Stars Who Flipped Out When Meeting Other Stars
Stars — they're just like us! Or at least that's what Us Weekly tells its readers when publishing paparazzi photos of celebrities doing "normal" stuff like pumping their own gas or hauling a recycling bin to the curb. And while the full extent to which the rich and famous act like regular folks is certainly debatable, there is one way in which stars have actually shown such traits: when they demonstrate their fandom of other stars.
This star-on-star worship can run the gamut from respectful gestures of appreciation for a fellow artist's work to outright fangirling, and that's when things turn the corner. Whenever stars lose their you-know-what in the presence of other celebs, not only can it be wildly entertaining for fans, but also serves to humanize said stars as they demonstrate that, as cool as they are, they're not too cool to be just as impressed as the rest of us when they find themselves in the presence of an even bigger star.
Continue reading to discover some prime examples of stars who flipped out when meeting other stars.
Camila Cabello bent the knee to Emilia Clarke
Singer Camila Cabello appeared on the UK's The Graham Norton Show alongside fellow guests Emilia Clarke and Jason Momoa, where the former Game of Thrones co-stars were promoting their individual projects. Cabello, who had recently binge-watched the HBO hit, couldn't contain her enthusiasm when she walked onto the talk show's set. "My queen!" Cabello greeted the erstwhile Mother of Dragons. "I'm sorry. I would just like to say I am the biggest Game of Thrones fan in the entire world ... I'm just freaking out to meet you guys ... I've never fan-girled so hard in my life."
After the taping, Cabello posted a backstage photo on Instagram in which she's bowing down before a delighted Clarke. "Oh you bet your a** I bent the knee," Cabello wrote in the caption for the pic.
Interestingly enough, it was during a previous appearance on that very same talk show that the tables were turned, and it was Clarke who became a blushing mess when the actress — apparently a huge fan of Friends — was seated next to Matt LeBlanc. "I just think you're wicked," Clarke nervously told LeBlanc.
Chris Hemsworth was so excited to meet Brad Pitt he 'went for a hug'
Chris Hemsworth may play a mythological Norse god/superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he was left powerless when he met Brad Pitt at the premiere of the latter's 2019 movie Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood. According to the Thor star, his meeting with Pitt took an awkward turn.
"He went to do a handshake and I went for the hug," Hemsworth revealed in an interview with People, adding that Pitt "was fine with it. I didn't get attacked by security team or anything." Characterizing his interaction with Pitt as "fantastic," Hemsworth described Pitt as being "as wonderful and pleasant as I'd hoped and imagined."
Meanwhile, Hemsworth admitted that wasn't the only time he'd become starstruck when meeting another celeb. "The first time I really met Chris Pratt — and went on set with him and the Guardians [of the Galaxy] — I was weirdly shaken," he told Elle of meeting his fellow Marvel hero. "I don't know why. He's just so charismatic. And good at what he does."
Jennifer Garner displayed 'zero chill' when she received a call from Julie Andrews
Somehow, Katie Couric found out that Jennifer Garner is a huge admirer of the legendary Julie Andrews and asked the Mary Poppins star to give her a call out of the blue. Garner documented the magical moment in an Instagram post, sharing a collage of photos of herself completely flipping out. "It was a surprise," Garner wrote in the caption, adding the hashtag #zerochill. "I'm sure you'll be shocked to learn this, but I love her."
In a subsequent Instagram post, Couric shared a split-screen video of the pair's conversation. "I want to tell you I'm a huge fan and love what you do," Andrews told Garner, who was literally weeping with tears of joy. "And Katie was just telling me that you were pretty admiring of me, too, so I thought, 'Well let's just have a chat.'"
Throughout the conversation, Garner was nervous, weepy, and utterly starstruck by speaking with a woman who is clearly her idol. "You know what, Julie... Andrews... miss..." Garner stuttered, with Andrews responding in her unmistakable crisp British accent, "Just call me Julie or Jules."
Selena Gomez was giddy about meeting Shia LaBoeuf and Jennifer Aniston
Back in 2011, Selena Gomez was a star on the rise, not quite yet the internationally famous pop star she would eventually become. That year, she shared a video on YouTube chronicling her adorable meeting with Shia LaBeouf, which, according to The Hollywood Reporter, took place backstage at a taping of Live! With Regis and Kelly. "Hey! Hey!" shouted LaBeouf as he ran to catch up to her in a hallway. "Nice to meet you. How are you doing?" he added, giving her a hug. "I'm so sorry to bother you ... I admire you," she responded, with LaBeouf thanking her "for being so sweet to me."
A couple of years later, Gomez told the National Post why she admires him so much. "I think Shia LaBeouf did a wonderful job," she explained. "He started on Disney and he's an incredible actor and he chose great roles."
Gomez also had the chance to meet another of her idols during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show when Jennifer Aniston subbed in as guest host. "First off, are you guys kidding me? Rachel was my life!" she declared, referencing Aniston's Friends role.
Jennifer Lawrence became starstruck by Bill Murray and Damian Lewis
When Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence ran into Bill Murray at Comic-Con in 2015, it was as "murrayculous" as she could have dreamed. "I and the rest of the world have been a huge fan of Bill Murray for a really long time and always wanted to meet him," Lawrence told reporters during the press conference for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, reported ET.
"I kind of spoke to him through Woody Harrelson," she said, explaining how her Hunger Games co-star proved to be the conduit to meeting Murray by sending Harrelson emails, "mostly when I was drunk, of things I always wanted to say to Bill Murray ... So just the fact that Bill Murray knows that I exist was part one. Part two, he wanted to speak to me. And he like, mentioned something about us working together, I don't know! I'm excited about that, that was cool."
That wasn't the only time that Lawrence lost it over a fellow celeb. The previous year, she had an adorable red-carpet meet-cute with Homeland star Damian Lewis, freaking out completely when he gave her a hug. "The show's amazing," Lawrence gushed. "My ears are so red!"
Spice Girls superfan Emma Stone lost it when she received a message from Mel B
One thing even Emma Stone's biggest fans may not know is that she's a massive Spice Girls aficionado. That was on display while she was promoting The Amazing Spider-Man 2 when her interviewers passed along the message that Mel B "couldn't be here today." In a video of that interview with 2Day FM, Stone's eye's suddenly widened. "Wait, Mel B could have been here?" she said, her voice tinged with urgency. "I'm gonna cry."
But there was a surprise in store. "Hi Emma," said the Spice Girls singer in a video message she recorded earlier. "Oh my God, is Mel B talking to me?" asked Stone as her eyes filled with tears. "Oh my god, I'm so excited ... I am the biggest Spice Girls fan ever."
The surprises weren't over. In her message, the onetime Scary Spice jokingly chided Stone for liking Baby Spice more than her. As her "punishment," Stone was challenged to sing any Spice Girls song. "I'm legitimately excited," said the clearly shaken actress as she grabbed a microphone and eventually launched into the rap from "Wannabe."
Anne Hathaway admitted she was 'freaking out' to be near Mariah Carey
In 2015, Anne Hathaway was in the midst of giving a red-carpet interview at the premiere of her comedy The Intern. What happened next was luckily recorded by Associated Press, as Hathaway spied Mariah Carey nearby. "She's here. She's at my movie premiere," Hathaway excitedly told the camera as she pointed to the "Hero" singer.
Asked if she wanted to meet the iconic songstress, Hathaway suddenly transformed into a nervous 14-year-old. "Oh my god. No," she blurted. "I'm freaking out. Like, she's two arm lengths away right now." As a reporter asked a question about the movie, Hathaway became too distracted to answer, nervously casting brief glances toward Carey. "She's now like an arm's length away," Hathaway marveled.
When the reporter encouraged Hathaway to go over and say hi, Hathaway became paralyzed. "No, no, no, it's fine," she declared. "I'm gonna meet her when the time is right. I just love that this is on camera right now. Is she in the background?" Added Hathaway with a giggle, "So fun!"
Mark Hamill accepted Adam Scott's birthday party invitation... decades later
Adam Scott paid a 2017 visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live, where guest host Kristen Bell was sitting in for new dad Jimmy Kimmel while he took a brief paternity leave. Bell referenced a previous visit that the Parks and Recreation star paid to the show, when he revealed his childhood obsession with Star Wars.
Scott recalled, as a child, writing a letter to Star Wars' Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill, inviting the actor to his birthday party. "I thought at least if he got it, and he was able to, if his schedule was clear, he was probably going to come," Scott told Bell. "He didn't show up ... I remember not being crushed or anything — it was fine."
Suddenly, the Star Wars theme began blaring, and Hamill himself appeared on the set, glowing toy lightsaber in hand. "I'm sorry I missed your birthday," Hamill told the clearly overwhelmed Scott. "I was checking my diary, and that week I had two other birthdays, a bar mitzvah and a supermarket opening." As Scott responded, "This really is one of the best moments of my life. For real."
J.Lo was thrilled to receive a surprise call from Fixer Upper's Joanna Gaines
During a 2019 appearance on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show, Jennifer Lopez shared a "really sweet" surprise that fiancé Alex Rodriguez managed to put together for her. "I'm obsessed with Fixer Upper," Lopez admitted. Discussing how much she enjoys the home-reno show featuring the work of shiplap-loving interior designer Joanna Gaines and her contractor husband Chip, Lopez revealed she and Rodriguez had recently purchased their own fixer-upper home. "And I was like, wouldn't it be amazing to like have her do it for us?" Lopez added.
Unbeknownst to Lopez, Rogriguez had made arrangements for Gaines to offer some design advice remotely. "He opens up FaceTime, and it's Joanna Gaines. And I was like, 'Are you kidding?! Hi!' I totally fangirled out," recalled Lopez. "It really blew me away."
According to J.Lo, A-Rod's gesture scored him some serious points. "Like, that to me was more romantic than anything," Lopez told DeGeneres. "It was amazing!"
Stevie Nicks was bowled over by meeting David Beckham
Just because Stevie Nicks has been a world-famous rock star since the 1970s doesn't mean she's developed an immunity to becoming starstruck. In an interview with People, the Fleetwood Mac singer recalled becoming completely bowled over when she met soccer great (and 2015's Sexiest Man Alive) David Beckham after one of the band's concerts.
"He just oozed handsomeness. Gorgeousness, you know?" Nicks gushed. "I just stood there, like, 'Is this real? Maybe it's a dream.' Anyway, he was super nice and really sweet." Beckham was apparently just as impressed, judging by a photo he posted on Instagram of himself and Nicks backstage. "What a night in San Fran seeing Fleetwood Mac ... Stevie Nicks," he wrote in the caption with a heart emoji.
Meanwhile, Nicks also met Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke backstage at that same concert. "I watched her on Game of Thrones for like 10 years, and I just loved her to death," Nicks admitted. "She was kind of like my long-lost daughter that I had found, and she followed me around after the show... she was with me the entire time for the meet and greet. I just thought she was the cutest thing."
Billie Eilish couldn't conceal her excitement at meeting her idol Justin Bieber
Billie Eilish has long been a huge fan of Justin Bieber; the audio-only version of her hit "Bad Guy" on YouTube features a vintage photo of her tween self in her bedroom, its walls festooned with posters of The Biebs. During an appearance on Eilish's podcast, Me and Dad Radio (via Billboard), the singer's mom, Maggie May Baird, joked that Eilish was so obsessed with Bieber that "we did consider taking you to therapy."
Billie Eilish finally met her idol at the 2019 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, posted a video on Twitter of the two meeting for the first time, with Eilish sporting the same look of bemused adulation she would have had when she was 12 (an expanded eight-minute version of their meeting found its way to YouTube, in which, she, Bieber and wife Hailey all dance with Late Late Show host James Corden).
The pair went on to become good friends, with Bieber taking Eilish under his wing like a little sister. "If she ever needs me, I'm just a call away," he said in a tearful February 2020 interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe.
Sarah Paulson peed her pants when she met Rihanna
If there were an award for sharing great anecdotes about being embarrassingly starstruck when encountering celebrities, actress Sarah Paulson would have a few stacked next to all her Emmys. Case in point: her hilarious expression of shock and awe when seeing Madonna at the Met Gala, and video of her completely losing it when Cher touched her hand during a performance at a subsequent Met Gala.
Then there was the first time she met Rihanna, her co-star in the female-led cast of Ocean's 8. "I wanted to be cool around her," Paulson admitted during a 2018 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. "I wish I'd worn a diaper when I met her cause I sort of [peed]. Just like a tiny little! Just like a little squirt."
After working with Rihanna, Paulson divulged on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that "I think we're friends." However, Paulson added that being around the Barbadian superstar "was just a sort of daily struggle to not embarrass myself. Because every time I looked at her I was just, 'Work, work, work, work,'" she said, singing Rihanna's collab with Drake. "It was not good."
Chrissy Teigen bowed down to Queen Bey
During a 2018 appearance on The Tonight Show, Chrissy Teigen discussed having recently attended the Grammys with husband John Legend. Host Jimmy Fallon asked if she was the type to "geek out or freak out" when meeting the huge megastars in attendance. According to Teigen, she is.
"There's nobody like seeing Beyoncé in person. It's just so incredible," gushed Teigen. "The aura that comes around her. I mean, she just emits this aura that's spectacular."
Being in the proximity of the "Single Ladies" singer, Teigen decided to make a move and introduce herself. It did not go well. "On our way out, I was like, 'We have to say something, right?' And I took both her hands — I don't do this for anybody because it's very weird — and John's like, 'What the hell are you doing?' And I took her hands, and I got down on my knees, and I was like, 'Sorry to bother you, my Queen.' Like, who says that?" Teigen shared, recalling the bizarre behavior that resulted from her nervousness. "It was like, m'lady. Like, what do you — who am I?"
Olivia Munn didn't know what to say when she bumped into Oprah in a restroom
Olivia Munn is a super fan of Oprah Winfrey and "freaked out" the first time she met her in a restaurant's restroom while Winfrey exited a stall. "I'm washing my hands and I see her in the reflection and I'm like, 'Oh my god, that's Oprah,'" Munn told E!. As Munn washed her hands, Winfrey broke the silence by noting that it was a full moon. "And I think this is my in to say something, so I go, 'You know they say during a full moon crazy stuff happens and it's funny because all my friends are breaking up and maybe that has something to do with it?'" Winfrey dismissed that notion. "No, it is not a full moon," Winfrey told Munn. "Your friends are breaking up."
Luckily, Munn was able to meet Winfrey a second time, and that encounter unfolded a lot less awkwardly. As Munn told ET, Winfrey happily obliged when she asked if they could take a photo together. "Oprah is like the nicest person in the world," Munn said, adding, "She walks around just saying 'Hi' to people just all day long."