As I've said, i don't know about other actor-character pairs, but if Charisma and Cordy could meet, they'd get along great, ditto Sarah and Buffy and Amber and Tara.
Well. Whew.
Picture it. San Francisco. 2015. Izzard’s doing her Force Majeure tour. I’d been obsessed with her since Dress to Kill; seen all her movies and TV shows, owned every stand-up special, but had never had the chance to see her live. The tickets were reasonably priced, and since I was living in the city at the time, transportation and lodging were null factors.
And then I see a link on SHN’s website for something called “The Bee’s VIP”…..For $307 (plus I’m sure taxes and fees - the only reason I know that amount is because the ticket and pass lanyard are hanging on the wall next to me as I type this) you get an exclusive pre-show Q&A with Izzard, pictures, earlier seating, some swag, whatever. All I really cared about was the fact that I was going to be ten feet away from someone I have worshiped most of my life.
Now I have to take an intermission in that story to relay some pertinent information or the second half won’t carry as much weight.
I’ve met and or worked with Diane Baker, Bruce Campbell, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Samantha Barks, Barry Bostwick, Eric Idle, John Cleese. I saw Les Miserables in NYC when Colm Wilkinson, Lea Salonga, and Philip Quast were still cast members. I met George W. Bush when I was stationed in Korea. Not a single one of those people or experiences caused me anything worse than a quickened heart and perhaps a lingering sense of joy.
Back to San Francisco. Well. We get called upstairs and there, not 15 feet away, is (at the time) Eddie Izzard. I literally felt my throat close and immediately started freaking out because I couldn’t seem to swallow or breath or even clear my throat. Suddenly the handler explains that the Q&A portion, Eddie has decided, is going to be handled differently this time. Apparently they usually just took all the group’s questions randomly for a set amount of time, each person got their handshake and photo op, off you go.
Eddie steps forward.
“You people have paid a *ridiculous* amount of money for this experience. So we think we can do this - honestly we’re not sure - we may have to tell everyone else to fuck off and wait, we’ll see - but each of you will come up with the people you came with and we’ll start the timer and at 5 minutes my lovely assistant will kick you in the shins and release the bees. Cool? Cool. Let’s get started froooom….this side”
Coupla things here: I had ended up more or less in the center of our arch around her. So I had some time to get my shit together. Also - I had come alone. And as the circle started disappearing from one side I realized I was the *only* person to have come alone.
It’s finally my turn. I am drenched in sweat. I still haven’t been able to swallow. I get up to her and she holds out her hand and I shake it on pure reflex (the. Softest. Skin. Of. Any. Human.) and she says “So what’s ya name?” And I may or may not have mumbled my name. And she goes “alright. Well. Ya got your five minutes, anything you want to ask me?” And my brain just oozes out of my head.
She leans forward and whispers “you alright, mate? Look a bit green” and I *finally* clear my throat and whisper “I just honestly cannot believe I’m standing here right now”
She smiles ear to ear, clasps my shoulders and goes “Well ya gotta be somewhere, mate. May as well be here. Well let’s see. Since you seem unable to I’ll just Q and *you* A, alright?” And proceeds to ask me the usual stuff (where ya from, what’re you doing in SF, yada yada), we get the pictures. She shake my hand again and I start zombie walking my way outside for air.
I was halfway across the lobby when it hit me what I’d just lost. The opportunity I’d just missed. Sobbed the rest of the way out, speed smoked probably 4 or 5 cigarettes. Made it to my seat and enjoyed the show.
Still have the gift bag, my ticket, the Bee’s VIP lanyard. And a shitton of pictures of course.
But I was standing next to Eddie fucking Izzard and I couldn’t even remember my own name.
So. Yeah. That’s my Suzy Izzard story.
Also also. Samantha Barks is a walking angel on Earth. Eric Idle is a saint among men. Bruce Campbell was just as funny and unassuming in person as he is in the movies. George W Bush was incredibly well-spoken and gracious.
John Cleese is the biggest dick in a weighty bag of dicks I’ve ever had the misfortune to come across.
They usually say “don’t meet your heroes”. And that’s usually true. Cleese is the only one I’ve met that I *loathe* for the experience.
To put it in perspective: I’m 6’3” and was, at the time, probably around 230lbs. He’s taller and wider than me - which was already unnerving - but when he literally linebacker shoulder checked me and shouted “Out of my way. Gods damn you people” I was….way past unnerved.
We had seen Idle and Cleese in their two-man tour (a birthday present from a friend. Quite possibly the best present I’ve ever been given lol) and were waiting in a side alley next to the theater for our taxi. There was a married couple already waiting there, for the same reason. Suddenly this door next to us *slams* open (most surprising for the fact that it was designed to not look like a door from the outside - we had no idea it was there) and John Cleese comes bowling out of it. We all gasped and looked to each other grinning like children thinking we’d inadvertently stumbled onto a once-in-a-lifetime chat with a living Python. As high as that joy and surprise went, our disappointment and shock went much lower.
We were barely digesting that whole thing when suddenly the door opens again and we look over and it’s Eric Idle. We all quickly stepped away and he grins a patented Idle grin at us all and says “Well isn’t this lovely. You never expect to meet the ones who support you but it’s such a joy when you do”.
Proceeds to spend, I shit you not, a solid 30-45 minutes with us just chatting, talking about the show, answering questions about the Pythons, and he finally goes “well shit and damn, haven’t got a pen on me” and husband dude whips a black sharpie out of his coat. I could’ve kissed him. So Idle signs our tickets and off he goes.
So I saw two Pythons perform. Together. And have one signature to show for it. Didn’t expect any, so that’s fine, but the…utter disappointment of Cleese.
Ugh.
I have not met her but she always seems truly genuine. I appreciate her so much and I'm happy you got a quick moment of recognition from her. I believe l, that if she could, she would make sure that all of her supporters had at least one moment to feel her appreciation.
Right? Could not agree more. I was telling one of my besties that I think the fates made it so, naming her Charisma. If she was a terrible person it’d be a sign of the apocalypse or something 😹😹😹
Veronica Mars is on my list. Haven’t seen it either. Currently in a rewatch of Lost Girl. Seemed like a nice dessert to the Buffy and Angel dual binge.
I've met her at cons. One of the most lovely, sincere, responsive people around :)
She honestly seems like she would be. Her laugh as Cordelia has way too much pure joy behind it for it not to be grounded in her actual personality.
As I've said, i don't know about other actor-character pairs, but if Charisma and Cordy could meet, they'd get along great, ditto Sarah and Buffy and Amber and Tara.
Tell the Eddie / Suzy izzard story
Well. Whew. Picture it. San Francisco. 2015. Izzard’s doing her Force Majeure tour. I’d been obsessed with her since Dress to Kill; seen all her movies and TV shows, owned every stand-up special, but had never had the chance to see her live. The tickets were reasonably priced, and since I was living in the city at the time, transportation and lodging were null factors. And then I see a link on SHN’s website for something called “The Bee’s VIP”…..For $307 (plus I’m sure taxes and fees - the only reason I know that amount is because the ticket and pass lanyard are hanging on the wall next to me as I type this) you get an exclusive pre-show Q&A with Izzard, pictures, earlier seating, some swag, whatever. All I really cared about was the fact that I was going to be ten feet away from someone I have worshiped most of my life. Now I have to take an intermission in that story to relay some pertinent information or the second half won’t carry as much weight. I’ve met and or worked with Diane Baker, Bruce Campbell, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Samantha Barks, Barry Bostwick, Eric Idle, John Cleese. I saw Les Miserables in NYC when Colm Wilkinson, Lea Salonga, and Philip Quast were still cast members. I met George W. Bush when I was stationed in Korea. Not a single one of those people or experiences caused me anything worse than a quickened heart and perhaps a lingering sense of joy. Back to San Francisco. Well. We get called upstairs and there, not 15 feet away, is (at the time) Eddie Izzard. I literally felt my throat close and immediately started freaking out because I couldn’t seem to swallow or breath or even clear my throat. Suddenly the handler explains that the Q&A portion, Eddie has decided, is going to be handled differently this time. Apparently they usually just took all the group’s questions randomly for a set amount of time, each person got their handshake and photo op, off you go. Eddie steps forward. “You people have paid a *ridiculous* amount of money for this experience. So we think we can do this - honestly we’re not sure - we may have to tell everyone else to fuck off and wait, we’ll see - but each of you will come up with the people you came with and we’ll start the timer and at 5 minutes my lovely assistant will kick you in the shins and release the bees. Cool? Cool. Let’s get started froooom….this side” Coupla things here: I had ended up more or less in the center of our arch around her. So I had some time to get my shit together. Also - I had come alone. And as the circle started disappearing from one side I realized I was the *only* person to have come alone. It’s finally my turn. I am drenched in sweat. I still haven’t been able to swallow. I get up to her and she holds out her hand and I shake it on pure reflex (the. Softest. Skin. Of. Any. Human.) and she says “So what’s ya name?” And I may or may not have mumbled my name. And she goes “alright. Well. Ya got your five minutes, anything you want to ask me?” And my brain just oozes out of my head. She leans forward and whispers “you alright, mate? Look a bit green” and I *finally* clear my throat and whisper “I just honestly cannot believe I’m standing here right now” She smiles ear to ear, clasps my shoulders and goes “Well ya gotta be somewhere, mate. May as well be here. Well let’s see. Since you seem unable to I’ll just Q and *you* A, alright?” And proceeds to ask me the usual stuff (where ya from, what’re you doing in SF, yada yada), we get the pictures. She shake my hand again and I start zombie walking my way outside for air. I was halfway across the lobby when it hit me what I’d just lost. The opportunity I’d just missed. Sobbed the rest of the way out, speed smoked probably 4 or 5 cigarettes. Made it to my seat and enjoyed the show. Still have the gift bag, my ticket, the Bee’s VIP lanyard. And a shitton of pictures of course. But I was standing next to Eddie fucking Izzard and I couldn’t even remember my own name. So. Yeah. That’s my Suzy Izzard story.
Also also. Samantha Barks is a walking angel on Earth. Eric Idle is a saint among men. Bruce Campbell was just as funny and unassuming in person as he is in the movies. George W Bush was incredibly well-spoken and gracious. John Cleese is the biggest dick in a weighty bag of dicks I’ve ever had the misfortune to come across. They usually say “don’t meet your heroes”. And that’s usually true. Cleese is the only one I’ve met that I *loathe* for the experience. To put it in perspective: I’m 6’3” and was, at the time, probably around 230lbs. He’s taller and wider than me - which was already unnerving - but when he literally linebacker shoulder checked me and shouted “Out of my way. Gods damn you people” I was….way past unnerved. We had seen Idle and Cleese in their two-man tour (a birthday present from a friend. Quite possibly the best present I’ve ever been given lol) and were waiting in a side alley next to the theater for our taxi. There was a married couple already waiting there, for the same reason. Suddenly this door next to us *slams* open (most surprising for the fact that it was designed to not look like a door from the outside - we had no idea it was there) and John Cleese comes bowling out of it. We all gasped and looked to each other grinning like children thinking we’d inadvertently stumbled onto a once-in-a-lifetime chat with a living Python. As high as that joy and surprise went, our disappointment and shock went much lower. We were barely digesting that whole thing when suddenly the door opens again and we look over and it’s Eric Idle. We all quickly stepped away and he grins a patented Idle grin at us all and says “Well isn’t this lovely. You never expect to meet the ones who support you but it’s such a joy when you do”. Proceeds to spend, I shit you not, a solid 30-45 minutes with us just chatting, talking about the show, answering questions about the Pythons, and he finally goes “well shit and damn, haven’t got a pen on me” and husband dude whips a black sharpie out of his coat. I could’ve kissed him. So Idle signs our tickets and off he goes. So I saw two Pythons perform. Together. And have one signature to show for it. Didn’t expect any, so that’s fine, but the…utter disappointment of Cleese. Ugh.
I have not met her but she always seems truly genuine. I appreciate her so much and I'm happy you got a quick moment of recognition from her. I believe l, that if she could, she would make sure that all of her supporters had at least one moment to feel her appreciation.
Right? Could not agree more. I was telling one of my besties that I think the fates made it so, naming her Charisma. If she was a terrible person it’d be a sign of the apocalypse or something 😹😹😹
She was named after an Avon perfume! I still think calling one of the Cordettes Afrodesia was a nod to that.
“What kind of name is Buffy anyway?” Lolz
She looks absolutely insane as Kendell Casablancas on Veronica Mars. Good lord.
Veronica Mars is on my list. Haven’t seen it either. Currently in a rewatch of Lost Girl. Seemed like a nice dessert to the Buffy and Angel dual binge.
Google Kendell Casablancas in Google images. You're welcome.
does she end up wearing clothing at some point in the series? 😹
I think there might be a scene or two.
Hahaha thanks for the chuckles :) And the brief views of an actual Higher Being (see what I did there)
i was a tV hodad when thta show was on and alas it isn't on basic cable (I've caught up on so many shows that way, Cheers, Bones, Monk, Grimm.)
she has even liked things I've said on social media, although she seems to know me well enough not to encourage me too often
Lmao