Ten More Hollywood Celebrities I Would Like to Meet

I reluctantly confess that I am enamored of celebrity. When someone becomes famous, I want to know how they did it. I am interested in knowing why someone made the decisions they made. Because I harbor a fascination with stardom that I wear like a badge of honor (or a scarlet letter, depending upon one’s opinion of celebrities in general), I am always interested in what famous people are doing. In the past I have subscribed to both People and US magazine. I watched the celebrity gossip programs on television. I didn’t necessarily want to be like them, but I was interested in what made them famous.

Like most Americans, I have my favorite Hollywood actors and actresses. In another article I listed ten celebrities I would love to meet. You can find this article by clicking on Ten Hollywood Celebrities I Want to Meet. Read on for my second list of famous Hollywood stars I would love to someday be introduced to.

Michael J. Fox. The strength and perseverance of Michael J. Fox is admirable. He had a successful television and film career before being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991. Fox was the star of Family Ties, Spin City and the Back to the Future movies before revealing he suffered from Parkinson’s in 1998. Fox is intelligent and charismatic, and has maintained a self-effacing humor that serves him well in the face of worsening symptoms. He has retired from acting and now works as an author. Why I’d like to meet him: he faces great difficulties with humor and compassion.

Christina Applegate. Christina Applegate went from being a sweet airhead on Married with Children to a woman much admired for her courage. Christina was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, and was pronounced cancer-free after a double-mastectomy a few months later. She subsequently topped the list of People magazine’s “Most Beautiful People” in 2009. Why I’d like to meet her: It takes courage to battle cancer and maintain a normal life, which she has seemingly tried to do.

Leonard Nimoy. More than William Shatner or anyone else, Nimoy epitomizes Star Trek. Mr. Spock is the embodiment of what Star Trek means. I realize that Leonard Nimoy is not Spock, but having played the character for more than 40 years, I suspect Spock and Nimoy share more than a few common traits. If he ever agrees to meet with me, I would appreciate it if he could bring me a working phaser as a gift. Why I’d like to meet him: I have been a fan of Star Trek since the very beginning, and he’s been a part of the journey the entire way.

Britney Spears. This girl has presence—she’s also beautiful, talented and self-destructive. I would enjoy the opportunity to psychoanalyze Britney and learn what makes her do the things she does. Why does a successful pop star jeopardize her career and family with wildly irresponsible behavior? I would love to understand what prompts her self-destructive impulses. (I would also like to know if she still performs “Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” live in concert, or if she’s decided she is in fact a woman now.) Why I’d like to meet her: I would like to find out what is going through her head and understands what motivates someone to behave so recklessly.

Julian McMahon. There’s something about this guy that I find fascinating. He played a demon on Charmed, a surgeon on Nip/Tuck and Dr. Doom in the Fantastic Four movies. He was even on the short list to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond before Daniel Craig won the job. McMahon radiates an air of mystery and danger in his roles, and the moral ambiguity he projects is compelling. Why I’d like to meet him: I like his style. I like the characters he plays, regardless of whether they are good, evil or in-between. He can play a jerk and somehow I still find him cool.

Paris Hilton. How does she do it? How does someone make doing nothing so newsworthy? I have to know! Paris makes being vapid and self-centered marketable commodities, something I thought only politicians were capable of. I want to learn how to get in on this scam. In the meantime, I’d like to know what a conversation with Paris would be like. What would she talk about (besides herself)? What are her interests? Art? Politics? The economic crisis? Why I’d like to meet her: Anyone who makes a fortune by acting so ridiculous must be a hidden genius. I want to know the secrets of her success.

George Clooney. Clooney was a member of the cast of the television series ER for five years and the star of Ocean’s 11 through13, Batman and Robin and a host of other movies. I first noticed him in a gory vampire flick titled From Dusk till Dawn. His performance as Batman was mediocre, but he was great in O' Brother, Where Art Thou. Due largely to his role in Ocean’s Eleven, Clooney has come to epitomize Hollywood style in the 21^st century, but he still seems like an ordinary guy—at least during interviews. Why I’d like to meet him: He comes across as down-to-earth and relatively unassuming. I’d also like to know how where he buys his sport coats.

Halle Berry. She’s portrayed two super-heroines on the big screen (Storm in the X-Men trilogy and Catwoman), and her stint as a Bond girl was so noteworthy Hollywood contemplated a spin-off movie featuring her character. She received an academy award for her depiction of a single mother grieving over the death of her son. She is considered one of the most beautiful women in the world, and I would not dispute this claim. Like Jessica Alba on my first list, Halle Berry is listed here because she is hot. Ms. Berry manages to seem approachable despite her beauty, and might be someone you would find at the grocery store buying food for dinner that night. Why I’d like to meet her: She is the ultimate fantasy figure—she can be strong and in charge or soft-spoken and nurturing. What’s not to like?

John Travolta. He started as Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back, Kotter and catapulted to film stardom with Hollywood hits like Saturday Night Fever, Grease and Urban Cowboy. His star faded somewhat in the 1980’s but he returned with a vengeance in Pulp Fiction and never looked back. Travolta is a gifted actor, an able dancer and he seems like a nice guy. I wouldn’t want to make him angry, but I would love to know why he turned down roles in American Gigolo and Officer and a Gentleman (on both occasions the role went to Richard Gere). Why I’d like to meet him: He is talented and complex. I’m fascinated by guys who can come back from (relative) obscurity and be more successful than ever.

Carrie Ann Inaba. My rule of thumb in high school was never to date a girl who hadn’t grown out of her giggle stage, but I would make an exception for Carrie Ann Inaba. I never watched Dancing with the Stars but noticed her as a guest host on Live with Regis and Kelly, where she displayed a wonderful sense of humor. I also find her very beautiful in an exotic sort of way. Maybe if I met her she could teach me to dance. Why I’d like to meet her: She’s funny and sexy, and the way she giggles at Regis' jokes on Live With Regis and Kelly makes me believe she’s attracted to older men--why else would she laugh uncontrollably at the things he says?

And that completes my second list of celebrities I would most like to meet, from brave men and women fighting adversity to oddball stars battling their own personality quirks. I must confess that I’m deeply disappointed that no one from my first list has shown the slightest interest in meeting me. I sincerely hope that doubling the number of stars I would like to meet will increase the chances they will call me. I’ve got Thursday evening open……………