Photos & Review: Andrew Horan
Toronto ComiCon wrapped up March Break and saw a star-studded line-up that reunited the stars of Sons of Anarchy and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Celebrity Q&A panels have a relaxed feel and often see the guests opening up and sharing stories as well as revealing things about themselves that fans might not have known.
The guests revealed many things about themselves over the course of the event’s three days. Here are some of the moments that stood out;
Emma Caulfield nearly quit acting before she landed her role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
After she came off her role on Beverly Hills 90201, Caulfield started her panel by recounting a heartfelt story about her first time meeting the late Luke Perry, she said she had become disillusioned with show business and ended up taking two years off.
When she offered a role on Buffy, as the demon-turned-human Anya Jenkins, in what was supposed to have been a “one and done” role. But, she kept returning and ended up becoming a regular. She even turned down the chance to star in a pilot since she loved working with the crew on Buffy so much.
Jaleel White only got into acting to pay for college
Best known for his work as nerdy Steve Urkel on the sitcom Family Matters, White readily admitted that he only got into acting to pay for college and Urkel was only supposed to be a one-off character but he proved to be so popular that he became a regular. Though he admitted that the only way he would play him again would be in a parody on a show like Saturday Night Live.
Despite this, White has found steady character work for the last 20 years and has several shows coming up. He also revealed that even at a young age, he took acting seriously.
Getting made-up as Hellboy for a young fan’s Make-a-Wish went viral
When veteran actor Ron Perlman visited a young fan in full Hellboy make-up for his Make-A-Wish in 2012, the public wasn’t supposed to know. But, thanks to social media, the moment ended up going viral and further endeared him to fans.
Perlman happily reported that the child’s Leukemia is now in full remission nearly seven years later.
Dan Fogler comes into his geek credentials honestly
The movie Fanboys was a case of life imitating art as Fogler is a lifelong nerd who collected comics, his collection boasts several valuable issues, his entire life and he said that his role on The Walking Dead, a comic he reads, and in tent pole movies like the Fantastic Beast series was a dream come true.
Tommy Flanagan bases his characters on people he knows in real life
The Scottish actor said that the characters he portrays in movies and TV shows are based on people he knows in life. His Sons of Anarchy character Filip “Chibs” Telford was based someone he knew. He also said that working on the show ignited a passion for riding, something that’s caused some friction in his marriage after several accidents.
Jon de Lancie‘s role on Breaking Bad connected personally with a fan
Though he and Corbin Bernsen were there for their roles on Star Trek: The Next Generation as the godlike characters Q, de Lancie said that he was approached by a young man who had been fighting a battle with addiction who told him his role as father of a drug addicted daughter on Breaking Bad made him realize what his family had been through. He also said that an insulting report on Fox news about Bronies, male fans of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, led to him creating a documentary about them.
Corbin Bernsen received his mother’s blessing to become an actor on one condition
After proving to be reluctant to get into acting but changing his mind after a role in a Blaxploitation movie in the 1970’s, Bernsen told his mother, actress Jeanne Cooper, that he also wanted to become an actor but she said she would only give him her blessing on one condition, that he train himself and get a formal education in the craft.
Jonathan Rhys Davies once raised 4 to 6 million pounds for a hospice
The veteran actor shared stories of working on the Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones movies, often slipping into character but the most moving moment in the final panel of the weekend came when Davies recounted a story of being invited to do a radio ad for a hospice on the Isle of Mann that invites people to leave part of their will and despite the Isle’s small population, the ad brought in 4 to 6 million dollars.
(click on photos to enlarge)
For more on Toronto ComiCon, visit: https://www.comicontoronto.com/en/home.html