What would you do if you met a movie star in real life? Would you be nervous or would you be yourself? How would you treat him or her?
One perk of founding the Mile High Horror Film Festival (MHHFF) is that I’ve had the honor of hosting some of the biggest stars in the horror genre. This includes actors known for playing the iconic roles of Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street series), Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th), Jigsaw (‘Saw’), Leatherface (‘A Texas Chain Saw Massacre’), Pinhead (‘Hellraiser’), and Regan (The Exorcist), just to name a few. I even hosted Dylan Minnette and Jack Black for a special screening of ‘Goosebumps’ in 2015.
Initially, in the first couple of years of directing the MHHFF, I was nervous when we would host a movie star. I was like a deer in headlights, completely starstruck and in awe. I was nervous about how to treat them, what to say and how to act appropriately. What if I said the wrong thing or didn’t meet their expectations? I froze in a deep state of stress.
Then after actually meeting them, I quickly learned that celebrities are merely people like everyone else. There is no reason to be fearful or nervous. Yes, they deserve respect for their roles, which have entertained millions of people, but that doesn’t make them any less human.
Of the many takeaways I learned from directing the MHHFF, this is one of them. Learn more about the festival at www.mhhff.com.
