Sunday, September 13, 2009

An Evening With James Callis

An Evening With James Callis took place in Bonn, Germany, on the 12th of September, 2009. About 100 people were present for a 90-minute panel, photo session and autograph session.

Scifi-trek.de has a video of the full panel. You can download or stream it on this page. There are two download links, the one below is higher quality. For Mac users: alt+click on the links to download the video. The panel is a MUST SEE for all James fans - perhaps the best panel ever, with lots of humor and in-depth answers. And he does those typical James faces all along. He's so animated, the camera can barely follow him sometimes. Lots of fun to watch.

There's also an audio stream of the full panel at VDVD Magazine, here.

Two brief video goodies:
James saying bye to some fans. Awww, so sweet! You know, I think I like that scarf even better than the rest of the outfit. I'm in love with the scarf. And the man wearing it.

James says hello to Caprica.de, before signing autographs. Strangely he looks more tired here than in the other video. His hair looks a bit toussled by the fangirls. :D

Many thanks for the photos below to René Kissien of Caprica-City. More of his pictures at kixxa's blog here.

James Callis with the Caprica City mascot, Schwein.


Pictures from the panel:





OMG Scarf!


OMG Chest Hair!


"And Tricia is like this tall..." (I'm just guessing :D)


And then the photos with MY STUFF OMG (L) (L) (L)


Apparently my name proved a little challenging, as he needed a cheat sheet (see the envelope being held for him.) So cute! :D Don't worry James, nobody gets it right the first time!


Best. Autograph. Ever. He looks so kind, poring over that. (L)!!! Oh James!

A large gallery of photos! He looks so gorgeous. Here. Photos by Evelyne J aka aa_eve_aa

Another photo gallery here. Lots of lovely Jamesy expressions! I'm kinda obsessed with that scarf, and I love the pictures where he touches it. Scarf fetish?

And some more photos here. It says James was a very calm guest, and in the photo session he was completely relaxed and let people do what they wanted. (Hence the photo of two girls kissing him. Yeah, I'm sure they had to twist his arm! :D)

This was the first picture:
He looks SO beautiful. The hair is still long, we've got glasses and ... some kind of English professor getup, complete with vest? Hee! See the picture here. SO HOT.

There's going to be a separate post with a transcript of the panel. I'm going to transcribe the whole thing - and kixxa's offered to help in case my fingers fall off while doing it - but it might take me a while. It's a really great panel, maybe the best one ever. He really expands on some things that we've heard in previous panels and there are some new things as well. Here's just a little teaser. It's about Rubins and Meet Pursuit Delange.

I've been involved in something in England, a pilot... [Meet Pursuit Delange] It's a rather difficult thing to describe. It was a comedy and it was very risqué, very very risqué. It was so risqué that the pilot possibly won't be made. People are interested perhaps in a movie that will be loess risqué. Do you understand risqué? Essentially risqué is rude.. rude or crude, or both. I play this guy who was a wannabe, he wanted to be involved in the media in some way. And he's very naïve and a bit... sweet, like a nice guy, sweet, but he meets up with an old school friend who never was actrually his friend at school. And the old school firend is really mean, really nasty. So it's like a duo between myself who was like Bambi and my friend who was like Satan. (laughter) It was very funny to do.

About Rubins:

It's kind of a bittersweet comedy. Do you have, in Germany, do you have a show like The Apprentice... so you've got your own Donald Trump? A German version of Donald Trump? -You don't? You just get Donald Trump? Well, in England we have this guy called Alan Sugar, who runs The Apprentice. And he's um... terribly successful businessman but started from very humble beginnings. And the character that I played in this film is.. wants to be a business magnate, and is actually rather... unpleasant, naïve..

There's just been something on the news about what I was doing on the film... Which I didn't... when I got the script, I was... It's true, and that's on the news at ten. There's all this mining going on in Africa for [ore?] that ends up in our mobile phones. Do you know about this? Some of you do. You go to the top of the class, the people who do. [laughs] Anyway, there's all this stuff that it's a huge conflict. Mobile or cell phones are a billion dollar industry and business. We're all slaves to being on the mobile phones. But it's causing wars and havoc in Africa where people are being paid nothing. They spend their whole lives mining this stuff out of the Earth. And that's something I was doing in the film. I was very unscrupulous.

And uh, possibly some other stuff... Until I actually got the job, until I'm actually on the set, I don't really like to talk about it. Our industry is so up and down. I have been quoted before going, "You'll see me in this." And it doesn't really happen. So you'll see, watch this space.
Also, a tweet:

Really nice event.Very easy going.he was even later eating in same room and saying goodbye at every table. No charge ;)

Yay! :) Sounds like he was in a good mood and the con was a very relaxed one.


Mindless fangirl gushing


This time, the con was a bit more personal for me, because I also sent James a little something and got his autograph (see the posts below this one for more details on what I sent). I was very anxious about his reaction, and the autograph and the photos were a very important, very positive experience.

HUGE thanks to Pedda of Caprica City for getting me James' autograph! It reads:
Dear [real name] -
Thank you so much for your gifts...
So sorry to miss you
Need I ask -
But do you wanna join my cult?
Membership has its privileges.
Lots and lots of love always
James Callis xxx
(L) (L) (L) OMG James.

Best. Autograph. Ever.
A. It's really long.
B. I know it's easy to write all that "sorry to miss you" and "lots of love" stuff but I am totally going to think he means it. See above how tender he looks writing it (unless I'm just seeing things...)
C. "Need I ask"? :D Hee! But James, I started your cult! Jamus? Somebody needs to get him a leaflet. And I'm going to take that "Membership has its privileges" thing as flirtation.
F. He has his arms over the picture. I'm totally checking for arm hairs when I get it.
G. JAMES CALLIS TOUCHED SOMETHING I OWN.
H. Oh James! (L)

I guess what I wished for was just a bit of James' kindness. It's the thing I love the most about him, and I've seen him be so kind at others, I was hungry for it. I wanted him to be kind at me. I feel like I got even more than I wanted, and my cup runneth over a little. But I'm just really happy and touched by this. I was concerned that maybe I'm hoping for too much and I'll be disappointed no matter what he writes. But it seems like he really understood how much this means to me and was willing to give me some of his kindness.
It really means a lot.

I think I'm going to save some money and go to a con myself and report from there. We'll see when and if I can actually afford that, but I'm not nervous anymore. I'm not anxious about meeting him. Obviously there's nothing to worry about. I feel really good about this.

16 comments:

Nicole Anell said...

The same video is posted twice (the Caprica.de one). I want to see the goodbye to the fans! :)

Nicole Anell said...

P.S. He's looking so gooood. *drools some more*

Deniselle said...

Oi! Thank you for pointing that out! My ctrl+C doesn't work sometimes. Or maybe I press it too fast bc I also had that problem w the old comp :D

It should work now. :) Very soft-spoken and sweet with the fans!

kixxa said...

HOT does not begin to describe this man. So gorgeous...with vests and scarves...and the ever present (please don't cut it) tousled hair.

:D

Nicole Anell said...

Guh, photos! Hair! Glasses! ...Scarf? LOL.

*melts*

WolfenM said...

Aweww, I;m so happy for you! I really, really hope you get to meet him someday!! And yes, I'm sure he was entirely sincere -- I was really struck by his sincerity when I met him. I met a few other celebs since this year, but the experience I had with him is still the best I've had. :)

Deniselle said...

Nicole, it's not an LOL scarf! It's an OMG gorgeous scarf. :D

Wolfie, I'm trying hard to not be a silly fangirl but he just LOOKS so touched and sincere, I'm almost letting myself believe he's really sorry to miss me. I'm also touched he's calling my note to him a gift too. Awww, James! (L)

*dies*

Elina said...

Oh. My. God. That's such a cool message from him!! He obviously gets your sense of humour! What a sweetheart!! I bet he was pleased and touched to see such heartfelt work put into your "gifts". :)

Lol I thought he means the cult in BSG. So you mentioned Jamus somewhere?

Deniselle said...

Elina, I KNOW. I am so excited!

And no, I didn't mention Jamus, LOL! :D I think he does mean the cult in BSG but it's so cute he added the "need I ask" bit :D :D

Anonymous said...

Hey there! Sorry I didn't reply/comment earlier. (I'm a little busy these days.)

First of all, I totally loved meeting James that night! He was just as gracious, soft-spoken, insightful, witty and handsome as one could hope for. Jolly James,the small audience of con veterans and the relaxed atmosphere of the well-run con made for a really lovely evening.

I asked the first question of the night (memories of first and last days on set), and I also asked him to share some stories about filming and preparing for "Taking a Break", which he happily did. Too bad I didn't get to talk him about Beginner's Luck.

Second, it was a great pleasure to be Deniselle's messenger and deliver her gifts. I explained their meaning, and he was happy to sign the paper ("...my cult? Membership has its privileges. Lots and lots of love always. James Callis xxx").

Afterwards, he signed the photo I selected for myself - the one with the most chest hair, as I told him. (I thought it was a nice joke, but I don't think he's very comfortable with such superficial comments.)

I hope I'll be able to send the stuff to you by the end of this week

Deniselle said...

Awww, there's MORE to it? That's so... :o :o

Best. Autograph. Ever. *dies some more*

"the one with the most chest hair, as I told him. (I thought it was a nice joke, but I don't think he's very comfortable with such superficial comments.)"

Eh, he isn't? (erases most of the blog content) Hee, I think he's just too modest about his body.

The con sounds so awesome. I almost wish I had taken a big loan and just gone. However, the autograph and the photos are SO GOOD that I almost feel like I was there.

Oh, James (L) (L)

Elina said...

He's so smallll..... ^^ sigh...

If he's the sweetheart I take him to be, no wonder he's uncomfortable with such appreciative comments. Anyone so intelligent yet humble would be.

Deniselle said...

Pedda, btw great questions! I look forward to hearing his answers and transcribing.

Elina, my theory is that he's flattered but tries to be humble about himself. So maybe it feels uncomfortable as a result. However, he's gotta know about his chest hair, why else would he show it off so much :D

Elina said...

Hmm, didn't think of that.. he DOES Show it off :D "What, you mean you can SEE it??!!"

Deniselle said...

"People LIKE this? I've done so much work to hide it!" :o What a shock!

:D

Tia said...

Do you know the make and model of the reading glasses James Callis wears? They are sooooooo hot! My boyfriend wants to buy a pair. Please let me know...Thank you.