Jesse Ventura

Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos; 15 July 1951 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA) is an American media personality, actor, author, retired professional wrestler and former politician who served as the Mayor of Brooklyn Park from 1993 to 1995 and as the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. He was the first and only candidate of the Reform Party to win a major government position.

Ventura was a member of the U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team during the Vietnam War. After leaving the military, he embarked on a professional wrestling career from 1975 to 1986, taking the ring name Jesse 'The Body' Ventura. He had a long tenure in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as a performer and color commentator and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2004.

However, I know Ventura best for his acting career. He played the parts of Blain Cooper in Predator (1987) and Captain Freedom in The Running Man (1987). He also had supporting roles in films such as Ricochet (1991), Demolition Man (1993) and Batman & Robin (1997).

I obtained Jesse Ventura's autograph through the mail in August 2015.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

Steven Seagal

Steven Frederic Seagal (born 10 April 1952 in Lansing, Michigan, USA) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, martial artist, and musician who holds American, Serbian, and Russian citizenship.

A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, Seagal began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan, becoming the first foreigner to operate an aikido dojo in the country. He later moved to Los Angeles, California, where he had the same profession. In 1988, Seagal made his acting debut in Above the Law (also known as Nico). Hard to Kill, Marked for Death (both 1990) and Out for Justice (1991) followed. In 1992, he played Navy SEAL counter-terrorist expert Casey Ryback in Under Siege, the biggest box office hit of his career. During the latter half of the 1990s, Seagal starred in three more feature films and the direct-to-video film The Patriot. Subsequently, his career shifted to mostly direct-to-video productions. He has since appeared in films and reality shows, including Steven Seagal: Lawman, which depicted Seagal performing his duties as a reserve deputy sheriff.

Seagal is a guitarist and has released two studio albums, Songs from the Crystal Cave and Mojo Priest, and performed on the scores of several of his films. He has worked with Stevie Wonder and Tony Rebel, who both performed on his debut album.

I met Steven Seagal after his concert at The Ferry in Glasgow on 17 July 2014. To my surprise he signed for everyone for free including the CD and 8x10 photo I had brought with me.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia
Official website

Melody Anderson

Melody Anderson (born 3 December 1955 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) is a Canadian social worker and public speaker specializing in the impact of addiction on families. She is a retired actress, whose most high-profile role was playing Dale Arden in the 1980 adaptation of Flash Gordon. She later starred in the 1986 film Firewalker with Chuck Norris.

I obtained Melody's autographs through the mail in March 2016.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

Heather Langenkamp

Heather Elizabeth Anderson (née Langenkamp; born 17 July 17 1964 in Tulsa, Oklahama, USA) is an American actress, producer, and prosthetic makeup coordinator. She began her career as an extra in the Francis Ford Coppola films The Outsiders (1983) and Rumble Fish (1983) before becoming known for her role as Nancy Thompson in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and Chuck Russell's A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), followed by appearances in two of Craven's cult films: a victim in Shocker (1989) and a fictionalized version of herself in Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994).

Langenkamp's other roles include the figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in the NBC television film Tonya and Nancy: The Inside Story (1994), Marie Lubbock and Amy Boutilier on the ABC sitcom Growing Pains (1988-1990) and the spin-off series Just the Ten of Us (1988-1990) which both won Primetime Emmy Awards, Dorothy in Jonathan Zarantonello's The Butterfly Room (2012), Moto in J. J. Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Donna Boone in Nick Simon's Truth or Dare (2017). In 2010, she served as executive producer and narrator to the documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy.

Langenkamp is the co-owner of the make-up FX firm AFX Studio which has designed and manufactured award-winning make-up effects for film and television. She has worked as the special makeup effects coordinator for a variety of films including Dawn of the Dead (2004), Cinderella Man (2005), Evan Almighty (2007), and The Cabin in the Woods (2012).

I purchased Heather's autograph on her official website.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia
Official website

Bolo Yeung

Bolo Yeung (born Yang Sze; 3 July 1946 in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China) is a former competitive bodybuilder, martial artist and martial arts film actor.

Often cast as the villain in the movies in which he stars, he is best known for his performances as Bolo opposite Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon (1973) and as Jean-Claude Van Damme's opponent Chong Li in Bloodsport (1988). Other notable films include Bloodfight (1989), Double Impact (1991) and Ironheart (1992).

I met Bolo at Comic Con Scotland in Edinburgh in October 2019.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

Mohammed Qissi

Mohammed Qissi (also known as Michel Qissi; born 12 September 1962 in Taza, Morocco) is a Moroccan-Belgian actor, best known for his role as Tong Po in the 1989 Jean-Claude Van Damme martial arts film Kickboxer. A long-time friend of Van Damme, they both moved to the United States in the 1980s with the aim of starting a career as an action star.

Qissi appeared as Suan Paredes in Bloodsport (1988) and as Moustafa in Lionheart (1990, known as A.W.O.L. in the UK). He returned as Tong Po in Kickboxer 2: The Road Back (1991).

I met Mohammed Qissi at Comic Con Scotland in Edinburgh in October 2019 where he signed the Kickboxer press photo for me. I purchased the Bloodsport and Lionheart photos during a German Comic Con Facebook sale in December 2021 after he had appeared at this convention earlier that month.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

Kickboxer

Signing my photo in Edinburgh

Lionheart aka A.W.O.L.

Bloodsport

Leah Ayres

Leah Ayres (born 28 May 28 1957 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Janice Kent in Jean-Claude Van Damme's breakthrough film Bloodsport (1988), as Michelle in the 1981 horror film The Burning and as Valerie Bryson on the daytime serial The Edge of Night.

I obtained Leah's autograph through the mail.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

Gary Busey

William Gary Busey (born 29 June 1944 in Ghost Creek, Texas, USA) is an American actor. A prolific character actor, Busey has appeared in over 150 films, including Silver Bullet (1985), Lethal Weapon (1987), Predator 2 (1990), Point Break (1991), Under Siege (1992), The Firm (1993), Carried Away (1996), Black Sheep (1996), Lost Highway (1997), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), The Gingerdead Man (2005), Quigley (2003) and Piranha 3DD (2012). Gary also made guest appearances on television shows such as Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, Scrubs, Impractical Jokers, and Entourage.

For portraying Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story (1978), Busey was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor.

I obtained Gary Busey's autograph through the mail.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

As FBI Agent Angelo Pappas in Point Break

Frank Langella

Frank A. Langella Jr. (born 1 January 1938 in Bayonne, New Jersey, USA) is an American stage and film actor. He has won four Tony Awards, two for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his performances as Richard Nixon in the play Frost/Nixon and as André in The Father and two for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performances in Edward Albee's Seascape and Ivan Turgenev's Fortune's Fool.

His notable film roles include George Prager in Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970), Count Dracula in Dracula (1979), Skeletor in Masters of the Universe (1987), Bob Alexander in Dave (1993), William S. Paley in Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) and Richard Nixon in the film production of Frost/Nixon (2008), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He had a recurring role as Gabriel, the KGB handler for the lead characters, in the FX series The Americans between 2013 and 2017.

I obtained Frank Langella's autograph through the mail in May 2016.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

John Saxon

John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; 5 August 1935 in Brooklyn, New York City, USA; died 25 July 2020 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA) was an American actor and martial artist who worked on more than 200 projects during a span of 60 years. Saxon was known for his work in westerns and horror films, often playing police officers and detectives.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Saxon studied acting with Stella Adler before beginning his career as a contract player for Universal Pictures, appearing in such films as Rock, Pretty Baby (1956) and Portrait in Black (1961). In the 1970s and 1980s, he would establish himself as a character actor, frequently portraying law enforcement officials in horror films such as Black Christmas (1974), Dario Argento's Tenebrae (1982) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

In addition to his roles in horror films, Saxon co-starred with Bruce Lee in the martial arts film Enter the Dragon (1973) and has supporting roles in the westerns Death of a Gunfighter (1969) and Joe Kidd (1972), as well as the adventure thriller Raid on Entebbe (1977). In the 1990s, Saxon occasionally appeared in films, with small roles in Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) and From Dusk till Dawn (1996).

I purchased John Saxon's autograph from his official website.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia
Official website

Tom Atkins

Tom Atkins (born 13 November 1935 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA) is an American character actor. He is primarily known for his work in the horror and thriller film genres, having worked with writers and directors such as Shane Black, William Peter Blatty, John Carpenter, Fred Dekker, Richard Donner, Stephen King, and George A. Romero. He is also a familiar face to mainstream viewers, often playing police officers and tough authority figures.

Atkins has starred in numerous films including The Fog (1980), The Ninth Configuration (1980), Escape from New York (1981), Creepshow (1982), Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), Night of the Creeps (1986), Lethal Weapon (1987), Maniac Cop (1988), Two Evil Eyes (1990), Bob Roberts (1992), Striking Distance (1993), and Drive Angry (2011).

I obtained Tom Atkins's autograph through the mail in May 2016.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Kenneth Cranham

Kenneth Cranham (born 12 December 1944 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland) is a Scottish film, television, radio and stage actor. He is probably best known as Dr. Philip Channard / Channard Cenobite in Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) and Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel in Valkyrie (2008).

I met Kenneth at Collectormania Glasgow in August 2013.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Haskell V. Anderson III

Haskell Vaughn Anderson III (born 26 November 1943 in Queens, New York City, USA) is an American film, television and stage actor. He is probably best known for his prominent supporting role in the 1989 film Kickboxer, which starred Jean-Claude Van Damme. Other roles include the 1978 film Brotherhood of Death, which was his first starring role on film and the 2007 Independent feature Boy and Dog.

I obtained Haskell's autograph after contacting him through his (now defunct) website in December 2015.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

Paul Freeman

Paul Freeman (born 18 January 1943 in Barnet, Hertfordshire, England) is an English actor who has appeared in theatre, television and film. I know him for playing Indiana Jones's rival archaeologist René Belloq in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and his parts in Aces: Iron Eagle III (1992) and Double Team (1997).

I met Paul at Collectormania Glasgow in August 2010.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

James Caan

James Edmund Caan (born 26 March 1940 in the Bronx, New York City, USA; died 6 July 2022 in Los Angeles County, California, USA) was an American actor. After early roles in The Glory Guys (1965), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination, El Dorado (1967) and The Rain People (1969), he came to prominence in the 1970s with significant roles in films such as Brian's Song (1971), Cinderella Liberty (1973), The Gambler (1974), Freebie and the Bean (1974), Rollerball (1975), Funny Lady (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1977) and Chapter Two (1979). For his signature role in The Godfather (1972), that of hot-tempered Sonny Corleone, Caan was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the corresponding Golden Globe.

Caan's subsequent notable performances include roles in Thief (1981), Misery (1990), For the Boys (1991), Eraser (1996), Bottle Rocket (1996) and Elf (2003), as well as the role of "Big Ed" Deline in the television series Las Vegas (2003–08). He also prominently lent his voice to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013) as Tim Lockwood, father of Bill Hader's protagonist Flint Lockwood.

For his contributions to the film industry, Caan was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978 with a motion pictures star located at 6648 Hollywood Boulevard.

James Caan appeared a London Comic Con in July 2018. Through the Showmasters send-in service I managed to get my Rollerball blu-ray signed.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

Antonio Tarver

Antonio Deon Tarver (born 21 November 1968 in Orlando, Florida, USA) is an American former professional boxer, boxing commentator and actor. In boxing he competed from 1997 to 2015, and held multiple light heavyweight world championships, including the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF and Ring magazine titles, as well the IBO light heavyweight and cruiserweight titles.

As an amateur, Tarver represented the United States at the 1996 Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the light heavyweight division; he eventually lost to Vassiliy Jirov from Kazakhstan, whom he had previously defeated at the 1995 World Championships to win gold. Tarver also triumphed at the 1995 Pan American Games and 1995 U.S. National Championships, winning gold in both. He remains the only boxer in history to have won gold at the Pan Am Games, World Championships and U.S. Nationals all in the same year.

Outside of boxing, Tarver starred as Mason "The Line" Dixon, the heavyweight champion in the 2006 film Rocky Balboa.

I obtained Antonio Tarver's autograph through a signing he did at Bilotta Gallery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on 29 October 2017. There was an option to pre-order these and the personalised autograph was then sent to me by mail.

Links:
BoxRec
Wikipedia
IMDb

Valene Kane

Valene Kane (born in Newry, County Down, Ireland) is an Irish actress best known for playing Rose Stagg, the ex-girlfriend of serial killer Paul Spector, in the BBC series The Fall (2013-16) and for her role as Lyra Erso in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). She is also known as DS Lisa Merchant in the BBC drama Thirteen (2016).

I met Valene at Film & Comic Con Glasgow in August 2017.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper (born Roderick George Toombs, born 17 April 1954 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; died 31 July 2015 in Hollywood, California, USA) was a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. Although I have never had any interest in wrestling I met Roddy at an event in Glasgow in 2014 since he plays the starring role in They Live (1988), one of my favourite John Carpenter films. Other films I have seen him in are Back in Action (1993) with Billy Blanks and The Bad Pack (1997) with Robert Davi and Ralf Moeller.

I met Roddy at an 'Evening With' night, organised by Eros Comedy, at The Garage in Glasgow on 15 July 2014. He came across as a very likeable guy and a great storyteller. I could never have imagined he would pass away only 12 months later.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Official website

Jim Belushi

James Adam Belushi (born 15 June 1954 in Chicago, Illinois, USA) is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and musician.

He is the younger brother of late comic actor John Belushi and the father of actor Robert Belushi. He played the role of Jim on the sitcom According to Jim (2001–2009). His other television roles include Saturday Night Live (1983–1985), Wild Palms (1993), Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1994–1997), Show Me a Hero (2015) and Twin Peaks (2017).

Jim has appeared in films such as Thief (1981), Trading Places (1983), About Last Night (1986), Salvador (1986), Red Heat (1988), K-9 (1989), Taking Care of Business (a.k.a. Filofax, 1990), Curly Sue (1991), Jingle All the Way (1996), Retroactive (1997), Underdog (2007) and The Ghost Writer (2010).

I obtained Jim's autographs trough the mail in April 2016.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

Franco Nero

Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born 23 November 1941 in San Prospero Parmense,  Parma, Italy), better known by his stage name Franco Nero, is an Italian actor. He is best known for his breakthrough role as the title character in Sergio Corbucci's Spaghetti Western film Django (1966), a role that he reprised in Nello Rossati's Django Strikes Again (1987).

Since then, he has performed over 200 leading and supporting roles in a wide variety of films and television programmes in both Italy and abroad, in genres ranging from poliziotteschi, to action, to drama, to war, and musicals. These include The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966), Camelot (1967), The Day of the Owl (1968), The Mercenary (1968), Battle of Neretva (1969), Tristana (1970), Compañeros (1970), Confessions of a Police Captain (1971), Keoma (1976), Hitch-Hike (1977), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Enter the Ninja (1981), Die Hard 2 (1990), Letters to Juliet (2010) and John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017). He also played the narrator in the film Rasputin (2010), directed by Louis Nero, and voiced the character of Uncle Topolino in the animated film Cars 2 (2011) directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Brad Lewis. In 2012, Nero made a cameo appearance in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained.

In December 2018 Franco attended the German Comic Con in Dortmund. Unfortunately the Enter the Ninja DVD cover that I had sent to the Showmasters send-in service arrived one day late. Instead I received a signed photo of him as Django, which was my second choice. My DVD cover then also got misplaced, never to be seen again so it was not an overall positive experience. I am hoping I will get the chance to meet Franco in real life some day. In February 2022 I purchased an Enter the Ninja signed photo from RACC Trusted Seller #147 Roland Brödner.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

Sho Kosugi

Sho Kosugi (ショー・コスギ Shō Kosugi, born Shōichi Kosugi (小杉 正一 Kosugi Shōichi) on 17 June 1948 in Minato, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and writer with extensive training in Shindō jinen-ryū Karate, Kendo, Judo, Iaido, Kobudo, Aikido and Ninjutsu.

A former All Japan Karate Champion, he gained popularity as an actor during the 1980s, often playing ninja. He starred as different characters in the Cannon produced Ninja trilogy: Enter the Ninja (1981), Revenge of the Ninja (1983) and Ninja III: The Dominiation (1984). Other favourites of mine include Pray for Death (1985), Rage of Honor (1986), Black Eagle (1988) and Blind Fury (1989). He was also the lead villain on the short-lived television series The Master (1984), a series that I loved as a kid and introduced me to the ninja concept.

I obtained Sho Kosugi's autograph after contacting him through his website in April 2015.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia
Official website

Michael Dudikoff

Michael Joseph Stephen Dudikoff Jr. (born 8 October 1954 in Redondo Beach, California, USA) is an American actor and martial artist known for lead roles in action films such as the American Ninja series (1985–1990), Avenging Force (1986), Platoon Leader (1988), River of Death (1989), Soldier Boyz (1996), Bounty Hunters (1996) and Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball (1997).

I obtained Michael's autograph on an American Ninja photo through the Showmasters send-in service when he appeared at Comic Con Amsterdam in September 2017. In February 2022 I purchased a signed Platoon Leader photo from RACC Trusted Seller #147 Roland Brödner.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

Michael Biehn

Michael Connell Biehn (born 31 July 1956 in Anniston, Alabama, USA) is an American actor, primarily known for his military roles in science fiction films directed by James Cameron; as Sgt. Kyle Reese in The Terminator (1984), Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in Aliens (1986) and Lt. Coffey in The Abyss (1989). His other films include The Fan (1981), Navy SEALs (1990), Tombstone (1993), The Rock (1996), Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 (2001) and Planet Terror (2007). On television, he has appeared in Hill Street Blues (1984) and Adventure Inc. (2002-03).

I have met Michael three times: at Collectormania London in August 2010, at Sheffield Film & Comic Con in August 2015 and at Film & Comic Con Glasgow, also in August 2015.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia

Alice Krige

Alice Maud Krige (born 28 June 1954 in Upington, Cape Province, South Afria) is a South African actress and producer. Her first feature film role was in Chariots of Fire (1981) as the Gilbert and Sullivan singer Sybil Gordon. She is well known for playing the dual role of Eva Galli/Alma Mobley in Ghost Story (1981) and the Borg Queen in the Star Trek franchise, beginning with the film Star Trek: First Contact (1996). Other notable films include the Barbet Schroeder directed Barfly (1987), Stephen King's Sleepwalkers (1992), Silent Hill (2006) and Thor: The Dark World (2013).

I met Alice at Collectormania London in November 2010.

Links:
IMDb
Wikipedia