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Prior to achieving success in Hollywood, Buscemi was employed as a firefighter in Manhattan, a role he resumed after the 9/11 attacks.
The actor worked 12-hour shifts for several days in search of survivors. "It was a privilege to be able to do it. It was great to connect with the firehouse I used to work with and with some of the guys I worked alongside. And it was enormously helpful for me because while I was working, I didn't really think about it as much, feel it as much," said Buscemi.
Pete Davidson's father was sadly lost in the 9/11 terrorist attack, leaving a deep void in the young star's life.
On September 11, 2001, Scott Davidson, father of the comedian, served as a NYC firefighter at Ladder Company 118 in Brooklyn Heights, New York, and tragically lost his life at the World Trade Center.
Davidson's left arm bears his father's badge number, 8418.
Office worker Lara Lundstrom Clarke avoided major tragedy when she crossed paths with Gwyneth Paltrow's SUV, just as she was going about her daily commute to the World Trade Center.
The office worker was in awe for a brief moment after seeing Paltrow, which caused her to miss the train to work. If it wasn't for that chance encounter, the account manager at Baseline Financial Services would have been in the south tower on the 77th floor when the attacks happened.
MJ narrowly escaped being a victim of the 9/11 attacks, thanks to the actions of his mother, Katherine Jackson.
The singer had plans to be present at a meeting on the morning of September 11th in one of the Twin Towers. Fortunately, a late-night conversation with his mom and sister Rebbie caused him to oversleep.
The actor later found out that he was on a plane with the 9/11 hijackers merely 11 days before the terror events, while they were performing a sort of test run for the attack.
The dry run flight from Washington DC to Los Angeles proceeded without any suspicious incidents. "Looked around the cabin, don't remember anything in particular, nobody looked scary, nobody looked like a terrorist. It looked like an absolutely normal flight," said Lowe.
The actor had a reservation to travel to New York City on American Airlines Flight 11, the plane that tragically collided with the North Tower.
Fortunately, Wahlberg and his companions experienced a change of plans and made the decision to travel to Canada. They were headed to Toronto for a film festival.
Similarly to Mark Wahlberg, the mind behind 'Family Guy' had plans to board Flight 11 bound for New York City.
However, MacFarlane missed the flight by 10 minutes because he had been drinking the previous night. His agent's misinformation that the flight was scheduled for 8:15 am rather than 7:45 am also contributed to his absence. Those mishaps saved his life.
Sarah Ferguson was scheduled to go to a meeting on the morning of September 11th at her charitable organization, Chances for Children, located on the 101st floor of the North Tower.
Fergie, occupied with promoting her charity on NBC, was running late to the meeting. The Duchess of York was caught up in traffic when the plane hit the tower she was heading towards.
The Queen of Disco, who passed away in 2012 due to lung cancer, believed that she contracted the illness from inhaling toxic dust during the events of 9/11.
While it cannot be definitively proven, there is a possibility that Summer's intuition was correct. As stated by the World Trade Center Health Program, a total of 3,496 individuals have lost their lives due to illnesses related to the events of 9/11.
The ex-Beatle was about to depart from JFK airport when his flight got canceled because of the terrorist attacks.
"I was on my way back to England, and we were at JFK on the tarmac, and the pilot just suddenly said, 'We can't take off. We're going to have to go back to base.' And out of the window on the right‑hand side of the airplane, you could see the twin towers. You could see one plume of smoke, and then you could see two shortly thereafter," recalled McCartney.
The actor, who has since passed away, resided in Manhattan during the attacks and had a firsthand experience.
"I was there that morning. I live about a mile away from where it happened, so I think there's a personal remembrance of that, that's pretty hard to shake," he recalled.
The actor was another famous person who observed the terrible incident through his window.
"I lived in lower Manhattan at the time. So I just remember walking out of my apartment and seeing it and then going back in and watching CNN 'cause I was so hungry for information, trying to figure out what’s going on," said Damon.
The singer witnessed the attacks from the rooftop of her school, Convent of the Sacred Heart, in New York City.
"As a New Yorker, it's very intense. I've never really spoken about this before but I was in New York on September 11 and I watched the Towers fall with all my girlfriends from the roof of our school. The whole city was covered in ashes," Gaga recalled.
The actor was in a meeting at the time of the attacks and later witnessed the unfolding tragedy from his window at home.
"I could see the line of fire across the North Tower. I had my binoculars and a video camera—though I didn't want to video it. I saw a few people jump. Then I saw the South Tower go. It was so unreal, I had to confirm it by immediately looking at the television screen. CNN was on. That was the only way to make it real. Like my son said: 'It was like watching the moon fall,'" he recalled.
The rapper saw the Twin Towers fall from his apartment.
The TV personality sadly lost her fiancé, James Andrew O'Grady, who was employed at the World Trade Center.
The reality TV star was supposed to fly from Boston to LA on Flight 11 to visit her boyfriend. Thankfully, they had an argument and she did not get on the plane.
Sources: (Mirror) (Insider) (Grand Forks Herald) (Tinseltown Mom) (World Trade Center Health Program)
The terrorist attacks that took place on September 11, 2001, in New York City had a devastating impact on many thousands of people, including celebrities. Surprisingly, there were a few famous faces who had plans to board American Airlines Flight 11, or were supposed to be at the Twin Towers when the attacks occurred. However, this collection goes beyond close calls. Some celebrities were able to save lives during the tragedy, while others experienced the heart-wrenching loss of their loved ones.
Take a look at the following gallery to learn more about the stars who had a personal connection to the events of 9/11.
Celebrities directly affected by 9/11
From the passing of loved ones to close calls
CELEBRITY Terrorism
The terrorist attacks that took place on September 11, 2001, in New York City had a devastating impact on many thousands of people, including celebrities. Surprisingly, there were a few famous faces who had plans to board American Airlines Flight 11, or were supposed to be at the Twin Towers when the attacks occurred. However, this collection goes beyond close calls. Some celebrities were able to save lives during the tragedy, while others experienced the heart-wrenching loss of their loved ones.
Take a look at the following gallery to learn more about the stars who had a personal connection to the events of 9/11.