Two day endeavor for a couple of actors

So there was a 2 day show with a bunch of names. Mostly barely valid names. The biggest name was Vanessa Williams but I have her. Other names of note were LaChanze (who was a voice actress in the 1997 Disney movie Hercules) and Andrew Rannells (who was in the movie The Intern)

The first day I try after the show. Got a few people on the program and mostly mask shots. I see LaChanze who goes "oh wow" when she sees my 8x10 from Hercules. Sadly she doesn't remove the mask. 

One name of note that was super nice did no mask shots is Andrea McArdle who is pretty big as far as stage actors go. She played Annie on stage.

Sadly the venue said no one more is coming out due to COVID. Waited while most of the crowd left but saw no one else and didn't see Andrew. Checked out the hotel but just saw Andrea again.

Full list of Day 1 photo ops

Feeling a bit crushed on day 2 I would try a different approach. Entries into the venue, hotels after. Spoiler alert, this would prove a much better strategy. Start with entries and some have the mask some do not. Get more autographs on the program. LaChanze shows up with no mask and happily takes photo ops of people waiting. To show you how unpredictable combo hunting can be, this was someone who didn't want to remove the mask the prior day, and here she was showing up and taking photo ops like it was still 2019! 

Dr Fauci showed up to see the show but didn't stop when asked. Steny Hoyer also showed up though no one asked him (I actually have the op from long ago).

On exits I wait to see if I can get Fauci to at least sign but he declines. Then off to the hotel and wait. After a little while see Vanessa Williams walk in and ask her for an autograph. She puts on the mask and signs. Luckily I didn't need a photo op. Eventually Andrew Rannells shows up, we get no mask ops, and promptly exit the place so the hotel would have no chance to realize we were there. I would find out that at the venue they kicked everyone off citing COVID. So this time no one came out at the venue. 

Sadly it was more time than I wanted to put for these names, but at least I got no mask ops and some autographs. 

Full list of Day 2 photo ops

Autographs

First con of 2022: Baltimore Celebfest 3

I would attend my first con of 2022, Celebfest 3 in Baltimore. Thankfully I would have markedout's adelta to split many of my photos with. Otherwise I would not have gotten as many people as I did. 

First off, 2.0/Daniel Garcia photo op. I needed only Matt Lee of 2.0 so this good to split. Then I get my first ever member of Lucha House party, Lince Dorado. I'd seem them at airports in the past but they would never do ops because they were unmasked.

Then Ethan Page and Nick Comoroto of AEW fame, and Jessi Kamea of NXT fame.

adelta spots Judge Jeff Jones of ECW fame. I get a selfie. Honestly I don't think I ever got him so that's a nice bonus.

Then Lady Frost and Leila Grey. And after many failed attempts in the past, I finally got a good shot with Lana. The only time she ever said yes to a photo with me, she had hat and shades. Other times she declined. So that was a much needed upgrade. 

Ended this con with a photo op with masked Preston Vance (AKA Ten) since I got him unmasked already (that sounds so wrong in this day and age)

Lana

Full list of photo ops

First wave of 2022 celeb endeavors was largely a bust

The first wave of 2022 celebrity meets did not go so well. My first endeavor, my main goal was actress Tamara Tunie from The Devil's Advocate and other things. Keith David and Vondie Curtis-Hall (Coming to America) were there but I have them. I arrive there and it let out. I see Tamara. Got her to sign, but unfortunately she doesn't remove the mask. Off to a bad start.

Actor Dion Graham from The Wire is taking off the mask for photo ops and I get one. I guess that makes it my first celebrity photo op of 2022 (as I don't count mask shots). Although he's not even on wikipedia, just imdb.

I also get an autograph from Keith David on a They Live photo. Not bad considering this costs money at cons. Then I wait for Vondie Curtis-Hall since I printed for him. He comes out with a mask but thankfully I didn't need to ask him to remove it, so I get the 8x10s done he goes "you got a photo of me from every era".

I saw Christian McBride outside. I asked him for a photo and ask to remove the mask and he did. Sadly in all this mask talk I forgot to remove my beanie. 

While outside Keith David also took the mask down for photo ops, so I thought why not get an update.

I tried to wait for Tamara to come outside to try again for a no mask shot but never saw her.

Full list of photo ops

Autographs

Next up, the comedy tour with Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes. I need Jason, have the other two. My first stop is the hotel, I see Jason up a driveway no mask, ask for an op, he declines. 

Next up try the venue. I am one one side of the venue while another combo hunter is on the other aside. I chose the side where we normally see celebs go in and out. Then I get a call that he was on the other side. I run and ask but he declines and goes into the venue! To boot he did one photo op no mask before putting the mask on and doing more photo ops. Had I been there I could have been the first to ask. Plus he signed! PUNCH. 

Will Farrell (who I have) was a surprise guest there. Wait for exits at the side where celebs usually come in and out from (ie where I was initially waiting). They all blanked. 

Then back to the hotel where I pleaded Jason for a photo op to no avail. Shockingly Will Farrell was being the nicest one. He signed blank photo paper for someone and took mask shots. Thankfully I have him so I had no need for a mask shot. But I figured I could salvage this with a Will Farrell autograph. So I ask for an autograph, he says he already signed for me which of course isn't true. I plead some more and say he didn't get me. He agrees to the autograph, takes my sharpie, then goes "oh that's just a blank paper". This was after he just signed one a minute ago! WTF!