Meeting celebrities
Everyone thinks we would be used to it by now, but that’s not the case. No matter how many famous faces walk through the doors, there’s always that first second where our brain freezes, and we’re like, “Is that really her?” I can’t believe my eyes.
As somebody who works at the front desk of a luxury building in Manhattan, it means I get the occasional A-listers, influencers, athletes or even trending tech moguls, not just analysts or fund managers. Some are here for meetings with private equity firms. While others are trying to secure funding for a new brand, movie, or app. And some are just tagging along with their high-powered partners.
The very first time I met a celebrity, I almost forgot how to buzz someone in. It gave me a frozen moment when I saw someone who shows up on TV or in magazines; I was amazed. I can’t take names because of NDAs, but let’s say she was somebody who’s always wearing sunglasses, even indoors, like it’s a job. She smiled at me, asked if there was a restroom, and somehow made even that seem glamorous.
But not all of them are nice; some don’t even look up, and they talk to me like I’m nonexistent there. But others, surprisingly many of them are incredibly kind and warm. One pop star even complimented my earrings. Another, a legendary actor, joked that I must have the hardest job in the building dealing with “Wall Street robots.”
The most hard part of my job is staying cool. I can’t fangirl, ask for selfies or even hint that I recognize them. It’s this weird, odd game of pretending like we are all just regular people here to talk about quarterly returns. Except they’re wearing Balenciaga, and I’m behind a desk with a blinking landline.
I have seen staff swarm in, PR people waiting patiently for the celebs to come out, stylists adjusting last-minute touch-ups, everything that happens. I have seen it.
A lot of times, I wonder what it must feel like to walk into a room and know everyone recognizes you and yet pretends not to know you. I think it must be lonely in a strange way. The glamour of the cameras are only until the lights are on; once they’re off, the real life begins to sink in.
People think this job is just answering phones and pointing to conference rooms. But for me, it’s much more than just that; it’s a front-row seat to the intersection of fame, money, and ambition. Celebrities might not remember me, but I remember them not just how they looked but how they treated the people who didn’t matter. And that tells you a lot about them; just looking at people the way they treat someone, we can know if they are truly honest and caring.