FanX: How To Talk To A Celebrity

Actor Danny Glover

FanX: How To Talk To A Celebrity

 
One of tdannyhe biggest reasons people come to FanX is the chance to see some of their favorite film and television stars, and to maybe even get a chance to meet one. But what do you do if you actually get close to one?

After every con I come away with stories of the conversations I had with famous people, and I often get asked the question: “How do you actually get to talk to these people?”

Many people are too shy to engage a celebrity in conversation, freezing up, or simply not daring to try to say anything. Here are four simple suggestions that might help you walk away feeling more satisfied with your experience, if you are willing to be patient.

If you want to talk to a celebrity, approach them during a lull.

Getting an autograph isn’t the only opportunity to talk to a star at their table. In fact, it’s not even the best time. With the exception of the biggest stars, whose lines stretch all over the expo hall floor, most of these people have a period when the crowd around them has died down.

Read the situation.

The look on a person’s face, combined with their body language, should tell you in on whether they are at all approachable. In addition, it doesn’t hurt to keep a listening ear open when they are talking to other convention goers. This will give you some idea of how amiable they might be. While Danny Glover was extremely approachable, anyone who attended the first Comic Con quickly learned that the best time to have a pleasant conversation with Peter “Chewbacca” Mayhew was never. I’d heard rumors of Mayhew’s surliness throughout the first day, and I as I got to his table I witnessed him scare the life out of a fan who dared to ask him questions about the upcoming “Star Wars: Episode VII.” In such a case, it’s best to just get in, get your picture taken, and hope you don’t get your arms ripped out of their sockets.

Have a specific topic planned out.

Nobody wants to talk about the weather, and while “I love you” and “you’re great” are always good to hear, these people have been hearing this all day. If you want to have a conversation, plan something to talk about with them. You’ll generally want to start with either a compliment or a question, but remember: don’t ask a question aimed at the character they played, asked a question aimed at them. For example: I often use the fact that I’m an actor to establish a level on which we can relate to each other. When I told Danny Glover that I loved so much of his work, but in particular considered his turn as Whoopi Goldberg’s abusive husband in “The Color Purple” to be one of the five best performances ever captured on film, that’s a compliment that catches your attention and means something even to a prolific and iconic star. After that, he was only too happy to answer my questions about how he approached bringing a level of humanity to a character that was so despicable. It was truly one of the best conversations I’ve ever had with another actor about developing a character.

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At this point, you are thinking “Fine, but I’m not an actor.” That’s okay, you don’t have to be to establish a connection. If you have been a long time fan of an actor or actress and their work, that in and of itself is your first and most important connection: you just have to find a way to make it it work for you. When meeting one of my childhood idols, Dwight Schultz (“Howling Mad” Murdock from “The A-Team,” I simply told him a story about how when I was a kid playing war in the backyard and my grandmother’s house with all of my cousins, my violence hating grandmother had a standing rule “If you guys play guns, you have to play ‘The A-Team’, because nobody ever gets killed.” This story delighted Schultz, who went on to go into detail about his frustrations over the years with what he feels was a mis-perception that “The A-Team” was an ultra violent show. “You had a very smart and very cool Grandmother,” he told me, smiling. The next day at his spotlight with Dirk Benedict, Schultz recognized and remembered me.

Know when it’s time to leave.

As much fun as it is to talk with someone you’ve wanted to meet for years, a little bit of conversation goes a long way, and they have many other people that want to talk to them. Don’t overstay your welcome, and leave on a high note instead of waiting for them to get tired of you.

Hopefully these suggestions will help you have an even better experience at FanX, but remember that you are not going to get to talk to every single one of them, and if someone isn’t friendly, shrug it off: I still love Chewbacca despite Mayhew’s surly disposition. You’ve just got to tell yourself “That’s the way the wookie grumbles.”

For more information go to www.saltlakecomiccon.com.

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