Celebrities we all want to have coffee with

One of my favorite things to do is pretend that I am friends with celebrities I admire.  I saw a lot of people I respect in the audiences of the recent awards shows.  Now that the shows are all over, a lot of people I have talked to have been analyzing the results.  It seems like all I can talk about with friends is the fact that so and so should not have gotten the Oscar, and such and such film should not have won the Golden Globe. But talking about those things cannot change what happened. Since this column focuses on the positive, I felt it was appropriate to talk about my favorite people. These are the first famous people I thought of from a long list of those whom I currently want to hang out with, hug and let know that they are appreciated.

1. Barack Obama. No matter what your political views are, I feel like there is something dynamic and cool about our President.  It would be a dream come true to meet him.

2. Darren Criss. He is so talented (actor, singer, songwriter) and dreamy! He took Latin in high school and studied Italian in college. And he studied abroad in Italy. I wanna talk to him about that!

3. Curtis Granderson, the center fielder for the Yankees. He is one of the humblest athletes I have ever seen in interviews. His aspiration to be a role model inspires me to want to be a role model.

4. Billy Crystal, actor, comedian, producer, director. He is hilarious. He likes the Yankees. He has perfected the art of hosting awards shows, and knows when to be a ham and when to be serious.

5. Anna Kendrick, actress and singer. I totally thought she was “that girl” from Twilight until she was nominated for an Oscar for Up in the Air. It wasn’t until Pitch Perfect when I realized how theatrical she was. She was on Broadway when she was young in High Society, for which she was nominated for a Tony!

6. John Mulaney. He is a writer for SNL who has slowly made a name for himself in the community of comedians. His stand-ups are hilarious and he seems like a swell guy.

7. Gavin Creel. He has been in numerous Broadway shows and recently starred in the national tour of Book of Mormon.  He is friendly and his smile is infectious and ever-present. He was also terrific in the revival of Hair on Broadway.   He inspires me because of his work fighting for equality in the LGBT community by co-founding the organization Broadway Impact.

8. Morgan Freeman. There is something about him that makes him seem so wise. I think the most fitting role to his personality was when he played God in Bruce Almighty. I want to sit down with him and discuss life.

9. Christopher Guest, a screenwriter, composer, actor, musician, etc. I like everything he does and I aspire to be half as funny as him. His name pops up in my mind because I was recently singing some of the songs from one of my favorite movies, A Mighty Wind, which he directed. I really hope he makes another movie soon.

10. Drew Brees, the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. I don’t know, maybe I just watch Ellen too much, but I think he seems like such a positive guy who wants to make a difference.

11. Julie Andrews, actress, dancer, singer, author. She has such poise and grace. I feel like as she grows older and older she will always be so warm and jolly. She is timeless and flawless. To me she will always be Maria —and what a lovely way to be remembered.