Recently, The Washington State Summer Con was held at the Puyallup Fairgrounds, (South of Seattle) from Friday, June 21st to Sunday, June 23rd. Like many comic cons and fan expos held around the country, Washington’s Summer Con was similar and just as fun, filled with so many comic book artists, actors, and celebrities from all walks of industries. The 3-day event saw numerous guest attendees and locals who dressed up as their favorite comic book and film characters while attending the panels, photo ops, and meet and greets provided. Some of the artists and celebrities on hand included host and Mexican-American actor Mario Lopez who spoke on a Saturday panel while interacting with fans throughout the weekend. As you may know, Lopez played “Slater” on Saved by the Bell along with Mark Paul Gosselaar who portrayed Zach. Gosselaar was slated to appear but had a last-minute cancellation. How amazing would it have been to take photos and meet both guys? Other celebs included Brandon Routh who portrayed Superman in the 2006 film Superman Returns, and more recently in the television series With Love, and The Rookie. The cast of the superhero series Smallville, (2001-2011) was also in attendance which saw many fans lined up to meet them. Besides seeing Mario Lopez in person, other favorites of mine included Theo Rossi of Sons of Anarchy and the Chicano film Lowriders. Let’s just say I have a secret crush on him?
Who I was most excited about during this weekend was none other than Priscilla Presley, the one and only former wife to Elvis Presley. As a fan of both, I felt extremely privileged to be able to attend and meet Ms. Presley in person. For those unfamiliar, Priscilla became an entrepreneur, fashion icon, author, and actress post-Elvis and stepped into the limelight becoming a star in her own right. During the 1980s, Priscilla appeared in the hit prime-time show Dallas. A series which had plenty of affairs, scandals, and drama amongst the wealthy and elite oil tycoons in Dallas, Texas.
Currently, I am on season 11 of the series (Amazon Prime) and hope to completely watch the remaining seasons which I happened to mention catching her by surprise. During the meet and greet, beautiful photos of Priscilla’s headshots along with photos of her and Elvis graced the table. There were so many to choose from but I picked my absolute favorite of her and Elvis at their iconic wedding ceremony in 1967. After the meet and greet, fans waited while staff prepared for the celebrity photo ops, and I shall say the lines appeared to be long and overwhelming. But in fact, I was able to take my photo with her quite fast considering how behind schedule they appeared to be. The next day on Sunday, Priscilla appeared on a panel that featured a Q&A with fans at the very end. She spoke for close to an hour on all things Elvis and her career.
The moderator did a decent job of asking her a variety of questions pertaining to her personal and professional life. When the Q&A was opened up to fans, questions ranged from Elvis controlling her wardrobe and makeup to Elvis’s friendship with President Nixon. When asked about pleasing Elvis’s wardrobe taste, Priscilla readily defended her former husband and confidently stated, “I loved pleasing my husband, I don’t think women dress up for their husbands as much these days.” I completely understand Priscilla’s need to defend Elvis, as he isn’t around to defend himself, and I know there has been controversy surrounding their relationship as she was underage when they initially met. The pair married when she was 21 while he was 32, and Priscilla authored a memoir in 1985 titled Elvis and Me, which turned to the big screen last year in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. The film depicts the age gap and the control and influence Elvis held over her which has caused widespread discussions on the subject of “grooming.” Priscilla has denied the grooming aspects of their relationship in previous interviews and continues to honor her Elvis legacy and memory with grace.
Another iconic moment for me took place during this very Q&A, I was the last person to squeeze a question in with Ms. Presley. For years I had been curious if Marilyn Monroe and Elvis had ever met or had any type of friendship or relationship. After all, they are the two most iconic stars from the 1950s in American pop culture and there has been speculation of a relationship or lack thereof. Finally, I had the moment to ask this daunting question to which Priscilla replied,” No, they never met. Thank God,” with a laugh. She adds, “Marilyn wasn’t Elvis’s type, at least from what he told me,” which garnered laughter from the audience. She then goes on to say she herself felt empathy for the actress, as it later became widespread knowledge of Marilyn’s insecurities and troubled life. With the final question and answer, Priscilla was whisked away by her assistants away from the panel stage. She spent the rest of the day singing autographs and taking photos with fans. An overall thrilling weekend, I hope to attend next year and anticipate Priscilla’s hopeful return. At 79 years old, the beauty icon still looks amazing and appears energized. With the great amount of loss in her life, I commend Priscilla for taking the time out to meet her fans and answer uncomfortable questions.
Follow Priscilla on social media to see where she will appear next.
Read our review on the Priscilla film here, which I personally mentioned to her.
