Luigi Cozzi

Luigi Cozzi (born 7 September 1947 in Busto Arsizio, Italy) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. At a young age, Luigi became a fan of science fiction and began his career as an overseas correspondent for Western film magazines.

After directing his first film The Tunnel Under the World (1969), Luigi befriended director Dario Argento and began working with him in film and television. He received screenplay credits for Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971) and The Five Days (1973), special effects credits for Phenomena (1985), and was second united director for Two Evil Eyes (1990) and The Stendhal Syndrome (1996).

Film directed by Luigi himself include The Killer Must Kill Again (1975), Starcrash (1979), Contamination (1980), Hercules (1983), Monster Shark (1984), Hercules II (1985), Sinbad of the Seven Seas (1989), Paganini Horror (1989), and The Black Cat (1990).

I have met Luigi twice. The first time was in the shop he co-owns with Dario Argento, Profondo Rosso, when I visited Rome in October 2024. I bought a book co-written by Luigi, which he kindly signed for me. I met him for the second time at Weird Worcester in July 2026 where he signed a Contamination Blu-ray sleeve for me.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Profondo Rosso Store

Blu-ray sleeve, also signed by Ian McCulloch

Meeting Luigi for the second time in Worcester

Outside the Profondo Rosso shop in Rome

Meeting Luigi at Profondo Rosso

Pam Grier

Pamela Suzette Grier (born 26 1949 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA) is an American actress, singer, and martial artist. She achieved fame for her starring roles in a string of 1970s action, blaxploitation and women-in-prison films for American International Pictures and New World Pictures. Her accolades include nominations for an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Satellite Award and a Saturn Award.

Grier came to prominence with her titular roles in the films Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974); her other major films during this period included The Big Doll House (1971), Women in Cages (1971), The Big Bird Cage (1972), Black Mama White Mama (1973), Scream Blacula Scream (1973), The Arena (1974), Sheba, Baby (1975), Bucktown (1975) and Friday Foster (1975). She also played alongside Richard Pryor as his character Wendell Scott’s wife in the film Greased Lightning (1977). She portrayed the title character in Jackie Brown (1997), which happens to be one of my favourite Quentin Tarantino films. I also know her for roles in Above the Law (1988), Escape from L.A. (1996), and Mars Attacks! (1996).

I received Pam's autograph through Monopoly Events' pre-order service after she appeared at Comic Con Liverpool in October 2026.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Robyn Lively

Robyn Elaine Lively Johnson (born 7 February 1972 in Powder Springs, Georgia, USA) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Louise Miller in Teen Witch (1989) and Jessica Andrews in The Karate Kid Part III (1989), as well as the TV shows Twin Peaks (1991-91), Doogie Howser, M.D. (1991-93), Savannah (1996-97), and Saving Grace (2007-08). She reprised the role of Jessica Andrews in one episode of Cobra Kai (2022).

I obtained Robyn's autograph through Monopoly Events' pre-order service when she appreared at Comic Con Northern Ireland in September 2026.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Lewis Tan

Lewis Singwah Tan (born 4 February 1987 in Salford, Greater Manchester, England) is a British-American actor, stunt performer, martial artist, and model. He is known for his roles as Zhou Cheng in Iron Fist (2017), Rusty / Shatterstar in Deadpool 2 (2018) and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), Lu Xin Lee in Wu Assassins (2019) and its film sequel Fistful of Vengeance (2022), Cole Young in Mortal Kombat (2021) and Mortal Kombat II (2026), and Tolya Yul-Bataar in Shadow and Bone (2023). However, I know him best for his part as Feng Xiao / Sensei Wolf in Cobra Kai (2024-25).

I met Lewis at Comic Con Scotland in Edinburgh in October 2026.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Patrick Kilpatrick

Patrick Donald Kilpatrick Jr. (born 20 August 1949 in Orange, Virginia, USA) is an American actor, film journalist and educator. He has appeared in over 200 films and television series.

Often portraying a villian, his film appearances include Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), The Presidio (1988), Class of 1999 (1990), Death Warrant (1990), Best of the Best II (1993), Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995), The Replacement Killers (1998), Minority Report (2002), Eraser (1996), Last Man Standing (1996), and Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997). His many television appearances include guest-starring roles in the Star Trek: Voyager episodes "Initiations" (1995) and "Drive" (2000) and in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Siege of AR-558" (1998).

I met Patrick at Weird Worcester in July 2026, where he signed a Germany Death Warrant lobby card for me. He also took part in a photo shoot along with two other 'Van Damme villains', Abel and Mohammed Qissi.

Links:

Official website

IMDb

Wikipedia

Mena Suvari

Mena Alexandra Suvari (born 13 February 1979 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA) is an American actress, producer, fashion designer, and model.

Mena made her film debut in the 1997 black comedy drama Nowhere. She rose to international prominence with her roles of Angela in the critically acclaimed comedy-drama American Beauty (1999), and Heather in three of the American Pie films (1999–2001, 2012). Her other notable film roles include Slums of Beverly Hills (1998), Loser (2000), Sugar & Spice (2001), Spun (2003), Rumor Has It... (2005), Stuck (2007), and Day of the Dead (2008).

I met Mena at Comic Con Scotland in Edinburgh on 24 October 2026. She signed my VHS copy of American Pie, which had already been signed by Tara Reid and Shannon Elizabeth at Comic Con Scotland last year.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Andrew Bryniarski

Andrew Bryniarski (born 13 February 1969 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) is an American actor and former bodybuilder, who I know best for portraying Leatherface in the The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006), Patrick 'Madman' Kelly in Any Given Sunday (1999), Zangief in Street Fighter (1994), and Butterfinger in Hudson Hawk (1991).

I met Andrew at the Weird Worcester convention in July 2026. He signed a German Street Fighter lobby card for me and he posed for a photo in a Leatherface costume.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Q&A panel in Worcester

William Shatner

William Shatner (born 22 March 1931 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian actor. From 1966 to 1994, he starred as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise, from his debut as the captain of the starship Enterprise in the second pilot of the first Star Trek television series (1966-69) to his final appearance as Captain Kirk in the seventh Star Trek feature film, Star Trek Generations (1994).

I also know him for his role as Sergeant Thomas Jefferson "T. J." Hooker in the television series T.J. Hooker (1982-86) and as the host of the docudrama series Rescue 911 (1989-96).

I met Mr Shatner at Comic Con Scotland in Edinburgh on 25 October 2026, where he signed the cover of my Star Trek IV The Voyage Home: The Official Movie Magazine for me (The Voyage Home is my favourite of the Star Trek films and he seemed surprisingly impressed by the magazine). I also had a picture taken with him.

Links:

Official website

IMDb

Wikipedia

Q&A panel in Edinburgh

Zora Kerova

Zora Ulla Keslerová (born 11 August 1950 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech actress, dancer, singer and model. Often credited under the names Zora Kerova, Zora Kerowa or Zora Keer, she became known for starring in numerous Italian horror films during the 1980s.

Zora started her career as a dancer and singer, later becoming a photo model. Kerova made her screen debut in the Italian film, La febbre americana (1978). A year later, she appeared in the Czech drama, Křehké vztahy, and another Italian film, Terror Express. She followed by starring in cult horror films such as Antropophagus (1980), Cannibal Ferox (1981), Lucio Fulci's The New York Ripper (1982) en The New Barbarians (1983). She appeared in another two Fulci films, Touch of Death (1988) and Sodoma's Ghost (1988).

I met Zora at Weird Worcester 2 on 19 July 2026, where she signed my Cannibal Ferox Blu-ray cover.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Fabio Testi

Fabio Testi (born 2 August 1941 in Peschiera del Garda, Italy) is an Italian actor. After growing up witnessing film work done around Lake Garda, Testi entered the sets of the film and began work as a stuntman and a double on set, where he worked as a stuntman on The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). Testi continued stunt work and getting roles in low budget genre films until he was cast in Vittorio De Sica's historical war drama The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970). Following this film, Testi became a star in Italy, appearing in some artistic films by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi and Claude Chabrol. Testi also continued to work in poliziotteschi genre films as well as gialli, including What Have You Done to Solange? (1972), Gang War in Naples (1972), Revolver (1973), Stateline Motel (1973), Four of the Apocalypse (1975), Go Gorilla Go (1975), The Big Racket (1976), The Heroin Busters (1980), and Contraband (1980).

I met Fabio at Weird Worcester 2 on 18 July 2026. He signed the sleeve of my copy of Stateline Motel. Unfortunately he signed the back of the Blu-ray cover but it was great to meet such a legend of Italian cinema.

Links:
IMDB
Wikipedia

Official website

Renato Casaro

Renato Casaro (born 26 October 1935 in Treviso, Italy; died 30 September 2025 in Terviso, Italy) was an Italian artist known for his film posters. He painted over 2,000 posters, which include First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rambo III, Over the Top, Lock Up, Cliffhanger, Red Sonja, Total Recall, Dances with Wolves, Misery, and many more.

I purchased the signed Rambo III print from RACC Trusted Seller #147 Roland Brödner in April 2025.

Links:

Official website

IMDb

Wikipedia

Casper Van Dien

Casper Robert Van Dien Jr. (born 18 December 1968 in Milton, Florida, USA) is an American actor, best known for his lead role as Johnny Rico in the science-fiction action film Starship Troopers (1997). Other credits include Tarzan and the Lost City (1998), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Sanctimony (2000), The Curse of King Tut's Tomb (2006), Watch Over Me (2006–2007), Born to Ride (2011), Shiver (2012), Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2013), Star Raiders: The Adventures of Saber Raine (2017), Alita: Battle Angel (2019), and Mad Heidi (2022).

I met Casper at Comic Con Scotland Aberdeen in March 2026.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Startship Troopers Q&A panel

Ricky Tomlinson

Eric Tomlinson (born 26 September 1939) is an English actor. He is best known for his television roles as Bobby Grant in the soap opera Brookside (1982–88), DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker (1993–2006) and Jim Royle in The Royle Family (1998–2012). He also played the titular character in the 2001 football mockumentary Mike Bassett: England Manager.

I met Ricky at Comic Con Scotland in Edinburgh in October 2025

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Q&A with Ricky Tomlinson and Will Mellor

Denise Richards

Denise Lee Richards (born 17 February 1971 in Downers Grove, Illinois, USA) is an American actress, model and television personality.

She rose to prominence with roles in the science fiction film Starship Troopers (1997), the erotic thriller film Wild Things (1998), and as Dr. Christmas Jones in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough (1999).

I met Denise at Comic Con Scotland Aberdeen in March 2026. She signed a photo from Wild Things, which had already been signed by Neve Campbell.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

As Kelly in Wild Things, also signed by Neve Campbell

Starship Troopers Q&A panel

Jsu Garcia

Jesus "Jsu" Garcia, also credited as Nick Corri (born 6 October 1963 in New York City, New York, USA), is an American film and television actor and producer.

I know him for his roles in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Gotcha! (1985), Predator 2 (1990), Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994), Vampire in Brooklyn (1995), Candyman: Day of the Dead (2000), Traffic (2000), Collateral Damage (2002), and We Were Soldiers (2002).

I purchased the signed photo below from Woody's Memorabilia in April 2025.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Official website

Marta Svetek

Marta Svetek (born 20 March in Lljubljana, Slovenia) is a Slovenian actress and voice acctress known for videogames Valorant (2020), Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach (2021), and Battlefield 2042 (2021) and action-thriller I Am Rage (2023).

I met Marta at Horror Con Scotland in Paisley in November 2025.

Link:

IMDb

Leslie Hoffman

Leslie Gail Hoffman (born 21 January 1955) is an American former stunt performer, stunt coordinator, and actress. Films for which she did stunt work (often uncredited) include 1941 (1979), Airplane! (1980), Motel Hell (1980), Death Wish 3 (1985), The Naked Gun (1988), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), Scream 2 (1997), and The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000)

She played the Hall Guard in the original Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

I met Leslie at Horror Con Scotland in Paisley in November 2025.

Links:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Official website