28 Celebs Who Have Gotten Starstruck by Meeting Their Favorite Celebs

Not even Hollywood's biggest stars can play it cool when they come face to face with their favorite celebrities 

01 of 29

Andrew Garfield

Andrew Garfield and Ralph Macchio
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association

The Tick, Tick... Boom! star and self-described Cobra Kai fan had a major fanboy moment when he met Ralph Macchio at the 2022 Critics Choice Awards. They posed together for a photo in which both actors (particularly Garfield) were beaming from ear to ear.

This meet up came months after the cast from the Karate Kid sequel series surprised Garfield with a special video thanking him for his support.

02 of 29

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson; Judge Judy
Todd Williamson/E! Entertainment/NBCUniversal/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images

During an appearance on The Tonight Show in December, the actress told host Jimmy Fallon that she had met Judge Judy Sheindlin in a restaurant and was "so starstruck."

"I couldn't believe it," Johansson recalled of meeting the star.

"Were you afraid a little bit that she might judge you?" asked Fallon, to which the actress said with a laugh, "I was a little nervous. I mean, she's like an icon, obviously. I didn't know if she was gonna look at me and be like, 'Get away from my table, I'm here with my family,' and like, 'I'm Judge Judy, leave me alone!' But she wasn't like that."

"She was wonderful. And I was so relieved that she was a very nice person," the Black Widow star continued. "She probably was, I think she was surprised that I was there, and I was very geeked out. I mean, I grew up with Judge Judy. She's amazing. She was very, very nice."

03 of 29

Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling Meets Christine Quinn
Mindy Kaling/instagram

Kaling "screamed" when she randomly ran into her "Queen!" Christine Quinn while leaving her father's house in July.

"I SCREAMED when I was walking out of my dad and step-mom's house and randomly saw @thechristinequinn on a break from shooting Selling Sunset on the sidewalk," Kaling wrote on Instagram, describing her exciting celebrity encounter. "It's my favorite show on TV and not in like a 'guilty pleasure' way; that show is SO GOOD."

She continued, "Christine is a fabulous real estate agent and new mom who sells $30 million dollar mansions in 7 inch Louboutins. Plus she keeps things spicy which is always nice! I love the whole cast and this made my year. Queen!"

Quinn left a sweet comment on the photo, leaving a string of emojis and writing: "Omggggggggg I love you so much! I am obsessed with you! I can't even!"

04 of 29

Stevie Nicks

david beckham and stevie nicks
David Beckham and Stevie Nicks. David Beckham/Instagram

Nicks may be a rock icon, but even she wasn't immune to David Beckham's famous good looks.

"He just oozed handsomeness. Gorgeousness, you know?" the Fleetwood Mac singer told PEOPLE of meeting the former pro soccer star backstage at her November 2019 concert in San Francisco. "I just stood there, like, 'Is this real? Maybe it's a dream.' Anyway, he was super nice and really sweet."

For the record, Beckham was just as starstruck and posted a photo of him and Nicks to his Instagram after the show with the caption, "What a night in San Fran seeing Fleetwood Mac ❤️Stevie Nicks ❤️."

05 of 29

Sam Smith

Starstruck celebs Lizzo Sam Smith
Sam Smith/Twitter

It was a moment to remember for Smith, who got to meet pop sensation Lizzo after attending her show.

"So truly happy I got to meet @lizzo the other day," he began his tweet, alongside a photo of the star looking very excited to embrace the "Truth Hurts" singer. "Her show was out of this world!! Made me feel so high on life!! She is the one," he added.

Smith signed off his sweet note by writing, "Can't wait to watch you continue to take over the world gorgeous xx."

06 of 29

Billie Eilish

Billie Eillish
Billie Eilish and Justin Bieber. Justin Bieber/Instagram

Coachella was a huge event for the rising star but nothing was more monumental for Eilish than finally meeting her idol Justin Bieber. The moment was captured on Instagram by Bieber's manager Scooter Braun, who later called it "magic" on his Instagram Story. Then, Bieber shared his own snap with Eilish and captioned it, "So, this happened… Long and bright future ahead for you."

Once the weekend was over and Eilish had time to reflect on her first Coachella and epic meeting with Bieber, the star had this to say about her experience on Instagram Story: "Some of the most life changing things I'll ever experience happened over the weekend. And I don't want a bunch of pictures to have to prove that to anybody. Understand how moved I am. I don't know how to process and relay the love I feel for the people I feel it for. I feel full thank you."

07 of 29

Spencer Pratt

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Spencer Pratt/Instagram

The Hills alum is not afraid to admit when he's starstruck. Pratt ran into Ben Affleck while out in Los Angeles in May 2018 and quickly took to social media to share the chance run-in with the world. "Dang! Oh my God, actually I have chills in real life," he said in the clip. "First time I've ever been real starstruck — besides Taylor Swift last weekend — sorry to do this to you on family day." Affleck was all smiles in the video and laughed along as Pratt gushed over him. "This is a real legend, he had a great attitude," Pratt continued. "Trippin'."

08 of 29

Sarah Paulson

sarah-paulson
MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty; Kevin Mazur/Getty

She may have worked alongside a star-studded group of women in Ocean's 8, but Paulson revealed during an interview on The Tonight Show that only one of them had her geeking out like no other: Rihanna. "I wanted to be cool around her," Paulson said. "I wish I'd worn a diaper when I met her cause I sort of [peed]. Just like a tiny little! Just like a little squirt."

09 of 29

Chrissy Teigen

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - Season 4
Andrew Lipovsky/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

The Cravings author is one of the most relatable celebs around, so it's no surprise her reaction to her and Beyoncé's 2018 Grammys encounter is similar to what we'd experience if we were ever graced with Queen Bey's presence.

"There's nobody like seeing Beyoncé in person. It's just so incredible," Teigen said during her appearance on The Tonight Show. "The aura that comes around her. I mean, she just emits this aura that's spectacular."

"On our way out, I was like, 'We have to say something, right?' " Teigen recalled. "And I took both her hands — I don't do this for anybody, it was very weird — and John's like, 'What the hell are you doing?' And I took her hands and I got down on my knees and I was like, 'Sorry to bother you, my Queen.' Like, who says that? It was like, m'lady. Like, what do you — who am I?"

10 of 29

Cardi B

cardi-b
Jim Spellman/WireImage; Kevin Winter/Getty

The "Bodak Yellow" crooner got a sweet note from U2 frontman Bono during the 2018 Grammy Awards — and couldn't help but fan-girl. "My god, I got a f------ note from Bono," she said in a clip while holding a handwritten note from the U2 frontman. "He knows me!" While it's unclear what the note says, the rapper didn't hide her excitement in receiving it, waving it around excitedly. "I can't believe it!" she continued. "Nobody talk to me now. Where's Bono? And our names both start with a 'B.' "

11 of 29

Olivia Munn

olivia-munn-oprah-winfrey
Frazer Harrison/Getty; Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

The actress walked the red carpet at the 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards Sunday, gushing to E! News during their pre-show about the time she met Oprah Winfrey.

It all went down in the bathroom at the Soho House. "She was coming out of the stall," Munn recalled of the talk show host. "At the Soho House, there's a window and not mirrors. And I see her in the reflection so I'm washing my hands not saying anything."

It was Winfrey who finally broke the silence in the room: "'Oh, it's a full moon,'" Munn remembered Winfrey saying. Scrambling for something to say in return, Munn told Winfrey, "I saw! You know what, in full moons they say crazy things happen and all my friends are breaking up."

The exchange had Munn laughing. "I was like, 'I love you,'" Munn said, explaining that Winfrey then walked out of the bathroom.

12 of 29

Kelly Clarkson

meryl-kelly
Christopher Polk/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty

The original American Idol winner was wrapping up her interview with Ryan Seacrest at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards — her first time at the show — when she spotted Streep on the red carpet as the host helped her down the stairs. "Oh my God!" the singer screamed as she turned around, causing Seacrest to momentarily think she tripped before she added, "That's Meryl!"

Seacrest made a quick introduction before Clarkson asked, "Can I meet you?! I've adored you since I was like 8." The pair embraced and kissed each other on the cheek.

13 of 29

Anthony Anderson

Anthony-Anderson-Halle-Berry
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic; Frederick Brown/MTV1415/Getty

When he found himself seated behind Oscar-winner Halle Berry on a red-eye flight from L.A. to New York City, Anderson admitted to PEOPLE he was completely starstruck.

"I remember just staring at the back of her head like, 'Damn, the back of this woman's head is fine,' " he said. "I even took pictures, and I was going to post them but I didn't want to seem like a stalker. I look at them on occasion!"

14 of 29

Chrissy Metz

chrissy-metz-sam-smith
Chrissy Metz/Instagram

The This Is Us star is a self-proclaimed Sam Smith superfan, so it was no surprise when the actress took to Instagram to document her in-person meeting with the award-winning singer. "I wish I would've eloquently said how much his music moves me and what an incredible gift he gives us all but nope, not sure I even spoke English," she wrote.

15 of 29

Chris Hemsworth

G'Day USA Presents 'A Virtual Tour of Australia' at Hudson Mercantile in NYC
MEGA

Hemsworth, who plays Thor in the Marvel movies, opened up about the first time he met his superhero colleague, Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt, in the September issue of ELLE. "The first time I really met Chris Pratt — and went on set with him and the Guardians — I was weirdly shaken," he recounted. "I don't know why. He's just so charismatic. And good at what he does."

16 of 29

Paris Jackson

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - Season 4
Andrew Lipovsky/NBC

You'd think having The King of Pop as her father would lead to countless moments of feeling starstruck, but it wasn't until recently that the budding model couldn't contain her excitement when meeting her idol, rocker Alice Cooper. "I was like, 'I love you so much. I've always listened to you. I grew up loving you.' I was close to tears. I started watering up, like, 'Oh, my gosh!' " she recalled on The Tonight Show. "I'm crying thinking about it. He's amazing."

17 of 29

Emma Watson

Premiere Of Disney's "Beauty And The Beast" - Red Carpet
Todd Williamson/Getty

It's hard to imagine Hermione Granger getting starstruck over anyone, but when Watson met Céline Dion at the premiere of Beauty and the Beast, she completely lost her cool. "Céline Dion arrives and I'm like, holding my publicist like, 'This is almost too much for me!'" she recounted on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. "You have to understand, my parents do not really understand, like, celebrities or Hollywood or whatever else, but my mom and I used to play Céline Dion in the car, like, nonstop. Being able to tell her [my mother] that I met her I was like, 'She's gonna lose it. She's gonna know who Céline Dion is.'" (Well, now she knows how Harry Potter fans feel when they meet her!)

18 of 29

Channing Tatum

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You have more in common with the Magic Mike XXL star than you think! During an appearance on Ellen, Tatum was treated to the meet-cute of a lifetime when he got to hug Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. "I'm gonna freak out," he gushed to DeGeneres, promising, "I'm gonna freak out more [than her], I bet."

19 of 29

Jennifer Lawrence

JENNIFER LAWRENCE: DATING IS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE
Monica Schipper/Getty

There are many things we love about J.Law, but probably our favorite quality of hers is her complete and total inability to stay cool when she finds herself face-to-face with anyone who appears in any of her favorite TV shows. Case in point: when she met Homeland's Damian Lewis at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and had a complete and total meltdown.

20 of 29

Emma Stone

EMMA STONE
Andreas Rentz/Getty

Guys, Stone is the biggest Spice Girls fan in the world, period, end of story. It's not even a contest. Just look at her reaction to Mel B recording her a video message – nobody has ever been so happy to see their favorite pop star, like, ever.

21 of 29

Eddie Redmayne

EDDIE REDMAYNE
Vivien Killilea/Getty

As fellow Friends fanatics, we can't say we blame Redmayne for freaking out when he met Rachel Green a.k.a. Jennifer Aniston at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, nor can we knock his strategy of following "about four meters behind her for the entire evening" until he could snag a photo with her.

22 of 29

Adele

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Patrick Rideaux / PicturePerfect

Also a huge fan of Aniston: Adele, who was so overwhelmed about meeting the actress in a bathroom that she accidentally called her "Rachel" when Aniston asked how she was doing. Happens to the best of us, right?

23 of 29

Anne Hathaway

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ROGER HARVEY-GLOBE PHOTOS

Hathaway is a consummate professional … unless you happen to be trying to interview her when Mariah Carey is walking the red carpet at the premiere of her movie, in which case, she's going to have a breakdown over being an arm's length away from her favorite singer.

24 of 29

Meghan Trainor

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ACE/INF

In case you were wondering whether or not Trainor was a hardcore Lizzie McGuire fan growing up, the answer is yes. And if you were wondering if Trainor would then freak out when she met Hilary Duff and they sang "All About That Bass" together, the answer is yes, oh my god, yes, are you kidding?

25 of 29

Taylor Swift

OFF DUTY
Elder Ordonez/INF

Look, Swift is a huge fan of a lot of people, but she's usually able to appear calm, cool and collected. And then there was the time she met Chance the Rapper when he performed at the Chicago stop on her 1989 world tour, and she was so thrilled to meet him that she just couldn't keep it in.

26 of 29

Sir Patrick Stewart & Ian McKellen

SIR PATRICK STEWART & IAN MCKELLEN
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

They're the most famous besties in the biz, but just like everyone else, they just want to be a part of Taylor Swift's squad. So, naturally, when she formally invited them to join, Stewart was really, really excited. "OMG I DIE!!! (no really, I might. I'm old.)" Stewart wrote in response to the singer's tweet: "Thanks for reciting my lyrics … You've made my day. You two are ULTIMATE Squad Goals."

27 of 29

Anna Kendrick

ANNA KENDRICK
Robin Marchant/Getty

Do you love Beyoncé? Of course you do. But you don't love her as much as Kendrick, who was so determined to play it cool that she refused to look at the singer when she walked past her, and then totally missed Beyoncé calling her over. Luckily, when she finally worked up the courage to talk to her, Beyoncé was very complimentary.

28 of 29

Miley Cyrus

MILEY CYRUS
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

Cyrus was pretty excited to see the opening night of Britney Spears' show in Las Vegas – so excited that she spent the whole night jumping up and down, singing at the top of her lungs and breaking out full choreography to go with every song. Oh, and did we mention she was sitting front and center, too?

29 of 29

Ariana Grande

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Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Meeting your favorite singer is a very emotional experience. Meeting your favorite singer when they happen to be singing along to your song? That's pretty much the recipe for a breakdown, so we can't really blame Grande for – in her words – making a fool out of herself in front of Bruno Mars that one time.

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