I mentioned in passing playing ping pong with Seth Green, but the outing deserves a bit more expansion.
Kath and I wound up getting friendly with Seth and the Robot Chicken guys while hanging out in the convention green room (how appropriate). Consequently we were invited to hang out with them that evening at a nearby pub that had ping pong tables and pool tables in the lower floor.
We took them up on it, and for a while the group of us hung out, drank, played ping pong and were undisturbed. Then I heard a couple of guys at the pool table saying, “Is that Scott Evil?” I wasn’t the only one; Matt Senreich, Seth’s “Robot Chicken” co-creator, muttered, “We’ve been made.”
Over the next few minutes, word spread, and girls started leaving their dates to come over to Seth to talk to him or have their pictures taken with him. A guy sidled over to me while several girls were posing with Seth and he said, with obvious contempt for the girls’ brainpower, “They think he’s Seth Green.”
“Yeah, he gets that all the time,” I said.
The guy nodded, glad to have a voice of reason to talk to. “They don’t realize he’s just a lookalike.”
“Personally, I don’t see that much of a resemblance,” I said.
“Me neither.”
Tends to make one value one’s anonymity.
PAD
• 
You should have become famous a few years ago, PAD. With your current weight loss, no one would recognize you now.
(But then again, you’d probably be be the subject of a National Enquirer story: “PAD’s Dramatic Weight Loss: The Secret Tragedy of a Writer’s Addiction to Amphetemines”)
PAD, I’m curious, how much do you get identified when not at a public event (signing/con/etc)?
I was in “Radio Days” with Seth Green, although we didn’t have a scene together. (That was long before he was as well-known as he is today.)
Peter, did you get a chance to mention to Seth Green that he would have been your choice to play Sir Apropos of Nothing?
Heh.
A friend of mine is a minor league celebrity. He’s married to a woman who was a featured actor in a weekly TV series. It tickled their egos that when they were at HIS events, she was known as Mrs. Xxx, and never recognized, and when they were at HER events, he was Mr. Yyyy, and never recognized.
Well, Charlie Chaplin once entered a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest — and came in third.
I wonder how much makeup and preparation factor into public recognition. A lot of stars spend a lot of time in the makeup chair before shooting a movie or TV show, so I wonder how much the au natural look differs from the prepared one.
My personal bit like that was when, through odd circumstances and at the last minute, I ended up giving Salman Rushdie a tour of the Googleplex, with no general announcement of him coming. Came back to my desk to discover a number of emails of the form; “Tom, did you just walk Salman Rushdie through the gym?” “Was that who I think it was having dinner with you just now?”
In LA the response would have been more like… @#!* Seth Green was hogging the Ping Pong table all night. Who does he think he is anyway?
PAD, I’m curious, how much do you get identified when not at a public event (signing/con/etc)?
It happens on occasion, typically from someone who’s seen me at a convention.
PAD
Maybe you should tell your story about Isaac Asimov in the train station again?
>It happens on occasion, typically from someone who’s seen me at a convention.
OK, give us your best story of being recognized!
I’d like to hear that Asimov story.
To which train station should I go in anticipation of your telling the story?
😉
The Asimov anecdote involves my ex-wife, so I’d rather not tell it at this time.
PAD
Back around the time “Forever Knight” was still on the air I read a funny interview with Geraint Wyn Davies.
Responding to a similar question about being recognized He told an interviewer about a time when he was on the set of Highlander the series in an episode he was guesting on as an immortal. In between shooting scenes He and Adrian Paul were walking down the street and a man came up to them all exighted and shouted “oh my god you’re the guy with the sword and you’re the guy with the fangs!” Davies then added it’s pretty humbling when you’re known more for make up and props than your performance.
One of my friends is a spoken word artist that’s a minor celebrity within the GLBT community. Going out with her anywhere aimed at the “community” can be a challenge for her because someone usually recognizes her. Given her fan recognition experiences, I can’t imagine Seth Green’s life is like with his much higher visibility. Probably why the stories of the King going in disguise to move among the commoners exists. Anonymity can be a good thing.
I’m living in a country whose people are extremely gifted at spotting Westerners, and this is what I’ve learned: fame is overrated. Give me invisibility any day of the week.
As a child, I always wanted to be rich and anonymous when I grew up – fame never held any appeal and I really don’t understand these people who go on reality shows so they can become ‘celebrities’. Anyway, when I got older and got to know people who could be virtual rockstars in their field yet be mostly unrecognized on the street I came to see that if you had to be famous that was probably the type of fame to have. I knew Neil Gaiman before he had written his first comic, and it was certainly interesting to watch as his star rose. Then there’s my friend Whitfield Diffie – a name that will mean something if you are interested in cryptography but otherwise probably not. (Only one person has ever said to me “Wow, you know Whit Diffie?!”) Whit was in town here in London last week and we met up at a pub in which, it turned out, there was a meeting going on upstairs at which James Randi was the featured speaker. Two guys who were undoubtedly the most famous people in that pub, but I doubt if most of the regulars drinking at the bar had ever heard of either.
Not sure what my point is here, but going back to my comment about wanting to be rich and anonymous when I grew up – I never did manage the ‘rich’ part – someone I was in school with is now a billionaire. It’s possible you’ve heard of him – and you could certainly Google him – but most people won’t have, so *there’s* someone who achieved my ambition in spades.
Diffie, of the Diffie-Hellman key exchange? Seriously? That’s Awesome. Then again, I’m a Crypto student and research assistant.
Personally, I usally thing of Green as Oz or from Greg teh Bunny before Scott Evil.
Side Note:
I never watched “beauty and the Beast” when it was on TV, but remember once reading an article about the “beast” lead saying it was nice having the fame without having to worry too much about being recognized on the street.
I wonder how many other actors have such heavily disguised work personaes that they are effectively anonymous in public.
Ugly Betty, maybe?
Personally, I usally thing of Green as Oz or from Greg teh Bunny before Scott Evil.
Side Note:
I never watched “beauty and the Beast” when it was on TV, but remember once reading an article about the “beast” lead saying it was nice having the fame without having to worry too much about being recognized on the street.
I wonder how many other actors have such heavily disguised work personaes that they are effectively anonymous in public.
Ugly Betty, maybe?
Personally, I usally thing of Green as Oz or from Greg teh Bunny before Scott Evil.
Side Note:
I never watched “beauty and the Beast” when it was on TV, but remember once reading an article about the “beast” lead saying it was nice having the fame without having to worry too much about being recognized on the street.
I wonder how many other actors have such heavily disguised work personaes that they are effectively anonymous in public.
Ugly Betty, maybe?
Personally, I usally thing of Green as Oz or from Greg teh Bunny before Scott Evil.
Side Note:
I never watched “beauty and the Beast” when it was on TV, but remember once reading an article about the “beast” lead saying it was nice having the fame without having to worry too much about being recognized on the street.
I wonder how many other actors have such heavily disguised work personaes that they are effectively anonymous in public.
Ugly Betty, maybe?
Personally, I usally thing of Green as Oz or from Greg teh Bunny before Scott Evil.
Side Note:
I never watched “beauty and the Beast” when it was on TV, but remember once reading an article about the “beast” lead saying it was nice having the fame without having to worry too much about being recognized on the street.
I wonder how many other actors have such heavily disguised work personaes that they are effectively anonymous in public.
Ugly Betty, maybe?
Personally, I usally thing of Green as Oz or from Greg teh Bunny before Scott Evil.
Side Note:
I never watched “beauty and the Beast” when it was on TV, but remember once reading an article about the “beast” lead saying it was nice having the fame without having to worry too much about being recognized on the street.
I wonder how many other actors have such heavily disguised work personaes that they are effectively anonymous in public.
Ugly Betty, maybe?
Personally, I usally thing of Green as Oz or from Greg teh Bunny before Scott Evil.
Side Note:
I never watched “beauty and the Beast” when it was on TV, but remember once reading an article about the “beast” lead saying it was nice having the fame without having to worry too much about being recognized on the street.
I wonder how many other actors have such heavily disguised work personaes that they are effectively anonymous in public.
Ugly Betty, maybe?
Personally, I usally thing of Green as Oz or from Greg teh Bunny before Scott Evil.
Side Note:
I never watched “beauty and the Beast” when it was on TV, but remember once reading an article about the “beast” lead saying it was nice having the fame without having to worry too much about being recognized on the street.
I wonder how many other actors have such heavily disguised work personaes that they are effectively anonymous in public.
Ugly Betty, maybe?
Personally, I usally thing of Green as Oz or from Greg teh Bunny before Scott Evil.
Side Note:
I never watched “beauty and the Beast” when it was on TV, but remember once reading an article about the “beast” lead saying it was nice having the fame without having to worry too much about being recognized on the street.
I wonder how many other actors have such heavily disguised work personaes that they are effectively anonymous in public.
Ugly Betty, maybe?
Personally, I usally thing of Green as Oz or from Greg teh Bunny before Scott Evil.
Side Note:
I never watched “beauty and the Beast” when it was on TV, but remember once reading an article about the “beast” lead saying it was nice having the fame without having to worry too much about being recognized on the street.
I wonder how many other actors have such heavily disguised work personaes that they are effectively anonymous in public.
Ugly Betty, maybe?
Personally, I usally thing of Green as Oz or from Greg teh Bunny before Scott Evil.
Side Note:
I never watched “beauty and the Beast” when it was on TV, but remember once reading an article about the “beast” lead saying it was nice having the fame without having to worry too much about being recognized on the street.
I wonder how many other actors have such heavily disguised work personaes that they are effectively anonymous in public.
Ugly Betty, maybe?
Personally, I usally thing of Green as Oz or from Greg teh Bunny before Scott Evil.
Side Note:
I never watched “beauty and the Beast” when it was on TV, but remember once reading an article about the “beast” lead saying it was nice having the fame without having to worry too much about being recognized on the street.
I wonder how many other actors have such heavily disguised work personaes that they are effectively anonymous in public.
Ugly Betty, maybe?
still…at least they didn’t think he was Seth Rogan.
I’ve had strangers on the street point to me and say “Oh s*** it’s that guy from scooby doo”. Occasionally I glare back and say “Hey man – that dámņ dog ran off with all the money and left me flat!”
🙂
still…at least they didn’t think he was Seth Rogan.
I’ve had strangers on the street point to me and say “Oh s*** it’s that guy from scooby doo”. Occasionally I glare back and say “Hey man – that dámņ dog ran off with all the money and left me flat!”
🙂
still…at least they didn’t think he was Seth Rogan.
I’ve had strangers on the street point to me and say “Oh s*** it’s that guy from scooby doo”. Occasionally I glare back and say “Hey man – that dámņ dog ran off with all the money and left me flat!”
🙂
still…at least they didn’t think he was Seth Rogan.
I’ve had strangers on the street point to me and say “Oh s*** it’s that guy from scooby doo”. Occasionally I glare back and say “Hey man – that dámņ dog ran off with all the money and left me flat!”
🙂
still…at least they didn’t think he was Seth Rogan.
I’ve had strangers on the street point to me and say “Oh s*** it’s that guy from scooby doo”. Occasionally I glare back and say “Hey man – that dámņ dog ran off with all the money and left me flat!”
🙂
still…at least they didn’t think he was Seth Rogan.
I’ve had strangers on the street point to me and say “Oh s*** it’s that guy from scooby doo”. Occasionally I glare back and say “Hey man – that dámņ dog ran off with all the money and left me flat!”
🙂
1A few years ago at Comic-Con, one of my Mysterious Galaxy co-workers was completely smitten with Seth, and had heard (true) rumors that he was present. Because I’d worked with Seth a couple of times at the Old Globe, she pestered me continually to find him and introduce her.
Sometime Saturday of the ‘con, I was wandering the hall, and saw him, in full makeup, also wandering the aisles with a couple of friends. I sidled over and said ‘hi’, and we chatted for a while.
She never quite forgave me, but it was the proper thing to do – he gets too little casual time.
“girls started leaving their dates to come over to Seth to talk to him or have their pictures taken with him.”
What’s the word for that…? “Fame-whørë”? “Goldigger”? “Slûŧŧÿ Mcslut Slûŧ”? “Females”?
Sorry–but who is Seth Green?
Lee-
IMDB is your friend here.
He is an actor who also has a popular cable show on Cartoon Network called “Robot Chicken”.
Carl,
Had your co-worker been with you when you ran into Seth Green, you could have said something like, “oh, this is ‘Mary’, a co-worker. Mary, this is my friend, Seth.”
In such a scenario, “Mary”, for her part, should have made a polite “I love your work” type of statement that didn’t cause embarrassment to either you or Seth Green. But you were right to let him have his casual time.
PAD,
Have you ever had anyone say something along the lines of “you look like Peter David”, and if so, have you given a “yeah, I get that a lot” type of answer? Likewise, have you overheard others talking about you (like you and the guy in the Seth Green situation), with the one guy essentially implying you’re a look-a-like? If so, how did you react? If it were me, I suppose I’d be a bit bemused and/or amused. I suppose whether I would positively identify myself would depend on what else was going on, and/or the person was likely to be a “gushing fanboy” type.
One of my coworkers is pretty well known around town for his entertainment-related column. He once told me how someone he encountered at a record store once insisted a certain “fact” was true because he’d read it in the column (not realizing he was saying this to the columnist himself). My co-worker didn’t identify himself, to avoid embarrassing the guy.
In his shoes, I might have done the same. Or maybe when leaving, I might have said something like, “nice talking with you. By the way, my name’s…” shook his hand and left.
Of course, were someone loudly proclaiming that I’d said or written something I hadn’t, I’d have to identify myself and state that his/her statement was wrong, even if it did embarrass that person.
Also, have you ever been somewhere where you’ve seen someone reading one of your books, and conversationally asked, “how’s the book?” or some similar question? If so, have you identified yourself as the author? I sometimes wonder what I’d say (if anything) were I to run into someone reading or listening to something I wrote. I suppose I’d ask the question, but wouldn’t identify myself (unless asked) until after I heard the reply (if at all). If I were to say, “hi. I wrote that. How is it?” it puts implied pressure on that person to say something nice. I’d rather get an honest assessment from someone who thinks I’m John Q. Passerby.
Rick
For some reason, this reminds of the Airplane II gag in the hospital, with Striker asking about another patient, who is screaming:
“What’s wrong with him?”
“He think’s he’s Ethel Merman”
(cut to Ethel Merman in hospital garb, singing “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”)
That’s the original Airplane!, David, not Airplane II. Other than that, I agree with you. 🙂
TWL
> The Asimov anecdote involves my ex-wife, so I’d
> rather not tell it at this time.
I honestly didn’t know that there was discomfort in bringing up that story, or I would never have mentioned it. I sincerely apologize.
This is my FIRST EVER COMMENT upon your illustrious Blog.
I’ve always thought it a bit obnoxious to pester celebs when they’re not “on duty”, so to speak. If they’re at a convention or signing somethingorother, fine; anyone on a stage or screen is common property, of course; but once they step off, they regain the right to be treated as human.
(Also, I’m truly crap at recognising famous people, so even if I wanted to pester them, I’d probably stay away just in case it wasn’t who I thought it was, if that makes any sense.)
If they’re at a convention or signing somethingorother, fine; anyone on a stage or screen is common property, of course; but once they step off, they regain the right to be treated as human.
I completely agree.
From 1992-2001, I was teaching at a fairly well-known independent school in LA, and we had a number of very well-known people either in the parent body or applying.
In the latter case, the admissions office was always very careful who they assigned to conduct interviews, tours, etc. The celebrities in question were there as parents, not as celebrities, and some of the teachers were not always able to work well within those guidelines.
Unless it was someone I’d gotten to know already, I either made no comments whatsoever or limited myself to something along the lines of “Nice to meet you, I like your work; moving on…”
(Once it *was* someone I’d gotten to know, that was different. One of my fondest memories of my time there was having a particular parent say that she found my Back-to-School Night presentation informative and funny. When Candice Bergen says you’re funny, you listen. 🙂
TWL
Tim Lynch, name dropper.
Of course, if I were talking to Candice Bergen, I’d probably just drop…to the floor in a quivering puddle of goo.
I have other names, too — as I said, ritzy school. 🙂 Take a look on Wikipedia at “Harvard-Westlake School” if you want to be frightened by the number of “boldface name” alumni it’s got. (Not that I ever met most of them!)
TWL
Just wait to you hear who I ran into at that AA meeting.
Just kidding.
It’d be cool to meet Candice Bergen. I’d love to talk with her about her father, Edgar Bergen, and Charlie McCarthy.
Rick
P.S. Given that she’s successful in her own right, I wonder if she’d be annoyed or bemused if at this point her in her life someone would ask, “aren’t you the daughter of…?”, rather than “aren’t you…?”
On a related note, I seem to recall an interview with Kirk Douglas where he expressed bemusement at having gone from being KIRK DOUGLAS to being Michael Douglas’ father.