Pinay fan recalls ‘surreal’ encounter with Chris Hemsworth

MANILA, Philippines — It’s not every day you get to see, let alone get a hug from your favorite star or ultimate idol.

But that’s exactly what happened to Katrina “Khat” de Guzman. On Monday, she became the “chosen one” out of the hundreds of fans who showed up at the red-carpet premiere of Netflix’s Extraction 2 film to get up close and personal with lead star Chris Hemsworth and director Sam Hargrave.

“The experience was surreal to be honest! There were so many superfans in attendance and I felt like a needle in a haystack when they picked me! I was already so ecstatic because he was able to sign my artwork, which was my main goal really,” Khat told The STAR in an online interview the day after her extraordinary encounter with the 39-year-old Hollywood star.

Khat, who is a senior graphic designer and web3 community builder, isn’t just any fan. She is a superfan who had a drawing of Chris long waiting to be autographed.

“It’s an autograph five years in the making! Because I attended a comic con overseas to meet Chris also together with other actors,” she recalled.

“Tom Hiddleston was able to sign it then, but Chris wasn’t able to attend the con. So, knowing there was a chance to meet him (last Monday), talagang all-out ako sa effort hahaha!”

When she was finally brought to the stage, Chris gave her a hug that almost left her at a loss for words.

“At the moment na umakyat ako sa stage, it was so surreal because both of them were so welcoming and accommodating. Sam was such a hype man when Chris and I went for a hug. That really helped take the tension and kaba away, and I was able to focus on enjoying the once-in-a lifetime moment.”

Khat is an avid attendee of red carpet premieres, conventions and fan meets that featured foreign celebs.

“I really like going to comic cons and lining up for things. Sa mga Netflix premieres that they had in the past, I was able to go also and get some of my stuff signed,” she shared.

“Internationally, the latest one I was able to go to was the San Diego Comic Con 2019. Talagang pumila ako with my friends and slept on the line so we could enter the hall, where all the amazing announcements were made.”

Her latest fangirl experience was certainly one for the books. She had simply signed the registration form and answered generic questions. She readily conceded though that her short but sweet encounter with Chris was a combination of luck and “prayers.”

Comparing it to her previous experiences, she said, “It was more personal because there was time for us to speak, and of course, that hug hahaha! I’ve never had a chance to do that in past fan meet experiences.”

Khat has been a fan of the Australian actor since she saw him in the Star Trek film in 2009. “And I have followed his career religiously after that. Even si Sam, especially, yung credit niya as a stunt coordinator for a lot of Marvel films in the past,” she said.

Meanwhile, here are Khat’s tips to make the most out of these fan meets: “Always come prepared during fan meets! Bring memorabilia you would like to try to get signed and also bring pens in case the talents wouldn’t have it.

Khat’s five-year-old artwork is signed by the Hollywood star himself.

“Always hydrate and bring snacks, especially if you would have to wait in the area for a long time (we were there since 3 p.m.).

“Also, what I’ve learned in participating in these fan meets and conventions is that you should always shoot your shot! When opportunities like these come, just try and join all the time.”

The meet-and-greet with the fans was one of the events that marked Chris’ two-day visit to the Philippines early this week. Manila was the first leg in a multi-city global tour to promote his action-thriller that world-premieres on Netflix come June 16.