When most of us encounter someone famous, it makes sense if we're totally speechless — it's one thing to watch our favorite actor or singer perform, and quite another to figure out what we want to say to them when they're standing right in front of us. But it's not just us "regular people" who get starstruck. It also happens to certain celebrities when they meet their idols.
From Adele and Jennifer Aniston to Sam Smith, there are so many funny and adorable stories of celebs meeting fellow celebs who mean the most to them — and what they did (or didn't say) when they finally had the chance. And thankfully, in many cases, there are photos and videos that document the experience so the rest of us can enjoy it, too.
Getting starstruck happens to the best of us, even those of us who happen to also evoke those feelings in others. Read on for celebrities who have found themselves totally flustered when they came face to face with their favorite stars.
Jennifer Lawrence Meeting Jack Nicholson
When Jack Nicholson interrupted Jennifer Lawrence's interview after the 2013 Oscars, she was absolutely starstruck. Of course, she kept her composure while it was happening, even joking with Jack during their conversation, but the second he walked away, the impact of the moment was all over Jennifer's face.
Adam Scott Meeting Mark Hamill
As a lifelong Star Wars fan, Parks and Recreation star Adam Scott was totally floored when he came face to face with Luke Skywalker himself. Mark Hamill surprised Adam during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, leaving Adam speechless. As soon as Mark showed up on the set, Adam was visibly shaking.
Ariana Grande Meeting Jim Carrey
When Ariana Grande met Jim Carrey in 2014 — a celebrity she's been open about loving since childhood — she just couldn't hold back her tears.
"I'm usually sort of chill and I'm usually somewhat contained, but I met him and I couldn't control myself," she admitted during an interview with Live With Kelly & Michael the following year.
Chrissy Teigen Meeting Beyoncé
The 2018 Grammy Awards was the first time that Chrissy Teigen crossed paths with Beyoncé, and she was so starstruck she ended up embarrassing herself, as she told Jimmy Fallon.
"On our way out, I was like, 'We have to say something, right?' 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,'" she said. "Like, who says that? It was like, m'lady. Like, who am I?"
Mindy Kaling Meeting Christine Quinn
Just like so many other reality TV fans out there, Mindy Kaling is also obsessed with Selling Sunset, so when she spotted Christine Quinn out and about, she just couldn't help but say hello.
"I SCREAMED when I was walking out of my dad and stepmom's house and randomly saw @thechristinequinn on a break from shooting Selling Sunset on the sidewalk," she shared on Instagram. "It's my favorite show on TV and not in like a 'guilty pleasure' way; that show is SO GOOD. 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!"
Adele Meeting Jennifer Aniston
Despite the fact that Adele is one of the most famous singers in the world, she was still so taken aback by meeting Jennifer Aniston that she accidentally called her Rachel — her character in Friends. Fortunately, when she recounted the evening on The Graham Norton Show, she could laugh about it.
Nicki Minaj Meeting Lauryn Hill
Nicki Minaj was so starstruck meeting Lauryn Hill that she actually got down on the floor on her knees to speak with her.
"Excuse me while I have an outer-body experience," Nicki wrote on Instagram. "Shaking, crying, a MESS!!!! This lady is the reason. Omg. The QUEEN. Goddess! The epitome! The bar! The faints. Ms. Lauryn Hill told me to keep 'spittin dat fire.' Is this real life????"
Emma Stone's Message From Mel B
Like a lot of other women her age, Emma Stone grew up as a huge fan of the Spice Girls, so when she got a message from Mel B — aka Scary Spice — she just about lost it. In fact, when she found out that she'd made her a personalized video, she even started to cry.
Anna Kendrick Meeting Beyoncé
Chrissy Teigen isn't the only celebrity who was starstruck meeting Beyoncé. Anna Kendrick was so excited to meet her that she posted a photo of the two of them talking on Instagram with a heart drawn around them both.
She tweeted at the time: "Guys, it happened. I met Beyoncé. And she is an angel. And I am not worthy. And I will never stop shaking."
Chrissy Metz Meeting Sam Smith
In 2017, This Is Us star Chrissy Metz — who is also a singer — had the chance to meet Sam Smith at a concert and simply couldn't contain herself. She admitted in her Instagram caption that she'd hoped to have the chance to tell them how much their music meant to her, but "nope, not sure I even spoke English."
Sam Smith Meeting Fifth Harmony
Sam Smith might make others starstruck, but they get starstruck themselves, too. Sam was over-the-top excited when James Corden brought Fifth Harmony onboard during their episode of Carpool Karaoke, and the excitement in the vehicle was palpable. Too cute!
Cardi B & Penn Badgley
After Penn Badgley complimented Cardi B's authenticity in an interview, she freaked out about the fact that he even knew she existed, tweeting, "OOOOMMFFFGGGGGG HE KNOWS ME !!!" Later, they both ended up changing their Twitter profile photos to pictures of each other.
Emma Watson Meeting Celine Dion
Emma Watson was so excited to meet Celine Dion at the 2017 Beauty and the Beast premiere, especially since she'd been raised on her music.
"Celine Dion arrives, and I'm holding my publicist like, 'This is almost too much for me!'" she said during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. "You have to understand, my parents do not really understand celebrities or Hollywood or whatever else, but my mom and I used to play Celine Dion in the car like nonstop."
Billie Eilish Meeting Justin Bieber
Billie Eilish has been a Belieber for a long time, so when they first came face to face in 2019, it was a big deal for her. Just watching her reaction in this video is too cute — and so is the giant hug they shared. This had to mean so much to her!
Camila Cabello Meeting Emilia Clarke
Camila Cabello was so excited to meet Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke that she bowed down to her for the photo they took together when they crossed paths in 2019 at The Graham Norton Show. But according to Emilia's Instagram caption, "the feeling's mutual."
Tiffany Haddish Meeting Oprah Winfrey
It's fair to say that many of us would be totally starstruck to meet someone like Oprah Winfrey — not even Tiffany Haddish was immune.
"SO JUST SO YALL KNOW I POSTED IT THREE TIMES BECAUSE I AM THAT DAMN HAPPY!" Tiffany wrote. "YES! YES! YES I CRIED AND YES I ASKED HER TO BE MY AUNTIE! SO ALL THANKS BE TO GOD FOR ALWAYS COMING THRU YOU HEAR MY PRAYS AND ANSWER ACCORDINGLY AMEN!"
Sarah Paulson Meeting Rihanna
When Sarah Paulson and Rihanna met while filming Oceans 8 together, Sarah got so excited to meet the Barbadian singer that she lost a bit of control over her body fluids — yep, it was that serious.
"I wanted to be cool around her," Sarah said during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. "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." LOL!
