Conventions: A celebrity perspective

                      Recently I updated an article I wrote a couple years ago titled “Do Conventions Ruin Celebrities for Fans?”.  https://fromthemouthofavoicelessactor.blogspot.com/2016/01/do-conventions-ruin-celebrities-for-fans.html A handful of people have read it and it’s had some really good and positive responses. One being from some longtime friends of mine who happen to look at from the celebrity side of the spectrum. They are husband and wife Mary Deese Hampton and James Hampton. You would know Mary from her performances on General Hospital, Harold & Kumar 2, & Dallas to name a few. You would know James from such classics as Teen Wolf 1&2, Hanger 18, and The Longest Yard (original). 

                      Mary and Jimmy have been on the convention circuit for quite some time now. They have made many friends and have seen many changes over the years. After reading my article, Mary wanted to give their side of it. 

Riley: Hello Mary, how are you?

Mary: Wonderful Riley.  So glad to be keeping in touch with you!

Riley: Thank you for taking the time to give my article a read. It truly means the world to me. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Mary:  Yes, it really brought back memories of the years we spent on the celebrity autograph “circuit” and the many fans we have that became friends, like you.

Riley: So what kind of changes have you and Jimmy seen over the years and what kind of effect has said changes had on the convention circuit in regards to the celebrity/fan relationship?

Mary:  Well, because of the body of work that Jimmy amassed over his almost 50 year career as an actor, director, writer and producer, he was invited to many conventions with genres that ran from Western, Horror/ SciFi, Sports, Vintage TV, and Comic cons.  He even attended a show in Houston once that was solely devoted to astronauts and actors who had played astronauts in film and tv! 

Jimmy always thought the idea of the conventions was terrific because they are a wonderful way for fans to connect to their favorite actors and vice versa.   People are always interested in “behind the scenes” stories and the cons are a great venue for fans to hear those stories - either in a one on one conversation with an actor or in a Q and A panel that the conventions usually host throughout the weekend. 

One of the changes we’ve seen through the years is that the conventions are getting bigger and bigger.   For instance, Jimmy was a guest at the very first Texas Frightmare Weekend.  There were only 6 celebrities and a few bands. It was held at the little ol’ Grapevine Convention Center.  Today, that convention is one of the largest Horror/Sci Fi conventions in the Southwest.  It’s amazing!

I can’t even begin to guess how many conventions there are out there now!  Because of the number of conventions being held each year, fans now have lots of opportunities to meet their favorite celebs.   That’s a good thing!

One of the other changes we’ve seen are the “photo ops” provided at the shows.  Some celebs don’t charge for photos with fans if they purchase a photo; however, often there are long lines  and  some celebs  can’t stop to take a photo with each and every fan.  So, they step away from signing for a few hours over the weekend just for that opportunity via “photo ops”.

I think one of the biggest changes we’ve seen over the years is the trend to bring entire casts of a television show or film to conventions.  While this seems to be very attractive to some fans, it’s not always so good for the other celebs.  If a promoter is “forced” to take 8 people from a particular television show or film but really only wants 1 or 2 of them, then that eliminates spots at the convention for other celebrities that want to attend or that the promoter would like to have attend.  Which also might keep fans hoping to see those “missing” celebs from coming to the convention at all.

Finally, another huge change in the shows is the startling number of…how do I say this…”mega stars”…that now want to come to the shows.  They’ve realized how much money is to be made and are capitalizing on the opportunity.  Good for them, but that’s also, in my opinion, what’s driving up the prices of the entry fees to the conventions.  Which leads to your next question.

Riley: So to reference the title of my article, in your opinion, with the way conventions are now and their current pricing structure, “Do Conventions Ruin Celebrities for Fans?”

Mary:  Oh, I wouldn’t use the word “ruin” but the explosion in the number of shows, the number of celebrities who attend them, and the trend to bring in entire casts has certainly impacted the wallets of both the fans and the celebs.  If the cost of the entrance fee is too high, then the fans don’t have money left to purchase photos…which, let’s be honest, is a big reason why the celebs are there.  If the prices of the “mega stars” that attend are too high (which $150.00 for a signed photo is ridiculous, in my opinion), then the fans that buy those photos probably aren’t going to purchase many more from other celebs.  The photo ops, while convenient for the celebrities who have long lines, also add to the cost of attendance if a fan wants a photo with a celeb that can’t…or won’t…take the time to snap one at his/her table. There’s got to be the right “formula” in order for a show to work well for the fans, the celebs and the promoters.  I am sure that it’s a struggle for the promoters trying to bring in the headliners and still not raise the cost of the entry fees.  That’s only one of many balls they have to juggle.  What some fans may not know is that the minute a convention is over, the promoters start planning for the next year. No rest for the weary!

I believe that fans will always enjoy attending the conventions and I personally know that most celebrities enjoy them as well. 

Unlike acting on the stage, an actor can’t see or hear responses of his or her audience when they are filming a television show or a movie. Getting together with fans as the cons gives an actor an opportunity to listen to what their fans thought of their past and current work.  Jimmy once said it was like hearing “delayed applause”.  Wonderful!  

Riley: Thank you so much Mary, for an insight to the convention world that most con goers don't know about. It's nice to hear an opinion from the other side of the table. And I completely agree about the high pricing for a single autographed photo to be ridiculous.

It's great to be a friend to you and Jimmy and I thank you so much for your time and friendship. Til the next time.

Just standing in line making memories.

            It’s funny how photos can help you remember details of events just by looking at them—especially photos from sci-fi/comic conventions. For everyone else, this photo is of myself meeting Brent Spiner, a fellow Texan who is mostly known for portraying Lt. Comm. Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation. But for me, this photo provides a few more details.

One is the shirt I was wearing. It was just a shirt I’d picked up from Old Navy that had some random BBQ restaurant in Texas on it. Whether it was a real place or not, I honestly didn't know. Well, when it was finally my turn, Brent Spiner started asking question after question about my shirt and the restaurant on it—asking if it was good and where it was located in Texas so he could go there.

The second memory I have about this photo is of the guy and his wife who were standing behind me. At most conventions, I usually go by myself and keep to myself, especially back then. But we all started talking about this and that, passing time while waiting in line. Afterwards, they went on their way, and I went on mine.

At that time, Facebook hadn’t really taken off yet; I don’t even think it was around. But the convention had message boards (I miss those days) where you could post comments and photos about the shows, and you could actually keep up with the conversations without them getting lost in an algorithm. I had commented on the board about the show, and a person replied saying he had taken a photo if I wanted it. Sure enough, it was from the couple behind me.

Who’d have thunk it? On Oct. 23, 2004, at Dallas Comic Con, when a random photo was taken of a random person, a friendship would start. And even though we don’t hang out as much now, I still consider both of them really good friends. Here’s to another 20 years, my friends.

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Interview with Doctor Who actor Jamie Hill

Riley: I’m here with actor Jamie Hill. Whovians would know Jamie from Doctor Who. Jamie played some very memorable characters on the show. Just a few would be The Mummy/The Foretold in the episode “The Mummy on the Orient Express”, he was also the monk in Extremis, The Pyramid at the End of the World and The Lie of the Land. Not to mention one of the three actors to play the Silence in series 6, an Ice Warrior, and a Mondasian Cyberman. Though Jamie has played some pretty iconic villains in recent Doctor Who history, he was also a manager at the unfortunately now closed Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff, Wales. My daughter and I were able to fly in from Texas to be able to attend the closing of the Doctor Who Experience and I met and was able to briefly chat with Jamie. 

Riley: Hello Jamie, how are you today? I was wondering if I might be able to ask you just a few questions that will give Doctor Who fans a brief look into the mind of Jamie Hill. 

Jamie: Hi Riley! Great to hear from you again, hope everything is well, I’m great thank you! 

Riley: I’m sure you have many, so I will just narrow it down a little. You have done quite a few episodes of Doctor Who as well as played some pretty cool characters. If you had to choose two of your best memories from your time on set, what would they be?

Jamie: oooo this is a tricky one!

My favourite monster and episode would have to be the Foretold in the Mummy on the Orient Express.

Everybody found the costume extremely creepy and realistic, which is always great when playing any monster/creature character. Then I had a conversation with Daisy Beaumont who played Maisie in the episode about the fish and chips lunch, in full costume - which was quiet funny looking back.

My other favourite time would have to be the filming of the Monk episodes in Series 10, I had the fantastic opportunity to go out to Tenerife to film some of the scenes at an abandoned estate, the scenery was amazing and the whole trip was great fun with all the crew and other actors.

Riley: As I mentioned in the introduction, some Doctor Who fans might not have known that you were also a manager at the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff. As you know, I was able to visit the Experience that last day it was open. I personally felt a multitude of emotions that day while visiting. I was just enamored at being able to see all there is to see about Doctor Who. From the props to the costumes to meeting Nicholas Briggs, Russell T. Davies, and yourself. We have nothing like that in Texas. Which is why it will always be an “Experience” that I will never forget. But when my visit was over I was saddened. Saddened that unless they open back up, no one will get to see this collection all together again.

Riley: When you found out the news that the Experience was closing its doors for good in Cardiff Bay, what was your thoughts on it? 

Jamie:

The Doctor Who Experience was a massive part of my life after leaving university. 

I started on a zero hour contract there in the shop, I really enjoyed the job and worked hard throughout my time there and eventually became Duty Manager, a massive reward and great feeling to be recognised.

All staff and visitors there were part of my overall experience throughout the 5 years, and I will always have very fond memories.

When I heard it was closing, it was sad. But, it was always planned to be a 5 year project so I felt like I knew the time would come. 

I learnt many skills from general retail and attraction skills to how to build a TARDIS, a great skill to have that I’m sure many would love!

I have moved on from the experience into a new career, and aim to continue my monster/creature acting when I can (keep an eye on Good Omens next year!) but always have great memories when I walk past the old Doctor Who Experience building.

Riley: Well thank you so much for your time, your hospitality, and your all around generosity. You helped make a great trip even greater. 

Jamie:  No problem at all Riley! It was great to have met you and added to the already great experience that you had. The closing of the Doctor Who Experience was a very busy and sad time, but I think we had a great celebration to see it off. 

Hopefully it wasn’t the last of the Doctor Who Experience, and it comes back again somewhere in the future.

Thank you again Jamie,

Riley

What's Missing?

With Rassilon and Pandak staring, I stood facing this unruly council of Lords; I could not grasp that I actually had to show physical proof that this council was wrong. So, I stood strong, with truth as my support, and vigor in my mind. I took a long inhalation of air, stood and said, “You would also candidly allow that humans cross unsaid paths? Knowing what you know? With that in mind, I would say that humans that high up on a chain would automatically block any thought of this. That most would actually fight off such thoughts with such constraint that an act of dying was blatantly obvious. You must put this thought away from your minds and away from your bosom. It will do nothing but harm virtuous minds. Stop now or it will kill all of humanity. I say to all of you, this is not a way to our salvation.” At that instant I sat back down in my chair with my hands over my brow and I start to pray that my words will start a firm plan of action, that this will all go away, that our cultural way of living will hold strong.

As I pray, my thoughts start to run. I first think of why this was all occurring and how painful it is to both factions. It all starts so long ago. It was a common sight, for us and humans standing in tranquility and living in harmony. At that point in our history, all was blissful. As I said, it was so long ago though. Sadly, I found out that unsaid truths quickly wilt away. It was always thought that humans struck first. That is how it would all start. With all information pointing towards that as truth, I still couldn’t stop inquiring for factual validity of this. Fact, in my mind, that could possibly modify our history by fifty fold. Did this occur? Or was it just partial truths passing through familial offspring? That’s what I must find out.

As I launch my virtually unavailing mission, I start in a most unusual location: my Granny’s attic. I always call to mind an old photo that I had found long ago. It was of my Granny and my Papa with a couple of humans. Just by quickly looking at it, joy was what you would first spot in this photo. I would ask about it. “Shut your mouth,” I was told. “Do not talk of this again.” My mom would quickly snatch it from my hand, rip it in half and throw it away. “OUT!” My Mom would howl. Confusion would launch into my mind. Obviously that did not stop my curiosity. So that night, I go back into my Granny’s attic to find that torn photo. I find it, patch it up, and stow it away in my room. Unknowingly, this is now my starting point. This is how I will find that truth.

Though months and months would pass; I would look at that photo daily. I still could not crack this conundrum. Just as I look up from my invocations I catch sight of Rani looking my way, communicating subliminally. "Why? Why, do you submit aid? Do humans look at you as sort of a savior from subjugation?"

"It's my calling," I would say. "If I didn't, who will?" "Although most don't know Who I am, I still must assist."

As Rani turns away in disavow, Rassilon turns my way, grins, and says, "Watch your thoughts, 'Doctor'; your support isn't a commonality among this administration."