Diane Keaton in 2012.
For many of us, we've hit a point where the "stars are just like us" 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.
That said, hearing that fellow humans (famous or not) act especially kind to others can be uplifting. Sure, it's something we all should do, and no one should get a medal for being "nice." But there's still a little magic in movies, music, and art in general, and there's definitely some inspiration to be had from the people who create that magic.
I've 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 "grumpy," others were so genuinely warmhearted that they truly exceeded my expectations. (I wrote whole stories about the bright lights that are Dolly Parton and Robin Williams.) Most of these people are known to be super engaging, but a few might be a tad shocking.
So here are a few of the good ones…
RUSSELL CROWE
Russell Crowe in The Gladiator www.flickr.com, Ron Frazier
We'll 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's movies. We'd 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'd bend down and tie it.)
CAROL BURNETT / AMY POEHLER
Carol Burnett and Amy Poehler on a press junket. www.youtube.com, Cecily Knobler, Good Day Sacramento
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'd 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.
TOM HANKS
Tom Hanks at the 1989 Governor's Ball.Photo Credit: Alan Light, Wiki Commons
This one isn't unexpected. At the premiere of Hanks's film Charlie Wilson's War, my friend stopped him to ask if he could wish his buddy a "Happy Hanks-giving" on his iPhone. I died a little inside and said, "No, Mr. Hanks, you don't have to do that." But to no one's shock, Hanks replied, "Of course." Not only did he do one take, he did three until he got it just right!
LARRY DAVID
The thing about Larry is that he is unmistakably, unapologetically Larry. At a different premiere—ironically, also for a Tom Hanks movie—my 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, "Where do you think Tom Hanks is?" We told him, "Probably in the VIP section," to which he replied, "There's a VIP section? See ya!" We all laughed, and he winked as he left to go find it. He did turn back and say, "Nice to meet you," 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'd have been disappointed if he had.)
DIANE KEATON
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's house. Keaton was there, and my friend embarrassed me by introducing us with, "Diane, you should meet Cecily. She's really funny too." I immediately said, "Oh no, I'm nothing." 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.
WEIRD AL
In another life, I was a story producer and writer on a TV show called Cupcake Wars. I wrote "jokes" 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, "These are great. Well done!" I'm not sure the puns about frosting were all that "well done," but it was nice of him to be so publicly supportive.
NICOLE KIDMAN
Nicole Kidman in 2012 commons.wikimedia.org, Photo Credit: Eva Rinaldi
There's 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.
PAUL NEWMAN
Paul Newman in 1958. commons.wikimedia.org, Unknown author, dedicated to Bettmann Archive
At 22, I found myself working as waitstaff for a catering company at the Governor's Ball following the Academy Awards. (Man, I've 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, "I stepped on your foot, little lady! I'm the one who's sorry!" He then smiled, and my heart absolutely melted.
GEORGE CARLIN
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'm 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. "Are you related to (my dad's name)?" 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.
HENRY WINKLER
Henry Winkler as The Fonz in Happy Days 1976.J commons.wikimedia.org, ABC Television
And now for the least surprising in terms of exceptionally nice people. Another pal was a segment producer and writer on one of Winkler's 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, "Can I call you Cec?!" I said I would love that. He then hugged me, picked me up, spun me around, and said, "Hi, Cec! You're welcome here anytime."
Over on Reddit, someone asked, "Who's the nicest famous person you've met?" and 1.5 thousand people replied. Many of the honors went to well-known nice folks like Robin Williams, Adam Sandler (which I can also attest to), Hugh Jackman, Reba, Keanu Reeves, and Lady Gaga.
But a couple of stories stood out:
"Paul Rudd. 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."
"Muhammad Ali was probably the nicest famous person I've 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."