So, after a month in New York, the first month of 2012 turned out to be a juicy one for celebrity sightings back home in L.A. Let’s get right to them.

1/6/12 My first celeb sighting was my old pal, Bruce Vilanche, as he was arriving in New York and Mr. X and I were finally leaving after a horrific month-long stay, during which time we lost my precious little mother. It was good to run into someone she thought was so funny to remind me to try to laugh again. (By the way, he loved the airline, and we were not fond of it at all, even in the supposedly better seats.)

Photo of Jeremy Irons at the GBK Suite by Karen Salkin.

1/13/12 I really didn’t notice many celebs at this year’s first crop of suites, but I did spy Kevin Dillon, of Entourage fame, at the Secret Room at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. Then, just down the street, in front of the L’Ermitage Hotel, standing there like a little girl waiting for a friend, was Mayim Bialik. She looked so much better in person than as a nerd supreme on the hilarious Big Bang Theory, that I wasn’t even sure it was she at first, until she followed me up to the GBK suite, where her party finally arrived. Later, on the roof, at the actual event, I ran into Oscar winner Jeremy Irons. That was an exciting sighting.

1/13/12 As I left the Golden Globes gifting suite at the L’Ermitage Hotel on Burton Way in Beverly Hills, and walked a few steps down the block to my car, there was only one other person walking down the street, towards me. It was Mickey Rourke! Texting all way, I might add. I was shocked to see, and happy to report, that he looks about a zillion times better in person than in the media. He looked slim in his tight jeans, and actually kind-of normal.

1/14/12 I cancelled my birthday party this year, even though it was on a Saturday for the first time in about a bazillion years, because of my recent sadness. [Note: see the first sighting above for deets, if you want them.] So Mr. X and I chose to spend a low-key day on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, along with the hoi polloi. There was a strange assemblage of people on one corner, and it was to be a part of a television show that I haven’t heard of since the ’90s, The People’s Court, with host Harvey Levin, of TMZ fame, hosting them. He’s much shorter than I would have thought, if I had ever thought about him at all, which I haven’t.

1/14/12 So I chose Craig’s in West Hollywood for my Bday dinner this year, and was seated near two old school theatre world celebs I used to know–married-forever couple Carole Cook and Tom Troupe. About to sit near us was local news reporter Joel Grover, who’s the guy who broke the story about dirty restaurants in LA, thus forcing the letter system into existence. So, I’m assuming that Craig’s is on the A-list, if Joel’s eating here. Happy Birthday to me!

1/25/12 Kate Mara having lunch on the patio near me at Lemonade on Beverly Boulevard. I had never been there before, and hated it, [my scathing review in the next couple of weeks,] but she and an animated older woman seemed to be enjoying their lunch, leaving me to ask, “Why?”

1/27/12 Eric Idle at just a regular person night (as opposed to opening night, which I guess we both missed this time,) at the Mark Taper Forum to see the excellent Clybourne Park. He was hanging with a group of pals right near me in the lobby at halftime.

I’ll be spending the rest of the year in New York with my little mother, (and Mr. X, too, of course!,) so this is my last Celeb Sightings column of the year. I promise to bring you all the ones from December at the beginning of next year.

David Spade atop his car. Photo from Driverside website.

10/14/11 David Spade driving behind us on Pico Blvd. at lunchtime. His car was really weird. So weird that I didn’t think it could be a celebrity, and that perhaps we were wrong. And then I realized that because it was so mysterious, it was perfect for a celeb! It was a souped-up boxy old car; jet black, no markings, strange tires, tinted windows. It was kind-of like my little mo’s old American vehicle, that a Triple A guy dubbed “the workhorse.” But I don’t think that that’s what David had in mind when he picked his car out. [Note: I'm so proud of myself!; courtesy of website Driverside, I confirmed that his car is indeed akin to my mother's! They're both Buicks, with the workhorse being a 1997 LeSabre, and David's being an '87 Grand National.]

10/21/11 Dennis Farina at a Big Apple screening of his new film, The Last Rites of Joe May. None of the other screenings that I’ve attended in New York have had the q-and-a after, so I was shocked to see how dreadful the moderator, Daniel Holloway from Backstage Magazine, was. I think Mr. Farina was a tad surprised himself!

10/27/11 Chuck Shumer, United States Senator from New York, and Zachary Quinto, the Star Trek actor who recently “came out,” on my plane from New York to LA. They were in First Class and I was one row behind them in Main Cabin Select. (Note: not that I’m ever snobby, but I did hate not flying in a bigger airlines’ Business Class.) I bumped into Mr. Shumer a couple of times outside the rest room, (I guess we Brooklyn natives have small bladders,) and he gave me warm smiles; he just seemed so pleasant. I really wanted to talk to him about Brooklyn, and him having my little mo as a teacher in Junior High, but that wasn’t the place. Zachary was rocking a skull cap and black-rimmed hip glasses and was the epitome of hip. I don’t think he ever uttered a word to anyone, but rather just read and stared off into space, looking either confused or just deep in thought.

That's Marilyn Manson moving up the aisle faster than we could capture him.

11/10/11 Tilda Swinton, Julia Ormond, and Marilyn Manson at a Beverly Hills screening of Tilda’s already award-winning film, We Need To Talk About Kevin. Interestingly, Marilyn was with a dead-ringer for his now-off girlfriend, Evan Rachel Wood.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Photo by Ryan Miller.

11/11/11 The opening night of Bring It On, The Musical at the Ahmanson Theatre had celebs for every age category: Sally Struthers for the seniors, Kent Boyd, (the runner-up on last season’s So You Think You Dance, with whom I actually spent a day earlier this year) for the juniors, and Modern Family‘s Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Dancing With The Stars pro Kym Johnson for the in-betweens. One extra bit of gossip: Kym’s date was with a much older gent, not the younger guy I used to see her around town with.

Glenn Close, center, with co-star Janet McTeer on the right.

11/12/11 Glenn Close speaking after at an industry screening of her new period film, Albert Nobbs. In comparison with how masculine she looked on the screen, she looked a little less manly in-person. But only a little, mind you.

11/12/11 Desperate Housewives‘ Kathryn Joosten with Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Baskett appearing for a great cause, lung cancer awareness, at The Soho Project’s Masquerade at the London Hotel in West Hollywood.

The Situation, facing us.

11/18/11 I’m not a fan of either, but it was still kind-of interesting to see Soulja Boy (of the Crank That dance) and The (moronic, full-of-himself) Situation at GBK’s suite for the American Music Awards, held at Beverly Hills’ SLS Hotel. The Situation looked as goony in person as he does on TV!

12/3/12 Brenda Vaccaro in Beverly Hills, at the office of our mutual eye doc, John Hofbauer. We went to the ladies room together and she amiably broke down our Screen Actors Guild health insurance plan for me because I’m a nescient in that category. (And oh so many others!) I complimented her on her absolutely gorgeous skin, (seriously, she has the skin of a twenty-year-old!,) and she said, “That’s my mother.” I think that’s what I’m going to start saying when people tell me I’m funny.

12/2/12 This turned out to be a juicy day for celebrity sightings because, after the one above during the day, I not only spied two more at night, but we literally had to squeeze by each other at a crowded regular person event! We were all at the Montana Avenue Holiday Walk in Santa Monica, and even though it’s always a lot of fun, I was surprised that anyone really famous would put themselves out there like that. First I bumped into Laura Dern, who looked lovely, by the way, with her daughter, as she was leaving a crowded boutique. Right after that encounter, outside the store, Meredith Baxter Birney went by me, holding hands with her girlfriend, and looking as freaked-out by the crowd as I was!

12/7/11 Viola Davis being honored as a Woman of Style at the Divine Design Gala at the Beverly Hilton. Our mutual great pal, and favorite acting teacher, Dr. William Hutchinson of Rhode Island College, had asked me to say hi to her for him, and I was the only one in her proximity zone when she walked-in, but I never like to bug anyone who’s entering or exiting an event, so I figured I’d wait till later, which, of course, never came. But she was a vision in white, while most of us wore black, as usual!

As many of you know by now, I spent most of the summer sleeping in medical facilities in New York with my little mother, who’s doing a million times better now, by the way. [Note: I'm working on a primer for anyone else who finds themselves in that position, which I hope that none of you ever do.] So, naturally, there was not a lot of time for celebrity sightings, except when my sister and I walked down the boardwalk in Coney Island, (where my mother and I were staying,) to see Aretha Franklin in concert on August 5th.

Once it turned September, though, all that changed and my Celeb Sightings are back in full swing. Here are the highlights of the month:

9/8/11 On the way home from Fashion’s Night Out in New York’s Meatpacking District with my friend, Betsy, while waiting at a red light in Lower Manhattan, far away from the madding crowds, we spied Gossip Girl‘s Wallace Shawn just waiting to cross the street with a woman I assume to be his spouse. Being major gossip girls ourselves, Betsy couldn’t believe she was seeing him just standing there, like a normal person.

9/14/11 While not a celebrity herself, Jill Smoller, the sports agent for Serena Williams and Kevin Garnett, who was very visible at the recent US Open filling in for her uppity client when the rest of the final eight girls were protesting having to play in too wet conditions, was on the plane back to L.A. with us. I was surprised she was joining me in Business Class and not up there in First. Maybe Serena isn’t as generous as she tries to make out that she is. I’m just sayin’.

Karen Salkin and Antwon Tanner. Photo by Vanessa Marsot.

9/15/11 I was thrilled to run into a former cast mate of mine, Antwon Tanner, at the Secret Room Emmys Suite at the L’Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills. When we co-starred in the movie Brothers In Arms a few years ago, he was the only actor who was nice to me on-set. The hair and make-up people had made me look even worse than I thought possible, when they were really supposed to make me look like the fancy, rich Mayor’s Wife in this nonsensical western, so the rest of the guys basically ignored me. Until the premiere, that is, when I was able to look like myself. (And you guys thought Charlize Theron looked bad in Monster!!! She’s got nothing on me!) I’m glad to report that Antwon is just as darling as he was back then.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

9/15/11 Not yet even a known working actress when she also made an appearance at the Secret Room Suite, (see above,) four-year-old Aubrey Anderson-Emmons was still getting a bit of attention because she’s so tiny and cute. She had just joined the cast of Modern Family this season, as the age-advanced Lily, the adopted daughter of Cam and Mitchell, and thus has been instantly thrust into the spotlight. And FYI—she’s much better-looking in person that she’s coming across on TV. (I know, I know—that may be a weird thing to say about a four-year-old, but she is an actress, dontcha know.)

9/16/11 Mel Brooks was lunching al fresco at a happening eatery on Canon Drive in Beverly Hills with a gaggle of cronies. I really dislike the place, on oh so many levels, so I’m not naming it. But it was good to see Mel out and smiling again after having a really rough go of it the last few years since losing his beloved wife, Anne Bancroft, in 2005.

9/17/11 While the GBK suites are known for attracting many celebs, I spied three with whom I’m really familiar during my time at their Emmys Lounge at the W Hollywood: Robert Morse, (who’s now on Mad Men, though he’ll always be J. Pierpont Finch to me,) Archie Punjabi of The Good Wife, and Glee‘s female football coach, Dot-Marie Jones.

9/23/11 While there was many a celebrity at the Macy’s Passport Presents Glamorama fashion show at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles, my two favorites were Ceelo Green on-stage, with whom I chatted in the parking lot post-party, and fabulous figure skater and fashionista Johnny Weir in the audience, whom I was thrilled to also get to talk to after not having seen each other since the days of the late Champions On Ice. (And let me tell you, Johnny’s one guy who calls when he says he’s going to!!!) Also spotted: John Hamm and Jennifer Love Hewitt, though not together. You can read more of my thoughts on the event here: http://www.itsnotaboutme.tv/news/2011/09/28/fashion-event-macys-passport-presents-glamorama-2011/

Usain Bolt and Karen Salkin. Photo by Scot Hampton.

9/27/11 I finished out the month with a bang—the best celebrity athlete I’ve seen, and met(!), in quite awhile. Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world. He was absolutely darling and even understood the Patois that I spoke with him. You can read the whole story here: http://www.itsnotaboutme.tv/news/2011/09/30/sports-meeting-usain-bolt/

Between spending the month of May mainly in New York, as many of you already know, and then staying in for much of the next two months to watch special sports, such as Wimbledon tennis and Derek Jeter’s quest for his 3,000th hit (which you can read about here, if you missed it: http://tinyurl.com/3hjwjbw,) my celebrity sightings have been few and far-between recently. And, unlike many other gossip sites, and most PR people in the biz, too, I don’t consider working actors to be “celebrities,” so I don’t include those, which I see on almost a daily basis. (Heck, I can just look around my hosuehold for that!) So, I hope you enjoy these tidbits of real celebs:

[Note: I decided to finally put my sightings in order from earliest to most recent. I can't even remember my reasoning for doing it the other way around to begin with! ]

5/4/11 On the way to another event, (even I, the great “multiple-events-every-night” Karen Salkin can’t get to them all,) I passed the Jumping The Broom premiere at the Cimerama Dome, and spotted one of the stars, Paula Patton, posing on the red carpet. I had time to really watch the happening because it was causing a traffic jam on Sunset, where I was en route to a restaurant opening.

6/3/11 Lisa Leslie and Steve-O at the GBK MTV Movie Awards Suite at the SLS Hotel–not the biggest celebs in the world, but they each have their niche following. And, kind-of surprisingly to me, I had never seen either one in person before.

6/9/11 Mark Geragos, lawyer-to-the-stars (he was the original attorney for the Michael Jackson trial) in an unusual location. I can finally tell you where I spied him—in the courtroom where they were grilling me for Jury Duty! It was almost surreal. Some people have asked me why I didn’t try to get on the jury, so that I could write about it later. The answer is: because I couldn’t be quiet for eight hours a day! Shockingly, even though I just about came out and said I thought his client was was guilty, Mark‘s not the one who “thanked and excused” me–it was the prosecutor! I was shocked. I was also pretty surprised to watch him sit there texting almost the entire time that they were trying to pick a jury! Maybe he was just lining-up his next big case. After all, Lindsay Lohan’s current attorney is going to have to get tired of her legal shenanigans at some point!

6/17/11 Married actors Angela Bassett and Courtney Vance entering the Ahmanson Theatre right beside me on opening night of Les Miserables. They were actually the only celebs I saw there that night! Maybe the musical was too intellectual for the rest of them. Or too old school.

6/26/11 Debbie Allen at the opening night party for the new musical she directed and choreographed, Twist. I actually walked right past her at the show and then ate right next to her at the after-party. She looked very pleased with the whole evening. I was too, especially with Elements Kitchen’s New Orleans-style fare!

I rarely leave the house in March, due to March Madness, which I watch every second of! No lie. Then I have to rest up in-between game days. Ergo, not many celeb sightings that month. But, we got right back on track in April, so here are the highlights:

4/29/11 Susan Sullivan, who plays Rick Castle’s mother on the ABC hit Castle, at a luncheon held at the Beverly Hills Women’s Club. We had done a talk show together way back in the day, when I was first doing my TV show, and I must say, she’s totally recognizable from that time.

4/26/11 So You Think You Can Dance judge and executive producer, Nigel Lythgoe, greeting all the dancers in the audience on opening night of Burn The Floor. He was instrumental in bringing many of the performers in the show to the attention of the American public.

4/16/11 Mila Kunis dancing the night away with her manager in my box at the Hollywood Bowl for the Rod Stewart-Stevie Nicks concert. She was so regular, which is a good thing. I honestly didn’t even realize it was she for most of the time.

4/16/11 Valerie Bertinelli sticking to her diet while having lunch with her new-ish husband at Studio City’s Laurel Tavern. It looked like she had a chopped salad, but they did each consume two glasses of white wine. Perhaps they were lo-cal wines.

4/13/11 The biggest sighting EVER! Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie! Sitting just four rows in front of me at the Ahmanson Theatre for opening night of God Of Carnage. They both had slicked-back longish hair and were as quiet and sedate as can be. I don’t get excited over any sightings, in general, unless it’s a sports guy or someone I have a slight celeb crush on, (Simon Baker, Hugh Jackman, Tom Welling,) but I was positively giddy over this one. They’re my favorite couple ever. I love their kindness and generosity, and am so thrilled that they found each other in time to share their riches, including of spirit, with so many children.

4/10/11 Modern Family‘s Rico Rodriguez, the only person who’s at as many events as I am(!), perking up the awards show for the Academy of Magic Arts at the Hollywood club Avalon. That kid really gives it all every time out.

4/3/11 Martin Short in the downstairs lounge of the Mark Taper Forum on opening night of Burn This. I was so glad to see him out and about and looking snazzy after the loss of his beloved wife of so many years last summer.

I attended the star-studded opening night of the excellent God Of Carnage at the Ahmanson Theatre, and, shockingly, I really have nothing profound to say about it. I’ve been wracking my brain for something clever to write, and have come up with nothing on that front. The play is clever enough–it doesn’t need my bon mots.

This Ahamanson production reunites the original Broadway cast, which I feel is quite the coup. How often does that happen? I think not too. You know how most people go to New York to see plays? Well, I even postponed my spring trip to NYC to see this one here in Los Angeles!

Photo by Craig Schwartz.

And I’m glad I did, especially with this cast. The play holds up on its own, though, so, as long as it features good enough actors, it probably doesn’t really need the star power of James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeff Daniels, and Hope Davis, but they certainly bring their all to the stage, especially Ms. Harden, who won the Tony Award for this show. She was a revelation to me.

For some reason, I had always thought of her as an older woman, from the time I first became aware of her presence in films many years ago. I don’t know why. I thought of her as older, in charge, and kind-of chubby. But the only one of those concepts that holds-up in person is that she’s definitely in charge. I was surprised to see that she’s a tiny little thing, with skinny legs and giant feet. She’s really cute.

And what an actress! Some of her moves are brilliant. Don’t take your eyes off her for a second. All four of them come through in this play. I feel bad admitting this, but I’ve never been a fan of any of the quartet. I didn’t dislike them; I just never gave any of them a thought. They’re all talented, but just never appealed to me on any level. But they’re all so perfect in their clearly-defined characters that I now view each of them with a newfound admiration.

The play is short-ish, about an hour and a half with no intermission. You just have to sit back and let it unfold in front of your eyes. It takes awhile for it to get rolling, but to me, that’s part of the beauty of the design.

The show begins with two well-mannered, successful, grown-up couples discussing an altercation between their two young sons. That’s all I can tell you except to just trust the journey. There are lots of hearty laughs. And some brilliant lines, like when Gandolfini’s character states, “Children devour our lives and then they destroy them.” You have to hear him deliver it.

As the audience roared with laughter as the action got really rolling, I was knowingly bemused by it because it was just like an evening at home with Mr. X and me. (I’m basically kidding, but on more than one occasion I’ve had to tell the neighbors that we were rehearsing Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Fun times.)

And I loved the Mark Thompson-designed set! The first view of it was stunning. I’m so glad they kept it behind a curtain until the play started. [Sometimes theatres have the sets out in the open as the audience arrives. This one needed to be revealed as it was.] On the other hand, I didn’t love his “costumes,” per se, but I understand how they were designed to give us the measure of the characters, and to contrast with the set. I do applaud that concept.

[Of interest--the play takes place in Brooklyn, where I live about a quarter of the year, so I can totally envision the surroundings, but it’s written by French playwright Yasmina Reza, so I’m assuming the original was set somewhere in France. It was then produced in Zurich, London, and Ireland, so I’m curious to know how these different settings manifested themselves in those productions, if at all.]

My only slight problem with the play is that there’s no real ending. I don’t think it really matters, though; there’s really no resolution to be had, or needed, for that matter, in this situation. On opening night, it just kind-of ended, we gave a standing ovation, and then walked-out upbeat and happy. The body of the play is what we were buzzing about, not the lack of conclusion to the action.

And on that night in particular, we got to move our attention over to the celebrity-laden assemblage. Unfortunately, once again, there was no opening night soiree, so we had to be satisfied with star-spotting just in the auditorium and outside the theater, but this one was the juiciest one ever because it boasted the two biggest stars around–Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie!

Brad and Angelina–OMG!!! Just a few rows in front of me. Thank God they were off to the side of me a little or I might have been arrested for stalking. I just love them as a couple so much. I have so much respect for them as people.

Seriously, the guy who pointed them out to me always has a twinkle in his eye, so I thought he was pulling my leg. But there they were, quiet as can be, just enjoying each other and the surroundings. There’s something so regal about Angie. They were both rocking the same slicked-back long-ish hair, too. Very together of them. I have a strong feeling they’re the direct opposite of the couples portrayed onstage that night. I can’t picture them ever cursing each other out. (And, as the proud parents of six, they definitely wouldn’t agree with that line of Gandolfini’s that I quoted above.)

[Note: before the show begins, when the announcement is made to “locate your nearest exit,” I thought--“yeah, mine is wherever Brad and Angie are going;” if I’m going to be stuck someplace, it may as well be with them!]

I have one more celebrity sighting to tell you about, pre-show, and though I’m relating what I saw, I also want to admonish that you can’t always judge a person from one little incident, so keep that in mind.

After I picked-up my tickets, I saw Will Ferrell walk over to a woman who was probably his wife, and another companion, and they were talking about something. I don’t know what, maybe their tickets, but she was relaying information, not just greeting each other.

Pretty quickly, several of the usual fans surrounded him for autographs, which is to be expected at these openings. Some of them have so many pictures with Mr. X that I’m afraid they send them to their parents and say he’s their friend. Or worse–boyfriend. Sometimes it’s not fun, but I always feel that celebs have to accommodate their fans, as long as the number is a manageable one, which this was.

But Will ignored them and started walking away. When they begged for autographs, papers and pens in outstretched hands, he told them he had no time, even though the curtain was almost a half hour away. I was really surprised to see that. And again, it’s hard to judge his niceness, or lack thereof, by just one small situation. There was one time, back in the day, that it appeared that I ignored a fan, and it still haunts me, so I try to give people in show business the benefit of the doubt. Not that I ever had fans clamoring for my attention like a really famous person does, but this is what happened:

Once, I was at an event that was comprised of all celebrities and their dates. It was at the height of my show’s popularity, and people in the biz, in general, were really supportive of me. As I walked into the soiree, several actors walked up to me at the same time to give me props on the show. It was a little overwhelming, and, since I’ve always given anyone I’m talking to my complete attention, I couldn’t talk to everyone at once. I still feel bad that I told one actress I’d be right back to her, and then never found her again at the gargantuan event, though I really did try. Seriously, it always bothers me, and it was over a decade ago!

So, I never understand turning fans down, especially when it’s just a few of them, with no others in sight. It would have taken Will about twenty seconds to sign the ten autographs, and might have meant something to the fans. But, on the other hand, they may be the creepy ones who just procure the John Hancocks to sell, and maybe he knew that. When I told Mr. X the story, he suggested that perhaps Will was just rushing into the theatre to meet with Brangelina. It’s a possibility. (But even Brangelina were spotted giving autographs, in the parking structure, no less!!!)

So, I guess we didn’t really need an after-party for some fun Hollywood stories to share with you. There was enough star power on and off the stage at the Ahmanson that night to satisfy even the hungriest of celebrity-watchers.

God Of Carnage running through May 29, 2011
Ahmanson Theatre 135 N. Grand Ave. 213-972-4400 www.CenterTheatreGroup.org

Even though we’re now in the middle of March, this year has been so juicy with events to tell you about that I never even got to let you in on February’s top Celebrity Sightings! Shame on me. So, here they are now, with, as always, the most recent one being on top:

Karen Salkin and Jack McGee.

2/26/11 Jack McGee and I were so happy to bump into each other at the GBK Oscars Suite at the W Hollywood. He and Mr. X go way back, and since my mysterious bf doesn’t go out to these Hollywood-type events, Jack was happy to accept me as the next best thing. He’s a lovely man.

2/25/11 Joan Rivers in the side lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel during the humongous QVC Oscars party. You know I hate to say anything really mean about anyone, but I have to give you guys the honest scoop–she’s even worse-looking in person, if that’s even possible. She looks like a bitter little old lady with a disfigured face who’s all hunched-over. Made me glad I hadn’t eaten anything at the party or I would have lost it!

Old pals Marques Johnson and Karen Salkin.

2/18/11 In case you missed my piece on the NBPA swag suite, here’s just a partial list of all the players, both current and former, I spied from my perch in the semi-private Player’s Plaza at the JW Marriott downtown: LeBron James, Amar’e Stoudmire, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, DeMarcus Cousins, Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, Greg Oden, Steve Smith, Marques Johnson, Doc Rivers, and Kevin Garnett. Whew!!! It’s enough to make a girl’s head spin!

Rita McKenzie, Freda Payne, and Michael Orland.

2/15/11 Julianne Hough arriving with her future film director and choreographer, (on the upcoming movie of this show,) Adam Shankman, for the opening of Rock Of Ages at the Pantages.

As always, I see many celebrities on a daily (and nightly) basis. Many of them I tell you about as the events unfold, like at Gifting Suites and opening nights. Here are the highlights of some of those in January, and several at other places, my favorite being the first one of the year, that is, of course at the bottom, since I always do them with most recent listed at the top.

1/31/11 Occasional judge and choreographer of my all-time favorite number on So You Think You Can Dance, (danced by Melissa and Ade to Maxwell’s A Woman’s Work) Tyce Diorio, having lunch near me at Hollywood’s Magnolia, the popularity of which I just don’t get, btw.

1/28/11 Vanna White having dinner at Shu at the Beverly Glen Center with two teen-agers who I’m assuming are her children. She looked great!

1/28/11 Rob Reiner on the sidewalk of Beverly Hills’ mini restaurant row, Brighton Way. I saw him twice, two hours apart, so he probably went to one of the eateries for awhile, though he looked confused on both ends of the time span. Maybe he’s not used to seeing that much plastic surgery in one block, especially on the patio at Villa Blanca, where my friend and I were having lunch. It was kind-of mind-boggling.

Photo by Karen Salkin for www.ItsNotAboutMe.TV

1/13/10 Adam Lambert!!!

You know what a major fan of his I’ve been since way before he was even famous. We ran into each other at Beverly Hills’ L’Ermitage Hotel at a Golden Globes suite and he was adorable and charming as ever. I realized afterwards that I hadn’t seen him since he’s had all his success, and he greeted me as warmly as ever and gave me a perfect hug. I’m glad to report that I still love that boy.

1/12/11 The absolutely down-to-earth Robert Duvall being one of the most unpretentious speakers in West Hollywood after a screening of his superb performance in Get Low. I was amazed at how open and lovely he was. His answers to the SAG members questions was like a master class in acting! I appreciated every second of it. (His comments on working with Bill Murray, by the way? “He’s an interesting fellow. He’s a smart-ass with talent.” Loving it!)

1/7/11 Colin Firth and Guy Pearce being utterly charming in their Q-and-A after one of the last industry screenings of The King’s Speech in West Hollywood. Guy looked adorable in his specs! (For my more mature readers, the audience that night included Joe Bologna and Renee Taylor, attorney Gloria Allred, and John Savage of The Deer Hunter.)

1/6/11 Former Broadway cast member Ben Vereen, and Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, in the opening night audience of Hair at the Pantages, though not together. As a matter-of-fact, Ben was sitting right in front of yours truly!

1/1/11 Los Angeles krump dancer Oldz Kool showing off his moves with New York dance troupe Breeze, which includes young female dancer Caroline Clarke, on the plaza between the Plaza Hotel and the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The crowd was going wild! What a fabulous way to start off the year!

I’ve had so many juicy Celebrity Sightings since I got home from New York to spend Halloween in Los Angeles, that I’m splitting-up the last two months of the year. Here are the highlights of November, with the most recent ones at the top:

11/28/10 Pierce Brosnan, as we were both valet parking for opening night of Next To Normal at the Ahmanson Theatre. People have always told me that I won’t believe how gorgeous he is in person, and they were correct! Even with gray hair, and not being able to see how blue his eyes are because of the dark, I now know what they’ve been talking about. Best of all, I got to finally tell him how lovely he was to me once, on the phone. I used to know his old assistant, and he answered his house phone one day when she out. Instead of getting annoyed that I was calling his house for an employee, he insisted on taking a message for her, and asked me to hold on while he got a pen! Now, that’s a mensch.

11/28/10  Leonardo DiCaprio speaking after a screening of the horrible Shutter Island. It’s not as dreadful as his Inception, mind you, but pretty much another waste of time. But Leo was indeed the best post-show speaker this year. I’ve heard him talk before, and he’s the most natural, intelligent, honest, and insightful one. I can’t praise this guy enough. He even had the brains to cut-off a long-winded idiot woman question-asker in the audience, who stupidly identified herself as Phil Silvers daughter, by saying, “I’m going to stop you right there because I don’t understand the question.” You go, boy!

11/19/10  Ben Vereen, supporting his old Roots castmate, Leslie Uggams, on the opening night of her one-woman show at the happy-to-see-it-back Pasadena Playhouse (after being shuttered since January.) They’re approximately the same age, as Ms. Uggams proclaimed from the stage, but he played her son on that original mini-series from back in the day.

11/16/10  Old school television star Sally Struthers in the audience at an industry screening for the perfectly-acted Mike Leigh directed film, Another Year.

 11/10/10  NCIS: Los Angeles’ Chris O’Donnell having lunch at the table next to me at the Paramount Studios commissary. He was so low-key that we didn’t even notice him until some girls came over to say they love him.

11/8/10  Sally Hawkins and Miranda Richardson, the two stars of the excellent English film, Made In Dagenham, speaking after the industry screening of their film. While both excellent actresses, and seemingly nice women, as well, they were downright boring speakers. Not phony and full-of-themselves, as very many of these post-screening speakers are, just plain boring.

11/6/10  Halle Berry, speaking after an industry screening of her new film, Frankie and Alice, which is not a great title, btw. Just as I was thinking that there just probably aren’t any truly physically beautiful people in the world, without smoke and mirrors, in walks Ms. Berry, right past me, and my new theory went kaput. She’s absolutely stunning, and I’m happy to report, not really phony in answering the audience’s questions, like most celebs hawking their films are. You go, girl! (BTW–how gorgeous is her daughter with also-beautiful model, Gabriel Aubry, going to be? And, trust me, if I spy him somewhere, I‘ll be letting you know about it!!!)

11/5/10  Linda Gray at the premiere of her pretty awful film, Expecting Mary in Beverly Hills. I don’t know if she’s exactly a celebrity anymore, but she sure was during the heyday of Dallas!

11/4/10  Gloria Allred leaving the snacks counter at the Landmark Theatres in the Westside Pavilion. The harsh-looking woman was wearing sunglasses inside, and it had been dark out for hours! Way to not call attention to yourself, Glo.

Here are the latest celebrity sightings that I spied in Los Angeles, New York, and even one in the air! As always, they begin with the most recent and work our way backwards.

11/4/10 Andy Garcia enlightening the industry-only audience after a WLA screening of one of the best film’s I’ve ever seen, City Island. He may just have been the most natural, not-full-of-himself speaker to ever have graced these post-screening talks. Kudos to him!

Little Steven (in purple–good idea!) mingling with the We Are Family cocktail party crowd.

10/26/10 Jackson Browne and Little Steven at the cocktail portion of the We Are Family fete at New York City’s Manhattan Center. Jackson was the headline performer for the after-dinner show, which, unfortunately, I didn’t get to stay for, but I heard was great.

10/5/10 Laura Ling, one of the two journalists who was held hostage by the Koreans last year and was helped to freedom by my favorite president ever, Bill Clinton, flying to New York in United Business Class with me. But I doubt that she was going there to help her little mother for a month, as I was! You never know, though.

10/3/10 Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family’s Emmy winner, and Neil Patrick Harris, though not together, at the opening night soiree for Leap Of Faith at the Ahmanson Theatre.

9/26/10 Christine Taylor, Ben Stiller’s wife, lunching next to me at the Daily Grill in Studio City. (Don’t judge me–I don’t like that place, either, but that was one of the choices my friend gave me, and being one of those hottest days of they year, I just chose a place I assumed would have good AC.) I hadn’t even known the couple had kids, but Christine interacted with the girl, who appeared to be about eight, definitely like a mom.

9/12/10  Modern Family‘s Jesse Tyler Ferguson,(that cast does get around, doesn’t it?,) sitting near me at the opening night party for the Mark Taper Forum’s production of The Glass Menagerie. I didn’t talk to him, but he seemed very pleasant.

8/5/10 John Legend, performing at the Seaside Concert Series in Coney Island’s Asher Levy Park. My friend Anna and I had special VIP passes, so we got to watch from right in front of the stage for awhile, though it was so hot then, we were happy to move away from other people and sit a little further back for the rest of the show. BTW–John was wonderful!