Canadian Celebrity Sightings
Dec 30, 2004, 8:06 am
#106
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,598
Not Canadian but I sat beside Dennis Hopper on a recent flight to LA.
We had some great conversation:
500: "Any chance you would mind switching your aisle seat for a window?"
Mr. Hopper: "No, not really"
Then he proceeded to sleep for the next 5 hours.....
We had some great conversation:
500: "Any chance you would mind switching your aisle seat for a window?"
Mr. Hopper: "No, not really"
Then he proceeded to sleep for the next 5 hours.....
Dec 30, 2004, 8:49 am
#107
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Ottawa
Programs: AC*SE, AA PLT, UA 2P
Posts: 501
AC's YOW - YYZ RapidAir flights are always full of MP's (I've seen most of Chretien's old cabinet on past flights) and the newshounds that shadow them. I think I've already posted about a Wendy Mesley encounter in another thread previously. Seen pretty much all of CTV's & CBC's camera-facing crew.
From a hockey perspective, I've seen Kelly Hrudy on a YYC flight, Guy Carbonneau & Bob Gainey on a DFW-YUL flight, and various other NHL players over the years.
YYZ - LAX is great for Hollywood celebrities. Milton Berle (with young wife / nurse in tow), Will Farrell and the one I remember most was Alanis Morrisette because of course she was connecting thru to YOW. This was just days after she hit the big time with her face on the cover of Rolling Stone, and all I could think to myself is "where are her handlers?"
Anyway, she wasn't actually being noticed by anybody and I think that kind of bothered her, so she was raising her voice on the payphone in the old YOW RapidAir waiting area a bit much (talking about a friend's wedding she was coming home to). But otherwise she was fairly pleasant and unassuming. I ended up sitting next to her in the middle rows of a 767 but as per my personal "Celebrity Privacy Policy" I didn't bother her and she happily read some kind of fashion magazine during the short flight home.
From a hockey perspective, I've seen Kelly Hrudy on a YYC flight, Guy Carbonneau & Bob Gainey on a DFW-YUL flight, and various other NHL players over the years.
YYZ - LAX is great for Hollywood celebrities. Milton Berle (with young wife / nurse in tow), Will Farrell and the one I remember most was Alanis Morrisette because of course she was connecting thru to YOW. This was just days after she hit the big time with her face on the cover of Rolling Stone, and all I could think to myself is "where are her handlers?"
Anyway, she wasn't actually being noticed by anybody and I think that kind of bothered her, so she was raising her voice on the payphone in the old YOW RapidAir waiting area a bit much (talking about a friend's wedding she was coming home to). But otherwise she was fairly pleasant and unassuming. I ended up sitting next to her in the middle rows of a 767 but as per my personal "Celebrity Privacy Policy" I didn't bother her and she happily read some kind of fashion magazine during the short flight home.
Dec 30, 2004, 10:16 am
#108
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Posts: 930
Just after the great terminal reshuffle at YYZ Mrs. Bytepusher and myself waited too long in the transborder MLL not realizing how long the walk/run now was to the most distant gate, we were not alone, looked over at one point and Tom Green was running along with us. We were the last 3 to board the flight before the doors closed. Mildly interesting beacuse he had no handlers, not even from AC and clearly expected and got the same treatment as other pax.
Possibly on the return flight of the same trip when we got to LGA the previous flight had still not boarded and our flight was either cancelled or substantially delayed so I put us on the standby list for the earlier flight and did manage to get on. The photographer/music video director Floria Sigismondi who had recently been on the cover of the EnRoute magazine sat across the aisle from us (she had the coolest pair of boots). Almost the entirety of the remaining pax were a bunch of teenagers and a few adult chaperones who were flying LGA-YYZ-TLV for some sort of exchange trip. She had some scripts she was reading and the teenager next to her used that as an opening to try to chat her up. It was absolutely a riot to watch this geeky kid who was 3/4 sterotypical jewish nebbish and 1/4 wannabe rapper with the baggy pants etc. try to make time with this infinately cool woman twice his age. To her credit she was polite as she shut him down.
Possibly on the return flight of the same trip when we got to LGA the previous flight had still not boarded and our flight was either cancelled or substantially delayed so I put us on the standby list for the earlier flight and did manage to get on. The photographer/music video director Floria Sigismondi who had recently been on the cover of the EnRoute magazine sat across the aisle from us (she had the coolest pair of boots). Almost the entirety of the remaining pax were a bunch of teenagers and a few adult chaperones who were flying LGA-YYZ-TLV for some sort of exchange trip. She had some scripts she was reading and the teenager next to her used that as an opening to try to chat her up. It was absolutely a riot to watch this geeky kid who was 3/4 sterotypical jewish nebbish and 1/4 wannabe rapper with the baggy pants etc. try to make time with this infinately cool woman twice his age. To her credit she was polite as she shut him down.
Dec 30, 2004, 1:51 pm
#109
Join Date: Feb 2004
Programs: AC Elite, *G
Posts: 184
On a recent flight from L.A. Rob Blake was across the aisle in J. However, the best part was he boarded with Marty McSorley and was talking about how he was just using up a tonne of his Aeroplan miles!
Jody Vance, Valerie Pringle, and Peter MacKay, in the past six months or so.
Jody Vance, Valerie Pringle, and Peter MacKay, in the past six months or so.
Dec 30, 2004, 2:32 pm
#111
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC Prestige "lite"
Posts: 102
I am absolutely terrible at recognizing famous people in person, however I do remember one celebrity-filled AC experience. I was 5 years old , returning home with Mom and Dad from our first family trip to see the relatives in YOW. The plane was carrying the ENTIRE BC Lions football team, on their way back from a victory over the Roughriders. I waited in line for the bathroom with Swervin Mervyn Fernandez and did a puppet show for him with my aligator hand puppet. They were nice guys, and about 100 times bigger than me.
Dec 30, 2004, 3:12 pm
#112
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E50K MM * DL MM * HH Diamond * Marriott Lifetime Titanium * Queen's '92
Posts: 5,950
Victor Garber (Alias, Titanic) on the way back to LAX from YYZ in the T2 MLL after a Canadian awards show. Was complaining of a sore throat on his cell phone 
Dec 30, 2004, 3:35 pm
#113
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: YVR
Programs: Hilton*D, Marriott*LG, Hyatt*G
Posts: 6,268
On AC flights the only "public" figures I remember are Don Boudria in J a few years ago, and Brian Burke and Dave Nonis LHR-YVR in J. The 2 were in Europe checking up on then current players -- Naslund in particular-- and doing some scouting work. Dave Nonis slept the whole way except to eat while Brian Burke kept pounding back an assortment of drinks. Boudria was about 3 rows ahead of me; Brian Burke was across the aisle in my row.
OT from here on!!
I did see Alec Baldwin at YUL at the baggage reclaim area. Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister, was staying at the Four Seasons George V in Paris while I was vacationing there, as was a member of the Saudi Royal family (I think King Fahd or Crown Prince Abdullah). That explained the HEAVY security in and around the hotel. There were some German characters who did not look very friendly at all -- like members of the East German Stasi!!
I chatted with Jamie Oliver, the Naked Chef, at Borough Market in London one Saturday morning shopping for vegetables.
Michael Jackson was checking out of the Waldorf Towers in New York as I was arriving and it was chaotic. I decided to go grab a coffee and return later on. He was certainly a most original character.
At a Reception held by Chretien at the London Four Seasons Hotel (I somehow got an invite) there were too many Lords, Sirs, Dames, Dukes, Earls, etc in attendance to know who they all were. I recall most of them were just simply smashed on liquor.
H.E. Adrienne Clarkson was the Keynote Speaker at my Convocation at McGill which was quite a treat.
Finally, David Charvet was once taking some summer courses at Simon Fraser University while I was taking summer semester courses to speed up my graduation. He was very friendly and down to earth.
OT from here on!!
I did see Alec Baldwin at YUL at the baggage reclaim area. Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister, was staying at the Four Seasons George V in Paris while I was vacationing there, as was a member of the Saudi Royal family (I think King Fahd or Crown Prince Abdullah). That explained the HEAVY security in and around the hotel. There were some German characters who did not look very friendly at all -- like members of the East German Stasi!!
I chatted with Jamie Oliver, the Naked Chef, at Borough Market in London one Saturday morning shopping for vegetables.
Michael Jackson was checking out of the Waldorf Towers in New York as I was arriving and it was chaotic. I decided to go grab a coffee and return later on. He was certainly a most original character.
At a Reception held by Chretien at the London Four Seasons Hotel (I somehow got an invite) there were too many Lords, Sirs, Dames, Dukes, Earls, etc in attendance to know who they all were. I recall most of them were just simply smashed on liquor.
H.E. Adrienne Clarkson was the Keynote Speaker at my Convocation at McGill which was quite a treat.
Finally, David Charvet was once taking some summer courses at Simon Fraser University while I was taking summer semester courses to speed up my graduation. He was very friendly and down to earth.
Dec 30, 2004, 3:45 pm
#114
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: YHZ
Programs: Sans souci
Posts: 2,190
The Dalai Lama on an AC flight from YYZ to CDG in May. He was travelling with two other monks and several men in business suits. He had just completed his visit to Canada.
He was very approachable. I saw him sign several autographs, including someone's passport, which struck me as very odd.
He was in J, as were we, thanks to UG certs. One thing I did notice was that AC had assigned a flight attendant to our cabin who was able to converse with him and the members of his party in Tibetan, or at least that's what I assume they were speaking.
He was very approachable. I saw him sign several autographs, including someone's passport, which struck me as very odd.
He was in J, as were we, thanks to UG certs. One thing I did notice was that AC had assigned a flight attendant to our cabin who was able to converse with him and the members of his party in Tibetan, or at least that's what I assume they were speaking.
Dec 30, 2004, 4:28 pm
#115
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: YQB
Programs: AC*SE/2.1MM, Flying Blue Explorer, BA Executive Club Blue, AAdvantage Basic, ANA MC
Posts: 2,550
870-871 are pretty good for seeing assorted Québécois or French entertainment types flying between YUL and CDG.
In the past few years I've seen :
1998 : saw folksinger Gilles Vigneault ("Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver"); he was sitting in a middle seat of a row of 4 in Y; smiles for everyone;
1999: saw French film director Bertarnd Tavernier on 870 heading home after the release of one of his movies in YUL acompanied by the late Daniel Toscan du Plantier (head of UniFrance, the French cinema export promotion board);
June 2000 on 871 : Anne-Marie Losique (daughter of Serge Losique who used to be the head honcho of the Montreal Film Festival); she is the producer-host of an "Entertainment Tonight" style show called "Box Office" and more recently something called "Sex Shop"; once rumoured to be... close personal friend of Ben Affleck whenever he came to YUL; we were riding upstairs in a 744 (last time I flew that a/c BTW);
February 2001 on 871: Gérard Depardieu (very prolific French actor, probably best known in NA for "Green Card", an early 90s dog); the concierges boarded him last and he sat behind me in 5D on the A333, deplaned first at YUL; slept almost the whole way; very polite with the cabin crew;
April 2004 :actor Yves Jacques of "Decline of the American Empire" and Oscar-winner "Invasions Barbares"; very nice guy who quickly gave up his seat to an older couple in the PTV we rode to the terminal upon arrival at YUL; he was connecting on to YOW to play the part of the Quebec Premier in a CBC-RC production about to start shooting the next day; he was running short for his cnx so when I saw YUL concierge Nathalie, I discreetly told her she "might want to help out this gentleman for the good of the company's reputation..."; from what Nathalie told me later, he made his flight !
The Paris flights are also good for spotting politicians of one kind or another and diplomats, all travelling with green passports:
-Brian Mulroney (14NOV 2004 on 871); chatted with him in the CDG T1 lounge for awhile; he should sign up to FT as he has an incredible travel schedule;
-Bill Graham, Defence Minister, on 881 (the day after the commissioning ceremony for HMCS -Chicoutimi in Scotland from where he was returning, via Paris; he had to go back a few days days later in much sadder circumstances
);
-Benoit Bouchard, former Mulroney Cabinet member, one-time ambassador to France and now a member of the CTSB;
-Jacques Roy, Canada's ambassador to France after Benoit Bouchard and before Raymond Chrétien;
-Clément Duhaime, Quebec's Delegate General in Paris;
-various federal MPs and Quebec MNAs;
-the Mayor of Quebec City Jean-Paul Lallier and too many of his staff....too often....
March 2000 : I crossed paths with Claudia Schiffer at LHR T1 when arriving on a BD flight from CDG; couldn't speak, just watched her walk by as I stared like an absolute idiot...
In the past few years I've seen :
1998 : saw folksinger Gilles Vigneault ("Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver"); he was sitting in a middle seat of a row of 4 in Y; smiles for everyone;
1999: saw French film director Bertarnd Tavernier on 870 heading home after the release of one of his movies in YUL acompanied by the late Daniel Toscan du Plantier (head of UniFrance, the French cinema export promotion board);
June 2000 on 871 : Anne-Marie Losique (daughter of Serge Losique who used to be the head honcho of the Montreal Film Festival); she is the producer-host of an "Entertainment Tonight" style show called "Box Office" and more recently something called "Sex Shop"; once rumoured to be... close personal friend of Ben Affleck whenever he came to YUL; we were riding upstairs in a 744 (last time I flew that a/c BTW);
February 2001 on 871: Gérard Depardieu (very prolific French actor, probably best known in NA for "Green Card", an early 90s dog); the concierges boarded him last and he sat behind me in 5D on the A333, deplaned first at YUL; slept almost the whole way; very polite with the cabin crew;
April 2004 :actor Yves Jacques of "Decline of the American Empire" and Oscar-winner "Invasions Barbares"; very nice guy who quickly gave up his seat to an older couple in the PTV we rode to the terminal upon arrival at YUL; he was connecting on to YOW to play the part of the Quebec Premier in a CBC-RC production about to start shooting the next day; he was running short for his cnx so when I saw YUL concierge Nathalie, I discreetly told her she "might want to help out this gentleman for the good of the company's reputation..."; from what Nathalie told me later, he made his flight !
The Paris flights are also good for spotting politicians of one kind or another and diplomats, all travelling with green passports:
-Brian Mulroney (14NOV 2004 on 871); chatted with him in the CDG T1 lounge for awhile; he should sign up to FT as he has an incredible travel schedule;
-Bill Graham, Defence Minister, on 881 (the day after the commissioning ceremony for HMCS -Chicoutimi in Scotland from where he was returning, via Paris; he had to go back a few days days later in much sadder circumstances
);-Benoit Bouchard, former Mulroney Cabinet member, one-time ambassador to France and now a member of the CTSB;
-Jacques Roy, Canada's ambassador to France after Benoit Bouchard and before Raymond Chrétien;
-Clément Duhaime, Quebec's Delegate General in Paris;
-various federal MPs and Quebec MNAs;
-the Mayor of Quebec City Jean-Paul Lallier and too many of his staff....too often....
March 2000 : I crossed paths with Claudia Schiffer at LHR T1 when arriving on a BD flight from CDG; couldn't speak, just watched her walk by as I stared like an absolute idiot...
Last edited by NordsFan; Dec 30, 2004 at 4:31 pm
Dec 30, 2004, 10:43 pm
#116
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Ottawa
Programs: AC*SE, AA PLT, UA 2P
Posts: 501
Originally Posted by ackitty
...
The plane was carrying the ENTIRE BC Lions football team, ...
The plane was carrying the ENTIRE BC Lions football team, ...
One of my flights was YOW-YYH (seemingly no longer flown by AC) which may well have been called the "geriatric express" due to the median age of the pax. CTV's Craig Oliver was on the flight with me in J, as he was on his way to cover some intl gov't conference who's name escapes me right now.
All I could think on that flight was that if anyone tried to take it over, it would be all up to me to save the day becuase almost everyone else boarded and de-planed via wheelchair
A few weeks later, I found myself sitting in the middle of a planeful of Hamilton Tigercats on our way from YYZ to YYC (or maybe YWG, I forget now).
All I could think to myself was anyone thinking of taking over that flight was immediately switching over to plan B
Dec 31, 2004, 10:59 am
#117
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: VIE
Programs: AC - ACMM; LH - SEN
Posts: 955
Back on Sept 9, 2001 I was going YYC - YYZ - LGA. On the YYC - YYZ leg there was Glen Sather and Eric Lindros on the flight leaving the Olympic Team tryouts in Calgary. They connected onto the same flight to LGA. Sather and Lindros were talking Harleys the whole time. They had a spat while waiting for their luggage in LGA. Lindros told Sather he was staying in a hotel and Sather told him it was all arranged for him to stay with Messier. They took that discussion off to the side.
Just prior to boarding the LGA flight in YYZ, I heard the GA page "passenger Mirren" and looked over to the desk to see Helen Mirren getting an upgrade. After a few minutes some guy walked over to her and asked her if she was some other English actress (I don't remember the name now) and she politely told him he was mistaken. She came over and stood behind me and followed me down the ramp to the plane. I turned around and spoke briefly with her. She was friendly and gracious.
I think she and Lindros sat together and talked hockey and harleys the rest of the flight....
Just prior to boarding the LGA flight in YYZ, I heard the GA page "passenger Mirren" and looked over to the desk to see Helen Mirren getting an upgrade. After a few minutes some guy walked over to her and asked her if she was some other English actress (I don't remember the name now) and she politely told him he was mistaken. She came over and stood behind me and followed me down the ramp to the plane. I turned around and spoke briefly with her. She was friendly and gracious.
I think she and Lindros sat together and talked hockey and harleys the rest of the flight....
Jan 18, 2005, 6:02 pm
#118
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: AC*SE; AC 2MM; Marriott Platinum Elite
Posts: 621
Jose Feliciano - small act of kindness resuts in upgade
Today (Jan 18 2004) LGA - YYZ.
LGA Concierge boarded him and YYZ concierge escorted him off.
When I arrived at LGA the concierge was a little upset as he had asked for soda water and she was unable to find any in the departure area. She was helping me get on an earlier flight and on hearing of the problem I offered to go back thru security to the bar to buy him some. She was so grateful that she upgraded me ... for me it was reward just to be able to help Mr. Feliciano.
LGA Concierge boarded him and YYZ concierge escorted him off.
When I arrived at LGA the concierge was a little upset as he had asked for soda water and she was unable to find any in the departure area. She was helping me get on an earlier flight and on hearing of the problem I offered to go back thru security to the bar to buy him some. She was so grateful that she upgraded me ... for me it was reward just to be able to help Mr. Feliciano.
Jun 27, 2005, 6:08 am
#119
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
The Grewals
Not that I'd consider them "celebs", but they do make consistent press in our great nation...
AC156 redeye YVR YYZ. Gurmant in 1D and Nina in 1F on the 762.
They kept to themselves and as expected, didn't see any extra packages.
I wonder how Gurmant keeps his hair consistently parted and groomed like that.
In addition, they were sighted by Flymehome on another flight:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...1&postcount=18
AC156 redeye YVR YYZ. Gurmant in 1D and Nina in 1F on the 762.
They kept to themselves and as expected, didn't see any extra packages.
I wonder how Gurmant keeps his hair consistently parted and groomed like that.
In addition, they were sighted by Flymehome on another flight:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...1&postcount=18
Jun 27, 2005, 10:41 am
#120
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PSP
Programs: AC*SE
Posts: 1,878
Christopher Lambert a.k.a. Tarzan, the Legend of Greystoke
I met Christopher Lambert at LAX last year.
He was in the Maple Leaf lounge waiting for a flight to Montreal and then going off to Africa for a film.
Very nice guy. You have to have a keen eye to see him for his dark glasses, baseball cap and long coat. He has a very, very, grovely voice. I asked him for an autograph and he kindly said yes.
Cheers
He was in the Maple Leaf lounge waiting for a flight to Montreal and then going off to Africa for a film.
Very nice guy. You have to have a keen eye to see him for his dark glasses, baseball cap and long coat. He has a very, very, grovely voice. I asked him for an autograph and he kindly said yes.
Cheers