Angel

I am a new member here and my only exciting Buffy/Angel day was when I had dinner with James Marsters. I did this write up of the day several years ago. I am still digging through my hard drive to find the two pictures of James Marsters that I took that night in Milwaukee.

Hi,

We met my friend outside the Midwest Express NW corner which since they redid the whole thing since the 1997 I Love Needlework Fair was the farthest corner from the entrance, of course.

We found out the doors didn’t open until later so we bought raffle tickets for dinner with James Marsters for 6 :30 p.m. I handed them a $20.00 which should of given me 24 tickets. I actually only got 12.

The first thing we did once they opened the doors at 10 a.m. was work our way back to the autograph area. We should of ran like mad instead of walking. We were in line for over an hour waiting for a autograph of Billy Dee Williams ( Landow Calrisian of Star Wars. We were about 20 to 30 people away from an autograph when he left. They handed us a picture and said if we came back from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. he would sign them then.

We then went to lunch, taco salads and Nacho something for my friend. After lunch we started at one end of this huge exhibition haul and worked our way back in the direction of the autograph area so we would be there at about 2 p.m. I got a cross with a diamond like stone in it and a Buffy the Vampire Slayer pendant. I also got the X rated version of Cruel Intentions - released in England I guess. Personally, I didn’t see anything that made it X rated that Caitlin my 14 year old couldn’t watch. Shortly after this we lost my friend so Scott and I went downstairs to the 1st floor to scope out where James was going to be signing his autographs. Off shoot on this, he was suppose to be signing from 3 to 4 p.m. with Q and A session from 1 to 2 p.m. EXCEPT, he wound up filming in LA until 6 a.m. that same morning. So he took a nap for a bit, caught a flight after that and made it to Milwaukee in time for his rescheduled autograph session at 6 :30 p.m. They moved the dinner time to 8 p.m.

We went back upstairs and found Shelly already in line for the last hour and half. I think we were in line for another hour more for Billy Dee’s signature.

While we were in line, Shelly showed me some awesome pictures she had printed out of Kerry’s crossed stitched Spike. There was a large 8 by 10 one that clearly showed Jame’s signature. Then she printed out a smaller one of the whole picture with Kerry’s web site printed at the bottom of it and a picture of Kerry, James and James’s girlfriend. They were just so cool. I told Shelly (after the mess trying to get Billy’s autograph this morning and again in line for a second time right then) that if by some miracle my number got picked for dinner, she could have my ticket if it was possible because he just had to get these pictures. It would of been easy but more on that later.

I then told her that I had seen a copy of the unaired pilot for Buffy. She said I had to get that as it had a different Willow in it. So I called Scott and had him searching for it.

The drawing was at 3 :30. My number was the second one called out. I couldn’t believe it. I showed it to Shelly thinking I had to be reading it wrong. She said you won and screamed for me. I figured out my way to the stage through the hundreds waiting for Billy Dee signatures (still). I then called Scott again to tell him my number had been called. He had found the movie and it was being held for me (I had all the money and they didn’t do CC’s). He came rushing back and took my picture while I was up on stage with the other 5 winners. They were explaining where to meet and when to us. While they were doing this Scott called my daughter and told her I had won. She promptly called every friend of hers and told them too. Once they finished the directions to us, I went back down in the line and waited some more for Billy Dee’s signature. Scott informed me he had called Caitlin and she was calling all her friends. I said oh no you didn’t ! ! If Shelly doesn’t get Jame’s signature and get to give him the pictures, I was going to give her my ticket. Scott said oh no your not or something like that. Our names were never taken so I could of easily given my ticket to Shelly too.

So we finally got up to Billy Dee and were told it was $20 for his autograph after being told this morning that it would still be signed for us. Shelly got his autograph. Scott and I opted for not spending $40 for two signatures.

Then we went and picked up my Buffy tape that was being held for me and went out to dinner. It was about 4 :30. At 5 p.m. we went down to the first floor to get in front of the door for Jame’s signature. There was already about 220 people in line in front of us at 5 p.m. The signing didn’t start until 6 :30 and then only for an hour. Needless to say 2 and 1/2 hours later none of us had an autograph. Shelly gave me the pictures to give to James since Scott was still determined that I couldn’t give Shelly my ticket and I didn’t want to disappoint Caitlin either.

We walked over to the Hilton and waited for everyone showed up at 8 p.m. I was very hopeful because two of the women didn’t show up until almost 20 after 8. I said if someone doesn’t show can my friend Shelly go ? While we were in the bar waiting for 8 p.m. to arrive I was developing a huge headache that I thought would be o.k as long as I kept drinking water. Then I found out the Polaris rotates slowly. Both Scott and I thought I would be fine since it moves slow.

James didn’t show up until almost 9 :30. He was so nice. The range of topics went from Shakespeare/Hamlet to his first meeting with Josh and finding out that both our huge fans of Shakespeare and Hamlet. He talked about how he liked the artistic arena in the Chicago area much better than the Seattle area because it feeds on itself and grows where as the Seattle area usually brings in people from the outside to do the work rather than doing it themselves. I would assume here he meant the directing and producing aspects of the business. He said he no longer owes a theater company as he would have to be there 24/7 and he can’t be. He described how when Michelle Trachenberg is on the set Sarah Michelle goes around making all the men put on there shirts and remind them not to use foul language. He also said that he has gotten biffed upside the head several times by Sarah for slip ups. He talked about the awesome basket of gifts that the WB gave them all. His contained a Courtier ( ?) watch, caviar and something else outrageous. He said he gave the watch to his father because for one it isn’t his style and two all the people that know him are sitting around waiting for him to "change" with success and if he wore that watch they would all more or less pounce on him right away. He said that when he was a waiter he could carry dishes up both arms vs. only one plate in each hand like the girl to his left could. He said that his mother had started the procedure to become a nun and had to annul all three of her marriages and do something about proclaiming all her children unholy accidents/mistakes. But she changed her mind finally and didn’t finish becoming one. I mentioned to him that the final episode I wasn’t watching Buffy laying there but I was watching him break down in the background and that I couldn’t wait to see what happened with him in the first show. He said it is GREAT and I am going to LOVE it. Didn’t say anything else but that folks. He did say that Josh came up to him while filming that scene and asked him if there was something wrong. He explained that that means in actors terms get your act together and get it right ! Josh just looked at him and said I’m crying here already man what more do you want ? ! ! I then, since I finally had his attention, showed him Shelly’s printouts. He was thrilled with them and said this thing is so awesome ! He asked me how long it took Kerry to do it (which I wasn’t sure). I explained how you put the picture into software, charted it out yourself and then stitched it. And how we were all cheering you (Kerry) on when you didn’t think it would get done in time for his signature. He insisted that it get pasted around to the entire table so they could see it. He told me that one time at a shoot somewhere he was so bored that he actually did a beading project. So he said I am a needle person myself too.

Shortly afterward, Martinis Stiris ( ?) Deanna Troi from Star Trek came over to talk to him about something. That started a conversation about how he keeps getting in trouble for mispronouncing bollets or bullets or some such thing. He said you would think the writers would leave that word out but they keep putting it in. And that stuff he says gets bleeped out a lot in England but not here. I got a picture of the two of them.

By this time I was so sick to my stomach that I was breaking out in a sweat, my head was pounding and I thought I was going to lose my dinner. So I asked James if it would be alright if I interrupted him again so he could sign my stuff and pose for pics since I really had to leave soon. I don’t remember what he ordered for dinner but he does not drink any alcohol. His beer was non - alcohol. I got my pictures and gave the envelope with Shelly’s printed pics to his handler to make sure it made it all the way home with James. I said I hoped James got a good nights sleep in preparation for his long day tomorrow vs. the fire alarm in his hotel in New Zealand. And that I couldn’t believe I was actually leaving before he did.

I went back downstairs to the bar where Scott and Shelly were waiting. I gave Shelly the color picture of Spike/Dru that I had him sign. So yes she did get an autograph but I didn’t even think to have him personalize it to Shelly. I could kick myself now. I think that is everything that happened that day. If I remember any more conversation that James said I will post it later.

Michele A. in Racine, WI