It’s hard to process just how small actor Verne Troyer is, until you get the chance to stand beside him. Troyer, best known for his role as Mini-Me in The Spy Who Shagged Me and Goldmember in the Austin Powers series, stands exactly 2 feet 8″ – but conceptualizing that height in your head isn’t anything like being next to him. And let’s face it, that’s the real fascination with Verne Troyer. At least it’s mine. I was never a fan of any of the Austin Powers films, so the fact that he was in it doesn’t mean much to me. Of course with the phrase “Mini-Me” entering common usage, the character that he played has become somewhat iconic.
Verne Troyer started his career in films as a stunt performer, usually doubling for kids – but started getting casted for actual roles as early as 1996 when he appeared as “Little Santa” in Jingle All the Way and got to ride on the shoulders of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He also made appearances in such films as My Giant, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I’m fairly certain that his Austin Powers success will never be replicated though, which might be way he’s known to appear on the collector show circuit now and then.
I got the feeling when I met him that he was merely tolerating the whole business of signing autographs and posing for photos ($25 for the signature, $15 for the photo op) when he appeared at the Hollywood Show on April 21, 2012. He said very little (no pun intended) and shook hands only when prompted – so there is absolutely no tale to tell about our encounter.
But really there was no question about me adding this celebrity encounter to my checklist of encounters. After all, stars of this stature are rather rare to come by.
Celebrity encounters of the Spring 2012 Hollywood Show will continue…
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