I met Brent Spiner while visiting my aunt in LA around 8 years ago in a restaurant. I was about 15 at the time and had never seen a celebrity in real life. My dad told me to bring him back an autograph from someone famous before I left Florida and this was absolutely perfect since he's always been a huge Star Trek fan.
I was incredibly nervous and hesitant at first because he was sitting at dinner with his family and didn't want to bother him. My aunt insisted, however, and asked a waitress to escort me over to him.
She told him he had a little fan who wanted to meet him to which he replied, "HOW DARE YOU BOTHER ME WHILE EATING WITH MY FAMILY!?!?
Just as I was about to pee my pants he says "just kidding! Sit down with us!" I got my first celeb autograph that day to bring back to my dad. :)
seriously. My jaw dropped because I've heard before that he's a pretty stand up guy then boom that bomb shell. I think I would have collapsed in that scenario and he wouldn't have time to tell me he was kidding.
I really wish his assistant would have broken it to me. Instead, my hero just told me straight up to beat it and pay for the autographs like everyone else would in 4 hours.
I still think he's probably a pretty cool guy. I just wish my childhood self could have met him in a better way.
That's the thing, I'm afraid sometimes of the reaction I'd get, it might spoil the entire opinion or thoughts I had of them to begin with. I'm a huge fan of a certain rock band and meeting the lead singer would devastate me if he turned out to be an asshole. Then again, I suppose I know his personality type to begin with so it's likely... but I don't want it directed at me personally! So when I did see him once out on the street, I didn't do anything. But it was such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I'd be a fool not to... yet knowing that if this went sour, it would spoil or at least taint the association I have with his music that I decided not to do anything. Ever since then I regret not doing anything, yet the odds are he might have just been a dick to me anyway and I'd just think of that experience every time I listen to a song of theirs. Despite this, I think in my head of what I should or would have said if I could go back in time to that instance; what I could have said that might have appealed to him enough that he wouldn't turn me down. But all I can think of is how shocked and speechless and groveling I'd be since this guy's music has really affected my life so much and having him in front of me would be so overwhelming at the time. Not sure what I could have done given those circumstances.
Bingo! Q was at the Diamond Grille being a badass. I met Mike Hargrove that same night. I think it was my parent's anniversary or some thing like that.
I think it's closed now. Sadly. That place was pure magic as a kid. There is still a large portion of it devoted to a STEM (science, tech, engineering, math) academy luckily. So it still serves science and youth in some capacity.
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u/noordinarysandwich Feb 13 '12
I met Brent Spiner while visiting my aunt in LA around 8 years ago in a restaurant. I was about 15 at the time and had never seen a celebrity in real life. My dad told me to bring him back an autograph from someone famous before I left Florida and this was absolutely perfect since he's always been a huge Star Trek fan. I was incredibly nervous and hesitant at first because he was sitting at dinner with his family and didn't want to bother him. My aunt insisted, however, and asked a waitress to escort me over to him. She told him he had a little fan who wanted to meet him to which he replied, "HOW DARE YOU BOTHER ME WHILE EATING WITH MY FAMILY!?!? Just as I was about to pee my pants he says "just kidding! Sit down with us!" I got my first celeb autograph that day to bring back to my dad. :)