Home for the afternoon to two of our favorite demons.
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The weather gods must have known that the vampire Drusilla was on the prowl, because the almost eternally sunny Santa Barbara was devoid of daylight for the afternoon of May 26. But for those willing to brave the shaky looking weather, and there were many, the trip was well worth it. People traveled from far and wide to Metro Entertainment to be on hand for Juliet Landau and Andy Hallett, two of the more popular supporting characters on Angel. I drove up from Orange County, and in just my immediate vicinity of the line were fans that had made treks from Los Angeles, San Diego, and even San Francisco just to meet the stars.
Fans eagerly await Andy and Juliet's arrival.
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Amid speculation and rumor that they would be arriving out front via limousine, Andy and Juliet made their majestic entrance on foot (albeit, a hollywoodesque 45 minutes fashionably late). They were dressed casually, but stylishly, and Juliet used a bit of pale make-up to keep herself a bit in character. This however, was the only similarity that one could draw between Juliet and Drusilla. In person, she was both friendly and vivacious. That she can be so convincingly evil and insane is a testament to her ability. Andy Hallett was also very personable, but in a slightly more subdued manner. As a relative newcomer, I'm not sure he was as comfortable as Juliet in the hardcore fan spotlight, and again, this was certainly in contrast to his on screen character, the Host. Both actors were totally accommodating throughout the signing procedure, acquiescing to poloroid snapshots as well as personalizing autographs as specified (of course, both photos and autographs were for a fee, so the personalization was obligatory, but they both handled it with a dignity that gave the impression they didn't mind doing it and even enjoyed it).
Juliet finally gets a look at the "Spike & Dru" cover.
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During my turn at the table, I was able to have a brief conversation with Juliet in which I got to ask if she felt that last year's storyline with Darla and Drusilla was the perfect vehicle for her return to the Buffy/Angel world. She replied that "I'd been trying to work out dates to return for a while, but I was always too busy with other stuff. I was always hoping to come back and it was a wonderful way because it was a fun, fun storyline." Juliet was also very pleased with the cover of the "Spike and Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row" book that I had her sign. Up until that moment, she had never seen it.
Andy and Juliet give autographs and talk it up with the fans.
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All in all, a great time was had by everyone in attendance, or at least from my standpoint. Metro Entertainment put on a very efficient, organized signing with reasonable fees charged for pictures and autographs. Andy and Juliet continued in the long line of outstanding experiences I have had with Buffy and Angel stars, and I look forward to talking to either of them again at future opportunities.
Written by, CoA West Coast Correspondent Darren Danforth
CoA Reporter Seeker would like to thank brother Dan 'for letting me drag his ass up to Santa Barbara so I didn't have to drive a couple hours on my own (even if I did have to buy the beer afterwards) and for taking the pictures.'
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