It was a packed house in the Marriott Atrium Ballroom Friday at 5:30PM as Gina Torres hosted her first panel, “Firefly: Operation Zoë Alleyne Washburne.” This regal lady entertained all questions from the audience.

When asked about who her favorite fake-husband is, she said it was Alan Tudyk, hands down. “We became great friends, so for us, it worked great. He is such a sweet and funny man. I loved working with him.” So how did Walsh win Zoe’s heart? “He made her laugh… and he was a great kisser.”

Torres has been in the business so long that, as she stated, “I am on the air somewhere all the time.” Not only is this true, but her portrayal of a strong, confident woman resonated with the audience. She is a cross of royalty and badass all at the same time. She is the protector. She has the need for family more than anything else. She is also a role model for all women.

The entire cast of Suits attended the royal wedding of the former castmate Megan Markle. The best thing from the wedding wasn’t the wedding itself, but “hanging out with castmates, riding a bus to the wedding.”

Does Torres still speak Mandarin? “Nope. My Mandarin sucks.” Laughter broke out.

There were some serious moments, too. When asked if Firefly would have been made today (16 years later), she thought that it would. “Although I may not have been on the winning side, I was on the right side. Complacency is a dangerous and toxic thing. Don’t be complacent.”

Sage advice.

One of the many, many pranks on set? Nathan took Jewel’s dog Teddy. At first, everyone was panicked. Did the dog escape? Was she stolen? Eventually, they found her in Nathan’s trailer with a sound-asleep Nathan. Teddy was snuggling on Nathan’s chest.

Lucky puppy.

At the end, Torres made a very valid statement: “We can all be part of the Firefly crew. We can all make a difference. It doesn’t have to be a major change. All small changes can make effectual differences.”