave my phone with my friend, so I couldn't, but needless to say, I am next to him in all of the group photos, LOL."

—wendyb23

13."I met Guy Fieri around 12 years ago when he was filming Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives at a restaurant a town away from me. My mother and I woke up super early and got to the restaurant around 5:30 a.m. to meet him before they started filming. He was running late, and his manager told us that those who were waiting had to wait until after filming to meet him. We were a little let down, but understood that there was a tight schedule for filming. Guy arrived about an hour later, and we just waved. Guy then saw me (who was about 10 at this time) holding his cookbook for him to sign. He said, 'Good morning, sunshine! Thank you for coming. Let me sign that for you.' His manager said something quietly to him, and I remember him saying something along the lines of, 'It will take five minutes. We've got time to say hi.'"

"He signed my book and was very sweet and very funny. He’s honestly one of the most laidback celebs I’ve met. Also, his car has a lot of fun, small, custom details, like the pink panther in the back passenger side window!"

—Anonymous

14."I met John Stamos at Disneyland. I wasn’t going to bother him, but I was texting my cousin who is obsessed with him, and he came over to us! He was a little flirty because I was really nervous. He was super sweet and let us take a picture."

—Anonymous

15."I saw John Stamos on the streets of London. I said to my friend, 'Oh my god, John Stamos!' and he and his now-wife stopped to talk to us, took pictures, and asked about our lives. We ended up talking for around 10 minutes, and he even asked us for directions to the market nearby. Best experience ever! Such a nice couple."

—Anonymous

16."In college, I hosted an entertainment show for the student-run TV station on campus. I got to interview Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Someone tipped him off that he was my first major interview, so he totally pranked me! He gave one word, really cold answers to start, but eventually he broke down with laughter and ended up being a really great interviewee (and a super nice guy). I decided to make a career out of TV after that experience."

—Anonymous

17."Elton John wished me a happy 18th birthday and dedicated 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' to me at a concert. Best day of my life."

—evadanielle326

18."Back in 2000, I was traveling from Los Angeles to Honolulu with my 6-month-old baby girl. It was just the two of us, and I had my hands full. As they called for passengers with infants to board, I realized that the lady in front of me was Cindy Crawford. We struck up a really nice conversation about our babies who were approximately the same age. She was very nice and totally relatable as a mom. It was the first time I traveled alone with an infant, and having that little chat with another mom really calmed my nerves and anxiety."

—Anonymous

19."I work at the real 'Top Gun' — the Naval Air Warfare Center. About two years ago, I had the pleasure and honor of working on several detachments supporting Tom Cruise's new movie Top Gun: Maverick. I was surprised by how nice Tom really was. I have heard many stories where he was supposedly a jerk to people, but the only thing I noticed was that he had a very intense focus while he was working. I could see how some may confuse that for hostility, but he was great with our team and the active-duty military personnel involved, too. Kudos to him!"

—Anonymous

20."I used to work at a Japanese restaurant in Las Vegas. Some guy walked in and demanded the most private section available for his client. At the time, only the lounge was open, and he got fussy and walked away. About an hour later, he came in with a couple. The girl was a beautiful blonde, and the guy had on a hat and sunglasses and was looking down. Once seated, the guy told his server, 'Do not let anyone come up to the table, and I will not be giving out autographs to anyone.' The server was confused because he had no idea who he was. None of us did. After some time, we figured out it was Dale Earnhardt Jr."

—Anonymous

21."I used to work at a Best Buy in St. Louis, and one time Tommy Chong came in with his beautiful wife. He walked past me, and I didn’t think anything of it. As he was leaving the store, I asked him if he found everything OK, and that's when I realized who he was. He said the people in the back didn’t have what he was looking for, so I asked him what he needed, then was able to go grab it for him. He was so thankful and so nice! He even posed for a picture and signed an autograph. He told me if I ever wanted to smoke a joint with him, I could just give him a call!"

—Anonymous

22."Years ago, I met Kelsey Grammer at the stage door of Finding Neverland. We talked about the show and my mother’s recent passing. He was very kind and sincere. My friends even remarked, 'Wow, you just had a casual conversation with Frasier!'"

—Anonymous

23."I was an extra in a movie when I was a child. I was amazed by how nice the cast was. Jessica Biel, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Tracy Morgan were all so kind and paid attention to all the extras on set. They made sure we were getting breaks and food, and even chatted with us between takes."

—Anonymous

24."I saw Matthew Perry's play The End of Longing off-Broadway and met him and Jennifer Morrison. I accidentally ran into Matthew before the show when I happened to be passing the theater on my way to dinner. I stopped to take a picture of the theater and he stepped out of a car right behind me. I turned, and there he was. I'm a huge fan of Friends, so I was pretty starstruck! He just casually said, 'Oh, hey,' and walked into the theater. Later that night, after the show, he came out to sign playbills but insisted no one ask him for a picture. He seemed a little tired or grumpy, but he wasn't nasty or anything. Jennifer Morrison, on the other hand, was super bubbly and friendly. She chatted with as many people as she could, offered to take selfies with fans, and signed playbills. I became a real fan of hers that day."

—Anonymous

25."I was around 6 or 7, and went to a public gym for my sister's basketball practice. We saw Woody Harrelson (who was in town filming a movie) playing with some friends. My dad is a huge Cheers fan and asked him to take a picture with my siblings and me, and he said yes. By far nicest celebrity I've ever met!"

—Anonymous

26."My ex met Steve Buscemi at a bar when he came to our state to film a movie. He said Steve sat at the bar, chatted with everyone, and even bought some people drinks. My ex is not the type to be impressed by Hollywood folks, but he loved the movie Fargo and his series Boardwalk Empire, so he recognized him right away. They sat for hours, and he said Steve Buscemi was one of the coolest, funniest, most down-to-earth people ever."

—Anonymous

27."I live in a coastal California city that gets its share of celebrities, and I've run into several. I usually just pretend I don't notice who they are. One day, while at work, a man and woman were in the store. The man looked like Robert De Niro, all the way down to the mole. He was even standing in contemplation with his hand against his face in a way that I remembered De Niro did in a movie. I said, 'You look just like Robert De Niro!' He said, 'That's because I AM Bob De Niro.' We both laughed. The woman with him looked irritated, like I was going to go off like some sort of fangirl. I pretended like I didn't believe him, and we went on with the transaction."

—Anonymous

28."I went to a basketball game in Los Angeles many years ago with my husband and a friend of his. Our seats were in the first row on the floor. I am not a sports fan, but it was fun and exciting to sit so close to the action. I was amazed at how big the players were up-close. During the game, there was a run from one basket to the other, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had the ball. He got closer and closer to where we were sitting. Suddenly, there he was right in front of me, and then right on top of me. He and I went down in a clamber of chairs and shouts. I was totally dazed. He fell right on top of me, the chair collapsed, and people were scrambling out of the way. I really don't remember much after the initial crash. I was 105 pounds and 5'2" while he was, well, Kareem."

"I don't remember him apologizing, but I assume he did. He was up and gone in a flash. I was totally out of it for a bit because it was a big hit. Luckily, I was not injured. I do remember that no one from the team or the facility ever came over to make sure I was alright. You would have thought I had at least earned an autograph."

—Anonymous

29."I was walking down the street in a small town in Pennsylvania when a tour bus pulled up to the only hotel in town. Alice Cooper and his band stepped off (they were playing a gig nearby). I said hello to Alice as he was walking by me. He stopped, said hello, and then asked me about the town we were in. We stood there talking about the region for about 10 minutes. His drummer at the time, Eric Singer (now of Kiss), walked over to ask Alice something. Alice paused our conversation, answered Eric, then continued our talk. We walked over to the hotel's front door together where I finally got the courage to ask for a picture (pre-cell phone days). He obliged. We shook hands, and he went into the hotel. That night at the show, I was in the third row. He recognized me and gave me a wink."

—Anonymous

30."I saw Hank Azaria on the street right outside the theater he was performing in. I am a HUGE fan of The Simpsons, so I was very excited to meet him. All I did was say hello, and he rolled his eyes and walked away. It was during the day, so it's not like he had just gotten out of a show or anything. Really rubbed me the wrong way."

—Anonymous

31."Around 2004, my family was on vacation in Caseville, Michigan, and stayed at a motel by the beach. One night there was a bonfire, and I unknowingly sat next to Renée Zellweger. She was dating Jack White at the time, and my brother was completely starstruck by him, but I had absolutely no idea who either of them were. Renée was one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, and I just remember her telling me stories and making me a s’more. Love her and her work!"

—Anonymous

32."I met Amy Sedaris at the local vet office. I was there with my cat, who had a major surgery. She was there with her bunny. She called for a car service, but it was going to be an hour or so since she was going into Manhattan. She sat with me and talked while she waited for her ride. She asked about my cat and if he was alright, etc. I will never forget that encounter."

—rachelbethh

33."When I was little, my dad was playing with me in a pool on vacation, and the woman next to him was playing with her child as well. He noticed that the woman gradually started to approach him and clearly wanted to engage with us. She eventually made her way over, and her child and I played together that afternoon. We later found out that woman was actually Julia Roberts! I'm so glad we didn't know it was her and treated her like a normal human being (which she is, of course). It's too bad that celebrities are often forced to keep to themselves."

—hiitsnicetomeetyou

34."As an active concert goer, I've met a bunch of artists. It's hard to pick the 'best' celebrity I've met, but I can say Ellie Goulding was the absolute worse. We won a meet and greet through a radio station, and she delayed it three times. When we finally got to meet her, she was so rude and seemed bothered by everybody there. For the picture, she seriously said, 'Lets make it quick,' and physically turned away after the picture. Maybe it was just a bad day for her, but compared to other encounters, it was awful. Niall Horan, on the other hand, made sure to give us all hugs and then told his security to stop rushing him because he knew how much it meant to us to even say hi. Jack Antonoff made sure we all got autographs and took a group picture, even though his Uber was waiting for him."

—allysoncharpentier

35."Joe Manganiello came into my gym in a small upstate New York town. When I first saw him, it was like the moment Leslie Knope met Michelle Obama. He was the nicest, most down-to-earth guy, and every bit as tall and handsome as he looks on screen. That will always live rent-free in my mind."

—lep12345678

36."I met Katharine Hepburn at Bryn Mawr College. I told her I was a big fan. She replied, 'You’re far too young to know my work.' I loved her more after that."

—kerwoodderby

37."Justin Timberlake grew up in my neighborhood. When I was in 5th grade, he and a camera crew surprised our music class. I answered the classroom door, and he stood there, and everyone clapped. We were playing keyboards — apparently he purchased all the instruments for our classroom, too — and he pulled up a chair next to me, and we played the keyboard together with a big camera and mic in our faces. He was super kind, answered our silly questions, and even sang a song with us. He was apparently promoting his album at the time by giving Good Morning America a tour of his hometown. My whole family taped the recording when it premiered. Super friendly person!"

—Anonymous

38.Finally: "I met Stan Lee at an airport. Well, it's mostly my dad's story because I was, like, 3. He was in the bathroom peeing, and beside him was Stan Lee, so he was like, 'Oh my god, Stan Lee is peeing next to me!' He was really nice, and I still have the picture with him."

—lilytheule

Have you ever had an interesting celebrity encounter? Was the celeb even cooler than you'd imagined, or were they rude and disappointing? Tell us your story in the comments below!

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.