Another report from Collectormania, everyone seems to have been there except for me. This one is from a person who got to spend two days sitting next to John Rhys-Davies! I can imagine worse ways of spending time…
One of my dearest friends, Judith, lives in Milton Keynes and I was visiting her this weekend. As part of that visit we went to see Collectormania 3, where we arranged to meet up with other friends who wished to go to this event. To cut a long and boring story very short, I ended up being introduced to one of the organisers and my services were solicited for the following day, Sunday.
At 8.30am on Sunday morning I duly attended to be allocated my duties. I anticipated being on the end of an autograph queue handing out tickets or running errands. Imagine my surprise, delight and pleasure when I was asked to be John Rhys-Davies’ assistant for the day!
There I was sandwiched between JRD and Bruce Hopkins (Gamling).
John arrived at 10.00am and without any preamble started to sign. That man is amazing. He refused to take a break (not even for the bathroom) and although I managed to acquire three or four coffees throughout the day, he didn’t drink most of them because he was too busy. He objected when “staff” members tried to sneak things in for signing, insisting that the fans had been queuing for ages and should come first, although he happily signed for “staff” and helpers after the public had left. He had time for everyone and complied to all requests for photographs etc. If someone asked for a photo but their camera wasn’t ready (either still in it’s case or not wound-on etc), then he would saunter up the queue and entertain the crowd before meandering back to have his picture taken.
At the end of the day when the centre had closed and everyone had departed, John was asked by one of the staff if there was anything he needed before he had to go to the Two Towers presentation and Indiana Jones presentation. Can you believe he took my hand, looked into my eyes and asked if I would be his assistant the following day (Monday)! How could a girl refuse?
So on Monday, instead of heading home and missing all the holiday weekend traffic, I spent a second day sitting next to one of the most popular men at the event.
I note that JRD’s birthday has been and gone and no mention has been made on your website. For your information it was John’s birthday yesterday (5th May) and he was 59.
Okay here I really need to cut in for a brief second. Contrary to popular belief we did post about John’s birthday [here]. Over the past few days we have been swamped with emails telling us we forgot, but in all honestly: how could we? John Rhys-Davies is like 7 feet tall so we are a little bit afraid of the consequences.. Anyway, please people: check the frontpage first before emailing us about things we forgot. -leo
You may like to know that when presented with a picture of Gimli sitting on an Orc smoking a pipe (the picture that appears in The Two Towers companion), John said that this scene is in the extended edition DVD.
Also, I took the opportunity to ask John about the scene in the chapter “Flotsam & Jetsam” (in Return of the King) when the three hunters finally catch up with Merry & Pippin who are eating, drinking & smoking. Sadly, John says they didn’t film anything like that!
Ali the Brun
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Nikki writes: I was at Collectormania in Milton Keynes in the UK yesterday. I thought it would be great to send it to you as i also have a few pics to share!
Here it is hope you enjoy!
[Click here for the images!]
Ok the day started early for my nephew (Kyle) and I, up at 6am to get ready to catch the train to London at 8am. Got into Victoria and then with a hop, skip and a jump to Victoria Coach Station, we boarded our coach and was on our way to sunny Milton Keynes! Billy here we come WAHOO! We got the ‘park and ride bus’ from Milton Keynes coach station that took us directly to central Milton Keynes and dropped us right outside the ‘Middleton Hall’ entrance where Collectormania was being held. By this time I was more excited than Kyle on a sugar rush and couldn’t wait to get in there! We literally ran into the centre and into a massive crowd of people…………….honestly guys….it was heaving with masses of likeminded geeks! LOL
Kyle and I walked all the way round the outside of the exibit, to get our bearings and then made our way over to the very tall, muscular, handsome Mr Sala Baker, he was more than happy to pose for pics with my nephew and I , wow my first encounter and I had been touched by the hand of Sauron! Whoa!!! Unfortunately the pic of me and him together came out pants as his ‘assistant’ took it, poor love had pretty shaky hands! We then scooted round to get tickets for the signings – let me explain this procedure – in order to get to see the main celebs you had to collect a ticket and then wait for your number to come up before you could go and see them. Sort of like at the Deli counter in a supermarket LOL. We got tickets for John Rhys Davies (350), Billy Boyd (475) and Andy Serkis (372) Kyle and I knew it was going to be hours before we managed to see these lovely men so we decided to take a walk round the stalls upon stalls of movie memorabilia. You could practically smell ‘Geek and Nerd’ in the air as we were pushed and shoved from stall to stall, people were packed in so tight! Oh yes and a small pet hate of mine………pushchairs………lots of em………highly unpractical, they should have been banned from entering the exhibition as they were causing a lot of congestion!
Next we went to see Mr Bruce Hopkins, Gamling in LOTR, he was lovely and quite happily posed for pics with both my nephew and I and also as an added bonus after the signing had finished my nephew spotted him, as we were sitting taking a breather (yet again I was on the phone to my friend Maddie at the time!) So kyle went over to him to get an autograph, and he happily signed, Maddie suggested to me that I should get one too and as he walked back my way I called him over and he signed for me too…..what a complete sweetie as he had been there all day signing and must have been dying to get back to his hotel to relax!
I then took a deep breath (‘Took’ gettit lol) and went to see Mr Boyd. Now at this point, I think it was about 1.30pm (really can’t remember guys) Billy was still on ticket number 50 -100 but I had to go take a peep at the wild Scottish honey! *sigh* what can I say………….he looked more than fine, he looked gorge, wearing faded out (especially in the bottom….sorry but I couldn’t HELP but notice!) jeans and a black shirt, he has had very subtle blonde highlights put in his hair which really brings out those twinkling green eyes of his *sigh… pant…. thud* Well I hung around close to where Billy was sitting and I kept my eye out for an opening in the crowd, when I noticed one I shot in and was literally 3 feet away from him, camera in hand I called his name and he looked at me and I said ‘Can I have a photo darlin’ and he smiled and said ‘Course you can darlin’ and I snapped away said ‘thank you’ and then walked away on a cloud to call Maddie and tell her! Billy amazed me…he was constantly animated and seemed completely genuine with the masses of people that descended on him…being Billy, as a copper approached him for an autograph, he looked up and said ‘What have I done!….I thought you’d come to arrest me then!’ The crowd chuckled with laughter and Billy beamed that charming boyish smile! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to have time and get my autograph from Billy as he was so great with the crowds and took his time with people that the clock get the better of him and he had to leave with out getting to my number…..but I will catch him at the London premiere of ROTK for a scribble…however I am very happy as he spoke to me.
Elijah would have loved it here, Star Wars memorabilia was every where, old and new. Along with original movie props, costumes (Austin Powers crushed Velvet Jacket from ‘Goldmember’ *Squee*) and of course tons of Lord Of The Rings memorabilia (a lot of which I hadn’t seen before…. I picked up a little pressie for our dear Maddie (posting it tomorrow love, watch out for it!) and my nephew was happy with his various purchases of ‘Dragonball Z’ memorabilia.
Unfortunately I didn’t get in to see Andy Serkis either, I guess not being there to get a ticket dead on 9am didn’t help but I got a few pics of the lovely guy and he was great with the kids, doing his ‘Gollum’ voice on demand much to their delight!
At a little after 3.30pm I made my way to the BHS restaurant in the centre to meet up with members of BillyBoyd.net, let me tell you those are some fun loving ladies and were so welcoming seeing as I am not a strong participating member on the site, they are a lovely bunch and a credit to Mr Boyd!
The only bad thing about the day was my feelings on charging for autographs…..I was really disappointed in this, the celebs themselves were fine posing for pictures without you purchasing autographs but the assistants were a bit testy if you didn’t, which I found a bit off-putting, promotion is promotion at the end of the day and it was truly a long day for all! I was just left wondering where all those £15 went to? Was it appearence fees? Was some going to the shopping centre? Enquiring minds want to know!
My final words…………I am so pleased I went but wished others could have been there to experience it with me (and Kyle) It was a wonderful day and I got very close to some amazing people that I admire greatly! I had a complete blast and will definitely be going next year, hopefully with a merry band of EMCers! My last thoughts……..Billy is a fox and I SAT ON GIMLI’S KNEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[Click here for the images!]
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OBI-WAN360 writes:
Hello Guys, the following is a full report on the Audience with Sir Ian McKellen on Sunday 4th May;
The first star of the evening was the venue. This was the first time that I had visited The Space, and found out that it used to be a chapel for sailors around the Isle of Dogs, which has since been converted into a performance space for the local community. The result is a really intimate setting, ideal for a show such as last nights. Many of Ian’s personal posters of theatre productions, photos – including one of Gandalf with a tank you from Peter and Fran decorated the walls.
We were in for a real treat.
Mr McKellen arrived arms full to bust with book’s and goodies, which were handed out during the evening as prizes to those who were the fasted to answer questions thrown out to the audience. Ian started by talking about the Lord of the Rings, and as if by magic produced various props used in the films. There was one of the lizard door handles from Saruman’s Orthanc set, the normal sized keys of bag end which Ian used, and the large scale keys that Ian Holm and Elijah used. There was also a knife, fork and spoon set again both in regular and large scale sizes. To the audiences astonishment they were handed out to be passed back and forth for all to look at. Although such small details in the films, the workmanship and detail was top notch.
When talking about, and answering questions on his role as Gandalf, Ian read two extracts from the fellowship of the ring, the first was from a ‘Long Expected Party’ and the second from ‘The Bridge of Khazard-dum’. The reading of the second passage was fantastic, every essence of Gandalf’s spirit was on display, commanding the hairs on the back of the audiences necks to stand to attention when he shouted ‘You cannot pass!’. Ian read from his copy of the book that he used on set, and told us that this was stuffed into Gandalf the Greys costume when shooting scenes – so if you see a bulge in Gandalf’s pocket you know what it is.
A young lady who had travelled from America asked Ian what the situation was with the possible Hobbit TV serial. Ian told the audience that he had suggested to New Line that a full translation of the hobbit could be possible, aired on TV and spanned over a year, the young lady replied by saying that that was why she was here, and had a full screen play drafted for Ian to look at. The young lady did indeed show her work to Ian at the end of the evening, who knows, maybe the Hobbit is closer than we think.
Ian told us that he is due to return to New Zealand for 4 weeks of ADR, re-shoots and two new scenes that Peter and Fran have penned for Gandalf.
Ian also discussed his part in the X-Men films, and his long and illustrious stage career with the RSC.
The evening closed with a small auction to raise funds for The Space and an autograph signing. Ian had so much time for everyone, writing an Autograph or posing for a photo was no trouble at all, he even threatened to show us his tattoo. Brian Sibley also attended and was as always very approachable. All in all the evening was very informal, everyone was relaxed and everyone appeared to have enjoyed the evening leaving happy.
Fantastic.
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Billy Boyd, Andy Serkis, Bruce Hopkins, Sala Baker and John Rhys-Davies answer questions at Collectormania 2003
Just incase you don’t have enough Collectormania reports yet 😉 – Here is a fuller account of the pre movie (FoTR) screening chat that took place on Saturday – as close as we can recall it – though Irascian’s great report already covers most of it
Q: Billy ,will you sing The Drinking Song for us?
Billy Boyd (BB): I can’t remember the words – it was four years ago! You sing it – and I’ll join in (rendition of Hey Ho … by everyone with Billy joining in on the last line only *s*)
Q: What is your favourite line for your character?
Andy Serkis (AS) (in Gollum voice) Muuuuuuuuuuuuuurdererrr!!!
Sala Baker (SB): I’ll spoil things for you now – I don’t actually do Sauron’s voice
BB: I think the one line that sums up Pippin’s character in the movie “Where are we going?”
Q: (BY Andy Serkis) I’ve got a question …how many of you have watched FoTR more than 5 times? (show of hands) …question keeps going up to “100 times” with still hands being raised ..
AS: And how many of you with your hands up have actually got lives?!!
Q: (to cast) And how many times have you watched it?
(general consensus around 7 times each)
Q: Billy, what did you enjoy most about filming?
BB: Andy Serkis and Sala Baker! (should be noted at this stage JRD and Bruce had not joined them) – but in some ways that’s true – it was the friends you made, a different experience you know – an experience that will stay with all of us the rest of our lives.
Q: Billy, can you tell us about making the SEE DVD Commentary? Did you enjoy making it? – and shouts of – Were you really naked?!!
BB: I was naked There were women there There was drink Make an awwwwww out of that!
(in comment to the fact that he’d been getting many an awwwwww! response to previous replies)
No – it was a riot! We had such a fun day. I don’t know if everybody knows this, but everybody wasn’t there on the commentary – because it sounds like that I think. The four hobbits were together – but it was a real real laugh – trying to hold in the laughter ..from something Dom had said – a riot.
Q: Are you doing the same for Two Towers?
BB: We’ve already done it!
AS: I did mine with Elijah and Sean.
BB: I did mine with Dom
SB: I didn’t do one
Audience (awwww!)
Q: Andy, can you show us how you do your Gollum voice?
AS: Well everyone kind of knows roughly what it was based on, don’t they?
Audience call-out: Tolkien!
AS: Tolkien? ! ….. I was actually working on my voice condition (trying to perfect method causing minimum pain to throat) and my cat Biz(?) came into the kitchen and …(tells story of fur balls and demonstrates how that turns into “Gollum! Gollum!”
***JRD and BRUCE ENTER***
John Rhys-Davies (JRD): All I can say is – never share the same photograph with Billy Boyd! The photograph is with Treebeard – and Billy Boyd gets to write his damn name all over it …and I get my own back by writing something like “Billy gets a free ride again!”
Q: Billy, are you still close to the other hobbits?
BB: Ummm …yeah. We see each other all the time – I saw Dom 2 days ago and whenever I’m in America I try to catch up with Sean and Elijah.
Audience call-out: Is he back then?
BB: Dom?…. is he back in London? Spivs?
BB: He’s just finished Spivs. He’s doing another film now …err called …ummm… Terminator (since he can’t or wont tell!) … or something!
Q: Does the song called Sweat mean anything to any of you?
BB – Oh gawd! ….I was in a film a while back (Julie and the Cadillacs) and …well We’ve all got to pay the rent!
Q: If you could play any other character in the movies, apart from your own, what would it be?
BB: (to JRD) – well you play most of the characters!
JRD: Oh I guess I would probably play ..Legolas!
Q: Billy are you coming to RingCon in Germany this year?
BB: I don’t know – probably not this year.
Q: (to JRD about how he coped with having fresh prosthetics applied to his damaged skin)
JRD: Well you get to the point where there’s no skin left …and where it’s applied it just starts to dissolve.
Audience: Awwwww!
Bruce Hopkins (BH): Now that WAS worth an awwww!
Q: (to Bruce about how it was to work with horses)
BH: It was good – you know, not having been a horse rider. Gamling kind of evolved. I turned up for a few days shooting and they said we like what is happening here and we’ll teach you some more stuff and they hadn’t actually asked me – Do you ride?!! So they sent me off for a few days riding school before we started shooting some more. I was galloping through forests with Karl Urban and it was great.
Q: Were you happy with the Oscars?
BH: General opinions about the fact that Part Three will gain the awards …
JRD: Well there sure as hell wont be a Part 4!
BH: I was in LA for the first time this year around the awards ceremony and you kind of get the impression that they like to see their own films do well.
Q: What are your future plans?
BB: I’m going to go and eat some chicken!
SB: I’m going with him
JRD: I’ll probably end up with the feathers!
Q: I’ve been watching the behind the scenes commentary on the Extended DVD – where did Dom and you get the inspiration for your handshake?
BB: Like most things between Dom and I it isn’t in fact a real thing – there is no handshake – we just made it up! If somebody asked me to do it now, I wouldn’t know how to.
Q: When you were doing the actual audio (ie ADR) for the characters, and you weren’t actually playing the role – how did you actually get into the character?
BH: You’ve got a screen. It was a real joy for me – I don’t know what it was like for you guys: you’ve probably done a lot more work in films – but Peter Jackson has a cinema that he had built, and you put your cans on and you’re looking at yourself up on the screen – it’s sort of like watching yourself here – and you lip-synch – and it’s pretty big – it’s there and you get a sense of what that memory was, filming that moment.
Q: Is it hard to get back into it?
AS: (speaks for a bit on how the animators helped with the Gollum ADR process) Every single line in both the films was recorded maybe a year, or two years after the scenes were shot. Not a lot of the original sound could be used in the shots – because of things like wind machines.
Q: (To JRD) How difficult was it to voice two characters
JRD: Well there are DIFFERENT characters. – (went on to say something along the lines of the advantage of not having to be talking to yourself …using different voices – then started to mimic Gollum/Smeagol argument looking over at Andy)
JRD *eggs Andy on* – “c’mon Andy!”
Andy *puts on booming accent* “And this is my Gimli voice!” (very good 😉 )
Q: Andy – would you like to have played Jar Jar Binks
AS: No! I was quite happy playing Gollum.
Q: What’s the worst thing you’ve had to do for a movie?
(Billy answers about wearing the hobbit feet)
(Bruce says something about having to chain smoke in a short film – when he is a non-smoker in real life)
Q: On the set of LoTR you did a lot of extreme sports – which was your favourite?
JRD: Speaking as someone who’s brought back FIIIIVE boats to England…mine surely wasn’t bungee-jumping!
BB: Mine was surfing
JRD: Any guys here? Girls in the room can switch off – put clothes together while I talk to the men – I have the record as the World’s worst fisherman! In New Zealand the fish laughed so much at me they actually committed seppuku!
Q: Did you get any props from the set?
JRD: Well the hobbits were really good at stealing things!
AS: Well I’ve just got back from NZ, and Orlando was finishing his last set for LoTR …and it was quite emotional and Peter presented him with his Legolas Bow.
Q: What about the rest of you?
BB: Well we can’t really because we haven’t finished yet?
Q: When you are going back ?
BB: I think we are going back at the end of May
JRD: ..May…June? …July?
SB: 14th May (for himself)
Q: Billy, when filming the firework scene did you really wet yourself?
BB: I did NOT wet myself!! …..(then after much laughter) …oh OK I did pee myself!
Q: There’s been rumours that Peter Jackson will direct The Hobbit, is that true?
Many shrugs
BH: Well King Kong is looming for him now so that will keep him busy.
Q: Is there anything you wish your character could have done in the movie, that they did in the book?
JRD: Oh dozens of things!
BB: I’d have liked to have done the bath scene!
BH: The scene where Gamling transforms into Legolas!
JRD: …the early DEATH of Legolas!
Q: Was it hard working on your knees all the time?
JRD: Do you mean before getting the job, or after?!!
B: It’s funny because the Hobbits and John could do scenes together – because height wise it’s correct – because dwarves are slightly taller than hobbits . So when we did scenes together it was fine but as soon as someone else popped in .. urghhh – on your knees! …or do some blue-screen.. Or do something …
AS: (interrupts) – Oh my heart bleeds!
Q: what’s the best thing about NZ?
JRD: The whole experience – they are awfully nice people
(Bruce and Sala start congratulating each other)
They have a “can-do” culture. (expands along the lines of if there’s a problem having to fix it – being on their own – having to make, having to manufacture etc – true of the Maori culture…)
BH: there’s a phrase in NZ called the “No 8 Wire” – it’s a wire used to mend fencing in farming. But basically if anything needs fixing you “stick on some No 8 wire” …and that’s probably a phrase that sums up what John is talking about.
JRD: Basically it’s a lovely. lovely country. The standard of living in NZ is actually, I think, quite low. The standard of about the lower middle-classes in London in the 1970s. But the QUALITY of life is completely unparalleled – everyone should go there.
Q: Are we going to enjoy the third part of the trilogy as much as we‘ve enjoyed the first two?
JRD: Take a big handkerchief!
AS: Peter has said it’s going to be the best film and John is always saying you’ve got to raise your expectations and that’s true.
JRD: My bet is on an Academy Award nomination for at least Sean Astin . There will be other nominees of course but I hotly predict ….get your early money on now! An Academy Award nomination for at least Sean Astin!!
Q: How did you get into acting?
JRD: Well my degree is in English – which is what you do if you’re no good at Maths and lousy at learning languages. – I’m an actor by default.
BB: I went to drama school.
BH: I was a dancer – suddenly discovered I was going to be a Dad – with one of the other dancers – We didn’t want to be in a touring dance company, touring around a lot – so I got a role in a musical and then got offered a job as an actor.
AS: (along lines of went to college to do art ….had to take a second subject so took Film Studies – so he could do set design then fell into the acting side of productions)
SB: From being a stuntman.
Q: Billy, are you planning to be more theatre?
BB: I’m thinking about doing something, maybe in August.
Q: Will you put the details on your website?
BB: Yeah I will do.
Q: What’s the most stupid question you’ve ever been asked?
BB: Billy – We were doing a press interview, for the junket, I think – and she asked me “What part do you play in the movie?” – and this was for Two Towers. And I said “Pippin” and she went “oh right, will you be playing that in the second one?” …..“No…I was thinking about being Frodo in the next one”!!
AS: I got asked, again in the press junket – “so, did you actually have to go to NZ to do it?” What did she think – I stayed at home and just went *insert guttural noise here* down the telephone?!
JRD: My favourite one was when we did an interview at the Cannes Film Festival – they put us in groups and so I ended up with Viggo and Sean Bean and the lovely Sophie from Television France was the interviewer – and she was very blasé ..and very beautiful – VERY beautiful – and she looked at Viggo and at me and she said “Well personally, I’m a woman and there’s not much for women in this movie. Then she looks at Viggo and says Noooooo….and looks at me and …Nooooo – then she looks at Sean and says “Ahhhh! Sean – tell me …now, as a woman, tell me – how you would seduce me” ..I’ve never seen Sean look so embarrassed in all my life. And Viggo and I were going Yeah!!! Go on!!!
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