Life is what happens when you are making other plans~ John Lennon
An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind~Gandhi
The time is always right to do what is right~ Martin Luther King Jr.


Friday, June 16, 2023

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly-Waiters and Waitresses Serving Celebs Pt. II

People tend to forget that celebrities are actually just normal human beings in a high profile career. But, the other side of that coin is that these celebs themselves forget about how to treat people sometimes. Some are genuinely down to earth and don't forget where they once were before fame struck. Others seem bothered by normal people asking for their autograph. And it's been often said don't meet your idols; they'll only let you down. Sometimes your idols will surprise you. Here are some stories of waiters and waitresses encountering celebs.

27. Kim Kardashian

-She looks like the type of person who wouldn't give the time of day to someone who wasn't famous. But then again, looks can be deceiving. Being a celeb is a double edged sword. If you're somewhere in public and you're happy to have people notice you, then you're a narcissist. If you don't want people bothering you, then you're a jerk. One server had the luck of serving Kim Kardashian. "I served Kim Kardashian. She was fine actually. She was clearly in the restaurant to be seen. She was actually really nice to all the people who asked for photos."

28. Drake

-Most celebs seem to have "entourages", groups of people who kiss the ground celebs walk on and hang on every word. How high is your ego to where you have people speaking for you instead of speaking for yourself? One server had the luck of serving Drake. "I had served a couple random celebrities. Drake. He was nice. He didn't really speak to me. His 20 person entourage pretty much spoke for him. They tip really well though."

29. Neil Armstrong

-Anyone who studied the Moon landing in history class knows this name. One restaurant employee served him and had the most humbling experience with him. "I served Neil Armstrong breakfast when he was at Purdue for an awards ceremony. He was very quiet and didn't want anyone to know who he was. He liked his eggs over medium with sausage patties."

30. Peter Dinklage

-He's on Game of Thrones mostly. Some people think it's funny to crack jokes because of his extremely short height. But, one server had the amazing experience of finding out, first hand, he's sweet and polite, but kind of shy. "I sat Peter Dinklage in a quiet corner of the restaurant (he asked for it). But I guess he didn't like what he saw on the menu and left a few moments later. He was very polite and soft-spoken, but seemed a bit shy. I was excited and nervous when he walked in and wasn't very sure how I should treat him. Treating him like a regular customer seemed to have been a good call. No booster seats were used."

31. Jason Segel and Paul Rudd

-How awkward would it be if you saw two celebs and know you saw them naked in a film? One server had the bad luck of telling a celebrity that he had a nice "package" in a film. "My best friend once waited on Jason Segel and Paul Rudd during SXSW (South by Southwest). She was caught off guard when she saw them sitting at her table, so the first words out of her mouth were 'You're Jason Segel. You have a really nice p---s. (She had recently seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall). His words? 'Hey thanks! Can I get a whiskey on the rocks?' She said Paul Rudd was equally as friendly, and they left a huge tip."

32. Bill Gates

-He's a billionaire with a highly successful tech company. One restaurant employee stated they thought he was "out there". "Bill Gates - I've spent LOTs of time with this man. He's spacy, anti-social, and his mind is always somewhere else. He rarely even speaks to his guests at the golf course. He rarely gets excited, rarely shows emotion, and is tough to talk to. With that said, he is very nice, and very attentive to instruction. He really is on another wavelength than most people I've met."

33. Tommy Lee Jones

-Some people find it mind boggling that Tommy Lee Jones always seems so confident and sure of himself in movies that in real life, he's a bit on the quiet side, that he seems like he doesn't know how to function in a normal society. One restaurant worker noted "Tommy Lee Jones. He was crazy awkward. His wife was really nice and basically apologized for him the entire time. I really don't think he was trying to be a d---. He just doesn't know how to be social."

34. Brian Austin Green

-Not everyone knows who Brian Austin Green is. He's an actor and was, at one time, married to Megan Fox and one restaurant worker had their eyes opened to how nice he is and how seemingly, anti-social Megan Fox is. "Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green - Now I always thought Brian Austin Green to be a douchie kind of guy, but absolutely one of the most down-to-earth and nicest celebrity I have ever served. Ms. Fox barely speaks a word throughout the entire evening, with Mr. Green doing all the ordering. He even takes time to walk around and chit chat with other staff, managers, bartenders around the restaurant."

35. Tyra Banks

-Some people think she is a queen B of the highest order. Some think she always wears the heavy crown of diva with a capital D. It sounds like the high ego she lives with is a result of being a former supermodel. One restaurant worker saw for themselves that she seems to prefer the diva crown. "Tyra Banks. She came in and sat down. Now usually I never acknowledge a celebrity because I always assume they want to be treated just like any other customer. Ms. Banks here threw a fit when I did not verbally recognize her and caused quite a scene. My coworker told me of another instance shortly after where she walked into the restaurant, looked around, and then stormed out."

36. Drew Brees

-He's a big time football player with the New Orleans Saints. It seems the world of celebrity is a mixed bag; some are down to earth and nice while others seem to love drama. One restaurant worker had an amazing experience serving Drew Brees and his family. "I was a server at a very famous New Orleans restaurant where famous people came in regularity. Drew Brees is a great tipper and his children are very well-behaved. His wife is a sweetheart. He's the only celebrity I ever really got star-struck around - I'm a huge Saints fan."

37. Dennis Rodman

-He's the man who often gets jokes about his hair color. Only true diehard basketball fans know he was on the Chicago Bulls team. One restaurant worker noted something to the effect that he was loud, inappropriate and seemed like he was a few bricks shy of a load. "I "served" Dennis Rodman about 3-4 years ago at Subway. He didn't have the attention span to order his own food so his wife/girlfriend ordered for him. He was inappropriate, loud, and hitting the ceiling fan like...like it was his first time being tall..."







38. Walking Dead cast

-Not everyone is into the mind-consuming, dead walking zombies. One restaurant worker had a positive experience with the cast of The Walking Dead. "I work at a restaurant in Senoia owned by Norman Reedus and [Walking Dead director] Greg Nicotero. Norman and Greg are great tippers, and they're always very sweet. I've served Greg a few times, and he never leaves less than $50. Sometimes, he'll leave $1,000 for all of us servers to split. Cooper Andrews (Jerry from The Walking Dead) came in one afternoon with his super cute wife, and they were just delightful. He left me $50 on a $50 tab."

39. Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro

-These two starred in a film called The Hunted. Some people think that after the film The Fugitive, he started getting typecast as FBI agents tracking down fugitives. One person said "I worked at a hotel as a housekeeper back in the very early 2000s. The movie The Hunted was being filmed in my hometown. The hotel restaurant (a higher tiered seafood restaurant) hosted the main actors in the movie (Tommy Lee Jones, Benicio Del Toro, etc.) several times, and according to a few of my friends who worked there, they either didn't tip at all, or only left a few bucks on the table."

40. Justin Timberlake

-Anyone who listened to the boy band N*Sync knows this name. One server found out, first hand, just how sweet and nice he is. "I served Justin Timberlake a couple years ago. Very nice, he came in at odd hours to avoid the crowds and just acted normal. Signed a couple kids autographs. The staff didn't bother him for one though, since the one girl that did got fired for it. He's a bit taller and muscular than I expected honestly. Tipped like a bro too, good man!"

41. Bruce Willis

-Most know this name as John McClane from the Die Hard series. One restaurant employee had the most amazing experience with serving him. "I've served a bunch of celebrities. Bruce Willis was a great tipper and a true gentleman, he came up and shook my hand and thanked me for the service. That was my personal favorite."

42. Manchester United

-Not everyone knows of English Premier League football. But if you're a follower of the Premier League, American, English or otherwise, then you'll know this team is known as the Red Devils because of the red devil in their logo and that their stadium is known as Old Trafford. It's important to know that not every country tips. And that if you do tip, you will have either wasted your money or insulted your server. One restaurant worker notes "I used to work in a pub in Manchester during United's '90s-'00s heyday. I met many of the United footballers in there, including Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo (though only once), and Roy Keane. All great guys. Tipping isn't as forced a thing as it is in the USA, but they bought a round of drinks for everyone in the pub and left a £10 each for all of the bar staff."

Paul Scholes


Roy Keane


Cristiano Ronaldo

43. Drew Carey

-Everyone knew Drew Carey as not only a funny comedian, but a genuinely good soul. One person had a very good experience with him. "My cousin had Drew Carey come into his bar one night after a gig. Said he came in and bought a round for everyone in the bar. Cousin said he was a real classy guy and extremely friendly. At the end of the night, he called my cousin over and asked how many staff were working that night. He then pulled out a check and wrote it for an amount that ended up giving each staffer a $100 tip that night."

44. Dave Chappelle

-Some think he's the king of comedy. Depends on what your idea of comedy is. One bartender said he is also the king of spoilers and started acting out one of the last episodes of the show Breaking Bad. "I bartended at Dave Chappelle's private birthday party. He kicked everyone out at the end of the night and came back in to have a drink away from his sycophants and assistants. He was the coolest except he spoiled the third to last Breaking Bad episode for me by acting it out word for word and dissecting every minute detail. But then he bought a stella and gave us a $100 bill. Actually he took the bill out of his pocket, lifted it above his head and slammed it down on the bar and shouted BAM! I am still happy to be a fan of his. "

45. Paul Newman

-Known as the man, the myth, the legend. He was one of those types of celebrities that didn't need a group of people hanging around him, hanging on his every word. He acted like a regular person, going to the grocery store himself to get his groceries or going to the local bar to get a drink. The chef at a local Connecticut restaurant has a mind blowing experience with him. "I cooked for Paul Newman a few times at a restaurant he'd visit in Connecticut. Not a fancy restaurant. Just a bar & grill. He was probably the most "normal" person you could imagine. Very laid back and polite. It seemed like he refused to accept the fact he was a celebrity. I also saw him in Stop & Shop grocery shopping. No f---s given. Just pushing a cart around buying cereal and bananas."

46. Rachel Ray

-She might act all sunshine and unicorns on TV. But that doesn't extend to real life. Those who have met her in real life describe her as a female dog in so many ways. One person said "I didn't serve her, but I was at a restaurant and I was sitting next to Rachel Ray. Megab----. She was really snippy with the bartender/waitress. She took forever to tell the waitress what she wanted. When she finally got her food and they asked her how it was, she just kind of motioned as if to say 'whatever'. I didn't see how much she tipped, but on her way out, someone asked for an autograph and she replied 'don't talk to me'. "

47. Michael Dorn

-Most know him as Worf from Star Trek. It seems like he is not shy about flaunting that Star Trek money too. A person with a friend who works as a server gave this story. "Not my story, but a server friend of mine works in a very nice restaurant and recently overheard Michael Dorn (Worf from Star Trek) wave off the lady he was with when she tried to pay the bill by saying "No, no, let me get that. I've got that Star Trek money.""

48. John Goodman #2

-This seems to have happened in a restaurant when smoking in restaurants was still allowed. One person said "A friend waited on Morgan Freeman, John Goodman and Steve Carell. At one point, Goodman pulls out a cigar, and without hesitation she (the waitress) had a lighter, waiting for him. He reached into his wallet and gave her $100 for that."

49. Randy Winn

-If you know baseball, then you might know or already know the name Randy Winn. He was with the St. Louis Cardinals, the New York Yankees, the Seattle Mariners and the San Francisco Giants. One restaurant worker had the best experience meeting him. "Baseball player Randy Winn and his wife Blessings are two of the most heart-warming and kind people. They would bring their whole family (their kids and parents), and they treated us like family. Blessings would frequently stay to talk to my friend and I, and she had started a new yoga class and invited us to it. Their kids were angels, too - always respectful and polite."

50. Stanley Tucci and John Krasinski

-The first encounter with Stanley Tucci on this list says he tipped great while this one says he tipped poorly. I think it depends on the situation. Maybe the food or service was bad? Maybe something went wrong. We weren't there, so we can't say for certain what it was. One person said "At a previous place I worked, I waited on Emma and Felicity Blunt, John Krasinski and Stanley Tucci. Nothing went wrong with their meal, and they were nice enough, but Stanley left less than a 10% tip on their $500 bill."

51. Danny McBride

-Apparently this guy is an actor. Not a very well known one unless he's been in independent movies that some say are hilarious and others say are ignorant. One server said "I used to wait on Danny McBride regularly, and he's a great tipper and all around nice person."

52. Dan Aykroyd

-Most know him from the Ghostbusters films and The Blues Brothers films. But he seems to have dropped off the face of the earth in years past. One person said "My cousin used to work at this little coffee shop out in rural southern Ontario, and one day, Dan Aykroyd came in. For whatever reason, it was cash only, and he threw a fit because he didn't have cash. The poor cashier who didn't recognize him got flustered and helped him pay for it out of her own tips, and he didn't even thank her for it."

53. Belinda Carlisle

-The person who donated this story worked as a room service butler in the 1980s. The only thing I can think of that a room service butler does is bring in room service. This person said "I waited on Belinda Carlisle from the Go-Gos when I was a room service butler at the Ritz Carlton back in the mid '80s. I was very nice to her and her bandmates, and they scrapped up a bunch of change and gave me pennies as a tip."

54. Vanessa Hudgens

-Most only know Vanessa Hudgens from that Disney movie High School Musical. One person, who was working at serving ice cream at a ball park got a particularly icy reception from this woman. "I served Vanessa Hudgens ice cream at a baseball park, and she didn't tip anything. I barely got a greeting when she came to my stand." Clearly, this person is making a mountain out of a molehill because you don't tip ice cream stand workers

55. Chi McBride

-Tipping is a big deal. It shows the server or maid or other service worker you appreciate what they do and in turn, they give you great service. One person had the amazing experience of meeting Chi McBride, who's famous for HouseHawaii Five-O, Boston Public. "Chi McBride [from Boston Public] tipped just north of 30%, and he was one of the most genuinely nice people I ever waited on."

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