Paul Bettany, TV actors grace AsiaPop Comicon
PAUL Bettany will star in more Marvel films.
Fans of comic books, fantasy and sci-fi films and shows trooped to AsiaPop Comicon, held at World Trade Center in Pasay City from Sept. 18 to 20.
Attendees eagerly waited in snaking but orderly lines outside the venue. Once inside, those who wanted to have photos taken with the celebrity guests or get autographs (both for a fee) had to endure long queues again, but all the waiting and spending seemed worth it, if numerous social media posts were any indication.
Saturday was a good day to meet and, if one was lucky, mingle with a couple of actors from popular foreign TV shows and films.
Paul Bettany
“They haven’t let me out to have fun on the streets yet—see you all out on the streets later,” said English actor Paul Bettany at his panel appearance in Hall D, which was open to fans. He recently played android hero The Vision in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
The actor, whose film credits include “The Da Vinci Code” and “A Beautiful Mind,” is appearing as the superhero again in Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War,” scheduled for release next year.
“It was a really loose atmosphere on the set … it was great. [The actors] were all happy to be there—they’re being terribly well-paid, so they should be,” he quipped.
Bettany confirmed that he would appear in more Marvel films, but politely declined to reveal the exact number to the panel host. “It’s the first time in my life that I’ve got the security of knowing I’ve got a couple of movies to make.”
He still has to win over one particular “Avengers” fan, however. “My 4-year-old daughter (Agnes) is in love with Robert Downey Jr.,” Bettany said, recounting a video message he sent his costar. “She said, ‘I love you! I love you more than my daddy!’”
NATHALIE Emmanuel doesn’t have a driver’s license and prefers to commute.
Nathalie Emmanuel
Another Brit, actress Nathalie Emmanuel, is best known for her role in “Game of Thrones.” She plays Missandei, translator of the dragon-riding Daenerys (Emilia Clarke). Emmanuel recently appeared in films “The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials” and “Furious 7.”
“I don’t actually have a driver’s license,” Emmanuel confessed at her brief press conference in the Green Room. “I live in London. You just jump on a bus or take the Tube; it’s so much quicker.”
Making episodes of the hit HBO series can sometimes feel like she’s “doing a movie, with 500 people on set,” Emmanuel told reporters and bloggers.
“Don’t get attached,” she added, reminding attendees that “Game of Thrones” characters may be killed off at any time, even beloved ones like hers.
She said that speaking made-up languages can be a challenge. “It’s hard, but we are given loads of help. David (Benioff, showrunner) writes the language—he sends recordings of him saying each sentence. It’s written out phonetically and in English, so you know what you’re saying … I practice it a lot.”
On Missandei helping develop Daenerys’ character, she told the Inquirer: “I think Daenerys has a genuine friend. In Season 4, when Daenerys and Missandei were at the stream, she was braiding my hair and we were talking about boys. That’s what you want in a friend. It’s just really sweet. They recognize each other’s abilities and powers, two women from very different backgrounds and upbringing—they just have this common ground. I just love it. And I get to work with Emilia. That’s a lot of fun!”
COLTON Haynes thinks TV “continues to change for the better … bringing so many diverse characters” on-screen.
Colton Haynes
In another press conference, American actor Colton Haynes expressed support for “Arrow,” where he played the costumed vigilante Arsenal. He will return to the series he left a few months ago, he confirmed at the event.
The actor from Kansas related that he was brought to the venue by a helicopter. He ate longganisa and sinigang for breakfast, he recounted, and was thankful for his hosts’ hospitality: “People [here] are so nice … It’s cool to be here.”
The former “Teen Wolf” actor, also a music artist, gamely sang a few lines from the “Grease” song “Summer Nights” with a reporter.
Haynes said that he never expected to be at this point in his career. “It is so crazy to think that I’m even doing this right now. Five years ago, I was washing dishes at a restaurant.”
“TV just continues to change for the better,” Haynes said, responding to a question from the Inquirer. “We have incredible showrunners like Greg Berlanti (‘Arrow’ and ‘Flash’) … and you have Shonda Rhimes (‘How to Get Away with Murder’), who are bringing so many diverse characters to television. It has changed since I started. My friend Gina Rodriguez, the lead in ‘Jane the Virgin,’ she’s one of the [most] talented people, and to see her get an opportunity to do what she’s done and win the Golden Globe (best actress in a TV comedy) … I don’t know if that could’ve happened a couple of years ago. TV has come so far, and it’s only going to continue to go farther.”
Other celebs
Other guest celebrities of AsiaPop Comicon were Chad Michael Murray (“Agent Carter”), Jeremy Shada (“Adventure Time”) and Bill Goldberg (“The Longest Yard”), who also had photo and signing sessions with fans.
