I ran into Patrick Stewart about a year later in an elevator on my way to a presentation in LA. I glanced at him, smiled, and he immediately got this look on his face that was like "Oh, God, another one." I looked at him and said "I loved you in Wild Geese II." He laughed so I said "How'd that Star Trek thing work out?" "Not as well as I hoped." was his reply.
BRILLIANT. I tend to figure if you can cite to some more obscure part that the actor has played (e.g. Leondegrance in
Excalibur, Gurney Halleck in
Dune, Sejanus in
I, Claudius, or Lenin in
Fall of Eagles), they appreciate it more than just the bog standard "OMG PROFESSOR XAVIER!!!" thing. I tend to think it shows you're a fan if you're familiar with their broader body of work, and it may give them an opportunity to talk about one of the more interesting roles they've played.
I called into a radio show that Stewart was on, right around the time that ST: Nemesis was coming out (ugh). I wanted to ask him about whether he still tours to do things like Shakespeare in the park, and describe an experience I had waiting for tickets to see The Tempest in Central Park around 1995. I didn't get in, unfortunately. But I did convince the guy busking with his flute to play some Jethro Tull. The radio station just left me on hold, though, and I never got to speak to him about it. They only really wanted folks doing Star Trek questions, since I guess he was doing press stuff for Nemesis. I figured if I caught him on a decent day, I might get a laugh out of him for the story. Maybe not. Ah well.
Jonathan Frakes - Really nice guy when I met him.
Does he ACTUALLY play jazz trumpet? Or was that just on the show? He's done a bunch of directing, too, so I'd figure mentioning that would be appreciated.
Levar Burton - Takes time to chat with everyone both times I met him. Nice guy with a very quick wit.
It's hard to picture the host of Reading Rainbow being a jerk.
Brent Spiner - I've heard horror stories but he was very nice with me. We talked Night Court.
Mention his audio drama and he'll love you for it.
Don't forget his Youtube series, and his singing ("Ol' Yellow Eyes is Back").
Gates McFadden - Nice, but a little brisk. When I met her she had recently had surgery I think so that may have made her a little less open.
That'd do it, yeah. Unfortunately, I've never seen her in anything else. I hear she's a trained dancer, though.
Marina Sirtis - Clearly loves her fans and is very kind. Great personality.
.....Is that a euphemism?
Michael Dorn - Nice, but not talkative at all.
Clearly type-cast, then, as Worf.
Wil Weaton - Didn't meet him but have never heard someone with a bad experience. :thumbsup
Honestly, everything I've heard or read about him, it just makes me think that he's really one of the fans himself. He sees himself as no different, really, than anyone on the other side of the table, and I think that's the central thing that separates him from a lot of other former child stars and people who work the con circuit. It's also part of the reason why I think fans respond so well to him in spite of him having portrayed an almost universally loathed character. He just seems like one of the gang, ya know? Like you really could just sit down and geek out with him, and he'd be genuinely as enthusiastic as any other geek out there. Maybe moreso.
