Miley Cyrus to Mahatma Gandhi: Eight Celebrity Degrees of Separation

Miley Cyrus to Kobe Bryant to Bill Clinton to Henry Kissinger

to Andy Warhol to Gloria Swanson to Charlie Chaplin to Mahatma Gandhi

miley cyrus to mahatma gandhi CHART

One of them offered the world advice to, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever.”

The other popularized a dance move defined by the Oxford Dictionary Online as being conducted in a “sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance.” It is called the “twerk.”

The first person was a spiritual leader. The second a recording artist whose controversial demonstration of the “twerk” last month suggests that she is following the advice offered by the former, at least the first part.

Miley Cyrus recently met with Mama June. mother of the reality television child star Honey Boo Boo.

Miley Cyrus recently met with Mama June. mother of the reality television child star Honey Boo Boo.

On November 7, 2007, Miley Cyrus (born )then the young actress of the Disney television show Hannah Montana was touring in a live concert show entitled “Best of Both Worlds.”

Kobe Bryant with his father Joe Bryant.

Kobe Bryant with his father Joe Bryant.

While playing at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, she was visited backstage by Kobe Bryant (born 1978), star basketball player of the Los Angeles Lakers along with his wife and their two daughters.

Kobe Bryant, who stands at six feet, six inches, is the son of former Philadelphia 76ers basketball player and former Los Angeles Sparks head coach Joe “Jellybean” Bryant. His maternal uncle is Chubby Cox is a former Chicago Bulls and Washington Bullets star basketball player as well.

Also there, and photographed by the website www.justjared.com standing between them in the panel above was High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale.

Kissinger served as President Richard Nixon's foreign adviser and then Secretary of State.

Kissinger served as President Richard Nixon’s foreign adviser and then Secretary of State.

On January 14, 2013, Kobe Bryant met with former U.S. President Bill Clinton (born 1946) at a Golden Globes Award party in Los Angeles.

In the years since her husband's presidency, Hillary Clinton joined the ranks of Henry Kissinger as a Secretary of State.

In the years since her husband’s presidency, Hillary Clinton joined the ranks of Henry Kissinger as a Secretary of State.

On November 2, 1993, while serving as the incumbent U.S. President Bill Clinton welcomed former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger (born 1923) and James Baker at a White House ceremony marking the shown with dignitaries during a White House ceremony Free Trade Agreement.

On February 7,  1983, at the 50th anniversary gala for Newsweek magazine at Lincoln Center, Henry Kissinger met artist Andy Warhol (1928-1987), just two of the 1,6000 guests which also included Jimmy Carter and Nancy Reagan, Betty Friedan, and Jerry Falwell.

Warhol also encountered the legendary silent screen actress Gloria Swanson at a 1975 party at Cartier jewelers in New York. His friend and colleague Bob Colacello snapped this image of them together.

Warhol also encountered the legendary silent screen actress Gloria Swanson at a 1975 party at Cartier jewelers in New York. His friend and colleague Bob Colacello snapped this image of them together.

Swanson.

Swanson.

On July 18 1978, Andy Warhol met the silent screen actress Gloria Swanson (1899-1983) in New York at a Doubleday Book Store book party celebrating the publication of author Harold Kennedy‘s new book, No Pickle, No Performance.

A 1930 gathering of United Artist principals: Doug Fairbanks, Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin (left to right).

A 1930 gathering of United Artist principals: Doug Fairbanks, Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin (left to right).

On January 30, 1931, Gloria Swanson joined the legendary actor, director and writer Charles Chaplin (1889-1977) at the Los Angeles premier of the film City Lights.

Chaplin had hired Swanson for her first acting role in 1914, in her hometown of Chicago. They were close friends throughout life.

On September 22, 1931, Charlie Chaplin met the spiritual leader and peace advocate Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) in London, England.

Chaplin found mutuality with Gandhi in disseminating the life of the impoverished.

Chaplin found mutuality with Gandhi in disseminating the life of the impoverished.

Gandhi was there for the Round Table Conference, an international gathering to discuss Indian independence, staying in East London‘s Kingsley Hall Community Centre in Bow, run by pacifist Muriel Lester.

It was in Muriel Lester’s book, Entertaining Gandhi that she recalled the seemingly impossible common ground between the two legendary men:

One of my clearest mental pictures is of Mr Gandhi sitting with a telegram in his hand looking distinctly puzzled. Grouped round him were secretaries awaiting his answer.

As I came in, the silence was being broken by a disapproving voice saying, “But he’s only a buffoon, there is no point in going to meet him.” The telegram was being handed over for the necessary refusal when I saw the name.

“‘But don’t you know that name, Bapu?” I inquired, immensely intrigued.

“No,” he answered, taking back the flimsy form and looking at me for the enlightenment that his secretaries could not give.

“Charlie Chaplin! He’s the world’s hero. You simply must meet him. His art is rooted in the life of working people, he understands the poor as well as you do, he honours them always in his pictures.”

So the following week…at Dr Katial’s house in Beckton Road, Canning Town the local people were given the double thrill of welcoming both men.

The meeting of the two men provoked the media and curious public to storm the house and climb fences just to glimpse Chaplin and Gandhi together.

Miley Cyrus to Kobe Bryant to Bill Clinton to Henry Kissinger to Andy Warhol to Gloria Swanson to Charlie Chaplin to Mohatma Gandhi.

Miley Cyrus to Kobe Bryant to Bill Clinton to Henry Kissinger to Andy Warhol to Gloria Swanson to Charlie Chaplin to Mohatma Gandhi.


Categories: Celebrity Degrees of Separation, Miley Cyrus

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3 replies »

  1. Why do I feel the closest conection that Miley Cyrus has is with the Honey Boo cast? But, thanks for introducing me to the book, ‘Entertaining Ghandi” as that sounds like a good read.

  2. Dear Mr. Anthony, Bill Clinton was born Aug. 19, 1946 not in 1948.

    • Thank you William – I actually raced to get this out, looked up to finally double-check all the dates – which bores me a lot compared to the stories of who these figures are as people and the events where they met – and thought I had corrected it. While I always remember not only years but specific days if it is relevant to a story, I so often find I’ve not committed dates otherwise to memory. If you see any others on the website please don’t hesitate to point them out for I greatly appreciate it.

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