Noah Wyle recently recalled a childhood encounter with a Hollywood star that shaped how he treats fans today. The Pitt actor discussed the encounter on the podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler.
On the podcast, Wyle recalled meeting Eddie Murphy for the first time when Wyle was 9 years old. The actor said, “I met Eddie once when I was a kid. I asked him for his autograph; I said, ‘I really like you on SNL.’ And he goes, ‘What are you doing up that late?’ And I said, ‘Uh. Can I have your autograph?’ He goes, ‘F— off, man.'”
The encounter stuck with Wyle and later influenced how he responded when fans asked him for autographs. Wyle stars as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch in the medical drama The Pitt.
Wyle took a very different approach when young fans started asking him for autographs
Rather than letting the encounter discourage him, Wyle chose to treat young fans differently when they asked for autographs. In the podcast, the actor said, “I always sign an autograph. Whenever a 9-year-old needs an autograph from me, I sign that so fast.”
The encounter also inspired a memorable birthday surprise decades later. The actor mentioned that he recently told his family about the encounter, prompting his daughter to come up with a smart birthday surprise inspired by the story.
Wyle shared, “My 10-year-old daughter printed up a picture of Eddie Murphy and then wrote on it, ‘Dear Noah, you’re a great kid, Eddie Murphy.’ And she spelled Eddie ‘E Dy.’ And I have it framed in my office.”
Wyle described the framed picture as the greatest gift. He explained that his daughter and her mother had seen Murphy the previous day. She then revealed that they had obtained Murphy’s autograph, giving her father something he had always wanted.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.net.
