For students, an up-close look at stardom

On Wednesday, Penn students changed up their normal lunch schedule to meet some stars.

At noon on Wednesday, the Social Planning and Events Committee Film Society brought Topher Grace and Teresa Palmer to Irvine Auditorium to promote their new film, Take Me Home Tonight.

Grace, well known for his roles in Spiderman 3 and That 70’s Show, impressed students with his casual entrance. College freshmen Brittney Jones-Ali said “[Grace] just walked in, waved and got some pizza … he was really chill.”

Grace and Palmer then set up shop behind a table where they autographed their pictures for fans. The 60 or so students waited in line and enjoyed pizza and ’80s music, reflecting the time period of the promoted film.

Grace said that the best way they can promote a movie is going out to the audience and meeting the fans. “The same way politicians have to do it, [we] have to kiss babies and shake hands,” he said.

Palmer agreed and added that it was “an exhilarating feeling to meet the audience for the first time.”

Moreover, Grace explained that his upcoming movie specifically targeted college-aged students. He described the R-rated movie as “on the edge” between adults and teens.

SPEC Film Director and Engineering sophomore Blair Canner expressed similar sentiments when explaining why SPEC Film chose to bring Grace in particular. The decision’s appropriateness, she said, comes from Grace’s film being “a college-age movie.”

While some came for Grace’s celebrity, others admitted they were drawn to the free food. As College senior Jack Stanley said, “I don’t exactly know the point of this event,” but “free pizza” was a huge draw.

Others, like College freshmen Bailey Rowland and Julio Albarracin, were attracted by the opportunity to meet a celebrity. “We thought it’d be cool to say we’ve met [Topher Grace],” Rowland said.

Some added that they were entertained by Palmer’s personalized autographs. “She wrote ‘nice hat,’” College sophomore Liliana Matos said. College sophomore Darryle Ulama added that he too received a compliment and proudly displayed his signed poster reading, “You’re a rock star.”

In general, the crowd seemed pleased with the event. Canner said she felt that the event was a success as well. “This is the first time that we’ve done something like this, [but] we’re really thrilled,” she said.

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