I’m on a roll…
L – Dealbreakers – what would make you stop being RA’s fan?
Apart from what everyone else has said – if RA became a political (right-wing) extremist, turned out to be racist or sexist – I have to admit there are also a few other things that would turn me off him. It’s highly unlikely but if I ever heard any reports that he is an arrogant arse on set, or that he is talking about his fans badly, then that would be it. I take his usual complimentary talk about his fans with a grain of salt, and I put down some of the enthusiastic praise he receives from colleagues as customary flattery exchanged between entertainment business co-workers. But one thing that makes him so enduringly attractive (apart from his obvious good looks and his considerable talent) is the way he conducts himself when interacting publicly. So any sign of big-headed hubris and ignorance, and I am out of here.
Also, in this current phase of little to no news, I have noticed more than ever that much of my fangirling depends on actually being able to consume new material. In previous droughts I was still new enough in the fandom to require catching up with his back-catalogue. That tided me over nicely when there were weeks and months of silence. But I am all caught up now, and if it weren’t for the fun we create ourselves, I’d sometimes almost forget that I am here to follow the career of an actor. So if RA decided to quit acting and turn exclusively to narrating or other behind-the-scenes work, I think I would probably throw in the towel. I like the actor – but if he didn’t act anymore, I don’t think I’d fangirl for the narrator only.
The fickle fangirl heart… easily won, and easily distracted…
Guylty Pleasure 
I think at this time, the thing I admire most about him is there is no scandal surrounding him. At all. I don’t know. Maybe our darling is made of teflon….
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Or maybe his life is simply too boring to provide any juicy scandals??? I know, I know. Blasphemous to even say it out loud… 🤐
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Boring can be good but he has (I think correct me if I’m wrong) no wife, no kids, maybe no balance.. maybe that is part of the problem. But scandal free no #metoo stories against him percolating is always a good thing.
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The blaspheming continues: Even with partner or kids I don’t think his private life would get any less boring *grins*. He seems to like to keep his head down. And fair play to him for that.
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I actually like that better!!!
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It’s so funny your last sentence there about Richard turning to narration solely bec I watched the ITV Surgery School last night which he narrated. First the doc is actually good not great but you as the viewer are right there and the residents or applicants (not sure of the correct pc term here) are honest and there is a bit of blood and guts but not bad at all. Second of course is the Golden Voice narrating-it is funny, cheeky, serious at times and charming. Some of what he narrates must be British colloquies and I say that with all the love in the world. I recommend it bec it was free on YT, his voice of course and I admired these young late 20 somethings at the time in 2008-09 that went on camera and put themselves and their budding careers out there for the world to see.
I think he’s actually too picky and maybe needs to be more aggressive in pursuing roles bec once he’s out there on the greater sphere of celebritydom then he could pursue his passion projects (Bridget Cleary and Richard III) no? I get the drawback though, I do.
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There are a number of narrations that I have never bothered looking up, “The Great Spern Race” one of them. I just can’t be arsed *coughs*, pretty voice or not. I also think he is wasting his talent on such documentary narrations. Literary narrations/audio performances are the least he can do *hehe*.
As for pursuing roles and pickiness – IDK, I think it is actually great that he picks and chooses according to his own tastes and likes. I get the impression that fame and fortune are not the highest on his priority list.
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I get what Michelle is saying though b/c it’s been one of my roadblocks concerning RA staying power. if he did bigger/more well known projects every now and then, it would give him the opportunity to do the smaller projects that he feels passionately about. if your name/face isn’t recognizable, it’s going to cut your chances within the business dramatically. pursuing more mainstream things isn’t courting fame, it’s a strategic move to gain more control.
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Kelly, yes thank you!! I mean isn’t the role of an actor to act, to want audience to see them perform. Now a days there are so many mediums for him to do that. I totally get why he does Audio-he has the ideal voice for it, he’s great at it and he’s in demand. But for the wider audience who are movie goers or Netflix users or tv watchers mainstream means you do whatever comes along. Sitting back and ticking off a list is all great but when you’re not getting roles because you’re being too choosy or your agent(s) don’t go up to bat for you bec you only want to do certain roles instead of “I’ll try anything once.” Well audiences don’t see you then. Kathy Griffin once said something wise that Stephanie Powers (a great actress from my decade the 80’s) told her “Take whatever you can get, don’t say no because one day there will be nothing left to take.” I think in show business more than any other field that is soo true.
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Tbh I think that he is neither too choosy nor are his agents bad at their job. He has reached a certain level of exposure rather late and at a particular age when the big roles go to slightly younger men. Maybe he has also been typecast. And he has been unlucky with some projects that sounded good on paper – but then were scrapped. I’m not sure I agree that an actor should take anything that comes their way. Even in RA’s oeuvre there are a couple of things where I think he would’ve been better off giving it a pass. Brain on Fire comes to mind…
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Yes I agree on Brain on Fire I would rather have a tooth pulled then watch that movie again and he was ok in it–physically easy on the eyes but within the story even his performance would not make me want to watch that movie again.
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Oh, as usual he did a good job. But he was wasted on that movie. It simply didn’t really cut it. Servetus made many great points about what was wrong with it.
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I wouldn’t want him to take anything and everything that is offered either. while it keeps it interesting if he branches out instead of sticking to the same type of projects/characters, he should still stay true to who he is and what interests him. you can tell when an actor’s heart is into something and when it’s just a paycheck.
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I couldn’t agree more. Which is why I am happy with his MO. He seems to pick things that are in some way interesting to him – career-wise, genre-wise, acting-wise. Some of those are bound to clash with my own preferences, but as long as his heart is in it and he stands over it, all’s well.
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Hm, but he *is* doing exactly that. He is the lead in BS which has run for at least 3 seasons, he has had a role in this summer’s big heist hit O8. Presumably he is going up for other roles, too, so I honestly do not believe that he is aloofly picking and choosing only the intellectual creme de la creme of projects…
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Oh yes I totally agree with you about the narration of docs even Audiobooks though I think he’s doing the Audiobooks to stay busy. I guess my point about the pickiness is that it may be a while between film gigs or tv gigs. I mean assuming BS3 is his death or disappearance all season (I’m just speculating here) and he doesn’t have a Hobbit role to jump into and I think he was very very lucky to get that for a three pic deal of keeping busy and he was fantastic in it. Then unless he’s working on a theatre role (which may be the case) mulling around London or NYC or wherever he is may lead to boredom and while boredom is good for some people for some people who can’t sit still which he strikes me as the type it can be bad. Spending quality time with his dad and brother/family is great and maybe that is what he needs right now but staying busy could help him ultimately do passion projects that he really wants to do. Does that make sense? I feel like I’m not articulate this morning. Maybe my coffee hasn’t kicked in yet…
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Unusually for me, I am feeling a little bit APM here. I might be getting you and Kelly completely wrong, but I do not think at all that the roles he has taken in the recent past have been all that bad or all the low-profile. The man has been the main villain in O8, for g’s sake!!!! And he has been billed the lead in a 3-season spy thriller that is being shown on Netflix! I find that pretty high-profile.
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Guylty, no no I don’t mean past roles I mean forward roles and I think going into APM is sweet and endearing. I’m not trying to bash him at all. I’m just saying (I guess rather badly) that I think if he is too picky in what he chooses other opportunities out there may pass him by. Do I want him to saturate the marketplace in like 4 or 5 movies a year–well um sort of because then he is out there but I get quality over quantity here. I found him thru BS and I love his look in that series more so than as Lucas North. I’m just thinking out loud (maybe too much) why he hasn’t done more and O8 he was a cad/villain but a dashing cad at that.
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Hehe, but we can’t discuss forward roles because we do not know what is coming up! Who knows, he might already have a major deal under his belt. Just because the near future only holds a slew of audio books and 2 films, doesn’t mean that he is idle at home, throwing all the manuscripts that come his way in the bin.
But well, I guess I disagree with you – I would NOT want to see him in 4 or 5 mediocre bit parts, but rather in 2 well-chosen roles that stretch his abilities and correspond to his interests.
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Well at the risk of really pissing you off which is not my intent here ( I adore you I really do) at all I think Claude was a mediocre bit. I mean he had to look pretty(Gucci shirts) and act like a cad not even a villain Villain ( ie Heinz Kruger)and he was much needed eye candy and I hope the success of O8 opens up more doors for him but it was mediocre. I’m really happy about My Zoe because it sounds really juicy and I like Julie Delpy movies. The Lodge-it’s different so kudos for him for that. You are absolutely right that we don’t know what is brewing and maybe something really good (sorry Kelly but hopefully no MU stuff) is in the works and I’m being pessimistic here but I think working in 4 movies would give him more doors for more things to challenge him. It doesn’t have to be intellectual stuff although I wouldn’t mind some Shakespeare. It could be run of the mill great stories stuff. Daniel Bruhl comes to mind as an actor who works a lot now and produces and is in a lot of movies but they are diverse and some have been good and some have been not so good. I feel like I’ve dug a hole here with you and that was not my intent.
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even though I like superheros, I wouldn’t want Richard to do one of those roles unless it was something completely different and less comic book-y. it’s just not the right fit for him (please, no Batman! that ship is sinking and I don’t want Richard attached to it!)
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Oh yes no Batman and I’m glad no Bond either hopefully not, Hiddleson can have that role.
Kelly, are you sad that Chris Evans has said bye bye to Captain America? He’s directed I think one movie and starred in a slew of other stuff most of it blah (ie Gifted although the little girl was very good in that movie, in my opinion)
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I love Chris Evans as Captain America but I think it’s run it’s course, and it’s not fair to him as an actor to be tied down to such a long term commitment if it were to continue. I just hope he doesn’t decide to go the romantic comedy route b/c I don’t think he’s good at it. I would love to see him continue on in action films. I thought he did a good job as his character in Gifted though. in those other roles, he’s just playing himself.
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Ugh, definitely no superhero movie. I’ve got nothing against superhero movies as such, but I think they are dead end career-killers.
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You are absolutely not pissing me off, Michele. Disagreements are part and parcel of a discussion, and as you can see they are also what drives a good comment thread 🙂
So on the subject of disagreement – yes, Claude was the cad, and Claude was a mere side figure in the whole film, but I don’t really think it was a mediocre role or a mediocre film. I’m not even looking at the box office figures, but I think in some respects the high expectations that the promo created for the film, ultimately also bit it in the arse. I enjoyed the film, the story and the fact that it was female-led. However, I still think the other Ocean’s films were better.
IDK, but I am not so sure whether movies are where he should focus his attention. Maybe that is just my own preference, but I think that he’d be better off in a multi-episode show. Preferably one that isn’t as convoluted as BS, and also gives him a character he can really flesh out. I know you don’t like Lucas North, but I suspect that is because your initial contact with RA was Daniel Miller. However, Lucas definitely had more scope for acting than Daniel. He was a character with background, with conflict and with emotion. And RA was simply great at conveying the brokenness of Lucas. BS hasn’t provided the same kind of opportunity for RA. DM remains a one-dimensional character – the few emotive scenes in BS2 notwithstanding. (They felt incredibly artificial and out-of-character to me – I actually scoffed when DM broke down in tears after witnessing the death of a nasty neo-nazi terrorist… Honestly? Qualms over odious Otto, but not a single emotion after fellow agent Armando bites the dust?)
My Zoe could be great. I just hope that our expectations aren’t too high.
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Yes you are absolutely right that my gut reaction when I first saw him as Daniel in BS1 was very physical more so than any other actor I’ve goo goo eyed before and there have been a few. I am re-watching Spooks a third time now and I do notice a lot of the subtleties of Richard’s playing Lucas that escaped my eyes before. I sort of wished Lucas and Ros hooked up but she had hooked up with Adam and I know you don’t hit replay yet again. Maybe S9 was disillusioning to me and that left a sour taste in my mouth.
My favorite though is Guy..I mean what a Guy!! I liked O8 overall for the female empowerment. I just wished his role had been bigger (I think he could have been pivotal to the subplot of the movie)
I strive here to interact and I never want to be disrespectful to anybody here. I love everybody’s perspective and in my mind Richard can do no wrong. Perhaps that is naïve of me but he emotes for me positive energy and will continue to do so until I hear otherwise. I guess I just want to see more of him physically again honeymooning here.
Oh I did want to say I finally finally saw Vicor in White on Vimeo(sp?) and just loved it. Definitely will spend more time re -watching it. He is soo sweet and plays so well with Dawn French it was such a feel good viewing for me.
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Oh, don’t mention S9 of Spooks, Michele 😂That was so out of character, I really think the writers totally messed up with that. It didn’t make sense whatsoever, it created lots of plot holes in the past, and it was an altogether miserable end for a much-loved character…
Guy – unsurpassed. Period. 😁
I think Richard definitely strives to spread positive energy, as you put it. Not always successfully. But I completely understand that you are at a point in your fandom journey where he can do no wrong in your eyes. It’s actually a lovely place to be in, and so I am not going to spoil that for you. Just to say that it is probably a natural development that over time, you as a fan will become more discerning and critical. That’s not a negative thing as such – it just means that you are acting and reacting on certain expectations.
Vicar in White – very cute. The singing scene in the church is just hilarious *cue Harry’s sparkly smile*. And now that you have mentioned it, I will seek it out there and rewatch it. I haven’t seen it in aaaages.
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Yeah I needed a huge pick me up today and saw a handsome Stranger for the 500th time and finally found Vicor In White which I just fawned over.
I try to stay positive re Richard even those selfies but I’m not a Twitter fan and that is an area where if he stuck to politics or Immigration debate or Brexit I would be happy. Anything else re Twitter I wish he would just quit while he’s ahead.
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hehehe, well put!
BTW, I only found compilations of VoD on Vimeo. Have you got a link?
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Oh god I’m not technical at all. I googled Vicor in White found it on Vimeo where I found Handsome Stranger maybe under full episodes?
It’s not in YT Handsome Stranger anymore I couldn’t find it at all
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Yeah, unfortunately. It used to be my go-to happy video on YT, but it was deleted at some point 😭
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Oh for sure it is mine! It gives me hope that there are good guys out there! It must have been deleted recently from YT bec I saw it maybe 2 months ago
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I think Dawn French won every fangirl’s heart forever with her spoof on “It Coulda Been ME.” Because…not Dawn French…not Geraldine…Me. Me!!! I want him!!!
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It SHOULD’a been me 😁
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And me too!! Napey curls and clean shaven skinny lanky Harry was so sweet!!
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simmer down, mama bear 😀 I agree that he is getting better at this. O8, though not my cup of tea, was a really good move for him. Berlin Station isn’t too shabby either; my father recognizes his name now b/c of BS. if he keeps steadily working with a mixture of high and low profile projects, I think it will treat him well. if he continues with the abundance of audio books though, he will distance me even farther. that’s just a personal preference on my part, b/c I can’t get into audio books, no matter how hard I try
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That’s exactly the point I was making – I think he has done relatively well in the recent past. And yes, the audio stuff is not going to hold my attention in the future. I do want to see the actor act – but not necessarily in *anything that comes along*. I don’t mind having my horizons expanded by his role choice, but the stuff has to merit my attention in some kind of way.
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I guess I’m just hoping that the higher profile things he has picked as of late will give him more opportunities to do things that *I* like. since we don’t know what he’s been offered and passed on or what he’s auditioned for but was passed over, who knows? maybe his taste and mine just don’t align to my satisfaction. I have no desire to see O8, and although I was initially excited for BS it ended up falling flat for me. I don’t want to see Brain on Fire or listen to the Wolverine podcast, even though I’m very into comic book projects- that whole audiobook thing again. we could save a whole lot of time and heartache if he just called me up and asked me what I want to see… 😆
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He should and he should call you too Guylty esp about the selfies!!
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LOL – he better not. I’d tell him to give up the game altogether 😉
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Right exactly my point!!
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I enjoyed O8. I’ve not seen ANY of them and went to see O8, because a) Richard and b) big screen. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would and I didn’t feel like I was missing out on watching part 4 of the series
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Ha ha ha ha!!!
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Now, that would certainly be the ideal solution to all this. We only have to figure out now whether *our* preferences are compatible 😁
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See I’m in the honeymoon phase – I would watch him read the phonebook just to see him. I would shell out money to see him in more ensemble pieces even something like Death On The Nile which is Branagh’s next project I recently read. Richard has enough panache and intellect and is extremely hard working that he could take a minor role and really make it his own. I’ve never gone to a theatre to see any movie more than once until I saw him in O8(granted the first time I was a bit tipsy from bday lunch) and this man drew me to watch a show 4 times now just to see him on the screen.
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Welcome to the club, Michele.
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Besotted a wonderful club to be a part of!!👏👍😀
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I’d definitely attend a reading of the phonebook by RA.
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Front row seats for sure!!!
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Yes! I’ll even pretend that I am listening.
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Hahaha thank you for making me laugh now! I feel a lot better!!!
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😘
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Well said. I’m prepared to ‘suffer’ for his art a little, i.e. try something I might not usually go for but not at the expense of my peace of mind (read gore/horror—even if he struts around in his underoos a lot).
He surprised me with the audio books. Try as I might, I had not been able to get through one before RA but he’s amazing with it. We’ll see how that goes.
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Same her, Kate. I actually love that he has widened my horizons. I have tried genres that I wouldn’t have touched with a bargepole, otherwise. Like horror (Hannibal) or animation (Castlevania). I overcame my dislike of fantasy literature because of The Hobbit, and like you, I gave audio books a try. I am still not a major fan of the latter, but listening to *him* perform them, is no hardship.
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I’ve barely gotten thru one bec his voice just sends my southern region into a tsunami 💗💗💗💗😍😍😍😘
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Understandable. I can’t say that every word he says thrills me in that way. But sometimes, with certain tones of voice or contexts, I do get a little shiver, too.
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Well my down south goes wild when he changes the tone in his voice whispering to intense holy moses!
I was thinking of you and our little group of commentators today at Measure For Measure it was in Russian w English subtitles. It was produced by Pushkin Theatre and Declan Donnegan or something like that as the director. You all would have orbited another planet the way they interacted and just nailed Shakespeare
I kept sitting there thinking Richard needs to do theatre again but for maybe a 4 or 5 month stretch.
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I’ll take anything in theatre, anything. Doesn’t have to be an overdone Shakespeare. A new modern piece would be great. Preferably three hours long. And playing for your suggested 5 month stretch 😁
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Yes yes I concur! I just need time to organize finances and a trip! My guess is London for sure.
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Yes, please!!! Three hours would be nice. Of course that would bring up the issue of a SD which I don’t even wanna contemplate. Ambivalent does not begin to describe my feelings there.
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Listen, darling. IF a play happens, and IF there is a SD, and IF there is an opportunity for fans to meet up, you and I will make an appointment and I will hand-hold you through the whole procedure, old hand that I am. Afterwards you can always claim to potential critics and jealous husbands that “a mad Armitage fan forced you along”.
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Well, I can only imagine two possible scenarios for that:
1) Complete and utter failure to articulate any words at all.
2) Hopeless, nonsensical babbling and u
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Damn, that posted unintentionally.
and therefore total humiliation. I’d vastly prefer 1) or better yet, none of the above!
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Not to worry, Kate. Number 1 is my usual modus operandi, so we can gape and be silent together! “The mute twins” will be our new SD double-act.
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It’s a deal. We’ll have shirts with what we’d like to say printed on the front and a big “The mute twins” logo on the back, then we can just point!
👇🏻
“Dear RA, your performance blew me away. Please sign my book. Thanks you so much!”
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I love it. What a great idea. Definitely let’s do that. I’ll hold you to it and we have a date, Kate!
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I’m in!! What font do you use for the RAPS? I think it’s only right to honor that in the t-shirt design!
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No particular RAPS font – possibly Courier, the typewriter font. The magnetic words that often feature in my RAPS are usually Times New Roman. Sorry, rather boring 😉
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Times Roman is classic and timeless 👏👍
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Oh, I didn’t realize those were magnetic words. 😎 I’ll figure something out.
You mentioning Times New Roman actually triggered a fangirl idea in my non-linear brain, so thanks. If it comes to anything, I’ll dedicate one to you.
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Yep, most of the time the words are magnetic. They come from about three and a half sets of “fridge poetry” I have in my stash. Which also accounts for the rather incongruous messages/quips that I create from them…
I am getting more and more curious now. Can’t wait to see what you are concocting!
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That TNR one I might actually be able to do in the foreseeable future. The other one is rather time consuming but I’ve started it. My goal is to have it for next year at (possible) auction time.
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ooooh, the suspense… 🙂 Take your time. There’s no hurry!!!
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Yes but I’m horribly impatient with myself, so that’s a problem!
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Join the club!! Maybe we need to start a self help group😘
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I know exactly what you mean, so am I. I like to get everything done *at once*, and if there is no chance of doing that, I won’t even *start* a project.
Really, where is that rich man whom I wanted to marry????
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Right? I wish I could marry a Rich man. 😉 But I posit being married to this Rich guy would distract from the creative pursuits… 😆
I had to start Project RAuction bc it’s honestly gonna take months. I’m just mentally breaking it down. I’ve written up the concept (1), I’ve outlined the graphic distribution (2), I’ve designed the text with the appropriate fonts (3). Now I’m (4) sourcing images [I may call for help with this from y’all at some point] and once I have all the raw materials, I’ll work on it in sections (5-???).
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Oh, *that* particular Rich-man comes with challenges of his own. I mean, he might be well-off enough, but he’s also travelling all the time and is away a lot. Oh, and then there is the fact that you’d be fighting off all those other women all the time…
Curiouser and curiouser! This Project RAuction has me intrigued!
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I’m with you on the challenges of being with a man who’s away a lot. Mr. H in his previous incarnation was John Porter, so I lived that reality for many years. It’s not much fun.
Re the RAuction project, I’m not gonna spoil it on here and I won’t say anything until I’m fairly confident I can finish it but I’m terrible at keeping (my!) secrets, so I may break down late one night and confess all to you in private.
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Oh phew – army wife life must be tough! Especially when you were the party left at home to await his return.
On the secret project – I have an open ear anytime. Especially late nights. (Thank goodness I am an hour behind you ;-))
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It’ll definitely happen. I’m having a hard time not blabbing as it is but I need one sample/prototype before I’m comfortable coming out.
Will we discuss it in German or a English…? What was your rule about meeting people in a certain context? 😉
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Hehe, well, when it comes to meeting a fellow German, I always find it silly to insist on English when there is no one else around. But you can tell me your secrets in *any* language 😉
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I’m about one step away from staring a blog so I can rant about how not good it’s going without hijacking your comments section. I’ve started the Fan A-Z to distract myself from my sorrows. 😫😖
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Kate rant all you want on mine
That is what is there for !!! 👍😉
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Oh, I am all for you starting a blog. There is a bit of a vacuum in blogland at the moment, so any new blogger would be welcomed with open arms. And you know, there is no obligation to blog every day, or even on a regular basis. I have blogged intermittently without any clear schedule (apart from the Saturday morning tumblr round-ups) for years – because I neither want the obligation nor the create an expectation. So if you feel like it, jump right in! WP is free!
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“The fickle fangirl heart… easily won, and easily distracted…” I’m not sure how easily my heart is won but it is definitely easily distracted 😀
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Well said!!
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New Material – fanfiction…..
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I’m on a different level of fandom, I guess. I don’t watch/listen to his every project.
My fan girl loyalty is cemented by his performance as John Thornton. But my enthusiasm for his continued success in his career is real. I was ecstatic when I first head he landed the part of Thorin. I’ve been to the cinema 4 times solely because of him – a huge deal for someone who almost never goes to the movies.
I will watch/listen to his Castlevania. That’s the last fangirl thing I’ve consumed since the first season!
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I think that may actually be a good approach to fangirling. Sometimes it is terribly disappointing to see one’s favourite actor in a bad film. It’s almost preferable not to have seen him at all…
Over time it has definitely become less important – and less urgent – for me to always see his latest work asap.
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Thornton and Standring are my comfort food. I admit I’m struggling with Castlevania. I watched the first 2 episodes then stopped. I’m gonna go back and re-watch those two and the 3 and 4 before the S2 premiere Oct 25? I just don’t like the animation bit. His voice is extremely sexy as Trevor Belmont but the animation thing is boring to me. I’ve watched enough of it with my nieces to last a lifetime.
I’m not gonna do Wolverine either. Just not my cup of tea. Am I not a diehard fan? Oh no!!!
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Wow, what a great conversation this is. I agreed with every single point in your post, Guylty, and almost everything everyone else has written below it. I need to see the face and watch the body move, not just listen to the voice. Deal breaker? Got to think about that. I will come back later with a more substantial comment. But one lesson I’ve learned in 6 years is, there won’t be that much really good material. So when there is, get on an airplane. I’m still kicking myself that I didn’t go to London for TC.
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That is actually a very valid point, Besotted. When it comes to theatre appearances, one has to take the opportunity whenever he appears on stage. Not only because good material is hard to come by, but also because he really is a pleasure to watch live.
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And I will definitely see anything else he’s in that’s directed by Yael Farber. So when they announce a city, fangirls, get ready to “host” me!
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Even though I find Farber’s current production in Dublin rather lame, I agree with you: I definitely want to see the results of a future collaboration of theirs. I’m saving up already.
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I think the only thing that could turn me off him at this point is if he behaved like an asshole in public, and I can’t imagine that ever happening. (Being accosted in an airport or restaurant doesn’t count though. That’s private time, and I’d forgive anyone for taking a swing at an obnoxious fan or papparazo/a who wouldn’t back off in those situations.) Having never consistently watched a celeb in my life, since I’ve been watching him I have been able to compare the behaviors of all the actors in his projects at joint press events. Some are not as clever as he is, or perhaps simply not as smart, or not as prepared, or nervous? A few have turned me off with obnoxious, self-aggrandizing behavior, and now I know what that looks like. Armitage is so the opposite—even taking care of younger actors during interviews instead of pushing himself forward (e.g. the child lead from the Shed movie, and Max-the-20-something from the tornado movie, sorry I just can’t pull up the names right now)—that I find him immensely appealing.
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Absolutely right on there w you
He is so articulate and gracious and polite so many actors could learn from Richard! I love his interviews and rewatch them on YT and what you guys post here just mesmerized by his responses and reactions to the questions (ie Popcorn Taxi session) 👏👍💗💗😛😀
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Popcorn Taxi is a great GREAT interview. Not least because of the interviewer, btw. Your man was funny and quick on the repartee, that made for a very entertaining conversation. I rewatch that on a regular basis.
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Yes to all of that. He has always been really good in those situations – and he has learnt how to optimise them even more. A pro through-and-through, and also a decent guy. That is definitely one of the most attractive things about him. – Like you, I don’t see that changing, really. It’s part of his personality, not an act.
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He’s got great integrity as a person and a professional traits no doubt from his mum and dad besides LAMDA
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Great back and forth opinions today. I wish I could remember where I read it, but I believed the man himself said as a working actor, he is limited to doing work he is offered, and he generally takes what is offered. There could be exceptions, of course. I always think of Michael Caine being criticized for starring in Jaws 4. “I have never seen it, but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house it built, and it is terrific.” I don’t think every project RA takes is agonized over and sometimes a job is just a job. I agree with Guylty that if he stopped being in front of a camera for long, my interest would wain. I need new RA material to keep me engaged. It seems like forever since we saw him on a large or small screen. And as much as I love his voice, I like the whole package more.
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Yep, I remember him saying that, too. So maybe there is just not that much stuff being offered to him?
The whole package is definitely the best option.
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There isn’t that much out there, anywhere, that is very good. Look at how much drek there is on t.v.–in any country–and how many movies have you been tempted to pay for in the last 10 years that didn’t have RA in them? Most stage productions in New York are stooooopid musicals, often adapted from even worse TV shows. Most entertainment is only entertainment and sucks. There is very little that rises to be “art.” I suspect he’s doing the best he can in a very narrow field. And I’m wondering if some of the voice work–being in new media that aren’t calcified yet–isn’t giving him a more creative bang for the buck. Even as the (lowly) “talent,” he will help create/define what the Wolverine franchise morphs into for the future. That’s kind of like being a…producer. He might be seeing opportunities that others are missing, and if it’s the voice that gets him there, well whatever.
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That is definitely true for Wolverine, I agree. He may have gotten in there because of his voice, but who knows, he might stay for his acting talent. In that sense, I agree that voice work is good. And sure, I have enjoyed some of his narrations myself. I just hope that they are merely an interim solution to pass the time, not a serious career option.
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Perhaps he’s waiting for that next big thing to happen. He’s had the Hobbit taste in all forms— great director, cast mates, location, character of course, story, movies popularity so maybe he really is biding his time.. 😉🤔💗
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Yeah know David Tennant is doing Good Omens for BBC on Amazon in January and it sounds intriguing and when I was reading about it I kept thinking Richard would be great in that role or Michael Sheens so there is stuff out there. What about all the theatre stuff non musical stuff surely Mike Bartlett has something juicy Richard could sink his acting chops into it. Farber too of course.
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I will say as far as NYC musicals go I saw Bette Midler in Hello Dolly in August and she was phenomenal! 👏👍
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I agree. As much as I would love to believe that he constantly has 10 scripts to choose from, the cynical side in me tells me that’s just because I think he’s the cat’s pajamas and the movie industry as a whole is a very big pond who may disagree with my assessment. I would love for him to have his choice because I really just want him to be happy with what he’s doing. That may not always overlap with what I like watching but there are hundreds of thousands of us, so he’ll never make everyone happy anyway so at least I hope he makes himself happy.
I like O8 and I have seen the others. I disagree that they were better. The female crew made me happy and while his was a SMALL part it was him on the BIG screen, something I’d never had the chance to see before. It was awesome.
Ice-T (to quote an unlikely source, at least for me) once replied to a comment from an interviewer who asked why he did these “bad” movies that he came from a humble background and his work ethic was that if you get offered a job, you take it. He also considers himself a working actor. Maybe there’s part of that in RA as well. Many British actors who are big stars come from the upper class, so he’s a bit different in that respect.
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I do understand that attitude by Ice-T, and I think you are probably right in saying that RA may have a similar MO. He has said as much. And he has often expressed a certain lack of self-confidence – as in: For the first two weeks of preparing/filming TH in NZ, he didn’t even unpack his suitcase because he was convinced Peter Jackson would see through him and send him home. So it follows that he doesn’t maybe pick and choose as much, but grabs what he can…?!
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OMG, don’t get me started on the humble pie-itis he suffers from. I love that he’s not a cocky bastard, it wouldn’t suit him but there are limits. My least favorite quote is about Strike Back and how he couldn’t have been a soldier. Mentally, I totally agree. It takes a certain person to do that job, but physically—pfft! Look at what he did with Dolarhyde or Thorin. If he had joined at a younger age and been kicked out of bed at 5 am six days a week, made to run a few miles topped off with some push-ups and sit-ups, he’d have had the body and fitness in no time. Real soldiers (unlike their movie versions) are only human. Repetition will get you there.
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Yeah, it kind of worries/bothers me occasionally that he thinks so low of himself. I mean, I understand humility, and I understand realism. (I am blessed with both – although this sentence seems to prove that I am lacking in humility *hehehe*.) But it makes me sad and disappointed when I see that gorgeous, attractive, fit, talented man play down his own worth so much. Surely, with 47 years under his belt and so much experience in the industry, he must know that he can’t be as bad/irrelevant/unattractive as he makes himself out to be… It’s healthy to be self-critical, of course, but self-doubt is just not good. (Could that also be the invisible force that seems to sometimes hold him back??)
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Guylty, I certainly would not speak for him but I raise my hand as far as self-doubt goes (especially this week) . I’m glad in a way that he is modest and humble and doesn’t think his s**t doesn’t stink , yeah know. Perhaps those years when he was bullied have stuck with him. Perhaps also he is a little lost right now, maybe nothing great is on the horizon professionally, his mum’s passing may play a role in how he feels, or he is simply lonely. I can certainly relate to most of this except the loss of a loved one but one can seem attractive and the full package on the exterior while hurting or doubting on the inside. I think he’s more like Standring then even he may realize.
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Don’t get me wrong – it’s not that I dislike him because he is humble and modest. Quite the opposite. I am just saying that self-doubt is a self-fulfilling prophecy. (And I really know what I am talking about in that respect.)
And just to add that the self-doubts I was referring to were not now but in the past.
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Oh ja I know the OOA is strong with you (my Yoda impression 😛) and even if he still felt down on himself every now and then he’s human and that I think at least for me makes him so appealabe and lovable and sexy in a subtle way😍
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He is certainly relatable because of his insecurities.
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Thanks for saying this. There is a real sense of pride in his humility at times, IMO, and it gets to be a serious turnoff.
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“sense of pride in humility” – that really hits it, too!
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I guess at the end of the day we have to take those comments with a grain or three of salt. They are, after all, part of the PR package usually. 🤷🏻♀️
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Das ist eine überaus interessante und angeregte Diskussion, die ihr hier führt und zur Zeit ist das der eigentliche Hauptgrund, warum ich mich bei euch so gerne aufhalte. Die Dinge, die mich wirklich begeistern sind alle schon etwas älter und in der letzten Zeit kam nichts nach, was mich hierher gebracht hätte. “Brain on Fire” war einfach nicht gut und “Ocean’s 8” ist nicht so mein Ding. Diese Projekte hätten mich niemals auf Richard aufmerksam werden lassen.
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Im Grunde geht es mir da nicht anders, Elanor. Wenn ich allein bedenke, dass ich die letzten Projekte alle nicht mehr mit ausführlichen Kritiken bedacht habe, dann ist das schon ein allgemeines Zeichen. Insofern reift in mir derzeit der Gedanke und der Wunsch, mit Hilfe von ein paar “shared viewings” hier wieder Schwung in die Diskussion und in die Bude zu bringen. Und zwar sehr gerne auch alte Schinken, bei denen man auch tatsächlich etwas kritisieren kann.
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Das ist aber mal eine richtig gute Idee zu später Stunde. *hocherfreutguck*
Ich will mich ja nicht immer so nörgelig anhören, aber in letzter Zeit war filmisch gesehen nichts so recht nach meinem Geschmack. Aber mich fragt er ja auch nicht (euch alle wohl ebenfalls nicht), obwohl ich es gerne auf mich nehmen würde, das bei einer guten Tasse Kaffee mit ihm zu besprechen.
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Ich sage ja schon seit langem, dass wir alle mal ein Gespräch mit seinem Management führen sollten…
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Klassenausflug nach London??? 😛
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Bin dabei. Die Verantwortung übernehme ich allerdings nicht 😉
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Wir können uns ja von unseren Männern eine Einverständniserklärung geben lassen. Obwohl… da kriegt meinereiner vielleicht Probleme. 😉
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Ich glaube, damit stoße ich bei meinem Gatten auch auf Granit. Besser, man stellt sie vor vollendete Tatsachen. Und deklariert mögliche Stage Door-Events einfach dezent in “Treffen mit Freundinnen” um. Hat sich in der Vergangenheit mehrfach schon bewährt…
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Off topic, feel free to delete Guylty, if you’re losing patience with me. Daniel Bruhl, whom Michele mentioned, is a good one to watch for parallels. He’s younger than Armitage, but started working as a teenager (I think), so he’s ahead of Armitage in years of experience and exposure. And he knows an amazing number of languages which gets him cast all over the place. But he’s got a similar “everyman” look, while being pretty damned cute, and works in a lot of smart productions. I saw him first in “Goodbye, Lenin” which is about East Berlin after the wall (and is hysterically funny, highly recommended) and thought “Who is that guy?” I started Googling and found the movie about the WWI soldiers who call their own private ceasefire and celebrate Christmas Eve together between their trenches. He plays the German officer, and he is amazing. As in amazingly good. He’s in the Julie Delpy movie, right? Will we actually get to see them in something together?
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Besotted I’m raising my hand bec Daniel Bruhl is in Julie’s movie 2 Days In Paris from 2007 he has a small role and was 25 at the time. I loved that movie bec I love Paris and Julie writes acid sharp dialogue and her parents are in it just funny her dad especially. I’m not fond of Adam Goldberg but he grew on me in the film. Daniels mom is German and dad is Spanish or the other way around. He’s very talented and absolutely reminds me of Richard as a younger man esp eye movements. Watch him closely he’s very subtle like Richard. See Besotted we need a blog where we can discuss movies and theatre in all forms any ideas?
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I’m with you, girlfriend. Movies are my favorite way of learning about the world. It’s how I found North & South and look what came of that!
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I’m gonna look up that Daniel Bruhl East Berlin movie you mentioned so thank you! He also did a movie w Rosalind Pike 3 Days in Entebbe earlier this year about hostage crisis on board an airplane which sounded interesting.
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Rosamund Pike sorry stupid fingers can’t type tonight on my phone😩😳😬
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Not sure whether it is available in English, but Daniel Brühl did a documentary where he takes a film crew around Barcelona for a day. It was really interesting, and I definitely warmed to him because of that.
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Wow I think one of the parents is from Barcelona or that is home base for him now. That city is in my travel bucket list some ways down from Ireland and the dream trip NZ and Australia 🇦🇺 😛
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Yes, his mother is Spanish.
Unfortunately not dubbed, but here is the Barcelona documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUfLfuzztFk
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Thank you! I’ll check it out!!
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ooooo thank you. My library didn’t have it, and I LOVE Barcelona. I’m a city collector, and it’s in my top 5. Don’t care if I don’t understand German, I will watch this anyway!
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What are your other top 4 cities if I can ask?
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Berlin, Istanbul, Amsterdam, New York. For now.
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Guylty please chime in here any ideas?
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You could easily start up your own WP blog, or if you find that too much work, you could create a forum on proboards.
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Yeah I’m just not technical like you and Zee and Sue and Servetus. For me it would be chatting and no visuals. But it would be cool to have a place to discuss movies and theatre and other actors w Richard as the connecting link. Hmmm perhaps a seed is planted.
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Visuals aren’t needed if all you want is a platform. And then there is always Facebook, I guess, where you could establish a private group.
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No no no Facebook but maybe WP I’m starting to mull ideas now and gonna do research on it. Thank you for your suggestions and advice!! 👍😀
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I know it can seem intimidating but WordPress is very easy to use. you could keep it really simple & go with a ‘chat’ concept. like, make a post by giving it a numbered title or the date, and have the content just be a suggested topic to discuss. then the ‘chatting’ could go on in the comments, with the understanding that anything is open for discussion, not just the suggested topic. you could make a new post/chat every few days or once a week/month whatever, or just wait until comments become too many 🙂
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Kelly, yes I was thinking like a topic and open it up to chatting revolving around music, movies, actors/actresses, theatre just no gifs or fancy things. To be honest I like these conversations and going off topic is fine with me and I like where the conversations go bec I learn new things and the topics seem to really blossom into interesting views and experiences. I’m only participating in a few blogs and I comment quite a bit now. I don’t know if I would link Richard in it bec I feel there are enough excellent quality blogs out there. But I appreciate the encouragement. It is very sweet. I stay away from Social Media except to lurk on his Twitter and IG to see what he is doing.
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I can recommend Proboards. It’s super userfriendly and you can easily create subboards and threads to keep it all organized. I’m not a techie myself and I co-moderated and organized one for years. If I can do it, anyone can.
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Daniel Brühl is really good and he plays in a lot of very different films. He even is part of Marvels “Captain America – Civil War” and in my opinoin that was a good thing for him to do. Maybe he should have a cup of coffee with Richard 🙂
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Hopefully they interacted on the My Zoe set. Daniels production company helped produce her film.
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Not deleting this – it’s not off-topic at all.
I’m not exactly a fan of Daniel Brühl, but I am interested in the sense that he is one of the very few German actors who actually have an international career. Goodbye Lenin is a favourite of mine – so funny. But even better is “The Edukators” (sic) which raises some interesting questions. (My daughter recently saw the film in school. I saw it in the cinema when it came out years ago.) And I liked him in Rush.
So yeah, himself as well as Delpy and Arterton are definitely interesting cast mates for RA. And I am looking forward to the film very much.
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Arterton is up and coming too and super busy so that cast was probably gelling on all cylinders w Julie at the helm.
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He does try new genres Tide’s Fall an example (which was great) but then I get depressed when I see his co star Alicia Vikander was the producer so he was just ‘ hired’ and to rub salt into the wound discovered ‘screechy’ Joanne Froggatt from Robin Hood a patron of the Rain dance festival
I don’t know how these things work but he needs more high profile roles, is it money or who you know or a combination of all, after all his acting prowess isn’t in doubt.
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Yve – how was the Tide’s Fall presentation, btw? I was hoping you’d give us a little review 😉
But yes, you are right – it’s somewhat disappointing that the high-profile stuff is lacking at the moment. Maybe it’s just a bad year for him…
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Hahaha “screechy” why is she that? He definitely needs more high profile roles.
Maybe one day he’ll finally put on his producer hat and director hat ?!
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She was the most annoying character in S3 of RH, always screeching and hysterical *grah*
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Ok so glad you said that bec I really didn’t like her character and she had zero chemistry w Jonas or any of the men. I thought Lucy was great and I thought she had wonderful on screen chemistry w Richard I always wondered if she and Jonas ever had s thing off camera bec they were closer in age? 🤔😉
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May be they did because he featured in Dark Angel which JG produced.
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JF Joanne Froggatt not JG
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Oh thanks. I meant if Lucy Griffith and Jonas had a thing off camera since he is only 6 years older than her.
Robin and Marian to me never really had on screen chemistry, he seemed very dismissive of her and I thought Lucy thrived more with her scenes with Richard. I only know Joanne Frogatt from Downtown Abbey and didn’t know she now produces too. Wow.. I just don’t get why he cannot step into that himself unless he really doesn’t want to and was just blowin steam.
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He killed my bruvvah!
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😂 Exactly. Over and over again.
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Yes, a serious case of assholitis would definitely be a huge problem! I’m picky that way. Lots of guys are talented and good looking but genuinely nice ones are much harder to find.
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“assholitis” 😂
And I couldn’t agree with you more. His lovely, humble demeanour and the way he comes across in interviews are a major attraction.
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“Great Sperm Race” — to me if you only saw one voiceover documentary, this is the one to see. It’s really funny and you can tell from his voice that he’s amused, too.
I guess I’m not really impressed by his much-vaunted humility. If it’s the result of low self-esteem, well, he’s 47 already. If it’s some weird spießig cultural attitude (my read on it), it’s tiresome. Constantly telling people how polite you are (as he used to do often in interviews) is IMO rude.
And I need some screen time with him. I still have a file with over 300 post topics to consider but eventually I need to feel like I have a future with him. The audiobooks don’t give me that feeling. I’d love to see him in a play but right now it would be extremely hard for me to arrange a trip to London. I hope BS3 isn’t a total bust, scriptwise.
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Oh, ok. I take that recommendation and will seek out the documentary.
I definitely think that culture comes into the humility issue, too. And I completely agree with you, in a weird reversal, it actually *is* rude to constantly refer to oneself as humble and polite, kind of implying that others lack in politeness.
Yes, screen time is absolutely essential to this fan thing! Theatre would be even better, but considering the access issues that causes, I’d be happy with a quality film or TV show. And right now – only BS scheduled. *sigh* I wonder whether they have learnt anything from the previous two seasons, and created something that is fresh, exciting and makes sense.
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Wish I’d gotten in on the start of these conversations. Excellent comments. I agree with Guylty as to what could turn me away from RA. I wish he’d do some mainstream films instead of these films that won’t get wide release. I doubt My Zoe will be a mainstream film. Delpy doesn’t have that reputation. Meanwhile I’m listening to his books which are coming out like rabbits. Love his voice.
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Yeah, I think you are right. Delpy is definitely not mainstream. But even if she is indie, she’s still a big name and might attract a lot of attention. Fingers crossed…
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