Before we got married, Belinda and I were living in different cities (different countries, for that matter), which meant a lot of airline miles got racked up going to visit each other. During that time I had opened her eyes to the wonders of the First Class Upgrade…for $60 and a little bit of luck you could fly in the lap of luxury, sipping bottled water and complimentary wine the whole way. She soon discovered that one of the side-benefits is the chance to rub elbows with the occasional celebrity, which to me is about as exciting as meeting the US Embassador to Bolivia…but sometimes it does make for a fun story to tell.

Belinda has had the good fortune to fly with, among other people, her adolescent heart-throb John Schneider, who was flying from LA to Vancouver to shoot another season of Smallville. My elbow-rubbing experiences totally pale in comparison, of course…the only two “celebrities” I’ve ever flown with are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Chris O’Donnell. Do I get to meet Jan Smithers, Valerie Bertinelli or any of my many adolescent sweethearts? Noooo…I get Roger Murdock and McVet!

So this got me thinking about other “celebrities” I’ve encountered over the years, as well as how many people I actually know who are listed on IMDB…turns out, quite a few!

“Celebrities” on IMDB who I know, knew, or at least have met more than once (in no particular order):
“Celebrities” I have met in person, flown next to, stood next to, or otherwise encountered:
“Celebrities” I have actually seen in person, from a distance of, say, fifty feet or less:
“Celebrities” I may have seen, but can’t be completely certain because I barely knew who they were at the time:

If I think of any others, I’ll add them to these lists…so check back soon!

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