My celebrity experiences
Saw people talking about their experiences with Fan Expo this year, so I got inspired and decided to talk about my experiences with everyone I met. For context, I only went the Saturday and Sunday for Fan Expo Chicago.
SATURDAY:
Lance Barber: I got to the convention a little early so I decided to meet Lance Barber. You may know him as George in Young Sheldon, but I mainly know him as Pondy in IASIP. It was $80 dollars for a combo, and he gave me about 2-3 minutes for his autograph. I also made him laugh when asking for my quote. He is such a funny guy in person, and was very genuine with everyone he met. I definitely recommend meeting him if you’ve ever seen his work. Thank you for your time, Lance.
Sam Raimi: Saturday was mainly dedicated to meeting Sam. This is the man who got me into Spider-Man, and superhero movies in general. During our photo op, I told him he’s the reason I love Spider-Man. He seemed really happy about that comment, and I got an amazing photo with him. Apart waiting almost 4 hours for my physical photo, I got it and went on with my day. (I’m sure everyone there was aware of printer problems, I want to thank the workers for dealing with all of that. It was definitely out of their control and they did everything they could)
For his autograph, one worker in particular helped me so much and I have to thank her as well. She gave me a posted note with her name on it, and told me to find her after my photo op. So after my photo, I found her and she put me right to the front of the line. I also want to add that Sam’s line for autographs was LONG. It got all the way to the photo op area. I got a signed Spider-Man 3 poster, he even added my name to it with “Be a Hero!” He even remembered my comment, and said he was really touched by it. That was definitely a moment I’ll never forget, and to that one worker who helped me out, I thank you tremendously! And thank you Sam for everything.
Elijah Wood & Sean Astin: I had a duo photo with Frodo/Samwise and decided to wait for that. This was my first time going to Hall G for the weekend and I didn’t expect to see that many people. I got in line for the photo, and waited some time in line. I got my photo op with them, and both of them were such great people.
SUNDAY:
Dean Norris: I had a scheduled photo op with him, and autograph. I got my autograph early since he was already at his table. One person in front of me was getting the Lego Mineral Collection signed, which was pretty funny. I got an 8x10 signed with his famous “im ASAC Schrader” line. He is definitely one of the highlights for the weekend, purely because I love Breaking Bad, and Hank is one of the funniest characters in the show. Such a kind person, and definitely loves meeting fans. Thank you for your time, Dean.
John Rhys-Davies: This was someone I wanted to meet if I had time in between other commitments. I waited only 10 minutes for my signing, and paid $50 extra to get a special print of Gimli to get signed. In total it was a $200 combo, but I would pay so much more if I knew how sweet John was. He took the time with everyone to sign, have a chat, and was so incredibly kind to everyone. We had a great talk about integrity and being good, and even complimented my beard. If you see John at a convention, absolutely take the time to meet him. One of the nicest guys I met that weekend. I also want to add that at his table, I discovered he was the voice of Man-Ray in SpongeBob. Something I never knew and thought was incredible. Thank you for your time, John.
Billy Boyd & Dominic Monaghan: I had another duo photo op with Pippin/Merry, and ended up waiting for that after Dean. I was the first person in our line, and got my photo first. I thought it was funny that during this photo op, Elijah Wood was sitting on his phone while we got our photos taken. Also, photo ops were working normally that day so I got my physical copy immediately.
4 Pack Hobbit Autograph: This was the main reason I was here for Sunday. I was getting my Lego Shire Box signed by all 4 hobbits. I got there early and claimed my autographs immediately. That’s when I learned that I have to wait in each individual line. No big deal, but I just have to do a bit more waiting.
Elijah Wood: His line was surprisingly short early on, so I ended up getting his autograph first. While the interaction was brief, he did tell me his favorite scene was the Mines of Moria sequence. He even added “Frodo” to his autograph, which was a nice touch I wasn’t really expecting. It was an honor to meet you, Mr. Frodo.
Sean Astin: He was next since his line was pretty packed. His line got capped because he was going to a photo op session soon, but thankfully I was line already. It was another brief interaction, but he did also add “Sam” to his autograph. My whole family loves Sean, so I get to brag that I met him. Thank you for your time, Sean.
Billy Boyd: He was the next hobbit to sign my box, and this was definitely my favorite of the bunch. Billy is such a nice guy, and definitely one of my favorite characters in LOTR. He said his favorite scene was him singing in Return of the King. He also added “Pippin” to his autograph, and also added my name to it. That was also something I wasn’t expecting. Thank you for your time, Billy.
Dominic Monaghan: The final hobbit I needed was Merry. I ended up going to his line after our photo op, since I already had 3/4 autographs. Him and Sean were the only people I didn’t ask what their favorite scenes were. But Dominic added “Merry” with his autograph, and was another kind person to meet. Thank you for your time, Dominic.
Overall, it took roughly 3.5 hours to get all 4 of their autographs, which I was expecting to be longer. But it was definitely an unforgettable experience. I hope everyone else who got to meet them enjoyed their time as well!
The only celebrity I couldn’t meet that I wish I did, was Karl Urban. His lines were unfortunately too long to wait, and other photo ops would’ve interfered with it. But it was definitely a fun weekend, and can’t wait to do it again next year.