2 days Ago By Francesca Gariano
“Love on the Spectrum” star Tanner Smith is on a roll with his celebrity encounters. Tanner recently met Mark Wahlberg for the first time in South Carolina while the actor was in town. H is daughter, Ella, goes to college at Clemson University.
Just days later, Tanner's mom found him on a FaceTime call with Wahlberg. Tanner works at a hotel in Clemson. His mom, Nicci Smith, tells TODAY.
com that her son had been determined to meet the actor during one of Wahlberg's stays at the South Carolina hotel, but the timing never worked out. However, the moment finally happened about two weeks ago. Nicci says Tanner marked the occasion by sending his mom a photo in the middle of the day — a selfie with Wahlberg.
"So I asked, ‘Did he know who you were?’ Tanner says, ‘I don’t think he did,’” Nicci says. Then, as the family was preparing to go to New York City to appear on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” on April 3, Nicci heard her son on FaceTime. She thought the voice “sounded oddly familiar,” she says, only to realize that Tanner was talking with Wahlberg.
Wahlberg had access to the "Love on the Spectrum" star's number because of one of Tanner's go-to practices. “Tanner, being Tanner, just asks everyone for their phone numbers,” Nicci says. “He doesn’t care if it’s ‘appropriate’ or not — he just asks.
So he asked Mark for his number.” Naturally, Wahlberg’s number was not distributed, but Nicci says that Tanner received the number of a man with Wahlberg named Ace. Tanner was "thrilled" because he "loves to check in with people," Nicci says.
Tanner’s tenacity paid off when he got a FaceTime call from Ace’s number. “I hear Mark saying, ‘Why didn’t you tell me who you were?’” Nicci recalls. “And Tanner, who always walks around the house holding the phone in everyone’s face, comes up to me while I’m packing — hat on, bags half-zipped, just got back from my other son’s shoot — and he goes, ‘Mom, this is Mr.
Mark. Say hi!’” she adds. Nicci says it was “the sweetest, funniest moment” before sharing her gratitude toward Wahlberg for “being such a good sport.
” She gives kudos to her son, too. “He doesn’t think in terms of celebrity,” she says. “He wasn’t trying to name-drop or anything like that.
He was just pumped to meet ‘Mr. Mark.’ That’s what he called him, like he’s someone’s dad.
He’s not thinking of Mark as an actor or celebrity. Just a nice man whose daughter goes to Clemson.” When Wahlberg asked why Tanner didn’t mention who he was during their initial meeting, “Tanner just said, ‘I was just excited to meet you.
’ That’s it. So pure,” Nicci explains. Tanner's FaceTime with Wahlberg coincided with another big moment in his life.
He got a major surprise during his appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” earlier this month when he met his idol, Jack Black. Tanner previously received a video message from Black the last time he was on Clarkson’s show and expressed that he wanted to be 31 when he met Black for the first time. Unfortunately, Tanner didn’t get his wish.
Instead, he got to meet Black when he was 26. After Black pretended to be delivering another pre-recorded video message for Tanner, the actor burst through the doors of the studio and rushed toward the stage to meet Tanner in person. Tanner's excitement was palpable as he ran toward the actor and gave him a hug.
Their sweet interaction continued when Black joined Tanner, who dished plenty of admiration and praise for the actor. At one point, Tanner even told Black that he was going to get his phone number so the duo could work out together..
