Chicago convention!

[lifelongfling]

In bullet-point. This is what has stuck with me since the convention, so there is more, especially from Michael, Don and Beau, I just can't remember it. And some stuff probably won't be that funny to you unless you were there. Sorry 'bout that.

And I swear this will be the last post about the convention!



Dan Payne

• The ratchet - watching as they did unsuccessful stunt tests with sandbags and things that equaled his weight, which then proceeded to bust open upon the test - “That won’t happen to you. We think.”
• Coined the term “uber-wraith” in reference to the wraith he played in Sateda.
• Was “buried alive” for the filming of Death Knell and ended up having to hold his breath in the super soldier costume for almost 3 minutes while filming was taking place. I just watched Death Knell with the audio commentary today and Peter DeLuise actually apologizes to him for not thinking his “burial” through all the way and not giving him a snorkel or something.
• Walked around Vancouver in his super soldier costume.
• While I was in line waiting for my photo-op with him, I was turned to the wall putting something in my purse. I heard, “aww man, is this the line?” I turned around and Dan was standing right next to me. He’s very tall.
• For my photo-op with him, he picked me up for the picture. He was at the convention the whole weekend and on Sunday after I had gotten the photo back, I showed it to him and thanked him because I love the picture and as I was about to walk away from the table that had been set up for him and Alex he said “I’ll sign that for you” so I have my photo with Dan signed now.

Alex Zahara

• Fell asleep on the table during the filming of Spirits, Amanda Tapping woke him up - “Alex, you’re snoring!”
• Wasn’t recognized by RDA after filming was over for Spirits when he was out of his make-up and costume and had to make the little slit things over his face with his fingers in order for him to know who he was.
• Insisted on personalizing the autographs for those of us who paid for them, since they weren’t included in the gold ticket package. He was like, “While I’m signing I want you to tell me a little bit about yourself. I don’t want to just sign my name.”

Cabaret

• Alex and Dan are hilarious on stage together.
• They had written “SG-Fun”, a new series. Apparently if you only change a few letters, it’s not copyright infringement.
• They picked people out of the audience; well Cliff picked people out of the audience, to play the characters, Colonel Love Seals (O’Neill), Too Damn Attractive (Daniel), Major Heart Flutters (Sam), Tom Cruz (Teal’c) and Lord Tool Box (Anubis), along with a super soldier and Brad, who was Michael from 1969 after moving to Canada to avoid the draft. The audience was Tool Box’s army, because he couldn’t be a Lord without an army, so anytime anyone said the word “army” we got to participate. The roles were occasionally recast when the person wasn’t doing a good job. “We need people who can read!”
• The story was that SG-Fun went to a new planet where they encountered tiny disease causing organisms that infected them. I think Heart Flutters was struck first with the “screaming disease” where she screamed at random occasions during her lines. Then Too Damn Attractive was struck with the “Scottish accent” disease and the roll was recast several times to find someone who could do a Scottish accent. Tom Cruz was infected with the “too in love to speak” disease and Love Seals was inflicted with a whole bunch of crazy diseases that the audience suggested. I forget what disease Brad was given. Then Lord Tool Box and his super soldier arrived and the super soldier went over to the good side and was inflicted with a disease that made him (well, it was actually a female playing the roll) have an orgasm anytime someone screamed, which was pretty much whenever Heart Flutters spoke. The girl playing the super soldier was only like 17, so that was “awkward!” as Dan said. So they sort of had to give her some advice because she wanted to give it a try, so Alex asked her if she had ever seen “When Harry Met Sally” and she had, so she had a clue as to what to do. During this whole ‘skit’, Alex and Dan were narrating and often “froze” the scene in order to make fun of the people on stage and occasionally, themselves. The ‘cure’ to their diseases ended up being laughter, so they had to tell us, the audience, 3 jokes (that actually made us laugh) in order to be cured. The whole thing was quite hilarious and I made me wish that Creation filmed these things for us to buy, because I would totally want that on tape.
• While one woman was trying to tell her joke, Dan stood off to the side of the stage and started to show off his ability to flex his pecs. No one on stage could see it, just the audience so we were all laughing hysterically because any time someone on stage would look at him, he would stop. After the woman was done telling her joke, he moved to the center of the stage and said “I just want to see if they get this” and then he mimed putting a needle through his chest and pulling on it.
  

Cliff Simon

• Told us some general information about SG-1’s “The Quest” so I’m really looking forward to seeing those two episodes, it sounds interesting.
• He used to be a gymnast in South Africa.
• Explained why he left South Africa - because one day either he would be killed or his wife would be raped, so they packed up and left and came to America.
• Submitted his name and stuff for the role of James Bond and would do it again if Daniel Craig doesn’t work out, so he encouraged us to not see the movie so he could have another chance.
• Said the role of Ba’al was created for him after he auditioned for a different part that they didn’t feel he was right for. They called him back later and asked him to be Ba’al.
• Once was going to make an album but after the first day the idea was trashed because he didn’t like the idea of pretending to be something he wasn’t - a singer.

Jason Momoa

• According to his mom, “he has a thing for duct tape”. Then appeared on stage with a tiny Chewbacca duct taped to his shirt. Apparently his nickname on set is Chewbacca.
• Brought his mom along with him to the convention.
• Isn’t going to cut his dreadlocks until he finishes a personal project he’s been working on.
• Was folding t-shirts for $60 a day when he was cast on Baywatch.
• Rachel punched him in the eye when she was supposed to hit his mouth while filming either Lost Boys or the Hive - this is the take they used in the episode, so you can see that is eye is all red and after she hit him he wasn’t sure if he should put his hand to his eye, or his mouth where she was supposed to have hit him.
• Flipped his gun for us. Someone in the audience had a replica of his gun so he brought it on stage and flipped it around some for us. It was really cool.
• Spent some time in Tibet, which he said really changed his life.
• Skateboards with Joe.
• Was covered in KY jelly (along with David Hewlett) all day when filming No Man’s Land because the director didn’t like the look of the cocoons and they needed to be remade several times.

Michael Shanks

• Was the Cowardly Lion in 12th grade, so really liked doing the Wizard of Oz skit in 200, as well as the Farscape send-up - Ben Browder and him decided to switch roles, Ben was originally John, but Michael thought it made sense for it to be Daniel, since it was Vala’s fantasy.
• As usual, was extremely tired.
• Was asked if he would consider doing a “tasteful” Playgirl spread and said that he is still uncomfortable with the idea that people want the “Men of SciFi” calendar, so he would say no if they asked (which they haven’t). Then he was hot so he went to take off the jacket someone had given him and proceeded to pose while taking it off, ending with him holding the jacket in front of him and dropping it to the floor.
• Said working with Claudia Black is a lot like working with RDA.
• Still did the Puff n Ruffle and the Wounded Lamb, even though I think he said he was going to retire it at a previous convention.

Don S. Davis

• Was a quick fill-in for Joe Flanigan, who ended up canceling. L
• Tends to go off on tangents and tell long stories.
• Last year we heard Teryl’s version of who Don met his wife, this year he told us his version - basically it’s all Teryl’s fault because Don was totally oblivious to the fact that Ruby liked him.

Beau Bridges

• Did the bird call that he did in Uninvited, and said that he had fun filming that scene because whenever they were filming Ben’s angle, he would do various calls to try and make him laugh.
• Told us a little about his new movie with Sarah Jessica Parker, Spinning into Butter.
• His brother, Jeff, put him in the hospital while filming The Fabulous Baker Boys.

I've uploaded all of my pictures from the weekend into Fotki albums. All of the albums are password-protected. I am keeping this post unlocked so that it may be included in sg1_debrief -- please do not take any of these pictures for personal use without contacting me first -- faithfullydangerous @ gmail.com (minus the spaces).

Dan Payne password: uberwraith
Alex Zahara password: warrick
Cabaret password: sg-fun
Cliff Simon password: baal
Jason Momoa password: chewie
Michael Shanks password: cowardlylion
Don S Davis password: ozarks
Beau Bridges password: birdcall