Angel

I showed up 45 minutes early and the line already ran out of the hotel and down to the street. When they started taking us in 50 min later, the line ran down the block, around the corner, and down that block. Still, there were 1,360 in Friday’s panel and today’s was less than 1,000.

Before James came out, the staff announced that flash photography was not allowed and anyone using a flash would be ejected immediately.

One of the first questions James was asked was for him to take his shirt off and he replied, "Fuck, No!" He then had her come up on stage and dared her to take off her shirt. She stripped right there, displaying her naked boobs proudly and smiled at him. James applauded her and said she was braver than he was, then gave her a big hug before she got dressed.

Again speaking about using the Method style of acting, he said Spike was a metaphor for Hunger and he had to stay in that mind-set. He said it ate him up for a long time, but assured everyone he’s much better now.

He was asked if Spike was filling the role of "The Trickster" from old-style theatre like Shakespeare. He firmly denied it, saying Spike wasn’t intelligent enough to be the trickster. He said Spike was 120+ years old and had the maturity level of a 12-year old. He said Spike didn’t have the wisdom to be a fool.

Someone again congratulated him on quitting cigarettes and again he confessed he’s been smoking most of last week and again said it was due to the stress of doing nekkid scenes. Said he’s back on the patch and not going to give up on himself.

At this point, James also said, "By the way. That no-flash thing? Well, the heck with that! Go ahead and take pictures!" (again, just like reports from the last con, James was contradicting the people running the con in favor of the fans.)

I also want to point out that throughout this panel, James was doing a lot of the head-bobbing to emphasize whatever he was saying. It worked very well as emphasis, but also made him look like a bird at times.

Asked about being on Angel, he again said what they have been doing for this season is absolutely awesome and I noticed his body was literally twitching with how strongly he felt about that.

Asked for a favorite quote, James did an impromptu performance, doing the last scene from MacBeth (the one that includes the lines about "... out, out, candle..." and "... much sound and fury, signifying nothing..."

They had the people wanting to ask questions line up behind a microphone and kneel while waiting their turn. A pair of cute twins came up and announced (speaking in unison) "We’ve been waiting on our knees for you!" (hee!) He said that was an image he’ll keep for a long time.

Asked what his personal strength was, he said it was his patience. Asked about a personal weakness, he said that would be his temper. Later, when asked about the impact of music on his life, he said that more than once he’d be smashing things and breaking windows and, usually before the cops came, he’d pick up his guitar and write a song and that would help him get control of himself. He said music saved him.

Asked about smooching an actor (I think the name was Patrick Dempsey?) he said, no, the guy backed out when he found out he was going to be kissing James. James sounded fairly pissed off about it and called him a big wussy. James said he wants to do a love scene with a guy that is SO incredibly hot that it turns all the girls on. (This was said in a very emphatic manner and got much cheering from the audience.)

Someone said that since some actors came away from cons saying they’d never do another one, what was it that kept bringing James back? He said it was "you guys" (indicating the audience) and said that he’d been a geek when young, had gone to conventions himself and actually owned and worn the pointy ears. He said he likes that cons are a place where people fly the Freak Flag proudly.

Asked about his experience at Juliard, he said it was the most pathetic excuse for actor training that he could possibly imagine. He said the only thing they have is their reputation and take the best and brightest aspiring actors from around the country, then try to crush their spirits. He said at one point he almost jumped from the roof of Juliard. They so convinced him he was worthless that he didn’t act for a long time until he moved to Chicago and that saved him. He said brilliant people who could have great careers and the public would love watching, are never seen because Juliard convinced them to drop out of acting entirely and go do something else.

He said one of his favorite books of all time is the new Harry Potter book. He said he was actually pacing around his suite and cursing at Snake. He said he desperately wants Harry just to tell off Snake.

Someone said he would be perfect to play Gambit in an X-Men movie and he got very enthusiastic, saying he loves the X-Men, he’d make a great Gambit & he’d love to do it.

Asked about the Hollywood experience, he said it made him feel like a whore. He then announced, "Nothing against prostitutes, we all appreciate your work!" which cracked him and the audience up for several minutes.

He said his problem with getting nekkid on screen is not that he’s uncomfortable with showing skin, but that it’s not his choice to do it. Asked if he’d ever had to do anything compromising to get an acting job, he said no; but that the casting couch was still active for men and women. He also said if anyone tried that with him, "I’d kill the mother-fucker!" (gesturing neck-wringing motions energetically)

Another girl came up and complained that she’d gotten rug burns on her knees for him and didn’t even have a great story to tell for it, and he replied, "Just make one up, baby, just make me large." Which again cracked everyone up, of course.

That pretty much wraps up everything worth mentioning. Tonight I’ll be screening Amber Benson’s "Chance" and tomorrow there’s the last panel with James Marsters I’m going to try to attend. Since I’ll be flying home tomorrow, I won’t post from the con but wait until I get home to put up the final con report. Soon after that I hope to have pictures available for everyone to look at.

Miss everybody, and dropping off extra bouncy pouncy penguin hugs before I go. Like I said, I’ll be back again late tomorrow night. Take care and chat with y’all later (not going to be Southern for too much longer.) ;-)