Summary
I loved working withStar Trek: Strange New Worlds' Dan Jeannotte atCreation Entertainment’s STLV: Trek to Vegas.Dan plays Lt. Sam Kirk, the mustachioed older brother of Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), onStar Trek: Strange New Worlds. Jeannotte is also well-known for his roles as Brandon Russell inGood Witch,James Stuart inReignon The CW, and the various Hallmark movies he starred in, as well as voicing Arno Dorian in theAssassin’s Creed: Unityvideo game. I attendedSTLVas a fan and to cover the con forScreen Rant,never dreaming that I’d be so lucky as to get the opportunity to be paired with Dan Jeannotte for a day.
Dan Jeannotte was atSTLVon Saturday and Sunday, August 3 and 4, to sign autographs and meet his fans at the Vendor Room, as well as join a panel on Sunday morning with hisStar Trek: Strange New Worldscast matesChristina Chong, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Jess Bush, and Bruce Horak. But Dan needed someone to work with him at his table on Saturday, a job (paid, of course) that was unexpectedly offered to me at dinner on Friday night by my friend, Ryan T. Husk, who was runningSTLVfor Creation Entertainment. After a moment to consider how it would impact my Saturday, as I had interviews lined up,it was an opportunity too good to pass up, so my answer was obviously yes.
Dan Jeannotte’s Lt. Sam Kirk is a xenobiologist on the USS Enterprise. It’s a recurring role, but Sam is always memorable, and Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) dislikes him, which is a great source of comedy.
Strange New Worlds Makes History At Star Trek’s Biggest Convention
For the first time, the entire cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds assembled at Star Trek’s biggest convention in Las Vegas, making lots of history.
It was Dan’s second time at STLV
I reported for duty at 9:30 am on Saturday, August 3, for my new job as Dan Jeannotte’s handler, i.e. Guy At HisSTLVTable.I was surprised and happy Dan remembered me; I introduced myself to him at last year’sSTLVwhen he was walking the Vendor Room incognito (i.e. clean shaven).I also learned the proper pronunciation of “Jeannotte,” which is a French surname (Dan is from Montreal).Backstage in the green room, as Dan and I met with his agent, Joey Flaherty, I said hello to Christina Chong, Ethan Peck, and Babs Olusanmokun, who was attending his firstSTLV.I also greeted Yetide Badaki, who I’d interviewed forScreen Rant,and saw Marina Sirtis, Nana Visitor, Michael and Marion Westmore, Tim Russ, Eugene Cordero, and Tawny Newsome.
What does a handler at a convention, i.e. Guy At The Table, do?My job was to stay with Dan Jeannotte at his table and field every fan who wanted autographs and photos. This requires taking and safeguarding money, checking off a sheet that tallies how many autographs, photos, and combos were sold, occasionally being a camera person, and taking care of Dan’s needs, such as getting new sharpies or contacting Creation for coffee, and making sure Dan was comfortable. This was only Dan’s secondSTLV, and I’d never been a handler before (although I’ve been on the other side of the table at numerous conventions), but we figured it all out as we went as a team.
After we got to Dan’s table, which was right next to Christina Chong’s lively, dance party table, the morning’s business was brisk and exciting. As I handled the money and sorted various requests, Dan met with dozens of fans for autographs and selfies. All were kind and complimentary, knowing Dan not just asSam Kirk onStar Trek: Strange New Worlds, but also from his Hallmark movies andReign. Besides a couple of kids who repeatedly dropped by to ask Dan and Christina if they know Paul Wesley,many fans told Dan they preferred Sam Kirk to James T. Kirk.Elias Toufexis, who is friends with Dan from Montreal, also dropped by our table to say hi to him.
Paul Wesley was also atSTLV: Trek to Vegasbut only on Thursday, August 1, so he didn’t get to join hisStar Trek: Strange New Worldscast on stage on Sunday morning.
Getting to know Dan as we chatted throughout the day was the best part of the job.Dan is a very funny and thoughtful guy. His wife Heidi was in Vegas with him but enjoying herself away fromSTLV,and when he had a spare moment, Dan read a script for a new Hallmark movie he might star in on his phone. Dan was also genuinely curious about me and my work as the head ofStar TrekatScreen Rant.My biggest flex ofSTLVwas whenRonald D. Moorewalked by our table, and I introduced Dan to the legendary writer ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nineand creator ofBattlestar Galactica.Not only is Ron a hugeStrange New Worldsfan, but he fanboyed out about the show to Dan!
At 5 pm, I brought Dan to Photo Ops for his lastSTLVevent before he was done for the day: posing for fan photos with Connor Trinneer, Nicole de Boer, and Eugene Cordero. Dan and I also got to watch Kate Mulgrew and John de Lancie pose for fan photos together. At 5:30, Dan was wrapped forSTLVSaturday, and we parted ways in the green room. I did make sure to drop by Dan’s table to say hello on Sunday after he and hisStrange New Worldscastmates killed it at their panel.I was already a Sam Kirk fan before getting to spendSTLVSaturday with Dan Jeannotte, but I walked away with an even greater respect and admiration for him.
I’m grateful Dan used my photo from theStar Trek: Strange New Worldspanel in his X post thanking everyone atSTLV:
I Interviewed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Actors At STLV
Thanks to Christina Chong, Ethan Peck, and Jess Bush for our exclusive interviews
Although Dan Jeannotte was my number one priority onSTLVSaturday, I also had interviews with Christina Chong and Ethan Peck. We were able to squeeze both interviews in around 1 pm while Dan was on his lunch break.When I met Dan in the morning and told him I was interviewing Chrissy and Ethan, he kidded that maybe he’d run camera for me - a joke I tookwaytoo seriously and repeated to Ethan and Christina, embarrassing myself.But no, Dan didn’t run my camera. My friend, Emmy award-winning meteorologist Katie Nickolaou, volunteered as my camera person. Katie dropped her ownSTLVplans to help me out in a pinch and did a fantastic job.
Ethan Peck sings on Christina Chong’s upcoming album, which also features vocals from Celia Rose Gooding, Jess Bush, and Melissa Navia.
I interviewed Christina and Ethan back-to-back forScreen Rant, and both talks were just terrific. We’ve all interviewed many times before, and I’m so pleased we have rapport. Chrissy is always sharp, witty, and a delight to talk to, and she is especially chuffed about her music career. I’d just interviewed Ethan aboutStrange New Worldsat Comic-Con, but in a group. In our one-on-one atSTLV,Ethan was warm, gracious, funny, and eager to chat. During my interview with Ethan, Doug Jones and David Ajala entered the room for a meeting. Once the interview wrapped,Ethan was kind enough to be our camera person as I took photos with David and Doug.
On Sunday morning, afterStar Trek: Strange New Worlds' panel, Jess Bush met me for our interview. Because the room we were in felt like an interrogation room, I randomly launched into an improv sketch accusing Jess of shoplifting.Jess was incredible; she got what I was doing right away, said,“I didn’t do it!“and bolted out of the room when I told her we caught her red-handed on camera.Jess and I had a fantastic interview about her passion for space and NASA, her art, andStar Trek: Strange New Worlds.STLV: Trek to Vegasis a special con, and getting to know Dan Jeannotte, Christina Chong, Ethan Peck, and Jess Bush even better is an experience I’ll never forget.
Special thanks to Dan Jeannotte, Ryan T. Husk, Christina Chong, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, and Creation Entertainment.
