The best and worst autograph signers at Toronto Film Festival

[mrs.v]

THE BEST:

1. BENICIO DEL TORO - The Che star was almost everywhere during his few days in Toronto - late nights and early mornings. But Del Toro never refused to sign. When one autograph collector mentioned that Benicio did 21 photos in a row at one stop for him - he was crowned our TIFF ‘08 signing champ.

2. VIGGO MORTENSEN - Viggo does have a dislike for the professional autograph guys and the blue pens. But we can’t deny this guy goes out of his way to please his fans and sign lots of autographs.

3. ROSE McGOWAN - Star in pop art stuff for Tarantino and the upcoming comic adaptation Red Sonja and your sure to be chased hard for autographs. And Rose certainly was. But McGowan did not disappoint and signed anything and everything put in front of her.

4. GERARD BUTLER - The 300 star was a man-about-town during the Toronto festival attending many premieres and parties. Gerard was always willing to sign and pose for picture with fans (and he was asked. A LOT.)

5. KATE BECKINSALE - The BEST list continues to be filled with BRITS. And KATE was more than willing to sign autographs at most occasions she was stopped. And Beckinsale certainly looked beautiful in the process.

6. JIM STURGESS - The white-hot British actor is riding the success of 21 and Across the Universe and could not have been more like the regular guy out and about in Toronto during the Festival. Jim never refused an autograph or photo request from fans and collectors. A true gentleman.

7. DAKOTA FANNING - Dakota is only 15 but already a festival veteran when it comes to Toronto with many appearances here the years. While the requests for her autograph can be a bit much at times - Dakota always seemed willing to sign - even when the powers around her have had enough.

8. ZAC EFRON - Another white-hot actor fresh from the High School Musical phenomenon that was surprisingly very good when it came to autograph requests. Zac signed up a storm at his premiere.

HONOURABLE MENTION (BEST) - TIM ROBBINS, MATT DAMON, ANTON YELCHIN
BIGGEST SURPRISE (BEST) - ED NORTON

THE WORST:

1. JIMMY PAGE - Disappointing for many, considering Page was the one autograph everybody wanted. Jimmy was at least nice and did explain to collectors - from the moment he landed in Toronto that he “was not doing the autograph thing anymore. Kind of finished with that.” For his three days in Toronto - he basically stuck to his word and signed nothing. At least, almost nothing.

2. KEVIN ZEGERS - Kevin did sign a little here and there. But it was his curt, rude remark, “I’m not here for autographs” to some waiting fans that zoomed Zegers to #2 on our worst signers list.

3. THE EDGE - A little surprising considering The Edge is generally known to willingly sign autographs for fans when on tour with U2. But on this occasion at the Toronto Film Festival, The Edge was following Jimmy Page’s lead and signing nothing.

4. JESSICA BIEL - She seemed to make herself available enough to the paparazzi as Biel would regurarly walk on popular Toronto streets during the festival. But ask Biel to sign an autograph? and you will get no response back (and no autograph.)

5. JENNIFER ANISTON - Aniston did scribble a few signatures for the cameras at her TIFF premiere - but in any other circumstance fans or collectors saw Jennifer in during her few days in Toronto, she just would not touch pen to paper (or photo.)

6. QUEEN LATIFAH - As the Queen migrates fully from music star to movie star - Latifah has also slowly moved from the Best signers list to the worst. She was terrible about signing autographs in Toronto. Just would not do it.

7. ALAN ALDA - No real surprise here. According to long-time autograph collectors, Alda has been a tough signature for years. Even with two movies in the Toronto Festival and numerous opportunities to ask Alda - he would just give the same reply, “no thanks.”

8. JOHN MALKOVICH - Just look at his performances on the screen. Are you really surprised to hear that Mr. Malkovich is not a nice man and refuses to sign for the collectors? Con Air? In the Line of Fire?

HONOURABLE MENTION (WORST) - KIERA KNIGHTLEY, RENEE ZELLWEGER, BRAD PITT
BIGGEST SURPRISE (WORST) - PARIS HILTON


Source

ohnotheydidnt: Best and Worst for Autographs at TIFF08

[msdeb]

pfft to those who wouldnt cough up a quick autograph.

[gogodancer]

Billy Crystal and Harrison Ford are also rude about autographs. I'd double dare anyone to ask Tommy Lee Jones for his and walk away alive.

I can understand how they could get sick of it, and there are a lot of professional autograph seekers out there at TIFF, but I think you can say no with some class.

[Penny Lane]

Jimmy Page is notorious for not signing autographs. Still would have been lovely to see him.

[Buffy Burnett]

WTF? Some celebrities really need to get over themselves. Don't they know when the meteor hits someday we're all forgotten?

[Honey]

Jenni is rude

[glennstar]

Hi, as probably the one person who has met the most stars at the film festival since the mid 1980s, I have a pretty good perspective on who was the best and worse. I have had very few really bad experiences with stars, but some have been pretty nasty. Woody Harrelson comes to mind as being a nasty one. He seemed all nice when he arrived at this one movie, but wouldn't sign for anyone. I did hear that he signed for one person who gave him pot. Well, I'm not going to do drugs to get someone's autograph.

As for this year, I didn't do any press conferences, but I met tons at other hotels and theatres. I would have to agree with Jim Sturgess, he was a really down to earth guy and always signed for people. Benicio wasn't as nice. He wouldn't sign an index card, but I met him a few years back and he did then. Jennifer Aniston seemed pretty nice.Me and another collector were positioned perfectly when she came out and we met her first.

I find the best ones were the veteran actors and the worse were a few of these actors who I have barely heard of. Ones like Tim Robbins, Ellen Burstyn, Martin Landau, Ben Kingsley and Jeff Goldblum were pretty nice. These ones Sophia Bush and Chris Evans weren't nice at all. Who the hell are these people? God, I have met legends like Debbie Reynolds, Lauren Bacall and Carol Burnett and they were ok. I was impressed with these younger actors like Zac Efron, Rose McGowan and Willa Holland. They were pretty nice. Zac signed a ton for these screaming girls.

I also met a few from all over the world. This one actress from Iran was really classy. She is Shohreh Aghdashloo. She actually appreciates her followers, unlike miserable pusses like Alan Alda and Jimmy Page.

You know, I am looking at others comments and I have rarely had a problem with Billy Crystal. I met him twice and he seemed to be ok about it. I have met Kevin Zegers a couple of times, once a few months ago and he seemed nice. Queen Latifah I met once with Holly Hunter and she seemed nice too. I even met Malkovich once.

The ones I was excited to meet were excited to meet were Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Bill Maher ( even with the protestors at his film ) and Gabor Csupo. He is a famous animator who heads the animation studio, Klasky - Csupo. They produced animation for such shows as Rugrats and Duckman. Not too mention my all time favorite show, the Simpsons. He was in charge of animation for the first few years of the show. You'll see his name in the end credits.

Well, in spite of some of the collectors who give me a hard time, I had a pretty good festival. There is a real selfishness among some of the collectors. I have my moments, but it used to be more of a team effort with the older collectors. Some of these losers wait for hours at one venue for a couple of celebrities. I wait half the time and I actually met some good people. There is a rudeness with some of these people. I am serious about meeting them, but I meet stars because it is fun and 24 years later, it is still fun for the most part, but some make it hard. I always try to help others meet the stars that they want, as long as they are nice people.

I love the film festival as a whole. I like to see the odd movie as well. This year, I got to see this exciting French-Japanese thriller called Inju, who was done by Barbet Schroeder, whom I also met. I have met hundreds if not thousands at the festival over the years, from the beginning with Barbara Hamilton and Gene Hackman to Rose McGowan and Gil Bellows.

I am a professional seeker myself and I don't mind professional, but they should know how to conduct themselves. I have become successful at it from by not only knowing about who I have met, but being a nice and decent person to people that I truly admire. Also, I try to be friends with other collectors, but it is hard sometimes, but the ones who are friends, have been friends for a long time, over 20 years in some cases. If my friends wanted me to take a picture, I usually oblige, but autographs are my number one thing. I take the odd pic now and then.

People who constantly chase stars in cars, just to get some stupid picture of them shopping or something is picture. I saw this thing on tv where some star was seen unshaven. I thought, oooh, just gun him down because he didn't shave. It's really pathetic. Like I said, I'm not perfect, but I am not a threat to any celebrity. I just don't like some of their handlers. Anyways, I wanted to get this off my chest. I am serious about meeting stars and I have met a lot. I don't mean to come off sounding pompous, but I should have some say how to meet celebrities. It is good to be polite and a nice person to them. They work as hard at entertaining as I do about meeting them.

[DitaPage*]

Can someone please explain to me why signing your name on a piece of paper is so fucking strenuous? I don't get it. It takes a second. I just don't understand how it could get annoying.

[MrsDark]

Ooooh. I'm so stoked to hear that about Gerard Butler. He just got even hotter.

[frazzled]

Sturgess was such a sweetheart, he really was. And Gerard Butler was awesome, too. I ran right into him as he was exiting the premiere of The Wrestler (which I had also just attended - he was leaving through a back door) and he was very nice about it. He stuck around for as long as he could, even though his lady-friend (wife?) was waiting in the car. He signed maybe ten autographs for people just on his way out of a movie. He's forever in my Good Book: he actually stuck around long after his own premiere to see some movies. I'll tell you who the real autograph Nazi was, though: Edward Norton. I'm really surprised, actually, that his name isn't on the list. His fans were literally crying for him in the rain, and he completely ignored them. He gave a grand total of maybe two autographs, for a photo-op, and bolted for the press tent.

There is a rudeness with some of these people.

VERY true! Autograph collectors would push everyone into the barricades until they started yelling for them to stop, and they didn't even care. It was all about them getting what they wanted. And don't even get me started on the photographers who bring their own stools to stand on. Talk about rude!

[Happy_Evil_Dude]

Hey glennstar, I tried to send you a private message but somehow couldn't so please if you can answer me, would you elaborate on Sophia Bush being horrible in Toronto? Thanks.

[glennstar]

I saw her a couple of times during the film festival and she wouldn't sign for me at all. I did see her sign one picture for another collector, but wouldn't for me. I have barely heard of the girl before the film festival. She seemed so so as far as fans go. She seemed to be better when there wasn't a ton around. Some are like that. Because I am a collector, the odd one won't sign for a pro person, which seems kind of stupid. I can understand some not wanting to sign for some rude jerk, but I am usually pretty polite to celebs. I have seen big stars sign for me and not for others and vice versa. Ones like Ellen Burstyn, Martin Landau, Tim Robbins and Greg Kinnear were fine. Sophia wasn't overly nasty, but wasn't the friendliest either.

[yanna]

Benicio del Torro and Viggo Mortensen just got a whole lot hotter to me. *fans self*

[Just Kill Me]

Originally Posted by Raspberry gashes

Can someone please explain to me why signing your name on a piece of paper is so fucking strenuous? I don't get it. It takes a second. I just don't understand how it could get annoying.

In my office we have to sign stacks of 100 checks at a time... not fun.

[southernbelle]

I don't know if she's still like this, but several years ago, Hilary Duff was known around here for being flat out cruel to the little girls who asked for autographs and photos.

Owen and Luke Wilson are very generous and very gracious.