David Anders and Zach Roerig Duo Panel at the Chicago Convention 

                         Zach Roerig (ZR) and David Anders (DA)

                                          

 

[[Preface this one with a statement: This Panel is hilarious. But the humor can be inappropriate at times, so if you’re easily offended, you probably shouldn’t read it.]]

 

What is your most embarrassing story/moment?

            [DA and ZR looking at each other] Call [Steven] McQueen up here to do my story.

            DA: Okay, I’ll go. Do you guys remember the scene at the beginning of Season 2 when Stefan is force-feeding Uncle John blood in the hospital [2x01]? Well, it was seriously so hot filming that scene. After one of the takes, I got up off the bed, turned around, and there was a silhouette of my butt on the bed. Right in that same area… there was also a brown streak. I was mortified. I was like, “There’s no way that could have happened!” (laughs) I mean, I had on clothes under the hospital gown, plus the hospital gown. I got back in the bed for the next few takes and I swear, I gave Paul absolutely nothing to work off of for his scenes. I was just so mortified. After we were done, I found out that Paul had taken a Hershey kiss and put it all over the bed to make me think it was from me.

            ZR: Way to “leave your mark” on The Vampire Diaries. (both laugh)

                

            ZR: Well… I don’t get embarrassed. So, I don’t have a story.

What actor had the biggest impact on you on set?

            ZR: Well, since he’s here I’ll throw one his way [about David]. We like to speak in T-shirts [like what you would see written on a T-shirt].

            DA: Should we sing the song?

            ZR: Let’s sing the song.

            Together: (laughing) ♫♪Friendship is the best ship! It’s a schooner that you ride with — ♫♪

            DA: There’s a second verse, too but no one really likes it. It goes ♪♫Friendship is the best ship! It’s a barge you ride with your bro!♫♪

            (both laughing)

What do you like to do in your free time?

            DA: Golf.

            ZR: He’s a big golfer –

            DA: Make babies.

            DA: (both laughing) Why am I talking?

            ZR: I like shooting my bow and arrows.

If you weren’t actors, what would you do?

            ZR: I’d be the pioneer of awesome-ism on like The Greatest Catch or something. (laughs) I’d run the family business back in Ohio.

            DA: Be a professional golfer. Or professional tennis player. Professional something. Professional Ice Skater.

Do you have any upcoming projects?

            ZR: Yeah, about 4:30 this morning I pulled my camera out of my bag – JK – I wish I had a project, but alas….

               

            DA: I’ve got one: Once Upon a Time. (laughs) But about that movie Roerig, maybe like a two-man show about lesbians. So lez-be-friends.

            ZR: We can be two transvestites.

            DA: Still with the same title.

            ZR: Yeah titled Lez-Be-Friends

            [Everyone laughing]

If your characters were to become vampires, would you like to be with the Salvatores or the Originals?

            ZR: Well Damon does have those piercing blue eyes… (laughing) I don’t really want to become a vampire.

            DA: I don’t watch the show anymore…. [audience laughing] What’s it about now? Originals? Psh. Team Damon! [cheers] Just those swimming pool eyes. They’re like a lake. I’d like to take a dip in him. [Audience cheers and laughter] – Who wants to take a dip in him?

            ZR: I’ll take a swim in JoMo. [audience cheers]

               

This next is a question for Zach [Roerig]: how is it different filming a soap vs TVD?

            ZR: We’re all full of shit. JK. (laughs) Well, there’s a lot less dialogue. On a soap, there’s a lot of pages a day – like 25 pages a day.

            [Someone interrupts to bring them coffee and… green olives. David turns down the olives. Zach eats them with his coffee.]

What do you look for in choosing what roles to take?

            [Silence from both, who are drinking coffee.]

            (both start laughing) ZR: Coffee’s hot! Sorry. What did you ask us? [repeats question] As far from myself as possible.

            DA: Good one. Um… ditto? I’ve been lucky to play [switches to British accent] an Englishman most of my career; it’s been great. Now I find myself having to tell people [switches back] “I can do an American accent! I’ve had like – 18 years of practice.”

            ZR: Try a new accent.

            DA: Next season! All in Portuguese! It’s gonna be different! …ratings are probably gonna slip.

Is Uncle John coming back to the Vampire Diaries?

            DA: (laughs) We’ve hit one of those questions. I don’t know the answer to it. My stock answer to these questions: “I don’t write the shit I just say it.”

            ZR: I’d say it’s a safe bet [that Uncle John will come back to TVD]…

            DA: That’s one of the things that’s so great about this show – anything can happen. But it’s funny. Everyone hated that guy until he died. Now they’re all like “Awwwwwwwwwww! Uncle John!” [Audience laughing and cheering]

Another question for you Zach; what was it like shooting the pool scene? [3x05: The Reckoning]

            ZR: Oh that’s my favorite episode of the season! I did have specific training – I didn’t get scuba-certified but I did have several days of underwater training. It was kind of great, but hard to do, because I’d have to just hang out under water and they’d call action and be filming – and forget to give me air! I’m like… blacking out. Then they go “Oh yeah we forgot. Zach do you need some air? Someone give him some air.” But I love that episode. Filming it was great. Actually it apparently won an award for the Best Drama Episode in 2011 or something? So that’s pretty cool… (starts to laugh) …the episode that I kill myself.

            DA: This guy needs to work out more.

            ZR: Someone who doesn’t need to work out anymore… anyone seen the pic of Michael Trevino in his underwear ad? Someone showed it to Paul and me this morning….

            [Everyone laughing]

What type of music do you like to listen to?

            DA: Radiohead.

            ZR: Did you just say Radiohead?

            DA: Yeah, I said Radiohead.

            ZR: (laughs) I don’t know I actually kind of like – speaking of Skinny Love – If I’m feeling like –

            DA: Like you wanna die? [Everyone laughing]

            ZR: (laughs) Yeah, like I wanna curl up –

            DA: Fetal up!

            ZR: Yeah! Also: Astro Fang. Yeah, Astro. Fang. Great band. Also the bassist might be my cousin. [Everyone laughs]. Uh, John Mellencamp. [Zach and David sing a few lines from one of Mellencamps’s songs.] Eddie Money. [They both sing a few lines of a song of his, too.]

Do you have any hidden talents you can show us?

            DA: ♫♪Sings a verse to “Bui Doi” – from Broadway’s Miss Saigon.♪♫ I mean… I have a record deal.

            ZR: Put this cat on Broadway.

            DA: I miss it. I do. I mean… I wasn’t on Broadway. I was off… off… off, off, off.. of Broadstreet Philly. [Audience laughs].

            ZR: Pretty much what you see is what you get with me, guys. [meaning no hidden talents] Although I can teach you all a bedtime story. [Voice gets whispery] “The night was dark, the sky was blue, around the alley the poop wagon flew. Shots were fired, a scream was heard. A  man was killed —— “[He stopped reciting the rhyme. If you want to read the rest – click here.] (laughs) That’s why I wet the bed as a child.

Do you have any of the same qualities as your TVD characters?

            DA: I’m a reaaaaaaal dick. So I guess the answer is yes.

            ZR: Well, I guess we were both athletes. Matt has a stronger moral compass than I did at his age. All I have to do is pretend I’m a nice guy, so… [he means to play the part of Matt].

What is something you have on your Bucket List?   

            ZR: This [being at the Con.] is definitely one of them – [Audience “Awwww” and cheers] – I knew that would get it! [Get everyone to react like that.] Skydiving. I’m pretty sure we’re contractually obligated to not jump out of airplanes right now though….

            DA: You could Bungee jump.

            ZR: I’ve never done that. Hmm. I also want to do an Elite Paddleboard Race –

            DA: Sure, why not. [everyone laughs]

 

            ZR: And I’d like to breakdance on the moon. (laughs)

            DA: On my bucket list… I’d like to one day fart in public. I just can’t do it. Oooh, wait can I? [wiggles around on chair] Oh yeah I think so.

            ZR: Dude!

            [Everyone laughing. Note: I’m not sure if he was serious or just kidding on that part.]

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

            DA: Batman, period. Flat-out everything he does. He gets like cool belts, drives around his car. What is his superpower even? Really cool though.

            ZR: Superpower… Let’s make one up. Can I do that? I’d like to – like if I had to spend money – just have it shoot out of my wrist. Then I could just be like “My people!” [miming shooting money out of wrist into the audience.]

I don’t have a question. I just wanted to say, Zach, I love your orange pants.

            ZR: (laughs) Thanks!

            DA: Funny story, speaking of Zach’s pants. We went to a concert last night and Zach and Matt got there – realized they were wearing the exact same pair of red pants. [everyone laughing]

 

 

 

What’s your favorite pick-up line?

            DA: I want you inside me! [Realizes what he just said. Everyone laughing.] NOOOOO! Not like – stop that. Reverse it. (all laughing) What was the question?

            ZR: (laughing) We need to move on.

Zach, what was your reaction when you found out you were going to get to stake the first Original?

            ZR: Oh! (excited) I was like you’re damn right! I was just a little bummed I couldn’t stab him with my rifle though.

            DA: High five.

            ZR: Handshake.

            DA: (laughs) We’ll show you guys our handshake. Watch it: “Slap it… Clap it… Think about it.” Yeah, it just got real. Feel free to use that.

       

If you could be any other character on the show – who would you be?

            ZR: [Immediately.] Sheriff Forbes. [Everyone cheering and laughing] Is that weird?

            DA: I don’t know. My stock answer is usually Damon. Joseph, the fancy English man. (laughs)

            ZR: By the way you guys. JoMo is not a fan of the name JoMo. So you should all tweet him right now, all of you JoMo. [Audience laughing - some tweeting]

            ZR: I remember when he first got on set and you [about David] were like “what’s his name? Joseph Morgan? “JOMO!””. He was like.. Hi, no, it’s Joseph.

            DA: JOMO!

            ZR: [Quoting Joseph Morgan] “It’s just Jo.” [Everyone laughing.]

                  

            ZR: I heard JoMo started a book club on Twitter? [Audience member yelled out #BookRevolution]

            DA: Yeah man, he’s got a lot of time on his hands… [everyone laughing] … and love on his lips.

What is a genre that, if you were to act, would be a challenge for you?

            DA: Snuff. [everyone laughing]. What? It would be challenging. Get your minds out of the gutter. Zach?

            ZR: If I was on a horse… throwing spears or something.

Question for David: What do you miss most about the show?

            DA: This guy [points to Zach. Audience goes “awww”] But seriously, I miss hanging around all of these guys. I’ve got a lot of friends on the TVD set. [Everyone’s “awww”ing again] That ain’t gonna bring him back. [Referring to Uncle John. Everyone laughing.]

With your actual personality, which supernatural being do you think you would be from all of the options: Vampire, Werewolf, Succubus, Doppelganger, Zombie, etc.

            ZR: Succubus. (laughs)

            DA: I’d be a Zompire.

Fill in the blank: What the world needs now…

            DA: ♫♪Is love, sweet love♪♫ [everyone laughing. DA gets onto the topic of the sad music used in the pet shelter commercials…] Sarah McLachlan and a shelter dog. Come on, if that doesn’t get to you… You must be vampire because you’re not human! [Runner of the ISF K9 yells out about their dogs] Oh what, we have actual shelter dogs here, now?

            ZR: Where are they? Let’s bring them up.

 x x

 

            [Basically ends here… They spent some time carrying around the dogs and holding them, chatting about how cute they were and that we should adopt them and then time was up.]

                        

[I tried to link all the pics where I got them from - most people had better pics from the Con than I did since I was busy writing - but I cannot for the life of me remember where I pulled this one from. If it’s yours, please tell me so I can link to you. Thanks.]

 

 

[Anything in these brackets (or parentheses) = my addition, generally for clarity. All of these were fan questions, some via a submission box, and some live.]

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