I really do feel like Sean Maguire got the short end of the stick on Once Upon A Time. I watched the show since it was local to where I am but I certainly wasn't a huge fan of most of the stories. I really grew to love the character of Robin Hood both from the show on Netflix and TV but also watching the production of the show. Sean always seemed like he was having a good time on set. Whenever I would go down to Steveston to watch them film he seemed to be laughing, cracking up the other actors and enjoying his time with the cast and crew. People seemed to gravitate towards him. The first time I met him on set I wasn't even sure who he was, I was just before his episodes in the show since I only picked the show up when I moved to Steveston in 2014. They had set up the cast tent right in front of me while I was having dinner and someone else had stopped him on his way back from getting coffee for himself and another cast member. I jumped in because he was cute and had a nice accent and seemed like a nice guy. I remember how kind he was that day even now. And that is still one of my favourite photos, I couldn't believe how grateful I was that he stopped that day and that I asked once I got more involved in the show.
As the show wore on I became a little upset with how underused he was but I was reassured by the creators saying that they would do more for him later on. I mean, how hard is it to write for Robin Hood?
OUAT held a convention here in Vancouver and I went with my best friend after we scored dirt cheap tickets to Sean and Colin O'Donoghue's day via Groupon We grabbed the photo op with the two of them for a cool memento of the con and that was the only extra thing we got. By this time I was thoroughly invested in Sean's social media and his causes, including a beer that he and Colin had brewed together at Main Street Brewery to benefit downtown east side women's shelters. He just seemed like a good guy.
The following filming day after the convention, news broke via twitter that they were killing Robin Hood on the show and Sean had been told he would no longer be part of the main cast. I was more than a little upset as I understood he moved his young family up to Vancouver from LA and bought a house near Colin. Seems like a cruel way to treat someone. And it's not like there isn't story to tell. I vowed that my last episode of the show would be the one where they killed him.
The new season filmed on, without me as a fan. The creators continued to dodge and weave and make up BS stories about why they killed him. I continued to become happier and happier that I stopped watching. I would still check out filming though because I still have an interest in production. Word started to leak that Sean would be back. Then it was official. I was super excited to have him back in Vancouver since I had been out of town on a vacation the exact days he had been here to film Timeless so I had no hope of seeing him (except his last day here when I drove across town in rush hour the day after flying back from Florida only to find they had been there the night before. Got a tweet out of him at least. Haha)
Keeping my ears open to try and catch him, I went to one set clear across Vancouver in traffic that he wasn't at, went to another one where we were close to him, said hi and he commented on my By Hook Or By Crook shirt, but I chickened out on asking him to come over for a photo (I mean, why else would we be there. If he didn't offer I figured he didn't want to-and that's totally okay) and hearing a lot of studio I was super excited when I was told that Sean was down in Steveston Village one afternoon. After a great day where we saw quite a bit of interesting filming including stunt fights with swords and most of the cast on the street Sean left without coming to the fans. Which was fine, they're working. No obligation, no problem. However, Robert Carlyle came over with Emilie DeRaven as well as Giles Matthey came to chat. Exciting and fun, but not what I was there for. I was really, really grateful for their time, however, and definitely didn't turn it down. Robert Carlyle is just such an incredible guy and actor I was super excited. That night was particularly fun watching the cast loose and goofy, mostly seeming to revolve around Sean. At one point Lana Parrilla seemed to be having a great time taking photos of everyone including leading Sean over to a pile of tires and having him hold one up to take a photo, only to have to run back to their mark in a rush. Later she piled up a bunch of them and helped Sean get in them before snapping a photo. Still waiting for this photo to appear, but I can't wait to see it.
Days later there was a day shoot with Sean also in Steveston where they choreographed a fight sequence. I was at work but rushed back and parked like a jerk in order to get there in time. As it turned out they were behind and Sean wrapped just as they were losing their light. He came over to the fans and chatted and signed in his very kind and patient way. I took photos for others since I had my nice camera as well as handing my camera off to another person to take a photo for me with Sean. She did better than I anticipated taking photos of him signing my bottle of By Hook Or By Crook, me giving him a hug, at which point I told him I was happy he was back in Vancouver and also she snapped a photo of the two of us together. I had lots to say but didn't want to keep him so I stepped aside and let others have a chance, extremely grateful that I had gotten as much time with him as I had and feeling a little selfish (a hug, an autograph and a photo...).
Days later there was a day shoot with Sean also in Steveston where they choreographed a fight sequence. I was at work but rushed back and parked like a jerk in order to get there in time. As it turned out they were behind and Sean wrapped just as they were losing their light. He came over to the fans and chatted and signed in his very kind and patient way. I took photos for others since I had my nice camera as well as handing my camera off to another person to take a photo for me with Sean. She did better than I anticipated taking photos of him signing my bottle of By Hook Or By Crook, me giving him a hug, at which point I told him I was happy he was back in Vancouver and also she snapped a photo of the two of us together. I had lots to say but didn't want to keep him so I stepped aside and let others have a chance, extremely grateful that I had gotten as much time with him as I had and feeling a little selfish (a hug, an autograph and a photo...).
Weeks wore on and in the last week before he was due to wrap something unusual happened in Vancouver. A cold snap and snow. After more than 1,000 days since we had any significant snowfall there were a series of storms that came through Vancouver keeping the temperatures hovering around 0 degrees Celsius and the snow that had fallen on the ground instead of melting away like it usually does.
I had a tip on a location in North Vancouver, about an hour from my work and I went to work that day set to go up to check set after. However by the end of my day the thought of facing an hour traffic each way on the chance that Sean would be there and the having to drive back to New Westminster for 7:00 for a rehearsal just made me cringe. I didn't want to go unless I knew he was there. With the holidays coming, 5 concerts at 3 schools and other pre-Christmas things to do, I just couldn't spare the time. It was cold and miserable. I went home. Hours later, leaving for my band rehearsal with only what I was wearing and my saxophone, once I was about 5 minutes away form my place I received a series of messages telling me that Sean was indeed on set. I hadn't re-packed my layers, gloves, toque and stuff for Sean to sign if the opportunity arose. I asked my friends to keep me posted and decided to make a real decision after rehearsal.
Being the last one before the break, we adjourned early on our practice so I found myself sitting in my car at 8:30 wondering if I was crazy. Decided that yes, I was and yes, I was going. I made the decision to drive up to Lynn Canyon. When I arrived, the production trucks were in the main parking lot so I turned around and went up the next sidestreet not wanting to get in the way. I walked down to the PA at the gate and asked if he knew where they had fans stashed. He didn't but told me to go ahead.
After doing some more walking around and talking to other workers I finally found the group of fans, I'd actually managed to get much closer with permission but I would rather be with the fans instead of risk being in the way. I doubled back up the hill and met up with a small group of fans. I was quickly updated that it was Sean and Lana filming and the path we were standing on was their only way in and out. The thin, snow-covered path wasn't accessible by any vehicle so it was just about the best case scenario to try and catch a cast member for a chat. They would be on foot and have to walk directly past us.
Myself and my two other friends stood off the path out of the way but I did notice that the other fans that were there were tending to stand in the way of the path which is a problem since the only way to get gear in and out was also on this small path. There really wasn't anything to see as they were down the hill around the trees for the actual scene so all we could do was wait and hope they were feeling charitable as they came out.
Not long after I got there the Leaf Lady (Sarah McCulloch, OUAT's much loved greens-person) came wandering out. She came over to us and we lamented how cold it was. I hadn't been there long and I didn't have my jacket zipped up all the way and when we agreed it was cold she grabbed my zipper and did it up the rest of the way for me saying 'At least do your jacket up'. So funny. She also talked about Sean calling him 'Seanny' in her thick Scottish accent. At first I thought she was saying 'Sammy' and I was confused. Wrong show. Also while we stood I think either a hair or makeup lady came by and marveled at our dedication saying 'God bless you' for standing out as fans. I gave it right back to her, if that was my job and I had to go and be out in the cold for as long as her, I'd call in sick.
Soon the crew started moving things up and down the path and a PA came and moved us all out to the road (I suspect because of the others standing in the way). We had also been informed that they had to be finished by 11:30 due to the restrictions on the park. I was curious if that meant they had to stop filming by 11:30 or if they had to be tail lights by 11:30 (meaning packed out entirely). If it was tail lights by 11:30 then our night would be short for sure. It takes some time to get all the gear out so the actors would be done quite a bit earlier.
We went down where we were asked and there was a flood light there which we hovered around like moths to garner a little bit of heat from. I started to become increasingly concerned that we would be in the way here as well as some of the fans were standing on the road and the vehicles had to get by. I went and stood over at the mouth of the path where it meets the road trying to stay out of the way. However, I wasn't there long when a crew transport vehicle came up the road and wanted to park where I was standing. So much for not in the way.
Around 10:15 (Must have been 10:18) we heard someone on the com radios say that "I'm shutting this down in 12 minutes", so for 10:30. Taillights at 11:30 then. Almost exactly 12 minutes later there was a bunch of movement that started to happen. The huge overhead lights got shut off. People started coming out of the set and another cast SUV showed up. It stopped right at the mouth of the path, half on the road. The PA's asked us to move across the narrow road so that we would be out of the way and safe. There were only a handful of us there and we lined up obediently along the gate rail that would normally close this little road. I was on the side closest to the path and I inched myself a little closer so that we would be visible in the flood light to the actors as they came out. I was worried about the placement of the pick up van as if it was in the way of the gear coming up from below in other trucks, the actors might be forced to get in it, not allowing them time to come to the fans.
Sure enough I heard the voice I recognized coming down the path escorted by a security with a flashlight almost right away. Sean appeared out of the path and I said in a loud whisper to no one in particular "Oh there's Sean". Trying to look obvious and catch his attention without being obnoxious, rude, interfering or making him feel like he had to come over.
Sure enough I heard the voice I recognized coming down the path escorted by a security with a flashlight almost right away. Sean appeared out of the path and I said in a loud whisper to no one in particular "Oh there's Sean". Trying to look obvious and catch his attention without being obnoxious, rude, interfering or making him feel like he had to come over.
Sean looked up over at the group of us, stood in front of the transport van and asked "Do you guys want photos?" The resounding answer from where we were was 'Yes please' and he crossed over to us in a few steps. I was closest so he came to me first. I don't even know what happened, I seem to have a few seconds of blank in my memory where he must have gotten up next to me. I said hi and gave him what must have been an awkward side-hug. A friend had her camera ready to go and as I stood with him I heard him say "Lana will be along in a minute". Before the photo happened I said to him that I had seen him in Steveston when he was there. He turned to look and for some crazy reason I remember resting my hand on his like, upper chest. I have no idea what I was doing. But I remember noticing my hand there as he looked at me and said, "Julie, Julie Hol...(searching for a second)... den. Right?" Apparently my reaction was "Oh my god" and I remember bending my weakened knees to make sure my legs were going to hold me still at his shocking revelation. Sean asked me "How are you?" I conditioned myself out of the general answer to that question years ago so I answered truthfully "Cold!" and grabbed onto Sean as he was warm in his cast jacket. I didn't realize I was grabbing at him like I was until I saw the photo, and I also couldn't feel his hand on my arm so that was a surprise when I saw the pic.
As we stood and the photo was snapped, pretty much right after I caught arms appearing in my peripheral vision on the other side of Sean. I looked and Lana was there. I couldn't see for sure but I think she was trying to photobomb. When I received the photo from a friend of Sean and I she could be seen running up behind us.
Lana got in line next to Sean and my friend taking the photo said "Julie, you should get in the middle." Sean agreed saying 'Yeah, you should get int he middle' and kind of guided me in between him and Lana. I didn't even get a chance to look at Lana as I said "I've never met you before." I heard her say next to me "Hi, I'm Lana." As I answered the obvious "I know." She also said something about feeling short and as I answered that I crouch anyway my friend snapped the photo and I asked her right away to take another one because I was making a stupid face. I stepped out from between them and got out of the way feeling like I had already taken a lot of time. I rounded back behind the rest of the fans as I had said I would take photos for the others using one of the cameras. I'm tall so the from above view always looks nice. They finished up the photos with everyone and said goodbye.
I really hope that I thanked him again but I can't remember. I was prepared to talk, get a photo, wasn't prepared for him to remember my name. I've met him 4 times over about 3 years, but I know that he reads his tweets because he often responds or favorites things. Also, he's used my photos before as well as answered me before. To my shock he also followed me for a time on Instagram. I have no idea what spurred that but I can say that I was gutted when he stopped. Through social media he must have made the connection as to who I was. Plus I'm not exactly subtle, being an over-tall, over-weight woman so I am rather easy to remember. Anyway, I was ecstatic to get a chance to see him again before he left Vancouver hopefully not for good, and even more elated that he remembered me.... and also he again faved the photo of the two of us together. I'm convinced that I'm right about him. He's a nice, kind, compassionate guy that is genuinely interested in his fans. And we're not even going to talk about the music. That's a post for another day.(*cough*UltanConlonShowThatWasMovedFromVancouverAndUpsetMeToNoEnd*cough*).
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