Friends with a Celebrity

[ZTAngel]

Who here was a childhood friend of someone who is now famous? Someone that you use to hang out with and is now a celebrity. I was thinking about this yesterday....

I saw a commercial for New Found Glory's new album yesterday and I was floored by how successful they've become. It was only 8 years ago that I met Steve Klein (guitars) in my Geometry class. He was good friends with my best friend, Kristy, but I hadn't really gotten to know him until then. Because of alphabetical order seating, I ended up sitting behind him in class. We became friends. I even watched his little garage band practice on a few occasions. Who would've thought.....

He passed Geometry because I let him borrow my homework everyday and he cheated off me on the tests (he would pretend to yawn and stretch back and would check out all my answers....slick). I like to think he may never have graduated from high school without my help in Geometry thus causing NFG to never come into existence.

During my Junior year (spring '98), they came out with their first album which consisted of 5 songs ("It's All About the Girls"). I don't think it can found in record stores. They passed around free copies to any student at the high school who wanted it. I still have my copy. The production of the CD was poor; nobody would have thought in a million years that NFG would become a popular. Admittedly, I didn't really like the album. I'm not sure if it was because the album wasn't good or my musical tastes. I'd go with the later of the two since that album made them one of the most popular bands in South Florida. I remember when Steve asked me if I liked their album and I lied and told him "yes".

After he graduated, they began touring to small bars around the country. During my freshman year in college, I realized that had really become big. My friend was attending school at the University of Pennsylvania. He called me at 2am one night to tell me that NFG had played at concert hall by him and that the place was packed with screaming girls. Within 2 years, they were everywhere. Their video for "My Friends Over You" was on constant rotation on MTV2. They were one of the headliners for the 2002 Warped Tour. My friend and I went to the tour when it stopped in Orlando. We tried to push our way to the front of the stage so we could say hello to Steve but the crowds of screaming girls blocked us.

Now, I see commercials for them everywhere and I always hear people talking about them. It's so weird to me that the little garage band Steve would always tell me about is now selling thousands of album copies.

Sorry that my post was so long. I guess I'm just in awe of how their persistence really paid off. I'm so glad that they've become so successful. They're a really great group of guys and I'm so happy that I got a chance to know them.

[ZeroCool]

That's pretty cool. Unfortunately, I don't have any celebrity friends, yet at least.

[DeltAlum]

Have met a lot of famous people through work, but wouldn't really call any of them "friends."

[AXO Alum]

Originally posted by ZeroCool
That's pretty cool. Unfortunately, I don't have any celebrity friends, yet at least.

Don't worry, ZeroCool, you got me -- and like Visa, I'm everywhere you want to be

teehee

ZTAngel - that's pretty cool - one of my bestest guy friends from HS went on to play with the Vikings -- I used to watch him and think he was my buddy. At the reunion he was SO full of himself, and I was like because he was such a sweetie in school. To top it all off, he stayed injured more than he played, and was eventually released -- so I don't know why he was so full of himself, but whatever!

i just went to HS with cuba gooding jr for a few yrs but wasnt friends with him. although we were in drama class and club together

[ADqtPiMel]

Wow, ZTAngel, that's pretty awesome. NFG has been one of my favorite bands for a while now.

[DeltaSigStan]

My old friend from high school Willie Green has been in a couple sprite and apple jacks commercials, plus he was on a show on Nickelodeon

[CatStarESP4]

The son of my mom's friend (I am also friends with his sister), played Danny Mellon (or is it Melon?) in Hang Time for a few seasons. He now is a substitute teacher, but he acts sporadically.

I also have another friend who is an actor, but I met him about two or three weeks after 9/11.

[chideltjen]

not me personally. but i have a funny story about one of my uncle's friends.

Apparently the friend is an actor and got cast as either a villian or random one time character on Power Rangers... when it first came out and was really popular.

[bcdphie]

I am related, albeit through marriage, to two well-known actors:

Dan Ackroyd and Ryan Reynolds

[Lady Pi Phi]

I'm related to Keifer Sutherland.

He's my cousin 9 times removed.

[AXO Alum]

Originally posted by Lady Pi Phi
I'm related to Keifer Sutherland.

He's my cousin 9 times removed.

YES!! Far enough down the line to make it okay to lust after him

[Lady Pi Phi]

Originally posted by AXO Alum
YES!! Far enough down the line to make it okay to lust after him

Hahahaha, that's right. He is yummy isn't he (is that gorss?)

[Taualumna]

Originally posted by Lady Pi Phi
Hahahaha, that's right. He is yummy isn't he (is that gorss?)

Nah...too distantly related to be gross

ETA: I don't really know any celebrities, but a few friends of mine from elementary school grew up in the same neighbourhood as Sarah Polley

[PhiPsiRuss]

My first girlfriend (in nursery school) was Mia Sara (the girlfriend in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.) She was at my bar mitzvah, but I haven't seen her in years. I do see her mom every now and then.

I went to high school with two of the members of Phish, but I wasn't on friendly terms with them.