Saturday, July 24, 2010

James Callis at San Diego Comic Con, 2010

Last updated on Thursday, 29th of July, 11:15 PM Finnish time.

Thursday update 2: Ooh, PanelJames x 4!!

We've got the entire panel up on Youtube! Yay! (Syfy seems to be posting full panel videos also, so probably soon, we'll have it in one piece.) I've embedded and linked in a separate post, because I want to transcribe and comment when I come back home. The post is here.

A couple of new photos as well: photo with a fan here - James was especially friendly, apparently (L) - and two more from the Syfy party here. Is he wearing the party suit with the cap in that fan photo? :D It's a lovely cap but come on.

Aand that's about it. I'm going away tomorrow and will be gone the weekend, so if there are updates during that time, I won't report them until Sunday. So if you're still hungering for more James con goodies, you're gonna have to hunt yourselves. It's possible the updates are done for now though. I didn't expect this much video footage - I'm very happy with what we got. A good con coverage online is almost like you were there, but without the crowds and lines and high prices.

Thursday update 1: Ooh, PanelJames.

Photos from the Eureka panel here!

His Coke can does seem sugary - also, it has some kind of soccer theme. So we can assume that in his life, James has seen the picture of a soccer ball. (Ehh?? How would he live in the UK without ever seeing one? That one was a bit strange even for me.)

I've decided that I love this cap. It's my favorite cap ever. It's cute, tiny, and makes him look boyish. Aww, CapJames. (that's Jaime Paglia next to him. His face looks even thinner than James'. That's quite unusual.)

Can't see a lot of other updates.. *skims thru Google search* Haha, someone's spelled Baltar as "Baltzar"... That's hilarious but I don't think there's anything worth noting in that link. Frankly I'm getting lazier as the days go by. It's almost been a week, after all. I will be away this weekend, so today's updates are the last ones for a while.

Wednesday update 4: One more for Wednesday.

A couple of photos of him here! Hee! I thought first he must be drunk, but I think it's just a silly pose, because he looks sober in the last one. And very stylish. I'm liking that black coat better than the white ones he had on. Somehow it goes well with his hair color/general look.

There have been quite a few updates today, haven't there? We'll see what tomorrow brings. If it doesn't bring anything new, I'm still happy with how much we got, especially the two interviews. Con time is always good, I get a whole new energy tracking down James updates.

Wednesday update 3: Another Interview! Yay!

Direct link here. It's not quite as long and squeeworthy as the other one, but he's adorable. The interviewer is a little fangushy, and James seems to take it in stride and be very nice. He's also a bit hot and touches his neck and/or hirsute chest a few times. Drool! (What is he drinking? I thought in the other int it might be ice tea, but it looks more like another Coke. I should have some myself, it's a hot day.)

My favorite bit is when the guy asks if Grant sees people that isn't there and James admits that does happen once, but not like on BSG. Hee! Well, Eureka has had ghosts and androids and god knows what, but I don't think they will have angels sent by god(s).

James mentions, as he did in the other int, that he's been Gaius for five years, so it's understandable that ppl write "I don't like him doing that", or "I didn't expect him to do this". Interesting. I mean, I've seen those comments, mostly on Twitter, but I didn't know he read that much. Maybe that's because I'm tired of reading the comments already, and prefer to look at what the James fans are saying, because we know him from other stuff too. He sounds confident though, and it seems like he thinks about not only the comments people write, but the reasons for those comments. It's a pretty empathetic way of dealing with criticism. I would probably be a little pissed off by now that so many people said my accent sucks.



In other news, Flickr seems to have some kind of tracking system for links, because well, check out the comments section again. :D Sorry about the crappy camera comment; I totally understand if it's the SCREEN that's distorting.

I almost feel like apologizing to Lomara for saying that his/her picture was the worst ever taken of James. I did get a good laugh.. and it's not thier fault the screens were bad. But it's a bad, bad picture still. So I'm not aplogizing.

Wednesday update 2: Random Thoughts on the Interview.

Some very cute panel pictures in this post.

Also:
This looks like a cool look, but the camera is too crappy to tell. (I can relate. I, too, have a crappy camera.)

James at the... is this at the panel? I thought it was at the Eureka screening. I also thought that was Salli Richardson-Whitfield, not Erica Cerra. Not to nitpick. But James looks cool either way. I love the way his hair falls over his ears. (L)! That's a very sexy shape.

I don't want to discuss the interview below (under EEEE!) in more detail yet, but it touches me how much he really thinks of the characters. "I had two days", and then he talks about watching 40's films, wanting to be a man's man, and how, after World War II, people had seen the best and worst of mankind. O.o

Cue this conversation on LJ where we talk about how cool it would be to have a James con - but instead of panels and autographs, it would be all... "what do you think of deep topics?" We'd just sit and listen as he talks about this stuff, and get an intellectual education. He has the intellect and that warmth behind it and it's just irresistable. I really think that I'd like a good conversation with James more than anything else - and that includes validation for my blog and general James kindness.

Wednesday update 1: It's already Wednesday in Finland.

Nothing big has shown up during Tuesday, after the *sparkle happy joy joy* interview. But a few nice photos:
James introducing the Eureka episode, here. He looks so happy and so does Salli R. Another view of the same situation. I love his expression here but it also kills me because I don't know what he said that was so funny.

And here's Salli talking and James looking on, looking attentive and kind.

Eureka panel! Setting up, the cap on, and fiddling with his microphone (to take it lower, hee). Why do I love it so when he has downcast eyes like that? It makes him look humble, and sensitive, and somehow very boyish. Awww.

And Nicole's not-at-all stalkerish picture of James' back (and some other people's) in her blog comments, here. (And I managed to squee at it too.) (What is he carrying?! What does his cap say in the back? Ah, mysteries and questions abound.)

There are so many aspects of the interview below that I want to discuss, so I will probably make a separate post about it soon. But it's so hot in here that I have to flee into airconditioned places and I don't always have internet there. So you know, I hope you can enjoy a James interview without my unique observations. ;)

Tuesday update 2: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Sorry for the screaming but there's a 7-MINUTE JAMES INTERVIEW HERE!!! So beyond cool! James talks about the accent - he's been reading people's responses and says it's funny that they don't "believe" him to be from the 40's but they do believe he's travelled in time. :D
He would have loved to keep the hat on all season! :D We all would have loved that, James.
I think I'll make a transcript of this later, because it's all really cool. Awesome.

Edit: ah, it's also on Youtube. So this is Maureen Ryan talking to James.




Oh, and look into comments, there's a note from the person who took the photos I linked to last night! James was apparently laughing, not trying to pose for the camera. And he linked me to this photo - LOL!! Watch out, Neil - James will eat you!

Also - this is not con-related but James is apparently in LA doing post-production. So here's a picture of him, re-recording lines in the studio. A man of sorrow? I think he must just be posing.

Tuesday update 1: The mystery of the cap - revealed.

Two new photos. Thoughtful, smiley boy. The smile looks almost a little overdone, like he's specifically posing for someone. But I always love his eye-squint when smiling. (L)! The color in these pictures is very good, so I'm assuming this photographer was sitting near James. (lucky bastard.) Also: chest hair!

The cap says IRONHEAD! But why? I googled "ironhead" and came up with nothing but motorcycles. Is James into that stuff? I knew Tricia and Katee are, but I didn't really associate that with James. It could be the caps are completely random, of course, but I'm curious.

The can of soda looks specifically sugary to me, being red at least at the top. Which is good, because I hate diet Coke. Um, not that I pick my soda simply based on James' preferences, or anything.

With these two mysteries unraveled, I'm about ready for bed.

Monday Updates 2: Quiet day.

Yeah, not many updates are coming in. It could be that, since he wasn't giving autographs or photos this time, there may not be a lot.

But he's being quoted from the panel, regarding why he joined Eureka. This site has a transcript of the answer. He wanted to do the role because of the challenge - the whole 1940's time travel thing. Which is also why I'm happy he did it. It's something new and exciting for the fans also, to see him like this. (Even if some people are - insert eyeroll here - already saying he's soo much like Baltar.)

And another version of the Twitpic we earlier saw: James posing with some other Eurekans, in this gallery. He looks happy and relaxed, like he loves these people. I'm glad. There's a positive energy about him in all these photos, and it feels good to see that. I feel like telling the Eureka people a big thank you for welcoming James like that. A few of them are on Twitter... OK, I just did it. I hope it's not odd.

Monday updates 1: Love you Nicole!

There are no updates. Except - a really big one in my LJ from Nicole_Anell who was there! YAY! So I've decided to use her whole response. (It's in public, so I'm sure she won't mind. -Right?)

* I guess you've seen some Saturday pics already - yellow hat, chest hair, drinking a soda (diet coke?), looking good. (I like him skinny, grr.) Also looked friendly with the other people on the panel, occasionally talking on the side to them and stuff.

LOL, I like his face skinny too! I just miss the belly. ;) Hmm, if it was diet soda, maybe that would explain the weight loss. I think he looked positively glowing with the Eureka people, and it felt good to see that. Like he feels right at home with them, friends already, something like the BSG cast. I suppose I didn't expect it yet!

* First of all, the moderator of the panel (Allison Scagliotti of Warehouse 13) was adorable and a total Callis fangirl. She introduced him with "You knew him as sexy Dr. Baltar on Battlestar, and now he plays sexy Dr. Grant." XD

:D :D!!! Honestly, so weird to hear so many people suddenly admit he's sexy! Have I ventured into a parallel universe where everybody loves James? I think I like it here.

* And again the first time she addressed him, she joked about "geeking out" that he was there and said, "There's something I've always wanted to say to you... (lowers voice, doing a Six imitation) Gaius... (normal voice) That's it!" LOL.

LOL!!! :D :D That is awesome.

* Let's see... he was asked a question about the fact he's doing another sci-fi show, and he said he wasn't looking to do sci-fi again but he really liked the character and the idea of him coming from the 1940s into the future.

That's the same reason that I like him doing it. That's awesome! (James and I are totally on the same wavelength about, well, everything. This just proves it.)

* The cast was asked something like "if you could change something about your character's reality, what would it be?" James was totally befuddled by the question and made a series of hilarious "...?" faces. The other panelists started joking about wanting to look younger, have more hair, etc. and he was like "I don't get this question at all. Like, for our characters?" Eventually he kinda realized that everybody was just giving silly answers, so he made a joke about wanting to keep his '40s car.

LMAO!!! :D :D Poor James, he always overthinks things. (I can relate.)

* The most he talked during the panel was a long riff he went on about the tone of the show. He admitted he used to look at the show as "simple" in the way the plots moved and stuff? But he has a lot more appreciation now for how they're all so quick and funny and it really is hard to do that kind of tone while also showing emotions, etc. And then in this Jamesy way he started talking about how the show is not just fun but kind, and it has this homey atmosphere of people being good to each other. And then he ended it like "unlike something else I've been involved in." (Which left me going UM, DID JAMES CALLIS JUST INSULT BSG? for a minute or two, but I think it came out a little worse than it was intended, lol.)
Awww. :D Kindest guy in the world wants to be on a kind show. I don't think he meant to insult BSG. Probably he meant that on BSG, people were petty and showed their most negative sides. (Which I'd call realism in that situation, but if the show were set on Caprica before the fall, they may not be that way.) Or he could even have meant that Baltar often wasn't nice to others, or others to him. He had to play a universally hated character for a few seasons, after all.

I wonder if James has a much more rosy view of human nature than Ron D Moore. He probably does, coming to think of it. That's fascinating. Maybe he should do more "feel-good" shows, because he probably has that kind of sweet-yet-naïve side that wishes we could all just be friends.

* Funny moment I'm not sure I can really explain: They were mentioning a story about the actor who plays Zane (who wasn't there), and Jaime the show creator joked that he wasn't sure whether to believe it or not because he heard it from Gaius Baltar. The guy who plays Fargo confirmed it, and James did a comically snotty voice: "Yeah, now you've heard it from Fargo" and stuck his tongue out at him like a five-year-old. Heee. It got a big laugh.

LOL!!! :D :D Don't worry, it sounds really funny.

* As you already heard, yes, he revealed that his "name was in the mix" for Eleven on Dr. Who, but he implied he was reluctant to do it right after BSG. Wow.

Wow. O.o In one way, I feel like saying DO IT JAMES DO IT!!! On another level (;)), I dunno. If he does BSG-FlashForward-Eureka-Dr Who, that's a lot of sci fi for one career. He should really do something else in between. But Dr Who is, I hear, a solid show, and it would probably be a good choice in that sense. I know he'd rock it - oh DO IT JAMES DO IT!!!

* A little moment but you'd probably appreciate it. A bunch of the Eureka writers were standing in the room and the creator was acknowledging them by name. When he was trying to remember if he was leaving anyone out, James jumped in with another name. I thought it was sweet that he JUST joined the show this year but he knows all the writers' names. :D

Awww!!! :D :D He really cares about the people he works with. *Snuggle*!!!! Kindest Guy in the World.

* Lots of "on that level", "in some sense", etc. XD

LOL!! :D :D He didn't use them so much in the latest interviews so I thought he had kicked the habit! Maybe it's creeping back in, like addictions tend to do. ;)


Sunday updates part 3. Slim pickings, slimmer James.

OK, this LJ has the WireImages in bigger size. Very stylish indeed. Mmmm. I still can't decide if I like him better with or without glasses. And - hmm. Maybe he's actually lost some weight since the Eureka pictures, because his belly doesn't look at all remarkable here. He's not skinny but he looks more like last summer. It's a good look, but... Oh well, I'll always have Eureka. (I reserve the right to call him James Cuddles though, unless he's completely skinny.) This is my last word. I won't go back anymore. I promise. :D

From the press roundtable. (We can probably expect some interview snippets soon!) He looks a bit depressed here, but maybe it's just the effort of trying to hear what they're saying. That room was noisy. I know because I tried to watch a Colin Ferguson interview, and the background noise was pretty distracting.

Sunday updates Part 2: Slim pickings.

WireImages has two pictures of James here, but you apparently have to purchase them to see the bigger size. Anyhow, in the thumbnails: stylish in black, and we've got English gentleman glasses! (I wonder about those glasses. Does he really need them? If so, does he wear contacts most of the time? I'm an all-glasses kind of girl, but I know many people prefer contacs.)

I must say his con getup was all stylish this time. Even the cap looked new and good. No too-tight boy next door shirt; no trucker chic. I'm impressed! I love his "white shirt with rolled-up sleeves" panel style, as well. Kind of between casual and formal wear.

From the panel: James talking. You can see him twice in this picture but both angles are a bit off. But still, he looks happy and kinda wistful. Oh James. (L)

The updates are simmering down now. Live tweets and twitpics are pretty much done for, and the con people will be sleeping for some more hours. I think I'm off duty and going out for a good con-celebratory meal. If I can pry myself off the comp. *pries*

Sunday Updates Part 1: Con hangover. (And I wasn't even there.)

This will be the last time I stay up til 4 looking for updates. The last time! Ever! It wasn't worth it since the updates don't come that quickly. I dissolved into a puddle of stupid jokes in the end. Here's one: James Callis walks into a bar. The bartender says "What will it be?" James says: "As Shakespeare once said - a beer please!" ..Yeah. I was that tired.

So the updates. There are some beautiful, beauitful photos on Flickr. But before that - and I thought I'd never say this - a remarkably UGLY picture of James. He looks so bad in this one, horsefaced and...unnatural. I know what happened here: the photographer was watching a screen, and was in a slanted angle to it, and somehow that made his face look odd. But I mean, is this really worth sharing? He looks positively EVIL. I showed it to my girlfriend and she laughed and laughed and then linked to this. So you know it's bad. Sorry, James. You're not remotely horsefaced in reality.

OK, onto the actually good pictures. The Eureka screening - James apparently got on stage. Charming smile, standing in the back. Looking very stylish indeed. (And chubby. Why was I worried about that? James Cuddles! (L)) Anybody know what he was saying?

A couple of panel pictures in this stream. Swoon, he looks dreamy! And friendly and happy. Plus chest hair! His cap seems to read... something HEAD. (Union head?) Hee - and also what? I wonder why he chooses to wear caps for cons. It's a fascinating part of his image.

A photo from the goodbye party! James with @BambolaBambina aka Alessandra Torresani (from Caprica): dapper in a black suit. With a really tall guy next to him. It always emphasizes how cute and tiny he is.

Nabbing a few tweets from Sproing, because she seems to adore James and is thus sane.

Will James be on Doctor Who? - not sure! #eureka
  1. James: hanging out with these guys is like hanging out with a bunch of comedy writers. #sdcc #eureka
  2. James and @neilgrayston wondering what's making so much noise in 6A behind them. #sdcc #eureka
People asked him about Doctor Who again? ...but he said "not sure" instead of "no"? O.o Maybe he will be on the show! Wouldn't get my hopes up just yet though.

LilFerret: @gatedialer OMGOMG He was asked about Dr. Who, and he said he WAS approached...

O.o!!! He was approached! That's... What if he really does it? wow. I've never watched the show but I hear it's GOOD.

Also - lots of people are loving the way he looks! It feels new and unexpected, yet exciting. There are some comments about how as Baltar, he wasn't sexy at all (what?) but now as Dr Grant, yum!

No real details aside from those yet, but there seems to be a buzz that James will stick around for a while - and that may be very, very promising. As in 20 episodes rather than 10 promising, but then not everyone knew he was doing more than a few eps. *trying not to get my hopes up* This sounds good though:

James Callis is sticking around for the rest of the season of Eureka. I’m happy about that! The show runners emphasized that they don’t want to change the world back, which personally I’m glad.

Yay!! That might mean he's there for good. :) And I can honestly say after seeing some - I'm happy, and he really fits the show well.

On a less James-related note:

They had to drag Colin off the stage. Wow!

I was hoping Colin would have been drunk or stoned and there was some drama. But in fact, the panel was just ending. Sigh. (My girlfriend was particularly disappointed. Can you blame her? She listened to my increasingly sleepy/ditzy comments about James updates with remarkable patience.)

Saturday updates

A new photo: the panel is starting. James is ready with his cap (a new one!) and his sunglasses and chest hair. And what appears to be another Coke can! Hee!
And.. he looks thinner to me again. Damn. See, I keep going back and forth and I have to stop doing this. Someone once said to me that I pester him with pictures of the fat guy in Ace of Base like, "Does he look thinner or fatter? I must know. These photos were taken five minutes apart." I'll try to focus on other aspects. (Chest hair. Coke. Hair. Mmmm.)

I may have to give up and go to bed, because LA time is so far away from Finnish time. So don't expect panel details just yet.

Jaimepaglia Tweeted a few photos from the "Café Diem" at Comic Con:

http://tweetphoto.com/34627289Hanging at Cafe Diem with Allison Scagliotti from WH13, James Callis and Neal Grayston.
And here's the other one, where James seems to be something funny to Neil! (He can stand still for a photo, but not TWO of them! ;)) He looks like he's having fun and feeling at home with these people. Aww. Also: the white shirt and coat (beige? off-white?) look pretty stylish. Not a bad con look!

Just a few things, not real updates:
-James has been spotted circulating the floor in "various disguises" but the source didn't specify WHICH ones and now I've lost the link. He could be anyone! This is too exciting! Edit: oh, there it is! We want PICTURES of James in disguise!

-If you want to send a question to the Eureka panel, you can do that on Twitter: Use the hashtag #ScagsEurekaPanel.

I asked how James came up with his accent, although I want to ask so many more things. "What were you eating at Café Diem just now?" Or... "Do you always have your cigarette in the left side of your mouth?" Or some other, censored questions... :D But really, I won't bombard them with silly question ideas. I'm not sure how many people are going to ask stuff, so they won't have time for everyone.

Two photos posted by SyFy on twitter. These are from last night.
James waiting for the screening of episode 3, All the Rage! He has such a mischievious look on his face. Hee!
Other observations:
-His hair is longer.
-He has the trademark sunglasses on his head.
-I think he's still chubby. Yip yip yip! OK, I'll try to be really calm about this. Really really calm. *tries very hard* Ooh he's so cuddly! He's like James Cuddles! I'd love to cuddle with him! Eeeeee. :D :D :D

And the Eureka cast eating at Café Diem. Looks like James has Coke again! But what is he eating? Something orange - and high... Looks mysterious. Others are having soup and salad, so I'm guessing this is the starter, not the main course. So it's probably not a strangely orange hamburger. If you have any guesses, please post in comments.

Either way: he is wearing suspenders!!! :D Why so! It's just unbearably cute.

10 comments:

Eddy Dughi said...

Hey, thanks! I really appreciate all of your work into this matter. I was seeing so many great photos of other actors from Comicon (because uh, those actors all have twitter) and was dying to know what James was up to.

Deniselle said...

Thanks! :) I'm glad you're finding it useful. I'm a bit of an enthusiast, so I may as well but my obsession to good use when he does a con.

I think it's about time someone gets a Twitter account. Someone British, who rhymes with "Sallis". ;)

igowerf said...

Hi! I'm the guy who took those two photos of James Callis. I was actually sitting about nine rows away from him with a telephoto lens. :)

He's actually not posing in the smiling shot. I think I just caught him while he was laughing, so it looks exaggerated.

Also, you might like this photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/igowerf/4830479375/in/photostream/
I don't remember what was happening at the time, but it makes for kind of a funny photo.

Deniselle said...

Oh hi! And LOL!!!! at that other picture! I think he's trying to eat Neil! ;)

Oh, if he was laughing, then it's not exaggerated at all. If he were posing, it would look almost a little scary :D

Nicole Anell said...

>>James at the... is this at the panel?

No, you're right, it's the screening. They didn't go up to the main microphone during the panel. Also, Wil Wheaton is there. :)

Inland Empirical said...

LOL! My camera's not crappy. Blame the photographer. It's actually a photo of the screen and not the man himself.
Thanks so much for linking my Flickr. Your blog was a pleasant discovery for me this morning.

Unknown said...

I saw my photo you used (which is fine) and thanks very much for clarifying a few things -- don't know how I missed naming the wrong star - Salli Richardson-Whitfield - and that this was indeed a Eureka SCREENING. At least I got Wil Wheaton right. Right? Thanks, Jim -

Unknown said...

Hi, thanks for clarifying my photo! Yes that was Salli Richardson-Whitfield, and yes that was a Eureka screening. Oops! I shot a lot of masquerade shots if you want to check my Flickr page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scotman/sets/72157624606445066/

Deniselle said...

Heh, well, you were probably too star struck after the con and all. Almost got a little con feverish here too. Nice photo! :)

Two stars right out of three is not bad. ;)

Deniselle said...

... I think Blogger was messing sth up so you submitted two comments? Well, let me know if you want me to delete either one.