Burgess Meredith

My next celebrity autograph is definately one of my most interesting, Burgess Meredith.


Who? You may ask. Tisk! Tisk! Perhaps you may remember him better as The Penguin from the 1960's Batman tv series? That's right. The Penguin. One of Batman's greatest enemies, Burgess Meredith appeared in 21 episodes. Not bad considering the show only went for 120 episodes in total. But lets not forget, he also appeared in the 1966 Batman movie, alongside The Joker, The Riddler and Catwoman, which shows you not only how popular the tv show was, but also how popular his character was.


Is that it? Definately not! Prior to his days as The Penguin, Burgess Meredith appeared in various episodes of The Twilight Zone, and Rawhide (amongst other Westerns). In fact, Burgess had a fairly extensive acting career, even after his breakout role as The Penguin ended.

But it wasn't until 1976 when he was cast as trainer Mickey Goldmill in Rocky alongside Sylvester Stallone that Burgess Meredith found his next big role. He continued the role in the subsequent sequels, up until 1990's Rocky V (that's the fifth one).


Is that it? No! Burgess Meredith also appeared as Grandpa Gustafson, alongside veterens Walther Matthau and Jack Lemmon in the 1993 movie Grumpy Old Men, and the 1995 sequel Grumpier Old Men.


Had Burgess Meredith not died in1997 I'm sure he would've appeared in many more movies.

Now, onto the autograph. As a teenager my brother and I used to collect comics from our local comic book retailer (in Ringwood, VIC Australia). We became friendly with the owner of the shop who was intrigued by our autograph collections. Then one day, he gave me this little gem, a Batman trading card which he had signed by the one and only Burgess Meredith. Golden!


Thanks Ian! Until next time...

Cameron Diaz

Next in my on-going list of celebrity autographs is Hollywood megastar Cameron Diaz.


Cameron's first movie was opposite Jim Carrey in 1994's The Mask, which she did at the age of 21. I was 14 at the time, so yeah I was pretty smitten with Cameron at the time. I re-watched The Mask on DVD a few months ago. Meh, it's funny how some films seem better in your head.


After this, Cameron went on to star in My Best Friend's Wedding (which I call My Best Friend's Weeding because I'm just so funny), and then in one of her biggest films to date, There's Something About Mary opposite Ben Stiller. One look at this pic and you'll see why it was such a hit.


The next film was yet another blockbuster, Charlie's Angels, which co-starred Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore. Mindless violence, dance sequences (who doesn't love those?) and just fun. Shame about the sequel (pee-eww!).


Of course, Cameron did a few "artsy" films like A Life Less Ordinary and Vanilla Sky, but I never got around to seeing them.

And of course, Cameron played Princess Fiona in the 4 Shrek films, which grossed something like a combined billion dollars worldwide (not including the money made on Happy Meal toys).


So, on to the autograph... When Cameron was filming Charlies Angels, I sent this promotional postcard for Australian Women's magazine Cosmopolitan to her through the mail. It took a while to get a reply, but it was worth it (sorry about the scan, her skin isn't really that blotchy).


Until next time!

Karen Gillan

Next in my line of celebrity autographs is my most recent addition, Karen Gillan.


When David Tennant decided to leave the role as the ultra-popular Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, it signalled a big change in the show itself. Head Writer Russell T Davies also decided to leave, with Steven Moffat taking over. That meant a change in the overall cast. Little known actor Matt Smith was signed on as the new Eleventh Doctor, and Karen Gillan was signed on as his new companion, Amy Pond.

I've found that being a Doctor Who fan can be a funny thing. Those of us who have seen the Doctor regenerate from one actor to the next are used to change. But this time, I guess a large portion of the "new" fans didn't take it so willingly. There were death threats made, people went overboard. But, casting a 29 year old as the next Doctor, and a 21 year old read-head as his companion, went over a treat with their (internet based) key demographic.


Photos of Karen Gillen (like this one) also helped.


As did these ones of her first episode on the show.


Half way through the season, there was talk that Amy Pond was too sexy for the show, which is funny because they said the same thing about Louise Jameson, and Nicola Bryant.

Anyway, Amy Pond survived her first season as the Doctor's companion (just) and will appear in the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas Special in the UK this Dec 25. Still no word on when it will air here in Australia...

So, on to the autograph, it was just a simple through-the-mail request, which took about a month to receive this really nice reply.


Until next time!

Blade Trinity, Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Biel, David S Goyer

I haven't posted any celebrity autographs in a while, so today's you're in for a treat... here are 3 autographs I obtained, in person, in December 2004 at the launch of Blade Trinity, starring Wesley Snipes, Ryan Reynolds, and Jessica Biel.

Unfortunately, Wesley Snipes didn't appear, so in his place was director David S Goyer.

(This pic was found via a Google search)

The launch was held at Myer Melbourne, and was hosted by Fox FM's Adam Richards. My brother and I waited in line for an hour and a bit, and were pleased to be (not too) far from the stage.

The 2 co-leads (Reynolds and Biel) were introduced and gave a quick run-down of their roles in the film, as well as a discussion about their previous work. For Reynolds this included Two Guys A Girl And A Pizza Place, and for Biel it was Seventh Heaven. During this time there was a LOT of noise about Reynolds being cast as The Flash. That never eventuated, but he did land the role in Green Lantern (due out in 2011).


For Biel, there was not much else that was talked about, and her nude spread in Gear Magazine was DEFINATELY not discussed...

Anyway, here are the autographs:

(David S Goyer signed Wesley Snipes' promo postcard)


Ryan Reynolds as Hannibal King


Jessica Biel as Abigail Whistler

For so-called "Big Name Hollywood Stars", they were pretty nice people and seemed genuinely happy to be there. Too bad the movie bombed.

Mr Fantastic - Alex Hyde-White

Next on my list of celebrity autographs is the original Mr Fantastic, Alex Hyde-White.


Many people don't know this, but before the Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007, starring Ioan Gruffudd and Jessica Alba, there was the 1994 film, directed by Roger Corman, starring Rebecca Staab (Invisible Girl), Michael Bailey Smith (Thing), Jay Underwood (Human Torch), and English actor Alex Hyde-White (Mr Fantastic).


The making of this movie is actually much more interesting then the movie itself.

In the early 1990's, Constantin Films were going to lose the rights to the Fantastic Four unless production on a feature film went ahead. They didn't have $40 million to play with, so they did it for cheap, without ever intending the film to be released. Funny thing was, Constatin Films didn't tell the crew about their intentions. So the end result is a Straight-To-Shelf movie, which you can only get by download from the internet, or by purchase from ebay.



The movie wasn't all bad. The story stayed relatively close to the comics, and the actors did fairly well in the roles.

As for Alex Hyde-White, he was passable as Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic, but the special effects didn't help.

After the film was made, Alex went on to various other projects, such as Pretty Woman, Days Of Our Lives, and on the Celebrity Golf circuit. Much more information can be obtained from his official website.

As for the autograph, once again it was a simple "through the mail" response. A wonderful 8x10 black & white of Alex Hyde-White as Mr Fantastic. What's nice is he inscribed it to me "Fantastically Yours".

Great guy!

George Lazenby

Next up for my celebrity autograph blog is ex-James Bond star, George Lazenby.


During the filming of 1967's You Only Live Twice, Sean Connery famously quit the role of 007, mainly in part to the constant interruptions by the fanatical Japanese. The search was on for the new Bond, and Eon Productions searched the world over, with many famous names up for contention, including future 007 Timothy Dalton, Adam West (Batman), and Hans de Vries (who was also a contender for the role in 1962's Dr No).

But, thanks in part to his rugged good looks, and his fighting skills, Australian-born George Lazenby was announced with much fanfare as the new 007, to much derision (just like what was seen when Daniel Craig secured the role in 2004, and when Matt Smith was announced as the new Doctor Who in 2009). Nontheless, production for what was to be the greatest James Bond film over them all, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, began in 1968.

With leading lady Diana Rigg cast as the heroin, Teresa (Tracy) di Vincenzo, late in the production, filming occurred at Pinewood Studios, and on location in Portugal, and Switzerland. In what was to be the last Bond film of it's kind (aside from 2006's Casino Royale), the plot for OHMSS was taken almost entirely from Ian Fleming's novel. At 140 minutes long, it involved Bond tracking down arch-villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas), who had built a scientific institute at Piz Gloria in the Swiss Alps, and who had assumed the identity of Comte Balthazar de Bleuville. Eager to has his title ratified by the College of Arms, Bond pretends to be Sir Hillary Bray, in an attempt to lure Blofeld across the German border so he can be arrested and prosecuted for his crimes.

The film also had Bond falling in love with Tracy, the daughter of Portuguese mafia boss Marc Ange Draco (played by Gabriele Ferzetti). At first Tracy is distant to Bond's attempts to save her from her own distruction, but she soon has feelings for Bond, and they agree to marry.


Cue an escape by Bond from Piz Gloria, a rescue attempt for Tracy with the help of Draco, and the wedding, and it all seems to be going swimingly for Bond, until the final scene where the newlywed Tracy is shot in the head by Blofeld in a drive-by. The film ends with Bond consoling his dead wife, which many movie-goers felt to be a real downer.

This, coupled with the fact that George Lazenby had rejected Eon's offer of a 7 picture contract (which he later revealed to be poor advice given by his manager), by the time OHMSS at his the cinemas, the search was on for the next Bond.

Regardless, the film is STILL the best James Bond movie of them all. In terms of plot, script, casting, locations, stunts, and the music, it's 10 out of 10.


After OHMSS, George had trouble finding the next big break. In the 70's he was in talks with Bruce Lee to star in a dual Hong Kong/Australian production, but when Lee died in 1973, the role was re-cast to Jimmy Wang Yu, and when The Man From Hong Kong (aka Dragon Flies) premiered in 1975, it did poorly at the box office, despite having some ripping stunts, the world's only fight-scene atop of Ayres Rock (as it was then known), and Rebecca Gilling showing her boobs.


In the late 80's, George was cast as Jor-El in the tv series, The Adventures Of Superboy, but despite the show running for 4 seasons, it never hit the heights of other sci-fi shows at the time (eg: Star Trek: The Next Generation).


Now, as for the autograph, this is a great one. In 2005 I visited Pinewood Studios as part of "An Evening with George Lazenby" which involved a guided tour of the Studios. Production of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory had just finished, and they were currently shooting The Da Vinci Code, and Basic Instict 2. It also included a screening of OHMSS, attendances by former James Bond celebrities, a meet and greet with George, followed by a dinner and Q&A session. It was a real treat!



Until next time.

Britney Spears

Next in my line-up of celebrity autographs is the one and only Britney Spears.


Britney really hit the big time with the release of her single, ...Baby One More Time, in 1999. I started following Britney's career when one of my friends (who shall remain nameless) told me about her.


The song title was also used as the album title, and was then followed by Oops!.. I Did It Again (2000), Britney (2001), and In The Zone (2003).

This was what many people consider to be the high point of Britney's career, as it culminated in DVDs, posters, t-shirts, even her own dolls. She also had a guest spot on The Simpsons, her own feature film, Crossroads (co-starring Star Trek's Zoe Saldana), and a cameo as a Fembot in Austin Powers In Goldmember.


Since then, Britney married twice, once (briefly) to Jason Allen Alexander, and then to Kevin Federline, the father of her two children.

Reported drug and alcohol problems surfaced, which resulted in Britney shaving her head and then going in for therapy. The paparazzi didn't help either.

Britney returned to the recording studio, releasing Blackout (2007) and Circus (2008). Once again, the media went crazy about her less-then-well received on stage performances in the US and Australia. But what do you expect from blood-sucking parasites?

Anyway, when In The Zone was released, I wrote to Britney and sent her a Cleo postcard. Not only did I get the postcard signed, I also received an 8x10.


Good times!

Dan Castellaneta - Homer Simpson

My next celebrity autograph is from Dan Castellaneta, who for the last 20+ years has been the voice of the most popular animated character of all time, Homer Simpson.


Here's what Dan looks like in real life:


Dan started out as a comedian, and got his big break when he was cast on The Tracey Ullman Show in the late 1980's, which also featured the first animated shorts for The Simpsons. When the show was picked up by Fox, Dan moved across as the voice of Homer, and also provided additional voices for Grandma, Barney, Krusty, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, etc.

But it's not just The Simpsons which Dan has provided voices for, you can also hear him as Doc Brown in the Back To The Future cartoon, as Megavolt in Darkwing Duck, and also as The Robot Devil in Futurama.


Dan himself has also appeared up in many other TV shows in the past, such as ALF, Married With Children, and as a kid's basketball coach in an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond (brilliant!).

For more information on Dan's extensive career (of which I have only briefly mentioned), please consult Wikipedia, or his website http://www.dancastellaneta.com/


Now, as for the autograph, many years ago I wrote to The Simpsons c/- Fox in the US, and received this brilliant inscribed 8x10 photo of Homer in the mail. If you look closely you can see the photo has been folded right down Homer's face, damned posties!


Until next time!

Anneke Wills

Next up on my blog site is something special, an interview with Anneke Wills!


For those of you who don't know, Anneke Wills co-starred in many of Britain's best tv shows of the 1960's, such as The Saint (opposite Roger Moore), The Avengers (with Patrick Macnee, Honor Blackman, and Diana Rigg), and Doctor Who (as the companion to the First and the Second Doctors).



Anneke recently had published two autobiographies, Self Portrait and Naked, and they both can be purchased at this website: www.hirstbooks.com



Now, onto the interview:

1. In 1966 you starred alongside Roger Moore for one episode of The Saint. Although you had already been acting for 10 years, how did it feel to land the role? Could you foresee this leading to your ultra-successful TV career?

As an actor one is always hoping that everything you do will enhance your career. Of course, it was more satisfying for me to get the leading roles in the BBC dramas, like “The Primitive” in 1960, but at the same time there was some kudos attached to being in “The Saint” – and great fun to work with Roger Moore, who gave me the nickname “Knickers”...

2. You starred as Polly in Doctor Who from 1966’s The War Machines, until 1967’s The Faceless Ones, witnessing the Doctor’s first ever regeneration (from William Hartnell into Patrick Troughton). What was it like to work with 2 different actors playing (essentially) the same role?

Of course, this was the first time The Doctor had regenerated, so that in itself was nerve-wracking, because the bottom line as an actor is that you just want to be in work, and we weren’t sure whether the British public would accept the transformation. For Michael Craze and I, all the fuss about it paled into insignificance because we got to work with Patrick Troughton, who was such a nice man, and a great actor. Pat reinvented the role, and really set the standard for future Doctors. It was also a relief, because William Hartnell had become difficult to work with because of his illness, so the atmosphere on set changed overnight.

3. All of your Doctor Who episodes, excluding The War Machines, are either completely lost or incomplete. How does that feel to you? Would you like to view the lost episodes, should they be recovered?

To be perfectly honest, I have lost and had to let go of so much in my life, that a few Doctor Who episodes, for me, is neither here nor there. Of course, for the fanbase, it’s frustrating to not have a complete collection, but how many people do have a legacy from work they did 40 years ago? A tangible downside is that I miss out on the fees for the DVD commentaries! But there’s always hope that the episodes are out there somewhere... in an Australian cellar perhaps?

4. In 1963 you starred in The Avengers alongside Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman, and again in 1967 alongside Macnee and Diana Rigg. What are your memories from your time on the show? Do you prefer one episode to the other?

As a young actress, it is always wonderful to work with such consummate professionals as Pat Macnee and Honour Blackman, and I enjoyed flirting with Pat in my pussy cat costume! And it was also lovely to work with the wonderful Leonard Rossiter. One of the great things about acting is the camaraderie between the cast, which I felt in my scene with Diana Rigg – we felt like buddies. I suppose I preferred the first episode, because I had more to do!

5. You have made a return to Doctor Who, both by playing Polly and as a narrator for numerous audio adventures (I loved your work on The Tenth Planet, by the way). How does it feel to return to the Doctor Who franchise?

It feels like complete magic! I feel honoured to be involved, and to have worked with 4 more Doctors, and especially to have had the stories written for Polly (with more to come!). It was a challenging experience to read the whole of the Target book “Doctor Who and The Cybermen”, as this story had - with the exception of me - an all male, multi-national cast – so lots of different voices to do! Reading The Doctor’s lines, as Pat, was a transcendent experience – I felt as if he was sitting on my shoulders, chuckling! In fact, I often feel him sitting on my shoulders chuckling, when I’m at conventions.. his spirit is so pleased to be so fondly remembered.

6. Your two auto-biographies Self Portrait, and Naked, and your work on Doctor Who have made you a fan favourite at conventions the world over. Do you have any plans to visit Australia?

It was the warmth and encouragement shown by fans at conventions which encouraged me to write the books. I love going to the conventions – we’re one big happy family – fans and actors – which now includes Sir Derek Jacobi! If it wasn’t for the conventions, I wouldn’t have stood in the Tardis again 40 years later, and met David Tennant! Colin Baker and I had great fun climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge a few years ago, but as for the future... who knows?

Anneke also has her own website, www.annekewills.com check it out!
I would like to thank Anneke Wills for a really awesome interview, it was a real treat!
Until next time...

Rosamund Pike

Next on my list of celebrity autographs is English actress, Rosamund Pike.

Many of you may remember Rosamund as Miranda Frost in the 2002 James Bond film, Die Another Day. But what some of you may not know is the trivia behind the role, and the casting.



Miranda Frost was, as her name would suggest, cold towards Bond, denying his sexual advances for all of 3 tries before she did the dirty with him in her hotel room in Iceland (in the novel this was preceeded by a romp in a jacuzzi). Her personality was similar to that of Gala Brand, the "Bond Girl" from the Ian Fleming novel Moonraker, and this was Frost's original screen-name, before Lee Tamahori decided to go with the whole Frost/cold theme.

Another interesting story was the casting process for Gala Brand/Miranda Frost. Remember that British pop star Sophie Ellis Bextor, of "Murder On The Dance Floor" fame? Yep, that's right, she was one the last few people who Lee Tamahori considered for the role. Of course, you might also remember that Madonna sung the film's title song, and that she had a cameo as "Verity" the lesbian fencing instructor who introduces Bond to Miranda Frost. Hmmm...

After the box office success of Die Another Day, Rosamund Pike followed this up with a role in the feature film of the video-game Doom, which I didn't see. But, I did enjoy her performance as Jane Bennett in the 2005 film version of Pride & Prejudice (alongside Keira Knightly).



More recently, you may have seen Rosamund in An Education (the film in which Carey Mulligan was nominated for as Oscar for Best Actress), or in Surrogates (where no one was nominated for an Oscar).

Now, getting to the autograph... you may remember my previous post about Pierce Brosnan, how I saw him in Melbourne for the premier of Die Another Day? Well, Rosamund Pike was there as well, so I took her photo and sent it off to her in London. About 2 weeks later, I received this totally awesome reply in the mail!


You may not be able to read it, but she's written "To Manuel, Merry Christmas and best for 2003 and beyond, love Rosamund".

Until next time!