Gleeks Mob Chris Colfer's "Struck By Lightning" Apple Store Talk
The six other notables on the panel shared exactly none of Chris's spotlight, but let's be serious. Who really wants to deal with five hundred screeching girls everywhere they go? I only sat in the audience surrounded by it, and I can only imagine how exhausting this must be for poor Chris. Whenever any of the other panel members made even the slighest reference to him or Glee, the Gleek Chorus responded with deafening Awws and Oohs. The girls cried, brought him gifts and pestered security for hugs. And this is not to mention the blatant repeated violation of the flash photography rules.
The panel filled out with actors Polly Bergen, Roberto Acuire, Carter Jenkins, Allie Grant, and director Brian Dannelly. Aside from the hubbub, the panel did provide plenty of insight into the making of Tribeca's biggest surprise hit.
Dannelly, whose last film "Saved" covered plenty of the same thematic material, spoke of how he came into the project: "I really don't like writing, so when you have something similar to what you would write, it's nice." However, he signed on when he met with Colfer to discuss actors. When it came to the role of Colfer's grandmother, Dannelly said he was worried that the film would have to have a "Betty White moment." Colfer, however, said he wanted someone like Polly Bergen.
Bergen, who was present and looking fabulous, was rapturous in her acclaim of Chris. "I arrived on set and I didn't have to work for one moment. I didn't even have to think about who Grandma was. the script was so honest and profound and they picked the right actors, so we just had to be who we were. Every day was a joy and a surprise and a revelation. It was one of the best experiences in my 70 years of acting." The Gleeks awwed.
As soon as the moderator opened the panel up to audience questions, there was no going back. Every question was aimed at Colfer, and they ranged from the "I don't have a question, I just want to say..." to "Did you mean for the movie to be an emotional roller coaster? I was bawling all the way through." If only the other Apple Talks at Tribeca were packed with such enthusiasm.
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3 Comments
Lucy | May 2, 2012 10:06 AM
This article is extremely offensive. You failed to mention the fact that Chris said how much he loves his fans and is appreciative of everyone supporting him. He even teared up at one point. Also you are being very stereotypical saying that all "Gleeks" are screaming, teenage girls. Everyone is just so proud of him and respects him so much. This is an example of terrible reporting/journalism and you should be ashamed of yourself.
Melanie | May 2, 2012 2:43 AM
My friend Barb (hugs4chris) and I attended this event along with several friends, and frankly we find this article offensive and the reporter condescending. Yes, while the crowd was certainly passionate in their support for Chris (a GOOD thing, something he was clearly very touched by) we found everyone to be very respectful and well-behaved. I was positioned in the very center of the audience at the panel while Barb was closer along the side. As older fans, we are particularly sensitive to the screaming of teenagers and did not notice any prolonged or offensive teenage shrieking.
Also, a pretty good portion of the audience wasnât even near the age of teenagers. Barb and I are both over 40 and there were several other people in attendance near our age (including our group of friends) and a few who were probably even older. It was actually a really nice mix of ages, although definitely predominantly female.
In addition, a large portion of Chrisâ female fans donât care if they âhave a chance with himâ or not. Heâs much, much more than that to all of us, including the large lesbian contingent that find him inspirational as a spokesperson in the LGBTQ community.
Furthermore, the amount of people who got to ask their questions was very limited in comparison to the number of people in attendance. I actually had questions for other members of the panel but alas, was not chosen to ask mine. However, the director Brian Dannelly did answer a couple of questions and thus was able to share "Chris' spotlight."
This was not a Glee event, nor were we the "Gleek Chorus." We were there to support Chris in his new movie, so please forgive the audience if they happened to exclaim positively in praise of the movie and it's cast and crew. Again, Chris' fans encompass a much wider variety than just those people who watch Glee, as is evidenced by the innumerable glowing reports from any and all who meet and know him, including reporters, celebrities and political figures alike.
As another friend said, "...to begrudge Chris his fans is a little rude and misplaced, particularly since he had the largest role in making the film - he wrote, produced, and starred in it. Arguably, he had the most to talk about the film. Beyond that, the Apple employees picked who got to ask the questions....I mean, I donât know. It seems weird that they would have a review of a paneled event that didnât even cover what occurred at the event. The moments that they do cover â what Brian and Polly said â were used to make further jibes at the film and Chris Colfer."
The tone of this article is so blatantly skewed that it begs the question of whether Mr. Dale went into the panel with a bias against Chris and/or Chris' fans. Please do a little more research in the future before making such blanket stereotyping statements, and perhaps try not to show up with such a chip on your shoulder next time.
Lily | April 24, 2012 6:49 PM
Great to see how Chris Colfer is striking the iron when hot... Thank you for willing to suffer through the company of Gleeks and give a nice report... Signed ... a gleek.