Lost with Terry O'Quinn last night...

This is me, in the middle, with my BFF Tom ... and his older brother, Terry O'Quinn. Don't worry, Tom only has that cheezy mustache because he is in a play next week and his wife has already told him it's gonna be gone when his performance is over.

Speaking of performances... Tom and Terry strummed together on the guitars and sang together last night at a gathering at Tom's home. It was a private 'little' party with about 2o people. Terry flew into the, as local as it gets, airport in Bloomington on Friday and spent the next evening getting acquainted with friends of Tom and Kim (Tom's lovely wife!), most of which are fanatics when it comes to the ABC hit series LOST. For most of the evening, I took video and silently shot pictures while helping to put out the food, do little things to help the host enjoy the time, and people watch as the giddy guests one by one were introduced to Terry O'Quinn.

My wife, son, and I were the first to arrive AND we arrived early. No, it wasn't so we could be the first to meet Terry (cough), it was because we were asked to bring our coffee maker and because of my skills at making great coffee. So, obviously we had to get there early to bring the coffee in and get it situated... you can't rush great coffee. As we pulled up to the Quinn's house, my wife started acting all nervous and my seven year old son Zack was wide eyed with anticipation after giving me up to the minute updates about our possible arrival time. My wife needed to know how we were going to bring things into the house, what we were going to bring, what we were going to leave in the car, but might need later, whether or not we should bring the camera's now or later, and whether or not we should leave the 10 gallon bag full of paraphernalia we brought hoping to depart with a signature belonging to Terry O'Quinn.

As these questions were being fired out at me like she was holding a Tommy Gun with the trigger held down, and Zack making sure he had the routine down of meeting Terry while blissfully saying "yeah, yeah, I know mom, c'mon, we're the first ones here, looks like we're on time, yeah, I know mom, c'mon dad..." I raised my voice and 'calmly' stated, "Settle Down!"

Zack ran to the front door, Karin tried to check her reflection in the car window while on the dark street and made that face she always makes when she is looking at herself in the mirror (too much reality tv who wants to be a model crap) as she was making her way to the sidewalk, and I grabbed the coffee machine and my camera bag in 2 trips. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about meeting Terry. As I headed in the front door, I caught a small glimpse of Terry heading toward the back room of the house. I set the coffee machine down and headed back out to grab my camera bag. When I came back in the front door Zack was heading my way from meeting Terry, looking like he just met a movie star and rambling something about meeting him, and Karin was nervously meeting Terry doing the hand shake in sync with her trademark head nod. Though I couldn't hear what she was saying, I am sure it was something almost exactly like, "It's nice to meet you, my son is a big fan" because she would be too nervous to admit she is a huge fan as well.

In the back of my mind I was thinking, I am here for Tom, he's my buddy and Terry is only his brother, no different than any of my own brothers, I am going to be down to earth and act like "Terry who?" . Now before I go any further, I have been kidding Zack for a week that he should ask Terry how it feels having the fame and knowing that Tom, his younger brother, is a better actor than him. Of course Zack knew I was kidding, and Karin said if I asked him that, he would probably pull out his Locke knife and treat me to a taste of the Island. But hey, I am totally partial to my best bud... so knife me!

So, I see Terry and he sees me, but I am walking into the kitchen holding the box with the coffee machine and coffee beans and can't reach out to shake his hand. I said, "Hi Terry, nice to meet you in person", and Tom quickly chimes in, "Ter, this is my friend Kevin that was over helping me with some remodeling when I was on the phone with you, and said 'here, talk my buddy Kevin for a moment'". I set the coffee machine down and shook his hand. I expected a Locke, "Don't ever tell me what to do... EVER" handshake. I was pleasantly surprised by his welcoming, soft but firm handshake that wasn't afraid to linger out there for a moment. Terry said, "I have met a lot of people who have helped Tommy..." to which Tom picked up on his older brothers jab.

Terry sat down on the couch and could see Zack was wide-eyed-pupil-dilated with excitement and said to Zack, "C'mon over here and sit by me." Zack made his way over to him and Terry softly talked to him. Asking him where he went to school, what grade he was in... Zack, only like Zack can, started giving Terry ALL the details (more on that later). People started arriving. All the while I am screaming inside going... "get the video camera, get the video camera" but not wanting to act like I knew most people would when the arrived.

Through most of the evening I watched the expressions as people came into the house and looked for Terry, then tried not to look at him as to not be too obvious. Some, however, were proud that they couldn't take their eyes off of him and couldn't let go of his hand as they were shell shocked.

It was an exciting evening. After most people arrived, everyone joined in the tight spaced living room and Tom started strumming on his guitar. It wasn't long before big brother took the guitar and started strumming as well. The night was filled with songs, stories, and to me, a nice family moment for my buddy-brother, Tom. They sang songs together and interacted as most brothers would to each other, both filling the roll to each other that they most likely grew up in. I thought it was a moment where Tom's big brother could see that Tom's friends, or 'groupies' as Terry called them (because we wanted Tom to play and sing more songs), were there for Tom as much as they were there to meet Tom's brother.

As the hours rolled by, Terry, very graciously, signed autographs, posed for pictures, and willingly entered into conversations as everyone talked about the ABC hit series LOST and grilled "Locke" for any hints. I hate to admit it, but several people would ask Terry, as many do to famous people, "Do you remember that scene where....?" And Terry would, with a relaxing style and laid back demeanor, say "Yes..." and then fill in his take on that scene in whatever particular appearance he was making.

I personally was impressed with Terry as he, with what seemed like cool ease, enjoyed the evening and made everyone feel comfortable around him. He talked about his wife and his two kids, Quinn family traditions and all the while was a warm loving uncle to his nephew, Sullivan, and niece, Fiona, as they ployed for his attention during the evening, he was very kind. He even stepped out on the big town of Lincoln and went to the local Cracker Barrel for breakfast. He didn't seem at all afraid to be himself and didn't seem at all reluctant to sign this and pose for that. He treated my son like a family member and treated everyone with a hug as they left, if they wanted one. He purposely made it a point to get up and talk with each person as they were leaving.

At the end of the evening, Karin and I helped clean up, and I was the last person to have my picture taken with Terry. But I also made sure that my best friend Tom was in the picture with me. After all, I am Tom's friend and brother at heart... and as I told Terry in my parting words as we left for the evening, ..."any brother of Tom's, is a brother of mine." he probably thought that was corny... I hope he believes it, because I am going to Hawaii and will need a place to stay when I go!! (wink)

Now Terry will probably never read my blog, but if he ever does: Terry, you have a wonderful brother in Tom... and... me ;)

oh! remember that thing I said I was kidding to Zack about?

You remember... asking Terry how he felt about having Fame and knowing his younger brother was a better actor? Well...

I asked Terry that question moments before we departed.... He glared me down and calmly stated... "I'm not loosing any sleep over it!"

Here is a little about his accomplishments

1. "Lost" .... John Locke (78 episodes, 2004-2008)
   - Episode #4.9 (2008) TV episode .... John Locke
   - Meet Kevin Johnson (2008) TV episode .... John Locke
   - Ji Yeon (2008) TV episode .... John Locke
   - The Other Woman (2008) TV episode .... John Locke
   - The Constant (2008) TV episode .... John Locke
   (73 more)
2. "Masters of Science Fiction" .... Albert Skynner (1 episode, 2007)
   - The Awakening (2007) TV episode .... Albert Skynner
3. "The West Wing" .... General Nicholas Alexander (7 episodes, 2003-2004)
   - The Birnam Wood (2004) TV episode .... General Nicholas Alexander
   - N.S.F. Thurmont (2004) TV episode .... General Nicholas Alexander
   - Gaza (2004) TV episode .... General Nicholas Alexander
   - An Khe (2004) TV episode .... General Nicholas Alexander
   - The Warfare of Genghis Khan (2004) TV episode .... General Nicholas Alexander
   (2 more)
4. The Animated Alias: Tribunal (2004) (V) (voice) .... F.B.I. Asst. Director Kendall
5. "Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service" .... Col. Will Ryan (1 episode, 2004)
   ... aka NCIS (USA: short title)
   ... aka NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (USA: new title)
   - Enigma (2004) TV episode .... Col. Will Ryan
6. "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" .... Gordon Buchanan (1 episode, 2004)
   ... aka Law & Order: CI (USA: promotional abbreviation)
   - Mis-Labeled (2004) TV episode .... Gordon Buchanan
7. "Alias" .... F.B.I. Asst. Director Kendall (18 episodes, 2002-2004)
   - Full Disclosure (2004) TV episode .... F.B.I. Asst. Director Kendall
   - Second Double (2003) TV episode .... F.B.I. Asst. Director Kendall
   - The Telling (2003) TV episode .... F.B.I. Asst. Director Kendall
   - Truth Takes Time (2003) TV episode .... F.B.I. Asst. Director Kendall
   - A Dark Turn (2003) TV episode .... F.B.I. Asst. Director Kendall
   (13 more)
8. Phenomenon II (2003) (TV)
9. Old School (2003) (uncredited) .... Goldberg
10. "JAG" .... Admiral Thomas Boone / ... (10 episodes, 1995-2002)
    - All Ye Faithful (2002) TV episode .... Admiral Thomas Boone
    - Code of Conduct (2002) TV episode (as Terrance Quinn) .... Admiral Thomas Boone
    - Dog Robber: Part 2 (2001) TV episode (as Terrance Quinn) .... Admiral Thomas Boone
    - Dog Robber: Part 1 (2001) TV episode (as Terrance Quinn) .... Admiral Thomas Boone
    - A Separate Peace: Part 2 (2000) TV episode .... Admiral Thomas Boone
    (5 more)
11. The Locket (2002) (TV) .... Casey Keddington
12. Hometown Legend (2002) .... Buster Schuler
13. "The X Files" .... Lt. Brian Tillman / ... (2 episodes, 1995-2002)
    ... aka The X-Files (USA)
    - Trust No 1 (2002) TV episode (as Terrance Quinn) .... Shadow Man
    - Aubrey (1995) TV episode .... Lt. Brian Tillman
14. "Roswell" .... Carl (1 episode, 2001)
    ... aka Roswell High (UK) (USA: working title)
    - Michael, the Guys, and the Great Snapple Caper (2001) TV episode (as Terence Quinn) .... Carl
15. American Outlaws (2001) .... Rollin H. Parker, Rain's Gopher
16. WW3 (2001) (TV) .... Eric Farrell
    ... aka WWIII (USA)
    ... aka Winds of Terror (USA: video title)
17. Semper Fi (2001) (TV) .... Cliff's father
18. "Harsh Realm" .... General Omar Santiago (4 episodes, 1999-2000)
    - Cincinnati (2000) TV episode .... General Omar Santiago
    - Inga Fossa (1999) TV episode .... General Omar Santiago
    - Leviathan (1999) TV episode .... General Omar Santiago
    - Pilot (1999) TV episode .... General Omar Santiago
19. Rated X (2000) (TV) .... J.R. Mitchell
    
    
20. "Millennium" .... Peter Watts (40 episodes, 1996-1999)
    - Goodbye to All That (1999) TV episode .... Peter Watts
    - Via Dolorosa (1999) TV episode .... Peter Watts
    - Bardo Thodol (1999) TV episode .... Peter Watts
    - Forcing the End (1999) TV episode .... Peter Watts
    - Matryoshka (1999) TV episode .... Peter Watts
    (35 more)
21. Murder in a Small Town (1999) (TV) .... Sidney Lassiter
22. The X Files (1998) .... Darius Michaud
    ... aka Aux frontières du réel (Canada: French title)
    ... aka The X-Files (USA: closing credits title)
23. Breast Men (1997) .... Hersch Lawyer
24. My Stepson, My Lover (1997) (TV) .... Richard Cory
    ... aka Love, Murder and Deceit
    ... aka No Recourse
25. On the Edge of Innocence (1997) (TV) .... Mr. David Walker
26. Shadow Conspiracy (1997) .... Frank Ridell
27. Ghosts of Mississippi (1996) .... Judge Hilburn
    ... aka Ghosts from the Past (UK)
28. "Diagnosis Murder" .... Dr. Ronald Trent (1 episode, 1996)
    - The Murder Trade (1996) TV episode .... Dr. Ronald Trent
29. Primal Fear (1996) .... Bud Yancy
30. Shadow Warriors (1996) .... Dr. Connors
    ... aka Techno Sapiens (UK: video title)
    ... aka Techno-Fear
31. "Homicide: Life on the Street" .... Bailey Lafeld (1 episode, 1995)
    ... aka Homicide (USA: informal short title)
    - Hate Crimes (1995) TV episode .... Bailey Lafeld
32. "The Client" .... Bert Halliwell (1 episode, 1995)
    ... aka John Grisham's The Client
    - Pilot (1995) TV episode .... Bert Halliwell
33. "Earth 2" .... Reilly (6 episodes, 1994-1995)
    - All About Eve (1995) TV episode .... Reilly
    - Survival of the Fittest (1995) TV episode (uncredited) .... Reilly
    - Redemption (1995) TV episode .... Reilly
    - The Enemy Within (1995) TV episode .... Reilly
    - The Church of Morgan (1994) TV episode .... Reilly
    (1 more)
34. Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder (1995) (TV) .... Frank Darnell
35. "Tales from the Crypt" .... Inspector Zeller (1 episode, 1994)
    ... aka HBO's Tales from the Crypt
    - The Bribe (1994) TV episode .... Inspector Zeller
36. "Matlock" .... Malcolm Engle (1 episode, 1994)
    - The Dare (1994) TV episode (uncredited) .... Malcolm Engle
37. A Friend to Die For (1994) (TV) .... Ed Saxe
    ... aka Death of a Cheerleader (UK)
38. Justice in a Small Town (1994) (TV) .... Harris Wiley
    ... aka Day of Reckoning (Australia: video title)
    ... aka Hard Evidence
39. Don't Talk to Strangers (1994) (TV) .... Bonner
    ... aka Dangerous Pursuit
40. Heart of a Child (1994) (TV) .... Gordon Holc
41. Lipstick Camera (1994) .... Raymond Miller
42. MacShayne: Winner Takes All (1994) (TV) .... Danny Leggett
43. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" .... Admiral Eric Pressman (1 episode, 1994)
    ... aka Star Trek: TNG (USA: promotional abbreviation)
    - The Pegasus (1994) TV episode .... Admiral Eric Pressman
44. Tombstone (1993) .... Mayor John Clum
45. Amityville: A New Generation (1993) (V) .... Detective Clark
46. Visions of Murder (1993) (TV) .... Admiral Truman Hager
47. Born Too Soon (1993) (TV) .... Dr. Friedman
48. The Good Fight (1992) (TV) .... Henry Cragin
49. Wild Card (1992) (TV) .... Barlow
50. Sexual Advances (1992) (TV) .... Cliff Ripley
51. "L.A. Law" .... Nick Moats (1 episode, 1992)
    - Beauty and the Breast (1992) TV episode .... Nick Moats
52. Trial: The Price of Passion (1992) (TV) .... Bob Altschuler
53. Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View (1992) (TV) .... Sergeant Don Bell
    ... aka Take Down (USA: video title)
    ... aka Under Pressure (UK: video title)
54. The Cutting Edge (1992) .... Jack Moseley
55. My Samurai (1992) .... James McCrea
56. Company Business (1991) .... Colonel Pierce Grissom
57. The Rocketeer (1991) .... Howard Hughes
58. Shoot First: A Cop's Vengeance (1991) (TV) .... Sergeant Nicholas
    ... aka Vigilante Cop
59. Son of the Morning Star (1991) (TV) .... Gen. Alfred Terry
60. The Last to Go (1991) (TV) .... Daniel
61. Kaleidoscope (1990) (TV) .... Henry
    ... aka Danielle Steel's 'Kaleidoscope' (UK)
62. Blood Oath (1990) .... Major Beckett
    ... aka Prisoners of the Sun (USA)
63. "Jake and the Fatman" .... Vincent Novak (1 episode, 1990)
    - You're Driving Me Crazy (1990) TV episode .... Vincent Novak
64. Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception (1990) (TV) .... Curt Mitchell
65. The Forgotten One (1990) .... Bob Anderson
    
    
66. Stepfather II (1989) .... Dr. Gene Clifford/The Stepfather
    ... aka The Stepfather 2: Make Room for Daddy
67. Blind Fury (1989) (as Terrance O'Quinn) .... Frank Devereaux
68. Roe vs. Wade (1989) (TV) .... Jay Floyd
69. Guts and Glory: The Rise and Fall of Oliver North (1989) (TV) .... Aaron Sykes
70. Young Guns (1988) .... Alex McSween
71. "A Year in the Life" .... Keith (1 episode, 1988)
    - Fathers and Other Strangers (1988) TV episode .... Keith
72. Stranger on My Land (1988) (TV) .... Connie Priest
73. The Jogger (1988) .... Jerry
74. Pin... (1988) .... Dr. Linden
    ... aka Pin: A Plastic Nightmare (Canada: English title)
75. "Moonlighting" .... Bryant Wilbourne (1 episode, 1987)
    - Take a Left at the Altar (1987) TV episode .... Bryant Wilbourne
76. When the Time Comes (1987) (TV) .... Wes Travis
77. Black Widow (1987) .... Bruce, Alex's Boss
    ... aka Bullseye (Australia)
78. The Stepfather (1987) .... Jerry Blake / The Stepfather
    ... aka Stepfather I
79. At Mother's Request (1987) (TV) .... Joel Campbell
80. Women of Valor (1986) (TV) .... Maj. Tom Patterson
    ... aka Women of Valour (UK)
81. SpaceCamp (1986) .... Launch Director
82. Between Two Women (1986) (TV) .... Dr. Wallace
83. "Remington Steele" .... Chuck McBride (1 episode, 1985)
    - Coffee, Tea or Steele (1985) TV episode .... Chuck McBride
84. An Early Frost (1985) (TV) .... Dr. Redding
85. Silver Bullet (1985) .... Sheriff Joe Haller
    ... aka Stephen King's Silver Bullet (USA: complete title)
86. "The Twilight Zone" .... Dr. Curt Lockridge (segment "Chameleon") (1 episode, 1985)
    ... aka The New Twilight Zone (Australia)
    - Wordplay/Dreams for Sale/Chameleon (1985) TV episode (as Terrance O'Quinn) .... Dr. Curt Lockridge (segment "Chameleon")
87. Right to Kill? (1985) (TV) .... Jim Barrett
88. Mischief (1985) .... Claude Harbrough
89. Mrs. Soffel (1984) .... Detective Buck McGovern
90. "Miami Vice" .... Richard Cain (1 episode, 1984)
    - Give a Little, Take a Little (1984) TV episode .... Richard Cain
91. Places in the Heart (1984) .... Buddy Kelsey
92. All the Right Moves (1983) (as Terrance O'Quinn) .... Freeman Smith
    ... aka All Right
93. "ABC Afterschool Specials" .... Mr. Jacobs (1 episode, 1983)
    - The Hand Me Down Kid (1983) TV episode .... Mr. Jacobs
94. Without a Trace (1983) .... Parent
95. "Tales of the Unexpected" .... Cop (1 episode, 1982)
    ... aka Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected
    - In the Bag (1982) TV episode .... Cop
96. "The Doctors" (1963) TV series .... Dr. Jerry Dancy (unknown episodes, 1981)
97. Heaven's Gate (1980) .... Capt. Minardi
    ... aka Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate (USA: complete title)
98. F.D.R.: The Last Year (1980) (TV) .... James Roosevelt
    

Self:

1. "The View" .... Himself (2 episodes, 2005-2008)
   - Episode dated 19 February 2008 (2008) TV episode .... Himself
   - Episode dated 16 February 2005 (2005) TV episode .... Himself
2. "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" .... Himself (1 episode, 2007)
   - Episode dated 17 September 2007 (2007) TV episode .... Himself
3. The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards (2007) (TV) .... Himself
4. "Corazón de..." .... Himself (1 episode, 2007)
   - Episode dated 15 June 2007 (2007) TV episode .... Himself
5. "Entertainment Tonight" .... Himself (2 episodes, 2005-2006)
   ... aka E.T. (USA: informal title)
   ... aka ET Weekend (Australia: weekend title)
   ... aka Entertainment This Week (weekend title)
   ... aka This Week in Entertainment (USA: weekend title)
   - Episode dated 4 October 2006 (2006) TV episode .... Himself
   - Episode dated 17 August 2005 (2005) TV episode .... Himself
6. Fire + Water: Anatomy of an Episode (2006) (V) .... Himself - John Locke
7. The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2005) (TV) .... Himself
8. Before They Were Lost: Personal Stories and Audition Tapes (2005) (V) .... Himself
9. Welcome to Oahu: The Making of the Pilot (2005) (V) .... Himself
10. "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" .... Himself (1 episode, 2005)
    - Episode dated 24 May 2005 (2005) TV episode .... Himself
    

Archive Footage:

1. Reinventando Hollywood (2008) (TV) .... John Locke
2. Lost: The Answers (2007) (TV) .... John Locke
3. Lost Survivor Guide (2007) (TV) .... John Locke
4. Lost: A Tale of Survival (2006) (TV) .... John Locke
5. The Lost Survival Guide (2006) (TV) .... John Locke
6. Secrets from the Hatch (2006) (V) .... John Locke
7. Lost: Reckoning (2006) (TV) .... John Locke
8. Lost: Revelation (2006) (TV) .... John Locke
9. Destination Lost (2005) (TV) .... John Locke
10. Lost: The Journey (2005) (TV) .... John Locke
11. "The X Files"
    - The Truth (2002) TV episode (uncredited) .... Shadow Man
12. "Earth 2"
    - Better Living Through Morganite: Part 2 (1995) TV episode (uncredited) .... Reilly