I've been stalking Mark Ruffalo online for months. Once I found out he would be appearing for a Q&A at the screening of his directorial debut film I visited the ticketing site everyday so I wouldn't miss out. Stupidly I thought this was such a huge event that tickets would go on sale well in advance. But alas, as New York is so jaded about these things, tickets went on sale the week before just like it was any old film release. Bah to that. I finally got 3 tickets, arranged for the night off work and when the day rolled around...I was sick. Snotty, red and gross sick. Which is exactly how I wanted to see/meet one of my top 5 celebrity crushes.
Lauren, Lucy and I made our way to the theatre in no particular rush. I hadn't even dressed up for the night, expecting that we'd spy Mark from a distance and be done with it. This is how Q&As roll at the cinema where I work. The celebs appears once the theatre is full and disappear out a back door before they are mobbed. We saw the queue at the theatre almost before we saw the theatre. It was long. I had underestimated the crowd. The girls jumped in line while I collected our tickets from the Box Office. The staffer assured me that the screening wasn't sold out so there was nothing to worry about. The queue moved fast and we ended up with pretty decent seats up the front. I can never understand why people rush for the back row on nights like these. Obviously the special guests are going to be up the front.
The trailers started and the lady next to me leant over for what I was sure was going to be a friendly joke about "Bridesmaids". It took me a while to process what she actually said, which was "You know if you're sick you should really stay home so you don't make other people sick". I nodded and smiled a bit, then recoiled as I realised what she said, and that I had to sit next to her for 3 more hours. Awkward. I guess it's a fair call but not one you expect to hear out loud.
The film "Sympathy for Delicious" was original and interesting. It was about a paralysed DJ living out of his car and the discovery that he has healing hands. Mark plays a homeless-helping priest who first exploits the DJ for his powers but sees the error of his ways. Orlando Bloom features as the front man of a band who invite DJ to join and exploit him even further, though not without his consent. After the film, Mark, Orlando and Christopher (the DJ, screenwriter and Mark's bestie - also really paralysed) came out and the Q&A went off. As always there was a mix of intelligent questions, over the top hero worship and cringe worthy idiot questions. The middle-aged women in front of us went gaga and could barely speak when given the microphone. Lucy and Lauren took many photos while I just basked in Ruffalo glow.
Down in the foyer I fully expected to go home and be done with it. But Mark entered the room and was amazingly sweet and friendly with everyone. It wasn't a total mob scene but he spoke to people individually and graciously took photos and shook hands and all that. The girls encouraged me to grab him for a photo and, despite my sick redness, it turned out pretty rad. After that I got a bit shaky and weak knee'd and needed a few deep breaths but we waited around and got a sneaky Orlando autograph as well (although he moved briskly through the crowd surrounded by handlers - not cool Orlando). I think he was mad that he was basically ignored throughout the Q&A. The only question posed to him was "How do you feel being second choice for this role?". I also got the autograph from Chris, making the evening a resounding success.
Tick for meeting Mark Ruffalo, celebrity crush. Now if I can only meet Scott Bakula, Alexander Skarsgaard, Hulk Hogan and Eddie Vedder. Too much to ask?
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