Astin, Winkler, Swallow, Eckstein Among 14 Additions To FAN EXPO New Orleans Celebrity Lineup

NEW ORLEANS, USA, 2022-Dec-15 — /EPR Network/ — The celebrity roster at FAN EXPO New Orleans grew by a whopping 14 with today’s announcement that Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, The Goonies), Henry Winkler (“Happy Days,” “Barry”), Emily Swallow (“The Mandalorian,” “Supernatural”), Ashley Eckstein (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” Her Universe founder), “The Office” standouts Kate Flanery and Leslie Baker and eight others will attend the event, January 6-8 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Today’s lineup additions also represent a variety of TV, film, gaming and animation franchises. They include Billy West (“Futurama”), Royce Johnson (“Daredevil,” “The Punisher”), Matt Lanter and James Arnold Taylor (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars”), David Hayter (X-Men, “Metal Gear Solid”) and the “Super Mario” trio of Charles Martinet, Samantha Kelly and Kenny James.

Astin has demonstrated his innate ability to share his heart with the world through such iconic roles as “Mikey Walsh” in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, “Samwise Gamgee” in the LOTR trilogy, and “Bob Newby” in “Stranger Things 2,” roles that epitomize hope, determination and loyalty. Sean’s recent feature films include the award winning thriller Adverse (2020); the family comedy Hero Mode (2021); Charming the Hearts of Men (2021); and this year’s comedy iMordecai.

Winkler first captured the nation’s attention as the leather-jacket wearing, motorcycle-riding “Arthur Fonzarelli,” a.k.a. the “Fonz” in the iconic series “Happy Days.” He has gone on to produce TV shows like “MacGyver,” direct several movies, act in plays and feature films, and author the popular Hank Zipzer children’s book series, with co-author Lin Oliver, about the adventures and misadventures of the ever resourceful, but struggling student named Hank.

With her portrayal of “The Armorer” in “The Mandalorian” in the hit Netflix series “The Mandalorian,” Swallow added another role to her growing resume. She also appeared as “Kim Fischer,” a regular on “The Mentalist” and as “Amara / The Darkness” in the 11th season of “Supernatural.” She also lent her voice to the role of “Lisa Tepes” in the animated Netflix fantasy action series “Castlevania.”

In addition to voicing “Ahsoka Tano” in numerous iterations of the “Star Wars” franchise, beginning with 2018’s “The Clone Wars,” Eckstein founded the fashion label Her Universe, dedicated to providing stylish, fashion-forward merchandise for female sci-fi fans.

The 14 newcomers to the FAN EXPO New Orleans celebrity field join a star-studded roster that already includes legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, The Evil Dead franchise); Matthew Lewis (“Neville Longbottom”) and Bonnie Wright (“Ginny Weasley”) of the Harry Potter franchise; Katee Sackhoff (“The Mandalorian,” “Battlestar Galactica”); Christina Ricci (“Addams Family,” “Wednesday”); Giancarlo Esposito (“The Mandalorian,” “Breaking Bad”); Carl Weathers (“The Mandalorian,” “Predator”); the “Stranger Things” trio of Joseph Quinn, Grace Van Dien and Eduardo Franco; Anson Mount (“Star Trek: Discovery,” “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds); and the stars of “Trailer Park Boys” Mike Smith, John Paul Tremblay and Robb Wells. The event will boast a featured lineup of celebrities, voice actors, creators, cosplayers, authors, exhibitors, compelling programming, meet and greets, special events, family zones and more.

Tickets for FAN EXPO New Orleans are on sale at http://www.fanexponeworleans.com, with individual day, 3-day and Ultimate Fan Package available for adults, youths and families. VIP packages are also available now, with dozens of special benefits including priority entry, limited edition collectibles, exclusive items and much more.

Additional guests, exhibitors and programming for this major comics, sci-fi, horror, literary, anime and gaming convention will be announced closer to the event.

New Orleans is the first event on the 2023 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events/.

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FAN EXPO HQ is the largest comic con producer in the world. Collectively it hosts nearly 1 million fans annually at FAN EXPO New Orleans, FAN EXPO Portland, FAN EXPO Vancouver™, Toronto Comicon, FAN EXPO Cleveland, MEGACON Orlando, Calgary Comics & Entertainment Expo, FAN EXPO Philadelphia, FAN EXPO Dallas™, FAN EXPO Denver, FAN EXPO Boston™, FAN EXPO Chicago, FAN EXPO Canada™, Edmonton Comics & Entertainment Expo, Dallas FAN FESTIVAL, and FAN EXPO San Francisco. The latest schedule of events is available here, along with up-to-date ticket information. Discover. Celebrate. Belong.