Here are the best celebrity shoutouts and sightings in Vancouver from 2022
The stars were out to play in Vancouver this year, and local fans caught plenty of sightings.
From Hollywood A-listers to Grammy-winning music artists and more, celebs were spotted at popular local spots or gave their favourite ones a shoutout for others to discover.
As we prepare for a new year of major celebrity shoutouts and sightings in Vancouver, let’s take a look back at the best from this past year. Keep your camera handy as you never know who’ll you spot next!
Michael Bublé
We had a very special guest tonight join us #AtTheNat to sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game…
Thank you to @MichaelBuble and his family for leading our fans tonight! pic.twitter.com/3gi2wUvLbZ
— Vancouver Canadians (@vancanadians) June 1, 2022
Michael Bublé made a surprise appearance at Nat Bailey Stadium in June for a Vancouver Canadians game. The four-time Grammy winner brought his kids out on the field and sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch.
In a video shared on Twitter by the Vancouver-based baseball team, Bublé is seen carrying his daughter and patting one of his sons on the head before waving and smiling at the crowd.
More recently, Bublé was seen shopping at the much-loved local Italian market and deli Cioffi’s Meat Market & Deli – no doubt stocking up on some holiday goodies.
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Jenny Slate
@jennyslate | @eatdrinkvijs/Instagram
While speaking with Daily Hive in a video interview about her acclaimed movie, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, the actor/comedian told us where her favourite place to eat in Canada was.
“What’s that delicious Indian restaurant in Vancouver?” Slate asked.
We asked if the delicious Indian restaurant she was referring to was Vij’s, the celebrated and award-winning spot on Cambie Street.
“Vij’s, ya!” she said. “I like that.”
We can’t disagree!
Stanley Tucci
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Stanley Tucci may be best known as an award-winning Hollywood actor, but he’s also earned a reputation as a foodie. Thanks to some personal projects like his documentary series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy and books such as The Tucci Cookbook and The Tucci Table, Tucci has emerged as a well-respected culinary personality in his own right.
His memoir Taste: My Life Through Food came out in late 2021 and in its pages is an effusive shoutout to a Vancouver restaurant that is no stranger to the spotlight, Cioppino’s.
Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes and his fans did a double-take as the pop star shared the news that he’s found his doppelgänger in Vancouver in 2022. The Pickering, Ontario, native was walking downtown when he spotted someone who looked a lot like him.
In a video posted to Mendes’ TikTok, you can see Canadian professional soccer player Easton Ongaro cross the street to meet the superstar for a funny photo op. Mendes looks genuinely confused as his doppelgänger Ongaro is rocking the exact same unique sweater and black converse.
Cobie Smulders
How We Met One of Our Biggest Canucks Fans
Hi, @CobieSmulders đź‘‹ pic.twitter.com/yfCo4hBj0F
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 8, 2022
The Avengers and How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders was at Rogers Arena in Vancouver attending a preseason game against the Arizona Coyotes, and she showed her enthusiasm for her favourite hockey team.
Rocking a Henrik Sedin Canucks jersey, Smulders was not shy when the camera panned over to her. The fan-favourite actor stood up and waved at the camera and crowds as the announcer pointed her out to the rink.
Ryan Reynolds
vancityreynolds/Instagram and Minerva’s
Vancouver’s own Ryan Reynolds sat down with director and fellow Canadian Shawn Levy to dish on what they love about BC. Reynolds gave a shoutout to handcrafted artisan bagel spot, Benny’s Bagels, saying it was right across from his high school, so he “spent a lot of time” there.
Perhaps the biggest shoutout from the interview, though, was when Reynolds proclaimed Greek spot Minerva’s as his “favourite restaurant in the world.”
Then, later in the year, Reynolds took some time on Twitter to recommend Vancouver restaurants to Sam Cook, a TV presenter from Wales, who took a selfie next to the Gastown steam clock, tweeted out the picture, and asked Reynolds for restaurant recommendations. Among these recommendations was Ask for Luigi, the Railtown Italian joint.
Kate Winslet
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Kate Winslet has been a huge fan of the Deep Cove’s Honey’s Donuts for years, previously gushing about the treat purveyor in an interview while at TIFF.
The Oscar winner has returned to her favourite North Vancouver bakery several times since – the most recent being on Christmas Eve of 2021, a visit that Dished later confirmed with the bakery.
David Foster and Katharine McPhee
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Victoria native David Foster and his wife American Idol alum Katharine McPhee posed up a storm on a helicopter ride as they soaked in some snowy mountain views (and even went for a walk in the snow) before landing at the luxe Nimmo Bay Resort in BC.
“Canadian energy,” the California-born singer and actress captioned her quick reel, set to Beyoncé’s Renaissance track “Move.” The intimate wilderness resort is in the heart of Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
Justin Hartley
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This Is Us actor Justin Hartley, who is also known for his roles in soap operas like Passions and The Young and the Restless, popped into Joe Fortes in downtown Vancouver this year.
The Thurlow Street eatery has seen big stars over the years, including several band members from Fleetwood Mac and Netflix star Lana Condor from smash-hit To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.
The most notable Joe Fortes celeb visit so far has to be the one and only John Cena. Cena famously said the restaurant was his favourite in all of Canada back in 2019.
Jimmy O. Yang
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Actor and comedian Jimmy O. Yang from Silicon Valley and Crazy Rich Asians – was in Vancouver back in May, during which time he checked out some of the city’s best spots. From Phnom Penh – with its “amazing Cambodian, Hu Tieu,” Yang noted – to “smokey mash potatoes on fish roe toast” at Kissa Tanto to “incredible katsu” from Saku, Yang certainly dined well while he was here.
Tegan and Sara
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Dished had the chance to speak with Tegan and Sara before the premiere of High School, based on the award-winning duo’s 2019 memoir by the same name. The twin sisters were raised in Calgary, but currently live in Vancouver, and we couldn’t pass up the chance to talk to them about some of their favourite food spots in Vancouver.
“We live in Vancouver, so I’m gonna shout out my favourite of all time,” Sara Quin told Dished on the red carpet. “Bao Bei.”
“[The] sister restaurant Kissa Tanto is probably my favourite,” Sara added. “I think Vancouver has a great food scene.”
Tegan Quin also had to mention another spot in Vancouver that they are both fans of. “Old Bird!” she told us. “Great, great cocktails.”
Paul Lieberstein
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Paul Lieberstein, the actor that portrayed the least favourite co-worker in The Office, felt the love in Vancouver this year. Lieberstein, who played Toby Flenderson, the soft-spoken human resources representative on the American mockumentary TV series, was spotted at one of the best Japanese spots in the city.Â
Hapa Izakaya shared the photograph of the actor and showrunner along with its restaurant owner Justin Ault on Instagram. The photo was playfully captioned, “Hapa’s new HR director! Welcome to Vancouver Toby Flenderson. Scranton’s loss is Vancouver’s gain.”
Lizzo
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Lizzo used her clout to lift up Vancouver’s Black community this fall. The star was in Vancouver for a performance, and when she gave an interview to human serviette Nardwuar, he asked Lizzo to give a special plug to the Vancouver Black Library.
“Nardwuar was kind enough to surprise us with a message from the queen Lizzo,” VBL told Daily Hive. “We had no idea he asked her to do this. He’s been so supportive of VBL, so we really appreciated it. We’re extremely grateful that she took the time to shout us out.
Gabriel LaBelle
Gabriel LaBelle, a Vancouver-born actor, playing the lead role in Steven Spielberg’s The Fablemans, recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and gave Seth Rogen a sweet shoutout.
LaBelle took the opportunity to discuss fellow Vancouverite Rogen and the impact he had not only on himself but Vancouver and, more specifically, Vancouver teens. LaBelle even brought up Rogen’s stint as the voice of SkyTrain — which the audience applauded — and how he even had an octopus named after him at the Vancouver Aquarium.
Fefe Dobson
Fefe Dobson (Mathew Guido for Spoke Entertainment/Submitted)
Multi-platinum singer and songwriter Fefe Dobson was in Vancouver recently for a performance at the Vancouver Christmas Market, and she shared with Daily Hive what else was on her itinerary during her visit to the city.
“One thing I always love to do when I’m visiting Vancouver is walking along the seawall, finding a spot to mentally reset in Stanley Park, or checking out a show on Granville,” said Dobson. “And the food is a must! Some of the best sushi I’ve had in Canada is in Vancouver. I love The General Public Sushi Lodge. Yum!
“There’s another spot called Guilt & Co. in Gastown where I love to grab a glass of wine and enjoy live music. It’s been too long, and I’m really happy to be back in beautiful BC.”
Justin Trudeau
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And speaking of the popular holiday tradition, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made sure to stop by the Vancouver Christmas Market during his most recent visit to BC. The market’s CEO and founder, Malte Kluetz, was one of many who greeted and welcomed Trudeau to the Jack Poole Plaza, where the huge German-style holiday event is held.
In the organizer’s social media posts, Trudeau can be seen walking through the market past Christmas trees and giant candy canes.
With files from Daily Hive staff
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