Judy's Stories
Judy met Jason twice in June 2002.

He was very nice.  A LOT younger looking than on TV.  Close up he has lots of tiny little freckles.  I think he may have a lot of nervous energy....my niece commented on him fidgeting with his hands a lot and since we were so close we could see his movements when he was leaving the stage and off stage a little bit.

Here's how it went (from the best of my recollection).  The playhouse manager or whatever he was said before the play began that Malachy McCourt would sign copies of his book backstage after the show.  At intermission I ran off and bought a copy. (and grabbed a couple more playbills).  At the end of the show (which got a standing ovation) we sort of realized there wasn't much of a back stage and went outside and around back.  The were some stage hands sitting out there.  I asked them if this is where they would come out and one guy was like "who?"  Anyway, a girl said yes.  The guy said McCourt would sign depending on his mood.  Anyway...I got the 2 playbills open to Jason's page; he came bouncing down the stairs.  Pen in hand I went up to him and said, "Would you sign..?"
 
He said something like sure or yes and I handed him the pen and my book and the 2 playbills (the book to use as a writing surface).  He asked me where I wanted him to sign.  I said "anywhere"...I felt like Marcia Brady with Davy Jones LOL!  He seemed to have to think about what to write...mine says "Lots of Love".  Then he handed it back to me.  That's when he put out his hand and said "Hi, I'm Jason" like he was meeting me at a party!!  Too cute...like he had to tell me what his name was!  Meanwhile the old men were asking him questions, sort of talking to him all at once.  Then my niece asked him to sign hers.  Everyone had been saying "I watch Third Watch, We never miss Third Watch"...etc. so my niece said "I don't watch Third Watch but I watched 90210" to which he smiled and sort of chuckled.  He introduced himself to her as well.  We WERE the only 2 females out there. 
 
Then he was busy with the old men for a bit and I was DYING to ask him for a picture but I just couldn't.  He seemed like he would not understand WHY I wanted to take his picture.  I tried to get my niece but she would not and afterwards she said she was afraid she would scare him!!  Anyway, I can't remember exactly what happened next but he started to walk and I said "Would you do me a favor?"  I don't know if he said yes or what...but that is when I asked him to sign your playbill (thanks Judy!---from the webmaster).  Oh...meanwhile Malachy McCourt had come out and ALL the old men were yakking and chatting etc and borrowing my pen!!! So I had somehow gotten the pen back and that's when I asked him to do yours.  He verified the spelling of your name and then walked over to the hood of a car to write it...I DID snap a picture of him then...he wasn't looking.  I thanked him I'm sure, though I can't really remember and then it seemed like we were just standing around so we LEFT!  We waited to see what he drove away in and he WALKED! We were trying to figure out if his wife was coming to pick him up.  We never did see what he did.  It would have been SO EASY, but I didn't want to scare him!

He was VERY nice, VERY unassuming, introduced himself "Hi, I'm Jason" and shook my hand. Totally at ease talking with the few people who were outside the back door...(my niece, myself and four senior citizen men), answered questions, etc.

Let me back up to the play. It was EXCELLENT. Really very good. My niece tried to call her parents to tell them to get tickets 'cause she decided they would really like it.

Now, we went to a matinee in June on Cape Cod. My niece (being 21, and myself 30+) were the YOUNGEST people in the audience by at least a decade!!! And in the front row no less!

I was IMPRESSED by Jason's acting...ability to project his voice, staying in character, really all around...and Malachy McCourt was EXCELLENT as well. His faces were PRICELESS! They really seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Jason is VERY small! Which is what I had expected...EVERYONE on TV is much smaller in person. He had on Puma sneakers....black.

YES, I got his autograph. he asked me where on the page I wanted him to sign...I said ANYWHERE. He was slow...like he had to think about what to write. It seemed like he was pretty new at this autograph signing business.

I'm not a good guess at crowd capacity and I forgot to ask...though I might have read the theatre holds 175. I might guess there were 150 people there. Almost every seat on the main floor was filled...but I saw some empty seats in the balcony.

You need to understand this theatre was built in 1927 on Cape Cod which back them was little more than a spit of sand (and trees) sticking out into the Atlantic Ocean. LOTS of retirees live on Cape Cod and since most schools are just getting out this week, the real summer influx of families has not started yet. I am NOT exaggerating when I say that my niece and I were MUCH younger than EVERYONE else in the audience.

That said, there were these 4 old men I mentioned before (who also had been sitting in the front row). Apparently they had lived next to Malachy McCourt at some point in history. Well, they were funny, barraging Jason with questions, complementing him on Third Watch, etc.

The 4 old men (sorry fellas) asked about Fred's heart attack...(LOL!) to which Jason said he didn't know what was going to happen, it was so last minute (I cannot remember his exact words), he was completely surprised by it however..

He mentioned his character had been through A LOT this year when asked something about next season according to him he does not start filming until July 19th.

He had never been to the Northeast before (I guess he's not counting NYC) his wife and daughter are here with him, his wife likes it here.

He mentioned the agency she works for (can't remember) and said they had a NY office so she could come there sometimes and still get work done, but that they are still based in L.A. and he does LOTS of flying.

He had not been to Provincetown (the tip of the cape FAMOUS for its gay population) but his mother was coming and he was going to go to Nantucket (a very nice island off the cape).

He doesn't think the first row is a good place to sit...you can look up his nose and see his nose hair...he told his mother she doesn't want to sit there.

When he was asked (by the old men) how old his daughter was...he hesitated like he was counting and said "almost eleven months"

He was wearing a blue and green striped shirt, jeans and black pumas. He did not get in a car and drive away, but walked across the grass and talked on a cell phone and was still out there a good 10-15 minutes later. (Malachy McCourt had driven away in an old bumper-sticker white Toyota Tercel or Corolla)

I did snap a couple of pics WITHOUT asking him if I could or to pose...it just seemed like he would not understand why someone would want to take his picture. I mean, when he was signing and asked us our names, he stopped, put out his hand and introduced himself. (Like I didn't know who you were!) I do understand it is weird when people know you and you have NEVER LAID EYES on them before...but still, he did not seem accustomed to an adoring public!!

BTW, I met Jason again last night and THIS time I had my picture taken with him. Funny note, he had on the SAME shirt last night too...as the first time I met him. Glad to see in your other pic he does wear other clothes! LOL!

NOW listen to this. My friend CUT OFF Jason's head in the most HORRIBLE photo an adult has ever taken!! I can't believe it! You cannot even see his eyes and he was really smiling!

He was very nice again. The best part was when I was having my picture taken I was going to go on his left and he said "No, this side"...or something like that and put his arm out. So I had my arm around him....he has a tight little chest...should I say that? 

Oh, by the way, Jason said he was feeling lucky Friday night....he didn't ask how to spell my friend Patricia's name...then he said "I ALWAYS ask, but I feel lucky tonight" Also, his cell phone rang right before the picture and I said "Oh, do you need to get that?" and he said, "It's probably my wife, she'll just leave a voice mail." There were 2 other girls/women/females, whatever, waiting to see him after us. He had said to them..."You're back again?" or something like that. 

I expected and noticed that Jason seemed more accustomed to "adoring" fans. He seemed so surprised on the 20th...asking me where he should sign in the book etc. He seemed like a pro at it now! I also saw a few subtle changes in the play...it seemed like someone did read the reviews and they did give his character a few more "moves" like to sit on the desk, etc. His mother was coming to the play the first weekend...and he told her she didn't want to sit in the front row. Well I did! TWICE! And loved every second of it. Someone asked him again about doing the play elsewhere and he said, "There was talk about bringing it to New York, but I have Third Watch to do..." 

Also, Malachy McCourt's friends were asking him questions and someone (an older woman) asked him where he was staying. He said, "With my wife and baby". She asked where and he said, "Hyannis" (which is the largest town on the cape) and she asked where abouts and he said "Do you want the address?" LOL! She then backed down and said, "Oh no..." sort of laughing. 

 

And here it is. The worst picture taken by an adult...