Last Thursday morning, at about 6:45 AM, everything fell into place that I was in the right place at the right time to meet Elizabeth Reaser and here’s how “Meeting Esme” happened!

After spending the night outdoors in the Hall H line, me and my fabulous friends, Desiree and Niki, took the overnight gear back to my hotel room, which was within walking distance, around 5:30 AM. While there we got changed and refreshed before heading back. Desiree was getting texts that they were handing out swag, which we were disappointed that we were missing.

As we got near the line, we could see camera crews filming someone in a corralled off area at the front of the line. I looked past the cameras and gasped out loud as I turned to Desiree and Niki and said, “Oh my God, it’s Liz!”

Now I had read about how Jackson, Liz, Ashley and Nikki were going to be calling into the Summit booth and I assumed that’s because none of them were going to be there. At that moment I knew I was wrong!

I went over to the side of the fence and pulled open my bag to grab my copies of Twilight and Breaking Dawn, a silver sharpie and my camera. As I had told @Twifans a week before on twitter, I was “wearing my Esme shirt because she doesn’t get enough love.” That turned out to be the best wardrobe choice ever!

Niki took my camera and I called out Elizabeth’s name, but she didn’t turn. Luckily her publicist did! Lady in the pink shirt working with Liz - THANK YOU! She saw the shirt and let me know she would bring Liz over. A moment later a camera was in my face and I was being asked if I was excited about meeting her in a minute. Don’t ask me what I said, but I know “Yes” was in there.

Elizabeth came over and was of course lovely. I told her I had been dying to meet her and that I was a huge Esme fan. She had never seen the shirt and couldn’t get over it. I pointed out that for some odd reason her eyes are blue on it, which she noted was really strange because her eyes aren’t blue even in real life. She signed both my books and wrote in Twilight, “To Amy! Thank you for loving Esme! <3 Elizabeth Reaser.”

Now sometime during all of this, she looked at me and asked if I had a blog or a website. I said I had a tumblr blog and on twitter I’m Oh My Carlisle and Peter follows me. She tells me she’s been on my site and something about recognizing me from it.  *jaw met floor*  

The second shocker was when she asked me, “Is Peter here?”  I believe I laughed and said something along the lines of “I don’t know. Is he?” Or “You’re suppose to know that not me.” It’s kind of a blur, but I remember the question being asked.

I got a hug and then she went to go back to signing other people’s stuff. I couldn’t hold her forever although there were so many things I wanted to say and ask. I really wasn’t expecting her to be at Comic Con. I almost left my books in my hotel room, but I brought them just in case (Thank God!).

The previous camera asked me how I felt about meeting her. I was on cloud 9 so I ‘m sure my response was happy.  Then her publicist came over and asked if I would do an Access Hollywood interview with Elizabeth and I said “sure!” Only the very beginning made it on TV, which you can see here: http://www.accesshollywood.com/comic-con/comic-con-2011-the-twilight-saga-invades-comic-con_videotab_1342244

They asked me several questions directly and also had Elizabeth and I bantering a little. (Yes, I bantered with Elizabeth Reaser for Access Hollywood. *squee!*)

My media training kicked in and I felt very on message like a good fan. They asked me how long I had been out there, which was since the night before. I think they asked me about what I was excited to see and how I felt about it coming to an end, because I know I got in there that it was sad but it wasn’t the end yet. That we had a year and a half before the final movie. I said that I was looking forward to seeing Bill Condon’s vision for the story and to see if Edward and Esme dance at the wedding reception, and I said something about the honeymoon and headboards breaking. They asked Liz something about the fans and she told him that I had blog/tumblr and made me tell him it is Oh My Carlisle and I pointed out that was also my twitter name. Somewhere in the interview I got in an “Oh My Carlisle” in place of an “Oh My Gosh!”  It was an awesome experience and I keep hoping that Access Hollywood puts up the footage online but I’m not counting on it at this point.

The first time I met Peter I knew it was coming so at least I could prepare myself, and it wasn’t until I had interacted with him a couple times that I could really start chatting with him. Meeting Elizabeth was totally unexpected and then she floored me with knowing my online persona and the Peter question. I wish I could have absorbed more, but it was so much adrenaline and an in the moment experience. Luckily Niki took many great pictures! Now I only wish I had handed someone my video camera! ;-)

Meanwhile, in the Hall H line, which I returned to after all of this high as a kite, Ashley Greene and Nikki Reed were signing autographs. Ashley had already passed our spot but I managed to catch up and get her signature in my Twilight (I only need Kellan, Rob, and Kristen and I’ll reach my goal of getting all the Cullen’s to sign it). When Nikki came down the line she saw my shirt and said, “Aw, you have an Esme shirt! That’s great! Where’s Reaser?” to which I replied, “I just met her!” I think I also said I just did an Access Hollywood interview with her. (I was excited!)

The only signature I got on the BD poster, once I got one, was Elizabeth’s. I just couldn’t deal with anything else. I was in my own little happy world! At some point I’ll get Peter’s on it so I will have something I can frame with both of their signatures.

I have to note that Niki and Desiree both pulled winning tickets for the autograph session with Rob, Kristen and Taylor. I was so happy for them. Yeah, it would have been nice to win it too, but I couldn’t have asked for a better morning. Then I ended up in the front row in Hall H and I swear, and I have video footage to prove it, Liz was often looking right at me.

Now on Friday I get a call from Niki telling me that she just spoke to Elizabeth Reaser on the phone at the Summit booth. I couldn’t make it down there, but I did end up being the first person on the phone with Ashley Greene a few hours later. She was in the car on the way back up to LA. We talked about the day before and she said it was great to be out there with the fans in the morning and the love she felt from us. I asked her what it was like working with Bill Condon compared to the other directors and she spoke very favorably of her experience with him. I asked her how much we would see of Alice in Part 2 and she said she didn’t know. She knows what was shot, but she doesn’t know what will happen when it gets edited. I asked what it was like turning Bella into Barbie for the wedding. She said it was strange because it was suppose to be like they were in front of a mirror, but there wasn’t actually a mirror there. I also asked about her hair and she talked about how it had evolved and that she likes the new look.

So that’s the story of my up close and personal experiences with Twilight cast members at Comic Con 2011. It was completely unexpected and totally awesome! Meeting Elizabeth made my Comic Con and it was all before 7 AM on Thursday.