Armitage at the SDCC Hannibal Panel – First-Hand Account by Kathy Jones

/ July 12, 2015

Sorry for inflationary posting today, but I am pretty sure this will interest you. I had two spies at SDCC, the fabulous Mimi Cruz who has been tirelessly working behind the scene of the con for many years and who is right now doing last preparations for her Secret Origins of Good Readers literacy workshop for educators, and the wonderfully calm-in-the-eye-of-the-storm Kathy Jones who has been on Green Room duty for Mimi. Kathy managed to get into the Hannibal panel and did not go to bed last night before shooting off a report of the highlights to me, based on notes which she took on her phone!! She has given me permission to pass it on and to write it up for you.

According to Kathy, the panel was clearly an event dominated by the Fannibals – which is kind of natural. However, “as far as I was concerned, it started badly with the Entertainment Weekly reporter introducing RA as Armitaaaage. The French way. Oooops”, says Kathy. Armitage fans were few and far between in the audience, which was reflected in the fact that not a single question from the floor was directed at Armitage. When Armitage spoke, it was because Bryan Fuller or other panel members addressed him. For instance, in the discussion on the panel Fuller teased RA about his rather short briefs in the show, and RA said “Yea, they were a little too short.” He kind of laughed but seemed more of a listener than a speaker at the whole event, not just in this interchange.  Fuller said RA would have a bare bum in the DVD version. RA said he wore his tattooed skin like clothes for the character.

red dragon tattoo

Sounds as if Richard’s cheeky side – pun fully intended by Guylty – came out in force. Reports Kathy: “Richard said his most memorable time was spent in the make-up truck, naked, having two girls paint his backside and butt crack and then having to scrub it off.” Aha! *gulps* I can vividly imagine…

As for the collaboration on the show, Richard said that although he came on board in the middle, he felt welcomed into the family. Hugh Dancy laughed and said “Yea, a family that kills you.”   RA was not personally inspired by Blake, but used the Goya Saturn painting to inspire him, which he has used for other roles. He did not specify which ones. Fuller said Richard was very collaborative and had his back.

goya saturn

Francisco de Goya, Saturn Devouring one of his Sons, ca. 1820, Prado Madrid

About the flower crowns worn by all, Kathy reports: “Richard asked Fuller why he was wearing a flower crown on this head, they all were, and Fuller explained it was a tribute to Fannibal fans (who were also wearing them). RA also had a small stuffed red dragon on his head which he removed halfway through the panel.” After the panel finished, RA jumped off the stage and gave his crown to someone (who it was, Kathy did not see). “That was really nice. Then he got back up there and walked off with others. He seemed at that point happy and glad to be out of there.”

Image: Ethan Miller/Getty

My thanks to Kathy for going out of her way and writing her personal account for me – which I have paraphrased a little bit here and there – and for all our fellow fans. I expect there will be more photos and reports coming in over the next few days, but for a collection of tweets and pics check me+richard, as well as Armitage Agonistes. Ali from RichardArmitageNet has already updated her page with plenty of official reports here, and Jollytr has started compiling a link list on her tumblr here. You can find a comprehensive collection of gifs of the trailer on PreoccupiedwithArmitage.

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21 thoughts on “Armitage at the SDCC Hannibal Panel – First-Hand Account by Kathy Jones”

      • Yes I did. It was a pleasure to share my hurried insights with everyone. I had two hours of sleep last night. Trying to keep with Mimi is exhausting, but exciting. So I my comments are a little lacking in appeal. But I was happy to sit in the hall and take one for the team. I did not realize I missed the book signing. I was trying to crash a party at the time. (Kidding!)

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    • IDK, I didn’t really find it that bad. But comparing that Goya with the last scene in the trailer (“Black Blood”), I can only say that Armitage is able to act paintings. Absolutely amazing.
      As for inspiration – hm, not sure – Thorin for the madness, of being consumed by madness, of becoming madness?

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  8. Thank you to Kathy for sharing her experience and to you for facilitating. I love hearing Richard speak, but even when he’s just sitting there, I’m quite happy to watch him! 😉 I scroll past that Goya painting quickly whenever it appears – it makes me shudder.

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  9. I am home from San Diego, having bid a fond farewell to Mimi and the Con. So glad you enjoyed reading about the panel from a fan girl’s point of view. I was not as close to our guy as I would have liked, but it was interesting to see him listen politely or laugh as other panel members shared their thoughts.Flower crowns bloomed everywhere. I hope by next year, if he is promoting a project, the moderator will know how to pronounce him name properly. By the way, he remained impassive in spite of that indignity.

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    • Oh, ever the polite gentleman… LOL. Poor guy, the name, although classy sounding, is difficult in his business, it seems.
      Thanks again for letting us share your experience, Kathy. It is just something else when we get to read a report from a fellow fan. xx

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  10. Thanks Kathy for taking the time out of the busy craziness and sharing all this with us and Guylty too 🙂 I sort of suspected it may be like this since people haven’t seen him in the show yet, what can one do,. Also the recent cancellation has also switched the attentions of people on that area. I suspect once his stuff is aired a lot of people will have: wish i’d… moments about the Comicon… But i think it was very good he went along in any case 🙂 Good exposure and the fans who got to meet him i think will always remember him fondly 🙂

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