Imagine Britney Spears, one of the biggest pop stars on the face of the planet, approaching you for a photo in an airport. Would you oblige? Would you be humbled? Would you freak out appropriately? This particular fantasy scenario actually happened to Ed O'Neill, star of ABC's Modern Family, when the singer asked to take a picture with him after bumping into him at LAX. Only, the actor didn't know who she was!

While appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday, June 13, O'Neill recounted the story of how, while traveling solo en route to Hawaii, the pop princess came up to him and sweetly asked for a selfie.

"She came up and said, 'Oh, Mr. O'Neill, I love Modern Family and you're my favorite on the show!' And I go, well, I'm here, I'm the only one here you know..." he shared with DeGeneres, laughing. "[She goes] 'could you please, and I know you're in a hurry' — [she] couldn't have been nicer. And I said sure, fine. You know, okay."

Sure, fine.

After taking the photo, O'Neill said that it wasn't until the following day that he actually found out that the starstruck fan he had encountered was none other than the Piece of Me performer.

"The next day my manager texts me, 'What is this?' 53,000 likes — it's Britney Spears!"

When the talk-show host then asked, incredulously, if he really didn't know the girl he was posing with was the pop star, the actor replied, "No, I didn't know it as her! I mean, look at the look on my face! Do I look like I'm sitting with Britney Spears?"

To be fair Ed, no, you don't. But considering we'd probably suffer a heart attack if we were sitting in that chair, it may have been for the best. Ignorance is (sometimes) bliss.

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