A Kathryn Encounter - Emmys 2004

[LillyKat]

I never thought I’d have a Kathryn story to relay, but alas, one dropped out of the sky this week, so I thought I’d post it - mostly as just another example of Kathryn's very friendly, down-to-earth and pleasant demeanor, as well as a testment to her natural beauty.

The backstory: a co-worker of mine has a daughter who works in the TV industry (for Touchstone). I was testing out our new color printer this week, so I randomly printed a hi-res KM photo (thank you, RichE) to make sure our toners were calibrated correctly, etc. (Yes, I am a techy in my day job). I brought the pic back to my desk, left it there, stepped away for a minute, and when I came back, my co-worker had come by, saying “Oh, I love her. I love Cold Case. I met her at the Emmys, did you know that?”

Naturally, I was intrigued, but reserved. I’ve learned that people’s interpretations of “meeting” celebrities vary. You could say you saw KM at the airport from four terminals away, and thus, that would qualify for some as "meeting" her. LOL! But, I know my co-worker pretty well, so I was thinking it was a legit encounter. More importantly, she doesn't get star-struck given she’s been with her daughter to other “industry” events, and given her daughter works in the business. Thus, she tends to be pretty matter of fact in her explanations of her experience.

BUT ... she is a tried and true New Yorker, which is to say that if she DOESN’T like something (or someone), she’s going to let you know it.

And so, I kind of was thinking, “Is she going to tell me KM is … well, not as cool as we think she is?”

Of course not.

Thus, I asked my co-worker when, where, etc., and she explained her daughter took her to the Emmys back in 2004 (Apparently, her daughter rotates around who she takes each year to the Emmys, and mom got her turn – nice!). She had a blast, saw anyone and everyone that is … well, on TV. LOL!

As the evening was coming to an end, she found herself standing next to Kathryn as they were all waiting for their cars, limos, etc., to be brought around. They made small talk about nothing in particular. My co-worker thought KM quite charming and pleasant – both joking about how long it was taking the valets to get the cars and what not.

But, what really struck my co-worker was KM’s natural beauty. She was, as my co-worker says, "absolutely stunning, unbelievably beauitful." Of course, my co-worker was quick to point out everyone was obviously all dolled up for the event and what not, but she had seen some folks – even when all dolled up – look not so good. Thus, she was truly impressed with how stunning KM appeared to her on that night. The only other actress that seemed to be in that “stunning” (at least by my co-worker’s criteria) was Mariska Hargitay.

And so ... the cars came ... off went my co-worker ... of went KM ...

The end. LOL!

I wish there was more, but that’s it. Just another testament to KM.

I'll put in a request with my co-worker to have her go to the Emmys again IF AND WHEN CC and KM ever get their due.

[Naj]

That is neat, LillyKat. And which stunning pic did you just happen to have printed out on your desk?

[LillyKat]

naj said:

That is neat, LillyKat. And which stunning pic did you just happen to have printed out on your desk?

It would be this one.

[TVFan]

Awesome story, LillyKat. It's nice to hear such wonderful compliments from someone who isn't as invested. When Kathryn does the talk shows, I always notice how natural she looks. Call it a symptom of the botox/plasic Hollywood, but something about Kathryn looks so different and real compared to the majority of that world. Nice to know that she's so naturally stunning in person as well.

[riche]

Nice story LK. The evidence is definitely mounting up that KM is both gorgeous and nice

lillykat said:

I was testing out our new color printer this week, so I randomly printed a hi-res KM photo (thank you, RichE) to make sure our toners were calibrated correctly, etc.

Ah yes, the old "testing the printer" excuse 3 reams later it seems less convincing ;D

[longislanditalian2]

Thanks for sharing this LillyKat, I now makes me want to meet her in real life. I admire Kathryn a lot.

[LillyKat]

Thanks, guys - glad you enjoyed the tale! It definitely took me by surprise this week. Small world.

@TVFan: I like the "not invested" angle, too.

@RichE: I do swear it was only ONE pic that was printed to test the printer ...

@LII: I hope perhaps you'll get to meet KM one day ... I know how much she means to you, and how much you admire her.

[byrdman9802]

Hi there LillyKat!

Wow, I cannot believe you have a co-worker who has met KM! That is very cool!

And the fact that she had such kind things to say about KM is a testimony that she is a great girl!

You know, I still say one of the happiest days of my life was when I got my return from her (I about jumped out of my skin! ). She signed exactly what I asked her to, and I could really tell what a great girl she was with her kind return to me.

But I keep hearing tales like this about interactions of fans with KM. She is a great girl, and I feel honored to have helped her to smile. I, too, hope to possibly meet her someday, but if not, it is not a problem. I made her a happy girl with my letter, whuch was my ultimate aim all along!

So, thank you for providing this great tale, LillyKat. It helped me smile, thank you girl. Oh, and I will get back with you over email ASAP. It might have to wait until this weekend though. I'm a busy, busy boy again.

[boxman]

That's really cool, LillyKat! And you're now just two-degrees away from Kathryn!!

[eurache]

Wow!! that is great LillyKat !! I'm hoping that KM will come to this upcoming convention I'm going to in June. It would be so great to see her.

[LillyKat]

@byrdman: Glad you enjoyed the story! Any KM tale is usually worthy of a smile of some sort. Perhaps you and LII will get to meet KM face to face one day - anything is possible!

@boxman: LOL! Two degrees ... love that ...

@Eurache: Hope KM possibly heads your way ... ... what convention is it that you'd like to see her at?

[michelle]

LillyKat-- I love that pic that you "test printed". Only one, huh? Hehehehee. I assume that means only one at work?? Or maybe, only one printed but the rest are on rotation on your screensaver?? Ah, ignore me. I'm transferring what my own behaviors would be on to you.

We need to ALL go meet Kathryn somehow. LII can be our spokesperson. I'll be the one who goes too far and needs to be bailed out of jail. (LII is in charge of taking up the collection).

Edit to post: I LOVE your new avatar!!

[riche]

michelle said:

Ah, ignore me. I'm transferring what my own behaviors would be on to you.

Ignore you? That's unpossible! ;D

michelle said:

We need to ALL go meet Kathryn somehow.

It does raise the question, which may have been covered elsewhere here before, of what would you do if you actually did meet KM?

Obviously we'd all like to think we'd be all cool about it, strike up a conversation and become instant best friends.

At the very least we'd probably hope not to stand there, mouth open, pointing, "it's you isn't it? I love you and that thing your in." How is someone supposed to react to that? Hopefully politely, before running away.

I think that meeting someone you admire so much is a bit of a double edged sword. You do want to meet them and let them know how you feel about them (in an I admire your work way), learn a bit more about them. But what if they are not the person you've been idolising all this time? On film/TV she's actiing. Chat shows and interviews are hardly a natural environment for being yourself, it's almost another acting job. They have certain anecdotes to trot out, and are hardly going to give away anything really personal. I'm not saying that KM isn't just as amazing as we all think she is (there's an ever increasing mountain of evidence that she is) but what if you caught her on a bad day and she was not happy for you to talk to her? It could drastically alter your view of her.

Perhaps a certain distance (I don't mean restraining order distance michelle ) is a good thing. Keeping the fantasy alive.

LillyKat's anecdote was, as TVFan said, good because the person wasn't so invested, though she did say she loved CC. She wasn't gushing over her.

byrdman9802 said:

I made her a happy girl with my letter, which was my ultimate aim all along!

What could be better than knowing you've made someone you really like smile, and we know what a wonderful smile KM has got, just look at the various sigs and avatars on this very page.

byrdman I'm sure you've been asked before and no doubt responded, and I will fully understand if you say no, but can you give us any info on your letter and the picture you received?

michelle said:

I'll be the one who goes too far and needs to be bailed out of jail.

Clearly one way or another michelle is going to jail over KM. To paraphrase Monopoly: "Go directly to jail, do not make a pass at KM, do not collect $200". We should start a PayPal account and contribute to cover the inevitable costs involved: the bail, the lawyer, the appeals. How much do you think will we need?

[eurache]

lillykat said:

@byrdman: Glad you enjoyed the story! Any KM tale is usually worthy of a smile of some sort. Perhaps you and LII will get to meet KM face to face one day - anything is possible!

@boxman: LOL! Two degrees ... love that ...

@Eurache: Hope KM possibly heads your way ... ... what convention is it that you'd like to see her at?

Hi LillyKat - I would like to see her at the upcoming Xena Warrior Princess Convention in June ;D KM played Najara on a couple of episodes.

She hasn't been to one of these Xena conventions which this will be the 14th Convention and I'm hoping she'll be at this one b/c it's in NJ. ;D So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[Disasterfreak]

Yesterday at 22:08, michelle wrote:I'll be the one who goes too far and needs to be bailed out of jail.


Clearly one way or another michelle is going to jail over KM. To paraphrase Monopoly: "Go directly to jail, do not make a pass at KM, do not collect $200". We should start a PayPal account and contribute to cover the inevitable costs involved: the bail, the lawyer, the appeals. How much do you think will we need?

OMG, that was just hilarious. Don't worry, Michelle--I have a lawyer friend who ought to be back in the US anytime now. She'll bail you out. We can all pool our nickels... lol.

I think it's great KM seems to be so nice. Had my doubts there for a while because she seemed almost TOO nice in her interviews and stuff, like she was posing or something. But apparently that's not the case, so I eat my words. Hehe.

[michelle]

OH, thanks for the great laughs before I have to starting working on a gorgeous Saturday. It does worry me a bit that the thought of me going to jail as a result of doing something outrageous to KM amuses me so much. ..

[longislanditalian2]

I'll throw in ten dollars anyone else care to join in.

michelle- As long as there's money left over, I can bail you out

[LillyKat]

eurache said:

Hi LillyKat - I would like to see her at the upcoming Xena Warrior Princess Convention in June ;D KM played Najara on a couple of episodes.

She hasn't been to one of these Xena conventions which this will be the 14th Convention and I'm hoping she'll be at this one b/c it's in NJ. ;D So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Very cool, Eurache. Perhaps KM will one day do a Xena convention.

riche said:

It does raise the question, which may have been covered elsewhere here before, of what would you do if you actually did meet KM?

Obviously we'd all like to think we'd be all cool about it, strike up a conversation and become instant best friends.

At the very least we'd probably hope not to stand there, mouth open, pointing, "it's you isn't it? I love you and that thing your in." How is someone supposed to react to that? Hopefully politely, before running away.

I think that meeting someone you admire so much is a bit of a double edged sword. You do want to meet them and let them know how you feel about them (in an I admire your work way), learn a bit more about them. But what if they are not the person you've been idolising all this time? On film/TV she's actiing. Chat shows and interviews are hardly a natural environment for being yourself, it's almost another acting job. They have certain anecdotes to trot out, and are hardly going to give away anything really personal. I'm not saying that KM isn't just as amazing as we all think she is (there's an ever increasing mountain of evidence that she is) but what if you caught her on a bad day and she was not happy for you to talk to her? It could drastically alter your view of her.

LillyKat's anecdote was, as TVFan said, good because the person wasn't so invested, though she did say she loved CC. She wasn't gushing over her.

You bring up an interesting observation, RichE ...

I think it's really important to remember these folks are, in fact, folks. Though we may admire them from afar for a variety of reasons, at the end of the day, they have to pay the mortgage, do laundry, go shopping, fill up the car with gas, etc. This is not meant to sound overly simplistic or diminish what folks like KM do for a living. But, they have a job to do. The TV show, the movie, the press, the photos, the events, etc. is part of that entertainer living, and part of what brings us into the admiration fold in the first place (they catch our attention, strike a chord with us, we identify with something they project, etc.).

But, there is that fine line between being a working entertainer (like KM), and being a celebrity for the sake of being a celebrity. I think everyone here would agree KM does not wander around playing the Paris-Hilton-be-a-celebrity-for-the-sake-of-being-one card. KM's about her work, and about being a stand-up, good-natured, respectful person. But, at the end of the day, she still has to feed the cats. LOL!

Where the danger lies, I think, is when people admire someone and forget this; or, when people only want to envision the person as they see them (e.g., the fantasy), and not perhaps actually come to know them as they really are. It also creates further issue if in fact you do come face-to-face with someone you admire, but of whom is having a really bad day (which we ALL have). I speak from personal experience in having come to work for someone in the industry whom I never thought I would ever get to know. I mention it only as a testament to the fact that there is a certain level of perspective one needs to maintain when faced with the prospect of meeting one they admire (actor, singer, writer, public figure, etc.). I think the experience, on the whole, turns out better for everyone when you let go of the fantasy, and you can just live in the moment and say, "Hey, I got to meet Kathryn Morris today. Very cool. It was nice of her to spend a couple of minutes with us." I guarantee that giving off that sort of vibe is felt by the person you are admiring, and you're more likely to have a positive experience all the way round - even if KM is having a bad day - with saying something as simple as, "Hey, Kathryn ... really enjoy the work you do on 'Cold Case' ... week in, week out, it's just solid. And actually, I've admired all your work. You carry yourself with great poise both on and off-screen, and that's refreshing for someone like me. Thank you for all that you do."

(Okay, so I made that up off the top of my head ... but you get the idea - LOL! ).

Heck, even actors themselves go up to other fellow actors THEY admire to express their compliments. So, I think it's OK to be honest, complimentary (after all, we all like to know we're appreciated). But when hysterics kick in ... well, that's generally not a good thing. LOL!

JMHO.

[riche]

lillykat said:

You bring up an interesting observation, RichE ...

Why thank you young lady. And might I say the same to you.

I think it's really important to remember these folks are, in fact, folks.

That is of course very true. It is so easy to forget that they are doing jobs just like the rest of us. Theirs just happen to be seen by millions as we invite them into to our homes to entertain us. Plenty of people do jobs that effect millions, but you can't put a face to them. Doesn't the person holding the camera in Cold Case deserve the recognition as well?

"Hey, Kathryn ... really enjoy the work you do on 'Cold Case' ... week in, week out, it's just solid. And actually, I've admired all your work. You carry yourself with great poise both on and off-screen, and that's refreshing for someone like me. Thank you for all that you do."

I think you veered towards gushing a bit towards the end there LK

[TVFan]

Very interesting points RichE and LillyKat!

I have been fortunate enough to meet three people that I greatly admire (one only briefly and without exchanging words). I can tell you from personal experience that meeting them was wonderful. I remember leading up to it that I was extremely nervous, but as soon as I began talking to them, I relaxed and we had a nice, short conversation. In the end, I walked away feeling fortunate for getting the opportunity to spend that time with someone whom I admire. In the two cases of the people that I actually spoke with (Amber Tamblyn at a meet and greet for "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and Kristen Bell during the blogger media day on the set of "Veronica Mars") neither was exactly how I expected them to be, but both were extremely nice, polite individuals that made me proud to be their fan. I know that I would be very nervious to meet Kathryn, but I think I would be able to keep it together long enough to be thankful for that experience as well.