I tried to insist that Zach Galifianakis wasn't a celebrity
I walked past Zach Galifianakis while wondering around the airport in Charlotte, NC during a lengthy layover back in 2002.
He hadn't really been on the scene very long at that point, and I didn't know who he was except that he looked familiar.
Curious, I tailed him for a few minutes before stopping him and asking, "Hey, you look really familiar, are you from [my hometown]?" (Keep in mind I'm 17 at the time).
He sortof chuckled and said slyly, "Nope, I don't think so man."
I persisted and said, "No, I'm pretty sure I know you. Did you go to [my church growing up]?"
He definitely got a laugh at this and replied, "Sorry man, that's not it either."
I kept trying and said, "I swear I know you from somewhere!"
and he finally relented and said, "Have you seen Out Cold?"
I whiffed on that softball entirely and simply responded, "No, why?"
He wasn't phased by my unintentional dig on his celebrity, and tried again, "Well that was a movie I was in. Do you watch any standup on Comedy Central?"
That one finally jarred my memory, and I blurted out, "Ah, Fat Jesus!" (it was a bit he did in one of his standup specials).
He had another laugh over it, and I think I tried to salvage the encounter by telling him how funny I thought he was. He definitely took it in stride, and he parted with a casual, "Thanks! Cool, well, later man."