Fame & Fandom

There’s a certain electric awkwardness that comes with meeting a celebrity you’ve admired for years. Your heart races, your palms sweat, and suddenly—without warning—you forget how to speak like a normal human. If you’ve ever mumbled something incoherent to an actor, or maybe cornered them at a convention table, you’re in good company.

Wyatt still remembers the moment he ran into Kathleen Turner—cool, composed, iconic—and he tried to say hello. What came out wasn’t quite a sentence, and it’s forever in his “wow, that was weird” file. We’ve all been there.

But fame and fandom are complicated things. Sometimes you’re the fan, standing in awe of someone whose work shaped you. Sometimes you’re the one behind the autograph table, realizing you are someone else’s connection to the worlds they love. Between us, we’ve lived on both sides, and the truth is—each has its own surreal moments.

A few things we’ve learned along the way:

• Respect the moment. Celebrities are people. If they look tired, they probably are. Be kind. Be brief. Maybe skip the bathroom introductions.

• Ask before you snap a photo. Booths are fair game. Random hallways, not so much.

• Compliment the work. A specific scene or story you loved goes further than a vague “you were my childhood.”

At the end of the day, whether it’s on a convention floor, a movie set, or a chance encounter in line at Starbucks, fandom reminds us why we fell in love with movies in the first place.

🎧 Want more behind-the-scenes stories? Episode 3 of Cinematic Perspectives—Fame & Fandom—is now streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

You can support us by visiting our other projects:

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“Four Color Eulogy” - https://fourcolorthemovie.com/

Spectacular Distraction- https://www.youtube.com/@SpectacularDistraction

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