People Who Worked For Celebrities Are Revealing Their Best And Worst Famous Clients, And Holy Crap
“For a band that preaches love and respect, they were terrible.”
A while back, we shared stories from people who worked as bodyguards for famous people. Then, a bunch of readers shared their own stories working for celebrities too. Here are the most interesting ones:
The people who shared their stories allegedly speak from personal encounters. Obviously, we weren’t there for these encounters, so feel free to take them with a grain of salt.
1. “Former concierge here in a 5-star property in S.F., CA. Mike Myers was my least favorite. He checked out of our hotel because he said no one knew him here. Typically, we leave celebrities alone! We were used to them. Plus, he always looked mad.”
—Anonymous, 45, San Francisco
2. “I’m gonna keep it positive, but by far, the most pleasant and decent star I’ve worked for was Cher. I was a musician in one of her music videos. She’s extremely down to earth, considerate, and a decent human.”
—Anonymous, 32, LA
3. “I worked for my university’s concert hall, doing whatever they needed, and we would have to show up while soundchecks were going on. I was walking through the hall with a friend of mine, and she asked who was playing tonight. I said ‘I don’t know some old guy I’ve never heard of.’ Then, from behind us, I hear ‘Hey, I’m not that old!’ and a laugh. It was James Taylor, and he was so nice to us and a good sport. The concert was absolutely amazing too. Been a huge fan ever since.”
—Anonymous
4. “Papa Roach. I worked at a festival, and the band didn’t talk to or make eye contact with anyone. Would not share a public bathroom with anyone else but the band. Would not eat the catering provided, even though they demanded it. For a band that preaches love and respect, they were terrible.”
—Anonymous
5. “I worked with U2, catering their room. We were told by their team to make two lines like a column because the band was coming in, but to keep our eyes to the floor because Bono didn’t want to be looked at.”
—Anonymous, 35, Houston
6. “I worked front-of-stage for a ton of metal acts, but the most chill bands were JudasPriest and AC/DC.”
—Anonymous, 63, New York
7. “A celeb with the initials DQ is the biggest *sshole I have ever met. I worked a hole at a celebrity charity golf event, and he came to our tent and started screaming at us. He looked and smelled awful. Huge brat, thinks he’s more famous than he is.”
—Anonymous, Austin
8. “I was 18, in college, and working part-time as a parking valet at a popular mall in LA, down the street from a major studio. One morning, around 7:30 a.m., Tim Allen pulls in. This was 1996, and he was riding high from the fame of Home Improvement and the first Toy Story movie. He parked in a restricted area and asked if he could please park his car there. I was about to tell him no, but he asked politely and said he would take all of five minutes, and I could time him. So, I said okay, and he was actually back in three minutes — yes, I timed him. He thanked me and seemed really appreciative.”
“He then asked me how much he owed. I told him, since he was a man of his word and beat the clock, not to worry about it. I wasn’t about to charge him for three minutes of parking time. He just smiled and said ‘Really? Well, in that case, lunch is on me today,’ and handed me a nice, crisp $100 bill. He got in his Porsche, drove away, and I spent $40 on pizza that day for the rest of my crew. Still walked away with $60 in my pocket.”
—Anonymous, Los Angeles
9. “When I was a freshman in college, The Office was at its peak, and they held a convention in Scranton, PA. I got to help out because I was studying broadcasting. Every single actor from the show that was there seemed to be surprised that we were all so pumped to meet them! They were each so sweet and grateful. At one point, before a panel discussion, Ed Helms needed to use the bathroom, and I got to walk with him for a minute to show him where it was. He spent the whole time talking about how much it meant that we were all there, and he was so proud to be a part of the event and the show. I can’t say enough nice things about all of them.”
—Anonymous, 35, Philadelphia
10. “Christopher Meloni is one of my favorites. My dad worked with him on a show when I was five, and I met him once for all of five minutes. Seven years later, my dad worked with him again on SVU. I had to go to the set with him on a Friday night, and they were on location. When I turned around, I saw Christopher sitting, but he was in the middle of something. My dad and I walked out, and all of a sudden, I heard someone calling my dad. It was Christopher, and he came up to us and said, ‘Is this your youngest? I remember her when she was a baby!’ and then he turned to me and spoke to me for a good five minutes, asking how I was, and it seemed like he genuinely cared. He’ll always be one of my favs for that.”
—Anonymous, 32, Virginia
11. “My best friend’s husband worked on a construction crew redoing JLo’s house. They were told by her team not to speak to her or make eye contact.”
—Anonymous, 69 Austin, Texas
12. “Garth Brooks is incredibly kind. I was in the green room with him briefly when he performed at a gala for the charity I worked for at the time. My job that evening was to make sure one of our biggest donors met him. He was very gracious and spent a lot of time asking us questions. Trisha was also there and was so lovely to meet.”
—Anonymous, 60, California
13. “I toured with Miriam Margolyes for six months as her tour manager… I could tell you some stories! What you see on the TV is what you get 24/7. That said, she could have her moments of being amazingly kind and caring, and gave me huge opportunities to travel in my career. Would I do it again? Absolutely not. I’m still exhausted all these years later. But I’m glad I did (even if I often got called the c-word at 3 a.m.).”
—Anonymous, 46, UK
14. “Working summer stock theater during college, I met a number of big-name stars. The one who will always stand out to me was Bernadette Peters. She was so nice and treated everyone like friends and/or family, even lowly college interns like me!”
—Anonymous
15. “Muhammad Ali was the kindest and most genuine famous person. I met him in the mid-1980s at a park where I was working a summer job. It was a super crowded, hot summer day. In walks a large entourage of huge bodyguards. I didn’t even realize it was Muhammad Ali at first. And as a teenager, I couldn’t understand why the greatest boxer of all time needed bodyguards! (I get it now.) Soon, there was a big group of kids around him, and they would punch the air as if they were boxing, and he would ‘punch’ right back. Then he did little magic tricks for the kids! It was amazing! He was humble and kind, smiled at everyone, and seemed to truly enjoy talking to people. I got to shake his hand, and I thought it was the biggest and strongest hand I had ever seen. I will remember it as long as I live.”
—Anonymous, 54, Chicagoland
16. “Stevie Wonder! I was working at an airport kiosk that sold headphones, and who walks up but Stevie and his entourage. Incredibly nice, humble dude. He had just come from a meeting with one of the brands we sold, and since we had their latest model, he wanted to test it out. He ended up buying our nicest model (though a different brand) and politely asked where the restroom was while his assistant paid for the headphones. Soft spoken guy, but very nice and humble considering his status!”
—Anonymous, 35, Minneapolis
17. “Lala Anthony. I worked on reality shows that she was a part of. She always remembered me and used to compliment my outfits, which was so sweet considering she was wearing designer clothes and I was in Forever 21. Always so sweet and kind, every time I worked with her.”
—Anonymous, 42, Los Angeles
18. “I ran a restaurant for a number of years in Times Square, NYC. The nicest celeb I met was Matt Damon. A down-to-earth, friendly guy.”
—Anonymous
19. “I worked as a photographer at a well-known attraction. My colleague and I were on break at the loading dock when John Travolta and his family were leaving the restaurant, avoiding crowds. As they were waiting for their vehicles, his son looked visibly upset. John went to the vending machines and was about to pay the machine when I advised that it was actually broken and wasn’t taking dollars right now. He kindly asked if we had change to which my colleague replied, ‘I’ve only got a dime.’ I believe an assistant helped out, and he bought a snack for his kid.”
—Anonymous, 46, Seattle
20. “About 10 years ago, I worked at a store that did a meet and greet with Khloé Kardashian for a product launch. She was really kind to the employees and took photos with us before the event. During the event, she was chatting with people, showing a genuine interest in meeting the fans who waited for her. I talked to her security guard, and he said she was always like that.”
—Anonymous, 32, California
21. “Robert Duvall, what an amazing guy! I was working at a breakfast spot in One Loudoun close to where he now lives, and he and his wife came in for breakfast. From the bar, we could see the entire dining room, and a coworker spotted him sitting near the window, enjoying his meal. The staff sent over a note that read ‘I love the smell of bacon in the morning,’ as a nod to his famous line from Apocalypse Now, which was delivered with the check at the end of the meal. He read it, showed it to his wife, and they both looked over towards us and smiled. He asked for a pen and signed it for us! Not what we were expecting, he gave us a wave as he left the building. I still have that hanging on my fridge.”
—Anonymous, 48, Washington, DC
22. “I worked at a major country club and would often see celebrities, but the one that stands out is Larry Bird. Being from New England myself, I grew up watching him play and admired him. All that was lost when I met him. He was the rudest, most condescending man I’ve ever met. He treated us like servants and looked down at us as if we disgusted him. I wish I had never met him.”
—Anonymous
23. “Dr. Phil booked a room, last minute, at a 5-star resort. He was unhappy with his room and proceeded to tell me that his garage was nicer than his assigned room, all while not letting his wife have a word otherwise. Pretentious prick!!!”
—Anonymous, 54, California
24. And finally, “I work in radio. Roughly 20 years ago, we did a promotion with Brooke and Hulk Hogan. I was tasked with picking them up at the airport. Both of them could not have been nicer people, and, at the time, I found myself most impressed by Hulk. He wore a leather fanny pack full of Sharpies. Every single person who wanted to stop him and talk/get a picture/autograph was allowed to do so. Legit EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. He turned no one away.”
“The next day, while Brooke spent the day at the hotel pool, Hulk asked my coworker and me if we wanted to ride around town and see the sights with him. We both said yes.”
—Anonymous
Responses have been edited for length/clarity.
Have YOU ever worked with a famous person? What was it like? Tell us in the comments, or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, leave your submission in the form below.