Name: Paige Lehnert
Location: Orlando, FL
Bio: I am a native New Yorker and lifelong geek with a passion for multiple fandoms: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, The 10th Kingdom and Harry Potter (to name a few). I currently work as a composer for indie films and video games, which means I get to use my creativity every day!
Think back. Way back. What was your first fandom?
My first fandom was, without a doubt, Star Wars. When I was a little girl, my amazing dad used to share his love of Star Wars (and Indiana Jones) with me and my sister. He loved playing Super Star Wars with us on the NES and blasting all three of the original soundtracks in his car when he drove us to school in the morning; so much so that, to this day, my sister and I will sing an acapella version of the Throne Room song from the end of A New Hope whenever we are together. When the first incarnation of Star Wars Weekends hit Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 1997, my dad was one of the first people to jump in line with me to get signed photos from Jeremy Bulloch and David Prowse. He also would peruse the action figures in the store at the end of Star Tours (then called “Endor Vendors”) to see what action figures we were missing in our little collection. The month before my dad passed away in 2002, the last movie he saw in theaters was “Attack of the Clones.” Since he was in a wheelchair, he and my mom sat in the back of the theater. My dad was just so excited to see a new Star Wars movie and to have “the best seat in the house.” Although my dad is no longer with us, he transferred his immeasurable love of the fandom to me, and it is something I always try to keep alive with my husband. My husband Keith and I love going to Star Wars conventions, dressing up as Jedi and being our all-around nerdy selves. I have my dad to thank for that! 🙂
If you could cosplay any character, who would it be?
It would be either the Tomb Raider herself, Lara Croft, (I’ve done the movie version but not the video game version yet!), Bastila Shan from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic or Jyn Erso from Rogue One.
If you could live in any fictional place, where would it be?
There are so many fictional places I’d love to live! In the Star Wars universe, I’d choose Naboo because it’s an absolutely breathtaking planet. Or for someplace more obscure, Little Lamb Village or Kissing Town in The 10th Kingdom. That is by far my favorite miniseries ever made!