We're always told to never meet our heroes because they might disappoint us. While some of us do go on to be disappointed by our idols, many of us turn out to be impressed, whether it's because they are philanthropic, don't promote too many products on social media to become 'sell-outs', or...are just plain old nice! Let's take a look at 40 celebrities who lived up to their expectations because of their kindness off the screen.
1. Robin Williams
"I was jogging at the San Francisco Marina back in 1988 I think it was and I saw Robin Williams sitting in the side of his van just chillin'. I said, "How you doin' Mr. Williams?" He said, "I'm doing great, you running from the cops?' I laughed and stopped to chat with him for about 5 minutes. He was absolutely delightful. Such a fond memory. I wept when I heard he died."
Robin Williams had quite the IMDB. From voicing children's classic Aladin to becoming an incredible Mrs. Doubtfire, Williams was an actor for all generations and ages. We're glad this Redditor got to have such a lovely experience with him.
2. Tom Hanks
This Redditor at Best Buy says: "I was only buying a bottle of water because they didn’t have what I was looking for. I just blurted out 'Forest Gump is my favorite movie' like a creep, and he turned around, and said “that was my favorite movie to make! I’m glad you love it.”
"He then chatted with me while about movies as we stood in line. When it was his turn to check out while they were ringing up his stuff he said 'oh let me get that water for you' and paid for my water." Hanks is kind AND generous. Our type of guy!
3. Jim Carrey
"Jim Carrey gave me a ride to the gas station after my car ran out of gas in Bel Aire. I told him I was a huge fan of Ace Ventura and I could mimic his laugh from the movie. Then we both had our heads out the window cackling away."
To be the recipient of the iconic Jim Carrey smile in real life if nothing but short of a miracle. We'll take a carpool with him any day! "One of the greatest moments in my life," wrote Grenadafan.
4. Keanu Reeves
"I remember seeing him while walking through New York a long time ago when I was a young, probably very annoying pre-teen. I yelled out, 'Yo, Neo!' And then I obnoxiously mimicked the bullet dodge motion from The Matrix. He looked back at me, laughed, and mirrored the same move in acknowledgement."
Nothing is better than an actor who can react like his character in real life. If we were this Redditor, we would savor this interaction as the best moment...ever. It reinstills the hope that one can be playful at any age.
5. Patrick Stewart
"My sister was waiting tables in NYC, and ended up serving Patrick Stewart. She didn't want to bother him, so she just did her job, but at the end of the night she told him how much she had enjoyed seeing him in a production of Hamlet that year...
My sister was prepared to leave it at that, but apparently, he was so thrilled at someone who wanted to talk about his theater work (as opposed to Star Trek), that he ended up talking to my sister for a while about his experiences on stage. Just a really nice guy who loves acting."
6. Bruce Willis
"I was in Walmart and there was something that I needed on the top shelf and near the back. At the time I was only 5foot (I'm a bit taller now). and so I scaled up the shelf and over to the side to get the food item that I needed."
"When I got down I noticed this guy watching me, and I realized it was Bruce Willis. and he complimented my shelf climbing." Well, good thing this Redditor isn't a die-hard fan of Bruce Willis, otherwise there might've been a fall!
7. Paul McCartney
"Paul and Linda McCartney once came into a restaurant I was hostess at. I greeted him and his wife, led them to their reserved table, said my lines and left. When they were leaving he leaned towards me and thanked me for treating him like a normal person."
We need to find out what restaurant he was at, and then make reservations every single night! A thank you from an original Beatle is better than any tip for the meal!
8. Tim Burton
At a signing, this Redditor reflected on their experience with the creepy yet ingenious director. "Tim was amazingly nice, and constantly had to be reminded not to shake people's hands and talk with them because he had limited time. He also ended up being late for a private showing of one of his movies...
He was late because he made sure he saw every single person in line." This story gives us shivers down the spine, and not just because it's the legendary Tim Burton, but because his kindness and patience is chilling.
9. Adam Sandler
"My grandma met Adam Sandler in an elevator in Mexico. She didn’t speak English but Adam was kind enough to try and speak Spanish with her. She was delighted, she loves his movies."
We can totally imagine this happening in one of his movies, but at least he tries! Now that we think about it, an Adam Sandler movie totally in Spanish sounds pretty great.
10. John Mayer
"In 2002 I won a radio contest to see John Mayer play in NYC. Since Im an artist, I made a painting of him in the hopes I might get him to sign it. After the small show, people line up to take pics with him."
When I get up to him, he is genuinely nice and immediately starts signing it when his manager comes over and says "No autographs, just pictures!" And John goes, "Dude. She fuckin painted shit" and he finished signing it.
11. Margot Robbie
"I work at a restaurant in NYC, first time I served here I treated her like a normal person, didn't acknowledge that she was famous or anything like that although she is probably my number one crush of all time.
Her and her boyfriend were EXTREMELY personable. We talked about the rangers for a bit and kind of chit-chatted. She paid the bill, left a very generous tip and told me I created an outstanding dining experience, and asked if they could talk to my manager. One of the biggest compliment boosts of my life."
12. Hayley Williams
"I ran into Hayley Williams from Paramore in a Sephora last year. She was very sweet and didn't seem bothered to speak to me at all. She also had really nice skin, I kinda regret not asking her what facial products she uses."
Sounds like we need to stick around at Sephora a little bit longer so we can get some true celebrity skincare advice, especially from the top performer of our middle school selves.
13. Jack Black
"We passed him walking down a street in LA. My daughter says 'I swear that's Jack Black!' We doubted her so she yells (he's about 10 yards away) 'Hey are you Jack Black?' He stops, turns around and says 'I am.'
Then he walked back up to our group, took a picture with my kids, chatted with my husband about Judas Priest (my hubby was wearing their latest tour shirt) and signed autographs."
14. Kristen Wiig
"I met Kristen Wiig as she was coming out of a coffee shop. Struck up a conversation with her, we talked and laughed for a couple of minutes, and then I gave her a hug. Nice lady. Really pretty too."
Sharing a laugh with the Saturday Night Live starlett is quite the feat. Kristen Wiig is I-CON-IC and knowing that she's down to earth just makes us appreciate her even more.
15. Tony Hawk
"I met him at a Modest Mouse concert in Hollywood. I told him thanks for introducing me to awesome music through his video games and he laughed. Nicest dude ever and such an awesome ambassador for skateboarding."
The icing on the cake is meeting the most famous skateboarder alive at an already amazing live music event. Who needs backstage passes when you can meet Tony Hawk?
16. Lori Loughlin
"The woman who played Aunt Becky from Full House. I helped her with shoes when I worked at Banana Republic. She was such a sweet lady and didn't let the hype of everyone staring and whispering get to her.
She just shopped and was polite to everyone." Hopefully this happened before Lori's terrible college scandal, because we don't think many people would've been polite back, or let her check out.
17. Katherine Heigl
"I met Katherine Heigl in the airport in SLC, Utah. I was traveling for work, and the rest of the dudes I was with were arguing about whether it was really her. So I walked up and asked her.
Up close you could definitely tell it was her. She's just as gorgeous in real life. She was nice and friendly, not bitchy or dismissive like people usually end up saying about meeting famous people."
18. Michael Douglas
"Michael Douglas. He's a huge UCSB basketball fan and my school played his on our home court. He was in the stands and word got around. Once the game was over people started approaching him to sign their ticket stubs. He was as patient and cool as could be.
He must have signed at least 100 autographs (myself included) and was really nice. I thought it was very nice of him to do that and I've always had a positive impression of him."
19. Steve Buscemi
"I met Steve Buscemi outside of a comedy club in LA. My friends and I saw him smoking a cigarette alone and I went up to him and said "Hey, you're Steve Buscemi. Can I have a hug?
Then he said "You want a hug?" He shrugged and gave me a hug. :D So yeah, he was very nice!" Hugging a stranger when it's a celebrity is A-okay, especially when its Steve Buscemi.
20. Jason Momoa
"Met Jason Momoa at a comic expo last year. Huge line up for an autograph and when i finally got up I gave him a copy of issue #1 of the new 52 Aquaman, he got excited that someone asked him to sigh something not Game of Thrones related...
so we talked about the new Justice League movies for a few minutes until I was rushed out." Must have been a refreshing experience for Momoa, especially when there's a huge line of fans ready to pounce on him.
21. Stephen Colbert
"I asked him if he could take a picture, and he took my camera and snapped a photo of a tree. I got my photo with him only after he offered to take a picture of just me. Incredibly funny guy!"
If this guy didn't get a photo with Stephen Colbert, then this would probably be our worst nightmare. Always remember: pics, or it didn't happen. Gotta post it on the 'gram.
22. James Gandolfini
"I used to work at a gas station when I was 17 years old and he had a summer house on the barrier island at the Jersey Shore. He would come in and get his propane filled at my station. Soft spoken man. Very nice guy."
Don't forget, celebrities are people too! They need to fill up on gas just like everybody else. It's quite humbling to remember -- not all celebrities have personnel running errands for them.
23. Sylvester Stallone
"My husband met Sylvester Stallone while they were shooting one of the Rocky movies. He lived in Philly close to where the movie was shot. He said he was super nice, let him and a few friends walk around the set."
Lucky for this woman's husband that it was just a walk around the set, and not a fight. No one stands a chance against Rocky Balboa -- we mean Sylvester Stallone!
24. Whoopie Goldberg
"I met Whoopie Goldberg at ComicCon a couple years ago. She was interviewing cosplayers for a hobby segment. She seemed genuinely interested when asking about what character people were dressed as and having them explain the setting they came from.
She liked my Slenderman costume and called me out of a crowd to come get interviewed. After it was done and she and her posse was walking away, she lagged behind them and I sorta stammered out, 'Thank you, Ms. Goldberg!'. She stopped and turned around, and said, 'Please, it's just Whoopie.'"
25. Sandra Bullock
"I was working at a retail store in the Pittsburgh airport alone one morning. Slow day, no customers for about an hour, then she walked in. Sold her a portable charger for her phone and we chatted about Pittsburgh for about 5 minutes. Really nice lady."
Working at a retail store in a Pittsburgh airport doesn't sound as exciting as working at LAX, but meeting Sandra Bullock makes it worth at least a month's worth of shifts.
26. Dylan Sprouse
"I met Dylan Sprouse at a comedy club inside of a comic book shop in Los Angeles. I felt bad for talking to him but he was a super nice guy, talked to me about the 'Suite Life', then the show started. Afterward, he said bye to my wife and me and left."
We hope Dylan was legally allowed to be in that comedy club if these folks were still excited about the retired Disney show. But we all want to know, where is Cole and what is he like?
27. Chris Rock
"I saw Chris Rock at the valet parking in front of the The Ritz-Carlton, Boston. I had a surprised expression on my face that he probably has seen a million times. He gave me a head nod and thumbs up.
I finished my smoke and he got into his Maserati. I saw that he gave the valet a $100 tip. Seemed like a cool dude." With a big car comes big responsibilities. Glad Chris lived up to the task.
28. Joan Rivers
"Joan Rivers used to come into the book shop where I worked, years ago. She was always warm and friendly, brought a few gay men with her whom she told to pick out anything they liked. Then, she would come over to me, take my hands in hers and tell me to show her all the new and wonderful things.
I'd spend maybe half an hour or so, giving her a tour of all the things I thought she'd like. She'd usually take them all. She'd crack great self-effacing jokes the whole time too. She was basically a sweet old grandmother with a great sense of humor."
29. Nev Schulman
"My mom met Nev from Catfish in the airport. We watched the show as a family when it first came out so she recognized him at the gate. I wasn't there, but she said he was super nice, gave an autograph, and even suggested to record a video message to send to me and my sister."
Meeting Nev in person is comforting, because at least you know that he is real...compared to everyone he brings onto his show. Maybe he was on his way to do just that!
30. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
"I met him at an autograph signing back in his WWF days. He thanked me for coming out and was sweet as pie despite being stuck in a Delaware mall for many hours as there was a line around the mall to meet him. I'm a life long fan from that one encounter.
Also he's got a killer smile." This we couldn't agree with more. It's probably quite blinding and stunning in person. Makes us wish we were in Delaware...almost.
31. John Travolta
"I was having dinner with my family for my cousin's 21 at a fancy hotel restaurant and John Travolta walked in. He stopped by our table and said 'Happy whatever the occasion is.' We told him it was a 21st, and he waved goodbye to us and walked over to his table."
Any encounter with the legendary Grease/Pulp Fiction/Saturday Night Fever actor is one for the books. Especially a happy birthday on your 21st birthday...that will forever live as the best birthday ever.
32. Michael Cera
"Only real celebrity I've ever met was Michael Cera at the Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Just as awkward and shy as I imagined him being, but he was a nice guy and let me take a picture with him."
We totally imagine that being the case. Cera doesn't seem too enthusiastic about press or people or anything that he's working on, but at least he's nice and humble with all that awkward talent!
33. Rebel Wilson
This Redditor met Rebel Wilson when they were working at a radio station. "She bought our entire team chocolate covered Oreos (chocolate crack for people on the breakfast shift) and was making the whole team laugh off air.
Arrived early for her segment, greeted everyone, and was generally a blast to hang out with." Rebel totally seems like she could be anyone's best friend. What an exciting job to have!
34. Snoop Dogg
"My dad shared an elevator with Snoop Dog in Florida. My dad (50 year old fat white guy) asked him if he wanted to go golfing with him later. Snoop said no, but was really nice about it."
Can you picture Snoop Dogg playing golf with a middle aged stranger? Honestly, he seems cool enough to kick it with just about anyone, so maybe the dream isn't so far fetched...at least the famous rapper is polite.
35. Laurie Holden
"She was amazingly sweet. This was just before her character left the show and a lot of what she said indicated she was frustrated and saddened by her departure.
I felt really bad for her and it now bothers me whenever people shit talk her character because Ms. Holden was really looking forward to her character improving and it never happened."
36. Gabriel Iglesias
"I met Gabriel Iglesias 7 years ago in my hometown, he had a gig at a small-but-famous comedy place, and he had a meet and greet after his show (maybe 60 people at capacity)
He gave me a big smile, shook my hand, and when my buddy and I showed him a picture of our particularly large friend, Gabriel just silently went 'Dayum....that's a big guy....'"
37. Action Bronson
"I met him at a Vice party one night. He was the sweetest guy, we had a really nice conversation about his show/music that was really chill. He took a picture with me even though it's kind of a lame thing to do at those parties."
Honestly, forget about what everyone else thinks and take the photo, even if it is at a cool party! You need proof that you were at the same party as the modern day renaissance man.
38. Sophie Turner
"I was an extra on Game of Thrones and was next to Sophie Turner (Sansa) for a good few hours. She was really normal, chatty and mostly sang songs the whole time in between takes."
Being an extra on Game of Thrones (even if you're one of thousands) must have you occasionally spending time with the lead actors. Sounds like Sansa is quite royalty.
39. Jerry Springer
"I have served Jerry Springer ice cream a few times. He get's Cappuccino Chip. Always threw a buck or two in the jar. It's gotta be an anxious feeling walking around in public feeling all the eyes."
Who knew the guy that stirred up trouble for a living goes with Cappucino Chip Ice Cream? He sounds like a real softy to us. But c'mon, give a tip as Chris Rock does!
40. Anne Hathaway
"My friend complimented her on Rachel Getting Married, dropping some knowledge about her Best Supporting Actress nomination. They spoke for a minute. She was in Paris seeing friends and was spending the afternoon at the flea market to buy a skirt.
All the while, I stood in the background. As my friend awkwardly, somewhat forcefully, pushed me forward, I shook her hand." This fan had to keep calm while meeting Anne who was flanked by 2 bodyguards.