I was in the audience last year during Anna’s interview with Craig Ferguson, was very excited to be attending her most current interview on his show as well! Larry King was the fellow guest star of the show, so Craig had quite a turn out of audience members – I made sure to arrive early (only for security to place me in the third row
). Everything was nearly the same as the last time I attended, same audience coordinator, and same warm-up comedian (with the same jokes as last time).
When it was Anna’s turn to come on-stage I watched Craig walk to the backstage with his arms wide open to give
someone a huge hug - and I knew it was Anna back there ready to come out for her interview on-stage. Like last time, they’re both really affectionate friends! Anna made her way onto the stage wearing a gorgeous black outfit (loved it as much as the silver dress she wore on Conan’s show a few days prior!) and again her amazing flaming red lipstick. She quickly peered at the audience and looked straight in my direction – I took the opportunity to yell extra loud and wave my arms (in hopes that
maybe she’d recognize me in the crowd).
This discussion was fantastic; I enjoyed her previous interview on Craig’s show, but loved this as well. Right off the bat they began talking about England and David of course! Anna admitted that she was going home to England tomorrow to join David on-set (they’re already going to be filming scenes for
London Boulevard). They brought up the ‘lucky underpants’ that David and Anna gave Craig for his show – which he joked around about for quite some time! Craig suggested that they should call David live on the show, and he pulled out a broken telephone – which was unexpected
.
Craig asked Anna if she and David had been married yet – which since all of those articles had come out lately, I was wondering what Anna was going to answer. She admitted that they have yet to tie the knot and then she congratulated Craig on his recent marriage. Which led to Anna saying that she’d love to meet Craig’s wife and he told her that they live not too far from each other and that they should meet up again and visit each other soon.
Somehow, the conversation led to Lindsay Lohan and how the paparazzi are always hanging around outside of her house to get photos of Lindsay. Anna mentioned that she has a theory the paps get bored and take photos of Anna whenever she takes Gracie out for a stroll or whenever she leaves the house for a jog. This led to Anna suggesting that she and Lindsay Lohan (her neighbor) should have a pillow fight party in their undergarments and invite Craig over to be the only male at the party - we we’re all laughing in the audience, it was great
. Craig wrapped up the interview soon after, and wished Anna well and said that when she returns to Los Angeles in February to bring David (and they be married
). Again another very brief interview, but I thought it was definitely a new favorite.
Afterwards, Anna and Craig remained on-stage chatting for quite awhile, she gave him a huge hug and kiss before looking one last time out in the audience and then running off-stage to the back. Craig remained on-stage wrapping up the final segment of the show, but in the audience, I was anxious to pick out someone in security that I could speak to who would be willing to deliver the quick note I wrote for Anna before she left the studio. Last time I attended the taping, Anna left just before they could reach her in time to deliver the letter I wrote for her. I was quite bummed I’d missed her FOUR times in a row (Craig’s last interview with Anna, the
Land of the Lost Premiere, Conan O’Brien’s show a few days ago, and then Craig’s interview today). I really really really wanted to wish her the best of luck before she went home to London and to let her know that I would be there opening night for
Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and had been so close to doing so this month several times and waiting in lines for hours and hours and stretching everything I could possibly do to get tickets for all these events and succeeded, only to barely miss her yet again
.
After the taping finished, Craig remained on-stage thanking the audience for attending his show. I honestly don’t remember what was going on as things were wrapping up because I just kept thinking about too many things at once, and Anna’s interview prior. As Craig was still on-stage finishing up, one of the audience coordinators came out and interrupted him and asked, “Excuse me, is there an Amanda in the audience?”
They completely caught me off guard, Anna saw me in the audience during her interview. I was really shy to get up and say anything, but I slowly raised my hand and they signaled me to get on-stage behind Craig and make my way around to the back. I was shaking like crazy and in disbelief, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. The coordinator asked me, “Do you know where I’m taking you?” I answered; “Anna?” and he had this huge smile on his face and said, “YUP!” My heart exploded and I cried a bit, I couldn’t believe it.
I followed him around the studio and he took me straight to Anna’s dressing room to be with her. As soon as they opened the door and we saw each other I ran straight into her arms and we hugged. I was so overwhelmed and everything felt really dreamlike again and seeing her like this was so surprising, I was trying to remain conscious and take everything in. It was the first time in my life I almost fainted or passed out of complete shock, I stumbled a bit after we hugged and I was grateful that a chair was there I could lean on and take in what was happening. I’ve met both Anna and David several times before (and see them nearly everyday sometimes when the family goes out jogging, since they live down the street from my apartment in Beachwood), but this was so surprising and unexpected that I didn’t know how to react!
Anna was so overwhelmingly kind and welcoming and genuinely happy to see me, I was in so much shock that everything I wanted to say to her came out slowly. Right away Anna introduced me to her friends and family in the room, her brother Michael was there (my first time meeting him)! She told me that David was already back in London filming “London Boulevard” and we talked about how I had met him several times last year while he was promoting
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and she told me how she thought it was such a great film. She also mentioned that my name comes up in their conversations often (that caught me off guard too!), she said that they are both so grateful and appreciative of everything I do for them on the Websites and my eyes were starting to tear up a lot. I do spend countless hours online contributing to both of their careers and to have heard from both of them in person that they appreciate it and think about it often is beyond what I could ever ever ever ask for.
I mentioned to her that I had been at the
Land of the Lost premiere and Conan’s show a few days prior and she was excited to hear about it, I told her briefly about what happened at the premiere to the fans (and myself) - they put across the street to watch amongst LA traffic
. That’s when I took the opportunity to mention that Dave was trying to arrange a row for ‘Site Night’ for all of us to go see her at “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” in London –Anna got really excited to hear about that and she cannot wait to see everyone (I’m PMing Dave to let him know more!)! I told her that I was going to fly to London and be there on opening night, gala night, and the final night in January, she was so excited. Again, she mentioned more but I’m PMing Dave the details and he can decide how much I can reveal
.
Because I mentioned the Site and
Land of the Lost, she told me that she had loads of stuff for all of you that she was giving to the Site as competition prizes. She told me that she has t-shirts, hats, etc. and all kinds of stuff from
Land of the Lost. Since she’s leaving tomorrow for London, she still has the prizes at home here in Los Angeles, so she asked me to make sure that the prizes were distributed and I gave her my word and I definitely will keep my promise that you guys receive all of the cool stuff she’s giving out!
We talked for quite awhile more, and before I left she gave me a tote bag that had souvenirs from Craig’s show, and by then I think I had thanked her for everything at least a hundred times – I was so grateful! I couldn’t get out the door without hugging her at least three more times (I’m going to miss her so much), I told her I love her and that she and David were my heroes, I said it so many times. I could go on and on and on and on about this experience with her, but I think maybe I’ve said too much already!
I want to admit that Anna and David are the most incredible and gracious people I’ve ever met in my life. Anna truly loves all of her fans, appreciates this website, and everyone who is a part of it. Every time I’ve met or spoken to Anna she’s always gone the extra mile to ensure that we had time together, and for her to have gone as far as she did to see me tonight and all of the other nights before (David too), not enough words can express my gratitude. Having chosen both Anna and David as heroes and role models in my life, they’re by far the best I could have ever asked for. These experiences with them I hold extremely close to my heart. Anna is a genuinely extraordinary woman with a big heart and an overwhelming amount of love for her fans – I love her so much for everything she’s done for her fans and myself, and I want to thank her with all my heart for this wonderful experience.
Thank you Anna.