Random story.... Ran into Billy Bob Thornton yesterday while sightseeing with my family in Morrow Bay, CA. I've seen a number of celebrities/athletes in my lifetime, but in most cases, the ones I've seen were either from a distance and/or around a bunch of other people. David Feherty while boarding a plane, Dennis Quaid while waiting at an airport gate, passed Steph Curry once walking into a Cheesecake Factory, etc. This was unique in the sense that there was really nobody else around. Well, other than my 14YO daughter, who had no idea who he was. For those of you unfamiliar with Morrow Bay, it's a pretty popular tourist destination in Central CA with a bunch of shops/restaurants on what is essentially a frontage street adjacent to the harbor. We stopped there on the way back from Cambria/San Simeon after a mini 2-day New Year's getaway, mainly because my kids had never seen the "big rock" that Morrow Bay is known for.
Anyway, long story short (or maybe not that short)... We had just finished lunch and my daughter wanted to go across the street and look at clothes in one of the surf shops. My partner/GF stayed to finish up lunch with the rest of the crew (there were six of us total) while we headed across the street. This particular surf shop is on the end of the street with another street on one side and parking lot on the other, so there isn't a lot of foot traffic in front of the store compared to other parts where things can be pretty congested. As we approached the store and tried to figure out which end was the main entrance (we eventually realized that you actually enter from the side parking lot), I see a man who looks like he's dressed like a modern-day pirate standing at the street corner. Which, in CA, isn't that unusual, I suppose, so I didn't think much of it. At this point, we were maybe 10-15 feet apart (with my daughter and I walking directly towards the man).
What happened over the course of next 90 seconds or so is kind of a blur. I'm not sure I've ever been truly star-struck before, but this was a totally unexpected. As we got within a couple of steps of each other, I made eye contact with the pirate looking fellow. I took a quick double-take, and there was no question... It was him. I said something to the effect of "Oh, wow. Landman. I'm a big fan."
At this point, it would have been totally understandable if he had just nodded or said thanks and nothing more, given my somewhat awkward statement. But, somewhat to my surprise (but not really, I guess?), he responded in the kindest of ways I could imagine. He smiled and essentially thanked me for the kind words, adding something about being glad that I enjoyed the show. I went on to say how much we (GF and I) enjoyed some of his other work, including (at this point I drew a blank and said "the lawyer show"). He said something like "Oh, you mean Goliath?" To which I agreed. I then for some reason asked if he lived in the area (he responded that he didn't, but was there with/for his wife for some reason I don't recall... I'm still in shock). He again thanked me for the kind words and said that they meant a lot. We said a few more words, and then parted ways. The whole exchange took somewhere between 1-2 minutes (I'm guessing... It could have been 30 seconds or 3 minutes... I have no idea). And, the whole thing happened without anyone else coming even close to within earshot of us. Like literally nobody with 30-40 yards, I would guess.
My daughter and I walked away, and she asked me "Who was that?" I'm still trying to wrap my head around what just happened at that point, and I think my response was something like "Holy shlt." I then added that he's the main actor from Landman (which I'm sure she's heard us mention, but hasn't really seen much of it). At this point, she's starting to get it, but I think she's also probably somewhat intrigued by my response, a side of her dad she's likely never seen before. Giddy in a way she would likely be if she ran into one of her favorite musicians or whatever.
What a unique yet kind and gracious dude. He was dressed like he's on set for Pirates of the Caribbean...dew rag with a cowboy looking hat over it, large hoop earrings, etc. Not because he was looking for attention, but not because he was in disguise, either. It's just how he genuinely rolls. The weirdest part of the whole thing was that I walked away feeling like he probably would have chatted longer. But, I was somewhat nervous and didn't want to make it any worse, not knowing for sure what he was thinking. So, I just sort of abruptly said "Take care" and we walked away.
Anyway, just thought I would share. What's most ironic about the whole exchange is that, if I had been prepared for it or had a chance to "rehearse" what I'd say, it likely would have gone completely different. Being from the Midwest, I certainly would have mentioned Fargo, for example. And, there were parts that I think back to and cringe (my opening comment as well as asking him where he lived, in particular). That said, the imperfect part of the whole story is probably what made it perfect in a way. I didn't ask for a picture, I didn't reach out to shake his hand, etc. As awkward as it felt from my point of view, I didn't do anything (thankfully) that would have made him feel uncomfortable. And, from a distance, it was probably just three people making conversation, not really drawing any attention to themselves.
In hindsight, there are so many things that I would have liked to ask him. That said, I'm glad it played out the way it did, and it's definitely a moment I won't soon forget.
So glad to hear he was gracious and cool with you. Dude is a phenomenal actor, definitely one of my favorites
