Kenny Baker/Anthony Daniels ("Star Wars") IP Success!
Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 12:33 am
These stories are a few years old, but I've never posted a full account online of these awesome successes! I should probably start the story by mentioning that I'm a HUGE "Star Wars" fan.
April 22nd, 2005 - Indianapolis, IN - Star Wars Celebration III
In the last month of my senior year in high school, I got to go to the Star Wars convention in Indy, just a few weeks before the premiere of Episode III. I was lucky and got to hear George Lucas speak, but sadly, no chance for an auto. I was determined to get one, though, and headed to the autograph hall. Though I was tempted to wait in line for Billy Dee Williams or Jeremy Bulloch, the fact that R2-D2 is a favorite of mine (and the lower ticket price of $25) won out, so I got in line for Mr. Kenny Baker (and saw Peter Mayhew, aka Chewbacca, bump into my uncle...so cool!).
I selected a photo of R2-D2 and C-3P0, which Mr. Baker signed. My uncle positioned himself to take a picture, and Mr. Baker was gracious enough to take with me.
I didn't care that I had to pay, I had met someone from all six Star Wars movies, and it was my first autograph ever. But already, I wasn't 100% satisfied...since C-3P0 was also in the picture and was another favorite character of mine, I decided I wanted to meet Anthony Daniels (also in all six films) and ask him to sign the photo, as well. I didn't know when, but I knew I would some day.
Four years later...
September 13th, 2009 - Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati Pops Concert
As a music educator and clarinetist, I love going to orchestra concerts, and none more than when John Williams' amazing music is involved (at the time of this story, I'd seen him in concert once and gotten his auto TTM). So naturally, I was excited to hear that the wonderful Cincinnati Pops would be doing an all-Williams concert, and that the second half would be all-Star Wars, narrated by none other than Anthony Daniels. Being that I was at college just an hour or two's drive away in Louisville, this was an opportunity I couldn't miss, so I got tickets, and when the day came, grabbed my droids photo and headed to Ohio.
We arrived well before the concert, so I decided to take a walk around the Music Hall building and find the stage door. I'd never done any sort of celebrity hunting before, but I figured I'd try coming back to the stage door after the concert and see if I could meet Mr. Daniels. I found it, and continued walking, intending to circle back around to the front.
It was just then that I saw a purple van drive by and noticed the shadowed profile that JUST might have been Anthony Daniels. As the van pulled into the lot behind the Music Hall, I took a chance and headed back toward the stage door...and there he was!
As I approached, one of the two Symphony workers who were with him (the man; the woman assistant just smiled) tried to make him get back in the van. I'm sure I sounded like a fool, but I walked up and said, "Mr. Daniels, I don't usually do this sort of thing..." to which he semi-sarcastically replied, "But you're so good at it." (I felt terrible, like some crazy stalker.) I showed him the photo and said I'd been waiting several years to meet him. He paused a minute, then looked at the female assistant and said "Let's go inside."
My heart sank...were they just going to leave me standing out here on the street? But while the man, scowling, led Mr. Daniels into the building, the woman said, "Right this way," and put her hand on my shoulder, leading me in. I couldn't believe it!
Mr. Daniels asked me if I was coming to the concert, and I said, "Of course! I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't." I mentioned that I was a music teacher, and a big fan of John Williams and "Star Wars." We got to the Green Room, he went into his dressing room (asking for pretzels!), then came out with a marker to sign my picture! He asked me my name, and I honestly can't remember if I said "Thomas" or "Adam Thomas," I was still so nervous, but he signed it "To Thomas," which I thought was cool even though that's my last name.
We had a great conversation about me being a musician, the upcoming concert, the Pops conductor who had just passed away and was a friend of his, and about Mr. Daniels' crusade against people faking his autographs. Pushing my luck, I asked for a photo with him, and he very kindly obliged!
He told me to enjoy the concert, and the nice female assistant led me out. The experience made the concert even more enjoyable for me! After leaving, I found out that there had been a meet and greet with Mr. Daniels after the concert, so I felt embarrassed for having ambushed him like that before the concert...still, it's a great memory!
Here's the autographed photo:
Sorry for the crazy long post, but that's the full story! My first IP, my first time meeting a celebrity at a stage door, and my first "Star Wars" autos!
April 22nd, 2005 - Indianapolis, IN - Star Wars Celebration III
In the last month of my senior year in high school, I got to go to the Star Wars convention in Indy, just a few weeks before the premiere of Episode III. I was lucky and got to hear George Lucas speak, but sadly, no chance for an auto. I was determined to get one, though, and headed to the autograph hall. Though I was tempted to wait in line for Billy Dee Williams or Jeremy Bulloch, the fact that R2-D2 is a favorite of mine (and the lower ticket price of $25) won out, so I got in line for Mr. Kenny Baker (and saw Peter Mayhew, aka Chewbacca, bump into my uncle...so cool!).
I selected a photo of R2-D2 and C-3P0, which Mr. Baker signed. My uncle positioned himself to take a picture, and Mr. Baker was gracious enough to take with me.
I didn't care that I had to pay, I had met someone from all six Star Wars movies, and it was my first autograph ever. But already, I wasn't 100% satisfied...since C-3P0 was also in the picture and was another favorite character of mine, I decided I wanted to meet Anthony Daniels (also in all six films) and ask him to sign the photo, as well. I didn't know when, but I knew I would some day.
Four years later...
September 13th, 2009 - Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati Pops Concert
As a music educator and clarinetist, I love going to orchestra concerts, and none more than when John Williams' amazing music is involved (at the time of this story, I'd seen him in concert once and gotten his auto TTM). So naturally, I was excited to hear that the wonderful Cincinnati Pops would be doing an all-Williams concert, and that the second half would be all-Star Wars, narrated by none other than Anthony Daniels. Being that I was at college just an hour or two's drive away in Louisville, this was an opportunity I couldn't miss, so I got tickets, and when the day came, grabbed my droids photo and headed to Ohio.
We arrived well before the concert, so I decided to take a walk around the Music Hall building and find the stage door. I'd never done any sort of celebrity hunting before, but I figured I'd try coming back to the stage door after the concert and see if I could meet Mr. Daniels. I found it, and continued walking, intending to circle back around to the front.
It was just then that I saw a purple van drive by and noticed the shadowed profile that JUST might have been Anthony Daniels. As the van pulled into the lot behind the Music Hall, I took a chance and headed back toward the stage door...and there he was!
As I approached, one of the two Symphony workers who were with him (the man; the woman assistant just smiled) tried to make him get back in the van. I'm sure I sounded like a fool, but I walked up and said, "Mr. Daniels, I don't usually do this sort of thing..." to which he semi-sarcastically replied, "But you're so good at it." (I felt terrible, like some crazy stalker.) I showed him the photo and said I'd been waiting several years to meet him. He paused a minute, then looked at the female assistant and said "Let's go inside."
My heart sank...were they just going to leave me standing out here on the street? But while the man, scowling, led Mr. Daniels into the building, the woman said, "Right this way," and put her hand on my shoulder, leading me in. I couldn't believe it!
Mr. Daniels asked me if I was coming to the concert, and I said, "Of course! I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't." I mentioned that I was a music teacher, and a big fan of John Williams and "Star Wars." We got to the Green Room, he went into his dressing room (asking for pretzels!), then came out with a marker to sign my picture! He asked me my name, and I honestly can't remember if I said "Thomas" or "Adam Thomas," I was still so nervous, but he signed it "To Thomas," which I thought was cool even though that's my last name.
We had a great conversation about me being a musician, the upcoming concert, the Pops conductor who had just passed away and was a friend of his, and about Mr. Daniels' crusade against people faking his autographs. Pushing my luck, I asked for a photo with him, and he very kindly obliged!
He told me to enjoy the concert, and the nice female assistant led me out. The experience made the concert even more enjoyable for me! After leaving, I found out that there had been a meet and greet with Mr. Daniels after the concert, so I felt embarrassed for having ambushed him like that before the concert...still, it's a great memory!
Here's the autographed photo:
Sorry for the crazy long post, but that's the full story! My first IP, my first time meeting a celebrity at a stage door, and my first "Star Wars" autos!
