As normies, civilians, and just regular folk, a chance encounter with a celebrity can be a beautiful or downright terrible experience. Celebrities live their lives in the spotlight, constantly being scrutinized, so it would stand to reason that some might tire of all that exposure. However, just because someone is rich and famous, that doesn’t mean that they should treat people, especially those who are just trying to be helpful, poorly.
Morgan Sloss, a writer for Buzzfeed, stumbled across a goldmine in the form of a Reddit thread in which a user (u/Feroset) asked: “What celebrity were you most surprised to find out was a jerk IRL?” The responses are staggering. Sloss decided to balance things out by also including people’s lovely encounters with celebs. This way, you’ll get a better idea of who is awesome and who is awful in Hollywood and beyond. Find out who is a sweetie and who is a lemon.
Awesome: Danny Trejo
Morgan Sloss kicked off the discussion by sharing about the time she ran into living legend Danny Trejo.
“A few years ago, I met Danny Trejo outside his donut shop in LA,” she shared. “We danced together for a minute, and when I turned to leave, he asked if I wanted a picture. A total sweetheart!”
Awesome: Daniel Radcliffe
“I served Daniel Radcliffe his dessert at an event. I tripped and spilled some of it on him, probably due to seeing that I was serving Daniel Radcliffe, and he stood up and started apologizing profusely to ME. Was very sweet and asking if I was okay.”
Awesome: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
“My mom and sister met The Rock when he was still a wrestler. They had a couple car seats and tons of bags, having a hell of a time getting off the plane, and people were waiting. Then, this massive guy offered to carry some things for them, and they happily took the help. He grabbed some bags and held the baby carrier with my niece in it, helped them off the plane, and left. After people kept going up to them and asking how they knew The Rock, they were very confused until someone explained who he was.”
Awful: Zooey Deschanel
“I had a coworker whose sister was a crew member on New Girl. Said Zooey Deschanel treated everyone like s**t.”
“I worked on a movie set. Zooey Deschanel is very aware that she’s a big deal. Not downright mean, but remarkably entitled.”
Awesome: Paul Rudd
“I met Paul Rudd on a flight from New York, sat next to him on the plane. My buddy leaned over and told me that he wanted to compliment him on this band shirt he wore when making Clueless, but he ‘didn’t want it to be weird.’ So his solution was to write him a note and slip it to him, LOL. So he did this, and Paul just got this nervous look on his face, opened the note, and read it. Started cracking up laughing, leaned over to us, and said, ‘Best note ever,'” someone shared.
“He then told us the whole story of the shirt and how he fought with the costume department about it because it was the shirt he wore to set that day,” they continued. “We talked the whole flight; dude was super cool.”
Awesome: Jamie Lee Curtis
“I worked with young adults with disabilities and was with a client at GameStop. A woman walked in with a teenager, and they were shopping around. We were the only customers there, and when she asked for help from an associate, I loved the way she spoke. I went to ask her where she was from and blurted out, ‘Wow. Has anyone told you that you look exactly like Jamie Lee Curtis?’ To which she smiled and replied, ‘That’s because I am her.'”
“I apologized and let her get back to her shopping. Afterward, as she was about to leave, I asked her if it would be alright if I called my wife and told her where I ran into her (I didn’t know if she wanted her location blasted), and she said, ‘Of course. Want to take a picture?’ Absolute solid human. Love her.”
Awful: Jennifer Lopez
“Met J.Lo and Jane Fonda while I worked at a private FBO (an operation at a major airport for rich people to fly out of), and I said hello to J.Lo. Nope, not even a response.”
“Jane Fonda, on the other hand, said hi back and asked me how my day was. This was when they were filming Monster-in-Law. She was a nice lady.”
Awesome: Samuel L. Jackson
“Samuel L. Jackson at the Calgary Stampede in Canada. He was super nice. My family went up for it because my uncle is part of the committee that organizes the Stampede every year, and he got us VIP seating. I was a kid at the time, and I was like, ‘Does your wallet really say bad motherf***r?’ He laughed and said he left that one at home. Of course, when I told the story at school, I told everyone his wallet did, in fact, say that.”
Awesome: Emilia Clarke
“I met her a couple of times (I worked at a medical research institute she was working with as part of her brain injury charity). She was very down-to-earth, genuine, interested, and involved. Her mum was lovely, too.”
“I was fortunate enough to meet her when working in Malibu, and she was so sweet. It was right before the last season of GOT came out.”
Awful: Ricky Gervais
“Finding out Ricky Gervais is a [d*ck] IRL was extremely disappointing. I work in film and wanted to work with him so badly that I took a huge pay cut to work on his movie, Special Correspondents. He was an absolute terror on set. Longest two months of my career.”
Awesome: Adam Sandler
“I ran into Adam Sandler outside of a Planet Fitness in Brooklyn in early 2016. As I was leaving Planet Fitness, it looked like he was walking in. We made eye contact, so I stopped and held the door for him. He got to the door and stopped right before he walked through, in one of those fake poses that little kids make when you tell them to freeze. I stood there holding the door, plenty confused. For about five seconds, we just stood there: him, motionless, and me, standing there holding the door.”
“Finally, he turned his head and said in the stereotypical Adam Sandler voice, ‘Ahhh, who we kidding? I’m not going in there!’ Giant grin on his face. We both laughed, and then he continued down the street. Awesome.”
Awesome: Gordon Ramsay
“Bumped into Gordon Ramsay in the lift in a hotel in Hong Kong. He was very friendly. We didn’t talk to him or ask for a picture. I just blurted out, ‘You’re Gordon Ramsay!’ And he acknowledged me and smiled. He insisted on us going first because we had our suitcases with us, wished us a nice day, and said bye several times when we saw him in the lobby again. Very friendly!”
Awful: Bill Nye
“Was a huge fan growing up. My brother works for NASA at Goddard in Maryland, and Mr. Nye has been a guest speaker for a number of events. The dude is apparently, according to my brother and his colleagues, a total jerk. Any time I’ve shared this, I get a fair amount of people disbelieving or saying it’s probably a misunderstanding. Look into it for yourself, and I’m sure you’ll find many anecdotes of him being an [a**].”
“I live in the Seattle area. Many individuals I have worked with have personally known Bill Nye (he worked at Boeing/started his Science Guy career in Seattle). They say he is one of the biggest [a**holes] they’ve ever had the displeasure of working with. I’ve heard descriptions from ‘pompous rat’ to ‘egotistical douchenozzle.'”
Awesome: Gemma Chan
“My sister has met many celebs, and one of the nicest she ever met was Gemma Chan. I’ve also never, ever heard anything other than her being a literal sweetheart when people have met her or even worked with her.”
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Awesome: Tom Hanks
“Absolutely nice. I met him when I worked at In-N-Out Burger a few years back. I took an order to his table and was startled when I saw him. I asked, ‘Are you Tom Hanks?’ And he looked up from his meal, gave the biggest, friendliest smile, and said, ‘You betcha.’ When I was clocking out, he was heading out, so I held the door open for him. I said, ‘Mr. Hanks, if it’s not any trouble, could I possibly take a picture with you?’ He turned around with another big grin and said, ‘Walk with me, kid.'”
“So we talked for about 10 minutes. He asked me about my life, and I told him all of my favorite movies he is in. He gave me some life advice, and his son (very nice but just quiet) took some pictures of us. He gave me a handshake followed by a hug, saying it was nice to meet me. I said, ‘I’m glad the most famous person I got to meet was you.’ Then they left. Needless to say, my coworkers stared through the windows the entire time and then hounded me for a week about it.”
Awful: Khalid
“I’ve been fortunate to have been a part of a lot of different events, festivals, and shows. I’ve met a bunch of singers and performers throughout my time at these events. The most memorable was this guy, but not for anything good. It was for his attitude towards hotel staff, my colleagues, and his own team. Arrogant [a**hat]. I had to avoid him. I can keep my mouth shut when I have to, but I can’t contain my face.”
Awesome: Harrison Ford
“I worked for Harrison Ford’s son, Ben, in his restaurant that lasted a few years in town. I was 14 at the time and a busser. One night, the restaurant was completely reserved by one party. Turns out, Harrison was coming to eat at his son’s place. So, as I was pouring everyone their water, I got to the person sitting right next to Harrison, and the water pitcher spilled everywhere. No water spilled on anyone, but I started apologizing profusely anyway. Harrison was laughing his a** off and told me that it was okay, don’t worry about, no water got on anyone. He was very nice about the whole thing.”
Awesome: Megan Thee Stallion
“She is so, so nice! She stayed at the hotel I worked at in college while she was on tour, and the entire time, she and her whole team were kind, patient, and just all-around pleasant to work around! Her dog was super nice, too, LOL.”
Awful: Rachael Ray
“I used to work for celebrity photographers so I have lots of stories. Rachael Ray is by far the worst ‘celebrity’ I have ever worked with. Like, shutting down set until she got a diet Coke and soda water terrible. Yelling at her assistants and constantly storming off set. Just awful.”
“She was an [a**hole] before she was famous, apparently. A friend of mine saw her doing some cooking demonstration in Times Square right before she made it big (like 2006 or something) and said she was rude to the crowd that gathered to watch her.”
Awesome: Steve Buscemi
“Steve Buscemi is a genuinely kind man. I used to serve him all the time, and he never once was a diva, always had a smile on his face, and I don’t even think he once had a complicated order. He always ordered the most simple thing on the menu and always tipped 20%+. If he wanted to hide or be left alone, he’d bring in a physical copy of the New York Times and kind of hide behind it, which I thought was super funny because customers would still catch a glimpse of him somehow and approach him anyway. But even then, he was incredibly kind and appreciative of whatever compliments they offered.”
“He was a firefighter in New York back in the ’80s and spent the week after 9/11 with his old firehouse helping dig through the rubble. I’ve always thought that really spoke to the depth of his character.”
Awesome: Dolly Parton
“I met Miss Dolly Parton when I was just a wee kid in Illinois. I’ve described it as being like meeting the sun. She was just so happy and warm and wonderful, and she was the first person I’d met in real life with a Southern accent.”
Awful: Michael Jordan
“Met Michael Jordan while off work when I worked at Disney and just casually said, ‘Hey, Michael.’ Got a ‘go away’ as a response, which pretty much turned me off of MJ forever.”
Awesome: Elijah Wood
“The biggest sweetheart of them all is Elijah Wood. What a great actor to interview. Humble, kind, sensitive, and very, very sweet-natured.”
Awful: Chevy Chase
“I worked for Chevy Chase once. Guy’s a [d*ck].”
“I met a few celebs working as an event photographer for fundraisers from time to time. Chevy Chase, well, the stories are true. He was a huge jerk.”
Awesome: Cardi B
“Ran into Cardi B at a Christmas event. Her security was kind of annoying, but when we approached her, she went out of her way to be super nice and take pictures with us. One of the more memorable celebs I’ve met.”
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Awful: Julia Roberts
“She filmed a movie in the building I went to grad school in (it has a classic-looking lecture hall). No one reported a pleasant interaction with her. One guy rode the elevator with her and asked her to sign something. She didn’t look in his direction, and her assistant snapped, ‘She’s not doing that today.'”
“There are stories from the set of the movie Hook where she earned the nickname Tinker Hell.”
There you go! Now you know about the celebrities who are sweet in real life and who are rude, mean, and/or entitled. Everyone is entitled to have a bad day once in a while, but you can always choose to treat others with kindness. It feels like fame and wealth either bring out the best or worst in celebrities.
For even more celebrity content, keep reading. We’ve got celebrities who have names that most of us have been pronouncing incorrectly all along.
Adele
Buzzfeed points out that in a recent Happy Hour event hosted by Adele in concert with the release of her new music video for “I Drink Wine,” the superstar chanteuse revealed the completely surprising pronunciation of her name. The actual pronunciation: Huh-Dale.
Here’s Adele Saying Her Name:
Timothée Chalamet
Boy wonder Timothée Chalamet has French ancestry and thus, his name’s pronunciation might be foreign to you. While the actor will answer to a pronunciation similar to Timothy, it’s not exactly right. The actual pronunciation: Tee-mo-tay Shall-uh-may.
Here Is Timothée Chalamet Saying His Name:
Zendaya
Chalamet’s Dune co-star and one of the brightest stars of the moment, Zendaya has a gorgeous name of Shona origin that means “to give thanks.” I’m sure Zendaya would “give thanks” if we all said her name properly. The actual pronunciation: Zen-day-uh.
Here’s Zendaya Showing You How to Say Her Name:
Rihanna
It turns out we all need to “Work, work, work, work, work, work” on our pronunciation of Rihanna‘s name. The Barbados-born singer chose to go by the Arabic name Rihanna which means “sweet basil.” Despite being one of the most famed celebrities today, her name is often not properly said. The actual pronunciation: Ree-anne-uh.
Listen to Rihanna Say Her Name:
Saoirse Ronan
Irish actor Saoirse Ronan has become an international superstar thanks to her work in films like Lady Bird and Hanna. This is one of the celebrities whose name we are not all too surprised most of us are saying wrong as Irish appellations can be a real challenge for Americans. The actual pronunciation: Sur-shuh Row-nuhn.
There Was Actually a Whole Musical Number Devoted to Her Name’s Pronunciation on SNL:
Chrissy Teigen
Your favorite person to follow on social media and whose cookbooks you likely love has, what seems, like a straightforward name. Chrissy Teigen‘s name is unfortunately often mispronounced. The actual pronunciation: Kriss-ee Tie-gen.
With a Little Help From Her Mom, Teigen Told Us How to Say Her Last Name:
Camila Cabello
Cuban-born American performer Camila Cabello has a stunning name that we are all screwing up. Apparently, Simon Cowell can’t pronounce her name either (see the video below). The actual pronunciation: Cam-ee-la Cab-ay-o.
Listen to Cabello Say Her Name:
Florence Pugh
English actor Florence Pugh has quickly become a household name but are we saying that name right? Florence is an extremely popular name across the UK and most people have gotten a hold of it but it’s her last name that has really given folks trouble. The actual pronunciation: Floor-ence Pew.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal has been one of the steadfast celebrities working in film over the last few decades. How is it even possible that we have not known how to say his name this entire time? The actual pronunciation: Jay-k Yeel-en-hall.
Here’s Gyllenhaal Breaking Down How to Say His Name:
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried began acting at the age of 15 and has been in the spotlight ever since. You know her from favorites like Mean Girls and Mamma Mia! but do you know how to properly say her name? The actual pronunciation: Ah-man-duh Sigh-fred.
Seyfried Explains How to Say Her Often Mispronounced Last Name:
Taylor Lautner
The Twilight franchise made Taylor Lautner one of the most recognizable celebrities at the time. It turns out all of the exposure still did not teach us how to say this man’s last name correctly. The actual pronunciation: Tay-ler Lowt-ner.
Here’s Lautner Saying it Again and Again:
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan has had her ups and downs through the years but most of us have always been rooting for her. As with her Mean Girls co-star, Amanda Seyfried, Lohan’s name is also mispronounced more often than not. The actual pronunciation: Lind-zee Low-en.
Here’s Lohan Saying Her Own Name:
Daniel Kaluuya
Daniel Kaluuya is one of the celebrities whose star is shining ever so brightly today. You likely loved his performances in Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah, and most recently in Nope. But, are you saying his last name the right way? The right pronunciation: Dan-yell Kah-loo-ya.
Here’s Stephen Colbert Saying It Properly:
Gal Gadot
Israeli actor Gal Gadot AKA Wonder Woman has been in countless blockbusters these days but most of us are missing the mark when it comes to pronouncing her name. The actual pronunciation: Gal Gah-dote.
Here’s Gadot Saying Her Name:
Alicia Silverstone
One of the celebrities that many of us grew up loving (and still do!), Alicia Silverstone, rocked our world when she recently corrected the record on TikTok by revealing how to properly say her name. The actual pronunciation: Ah-lee-see-ah Sil-ver-stohn.
Here’s the TikTok Where She Pronounces Her Name:
Emily Ratajkowski
Model and actor, Emily Ratajkowski might be one of the celebrities whose name you feel a little guilty about not knowing how to pronounce. It’s okay! We live and we learn, right? The actual pronunciation: Em-uh-lee Rah-tuh-cow-ski.
Listen to Ratajkowski Say Her Name:
Steve Buscemi
National treasure, Steve Buscemi, has been a scene-stealer for decades. How is it possible we are just now learning to say his name right? The actual pronunciation: Steev Boo-sem-ee.
Listen to Buscemi Being Introduced Here:
Demi Moore
Well, okay. One of America’s most famed celebrities, Demi Moore, has more to her name than meets the eye. There’s a French twist that most of us are missing with her given name. The actual pronunciation: Dem-ee Mohr.
Of All the People, Here’s Jimmy Fallon Correctly Pronouncing Her Name:
Mahershala Ali
Mahershala Ali is one of the most decorated celebrities acting today. He’s dynamite in everything he’s in but it’s Moonlight for us! Despite this rising star being roundly beloved, some are mispronouncing his handsome name. The actual pronunciation: Mah-her-shuh-luh Ah-lee.
Jimmy Kimmel Got It Right:
Charlize Theron
South African actor Charlize Theron has been one of the highest-paid celebrities acting today. She was named after her father, Charles, and they went with the unique feminization of his name for Charlize. Some people still have not mastered this star’s name. The actual pronunciation: Shar-leez Ther-in.
Kimmel Got It Right Again:
Justin Theroux
Justin Theroux, an actor you may know from the critically acclaimed series The Leftovers, might not even be pronouncing his name right. No, we kid. He knows it but there’s a clip below of him being picked on by his uncle for mispronouncing his surname. The actual pronunciation: Just-in The-roo.
Here’s the Fun Clip We Mentioned:
Mariska Hargitay
Is it a right of passage to mispronounce Mariska Hargitay‘s name a few times before you get it right? Well, we suppose it shouldn’t be. The actual pronunciation: Mar-ish-kah Har-gih-tay.
Buzzfeed Unearthed This Amazon Clip of Hargitay Back in the Day:
Ralph Fiennes
In our opinion, the only way to say the name Ralph is with a British accent. So, we might have been one of the few to know how to pronounce the name Ralph Fiennes correctly. The actual pronunciation: Ray-f Fine-s.
Hear His Name in the Introduction Here from Whoopi Goldberg:
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Milo Ventimiglia
Milo Ventimiglia, star of This Is Us, has a name that we will admit is a bit of a mouthful. But, we have faith in you. The actual pronunciation: Mai-low Ven-tee-mee-lee-aa.
See the Actor Say His Name Below:
There you go! Now you know about all of the celebrities whose names you have been mispronouncing.
Contents
- 1 Awesome: Danny Trejo
- 2 Awesome: Daniel Radcliffe
- 3 Awesome: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
- 4 Awful: Zooey Deschanel
- 5 Awesome: Paul Rudd
- 6 Awesome: Jamie Lee Curtis
- 7 Awful: Jennifer Lopez
- 8 Awesome: Samuel L. Jackson
- 9 Awesome: Emilia Clarke
- 10 Awful: Ricky Gervais
- 11 Awesome: Adam Sandler
- 12 Awesome: Gordon Ramsay
- 13 Awful: Bill Nye
- 14 Awesome: Gemma Chan
- 15 Awesome: Tom Hanks
- 16 Awful: Khalid
- 17 Awesome: Harrison Ford
- 18 Awesome: Megan Thee Stallion
- 19 Awful: Rachael Ray
- 20 Awesome: Steve Buscemi
- 21 Awesome: Dolly Parton
- 22 Awful: Michael Jordan
- 23 Awesome: Elijah Wood
- 24 Awful: Chevy Chase
- 25 Awesome: Cardi B
- 26 Awful: Julia Roberts
- 27 Adele
- 28 Here’s Adele Saying Her Name:
- 29 Timothée Chalamet
- 30 Here Is Timothée Chalamet Saying His Name:
- 31 Zendaya
- 32 Here’s Zendaya Showing You How to Say Her Name:
- 33 Rihanna
- 34 Listen to Rihanna Say Her Name:
- 35 Saoirse Ronan
- 36 There Was Actually a Whole Musical Number Devoted to Her Name’s Pronunciation on SNL:
- 37 Chrissy Teigen
- 38 With a Little Help From Her Mom, Teigen Told Us How to Say Her Last Name:
- 39 Camila Cabello
- 40 Listen to Cabello Say Her Name:
- 41 Florence Pugh
- 42 Pugh Shared Her Name’s Pronunciation on Twitter (with Good Humor):
- 43 Jake Gyllenhaal
- 44 Here’s Gyllenhaal Breaking Down How to Say His Name:
- 45 Amanda Seyfried
- 46 Seyfried Explains How to Say Her Often Mispronounced Last Name:
- 47 Taylor Lautner
- 48 Here’s Lautner Saying it Again and Again:
- 49 Lindsay Lohan
- 50 Here’s Lohan Saying Her Own Name:
- 51 Daniel Kaluuya
- 52 Here’s Stephen Colbert Saying It Properly:
- 53 Gal Gadot
- 54 Here’s Gadot Saying Her Name:
- 55 Alicia Silverstone
- 56 Here’s the TikTok Where She Pronounces Her Name:
- 57 Emily Ratajkowski
- 58 Listen to Ratajkowski Say Her Name:
- 59 Steve Buscemi
- 60 Listen to Buscemi Being Introduced Here:
- 61 Demi Moore
- 62 Of All the People, Here’s Jimmy Fallon Correctly Pronouncing Her Name:
- 63 Mahershala Ali
- 64 Jimmy Kimmel Got It Right:
- 65 Charlize Theron
- 66 Kimmel Got It Right Again:
- 67 Justin Theroux
- 68 Here’s the Fun Clip We Mentioned:
- 69 Mariska Hargitay
- 70 Buzzfeed Unearthed This Amazon Clip of Hargitay Back in the Day:
- 71 Ralph Fiennes
- 72 Hear His Name in the Introduction Here from Whoopi Goldberg:
- 73 Milo Ventimiglia
- 74 See the Actor Say His Name Below:
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