On the Town: Sherilyn Fenn beguiles fans at signing
The folks in a lengthy line that stretched out over a block of Magnolia Boulevard ultimately snaked their way through the aisles of the horror and fantasy bookstore Dark Delicacies to achieve their goal of meeting actress Sherilyn Fenn this past Saturday.
Best known for playing the role of the rich, young troublemaker Audrey Horne on the critically acclaimed ABC series “Twin Peaks” in the early 1990s, a part she will reprise in a new installment of the series set to premiere on Showtime in May, Fenn has also claimed a devout following for many of her other roles including her work in the 1988 feature film “Two Moon Junction,” 1993’s highly controversial and disturbing film “Boxing Helena,” and for her recurring role on the popular WB and CW mother-daughter drama “Gilmore Girls.”
The fans in attendance on Saturday, bridging a wide range of ages and genre preferences, all seemed to have one sentiment in common, perfectly expressed by Lauren Kelley: “More than any one thing she has done,” said Kelley as she waited in line with her husband, Marc, “I’m really a Sherilyn Fenn fan. She represents Hollywood glamour to me.”
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Fenn appeared at Dark Delicacies to sign copies of her children’s book “No Man’s Land” (Imagine Nation, 2016), that tells the tale of a seemingly troubled little boy’s journey through losing friends, loneliness, sadness and despair that, with the smallest of adjustments in perception and attitude, sees his life changed and uplifted.
“Writing a book like this humanizes her beyond the characters she plays,” said Elaina Santana, who waited for more than 21/2 hours with her 15-month-old daughter, Violet, to meet the actress.
During the afternoon signing session, Fenn took time with each fan, listening to their stories, posing for photos with them, and leaving them with hugs and, in some cases, encouraging words.
“My son, who is now 20, had challenges when he was young,” said preschool teacher Susan Eastman, who walked away from Fenn clearly emotional over the kindness the actress showed her. “I wish there had been books like this for him when he was a little boy.”
Among the diehard “Twin Peaks” fans in attendance were Joe and Emily Belanger, who drove from Las Vegas just to meet Fenn, and Rebecca Shipman, who said she was drawn to Fenn’s character of Audrey.
“She had this element of intrigue. She had a quality of innocence, and yet she was also dark and secretive,” Shipman said. “She was a spoiled brat, and yet, you still rooted for her.”
Perhaps no other fan was as touched by the experience of meeting Fenn as aspiring actress and filmmaker Alyssa Nicole Hogan, who posted two simple sentences to social media immediately after her encounter: “I just met Sherilyn Fenn. I can die happily now.”
Asked what made the meeting most special for her, Hogan said she never expected Fenn to give her so much time. “There is a real sweetness to her,” said Hogan as she clutched her treasured signed book. “That really adds to her appeal.”
Dark Delicacies, located at 3512 W. Magnolia Blvd., was founded by Sue and Del Howison in 1994. The shop constantly presents a slate of book-signing events.
On Jan. 21, they will host more than a dozen horror models who have appeared in the 2017 Year of Fear calendar.
On Jan. 28, the renowned Alberto Vargas-inspired pin up artist Olivia De Berardinis will make a rare public appearance, and on Jan. 29, the shop will host its fourth annual “Day of the Scream Queens and Kings.”
For more information about these and other events, visit darkdel.com or call (818) 556-6660.
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DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
