Page 2
Saturday
Amanda Tapping's panel
I got there about noon and they were running late. The line for registration was huge and I figured I had plenty of time to mingle and shop. I talked with the guys in the lobby a while, by this time we were all old friends. I bought a few more things, extra time to shop is a very bad thing for me. I did notice more Lord of the Rings stuff there this year and some more Stargate SG1 stuff too. Then finally they got it started. They played the videos and did the photo ops with Tim and Amanda. I only got a photo with Robert Beltran, more on that later. Then finally it was time for Amanda's panel. I was in the second row just to the right of center stage. She came out to screams and wild applause, she was a bit surprised. But being the pro she is she took it all in stride and got right down to it. She talked a bit about herself and the show and got to questions pretty quick. She is an amazingly funny woman and extremely entertaining. I could listen to her for hours. The way she tells stories is great. She does the voices and the moves and is all the while totally unaware of how funny she is. Then when she realizes she did something funny, a certain silly move, she acts like she had no idea what that was, or where it came from and does it again and then makes a face and acts like she just has no idea why she does this silly stuff, and proceeds to do it again. It's just hysterical. Then throughout the panel, if there's a lull in questions, she'll pulls it out again just to get us laughing. She's an amazing comic personality, perfect timing and that ability to create a scene so we all can actually see it in our heads as she's doing it. Brilliant.
Ok, so here she is, doing a bit of talking at the beginning. She dressed casually and looks amazing. She's really beautiful in person, these pictures don't do her any justice.
Questions from the audience are interesting and diverse. She really has a great time answering them, getting very detailed and usually off the track. She laughs and makes jokes how she always does that and tries to stay on topic.
Her smile is infectious and silliness contagious.
Some of the stories and posing. I can hear the voice she's doing now.
Explaining with your hands is the best way to show what you mean, she's very expressive!!!
Stories of stuff that happens on the set. The practical jokes and non-stop antics keep the set fun and casual.
Saying "HI" to a fan asking a question.
Leaning in to hear the question. They had microphones at the sides of the stage but no one used them, they just yelled out the question after she called on them.
Another funny story. Re-enacting the situation.
Continuing to explain what happened.
After a while she didn't know what to do with her hands, she realized she kept flailing them about, so she tried to keep them in her pockets, it didn't work.
She told us a bit about her personal life when she was asked how she juggles her marriage and work. She said she has a wonderful husband who understands what she has to do and they've got it down to a science now. He goes over her lines with her to spend more time with her and they do have time together when she's not filming. She has a pretty tight schedule during filming and said it's pretty regimented. She gets up early, works out, goes to work, gets home late. She has some time for her husband, some time for her dog, some time for herself and has to fit in exercise as well. She goes ocean kayaking, hiking and enjoys being out in nature.
This is just the first set of pics from her panel, there's lots more.