Sean Penn - I am Sam

One of the great perks about being a flight attendant is meeting the different celebrities. It's hard to not get overwhelmed when you have them on-board, but you learn quickly that they are just regular people too.

If I have a celebrity on a flight, I try to feel them out if I could have the honor of getting my picture with them before the end of the flight.  I've had quite a few great celebrities that I couldn't ask, wouldn't ask, or have been denied, but the ones that I had the honor, it's been great.

One of those honors was with the great actor Sean Penn.  I'm currently watching I am Sam and I'm just amazed at how he has grown as an actor since Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 1982.  I had the chance to briefly meet him on one of my flights a few years ago and was very gracious to have my picture with him.

Even though this was at the end of the flight before landing, he was extremely nice and polite. It was amazing to watch him portray the late Harvey Milk in the movie Milk.

Anyone that can transform themselves from character to character and actually make you believe that who they are on screen is true, is an extremely great actor/actress in my opinion. The transformations that he has made over the years as a bad ass  punk, to bad ass cop, to recently playing a mentally challenged individual and an openly gay politician. He has been amazing.

One thing to think if you encounter a celebrity is if they don't want to give you their autograph or have their picture with you, then it's not worth having.