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At this point Harry Groener arrived.

Once again I missed taking notes as everybody with cameras charged down to the front to get pictures. However, someone asked him what it was like eating the Principle/Armin, and I remember the answer was something about Tootsie Rolls! Harry also said he loves Science Fiction and is a big Trek fan. He mentioned having a part on Star Trek TNG (In the episode 'Tin Man'). Armin then left.

Q: Favourite scene?

He likes scenes like the one where he had a knife through his hand. He also mentioned the first confrontation scene in the canteen (with Buffy?)

Q: What superhuman quality would he like?

He's happy as he is…considers living forever: it would be interesting to see how things developed sociologically. To fly might be fun.

Q: Did appearing on Star Trek live up to expectations?

From what I remember he didn't really answer the question, but he talked about how a lot of times when working you think things have gone well or not, and how you often don't like seeing yourself.

Q: About the juxtaposition of Giles/Buffy and Mayor/Faith.

It was possibly deliberate by Joss (Whedon, creator of Buffy), but he doesn't actually know. He sees the relationship between the Mayor and Faith as one in which she is trying hard - she wants to be his daughter.

Q: Is he coming back for the anniversary show?

It's Sci-fi, so you can do anything!

Q: His last line…

(Was it 'Oh gosh!'?) Joss tends to write things at the last minute. The line was actually added after.

He talked some more about scenes with knives. E.g. how precisely everything had to be lined up so that different shots in different 'states' would fit together, etc. He clearly found this fascinating!

Q: Who was his personal favourite: Faith or Buffy?

The Mayor would say Faith. She had the potential to be greater. But if he could turn Buffy as well…what a team!

Q: Missed this a bit, but I think it was basically did he think him leaving the series was just a money making ploy?

No - he knew it would be 8 episodes from the start, and it turned out to be thirteen. He loved the series. In fact went for the part of the first principle, and he's now glad he didn't get it.

Q: Is technology taking over from actors?

Don't know that to be true. This relationship - people on a stage telling a story - is ancient.

Q: How did he get into acting?

He started as a dancer - he wanted to be a jazz dancer, like in west Side Story. His parents said he should do ballet. Not cool, but he went, and was the only guy! He was in the Nutcracker as the Prince, and got hooked. Later he got discouraged, but that led him to try musical theatre and drama.

Q: Is it more enjoyable to play evil?

It's fun!

Q: What characters would he like to play?

Nothing really. He has no real desire to play Hamlet, which is the usual stereotype of actors.

Tony Head arrives

Once more there was a scramble to the front…. In fact things went slightly mad! Tony is a definitely a popular guest. I also have to say I was totally charmed by him. He dissolves into giggles at the slightest provocation, and it's adorable!

While the scramble was going on, Tony talked about a show he will be doing with Nigel Havers on British TV called 'Manchild'. Apparently it will be a male version of 'Sex And The City'.

He also talked about the recent 'Dracula' episode. (Minor spoilers). The scene with the Dracula babes was actually shot twice, which he didn't seem to mind… The first time had more dry ice (which he choked on, which was very realistic) and less babes. Joss didn't like the result, so it was done again with less ice and more babes!

Harry talked about having a dream about Vampires, and Tony talked about how much he loves having flying dreams.

Q: Is there going to be a Buffy spin off featuring Giles?

Joss and him are talking about it. Joss really wants to do a BBC series (for some reason…) Tony wants to be based in the UK and commute to the States, so it would suit him too. The series will probably be called 'Ripper', or possibly 'Watcher'. It's not definite, but the BBC are interested.

Q: Does he miss doing coffee commercials?

The reason he went to the States was because he was buried… he loved doing it, the humour was great, but he moved on. When he watches it now…it's scary what coffee will do to you. He now drinks Cappuccino. In fact they didn't drink that much coffee while making the commercials. They tended to do shots of them about to drink rather than actually drinking.

Q: Does he worry about being typecast as the English public school posh geek?

He seemed to think that that image of 'him' was definitely not representative of him in real life... 'Have to work on doing something else.' He actually went to grammar school, though his father was public school. As a result Tony spoke 'correct' and got beaten for it. So he got the knack of changing his accent.

Q: Will he be doing less in Buffy if he is over here?

He hopes that when he is there, there will be more for him to do. The 6th episode of season 6 (?) will be very special. The way Joss works, it's about what works for the show not 'oh, he hasn't had much work lately'.

Q: Does he get fed up of being tortured/knocked on the head?

Because Giles is an adult he feels he should step in but he can't, because it's Buffy's gig. There's one joke reel of him that is totally knockouts. One scene he had to be hit on the head with a rubber statue. The actress said she was bad at aim, but she hit the same place about 50 times. By the end every take he was getting the crew telling him 'Tony, they can see you flinching…'

Q: Did he like playing the Demon in 'New Man'?

Yeah! All actors want to do whatever they're not doing. He also got to wear heels again. He's done the Rocky Horror Show, and once you've worn the heels…. The script actually said slippers. He had the idea for the heels: he reckoned that heels, if you didn't actually see the heels, could look like cloven feet.

Q: Was it him singing in Buffy?

Yes. He did two songs, Behind Blue Eyes and Freebird. He's hopeless at learning them. He went on to talk about meeting at Joss's every Sunday to do Shakespeare. 

He then sang a song. I didn't recognise it, but it was something about women being smarter than men in every way! Tony has one hell of a big voice. I think half the audience jumped when he started!

Q: Do the cast get on?

No, they hate each other! In fact they do get on incredibly well together - no-one feels left out, they hang out a lot together. Sarah they don't see a lot of socially: she does it 24/7. The show that is…

Q: Is Buffy's move to UPN a good thing?

He hasn't the faintest idea. UPN really wanted it. I think he said that the old network never got it. They thought it was just a teen show. They kept telling to get Joss to change the name, which he wouldn't do. The quality should go up with more money to play with…

Q: Does he ever deliberately make mistakes with 'action' to get to do it again?

Tony giggles a lot, but at this he really cracked up. Once he recovered enough I think the answer was basically no, but he went on to tell some good stories. He talked about the scene where he kisses Buffy's mother. Originally the line about gum was replaced with 'it fastens at the front', but Joss took it out. (Tony obviously thought it was a great line)

He also talked about the scene where he was tortured by, I think, Drusila. He tried to come up with a way of showing the pain, and decided on chewing chillies. He had a chilli burger and bit down at the appropriate moment. After a few takes he had very hot lips and then had to do a kissing scene! He scrubbed his lips…

Q: Would he like to direct Buffy?

It's more likely if he is not in every episode. Amber who plays Tara just directed a short film, so she probably will.

Q: Chasing professor Walsh/Welsh.

Scary! Tony only drives an automatic (or was it non-automatic?), but Joss… (Tony waves arms). He got to hang out with James a lot though. There was a lot cut as it was over long. He loves working with James. There really are no weak links in the cast.

Q: If Ripper doesn't come off…

Musical episode - yes.

He is doing episodes 1, 4, 5 and 6 of the new series. Take it from there.

At this point Robin Sachs arrived.

Robin and Tony are a great double act and very funny together. Robin has an amazing deep rich voice. However I feel I should warn the sensitive that he can also be a little rude…

Q: Favourite music?

Tony: Coldplay, Bowie, U2, Portishead, Murray head… he's very talented, also Tony's brother!

Robin: Aerosmith/Metalica.

Tony: Truly A & M! (Well, I think that is what he said?)

Tony then left. Perhaps not surprisingly quite a few of the audience also started to wander out. Nothing personal, but Robin was the last guest, and I for one was feeling the need for several different things after several hours straight of Q & A's… However I stayed. I admit I kept half falling asleep and missing bits, but that was definitely not Robin's fault… In spite of difficult conditions he kept things going and was, in the end, pretty interesting. Questions were at first slow to come, but he drew people out by asking where we were from, etc…

Q: How did he enjoy playing a large insect in Galaxy quest?

As much as you can enjoy wearing 85 pounds.

Q: Drink?

Black and Tan.

Q: Makeup…

He referred to makeup in Babylon 5 as 'The Condom'. He keeps thinking jobs won't be in makeup… then arrives to find yet again they're getting the latex out…

Q: Is it easier to work in the makeup?

Because it's like a mask, it's like a Greek play. You play the mask. It gives an easy route in to the character.

Q: About the voice…

Too many cigs really…

Q: Has he got any stories about Galaxy Quest?

Sigourney had been studying martial arts. In the scene where they are torturing her, then they drag Sigourney past him... He noticed she was getting a funny look, like she's getting into it - then she kicks him very accurately in crotch as she goes past. He was well padded though.

Responding to more questions…

Ripper is Giles' mentor (I know what you make of it in (fan fic)…)

He's been doing a film called, I think, 'Meglodon'. It's about a prehistoric great white shark, 95 feet long. It starts to chomp through the oil rig owned by his character.

Q: Where did he get the information to build the character of Saris?

5 hours in makeup. It's like Chinese No actors. Look at the makeup - get the character. You can't really draw on your own experience when playing an insect…

At this point the flow of questions dropped off, and Robin filled in by telling us a joke. Hearing it in his rather grand, resonant voice did add a certain something…

A man goes into a bar, where he meets a woman. The man asks the woman what her name is, and she says he can call her 'Carmen'. He says that's a nice name and how did she get it? Well, she says, I like cars, and I like men. So, she says, what's your name? He thinks for a moment, then says 'Beerfuck'.

Q: Why does Ethan keep coming back?

He wants to be a regular. And he likes interfering.

Q: Interfering in general or specifically with Giles?

Oh, he likes interfering specifically with Giles…

Q: About the legalities of British Actors working in the States.

You have to have a good resume to get a visa, and it took him two years to get a green card. Now it's even tougher.

Q: About Babylon 5

Not on a studio lot: the set up is autonomous like Buffy. Again the makeup was a bind. They were working in 'Sunland' in the San Fernando Valley. The temperature was (I think) 114^o. He says he must be the only person ever to have sweated in 3-inch latex and have it show through.

Q: What was it like working with Tim Allen and Alan Rickman?

Wonderful. Tim was great. Rickman went to the same school as him briefly, though he went to Rada first though.

Q: About being based in America…

He has a wife, house, pit bull and several cats over there now...

Q: Performance he hopes will never be seen?

Something he filmed in Trinidad, which was not released.

Q: What wouldn't he do?

Unnecessary sexual acts…. with animals. (Responding to someone in the audience) Pit bulls? Sweet little things. They'd bite it off. Gratuitousness, in sex and violence.

Q: What about something that was against his moral code?

As an actor may be asked to play that kind of role. He wouldn't play in a movie that glorified Hitler, but would play Hitler in a movie.

Q: How did he get into the business?

His father was Leonard Sachs, (Who was the compeer for many years on a British TV show called 'The Good Old Days'. It was a show in which variety acts performed in a Victorian Music Hall, complete with everyone in period costume!). He tried for Rada at 17 and a half.

Q: Would he like to try producing or directing.

Producing - he's not mean enough. Directing - there are loads of good ones already.

Q: School plays

He talked about this for a bit, going on to talk about one where he played an old man with a false beard and cane. Someone told him you don't play old people old, you play them as people - it was turning point for him.

Q: Missed roles?

He was second in line for Chariots of Fire (not sure if this was a joke…). What ifs - you can't look back.

Q: I think the question was about whether actors went into the business out of passion or hopes of making it big…

Passion and making it big. If you make it big it buys you a lovely house and gives actors the chance to choose what they do. There's a 30 year bench mark for women (though of course some are still managing to do very well past it). And he's still only 26…

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