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Talk to Celebrities
How to behave around a celebrity, how to behave like a normal fan, and how to approach a celebrity and request an autograph. Note: this page/forum assumes that you are meeting a random celebrity randomly, not at a planned event like a meet-and-greet or convention.
Follow this tutorial to learn how to earn the respect of famous people (and everyone else) you meet.
Steps
Nonchalantly approach him. Don't start freaking out and start screaming. You might freak the person out.
Try to make eye contact.
If she/he acknowledges it with a similar nonverbal gesture, it's your cue to say, "Hello. How's it going?" or something along those lines. If she/he ignores you, give it up and walk away. She/he probably does not want to be bothered.
At this point, you're probably carrying on a conversation with her/him. Try to talk about ordinary everyday things, things you would talk about to any other person. Ensure that the conversation has a significant purpose and you're not just chitchatting. Remember, this is not a friend you are talking to. It's like meeting a random person somewhere in public. You might be asking if she/he has change for $20 or if she/he knows the time or if you lost something and you're asking if she's/he's seen it anywhere.
It might be a good idea for you to close the conversation, not her/him. Don't talk for a long time if she/he doesn't seem interested. Example: "Hey, it was nice talking to you, but I really have to dash. And hey, since you're in that awesome movie/film [or wrote that cool book, or cool CD, or sports team, whatever the person is famous for] that I like so much, maybe you could sign this little sheet of paper for me. I swear I'm not organizing a petition or collecting signatures to forge checks."
If she/he obliges, say "thank you."
If she/he refuses, say "Oh well, that's OK. I still enjoyed meeting you. Have a nice day." A graceful ending is always best.
Tips
Treat him like you would treat any other person you meet in public. We are all human.
Some people don't like talking about their work unless it's something to be proud of, so be generic in your conversation.
Remember: as much as we know their names and a bunch of other trivial information about them, we do not know them! Don't expect him to act upon your own expectations and impression of him, judging only from public information which may not be accurate at all.
Be polite and respectful.
If he compliments you, say "thank you." Don't be brash or conceited about yourself, because they don't know us either.
Conversation topics: sports, weather, new movies and music, politics, current events.
Don't talk like a journalist. If you're a journalist, do not spread your casual, nonchalant conversation to the public. It's not your job to transcribe random meet-ups.
Get to know him or her, don't be a stalker.
If you're wondering where to go to possibly talk to a celebrity or two, (Maybe if you're lucky, more!) go to sites like Stickam, MySpace, or search online and check to see if the celebrity is going anywhere for an interview on a show, a signing, or anything along thoaw lines. Also, you could listen to the radio to see if the celebrity is at a concert if he or she is a singer because some radio stations have contests where you can meet celebrities.
Warnings
Don't scream.
Never approach a celebrity in a restaurant or bar while he's eating, especially if he's with someone special.
Lose the camera. It's not a photo shoot. How would you feel if someone constantly flashed photos at you for no apparent reason?
If you're going to follow him home, do not enter or attempt to enter his home or spy on him.
Remember the Golden Rule. Treat others how you want to be treated.
Never question his personal life.
Don't discuss gossip and rumors.
If they are busy, it is probably better just to let them go and thank them for their time. Many people have celebrities they want to meet, but only a few get to accomplish that goal!
This is a New Zealand example that I saw for myself having so many chance encounters with local stars. You also have to watch for which city you're in, too. In some countries, when a celebrity is in a big city, they can still be seen in public with no huge reactions, even if you're Robin Williams or Paris Hilton.
So in those cases, a normal conversation like you would with your friend would suffice, and it those cities, it is hard to draw big crowds; but in smaller towns, then you can be quite warm and draw more interest from others. The opposite can happen, too, so adjust accordingly. You can even have stars that are treated like royalty with a lot of fans in Europe, but is an unknown in Australasia or vice versa, too. Then in that case, just talk to him naturally.
Be aware of posers who pretend to be a celebrity. Look for things that say it's an official page of the celeb. Most official pages have a mark that says it's official. They'd have pictures of photos that aren't photos you'd find easily on the internet, and video and/or audio of them.
Things You'll Need
Might be good to have a notepad and pen, if you're asking for an autograph. Of course, do not take notes of the conversation!
Follow this tutorial to learn how to earn the respect of famous people (and everyone else) you meet.
Steps
Nonchalantly approach him. Don't start freaking out and start screaming. You might freak the person out.
Try to make eye contact.
If she/he acknowledges it with a similar nonverbal gesture, it's your cue to say, "Hello. How's it going?" or something along those lines. If she/he ignores you, give it up and walk away. She/he probably does not want to be bothered.
At this point, you're probably carrying on a conversation with her/him. Try to talk about ordinary everyday things, things you would talk about to any other person. Ensure that the conversation has a significant purpose and you're not just chitchatting. Remember, this is not a friend you are talking to. It's like meeting a random person somewhere in public. You might be asking if she/he has change for $20 or if she/he knows the time or if you lost something and you're asking if she's/he's seen it anywhere.
It might be a good idea for you to close the conversation, not her/him. Don't talk for a long time if she/he doesn't seem interested. Example: "Hey, it was nice talking to you, but I really have to dash. And hey, since you're in that awesome movie/film [or wrote that cool book, or cool CD, or sports team, whatever the person is famous for] that I like so much, maybe you could sign this little sheet of paper for me. I swear I'm not organizing a petition or collecting signatures to forge checks."
If she/he obliges, say "thank you."
If she/he refuses, say "Oh well, that's OK. I still enjoyed meeting you. Have a nice day." A graceful ending is always best.
Tips
Treat him like you would treat any other person you meet in public. We are all human.
Some people don't like talking about their work unless it's something to be proud of, so be generic in your conversation.
Remember: as much as we know their names and a bunch of other trivial information about them, we do not know them! Don't expect him to act upon your own expectations and impression of him, judging only from public information which may not be accurate at all.
Be polite and respectful.
If he compliments you, say "thank you." Don't be brash or conceited about yourself, because they don't know us either.
Conversation topics: sports, weather, new movies and music, politics, current events.
Don't talk like a journalist. If you're a journalist, do not spread your casual, nonchalant conversation to the public. It's not your job to transcribe random meet-ups.
Get to know him or her, don't be a stalker.
If you're wondering where to go to possibly talk to a celebrity or two, (Maybe if you're lucky, more!) go to sites like Stickam, MySpace, or search online and check to see if the celebrity is going anywhere for an interview on a show, a signing, or anything along thoaw lines. Also, you could listen to the radio to see if the celebrity is at a concert if he or she is a singer because some radio stations have contests where you can meet celebrities.
Warnings
Don't scream.
Never approach a celebrity in a restaurant or bar while he's eating, especially if he's with someone special.
Lose the camera. It's not a photo shoot. How would you feel if someone constantly flashed photos at you for no apparent reason?
If you're going to follow him home, do not enter or attempt to enter his home or spy on him.
Remember the Golden Rule. Treat others how you want to be treated.
Never question his personal life.
Don't discuss gossip and rumors.
If they are busy, it is probably better just to let them go and thank them for their time. Many people have celebrities they want to meet, but only a few get to accomplish that goal!
This is a New Zealand example that I saw for myself having so many chance encounters with local stars. You also have to watch for which city you're in, too. In some countries, when a celebrity is in a big city, they can still be seen in public with no huge reactions, even if you're Robin Williams or Paris Hilton.
So in those cases, a normal conversation like you would with your friend would suffice, and it those cities, it is hard to draw big crowds; but in smaller towns, then you can be quite warm and draw more interest from others. The opposite can happen, too, so adjust accordingly. You can even have stars that are treated like royalty with a lot of fans in Europe, but is an unknown in Australasia or vice versa, too. Then in that case, just talk to him naturally.
Be aware of posers who pretend to be a celebrity. Look for things that say it's an official page of the celeb. Most official pages have a mark that says it's official. They'd have pictures of photos that aren't photos you'd find easily on the internet, and video and/or audio of them.
Things You'll Need
Might be good to have a notepad and pen, if you're asking for an autograph. Of course, do not take notes of the conversation!