Entertainment Weekly loves pop culture, and more than that, it loves sexy young men, which is basically what the BRAVE NEW WARRIORS panel amounts to. Joining the stage were GRIMM star David Giuntoli, Kit Harington of GAME OF THRONES, TEEN WOLF’s Tyler Posey, The Doctor himself Matt Smith and zombie survivor Steven Yeun from THE WALKING DEAD.
Throughout the guys are in fine spirits, with great chemistry throughout, with a lot of laughter. In particular, I was shocked to find how funny and dry Giuntoli is, as he’s so…plain on GRIMM (until recently). In response to the avid crowd response whenever Posey spoke or was seen on the big screen, David playfully told Posey how sexy he was several times throughout the panel. Clearly he’s got more range than I imagined, and Giuntoli was probably my favorite to listen to, along with Steven Yeun. But they all brought a unique perspective and personality to the mix.
Matt Smith is exactly what you’d expect of a young British man playing the Doctor of DOCTOR WHO, throwing out blimey’s and other British witticisms. He kicked things off by mentioning that when he got the gig, he was seen as “too young” to play the Doctor.
Harington thought that GAME OF THRONES was the weirdest thing he had ever read, but he loved HBO, and now loves the series and show, as he should.
It appears that all have met or at least familiar with their work, due to previous conventions, because there’s a lot of genre overlap here.
Steven Yeun landed the role of Glenn in his first pilot season in LA, and was “just happy to have a job,” and the show became the “greatest grad school for me.” While clearly as wholesome as 12 grain bread, that could piss off some unlucky people in the audience.
The most screams during announcement time were for Tyler Posey in terms of sex appeal, but Matt Smith won out for being the man.
Tyler Posey grew up on MTV, was stoked to get the role, stoked to be on the panel, and bro’s out for the rest of the panel. And I mean that in the best way possible. The guy’s so genuine, thankful, and clearly cares and adores his fan base.
David Giuntoli thought GRIMM was a bizarre pilot, but loved the David Greenwalt (Buffy/Angel) angle, and was blessed to get the role.
Fan fiction was brought up, and the panel and many in the audience were stunned to learn that Tyler Posey could read some of his fan fiction. He said that some of it gets nuts and “gnarly,” clearly referring to some Stiles/Scott romance. Glenn said that he gets a lot of Daryl/Glenn fanfic…
Without spoiling anything, but by completely spoiling everything, the moderator asked Steven Yeun about the specter of misfortune on his character in upcoming episodes/seasons. Yeun was ever the diplomat, simply saying that he doesn’t screw this gig up, and will be on the show as long as they have him, etc. Plus, the show and comic book have distanced themselves, so it’s not necessarily a death sentence.
On his departure from DOCTOR WHO, Matt Smith said that it had been the best four years and been a privilege working under Steven Moffat. He merely said that “when you gotta go, you gotta go.” Clearly he could’ve stayed on for much longer, but his budding movie career must’ve been beckoning. Smith loves Comic-Con and is gonna miss it, acting like he’ll never be back. I’m sure he’ll be invited back. He’s starring in a Ryan Gosling movie called HOW TO CATCH A MONSTER, after all. On the subject of the next Doctor: “They’ll get someone amazing, someone brilliant” to do it.
Most unsexy moment on set?
David Giuntoli essentially regaled the rapt audience about some days on set when he’d be having a problem with boogers, and Tyler Posey backed him up: “boogers suck.” Truer words have never been spoken.
Posey, while blessed/cursed with absolutely no hair on his chest, does grow nipple hair, and they shave it for him on set. Apparently a producer goes out of his/her way to shave it for him. I’m totally not checking ebay right now.
Yeun: “There’s a lot of bugs in Atlanta. They like the warmest parts of body…which, depending on how you’re feeling…can be bad. It’s happened before.” ‘Nuff said.
Kit Harington’s moment was his recent sex scene with Rose Leslie/Ygritte. He had recently broken his ankle, so he had to crutch to the set naked, and apparently was the most humiliating thing in his life. “There’s a 100 people just trying not to laugh…Vanity pouches are not sexy things.” I feel like Posey said “totally” in response, but that might have been my imagination.
Smith’s unsexy moment: “Karen Gillan in the morning.” But he’s clearly joking. “Doctor Who isn’t really a sexy show.”
The panel was then asked about past gigs that they could apologize for, like a Lifetime movie or something.
Posey: “What’s wrong with Lifetime?” Posey is, of course, proud of everything he’s done, but used to recreate Jack-Ass with his younger brother. A lot of lighting farts and the like.
Earlier in his career, clearly, Giuntoli really wanted a commercial in LA, and almost got it. His line: “I have genital herpes.” His girlfriend’s: “I don’t.” And “we want to keep it that way.”
Matt Smith was asked about places he wishes he had gone or visited during his time traveling gig, and mentioned meeting Frank Sinatra. He liked dinosaurs, and when a fan mentioned Atlantis, he responded enthusiastically, even if it had been done before, it should be done again. On a more somber note, Smith mentioned that Steven Moffat recently pitched all his ideas for the next season of WHO, “which was hard.”
What were/are their favorite villains from their shows?
Posey: The were-lizard Kanema from season 2. It was an elaborate suit, not CGI and the poor bastard wore it “17 hours a day…[it] got stinky.”
Giuntoli: Mentioned Sasha Roiz’s Captain Renard, and talked about their beatdown in season 2. Apparently Roiz kicks hard. Harington backed that up, saying that Sasha Roiz kicked him elsewhere…hard.
Yeun: Merle.
Smith: Weeping Angels or the Daleks.
SOCIAL MEDIA TIME!
Tyler Posey loves having conversations with fans, and is a Twitter and Instagram freak. Thinks that’s fan interaction is the only reason why Twitter should be around.
Matt and Kit are useless/grumps when it comes to technology. Those Brits.
David Giuntoli said that it’s nice “to interact with the dwindling number of people who find him charming during lonely days on set.”
DEFINING MOMENT AS HERO
Harington: When Jon had to leave Ygritte, whether that was brave or cruel.
Smith: Letting Pond go.
Yeun: The infamous scene when Merle and the Governor leave him in a room tied up to a chair with a zombie present.
Posey: He mentions the scene where Scott saves Deaton from being killed.
Giuntoli: Defining moment was when he started going rogue, and doing stuff outside of the police. That’s also when he became far more interesting as a character.
WILL THEY REGRET BEING KNOWN FOR THE SAME CHARACTER FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE?
Even Posey had some trouble with this question, but has no regrets. He hopes he has other roles, but is proud of playing Scott McCall and loves playing it, even if he doesn’t want to be it forever. He kind of goes back and forth.
Smith echoes the sentiment, and hopes that someone else will employ us after their gigs run out.
Harington thinks it’s a privilege to be known as one role. You know nothing, Jon Snow.
The panel was asked what about their character do they relate to, and Yeun pointed to Glenn’s resilience. Posey likes to see himself as good hearted and genuine like Scott. Kit admitted that he can be quite emo at times, and likely would have the same type of music on his iPod as Jon Snow, if he were to have one. Smith relates to the Doctor’s clumsiness and kindness.
Giuntoli was mostly sarcastic and joke-y throughout the panel, but when his rivalry with Captain Renard was brought up again, he got serious and into it. He does not trust the Captain, and even if they have to work together, they’re not going to be pals any time soon, because he went for his fiancee.
The highlight of the panel came when a really creepy fan asked for their creepiest encounters for fans.
Steven Yeun told a hilarious story where, while in Atlanta, a fan recognized him from a block away. Her reaction was to go zombie mode, and hobble over to him, which took forever, and Yeun could tell that she regretted it halfway, but committed to it. Hilarious.
Posey told a harrowing story of being followed in his car on the way to his girlfriend’s, “which is totally not cool.” It’s not.
But the best? David Giuntoli, while staying in Portland, lives on the 9th floor of an apartment building, and one night, heard a scuffling at the door. There’s a lot of noises, so he didn’t think anything of it. But when he woke up, he discovered a note slipped under the door. All that was written on the note? “Big fan.” I lost my $#*! laughing, but that’s terrifying. When someone asked how best to approach them outside of work, he brought the joke back: “give me a note with the words ‘big fan’ on it.”
On the future, Matt Smith said that he’ll keep watching DOCTOR WHO even after his departure, and thanked Who fans again. “Rock on.”
Harington just read season 4, and “it’s brilliant.”
Posey thanks his fans again, in such a well meaning sort of way.
Giuntoli teases big surprises in the next batch of episodes when GRIMM returns.
To end the panel, the dudes were asked how they’d like to die.
Giuntoli: It has to be cool, big. Would have to involve the medieval weapons in his Aunt’s trailer, and perhaps involve beheadings.
Posey, ever the sweetheart, thinks it’d be fitting for Scott to die saving a friend, a family, a loved one, or even a villain. Agreed.
Yeun gives the best answer: killing 30 walkers on a motorcycle, while jumping over hordes amid explosions. His heart can’t handle so much awesome, so he digs own grave and dies peacefully.
It’s probably the most real to Matt Smith, who may be facing this prospect the soonest, with his incarnation of the Doctor facing a regeneration soon, and he basically described how all Doctors die, and then said he’d turn into a woman, perhaps a clue that a woman could be the next Doctor. I’m all for it.
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