BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Letters Live

clareiow · June 1, 2014 7:49 am

Aww Kerkerian I heard the concert was incredible! I was so gutted to miss it, but at least he played that gorgeous piece in Letters....

Tinks honestly I cannot describe it. They are just like frost. I can't describe it in any other way, just like minty frost. I'm lost for adjectives.

And Bex just told me what she saw of it - she saw his face when he saw my drawing and apparently he said "you're very talented" as well - I don't remember that!!! But oh my god!!!!!!!

Tinks · June 1, 2014 7:56 am

What have you done to me, Clare!!! I'm going to think of him every time I have mint flavoured ice cream now!!
What a beautiful description though - mint frost - I love it
So made up for you

clareiow · June 1, 2014 8:19 am

Thank you Tinks!

All I want to do now is draw more! Mental eh?

I just cannot believe it (sounding like a broken record now)....

This Is The Phantom Lady · June 1, 2014 8:23 am

Minty frost, now that is a way to descripe a pair of eyes, they sound incredible! And I concur with Ben, you are very talented Clare!

TeeJay that's cool that they used your videos, the quality in them was amazing, and once again thank you for sharing them, it was good to see some of this man even if it's through my laptop screen!

About the fans grabbing him. I do not condone that at all. I hope he's all right! That must be scary for him! In the end I fear things like that would end up keeping kinder and more respective fans from having their chance

Biggles86 · June 1, 2014 9:27 am

Oh dear, reality sucks!!! Woke up this morning and all I want to do to lie with my eyes closed remembering every moment of the past 2 days. I can't believe I have to go to back to work tomorrow and the dream will really then be over. I am still in a bit of a daze and that's without meeting him, I can't imagine how you must be feeling Clare!!!

I still need to check my photos although a lot of them are quite blurry which I feel is due to my inability to hold the camera steady!! Not sure they will beat TeeJays though - I knew there was a reason I said you should be an official photographer!! (Which reminds me of when Ben told them to stop photographing yesterday when Loo was doing one of Bessie's letters as there were too loud, LOVE HIM!!!!)

Tinks - he truly is as yummy in real life, even from the little I saw of him in the scrummage he is just so.......(wait for ever while I try and think of the words).......unassuming, like he genuinely doesn't get what all the fuss is about. I actually can't describe the aura he has.

Kerkerian - aaaaaaggggghhhhhhhhh!!! I do a small jump and clap hands excitedly that you got to sit so close to him during the concert last night, I knew your time would come. So pleased that after all your efforts you got to spend all that time being so close to him

Literally don't know what to do with myself today, Ben is a drug and I just want more!!

besleybean · June 1, 2014 9:29 am

Great that all our lovely girls enjoyed a fab day and so kind of them to share wirh us.
I don't condone bad fan behaviour, either.
But I do feel it will continue, as long as Benedict is perceived as single and therefore fair game.
I've long been bothered with hero worship and idolisation.
I adore Benedict and think he is the best actor in England.
But he's a man and a very privileged one.
He works hard and reaps the rewards.
He shouldn't have to put up with this stuff, but I do believe it's at least partly in his power to change it.

Last edited by besleybean (June 1, 2014 9:34 am)

Le Bear Polar · June 1, 2014 10:08 am

Biggles86 wrote:
Literally don't know what to do with myself today, Ben is a drug and I just want more!!

I know what you mean. After my own little adventure (feels like eons ago) I spent the next day nursing a bad headache from a 3 hour sleep and walking around in a weird dumb daze answering dumbly to questions about him. If that was from spending a mere 3 minutes with him I don't know how you girls handle spending TWO SESSIONS in his presence.

clareiow · June 1, 2014 10:14 am

I don't think people would change whether he was single or not. I wouldn't have reacted any differently if he was taken or even married with kids, I would have swooned just as hard lol!

I agree it's unnerving to hear people trying to grab at him, sadly though in an enclosed space like Hay - you'll agree ladies the layout made it very tight in certain spots - it was always gonna happen. Because people idolise him, us all included, and when you see it as your only potential chance, then I guess you might get desperate.

Bex was in touching distance of him and bless her did not go for it, she respects him enough and was happy just to be as close as that I think. In fact I think she was closer to him than I was. I think! Kindness gets you far I think. And patience.

Tinks · June 1, 2014 10:56 am

I don't think it's for him to change the bad behaviour of others, tbh.
Whether he's privelidged or not - and he does seem to have worked incredibly hard, so good luck to him if it's started to pay off - I don't think that should preclude him from being treated with basic decency and respect, and making a grab for him is plain wrong.
I don't know if he's single or not, I suspect he is but even if it emerged that he wasn't, then I don't think that people who behave like that would change because they just seem to have no boundaries.
It also means of course, that he's less likely to do stage door appearances, etc., because it would be a security nightmare!

MartaSt · June 1, 2014 11:43 am

It's very sad that people sometimes behave like (hope it's not too strong word) savage. I wonder why people just can't act properly, with respect to other person. I know that Ben is famous and people love him but damn he is just a normal human being and he deserves respect and privacy just like any other human. That kind of things that fans are doing not only to him but also to other famous people always piss me off.

miriel68 · June 1, 2014 12:22 pm

I think there is something some fans don't seem to grasp: that there are events in which he is partecipating as "himself" - as a star, Sherlock etc. and so he is all open and patient with signings, pics etc. and other events, which for him are about a cause or about friends etc. and he is not particularly happy when the fans try to turn them into sort of "Ben's event". It seemed to me very evident in Cracow, where he wanted to promote Sunny March, not himself and wanted his friends to be included in it. I suppose it could be similiar in Hay: it was about children's writing, letters and his friends more than about him.

Marta · June 1, 2014 5:32 pm

Le Bear Polar wrote:
Biggles86 wrote:
Literally don't know what to do with myself today, Ben is a drug and I just want more!!
I know what you mean. After my own little adventure (feels like eons ago) I spent the next day nursing a bad headache from a 3 hour sleep and walking around in a weird dumb daze answering dumbly to questions about him. If that was from spending a mere 3 minutes with him I don't know how you girls handle spending TWO SESSIONS in his presence.

It seems to be a common thing, problems with returning to normal life after seeing Benedic When I came back from Cracow, my family, friends and online friends wanted to hear how it was. But next day they moved on - bit I didn't. I wanted to talk about it, I wanted it to happen again and I surely didn't want to go to work. And I didn't even talk to him.

I understand the emotions (I really do) but there are some boundaries you can't cross as a fan. Touching Benedict? Would you touch a complete stranger in the street?

miriel, you made some good points. Of course fans don't see it that way and for them, all events become "Ben's events" at some point - Cracow being a good example. I wonder, is it always like this and if it is now, has it always been? Because I have to say, it's risky. Benedict has attended a lot of events recently and many people had a chance to see him, for many of them it was the only chance (for example, I really doubt he'll ever come to Poland at an event connected with Sherlock) and he might get a opinion of an unavailable, detached actor who doesn't like meeting his fans. I know he's busy and he doesn't have to do what people want or expect but still... I don't know. Five minutes here, ten minutes there and it would be more happy people on this world

SolarSystem · June 1, 2014 5:48 pm

miriel68 wrote:
I think there is something some fans don't seem to grasp: that there are events in which he is partecipating as "himself" - as a star, Sherlock etc. and so he is all open and patient with signings, pics etc. and other events, which for him are about a cause or about friends etc. and he is not particularly happy when the fans try to turn them into sort of "Ben's event". It seemed to me very evident in Cracow, where he wanted to promote Sunny March, not himself and wanted his friends to be included in it. I suppose it could be similiar in Hay: it was about children's writing, letters and his friends more than about him.

I'm absolutely with you there. There is a difference between a convention or a red carpet event where it is common and known to everyone that there is a chance for autographs, a picture being taken or a small chat - and an event where he is a guest among many others and it's not about him in the first place. Sometimes it might be difficult for some people to make that distinction, but the situation Kerkerian was talking about... well, I would suppose that it was quite clear to everyone in the room that Benedict would want to leave undisturbed. I guess you just have to pay attention and then you'll see what's going on.
When I saw him at the German premiere of "12 Years..." he immediately left after the Q&A was finished - and fast! It was clear to everyone in the room that he wouldn't want to give autographs or chat to people, and as far as I could tell everybody respected that and nobody tried to stop him. I guess he had left the room faster than you can say 'Chiwetel Ejiofor'.

SusiGo · June 1, 2014 6:05 pm

I agree with you, miriel and Solar. There are different kinds of events and one should respect if he has to/wishes to leave without signing or taking pics.

On another note: He made a surprise appearance at Judi Dench's Shakespeare recital today at Hay. It seems he asked her if she wanted to be with him in Richard III and she answered "Yeah".
Hopefully there will be more pics and information about that. Love Judi Dench.

Here is a pic:

http://instagram.com/p/otfZwny3MF/#

Last edited by SusiGo (June 1, 2014 6:09 pm)

Tinks · June 1, 2014 6:29 pm

Well I'm grinning with delight at that news Susi - I love Dame Judi

The privacy issue is one that fascinates me, in general, not just with Ben.
I think we all agree that physical intrusion - grabbing, etc., is wrong.
And on the whole I'm inclined to agree with something Martin once said (although I don't always agree with him!) that what he "gives" fans is his performances, and it's "not fair" of them to expect more - in fact he used to resolutely refuse to give any autographs in his pre Sherlock days.
I don't think it's fair for people to think badly of Ben because he hasn't had a chance to meet fans, or has decided not to; I think in Cracow it wasn't his choice not to, anyway.
The 12 Years Q&A that Solar described - if it was an event for fans, and he dashed off like that, it sounds disappointing, and maybe there was a reason for it, but I think celebs can't win really; it's always the times that they don't stop that get talked about more.
Because Ben has been fairly generous with his time on occasion, though, i think it would be such a shame if he just stopped doing signings completely due to a few people not knowing the limits.

Last edited by Tinks (June 1, 2014 6:30 pm)

besleybean · June 1, 2014 6:35 pm

Though in the end we would maybe have to accept that decision, for any reason...

Tinks · June 1, 2014 6:37 pm

Yep.
And there are a lot of Actors out there like that - people do come to accept it.

clareiow · June 1, 2014 6:55 pm

I know exactly what Marta says about people moving on. I wish I could tell it over and over again, I wish I could shout it from the rooftops. Nobody cares

Ben has been pictured in the shop with some fans today, and outside in town last night with a group of people - I feel AWFUL for saying this after such a wonderful experience but I wish I could have a picture to remind me of it, forever!

As for people grabbing at him, I don't like that at all. I think, from my experience and what we've seen today, that he has been wonderfully gracious this weekend and just generally WONDERFUL!

gently69 · June 1, 2014 6:57 pm

SusiGo wrote:
I agree with you, miriel and Solar. There are different kinds of events and one should respect if he has to/wishes to leave without signing or taking pics.

On another note: He made a surprise appearance at Judi Dench's Shakespeare recital today at Hay. It seems he asked her if she wanted to be with him in Richard III and she answered "Yeah".
Hopefully there will be more pics and information about that. Love Judi Dench.

Here is a pic:

http://instagram.com/p/otfZwny3MF/#

Wow, that would be a chance to get my best friend more interested in Benedict ... because she is an admirer of Judi Dench.

clareiow · June 1, 2014 7:22 pm

Ok. So I might be being a little bit over-the-top....and I might be overthinking this, but I just found this gif and its the nearest thing to replicating Benedict's reaction to my picture. This gif will help me remember, just a little bit...