Erin Gray goes from Buck Rogers to organizing Celebrity Clients' Convention Schedules
Erin Gray Then and Now
Much of the world got to know her as Col. Wilma Deering on the “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” television series. Though she later played Kate on “Silver Spoons,” there was something about that Spandex that was hard to forget.
But today, actress Erin Gray has found a way to combine her celebrity with the very real business of fan-based conventions. At events like Dragon*Con in Atlanta, the woman known for playing strong female characters now uses her brains to wrangle issues for her celebrity clients as they prepare for close encounters with fans.
Gray runs a company called Heroes for Hire, which represents about 35 celebrity clients at conventions around the world. CNN caught up with her at Dragon*Con in Atlanta (unofficially referred to as “PartyCon”). Dragon*Con is known for being the most “fan-friendly” convention, which, in itself, can pose both unique opportunities and unique challenges.
Heading into the weekend, there were 35,000 people expected to attend, primarily to see some of the 400 celebrity guests who sign autographs and mingle with the crowds. Gray knew this meant that there were a lot of things to plan for.
“We create 30-page spreadsheets so that we can keep track of where we are in the process,” Gray said. “Are the contracts signed? Have the photos and bios been sent? Are the travel details done?”
Today, the former space colonel walks a fine line between getting her clients closer to their fans at conventions and keeping them away. “We’ve had death threats before,” she said.
“I’ve had my own personal stalker. I would get nude drawings of my body with a knife and a message saying ‘I’m watching you’ and ‘I’m going to get you.’ When you have a baby, you just feel so vulnerable. We couldn’t figure it out because it was happening at the studio,” Gray said. Incidentally, it turned out to be a security guard.
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