Burbank Xena Convention 2004
Focus: Charles Mesure

photo from Charles' page at the Kathryn Rawlings Actors' site

A Saturday report supplemental by VC "Kiari" Noble

[Some of this report appears in my weblog as well, so if it sounds familiar, you might have read it there first.]

Charles Mesure made a definite impression on me.  I can safely say that he was the highlight of my day at the Burbank Xena 2004 convention.  He absolutely made the trip worthwhile for me.  So it's only right that I relate as much as I can remember about his time on stage.  It might ramble a bit, but you get the idea.

Charles was just emerging from behind the curtain with Bobby Hosea and my friend was already struck by him.  We both were.  Then he spoke and oh my!  Is it enough to say that we were VERY IMPRESSED by him?  His style, his demeanor, his words, his voice-- all of that just slowly sunk in as the minutes rolled by.  The more he spoke, the more I couldn't take my attention away.  My friend urged me to get up and ask a question and I said I would only go up if she came up with me.  She didn't want to and I was too chicken to go up alone.  My loss!  Alas.

Playing Michael... Charles basically wore a white gown in his first appearance as Michael on the Hercules episode "Revelations." He played him with a stateliness and grace more easily achieved than in his later appearances. They figured that when Michael walks the earth, the wings disappear. Cut to his appearance on Xena. He said the wings weighed a lot, pulling him back. It was more difficult to appear graceful. Then there was the harness for the flying scenes. So he was leaned back because of the wings and pushed forward on the bottom because of the harness. Made for an interesting visual on stage. ;)

Another person asked about the changes Michael went through. On Hercules he started out seemingly as a bad guy and in the end was revealed as a good one. On Xena, he went from saving Gabrielle in one episode, then coming back in another in an attempt to kill Xena's daughter. Charles couldn't reconcile the two, so he said that he went in, said his lines, and hoped that the viewers could figure out the middle that brought Michael to such a character change.

Kevin Smith... Kevin came up during a question of which character Charles enjoyed playing. Or was it the processes in which he played his characters? I'm not sure. Charles started out by saying that he enjoyed all his characters for various reasons, then gave us an example with the character of Darnelle from "Dirty Half Dozen." (I think that's right.) He wanted to go in there playing this warrior type in leather like Kevin played Ares. Charles decided that he would play Kevin playing Ares. All tough, sexy, leathered. Kevin was also featured in the episode, so Charles and Smithy (as he called him) tried to "outbutch" (his word, not mine!) each other. Deep voice, the swagger. It was fun to watch. Charles remembers Kevin with such a fondess that was utterly apparent. He mentioned how he got to kiss Kevin in his first acting gig (on City Life, Charles' first show). They were good friends, he said. And it showed.

Coming to the States?... Charles was born in England (12 August 1970, according to Kim's fansite on Charles), moved to Australia when he was five, and has lived in New Zealand for the past eight years. He said that he doesn't know where home is. He came to the realization that he can leave New Zealand. He has no wife (as he said, he's "very single"), no family, nothing really tying him to New Zealand, so he believes that the US could be his next stop. (And don't we all hope it is! Move to LA, Charles! Do another California convention!)

LA, a great city... Charles had been in LA (his first visit to the city, but not his first visit to the States) for two days and he was experiencing an oddly nice version of the city. Everyone had been friendly and great to him. My friend, a resident of LA, and I just looked at each other and wondered where Charles was hanging out! LOL! He did comment on the driving. He found driving more harrowing than the interviews. He just hoped to get to his appointments in one piece!

All too soon their time on stage was over.  And I was giddy with this new admiration for Charles Mesure...

The Photo Op with Charles...  This was my last task for the convention.  I had purchased the photo op ticket within five minutes of our arrival to the convention and by the end of his stage time, I was so very glad for the blue ticket safely tucked in my wallet.  I wasn't exactly sure how the photo ops were done, but I figured that I would be waiting longer than it would take to have the picture done.  I was right!

I could have gotten a different photo op if I hadn't taken so long in the bathroom after Charles and Bobby's stage time.  I came out and my husband told me that Charles had been in the hallway for a couple of minutes with no one around him and I could have gotten my picture taken with him or at least taken a picture of him.  Alas!

The photo op line for Bobby and Charles was short.  We had to stand outside the Vine A room, so we couldn't see anything until we were actually in the room.  Bobby was first.  He came, a couple of people went in, he left.  Then more people came for their photo op with him and they had to find him.  He took more pictures, then tried to leave again just as another person came to have their picture taken.  A few minutes lapsed and Bobby left.

I was the first one in line for Charles.  He finally passed by.  I handed my camera to my husband and stepped into the room for my photo op with Charles.  He was already in the chair and the photographer told me to have a seat.  I approached and Charles held out his left hand.  I would have shaken his hand if he had offered his right one, but since he didn't, I have him my right hand and we squeezed hands.  I think I said hello and he said hello.  We had our picture taken.  (My husband also managed to get a shot.  I should have turned the flash off because the photographer got miffed.  Sorry honey!)  I think I said thank you to Charles and he smiled and that was all!

I wasn't going to be around to pick up the photo the next day, so they had me wait while Charles took more pictures with more fans.  I took one blurry picture of him with another fan (you can see it in the photos section of this report) as I waited.  When he was finished, the photographer gave me his info just as Charles was stopped by another fan.  He was SO CLOSE!  My husband had stepped out to wait for me, so I had no one to take my camera so that I could get another picture with Charles.  And I didn't want to just take his picture while he was standing there.  Oh how I regret not taking the opportunity!  Alas!

And that was all.

I must say that I am so glad that Charles Mesure was a guest for the convention.  I am so glad that I got the chance to see him on stage and that I got to have my picture taken with him.  I just hope the real picture turned out all right!  :)

On first impression, I found Charles to be articulate, handsome, stylish, and gracious.  Now I want to comb through my Xena and Hercules episodes and re-watch his appearances.  LOL!

I hope this was not his only convention appearance.  I would LOVE to see him again...

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