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Star Sightings in Los Angeles

Upon moving to L.A., friends and parents back home are very impressed by the myriad of celeb sitings you’ll have, and stars you’ll see doing their normal routine. Celebs go to the grocery store, shopping mall, post office, and hell even to the movies themselves. The likelihood of having an encounter with someone who has reached a mild to major amount of Hollywood success is high, and below some Survivors tell their tales of the moments with the stars.

Making a New “Friend”

Lys and Matthew Perry

My friend Mollie had directed a one- act play called “The Whippoorwill” that was going up at the Electric Lodge Theater in Abbot Kinney.  I attended with my friends Meg and Heather.  As the three of us filed through the lobby and into the space, I realized we were walking past Matthew Perry. Giving myself a moment to be star struck, I grabbed Heather’s elbow and whispered “Did you see who that was?!” Our giddiness increased after we took our seats and Matthew sat directly behind us. When we read at the program, we realized that one of the actors was Mia Perry – his sister. None of us, in fact, were fervent Matthew Perry fans (my favorite was always Ross), but we were very aware of the fact that he was sitting right behind us.

After the performance, we went to the foyer to partake in the wine and hors d’oeurves.  We were discussing the show when I got a text from my friend, Wandie. It read: “I am taking a random poll of 25 friends. Who likes Matthew Perry?  Answers due by midnight.”

After staring at the text for thirty seconds to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating, I showed it to Meg and Heather. We quickly concluded the only appropriate vote in this situation was “Yes,” and that a photo of myself with Mr. Perry would substantially enhance my vote. “Hurry up, he’s leaving!” Meg urged.

I dashed across the room and placed myself between Matthew and the door. I explained the situation to him – showing him the text as evidence – and asked if I could take a picture. He may have thought I had concocted the whole situation (who wouldn’t?), but he said yes.

I sent the photo to Wandie along with my affirmative vote. The poll I now want to take is whether this is the weirdest thing that had ever happened, or just the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to me? Jury is still out. – Lysandra Petersson

A Lady and a Welshman

After my move and break-up, as a newly single L.A. girl, I was open and excited to start dating and see what these West coast guys had to bring to the table. At a random party one night, I met a very nice gent who I flirted with for quite some time over numerous cocktails. Before I stumbled home, he asked for my number. Shortly after, he called and I scored my first L.A. date. He gave me a few options for the date, but one option was to go to the Hollywood Bowl. Being a hardcore music-lover, I instantly said the Bowl would be amazing and our date was set. In my excitement, I failed to ask who was playing that night, but didn’t really care and was stoked on a new L.A. experience with a new L.A. guy.

Survive the City Editor, Lori Bartlett and Tom Jones

My date picked me up, and had thoughtfully packed some fancy picnic items and some wine. Upon arriving at the Bowl, I was first taken with its size and vibe, and then I saw the giant posters for the night’s headliner. It was none other Mr. Tom Throw-Your-Granny-Panties-On-Stage-What’s-New-Pussycat Jones. The Welshman with rippling chest hair and sly grin’s face was plastered everywhere. I couldn’t help but start to giggle, but tried to hide it out of respect for my date. (Now, he did have quite a few years on me, but not as many as you are thinking. I didn’t fall that hard into the Hollywood cliché.)

We find our seats (which are pretty darn good) and start chowing down and drinking glass after glass of tasty red wine. By the time the openers are over, I am good and buzzed. Tom Jones and all his shiny chest hair glory takes the stage, and my giggles go from suppressible to uncontrollable. As a few women over age 60 run to the stage to throw their panties at him, and give him single red roses, my giggles become full-on laughs. My date looks at me pleased, and says, “I’m glad you are having a good time.” I smile back and stifle a laugh to say, “I’m having an amazing time.” He then says quietly that he has been to a lot of Tom Jones shows, so many in fact, that he is good friends with his crew and has met him several times. And it’s at this point that he drops, the big news…we are going backstage after the show.

At the conclusion of his set, I finally have my giggles in check, we wait for the crowd to clear out a little, and then we are ushered backstage where “the man” is waiting. Tom was very sweaty, but kind, gracious and pretty funny.

Now, I can’t say that I’m a hard core fan now, or that I pack extra panties in my pocket just in case he graces my presence again, but I can say that it was one hell of a Hollywood first date. – Lori Bartlett

Dreamboat in the Skies

I have seen all kinds of celebrities in all kinds of places from A-list, B-list, Z-list at Ralphs, on the Promenade, at the Grove, in restaurants, on the freeway. You get the idea. You live here long enough and it just starts happening and you start noticing less. However, one sticks out because it was awesome, bizarre and hilarious all in one.

I was on a flight from LAX to Chicago (because the flight was from L.A. makes this story count as an L.A. story) over Easter weekend. I was going to visit the guy who would later become my boyfriend, so I was all excited and distracted as my fellow passengers took their seats. I look up to see a family with six kids coming my way. “Just my luck” was my first thought and, “Wow, the dad is pretty hot,” is my second thought. The mom and two kids take up one row, then three kids in the row behind them, and behind them is me in my window seat and next to the dad and another kid. Great, it looks like I’m their nanny. The dad says “hi” as he sits down and it is that moment I notice, I’m sitting next to Mike Seaver. For those of you who were not raised on ’80s era sitcoms, I’m talking about Kirk Cameron.

Before you say it, I know what you’re thinking. He’s all super religious now and let’s be honest, not really any fun anymore. And I know, you’re right. But the 12-year-old Connie inside of me is silently screaming and wishing he was wearing the brown leather jacket he always wore on the show. Let me tell you, Mike Seaver has aged well. His kids end up behaving extremely well and it was even cool to see his wife, Chelsea Noble, whom he met while on “Growing Pains.” However, sitting next to a well know Christian Evangelist and his child can make you a little uncomfortable when your only reading material is “Are you there vodka? It’s me, Chelsea” by Chelsea Handler and he’s reading the Bible.

We made some small talk during the four-hour flight and it had to be one of the most surreal events in my life. I kept thinking no one would ever believe this story. Then, he helped me right out of that problem. Before departing Kirk handed me a million dollar bill. Yes, that’s right. Well, it at least looked like one. However, on the back was stuff about God and sin and other stuff. I’m not making light of what it said, it just won’t ever matter as much as who handed it to me. It wasn’t Kirk Cameron, Evangelist. In my mind, it was Mike Seaver, teenage dreamboat, passing me a note in homeroom about how cute he thinks I am. – Connie Sommerville

The Reality of Reality

Working w/ Kennedy on the Set of Reality Remix

My life in LA has been speckled with Reality TV work (whether I’ve welcomed it or not). My first internship was with a Reality Network Star-up. Years later I worked booking talent for Reality TV, hosted by Kennedy, where I spent my mornings in the greenroom with Reality“Stars” from shows like Dancing with the Stars, The Bachelor, The Amazing Race and more.

Amazing Race Winner, BJ Avril and STC Creator, Heather Broeker

But it wasn’t until I was “off the clock” that I met a one star in particular that still sticks out in my mind.  BJ and Tyler were the “Hippies” who won the million dollar prize during Season 9 of The Amazing Race. I was attending the premiere of a short film I had produced when I had the

Kennedy with Amazing Race winners on set of Reality Remix

pleasure of meeting BJ.  Soon after being introduced he invited me to a viewing of the show, but at this point the general public had noknowledge of whether or not they had won.  I attended his viewing party the following week, and while he and Tyler advanced, we still didn’t know the true winners.

Weeks later we got a word at the office that the Hippies had become the million dollar, first-place winners of Season 9. I quickly got on my phone to call BJ to see if he and Tyler would be guests on the show. From the moment these two entered the set of RR, they were a pleasure to work with – a unique combination of Harvard intelligence, a hippie carefree attitude, awkward sexuality and the renewed sense of confidence that often accompanies those with new found stardom. ~ Heather Broeker