He Hadn’t Recognized Her
Ed felt his pulse racing in his chest. The night had drawn to a close, and he had even taken a selfie with her. But he still didn’t know who the young lady was. He was still waiting on his daughter’s help.
He knew that he only had a few more moments before she would greet him for the night and leave. But then she would know that he hadn’t recognized her. He knew he would be humiliated if that happened.
Ed O’Neill
Ed O’Neill needs no introduction. His most notable work is Jay Pritchett on Modern Family. The prestigious actor won three Emmys for his role on the show, but there’s more to his life than just the show.
Like all actors, Ed is just a regular guy when he isn’t acting. Regular people do normal things like going to parties. But Ed had no idea what would happen at one particular party.
Sarah Hyland’s Party
Ed O’Neil went to Sarah Hyland’s party. It was a huge party with plenty of guests. Ed just wanted to have a good time, yet with so many people, he didn’t know something was bound to happen.
Ed would be approached by someone that gave him a strange gut feeling. He tried thinking about who it could have been, but it came up blank. He was sure he had met her before. He just couldn’t put his finger on who it was.
Familiar Face
The girl that approached and greeted Ed was friendly enough. She said, “Hello again. Nice to meet you.” It was then that Ed knew she was an important person. He just had no idea who she was.
He could tell she was a fan of his work which flattered him. But he still couldn’t put his finger on who she was. But by the end of the night, he would be kicking himself for not remembering her.
Unbeknownst To Him
Unbeknownst to Ed, the girl that seemed starstruck by him loved his performance in “Married… With Children” and all of his other films. It’s to be expected as the actor doesn’t have two Golden Globes for nothing.
But when she found that after all her crazed fandom that her idol didn’t even recognize her, things would go any way but the way Ed wanted them to go. But when he finally realized who she was, he would be in utter shock.
Face-To-Face With A Grammy Winner
Ed tried to brush off the feeling that he had after the girl left. But something stuck with him. He wished that he could remember where he had seen her before. She had such a recognizable face.
He knew it could have happened with anyone at the party. At the age of 71, it was sometimes hard to look closely at people out of context and remember who they were. But what Ed didn’t know was that he was face-to-face with a Grammy Winner.
Enjoying The Party
Ed calmed down and started having fun. It was about his costar and her party after all. It was a fun backyard party that had a lot of influential people just like himself. Although he knew he wasn’t being spoken about like he used to, he knew he still deserved to be there.
But Ed had no idea that by the end of the night, the girl from earlier would enter his mind again. It was far from over once he found out who he didn’t recognize was a very important individual.
Worries
Ed started to worry about losing touch with current and “in” celebrities. However, he could easily recognize his peers and most actors his age, even off stage. It was very hard for him to remember famous people when they were off stage.
At the back of his mind, he felt a nagging. It was bothering him that he felt out of touch. For his age, it was hard to remember all the people at parties, and now that it was clear that he had met her before, he needed to know who she was.
An Idea
Just then, an idea popped into Ed’s head. If he pulled it off correctly, he would redeem himself and be able to tell who the young lady he had been thinking about all night was. He needed to figure this out.
He thought about it long and hard and finally came to a decision. What he was about to do was risky. But the payoff would get him out of this sticky situation. He turned to the only person he knew could help him.
A Selfie
Ed knew it was time for action, he was nervous about what he was about to do, but he had to do it. He walked up to the young woman he didn’t recognize and asked her for something bold - a selfie.
He asked for a picture of the attractive woman. It was all part of his plan. He knew exactly what he was doing. The woman was more than happy to take the photo with him, and afterward, he cleverly sent the photo to his daughter and begged for help.
Pulse Racing In His Chest
Ed felt his pulse racing in his chest. The night had drawn to a close, and he had even taken a selfie with her. But he still didn’t know who the young lady was. He was still waiting on his daughter’s help.
He knew that he only had a few more moments before she would greet him for the night and leave. But then she would know that he hadn’t recognized her. He knew he would be humiliated if that happened.
Daughter To The Rescue
Just as the unknown girl got closer, he finally heard something that made him breathe a sigh of relief. He had received a message on his phone. It was from his daughter, and it was her telling him who exactly she was.
She berated him for not recognizing who she was. It turns out that she was fresh in the minds of many fans across the world. She was a very popular singer that he had failed to recognize. But we would remedy his mistake.
Taylor Swift
He managed to put his phone away just as she approached him to say goodnight. He looked at her with a confident smile as she got closer. He would no longer make a fool out of himself.
He got her attention and then courteously said, “Nice to meet you, Taylor.” She smiled and returned the gesture. It was a close call, but he was kicking himself that he didn’t remember her from all of his daughter’s interest in her. And the worst part? This wasn’t the first time.
His “Thing”
In fact, Ed O’Neill’s failure to recognize mega stars when he’s out and about has become the forgetful actor’s “thing.” But it’s not just faces he doesn’t recognize.
Once, Ed even failed to realize that he was on the phone to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson! But his next forgetful moment was even worse than that.
At The Airport
Ed was quietly sitting in an airport lounge waiting for his flight when a woman walked up to him and excitedly asked for a photo of them together.
The woman, who proclaimed to be one of his “biggest fans” was extremely polite and there was nothing unusual about the request, so Ed allowed her to take a photo of them together. What he didn’t know was that he was about to commit a major faux pas.
Controversy
That photo of Ed with his attractive female fan made huge waves in the entertainment world, but not for the reason you’d think.
For months the infamous photo circulated, and every time Ed saw it he felt more embarrassed. If only he had known who the woman was. Then, he wouldn’t be caught up in such controversy.
Chance Encounter
Ed had just been minding his own business, waiting for his flight. The woman had been enthusiastic but polite. Although Ed wasn’t thrilled about being recognized in the airport lounge, he had unwittingly agreed to the photo.
The fan’s fiend had snapped the picture, then she thanked him and went on her way. Of course, Ed didn’t think much of the chance encounter at the time.
Going Viral
Ed only became aware of his giant mistake when the mysterious woman who asked for a photograph uploaded the picture to all her social media accounts.
It wasn’t long before the messages began to pour into Ed’s inbox. You see, while Ed has millions of dedicated fans, the mysterious woman had millions of her own.
A Late Bloomer
Ed O’Neill got a late start to his acting career - landing his first role at the age of 40. Despite this, Ed has managed to rise to the highest levels in the entertainment world.
However, it was perhaps because of his late start that he failed to recognize one of the biggest stars in pop music.
TV Star
Ed O’Neill has graced our TV screens for more than 20 years in two of the most popular sitcoms of all time - Married… With Children and Modern Family.
So, it’s safe to assume that he gets approached by fans wanting pictures and autographs fairly often. That’s why he hadn’t paid too much attention to the female fan who approached him in the LAX airport lounge. Now, he regrets it.
A Private Man
Unlike most big TV stars, Ed O’Neill is an extremely private person. He doesn’t have social media accounts, and he definitely does not like being photographed by fans when he’s going about his day.
So, why did he agree to the photo the mysterious woman requested in the airport lounge? And why did that photo become an online sensation overnight?
Avoiding The Limelight
It turns out that Ed’s mystery fan was no stranger to the paparazzi and controversy. In fact, she deplores details of her private life being made public and goes out of her way to avoid the limelight.
That’s why the photograph of these two very elusive celebrities together created such a stir online. But Ed, embarrassingly, didn’t even know who she was.
Kindred Spirits?
Perhaps Ed subconsciously allowed the mysterious woman to take the photo because he sensed that they shared similar views about keeping their private lives private.
Or, maybe, he allowed hernto take the photo because she was attractive or polite. Whatever the case, the fact remains that the photo was one of the most talked-about pictures for months to come.
The Look On His Face
What makes Ed’s embarrassing situation even funnier is his expression in the photo. The woman next to him is positively beaming with a huge smile on her face. Ed, on the other hand, looks far less amused.
However, Ed would be caught with egg on his face once again when someone finally told him who his fan really was.
Hugely Popular
Although the photo of Ed O’Neil took mere seconds to snap, the repercussions would be felt for months - and even years - to come.
People’s reactions to the photo were overwhelmingly positive, and it was quickly shared all over social media and even appeared in news print. If Ed’s Taylor Swift mistake was bad, this one was worse.
In The Dark
The mysterious woman posted the photo with the simple caption: “Fancy running into this guy! Such a sweetheart!!”
And, while the photo was getting enormous traction online, Ed was completely oblivious. Just a few hours later, his inbox blew up with positive messages from his friends and loved ones.Of course, he had no idea what they were all talking about.
Lucky
Ed was perplexed by all the attention he was receiving. He couldn’t understand what the big deal about the airport photo was. It was only when his manager called him to explain what was going on that he finally caught on.
And it was lucky that Ed was feeling amicable that day. If he had refused the woman’s request, his rudeness would have been in all the tabloids! So, who was the mysterious fan?
Mega Pop Star
Although Ed had no idea at the time, the celebrity who posed with him was none other than mega pop star Britney Spears!
When Ed’s daughter heard about her dad’s faux pas, she jokingly called him a “moron” and was actually quite upset. Ed was so embarrassed that he called Britney’s manager to apologize! The incident wasn’t behind him yet.
Ellen’s Show
A few months after, Ed went on the Ellen DeGeneres show where they spoke about the incident. He admitted all of his mistakes that night, forgetting who Taylor was and how he had to get his daughter to bail him out.
But it was met with laughter as Ellen defended him, saying that even she struggles to recognize stars when they’re away from the stage or the context of their fame. But how would they help Ed make sure this wouldn’t happen again?
The Memory Game
Ellen decided to make a game while Ed was on the show to help him remember the most popular celebrities. He managed to correctly identify Ariana Grande, Meghan Markle, and the last photo was the one that he had dreaded a few months prior.
The last photo shown to him was that fateful selfie that was he had taken and sent to his daughter begging for help. Ellen was proud that he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice and confidently identified her as Taylor Swift.