Omari Hardwick. Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for IMDb
Omari Hardwick has worked with some legends — he even has Denzel Washington, Snoop Dogg and Shaquille O’Neal’s numbers saved in his phone — but the Star Trek: Section 31 star says two celebrity interactions in particular have left him starstruck.
“My most starstruck moments were when Jon Voight and I literally bumped into each other and proceeded to give each other a bearhug,” Hardwick, 51, reveals exclusively in his 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me feature in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “And when Unc Snoop [Dogg] decided to record a song for me for my birthday.”
The actor has also shared some fun moments with his Star Trek: Section 31 costar Michelle Yeoh. (The series is streaming now on Paramount+.)
“My favorite moment in Star Trek: Section 31 was the ballroom scene where [my character] Alok meets Emperor Philippa Georgiou [Yeoh] for the first time because the whole cast was involved,” he tells Us. “Another fun scene that didn’t make the cut was [this] scene between Michelle and I that involved a cake and a face.”
Noam Galai/Getty Images Like many celebrities, Tiffany Haddish experiences some crazy fan encounters from time to time. But the actress says one particular interaction stands out among the rest. “My craziest fan encounter was when a woman drove all the way from Chicago, came to my house and started rapping into my Ring camera,” Haddish, […]
For more fun stories from Hardwick — including his childhood celebrity crushes — keep scrolling:
1. I didn’t take any props from the Power set. Unfortunately, I didn’t even take my suits.
2. My favorite moment in Star Trek: Section 31 was the ballroom scene where [my character] Alok meets Emperor Philippa Georgiou [Michelle Yeoh] for the first time because the whole cast was involved. Another fun scene that didn’t make the cut was [this] scene between Michelle and I that involved a cake and a face.
3. My secret talent is that I can imitate Donald Duck very well.
4. The proudest moment in my career is that I’ve been able to stick to my guns of showing my diversity and not handcuffing myself to a particular type of role, which has unlocked many opportunities for me, including becoming Grammy-nominated musically.
5. My first job was a Spike Lee joint called Sucker Free City, and it was shot in 2003.
6. I have two favorite poems: Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley.
7. My dream collaborator is Robert De Niro and my dream project is [making] a groundbreaking trilogy brought to the world by [filmmaker] Zack Snyder and I.
Christopher Meloni has appeared in 283 episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit over the years alongside series lead Mariska Hargitay, but there is one scene that stands out to him as the most memorable. “My favorite Law & Order: Special Victims Unit scene featuring myself and Mariska Hargitay was when Lou Diamond Phillips […]
8. The Alchemist is my favorite book.
9. My most valuable possession is my family. My most valuable non-breathing possession is my ’71 Chevelle.
10. My first car was a ’56 Buick, hence my love of classic cars.
11. In lieu of paying homage to our beloved Los Angeles, my most starstruck moments were when Jon Voight and I literally bumped into each other and proceeded to give each other a bearhug, and when Unc Snoop [Dogg] decided to record a song for me for my birthday.
12. The most famous people I’ve been blessed to be trusted to have in my phone book are Denzel Washington, Snoop and Shaquille O’Neal.
13. The entertainers I looked up to when I was growing up were Michael Jackson and Walter Payton.
14. The TV series I’m binge-watching right now is The Bear.
15. “Popcorn Love” by New Edition is the song that brings back the best memories because my grandpa always begged me to sing it to him.
16. My favorite place to vacation is New Zealand.
Kevin Smith’s love of Star Wars runs deep. So when the director and New Jersey legend got to work with Princess Leia herself, he was over the moon. “My celebrity crush growing up was Carrie Fisher,” Smith, 54, tells Us Weekly exclusively in the latest edition of the magazine, on newsstands now. “I never married […]
17. I never leave the house without my headphones, my glasses and an apple.
18. My older brother would say the movie I’d watch for the rest of my life is Clash of the Titans, but really it’s a tie between The Shawshank Redemption and The Empire Strikes Back.
19. Bern Nadette Stanis as Thelma and Janet Jackson as Charlene from Good Times and [singer] Vanity were my celebrity crushes when I was younger.
20. The childhood memory that makes me smile the most is when I was 11 years old and both sides of my family went to Martha’s Vineyard together.
21. My favorite way to spend the weekend is [having] time with the family, getting about two hours on the motorcycle and watching a good movie.
22. My comfort meal is chili.
23. My alternate profession would be music, but I’m already doing that, so firefighting.
24. I unwind after a hectic day by hitting the studio for a nice recording session — something about those 808s!
25. Savannah is my favorite place to hang out in Georgia.
With reporting by Leanne Aciz Stanton
