Celebrities We Love Who Aren't Really As Nice As We'd Expect Them To Be

I should add: one of the Meryl Streep stories (bandied about a few years back) involved her telling a retail clerk (at a hardware store, I think) that "Mrs. Gummer was here, with a special request" while other customers rolled their eyes. She was in dark shades and some sort of scarf and looked like she was still playing The French Lieutenant's Woman.

I think Emily Blunt is one of the biggest cunts whoever cunted.

Most stars are not keen on having a regular coffee klatch with the neighbors, OP.

I can believe Tomlin is high-maintanence.

Martha Stewart- At least she never tried to pretend that she’s nice.

Krasinski generally comes across as pleasant and unpretentious. Blunt OTOH is probably rather aloof.

I have a zillion as I've worked as an entertainment reporter in LA for years (and years).

Some have been exceptionally kind; some have broken my heart -- or at least they did until I realized I shouldn't give all my power away.

Nice people have bad days. And assholes will pretend to be nice only to get what they want from you.

I will say genuinely nice people I've encountered include Florence Henderson, Ed Asner, Peter Bergman, Valerie Harper, Cameron Mathison, Derek Hough, Gregory Harrison, Jim Parsons, Karina Smirnoff, Morgan Fairchild

I never met her but I'd heard horror stories about MTM but a girl in an acting class told me she met her once when she was shooting a student film in NYC and MTM was gracious and gave her encouragement that she's said she's carried with her forever.

Like I said, the meanest ones will have great days and the nicest ones will have bad days.

The trick is to just be grateful for the good experiences and try not to take the bad ones to heart.

Lily Tomlin, Cher and Joan Collins and are consistently ranked as the worst celebrities, when it comes to charity functions.

They demand private planes, limos, pay for all their staff and only stay at the top tier hotels and eat at the top tier places and demand gifts.

I'd gift them a punch in the cooter.

R7- Do they also demand that someone is on call 📞 24/7 to lick 👅 their pussies.

[quote] I think Emily Blunt is one of the biggest cunts whoever cunted.

She is also Miss Cillian Murphy.

The MTM story reminded me of an extremely petite actress I knew (back in the early 90s). Suzanne Pleshette (a DL fave) was a bit of an asshole to her after some theatre showcase (Pleshette may have been drunk at the time, or drinking), then reversed course, telling her, "Don't let anyone tell you that you're too small to work! They used to tell me that shit all the time when I started." She encouraged her, ultimately.

I wish I'd been there, as Pleshette (allegedly) cursed like a merchant Marine.

R11, exactly; celebs have good days and bad.

Not to give them a pass, but they may not understand the effect they have on people; that said, EVERYONE should be nice.

R3 I'm far from famous and have no interest in a coffee klatch with most of my neighbors

Anyone have any experience/insight into Harvey Fierstein?

I've always loved him but I fear he's too good to be true, and I've heard a couple of rumblings that he is not the sweetie-pie he appears to be.

Anyone or a friend had contact with Kelly Ripa?

Does anyone love Kelly Ripa, or expect her to be a really nice person? She was pretty shitty to Regis and to Michael Strahan.

I don't even think the fraus buy her nice act.

[quote] I've heard a couple of rumblings that he is not the sweetie-pie he appears to be.

R14, he just wants to be despised. Is that so wrong?

R11, that reminds me of when Suzanne Pleshette took over the role of Annie Sullivan in "The Miracle Worker". She said star Patty Duke was horrible to her, but still acknowledged how talented she was on stage.

Thom Cruize and George Clooney, both charming sociopaths in my opinion.

Thom reigns over a barbaric organization and the media gives him a free pass.

George bought his way out of any consequences after paralyzing a gay teen in Italy.

Celebrity or not, in my experience anyone constantly sporting a shit-eating grin and always schmoozing is not what they appear to be.

Thom Cruize???

Clooney seems like someone who enjoys his stardom but also is in on the joke. He grew-up around show business, even if it was mostly the local variety. Cruise seems like an entirely different animal and not one who is comfortable in his own skin, hence the Scientology and his earnest but ultimately amateurish acting anytime he;s really challenged.

"Most stars are not keen on having a regular coffee klatch with the neighbors, OP."

"Most HUMANS are not keen on having a regular coffee klatch with the neighbors, OP."

Even though my job is boring as fuck, I'd hate to have my neighbors ask me about it every time I step outside. You'd be lucky if you got a dirty look because I'd probably be ready to slap some faces if that happened to me.

Tom Hanks is a total phony who’s got the nice guy act down pat but is vicious in private, loves to mock people he considers beneath him.

Henry Winkler, David Hyde Pierce and Judith Light are considered to be the most genuinely sweetest, nicest actors.

Tell us more about Hanks, R23!

yeah I've never bought Tom Hanks nice guy act

R24, I know people who work closely with him on all his films. And I saw him in action at a party. He was mercilessly bitching about actors who’ve played relatively minor roles in his recent films.

R14 Harvey is friendly and, gracious to fans. He’s a lifelong NYer and doesn’t like to be jerked around but he is good to his fans. He has seen it all and has that vibe. Like you’re not going to surprise him. He is ready for anything you throw at him. Lightening quick in his feet. I don’t know him personally though.

"Most stars are not keen on having a regular coffee klatch with the neighbors, OP. "

Most people for that matter.

I have a colleague who dated Streep's son Henry for several months in high school. She said Meryl Streep was incredibly nice and down-to-earth around her, and charmingly self-deprecating.

Carrie Preston was extremely unfriendly when I encountered her at my job. Same with her husband. A shame since I was a big fan of her on The Good Wife.

[quote] I know people who work closely with him on all his films. And I saw him in action at a party. He was mercilessly bitching about actors who’ve played relatively minor roles in his recent films.

Everyone has their moments, but I know someone who has known Hanks for decades, and he said Tom would never mock other actors (especially "working actors") at a party. He had a severe drinking problem which he has gotten on top of. When did this party happen? Who was he allegedly trashing? On film sets he goes out of his way to introduce himself to everyone top to bottom. Can you offer some specifics around your accusation?

You may want Dame Julie Andrews to be like Fraulein Maria, but she's really a Herr Zeller. She has been known to viciously bitchslap baristas at Starbucks who get her order wrong and scream "[italic]Schweinhund![/italic]" at them.

Riz Ahmed, he's NOTHING like his positive activist image. He's one of the biggest phonies and liars in showbiz. There have been sexual assault allegations out there since 2010, mostly in his home country, England. The women were afraid to come forward because they felt they'd be shunned, the victims were from the South Asian community.

Last year, when the assault allegations were starting to resurface again, Riz quickly married a woman he barely knew, American author Fatima Farheen Mirza. Fatima was naive enough to take the bait. Riz has a very powerful team behind him, they've managed to bury a lot of dirt on this man. Just recently they got a Twitter account shut down. The person who ran this account was posting a lot of insider info about both Riz and his wife. Fatima is a plagiarist. The person was able to prove all of it.

Fatima's novel, on DL fave Sarah Jessica Parker's Hogarth imprint, was supposedly fiction, it wasn't. The novel was based on the life of Fatima's druggie alcoholic cousin. The man was too kind to sue her. Riz and Fatima deserve each other.

Don't let that ridiculous Oscar display fool you, when Riz 'fixed' Fatima's hair, it was planned days in advance. How they met was also lie, they didn't "meet cute" in a Brooklyn cafe. Riz was already living with another woman while in Brooklyn and learning drums for Sound of Metal. He was also carrying on with a woman named Natalie Cuomo, is a stand-up comedian and heavily tattooed biker chick.

While lving in Brooklyn, he was also trolling for college age women at Brooklyn concerts. He had already been seeing Fatima during all this, living with yet another 'secret GF" and fucking Natalie.

A friend of one of the college women posted their DMs at Twitter. The lines Riz used to pick up these young women were right out of a teen boys playbook. "You look mad familiar, did I see you on train to Fulton Street last week?"

You don't understand, R31. Tom Hanks was making fun of R23, and only R23.

[quote]You may want Dame Julie Andrews to be like Fraulein Maria, but she's really a Herr Zeller.

Preach.

You got that right r2!!

Krasinski and Blunt strike me as incredibly ambitious. Blunt just seems very typical of most upper middle-class white woman from London.

Riz is a big schmoozer, he will kiss anyone's ass to get ahead in Hollywood. His goal is to be A-List and very wealthy. He's also extremely cheap, never picks up tab. Most of his clothing, shoes and basically anything he wears, is a freebie.

Riz also lies about his humble Wembley beginnings, his parents are rich. There is generational wealth on both sides of his family. He also lied to the showbiz media about getting scholarships to both the private school he attended, Merchant Taylors, and to Oxford. His family background helped him get into both schools. It's amazing how not one journalist has revealed his real background.

He backs a lot of political activists he knows little about, he does this to appear 'woke'. His entire image is fake. He's intelligent enough to fool so many. How he got a main role in a Winterbottom film while still in acting school, is also suspicious. He's never had a regular job in his life.

Riz is bisexual, he has sex with important men in showbiz and in the fashion world. He's "a favorite" of VOGUE's Edward Enninful, take that as you want. Riz is a sex addict, besides the GFs and side women he uses escorts. He would fly out to Dubai to see his fave escorts. Guess that's where a lot of his money goes, because many know how cheap he is.

A few years ago, Riz was going around calling Lens Dunham "a genius". He appeared in a few episodes of the last season of GIRLS, he figured, Lens would hire him for her next HBO series. She didn't.

He's difficult to deal with on film and TV series sets, he comes barreling in and tries to change the scripts. Many call him "a real pain in the ass."

Currently, his charm act is wearing thin (as thin as his balding head!) and even his staunchest supporters have been ignoring him. Deuxmoi had some information a few months ago about the sexual assault allegations. Insiders say "It's only a matter of time."

One of my favorite Julie stories comes from the dancer Pete Menefee. He was a young dancer doing one of the chimney sweeps in Mary Poppins. Before he signed on for the movie he had already been chosen to be a costermonger in the film of MFL. He had a contract that said he had to star that film Aug 3. Poppins started in May and they told him he'd be fine they'd be finished by then.

Of course they weren't but still he had to make that contractual date. Somebody told Andrews when he had asked them not to. So a couple of days before he leaves he's walking into make-up as Andrew is walking out and without even looking at him she says 'fucking traitor.' He said he turned to ice. When you are a dancer you don't want the star to hate you.

I’m friends with Allison D, R31. Ask HER.

I’m not an actor, R34/asswipe. Thanks for playing, though.

[quote]I’m friends with Allison D, [R31]. Ask HER.

Who is Allison D?

[quote]I’m not an actor, [R34]/asswipe. Thanks for playing, though

You may not be an actor, r23, but you are a bit of an asshole to tease gossip without specifics. If you aren't going to give the entire story, don't bring it up.

[quote]He appeared in a few episodes of the last season of GIRLS, he figured, Lens would hire him for her next HBO series. She didn't.

What a tragedy for him! A stint on [italic]Camping[/italic] would have truly made his career!

Sondheim is known to be generous when he is working with students who are doing his shows and kind to his fans. At least that's the impression I have of him. When Follies was having that infamous revival with Blythe he gave a talk at the Guggenheim with the director so I brought my souvenir book of the original cast of Follies which I had kept in perfect condition and I very much wanted him to sign it. I thought this would be a great opportunity.

After he is talking with Bacall and Comden and Green and of course I would wait until they finished their conversation. But there was a guy ahead of me thank God. After he approaches Sondheim with the cd of Into the Woods asking him to sign the cover. Sondheim SUDDENLY turns on the guy and screams, 'I AM NOT A COMMODITY!!' My friend and I looked at each other and got out of there real fast. Had he done it to me it would have been hard to listen to his music again without thinking of that extremely awkward moment.

[quote]Riz Ahmed, he's NOTHING like his positive activist image. He's one of the biggest phonies and liars in showbiz. There have been sexual assault allegations out there since 2010

Well, he was assaulted by Lens, so there's that

I am always amused when the subject of Tom Hanks comes up on DL; he always struck me as one of the blandest actors out there (though wildly successful as an actor & a producer), so I am surprised by the outrage he inspires. For whatever it's worth, my cousin who used to do some production work, said Rita was kind of a mean girl type, but she had no issue with Hanks, but that's been years ago & it could be she does the dirty work for him. Also, he's father of Chet Haze & that's a black mark that nothing can erase.

Mouseboy is not the adorable prince that he's made out to be. His PR is fantastic at selling him as nice and accessible to the 12-16 year old girls and as non-threatening to the guys but deep down he's obnoxiously ambitious and an entitled arrogant prick.

Back in the 90s I was waiting in line to buy movie tickets. There were 3 people in front of me and 2 behind. One of the people behind me was Katie Couric with a male companion. The line was moving along fine, but she walked up to the ticket window demanding that the other ticket window be opened to accommodate the" long" line. She was really loud and obnoxious about it. I don't remember if they opened the other window.

Sondheim was very friendly to Jeff Romley.

This doesn't indicate that Anne Robinson is mean (maybe just nuts). I was standing behind the scenes at a Pinewood taping of The Weakest Link in the early 2000s. A staffer leaned over and told me that if Miss Robinson should pass by to not speak to her (understood) but to absolutely not look at her either. She never passed by. I did notice a group of people on laptops near me and heard them feeding her quips and jokes. I always assumed she had a quick wit, but I guess not.

A friend of mine went to high school with Colin Hanks, and was invited over to his house back in the late 80s. He said Tom Hanks was quite nice to him, but that Rita Wilson was bitchy and self-important.

Your Streep stuff contradicts her general reputation, OP.

Don't know if it's true, especially after reading your R1, but I have to say I'm inclined to agree with the people upthread: I'm a nobody and have no desire to be anything more than cordial to my neighbors. Maybe they're interpreting normal behavior as something it isn't intended to be.

Assuming it's true at all...

I work in Hollywood and I can tell you this. There are some celebrities who are genuinely nice -- Jon Stewart comes to mind immediately -- and some are cold and mean --as mentioned, Rita Wilson is barely a human. But for the most part, these are people with fractured egos and a very poor sense of reality. One day they might treat everyone around them as kindly as possible, the next, they're ghouls. I've had run-ins with stars who have tried to get me fired who a few months later kissed me and wondered why we seldom got together. They're the least stable people in the universe.

Streep, for instance: depending on the day, she can be ridiculously kind or absurdly mean. I've been subject to both.

So for the most part, there are a few who really try their best to be, well, always at their best. And some who are just truly dreadful. But for the most part, it simply depends when you interact with them.

City neighbors; I hold the elevator door, we nod hello, my dog doesn't piss in the hallway.

Suburban neighbors; I'm supposed to know your name, stop to chat while shopping, invite you to drop by my contentious family gatherings.

I liked the Sondheim story at R44. I'm a huge SS fan but I know enough people in theatre world to realize that just because he is a huge talent doesn't mean that he is necessarily the saintly salt of the earth, though we may wish it so.

I've heard several stories over decades that he could be quite catty, mean-spirited, and ungenerous to colleagues. He famously described William Finn's work as "sloppy and naïve" at least once publicly. (Finn worships Sondheim and was said to be hugely upset by this.) The late Fred Ebb described (in his bio) how Sondheim never, ever spoke kindly to him about his work with one exception, when he told him something "wasn't bad," (or words to that effect.

Of course, all of this may have been when SS was hanging out with famously mean Arthur Laurents. That friendship fell out before Laurents' death.

Hannibal Buress - I live in Chicago and was walking to catch my train. He was at a light in a convertible. I looked over and recognized him and smiled. He caught my smile and said "Get in here man, get a pic!" And took a selfie with me. I'm not a selfie person at all, but it was really a nice gesture. Also, Judith Light was here a few years ago, saw her at a Potbelly. She was extremely polite to everyone. This was during that show I'm forgetting on Amazon.

Sorry OP, in reading this I completely forgot the purpose of this was unfriendly celebs.

And, of course, Jared Leto is the asshole of them all.

[quote] I've heard several stories over decades that he could be quite catty, mean-spirited, and ungenerous to colleagues. He famously described William Finn's work as "sloppy and naïve" at least once publicly. (Finn worships Sondheim and was said to be hugely upset by this.) The late Fred Ebb described (in his bio) how Sondheim never, ever spoke kindly to him about his work with one exception, when he told him something "wasn't bad," (or words to that effect.

This doesn't surprise me at all. His mother "Foxy" was infamously hypercritical, which is why he spent so much time as a child in Bucks County spending time nearby at the home of the Oscar Hammersteins (who adored him) so he could find some approval. He loathed his mother, but the apple tends not to fall very far from the tree.

In the documentary "Original Cast Album," he is memorably hard to please and keeps making the singers (especially Elaine Stritch) perform over and over again because he's such a perfectionist.

Uggg, has been, never was, Julie Newmar. Self important, better than everyone, nasty C. The word gracious would NEVER be used to describe her.

Frank and Mia, together they were wonderful. Fun, friendly, generous. Nothing like their reps as individuals.

Donna Douglas, sweet, a bit ditzy.

And of course, no love lost between Stephen Sondheim and Jerry Herman. Not ever.

Sondheim's comment about Oscar Hammerstein in a Newsweek cover article about him(which we have discussed frequently here) was so outrageous it caused Irving Berlin of all people to write a letter to the editor which they printed.

Richard Rodgers wrote that he saw Sondheim grow from a beautiful boy into a monster.

R41/42, I don’t owe you shit. I’ve revealed enough about Hanks for those with half a brain to get the gist. Not my fault you have the bare minimum of one.

My best friend lives opposite Streep in Pasadena. Nothing but great things about her and how down to earth she is. The first time he went to her house, she was vacuuming. She's building a huge new house on the property and I think she'll give the house she's living in now to her daughter.

R63, the rumor on the Rialto is she and her husband Don are in the process of divorcing. Their daughter Grace just got married.

OP- Emily Blunt in real life is probably just like the character she played on The Devil Wears Prada .

That's a very interesting observation, R52. I've never had any desire to work in the up & down environment of Hollywood (and my cousin the PA go tired of how she was treated by even D-level/reality TV type celebs), but its interesting to hear what it's like for those who actually do work in that arena.

Emily Blunt and her husband purchased the home across from me and sent gift baskets with bottles of Dom to all the neighbors. I thought first oh how nice but immediately a huge construction team descended on our street to tear down and build a new home. It went in for a year and they never moved in but flipped the home to Kendall Jenner.

How bad is Rita Wilson? She seems so cute and smiley in interviews with Tom, but her name keeps coming up in nasty attitude threads.

Yeah she comes across really pleasant in all the interviews I've seen. I was surprised to read here Christopher Reeve was an arrogant jerk.

[quote]How bad is Rita Wilson?

She poked Sandy Duncan in her good eye.

R23/R62 = sooooo temperamental, just like a movie star!

The Beckhams own this thread. They make me so embarrassed to be English (thank goodness I have Welsh grandparents).

Petition for Jordan Henderson and his lovely wife & kids to be the next exemplar footballer fam. They’re actually good people.

[quote]R41/42, I don’t owe you shit. I’ve revealed enough about Hanks for those with half a brain to get the gist. Not my fault you have the bare minimum of one.

Anyone can come on an anonymous message board and write any kind of shit they want in a gossip thread. Part of the fun of this is figuring out who is full of shit and who is spilling some real T.

The problem with r23 cum r62 is that he/she does not understand that DETAILS are the only thing of interest on an anonymous forum. So tell us when this mythical party happened and who the mythical actors Tom Hanks was dissing for laughs etc. or we will just continue to assume you don't know what you are talking about.

What was your motivation in writing this shit about Tom Hanks. If you really have something of substance, spill the whole thing or begone and take your waspish attitude with you.

R46 I have read rumors online of him being a mean spirited bully as a child and teen.

Schitt's Creek fans were horrified that Dan Levy wasn't as nice as they expected him to be.

Have a mutual friend who went to college with Streep. They've stayed in touch and Streep has been absurdly generous to her - lent out her home, her plane, still takes her college friends on vacations, etc. That's not to say she's always nice - but friend would say she's a good person.

Niece went to Vassar with Liz Hanks (Tom's daughter from first marriage). She told my niece that Rita is a complete cunt.

R73, I believe the answer lies in the text written by R34.

Judith Light is a cunt and not much of an actress.

Only a cunt would willingly do a terrible sitcom with Tony fucking Danza for eight years.

Only a cunt would do that shitty Jeffrey Tambor show.

Only a cunt would do that goddamn Cher video after the way she forced her LESBIAN DAUGHTER to go to the chop shop after Sonny Bono died.

Where ever there are dead and dying gay people, or gay men who would rather be women than gay, she’ll be around pretending she cares SO much when in truth she’s using us to prop up her sad, sad career.

R77 = never saw Judith Light as Karen on One Life to Live

Reverse: much nicer than people thought/think:

Donald Trump (80s 90s Trump), Jackie O, Calvin Klein, Madonna (80s Madonna), Sinéad O'Connor (young less crazy Sinéad), Anna Wintour, Deneuve, Gaddafi (OK he had rape rooms but he was socially gracious), Dietrich, Jacqueline de Ribes, Chantal Biya, Jeff Koons

R23 - a former co-worker (and one of the nicest and bravest) said the same about Tom Hanks. He worked at a law firm and said Tom talked disparagingly about other people and was an arrogant douchebag. I didn't 100% believe it as the guy, while SUPER smart and one of the most well-read people I ever made, had made some really incorrect judgments and bad decisions. He swore it was true and even told me a few months before he sadly died of cancer that Tom had always been an act.

Hanks being an asshole would track with being married to a total cunt and having that anti-vax rapper son Chet Hanx.

[quote] Henry Winkler, David Hyde Pierce and Judith Light are considered to be the most genuinely sweetest, nicest actors.

I bumped into Henry Winkler on the street in NY, and I mean I really bumped into him and it was my fault. I told him how sorry I was, but he was equally apologetic, as if he were to blame.

[quote] [R77] = never saw Judith Light as Karen on One Life to Live

I wasn’t born yet, the tapes don’t exist, and my mother and grandmother preferred CBS soaps. But that and that Mullally woman explain how the name “Karen” now has a bad reputation.

R54, what happened between Sondheim and Laurents?

I’ve worked in the theatre for years, long enough that I’m to the point of eschewing meeting celebrities because they almost always disappoint. I’d rather live with my illusions that they’re nice people. Polite, even.

Arthur Laurents would have died a virgin if not for hatefucks.

There's been tons of gossip on the DL over the past two decades about Rita Wilson's cuntiness. Terrorizing shop assistants, refusing to pay contractors, acting shitty to anyone in their sphere...I can totally believe Tom Hanks is complete phony who's behind his wife's bitchy behavior.

Seen it so many times in real life it's painful, although, usually it is a weak man behind the harridan. Tom is not weak. He is the same as Rita but is smart enough to manage his public persona.

Agree with R81 that a truly kind person would never have a wife like Rita nor a son like Chet. They would not be able to stomach someone like Rita and it would be damn easy enough for him to get another wife.

"I also strongly suspect married duo John Krasinski and Emily Blunt are nowhere near the fun-loving, easy, down-to-earth folks they are appear to be. "

They don't really appear that way.

Mila Kuntis.

Rita Wilson's songs on Spotify are well-produced but her vocals are so autotuned she barely sounds human.

R87: You think?

I was re-watching Curb Your Enthusiasm last night and Rita Wilson is very good at playing a nasty, judgemental bitch. Perhaps a little too good ...

She was just playing herself.

I’m not sure Linda Lavin falls into any category of “celebrities we love”, but the bitch humiliated me when I tried to compliment her on a performance. I’ll never forgive her.

[quote] her Connecticut neighbors have described her as aloof, unfriendly,

Wow, if people from Connecticut think you're aloof and unfriendly...

Ages ago someone posted here that Amy Adams wasn't particularly nice but didn't give any details.

According to an old reddit thread John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer were very aloof and standoffish on the set of the office.

Almost all the "big" movie stars are nasty/vile people. No matter how sweet or kind they appear.

The one exception I've heard to this is Angelina Jolie. I've met many people who said she's super nice and kind to everyone. Other exception is Brad Pitt. Weird, huh?

Carrie underwood is almost universally described as nasty despite her sweet country girl made good image.

Mary Pickford was the WORST.

I don't think anyone necessarily thinks she's nice but Maria Shriver is a really cunt. She used to own a store in Brentwood called a Room With a View and my friend worked there. Every time her white Mercedes pulled up, everyone in the store started to shake. Random screaming and name calling. After the situation with the housekeeper and Arnold happened, she said the maid probably gloated silently over the fact that she was fucking her man.

No major drama stories. When I worked as a concierge in NYC back in the 90s, I looked up from my desk and right in front of my was Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels. Seeing celebrities (and frankly more famous than her) was nothing new, but the nostalgia kicked and my eyes must have popped as I was about to gush. Well. Mrs. Partridge was not going to have any of that. She stared me down with a death glare and let Marty do all the talking -- he, btw, was very nice and polite. She might have been having a bad day, but I've heard similar stories from others.

I know that Oprah is well known for being a terrible person to deal with in any way.

But I heard so many examples of it when I lived in Chicago. We lived about a half a mile from Harpo Studios and I knew a few of the restaurant owners really well. One owner of a bakery/cafe told us that she ended up having to absorb almost 3K in losses because at 7:30 am, Oprah apparently wanted a lunch salad and baked item she'd had before - but for 50 people. The cafe called in extra staff and made the order for a 10:45 pickup, only to get a call at 9:30 that oops, Oprah wasn't in the mood for that dish any more. So all that food, all the OT for the helpers she'd called in.....

Most of her bidding was done by third party middle men, but she did call the owner of a popular nearby restaurant and asked him if he'd paint the inside of the restaurant. It was too dark inside, she said. He was not pleased but politely declined. Like, who the fuck would do that?

I heard dozens of similar examples. I will say I never heard about the meanness she's displayed on planes, etc. But I've heard plenty of the "you exist to serve me, you must give me everything I want."

I worked in PR for about 5 years and had the fortune/misfortune to meet quite a few celebrities, many more than once. The one who was consistently the most rude, arrogant and just plain nasty was Alan Alda. The only justice is he literally looks like walking death. I wish I had told the cunt.

[quote] So all that food, all the OT for the helpers she'd called in.....

OMG, and I forgot to add the end of this one. So the Oprah employee apologizes. Cafe owner explains that this order was almost complete and the cost of food, payroll and her normal mark up for those plates was at least $2500. The employee stammers and says that she'll see what she can do to offset that cost. Meaning: Oprah wasn't going to pay.

About a month later, the cafe got a package with a written apology from the producer, along with a $50 gift card from the producer, and a book of some sort (from someone who'd been an Oprah guest).

That same producer called later to submit another order and the cafe owner told her all order had to be prepaid, and would she like to start an account? She said she'd have the accounts payable team call to set it up and of course, they never did. Who knows how many times Oprah either fucked people over or got free or discounted food Because She Was Oprah.

[quote] But I've heard plenty of the "you exist to serve me, you must give me everything I want."

In all fairness, I know lots of non-famous people with that attitude.

In regards to Henry Winkler, I gained new respect for him with this story about how right after winning her Oscar and being berated by William Hurt, Henry and his wife took her in, protected her and she lived with them for over two years. Matlin talks of the verbal abuse, but the well tried story is Hurt physically abused her as well.

One of the first LinkedIn requests I ever got was from Henry Winkler. It was so strange.

Nothing negative about Jennifer Aniston? I guess she lives up to the hype of being America's Sweetheart.

[quote]Streep, for instance: depending on the day, she can be ridiculously kind or absurdly mean. I've been subject to both.

Oh dear.

[Quote] how many times Oprah either fucked people over or got free or discounted food Because She Was Oprah.

Well by the look of her, I'd say quite a lot.

ONJ used to call Karen Carpenter, fatso. That is why her daughter is like she is; Karma

I know this is about asshole celebs, but I have to chime in about how nice Henry Winkler is.

About 20 years ago now (wow) I was in NYC with some high school friends. It was the first time in NYC for all of them. We were walking down a not-crowded street on the East Side, when one of the girls let out a gasp and almost froze—Henry Winkler was walking toward us. I told her to be cool, don’t stare, but Winkler realized she was starstruck and stopped to talk to us. He was adorable.

The next day as we were walking around the city, someone stopped us and offered us free tickets to a Broadway show that was in previews. We accepted and went that night, not knowing until we got there that one of the stars was…Henry Winkler. It was a Neil Simon thing with John Ritter. It wasn’t great, but it was enjoyable enough (and free) and we decided to hang out at the stage door so a couple of the girls could get their programs signed. When Winkler saw us, he was like “oh, hi!!” He remembered us and was so great…we didn’t tell him that the only reason we were there was because we got free tickets! Just a lovely, lovely man.

As far as how does Tom Hanks tolerate Rita Wilson, how about Phil Donahue and MARLO THOMAS? I want to hear some of that!

On the other side, some of you will be gratified to learn that DL fave Lainie Kazan is one of the nicest and friendliness celebs I've ever met.

Years back as a kid on Long Island, my friends and used to have our own lemonade stand during the summer. One day we were sitting out and a limousine stopped, A uniformed chauffeur got out and opened the door for this older woman wearing a kerchief, dark sunglasses, and mink coat (even though it was August).

She kindly asked for a cup of lemonade, which we were only charging a quarter for. She seemed like someone we should know, someone famous. Lots of celebs used to pass through the town of Quogue on the way home from the Hamptons. But this woman was unknown to us. She sort of sensed that. She drained the glass and thanked us.

"Boys, that lemonade really hit the spot!" She autographed our lemonade sign and threw a fifty in our cup. "Show this to your parents and tell them who you served today! And P.S....go fuck yourselves!"

Signed: "All my love..."

This is the first time I’ve read that tomlin was demanding or a diva. On another one of these threads someone posted a story about tomlin doing a charity event and the organizers were expecting her to have some big demands, but her only request was bottled water and a fruit and veggie tray in her dressing room. Another DLer posted about seeing her on the the street and telling her they were an aspiring actor and she stopped and talked to him for the business and giving him advice.

Comedians have notoriously been the worst. Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason, Phil Silvers, Jerry Lewis, just to name a few. Lucille Ball had one of the worst airline reputations since the Wright brothers invented the Goddamned thing!

R114 Is she being difficult or not?

Ethel Merman, Barbra Streisand, and Joan Crawford were absolutely darlings to me when I stopped them on the street for autographs and asked their advice on making it in show business.

R113 Let me guess, she took her lemonade without sugar, because she likes it bitter like she is.

Quite agreeable!

Does anybody really believe that ONJ story, R110?

R116/119 David O. Russell is a notorious for being an abusive asshole on set.

If that's a "freakout," R119, I'm Donald Trump.

In the mid-1970s, Lily Tomlin co-starred in a movie with Art Carney. I heard third hand, through my boss and a relative of Carney's, that Lily was serious and demanding. At the time, I thought old chauvinist Carney was a sexist jerk. You know, I still think that. People expect comedians to be funny all the time, put one in a serious role, and everyone is shocked that they're not funny. Jeez.

It's a shame Rita Wilson is so nasty, because she is literally the definition of "I hit the fucking jackpot".

She was doing second tier supporting work on Three's Company and 227 before she hooked up with Tom Hanks.

I bet Kate Capshaw doesn't pull any of that shit.

Anybody know about Lauren Bacall?

Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was well known to be a great guy, andI do not think he raped that hoe girl who died!!!!

R107: There's a reason Brad walked out on her.

Aniston strikes me as someone basically friendly but with a snide and sarcastic view on things.

Well, I'm going to watch something with Angelina Jolie in it soon.

Also, Aniston seems like she has higher IQ than Brad and Saint Angelina.

Jennifer 115 ish

Angelina 100 ish

Sweet Brad 80 ish

[quote] I’m not sure Linda Lavin falls into any category of “celebrities we love”, but the bitch humiliated me when I tried to compliment her on a performance.

Details, please!

R129 pulled those numbers out of fat air. Jen is a dumb broad and a bitch who would be working in a truck stop diner if her father hadn't been on a soap that was canceled when I was barely out of diapers.

Lily Tomlin is one of the nicest celebrities out there. I dont know where some of you get your stories, or if you just make them up, but I can attest to several talked about here and they are the opposite of whats decribed.

Back in the day I was a PR intern for DreamWorks. I had to assist Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck while they were doing publicity for their rom-com Forces Of Nature.

When the cameras were off, Sandy was a real cunt. But she was doing publicity Non-Stop flying and getting only a couple of hours of sleep, so I don't blame her.

Ben was drunk all the time. And I mean ALL the time. I could see his hair plugs

When Tom met Rita:

As a young drama student, I had two different experiences with Rosanna Arquette, albeit days apart. One as a walk-in role in a play she was appearing in, and one when she "guested" as an acting coach in a class I was talking.

She was an enormous, self-important, vile cunt. She held up a sold-out performance 30 minutes, so she could do her own "breathing exercises in privacy". Also acted like an above-it-all bitch to a group of kids, who were excited to be around her.

What a twat!

Charlotte Rae: The bitch would attend the opening of an envelope, and would hover over the appetizers like she owned the joint. Get in between her and food, and that nasty midget would knock you over.

Martin Short is vicious. There was a spate of articles about him after his wife died that said he was the nicest guy in Hollywood. That must be a very low bar because he's a nasty, nasty man.

[quote] As far as how does Tom Hanks tolerate Rita Wilson, how about Phil Donahue and MARLO THOMAS? I want to hear some of that!

[italic]That Girl … And Phil[/italic], the book by her gay majordomo should tell you everything you need to know. For the first time in my life, I actually felt sorry for Phil Donahue.

If you read Short’s autobiography it becomes very clear very fast what an asshole he is. Name dropping pretentious nasty piece of work.

Never forget:

OK thanks. This looks like complete crap, so I'm streaming it ASAP. Forgot how cute Affleck was.

I met Christopher Reeve once, he was very friendly up to a point, then I mentioned something - I don't remember what, it was nothing. Not related to him or show business - it triggered something in him, and his face changed and he pretended to wave to someone across the room and walked away. I thought, "Wow, what an asshole." Another time, a long time later, I met Dana Reeve. She was totally delightful. One of the nicest, most down to earth celebs I ever met.

Rosanna Arquette is a rodent-faced bitch. Had an unpleasant interaction with her at the Sundance Film Festival many years ago. Ally Sheedy was also kind of a bitch at same event.

R141: He looks like he's about to punch you for hitting on him.

There was a doc on TCM about the Academy Awards. Tom Hanks told a story about Bette Davis. It wasn't anything about her being bitchy, more just confused and old. He thought it was funny, he made fun of her, it seemed very mean spirited. Regardless of your opinion of Bette Davis, it wasn't what a gentleman would do. Never liked him since. I can believe he would tell bitchy stories mocking people.

They never talk about his first wife anymore or the circumstances of how that marriage ended.

In what universe is Dana Reed a "celebrity"?

"I've worked as an entertainment reporter in LA for years (and years)"

Do you get all your scoops from Datalounge?

No, Rose, he gets them from Kellogg's Raisin Bran.

R146. Hmm…a very convenient death, in her 40s. That would certainly end alimony obligations.

Hmm. 🤨

Barbara Eden was aloof when filming Harper Valley PT A at our local high school. On the other hand, Richard Gere was a real sweetheart to my aunt when filming The Mothman Prophecies, not just her, but her whole town. The cast of Battlestar Galactica visited the hospital when my sister was a patient. She was even real bitchy to Dirk Benedict because she was a Trekkie, and he was as good natured as could be with her.

I wish Henry Winkler would friend ME on LinkedIn

You'll be lucky to get Ralph Malph to acknowledge your existence, R152.

For some reason, I have a feeling Kevin Spacey might not be such a great guy, IDK why.

"... about Tomlin... her only request was bottled water and a fruit or veggie tray in her dressing room"

I sipped the water, then licked all the produce.

That's not funny, R155, that's disgusting.

R146 If that’s his first wife, Rita was a doppelgänger for her.

I saw an interview with Richard Gere over, where he says his life changed for the better a long time ago when he decided to just start saying hello to at least ten people a day. I thought this was a cool thing to learn and started doing it myself

[quote]On the other side, some of you will be gratified to learn that DL fave Lainie Kazan is one of the nicest and friendliness celebs I've ever met.

She really stole your heart, R112.

To counter my Charlotte Rae screed:

I was an extra (a ‘50s student) in Joanne Woodward‘s “Crisis at Central High” — in a medium, even back then, I thought was beneath her.

She was incredibly kind and patient.

At the time, I understood she was “important” but a few years later, I did some reading and wished I had hovered over the craft table to hear a story or two. Damn.

I was also lucky enough to be a be a (distant) friend of Robert Osborne. A kinder man never existed, and almost all his gossip was good natured. Except when Gary Moore was mentioned.

Eddie Murphy hid my car keys.

R175, I agree. There's something needy and off about Hanks. I like some of his movies, but that's about it. On some talk show John Saxon was invited to dish about Marlon Brando (who was still alive) and he refused. He said Brando was a nice guy and kind of glared at the stupid host. I think people lucky enough to make a living in show business can at least be gracious and not gossip about other performers in public.

Yeah there is a way to handle that kind of bait.

If asked about another celebrity, you could easily reveal something not controversial or funny about them, without being mean. Like, here's a funny thing about Brando, the man really loves pistachios. It's the strangest thing. He's nuts for them! That diverts the question and makes it silly and entertaining rather than a defensive or gossipy response. I just assume that stars are trained in this kind of thing but I'm often proven wrong

Julia America's Sweetheart Roberts

Talentless Tom Hanks owns this thread

Who the hell gave Stevie Wonder a driver's license?

[quote]In what universe is Dana Reed a "celebrity"?

[R147]I don't know. I was talking about Dana Reeve. (Because I had mentioned her husband, Christopher Reeve.} Maybe you mean Donna Reed. Or Lou Reed. Or Dana Winter, or Dana Andrews.

The Lily Tomlin comments reminded my of when I worked a charity event with Martina Navratilova.

She was a mean-ass, full-on, nasty bulldyke. A truly awful person. She should be flayed to death.

r160 What did Osborne say about Gary Moore? It must've been about his early-60s TV show.

A friend worked with Osborne at The Hollywood Reporter decades ago. Said he was a very nice man but absolutely HATED Asians. So he'd fit right in with DL.

R160. He, and most of Lucy’s close pre-Gary friends, were suddenly shut out.

He gaslighted (gaslit?) her big time. And gave lousy career advice: ie: both running Desilu and performing at the same time.

He wanted the $$$ to continue to roll in. She needed a break. He won.

She continued performing with Gale, Viv, Mary Jane and Carole, through socializing with them was off the table.

R168, I know you're lying. Martina is one of the nicest celebrities I've known. She instantly makes you feel like an old friend. It was almost shocking how personable she was for a celebrity.

R138, this is a gossip forum. References to books is not how it's done. You have to describe what's IN THE BOOK.

R169. Gary’s show never came up in conversation. Ever.

No one wanted to waste time discussing that loser/leech, except for the occasional reference re: Lucy in the ‘60s.

I met Bruce Villanche (I think he qualifies as a “celebrity”) at a Lady Bunny show one night in Dallas. I expected him to be a queeny cunt, but he was actually chatty and nice, and bought me the gin martini I had just ordered before he walked up to me standing by the bar. Before I walked back to my table, he said “meet me in the bathroom and I’ll show you what this mouth can do!” I giggled politely, not sure if he was serious or not, but walked away nonetheless!

I don't even know who ONJ is supposed to be. Not that I cared so much to begin with...

There seems to be some confusion. Garry Moore was a popular TV star of the 1950s-60s, Gary Morton was a comedian who was married to Lucille Ball.

Garry Moore hosted I've Got a Secret.

I was at an event with ONJ and she was mingling at this reception after preforming. There was a line of at least 20 people waiting to talk to her and as far as I could tell, she politely chatted with everyone.

Jennifer Aniston way back in a 90s Rolling Stone article, something along the lines of “she’s lucky her eyes are so kind because she’s not…”

So I assume it was Gary Morton Osborne didn't like?

Aniston- Her eyes, warm and alert, seem forever on the verge of recognizing an old acquaintance. She is not quite so friendly as her eyes, though; they do her a great favor. Her hair is a shade of reddish brown you see in the paintings of Andrew Wyeth. And although she’s not very tall, she has the haughty, long-legged grace of a would-be Miss America.

We used to have an obsessed Riz Ahmed troll. I welcome our Riz Ahmed hater troll!

I'm assuming ONJ must be Olivia Newton-John? Even though her initials are ON.

Rachel Ray owns this thread. Presents herself as really sweet and a "girl's girl" but she's apparently a huge cunt behind the scenes. Her disgusting food should have been the tip-off.

r184 Also because she had that show called something like $40 a Day. She traveled to different locations and spent $40 on food for the day at 3 different restaurants and never tipped anyone.

ONJ kept roller skating out of my freshly painted murals.

Bitch.

Everybody seems to have hated Danny Kaye. I really liked him on TV when I was a boy.

My husband’s oldest friend who works in movies/TV and has somewhat of a cult following said John Krasinski is a big fat phony asshole.

R188 did he give any details?

Barbara Barrie is really mean. When I was a teen I went up to her and said could I have your autograph Miss Harris? She said to me coldly 'My name is not Harris.' What a bitch.

I heard that Ellen isn't super nice behind-the-scenes

cross reference to Celeb Douchebags...

R189 no not really—I have known this guy for 20 years and he knows I love hearing who is nice and who is a jerk in Hollywood. He was working with Krasinski in the last couple of years, I dont remember exactly when, 2019 or later. I just remember getting a text from him one night, and all it said was “John Krasinski is a REAL asshole” Whatever happened, he was pissed!

Isn't John Krasinski rumored to be a pretentious Republicunt?

I think R168 has a PLEASANT PEANUT CLIT!

[quote][R129] pulled those numbers out of fat air. Jen is a dumb broad and a bitch who would be working in a truck stop diner if her father hadn't been on a soap that was canceled when I was barely out of diapers.

Hate to inform you, Mr. Crusty Diapers, the soap John Aniston AKA Yiannis Anastassakis, starred in as Victor Kiriakis, "Days of our Lives" is still on the air!

DOOL is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday since November 8, 1965.

He was also on Search for Tomorrow, r198, 1980-84.

I don’t wear diapers, R198. Get your panties out of the bunch they are in. Stop shilling for a no-talent nepotism baby. It is not like we are talking about Judy and Liza here. We are not even talking about Debbie and Carrie.

[quote]He was also on Search for Tomorrow, [R198], 1980-84.

Yes, but John Aniston AKA Yiannis Anastassakis is much better known as Victor Kiriakis and DOOL is still on the air.

Not shilling for Jen ANUSTON, just correcting your info.

And soaps are a dying genre. They weren't before that lousy sitcom of hers. What a way to repay dear old dad for pulling strings to buy you a career you don't deserve.

#190, she had terminal bitchface- what did you expect?

Let’s not forget who owns this thread…the .Meth addled cross dresser who gives out cat hair cake after years of drug abuse and haughty sneering. KEVIN SESSUMS

I find it hard to believe that ONJ was nasty. I worked with her for a few months and she was incredibly sweet, just like Sandy in Grease. He daughter was one tragic case though. Would come to the set dressed in supertight clothes and heels, tits all over the place. Spoke loudly and swore all the time. Plainly obvious that something was off mentally. Olivia seemed to be at the point of resignation where it was all so familiar to her that she wasn't embarrassed anymore.

[quote]one of the Meryl Streep stories (bandied about a few years back) involved her telling a retail clerk (at a hardware store, I think) that "Mrs. Gummer was here, with a special request" while other customers rolled their eyes.

This never happened.

R206 Was she escorting her mother in law?

I worked with Amy Adams in Denver before she became a movie star, did a few shows with her. The community there was very cliquish and kinda mean. They weren’t very nice to her and I never understood why. I steered clear. Then I began watching Amy on stage and she was terrific. I thought, that’s why they don’t like her, she’s doing something with this and they’re lazy. Years later when I saw Enchanted I sat in the theater beaming I was so happy for her. I ran into her in NYC and she asked me to meet her for lunch with mutual friends. Not my thing but I went. She was a total cunt. I was shocked. As soon as I sat down she started in on me in front of everyone. “You were mean to me…” I wasn’t in any way involved in whatever the drama was back then. In fact I was so exhausted and disgusted with all of it I moved out of the room and dressed in a stairwell. She invited me to ambush me ambush me. She dropped every name she could during lunch. “Meryl this ,,,” The entire time flipping her hair at the table. I almost said, if you flip your Fucking hair in my food again I’m gonna yank it out. Our mutual friends were stunned, we all were. And I picked up the check! As I was leaving I mumbled something about if I ever said or did something… knowing full well I hadn’t. Why was I buying into this? I was completely caught off guard. By the time I got back to work my eyes were crossed I was so angry. I called one of the mutual friends and left a rant on his voice mail and asked him to play it for her. “Tell that movie star she can kiss my Broadway butt.” About a year later I was working on a show in LA and she came backstage. She was very timid. It was just so disappointing that she wasn’t rising with any grace. Clearly she’s not MENSA but I thought she was a good egg and had some class. I was wrong. Still can’t watch her movies.

[quote]Yes, but John Aniston AKA Yiannis Anastassakis is much better known as Victor Kiriakis and DOOL is still on the air.

Really? I had no idea!

R208 Don’t worry, Woman in the Window was unwatchable and the neighbor boy did it.

Joan

R96 my uncle works as a stunt coordinator on big movies, and doesn’t get star-struck at all—in fact, he hates and avoids celebrity culture, thinks all industry people are selfish rude cunts not worth a 10th of their salary, and barely knows who half his clients are (he once drove Kanye West around the desert in Dubai for a laugh, having no clue who Kanye is).

To this day, though, Unc maintains the coolest nicest most normal celebrity he has ever met was Brad Pitt. Like a super charming and handsome but regular down-to-earth guy who just happens to be rich and famous. He is the one ‘star’ of the hundreds with whom my uncle has worked who actually managed to impress him with his attitude and hospitality.

Though I guess it’s easy to be like that with the kind of money and adulation and free passes Brad has gotten...

I don't know who this Riz Ahmed is.

R213 count yo blessings

r208, I went to High School with her

R202 - soaps were dying but saved by streaming. Days is a streaming monster, always ranked #1 on the NBC apps.

R205, I don't subscribe to the notion that terrible/damaged kids are not the parents' responsibility. As Jackie Kennedy said, I'll paraphrase, "If you mess up raising your kids, nothing else you do much matters." I know, I know, some posters are going to say John Jr. was nuts to marry that heroin-chic Bessette, but let's be real. Jackie's kids were not messes like a lot of celebrity kids. If ONJ's daughter was damaged, she obviously didn't give her what she needed to turn out better. Don't be a parent if you're not in it 100% and forever.

I think Amy Adams has a screw loose.

I remember being in (not much of a) line for the deli at Erewhon on Beverly Blvd.

I was kind of hanging back while I decided, and this young lady was sort of faux distressed about what she should order, I guess. She flitted back and forth in front of the deli case, looked up at one menu and another, shifting about looking like she needed help, but never actually asking for it.

I realized at one point that no one else was around but me and then wondered if this was all meant for my benefit - like she was flirting with me trying to get me to assist her in some way.

Then I recognized her.

That’s when it dawned on me that this performance wasn’t meant for me specifically, but for anyone to notice her and acknowledge that she was, indeed, Amy Adams.

Biz-arre!

[R208], I'm sorry you got thrown under the bus. I've had a couple of dealings with show biz people and it seems you're about as valuable as a salt shaker and when they're done with you they leave it to you to figure out you'll never hear from them again.

R208 that’s so fucked. What a cunt.

[quote] I also strongly suspect married duo John Krasinski and Emily Blunt are nowhere near the fun-loving, easy, down-to-earth folks they are appear to be.

There was some reddit thread years ago where a poster claimed to have worked on The Office as a crew member. He said that John Krasinksi along with Jenna Fischer were the biggest assholes on set.

I remember blind items and gossip that some of Krasinksi's co-stars on The Office hated Blunt and she in turn hated them.

At least Krasinksi has moved on to decent projects post Office. Jenna FIscher's other TV projects have all flopped and she still pretty much clings to The Office and has been doing that stupid rewatch podcast with Angela Kinsey. I laughed when FIscher bitched about how she got fired from that show with Matt LeBlanc and was replaced with different actress after the first pilot. She was probably too dull to have chemistry with LeBlanc.

[quote]You may want Dame Julie Andrews to be like Fraulein Maria, but she's really a Herr Zeller. She has been known to viciously bitchslap baristas at Starbucks who get her order wrong and scream "Schweinhund! - " at them.

That's how she got expelled from my coffee klatsch.

After Wembley’s dreamlike honeymoon summer of falling for a sweet loveable brown-eyed Brummie boy, we Brits all just got a painful reality check to learn us what one Jack Grealish is really about (what almost all footballers are about..)

Sad, when he could have had national hero status and the undying love of a generation. He had thousands of hearts in the palm of his hand, and decided to crush them all.

Such callous disregard, in exchange for a posh house, new Range and a chance to sniff Kevin de Bruyne’s cup. Hope it was worth it, Jack.

The difference between Tim Allen and Tom Hanks is that Tim Allen, at least in person, has never pretended to be anything other than what he is and that’s a complete and utter douchebag.

The Oscars are pretty much a popularity contest so if Amy and Glenn have never won despite multiple nominations then it makes me think they’re not well liked.

James Lipton doesn't like Asians? Well have the decency not to tell that to his widow.

[quote] —Or Jon and Angie, father-daughter Oscar-winners

As if having an Oscar winning father didn't help her enormously with the Academy. LOL! Without Voight as her dad her chances for the Oscar would have dimmed considerably no matter how you viewed her performance. Same with her other early wins. Good will in the industry gets you a long way. It loves rewarding their spawn.

I stood next to Barbara Barrie on a NYC bus a couple of decades ago, and she struck up a conversation. She was perfectly nice like any ordinary person. Some of you don't understand the code here - do not gush like an idiot teenager when seeing celebrities.

R228 Unless you’re a teenage girl and meeting Alice Ripley, then it’s mandatory.

Barbara Barrie has never been particularly “loved” by the general public so her inclusion on this thread is irrelevant.

I never could tell Barbara Barrie and Betty Garrett apart, so they basically cancelled each other out for me.

[quote] soaps were dying but saved by streaming. Days is a streaming monster, always ranked #1 on the NBC apps.

That speaks very poorly of NBC’s primetime lineup if nothing there can beat a daytime soap. I guess that’s karma for enabling Bill Cosby.

R224 I know Tim Allen is a Repug and a probably a covert homophobe and therefore we write him off, but goshdarn is he difficult to dislike. He has all the natural warm sincere mischievous charm and innate quick wit that Tom Hanks wishes he had. It’s like night & day.

Tim genuinely does come across like a cranky gruff macho but well-intentioned downhome neighbour, who lived for tinkering with cars and whatnot, was always lowkey a little annoyed at his Frau/Karen wife but treated her well enough, had cookouts and went hunting with your dad on occasion. It’s clear why he’s had the career he has.

Still loathsome, but in a regrettable way.

[quote) "Mary Pickford was the WORST."

Thank you, Joan @ R98.

The gay stereotypes in [italic]Philadelphia[/italic] offended me just as much if not more than the gay stereotypes in [italic]Wild Hogs[/italic].

Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks are both besties with mega cunt Julia Roberts if that speaks to anything. Rita constantly fawns on her on Instagram comments and Julia has mentioned in the past that Tom is her favorite gossip buddy. I'm sure those two have torn many to shreds behind their backs.

A friend's girlfriend was staying in LA for an extended time and she was able to rent a couple of rooms in some big house. I forget her exact story but I think she entered through a door in the back yard wall, and she forgot her key. So she was trying to climb over the wall. It sounds like an I Love Lucy episode. Anyhow, while she was doing this, she turned around and Brad Pitt was standing there. He lived nearby and saw her. Then Beck also showed up. She explained what happened and she said they were both incredibly helpful and nice. I don't remember the rest but anyhow, another "nice Brad Pitt" story.

Yes, Brad Pitt has always had a “nice” reputation. Which is why his being with Gwynnie was a head scratcher.

Pleasant but aloof is something you hear about a lot of celebrities. Its a sign they're nice people.

i have worked for a few celebrities (the kind with more than 1 Oscar, although you'd be surprised how D list people can get but still have this problem: everyone wants to hang out with them and be friends with them or cultivate a relationship with them. If your average neighbor texted you and said "want to come over and hang out" at 10pm, most of you would be like "i'll be in bed already, thanks tho". If Meryl texted her neighbors at 9:49 pm and said, would you like to come over for a drink, most of them would get out of bed and get dressed. some who were already asleep would wake up to spend time with her. The wild thing about celebrity is that it makes people behave differently in terms of building relationships.

i know a superstar who keeps bugging his ex-employee to come have lunch with him. The employee usually turns him down because they have a non industry job now and can't leave their job for a lunch that far away. this is probably the only person who has said no to the celebrity about spending time with them.

Opposite day here. I had a pleasant experience with Elaine Stritch. I was waiting for the light to change at 57th and Madison and she started a conversation with me. She was powerwalking and in workout clothes.

She seems to have a reputation for being difficult (and a mean drunk).

So, maybe all of these celebrities saying that Tom Hanks is the "nicest guy in Hollywood," are in fact just trying to stay on his good side and avoid him saying shit about them?

Pretty much, R241. Because he’s an A list celebrity.

I lived in the same condo as Meryl and she was always pleasant with elevator/hall conversations. I never mentioned her work, we just talked about kids and current events. She and Don seemed like a nice couple and they'd walk around holding hands, so not so sure about the divorce talk. Also ran into Elaine Stritch once in a Banana Republic store of all places. Nice as could be. Goop - not so much.

R240, from all I’ve ever read on DL, Stritch was a nightmare if you were working on a show with her (relentless in pursuit of making everything about her character and her process all the time) or if you were employed at the Carlyle, but I think she definitely conceived of herself as a “New York institution” and even when she was making a show of growling and barking, basically loved meeting what she saw as her adoring public (ie. any gay guy who crossed her path in Midtown).

Bess Myerson almost punched me - I was walking too close behind her it seems on Madison as I was going to Grand Central on a late lazy Sat afternoon in 1982 or so. I just put my hands up and bent down to avoid the blow if there was going to be one. She was an a 6 foot amazon, and scary even in her 50s. But I don't think Bess was ever considered "nice" or friendly. She should be a gay icon, but that Ed Koch's girlfriend charade must have squelched it.

^ Delete post

When Emily Blunt talks to someone she doesn't like she says to them- Don't you have a HIDEOUS skirt convention to go to.

Living near Streep in North Western CT had been HELL for my friends. She and her FUGLY spawn are pretentious cunts who think Litchfield County businesses owe them a living because the bitch resides there. There are old money people who drive old pickups that can buy and sell this nasty cunt. And she’s a CHILD RAPIST APOLOGIST! She wishes her gross untalented daughters could make it into a Roman Polanski film but even they rapist won’t touch them. Also Julia Robert’s (personal experience) THE NASTIEST CUNTIEST CUNT. Her niece is known as ‘cunt junior’ nicest and classiest is ANGELINA JOLIE. It’s shocking how well she can play a bitch because she’s the opposite of it. The jealously of her natural beauty and no fucks given for celebrity is mind blowing from so many A list Actresses. She is so herself. Brad is a dumb nice drunk idiot for fucking that up.

I dunno, R247. I have a feeling you neglected to renew you meds this month.

OP is misinformed about Meryl. I live near her and she has a rep as very down to earth.

She drives a not especially fancy car and bags her own groceries. She once popped up on my Facebook as a friend suggestion (under her married name) and the people we are connected to in common we’re working-class folks.

I remember the hostess of a local restaurant sharing the story of Meryl approaching the hostess stand to timidly ask if she could briefly borrow the phone (as it’s located in a dead zone) and being incredibly thankful and apologetic.

And the expectations are the problem, OP. I don't know why they should be expected to be unceasingly pleasant no matter what. Ideally most people are civil in nearly all circumstances, but everyone has a bad day or is on a tight schedule occasionally. That may be the day someone has come across them. And why do we automatically believe someone who is dining out on a story of celebrity rudeness? Maybe they are exaggerating the anecdotes to draw attention to themselves while making themselves seem more interesting or important.

Forgot to sign our post (R247)

[quote] Also because she [Rachel Ray] had that show called something like $40 a Day. She traveled to different locations and spent $40 on food for the day at 3 different restaurants and never tipped anyone.

And she took massive, epic dumps all along the way. More like $400 a day in plumber services.

Oh it's Rose McGowan at R247.

I'm delighted to see so many past and present "neighbors" showing up on this thread!

Delighted.... and a little astounded. Who knew?

James Franco is very nice in person. As I was reading this thread I was thinking about just a friendly he was. I wonder what’s happening to him since the debacle

R44 Sondheim was certainly good to James Lapine when he had no particular reason to be, Lapine being 20 years younger and not very proven.

Stalin told me my borscht tasted like horse piss. Nasty man.

I guy in my office mentioned that he once met Monty Hall. I said you know Monty Hall isn't much of a celebrity. He said "To me he is".

r14, on what planet to you think Harvey Fierstein is "too good to be true"?

My partner and I and another gay couple, maybe 5-7 years younger than him, passed through the lobby of The Clift Hotel in SF where he was comfortably seated alone, but doing work (reading a script?) and drinking coffee as if he'd been there for hours. He looked a bit bored and maybe tired, but was clearly seated on display. He'd been in town for weeks doing... something? We all knew he was in town. I forget the show, but it was a big deal at the time. We were on our way to do some day drinking in The Redwood Room bar, which was opened to the lobby, so we could see and hear each other.

While passing by his table, I said, "Oh, hi, you, that guy". Because I could not remember his name. I don't remember what he said, but it was it was sort of engaging and sort of funny. It set the tone that we were all non-plused by each other and yet couldn't let go.

During our ensuing Martini's there were some bitch queen exchanges and mutual insults. He could overhear us. At one point he yelled something as us that made me spray my drink through my nose and told him that he "owed me another drink, Sir." The five of us were the only ones in the lobby area.

As we were leaving one of us said "enjoy your stay in San Francisco". He asked if we planned on seeing his show to which one of my friends said, "What show?". He smiled.

Didn't seem terribly friendly, but not mean either. Just funny and maybe somewhat neurotic, trying his best to be aloof, yet failing. I think this was in the late 1990s.

R249 is a paid shill.

[quote]OP is misinformed about Meryl. I live near her and she has a rep as very down to earth. She drives a not especially fancy car and bags her own groceries. She once popped up on my Facebook as a friend suggestion (under her married name) and the people we are connected to in common we’re working-class folks.

I don't have it in me to burst R249's little heart. Who wants to tell him that this is not, in fact, Meryl Streep's actual personal Facebook page?

I also seriously question whether she does her own vacuuming in Pasadena (mentioned upthread) or shops at the supermarket, let alone bags her own groceries. But whatever.

Angelina Jolie was nice to me.

I was walking down a street in Manhattan and a whole brigade of security guards burst out of the back door of a hotel and escorted Brad and Angelina to their car. I had to stop short and if I hadn't I think the guards would have physically held me back.

Angelina noticed this and made a big gesture of turning around, making eye contact and saying "I'm so sorry we cut you off." Brad just stared ahead. (He was orange too, like Trump tanning Orange.) She was stunning looking.

Maybe the supposed ultimate nice guy Tom Hanks, considering his douchey offspring.

R261

And her FB is entirely in Portuguese.

How wonderful.

Team Streep. Zero energy or interest engaging in neighborly relations

[quote] Anyone have any experience/insight into Harvey Fierstein?

I worked with Harvey for over six months so I can say I did know him personally. He’s the real thing. You couldn’t ask for a nicer guy I show business. All of this without being a sucker or a pushover.

Same experience as R266. Very nice man.

My best friend used to do Lee Radziwill's hair at her apartment almost weekly. He said she was beyond nice, polite with impeccable manners, never demanding, smart, very up to date with trends and news and what was happening in the world, painfully thin and small and was always reading The New York Times. He said she spoke about her dead son but no other family members. He said it was surreal walking through her apartment seeing pictures of her famous family. He also said she had old facelift scars round her ears and into her hairline and that her hair was painfully thin and had to be teased and thickened with a volumizer. She wore a lot of Armani apparently.

I had a friend whose brother was a stage manager for Cher. While on tour with her some years ago, his father died. Cher sent him home to be with his mother and to comfort her. Cher wouldn’t allow him to come back, telling him that his family needed him more….and she paid him his full salary throughout. Class act.

[Quote] Mouseboy is not the adorable prince that he's made out to be. His PR is fantastic at selling him as nice and accessible to the 12-16 year old girls and as non-threatening to the guys but deep down he's obnoxiously ambitious and an entitled arrogant prick.

Does anyone still think that after the embarrassing pap photos he took with Eiza??

Eugene levy.

R247-Have you forgotten to take your medicine this morning.

R268, I don't know if I believe anything you wrote. Lee Radziwill was polite to service people, but guarded. She would never talk about her son to a hairdresser, even one she saw weekly. Everyone knows of her "painfully thin" issues, but the Bouvier sisters were on the tall side, not "small." Lee was at least 5'5" to Jackie's 5'7".

r273 Sweets, he worked for Sharon Dorram At Sally Hershberger Salon. No, I'm not telling you his name, and if I could be bothered I'd get him to take a photo of the thankyou note Lee wrote him and post it, but I couldn't be bothered because I don't care if you believe me or not. Also, old ladies shrink, I'm talking Lee in old age not her prime. The woman looked like a frail little bird. You seem to know everything about her, did you know her?

[R243], I've had multiple conversations with people who have worked directly with The Rolling Stones. I never brought up a band member's name, or asked a question about them. To one of the fellows I told him when you work with them directly doing a product design they have a habit of staring through you for the first few days. And that it's positively unnerving. This is how they figure out if you're there to work for/with them, or otherwise (this was the 1972 American Tour lead up in Los Angeles). Once they've sussed you out as a good guy you realize why they're in the position they're (once again this was approx. January through late May 1972) in: they work very long hours at reaching the closest to the ideal of what they wish to present. The closest I got was asking a question about Mick Jagger's first wife, Bianca. I found it worked wonders and kept the conversation (they were all telephone conversations) right on target.

Tommy Lee Jones is a fucking douche. Very rude and very entitled and everyone has to walk on eggshells around him. Not a good person.

Jared Leto is an odd duck and you really have to navigate his moods, but he is very sexual and you have to be careful not to get caught up in that.

Seems like half of DL either knows, knows someone who knows, or lived/lives near Meryl Streep.

A friend of mine attended a Lily Tomlin performance about ten years ago with a friend who knew Lily or someone in her camp. She persuaded my friend to go backstage with her after the show and meet Lily. Told me later she could not have been kinder or more down to earth, funny, of course, and offered advice on performance and getting into the business.

^ I know I didn’t stick to the topic in my post, just wanted to give Lily a little credit. I also think some of these celebs mellow a bit as they get older.

I was on the crew of Doubt. Because of the intensity of the piece and her inhibiting nun headgear Meryl wasn’t her usual sparkling self. However after her final shot was completed on the final day of shooting she took off that fucking bonnet and said goodbye to each of the crew one by one. That’s very classy. Crew members adore her..

Someone here mentioned Oprah. I worked with her a bunch of times (I used to assist a big photographer) and from my experience, she was awesome. Those were the BEST shoots to be on - especially when they were at her house in Montecito. She was super pleasant and chill, lunch was always fucking amazing and at the end of the day (usually no later than 5:30) she busted out champagne and more food.

I miss those shoots.

I had friends who worked with Meryl on "The Prom," who said she wonderful to be around.

Martin Short will be charming when you meet him, but he's only interested in people who are famous.

A woman I know was breastfeeding her baby in the ladies room at The Ivy. Meryl came over, complimented my friend's dress, and insisted on nursing the infant at her own ample breast!

I've discussed on a couple of other threads but I worked at MTV Canada when Dan Levy worked there and he was a nightmare! A total bitch to just about everyone and horrific to his co-host Jessi Cruickshank, I witnessed her leaving the studio in tears several times & while I think things have "settled" between them, she does not follow him on social media and has barely acknowledged his work on Schitt's Creek. His departure from MTV Canada was allegedly a "mutual decision" when his contract was up.

R285 I heard from a friend in Toronto that HR had to be called on him several times when he was at MTV - what did he do that would have required HR?

R281 that was not my experience with the big O.

She was a total cunt.

I have heard that Emily Blunt is very introverted and kind of bland and wishy-washy, but pleasant enough to deal with, at least professionally. Krasinski, on the other hand, is rumored to forbid almost all interviewers from asking about The Office, and also any critical viewpoint about his shitty Amazon Prime show.

How right you are, R277. We here at the Datalounge are celebrity magnets - they love to get close to us so we can trash em!

Which reminds me, where is 'charlie'? He knows every prominent name who has ever lived in New York City. That includes his close friend Katharine Hepburn. charlie waited on many of the famous in his checkout duties at D'Agostino's, and he can tell by just looking at a celebrity whether they are gay or not. Let's just say he could be a very close associate of David Ehrenstein's. Only Ehrenstein won't talk to him.

Oh man, R289. I had forgotten all about 'charlie'. He was quite the name dropper back in the day.

Yes, R289. Back in the day like last month.

Dan Levy MTV poster - give us more details please.

On an old Theater Talk Ethan Mordden mentions he was once friends with Sondheim. I wonder what happened between them. He also referred to Mary Rodgers Guettel as the Empress Dowager Rodgers. I'd like to know why he came up with that.

She unfortunately never spilled the beans on Arthur Laurents whom she detested after he died. Laurents and Sondheim were friends throughout their lives and then their friendship ended before Laurents died. Another story which nobody knows.

Sondheim appears genuinely curious about and supportive of new talent, particularly younger talent (not suggesting anything inappropriate, he just likes young people). Sometimes that means SS is blind to their flaws and limitations (eg, James Lapine), sometimes not.

He befriended Jason Robert Brown early on, for example. While Brown still speaks highly of him, I don't think they remained close.

I think SS' enthusiasm for many people wears out over time. (He's also 91, for heaven's sake.)

[quote]Jared Leto is an odd duck and you really have to navigate his moods, but he is very sexual and you have to be careful not to get caught up in that.

Jared Leto is a walking petri-dish of STDs. Creepy and off-putting. One of those people who you have to look past his good looks and supposedly "big dick", because he's such a fucking weirdo.

Close with perv photographer Terry Richardson. 'nuff said.

Is Sondheim really a "celebrity" to people other than theatre queens? Do the kids know who Sondheim is? Never mind Arthur Laurents.

[quote]Jared Leto is a walking petri-dish of STDs. Creepy and off-putting. One of those people who you have to look past his good looks and supposedly "big dick", because he's such a fucking weirdo.

I don't know about his medical history, but there really is something about him. I watched him work and I would watch people get lured in. The guy oozes sex. As long as you knew which Jared you were getting that day, everything would be okay.

I will also co-sign the thing about Oprah being awesome. I helped her do one simple thing (that wasn't all that difficult) and I got a thank you note and a gift basket.

R208 that story is interesting because I always sensed a disconnect from Amy Adams soft passive and almost " beta" presence and her success. There seems to be an underlying edge that people don't pick up on because she doesn't look the part of someone aggressive. I get the same vibe from Zoey Deschanel and she's supposedly quite cold and rude as well.

Oprah probably has a staff person whose full time job is thank you cards and gift baskets and not unlike Candy Spelling’s wrapping room, Oprah probably has a gift basket room in her mansion.

Yeah, it's very easy for a mega millionaire to set up a staff member to handle all that PR stuff, and let them run with it, and still be a deeply disturbed narcissistic asshole.

We met Kathy Griffin before a concert through a connection of a friend. We chatted with her for several minutes and she signed her book that had recently come out. She was very pleasant and funny. And put on a great show.

In 1990/91 I passed a man and woman on a narrow west village sidewalk. I continued walking and stopped at the corner as I waited for cars to pass before I could cross. By that point, both people had caught up to me and were also waiting for cross. The woman politely asked what cologne I was wearing. I found myself looking directly into the eyes of Michelle Pfeiffer - she was unearthly beautiful. When I told her the brand, she yelled at her male companion "See, I told you. I bought that for you and you never wear it." They continued to have words while I scooted away. The gentleman was Fischer Stevens and they broke up soon after. It was my fault.

Joe Mantegna is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.

Jooooody Gallon waschz alwaszch nicesch but she could be ornery on the pillzsch and dope.

Lens Dunham. I’d always assumed that the more unattractive girls were friendly, well, because they had to be. Not Lens.

My friend had the opposite experience with Lens - said she couldn’t have been nicer. Was almost TOO nice and cloying per my friend. I also know someone who went to high school with her and said she was nerdy and nice.

Tom cruise verbally and physically assaults employees.

Owner of thread

[quote] Laurents and Sondheim were friends throughout their lives and then their friendship ended before Laurents died. Another story which nobody knows.

Um, no. Just about everyone on planet Earth had ended their friendship with Arthur Laurents before he died.

Any more Awful Amy Adams stories?

R137- Maybe because he's been a CLOSET QUEEN for so many years.

[quote]Oprah probably has a staff person whose full time job is thank you cards and gift baskets and not unlike Candy Spelling’s wrapping room, Oprah probably has a gift basket room in her mansion.

Of course she has a staff person who does that sort of thing. But the point is, she does have someone who does that sort of thing when she doesn't have to.

Jeezus, does half of the DL live across the street from Meryl Streep?

R295- He doesn't HAVE looks anymore.

[quote] As Jackie Kennedy said, I'll paraphrase, "If you mess up raising your kids, nothing else you do much matters." I know, I know, some posters are going to say John Jr. was nuts to marry that heroin-chic Bessette, but let's be real. Jackie's kids were not messes like a lot of celebrity kids.

John-John killed himself, his wife, and his sister-in-law through his arrogance and idiocy.

I would say that's pretty bad.

r315 John John had ADHD, wasn't too bright, and had Kennedy hubris- none of Jackie's doing. John was taking flying lessons behind Jackie's back when she was alive, she forbade him from flying because she knew how impulsive and absent minded and careless he could be...and she was right.

Glenn Close was as sweet as can be. Had the ability to “turn it on” when she had to, and became UTTERLY COMPELLING.

[Quote] Had the ability to “turn it on” when she had to, and became UTTERLY COMPELLING.

Michelle Pfeiffer unearthly beautiful lol. The story sounds fake.

Who has to be careful not to get caught up in how sexual Jared Leto is? No one here is getting that close to him including you. Does his waitstaff have to be careful of it?

I'm surprised MeToo didn't go after Jared. The rumours about under-age girls is 🤢

[quote]Who has to be careful not to get caught up in how sexual Jared Leto is? No one here is getting that close to him including you. Does his waitstaff have to be careful of it?

Seems his legendary dick is so large, it enters a room before Jared does!

John Cusack. Have heard that waiters can only talk to him for his order through 'his staff'.

I feel the need to humbly defend Emily Blunt! I met her at a party through my work with her sister and she couldn't have been lovelier. When it whittled down to a smaller crowd, she visibly relaxed a bit, so I'm not sure if she's as brazen as she sometimes makes out; I thought she was down-to-earth, smiley and interesting. I haven't met either woman's husband, though.

A friend who writes regional children’s musical won a prestigious award connected with Sondheim. Can’t remember the name of it, but it’s a big deal and included a fete in NYC with Sondheim. He sat with Sondheim at the dinner and had nothing but good things to say about him. Said Sondheim had studied his work before the awards dinner and asked a lot of thoughtful questions and shared suggestions on improving the musicals.

Amy Adams sounds deranged. Love it!

[quote](Jackie) forbade him from flying because she knew how impulsive and absent minded and careless he could be.

JFK Jr was almost 40 when he died. How could a MOTHER forbid a grown man from doing whatever the fuck he wanted?

R327, well, she was certainly right about it.

[quote] I can totally believe Tom Hanks is complete phony who's behind his wife's bitchy behavior. Seen it so many times in real life it's painful, although, usually it is a weak man behind the harridan. Tom is not weak. He is the same as Rita but is smart enough to manage his public persona.

Ditto John “Legend” and Chrissy Teigen.

[quote]Jeezus, does half of the DL live across the street from Meryl Streep?

When Jasmine Guy moved, they gravitated towards Meryl.

R74: Supposedly he had some behavioral issues as a child. He barely got into LaGuardia. A well known, respected teacher had to write him a letter of recommendation. The behavioral problems might've been a factor.

[quote] How could a MOTHER forbid a grown man from doing whatever the fuck he wanted?

You really don't know strong parents and adult offspring desperate to please them. Not even about money necessarily. Often found in youngest children. See Greek, Italian families for many examples. See straight men in their mid 30s get talked into marrying the long term girlfriend he never really loved but the family loved her.

Quite common. I am always impressed by those who love their "well meaning" parents but still have the agency to live their own lives as they see fit. In the end those are the spawn the parents end up respecting the most anyway.

R319 could apply to 300+ posts in this thread, but sorry you have no celeb stories to share yourself..

Here's the story about the rift between Sondheim and Jason Robert Brown: Several years ago, Jason attended a Sondheim revue on Broadway (I can't remember which one) and had dinner with Sondheim after. During dinner, Jason pointedly didn't say a word about the show he just saw. Sondheim saw that as very rude, and the relationship cooled.

[quote]You really don't know strong parents and adult offspring desperate to please them

Usually that carries into adulthood when the parent has been absent during the kid's childhood. John Kennedy Jr's mother was not absent. He was lucky he didn't grown up with the other Kennedy Boys. Jackie was a strong presence and protective influence, perfect for Dumb Dumb, er, John John to proceed into adulthood without craving her approval 24/7.

Nell Scovell is the biggest c@nt in the business.

R302 what cologne were you wearing? Pfeiffer has a perfume line now.

Yes Nell Scovell is completely psychotic.

R337 it was Chanel for Men. It was the 90s, but the thought of wearing cologne now makes me cringe.

I used to go to nude beaches. I'm a grown man. My mother heard there was one near her. She said to me I hope you've never gone to one of those! I said of course not! It's just easier.

John Jr was taking the lessons anyway and just made his mother think he wasn't. Though I'm surprised the paparazzi didn't get wind of it.

Is this thread the first appearance of "goshdarn" on this site?

Going way back: Bing Crosby.

Tom Hanks, wow. However, 3 things make this believable:

1. Married to Rita Wilson, which ppl here seem to agree is petty, mean, etc.

2. Good friends with Julia Roberts.

3. Together, with Rita, raised Chet Hanks. Ugh!

[quote]Glenn Close was as sweet as can be.

I don’t believe this. There’s a reason why her peers refuse to give her an Oscar.

So Stalin knew what horse piss tastes like?

One celebrity mom who is also a celeb in her own right is Victoria Beckham. I had dinner with a British Airways CSD and he mentioned that when he worked for BMI that Victoria would bring food for the kids and then go sit in the galley with the stews with her hair in those curlers that look like soup cans. Evidently the ice queen carapace is just that.

R344: More importantly, she needs to learn how to act.

[quote]it enters a room before Jared does!

And sometimes that's all that enters!

I live 3,000 miles from Meryl, and not once has she ever said "hello" or even waved. I will rescind her invitation to my coffee klatsch.

R349, that made me genuinely laugh out loud. I am sorry that you've not had positive experiences with Meryl, though.

Ron Jeremy

Who loves Ron Jeremy??

[quote] Sondheim was certainly good to James Lapine when he had no particular reason to be, Lapine being 20 years younger and not very proven.

But was Lapine pliable?

Bing Crosby is a complicated case. I don't know if it constitutes "nice" but during WWII he was really tireless in all the things he did and places he went supporting the troops. And he was great to Judy Garland after her MGM stint was over, he had her on his show almost as a regular, when she needed positive publicity. There are many stories of his kindness. And he wasn't known as a bastard. But he could be frosty, and he was a terrible father.

R308 - Is that Alfred E. Newman?

[quote] John Cusack. Have heard that waiters can only talk to him for his order through 'his staff'.

Not a surprise. He definitely gives off an "asshole" aura, at least for me.

I live in the same state as Meryl and the bitch has never given me the time of day! What a cunt!

Why does she have to hog all the good parts for 72 year olds?

Beyond friendly celebs from multiple encounters: Queen Latifah, Diane Keaton, Niki & Paris Hilton, Robert Pattison, Paula Abdul, Sissy Spacek, Jessica Lange, Vanessa Hudgens. I think DL fave, but Donna Mills. I was too young for her hey day but she was actually a neighbor when I was a kid and she was always really friendly.

AWFUL Celebs - Ryan Murphy & Jada Pinkett Smith.

Honestly, I have been in contact with more nice celebs than awful ones.

I read this story when it first appeared in VF, so the details are a bit fuzzy -- JFK, Jr. nearly got himself and a girlfriend killed by taking an unnecessary risk. He left a part of his kayak at home when they went on vacation to Jamaica. It was the part that keeps water from getting into the kayak and sinking it. No problem -- he thinks it's OK to take it out in the surf. Very bad idea. After coming within a hair of drowning, the couple makes it to the beach. First thing John John says? "Don't tell my mother."

Were there prophecies that JFK Jr. would die young that haunted Jackie?

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ronald Reagan.

Reagan was a nice man, politics aside. Nancy was a cunt but no one thought she was ever nice.

No, he actually wasn't.

Ronald Reagan was an asshole to "played" nice.

[quote]Reagan was a nice man, politics aside.

How old are you, R363, twelve? Reagan was a shallow, self-centered and vapid man. There's enough evidence readily available to show there was also something seriously wrong with his mind going back at least to the 1960s. He INTRODUCED HIMNSELF to his own son at the kid's HS graduation.

My friend is an art buyer who was interested in some of Don Gummer's sculptures. He had a dinner with Don and his wife and said the wife saw how my friend did not eat the gristle on his meal plate which caused her to give him the death stare.

R367 - Did Mrs. Gummer force said friend to stay at the house and be served that same gristly meat for every meal, for days, until he finally broke down and ate it?

Reports from MAMMA MIA on location in Skopelos, Greece were that Meryl Streep threw herself in front of an oncoming steam locomotive, stopping it dead right before it collided with a school bus filled with elderly nuns and orphan children that was stranded on the tracks. Miss Streep then lept to her feet, dusted herself off, and hustled back to the set just in time to rework the "Super Trouper" choreography with Julie Walters and Christine Baranski.

I worked on "I Could Go On Singing" as an intern. Judy Garland was very friendly in the afternoon, but as the day went on she got rather belligerent.

And she shat in the wastepaper bin all of the time, which I, as the lowly intern, had to clean out.

I had a very pleasant conversation for a few minutes with Elizabeth Montgomery back in the early 90s, a couple of years before she passed. She was working on one of the Edna Buchanan movies at the time and she just seemed very down to earth. I didn’t ask her to twitch her nose or anything, because I knew she didn’t like that, but we had a very brief conversation about “Bewitched” and her comment was simply “I can’t believe people are still loving it after all these years”. I had the impression she was focused on the present and knew what she wanted, but was mostly kind about it.

[quote] a couple of years before she passed.

What did she pass?

I met Montgomery back in the early 90s as well. She was amazing because she seemed never to age... and that voice. God what a voice! We didn't talk Bewitched because I thought she must be so tired of it and that must be what everybody talks about. So I raised the Lizzie Borden movie. Now I have a scar from twenty stitches down the back of my head.

[quote] we had a very brief conversation about “Bewitched” and her comment was simply “I can’t believe people are still loving it after all these years”.

I had a somewhat similar encounter with Dody Goodman, albeit less rewarding. This was in the late 80s, and she had been rehearsing a show in a theater where I worked in NYC. She was sitting in the lobby with a 1000 mile stare, but knew I was there as we were the only only two people in the relatively small room. I said how much I had enjoyed "Mary Hartman" (which being young I had watched in reruns). Without even looking at me she said, "Oh my, do people actually still watch that?" and then returned to her 1000 mile stare. I didn't get the feeling that she was being intentionally rude or condescending so much as that she was honestly oblivious and rather vapid.

to be honest it does amaze me how often these lucky fucktards fail to just politely say 'thank you.'

Once I was blowing a guy in what I thought was acceptable privacy near a trail through Runyon Canyon, when along comes Jackie Collins in a leopard print spandex trackie. I'm gushing away and all she sez is 'don't distract me, I'm writing all this down in my notebook.' It was nice to end up in Hollywood Husbands but that's not the way it happened at all.

Can’t believe that Robin Roberts is as nice as she appears to be on GMA. There’s an insincerity to her. She seems…phony.

R377, my mom said the same exact thing yesterday! My mom also said "without makeup, she's as ugly as Oprah is (Without makeup. Horrifying!"

[quote]And she shat in the wastepaper bin all of the time, which I, as the lowly intern, had to clean out.

Did you change the cue cards to say, "I Could Go On Shitting" to see if she would notice?

I don't believe any celebrities are nice except for Henry Winkler. I believe their PR reps are swarming over this thread.

I know someone working on the new Sissy Spacek show who said she’s an absolute nightmare. The entire crew, including costar JK Simmons, can’t stand her. She treats everyone like shit and makes ridiculous demands that arent in people’s job descriptions. Apparently Simmons is really nice and laid back though.

R380 Ridiculous statement. Celebrities like Angelina Jolie can be just as saintly as their agents proclaim.

These stories are both second hand but : Norah O Donnell is allegedly a nasty cold shark eyed cunt. Charlie Rose is (from what I'm told) a belligerent asshole.

From deux moi

I also was with Elizabeth Montgomery in the early 90s and we. Bullshit.

Back in 'Nam in 1969, Meryl Streep saved the life of my father, his entire platoon, and a small village when she threw herself on a land mine planted by the Viet Cong.

She leapt to her feet, dusted herself off, and returned to Vassar to finish her sophomore year and play Emily quite winningly in "Our Town."

[quote]Bess Myerson almost punched me

I with Datalounge would make her a DL icon. Such an interesting life: Miss America (the only Jewish winner so far), a concert pianist (played Rachmaninoff's 2nd Concerto at Carnegie Hall), helped save Grand Central Station along with Jackie O. (and apparently punched people there), television personality (The Big Payoff, I've Got A Secret, The Today Show), consumer affairs commissioner (involved in consumer protection laws including the amount of peanuts in mixed nuts, etc.), presidential commission advisor (violence, mental health, workplace issues, hunger), used her celebrity to help get Ed Koch elected mayor of NYC, ran for U.S. Senate (unsuccessfully), was once arrested for shoplifting, and even had a scandal (the "Bess Mess") involving an affair with a sewer contractor and a sensational trial. What more do you need to become a DL icon?

Meryl happened to be on a layover at NYC's LaGuardia airport when the terrorist attacks occurred on September 11, 2001. On hearing the news she quickly took a subway to the site and personally held up Building 7 for more than 6 hours, stopping only for a quick slice of pizza offered by a stranger. The building collapsed the moment she let go of it. "Well, I guess then my work is done here," she said with a smirk to noone in particular, as she dusted herself off and caught a cab to Connecticunt.

Kathy Griffin made me cry and run screaming from the room and wet my pants!

To counter all this Meryl love I first saw her in Andrei Serban's The Cherry Orchard with Irene Worth at the Vivian Beaumont produced by Joe Papp and at the curtain call she didn't even wave to me. No acknowledgement whatsoever. It was humiliating.

Dan Levy should be nicer to people. He's not especially good looking and his acting talent only extends to playing himself. He may need some goodwill in a few years.

R391 Have you ever met any people? They are exasperating. Not just the fat whores but your everyday trash. Leave Dan Levy alone!

[quote] Norah O Donnell is allegedly a nasty cold shark eyed cunt. Charlie Rose is (from what I'm told) a belligerent asshole.

Both of those descriptions sound extremely likely just by watching them on their "good" behavior.

[quote] Dan Levy should be nicer to people. He's not especially good looking and his acting talent only extends to playing himself. He may need some goodwill in a few years.

As much as I enjoyed Schitt's Creek, I found it ridiculous the parade of hot, sexy boyfriends his character enjoyed. It was very SJP from Sex in the Booty; old horseface was awash in studs wanting to do her. I guess it helps when you exec-prod your own show. Levy's talents lay more writing and producing, which is where I expect his career will take him.

It's an open secret the while she's playing the "good" neighbour, Meryl hangs out in her backyard with her laptop, trashing Dan Levy on message boards.

Dan’s only project a year after schitt’s creek won 1000 Emmys is an animated presentation for Hulu. So yeah. The goodwill might be useful….

[quote] Can’t believe that Robin Roberts is as nice as she appears to be on GMA. There’s an insincerity to her. She seems…phony.

Hmm ... She seems nice to me. Never picked up on phoniness.

IMO, Angelina Jolie is probably both extremely empathic and, also, extremely self-absorbed and insecure (despite everything).

I had a friend who was both empathic and self-absorbed like I imagine AJ is. It was hard to be friends with him, but he was the type of person you could call at 2:00 a.m.

Therefore, I can believe that us "nobodies" might have a positive, random encounter with AJ.

You and me both.

My husband and I were invited to a rich gay couple's bbq in Bedford, NY. Beautiful house, beautiful grounds, and a nice little get together. About an hour into it, we see a figure walking through the meadow surrounding the property, making its way towards us, wearing a large floppy straw hat and loose, billowy, comfortable clothing.

Our hosts said "oh, that's our neighbor" and motioned for her to come over.

It was Glenn Close.

She came over, said hello, and asked if we had any cookies! We directed her to a cookie platter on the table, she placed a few in a napkin, said her goodbyes, and went on her way.

It was the most surreal experience I've ever had.

R400 Slightly disappointed it wasn’t Martha Stewart as I just watched the MTV Cribs episode about the Bedford compound.

Christie Teagren ain’t as nice as people think.

Montgomery Ward was a downright asshole.

Poor thing. She thought it was my house.

R400 - All this time, who knew Glenn Close was the cookie monster?

R400 I guess she could see your cookie smelling face from across the meadow.

[quote]Richard Rodgers wrote that he saw Sondheim grow from a beautiful boy into a monster.

Sounds like the typical biography of a great genius to me. Anyway, what did you expect Rodgers to say - surely I'm not the only one who thinks he is a primary model for Franklin Shepard?

R296 asked whether "the kids" even know who Sondheim is. My niece has a tattoo of one of his lyrics. (She didn't learn it from me.)

I may be able to solve the R110 ONJ conundrum. I can't imagine her calling Karen Carpenter "Fatso" to her face, but if she did it in conversation with friends, that's just Australian. It's an Australian tradition to say the opposite of what you mean. Thus redheads are called Bluey, "you old bastard!" is a greeting for your best friend but never something you'd say to someone you don't like, etc. Whereas Americans would call Gary Cooper "Slim", Australians would make that a nickname for, say, Danny de Vito.

R142 wonders why Christopher Reeve moved away when he asked a question which was not about him. R142 needs to read the Datalounge Primer "How to Interest Celebrities".

I'm waiting for Dan Levy's real life fruit wine commercial. Or perhaps a revival of Bartles and Jaymes.

[quote]Can’t believe that Robin Roberts is as nice as she appears to be on GMA. There’s an insincerity to her. She seems…phony.

She's a phony ass bitch.

He seems perfectly nice here

I live across the street from Meryl Streep. I bumped into her once at the grocery store and she was packing other people's grocery bags.

Michelle Obama

. I can't imagine her calling Karen Carpenter "Fatso" to her face, but if she did it in conversation with friends, that's just Australian.

it's a fuckin JOKE! The poster made it up, she never said it- it's an ongoing DL joke ffs!

Robin Roberts has a good reputation as a team player at work. Or at least she used to.

I'm Meryl Streep's roommate and she's a cunt.

Didn't Meryl get out counted by Julia Roberts?

cunted*

R416: Julia's [italic]Sesame Street[/italic] appearance was with Elmo, not the Count.

Elmo can take a fist like no one can

I've had 3 pretty damn good freewheeling conversations with Lily. She's effortlessly breezy, totally interesting — actually a little kooky in a normal way you'd kinda expect for such a creative dynamo. Lily also put the breaks on a topic, clear up a matter and set a the record straight if needed. Even when it comes to talking about domestic chores between her and Jane. The gal is A-OK!

Let's clear up a matter and put the breaks on it, R420:

I'm Lily. Jane does all the domestic chores.

Anyone else?

My brother encountered Billy Joel and Kristie Brinkley as a hotel employee: he was nice, her... not so much.

Leslie Mann is a cunt

R423, he was drunk.

"I bet Kate Capshaw doesn't pull any of that shit."

Can't give details but that bitch is bat-shit crazy.

R426 is Tammy Cruise

I once accosted F. Murray Abraham in a little French restaurant in Minneapolis. I'd drunk two bottles of wine and I don't know how much armagnac, and I overheard him ordering his meal in French, which made me want to go give him a piece of my mind. I walked over to him, leaned a little heavily on his table, and upset the table onto its side. He scooted back in his chair in such a way that he fell flat on his back while upsetting a neighboring table. A wine glass fell from that table and hit him right in the middle of the forehead. I was mortified by all of this, naturally, and sprang forward to take his arm and get him on his feet. He gave me a terrified look but then quickly pulled himself together and apologized to ME, if you can imagine, in perfect French. What a sublime gentleman!

R428 And that’s how Tom Hulce got the role as Mozart.

This does't gauge how nice she is, but maybe how quirky. I was eating at Hudson Corner Cafe (when it existed) on Hudson and 11th early in the evening on a weeknight - the place was pretty empty. Andrea Martin came in and dined alone. She wore no makeup, had messy hair and dressed very casually. After dinner, she took a duffel bag or back pack to the restroom, where she remained for 20-30 mins. When she came out, she was fully made up, hair pristine, dressed up and looked red-carpet ready. Just found it odd that she couldn't have prepared elsewhere (and still eaten), other than in a public restroom. Granted, it was a private restroom, but it was still weird.

Having known Meryl Streep personally(we lived in the same household for a long time)and on a fairly close level, I can't believe anybody would say anything less than flattering about her.

No surprise about Leslee Mann. She’s the embodiment of someone who’s never been a beauty and has relentlessly mediocre acting talent. She’ll always be in the middle ranks at best in Hollywood and is seriously pissed about it. Sort of like Rita Wilson. Her hubby Judd Apatow ain’t exactly Mr. Nice Guy, either.

Leslie Mann is a horrendous actor. I felt bad for Cameron Diaz when she had to act along side Mann in The Other Woman

Heard Maude Apatow isn't nice either. But i do like her character on Euphoria.

[quote]I was surprised to read here Christopher Reeve was an arrogant jerk.

Oh, dear. I lived on the UWS all through the 80s and 90s and interacted a large number of times with Christopher Reeve, both years before and even after his awful accident. I even waited on him and his children by Gay Exton when they were small, and at no time was he ever anything but kind, thoughtful and charming. He was so sweet with his older kids and they adored their father.

I once got confused and with his sandy brown hair mistook him for a guy in my acting class and stopped him on the street to catch up. The awareness that I had made this goof became clear after we'd been gabbing for a minute and I apologized and said, "I don't think you're who I thought you were, why are you so familiar?" After he told me he just laughed and said he thought I had mistaken him for someone else, but wasn't sure and didn't want to be rude. I thought that was nice!

Leslie Mann's daughter looks just as insufferable if not worse......

I have a feeling Sandra bullock, Bradley Cooper are not that nice at all. I get a harsh, berating, head teacher vibe from her. Cooper just creeps me out.

"Nice" is a fundamental part of Bullock's brand personality, less so for Cooper. They're both very, very private, so who knows what the truth is?

Bullock at least has a very good rep with a lot of cast and crew who've worked with her, compared to say, Julia Roberts, who has always been a nightmare.

Not that this is an excuse, but Julia Roberts became the most famous woman in the world after about three years in Hollywood when she was 21 years old, so I don't think she ever had an experience of hard-knocks. Everything was handed to her, seemingly (her brother got her her first film role) so not surprised that she has no conception of reality. Bullock is older than Roberts and became famous a good half-decade after, she did have to struggle a bit, so I would guess she's a bit more sensitive.

I worked on a Julia Roberts film some years ago. One day there was breaking news that a building had collapsed in the East Village. She cried out “I live in the East Village? What block?” She was told which block it was and she responded “Oh, that’s not my block so that’s OK!” And she guffawed that Julia guffaw. And we all stared back at her.

R423 I've always found something off putting and strange about Brinkleys frozen plastered on smile. Brinkleys facial expression closely resembles that of Calista Gingrich. Shudder. She has a great skin regimen and surgeon though!

[quote]Leslie Mann's daughter looks just as insufferable if not worse......

Leslie has two girls with that fug creep Judd Apatow. The 'actress' daughter who does the Jergen's lotion TV ad with Leslie, could barely get through one line in the TV ad. Isn't that same daughter in EUPHORIA? If so, she's terrible on that show. We all know why she's there.

The daughter in the linked IG, looks like she's already had a nose job. Quelle surprise!

Maude is the one who's on Euphoria. And the other one is friends with Taylor Swift.

Sun-Yi - nasty, self absorbed, cunning, ruthless but really stupid. I suppose that's Woody's influence.

I'm Meryl Streep and if it was possible I would kick myself in the CUNT bone.

R407 I guess since the thread title is "Celebrities We Love...", I thought it meant universally beloved celebrities. Not New York theatre songwriters. But that's just how I interpreted it. I'm probably wrong.

If you want the truth about Dan Levy ask literally ANY Canadian that worked in Toronto in the music/PR/media/entertainment world between 2007-2012. He was a nightmare.

I've skied many times with Julia Roberts In Taos and she couldn't be lovelier. She's funny. competitive. and good ol boy type. Solid.

R47 Good for her. It's called customer service.

I saw Chynna Phillips and Keanu Reeves together with his (?) girlfriend in Malibu a couple of weeks ago. I'm pretty sure China Chow and Billy Idol were with them as well but my friend couldn't confirm because they were trailing after them at a distance and were both high and drunk. The three of them were coming out of a restaurant. I forget which one because I was very tipsy at the time. I was visiting a dear friend I hadn't seen in like a year due to Covid. Anyway, I was like "OMG THAT'S THE BLONDE CHICK THAT SINGS HOLD ON AND THE MATRIX GUY!!!!" and she smiled and laughed and was like "yes!! hey, how are you?" and he just smirked and was so fucking handsome.

r450 - I want to confirm I was high and drunk, not anyone I saw when visiting my friend.

I once worked with Elaine Stritch. Let's just say she was not the cuddly fuzzball everyone assumes her to be. She was more like an angry attention whore with alcohol issues. I don't know what Ben Gazzara ever saw in her.

I would never expect Meryl Streep to be nice. She seems like a self-important elitist cunt, and has for pretty much her entire career. The Weinstein shit was the nail in the coffin of my hatred for her.

Why would anyone expect Stritch to be a cuddly fuzzball. I always figured her 30 Rock character didn't require much "acting".

Meryl Streep discovered early on that the goofy, self-effacing facade worked for her. She was initially stiff and quite uncomfortable doing press, and rather soft-spoken (since she's not immersing herself in a character and a script, as per her training). Many mistook this as evidence of her shy, sweet, and humble nature.

It's not, though.

It's become her schtick.

Someone I revere, so I cannot name, was (allegedly) very rude to a no-name grunt helping out at a private event. The grunt was directly assisting the VIP who never said hello or goodbye although she was standing a foot away and was in physical contact. You may be able to guess who it is.

Also, who "loves" Leslie Mann except for her schlubby husband/employer? She has always come across as an absolute phony cunt in every sense of the word. Watching this press interview she did with Dakota Johnson and Alison Brie a few years back cemented my hatred for her. To call her obnoxious and unprofessional would be a gross understatement. I wish someone in the audience had assassinated her.

Is it REALLY Judd Apatow's dick in Popstar or is he just fucking with us? Inquiring minds want to know.

No one wants to guess who it is in your idiotic post R456.

Bald, fat, and on the rag r459.

[quote][R450] - I want to confirm I was high and drunk, not anyone I saw when visiting my friend.

No worries - anyone who follows Chyna Phillips on Youtube knows she's high on Jesus! And nothing else!

R452 are you ok, dear? Deeply confused? Day drinking?

The pic below is Gena Rowlands. Who is not Elaine Stritch!

R451 Are you sure you're not still high and drunk?

R462 This is probably a sophisticated joke I'm too stupid to get (?) -- but Ben Gazzara was married to Elaine Stritch, for a couple of years.

Oh, right you are and egg on my face! But I read they were shacked up but not married. Before I was born! Now I'm curious. How old are you?

465 They were married before I was born, too. But I read, sometimes.

(I was watching Anatomy Of A Murder on TCM and Googled him.)

[quote][R462] This is probably a sophisticated joke I'm too stupid to get (?) -- but Ben Gazzara was married to Elaine Stritch, for a couple of years.

What? Where did you ever get that? Gazzara and Stritch were never married! Elaine was only ever married to closeted gay John Bay whose family owned an English Muffin company.

Leslie Mann's twee little girl voice alone is vertigo inducing. I find, straight men who are attracted to women who sound like little girls to be suspect.

Those little girl voices on grown women are incredibly creepy. Apatow is definitely some kind of perv. His films are so one-note, high school level nonsense.

It's amazing what passes for talent these days. It's sad that so many truly talented people can't get their foot in the door. Yet these repetitive hacks are constantly working.

These people must have some incredible dirt on these Hollywood executives, because there is so much crap coming out of Hollywood, you have to wonder how half this garbage gets made. There are now endless re-makes of old TV shows and old films.

Where the hell is the actual originality?!

Ben Gazzara was married to Janice Rule and also had a long term relationship with Audrey Hepburn.

Never heard of him paring up with Elaine Stritch.

Gazzara and Stritch were engaged for awhile between his 1st and second marriages.

Elaine Stritch was STRAIGHT?!

I just can’t envision any filmmaker thinking “let’s get Leslie Mann for this project!”

Or, any filmgoer thinking “I can’t wait to see the new Leslie Mann movie!”

Who can actually listen to Leslie Mann's voice for more than FIVE minutes!?

She always seemed like a Pound Store Lindsay Duncan to me.

Stritch and Gazzara dated for awhile.

Would not have thought that Gazzara would be attracted to butch types.

For all of the crazy and narcissism, Elaine Stritch scored some good dick when she was younger: Gazzara and Marlon Brando, among others.

Brando fucked her and Elaine fell for him and stalked him. As Elaine would later share with audiences, Brando finally said to her:

"Elaine, I want two things from you. Silence. And distance."

R428 is a real life I LOVE LUCY episode.

R430 - When I worked in theatre admin in NYC, I met tons of celebrities and famous actors on the job. Out of all of those, weirdly, Andrea Martin was the only one who actually made me gush. She couldn't have been lovelier or more unassuming.

[quote] Bullock at least has a very good rep with a lot of cast and crew who've worked with her, compared to say, Julia Roberts, who has always been a nightmare.

I think Bullock was one of the first A-list celebrities to show up at the Raspberries to collect her worst-of-year prizes and laughed about how much she earned it. If nothing else, she seems to have a good sense of humor and modesty. She strikes me as someone who is hard as nails when she needs to be, but otherwise decent and kind. Never got a bitch vibe from her like, say, Nicole Kidman.

[quote] She was more like an angry attention whore with alcohol issues. I don't know what Ben Gazzara ever saw in her.

A mirror image?

[quote] Where the hell is the actual originality?!

We outsourced it to India sometime in the 1990s.

[quote] Elaine Stritch was STRAIGHT?!

Yup. Straight to the bar!

R476 - Of course Stritch flew TWAT airlines...

Henry Winkler is one of the nicest guys around. I've never heard anyone say anything negative about him. My cousin once nervously asked him in an airport if he is "the Fonz" and he replied "Aiiii!" Love that guy!

For all of this Elaine Stritch with Ben Gazzara, Brando, don't forget Sinatra, bullshit - ALL of these "relationships" were PLATONIC.

Source? Ben Gazzara. His name kept popping up because Elaine claimed him in her resume of dates. He said they did date a little, he said it was totally platonic. When Stritch finally married at practically 50, it was to a gay man.

Elaine was a professional curmudgeon (that's kind), and most people assume she was gay or the eternal Catholic girl who couldn't do it. In years past, when anyone here speculated on her sexuality, it awakened the evil David Ehrenstein who could not bear the mention of such a thing.

You know Meryl Streep is a stage name?

You do [italic]know[/italic] Meryl Streep's legal first name is actually Julie?

I'd think you'd know that by by now.

R488, nope. It’s Mary.

Julie Mary Kuntz.

Everybody knows that.

R490 actually it’s Mary Magdalene Peeps.

Actually I thought her name was Mary Louise Streep.

R492, it is, however Julia Roberts first name actually is Julie.

People changing their first names is pretentious. Embrace your ugly name. It's what your Mama wanted.

Gazzara's bio on imdb.com mentions that he and Elaine Stritch lived together for 2 years.

See link below - look under Trivia.

And WHERE does that info come from other than a fan writing it, R495? I can't imagine a man "living" with a woman he didn't have sex with for two years.

R437, you can tell on the Ocean's 8 press tour that Sandy wasn't very nice. She seemed very uptight in all the interviews.

[quote]For all of this Elaine Stritch with Ben Gazzara, Brando, don't forget Sinatra, bullshit - ALL of these "relationships" were PLATONIC.

If I were betting my own money, I'd wager Elaine (whom I'd met a few times) was likely a deeply closeted lesbian and that she died a virgin. Those are the only two things that would make her bio make sense. She wasn't "exciting", she was "well-placed" in a NY theater timeline and obviously had talent to play a number of roles she was well-suited for.

Her one-woman show's success was due to George C. Wolfe and John Lahr. Listening to Elaine onstage riffing on the same stories a few years after "At Liberty" was a disaster. She wasn't nearly the raconteur her authors created, and by then was really losing the thread. She sang fourteen songs and badly mangled the lyrics of thirteen of them. She was always a horror and a wreckless pain in the ass!

Julianne Moore’s real name is Julie Anne Smith and she’s known by her friends and work colleagues as Julie.

[quote] People changing their first names is pretentious. Embrace your ugly name. It's what your Mama wanted.

STFU Diana!

[quote] I can't imagine a man "living" with a woman he didn't have sex with for two years.

Clearly R496 has never been married...

[quote] you can tell on the Ocean's 8 press tour that Sandy [Bullock] wasn't very nice. She seemed very uptight in all the interviews.

Probably because she knew she out there marketing yet another steaming flop. Would YOU want to go a press tour for that turd?

I live across from this woman and she's a total cunt. Complains about everything little thing. Get a life, bitch.

Maybe this is for the celebs who give you bad vibes, because AFAIK there's no rep for him as a nice guy, or any rep, but Jacob elordi gives me the shudders everytime I see him. Get real bad, almost evil vibes.

R450 "was so fucking handsome"????? He looks like one of those new species of primate they discover in New Guinea from time to time.

R450

Reeves has lost it. He's beginning to look like the Golem.

Look cunts, I used to live across the road from a motel, and yes, I didn't give those vermin guests the time of day! Neighbors my ass!

R496 Ever hear of Bill and Hillary Clinton or Donald and Melania Trump?

[quote]People changing their first names is pretentious.

I hate that!

Big difference R509, those are married for 46 years/23 years.

I was going to post Meryl's real name (Julie) but r488 beat me to it. It's one for the regulars.

R492 Yes that is correct. But her first name is Mary and second name Louise, unlike someone like Mary-Louise Parker who has two first names hinged together.

I think most of the actors in Hollywood don't use their birth names or change them around a bit for various reasons.

R410 God, young people are even more nauseatingly insincere than their elders.

Seriously, r499?

I so don't get the Dan Levy thing. I have a niece, straight, who is so head-over-heels for Dan Levy on Schitt's Creek. I was like, Really, as a hot guy? What about Ted (Dustin Milligan) or Mutt (Tim Rozon)? No, they're dogs, according to her, compared with Dan Levy!!!????

He's better looking than his father.

^Low bar, though I always liked Eugene Levy's thing, esp. in the Christopher Guest movies.

Uhhh, yeah, R515.

Why are you questioning this?

Dan Levy is like catnip to straight women. They think he’s hot. They love him. .

I'm a background actor, been on many sets with celebrities.

The nicest: Emma Thompson

The worst: James Franco

R521 dish the dirt on Franco!

R521 Once in the late 90s my then boyfriend and I were walking along Second Ave at about 10th Street. We were going to a birthday party for a friend at Spaghetteria, which was at 12th, and crossing the street boyfriend (who had the most developed celebrity antennae ever) realized that Emma Thompson was crossing the street against us. He got in her face to tell her how much he adored her, and would she like to make the day of our friend and show up with us at his birthday party. I was mortified that he put her on the spot like that, but she deflected the invitation so gracefully, it was amazing. I was in awe of her social skill, which I suppose, really, wasn't a "skill" but was just her kindness.

R521 Trusting that you broke up with him that night.

I also work as a background actor and Emma Thompson is genuinely warm and friendly. On the set of that Late Night film she learned the names of the entire crew by Day 3 and when we’d pull a Fraturday (Friday night into Saturday morning) she’d have pizzas delivered to set at 3 am. And the pizza was from great pizza places like John’s.

Poppy Montgomery on that awful series Unforgettable was notorious for being a raging cunt, often locking herself in her dressing room because she hated the scripts. Gee, she hasn’t gotten much work since then, has she?

[quote]Cindy Brady is bonkers.

R523 sounds like Emma has alot of patience. I would not have handled that invitation well.

It is important to remember celebrities are people too and have their good and bad days.

I remember reading YEARS ago, long before the internet a pieces where Ellen Burstyn brushed aside a fan wanting an autograph. Within a few seconds Ellen did a turnaround, apologised and happily signed an autograph, engaged with the fan and apologised. She was headed off to catch a plane.

Celebrities like anybody you may encounter may be have a terrible day or have just heard some really bad news. I believe in cutting people slack unless the behaviour has been reported on a regular basis and they have reputation for it. Otherwise it is usually just one of those days for them.

[quote]sounds like Emma has a lot of patience

Decades of practice at handling admirers deftly. All the lines at the ready, then move on.

I live up in Meryl Streep's vagina and she's always been very warm to me.

R530 is this is how it went down?

Thankyou r528 I couldn't have said it better! YOU GODDAMN LITTLE HOMOSEXUAL BOY!!

If you want to hear an ugly story about Julie Andrews, ask Reed Birney. Robert Osborne was indeed one of the world's nicest men. Was at a wedding with Meryl and it was clear that she was being shielded from the rest of the guests. When I crossed paths with her I was drunk enough to step up and tell her how much I admired her work. She took my hand squeezed it and look startled that had broken "the rules." But said nothing. Then I watched her go outside to share a joint. Sondheim is gracious and pleasant with people who are intelligent and interested in his work. But he does not suffer fools gladly, nor should he. I did research in his townhouse for several days and he was lovely. Got to know his staff and they told me had his cranky days, but they all adored him. I live very near Edie Falco and she is low-key, cautiously friendly, and has nice children and a dog. Hugh Jackman also lives nearby and haven't heard a bad word about him.

That's it for now.

No one expects them to be nice, but I'll throw in that I've known several members of the Bush family, and every one of them was an egotistical, rude, conspiratorial asshole.

Did you know GW?

Because these days his rep is getting whitewashed - he’s not a lying, inept warmonger, that was Cheney, silly.

Georgie boy is A O K !

I could just puke.

Friends went to see Leto in a play where he was going to be nude on stage, just so they could get a look at that dick of his.

They said it was repulsive. Looked like a potato.

[quote]No one expects them to be nice, but I'll throw in that I've known several members of the Bush family, and every one of them was an egotistical, rude, conspiratorial asshole.

WHY? Never understood why celebrities, and other famous people, are expected to be rude or even expect some with a good rep, to be personable. These people entertain us, that's it. Are they really so special and better than anyone else?

I'm not talking about politicians, I'm talking about entertainers. Politicians are a whole other kettle of fish, I see them as failed celebrities. Politicians likely wanted fame and attention, yet didn't have have any talent, so they decided to enter another field which gave them public attention.

Celebrities aren't coming up with the cure for cancer or for any rare disease. They are simply humans who have talent in a specific field. Period. Never understood why so many people are obsessed with celebrities.

Honestly, these people are not 'better' than anyone else. I don't understand why the general public puts these people on such pedestals.

These people entertain, don't expect much more from them. These people are not changing the world in any significant ways.

A few years back, I interviewed Ivanka, Don Jr., and Eric at Trump Tower on the occasion of the opening of the Trump Hotel in DC. Before Daddy announced his Presidential run. All were polite, friendly, outgoing, and hospitable. Of course, they were selling a product, but they were entirely professional. Inside, however, they were monsters waiting to happen. So appearances can be deceiving.

[quote]If you want to hear an ugly story about Julie Andrews, ask Reed Birney....Was at a wedding with Meryl and it was clear that she was being shielded from the rest of the guests...Then I watched her go outside to share a joint.

Okay, R533, don't tease us.

What is the tea on Julie Andrews being ugly?

Were you joking or was Meryl really toking? (I'm not shocked, merely surprised.)

In short, Reed was a HUGE fan of Andrews and when he got to know her daughter from some theater work, he was invited to stay with the family in, I think, Switzerland. He left after his stay having discovered that she was no Mary Poppins nor Maria von Trapp, and was really disheartened. There's more, but that's all I can share.

As for Meryl toking, absolutely. She and hubby and another guy shared a joint while waiting for their car. (Incidentally, I didn't see her arrive at the host hotel, but I was told she was heavily veiled, like the widow of a medieval monarch.)

Thanks, R540.

[quote]I was told she was heavily veiled, like the widow of a medieval monarch

I freaking love this.

I remember an interview where she said that attending weddings in particular is problematic because a celebrity’s appearance will pull all of the attention away from the bride.

The Queen rarely attends weddings or funerals for this reason r542. Lucky bitch

My friend Julie is a real cunt.

[quote] I'm not talking about politicians, I'm talking about entertainers. Politicians are a whole other kettle of fish, I see them as failed celebrities.

Politicians might as well be entertainers. They deliver daily, masterful performances in the theatre of the absurd.

I live near Meryl in CT and used to hear stories of her puffing on a joint.

I don’t get why anyone would bother these people. I’ve had famous neighbors but would never ask for an autograph or even mention their work unless I’ve really gotten to know them.

I think it’s creepy and intrusive, and I don’t want to be anyone’s fan.

On youtube there are shorts called diva on diva where a famous actress or singer will talk about another. There is one where Bacall is talking about Kate. She says Kate wasn't a bitch and I'm not a bitch. I thought not according to everyone who has ever had any dealings with you.

I'm the one who wrote Julie when she was making Poppins called one of the chimney sweeps without even looking at him a 'fucking traitor' when she heard he was going on to make MFL. Julie stories are always welcome.

DL fave Joyce Bulifant's autobio has plenty on James MacArthur and Helen Hayes during the time she was married to him. I had such a crush on him when I was a boy. He was no Disney prince. In fact he was a real shit. And Helen was no sweet old lady. Good stuff. He was married to Melody Patterson for a year. No wonder it was only a year. She probably told him to get the fuck out. I was crazy about her in F Troop.

[quote]Robert Osborne was indeed one of the world's nicest men.

I've heard that Osbourne was very selective with his niceness. Of course anything would be better that than incompetent asshole and a half, Ben Mankiewicz.

Show business is not meant for nice people OP.

Not sure she's lobed but I get a really nasty vibe from Jessica chastain. Or maybe its just my bias because I have contempt for her.

Jessica Chastain is not loved. She has talent, for sure, and technique (she's a Juilliard grad) but she has always been more of a critical darling than a popular draw with the public. I find her a very cold and remote presence onscreen, and I don't think I'm in the minority.

The Hollywood powers that be have been trying to convince us otherwise for almost a decade now, and it still hasn't clicked.

I've read Julie Andrews' two recent autobiographies and was surprised by the amount of turmoil she experienced in her personal life growing up in England and also as a star. Blake was no picnic to live with and one gets the sense she's somewhat bitter. Yet, she does a great job of presenting a dignified veneer.

Well put R551; I happened to catch some of the clips of Chastain trying to promote that last X Men movie (Dark Phoenix?) when she's trying to yuck it up with Fassbender (who was clearly over it) & McAvoy and it was just painful. She's not bad, but I can never remember thinking that any particular movie would be good because she's in it

I find Chastain acts in her own movie a lot times. Like she doesn't connect well or truthfully with other actors and is always giving a stand alone performance.

I liked Lauren Bacall, albeit I never encountered her

I still like Bacall despite having an unpleasant encounter with her as a store clerk. I was expecting it so I was ready and knew not to take it personally.

R552 - Ooooh ooooh. I have a fun Julie Andrews story.

Many, many years ago (1990?), my parents were visiting me in Manhattan and we happened to be standing outside of the Rhiga Royal hotel deciding where to go for lunch. Suddenly, a limousine comes to screeching halt right in front of us and Julie Andrews (looking perfect) pops out and rushes to us. She is super enthusiastic, introduces herself (as if we wouldn't know), and reaches out to shake all of our hands which we oblige somewhat dumbfounded. Within a minute her handler appears and gently moves her away from us; she turns, offers a dazzling smile and apologizes. He then walks her over to a small group of businessmen standing 12 feet away. LOL. Best celebrity encounter (for me) ever.

Why was Bacall so difficult? She doesn't seem to be a diva bitch ala Streisand and company, or mentally ill like Dunaway. What was her beef? Insecure? Bitter her career died with Boggart? Entitled because she had been Boggart's wife and onetime Hollywood royalty? Bought up poor and Jewish by a single mother therefore had a chip on her shoulder? Or was she just a ballsy broad from New York? I'm inclined to think that she wasn't that bad, but I never met her on a bad day. I forget who but someone who knew her well once said it was all an act out of insecurity and self protection and that she would back down when challenged and even apologise, but just no one dared challenge her.

[quote]Once in the late 90s my then boyfriend and I were walking along Second Ave at about 10th Street. We were going to a birthday party for a friend at Spaghetteria, which was at 12th

Do people from other cities just say street names and not the name of the city, and expect everyone to know what they're talking about, or is that just New Yorkers?

Read this story about Bacall once. She was at a grand dinner (I suppose in NY), and was seated next to the formidable intellectual and social A-Lister Isaiah Berlin.

Trying to advance the conversation, she said, "Ah, you're from Oxford, you must know my great friend Isaiah Berlin?"

To which Berlin gave the only reply he really could: "I am he." Quite the hole to dig out of there, Betty!

If you read between the lines of her 1st memoir, it's pretty clear that she was super ambitious but also had trouble fully ditching being outerborough Betty Persky who loved shopping at Loehmann's. The super ambitious who never quite shook their early insecurities are usually the most difficult people as adults. I just had an email exchange with someone like that from work!

[quote]The super ambitious who never quite shook their early insecurities are usually the most difficult people as adults.

But that's most famous people.

Something like that Julie Andrews story happened to me when an author came to the library where I work and was chatting away with me, then I mentioned the library director, and she said, "Oh, you're not the director?" and turned without another word and walked away. (Not going to say who it was because she's not that famous and it's not worth it.)

[quote]The super ambitious who never quite shook their early insecurities are usually the most difficult people as adults.

As so often, 45 is Exhibit A here.

Admittedly (to stick to OP's premise) no-one sane could think of 45 as 'nice.'

Stritch talks about Ben Gazzara in her one woman show. He wanted to marry her and Elaine was holding out and turned him down hoping Rock Hudson would ask her to marry him. She delivers the line brilliantly. "And we all know what bum decision THAT turned out to be."

Marilu Henner = cunt. Worked with her.

R566 I bet she remembers the date and the day of the week too!

R566, I bet what’s worse is she uses her “memory ability” for evil.

uh huh.

For whoever keeps mentioning how certain actors behaved on junkets/publicity tours: This is not a place to read into the actor as a person.

1) Some actors excel at the act of performing for reporters or in TV appearances. Others are terrified and just trying to get through it. Being a talk show guest is an art unto itself.

2) These are virtually always contractually obligated. It doesn't mean the talent likes the movie or feels good about their co-stars/director, and in some cases, even if the movie is good, they still hated it.

3) As it is a contractual obligation, they are often being pulled from other movies in production, sometimes in other parts of the world. It's not like they adjust to local time or have a cushion. They're more likely to have arrived on a red-eye and headed straight to a tv studio.

4) The morning shows in the U.S. are all on the East Coast--so an appearance on something like Good Morning America or Howard Stern occurs for a west coast celebrity at 4am their time. Let's see how on the ball and fresh faced you are at 4am while taking difficult questions about your life, career, and any mistake you've ever made in your life.

5) if there's a few days and the actor likes the cast or is back in cities where they have friends, they can end up partying. drinking late at a minimum. Younger actors sometimes go on morning shows never having gone to sleep.

I could keep going. Its just the shittiest time for an actor and i wouldn't read much into their behavior on camera or off camera.

Why is it the shittiest time for an actor, R570? You'd think that with the explosion of streaming content there would be more acting jobs available.

[quote] Why is it the shittiest time for an actor, [R570]?

Not r570, but I believe he meant that having to do promotion (press, TV shows, etc.) can be quite shitty for actors. You know, like Kristen Stewart feeling like she's being raped when she has to talk to the press about her work.

[Quote] You know, like Kristen Stewart feeling like she's being raped when she has to talk to the press about her work.

Kristen is a great example of someone who isn't cut out for Late Night shows. I wanted to die every time she appeared on Letterman. It's not for everyone and i don't think i'd be good at it either.

Steve Carell is reportedly very nice to everyone. Mindy Kaling says in her book that he never says an unkind word about anyone. I'm glad no one has posted anything negative about him on this thread, I would be so disappointed. I am disappointed to hear about Dan Levy @ r285, I've always given him the benefit of the doubt.

[quote]You know, like Kristen Stewart feeling like she's being raped when she has to talk to the press about her work.

I don't dislike Stewart--she's got some talent, and she's right to assert barriers to her private life--but this is a bit much, no?

To quote Joan Rivers, if you don't want to be a public figure, stay the hell out of show business.

Somewhat surprised to hear Marilu Henner is a C-word. She always struck me as mostly vapid, not terribly bright, but pleasant. As the lone lady on the set of TAXI, she navigated all those large loud male egos (Judd Hirsch, Danza, DeVito, druggy Jeff Conway). Carol Kane was there too, but only as a semi-regular.

Any details? She worked regularly but nothing noteworthy after TAXI. She even returned to Bway in CHICAGO.

She vigorously propped up Travolta as a straight stud so that alone qualifies her as a cunt.

I can verify that Carell is a very nice man. Worked as crew on one of his films.

The thing is - Kristen was not the only one to make the rape comparison. Johnny Depp did too and they both got very different reactions.

My friend waited on Marilu at a restaurant in Chicago in the 1990s (Marilu if you're reading this, what was the exact date and what was the weather like?) and said she came in and demanded that my friend take the sugar container off the table saying that it was nothing more than 'kiddie cocaine'.

R579 Meanwhile, she went to the ladies and did a line of adult cocaine.

"The thing is - Kristen was not the only one to make the rape comparison. Johnny Depp did too and they both got very different reactions."

I presume both were greeted with scorn and mockery. How did the details vary?

That's another good thread idea: "Celebrities Who Are Terrible At Publicity and Talk Shows".

DeNiro is terrible. He seems a bit stupid.

OH...just watched a clip recently with Peter Dinklage from Game of Thrones and he was awful. Come across as surly and snotty. Like it was a great imposition for him to be there.

Marilu was also the worst cinematic Margaret Brown in any of the Titanic movies that I’ve ever seen. That should qualify her as a cunt. That and the fact that her husband hired her to portray Brown. She was stinky bad. It’s on YouTube.

Marilu is more interesting as a celebrity/talk show guest than she is an actress.

She was good on Taxi but she has a very small range and can really only play minor variations of herself.

She's definitely not an actress you'd want to see doing the classics.

I can't believe all the trashing of Marilu, I bought her book and I lost ten pounds. She seems like a lot of fun and I for one would love to see her take on Elizabeth Bennet, I would like to see someone with life experience play the role instead of these vacant supermodels.

I knew someone who was--is--rather broad in the beam. She was at the Ziegfeld with her daughter, waiting on line for popcorn. Juliana Margulies was standing right behind her with a male friend. The male friend asked Juliana, "What are you going to have?" Juliana said, "I can't see around this one to see what they have."

And to think... now Juliana is working at the theater's candy counter.

Juliana seemed like a cunt the very moment she first appeared on the screen in E.R., it’s unfortunate that her character wasn’t killed off early and we knew nothing of her existing beyond a few episodes.

Juliana is kind of homely. She was on PEOPLE Magazine’s Most Beautiful People list once…proof that it is all about publicity and not a true measure of beauty.

Marilu is good friends with Candace Cameron Bure. Pretty much says it all.

R590 - What the hell is going on with Marilu's face? Is she stroking out?

[Quote] I presume both were greeted with scorn and mockery. How did the details vary?

Kristen was but Johnny? Not so much. He's getting his just desserts now.

"She was on PEOPLE Magazine’s Most Beautiful People list once…proof that it is all about publicity and not a true measure of beauty."

She isn't beautiful, to put it politely, but she's striking. She has a fairly interesting face and the camera likes her well enough, and it doesn't pick up on her (alleged) massive cuntery.

[quote]Why was Bacall so difficult? She doesn't seem to be a diva bitch ala Streisand and company, or mentally ill like Dunaway. What was her beef? Insecure? Bitter her career died with Boggart?

You didn't mention drink. You also spelled BOGART's name wrong.

Lauren Bacall's career didn't die with Bogart, she worked for 20+ years after his death. I like her as an actress better when she was older, and I saw her on Broadway twice. Bacall's issues may have come from multiple sources - her marriage to drunkard Jason Robards, bringing up three children more or less by herself, her relationship with them as adults, the feeling that everyone in movies/theater was against her, the lack of real friends. Boozing it up combined with bad behavior on her part that snowballed. I'm happy I never met her.

Most people have problems with alcohol/drugs, weight gain, emotional acting out and so on, because they develop bad habits that snowball into something debilitating. I do not subscribe to all of the "deep" psychobabble as 100% of the reasons people - star or not - behave badly.

The hair dresser who worked on so many important people in television that she was interviewed on the American Television Archives worked regularly on Bacall who liked her eventually stopped working on her because she was really mean. Not to her of course as she was doing her hair but she didn't like the way Bacall treated others. Clearly it was unpleasant to witness.

I find most divas (of any variety) exhausting.

As a gay man I would be happy to retire the myth that gay men exist to worship/prop up loud, rude, self-absorbed women (at any age). It should not be part of our job description.

I have never understood the need to get a celebrity autograph. I’ve met many famous people, and I’ve never felt the need to get them to sign anything.

Pretty much all the ones I’ve met have been nice, or at least polite. The only asshole was Liev Schreiber.

Details, R597? He's always seemed like his own biggest fan.

Bacall autograph. Now tell me she wasn't on drugs or booze.

r486 I have also never heard a bad thing about Linda Gray or Angie dickinson.No disgruntled members of the public or former colleagues.I think they both are geniune decent lovely gems of ladies.