Since losing his late-night talk show to the ratings gods, comedian Jon Stewart, 33, has managed to stay in the public eye. He has his own HBO special on Sept. 20, stars opposite Drew Barrymore in the romantic comedy Wishful Thinking this winter and is often spotted by fans in his home state of New Jersey. 

On a trip to the beach there recently, he notes, "this guy comes up and says, 'Are you Jon Stewart?' And I'm thinking, 'Oh, he's seen me on TV and wants my autograph.' But he asks me, 'So, do you have a beach badge? You need one if you're going on the beach.'" So much for the star treatment.

"I think he just wanted to see if I had the $7 it took to buy a badge so he could have a story to tell years from now at the badge-checkers' bar."