DragonCon 2010 - Corin Nemec!
holliemke
September 9th, 2010 Corin was a blast again at this convention, my first DragonCon. I wasn't sure how much time I'd actually spend with him given that the convention was so huge - 50,000 people! Thankfully because of the Walk of Fame, there's time to say hi and interact with the guests, depending on how long the lines are. Corin had a steady stream of fans but didn't have the lines that Eddie McClintock, Summer Glau or Colin Ferguson had. We really should change that someday when he gets a new show. We KNOW it will happen. But I digress.
I saw Corin Friday both in the Walk of Fame and on the Stargate panel. It was the only Stargate panel he ended up doing over the weekend because on Monday his handler didn't fetch him! Oops. He was in the Walk of Fame almost all the time he wasn't in a panel. He had pictures from Parker Lewis, Stargate, The Stand and a headshot in the maroon sweater he wears. I do tease him about his clothes because I see the same tops, albeit in different configurations, a lot! He apparently doesn't have a TON of clothes like a lot of people, me included. But what he does wear, he looks DAMN good in.
Friday's Stargate panel included Martin Gero, Ben Browder, Christopher Judge, John DeLancie and Corin Nemec. The first question put to Corin and the rest of the panel was how they got into acting. Corin didn't hear the question at first which prompted John DeLancie to tease him 'clearly you weren't a good student' to which Corin replied 'that's why I became an actor.' Then Corin told the Goonies story that's on wikipedia and imdb. Short version: his dad worked on Goonies and he was really interested in the whole process of acting in a movie. He also gave a shout-out to Sean Astin who was at the convention.
The next question Corin answered was also a panel question about 'what actor living or dead that you'd like to work with.' Corin quipped "well sinee I've worked with Chris Judge..." When Chris answered he said he'd like to work with Errol Flynn. I think swashbuckling came up as a clarification because the audience reacted as if they didn't know who Errol Flynn was. Either way, Corin's next line became infamous - "I'd like to do some swashbuckling with him!" Chris Judge just lost it and out came all the innuendo about 'Corin and Errol Flynn crossing swords" and Corin stated (to Chris) "You're so dirty!" (for the rest of the Stargate panels, even when Corin wasn't there, the swashbuckling comment was brought up.)
The panel was also asked about what kinds of creative freedom they had. Corin talked about his props - usually food. He had a fair amount of freedom until 3/4 of the way through the season when an episode with an Orange brought the house down on him. From what I can gather, when they did 'coverage', trying to do pick up shots, it was extremely time consuming because of what Corin was doing with the Orange. He told this story at Gatecon too. Basically, after this episode, Corin was allowed his tea mug and nothing else. Chris Judge joked about it taking 8 hours to do coverage shots of Corin after the Orange incident. (not sure if the rest of the cast was there or just Corin.)
The actors (and writer Martin Gero) were asked what shows they would recommend to fans. Corin jokingly said "Real Housewives of New Jersey" but then said "I HATE that show but i have to watch it to hate on it - kind of like TMZ." For movies he said he liked Hustler, Bullet and any Errol Flynn.
They were also asked about sci fi films that they'd liked. Corin said he LOVED Logan's Run until he realized the SFX sucked. Star Wars was awesome for him and it blew his mind that both came out about the same time.
The last question was about doing a commercial for a restaurant. Corin liked Popeye's chicken.
Corin's next panel was in the Stargate Track room and it was all about Jonas! Finally we saw Jonas love at one of these conventions and it was awesome. I'm not sure how it came up but the answer to his favorite breakfast cereal was "Blueberry Morning." Now you know.
The next question was if he'd known he was only going to be on Stargate for 1 season. Interestingly enough, not only did he not know it was one season, he was initially brought into the show with the idea that he'd see the show out and then move to Stargate Atlantis as the lead character. They were just starting to talk about Atlantis and they were initially going to end SG-1 and this spin-off into Atlantis. Of course it didn't play out that way. Corin, as always, was extremely respectful and business savvy about how he could understand why SyFy (then Sci-Fi) would want to bring Michael Shanks back even if it meant derailing (my words not Corin's) other plans. It had more to do with the structure of the show rather than anything personal. This was the first I'd heard that Corin was supposed to be in Atlantis. I think that would have been awesome. Later on in the panel someone told him that there were still "Bring Back Jonas" petitions online and that people were interested in seeing him in Stargate Universe. However, Kelowna (Jonas Quinn's home planet) is blown up at one point. The joke then became that maybe Jonas dialed out before the planet blew. Iinstead of women and children first, it was 'Jonas, women, children.' :) His last episode was Fallout in 2004, which he pitched the story for. In it the hair and wardrobe were a 'throwback to the 60's' which Corin joked was fitting since when they first met Kelowna, it was very '50's' so they had advanced a little. When it blew up, he figures they'd reached the 80's. It also came out that he started to suspect he wasn't coming back when everyone was getting their Season 7 contract but him.
Someone asked him about eating ice cream and whether he got tired of it for an episode of Stargate. He jokingly said that he only had to eat ice cream off screen if Rick (Richard Dean Anderson) demanded it. Otherwise, they had 2 cameras so they didn't have to do endless takes of it.
He was asked about working with Michael Shanks and why they couldn't have continued both being on the show. Corin explained that he had a great interaction with Michael but again it was about the structure of the show. He wouldn't have minded continuing but it wasn't really in his hands. It made sense to him why Sci-Fi and the show would take Michael back even if that wasn't the initial plan. It wasn't great for him but that's what happens in the business. (that last again is in my words, not Corin's)
His favorite episode is "Nightwalkers" because it was his character's first time off the base, first time for a lot of foods and it was very X-files like. He clarified that it was Onion rings and a choclate shake (not chicken fingers!)
Corin shared a story about doing a commercial for McDonald's when he was 12-13. It was for a McDLT (hot side hot, cold side cold) and he watched them prep the hamburger with Elmer's glue. He was assured it was only being glued on one side and he wouldn't get any in his mouth. They were wrong. Big bite, big mouth full of glue. Thankfully they had a spit bucket.
A younger fan asked if he just remembered a lot of episodes very well or if he refreshed his memory by watching them before he went to conventions. He explained that while a lot of them blend together, there are details that stick with him.
He was asked about blank bullets (another younger fan wanted to know if he shot pellets out of the P90.) He explained how blanks were made from real bullets and there was a time on Stargate where there was a small shortage of them because the Army needed the bullets for actually shooting. (They make blanks out of real bullets
Richard Dean Anderson's penchant for rewriting his dialogue came up in this panel as well. Corin said 'when you're the executive producer and the star of the show, you can do what you want!" So when he did dialogue with RDA, he would just wait until RDA paused (since the dialogue on Corin's script wouldn't necessarily match what RDA was saying) and then he (Corin/Jonas) would say his line.
Someone asked if he was warned about fandom. He said he wasn't but that he felt it was great honor to play the character and that he really likes conventions. He believes the writers did a good job of giving Jonas a chance to win over the SG-1 team and at the same time win over the fans.
Parker Lewis was brought up and Corin explained how when Rupert Murdoch took over Fox, he changed the show because it was very expensive to make. His 1/2 hour comedy was as expensive as an hour drama.
When asked about pranks, Corin had two stories. One was about the prank pulled on him. When filming "For the Very First Time", there was a pig set up with the apple in its mouth for some scene in a banquet hall. He was completely grossed out and went into a big diatribe about how gross bacon and that pig was. When the crew brought around his car that night (a Jeep Wagonner if you're curious), some kind souls had moved the pig's head into the passenger seat of his vehicle complete with apple in its mouth. The second prank was the one he organized for a director who had received a DUI and had to spend half the day in jail before he came to work. There was a jail scene from an episode of PLCL and he convinced the crew to erect the set around 'Video Village' where the director sits around all the videos. So for the rest of the day, after the director came in, he directed from a jail cell.
He talked about working with Dean Stockwell and that he and Dean share some interests in Art. He also went into the business of Hollywood and the economy right now. The 90's were a time of independent films booming and now it is really hard for films because of the economy. Banks are more apprehensive.
Someone got up to close the door but Corin teased him about leaving. This launched into a story about how he often teased people when they leave the room. From his recent conventions in Oz, he got up to follow some girl leaving the room. He was teasing her but it found out that she'd been up late partying the night before so when he asked her why she was leaving, she said "Because I'm going to throw up!" He said that was the best reason EVER and he got himself back to the stage.
He's met the German voice actor who did his dubs for PLCL in Germany and that started a "i'm parker lewis, no I'm parker lewis' interaction. He's heard the French voice actor and is preetty sure he's not as high pitched as that.
When asked about places he's liked filming, he talked about Vancouver (gorgeous), Thailand, the Phillipines and India. Traveling for movies is a lifechanging experience.
Corin talked about going drinking with Chris Judge (once) in Season 6 of Stargate. Chris said "if you drink with me, you drink like me" and then ordered four fingers (four CHRIS fingers - ie = big) of scotch neat. Corin kept up for a little while and then snuck out of the restaurant. Chris didn't even realize he was gone (though he was probably still talking to me all night!) He said he doesn't drink anymore but when he did he liked "bombay sapphire", high end tequila and Jameson.
Corin talked a little about actors being typecast because of doing SciFi roles but how that's obviously a mistake. He's very positive about how a fanbase will stay with someone even after a show is off the air and that is priceless.
When asked if anyone had brought him something that embarassed him, he replied that someone had brought him an action figure that looked NOTHING like him.
He talked about being in Supernatural. He's filmed two episodes and is going back to Vancouver September 9th to film a 3rd.
Interestingly, a fan asked about whether the Internet helped or hurt TV. Corin talked about the ideas he has heard about the Internet and TV becoming the same, almost like a cable television subscription base. The biggest challenge, he thinks, is that Hollywood is trying to figure out how to monetize the Internet.
My favorite question was the poor soul who was confused and wanted to know if he was going to do another Stargate Atlantis. To which Corin firmly but gently explained he hadn't been in Stargate Atlantis.
The final answer I have written down is a recipe not a question. Corin talked about a drink he likes that combines Bannana, blueberries, peanut butter and yogurt. Half the room went "eww" and he said "do you like peanut butter sandwiches?" "Well you don't put the BREAD in!" So try out that recipe, Corin fans!
Sunday's panel was the podcast and that's online. Small items of note - I am the one who asked Corin about Star-ving, I reminded him to plug corinnemec.com and when he says "james marsters" in the audioplay, his face reflected the fact that he had no idea who James Marsters was! Apparently Corin is not a Buffy fan.
*Check out Blackskyradio.com for corin nemec interviews
*Check out Corinnemec.com for lots and lots of Corin news
*Check out GeekRadioDaily.com for the awesome folks who adore Parker Lewis
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