dhenriq1 — 15 years ago(July 16, 2010 11:52 AM)

and it was so surreal. I'm from the Bronx and don't get down to Manhattan much but this day in particular I had ventured as far down as I have ever gone. I had just been watching his skit/interview for the "Most Independent Rocker" about a week before to the day on the library computers, and as I got off the 1 Train I see this guy in shorts and t-shirt walk by me. He looked like he was just getting back from the gym or playing soccer or something. I froze. It couldn't be him. I've seen plently of celebrities in my years as a New Yorker but never anybody whose work I actually appreciated before. I went up to him and said, "Hey man, aren't you Michael Showalter?" He goes, "yeah". Nearly pissed my pants, man. Watching Wet Hot American Summer and Stella on repeat (pretty much) during some of my most painfully awkward school years was kinda what kept me relatively happy when most of my friends got into deep stuff around me. I really wish I could've told him that. But, I was so nervous meeting him, I couldn't remember the names of any of the shows he had done (I didn't remember them until first thing I woke up this morning). All I knew is that I had seen pretty much all of it and loved his brand of stuff I think all I was able to say 2000was "ah man, love the showalter showalter". He was incredibly polite, though. I knew I had broken a New Yorker code by bothering a celebrity but he was so completely cool about it. Immediately after, called my 15 yr-old sis who had watched all of Michael and Michael Have Issues with me and she was completely p. o'ed but happy for me. I was beaming. Didn't have a camera so I couldn't get a picture, but he gave me his autograph. It was awesome.