I know it’s said every year, but I really feel like 2016 was the best Nerd HQ yet. There were so many great Conversations for a Cause panels that I was fortunate enough to attend, one of which truly sticks out in my mind: Jennifer Morrison. Jennifer joined Nerd HQ for the first time in 2014 for the Badass Women panel, and again in 2015 on the Mystery Panel. A lot of us really hoped she would come back again and we were not disappointed.
Gummy Faces for Charity
The first thing J-Mo said when she came out on stage: “I wanna know who’s eating my face?” (In case you’re out of the loop, there were several 3D Printed gummy candies auctioned off. Many of these gummies had celebrity faces in them)
Jen’s Inspiration & Swan Flight
Jennifer is an inspirational person in her own right. She talked about what inspires her, particularly when it came to Sun Dogs. After mentioning some of the directors who have inspired her, Jennifer went on to talk about which side of playing Emma Swan on Once Upon a Time has been the most gratifying for her (hasn’t everyone had a secret desire to play a dark character at least once?) This explanation lead to Zac being amazed at the limited flight ability of swans, and Jennifer’s extensive knowledge of Swans (she kind of knows a lot about swans!).
Once Upon a Time Cosplay
From this point Jennifer took notice to the Once Upon a Time cosplay group sitting in the second row (This just so happened to be our group and I just so happened to be Emma!). Laura, dressed as Snow White asked if it would be possible to have our picture taken with Jennifer after the panel for the donation of a smile. Of course she was happy to do so!
Quotes of Inspiration
Jennifer and Zac revealed their favorite quotes:
“They don’t write to explain, they write to understand.” (Jennifer)
“You have to be odd to be number one.” (Zac, Dr. Seuss; ‘One Fish, Two Fish Guy? Hell, Yeah!’)
House
Jennifer also touched back on her character of Dr. Cameron from House, comparing her to an old friend that she missed because she hasn’t seen her in a while. And then we found out that Zac and Jennifer did a pilot together in their younger years (Who knew?!).
What else did we learn?
- Emma wants to go to Scotland and make out with guys in kilts
- Zac recommended Stranger Things, again
- The best way to deal with conflict is to take nothing personally
- Jennifer is a Gryffindor
- Zac has taken a quiz to find out what Disney character he is in the sheets (Beauty in the streets, Ariel in the sheets?)
- Jennifer’s cheekbones are amazing…oh wait, I already knew that!
The Panel
Without further ado, check out the full Jennifer Morrison panel!
Smiles for Smiles with Jennifer Morrison
The moment that seemed like it was meant to be, was! We had been planning our OUAT cosplay since the previous Nerd HQ. We had always planned to do it that Saturday. And then we found out Jennifer was going to do a panel… that Saturday! Everyone in our group got a ticket to Jennifer’s panel, and all in the same row. It was absolutely meant to be. Though it was a brief moment, we all got our moment with her while simultaneously making a difference in a child’s life. There is no better feeling.
Photo credits: NerdFitter via Nerd HQ Volunteer
To get a more detailed glimpse at our Once Upon a Time cosplay, check out my SDCC & Nerd HQ Cosplay post!
Stay Nerdy, my friends!
~Jams
