Nathan Fillion, Patrick Stewart, Karen Gillan and Kelly Hu at Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2014
Things you can learn from Comic Con presenters:
Be Yourself
The best celebrity presenters at Comic Con’s have some things in common. They tell interesting stories, they aren’t afraid to move about the stage, they are high energy, they connect with their audiences and they are themselves. Some of the weirdest questions come from those who know all about what an actor has been in. It takes a quick wit, honesty and a faithful to the celebrity answer to come off well at these types of gatherings.
Be yourself: This is a common admonition for anyone going into what could be a nerve-wracking situation. Whether it is a date, an interview or speaking in front of thousands of fans, it is important to be yourself (unless you can be Batman, then be Batman).
One of the most annoying things for other fans at a Comic Con is other fans who go up to the microphone and ask the celebrity to say or do something that is personally related. “It’s my birthday. Can I have a hug?” “My grandma loves you and couldn’t make it. Would you say ‘Hi’ to her?” Most of the time the celebrity will comply with the request, and no one else will ask for the same favor.
However, there are times when the celebrity will make clear that the question is inappropriate and other questions like it will be summarily dismissed. The luckiest celebrities have a moderator with them on stage who will say that the celebrity cannot do that here, but the person can go to the autograph table and have the request fulfilled there (whether or not money is involved remains unsaid). This makes the moderator the bad guy and the celebrity gets out of having to fulfill the request without having to seem like a jerk.
Sometimes, all it takes is a sarcastic comment and moving on to the next question. One celebrity who was getting a lot of requests to say things to people who couldn’t make it to the panel was asked if he “could say ‘Happy Birthday’ to us.” “Happy birthday to us,” he responded and turned to the next question. It came off a little bit jerky, but it was an understandable response given how many of those types of requests came before, and it let everyone else know that those requests will no longer be honored.
Be yourself: This is a common admonition for anyone going into what could be a nerve-wracking situation. Whether it is a date, an interview or speaking in front of thousands of fans, it is important to be yourself (unless you can be Batman, then be Batman).
One of the most annoying things for other fans at a Comic Con is other fans who go up to the microphone and ask the celebrity to say or do something that is personally related. “It’s my birthday. Can I have a hug?” “My grandma loves you and couldn’t make it. Would you say ‘Hi’ to her?” Most of the time the celebrity will comply with the request, and no one else will ask for the same favor.
However, there are times when the celebrity will make clear that the question is inappropriate and other questions like it will be summarily dismissed. The luckiest celebrities have a moderator with them on stage who will say that the celebrity cannot do that here, but the person can go to the autograph table and have the request fulfilled there (whether or not money is involved remains unsaid). This makes the moderator the bad guy and the celebrity gets out of having to fulfill the request without having to seem like a jerk.
Sometimes, all it takes is a sarcastic comment and moving on to the next question. One celebrity who was getting a lot of requests to say things to people who couldn’t make it to the panel was asked if he “could say ‘Happy Birthday’ to us.” “Happy birthday to us,” he responded and turned to the next question. It came off a little bit jerky, but it was an understandable response given how many of those types of requests came before, and it let everyone else know that those requests will no longer be honored.
Then there are the celebrities who can get away with allowing fans to muck up the system. Adam Baldwin has got to be among the most likable people in television and movies if that can be judged from his appearance at Salt Lake Comic Con’s FanX. When the first person in the audience asked him for a hug, Baldwin told the fan to come on stage and gave him a hug.
Baldwin hugged three or four other fans throughout his panel, often at Baldwin’s own suggestion. One fan approached Baldwin with fear in his eyes as the fan realized how big Baldwin is. The hugs never seemed forced, and they didn’t distract from the enjoyment of the rest of the fans. In short, Baldwin was allowing people to see a personal side of him and allowing fans to have a brush with fame that was closer than anyone would have expected. |
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