25 celebrities who surprised fans with their kindness (26 photos)

Celebrities are often accused of being arrogant and callous. But some of them do everything possible to make “mere mortals” happy, even when the cameras are turned off and there are no paparazzi nearby. So when one Reddit user asked people to share their memories of meeting celebrities, many of the stories were much kinder than expected.





1. Renee Zellweger



“I had the chance to meet Renee Zellweger, and she was much kinder than I could have imagined. This happened when Hurricane Harvey hit Texas. I worked for Austin Pets Alive and we adopted thousands of animals from hard-hit areas. It was crazy. One day, Renee Zellweger simply came as a volunteer. No warning, no fanfare. In fact, the only reason I noticed her at all was because she was wearing pants and a long-sleeved top and it was August in Texas. She worked as a volunteer for a week. She did laundry, cleaned poop-filled litter trays, and drove vans full of dogs from Houston to Austin (unpleasant work, accompanied by stench and barking). I hope this comment doesn't get buried under others because she truly was amazing. So good and hardworking. The laundromat was next to my office, so during the week she spent with us, we became friends. There are even a few news articles about this, so it's not a hoax. I'm her forever fan."

2. Robin Williams





“Robin Williams was filming a film in my town and stopped by a local nursing home to just say hello and take pictures with the residents. No other motive than to just brighten up their day with a class act from a real man. My grandmother lived there."

3. Stephen King



“I was about eight years old when I encountered Stephen King. He was getting out of the limousine and was in a hurry to get into the building, so I quickly shouted, “Mr. King, I love Cujo!” He gave me a bemused smile and said, “Who the fuck let this kid read Cujo?”

4. Keanu Reeves



“A year ago, I noticed Keanu Reeves walking around Los Angeles and asked to take a photo with him. After the photo I said I liked his shirt and he said he liked mine. Coincidentally, I was wearing a Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure T-shirt."

5. Ryan Reynolds



“I met Ryan Reynolds before he became famous. I was in a booth in the ladies' room of a restaurant and someone came in and used the booth next to me, and it definitely wasn't a woman. While I was washing my hands, he came out of the stall and looked at me, puzzled. Then a look of absolute horror crossed his face and he checked and confirmed that he was indeed in the women's restroom. He apologized, and I reassured him that I wasn’t going to complain about him or anything like that.

Then I returned to the hall and looked around to see if he had left. At that time he was not yet famous, but he was already terribly handsome. He noticed that I was looking for him and came over to chat. He was very flirty and funny and we had a great conversation.

Six months later I started watching Two Guys and a Girl and there he was. I'm glad he's had so much success. He deserves it."

6. Barack Obama



“When I was 3 years old, I met Barack Obama at the Iowa State Fair and he listened to me tell the story about my freaking tooth for 5 minutes. My mom said that when he talks to you, it feels like you're the only person in the world."

7. Robin Williams



“Robin Williams was the KINDEST man in the world, as you would expect. He skied where my family did. One day I went for a walk and there was a pretty bad snowstorm and my mom was visibly worried. He chatted with her and told her jokes to relax her. Another time, someone was on crutches after a bad fall and he just came over to make sure he was okay and to ask if he needed anything. I still take his death very hard because he really was the person he seemed to be.”

8. Sally Ride



“Sally Ride, first American woman in space. I was in fourth grade and I had to do a science project. My mother learned that Sally Ride would be giving a lecture nearby about her experiences in space. Before we started, everyone was given question and answer cards, and my mom filled them out without me asking. She wrote the question: “What is the most interesting opinion/fact you could share with a 4th grader who is doing a science project?” She replied that she “believes that we (humans) cannot be alone in the galaxy.” After the show, one of the workers came up to my parents and me and said, “I guess you’re here for a science project (I was pretty much the only kid in the lecture),” and asked if I wanted to meet Sally. We were given VIP passes and I met her backstage. She was very kind and pleasant, and my mother still has a photo of us together.”

9. Chadwick Boseman



“Chadwick Boseman, who I met when I was an extra. We weren't supposed to talk to the actors, but he started a conversation with me. He asked how I was doing and said that I was doing great. He was a genuine, sweet man and an incredible talent."

10. Dave Grohl



“Dave Grohl (and the Foo Fighters). I met him and the band the day before they played a concert in our city. I was with a friend in some empty bar, and suddenly they come in and sit down at a table. My friend wanted to approach them, but I was like, “Come on, leave them alone.” But she couldn’t stand it, knocked back the shot for courage and walked up to them. She chatted with them for a few minutes and soon waved to me. I also came up and shook everyone’s hands. Dave was really nice and asked us if we would come to the concert the next day, but of course the tickets had all been sold out months ago. He said don't worry and promised to put us on his guest list. Blah blah blah, we continued talking for a few more minutes, but soon left because we didn't want to bother them too much. Although they acted as if we weren't bothering them at all.

The next day we went to the concert venue, although we didn’t have much hope. We thought he would probably forget, but we still wanted to try. And who would have thought, he didn't forget, we were on his list and had a great time. Dave Grohl truly is the nicest man in rock and roll!

11. Ryan Gosling



“I met Ryan Gosling at my brother's graduation. His mother was finishing her master's degree at the same university. Ryan sat down in front of me. He applauded everyone who came on stage to receive their diploma. I was so tired from this long ceremony that I barely even clapped my brother.”

12. David Beckham



“David Beckham is not just a good guy. When his children came to the secret event we were filming and some noticed them, he came out and told the audience that he would take all the pictures and sign all the autographs but please leave his children alone as they were not in public view public and he wanted them to have a private life. He's a good father."

13. Robert Downey Jr.



“I was on the jury with Robert Downey Jr. The trial lasted about a week, he was an alternate juror, but he still wrote everything down in detail and enjoyed chatting with the jurors during breaks. Very down to earth and nice guy."

14. Jack Black



“A few years ago Tenacious D played a concert in Kuala Lumpur. The building the concert was held in was quite small, and it was unlikely they made much money from the show.

Regardless, after the show ended, Jack Black returned to the stage and just chatted and joked with people for about an hour. My buddy shouted, “I love your T-shirt!” Jack Black shouted back, “I love your T-shirt! Let's change!". He then took off his T-shirt and tossed it to my friend, who tossed him his. Jack Black threw my friend's t-shirt back after pretending he was going to try it on (my friend is much skinnier than Black, haha) and then told him to keep his concert t-shirt.

It was a wonderful experience!”

15. Brad Pitt



“Brad Pitt is an awesome guy in real life

I met him in Malta when he was filming Troy. I was accompanying a group of schoolchildren on a trip and we saw Pitt leaving a cafe. He took the time to take pictures with all the guys and was very nice to everyone. There were a bunch of teenage girls in my group who nearly passed out. It was a fun day."

16. Hugh Jackman



“He's known for his kindness, but I didn't expect him to be so genuine and really engage in conversation, ask questions and show interest. It must be terribly tiring considering how many people he meets every day, and yet he is always on standby.”

17. Gordon Ramsay



“I met Gordon Ramsay one day when he came to sign his books - I was just walking around the area and bumped into him when he had some free time. He was actually so nice and down to earth. We talked for a few minutes about the food and how he was enjoying the trip. A very nice guy, and not at all like you see him on cooking shows.”

18. Jason Momoa



“I met Jason Momoa at a horse show a few years ago, when I only knew him from Game of Thrones. His positive energy and sense of humor are completely disarming despite the fact that he is so healthy and imposing.”

19. Elvis Presley



“I met Elvis Presley in Las Vegas in August 1972.

I was in the Navy in California and went to Vegas to see him live at the midnight concert. I was alone and in uniform, and the head waiter seated me in the center of the stage, three seats away from her. During the show, Elvis called me over, thanked me for my service and asked what my job was, and I replied that I was an air traffic controller in Point Mugu, California. He said: “Well, what a stressful profession you have for a young man.” I told him I'd waited my whole life to see him in person and he thanked me and said, "Enjoy the show."

I was 23 years old at the time and I was completely shocked that he called me on stage.

Towards the end of the concert, a man came up to me and asked if I wanted to meet Elvis after the show, and I replied, “Are you serious?” He said, "Absolutely." He took me backstage and into the room, and after a while Elvis appeared, fresh from the shower and excited after the performance. He sat down next to me and talked about his military service and wanted to know where I was from and what I was going to do in retirement, whether I liked serving my country and what kind of music I listened to, about my parents and my sisters.

He was so down to earth and so polite. We spent about 20 minutes just chatting and he said he needed to go upstairs and try to relax so he could fall asleep. I asked him for his autograph and he signed a couple of pictures for me and Joe Esposito walked me downstairs and I thanked him for his kindness and he said Elvis enjoyed the meeting more than I did.

I was so excited that it took me a month to calm down. He was completely down to earth and really interested in what was going on in my life. I will remember this until the day I die.

It was the most exciting event of my life. I have a lot of respect for him and was absolutely devastated in '77 when I found out he had passed away. Maybe we'll see you again on the other side. I hope".

20. Michael Sheen



“He does a lot of charity work for our common hometown. Growing up, I had no idea how famous he was. Many years ago he spent an entire evening bowling with our youth club, ten years later and I am still in awe of how caring and sincere he was. He always does wonderful things for the people of South Wales and every time I hear about him I still can't believe my luck in meeting him. He is the best of the Welsh."

21. Kristen Bell



“Kristen Bell is one of the sweetest, most down-to-earth people in the world.

I was working at a high end hotel spa and she came in on one of our busiest weekends and was very patient. Most of the celebrities I've encountered have booked under aliases and through an assistant, and she's just called herself and booked in like anyone else (this seems like the bare minimum, but I've met some very demanding celebrities). She is also EXTREMELY generous with her tips. She is exactly the person she appears to be in interviews.”

22. John Stewart



“I got to spend a few hours with Jon Stewart. It was my life's goal to be interviewed by him on The Daily Show. Well, I'm more than happy to say that he is exactly as kind, warm, funny and nice as you imagined him to be. Perhaps one of the best moments of my life."

23. George Clooney



“I used to work in the music and film industry (as a blue-collar worker in my early 20s) so I met a lot of celebrities.

George Clooney was the nicest of them all - INCREDIBLY down to earth and he regularly played pranks on the entire crew. He made t-shirts for each crew member with the director's photo on the cover of People's Sexiest Man Alive, lol. (He wasn't a very nice director—I think it was some kind of joke between them.) He would give people rides home in his car if the buses weren't on schedule or something like that. He also preferred to have dinner with everyone rather than alone in his trailer.”

24. Michael Fassbender



“I can definitely confirm that Michael Fassbender is a very nice person and he seemed more excited to meet me than I was to meet him. Very pleased with this experience!”

25. Brie Larson



“I met her at the ACE Midwest Con in 2019, which was her first con. I walk up to the booth to take a photo with her, the Cosmic Cube in my hand. I asked her to hold it, she did and we took a photo. As I was about to leave, she looked at the guy with the camera and said, “Wait, I have an idea. Can we do it again?

It's worth noting that photos of her cost about $200 apiece, and you almost never get a second shot unless the first photo is REALLY bad, so it was incredible for her to ask for another photo.

Anyway, we take a second photo and this time she throws the Cube into the air. It turned out AMAZING and is still one of my favorite photo shoots. I showed her this photo later when I got her autograph and she burst out laughing.

"I understand it was on the sidelines, but she was really nice, she really loves her fans and she came across as a much nicer person than I expected."