#bohen

Ian talking about his mom He’s so very fluffy

And please be honest with me. I’m not asking because I want drama or because I’m looking for reasons to dislike him (really doubt that could happen, honestly). I’m asking because I think I need to emotionally prepare myself for literally any possibility before I drive 20 hours to Michigan completely by myself to meet this man. 😅

The thing is, all I ever hear is how kind, funny, warm, and genuine he is with fans. And I believe it. I really do. But I also once heard the exact same things about another actor I met a few years ago and then when I met him, he was honestly kind of a jerk. Later that same day he apparently apologized at his panel because multiple people had passed along that he’d been rude to fans. Which… okay, cool that he apologized, but also like if you’re openly being an ass to people who paid real money and traveled real distance to meet you, that sticks. I skipped the panel entirely after that because the experience already soured him for me.

And that’s what scares me here. I fully understand celebrities are human beings. Humans have bad days. Humans get tired, overstimulated, burnt out, emotionally drained, sick, stressed, whatever. I completely get that. But I also think conventions are a little different than randomly approaching someone in public while they’re grocery shopping or eating dinner. At a convention, fans have often spent hundreds or thousands of dollars between tickets, travel, hotels, food, photo ops, autos, time off work, and emotional investment just to get a minute or two with someone they admire.

I kind of feel like if you’re having a rough day, at minimum just don’t take it out on the fans. Even a simple “Hey guys, I’m exhausted today, sorry if I’m a little quiet” would go a long way. Nobody expects perfection. People just don’t want to feel stupid or crushed for caring.

And maybe this all sounds dramatic, but Ian Bohen is not “just another actor” to me. I’ve met celebrities before. Big ones even. I usually don’t get starstruck like this. Nervous? Sure. Excited? Absolutely. But manageable. This is different.

Ian Bohen is my golden goose. The big one. The celebrity I’ve wanted to meet for basically my entire life. This man has existed in the background of my life since I was somewhere between 6 and 9 years old and I’m almost 37 now. That is INSANE when I actually say it out loud. 🤣

I always joke that it started with Hercules, but honestly it may have started even earlier with Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, Wyatt Earp, or Monster Mash. Then came Hometown Legend, The Delivering, Mad Men, Marigold, Breakout Kings, Teen Wolf, Yellowstone, Air Force One Down… literally everything. I have watched every single thing this man has ever been in. And somewhere along the line, his work stopped just being entertainment for me.

There were periods of my life... abusive years, dark years, grief-filled years, lonely years, where his presence, his characters, his interviews, his energy, his work… genuinely helped keep me going. More than once.

I know parasocial attachment is a thing. Trust me, I’m self-aware. 😂 I know how this sounds. But sometimes people become weird little anchors in your life without ever knowing it. Sometimes a familiar face, voice, performance, or personality becomes part of your survival toolkit. And for me, Ian Bohen became one of those constants. I have literally gotten myself through awful moments with the ridiculous but effective mantra: “Hey… you exist at the same time Ian Bohen exists.” And somehow my brain went: “You know what? Fair enough. We can survive another day.” Helpful delusion? Yes. Effective? Well... also, Yes.

And because of all that history and emotional attachment, I honestly think it would crush me if I finally met him after 20+ years and he was dismissive, annoyed, or acted like fans were burdens. I know that sounds intense, but I’m being real. I think I’d genuinely be heartbroken enough to leave the convention early and not even care about the money I spent.

So I’m asking: Has anyone ever had an off moment with him? Even a small one? Did he ever seem irritated, distant, awkward, rushed, quiet, overwhelmed, anything?

Or is he genuinely as lovely as everyone says?