Provo, UT

Yesterday I posted about the logistics of the Sundance Film Festival, but now it’s time for the fun stuff: celebrity sightings! First sighting: Kevin Sorbo. Yep, Hercules. I had a major dork moment, stage whispering “LookKevinSorboKevinSorboKevinSorbo” to my friends. Three heads whipped around and stared. Thankfully he was good-natured, chuckled, and said hello. Nice guy, but I was a little embarrassed at my behavior! Sheesh, you’d think I never lived in NYC where bumping into celebs is par for the course.

I swore I would be cool after my dork moment with Hercules. Hmmm…

After an unsuccessful attempt to get wait list tickets to see a film at the Egyptian Theater, we strolled down Main Street. A few blocks later we came upon a throng of people crowded outside The Film Lounge, hyping “Demi Moore is inside!” So we waited (and waited and waited), poised with cameras in hand, until we realized that Demi probably went out a back door.

Tracy started chatting with some people in the crowd and learned that they’d been spotting celebrities all day from their perch. A major fun thing about events like Sundance is all of the great people you meet; it’s easier to gawk when you know you’re not alone. We met a flight attendant from Miami who brought her 11-year-old son to Sundance simply because he loves celebrities. This adorable kid seemed to have hit the jackpot, snapping photos of everyone from Mariah Carey to Wesley Snipes to Robin Williams. When they left we confiscated their spot (I can’t tell you where, since I don’t want to have to wrestle you for it next year!) to see if their luck would rub off on us—and it did.

It wasn’t long before a Hummer pulled up across the street in front of the Rock Band lounge and out hopped Paris Hilton in a pink bunny-ear hat. I snapped a few photos (which didn’t come out great) along with the rest of the wannabe-paparazzi, then beelined back to reclaim my star-gazing spot.

Once resettled I turned around and looked back at the crowd building outside the Rock Band lounge, and saw a woman get out of an SUV. Trudie Styler. That can only mean one thing…Sting must be close behind. Wait for it…wait for it…there he is! Score!

Sting and Trudie only stayed a few minutes in The Film Lounge (a little Googling revealed she was there to have her photo taken as producer of “Moon”). They started rushing back across the street but Maria yelled out, “Sting, please turn around!” and he did, smiled, and waved. Thanks for remembering the little people, Sting…we love you!

Next Denise Richards came flying down the street wrapped in an entourage equivalent in size to the Secret Service one surrounding Barack Obama on inauguration day. She swooped into the Rock Band lounge, then just as quickly swooped back out, head down, eyes averted. Someone got her attention by yelling out, “Denise, you’re so beautiful!” and she finally lifted her head and smiled. Diva, anyone?

Throughout the course of our afternoon, several familiar-looking faces came and went. After a while you think everyone coming down the street must be someone, or you start to doubt yourself. Without realizing it at the time we saw Slash, Johnny Lee Miller, and James Tupper, to name a few. In fact, James Tupper was trying to pass by me on Main Street and politely said, “Excuse me, love.” I stepped aside and he said, “Thank you, sweetie.” I thought, hmmm, he looks like that cute guy from Men in Trees. Then I thought, couldn’t be, he’s smaller than he looks on tv. We passed by him a couple more times during the day, always polite and smiling, and each time I thought, could it be? Nah. Wasn’t I surprised to come home last night to find a photo online of that same guy posing with Anne Heche…it was him! He so would have stopped to pose for pictures.

You gotta love a gracious star, and none was more so than Efron Ramirez, better known as Pedro from Napolean Dynamite. We received a little insider tip that he was heading our way, so my friends went over to talk to him. He was super nice, spending time chatting with everyone, signing autographs “Vote for Pedro”, and posing for photos. Even as he was leaving my friend Jen stopped him for another photo and he was happy to pose (or at least acted that way!)

Sure, we all know Sundance is about the films—but let’s be honest, it’s just as much about the celebrity sightings, and who can blame us? It’s fun! Tip: be courteous, patient, and alert–and dress warmly. Outside swag/media lounges is a great place to spot stars, as well as at premieres, and just walking up and down Main Street. When in doubt, take a picture anyway (respectfully, of course)–you can always identify Tokyo Diva when you get home!

By the way, if anyone can name the actor in this photo to the right, please leave a comment and let me know who he is!

The 2009 Sundance Film Festival runs Janusary 15-25. Go!