FAN EXPO Philadelphia Returns May 3-5, With Lopez, Gunn, Day, McKenzie Among First Stars

2024-12-23 04:09:47 Art & Entertainment

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Fans of all things pop culture have marked their calendars for the return of FAN EXPO Philadelphia, set for May 3-5 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. With the show fewer than four months away, the guest roster for the pop culture extravaganza gets off to a huge start with the first nine standouts in what will be a star-studded lineup.

First to the post are headliners Mario Lopez (ï¿½Saved by the Bell,ï¿½ ï¿½Access Hollywoodï¿½), Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, ï¿½Gilmore Girlsï¿½), Felicia Day (ï¿½The Guild,ï¿½ ï¿½Dragon Age: Redemptionï¿½), Ben McKenzie (ï¿½Gotham,ï¿½ ï¿½The O.C.ï¿½), Holly Marie Combs (ï¿½Charmed,ï¿½ ï¿½Picket Fencesï¿½), Adam Savage (ï¿½MythBusters,ï¿½ ï¿½Unchained Reactionï¿½), Michelle Hurd (ï¿½Star Trek: Picard,ï¿½ ï¿½Law & Order: SVUï¿½), Sofia Boutella (Rebel Moon, The Mummy) and Jason Lee (ï¿½My Name is Earl,ï¿½ The Incredibles).

Lopez first gained attention for his role as ï¿½A.C. Slaterï¿½ on ï¿½Saved by the Bellï¿½ from 1989-1993 and its reboot in 2020-21. He also served as host for the syndicated entertainment newsmagazine shows ï¿½Extraï¿½ and ï¿½Access Hollywood.ï¿½ He also starred in the police drama ï¿½Pacific Blueï¿½ and had a recurring role on the daytime drama ï¿½The Bold and the Beautiful.ï¿½

Gunn played "Kraglin" in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and its sequels in 2017 and 2023, as well as providing the physical performance via motion capture for "Rocket Raccoon" in the films plus Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder. He also portrayed "Kirk Gleason" throughout the seven-year run of "Gilmore Girls" among his 60+ acting credits.

Day has more than 100 credits, from films to TV series to voice work, with many highlights including a 66-episode run on ï¿½The Guildï¿½ and recurring spots on ï¿½Supernaturalï¿½ and ï¿½Eureka.ï¿½ She teamed with original series host Joel Hodgson for a five-year run on the recent iteration of ï¿½Mystery Science Theater 3000ï¿½ and had her first big fandom exposure in a recurring role as ï¿½Viï¿½ on ï¿½Buffy the Vampire Slayer.ï¿½

McKenzie, who portrayed the lead character ï¿½James Gordonï¿½ in the hit Fox TV show ï¿½Gotham,ï¿½ was born in Austin, Texas, appearing in theater productions and a few TV shows including ï¿½The District,ï¿½ ï¿½JAGï¿½ and ï¿½Mad TVï¿½ before the success of ï¿½The O.C.ï¿½ launched him into stardom. His film roles have included Junebug opposite Amy Adams and 88 Minutes with Al Pacino. The University of Virginia graduateï¿½s starring role in ï¿½Gotham,ï¿½ which regularly hit nearly seven million weekly viewers, followed the Commissionerï¿½s life before Batman came onto the scene.

Combs starred in "Charmed," which ran for eight seasons and has adopted a huge, loyal following since, as "Piper Halliwell," one of three witch sisters fighting evil in modern day San Francisco. That followed her breakout role in 88 episodes of the hit series "Picket Fences" and later led to appearances in more than 30 series and movies and a long run as "Ella Montgomery" on "Pretty Little Liars."

Savage, best known for his work as the co-host of the Discovery Channel series ï¿½MythBustersï¿½ and ï¿½Unchained Reaction,ï¿½ has made his mark in the entertainment world as a special effects designer and fabricator, actor, educator, television personality and producer. His special effects work on such films as Space Cowboys (2000), Galaxy Quest (1999), Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and others earned him acclaim that led to the ï¿½MythBustersï¿½ gig and front-facing success.

Hurd has appeared in a wide variety of projects, notably in regular roles in ï¿½Star Trek: Picard,ï¿½ ï¿½Blindspot,ï¿½ ï¿½Hawaii Five-0,ï¿½ ï¿½The Gladesï¿½ and ï¿½Law & Order: SVU.ï¿½ She had her first extended exposure as ï¿½Dana Kramerï¿½ on the daytime drama ï¿½Another World,ï¿½ and last year co-starred opposite Jonathan Bennett and Cedric the Entertainer in the feature film The Plus One.

Boutella played the lead character in last yearï¿½s Netflix action-adventure feature Rebel Moon: Part One: A Child of Fire, a follow up to her role in ï¿½Rogue Heroesï¿½ a year earlier. She co-starred opposite Tom Cruise in the fantasy-adventure film The Mummy in 2017 and was also top billed in the science fiction drama Settlers and Prisoners of the Ghostland alongside Nicolas Cage and Nick Cassavetes in 2001 and the horror film Climax in 2018.

A native of Southern California, Lee is a photographer, producer, director, and actor. Having established a successful career as a professional skateboarder during the sport's pivotal late 80s and early 90s period, Lee would go on to pursue acting, which would lead to working in film, television, and voiceover, and with such directors as Kevin Smith, Lawrence Kasdan, Cameron Crowe and Rebecca Miller.