Okay, so, probably nothing all *that* new from what you've heard in other interviews and fan encounters, but hey. This one is mine. And I enjoyed it. :> Nothing too personal to me here, since I didn't get within 40 feet of him, but I did have the opportunity to see him from fairly close by while Cath mocked me for going fangirl. "You know, I'm really glad I came. I had no idea you were going to be this amusing." (Thanks, Boo.)
ASH's Q&A session was at six, so we killed a lot of time in the (very good) dealer's room that StarCon has to offer, and very narrowly escaped from the sword booth without some really cool pretty-bright-shiny-sharp!s, I mean weapons. Ahem. (I could've got a costume sword for $30... but I don't need one. I'm not even going to a Con soon. I *didn't* need it...)
Anyway, the first ten rows were reserved, but we were right behind that, and the place wasn't too full--- maybe 200? or so people. You just don't get huge crowds in Denver; and more people showed up for Ethan Phillips than for Tony's appearance. The stage is set up so questioners are at the right and left of the stage, and they make it clear up front that no requests for kisses, hugs, etc. will be tolerated (so at least we were spared that).
Tony was in a grey sweatshirt, jeans, and black leather jacket--- pretty damn yummy, if you ask me. But god, he's *really* nothing like any character I've seen him play--- I think someone injected him with caffeine before he went on. He kept bouncing back and forth from one end of the stage to the other, squeaking, "Next!" or "Yup!" or "Hi!" to every new questioner.
Too many questions about what's coming up this season, most of which he answered with "Can't tell you!" or like answers. He was particularly gleeful about Spike's upcoming storyline, the sadist. Wouldn't do practically anything except laugh maniacally when someone asked. Said he's looking forward to his storyline this year; that no, we probably haven't seen the last of the Watchers; and that the idea of Giles & Joyce getting together is ludicrous. "Sometimes, after you've been with someone, and even if it was really, really good... it's just too weird." He's fairly good friends with Nicky and Alyson, and Sarah keeps saying they have to do dinner, but she's always too busy to manage it.
His fave ep used to be "Passion", but it's now either "Hush" or "Restless", both of which he thought were brilliant. They've moved the coming season out of Giles' apartment and into a new space, because it was getting boring--- they'd originally envisioned a lot more of last season taking place outside, in the courtyard, but the really really hot lights they needed to simulate daylight burned a hole in the ceiling, so it didn't get used as much as they'd planned. The library was difficult to film in and so was the apartment, but they're hoping this next place will be better. "A new place for me to give exposition in! 'Well kids, this is what the episode is about this week....'"
He got into the acting/singing thing at the same time, so he had one manager teling him to quit acting, and the other telling him to quit singing... so he just sort of ended up in musicals. He said the fun thing about RHPS was that onstage, when the audience starts heckling, you're allowed to answer back to the hecklers, and he always enjoyed that. Frankenfurter is supposed to be attractive to men and women and make both sexes uncomfortable about that, so it's a trip to play. He didn't rule out the idea of a singing album, very independently produced, sometime in the future... but he doesn't want it to be one of those things where a forty-something actor comes out with an album and everyone says, "Oh, did he *have* to do that?" (He called it the David Hasselhoff syndrome). So, maybe, maybe not, keep your ears open.
He sang a few bars of "Every Breath You Take" (fan, fan) and a few chicks in front of us held up their lighters.
Tony actually had fun doing the demon bit in "New Man" --- partly because it was just so ridiculous. The horns were so huge, and that part of the costume required a helmet underneath them to support them, and if he tilted his head forward it made a crease in his forehead that would stay until he tilted back. They were just really unwieldy, so he suggested they velcro them in place so they didn't tilt with every movement of his head. But at one point, one of the velcro strips came loose, and his horns tilted, after the makeup and the whole shebang got put on on top of it--- so they had to unscrew a horn, and then one of the make-up guys stuck his hand in this tiny hole and down Tony's back, trying to readjust the straps. Tony got a sudden flash of what this looked like, with the guy above him, and him on his knees, and they didn't stop giggling for several minutes after that.
Response to the question "Do you believe in vampires?" : "Yup!" (bounce over to the other side of the stage). He then asked this question of his next two questioners before he'd let them ask theirs.
Second dumbest question: some guy wanted him to say, "Have you any Grey Poupon?" Tony was a little baffled by this, said it in a cheezy American accent at first, then complied with an Oliver Sampson-esque delivery, which made everyone happy. "Whatever floats your boat..."
Third dumbest question: "Will they ever have a crossover, with, like, Charmed? 'Cause you know, they're both on the WB." Unequivocal no, not possible, too hard to schedule, even if they wanted to do it.
[Incidentally... he got asked so many dumb questions, or questions about the new season, that I was in serious CoolFan Police mode and wanting a Nerf Gun bad enough to kill for it. I kept wanting to stand up and tell the actors, "You know, really, we're not all this dumb. I swear." Then again, they seemed to have a sense of humor about it, so.... *sigh* ]
His girlfriend occasionally pretends to be blind in public, for fun. [Maybe she and Tracy Scoggins can use this to get into the movies at some point. ] This helped out when he was doing "Something Blue" and had to pretend blindness, since Sarah does it a lot. She once did this in public around her sister, who was all "Stop it, stop it stop it! People are staring at you!" Sarah's response was, "No they're not, they're staring at you because you're being mean to the blind!" Somehow, I get the impression he and his S.O. are perfect for each other.
I know I've heard this somewhere before, but they have a toothless squirrel that someone gave them to take care of; Sarah does a lot of work with injured animals. Seth Green has been out to England to visit, and was the first one to meet the squirrel. Tony doesn't know if he'll be back this season, of course they'd all love it, but it may not be possible.
What else? Ummmmm.... He loved Chess, but more for the music, which is wonderful, than the story, which just doesn't fly at all. Not good enough to support the whole thing, while the music almost is.
The Taster's Choice commercials got cancelled because everyone remembered the commercials, but not the name of the coffee. In England there was a very corny ending, with he and Sharon Maugham just driving around a traffic circle forever, supposedly moving away, and her saying that she'd left behind some Gold Blend for the next residents, because "you never know." "Too cheesy!" He still gets recognized for that ad a lot.
VR.5 was wonderful, ahead of its time, but FOX kept asking the producers to make it even more obscure, and that was a mistake. He said it was supposed to be kind of like the Avengers or Prisoner, but that it was very hard to follow how. After it got re-scheduled a few times for hockey, and since they refused to put a "Last time on VR.5" summary teaser before the new eps, no one could figure out what was going on. He honestly thought after the fade-out that they'd get picked up, but it was a bet he would've lost, and it was too bad.
He had a part lined up in the "Metal Girl" movie, but in the rewrites, he got written out. (stamping foot in disappointment) I don't think he mentioned any other projects right at this moment, since it's difficult with him in England during break. He isn't in the promos for the WB for the next year because he's always in England when they're being filmed. "Fine! All of you go on and dance without me!"
I think that's about it... this doesn't adequately convey how damn *perky* he was onstage--- he pointed out that the right side beat the left, because there were more people left over in front of that microphone at the end. "Good for you! Go, right! Yahh!"
If we hadn't been told that he hadn't gone drinking with the Klingons, I'd've thought they'd given him the Everclear-and-Sangria blend they call 'blood wine', and which pretty much obliterated Richard Chevoneau (sp? The guy on E:TFC) when he was here last year. Evidently he was sleeping it off until jsut before his Q&A session the next day. I'm thinking the Klingons should've asked both Tracy and ASH... that would have given them more party stories, oh yeah.
Between these two guests, and the barbarians in furs wandering the halls, and the really excellent dealer's room, it was worth the admission price. :> Cath and I adjourned to Chili's and a copy of Galaxy Quest afterward.
Wish you guys could've been here!
Back to Quotes and Con Reports | Back to SunS