Celebrities are just like us and, while that’s a popular saying sometimes used to illustrate how out of touch some can be, it’s true. Stars have interests, hobbies and actors they’re liable to geek out over if they happen to come across them. The issue is that, as actors, they have more opportunities for those encounters than the average person, which can lead to regrettable encounters. That was the case when James Marsters met and totally freaked out over Star Trek‘s Leonard Nimoy.
Given that James Marsters played one of best villains of Buffy The Vampire Slayer (who ultimately became a good guy), one might think he’s familiar enough with being hassled by fans that he’d avoid making that same mistake. Yet the actor confirmed during his interview with Michael Rosenbaum on the Inside Of You podcast (which is on YouTube) that he couldn’t help but be a fanboy. When he discusses the moment years later, you can still hear the pain in his voice in regard to how awkward the encounter was:
Leonard Nimoy. It was horrible, horrible. I’m such a Star Trek fan. … I just climbed all over him.
As embarrassed as he might’ve been, I can understand James Marsters having this kind of reaction. The star later confirmed that his encounter happened while he was still on Buffy The Vampire Slayer as well. During that point in Leonard Nimoy’s career, he hadn’t played Spock in live-action for years, and fans had no idea he’d return as the character in Star Trek 2009. So given that Marsters couldn’t pull up old episodes (which are now streamable with a Paramount+ subscription) at the time, his Nimoy encounter was truly a novelty.
Even so, the Smallville alum went on to say he should’ve known better. At the time, he was at a convention and situated in a green room. Some privacy is available but, because there’s a wide variety of actors in that space, some of them would also be big fans of his. The Buffy actor went on to share how a lack of solicitude on his part was what ironically led to him crossing paths with the Trek icon:
I was experiencing this in the green room. I still had blonde hair, I was on Buffy, and I was getting a lot of attention in the green room. So they shuttled me off to this private room, where Leonard was also sitting. And he’s trying to have a break, and he’s like seventy-something years old. He needs a break. And I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m the biggest fan of you! This is bananas!’ You could just see him going, ‘Oh God, there’s just no safe place.’ Not that he thinks I’m a bad person, but ‘I cannot get away from the fact that everyone wants to talk to Spock.’ I always felt bad about that. I could not be cool. I could not keep it together in front of him.
In fairness to James Marsters, I’m sure Leonard Nimoy had similar experiences up to that point. Nimoy was loved for many reasons, but his role as the half-Vulcan and half-human Spock is one of the few elements from Star Trek that has dominated pop culture. Hell, he was instrumental in creating the Vulcan hand salute, which has become a universal sign for Gene Roddenberry’s franchise and even has its own emoji. Marsters wasn’t the first person to ever bother the actor by being a rambunctious fan, and he probably wasn’t the last.
Fortunately, for the ashamed P.S. I Love You alum, his encounter with Mr. Nimoy didn’t last very long. The actor finished his story by talking about what occurred immediately after his fanboy explosion and explained why he felt the need to disturb the actor even though he was trying to find a moment’s peace:
What I realize is I just wanted to applaud [him]. … They got him out pretty quickly. He signaled somebody, and he was whisked away. … I had been watching Leonard Nimoy for years, and I had never had a chance to applaud. And I just had this overwhelming need to say, ‘I love you.’ … He grimaced in a friendly way. I was taking away his one moment of silence.
It’s interesting to hear James Marsters’ perspective on this, especially as an actor who has been in some of Buffy The Vampire Slayer‘s best episodes. No doubt he’s encountered fans over the years that either loved him or thought Buffy should’ve stuck with Angel. One would think those experiences have helped shape his views on etiquette between stars and admirers.
Is it a great idea to disturb an actor when they’re trying to have a private moment and potentially have a bad encounter you regret for much of your life? I’m sure no one who does that sees it that way initially. However, I’d wager that some will second-guess the decision to interrupt a star after hearing James Marsters’ wild Leonard Nimoy story.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is available to stream with Hulu subscription and is always worth a watch. That said, there are plenty of exciting shows on the horizon, which can be found on the 2024 TV schedule.