Meeting your favorite famous actor can be just as pleasant as you imagine, or it can be a tremendous let-down. Thankfully, for most of us, coming across our favorite star stays a figment of our imaginations. Those who work in the food industry get to meet celebrities without any filter–from good to horrid, and each and every type in between. Read on to find out if your favorite star made the list and what their behavior is like in the real world.
Kate Winslet
“I waited on Kate Winslet and her friends. They were the loveliest people. We had a pub dog, and Kate sat with the dog on her lap and chatted to me for ages about what I was studying at uni and the history of the pub/village. They had burgers and a few bottles of wine. She tipped nearly 50% (!) and asked for the soup recipe.
She’s everything you think she’d be and more.“
— Buzzfeed / froufrou88
Stanley Tucci
“An ex of mine waited on Stanley Tucci and his wife Felicity Blunt a few years ago, and they were super charming and tipped really well.”
— Buzzfeed / xtra84
Matthew McConaughey
“I waited on Matthew McConaughey and his family twice. He left around a 25% tip. He was very polite and reminded his children to say ‘please and thank you to this nice lady.'”
— Buzzfeed / amaem113
Derek and Julianne Hough
“When Dancing with the Stars siblings Julianne and Derek Hough were on tour years ago, they stopped at a restaurant where my niece was working. She was eight months pregnant and waitressing mind you, and they left a $0 tip! Talk about low class!“
— Buzzfeed / j4d289d929
Robin Roberts
“A few years ago, I worked in a restaurant at an airport and had the pleasure of seeing a few famous people. My favorite one was Robin Roberts from Good Morning America! Her meal was maybe $15, and she left a $20 tip!!! She was awesome and a pleasure to serve!”
—Buzzfeed / roaminrebel
Blake Shelton
“I waited on Blake Shelton once a few years back when I worked in a bar/music venue in Nashville. I think he was there to support a friend performing. I had no clue at the time who he was (I didn’t listen to country), and I didn’t know until the guy performing told me after. Blake was super polite, very southern, and tipped me $50 on a $16 check. He had a burger, fries, and a Bud Light, in case anyone’s wondering.”
— Buzzfeed / cuddlypanda1029
Emma Thompson
“In 2014, I got a tip for room service. $150 from Emma Thompson. Took me five minutes, and she was so nice. 10/10, would serve again.”
— Buzzfeed / im_lucy
Matt Dillon
“Matt Dillon was in town filming a movie. He came to our restaurant, but we had already been closed 15 minutes. I was the manager, so I let him in, made his food so the kitchen staff didn’t have to stop their end-of-the-day duties, and comped his food. I explained I had already closed out the registers. The young woman working the front and I got to chat with him while we went about our closing duties. He finished his food, thanked us repeatedly, and then left. When she went to clean his table, he left her $150!
If I had gone ahead and charged him, his food and drink would have been about $20, and a good tip would’ve been $4-5. This was the early ‘90s, so it was pre-internet, pre-social media. So, he did that out of the goodness of his heart. He got no PR out of it. Really great, humble guy.”
— Buzzfeed / atticcrazy
Maria Shriver and Katherine Schwarzenegger
“Maria Shriver and her daughter, Katherine Schwarzenegger, ate a big brunch at a restaurant I used to work at in Chicago with maybe 10 other ladies. They weren’t rude, but they were incredibly needy and demanding. Their bill was close to $1,000. Maria paid, but she didn’t leave anything for a tip.
It ruined that server’s whole morning, since that was basically the only table they had, and they should have made $200 on it.”
— Buzzfeed / andrab4e3b91c06
Tom Holland
“I’m a chef at a private members golf club in England and Mr Holland is a ‘part time’ member here.
A lot of celebrities are, should I say different on tv in comparison to in real life but he’s a wholesome dude, loves to have a chat and banter with you. He’s even at most of our charity days and contributes which is phenomenal considering all the work he’s been doing.”
— Reddit / bilza100
Beyoncé and Jay-Z
“Around 2005, Jay-Z and Beyoncé came in to the restaurant in Old San Juan, PR just before we opened for our dinner shift and went upstairs to the patio with another couple. There was a group of maybe 16 American college kids who ended up eating there and were were probably freaking out that the Carters were there too.
When the food came, Jay and their friends made eye contact with the servers, said thank you, and were friendly, but Beyoncé just kept her head down and didn’t say anything when given her food. When they left, one of the cooks, who was a fan, just wanted a picture, and they were all, like, ‘No…no pictures.'”
— Buzzfeed / coolsvillekid
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is typically free from scandal. But back in 2015, she came under fire for licking a donut on display at a small store before proclaiming “I hate America.” This event stunned many and ignited a widespread debate. Ariana, however, didn’t shy away from the controversy. She accepted her mistake and issued an apology, displaying genuine remorse for her actions.
Bryan Cranston
“I got to serve Bryan Cranston one time. He was super nice to everyone. I was actually binging Breaking Bad when I met him and was slightly scared of him. I think he could tell because he gave me the Walter White stare, and I was so terrified! But he laughed. Super nice guy!”
— Buzzfeed / fosterjames
Dwayne Johnson
“Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson visited my uncle’s restaurant in Virginia. He just ate a ton of food. My uncle didn’t enjoy being his chef due to the inability to be creative.”
— Buzzfeed / sarahk406cf2be1
Salvador Dali
“When my mom was a server during a summer in college, she served painter Salvador Dalí. She said he was very odd and was kind of a jackass.”
— Buzzfeed / jaylee99
Barbra Streisand
“My deceased uncle used to own a very well-known French restaurant in Charlottesville, VA, and he had served Barbra Streisand. He said that she was very fussy and diva-like.”
— Buzzfeed / sarahk406cf2be1
Leonardo DiCaprio
“I have served tons! Leonardo Dicaprio, was very shy. He hid himself very well. I didn’t even realize who he was until after 5 minutes of talking to him. He was working on his Boston accent I guess.”
— Reddit / Brighteyed77
Matthew Perry
“He ordered a burger and salad. There was a bug on his lettuce. He very nicely asked for a different plate, but kept the same burger.”
Morgan Freeman
“Morgan Freeman came to have dinner where I was sous chef. He was accompanied by a young woman I think was his granddaughter attending Rhodes College in Memphis. The server gave them the menu of specials from the night before, and Mr. Freeman ordered the marlin, which the kitchen then told the server we were out of.
I found out who ordered it, and I knew I had a few orders left. I went out to the dining room to let server know I had his order, but he was already at table informing Mr. Freeman we didn’t have it. I said, ‘Mr. Freeman, we have the marlin you ordered,’ and he looked at the server and gave him James Cagney’s ‘You dirty rat’ line.”
— Buzzfeed / rdhcocopazo
Gordon Ramsay
“I served Gordon Ramsay once. I was very nervous because of his TV persona, but he was actually very polite — probably the most polite customer I’ve ever had. He didn’t even tell anyone to f*ck off! At the end of the night, he requested to see the head chef and shook his hand in appreciation and tipped us £100.”
— Reddit / scraps120
Drew Barrymore
“I served Drew Barrymore for like a week straight. At the time she was pregnant. She was always in a hurry, but was very gentle and loving when talking to us. She would order always the same thing: a chicken salad and some Diet Coke. I loved waitressing her, we talked a lot!”
Daniel Radcliffe
“I served Daniel Radcliffe his dessert at an event, and tripped and spilled some of it on him, probably from seeing that I was serving Daniel Radcliffe. He stood up and started apologizing profusely to ME. He was very sweet and kept asking if I was OK.”
Snoop Dogg
“I served Snoop Dogg about 10 years ago at Islands. He tried to order Dom Pérignon which we didn’t have, but he settled for a Sprite. (for those of you that don’t know, Islands is a sit-down burger joint that didn’t have fancy drinks). He was there with three girls.
I couldn’t understand a word he said but he ordered two meals for himself. His girls had to ‘translate’ for him. Overall he was polite and nice. He even sign autographs for a couple of kids (and my star-struck manager). I felt bad because he just wanted to have dinner and people were bombarding him.”
— Reddit / whiskeypetes
Adam Scott and Rashida Jones
“I served Rashida Jones and Adam Scott. They were in town to speak at the local university. Both were SUPER nice. I’m a huge fan of Parks and Rec, so I was really nervous! Adam asked me about the history of one of our side dishes as a joke and I said something like, ‘Well, potatoes originally came from Ireland…’ and they laughed at my terrible joke, so I felt good. It was them and who I believed to be their publicists/teams, and Rashida and Adam paid and both tipped 30%!”
— Anonymous
Kim Kardashian
“I served Kim Kardashian. She was fine actually. She was clearly in the restaurant to be seen. She was actually really nice to all the people who asked for photos.”
Drake
“I had served a couple random celebrities. Drake. He was nice. He didn’t really speak to me. His 20 person entourage pretty much spoke for him. They tip really well though.”
Neil Armstrong
“I served Neil Armstrong breakfast when he was at Purdue for an awards ceremony. He was very quiet and didn’t want anyone to know who he was. He liked his eggs over medium with sausage patties.”
— Reddit / [deleted]
Peter Dinklage
“Not a waitress, but a hostess. I sat Peter Dinklage in a quiet corner of the restaurant (he asked for it). But I guess he didn’t like what he saw on the menu and left a few moments later. He was very polite and soft-spoken but seemed a bit shy.
I was excited and nervous when he walked in and wasn’t very sure about how I should treat him. I’m pretty sure my burr hasn’t sweat like that since it did that day. Treating him like a regular customer seemed to have been a good call. No guys, no booster seats were used.”
— Reddit / darklight27
Dan Aykroyd
“My cousin used to work at this little coffee shop out in rural southern Ontario, and one day, Dan Aykroyd came in. For whatever reason, it was cash only, and he threw a fit because he didn’t have cash. The poor cashier who didn’t recognize him got flustered and helped him pay for it out of her tips, and he didn’t even thank her for it.
I know this story is very secondhand, but it’s always stuck with me. I get that it’s frustrating, but just, wow.”
— Buzzfeed / meghanc4e64fc8de
Jason Segel and Paul Rudd
“My best friend once waited on Jason Segel and Paul Rudd during SXSW. She was caught off guard when she saw them sitting at her table, so the first words out of her mouth were ‘You’re Jason Segel. You have a really nice member.’ (They had recently seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall).
His words? ‘Hey, thanks! Can I get a drink on the rocks?’ She said Paul Rudd was equally friendly, and they left a huge tip.”
— Reddit / unpoopular
Bill Gates
“Bill Gates – I’ve spent LOTs of time with this man. He’s spacy, anti-social, and his mind is always somewhere else. He rarely even speaks to his guests at the golf course. He rarely gets excited, rarely shows emotion, and is tough to talk to. With that said, he is very nice, and very attentive to instruction. He really is on another wavelength than most people I’ve met.”
Tommy Lee Jones
“I worked at a hotel as a housekeeper back in the very early 2000s. The movie The Hunted was being filmed in my hometown. The hotel restaurant (a higher tiered seafood restaurant) hosted the main actors in the movie (Tommy Lee Jones, Benicio del Toro, etc.) several times, and according to a few of my friends who worked there, they either didn’t tip at all, or left only a few bucks on the table.”
— Buzzfeed / blu3starkitty
Brian Austin Green
“Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green – Now I always thought Brian Austin Green to be a douchie kind of guy, but absolutely one of the most down-to-earth and nicest celebrity I have ever served. Ms. Fox barely speaks a word throughout the entire evening, with Mr. Green doing all the ordering. He even takes time to walk around and chit chat with other staff, managers, bartenders around the restaurant.”
— Reddit / [deleted]
Tyra Banks
“This is the exception. She came in and sat down. Now usually, I never acknowledge a celebrity because I always assume they want to be treated just like any other customer. Ms. Banks here threw a fit when I did not verbally recognize her and caused quite a scene. My coworker told me of another instance shortly after where she walked into the restaurant, looked around, and then stormed out.”
Drew Brees
“I was a server at a very famous New Orleans restaurant where famous people came in regularity. Drew Brees is a great tipper and his children are very well-behaved. His wife is a sweetheart. He’s the only celebrity I ever really got star-struck around – I’m a huge Saints fan.”
Dennis Rodman
“I “served” Dennis Rodman about 3-4 years ago at Subway. He didn’t have the attention span to order his own food so his wife/girlfriend ordered for him. He was inappropriate, loud, and hitting the ceiling fan like…like it was his first time being tall…”
The Cast of “The Walking Dead”
“I work at a restaurant in Senoia owned by Norman Reedus and [The Walking Dead director] Greg Nicotero. Norman and Greg are great tippers, and they’re always very sweet. I’ve served Greg a few times, and he never leaves less than $50. Sometimes, he’ll leave $1,000 for all of us servers to split. Cooper Andrews (Jerry from The Walking Dead) came in one afternoon with his super cute wife, and they were just delightful. He left me $50 on a $50 tab.”
— Buzzfeed / elizabethsullivan
Justin Timberlake
“I served Justin Timberlake a couple years ago. Very nice, he came in at odd hours to avoid the crowds and just acted normal. Signed a couple kids autographs. The staff didn’t bother him for one though, since the one girl that did got fired for it. He’s a bit taller and muscular than I expected honestly. Tipped like a bro too, good man!”
Miley Cyrus
“Miley and her sister Brandi got $70 worth of steak and mac-and-cheese, but didn’t leave anything for the server. She said “she didn’t know she was supposed to tip unless she was eating inside.”
Bruce Willis
“I’ve served a bunch of celebrities. Bruce Willis was a great tipper and a true gentleman, he came up and shook my hand and thanked me for the service. That was my personal favorite.”
Dave Chappelle
“I bartended at Dave Chappelle’s private birthday party. He kicked everyone out at the end of the night and came back in to have a drink away from his sycophants and assistants. He was the coolest, except he spoiled the third to last Breaking Bad episode for me by acting it out word for word and dissecting every minute detail. But then he bought a Stella and gave us a $100 dollar bill. Actually, he took the bill out of his pocket, lifted it above his head, then slammed it down on the bar and shouted ‘BAM!!!’ I am happy to still be a fan of his.”
— Reddit / Cushshow
Paul Newman
“I cooked for Paul Newman a few times at a restaurant he’d visit in Connecticut. Not a fancy restaurant. Just a bar and grill. He was probably the most ‘normal’ person you could imagine. Very laid back and polite. It seemed like he refused to accept the fact that he was a celebrity.
I also saw him in Stop & Shop grocery shopping. He did not have a single care in the world.. Just pushing a cart around buying cereal and bananas.”
Rachael Ray
“I got stiffed by Rachael Ray. She was just the worst.”
— Reddit / Long-Cockroach-8372
Michael Dorn
“Not my story, but a server friend of mine works in a very nice restaurant and recently overheard Michael Dorn (Worf from Star Trek) wave off the lady he was with when she tried to pay the bill by saying “No, no, let me get that. I’ve got that Star Trek money.””
John Goodman
“A friend waited on Morgan Freeman, John Goodman and Steve Carell. At one point, Goodman pulls out a cigar, and without hesitation she (the waitress) had a lighter, waiting for him. He reached into his wallet and gave her $100 for that.”
Randy Winn
“Baseball player Randy Winn and his wife Blessings are two of the most heart-warming and kind people. They would bring their whole family (their kids and parents), and they treated us like family. Blessings would frequently stay to talk to my friend and I, and she had started a new yoga class and invited us to it. Their kids were angels, too — always respectful and very polite.”
— Buzzfeed / kelleyhathaway
Danny McBride
“I used to wait on Danny McBride regularly, and he’s a great tipper and all around nice person.”
— Buzzfeed / katiec479c0f6c5
Belinda Carlisle
“I waited on Belinda Carlisle from the Go-Go’s when I was a room service butler at the Ritz Carlton back in the mid ’80s. I was very nice to her and her bandmates, and they scrapped up a bunch of change and gave me pennies as a tip.”
— Buzzfeed / dmcatl
Vanessa Hudgens
“I served Vanessa Hudgens ice cream at a baseball park, and she didn’t tip anything. I barely got a greeting when she came to my stand. I understand she was trying to keep herself hidden, but she could’ve at least said hello.”
— Buzzfeed / taylorzareck01
Ryan Gosling
“Around 2007, Ryan Gosling was in my hometown and stopped by my pizza place with some others. He came in toward close, but he rounded up a $55 check to $100 and took pics with everyone there who wanted one.”
— Buzzfeed / diyaffair
Billy Joel
“Summer of 1986, Billy Joel and then-wife/supermodel Christie Brinkley come into the restaurant I am working at. The hostess that day was a teenage student from Ireland visiting the US for the summer – in other words, she had no idea who they were.
When the asked to be seated, the hostess treated them like anyone else in a trendy restaurant at the beach on Long Island on a busy summer day – she told them it would be a thirty to forty-five minute wait.
Then the hostess runs back into the kitchen, points to them and asks us, ‘What is that GORGEOUS woman doing with that UGLY guy?’”
— Reddit / pee_diddy
Chi McBride
“Chi McBride [from Boston Public] tipped just north of 30%, and he was one of the most genuinely nice people I ever waited on.”
— Buzzfeed / geoffb4b5e92a7f