Fan mail

[George 1978]

Great to hear that you got Paul Nicholas' autograph!

Just before my birthday each year, I get a few sets of blank birthday cards off eBay and send them off to theatres; agents; associations; TV and radio stations; sports clubs; and anywhere where the famous can be contacted! I enclose a letter, the card and the envelope provided as an SAE.

This year I did the same, and the main highlights with regards to successful responses were:

A) The Hairspray musical cast (I told them I was going to see them on my birthday, and I think that broke the ice).

B) Retired Scottish figure skater Sinead Kerr (who I believe is the most successful if not the most famous person on the planet to have been born on the same day as myself!) She had actually responded on our birthday itself - British Ice Skating in Sheffield passed on my correspondence to her. I think that it also helped as I come from Torvill and Dean country as well!

C) The most famous person to respond was none other than Sir Cliff Richard himself, and even I didn't believe that he had responded personally! Ironically, I had the music channel NOW 70s on the TV just after I opened it, and which artiste did they play next? Sir Cliff himself (even though he never had the knighthood in those days). Great stuff!

It can be possible, and remember, if you get no response, then it's not the end of the world.

[JGF_fan]

Hello everyone, hope you are all well, many thanks for your lovely responses and great to hear everyone's views about autograph hunting / showing appreciation of truly great people, whether actors, musicians, athletes etc. Just as an update, I received last week a beautiful reply from Paul Nicholas - a hand written letter on the back of a signed photo. Was so nice of him, and well worth the wait. Sadly though, no reply from Jan Francis :-( I'd dearly love to hear from her too, but I don't think it is going to happen :-( I also recently wrote to Penelope Wilton to say how much I have always enjoyed ''Ever Decreasing Circles''. She replied very quickly with a lovely signed photo :-) Last year though, I wrote to Peter Egan but unfortunately I didn't receive a reply. Take care everyone, best wishes.

[George 1978]

I've really never understood the autograph collecting 'thing' beyond something casual. I think if you are around someone you admire and you feel it might be okay with them then you might ask for them to sign an item. I have books signed by authors and records and CDs signed by artists because I cared about the work and they seemed to take a request as a sign of real admiration. I've also gotten various things autographed without asking, and experienced things I might've liked signed not signed as for whatever reason it felt intrusive. So what I have means something and often I can remember the time and place where it was signed.

Now that said, if anyone ever wants to give a signed Harry Corbett and Sooty pic a loving home.

I have always wanted to see what Sooty's autograph looks like...

[George 1978]

I think that it's got something to do with proving that the person is genuine and not an imposter - one can easily say that they have got someone's autograph and not another person's - signatures are unique because no other person on the planet can prove that it is theirs. Any graphologist (a person who studies handwriting) can easily tell apart an original signature from a forgery.

Rory Bremner for example can do voices of various celebrities but I doubt that he could do the same with regards to their signatures!

[beccabear67]

I've really never understood the autograph collecting 'thing' beyond something casual. I think if you are around someone you admire and you feel it might be okay with them then you might ask for them to sign an item. I have books signed by authors and records and CDs signed by artists because I cared about the work and they seemed to take a request as a sign of real admiration. I've also gotten various things autographed without asking, and experienced things I might've liked signed not signed as for whatever reason it felt intrusive. So what I have means something and often I can remember the time and place where it was signed.

Now that said, if anyone ever wants to give a signed Harry Corbett and Sooty pic a loving home.

[George 1978]

Hello everyone, I hope this finds you well. I only discovered this forum last night and I wanted to say a particular thanks to Admiral for making me feel better. I'll explain... I recently (about 5 weeks ago) wrote to Jan Francis and Paul Nicholas via their agents. Watching Just Good Friends during this awful time has made me feel much better - a real nostalgia trip, re-living such funny, beautifully scripted and acted comedy which I do not feel has dated. I had just bought some new garden furniture so wrote my letters to both Jan and Paul outside in the fine weather, saying how much I admired them and have enjoyed re-living Just Good Friends. I enclosed stamped addressed envelopes and requested a signed photo. I've been so disappointed not to hear back from either of them, but reading what you said Admiral has helped me understand about Jan. It would have been so lovely to hear from her though. Do you still manage her fan site? Would you be able to help me get an autograph perhaps? Thanks for your time in reading, take care everyone.

Regarding Paul Nicholas, I know that over the past couple of years, pre-coronavirus, he has appeared in pantomime in one or two theatres around the country. I am certain that I have posted an autograph book to where he was in panto a couple of years ago and got an autograph that way - I think he was in Cambridge or somewhere like that.

I know that it isn't much use at the moment, but what I am saying it that I have often sent autograph books and other things to sign to theatres where they are appearing, and have managed to get things signed and sent back in the SAE that I have enclosed. The fact that they are appearing live there and are not there for too long makes it definitive as to whether they will reply or not, and productions who travel around the country would keep the correspondence with them until they get round to responding.

[JGF_fan]

Hello everyone, I hope this finds you well. I only discovered this forum last night and I wanted to say a particular thanks to Admiral for making me feel better. I'll explain... I recently (about 5 weeks ago) wrote to Jan Francis and Paul Nicholas via their agents. Watching Just Good Friends during this awful time has made me feel much better - a real nostalgia trip, re-living such funny, beautifully scripted and acted comedy which I do not feel has dated. I had just bought some new garden furniture so wrote my letters to both Jan and Paul outside in the fine weather, saying how much I admired them and have enjoyed re-living Just Good Friends. I enclosed stamped addressed envelopes and requested a signed photo. I've been so disappointed not to hear back from either of them, but reading what you said Admiral has helped me understand about Jan. It would have been so lovely to hear from her though. Do you still manage her fan site? Would you be able to help me get an autograph perhaps? Thanks for your time in reading, take care everyone.

[Trickyvee]

Re: Fan mail

I'd be a terrible celebrity because I wouldn't respond to anybody. I suppose it's the way you look at it as a profession. Of course you have to be thankful for the support of your fans but to me it seems a bit strange that people write to celebrities anyway (no offence anybody!). To me it's just a job. They entertain me through acting or music or whatever but I don't know them as people and I don't have any desire to contact them. If I was a celebrity I would feel that it was an invasion of my privacy, but I suppose it is part and parcel of those lines of work.

[Grosh62]

Re: Fan mail

I would be a terrible celebrity because I would want to personally answer every request and letter which would be nigh on impossible if you worked hard at your profession.

I think celebrities have to make the decision themselves as to how they are going to respond to 'fan' mail. Fans by the mere fact that they profess themselves to be 'fans' are taking a step away from reality. I understand the notion of 'needing' to contact someone to express your admiration but just look how many celebrities have been victims of stalking over the years and it could explain the reluctance of some celebrities to court publicity away from their professional lives. A positive response from a celeb could encourage a fan to think that they have the right to continue in some sort of correspondence friendship almost like a pen pal. There are a lot of nutters out there who believe that soaps are real and think of the actors as their on screen persona. On the whole it is unlikely but 'fan' can lead to obsession. John Lennon springs to mind of an extreme case of over stepping the mark.

I think that if an individual decides not to respond to fan mail then it is that individuals right to do so for whatever personal reasons they may have and if you truly do admire that person, you will continue to watch them and appreciate their work but most of all accept their wish to remain private above your own personal 'fan' needs.

If you take umbrage then you are not truly a admirer of that person work or of that person as an individual.

[darren]

Re: Fan mail

I wrote a letter to Eric Richard (Sergeant Bob Cryer in The Bill) back in the 80's asking about other work he'd done etc. I had a really nice handwritten letter back giving lots of info. What a lovely man! I must still have it somewhere as I'm sure I haven't wittingly thrown it away.

its great when someone you wrote tp jacqueline actually writes back and puts a lot of effort in to it.
its nice to see as eric did with you J he really appreciated it and the work you wnt to sending him the letter.

some celebs,actors actresses appreciate it others don't really care.

hope J you have not got rid of it.
when you find it keep it locked away with say your valuables for safe keeping.

i always got the impression eric richard was a nice man.

[memoman]

Re: Fan mail

They proberbly ignore fans requests because of the market for signed photographs.They might see fans making money out of them as cheeky?Not all fans would do that but the fact that SOME do is enough to make them think twice.

[Admiral]

Re: Fan mail

Anticipating someone's death to make money out of it is perhaps not the noblest of intentions, but I get your drift! You reckon on a non-replay rate of two-thirds, and that's probably about right. I remain astounded at these celebrities whose good fortune has very largely relied on the popular support they receive from fans and followers, yet they lack the decency and reciprocal goodwill to respond to fan mail.

Re: Fan mail

I wrote to Ewan Mcgregor when Trainspotting came out and i had a feeling he would be quite famous in the future, he sent a signed large black and white photo that i still have.
I also got signed pics from Jeniffer Aniston and Denise Richards about 10 years ago, id say about 2 thirds of famous people in general never reply though, apparently all the soap operas still send out signed pics too, a good bet would be getting someone's autograph who is old and well known like Jack Duckworth or Rita from Corrie cause you know they will pop their Clogs kinda soon so it will be worth more money then.

[Admiral]

Re: Fan mail

Just goes to show there's no consistency to the likely response you're going to get. Some actors are flattered by and embrace fan mail, others view it as an intrusion of their privacy. They're just like the rest of us really I suppose, all with their own views and attitudes. However, I would reiterate the point I made early on in this thread, that I think actors should, as a rule, respond to fan mail (or get others to respond on their behalf if the regular volume of mail they receive is too great) as a gesture of basic good manners and professionalism, and also in recognition of the underlying public relations benefits they derive from the ongoing support of fans.

[ratboy]

Re: Fan mail

I know someone who once wrote to Paul O'Grady and got a lovely letter back with a signed photo.
They also wrote to Alan Titchmarsh and got absolutely nothing out of him!