| Michael Easton Fan Encounters p. 3 |
| It is impossible to completely recapture what has been lost. Memories dim or distort the experience as it was first lived and felt. The reports I had posted previously on the Michael Easton Corner regarding my fan encounters with Michael are gone, perhaps forever. However, since I will always cherish those experiences, I will try to describe them again here.
The first time I met Michael was at a post-Daytime Emmy Award celebration at a hotel in Saddlebrook, NJ. Ever since I had first seen Michael, during the “Tainted Love” episodes of Port Charles, I had been fascinated with the actor who so brilliantly and enticingly portrayed the vampire Caleb Morley on that show. As a result of his breathtaking performances on this show, I began watching the movies and other television programs featuring him, entranced by the intensity and sensuality of his acting. After I read his writings in Eighteen Straight Whiskeys, I was even more eager to meet him someday. I got this opportunity in May 2003 at the post-Daytime Emmy party. That was the year that Port Charles had been nominated for several major categories, including best daytime drama. Unfortunately, unjustly, Port Charles did not win the awards for which it had been nominated. Although we did not know it at the time, this innovative, witty, compelling show’s lack of awards would soon foreshadow its cancellation. At the moment, however, the excitement of meeting Michael Easton dispelled any worries about Port Charles’ future. After the dinner party and auctions, as described in Tina Payne’s Fan Encounter commentary, were completed, fans could talk briefly with the actors. When I nervously approached Michael, he quickly put me at ease with his warm, rather shy smile. I mentioned that I had sent him a letter, along with an audiotape collection of songs that reminded me of Caleb, and was astonished when he told me he remembered the tape, even mentioning one of the musicians on it (P.J. Harvey), whose songs he said he liked. We briefly talked about his performance as Stephen Clay, Caleb’s rock star persona, and when I asked him who was his role model in these scenes, he said he was inspired, in part, by Jim Morrison. Meeting Michael for the first time that night, I was very impressed by his sincerity, humor, and kindness, in addition to his beauty. I was particularly thrilled that he remembered my little gift and greeted me, as well as other fans, with such warmth and modest charm. |
| Photos and story by Alison Armstrong *Some of this report was previously posted at the SoapTown USA Web site. |
| In August of the same year, I saw Michael again in Los Angeles at the Port Charles Fan Club gathering. The buoyant optimism of the May event was replaced by a mood of sad nostalgia as fans and actors said goodbye to a TV show that can never be replaced. The events, however, were uplifting, celebrating the legacy of the show and the camaraderie of those involved in its creation. A highlight of the weekend’s celebration was the Irish Coffee with the Boys event, featuring Michael Easton and Thorsten Kaye (who portrayed Dr. Ian Thornhart on Port Charles). Unlike the much larger Port Charles Fan Dinner which followed, the Irish Coffee event was small in size, intimate, and casual, giving fans the opportunity to talk more easily with the two actors, who visited each table and chatted with everyone there. As before, I was delighted by Michael's humble charm, sincerity, and humor. I gave him a small book I wrote about his portrayal of Caleb, and he seemed pleased by all the loving support of his fans. |
| The next opportunity I had to see Michael again was at the Gabriel Project benefit June 5, 2004 in New York City. Unlike many soap events, this gathering at the Prohibition bar had no autograph tables or planned meet-and-greet-sessions. Instead, you could freely mingle with the actors as you ambled through the noisy yet congenial atmosphere of the bar. When Michael entered the bar, his friend and One Life to Life co-star Kamar de los Reyes announced, with a drum roll, that Michael had arrived. But even before he came into the room, a throng of fans had begun assembling outside the bar, heralding his approach and greeting him on the outside patio. Once inside the room, Michael retreated rather shyly to the bar area, where he displayed his bartending skills, mixing drinks as well as signing pictures and chatting with customers/fans.
As the crowd around the bar thickened, Michael made a graceful exit to the patio, followed by his numerous admirers. Despite the eager, rather restive crowd, he was gracious and welcoming to everyone who approached him. When it was my turn to talk with him, he shook my hand, smiled with recognition, and said, "I remember you." After talking with him briefly and having my picture taken with him, I attempted to snap some photos of him and my friend, but had problems getting my camera to work properly. Michael asked if he could try it; then, holding the camera at arm's length, he took some pictures. Even though I barely know Michael apart from his acting and writing talents, he, as before, acknowledged me and made me feel at ease. |
| A year following the Gabriel Project event, I saw Michael again, this time at the One Life to Live fan luncheon Aug. 20. After nervously waiting for Michael to arrive, I was enormously relieved when he came in, somewhat later than most of the other actors, and made his way to the stage where the One Life to Live stars were being asked canned questions from the audience. (To prevent the accidental leaking of storyline secrets, fans were not allowed to ask their own questions.) Michael received an award for "best supporting actor" and best couple (along with Renee Goldsberry, "Evangeline.") During my brief conversation with Michael, I gave him a copy of a recent essay I wrote about Caleb. When I mentioned that the essay was kind of related to the "Tainted Love" Diary Web pages I created (and presented to him as a gift the previous year), he said he was reading them. I told him that I wish I could see him in a Broadway show, and he replied that he would love to do this sometime. His line was very long, so, of course, I didn't have time to say much, but I was glad that he remembered me and was warm, gracious, and personable, as always. |
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| To view a larger version of each photo, click on the photo. |