It was great seeing friends and family, and to experience winter again (especially without any plan changes caused by snow). I was also pleasantly surprised to run into a few people I hadn't planned to see, who I hadn't seen in years. And of course, no trip home would be complete without hoarding lots of Trader Joes and Pepperidge Farm snacks to bring back to Australia. Michael went straight from the states to a business trip in Singapore, so I'll meet up with him again in about a week and a half.
It's no secret I'm a big The Walking Dead fan. We not-so-coincidentally planned our visit home so we could attend the Smithsonian Institute's "Behind the Scenes of The Walking Dead" event, where Andy Lincoln, Greg Nicotero, Scott Gimple, and John Sanders answered questions and talked about the show. Apparently the event (which was not very publicized - mainly just to Smithsonian members) sold out within one day; when it was moved to a larger venue that sold out in three days. There were no assigned seats, so Michael, his parents, and I waited in the cold for an hour and a half, tag-teaming going to Starbucks or Whole Foods to warm up. Our tenacity paid off and we scored front row seats to the left of the stage! Looking at photos from the event, my little phone pics are almost as good as the event photographer's, just slightly less sharp.
Not only are all these guys talented at what they do, they're funny and seem to enjoy the fact that people are really into what they have created. They are fans themselves, so they do a great job of showing appreciation to their fans.
I was lucky enough to get a quick selfie with Andy Lincoln at the end of the night. He was just grabbing the phones of people closest to the stage and taking pictures and signing memorabilia as fast as he could, to get to as many people as he could. At one moment I thought I would get missed. He was nearly passed me when he looked at my phone, then down my arm to make eye contact with me. I must have had the biggest puppy dog look/hopeful smile I've ever had on my face (perhaps only second the look on my face when I got engaged). He grabbed my phone and snapped three pictures with me. I said, "Thank you very much!" as he handed it back, and he gave a quick smile and nod before moving on. At least I think he did; it was kind of a blur.
I felt utterly silly being a fangirl, but not so silly that I wasn't going to pass up the chance to briefly touch the hand of an actor that I "welcome into my home" every week. It was fun to feel like I was 15 again, getting really excited and acting gaga over something. I know having a selfie with a famous person does not at all equate to having any kind of personal connection with them, but it still makes me happy that I shared a brief moment in-person with someone whose work enjoy. I was one in the crowd that night to him, but he still managed to make me feel like I was the most important one for a few short seconds.
The whole experience made me think differently of actors in general, and how part of their job is to tolerate being hounded by fans, essentially. I would hope they at least somewhat enjoy the attention or else they wouldn't do what they do, but I'm sure it gets to be too much at times. I already knew this, but it was interesting to see it up close and (unfortunately) be part of it.
It also made me think about my work as a teacher; asking a question and all the hands going up. Some kids look like they're going to explode because they want you to pick them so badly. I chuckle when I see kids do it, but I was acting like one of them.
Anyway, The Walking Dead guys were very gracious in dealing with all the fans, and the result is the fans' love for their work grows exponentially. I'm sure they reap the benefits in the end.
So here it is, my brief moment in time with Andy Lincoln...
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