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"I met Anne Heche" by annefan on 2006-10-16 23:34:35 On Saturday, September 23rd 2006, I had the opportunity of a lifetime I got to meet my idol, my hero & my favorite actress ever, ANNE HECHE!!! Anne was appearing at an acting workshop at the Kay Meek center in West Vancouver. I found out about this event through Anne’s website & I immediately inquired about getting a ticket. Since I’m not a student of the school, I wanted to secure a seat early to ensure being able to get in. I have been Anne Heche’s biggest fan since 1987, when I first saw her on the soap opera “Another World”. I hadn’t been watching the show that long myself, I think only about a week, so every actor was new to me. I was still learning their characters’ names & a little bit of background history on them so seeing a new face on the show every day wasn’t unusual. Something different happened with Anne though. I still don’t know what it was but from the second she appeared on the screen, I knew there was something special about her. I was instantly hooked!! I had just turned 14 at the time so it could have been the fact that I was at that awkward age, walking that fine line between childhood & adolescence, & unsure of so much. It could have been that I was struggling at school & at home trying to feel as though I fit in somewhere. It could have been that I needed something positive to focus on that would make me happy, or it could have just been that Anne is a brilliant actress & I saw that in her performance immediately. Whatever the reason, my life changed after that day. Anne has had the biggest influence over my life, more so than even my own family has. Watching her was like an escape; I felt safe & I felt happy. Even if it was only for 1 hour every weekday, that was my time to forget about everything else & ultimately find the strength & the encouragement that I needed. I do wonder what my life would have been like if I had not discovered Anne when I did; & I hate to think of how I might have turned out. For almost 20 years I’ve followed her career. I’ve seen every TV show, every movie & every interview she’s ever done & I’ve read her book more times that I can count. She continues to inspire me with her honesty, her courage & her amazing performances! I had come close several times to meeting her, but was never lucky enough to have the pleasure. Luckily I was able to secure a seat for the workshop & anxiously counted down the days. Anne’s husband Coley, knowing what a huge fan I was, got in touch with me a few days prior to the workshop & invited me to stay afterwards & meet Anne before she left the theatre! Was I excited!!!! I got there very early & managed to get a seat right in the front row. As the theatre started filling up, I was watching as people came in. All of a sudden I noticed the cutest, & I mean the cutest little blonde haired, 4 year old I’ve ever seen in my life walk in, & I realized that it was Homer, Anne & Coley’s son! Trust me; this is the most beautiful child you’ve ever seen!! Of course, then I noticed Coley it’s very easy to see who Homer looks like; he’s a miniature version of Coley with Anne’s beautiful blonde hair! They walked right past me & found seats about 4 rows behind me so I went up & introduced myself. I will say that Coley is without a doubt the sweetest, kindest man I have ever met!!! He was so warm & so gracious; he shook my hand & even introduced me to the people sitting next to him who turned out to be James Tupper, Anne’s handsome co-star on “Men in Trees”, & his wife!! Coley said he was so happy that I had made it to the workshop & said that he would tell Anne that I was there. I didn’t even know what to say, I was so excited!! The workshop was great! Anne was introduced to the audience & she sat in a chair in front of about 50 of us, & beside the teacher from the school who was conducting the interview. It took me a few minutes to even comprehend properly that Anne was sitting 10 feet away from me; it honestly didn’t feel real!! The teacher asked her about her childhood, her career, her family & about her various roles over the years. She talked about her co-stars, told funny stories about her past & just simply entertained all of us for the two-hour long workshop. It was indescribable! Anne is known for her honesty, which I admire, but she’s also very funny, very well spoken & very confident in what she believes. It was a pleasure to listen to her!! After the workshop was over, I went back to my car quickly to grab my camera & some flowers that I had brought for Anne & I walked back towards the theatre. Anne was already outside, crouched down talking to Homer. Up until that moment, I had always imagined that if I ever did get to meet Anne, that I would be tongue tied, or worse that that, that I would actually faint at her feet! I mean, this is my hero, the person who I had most wanted to meet for so long, & she was right in front of me! But I felt so calm & relaxed as I walked towards her. Coley saw me approaching & introduced me to her. Anne stood up, smiled & said "Hi, it’s so nice to meet you". She then walked towards me & gave me the biggest hug I’ve ever received from anybody in my life!! A lot of what happened next is really a blur to me; I remember moments which I can piece together into a story, but basically it was the greatest 10 minutes of my entire life!!! Anne said that she was so happy I had managed to attend the workshop, & I told her how long I had waited to meet her. She graciously signed a few things for me that I had brought along, a picture of her & my copy of her autobiography;
Coley took a picture of the two of us & I even got to say hello to Homer. Anne asked me if I was watching “Men in Trees”, & I told her that I definitely was. She asked me if I was enjoying it & I said "absolutely, I love it. It’s my new favorite show!" She was very pleased to hear that. It’s strange to meet somebody in person that you’re used to seeing on TV, or in the movies. They always seem smaller in person, as if seeing them on the screen makes them appear larger than life. The best way I can describe Anne, aside from saying how absolutely gorgeous she is, is that she’s very down to earth, she’s sweet, gracious, loving, generous & very funny. Her energy is so incredible & so present that it’s addictive & you can get swept up in it with her. It’s also very easy to get lost inside those blue eyes of hers. She has such an inviting smile & as strange as it may sound, she’s really just a normal person... in that moment she wasn’t a TV or a movie star, she wasn’t a famous actress or a best-selling author she was just Anne Heche; a wife, a loving mother, a friend, & the most caring & honest person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I witnessed an amazing partnership between Anne & Coley. I only saw them together for a few minutes, but it was very easy to see how much they rely & depend on each other. It was the definition of what a marriage should be, in my opinion. They are each other’s support; they are there for the other one at every any turn. To witness that & to be in the company of such love was amazing. Anne adores being a wife & mother & that is so obvious when you get to watch her with Homer & Coley. Homer was at the workshop, sitting in the audience & he never made a sound. He sat quietly, very content & just listened which I found amazing for a 4 year old. He even laughed at one point at something Anne did on the stage & it made her smile! There are certain times when I’ve been lucky enough to actually witness pure & true love, love that comes without condition, & without hesitation. When it happens in front of you, it’s like you can see it in the air; it surrounds you & it draws you in. That’s what I witnessed being around Anne, Coley & Homer. I can’t even describe what it’s like to be able to cross off #1 on your list... you know, the list we all have of "things I must do before I die". I still have so many things I want to accomplish in my lifetime, but meeting Anne was the thing I wanted the most, & the thing I had waited for the longest. Anne really made a dream come true for me that night & I will never forget her kindness. Thank you Anne, thank you from the bottom of my heart!!! I’m a firm believer in pursuing a personal dream. I can say from experience that no matter how long you have to wait for it, it’s definitely worth it!!! Never give up on your dreams! Suzanne Notes: Number of visits : 448 Popularity rating : 2 Return |