Hollywood stars and creatives came together to support their community at the MultiCon Los Angeles Wildfire Benefit on February 22, and ScreenRant attended to help raise funds. Our reporter Joe Deckelmeier also spoke to the celebrities, who shared their excitement over the cause. They also reminisced about some of their most beloved projects, from Star Wars to The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.
But more important than the nostalgia was the palpable feeling of charity in the air. “It feels really wonderful to be able to use what we have in order to make a difference,” explained High School Musical’s Monique Coleman. “I think sometimes people think that you have to step outside of your comfort zone, but there are ways that come very naturally and very easily.”
ScreenRant interviewed several TV and film stars at the MultiCon Los Angeles Wildfire Benefit about the small and big ways fans can help. In addition, celebrities recalled some of their favorite fandom memories courtesy of projects like Good Burger that live on for decades. Watch the videos and read the excerpts below for some exciting updates from Scott M. Gimple, Kel Mitchell, and more.
Scott M. Gimple Is Not Done Traveling The World With The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ
“I’ve Essentially Seen Those Shows In My Brain”
ScreenRant: The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ is a cultural phenomenon, and at this point, it’s been on forever. Looking back when you first started the show, could you have imagined where it is now in the cultural zeitgeist?
Scott M. Gimple: No, I grew up going to comic conventions before even comic conventions were in the popular consciousness. Zombie stuff was even in the fringes of that; you’d have your Star Treks, and you’d even have The Prisoner and stuff like that. But zombie stuff was always a little on the side, and it really is a tribute to Robert Kirkman to just figure out the brilliant question: What if a zombie movie never ended?
But Robert also brought his humanity to it by having real characters and real stakes, because you love those characters. It’s a small equation that he came up with, but a brilliant one, and the audience loves it. I was part of that audience, and I loved it, and I’m real proud to keep doing it. And the audience seems to still want more. Thank God. I know I do.
ScreenRant: The show started off in the United States, and now it’s expanded worldwide. What are some locations you’d like to see The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ visit next?
Scott M. Gimple: There’s one that we’re working on that I’m very, very excited to see that we’ve never been before. I’d love to see it in Tokyo, I would love to see it in Africa, and I would love to see it in Iceland. I know that’s a weird one, but we want to spam the globe because there’s stories all over the globe.
It’s so integral to Daryl Dixon’s story, but even beyond that, we want to go [more places]. We want to see other characters throughout the world, and how they’re faring. And we have had a lot of experiments to that. We’ve actually done really cool stories towards that, but they just haven’t come to fruition for this reason or that. But I will say that by doing them, I’ve essentially seen those shows in my brain, and I really like them.
Monique Coleman & KayCee Stroh Ponder Reunions In The High School Musical-Verse
“I Never Imagined This Would Happen”
ScreenRant: I was just at a panel for High School Musical at Megacon, and that fanbase is rabid. They are loud. They’re spirited. Did you think that it would have such a lasting effect?
Monique Coleman: I never expected it. Next year will actually be 20 years since High School Musical came out, and that means that all the people who grew up [with it] are now in their 20s and 30s and have families of their own, and they’re introducing it to another generation, I never would have imagined that this would have happened.
KayCee Stroh: Once again, it’s just the gift that keeps on giving. The Wildcats out there are everything. They are die hard fans, and I love that they not only were fans, but now they’re pᴀssing it on to the next generation. That is truly a gift for us. Every actor dreams of catching lightning, and to have it be something so special to so many people and to become a classic is truly, truly unbelievable.
ScreenRant: If there was a High School Musical class reunion, where would your character be now?
Monique Coleman: If [Taylor McKessie]’s not the president, I definitely am somewhere in the political sphere.
KayCee Stroh: I personally think that Martha [Cox] went on to become a famous choreographer, and she is out there crushing it. That’s what I’m putting out into the universe.
Daniel Logan Reflects On His Time In The Star Wars Prequels
“I Like the Dark Side And The Bad Characters”
ScreenRant: You got to work with the incredible director George Lucas himself on Star Wars. What was that experience like?
Daniel Logan: After all these years, I’ve started to appreciate being able to work withhim a whole lot more. They’ve created so much more Star Wars [since], and new people have been able to come into the Star Wars family, but you don’t realize that I got to be directed by George Lucas himself – the creator, the writer himself who created the whole entire thing directed me in Star Wars.
I love him. He changed my life in so many positive ways- and not only did he change my life, but he changed my family’s life as well. I don’t think many people acknowledge that. Not only did we as actors get to have these opportunities, but when you get an opportunity like Star Wars, it actually helps everyone. It does not just change your life, but it could change your family’s lives as well. So, I love George Lucas. He’s like a god to me.
ScreenRant: We’ve seen a lot of Star Wars actors portray other roles in the universe, like how Ahmed Best recently came back. Is there a Star Wars character that you’d like to portray now that you’re an adult?
Daniel Logan: It’s crazy, because I learned martial arts with Ray Park for 12 to 15 years. Being able to learn from someone like him really taught me a lot. I learned the bo staff, I learned the double-handed lightsaber…
I thought it would be pretty cool to be a Maul. He called me young blood and kind of treated me like his little brother, so I figured it’d be a cool opportunity to come back and be a Maul and have some horns. I like the bad I like the Dark Side and the bad characters.
Kel Mitchell & Shar Jackson Are Grateful To The Good Burger Fandom
“I Didn’t Realize How Amazing It Was”
ScreenRant: Good Burger has an incredible fanbase. People love those films. Looking back all these years later, not only has have the fans loved it, but they’ve also kept it alive. What’s it mean to you to be a part of a franchise that has been that successful?
Kel Mitchell: Bro, it’s been amazing with Good Burger 2 breaking records. Me still like dressing up as Ed and people going crazy. I dropped my kids off at school, and the kids were screaming. I just did an event with my daughter for her girl scout troop, and they were going crazy over Ed.
All these years, it’s just been awesome. It’s just a blessing, man. I was talking to Keenan about that; for us to still be doing it and people just loving it all these years? It’s great.
Shar Jackson: It’s crazy. I didn’t realize how amazing it was until I started doing cons, running into fans, and hearing their stories and how much they love it. I’m kind of mind blown and excited at the same. It’s exciting! I’ve always wanted to be a part of a franchise or something super cool, and I already was.
ScreenRant: Kel, now that you’ve had a chance to reflect on Ed a little bit. What’s something you learned about yourself through playing Ed again after all these years?
Kel Mitchell: I don’t know, man, I just love the journey. Even outside of entertainment, just enjoying it and touching people’s lives, because hearing people’s stories is the best part. I’m hearing how it touched them, where they watched it, where they were in their life, and what it meant to them. That’s cool.
ScreenRant: I was a big fan of Moesha growing up. Shar, talk to me about your experience working on show and how you reflect on it now.
Shar Jackson: Moesha was definitely my longest gig ever, and everybody in that cast will always be family. We had the time of our lives just exploring all these different stories and feelings, growing up in front of the world and growing up together. It was crazy and a huge part of my life. I know it’s over 20 years old now, but it is still such a huge part of my life.
Source: Screen Rant Plus
More About MultiCon LA
MULTICON LA WILDFIRE BENEFIT was a one day pop culture convention took place at the Preserve LA featuring exciting panels and signings with celebrities (including Robert Kirkman signing for the first time in 6 years), interactive experiences, pH๏τo opportunities and gaming activations, exclusive merchandise, and the chance to win one-of-a-kind nerd collectibles as part of a silent auction where 100% of proceeds were donated to United Way Of Greater Los Angeles.
Panels Highlights included:
- A never-before-seen trio of Robert Kirkman, Rob Liefeld, and Kevin Smith in conversation with Coy Jandreau,
- A Variety Throwback Panel with a Good Burger and High School Musical reunion hosted by Variety’s Katcy Stephan where KayCee Stroh led the audience in a re-enactment of High School Musical‘s “We’re All In This Together”
- A Stories of The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ panel with showrunner Scott M Gimple, Khary Payton, and Michael Cudlitz.
- A female-led panel with Bitsie Tullioch (Superman & Lois) and Jackie Tohn (Nobody Wants This), hosted by Collider Ladies Night’s Perri Nemiroff.
- Animation Nation panel featuring Seth Green, Yuri Lowenthal, Tara Platt, and Isaac Robinson-Smith
- A Galaxy of Good panel with Sean Gunn and Daniel Logan
