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In a nutshell, The Rift was frickin' fantastic.
James Marsters, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, Kai Owen, and the writers were absolutely wonderful, everyone giving it their all.
I've tried to write down everything I remember, but obviously, I couldn't give you the exact transcription of all the Q&As, because, depressingly, my brain isn't an audio recorder. So, a lot of the answers to the questions asked are paraphrased, but I hope you can get the general gist of it.
Apologies if I've mis-remembered gross details.
James Marsters, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, Kai Owen, and the writers were absolutely wonderful, everyone giving it their all.
I've tried to write down everything I remember, but obviously, I couldn't give you the exact transcription of all the Q&As, because, depressingly, my brain isn't an audio recorder. So, a lot of the answers to the questions asked are paraphrased, but I hope you can get the general gist of it.
Apologies if I've mis-remembered gross details.
So, I arrived at the venue about 9.30am and stood semi-patiently outside, getting over-heated in the sun and burning my arse off. Loads of passers-by kept on stopping and asking what on earth was going on - the answer 'Torchwood Convention' would usually cause them to give us a funny look and then they would walk away. Sharpish. While we were waiting, a large, furry sort of man emerged from the gym next door, wearing nowt but a towel – and invited us all to join him in the steam room.
He was alarmingly strange, I have to say. He started handing out leaflets. But I digress.
We were finally let into the hall just after 11am. (Running late was the Theme Of The Day.)
All the actors and writers were introduced, one by one, with embarrassingly different degrees of applause. I get the feeling that many people didn't know who Keith Topping was. Or indeed, people who weren't the actors.
While the photograph session with James Marsters was happening, they plunged straight into the first Q&A of the day:
He was alarmingly strange, I have to say. He started handing out leaflets. But I digress.
We were finally let into the hall just after 11am. (Running late was the Theme Of The Day.)
All the actors and writers were introduced, one by one, with embarrassingly different degrees of applause. I get the feeling that many people didn't know who Keith Topping was. Or indeed, people who weren't the actors.
While the photograph session with James Marsters was happening, they plunged straight into the first Q&A of the day:
Gareth David-Lloyd
Gareth. Oh, Gareth, Gareth, Gareth. The man is a genius – never one to disappoint and always one to come out with the most marvellous Gareth-isms. I love him and I want to marry him.
(Missed the first couple of Gareth questions. 'Twas something to do with how he wanted to keep earning money. I completely agree: money is good.)
On Sex, Wales & Anarchy
"A naughty day," which he "enjoyed too much". He promised there will be another one next year.
On the hype surrounding the Jack and John kiss
Gareth got very self-deprecating about this. He said it was understandable, since John Barrowman is a No. 1 Actor and James Marsters is a No. 1 Actor, so when two No. 1 Actors kiss, it is huge news. But when a No. 1 Actor and a No. 5 Actor (him) kiss, it's less so.
Cue lots of 'awww' from the Gareth-adoring audience.
On there being more Ianto in Series 2
Um, he liked the way the character developed. Can't remember what else he said on that one.
On whether he does his own ties up
"Yes, I do, thank you," he said, looking all offended. Then he said it took him two years to learn how. But that might have been a joke.
On whether he plays practical jokes on John Barrowman
"No. My balls don't look as good."
The next question caused a lot of hilarity, because Gareth misheard what the girl was saying and thought she was asking, "Is John Barrowman gay?"
(It's positively criminal to turn up to a Torchwood convention without knowing such vital information. Of course John's not gay. He's, like, married with children, ain't he?)
It turned out she was actually asking, "Does John Barrowman shave?"
On whether he's scared of fangirls
"Well, I'm bloody scared now." Someone then screamed in the audience. It was odd.
On fanfiction
"I like the pure filth of it."
On whether That Scene from 'Adrift' was embarrassing or not
He admitted he was nervous about it, but said that John and Eve made him feel very comfortable (oh, I bet John did). Apparently, it was actually a struggle to stop laughing and do the scene.
On the shock of Tosh & Owen's deaths
He was probably more upset about it than the characters. The Torchwood set was very much a family atmosphere, so it was hard when that atmosphere was broken.
On how he protects his voice when he sings in his Gareth-screaming way
"Throat lozenges. And whisky. Lots of whisky. Yep, lozenges and whisky."
On whether he plans to read any of the Torchwood audio novels
He would love to, but he hasn't been asked. He said: "They either haven't got round to it or they think I'm rubbish."
On whether he would ever write Janto fanfiction
Yeah, no, the answer was 'no', because "it's too good already". He thinks the imagination of the fanfic writers is brilliant. "It's disgusting," he confessed. "I love it."
On any scenes he would be afraid to do
He kind of didn't answer this question, just saying he would do anything, acting-wise, as long as "it wasn't advertising or against my moral beliefs".
On driving the SUV
Awesome. He was particularly gutted that the bit with him driving it in 'Something Borrowed' was shortened by the editors – he was proud of how he'd driven it really fast down the road and was sad that no one would be able to admire his great feat.
On which voice he would like to have on his GPS/sat-nav
Richard Burton. (Gareth really likes this guy.)
On what Ianto was doing while Jack was chained up on the Valiant
He liked the idea that someone suggested: that Ianto was busy being the leader of the free world.
On the kissing scene where the director forgot to say cut
He humorously parroted the question back at the audience, then went on to say how John was really professional and everything.
"The fucker," he added.
On where Ianto lives
"I haven't got a fucking clue."
He said that Ianto was the safeguard for the Hub, so stayed there after everyone else had gone.
On who he looks like
Usual Quentin Tarantino comparison. Next.
There was an interruption from Eve at this point, who was standing on the balcony above. She yelled at him to take his clothes off – I thought this was a rather brilliant idea, but sadly, he didn't oblige.
On whether he told Lisa about Jack
Gareth doesn't think so, since she rather had a lot going on at the time. He can't imagine Ianto going to her and saying: "I know you're a Cyberman and all that, but the thing is, I've been felching Jack."
On whether he would like to appear on Doctor Who
"No," he said sarcastically. Then he went, "Yes. I'm a big fan – love to."
On the next actor to play the Doctor
Jessica Alba – she could be the next "Doctette". Then he made a gesture about breasts. Ni-ice.
There was a lot of difficulty in understanding the next question – I was pretty confused myself, and Gareth said, "I'm sorry, I can't understand. All I'm getting is 'mayonnaise on my pants'."
It turned out the girl was asking about the statement he made in Torchwood: Up Close - the statement about him eating a large amount of mayonnaise before any scene kissing John Barrowman.
On whether he would choose a part in the West End over Torchwood
He found this difficult to answer, since he really loves Torchwood. At the moment, he can't foresee anything that would take him away from Torchwood – it's too much fun.
He then mentioned the Scottish Play for some reason and spun around a couple of times.
On the relationship between actors and writers
He think it's probably the most important relationship there is. He likes how there's an unspoken understanding between the actors and writers, and the writers are able to capitalise on any of the actor's ideas to do with the character (or not capitalise, if they're rubbish).
On more kick-ass Ianto in Series 3
Cue much rantage about his shoes. "I want a decent pair of BLOODY SHOES," he moaned, complaining how his always ended up sliding all over the place. He thought it was unfair how everyone else had boots and sturdy shoes, whereas Ianto was stuck with these "tap shoes".
On whether he would like to play an evil character
Evil characters are more attractive to him as an actor, since it's something he can "get his teeth into". He can let go with the flaws and dark issues of the character when they're evil; less so, if they're good. He said it was actually more difficult to play a good guy, since he has to make them likeable.
On a dream shooting location
Egypt, the Andes, and the Canadian Rockies – his three favourite places.
(Somehow I don't think Torchwood's budget extends that far.)
On how to cheat at naked hide-and-seek
"You're asking for a demonstration…" He said it was up to us to decide. Then he suggested that we should all play naked hide-and-seek later at 4pm. Which never happened. Which made me cry.
On the possibility of Ianto and Captain John
He would love it, since it would be an excuse to work more with James Marsters, whom he adores. He expressed regret at not spending much time on screen together.
On Ianto being a companion for the Doctor
He said it would be difficult to wreck the tradition of Doctor Who like that (with Ianto being a man and all).
That statement puzzled me a little – does he not remember how Jack is a companion of the Doctor? But then, I am biased – the prospect Ianto being a companion would sent me rocketing to the moon with fangirlish delight.
At this stage, the announcer interrupted, making the last call for anyone wanting photographs with James Marsters. Gareth promptly rushed off stage in the direction of the photo area. Then he returned.
On three things he could do with a stopwatch
"Stop. Count. Reset."
On Torchwood Glasgow
He would love it if they showed that; he loves Glasgow. Edinburgh, too.
On whether he can speak Welsh
He can speak bits and pieces. He also said he would like to learn Italian at some point.
(Missed the first couple of Gareth questions. 'Twas something to do with how he wanted to keep earning money. I completely agree: money is good.)
On Sex, Wales & Anarchy
"A naughty day," which he "enjoyed too much". He promised there will be another one next year.
On the hype surrounding the Jack and John kiss
Gareth got very self-deprecating about this. He said it was understandable, since John Barrowman is a No. 1 Actor and James Marsters is a No. 1 Actor, so when two No. 1 Actors kiss, it is huge news. But when a No. 1 Actor and a No. 5 Actor (him) kiss, it's less so.
Cue lots of 'awww' from the Gareth-adoring audience.
On there being more Ianto in Series 2
Um, he liked the way the character developed. Can't remember what else he said on that one.
On whether he does his own ties up
"Yes, I do, thank you," he said, looking all offended. Then he said it took him two years to learn how. But that might have been a joke.
On whether he plays practical jokes on John Barrowman
"No. My balls don't look as good."
The next question caused a lot of hilarity, because Gareth misheard what the girl was saying and thought she was asking, "Is John Barrowman gay?"
(It's positively criminal to turn up to a Torchwood convention without knowing such vital information. Of course John's not gay. He's, like, married with children, ain't he?)
It turned out she was actually asking, "Does John Barrowman shave?"
On whether he's scared of fangirls
"Well, I'm bloody scared now." Someone then screamed in the audience. It was odd.
On fanfiction
"I like the pure filth of it."
On whether That Scene from 'Adrift' was embarrassing or not
He admitted he was nervous about it, but said that John and Eve made him feel very comfortable (oh, I bet John did). Apparently, it was actually a struggle to stop laughing and do the scene.
On the shock of Tosh & Owen's deaths
He was probably more upset about it than the characters. The Torchwood set was very much a family atmosphere, so it was hard when that atmosphere was broken.
On how he protects his voice when he sings in his Gareth-screaming way
"Throat lozenges. And whisky. Lots of whisky. Yep, lozenges and whisky."
On whether he plans to read any of the Torchwood audio novels
He would love to, but he hasn't been asked. He said: "They either haven't got round to it or they think I'm rubbish."
On whether he would ever write Janto fanfiction
Yeah, no, the answer was 'no', because "it's too good already". He thinks the imagination of the fanfic writers is brilliant. "It's disgusting," he confessed. "I love it."
On any scenes he would be afraid to do
He kind of didn't answer this question, just saying he would do anything, acting-wise, as long as "it wasn't advertising or against my moral beliefs".
On driving the SUV
Awesome. He was particularly gutted that the bit with him driving it in 'Something Borrowed' was shortened by the editors – he was proud of how he'd driven it really fast down the road and was sad that no one would be able to admire his great feat.
On which voice he would like to have on his GPS/sat-nav
Richard Burton. (Gareth really likes this guy.)
On what Ianto was doing while Jack was chained up on the Valiant
He liked the idea that someone suggested: that Ianto was busy being the leader of the free world.
On the kissing scene where the director forgot to say cut
He humorously parroted the question back at the audience, then went on to say how John was really professional and everything.
"The fucker," he added.
On where Ianto lives
"I haven't got a fucking clue."
He said that Ianto was the safeguard for the Hub, so stayed there after everyone else had gone.
On who he looks like
Usual Quentin Tarantino comparison. Next.
There was an interruption from Eve at this point, who was standing on the balcony above. She yelled at him to take his clothes off – I thought this was a rather brilliant idea, but sadly, he didn't oblige.
On whether he told Lisa about Jack
Gareth doesn't think so, since she rather had a lot going on at the time. He can't imagine Ianto going to her and saying: "I know you're a Cyberman and all that, but the thing is, I've been felching Jack."
On whether he would like to appear on Doctor Who
"No," he said sarcastically. Then he went, "Yes. I'm a big fan – love to."
On the next actor to play the Doctor
Jessica Alba – she could be the next "Doctette". Then he made a gesture about breasts. Ni-ice.
There was a lot of difficulty in understanding the next question – I was pretty confused myself, and Gareth said, "I'm sorry, I can't understand. All I'm getting is 'mayonnaise on my pants'."
It turned out the girl was asking about the statement he made in Torchwood: Up Close - the statement about him eating a large amount of mayonnaise before any scene kissing John Barrowman.
On whether he would choose a part in the West End over Torchwood
He found this difficult to answer, since he really loves Torchwood. At the moment, he can't foresee anything that would take him away from Torchwood – it's too much fun.
He then mentioned the Scottish Play for some reason and spun around a couple of times.
On the relationship between actors and writers
He think it's probably the most important relationship there is. He likes how there's an unspoken understanding between the actors and writers, and the writers are able to capitalise on any of the actor's ideas to do with the character (or not capitalise, if they're rubbish).
On more kick-ass Ianto in Series 3
Cue much rantage about his shoes. "I want a decent pair of BLOODY SHOES," he moaned, complaining how his always ended up sliding all over the place. He thought it was unfair how everyone else had boots and sturdy shoes, whereas Ianto was stuck with these "tap shoes".
On whether he would like to play an evil character
Evil characters are more attractive to him as an actor, since it's something he can "get his teeth into". He can let go with the flaws and dark issues of the character when they're evil; less so, if they're good. He said it was actually more difficult to play a good guy, since he has to make them likeable.
On a dream shooting location
Egypt, the Andes, and the Canadian Rockies – his three favourite places.
(Somehow I don't think Torchwood's budget extends that far.)
On how to cheat at naked hide-and-seek
"You're asking for a demonstration…" He said it was up to us to decide. Then he suggested that we should all play naked hide-and-seek later at 4pm. Which never happened. Which made me cry.
On the possibility of Ianto and Captain John
He would love it, since it would be an excuse to work more with James Marsters, whom he adores. He expressed regret at not spending much time on screen together.
On Ianto being a companion for the Doctor
He said it would be difficult to wreck the tradition of Doctor Who like that (with Ianto being a man and all).
That statement puzzled me a little – does he not remember how Jack is a companion of the Doctor? But then, I am biased – the prospect Ianto being a companion would sent me rocketing to the moon with fangirlish delight.
At this stage, the announcer interrupted, making the last call for anyone wanting photographs with James Marsters. Gareth promptly rushed off stage in the direction of the photo area. Then he returned.
On three things he could do with a stopwatch
"Stop. Count. Reset."
On Torchwood Glasgow
He would love it if they showed that; he loves Glasgow. Edinburgh, too.
On whether he can speak Welsh
He can speak bits and pieces. He also said he would like to learn Italian at some point.
Eve Myles
Eve was incredibly excited about the Q&A, since she'd never done one of them before - it was terribly endearing. Although I'm not the biggest Gwen fan, because of this convention, I love Eve so much and I want to marry her.
On her BAFTA Cymru nomination
She was very complimentary towards the fans at the mention of this, saying the nomination was really on account of us all being so great. (I agree, we are great. Superb way to butter us all up.) She said she was going to the ceremony and had her dress all ready.
On anything else she would like to do with Gwen
Likes the action aspect of her character. Wants to do more fighting.
On whether she knew that Gwen was going to be part of the gang in Series 1
Yes, she knew, but she didn't know how she was going to be introduced. She'd been told that she was going to be a policewoman, but that was about it.
On being a role model for young girls
"Best thing in the world."
On a possible baby plot for Series 3
It would be a lovely storyline, but she's nervous it might compromise what Gwen does.
She talked about wearing the pregnancy bump in 'Something Borrowed': "Trying to run with it was bloody hilarious."
On whether she was embarrassed by John & Gareth's scene in 'Adrift'
Giggling and looks of ecstatic joy at this question. She's such a fangirl, it's brilliant.
According to her, filming that scene was fabulous. The first take they did, she forgot to say the line 'Oh, god!' – essentially forgetting to say the line that was supposed to be John and Gareth's cue to STOP HUMPING. Pretty much, the whole thing just went on and on and on…
On the question of Series 3
"Fingers crossed."
(I get the impression from all the actors that they're expecting to do Series 3.)
On her 'girlies' coming out to play
John Barrowman takes the crown for exposing himself, but she does like to show her girlies off.
On Gwen & Rhys or Jack & Gwen
She vehemently stressed how much Gwen adores and loves Rhys to the very tips of her toes. This made me very happy, because I'm a big supporter of Gwen and Rhys. Concerning Jack, there's the simple fact that when an American walks into the room, looking like John Barrowman – OMG!WOW!*faint* – of course she's going to fancy him. She summed it up by saying that although there was a mutual affection/attraction between Gwen and Jack, Gwen really does love Rhys to death.
On Gwen becoming a harder character in Series 2
Gwen had to. She had to be stern and cruel with Rhys so that he doesn't accidentally get himself killed. Eve didn't want Gwen to be constantly like, "Wow, there's a blowfish!" throughout the series. She wanted her to accept what Torchwood is and be firm about it, especially when it came to her loved ones.
On her accent for Shakespeare plays
Standard English, pretty much.
On Naoko and Burn's departure
Incredibly hard and very emotional. Every tear shed was straight from the heart. When her and John Barrowman got the scripts, they actually couldn't read their lines, it was so hard. They felt they were losing not only the characters, but also the actors and their best friends.
On 'Something Borrowed'
A fun time with a big bump and a gun. It was very cool.
On the funniest moment on/off screen
'John Barrowman's balls' was her instant reaction.
She also loved the gherkin scene in 'Something Borrowed', which wasn't written into the script. They did so many takes of that scene, that, fifteen gherkins later, she was like, "I bloody hate gherkins." She then felt sorry for Kai, who had to do a kissing scene with her afterwards.
On whether she was a sci-fi fan prior to Torchwood
Yes. "Buffy-crazy," she said, which made me to fall in love with her instantly - that girl has taste!
On similarities between Gwen and Eve
There's a lot of Eve in Gwen, since Eve's played her for such a long time, so things naturally slip in. She likes to think she has the same moral strength and determination, but sometimes she doesn't understand why Gwen doesn't just go home and have lasagna instead of rushing off for all that Torchwood lark.
On the possibility of Gwen and Ianto getting together
'No' seemed to be the answer – what they have is the beginnings of a strong friendship.
Eve noted that if Gwen and Ianto did get it on, it would mean that she'd done all of them!
On which voice she would like to have on her GPS/sat-nav
John Barrowman.
On James Marsters' appearance on the show
"I almost died."
In the first scene she filmed with James, she went blank for about three minutes –completely star-struck, and John kept waving at her to snap her out of it. She loved the paralysing lip-gloss scene and the fact that she got to kiss James.
I missed the last couple of questions, since I was busy messing around with trying to get tickets for a photograph session with Gareth. I heard random snippets while I waiting in the queue: that Countrycide was her favourite episode, because they got to go to the Brecon Beacons and stay in a castle; that her and John Barrowman have so much fun on set; that she would like to play Lady Macbeth and work with Maggie Smith; and that PC Andy rocks. The last one produced an enormous cheer.
Quite rightly.
On her BAFTA Cymru nomination
She was very complimentary towards the fans at the mention of this, saying the nomination was really on account of us all being so great. (I agree, we are great. Superb way to butter us all up.) She said she was going to the ceremony and had her dress all ready.
On anything else she would like to do with Gwen
Likes the action aspect of her character. Wants to do more fighting.
On whether she knew that Gwen was going to be part of the gang in Series 1
Yes, she knew, but she didn't know how she was going to be introduced. She'd been told that she was going to be a policewoman, but that was about it.
On being a role model for young girls
"Best thing in the world."
On a possible baby plot for Series 3
It would be a lovely storyline, but she's nervous it might compromise what Gwen does.
She talked about wearing the pregnancy bump in 'Something Borrowed': "Trying to run with it was bloody hilarious."
On whether she was embarrassed by John & Gareth's scene in 'Adrift'
Giggling and looks of ecstatic joy at this question. She's such a fangirl, it's brilliant.
According to her, filming that scene was fabulous. The first take they did, she forgot to say the line 'Oh, god!' – essentially forgetting to say the line that was supposed to be John and Gareth's cue to STOP HUMPING. Pretty much, the whole thing just went on and on and on…
On the question of Series 3
"Fingers crossed."
(I get the impression from all the actors that they're expecting to do Series 3.)
On her 'girlies' coming out to play
John Barrowman takes the crown for exposing himself, but she does like to show her girlies off.
On Gwen & Rhys or Jack & Gwen
She vehemently stressed how much Gwen adores and loves Rhys to the very tips of her toes. This made me very happy, because I'm a big supporter of Gwen and Rhys. Concerning Jack, there's the simple fact that when an American walks into the room, looking like John Barrowman – OMG!WOW!*faint* – of course she's going to fancy him. She summed it up by saying that although there was a mutual affection/attraction between Gwen and Jack, Gwen really does love Rhys to death.
On Gwen becoming a harder character in Series 2
Gwen had to. She had to be stern and cruel with Rhys so that he doesn't accidentally get himself killed. Eve didn't want Gwen to be constantly like, "Wow, there's a blowfish!" throughout the series. She wanted her to accept what Torchwood is and be firm about it, especially when it came to her loved ones.
On her accent for Shakespeare plays
Standard English, pretty much.
On Naoko and Burn's departure
Incredibly hard and very emotional. Every tear shed was straight from the heart. When her and John Barrowman got the scripts, they actually couldn't read their lines, it was so hard. They felt they were losing not only the characters, but also the actors and their best friends.
On 'Something Borrowed'
A fun time with a big bump and a gun. It was very cool.
On the funniest moment on/off screen
'John Barrowman's balls' was her instant reaction.
She also loved the gherkin scene in 'Something Borrowed', which wasn't written into the script. They did so many takes of that scene, that, fifteen gherkins later, she was like, "I bloody hate gherkins." She then felt sorry for Kai, who had to do a kissing scene with her afterwards.
On whether she was a sci-fi fan prior to Torchwood
Yes. "Buffy-crazy," she said, which made me to fall in love with her instantly - that girl has taste!
On similarities between Gwen and Eve
There's a lot of Eve in Gwen, since Eve's played her for such a long time, so things naturally slip in. She likes to think she has the same moral strength and determination, but sometimes she doesn't understand why Gwen doesn't just go home and have lasagna instead of rushing off for all that Torchwood lark.
On the possibility of Gwen and Ianto getting together
'No' seemed to be the answer – what they have is the beginnings of a strong friendship.
Eve noted that if Gwen and Ianto did get it on, it would mean that she'd done all of them!
On which voice she would like to have on her GPS/sat-nav
John Barrowman.
On James Marsters' appearance on the show
"I almost died."
In the first scene she filmed with James, she went blank for about three minutes –completely star-struck, and John kept waving at her to snap her out of it. She loved the paralysing lip-gloss scene and the fact that she got to kiss James.
I missed the last couple of questions, since I was busy messing around with trying to get tickets for a photograph session with Gareth. I heard random snippets while I waiting in the queue: that Countrycide was her favourite episode, because they got to go to the Brecon Beacons and stay in a castle; that her and John Barrowman have so much fun on set; that she would like to play Lady Macbeth and work with Maggie Smith; and that PC Andy rocks. The last one produced an enormous cheer.
Quite rightly.
Kai Owen
For someone who wasn't scheduled to appear until a couple of weeks ago, Kai Owen managed to completely steal the show. I can't describe how absolutely brilliant he is - I love him and I want to marry him.
On the possibility of an orgy in Torchwood
"Off set, they have. On set – hopefully."
On potential storylines for Rhys in the future
He thinks he was very lucky with the amount he had in Series 2 and would like to maintain that in further series'. But in future, he would like to be able to drive the SUV and also smack Jack.
On having a baby with Gwen
Rhys would love it, since he's a normal guy and wants a family. He would be quite happy to stay at home while Gwen goes off to save the world.
On Rhys getting a crush on Jack
"Why not?"
On a musical episode for Torchwood
It would be a dream. He and everyone on the show would love it.
On whether Rhys might join the Torchwood gang
Kai doubts it – he thinks Rhys will continue to get caught up in it all, but never become a fully-fledged member of Torchwood.
On which voice he would like to have on his GPS/sat-nav
Homer Simpson and John Cleese.
On Rhys' likeability as a character
He's a normal bloke. Very down to earth and he adores Gwen. Rhys is just a nice, normal guy, and that's why people, especially men, like him – because they can relate to him.
On which actor he'd like to work with
Anthony Hopkins and Jim Carrey. Oh, and Sylvester Stallone.
On what he'd be doing if he wasn't an actor
Probably be working in a butcher's shop. He used to be a butcher from the age of thirteen, and he still enjoys working with food.
On his singing ability
He can sing, but not well enough to make an album. The snippets I heard later didn't sound too bad, but they were sort of masked in a haze of drunken stupor.
On yelling at John Barrowman in 'Something Borrowed'
Brilliant. He liked those scenes and loved punching John.
On his frequent nudity in the series
"I was hung over most of the time. Eve's seen me naked, anyway."
On his reaction if he found out aliens really did exist
He would go and have look, but it probably wouldn't be much different to some of the sights you see in Cardiff anyway.
On who he'd liked to kiss
Anyone, really. Naoko and Freema primarily, but anyone.
On which was his favourite episode in Series 2
'Something Borrowed' and 'Meat', naturally.
On panto
It was hard work and a new experience, but overall, it was great and he had a wonderful time. He mentioned that he's going to do Dick Whittington in the near future.
On other projects
He's not doing anything at the moment – he's a resting actor and has just been on holiday.
On whether he'd like more cuddling and kissing
There's not enough of it, in his opinion – too much screaming.
On Torchwood's portrayal of Cardiff
It makes him extremely proud – the city looks really good in the show, with the water tower and everything. And other parts of Wales look great as well, like the Brecon Beacons in 'Countrycide'.
On whether Gwen takes Rhys for granted
Not really. He thinks she got caught up in Torchwood in Series 1, but then slowly realised that Rhys is her rock and returned to him.
On people relating to Rhys' character
He's the normality to Torchwood's chaos, and that's comforting.
On tips for getting hold of rugby tickets
Book in advance.
On the possibility of an orgy in Torchwood
"Off set, they have. On set – hopefully."
On potential storylines for Rhys in the future
He thinks he was very lucky with the amount he had in Series 2 and would like to maintain that in further series'. But in future, he would like to be able to drive the SUV and also smack Jack.
On having a baby with Gwen
Rhys would love it, since he's a normal guy and wants a family. He would be quite happy to stay at home while Gwen goes off to save the world.
On Rhys getting a crush on Jack
"Why not?"
On a musical episode for Torchwood
It would be a dream. He and everyone on the show would love it.
On whether Rhys might join the Torchwood gang
Kai doubts it – he thinks Rhys will continue to get caught up in it all, but never become a fully-fledged member of Torchwood.
On which voice he would like to have on his GPS/sat-nav
Homer Simpson and John Cleese.
On Rhys' likeability as a character
He's a normal bloke. Very down to earth and he adores Gwen. Rhys is just a nice, normal guy, and that's why people, especially men, like him – because they can relate to him.
On which actor he'd like to work with
Anthony Hopkins and Jim Carrey. Oh, and Sylvester Stallone.
On what he'd be doing if he wasn't an actor
Probably be working in a butcher's shop. He used to be a butcher from the age of thirteen, and he still enjoys working with food.
On his singing ability
He can sing, but not well enough to make an album. The snippets I heard later didn't sound too bad, but they were sort of masked in a haze of drunken stupor.
On yelling at John Barrowman in 'Something Borrowed'
Brilliant. He liked those scenes and loved punching John.
On his frequent nudity in the series
"I was hung over most of the time. Eve's seen me naked, anyway."
On his reaction if he found out aliens really did exist
He would go and have look, but it probably wouldn't be much different to some of the sights you see in Cardiff anyway.
On who he'd liked to kiss
Anyone, really. Naoko and Freema primarily, but anyone.
On which was his favourite episode in Series 2
'Something Borrowed' and 'Meat', naturally.
On panto
It was hard work and a new experience, but overall, it was great and he had a wonderful time. He mentioned that he's going to do Dick Whittington in the near future.
On other projects
He's not doing anything at the moment – he's a resting actor and has just been on holiday.
On whether he'd like more cuddling and kissing
There's not enough of it, in his opinion – too much screaming.
On Torchwood's portrayal of Cardiff
It makes him extremely proud – the city looks really good in the show, with the water tower and everything. And other parts of Wales look great as well, like the Brecon Beacons in 'Countrycide'.
On whether Gwen takes Rhys for granted
Not really. He thinks she got caught up in Torchwood in Series 1, but then slowly realised that Rhys is her rock and returned to him.
On people relating to Rhys' character
He's the normality to Torchwood's chaos, and that's comforting.
On tips for getting hold of rugby tickets
Book in advance.
James Marsters
James was James, pretty much. Hilarious (he began the Q&A by daring the audience to try and embarrass him) and terribly honest, with a gross tendency to go off on a wild tangent. I love him and I want to marry him.
On whether John wants to give Ianto a good hard shagging
Yeah, because John is a time slut. James was worried when he got the part that the character would be too similar to Spike, especially with the British accent he used. But then he soon realised that Spike is monogamous and entirely devoted to the one he loves, whereas John will happily shag anything with a zip code.
So, you know, if John could get Ianto in a room by himself…
On stunt acting in movies
It's different, because in TV, they have stuntmen for everything, but in movies, not so much. Apparently, his stuntman in Dragonball didn't really look like him, so the director just ask him to smash his body against the wall. Which disconcerted him slightly.
On whether he's a bad boy, hero or sexy geek
"Sexy geek. What's that?"
On Supergirl
This came up A LOT. It's James' brilliant idea for a new TV show, in which Gareth somehow ends up playing "Stephen Hawking's grandson with muscle". I hope to God this gets made, purely for the sheer crap-tastic-ness of it.
On John Barrowman
Obligatory gushing about John. He was alarmed by John when he first met him, because John is "really out there sexually – I mean, with his sexuality".
On whether he's ever got an erection while filming a scene
"No. Nice try. I get them plenty of other times, though…"
On advice for struggling actors
He said that every human being is beautiful and interesting enough to tell their stories. Actors have a tendency to cover up who they are with some carefully thought out plan, but what they should do is just learn their lines, just show up and just do it, and accept the fact that they're interesting. It was all very sentimental.
On P.S. I Love You
It was so horrible. He felt his character was so boring compared to everyone else. He learnt from that film that he has to stand up and fight for himself.
On which voice he would like to have on his GPS/sat-nav
He didn't known what a sat-nav system was. He admitted that he's not very good with technology and is still learning to use his cell phone. He even takes offence to telephones because he hates the fact that people can just call him with no warning.
On his music
He expressed his desire to do an album of just him and his guitar. According to other people, he sings better when he's playing guitar - something about his stomach and vibrations and his guitar telling him the rights notes. I didn't really get it.
On what he did to embarrass John Barrowman
"I don't remember. Something about his penis? Was it huge?"
On whether he's a member of the mile high club
"Yeah. Somewhere on the border between China and Pakistan."
He's also dated a porn star called 'Felony'.
On a Torchwood musical
It would be easy for him, because he's a singer. With Buffy's 'Once More With Feeling', he and Tony Head were completely comfortable with the idea, while everyone else was freaking out. It didn't take long for Sarah Michelle Gellar to realise that she wasn't going to get out of Joss' musical, so she buckled down and hired a coach for her voice. James seemed to really respect her for that kind of dedication.
On handling weaponry in the series
He's good with swords and knives (the result of doing Shakespeare plays), but he doesn't like guns – they're not sexy. With John's sword, the prop department apparently told him, "Don't take the sword out of its sheath. You will die."
On kissing John Barrowman
More obligatory gushing about John B. John is a real life hero and John seems to care more about the others than himself, even when he's injured himself. James said: "I would rather kiss John than any other actress."
He then told how his girlfriend found them kissing really hot. When they were filming it, they would turn to her and ask her if it was good, and she would tell them that they should do it again.
On whether he's ever dressed in drag
Yes, in Chance. And in the Rocky Horror Picture Show when he was younger – playing the lead, of course.
On his favourite character Shakespeare character
Macbeth, because he likes how the character's evil is "a product of human decision".
Amusingly, he ranted about how he doesn't understand why actors always want to play HAMLET. For him, that play is basically: Hamlet kills his dad, then spends three hours talking about – yeah, great. Hamlet, in his opinion, is merely "an ego-trip for Shakespeare".
(I'm guessing he didn't know that Monsieur David Tennant, who has been raving about the character for ages, is starring in Hamlet this summer.)
On what question he would ask James Marsters to embarrass him
James: "Probably something about the first time I had sex."
Brilliant Random Person: "Alone or with someone else?"
On being immortalized by Buffy the Vampire Slayer
He was nervous about the fact he was going to spend a lot of Season Six naked with one sock on. He told Joss Whedon he needed two months to get ready physically for those scenes, and Joss replied, "Start getting ready. Now."
On whether John wants to give Ianto a good hard shagging
Yeah, because John is a time slut. James was worried when he got the part that the character would be too similar to Spike, especially with the British accent he used. But then he soon realised that Spike is monogamous and entirely devoted to the one he loves, whereas John will happily shag anything with a zip code.
So, you know, if John could get Ianto in a room by himself…
On stunt acting in movies
It's different, because in TV, they have stuntmen for everything, but in movies, not so much. Apparently, his stuntman in Dragonball didn't really look like him, so the director just ask him to smash his body against the wall. Which disconcerted him slightly.
On whether he's a bad boy, hero or sexy geek
"Sexy geek. What's that?"
On Supergirl
This came up A LOT. It's James' brilliant idea for a new TV show, in which Gareth somehow ends up playing "Stephen Hawking's grandson with muscle". I hope to God this gets made, purely for the sheer crap-tastic-ness of it.
On John Barrowman
Obligatory gushing about John. He was alarmed by John when he first met him, because John is "really out there sexually – I mean, with his sexuality".
On whether he's ever got an erection while filming a scene
"No. Nice try. I get them plenty of other times, though…"
On advice for struggling actors
He said that every human being is beautiful and interesting enough to tell their stories. Actors have a tendency to cover up who they are with some carefully thought out plan, but what they should do is just learn their lines, just show up and just do it, and accept the fact that they're interesting. It was all very sentimental.
On P.S. I Love You
It was so horrible. He felt his character was so boring compared to everyone else. He learnt from that film that he has to stand up and fight for himself.
On which voice he would like to have on his GPS/sat-nav
He didn't known what a sat-nav system was. He admitted that he's not very good with technology and is still learning to use his cell phone. He even takes offence to telephones because he hates the fact that people can just call him with no warning.
On his music
He expressed his desire to do an album of just him and his guitar. According to other people, he sings better when he's playing guitar - something about his stomach and vibrations and his guitar telling him the rights notes. I didn't really get it.
On what he did to embarrass John Barrowman
"I don't remember. Something about his penis? Was it huge?"
On whether he's a member of the mile high club
"Yeah. Somewhere on the border between China and Pakistan."
He's also dated a porn star called 'Felony'.
On a Torchwood musical
It would be easy for him, because he's a singer. With Buffy's 'Once More With Feeling', he and Tony Head were completely comfortable with the idea, while everyone else was freaking out. It didn't take long for Sarah Michelle Gellar to realise that she wasn't going to get out of Joss' musical, so she buckled down and hired a coach for her voice. James seemed to really respect her for that kind of dedication.
On handling weaponry in the series
He's good with swords and knives (the result of doing Shakespeare plays), but he doesn't like guns – they're not sexy. With John's sword, the prop department apparently told him, "Don't take the sword out of its sheath. You will die."
On kissing John Barrowman
More obligatory gushing about John B. John is a real life hero and John seems to care more about the others than himself, even when he's injured himself. James said: "I would rather kiss John than any other actress."
He then told how his girlfriend found them kissing really hot. When they were filming it, they would turn to her and ask her if it was good, and she would tell them that they should do it again.
On whether he's ever dressed in drag
Yes, in Chance. And in the Rocky Horror Picture Show when he was younger – playing the lead, of course.
On his favourite character Shakespeare character
Macbeth, because he likes how the character's evil is "a product of human decision".
Amusingly, he ranted about how he doesn't understand why actors always want to play HAMLET. For him, that play is basically: Hamlet kills his dad, then spends three hours talking about – yeah, great. Hamlet, in his opinion, is merely "an ego-trip for Shakespeare".
(I'm guessing he didn't know that Monsieur David Tennant, who has been raving about the character for ages, is starring in Hamlet this summer.)
On what question he would ask James Marsters to embarrass him
James: "Probably something about the first time I had sex."
Brilliant Random Person: "Alone or with someone else?"
On being immortalized by Buffy the Vampire Slayer
He was nervous about the fact he was going to spend a lot of Season Six naked with one sock on. He told Joss Whedon he needed two months to get ready physically for those scenes, and Joss replied, "Start getting ready. Now."
The Writers and A Producer
I spent a large portion of this session queuing for various photo sessions, so didn't hear everything they said.
In the little bit that I did hear at the beginning, James Moran, who wrote 'Sleeper', was hilarious. He mentioned the infamous baby in the pram scene in that episode, saying cruelly, "The baby was killed. It struggled for an hour and then it died."
Richard Stokes, the producer, added, "But the baby survived in pre-watershed version."
Moran also talked about his recent episode of Doctor Who, 'The Fires of Pompeii', and how he got the job. Apparently, he dropped major hints all the way through writing Torchwood that he absolutely loved Doctor Who, even going so far as to turn up to a meeting wearing a Dalek t-shirt. When they asked him to write a Who episode, he sort of squealed, "Yes, please!"
And then I got distracted. Yeah, I know, I suck.
After snuggling with Gareth for a full eight seconds, I returned to my seat just as the writers' Q&A was finishing, only to hear one of them say, "… and Jack and Ianto dress up the Weevils at weekends." What the hell did I miss?
In the little bit that I did hear at the beginning, James Moran, who wrote 'Sleeper', was hilarious. He mentioned the infamous baby in the pram scene in that episode, saying cruelly, "The baby was killed. It struggled for an hour and then it died."
Richard Stokes, the producer, added, "But the baby survived in pre-watershed version."
Moran also talked about his recent episode of Doctor Who, 'The Fires of Pompeii', and how he got the job. Apparently, he dropped major hints all the way through writing Torchwood that he absolutely loved Doctor Who, even going so far as to turn up to a meeting wearing a Dalek t-shirt. When they asked him to write a Who episode, he sort of squealed, "Yes, please!"
And then I got distracted. Yeah, I know, I suck.
After snuggling with Gareth for a full eight seconds, I returned to my seat just as the writers' Q&A was finishing, only to hear one of them say, "… and Jack and Ianto dress up the Weevils at weekends." What the hell did I miss?
Eve Myles & Kai Owen
Together, these two rocked. The chemistry between them is astounding. They get on so, so well, and have so, so much fun. I love them both and I want to enter a three-way marriage with them.
On Gwen and Rhys' relationship
Eve iterated that it was wonderful that Rhys came back for Series 2, because his relationship with Gwen is so special and people can really identify with them.
Kai added it was "never a chore" to act beside Eve.
On personal paranormal experiences
Kai: "Eve's psychic after a few beers."
Eve: "I don't drink beer. With vodka."
On what they'd retcon in their life if they could
Eve: "Everyone on Loose Women."
Kai: "Yes! Yes! I hate them! I'd retcon everybody who WATCHES Loose Women."
On the possibility of telling Rhys about the affair with Owen
Kai: "WHAT?!"
Eve: "Good god, no."
On the pizza scene in 'Combat'
It originally hadn't been included, but when it was, it came out so simple, yet so effective and it seemed like the natural thing to do.
On appearing in Doctor Who
Kai: (applying the question to himself) "Oh, it was wonderful!"
Eve: "Fantastic. I stood in that position (mimics outstretched position from the scene in the basement in 'The Unquiet Dead') for three days, and people who didn't know about the Gelth must have thought I was quite strange. Billie and Chris were outstanding, and it was incredible to be involved in something so big. Oh, and wasn't my hair awesome?"
Kai: "And I was Peter Kay's body double."
On losing Burn and Naoko
Eve said she couldn't put it into words how much she will miss them. It was a gift to work with them, but she would just have to accept the way storylines go and move on. She felt like she was losing two members of her family, and she stressed how fantastic they were. This received a round of applause for Burn and Naoko.
On whether Gwen would choose Torchwood over Rhys
Eve: "Never. He's number one."
Things then lapsed into a cute impression of the scene from 'Meat'.
Eve: "I catch aliens!"
Kai: "Aliens? In Cardiff?"
Eve: "The things I have seen…"
Kai: "PISS OFF!"
During the break between the Q&As, the event organisers handed out a Torchwood quiz for people to fill in. The questions included:
'Where is Ianto's tourist entrance?'
On Gwen and Rhys' relationship
Eve iterated that it was wonderful that Rhys came back for Series 2, because his relationship with Gwen is so special and people can really identify with them.
Kai added it was "never a chore" to act beside Eve.
On personal paranormal experiences
Kai: "Eve's psychic after a few beers."
Eve: "I don't drink beer. With vodka."
On what they'd retcon in their life if they could
Eve: "Everyone on Loose Women."
Kai: "Yes! Yes! I hate them! I'd retcon everybody who WATCHES Loose Women."
On the possibility of telling Rhys about the affair with Owen
Kai: "WHAT?!"
Eve: "Good god, no."
On the pizza scene in 'Combat'
It originally hadn't been included, but when it was, it came out so simple, yet so effective and it seemed like the natural thing to do.
On appearing in Doctor Who
Kai: (applying the question to himself) "Oh, it was wonderful!"
Eve: "Fantastic. I stood in that position (mimics outstretched position from the scene in the basement in 'The Unquiet Dead') for three days, and people who didn't know about the Gelth must have thought I was quite strange. Billie and Chris were outstanding, and it was incredible to be involved in something so big. Oh, and wasn't my hair awesome?"
Kai: "And I was Peter Kay's body double."
On losing Burn and Naoko
Eve said she couldn't put it into words how much she will miss them. It was a gift to work with them, but she would just have to accept the way storylines go and move on. She felt like she was losing two members of her family, and she stressed how fantastic they were. This received a round of applause for Burn and Naoko.
On whether Gwen would choose Torchwood over Rhys
Eve: "Never. He's number one."
Things then lapsed into a cute impression of the scene from 'Meat'.
Eve: "I catch aliens!"
Kai: "Aliens? In Cardiff?"
Eve: "The things I have seen…"
Kai: "PISS OFF!"
During the break between the Q&As, the event organisers handed out a Torchwood quiz for people to fill in. The questions included:
'Where is Ianto's tourist entrance?'
James Marsters & Gareth David-Lloyd
Oh, Gareth. Gareth, Gareth, Gareth. And James. James, James, James and Gareth. Gareth and James. James and Gareth talking together – easily the highlight of the convention.
This Q&A swiftly disintegrated into James and Gareth jibing at each other one moment (about Marlon Brando of all things), then professing their adoration for each other the next.
On doing green screen acting
It sucks.
On what they'd retcon in their lives
There's not enough retcon for that. Since they're both artists, there's a lot they want to forget.
James: "We're both weirdos."
Gareth: "Well, I'm not quite as weird as James."
On Captain John and Ianto
James: "Ianto is smarter than Captain John. I mean, he's a slick guy. When in danger, Ianto would just pull out some device."
[Gareth looks alarmed]
There was some chatter about the possibility of a Jack/Ianto/John triangle, and then Gareth came out with The Gareth-ism Of The Day:
"Can I have two Captains with a Ianto-filling, please? Toasted."
*mass fangirl explosion*
On Supergirl (again)
Gareth: "He won't shut up about Supergirl. It's going to be all over the Internet soon. It'll be next week's fanfic. Two Captains. Ianto-filling. In walks Supergirl and Stephen Hawking's grandson. Hey, look, that girl in the audience is writing it down right now!"
On who would play Supergirl
James: "Laura Vandervoort."
Gareth: "She's rubbish. RUBBISH!"
On a suitable song to describe for their character
Gareth: "'Final Countdown'. (pause) A stopwatch in hand."
On each other
James: "Gareth is the best actor I've worked with for fifteen years."
AND THEN
Gareth: "If I'd known I was going to be with James [when I watched Buffy and Angel], I would have cried."
On what they believe in
At this, James launched into a long-winded explanation of string theory/m-theory – particle physics, eleventh dimension, space-time fold, thousands of universes, one of which must have God, blah blah blah. Gareth just finished with "Awesome."
On their swords
Infinitely long, infinitely thick.
On being affected by the Writer's Strike in the U.S>
James: "I wasn't at all. I came over to the BBC, then did Dragonball, so by the time I returned, they'd finished trying to destroy my career."
Gareth: "[When he did Torchwood], he said he wasn't going to leave. Then he left."
James: "But Dragon—"
Gareth: (hissy) "Don't talk about Dragonball!"
James: "C'mon, man, if you had ask me to stay, I would've."
On what other TV show they watch
James: "I'm weird. I don't watch TV. I just watch CNN, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel…"
Gareth: "Pretentious."
James: "…"
Gareth: (eye-roll) "Anyway, I watched Star Trek, Buffy, the Sopranos, Six Feet Under…"
(There were more, but I've forgotten them.)
On who they'd like to play themselves in a movie of their life
Gareth: "James. (looks at James) You've got to say me now!"
James: "Edward Norton."
Gareth: (offended) "Brad Pitt."
After that Q&A, we were given about an hour's break to recover, in which I ate a Milky Way bar. They kindly informed us that the James' concert was going to start at 7.30pm.
Oh, yeah right. By 9pm, nothing had happened.
Then Steve, James' manager, nervously stood up and told us that the concert was cancelled, because James had become ill during the break. Instead, us lucky devils were going to get him and Kai Owen improvising for the next forty-five minutes.
This was, like, the best thing that could have occurred. (Sorry, James...)
There were stories. There were jokes at James' expense. There was the Doo Wah Diddy Diddy song and a beatbox version of 'Bread of Heaven', as well as much lengthy singing in Welsh. The audience, which had slowly started to die during the long break, suddenly bounced back into action at sudden appearance of Kai, and standing ovations were a common theme.
The whole thing sorta erupted when Gareth David-Lloyd leapt onto the stage half-way through. He wrenched the mike off Steve and sang 'Summer Nights' from Grease with some woman, taking the liberty of changing some of the words to the following:
Woman: "We stayed out 'til ten o'clock."
Gareth: "She was good, sucking my cock."
Golly. Even John Travolta wouldn't have sung that.
Oh, yeah right. By 9pm, nothing had happened.
Then Steve, James' manager, nervously stood up and told us that the concert was cancelled, because James had become ill during the break. Instead, us lucky devils were going to get him and Kai Owen improvising for the next forty-five minutes.
This was, like, the best thing that could have occurred. (Sorry, James...)
There were stories. There were jokes at James' expense. There was the Doo Wah Diddy Diddy song and a beatbox version of 'Bread of Heaven', as well as much lengthy singing in Welsh. The audience, which had slowly started to die during the long break, suddenly bounced back into action at sudden appearance of Kai, and standing ovations were a common theme.
The whole thing sorta erupted when Gareth David-Lloyd leapt onto the stage half-way through. He wrenched the mike off Steve and sang 'Summer Nights' from Grease with some woman, taking the liberty of changing some of the words to the following:
Woman: "We stayed out 'til ten o'clock."
Gareth: "She was good, sucking my cock."
Golly. Even John Travolta wouldn't have sung that.
Pictures
Mood:: 
high
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