Penelope Cruz and Ben Kingsley

So I'm working as background on the feature film, Elegy, starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz. It is a scene where I am positioned right in front of the two stars leaving the Vogue theater. I'm positioned outside the theater beside the patio of a restaurant where people not in the film were drinking. Penelope & Ben are a couple meters behind me. Anywho, between one take a crazy homeless looking lady went into the restaurant patio and started screaming and yelling for spare change. She targets me for change. I tell her I got none. She starts arguing with me, to, I think, delay the next take. I finally tell her I really don't have that much. She says anything will do please. I fish out all the $ I had on me 59 cents & gave it to her. She counted it and then started screaming at me cuz it was not enough $ for a "movie star," haha. Finally she leaves and seconds after I get a light tap on my right shoulder and I turn around to see my crush from Vanilla Sky & many others, Ms. Penelope Cruz!! She asked what had happened? I explained exactly what happened but I noticed that as I was explaining she was not looking at me. She was looking at my eyes but not really at me (if u know what I mean). It was like she was looking through me. Not acknowledging my existence! All the while she came to me for info. I was heartbroken but as soon as the day wrapped I walked right up to Sir Ben Kingsley and told him my name and asked to shake his hand. He was VERY INVITING and made eye contact with a larger than life grin and gave me a big shake. I felt great going home because of my experiences with the two actors. I came to my own conclusion that actors are people too. I believe Ms. Penelope Cruz was exhausted after so many extras were trying all day to make eye contact with her. Sir Ben Kingsley had a GREAT DAY, and embraced, probably the "umpteenth" person that day (me). WOW! Stars are human beings. Good days when we embrace the world and all who preside. Now we ALL have had our bad days and even I have looked right through people sub-consciously as if I were just waiting to go home or sleep or just rest & recover from a long day of work. People should ALWAYS remember that A-D List celebs and everyone in general are human beings that have good days and bad, and we should not judge people until we have walked a mile in their shoes.

p.s. As a background performer (Extra) for over a decade I have always made it my mission to just say hi to my favorite stars. I have many more stories about meeting and sometimes hanging out with stars such as:

Leo DiCaprio (he got mad at me (funny story)
Ashton Kutcher
Woody Harrelson (great story)
Anna Pacquin
Stuart Towndsend
Zack Snyder (300)
Fred & Ben Savage (funny stories)
Allen Thick
The "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld (*Funny Story)
Vern Troyer
Dave Foley
Jackie Chan (funny story)
Johnny Depp
Will Sasso (my Highschool bud-Mad T.V.)
Billy Corgan (Very funny story)
Harrison Ford
Al Pacino