{"id":2300211,"date":"2026-02-25T23:14:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T23:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2300211"},"modified":"2026-02-25T23:14:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T23:14:08","slug":"11-celebrities-ive-met-who-turned-out-to-be-even-kinder-than-their-legendary-reputations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/11-celebrities-ive-met-who-turned-out-to-be-even-kinder-than-their-legendary-reputations\/","title":{"rendered":"11 celebrities I’ve met who turned out to be even kinder than their legendary reputations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For many of us, we\u2019ve hit a point where the \u201cstars are just like us\u201d trope has become cringe-inducing. The world has much more on its delicate plate than what sushi an A\/B-list movie star ate at Nobu.<\/p>\n

That said, hearing that fellow humans (famous or not) act especially kind<\/a> to others can be uplifting. Sure, it\u2019s something we all should do, and no one should get a medal for being \u201cnice.\u201d But there\u2019s still a little magic in movies, music, and art in general, and there\u2019s definitely some inspiration to be had from the people who create that magic.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been a radio entertainment reporter, among other gigs in the business, for the last (gasp) 20 years. This has put me in rooms, for better or for worse, with some of the most famous people on earth. While a few were \u201cgrumpy,\u201d others were so genuinely warmhearted that they truly exceeded my expectations. (I wrote whole stories about the bright lights that are Dolly Parton <\/a>and Robin Williams<\/a>.) Most of these people are known to be super engaging, but a few might be a tad shocking.<\/p>\n

So here are a few of the good ones\u2026 <\/p>\n

RUSSELL CROWE<\/h3>\n

\"RussellRussell Crowe in The Gladiator www.flickr.com, Ron Frazier<\/a> <\/p>\n

We\u2019ll start with perhaps the most surprising: Randomly, I was in Mexico with some friends when we stumbled upon the cast and crew party for one of Crowe\u2019s movies. We\u2019d all heard about his reputation, so we were delighted when he sent a round of margaritas to our table. We wound up talking to him for hours about life, love, and all things in between. He seemed incredibly spiritual, thoughtful, and extremely funny. (Also, my shoe kept coming untied and every time, he\u2019d bend down and tie it.) <\/p>\n

CAROL BURNETT \/ AMY POEHLER<\/h3>\n

I had the honor of interviewing Carol Burnett and her co-star Amy Poehler for a press junket in support of an animated film they\u2019d worked on called The Secret World of Arrietty. They went out of their way to put me at ease, as I was so painfully green at interviewing. My hands were shaking, and I think they both noticed. They acted like I had good questions and just made me feel wonderful, despite my nerves. <\/p>\n

TOM HANKS<\/h3>\n

\"TomTom Hanks at the 1989 Governor’s Ball. Photo Credit: Alan Light, Wiki Commons <\/p>\n

This one isn\u2019t unexpected. At the premiere of Hanks\u2019s film Charlie Wilson\u2019s War, my friend stopped him to ask if he could wish his buddy a \u201cHappy Hanks-giving\u201d on his iPhone. I died a little inside and said, \u201cNo, Mr. Hanks, you don\u2019t have to do that.\u201d But to no one\u2019s shock, Hanks replied, \u201cOf course.\u201d Not only did he do one take, he did three until he got it just right! <\/p>\n

LARRY DAVID<\/h3>\n

The thing about Larry is that he is unmistakably, unapologetically Larry. At a different premiere\u2014ironically, also for a Tom Hanks movie\u2014my date and I were picking at the after-party food. Larry was sitting alone, so we asked him to join us. He immediately began joking that he hated how the food at the after-party had to be thematically linked to the movie itself. He then asked, \u201cWhere do you think Tom Hanks is?\u201d We told him, \u201cProbably in the VIP section,\u201d to which he replied, \u201cThere\u2019s a VIP section? See ya!\u201d We all laughed, and he winked as he left to go find it. He did turn back and say, \u201cNice to meet you,\u201d and we agreed! (Now, I know some might argue that an ultra-kind guy would take us with him. But this is Larry David, and we\u2019d have been disappointed if he had.) <\/p>\n

DIANE KEATON<\/h3>\n

The recent passing of Keaton was a tough one. She was always one of my favorites, not just as an actress, but for her strength and individualistic style. For some reason, I was once invited to a party at songwriter Carole Bayer Sager\u2019s<\/a> house. Keaton was there, and my friend embarrassed me by introducing us with, \u201cDiane, you should meet Cecily. She\u2019s really funny too.\u201d I immediately said, \u201cOh no, I\u2019m nothing.\u201d And she gave me the most inspiring speech about having pride every step of the way. Also, she spilled a little champagne as she was talking, and we both laughed about it for quite some time. <\/p>\n

WEIRD AL<\/h3>\n

In another life, I was a story producer and writer on a TV show called Cupcake Wars.<\/a> I wrote \u201cjokes\u201d for the guests who appeared on the show, one of whom was Weird Al Yankovic. Clad in his signature Hawaiian shirt, he read my jokes, and after the cameras stopped rolling, said, \u201cThese are great. Well done!\u201d I\u2019m not sure the puns about frosting were all that \u201cwell done,\u201d but it was nice of him to be so publicly supportive. <\/p>\n

NICOLE KIDMAN<\/h3>\n

\"NicoleNicole Kidman in 2012 commons.wikimedia.org, Photo Credit: Eva Rinaldi<\/a> <\/p>\n

There\u2019s just something wonderful about Australians. At a reception honoring the film Lion at the British Consulate, I was introduced to Kidman and expected a quick hello and perhaps a picture. We wound up chatting for 15 minutes, and what I found extra nice was she (and co-star Dev Patel) went out of their way to ask questions about me. We spoke for quite some time, and she was gentle and inquisitive. <\/p>\n

PAUL NEWMAN<\/h3>\n

\"PaulPaul Newman in 1958. commons.wikimedia.org, Unknown author, dedicated to Bettmann Archive<\/a> <\/p>\n

At 22, I found myself working as waitstaff for a catering company at the Governor\u2019s Ball following the Academy Awards. (Man, I\u2019ve had some interesting jobs.) As I was trying to shimmy in between two tables, Paul happened to be walking in the opposite direction and stepped on my foot. Of course, being me, I apologized to him, and he said, with those blue eyes sparkling, \u201cI stepped on your foot, little lady! I\u2019m the one who\u2019s sorry!\u201d He then smiled, and my heart absolutely melted. <\/p>\n

GEORGE CARLIN<\/h3>\n

My dad, a radio guy, had the pleasure of working with the late, great Carlin at a radio station in Texas in the 1960s. They always remained friendly through the years, although lost touch later in life. Cut to: I\u2019m co-hosting on KZLA (a now-defunct country radio station in Los Angeles), and Carlin came in to plug his book. He heard my last name, and his eyes welled up with tears. \u201cAre you related to (my dad\u2019s name)?\u201d he asked. He then warmly regaled me with the neatest stories and inside jokes from his time working with my father. He took quite a lot of time from his own press to make me feel special. <\/p>\n

HENRY WINKLER<\/h3>\n

\"HenryHenry Winkler as The Fonz in Happy Days 1976.J commons.wikimedia.org, ABC Television<\/a> <\/p>\n

And now for the least surprising in terms of exceptionally nice people. Another pal was a segment producer and writer on one of Winkler\u2019s game shows, and she invited me to come have lunch in the greenroom on the CBS lot. Winkler was behind me in line for potato salad, and my buddy introduced us. He said, and I quote, \u201cCan I call you Cec?!\u201d I said I would love that. He then hugged me, picked me up, spun me around, and said, \u201cHi, Cec! You\u2019re welcome here anytime.\u201d <\/p>\n

Over on Reddit, someone asked, \u201cWho\u2019s the nicest famous person you\u2019ve met?<\/a>\u201d and 1.5 thousand people replied. Many of the honors went to well-known nice folks like Robin Williams, Adam Sandler<\/strong> (which I can also attest to), Hugh Jackman, Reba, Keanu Reeves, and Lady Gaga.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But a couple of stories stood out:<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul Rudd.<\/strong> Went out of his way to be super kind to me and my friend, gave us autographs and pictures, and chatted for a long time, and even offered to share a cab back down to Times Square (which, of course, we said yes to). 1000\/10 amazing human being.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMuhammad Ali <\/strong>was probably the nicest famous person I\u2019ve met. I cooked him food, and he was very thankful and kind to me for doing so. I still remember his hands engulfing mine when he shook my hand and thanked me so clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n