Convention Circuit - Least Favorite Person Associated With Trek?
- Thread starter Jeff Tube
- Start date
Now that you say that, Clay, I imagine if she's really like that, she must've had TONS of fun with the "drunk" scene in First Contact.
How does she take the "woman driver" jokes about crashing the ship? Does she get offended, or play right into it?
How does she take the "woman driver" jokes about crashing the ship? Does she get offended, or play right into it?
As Clay said, Marina is total blast and really nice person to boot.
I found the same. We ran into him accidentally before the convention started, and he was just total gentleman and very friendly. He remembered us when we saw him at the signing table later and he reacted almost like we were old buddies of his.
Patrick Stewart on the other hand ....
I dropped $60 on him (Chiller Theater Expo) for an autograph (not even personalized). It was the scene in The Inner Light where his wife dies. I picked it because Stewart's son was in the scene and was also signing autographs. There was nobody else there at the time so I started to tell Patrick about how much I enjoyed episode. He just stood up and walked away. What an.
I sympathise - must have been a bummer but I don't think one can make generalisations on these things (not that you are). It's obviously a matter of individual experience.
So FWIW, here's mine:
I've met Patrick Stewart at least two dozen times. At large conventions I've always found him to be a gentleman, friendly and polite - in a reserved kinda way.
In smaller group settings he's very personable, warm and chatty.
The whole autograph thingy with him can be a bit of hit and miss, depending on the circumstances. At big conventions, Stewart can be signing up to 500 or more at a sitting where he's being kept to a strict timetable. This ensures that any personal interaction is perfunctory. He signs up to do the autograph gig and he does it. I don't think he's contractually bound to also provide individually memorable experiences for every person who pays for the privilege.
At smaller conventions, particularly those outside the USA, I've found him to be far more relaxed. Seems to me that a lot of responsibility falls on the organisers for the convention atmosphere engendered. In the UK and in Australia, in particular, the organisers tend to be more relaxed - consequently Stewart is too.
When he's in a play, whether in the US or UK, Stewart always makes an appearance at the stage door and he's more than happy to sign any playbill offered. I have seen him - most recently in November - refuse to autograph Star Trek items presented once he's ascertained that the person hasn't actually been to the play - utilising the Picard death glare before moving on.
In all these years I've never had a problem. I get the playbill signed first and then ask him to autograph one other item I've brought for the occasion. He always has.
I have a friend who has been to many conventions and these are his takes:
Nichelle Nichols: he, his wife and his mom actually had dinner with her at one of the conventions (1990 maybe?) and she was an absolute joy. He said she was charming, funny and witty, very interested in the fans and their own stories, no problem with autographs or pictures.
Patrick Stewart: large picture taking session, friendly but said "I wish I had time to chat more, but we have to get through this large line. Thanks for coming." Very nice.
My own experiences: Jimmy Doohan, George Takei and Walter Koenig were very friendly and warm, no problems. Leonard Nimoy and William Shater waved to everyone and said thanks for coming, etc. Nothing negative to report.
My wife and I were at one of Terry Farrell's first conventions and she was either high as a kite or drunk with bloodshot eyes and constantly dropped f-bombs into her talk to the crowd. One of the convention vendors said no one could keep up with her partying! A husband and kids later, she seems to have calmed down a lot, judging from the above story of her going out of her way to make sure everyone received autographs.
Nichelle Nichols: he, his wife and his mom actually had dinner with her at one of the conventions (1990 maybe?) and she was an absolute joy. He said she was charming, funny and witty, very interested in the fans and their own stories, no problem with autographs or pictures.
Patrick Stewart: large picture taking session, friendly but said "I wish I had time to chat more, but we have to get through this large line. Thanks for coming." Very nice.
My own experiences: Jimmy Doohan, George Takei and Walter Koenig were very friendly and warm, no problems. Leonard Nimoy and William Shater waved to everyone and said thanks for coming, etc. Nothing negative to report.
My wife and I were at one of Terry Farrell's first conventions and she was either high as a kite or drunk with bloodshot eyes and constantly dropped f-bombs into her talk to the crowd. One of the convention vendors said no one could keep up with her partying! A husband and kids later, she seems to have calmed down a lot, judging from the above story of her going out of her way to make sure everyone received autographs.
I had a very nice experience with Nichelle. She was very pleasant at my autograph and photo op sessions.
(For anyone who hasn't attended) Chiller Theater Expo is an autograph and photo op event. There are no Q/A forums, or meet and greets. And Patrick and Daniel had a small private room for doing autographs and photo ops. I was the only one there at the time.Patrick Stewart on the other hand ....
I dropped $60 on him (Chiller Theater Expo) for an autograph (not even personalized). It was the scene in The Inner Light where his wife dies. I picked it because Stewart's son was in the scene and was also signing autographs. There was nobody else there at the time so I started to tell Patrick about how much I enjoyed episode. He just stood up and walked away. What an
I've met Patrick Stewart at least two dozen times. At large conventions I've always found him to be a gentleman, friendly and polite - in a reserved kinda way.
In smaller group settings he's very personable, warm and chatty.
Could that be the reason for his attitude, that there wasn't anyone else there? Maybe he was suffering from neglect.
Random thoughts regarding the 30 years (with a ten year gap in that range while I was raising my kids) that I've attended conventions and my opinions on various actors that I've seen/met.
-Shatner: Was polite. Much better than I expected. Spoke briefly, interacted occasionally with fans in line.
-Nimoy: polite but never looked up at anyone.
-Doohan: A riot. Very personable, and loads of fun.
-Koenig: Reserved. I think he's a bit shy.
-Nichols: Friendly and charming. When my middle girl was a baby, Nichols wanted to hold her. The shot made it on the news.
-Kelley: Saw him, but didn't get to interact. Too bad.
-Takei: Very fan-friendly and good natured.
-Robin Curtis. A real sweetheart. Even remembered my name hours later.
-Frakes: Another fan-friendly celeb. He interacts well with us.
-Brooks. Gave a good show, but I didn't get to interact with him.
-Visitor, Shimerman, Grodenchik, Eisenberg and Masterson were all friendly and fun guests.
-Alaimo. Didn't know what to make of us, I think. Reserved.
-Biggs: Very fan friendly and seemingly a hell of a nice guy. Easy on the eyes too.
- Beltran. A bit of a dick. Interacts, but it's clear that he and some of the other Voyager cast members weren't keen on the fans. I could fill a page about this guy. Hitting on my 19 year old daughter hard didn't help. He's older than her father.
- Phillips and Picardo. Also not keen on the fans, but they put on a good show. The three of them together? Whoo boy. I lost a lot of respect for all three.
- Tim Russ. Fine entertainer. A bit reserved.
- Blalock. An utter airhead and dumbass. Even my husband, a fan of her, didn't like her much.
- Trinneer. Like Biggs, very fan-friendly. Hung out in the bar with us and didn't mind people interacting.
- Keating. Funny as hell. Can't sing for shit.
- Montgomery. Was utterly wasted on Enterprise. Friendly, fun guy. They didn't use him properly. He was loads of fun.
- Billingsley. Another good entertainer at conventions.
So - it was a true mix. Some great, some shitty, most decent. Some have been pleasant surprises, some have been utter assholes and it has been interesting to meet so many of them, even if briefly.
-Shatner: Was polite. Much better than I expected. Spoke briefly, interacted occasionally with fans in line.
-Nimoy: polite but never looked up at anyone.
-Doohan: A riot. Very personable, and loads of fun.
-Koenig: Reserved. I think he's a bit shy.
-Nichols: Friendly and charming. When my middle girl was a baby, Nichols wanted to hold her. The shot made it on the news.
-Kelley: Saw him, but didn't get to interact. Too bad.
-Takei: Very fan-friendly and good natured.
-Robin Curtis. A real sweetheart. Even remembered my name hours later.
-Frakes: Another fan-friendly celeb. He interacts well with us.
-Brooks. Gave a good show, but I didn't get to interact with him.
-Visitor, Shimerman, Grodenchik, Eisenberg and Masterson were all friendly and fun guests.
-Alaimo. Didn't know what to make of us, I think. Reserved.
-Biggs: Very fan friendly and seemingly a hell of a nice guy. Easy on the eyes too.
- Beltran. A bit of a dick. Interacts, but it's clear that he and some of the other Voyager cast members weren't keen on the fans. I could fill a page about this guy. Hitting on my 19 year old daughter hard didn't help. He's older than her father.
- Phillips and Picardo. Also not keen on the fans, but they put on a good show. The three of them together? Whoo boy. I lost a lot of respect for all three.
- Tim Russ. Fine entertainer. A bit reserved.
- Blalock. An utter airhead and dumbass. Even my husband, a fan of her, didn't like her much.
- Trinneer. Like Biggs, very fan-friendly. Hung out in the bar with us and didn't mind people interacting.
- Keating. Funny as hell. Can't sing for shit.
- Montgomery. Was utterly wasted on Enterprise. Friendly, fun guy. They didn't use him properly. He was loads of fun.
- Billingsley. Another good entertainer at conventions.
So - it was a true mix. Some great, some shitty, most decent. Some have been pleasant surprises, some have been utter assholes and it has been interesting to meet so many of them, even if briefly.
I've met Marina a number of times. She's a real sweetheart, and her "on-stage" persona is a hoot. Woe betide the poor soul who has to walk out to go to the bathroom while she's talking...!
I'll be sure to remember that and plan my bathroom trips carefully.
Out of the folks I've met, I'd say Brent Spiner is the absolute worst experience ever. And from what I've heard & seen from folks who have met him, mine wasn't an isolated thing, he's always a dick at conventions.
On the positive side, I'd say that Wil Wheaton and Rene Auberjonois are the two best to meet. I've met Wil twice, two weeks apart, and he remembered me the second time. When I met Rene, it was an hour or so before his Q&A, and when I stepped up to ask a question at the Q&A, he remembered my name. Now that just put me on cloud nine right there.
Trek Folks I've Met (in order)
- Wil Wheaton
Nicest guy around, seriously.
- Brent Spiner
Dick.
- Michael Dorn
Very quiet - I didn't have a good experience, but others who were at the same convention seemed to walk away with a positive memory.
- John de Lancie
Looks like an uncle, very polite when I talked to him.
- Chase Masterson
Just drop dead beautiful, and so sweet.
- Marina Sirtis
Gorgeous woman, and totally ignored how I embarrassed myself in front of her & Margot Kidder at lunch. And she had several good stories to tell, too bad the con didn't have a Q&A session for her.
- Gates McFadden
Very polite, but quiet.
- Dwight Shultz
Found out he hates his action figures.
- Alan Ruck
So very cool, and curious about how his character has been used in Trek Lit.
- Anne Lockhart
Lovely woman, and the proceeds from her table always go to charity.
- Leonard Nimoy
Very brief meetin' at a free promo screenin' of the latest Star Trek movie, but I loved watchin' it just four seats away from him.
- Rene Auberjonois
Very cool that he remembered my name at the Q&A, and proceeds from his table go to Doctors Without Borders.
- Dean Stockwell
Nice older guy, always takin' cigar breaks - it cracked me up to see him do that.
On the positive side, I'd say that Wil Wheaton and Rene Auberjonois are the two best to meet. I've met Wil twice, two weeks apart, and he remembered me the second time. When I met Rene, it was an hour or so before his Q&A, and when I stepped up to ask a question at the Q&A, he remembered my name. Now that just put me on cloud nine right there.
Trek Folks I've Met (in order)
- Wil Wheaton
Nicest guy around, seriously.
- Brent Spiner
Dick.
- Michael Dorn
Very quiet - I didn't have a good experience, but others who were at the same convention seemed to walk away with a positive memory.
- John de Lancie
Looks like an uncle, very polite when I talked to him.
- Chase Masterson
Just drop dead beautiful, and so sweet.
- Marina Sirtis
Gorgeous woman, and totally ignored how I embarrassed myself in front of her & Margot Kidder at lunch. And she had several good stories to tell, too bad the con didn't have a Q&A session for her.
- Gates McFadden
Very polite, but quiet.
- Dwight Shultz
Found out he hates his action figures.
- Alan Ruck
So very cool, and curious about how his character has been used in Trek Lit.
- Anne Lockhart
Lovely woman, and the proceeds from her table always go to charity.
- Leonard Nimoy
Very brief meetin' at a free promo screenin' of the latest Star Trek movie, but I loved watchin' it just four seats away from him.
- Rene Auberjonois
Very cool that he remembered my name at the Q&A, and proceeds from his table go to Doctors Without Borders.
- Dean Stockwell
Nice older guy, always takin' cigar breaks - it cracked me up to see him do that.
I am really bummed I wasn't able to get to Dallas this past weekend to meet her & the other guests at the Women of SciFi con. I even had a TMP action figure for her to sign.
Unemployment sucks ass.
Was he really? Could you elaborate on what happened? That makes me rather upset because I have so looked forward to seeing him one day. He's one of my favorite Trek actors.
I'm glad Wil Wheaton is nice, I've wanted to meet him, too.
Wow, reading this has really put me off conventions!
Even though Ive never met him, Id be happy to punch Robert Beltran in the face, if I wasnt smaller than him, and had ever punched anyone in the face, ever. Theres this video on youtube of him saying how much he hates Voyager and Star Trek. I guess thats fair enough, his opinion and all, but go look at his filmography. Im pretty sure Star Trek has paid for almost everything the guy owns. At least Patrick Stewart is a great actor in his own right.
Even though Ive never met him, Id be happy to punch Robert Beltran in the face, if I wasnt smaller than him, and had ever punched anyone in the face, ever. Theres this video on youtube of him saying how much he hates Voyager and Star Trek. I guess thats fair enough, his opinion and all, but go look at his filmography. Im pretty sure Star Trek has paid for almost everything the guy owns. At least Patrick Stewart is a great actor in his own right.
Maybe it's because of people like you that some of these stars get a bit weary of cons.
Which part of what I said do you disagree with? Watch the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyF-ik2Cteg[Removed Link]
Half of me tries to believe that this is just a joke, but there doesnt seem to be any evidence of that. Id like to go to a convention to meet people like Wil Wheaton and Nana Visitor, who seem to really enjoy meeting fans, but the idea of getting in line for this guys autograph really doesnt interest me, its not like my opinion is unfounded.
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^ I really don't think we need to go there. This entire thread is sort of treading the line as it is without adding fuel to the fire. I have removed the video.
Feel free to state your personal opinions but lets leave the videos and other "proof" out of this. We have no real idea what perpetuated the behavior and this message board doesn't need to open itself up to libel. Remember, we do not know the full story and the particular actor or con guest in question is not here to properly defend themselves. Post with caution.
Feel free to state your personal opinions but lets leave the videos and other "proof" out of this. We have no real idea what perpetuated the behavior and this message board doesn't need to open itself up to libel. Remember, we do not know the full story and the particular actor or con guest in question is not here to properly defend themselves. Post with caution.
Im not arguing to get that video back up, but just to explain myself.
Isnt it better to provide some sort of proof, why is it worse when someone calls Brent Spiner a dick and doesnt provide proof? Someone said I was the sort of person that made stars not want to go to conventions. I didnt include that video in my original post, because I thought it was unnecessary, but when someone attacks me like that I feel the need to stand up for myself.
Isnt it better to provide some sort of proof, why is it worse when someone calls Brent Spiner a dick and doesnt provide proof? Someone said I was the sort of person that made stars not want to go to conventions. I didnt include that video in my original post, because I thought it was unnecessary, but when someone attacks me like that I feel the need to stand up for myself.
The same. She's my one and only actor encounter. I met her at a convention on my birthday in 1994 in a brief encounter arranged by my mom in advance just before she went on stage. Very nice and friendly lady. An hour later at the autograph signing session, she remembered us, stood up and led the entire convention in singing Happy birthday to me.
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