SATURDAY
Remembering Grayson
RJ told her audience that Sam, at 89, was alive and kicking, and that Matt said hello and was sorry he couldn't be there. It's a shame that Karlen missed her superb video, especially since it included a clip of Magda opposite Carl Collins. I think it was one of the emcees that said, in response to the photos of Grayson from
The Screens, that it was more of Grayson than he'd ever seen. RJ: "Styrofoam."
KLS talked about how she and Lara Parker consulted on their wardrobe choices because heaven forbid they wear the same thing twice, but there really was a point to that, because she had just complimented RJ on her outfit:
The author in front of the Daily Planet,
er, Grill (in fabulous red shoes)
KLS also brought up Grayson's stylishness, saying she loved fashion and had her own kind of look. She also loved to cook-- Mexican, Japanese, etc.-- and she used all the right pots and pans and special ingredients. Her gazpacho was made from scratch (is there any other way to make it?) and part of an entire Mexican meal. KLS had no idea at the time of her visit that their last conversation had taken place. As a young actor, she was blessed to work with veteran actors of TV, film and stage, including Grayson, who had received her Academy Award nomination only two years before.
RJ joked about planting questions with the visitors to her dealer's table, and the first person to ask a question admitted to being one (though it was a matter of being asked to take her question to the Q&A). Debbie wanted to know how RJ became interested in taking on Grayson's biography. RJ spoke of her interest in the theater, and was impressed by her in
That Darn Cat when she scratched her name on the back of the watch, but also recalled her from other things. A friend sent his audition tape for NoDS, and she became involved in online posting-- the SciFi boards, etc. and she "got sucked in." And she talked about Gothick's research that led to her own. Grayson had a certain range, she said, and she was brilliant at it. Plus, she had an affinity for 40 year old red-headed ladies.
A fan asked if Grayson really was descended from Romanian gypsies. RJ: Magda was a gift from Sam, who patterned the character after her grandmother.
KLS was complimented for her good imitation of Grayson in one of the Big Finish audio CDs, which I'm curious to hear more about! She admitted that Grayson was an exceptional and unusual character on her own and declined to reprise it for the audience. Then, seemingly out of the blue, she asked if Gary from Baltimore, MD was present, but there wasn't any answer. Apparently, Gary rang her room at 3:05 a.m. and she just wanted to say, "It's not the thing to do."
James said he enjoyed KLS' books and asked if it was intimidating to work with Grayson. KLS answered that although Grayson had an edge, she was not. She added that if Grayson felt snarky, she would get snarky. She also found her terribly funny, and spoke about how their relationship would revolve around food-- the cast going to the favorite watering hole after work, and dinner at strange places, including a particularly odd Chinese establishment.
RJ was asked what the most surprising thing was that she found out about Grayson. RJ: The great mystery of when she was born. Grayson was very secretive about her age, and her lie began when she shaved off a year at the age of 19; even Matt didn't know her real age, and he had some difficult dealings in the past because of it. RJ also brought up the mystery of her first marriage, which she said changed Grayson fundamentally.
John Karlen finally arrived and asked if everyone slept okay. KLS: "Not all of us." He spoke about "lovely Grayson," unique and the best Mexican cook ever, and she was charismatic and "just fun to be around." The same fan asked KLS to relate her most vivid memory of Grayson on the set, and what came to mind was Grayson's first day when her own character was at the sanitarium, and Magda "in all of that hair," but no single scene stood out for her. She said Grayson was a little bit nervous when she came on. RJ: "It was this show or Ohio." KLS and Karlen shared more recollections-- Grayson's many mannerisms, and watching her smoke and blow into the air; there were her freckles, and she was so subconscious about her pale skin. So when she brought up KLS' false eyelashes, she brought up Grayson's leg makeup. KLS: "You can tell I was not intimidated." More recollections: Grayson had a great face. But you had to watch what you said around her, because someone else would hear it down the line (!).
Karlen called her a wonderful woman and spoke about her apartment on 57th, across from Carnegie Hall (?), and it was dark, and it was good, and it was rent controlled.
A fan who was introduced to Julia through his partner talked about the trust her character inspired, and was told that she took on a maternal role with the cast, though not necessarily with KLS. She told the story of Lord and Lady Finch, the birds that died in her care while Grayson was on vacation in Acapulco.
It was a wonderful segment. And if anyone has any additions or corrections to what I've related, please do share!
