From August 15-17, FanExpo Chicago proved to be a successful convention, drawing in thousands of fans. Numerous stars from many fandoms appeared to sign autographs, take pictures with fans, and speak at panels.
Wherever your interests lie, you likely know a few of the guests who attended Rosemont’s Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Just a few names included Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Orlando Bloom, John Cena, and Brendan Fraser.
It’s quite incredible to see how alive fandoms are, even decades after their most recent films were released. Some of the cast of “Aliens” appeared, and I got the chance to interview Mark Rolston, who played Pvt. Drake.
Upon asking him if he’d rather live in the “Alien” universe or the “Star Wars” universe, he told me that he played the first character to appear onscreen in “Ahsoka.”
“I’m the first character you see and the first to take a lightsaber– and I did it like a champ,” Rolston stated. In other words, he’d rather stay in the “Alien” universe.
Additional cast members including Ricco Ross, Paul Reiser, William Hope, and Jenette Goldstein were in attendance.
Another major fandom that attended FanExpo was “National Lampoon’s Vacation.” Stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron, and Juliette Lewis appeared for a majority of the weekend.
I was able to interview both D’Angelo and Hall about their time shooting scenes at Wally World, which in reality was Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.
Upon asking Hall what he thought of the roller coaster, he replied very simply: “As a kid I was actually afraid of roller coasters, so I think I was like uh, I didn’t tell anybody cause I was shooting you know.” Looking back, though, he admits it was a fun time–not just for him, but for everyone.
As I walked down celebrity row, I couldn’t help but notice the amount of fans in cosplay. From Spider-Man to even Oscar the Grouch, the variety was amazing to me. So many people stopped and asked to take photos with them, and I was one of those people.
However, I spent the rest of my time walking down the exhibitor hall. So many shops from so many places came all the way to FanExpo to sell their merchandise. I found rare Funko Pops, graded comic books, and even 3D maps of Disney World attractions.
I feel as if FanExpo did a good job with the variety this year. Surely, it isn’t like New York Comic Con where companies such as Paramount and Sony show exclusive screenings, but the panels weren’t stereotypical and did not feature major fandoms like Lucasfilm or Marvel.
It was an amazing experience overall, but I would say there is one thing that needs to be done to make things run smoother in 2026. In celebrity row (not including Cena, McGregor, Christensen, and Bloom, which had their own private area) there were no markers on the ground in front of each line showing which was VIP, ADA, or regular.
Instead of being placed in their own line, VIP ticketholders were simply placed in front of the general line, which angered those who had waited to get to the front for hours.
Regardless of the long lines, celebrities such as Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor stayed at the convention nearly five hours after closing to finish signing autographs for fans. It’s pure devotion to the fandom.
People say never meet your heroes. I say, meet them. Even the tiniest interaction such as eye contact and a fist bump means the world.
FanExpo Chicago returns to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont from August 14-16, 2026. Tickets will be available soon.