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4/25/03 Well, living in a production-heavy city like L.A., New York or Vancouver helps. But you can meet actors anywhere. I was sitting with friends outside a pub in London in the business district. Sitting across from me and facing the street, a friend's eyes suddenly went wide and he tried to get me to turn around. "Mmm…mi…mi…" he couldn't get the word out. I turned around and walking past the pub was Michael Palin of Monty Python's Flying Circus fame. We were both extremely excited, but whereas I live in a city where seeing actors is not an uncommon occurrence, my friend couldn't believe his eyes. "You NEVER see actors in London," he said. I smiled, because really, you can see actors anywhere. It just takes a little bit of research and perserverence. And occasionally a little travel. There are various public occasions where actors congregate, such as star ceremonies for various "Walk of Fame" locations like Hollywood, Palm Springs, St. Louis and Toronto. Movie premieres are another great place to star-watch. London, New York and L.A. are popular locations to have movie premieres, but often movies set in other cities will have special premieres of their own. The history of this practice goes all the way back to the star-studded Atlanta premiere of "Gone With the Wind". Awards ceremonies such as the Emmys and the Oscars often have a separate section set up for fans to cheer on their favorite actors. Public parades such as Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Hollywood Christmas Parade also offer opportunities to see many familiar celebrities. Book tours provide another chance to meet actors. Actors frequently write books ranging from autobiographies to novels and when they do so, they generally promote the books with country-wide book-signings. Check your local newspapers and bookstores for information on these events. Then there's location shooting. Sometimes when a movie or TV show is filming on a public street or other location such as a mall or restaurant, it's possible to stay on the sidelines and watch the filming. And if a movie or TV show is filming in your hometown, well, the actors have to eat somewhere and shop somewhere, so you never know who you'll run into around town or even at the local airport traveling between gigs. But one really underappreciated place to meet actors is at science fiction and comic book conventions. Now, the thought may conjure up images of rabid fans in "Star Wars" costumes lining up to have their lightsabers autographed, but really, for generally low entrance fees (from $5-$50 depending on the convention), you can go and listen to a favorite actor speak and maybe even get a signed poster while you're at it. Conventions range from smaller local events that may attract only one or two stars, to larger events where potentially 50 or more actors are scheduled to appear. For example, for those in the Southern California area, on May 4 actor David Boreanaz of Angel and Neil & Adrian Rayment (the albino assassin twins of the upcoming "Matrix" movie) will be appearing at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention to talk about their roles and sign autographs. Admission is only $7.50. In mid-July, the San Diego Comic-Con will attract its usual panoply of stars. In previous years, everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Sir Ian McKellen to Hilary Swank have appeared as guests and those are just the ones who were scheduled on panels. Many actors (and singers and other celebrities) go to Comic-Con and spend the day in the autograph area or the dealers room signing photos and posters and more. Others go just to wander and shop in the dealers room and tend to be open to talking to their fans if they are approached politely and respectfully. Admission to this convention can be less than $25 a day, depending on how early you register. Soap opera actors for many years have had fan events generally organized by the various television networks where fans can meet and talk to their favorite actors from the soaps. These events are sometimes advertised in commercials during the shows themselves or on the networks' websites. More and more actors are opening official websites that advertise events they plan on attending. But many fan sites also publicize such opportunities when they learn of them. And there are plenty of websites listing conventions from Hawaii to Hamburg. All it takes is a little research.
The best advice I can give to people who want to approach an actor when they have the opportunity is first: ask yourself, is this an appropriate time/place to approach the actor? In other words, if they've just entered a public restroom, or are sitting down to a meal, let's face it, would you want a random stranger interrupting you? Yes, actors give parts of themselves up for public scrutiny, but this doesn't mean they don't deserve private time. But if you're lucky enough to meet an actor while waiting in line at the airport, or stopping to talk to fans at a movie premiere, again, just think of how you'd like someone to approach you - would you want to meet someone who's screaming and yelling or would you want to meet someone who tries to stay low-key and polite? I know which I'd prefer. Just remember, actors deserve courtesy, too. And finally, everyone has bad days. While the majority of actors that I've met have been extraordinarily warm and receptive to my compliments on their talent and career, occasionally I meet someone who's gruff or busy or even (only once or twice) out and out rude. It happens. Does everyone always catch you at your best? Be patient, be polite, be respectful and cut the actor some slack and generally you'll come away with an autograph or a handshake or a hug and a really pleasant memory. Actors like their fans, but they really appreciate them when their time and personal space is respected.
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