Technically any of us who have met JB can use him - and his interactions with Shatner and presumably others I don't know about - to connect to people. Who else gives you a "laneway"? 

I mentioned in a different thread that my oldest sister used to be a nanny. For a period in the early 90's, she was a "weekend nanny" to Danny DeVito and Rhea Pearlman. So through her I connect to those individuals. I also once spoke on the phone with Linda Hamilton, who called my mom to serve as a reference for a friend of my sister's, who was up for a job to nanny for Hamilton and James Cameron. Also through my sister I am connected to the Star Wars universe, as she went camping one weekend with the DeVitos and their family friend Harrison Ford.

I randomly met Kid in the Hall Mark McKinney many years ago in Toronto, who was watching his son play a little league baseball game in a park near our house. I almost bought a table off of him that was used to write Kids in the Hall scripts, but we didn't really have a need for it. 

My wife studied Canadian lit in university and has taken us to many readings involving famous authors, Canadian and otherwise. I sat next to Michael Ondaatje (perhaps best known for writing "The English Patient") at a reading given by Junot Diaz and Michael Chabon. As an anniversary present, I once arranged for my wife to have a book privately signed by her favourite author, Barbara Gowdy (who I'm sure none of you have heard of, but she's great). She offered to babysit our son someday. 

Anyone here have any interesting connections within six degrees?

My cousin was also a guest role (not a background actor) on an episode of "The Facts of Life" so I am connected to the entire cast, and by extension, the cast of "Living Single", and by that, I am connected to the cast of "The Cosby Show."

1) my friend’s band recorded an album with Ric Ocasek producing (at Electric Lady, no less), and I got to hang for a couple of tracking sessions. Also attended the wrap party at his shared brownstone with Paulina (who I made a serious gaffe in front of that haunts me to this day).

2) Seth MacFarlane and I overlapped at RISD, and had a shared class (screenwriting). He also ended up living in the outer house that I spent my senior year, the year after I lived there. House itself gets name checked because the front door was covered in faux fur, black and leopard print. It was hideous in person but appropriately immortalized as his vanity card.

He was on Oprah once singing his jingles, so I can map myself to most anyone through him! 

That opens up to many important/famous people.

P.S. - Listening to him speak in person, he can captivate an audience. You are holding on to each word.

But, my buddy used to help out Michael Jackson and Susan Sarandon on multiple occasions back when we worked at Village Comics in NYC, and she even gave him her number to call her whenever certain items came in stock.

And, my wife's cousin works for the Yankees, is friends with Chazz Palminteri, and is also a small-time actor on the side - he has a scene in show GRAVESEND and he just had a scene with John Travolta in an upcoming movie. Plus, she's now friends with the ex-wife of a *very* famous Oscar winner.

I guess the Michael Jackson second degree puts me closest to world leaders!