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 FAN CONVENTIONS
24/05/09 |
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ARMAGEDDON EXPO, AUCKLAND, FEBRUARY 2001
  Photos by Richard K and Suzanne Dean attended the Armageddon Expo unofficially, but still was gracious enough to talk to fans and sign autographs. For more information, link to: Armageddon Expo. |
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LONDON PANATHENAEA, SEPTEMBER 2000
GLOBAL DEANO NETWORK'S EXCLUSIVE REPORT    Report and Photos by Caroline Wheeler |
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PANATHENAEA 2000 TIMETABLE
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 |
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 And lots of other things happening throughout the weekend! |
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This was my very first convention. I've been a fan of Hercules and especially of Michael Hurst for a couple of years now, but being British haven't had much chance to see Young Herc. I will admit though that I never liked Young Iolaus very much. Please be kind to me!
I went to this convention as much to meet all the new friends I'd made on the internet as to see the guests - although I was very keen on seeing all three, Kevin Smith, Dean and Willa O'Neill (Gabby's sister & Althea in the Twanky episodes of Herc). The Convention was at The Britannia Hotel in London's Canary Wharf, just down the road from the Millennium Dome. On the Friday night I arrived straight from work in time to register and get ready for the guest reception. Not everyone got the chance to go to this, a lucky 100 tickets were drawn from a hat. So there I was all dressed up and unable to recognize a soul, except Kevin who stood head and shoulders above the rest of us and was just as gorgeous as he is on TV. I was chatting to a couple of the stewards when I spotted Dean and did a little double take. I didn't know about the short hair! Hmmm I thought, he looks cute like that. But I didn't get to speak to him or the other guests that night. I did meet up with a couple of American friends though and they had spoken to Dean. They both thought he was very sweet, perhaps a little nervous about being there but lovely all the same. The next day Dean was the first to do a talk, it lasted 45 minutes. The organisers tried very hard to keep to schedule and it is to their credit that for the most part they did. Dean was a lot of fun, he took questions for his whole time and relaxed into it. He really is a tiny person (in a very nice way) smaller than he seems on TV. My mind is so full of stories and anecdotes and stuff that happened that it's hard to remember what he said. He did talk about the fun he had working on YH and how they enjoyed improvising. He also talked about the way the crew all treated the actors as just one of the guys, so if he were ever hurt they would show no sympathy at all and expect him on his feet and working straight off. He was asked if he copied Michael in his portrayal of Iolaus and he told us that he'd been given one of the Herc Movies to watch, and in it Michael didn't even play Iolaus! He said he didn't try to be the same, but that the crew noticed he had some of the same habits, such as playing with his sword on set, as Michael. Dean said that he's recently finished filming the last part of a Xena trilogy - he couldn't remember the name of the episode. He admitted that he's dreadful with names and was continually forgetting them. He told us what it was like to fight an 8-foot tall monster (played by a 7 foot tall man!) and how different it was from the way we see it.   Photos by Caroline Wheeler Dean was funny and gracious the whole time, but he did seem a bit daunted by all the flash photography (sorry Dean!). After Dean had finished there was a photo session where we got the chance to have our picture taken with any or all of the guests. We had to buy a ticket, and you could get a group pic or individual pics. I went for individual for all three, we got to wait on the chairs as we watched the people ahead get their pictures. All three guests were very nice, and when you consider that Kevin had only flown in from New Zealand the day before it was all the more amazing.
It was soon my turn and I had my first (and best) pic with Kevin. What a sweetie, I am not a tall person:) and he bent his knees so we could be on a better level. Willa was second with her pink streaks in her hair! And then it was Dean who shook my hand and then kept pulling me in closer and closer for the pic!! Very nice, and he's just the right height for me. It was a really good experience and I think that although it must have been quite hard work for Kevin, Dean and Willa, they were enjoying themselves too. After lunch it was Kevin's turn to regale us with a few stories, and boy did he ever. I could sit and watch him for hours, the man is so relaxed and at ease that he makes everyone around him relax too. We laughed and we laughed and we laughed. Thanks Kev! After Kevin was the Auction which I missed most of, but when I returned Kevin was just auctioning off Joxer's Sword (the real thing!) it went for £850. They over-ran quite badly on the auction and so had to do another one the next day to finish off, which meant some re-arrangements to the timetable. Willa was on after the Auction, she was so full of nervous energy I thought she was going to explode. She giggled a lot and was again a lot of fun. After Willa were the Autograph sessions, which were brilliantly organised. This was the set-up. In your registration pack you got a ticket with a time on it and a letter (A,B,C,D or E) you went to the Royal Lounge at the appropriate time and queued. Now once you got inside the room there was a table with your pictures taken earlier for you to collect and then the queue continued on chairs that snaked back and forth in front of the tables where the guests were signing. We were so busy talking, looking at the view out of the windows, and watching the lucky fans getting their turn before us that an hour had passed before we knew it and it was our turn. To get an autograph you had to buy a picture from the table where the guest and their 'minder' sat, you would get that autographed plus up to three things of your choice (including the pic taken earlier) it went very well. I got Dean to sign a lovely black and white shot of him with his new hair cut, the pic with me and one of the one's I'd taken. He looked at that one pen poised and then said, "Nah I can't put that." I told him he could, he could. But unfortunately he didn't. In the pic he has his tongue sticking slightly out! Kevin was again wonderful and was actually holding things up because he was talking to everyone, some people for quite a time. It was lovely not to be rushed at all. |
  Photos by Caroline Wheeler PANATHENAEA PART 2
At 9 that evening the Cabaret was due to start. We knew that Willa and Kevin were going to sing and that they had persuaded Dean to help out in the final number!
I was still with my American friends, Kade and Sulee and we ended up turning up a bit late. At the restaurant we'd eaten the food had been good the service friendly but so very very slow that they ended up giving us desert for free (we weren't going to pass up free desert but we did bolt it down!) The house band, A Band Called Horse were on when we arrived and tried to find seats in the darkened room. They were very good, and Kevin later said how impressed he was with them. Eventually our patience was rewarded and Willa came on, she was again a lot of fun and boy can she dance! Then it was Kevin's turn. The poor dear was having trouble with his voice, it was very hoarse but he still gave his all, and it was worth the cost of the weekend ticket just to see him sing. The final song came all too fast and it was time for Willa and Dean to come up on stage. Dean found himself a tambourine and they had a high old time performing Hound Dog. Dean even danced, something he had earlier said he wouldn't ever do on stage. Maybe he'd made enough trips to the bar by then?! They again opened the nightclub to party all night but being in need of some sleep I went to bed, although it was via Kade and Sulee's room and I didn't get back to mine until 1.40AM. (I later discovered that this was actually early!) The next day there were quite a few people roaming the hotel looking worse for wear, but Kevin wasn't on till 10 so it gave them a chance to recover. Kevin was again brilliant, again having us in fits of laughter with anecdotes and stories that were generally unrepeatable by a lady:) Kevin was flying home that afternoon - yes, from New Zealand to England for a weekend party! What a guy. But he'd not gone to the party the night before and was feeling slightly more refreshed. His voice just about managed to hold out. At the end of his talk Kevin was presented with a gift from the Organizers and the Roswell Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Sci-Fi series. The web site Chrissys.com have been running these awards for some time and I'd been busily voting for Michael Hurst and against Kevin, but I was still pleased to see him receive it. He was a little worried how he'd get it on the plane though! Right after Kevin left, Dean and Willa came on stage together. Again they answered questions, and Dean was happy to let Willa talk (she does know how to talk) but they both got the chance to say a lot. Dean had apparently stayed up until 6 in the morning at the party and had risen at 9. He must be young, it didn't show very much! Willa and Dean both told of how they'd enjoyed making their own movies as children, Willa made westerns, Dean epic war movies. An hour and a half long and he directed them, he said that at the time he took it very seriously. They were asked how their parents had reacted when they had told them they wanted to be actors. Dean said his father was very surprised and shocked (he'd only been quite young) but his parents had always been supportive.    Photos by Caroline Wheeler
Dean was asked if he ever wanted to direct and he said he thought most actors probably did, and yes he would like to. Someone asked them both where they saw themselves in 5 years time. Willa wanted to be a mother and you'll be happy to hear that Dean wanted to still be acting. Although he was bright enough to realize that what you want isn't always what you get.
After being asked about hobbies Dean had trouble saying what he liked to do, he mentioned his painting, snow boarding, and Willa said gardening. This got a chuckle from some of the audience, but she said she liked it and Dean said he did too. He said that at one time he'd been so into creating this Oriental Fung Shui type garden that he'd been turning down invitations to go out with his friends. I'm sure there's lots of other things Dean said in the course of the two days but at the moment that is all that comes to mind - Ah! She says as a light bulb suddenly goes off above her head - the Guinness story! Dean had expressed a desire to try Guinness (the famous Irish stout - and well worth a taste:) He had gone to Ireland with his father a few years ago, Dean was at the time into history and had been reading up on the troubles. They went into a nice Irish Pub and ordered two Guinness' but before the drinks could be served Dean's father said that he'd just been on the mainland. (At this point there was a sharp intake of breath from the audience - we all knew you shouldn't say that!) Needless to say they left the Pub without their Guinness and he was still waiting for a taste. I don't know if he ever got it as the Hotel we were in served another brand of stout! After Dean and Willa were finished we had time to find a place for lunch before the second auction. (I won't bore you with the excitement I felt at some of the lots but there were one or two I know you would have liked!) Dean and Willa both helped out with the auction and both donated things for it. Dean donated some photos from his personal collection, mostly from YH but ones you won't find anywhere (take a deep breath, I'm sorry to do that to you!) He also donated a video tape he uses to promote himself. It was about 10 minutes long and had clips of various things he's done including YH. I got caught up in the Auction fever and bid for several things, I did manage to get a couple of things I wanted, and Dean was auctioneer on one of them - so I got lots of eye contact and a lovely smile when he said "Sold!":) After the Auction there was a quiz and then it was time unbelievably for the closing ceremony. Lots of prizes given out, Kade and Sulee won the Hercules Trivia Quiz, and certificates for all the stewards. Those that were there got lucky too because they got hugs and kisses from Willa and Dean! Then it was present giving time for the guests, Dean got a bottle of Whiskey (so he's a Whiskey man!) and I'm not sure what the other gift was. It was obvious that all the guests had enjoyed themselves at the convention, and I'm glad that they were made so welcome by the organizers and the fans alike. Willa had said how much it means to the actors in NZ to receive this kind of attention and feedback because it just doesn't happen in their country. They call it the 'tall poppy syndrome' nobody should be too big. And that was almost that, they showed taped interviews with Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst and there was a 'Dead Dog Party' which Dean and Willa attended but I had to get home. Work beckoned the next day, unfortunately. All in all I can safely say that I had a wonderful time, and I think that most of the people there did too. The guests were all so nice and generous with their time, and I know that they enjoyed being able to meet the fans in such a relaxed informal way. If Dean ever came to a convention here again I'd go in a heart beat. As I said at the beginning I'm not a fan of Young Iolaus, but that doesn't mean I won't be looking out for his name in other things. May Dean O'Gorman's career be a long and happy one:) Thanks to Caroline Wheeler for the report and pictures. Disclaimer: All convention reports/interviews are the opinions of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the GDN site staff. |
SANTA MONICA, JANUARY 1999
   Dean and his Young Hercules co-stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Conrad all appeared at this convention held in the middle of the first run of Young Hercules. Fans loved their question and answer time on stage, where the three friends and co-stars also seemed to be having a lot of fun. The three signed hundreds of autographs during the two day event. For more information link here: Santa Monica |
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SANTA MONICA CONVENTION TIMETABLE SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 |
3:35 - Auction 4:05 - JOEL TOBECK (Strife) 4:30 - RYAN GOSLING, DEAN O'GORMAN, CHRIS CONRAD 5:05 - Salute to Hercules music video 5:10 - KEVIN SORBO 6:20 - Alexandra, Gina, Joel, Ryan, DEAN, and Chris autographs 6:20 - Screening of new episodes " SUNDAY, JANUARY 24 |
1:50 - CLAIRE STANSFIELD (Alti) 2:15 - Preview of new Xena episode 2:20 - Salute to Gabrielle Music Video 2:25 - STEVE SEARS (Xena co-Executive producer) 2:45 - "The Making of Bitter Suite" electronic press kit 3:00 - ROBERT FIELD (Xena editor) season 3 bloopers 3:40 - Auction 4:05 - KARL URBAN (Caesar and Cupid) 4:30 - Salute to Xena music video 4:35 - LUCY LAWLESS 5:55 - Autographs with Claire and Karl 6:05 - Grand Finale and Costume Competition |