There are not many actors that have done this for me. It is something that calls out to you and infects you with their excitement, yet is humble and still normal as well as they can be while being a celebrity.  I've thought some actors held that in my mind, only to hear their statements or find out that they are divas. It sucks. It is disappointing. That is why; I have such a short list. On this list are mainly television actors, but here is the list in no particular order: Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof and Julia Roberts. See told you: 1 out of the 3 is actually from film. I'm happy to announce that a new name is being added to the list and that is Jewel Straite from Firefly.

I'd not watched much from Firefly due to the wedding planning when it premiered, then it was cancelled by the time I was able to start watching. I participated in the Save Firefly movement, because I'd heard it was a quality show and from what I had seen, that was correct. I attended the panel on Friday with no big expectations and I was literally blown away with the trio of Jewel, Nathan and Adam. Their love, excitement and passion for Firefly and its fans seemed to captivate the whole room.  And folks, when I say whole room, I mean, a huge crowd that showed up in force like they did for James Marsters last year. Jewel shined, literally shined. Her love of Kaylee was equal to that of Kaylee’s biggest fan - as well as her appreciation to the Firefly fans.

After the panel, I went to the signings. I spoke to Jewel for a few moments, and it confirmed what I had suspected about her from earlier. She was lovely enough to take a photo with me and a couple for the HMC site since Matt is a big Jewel fan; I wanted to make sure I got a good picture. It was the last time I expected to see her. I'm happy to say it wasn't.

The next day, she came to the panel that we were covering. She showed up in the middle of the panel, making all of us in the smaller room excited. If you have checked out the photo gallery, you've noticed the Jewel photos that I took. Poor dear, I may have blinded her for a bit. During the panel she was gracious, appreciative and excited. In fact, I don't think there is a word to describe her attitude. It was simply beautiful. She teased us with hints of the movie, not spilling any beans so to speak. The biggest thing I noticed was how comfortable she appeared to be. She was open and welcoming of the questions from the fans in the room.

After the panel, she agreed to do the interview. There was no problem in doing the interview for her part; her husband accompanied her as they patiently waited while a room was secured for us. (Let me just add this, convention interviews are not the easiest thing to secure and carry out. It is a lot of work, stress and excitement.) Our questions, however, were in the room with Eric informing us while Jon got the camera ready. Being the first interview where I had to ask questions, I suddenly felt as if I was meeting Julie Benz for the first time again. However, Jewel and her husband’s understanding of the situation put me at ease.

Before the interview was even over, she had secured a lifetime spot on my list. I know that you all think I'm just going on and on about her, which I am, but I have never been this impressed after meeting someone in person. She is very mature for her age; I was surprised to learn that she is 21, thus making this writer even more impressed. I am going to be very honest as usual, and I'll probably get slammed, but please keep this in mind: I am in no way bashing. The impression Jewel made on me, I so hoped that Sarah Michelle Gellar or David Borenaz would make on me. Hey, I don’t have to meet them in person for someone to make that impression, or even one close to it on me. Sarah was on there till I found out a few more things, but like I said earlier, it's nothing against them not to be on the list. The list is just people that are endearing to me. I have other favorites that aren’t on the list, so don’t throw rotten fruit at me.

I know that being a celebrity, people hold you to unrealistic standards and all that other stuff, so remember that is not the point of the article. **Crawls out of cave now that it is safe** Ok, so what is the point? Oh yes, Jewel rocks.

If you haven't seen Firefly, go buy it now. If you have seen it, go buy it now. If you own a set already, go buy another one more now. Oh, and buy a few sets for people at Christmas time. And while you are at it, Miss Jewel also plays Heidi in Wonderfalls, so pick that up too when it comes out. Heidi, aka crazy bitch per Jewel, is Eric’s wife. I would add more, but don’t want to spoil anyone. Let’s just say this: Jewel cracks me up with her performance, while her character pisses me off.

For those that are interested in finding an actress that just blows you away, then check out Jewel. You will not be disappointed. A 'Thank You' must go out to Jewel and her wonderful husband, Mark. Thank you for a wonderful experience that will not be forgotten by this fan.

Fogey: Thanks for the report. With a cast full of good actors and great Firefly characters, Jewel's version of Kaylee developed into one of my favorites. Nice to see the actress is as fine a person as the character.
(01.10.2004, 13:08)

Gizelle: I hated I missed her! She sounds so nice...
(14.09.2004, 16:22)