Oh you know, I just went to see this little show starring Sir Ian McKellen, and who happens to be there? Why practically the whole Hobbit cast. No big deal. There was this little guy there with a comfy flannel shirt and jacket on, kind of like my dad would wear, but oh wait, he's just one of the most influential directors on the planet. And I got to meet him. Yes ladies and gentlemen: I just met Sir Peter Jackson. Oh. My. Freaking. God. I'm still in shock and can hardly believe it--I mean this is the man who's movies inspired me to want to be an actor for real and helped me make my decision to study abroad in New Zealand. I made jokes with people about running into him and everyone else while I was here BUT IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. Wow. I can't even begin to describe my feelings, hopefully the choppy syntax and bad grammar are getting it across for me. I guess I should start at the beginning...
So a while ago I learned that Sir Ian McKellen was going to do a one man show touring throughout New Zealand. He's put it on as a fundraiser with 100% proceeds going to help remodel the Isaac Theatre Royal that was damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes last year. I immediately decided that I had to go, and that after the show I must meet him. So I eventually got around to buying tickets, and even though I bought them a month in advance, there were only "restricted view" seats left. Well I thought it was better than not going. So I got the tickets and when we, I went with my friend Josh, got to the theatre, the seats actually had practically no restriction; it was just an itty bitty pole off to the side. We took our seats and were looking around, and I had just wondered if we'd see anyone famous when there was Peter Jackson walking in to take his seat in the middle of the theatre, just a couple rows in front of us!! Needless to say, I flipped out, and became a babbling idiot, wondering when we could talk to him. I shut up soon enough though because the lights dimmed, the curtain rose and the show started.
Sir Ian is an incredible actor. You think he's good in film, but wait till you see him live! Especially this show. He started the show out by doing a section from LOTR, a memorized piece of when Gandalf fights the Balrog. After he finished (lots of applause) he just started to talk. It was wonderful because it was so informal, and he joked with the audience, inviting people up to hold Glamdring--his sword--or looking at their program to see what was actually suppose to happen. Really what the first act was was just him taking audience questions. He talked about meeting Nelson Mandela, getting knighted by the Queen, coming out at age 49, and acting. Of course he talked about acting. It was like get a guest lecture on my favorite subject. Every now and again he'd break into a monologue, and his voice, I could've listened to him for days. I tried to drink in every word he said and internalize it. The best thing he said was when someone on the balcony asked about advice for actors. Sir Ian just said, "Keep acting. In anyway you can." He said to do student productions, or community theatre, or advertising, or write a play, or pub theatre, just keep going to discover if it's something you have to dedicate your life to. Next to that, he said, go see theatre, movies, television. Go watch others work and learn from them. It was all I needed for me to get fired up to go home and work on my next show.
After that, it was intermission break. It took me a little encouraging
but I took the leap eventually and went to talk to Peter Jackson. He was
wonderful! I was sooooo nervously. Ridiculously so! I was shaking as I
just kind of said hi, shook his hand, asked for an autograph and a
picture and some words of advice for a young actor/director. He just
said to keep working at it, keep going for it. He was so lovely. I
thanked him, and said I'm sure he gets this all the time, but thank you
sooo much!
After intermission Sir Ian started the second half--all about Shakespeare. Oh I was giddy! He had the audience name all of his plays, and every so often he'd stop and do a piece from one. He did the whole balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet by himself (both monologues), a piece from King Richard II, Cymbeline, and several others I'm forgetting off the top of my head. Anyway, he'd stop and talk about the plays, and acting in them, and the history of Shakespeare and then he'd just drop into this monologue like the well practiced actor he is. It was beautiful craft work. At the end of it he requested all the actors involved in the Hobbit up to explain that after the show they'd be staying for photos, and you should donate some loose change or $10 dollars for a signature or photo. THEN he invited everyone who wanted to up to the stage to participate in the encore Shakespeare piece. I of course went up, Josh stayed back and took some photos for me:
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| Can you see me 2 people away from Sir McKellen? |
The funny thing was that he wasn't just acting the scene; he'd told a story about how the actor who origanally did it always had the names written on the scroll delivered to him, but one night they weren't. So Sir Ian was playing that night: making up French sounding names while we were all lying on stage trying not to giggle, with everyone draped over everyone else. It was so great! After I grabbed my stuff and everyone mobbed out to the lobby to star gaze. I got tons of photos with cast members! So many people were there, and it was funny because I recognized so many of them but couldn't remember everyone's names so when I got home I was looking everyone up and finding that I knew more of them than I thought.
I'm a little bit sad this was blurry, but oh well. This is Martin Freeman, aka Bilbo in The Hobbit and Dr. Watson in Sherlock. That's right. Got his autograph too!
And boy oh boy. I love Billy Connolly. I wanted to say something really clever to him about the muppets, and running with scissors but didn't get the chance. We were talking about how I got to meet Peter Jackson, how awesome he is, and that we're both hobbit sized. Billy is obviously not, he squatted down to my level for me.
Funny story about waiting in line to see him as well. So there were a couple of boys that had been running around getting multiple things signed by everyone, and they must've been to see Billy before because as soon as he saw them he just went, "oh not you fuckers again! Get out of here, just fuck off and leave me alone." He was laughing though, and signed some more stuff for them, then they each pulled out their iPhones and asked for him to say something to each of them, so what did he say? "You can fuck off. And so can you" etc. So funny! The best part was that the boys were beaming, very pleased with themselves as they walked off, and he turned to those of us next in line and
said that he didn't really mean it. One of the organizer had warned him they were coming back, and he asked what he should say, and the organizer just told him to tell them to fuck off. So he did, but all in good fun. Boy does that man swear like, well, a Scottsman!
said that he didn't really mean it. One of the organizer had warned him they were coming back, and he asked what he should say, and the organizer just told him to tell them to fuck off. So he did, but all in good fun. Boy does that man swear like, well, a Scottsman!
I couldn't have asked for a better end to my time in Wellington and New Zealand than to meet, talk with, and laugh with some of the people I'm most inspired by. It has truly been an amazing time here in New Zealand. And I can't wait to return, perhaps one day to work with some of these incredible individuals.
More traveling stories will come as I get bored of packing for home! Ta for now! It's all smiles here =D
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