*Gasp* All The News 😲

/ October 29, 2020

I was on the phone with Linda60 last night when she passed on the good news that the new project RA was hinting at, has been announced.

Grrr, can I just say that I wish Red Prod. could find a better picture of Richard? That old thing somehow doesn’t look like him. Shouldn’t they have plenty of yum pictures of him on file from TS? Not to mention that that would be double the promo for his *new* and his *old* Red Prod. produced shows? *tuttuttut*

So another Coben thriller with Richard in it. Reading through the blurb, I am actually excited: Richard plays “Ray, the once promising documentary photographer, now stuck in a dead-end job pandering to celebrity obsessed rich kids”.

Edit: Just found a blurb of the Coben book with a tiny bit more detail:

*ugh* – a paparazzo? Meh. That kind of makes me cringe – despicable creatures that are tainting the reputation of a whole section of the photography industry. So we already know from the out-set that Ray initially is not going to be an easily likeable guy. Well, perfect fodder for Richard then, right? But, ok, a photographer!!! Yay!!! Mind you, could be a double-edged sword for me – if Richard doesn’t hold the camera right, I’ll be miffed 😂. Here’s hoping that he’s watched his photographers well enough when posing for photos himself…

I presume “Ray” is not going to be working in the nip, though

And can we talk about the name? Ray. Raymond? It really is funny how Rich has a knack of playing characters with the same name.

Ray, using the smoke machine to create atmospheric photos

Ok, all jokes aside, it’s good news to hear that Richard is going to be seen on a huge, international platform in a multi-episode show again, soon. Think of the Coben thrillers what you will, but so far the Netflix series have been largely commercially successful, so it’s a good move. I initially wondered whether it was a bit “old”, working within the same constellation again. But then again, maybe it is actually a rare but pleasant opportunity for an actor to work with a team that they already have had a relationship with. Easier to slip into an efficient and effective work mode? Surely it also means that Richard has built a strong relationship with whoever is making the casting decisions – whether it is Netflix or Coben, but they obviously have him on their list. So, looking forward to this new project – while wondering what is happening with the other projects that had been announced in the last months. Are Man from Rome and Now and Then off the table? Postponed? Richie keeps us on our toes…

Also – here is a new must-watch interview, also courtesy of Red Productions. Previously only seen in snippets, here is the unexpurgated Red Production Company podcast where Richard and Shaun Dooley talked about acting, actors and the industry.

The interview starts off with an absolute gem. My new favourite reaction gif – fan service for you:

Couldn’t resist giffing this myself. Mainly because I love the easy banter displayed by Armitage and Dooley. I think we discussed this before, but the two of them obviously had huge fun working together.

Otherwise not really hugely new things there – tap dancing classes, “smile as if you are enjoying it”, circus, equity card, musical theatre hoofer, back to drama school. And while for a long time I refused to believe that he *really* was a victim of bullying in school, I now suddenly understood what and why: his reply to the question “What has changed in the industry since you started”. There is obviously some trauma there, if that is what he spontaneously decides to mention. And there’s a bit of a theme there – the changing of body and face seem to have occupied Richard for a while now, gently deriding himself for “dad bods” and claiming that it is painful to see oneself on telly with a young face. Not entirely unrelatable, even for people who are not immortalised on screen. Happens to me every time I look in the mirror and that horrible old hag stares back at me 😂 So I am beginning to believe that he is actually *not* coquetting when he says he’s looking forward to stepping back away from the limelight in his dotage. In the meat business, it must be hard feeling that you cannot as easily keep up with your previous look and body… However, I hope the day won’t come *quite* yet. Let’s hope that photographer Ray gets some nice exposure on Stay Close.

 

 

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37 thoughts on “*Gasp* All The News 😲”

  1. Thanks for passing on the good news. Plus interview stuff. I failed to mention it at the time, but some of my friends saw RA for the first time on Stranger. They loved it . And him in it. “I see what you mean”, they drooled. Nice to be validated by people who don’t know what a fandom is.

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    • Oh, I completely agree, Kathy. That validation really is gold. I was really pleased when my husband dear liked The Stranger. (He didn’t say anything about Armitage, but ok, that’s a different issue…)

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  2. Yay! So good to have lots of episodes 😃 I’m really pleased it’s another one they are switching to the UK, as well. I much prefer him talking English 😊

    I rely on you to tell us exactly HOW he holds the camera wrong 🤣🤣🤣

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  3. This is great.

    • Netflix = wide release for everyone
    • Loads of episodes
    • Many interviews
    • So many new stills and gifs

    Even if some people aren’t into Coben, we should all get something out of it.

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    • Compelling list of pros, Kate.
      And yes, whatever we may think of Coben’s (somewhat formulaic) thrillers, there’ll be promo and interviews and pictures and gifs. All benefitting us, even if we dislike the show. Win.

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      • And LoLo has pointed out another thing I hadn‘t considered. If he delivers another good one for Netflix, that will make them more likely to work with him on his projects.
        Plus another thing that occurred to me in that context, he likes Red Productions and it‘ll be like a sort of internship for him to watch that side of things. I am sure NS would let him pick her brain…

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    • Good idea, Jenny. I’d like to teach that old dog a few photography tricks *hehe*. But well, judging by how I see photographers represented on film, they always follow some sort of stereotype. Either they are the artsyfartsy photographer, or the seedy paparazzi. And for either the performers seem to draw on their own extensive experience of photographers and paps. Meh. Hope I’ll pleasantly surprised…

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  5. 8 more hours of Armitage on tv? Yummmmm. Plus, the lighting is good in this studio, and he looks fabulous in this recording. I pulled my theatre trick and watched him the entire 20-whatever minutes. (Dooley can talk up a storm, yes, but he can’t make me look at him, mwahaha.) RA’s hair being just slightly mussed, no complaints, mind, but…how does he do that? He’s so gorgeous now, it pains me that he can’t see it — and that he got bullied as a kid for his looks. Or for his nose at least. Really? I hope those bullies are now fat, bald old men with terrible cigarette breath looking at him thinking, “Who knew?” Another question. I might be thick, but…that yawning sequence (like inspecting a horse for purchase, sorry) doesn’t appear in the recording of the interview that I see. Where did you get it, G?

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    • Theater trick *muhahahaha* – well, in this case, with no one watching me, I did, too. (Was there anything else interesting in shot? 🤔) I have to say, while I do like Dooley, he really was talking a little bit too much and too deep in detail. I suspect that’s why RA pulled that yawning trick at the beginning – he was already familiar with Dooley’s long-winded story-telling.) That also answers your question – the yawning happens right at the beginning of the clip, Besotted, around the 2:30 minute mark.
      Yeah, it remains really really sad to hear that the bullies *still* have a hold on him.

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  6. He looks soooooo good. That mussed hair just makes me weak at the knees, and every time he folds his arms……the outline of his arm muscles under his jacket….no dad bod there *sigh* Lol, that yawn, makes me think he forgot he was being filmed in that instant.
    I’m rapt to hear of another Netflix project – excellent chance of being able to see it, lots of promo, decent storyline if the other Harlen Coben projects are anything to go by, great cast, UK setting, and a terrific production company that really seems to know what they’re doing. Before I saw the extra information, I had Richard marked as the detective, now I picture his paparazzo photographer as looking like Claude Becker, which isn’t a bad thing to my way of thinking. 😉

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    • I think I need to watch this clip again. Muscles under jacket? Have to see that.
      .
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      Back. Just watched. Phoar, yes 😍 😁 Also, upon second/umpteenth viewing I was thinking that his hair looked much lighter in the studio light – original colour, mid to dark brownish?
      The Claude Becker look is a good hunch. Particularly the beanie in the flashback scene in O8. That’s how I picture the pap, too, and with heavy stubble but not a beard *please god*

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  7. what a lovely interview! it’s just great when there are *substantial* questions and you see how much those two actors are in their Element in the acting industries even though it didn’t just fall in their laps – or maybe just because they know exactly that they made it work and pushed on through any difficulties.
    and of course RA’s hairstyle and looks – oh yeah! lovely all around! 😁

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    • You are so right – it’s nice to hear a conversation where the interviewee is actually given space to expand on a question. Ok, it’s mainly Dooley who does that here, but it’s better than the umpteenth “funny” game that interviewers have concocted for their celeb guests

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  8. I hope he does teach but good luck with any classes involving animals
    I like Shaun Dooley more now, but still sore that he left Richard out of his singing programme

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    • The drama schools should be queuing at his door – surely he’d draw a lot of attention to them if he did some “masterclasses” for their students. But well, who knows, maybe he has already done some of it and we just don’t know it?
      Completely agree with you re. Dooley and his charity album minus Richard. I can only imagine that RA made it clear he didn’t want to sing.

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      • it looks like it’s part of his Bafta membership “Our curated academy of members sits at the heart of everything we do, from supporting our charitable aims, acting as mentors to emerging young talent, lending their knowledge and experience to our BAFTA Guru programmes, to forming our board and committees, and participating in voting for our Awards. “

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  9. will have to read the book and see what its like. Coben writes very simplistically, which is great for adaptation to TV, I’ve literally only read the one book but from what i gather-his stories tend to follow very similar trajectories. I certainly didn’t rush to go and read more after reading The Stranger. It’s good exposure for Richard and he’s with a good team (Red production) , so it’s undoubtedly very appealing. I think essentially he’s happiest when working too.
    Shaun is a real sweetheart, very down to earth. It’s nice to see RA so comfortable with him (even taking the piss out of him with the yawning) One of the more interesting interviews in a while.

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    • Do you mean guns in general, or specifically in “Stay Close”? I.e. have you read the book and know that it has a lot of guns in it?
      Otherwise – yeah, the guns usually give it away. Not quite my cup of tea, I have to admit, and especially when the guns *stay* in a plot although it has been moved to Europe, I always find that jarring. I mean, ok, I am sure you can get your hands on weapons in Europe too, if you want to. But they definitely do not feature here that much…

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