I’d have to say that Amber Benson is the most down-to-earth of all of the cast members of the now-iconic and terrifically fun show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I had the pleasure of meeting her at the Hollywood Show on February 11, 2012. Quite surprisingly, she didn’t have much of a crowd around her at all, so she was ripe for chatting at any given time. Amber had played Tara Maclay the Wiccan girlfriend of Willow, and one of the best singers in the Once More with Feeling musical episode of the series.
I say she was ‘down-to-earth’ for a number of reasons. First of all, she was very polite, kind, and quiet – almost like her character in the show. The professional photographers had gotten their claws into her and advised her not to have any photos taken for free at the table, but she told me to lean in for a photo regardless of their instruction (as seen at the top of the posting). That was the first reason.
Amber Benson not only continues to act, but she also writes comic books and novels. One of her most recent books was Among the Ghosts, a supernatural teen fiction tome. Knowing that my cousin-in-law Natalie was a tremendous fan of Buffy, I offered Amber a twofer deal: $30 for a signed photo and a signed book. She was more than happy to oblige. That was the second reason.
Finally, at the end of the day, as Amber was leaving, I asked her if I could get a second – and better – photo with her and she happily and willingly obliged once again. So there you go, three reasons why this fictional witch is anything but. I was excited to meet her for her Buffy connection, but her kindness and generosity made her one of the highlights of the show.
If I had to make just one complaint, it was that she didn’t have any photos of her from Buffy for sale, but given my experience with her, that was an easy one to forgive.
UPDATE: I ran into Amber Benson several months after my initial encounter in Hollywood. This time she was appearing at the Chicago Wizard World Comic Con on August 11, 2012. During a lull in her business, I went to her table to tell her how much both I and Natalie had enjoyed her book. She seemed exuberant at the compliment and was every bit as friendly as she had been during our first encounter.
I didn’t bother her for a photo during out talk, but just happened to be walking by her table as she was packing up to call it a day an hour or so before the show was scheduled to end. I smiled and asked, “calling it a day?” And then naturally I requested a photo with her and encouraged my friend Dean to do the same. Obviously, she cheerfully obliged.
Amber appeared at yet another Hollywood Show that I attended in January 2013, but that time I left her alone. There was no reason to appear to be one of those Buffy stalker creepies.
Celebrities of the Winter 2012 Hollywood Show will continue…
Celebrities of the 2012 Wizard World Comic Con will continue…
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