Celebrities talk at first day of FanX — but not about their shows, because of actors’ strike

John Rhys-Davies — a veteran of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the “Indiana Jones” films — sat at a table in the celebrity section of the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture & Comic Convention and marveled.

“Look at it,” Rhys-Davies said on Thursday, the first day of the event. “Thousands of the best actors in the world gathered in this one place, waiting for you, the audience.”

Rhys-Davies slightly exaggerated the number. According to Dan Farr, co-founder of FanX in 2013, more than 100 celebrity guests are expected at the Salt Palace Convention Center this weekend to meet fans, sign autographs, pose for photos and participate in question-and-answer sessions .

This year’s FanX, Farr said, is on track to be “our highest-attended show ever.”…We have the most celebrity guests ever, we have the most vendors ever. It’s truly an epic 10th anniversary celebration.”

The celebrity tier area, where fans line up for the autographs and photo opportunities they paid for, is 30% larger than before, Farr said.

Farr — who wore a custom green checkered blazer with characters from Marvel’s “The Avengers” on the lining — stood with Jeff and Abbey Wright, who joined FanX as co-owners in 2019, at a press conference Thursday to kick off the three-day convention.

(Bethany Baker | Salt Lake Tribune) Dan Farr, co-founder of the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture & Comic Convention, shows off the superhero lining of his custom sports coat during the first day of FanX at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023.

“Since the very first show we did 10 years ago, I have been so amazed to see people doing their best to make this happen, and it has continued ever since,” Farr said.

The convention, Farr said, was made for what he called “magical moments,” “things you can’t plan.”

Farr recommended that conference attendees download the app and take a look at the celebrity row and sales floor in particular.

(Bethany Baker | Salt Lake Tribune) Holly Marie Combs (left) and Rose McGowan – who played two of the good witch sisters Halliwell on the TV series “Charmed” – speak during a panel discussion on the first day of the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture & Comic Convention at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, September 21, 2023.

What actors can’t talk about

One complication with this year’s FanX, Farr acknowledged, is the ongoing strike by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists – the union that represents Hollywood actors. One of the strike’s rules prohibits actors from promoting a majority of their previous films and television shows.

“The actors were instructed not to talk about work that SAG was striking,” Farr said.

Before the panels, the convention played a message on video screens in the Salt Palace Grand Ballroom: “FanX respects the talent’s decision to participate in the SAG-AFTRA strike. Please respect their wishes and only ask questions about topics they request. Thanks!”

Holly Marie Combs, appearing on a panel Thursday alongside her longtime “Charmed” co-star Rose McGowan, acknowledged the difficult balancing act the actors face at the convention.

“We’re programmed to advertise, and now we’re being deprogrammed,” Combs joked.

(Bethany Baker | Salt Lake Tribune) Two people dressed in costumes from John Carpenter’s “They Live” walk through the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture & Comic Convention on Thursday, Sept. 21, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City , 2023.

McGowan jokingly referred to “Charmed,” her series about three good witches that ran from 1998 to 2006, as “Voldemort” — a reference to the villain from the “Harry Potter” series, often referred to as “he who is not named.” “may be used” is referred to. ”

There were moments when Combs and McGowan spoke briefly about how they weren’t sure what they could and couldn’t talk about since the series came out more than 20 years ago. They said they might get fined.

Instead, the actresses asked each other questions about their favorite Taylor Swift song, what brings them joy and what projects they would like to be involved in in the future.

When asked what her favorite magical moment was, Combs said, “It’s magical that the people in this room still care about something that we’re not allowed to talk about.”

(Bethany Baker | Salt Lake Tribune) Quinton Aaron, the actor who played football player Michael Oher in the film “The Blind Side,” speaks to the media on the first day of the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture & Comic Convention at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, September 21, 2023.

Serves as inspiration

Elsewhere, actor Quinton Aaron – who played football player Michael Oher in the 2008 film “The Blind Side” – said it was his first visit to FanX but his third visit to Salt Lake City.

Aaron, who said he met Dan Farr at a show in Atlanta last year, said he was looking forward to attending the event as a fan.

“I love coming to these events because you get to have your cake and eat it too,” said Aaron, who will be doing photo ops throughout the weekend and appearing on a panel on Saturday.

He said the recent controversy surrounding the real Michael Oher, who accused the Twohy family, who cared for him, of taking financial advantage of him, was “very unfortunate”. He added: “I trust they will work this out between themselves, but I’m not involved in that.”

The controversy, Aaron said, does not reflect poorly on the film. “The film served to introduce the family and Michael, but it did much more than that,” Aaron said. “It has inspired so many people to do great things with their lives.”

Aaron said he has met several NFL players over the years who have told him the film made them stick with their dreams. In some ways, he said, it reflects what FanX is all about: meeting the people who create and embody the characters that inspire.

“In the positions that we hold, we have the opportunity to have a voice that we should do the right thing because people are, you know, inspired by what we say,” Aaron said.

(Bethany Baker | Salt Lake Tribune) Voice actor Ryan Colt Levy speaks to the media on the first day of the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture & Comic Convention at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, September 21, 2023.

Things are a little different for voice actor Ryan Colt Levy because he is not as well known as the actors on screen. He primarily works on giving voices to anime characters; His most popular character is Denji, the main protagonist of the Chainsaw Man series.

Levy said he fell into voice acting because he was obsessed with theater and music.

Not having a recognizable face, Levy said, can be an advantage. “A lot of times people come to the table not knowing what I would look like,” Levy said. “You don’t have to know who I am. I want them to connect with the characters. And if I can hopefully convey even more connection to them when we meet, that’s a nice thing.”

Levy added, “The reality is that we all have an incredible privilege to be able to help tell these stories.”… None of us own these characters or created them. We’re lucky to play her and live in that world and share that with people.”

The 2023 FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture & Comic Convention runs through Saturday at the Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City. For ticket and schedule information, visit fanxsaltlake.com.