"You’re really tall...are things proportionate?" John Barrowman asks me as we pose for a photo, leaving me speechless for the second time in less than 10 minutes.

That simple fun and flirty statement pretty much sums up John Barrowman at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. Whether making out with InnerSPACE host Ajay Fry during his panel or "The Hub" evening host Shane Turgeon, teaming with Casper Van Dien to surprise Nathan Filion with a boa constrictor, or responding to a fan asking to grab his ass during a photo op with "at least stick a finger in", Barrowman is instantly likeable and full of surprises.

"You don’t know what kind of underwear I have on, or if I am actually wearing underwear. You are desperate to look down but you aren’t going to," he teased. The answer as fans found out over the weekend was Iron Man underwear on Saturday and Spiderman on Sunday. One of the most popular guests at this year’s event which featured a reunion with his Torchwood co-stars Eve Myles and Gareth David Lloyd (interviewed in the last edition).

"The thing is we are all crazy. Casper I haven’t seen in 12 years, we were brothers on a show called Titans for Aaron Spelling. I walked out of the elevator last night and there he was looking exactly the way he looked a long time ago except we both have some grey hair in places we won’t talk about."

Barrowman is a man of many talents. He has his own skin care products, is an author and of course an actor, singer and dancer. From multiple theatre roles like Raoul in Phantom of the Opera and Billy Crocker in Anything Goes, he has conquered the theatre world and also released multiple albums. He has appeared in films such as The Producers but is most known for his portrayal of Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who and Torchwood. Many fans at the expo wanted to know if they would be seeing more of Captain Jack, including the upcoming 50th anniversary Doctor Who special.

"I have no idea. I don’t know. That is the honest answer. Whether or not they decide to bring back Torchwood at some point it is their decision not ours. But Eve, Garreth, and I have always said when they do, if they want to revive Ianto or do a season that takes place before - who knows - but we would love to be there." At his featured panel he told booing fans that he would not be part of the 50th anniversary. "I wasn’t asked, that’s it. I love that you are booing and that every other question is Why aren’t you in the 50th? I wasn’t asked, it is not my control; it is the BBC producers and those that make the decisions. They felt that they only wanted to bring back David and Rose which I think is a great idea. John Barrowman the fanboy is disappointed, I think I was a big part of the program but I am ok with it. That doesn’t mean you all can’t petition the shit out of it."

Barrowman is keeping busy, currently acting in the hit CW show Arrow, which airs on CTV in Canada.

"Arrow has been incredible. Who can complain when I go into the makeup trailer and there’s Stephen Amell laying there in a loin cloth having scars and tattoos put on his body. That’s awesome. What’s really nice is that Malcolm Merlyn (his character) is an off the kilter hero, he thinks he is a hero which I love playing him that way. I am having a great time. The finale episode is like an episode on steroids times 100. The sequences we have filmed I could not believe what they were doing and how they were approaching it. I wrapped filming at 5:30 in the morning last Saturday and caught a plane back to Palm Springs. There have been people filming like that for the last 10 days. This is an episode where if you haven’t watched Arrow you can watch it and get hooked on it. It is going to be awesome."

Living in Wales with his partner of 20 years Scott Gills, Barrowman had an interesting outlook on how gay rights and gay characters are portrayed in Europe compared the USA.

"You are not going to like my answer. Although you think the UK is much further on - and they are in terms of rights for gay, lesbian, and transgendered people in Europe - Canada has been, well, progressive, and good on Canada for that, you have marriage already. But the United States are kind of in the 50’s where they were with black and white is where they are with the GLBT community. There is this fear that if we get marriage the place is just going to devour itself. I guarantee you that once marriage passes, because it will, the sun will still rise. People will still go to work and church and love each other but everybody will be equal. In terms of television, American TV has the most gay and lesbian characters in the world on TV. They are stereotypes. That is where it is different in Britain, everyone is not flouncy and a queen. We are actually men and women living lives like everyone else. That is where I think American television is progressing now, they are moving on to show the diversity of the gay community."

Even if not a fan of John Barrowman before the expo, if you met him or interacted with him in any way then you became one almost instantly. Despite his success he remains grounded. During his panel he told a story about an agent at the hotel cutting off two girls who were trying to get into the same elevator.

"I came into this business to work. Success and fame has come with it and I love it and thank everybody for giving me the life I always dreamed about and never thought I would ever have. When a lot of actors come into the business you know that becoming famous could happen, why become an asshole? Why become a dickhead? Just be yourself and embrace it and thank everybody for making you who you are."

Calgary certainly loved John, who unfortunately mostly saw the city from the Parade of Wonders parade route and the hotel. Could he return to Calgary for say, a large gay event held at the end of June?

"Save a horse ride a cowboy. Make me the Grand Marshall and I might think about coming. And then I’ll show up to the rodeo," he jests.

Barrowman is one of the most successful out gay actors, something he attributes to his honesty and another appealing aspect of his character. He was told by a gay producer early in his career to pretend to be straight, advice many actors have taken. Not in his case, and it has paid off.

"I ignored him of course as everybody should. I have a successful career and the fact of the matter is...I have been honest and truthful and the public is not stupid. People say that they are married because they are covering up because they are actually gay. It is not my job to out people, somebody might not be coming out for a personal emotional reason. When people do come out, that is their choice and that is what it should be. But you should never feel that you have to be in or pretend to be somebody else because of your work, and if you do then fuck that work. Go do something else and be yourself. I am adamant and very passionate about this because I was told to be straight when I was younger. I went home to my boyfriend, who has now been my partner of 20 years and said, Scott what should I do? and he asked what I wanted to do, and the answer was I don’t want to lie about my life. That was the defining moment. If anybody out there is going through that struggle confront your boss and the people and if they do fire you because of your sexuality, sue the shit out of them."