Adventure Game Studio

I was wondering if anybody has any stories on near-brushes with fame. I do...

My mom was the manager of a bank branch and one day, about 6-7 years ago, she met a screenwriter, Matt Johnson, that came into the bank. They talked. He saiid he wrote a movie and hoped to have it greenlit, she said I was an excellent writer for my age, and he said I should look the screenplay over and proofread it and look for errors in continuity or realism. I did, and got paid $80 for a written paper on everythingI liked, didn't lke, found weird, etc., etc.

Over the past few years, my mom or I would randomly bring it up every now and then, wondering what ever happened to it. I always thought it was an independent film, doubting that I would be lucky enough to have proofread a Hollywood script.

The movie was called "Into the Blue" and was about a group of divers finding themselves in deep trouble with a drug lord after they come upon the illicit cargo of a sunken airplane. It was a pretty good movie and I could envision it on the big screen.

Lo and behold, yesterday I was bored and I suddenly remembered this movie. And I remembered IMDb.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0378109/

Apparently, there are some semi-big stars in the movie, which will be released this very year. And I proofread it and fixed errors. And I still have the original screenplay! Woohoo! :P


Anybody else have any stories of near-brushses with fame?

I once met MickyMouse at DisneyWorld...

We have photographic proof!


damn child molester...

Im the most Famous Jake Hoggans on the net, does that count xD

I met a guy who used to work at Bullfrog while at work experience? Depends if you think he would be 'famous'?

QuantumRich,
I hope you slipped in some nude scenes for Jessica Alba's character.

Ozzie Osbourne met my mum in a pub once, when he lived in Birmingham.

He owes her a pack of fags, If I ever see him I swear!!


QuantumRich if the movie sucks we'll know who to blame now wont we?

Heh, well, he also wrote "Torque," so...eh...heh heh...

But yeah, I had no idea Jessica Alba would be cast as the female lead. If I had known, I would've suggested SOMETHING along those lines, Steve ;)

Well, my mom works at the Fairmont Empress Hotel (The classiest hotel in Victoria BC), and that's where all the stars stay when they're filming movies here. She's met tons of famous actors.

Ummm... One of my girlfriend's friends has famous parents. Her mother was in Dances with Wolves, and is still good friends with Kevin Costner (My GF has actually met him). And her dad auditioned for Dustin Hoffman's role in "The Graduate".

When I was in living in boston, I dated a gal who was in the sci fi club at Harvard.  Terry Pratchett was a guest there once, and she invited me to hear him speak.  He signed my copy of "Feet of Clay" and everything.

I also walked into William Shatner once.  Literally.  Turned a corner and BAM.  I smacked right into him.  Didn't realize it was him at first, as we both muttered apologese and kept walking.  It wasn't until 5 seconds later that the voice registered and I was like, "Dude, that was William Shatner."  He looks very different in real life.

I once shook Bill "Slick Willy" Clinton's hand. He came to the university to speak about some statue, and I just so happened to walk where he was getting out of black truck with the bodyguards and whatnot, and some friend of mine was close and yelled "Bill!" and he went back and shook his hand... next thing I know, there's a whole line of people shaking his hand. I guess it really helps that I live in Arkansas, his old home.

I met Johny Depp in a bus once, and kingsized even drew a one-frame comic about it.

Best Story
I once waited on Jewel at a Red Lobster (where I worked at the time) in Coral Springs Florida (we mother (I think) lives in Boca Raton (just up the coast).

She wasn't famous yet, but I knew who she was 'cause I'd seen her broadway 'Wizard of Oz' show and was MADLY in love with her. Ã, I was so nervous waiting on her. Ã, She came back after her party left and said, "I've got a tip for you ... keep up the good work, you were great!" and handed me an additional 10 dollars on top of the already generous tip they'd left.

Cool Story
Myself and one other guy (years back) started a website (www.dragonmount.com) as a fan-site for Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Ã, We built it slowly at first and I slowly detached myself from it (I'm barely involved anymore) but it now has something like 10,000 members.

Anyway, a few years back I went to a book signing and met Robert Jordan. Ã, I was wearing my Dragonmount t-shirt. Ã, He recognized it and knew my nickname from the website (which is Mandarb by the way!) Ã, It was great, and he signed 3 of my books instead of the limited 2.

Ahhh ... good stuff!

I met Jasper Carrott and Chesney Hawkes once ... that's right, C-list celebrities is where it's at!

Yesterday, I was in my village and  saw no other than Damian lewis (the ginger guy from band of brothers).Ã,  I think he was filming somethinig but i didnt really bother to find out.

I met and shook hands with Richard Kiel (Jaws in James Bond) once. Seriously.. that guy is HUGE!
My hand are kinda big, but they were baby-hands compared to his.

Rtf's Brushes With Fame:

1. 
My dad went to high school with Sean Penn, and my dad was voted best actor, and Sean Penn wasn't!!!  I could be living the life of luxury right now, but I'm not. 
It's ok, though, because my dad took all the acting skills and used them to become a lawyer.

2.
I went to a talent agency.  They said that I was "the best they've seen in months. "  I was happy, but my parents thought it was a scam, so I was out of luck.

3. I saw Comeron Diaz in Los Angeles.

4. I saw Carlos Santana in San Fransisco.

5. I was Peter Jackson walking around in the downtown of my town. (There was an independant film festival.)

6.  I downloaded the screenplay to "Hiding Out" last thursday.

This isn't a brush with fame in the sense of meeting somebody famous, but more in the sense of making it in the industry myself.

Back when I was 16 I was at this huge computer party here in Norway. I was fiddling around with 3D Studio (the old DOS version) when theese two guys crept up behind me. My first thought were that they were police officers looking for software pirates. I kept my usual cool and decided to keep working like nothing was wrong, all casual. They just stood there for about 5 minutes, looking at me working. My cool was wearing away by the minute.
Suddenly one of them leaned forward and said, in english "You seem like you know what you're doing. I'm so-and-so from Probe entertainment. Could we see at some other stuff you have made?"
For those who don't know (I didn't at the time) Probe entertainment made Mortal Kombat. Indeed a name to fear and respect at the time. This was way worse than the police! I'm sure that I was drenched with sweat as I loaded up some earlier projects to show them. I was way stressed, but they nodded their heads a lot. When I had showed them my best work they gave me all this info about their company and reccomended me to apply for a position as a World Builder.
I guess the prospect of it got a bit too daunting for me, because I never got off my ass to do so.
Oh well... I have plenty of time to "make it" still. :)

I met Hulk Hogan once, back when he was Hollywood.

As for my own personal experices, last year I went to the State Thesbian Festival (In Iowa). My duet partner and I recieved second place for our duet and were eligable to compete at Internationals. Even though due to financial problems I couldnt go, that still made us like in the top 100 in the US.

John Kerry is coming to Newark Ohio, which about 10 from where I live tomorrow. Im skipping school to go with some friends to meet him. I'll post a pic if I can.

Ive also met  the members of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Blues Travler, David Goodman (Ohio state senator), Orin Hatch (US Senator from Utah) and Gordon B Hinckley (President of the Mormon Church).

This past April, my film organization invited various filmmakers to our university to speak for several panels.Ã,  I was talking to Michael Tronick (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0873531/), a Hollywood editor, when I mentioned that my friend and I had finished a sound project where I impersonated Terence Stamp (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000654/).Ã,  I saw Tronick's eyes light up as he told me, "I'm working with Terence Stamp on a project right now!Ã,  I could try to give him your project, it's worth a shot!"Ã,  Ã, It was surreal, Tronick was excited about the whole thing and pledged to first give the project to Doug Liman (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0510731/), the director of the project.

I've also handed Michael Moore a horrible student film I had made.Ã,  He looked at me seriously and said "Thank you" probably thinking it was some serious documentation of George Bush doing evil things.Ã, 

I know Leslie Uggams. She's my auntie.

Who is Leslie Uggams, you ask?

She's a famous singer and had her own show in the 60s: "The Leslie Uggams Show". She's performed in Broadway productions, TV shows, and movies. Her biggest moment, IMO, included playing Kizzy in one of the most famous mini-series ever, Roots, and she was nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe for her role. She also won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for "Hallelujah, Baby!" in 1968 and was nominated for another in 2001 for Best Actress in a Play for "King Hedley II". She also played Rose Keefer in the series All My Children.

Here's a pic of her with Richard Pryor after presenting him with an award:
(http://www.leslieuggams.com/Gallery/richardpryor.gif)

And here she is on the Ed Sullivan Show:
(http://www.leslieuggams.com/Bio/pic-65.gif)

And here she on her wedding day. On the left is her Dad and on the right is my Uncle Grahmme:
(http://www.leslieuggams.com/Bio/pic-65a.gif)

I got to meet her when I was in high school. She and Grahmme and my cousin Jason came over to visit around 94-95. It was so great meeting them all. Jason, especially. He was a damn funny guy. And I got to introduce him to a little game called network Doom.

http://www.leslieuggams.com/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0880081/


Oh yeah, I also once met Bob Ellis, one of Australia's most famous filmmakers and political writers. I asked him what his favourite movies were and he called my question "idiotic".

This means about this [ ] much to any of you guys, but I've met a lot of Oklahoman politicians. For example, the two leading Senate candidates from my half of the state are both from Muskogee, Oklahoma, where I was raised and where the County Court House I work at is. I've met them both at different times, their names are Brad Carson and Tom Coburn.

Brad Carson gave me a few art awards when he was in the House of Representatives and apparently some hung in the Congressional hall somewhere (Blender rocked Congress!). I've also met him at a few political events while campaigning for my boss, I think he knows me by name now but who knows.

Tom Coburn is a Doctor and he gave my dad some sort of anal probe, I asked for details but it pains him to talk about it. So think about that the next time you hear your parents complain about politicians getting them "up the butt." My dad did, literally!

I think I'm going to vote for Brad.

I've also met a number of bands at the Warped Tour before they were famous, talked to them and etc. I would name them but it's pretty embarrassing now.

Well, I was an "actor" in 3 low-budget movies that never really got off the ground.
And I was an "extra" actor in a couple of scenes that was a regular running tv series for a couple of years (Black Harbour, starring Geraint Wyn Davies who was also the main actor for the Forever Knight series in which he played a vampire).

I've met and interacted with several famous people over the years.
Geriant Wyn Davies (as mentioned above).

And Some of the world famous Martial-Art Masters I've trained with (I've trained with many top-ranked Masters over the years, but here I'll mention a few of the more well-known ones):
Danny Inosanto (He was Bruce Lee's best friend in real life, and starred in Game of Death with Bruce Lee),
Bart Vale (many times world champion Shoot-Fighter).
Jean-Yves Thériault "The IceMan (23 time world-champion kick-boxer).

Arnold Schwartzenegger (Methinks everyone knows who he is - world champion body-builder - movie-star - Governor. I met him briefly at an airport).
Sandy Riddell (a world champion Body Builder).
Vince Taylor (a world champion Body Builder).
Roberta Bondar (first Canadian woman astronaut to go into space).

I've also met and interacted with a few other semi-famous celeberties as well.

And, I've now completed my first book which is in publishing stages now, so, I'm going to really be a published author... Who knows, if it becomes a success (I hope), I might become "famous" in some ways too. ;-p

Oh yeah, in certain places on the internet, I'm a little 'famous' too.. but that's another story  ;)

I've met quite a few Australian Cricket players that some may have heard of

Steve Waugh
Mark Waugh
Brett Lee
and many others

I met Jason Donovan when he was on Neighbours in the mid 80's, I just got to shake his hand. This was at an action game show called "It's a Knockout" if any Aussies are old enough to remember it.

John Laws (famous australian radio wanker man with the golden microphone) I didn't really meet him, that's cause I'm a good driver and avoided him wiping me off the road. This was in busy traffic and he just changed lanes right in front of me without looking as if he owned the roads. He's also famous for collecting expensive cars, maybe he should learn how to drive them first. This was some shitty convertable Lexus. He didn't even look back after to acknowlege anything had even happened.

I've met pleanty of others BCDEFGZ levels but never really sat and had a chat with any.

Except Jason Whalley from Frenzal Rhomb, who is an acquaintance of mine, although I haven't seen him for a couple of years. If any aussies listen to JJJ, he took over Roy & HG's radio show while they were at the Olympics, and I think he'll be getting a few more shows over the next little while.

Well, no such experience yet, but I did meet several great actors. They're Portuguese, though, so it's very unlikely that the names Anna Paula, Sérgio Silva, Luis Rizo, Santos Manuel, António Marques, Flávia Gusmão, Luís Barros, Tereza Corte-Real, Fernanda Neves or João Vasco-Silva mean anything to you...

But if you live in Europe, you may have heard the name Carlos Avilez. He's a stage director, a controversial one (you know the type;) ). He was my teacher. So I guess I should kinda count him as a "card up my sleeve", or something.

EDIT - Oh yeah, I've done a couple of on-and-off things... danced a rough waltz in a huge old house for the kiddies, fenced in a play called Noite de Anões (Dwarves' Night) (really bad play), and participated in my (acting) school projects which were publicly shown - an hommage to Timor for its independence, a comic-relief version of Hamlet (in which I kinda starred, sort of), and the final examination, Mayakovsky's "The Bed-Bug".

I NEVER met anybody who worked on Event Horizon or Red Planet, BUT THEY DID STOLE MY IDEA'S!!!



I did met a guy who could talk just like Christopher Walken...

[edit] I met Dennis Hopper. He was giving some other guys directions to a bar. I Didn't knew sure until later, though.
AND I met that guy who made AGS!

I met the Pope when he came to Cairo. They even showed me on TV with him. I have met the Pakistani president, shook his hands and gave flowers to his wife. I met the entire Pakistani team (how it was back in 97) and have all their autographs on my bat.

I was walking through the Edinburgh Botanic gardens with my daughter while they were filimg this (http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0397530/) there and saw various actors in costume, but dunno if any of them were stars as I was running after the wee girl at the time.

Also, when I was 10, I was on TV (Grampain's North Tonight news) showing a trick to Paul Daniels for about 3 seconds. I was also interviewed on Radio Aberdeen at the time.

Oh, and in 30 years time, my daughter will be elected president of the known universe.

I just got back from a friend's 21st and I just want to say... Peter Combe ROCKS!!!
(http://www.sylpher.com/DGMacphee/Photoshop/Peter%20Combe.jpg)

I got my photo taken with the dude himself and he is awesone. If you're Aussie andÃ,  have no idea who I'm talking about, you can go screw yourself sideways!

http://www.petercombe.com.au/

Combe 2004! Toffee Apple, nice and a licky!! ROCK ON!!!

Also, a big cheerio to Anna! Thanks for the awesome night! Happy birthday! Combe ROCKS!!!

Go about your business, citizens!

I once met Chris Eubank at my school.

I once saw Mike Tyson shopping.

My parents once had dinner with Timothy Dalton's parents.

That is all.

Paddy Ashdown visited my school.

haha.

Redrum, I thought the name Carlos Avilez was very familiar, so I looked him up on IMDb.  Turns out I was thinking of Carlos àvila (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959665/).  He's a director but I don't think he's well known.

Nah, Carlos Avilez is strictly theater. Mostly influenced by Peter Brook and Grotowsky (sp?). His first great hit was in Japan, a colossal performance of Gil Vicente's (the father of Portuguese theater) "Auto da Barca do Inferno", er, "Something of the Boat of Hell" (I don't know how to translate Auto, it's kinda like a genre, you know?). Hmm, might be spelled Avillez, but not sure...

My dad, John Ward, is an Author he wrote the already released 'Secret of the Alchemist' and soon to be released sequel 'The Stone of Sorrow' and his Canadian publisher,Robert Davies, (who is his friend's Cousin or Brother) who I think I'll meet, his Daughter is a Singer Maia Davies I believe.

I met William Sleator... He's an author of young-adult fiction such as"The House of Stairs", "Interstellar Pig", and "The Box." It was neat.

Quote from: jetxl on Fri 03/09/2004 10:33:43
I NEVER met anybody who worked on Event Horizon or Red Planet, BUT THEY DID STOLE MY IDEA'S!!!

Hehe, that reminds me of this awesome thing I just found:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356721/board/nest/11347394

P.S. Peter Combe rocks and I am very hungover!

Wow, Peter Combe. He was about all me and my brothers listened to when we were kids. We went to one of his concerts many many years ago. Many memories of Peter Combes music.

Hmm famous people... At the Prime Ministers XI, I sat sorta next to Shivnarine Chanderpaul. There was this litle fence dividing us, but he was right next to me.. This is before we went like famous, cos he was 12 man. I didnt talk to him, but yeah.

Hmm my mum and dad saw Ricky Ponting at the blood bank when they were giving blood. They didnt talk to him tho.

Well I don't know If I have met any other famous people.

Peter Combe rocked, kicked Don Spencer's ass any day. I grew up on him. (and 'It's a knockout').
Only person I've ever met was Toady from neighbors, he asked me for a light. I didn't even know his name (still don't actually) I couldn't really care less either.
But Peter Combe!

My dad works with the guy who invented the happy meal for mc donalds, he works for lowes now, my old country club had one of the original clevland browns go to it, I ran into ken griffey by accident, my hair stylist owned North Wilkesboro Speedway, the original nascar track.

Well, I once posted on the same forums as DGMacphee.......


Bt

I don't believe you.

I was once in #ags, and then CJ came on :o!!!

That's right! A man with over 2 000 fans! That's more than I'll ever have.

I went to a friend of the families party - Her Nephew was in a band in the 80's called Felt . . that I hadn't heard of - but they had toured with the Cocteau Twins, (if anybody has heard of these guys ) There one of my favorite bands so thats pretty cool - but wait theres more . . his girlfriend was, like, one of the producers of British Popstars and she was telling me how much of a bitch Geri Haliwell was - twas pretty cool.

Quote from: DGMacphee on Fri 03/09/2004 17:15:16
If you're Aussie andÃ,  have no idea who I'm talking about, you can go screw yourself sideways!

Aww nuts, It wasn't untill after I had screwed myself sideways that I remebered who Peter Combe was.

More for the Aussies -
My dad trained Martin "Blue Heelers" Saccs Dog!
And my best friend in primary schools dad went to school with Khamal - So if you're Aussie andÃ,  have no idea who I'm talking about, you can go screw yourself sideways . . . again . .

Also friends of mine had some beers with Magic Dirt, and later that night when magic dirt where playing they said hello to thier friends from Melbourne or somethign like that . . alas these cool experiences never happen directly to me . .

Though I did see Raymond J Bartholomue at the Art Gallery once . .

I once got insulted by Os. How unique am I. 8)

Haha....this didn't happen to me, but to my dad.

So one day, long time ago, Led Zeppelin was in town, and my dad and his friend really wanted to go, and bought tickets, but somehow they got lost. So they were really bummed out, and went to this greek place/bar and lo and behold, there were Jimmy Paige and Robert Plant, sitting in the bar. So they introduced themselves, they talked, and then they got free tickets, only a few rows back from the front.

Hehe.

-DD

It's of course not very well known on these forums (not that I'd advertise it or anything), but I personally know Tim Schafer.Ã,  Here are a few of my game boxes he's signed...

(http://www.idlethumbs.net/chris/schaferboxes.jpg)

Quote from: remixor on Sun 05/09/2004 09:09:10
It's of course not very well known on these forums (not that I'd advertise it or anything), but I personally know Tim Schafer.Ã,  Here are a few of my game boxes he's signed...

[ img]Some cool stuff![ /img]

With that picture and your avatar, we get double Remothumb action!

Nobody compares to me. I've been emailed by Richard Longhurst.

man, that's the bestest.

Det. Rockford and the original Brett Maverick is a distant cousin of mine.

i once met claudia schifer.

oh no i didn't, it was just plain old claudia

I've seen my countrys president, her man, the king of sweden and the queen of sweden. They visited my school.

As for worldwide known celebrities I met, there were only few.

I met Marriah Carrey at JFK
I had a smalll talk with UK's first lady Mrs. Cherrie Blair while she visited our office. (Of coure she said Tonny is about the loveliest man in the world :))
I have visited several live performances of various known artists but never got in touch vith these guys.

But there is one more story that is worth telling:

Almost ten years ago me and my friends formed a team and we started to make an adventure game. At this time there was nothing like real game industry in our country (Czech republic) and virtually no games in Czech, only foreign titles. We saw an ad in computer games magazine â€" it was something like: Are you working on a game? Do you want to earn shitloads of money?? Check with us!!! So we did as suggested. We hopped on the bus with our concept and some promo stuff and arrived to the company's headquarters which turned out to be two small  rooms at the first floor of a small suburban house. In first room was a guy looking like gigolo fiercely playing NHL hockey  on his PC. He gestured to us to sit down and when the third period was over he finally turned his attention to us. „Whaddaya have, guys?“ he said. It turned out he was the owner of the company. We showed him our stuff and he was excited. (Remember, local commercial games at this time looked like an average AGS game today so what we brought in ROCKED!  :D) We signed a contract the very same day! A commercial game contract! After we made a deal, we just played games for hours and hours and had a fucking good time. When we were leaving he gave us about ten boxes with newest games (like Full Throttle!!!) for „reference“.

This guy called to my home about twice a week how the things were going and I was keeping him updated, we visited him a couple more times and met guys from other teams…Fun times.

Sadly we realised that a full length game was too much for us and the team broke up.

Who was this guy, you might want to know. Well I will tell you. It was no one else than………… PETR VOCHOZKA!!! Yes that was him!!! ………….. Wait…. you don't know who he is? Hmmm….

Well a few years after he founded a company you might know, he is a founder and CEO of Illusion Softworks, authors of Mafia, Hidden and Dangerous and other AAA titles, one of the other teams we met there made Vietkong. …

I sometimes feel like I have missed a chance :).

Hm... I haven't met any really huge/super-famous/"omg!111" ones, which might not be any huge surprise...
I have met both Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and Mort Walker (Creator of Beetle Bailey) though, at the Gothenburg Book Exhibition in 2001, which was one of the greatest moments of my life.

I remember when finally standing in front of Mort himself, being more than a bit nervous, and waiting for him to sign the book I had bought... I was sweaty and jittery enough as it was, meeting an childhood idol, but when he suddenly stopped in the middle of the process of signing my book to stare at my t-shirt that I had gotten during the day, that said "Meet Terry Pratchett here and there, blah, blah..." and asked me very politely while pointing at it: "What's that?"

I remember stuttering, trying not to sound like a fanboy wetting myself, but failed miserably.

"Eh, well, um, yeah, it's, um, like this other series of books, by this, eh, author called Terry Pratchett that I'm like here to meet today, and, um, like, yeah. He's good."Ã,  Ã,  Ã, 

Still as calm as a rock, Mort just answered "Oh." and continued the signing. Then he gave it to me and said "There you go." :)



Meeting Neil Gaiman and Pterry was equally cool and nervous, and not just because I got "Good Omens" for free, since I had walked around in that t-shirt the whole day, but also because I got to see that the two of them were just as funny in real life as in their books... :)

"Everybody comes here for Terry! No-one comes here for my books! But it's ok, it's fun anyway..." :)

Other than that, I haven't met any real, "famous" people, no... Maybe some semi-famous swedish celebrity, but that's all. :)

Princess Anne visited my college. Unfortunately, I had an essay due the next day so my 'kidnap her' plan never really got off the ground.

I was too busy even to follow through on my 'shout at her' plan.

I share my birthday with Mr. T :P

foo'

Holy sheep-shagging-shit-balls!!!!  I just SAW DGMacphee on the forums THE OTHER DAY!!!!!!!!! I almost wet myself!!  I swear I did, AGA!  I SWEAR!


Bt