Thousands of fans will descend on the Philadelphia Convention Center Friday, May 3, through Sunday, May 5, when Philadelphia hosts an event for fans of all sorts of media, from science fiction movies and fantasy TV shows to gaming and comics.
Fan Expo Philadelphia, which brands itself as a “pop culture celebration,” is the ultimate Philly gathering for fandom enthusiasts; its substantial schedule of events includes panels, maker marts, and family-friendly games and activities. Expo attendees will also have opportunities to meet major stars, such as those from the Star Wars universe or The Office, as well as emerging talent like actors from the new live-action Avatar the Last Airbender.
We’ve put together a list of 10 of the celebrities who will be at the convention to meet fans, take photos, and sign autographs. Check out the Fan Expo Philadelphia website to see who else will be there, and to buy your tickets. Note that single-day tickets start at $38, and photo ops and autographs cost extra, with prices varying by celebrity.
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson is well known even outside of fan circles for her appearances in major films such as “Rent” and “Sin City.” Dawson has appeared in several comic book adaptations in addition to “Sin City,” like Marvel’s Netflix series, and she’s also starred in recent additions to the Star Wars franchise including “The Mandalorian” and “Ahsoka.” Dawson plays the titular character in Ahsoka. She’ll be at the expo on Saturday.
Colleen Clinkenbeard
Colleen Clinkenbeard is a voice actor who has provided voices for the English versions of several popular anime. For instance, Clinkenbeard voices Luffy in “One Piece,” Riza Hawkeye in “Fullmetal Alchemist,” and Erza Scarlet in “Fairy Tail.” Meet Clinkenbeard on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Fan Expo Philly.
Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen is another big name at Fan Expo Philadelphia, which he also attended last year. Star Wars fans know him as Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi who eventually became the antagonist Darth Vader. Christensen played Skywalker in the three Star Wars prequels and also appeared as Skywalker in “Ahsoka.” He’ll be at Fan Expo Philadelphia on Saturday.
Kate Mulgrew
Kate Mulgrew is best known for her role in “Star Trek: Voyager,” where she played Captain Kathryn Janeway. Voyager, which premiered in 1995 as the fifth Star Trek series, was the first to feature a female captain in a starring role. She also played the character Red in Netflix’s comedy-drama “Orange is the New Black.” You can meet Mulgrew on the Saturday of the convention.
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson rose to prominence perfecting the art of the nerdy try-hard as Dwight Schrute in NBC’s hit comedy “The Office.” You can meet Wilson on Saturday and Sunday and be astonished that he’s nothing like his character on “The Office,” as he is actually quite cool.
Andy Kubert
On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, you can hear from legendary comics artist Andy Kubert, part of the comics dynasty (yes, there is such a thing!) that is the Kubert family and its three generations of comics artists. Andy Kubert has illustrated comics for both DC Comics and Marvel Comics, providing art for many superhero comics including stories featuring Batman and the X-Men.
Dallas Liu
Dallas Liu had a difficult task ahead when he was cast to play the complex character of Zuko in Netflix’s live-action “Avatar the Last Airbender,” based on the cartoon that first appeared in 2005. Stop reading if you don’t want to see spoilers: Zuko’s character journey is often regarded as one of the best redemption arcs ever written, animated or otherwise. But according to critics, Liu has nailed Zuko’s anger as well as his underlying sentimentality. You can meet Liu on Saturday and Sunday.
Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei has appeared in numerous films over the past few decades, including critic’s darlings “My Cousin Vinny” and “The Wrestler.” Fans at Fan Expo Philadelphia may be most interested in her performance as Aunt May within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tomei played the character in “Captain America: Civil War,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” She’ll be at Fan Expo Philadelphia on Saturday and Sunday.
Adam Savage
Fans of the TV show “MythBusters” can meet one of the original MythBusters himself, Adam Savage. The maker and special effects designer was co-host of the popular Discovery Channel show for more than a decade. Meet Savage at Fan Expo Philadelphia on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Patricia Summersett
You may not know Patricia Summersett, but there’s a good chance you’ve heard her voice if you’re one of the millions of people who have played any of the recent, extremely popular Legend of Zelda games. Summersett voices the title character of the Nintendo franchise, Zelda herself, in “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” “Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity,” and “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.” She’ll be appearing at Fan Expo Philly on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for photos and autographs.
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