Stars, they’re just like Us — they get starstruck too!
In this week’s issue of Us Weekly, on stands now, Gail Simmons revealed that in 2010 — after Top Chef won an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Series — the cast celebrated their big win at an afterparty where she crossed paths with one of her favorite actors.
“I am a huge Star Trek: Next Generation fan and Patrick Stewart fan in general, and I sort of freaked out that he was in the room,” the long-running Top Chef judge, 48, told Us for her 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me feature. “I whispered to Tom [Colicchio] ‘Patrick Stewart just walked in,’ but it was a massive room with thousands of people in it, so I didn’t think anything of it.”
The actor, 84, attended the event with his wife Sunny, who, as it turned out, was a faithful viewer of the Bravo series. “10 minutes later, there’s a tap on Tom’s shoulder. We turn around and it’s Patrick Stewart and his beautiful wife, Sunny,” she continued. “They said, ‘We just wanted to say congratulations — Sunny is a huge fan. Can we take a picture with you guys?’”
“I jumped up as if there was a house on fire and totally gushed over them,” Simmons explained. “I told him that in college I had a life-size cut-out of him on my dorm room wall — and that was embarrassing, but it’s true.”
Keep scrolling for more fun anecdotes from Simmons and check out Top Chef: Destination Canada, airing Thursdays at 9 P.M. on Bravo:
1. I will never turn down a warm chocolate chip cookie or a bowl of chocolate mousse.
2. My favorite kitchen tool is a fish spatula or a mini offset spatula. They make everything easier and are great for cooking and spreading.
3. In the 20 years that we’ve been shooting Top Chef, my favorite moments were in season 5, [when] I shot my wedding shower with all of my girlfriends, and shooting a quickfire [challenge] with my mother in season 11.
4. My favorite place in Canada is Algonquin Provincial Park. It’s incredibly beautiful, brimming with wildlife and the most serene piece of wilderness in the world.
5. My most valuable possession is a ring that was my grandmother’s [that] she wore until she died. She gave it to my mother and then she gave it to me. My mother and I were born a day apart and our birthstone is emerald, and the ring has a beautiful antique setting in it with a little emerald.
6. Matzo Ball Soup is my favorite comfort meal.
7. My secret talent is that I can tap dance.
8. My first job was as a Summer Camp counselor in Northern Ontario. Growing up, I also worked as a canoe instructor and a downhill ski instructor.
9. My first car was a silver Honda Civic in 1999.
10. The most famous person in my phone book is Jon Favreau.
11. My most starstruck moment happened when Top Chef won an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Series. We were at an after party [for] the Emmys and I saw Sir Patrick Stewart walk into the room. I am a huge Star Trek: Next Generation fan and Patrick Stewart fan in general, and I sort of freaked out that he was in the room. I whispered to Tom [Collicho] ‘Patrick Stewart just walked in,’ but it was a massive room with thousands of people in it, so I didn’t think anything of it. 10 minutes later, there’s a tap on Tom’s shoulder and we turn around and it’s Patrick Stewart and his beautiful wife, Sunny. They said, ‘We just wanted to say congratulations — Sunny is a huge fan. Can we take a picture with you guys?’ I jumped up as if there was a house on fire and totally gushed over them. I told him that in college, I had a life-size cut-out of him on my dorm room wall — and that was embarrassing, but it’s true.
12. Back to the Future is the one movie I could watch over and over.
13. Michael J. Fox was my celebrity crush growing up — he still is, actually — and so were Sean and Mackenzie Astin.
14. My alternate profession would be a zoologist.
15. Whenever I hear anything by Led Zeppelin, it reminds me of my brother. He was a musician and passed away a few years ago, and he taught me the foundation of rock music.
16. I recently received an award from the Canadian government from the Consul General of Canada in New York for my work fostering the American Canadian partnership. At this very moment in history, I’m pretty proud that I even play a small role.
17. For over a decade, we’ve spent almost every Christmas in Jamaica with a bunch of friends. It’s really a place where I can fully relax.
18. I’ve done a lot of travel but there’s always more to do: Argentina, Thailand and Kenya are where I’d like to go next.
19. I collect boiled egg cups. I have so many that are antiques, modern, ceramic and vintage.
20. The most valuable lessons I’ve learned from working in the food industry is that feeding people nourishes me and you can’t control everything. You can only control your own responses and actions, and you have the power to use those responses and actions to improve every situation.
21. I’d love to tackle overhauling hospital food. Maybe Michelle Obama could help me one day.
22. My beauty essentials are Jones Road Miracle Balm, Dior concealer and my Caudalie moisturizer and eye cream.
23. We’ve shared so many meals [and] done so many great things, but one of my most memorable days with Tom [Colicchio] and Kristen [Kish] was this season, when we went on an outdoor adventure together in Banff, Alberta during a day off.
24. When I’m too lazy to cook, I buy a quart of Avgolemono soup from a Greek restaurant near my house.
25. During this season of Top Chef, we came to Canada and in almost every episode where there are diners, one of my family members or best girlfriends from high school [make an appearance].
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