February 18, 2013

History Channel's New Vikings Series + Downton Gets Down + Dream Casting Director, fan Sue: War and Peace

See clips fron Hobbit interview:
You should've seen the one that got away;D
Leave it to RA to be an ivy league fisherman--freshly coiffed hair and scarf:

John Thornton in Tolstoy's Moscow..




Sue suggests RA should be cast in BBC's new 6-part tv series:War and Peace


History Channel's new 'Vikings' series starts Mar 3. It's written by 'The Tudors' author, Michael Hirst.  Judging from following clip I'd say it's more hubby's type of action oriented historic drama.  I will however definitely give it a try, since I'm usually far better entertained by history than modern blather..



Following is the star of Starz network upcoming 'DaVinci's Demons' series, followed by their Valentine's promotion on twitter for the series. Third photo accompanied by the message "Before there was Mardi Gras there was Carnevale."


22 comments:

cleopatraascreenplay said...

Love the new pix, Ricrar, as always!! Those shots from his youth make one feel like one knows him, somehow....

Love the shot on the horse. My daughter's favorite parts of the RH series were the horses. RA's equestrian skills were quite impressive, come to think of it. The disembodied head in the shot is a bit disturbing, but I can get past it.... :)

I hadn't noticed the second Anna Karenina shot with Thorin when I wrote on the last post. It is beautiful of course! Thorin next to Karenina is somehow a bit more jarring, as a cross-cultural romance, than RA with beard. (What do we call him with beard? I know what I call him with his Sir Guy long locks -- the Prince of Persia, of course -- but what is most apropos for the beard? What do you think? Inquiring minds and so forth....)

Is he touristing in the collage shot? Do we know the city? Not that it matters since we won't ask for an autograph anyway, but one can always dream....

Cheers! Hope you continue to feel better!! :) :)

Ricrar said...

Lol..even his "disembodied head" improves most photos;D

That's London behind Lucas in the collage. Only time I can remember during his 3 eps when they were not in London was the one on location in Moscow.

Anna must've taken a wrong turn and found herself in Middle Earth. Lucky woman will find she has little competition there for Thorin's attention.

Sir Guy the prince of Persia--why not the prince of Sherwood Forest? That particular location has special meaning in my family tree. One branch emigrated in 1862 from a village on the fringe of Sherwood.

Did you see the recent interview when RA told Martin he'd had a relationship with his horse in The Hobbit. Claimed they had flinging and tossing their long hair about in common:)

There are some great photos of Richard when he started his equestrian training for RH. Will post a couple asap.
I do recall one of the Hobbit cast members saying RA definitely was the most accomplished horseman among them.

cleopatraascreenplay said...

Morning, Ricrar!! Yes, well, RA improves any photos anywhere, across the board, without question. No disagreement there :) :) Even with disembodied head :) :)

Why the Price of Persia? I might personally like the association of one of RA's characters with the woods anywhere, Sherwood or otherwise, given my last name. But, alas, in those long Sir Guy locks, he just looks like the Prince of Persia! And since Khurush the Great is probably my all-time hero, as the great founder of empire, and diffuse form of political rule that allowed local populations to flourish, develop their own cultures, and their own forms of political autonomy within certain bounds -- well, the "Prince of Persia" just sticks for me. It is intended as a compliment, I assure you! :) :) Even the Bible has only good things to say about Khurush the Great, from what I can recall. And the Bible is not so hot on most political leaders of the ancient world, you know?.....

Plus, he was hot :) :)

I did find the "vagina" scene in Strike Back. So awesome. I wish I'd thought of it myself! :) :) What a great answer to those ink blotch tests. I'll have to try that if anyone ever tries those on me again. It's a very good response. Good stuff. (Although I suppose as a female, one might want to try variations on the theme.....)

I am still sick. And not happy about it. Wah.

Love, love, LOVE the new photos! :)

cleopatraascreenplay said...

P.S. Cannot wait for the RA equestrian photos!!! Are there any of he and his horse flinging their hair together? :)

Ricrar said...

Sorry to hear you're not feeling well Cleo. Hope you're back to good health in short order.

BTW, the photos where Richard seems to be wandering about is actually a Spooks scene being shot at the London eye area. A fan managed to capture a few secs of video with her phone. Lucas chases a young man into the aquarium immediately following that scene.

Actually there is a pic of RA and his pony/horse in The Hobbit as they simultaneously flick their hair back. It wasn't planned that way but once Richard started to fling his Thorin mane behind his shoulder, the steed he was on mimiced the movement. You could see that it really amused RA.

cleopatraascreenplay said...

You know, Ricrar, that my daughter and I have two Appaloosa ponies and a small part-Arabian horse? We love horses. They are such amazing creatures. I can fully see a horse doing just that; wanting to please his rider and make a photo-op for him!!! :) :) Our Appaloosas and Arabian act like they have very old souls -- very down to earth and just like to live and let live. We can't handle the more high-spirited horses (no good with kids around). I have always wondered the how's and who's and what type of training gets used for horses that are used in movies. They vary so by individual and by breed. I still don't know that much about them, even though I grew up showing and training myself. We're very comfortable with our old Appaloosa and Arabian mares!

Does RA have a stated preferred breed, or training style? ?

Sue said...

RiCrAr,

Thinking of Richard's next acting role, how about a Russian aristocrat(Well he did a mean Russian accent in Spooks didn't he!)

I'm talking about the BBC who are serialising War and Peace. Don't know whether they've done any casting yet, but how about our Richie being a ruskie then?

See:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21502934

cleopatraascreenplay said...

Oh, please let him be a Russian aristocrat in a long-running serial!!!!! War and Peace. Who do we have to pray to to make that happen??

Ricrar said...

Oooh, thought of Richard in War and Peace sent me immediately to try a cossack hat on him;) What's your impression--see above?

Thanks for the link Sue - will check it out asap.

Cleo, as far as Richard and horses, he had many stories to tell about Richie - his black stallion in Robin Hood. Did you identify that breed?

Thanks again for the War and Peace news Sue. Certain it will serve for much upcoming inspiRAtion.

Ricrar said...

Any suggestion which character would be the best fit for Richard? Prince Anatole is described as very handsome - an amoral pleasure seeker. We know he prefers complicated characters. Perhaps this one is simply pure evil?

Ricrar said...

On second thought Robert Lovelace was the same type character and RA seemed to put a great deal of gusto into that radio adaptation. He almost cackled when describing his plans for Clarissa.

Sue said...

RiCrAr,

I quite fancy Richard playing the role of Pierre Bezukhov see following description:

Pierre, whom many critics regard as a reflection of Tolstoy himself, attracts our sympathy in his status as an outsider to the Russian upper classes. His simplicity and emotional directness contrast with the artificiality of fakes such as the Kuragins. Though the attendees at Anna Pavlovna’s party consider Pierre uncouth and awkward, this very awkwardness emphasizes his natural unpretentiousness. We see his love of fun in his expulsion from St. Petersburg for excessive partying, and his generosity in his bank-breaking largesse toward friends and acquaintances following his inheritance. Pierre, though intelligent, is not dominated by reason, as his friend Andrew is. Pierre’s emotional spurts occasionally get him into trouble, as when his sexual passions make him prey to the self-serving and beautiful Helene. His madcap escape into the city of Moscow and his subsequent obsessive belief that he is destined to be Napoleon’s assassin show his submission to irrational impulses. Yet there is also a great nobility in Pierre’s emotions, and his search for meaning in his life becomes a central theme of the novel. We feel that his final marriage to Natasha represents the culmination of a life of moral and spiritual questioning.

cleopatraascreenplay said...

I think it would be nice to see RA in the role of a happily married family man. We haven’t seen that yet, have we? I am quite sure all of the range he has demonstrated in abilities to love and be devoted would easily make room for that sort of role. I vote for Count Ilya Andreyevich Rostov, father of four, happily and devotedly married. Elegant but not haughty. Always living on the fringe, financially, but a family always blissfully happy. I suspect they don’t live by those society standards set by money alone. I think he would be perfect in that role and would give it grace and dignity. But who to play his wife? Perhaps Kate Winslet, after all…..?

Ah… What a nice idea. I’m going back to War and Peace… Too long since a good, classic novel.

(P.S. Ricrar, I'm not good at identifying horse breeds...I'll look and try, although it will probably be unsuccessful! I just stick with my Appaloosas and Arabians -- they're very easy to identify!) :) :)

cleopatraascreenplay said...

Ricrar, thank you for the wonderful poll. I am so honored!!

My favorite image for RA as a Russian aristocrat is the one of RA as Lucas North in front of the Kremlin. Add a bit of fur around the trench coat collar, a slightly heavier wool for the coat, a bit of John Thornton tails and cravat, and you've got a young, dashing Count Rostov, loving dad, challenger of the older aristocrats, and lover of his whimsical but grounded wife! (hee, hee -- had to add that in for flavor, or spice!)

Wouldn't Kate Winslet be perfect? RA and Winslet as the Rostovs. I can see it!!! They would be taking Russia by storm :) :) They could pull off the hot, young, whimsical but eternally noble couple, don't you think?

If you combine the two photos below, Thornton in tails and cravat (or is that a bow tie -- I'm no expert) and put him in the place of Lucas in Moscow, with long wool and fur coat, you'll see what I'm seeing :) :) :) No hat, I think :) :) :)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_py1Ljk6k3Hg/TMGp4jY35dI/AAAAAAAAApI/pfdCStNu1w0/s1600/Richard_Armitage_in_Moscow.jpg


http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gvRP0ozD4p0/TfjlxHse21I/AAAAAAAACqE/WMA4YxhhXZE/s640/Richard_Armitage_-_North_and_South_2004.jpg

cleopatraascreenplay said...

Oh, my Heavens. What to do, what to do with all the RA equestrian photos!!!

My daughter says he has a very fine seat.

(I agree, of course.)

....Now, where is that ventilator again?.....

Ricrar said...

Yes, Cleo, agree Kate Winslet and Richard would make a charming on-screen couple.

There are a couple twitter reactions to Sue's suggestion that Richard should be cast in upcoming War and Peace. I'll retrieve them asap.

In the meantime I was greeted today with this funny coincidence - it's a list of advice from BBC America to Brits dining at an American 'TGIF' type restaurant. They say when you first receive the menu it's like being handed War and Peace:D haha

http://www.bbcamerica.com/mind-the-gap/

Ricrar said...

RA's fan Musa/Fabo agrees with Sue that Pierre would be best fit for Richard.

A Polish fan became apoplectic at the sight of Richard in a Russian soldier uniform. Had to talk her back from the ledge by replacing her mental image with your Thornton/Lucas suggestion. She calmed down and agreed to consider it:)

Third fan says she feels best character for RA would be prince A. Bolkonsky, thoughtful and philosophical aide-de-camp, with "all his anguish."

cleopatraascreenplay said...

That is the best video I think I have ever seen. Oh, my goodness. Brilliant.

Well, we cannot have Polish fans or otherwise being apoplectic. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE your rendition of Thornton/Lucas in front of the Kremlin. Now, is that not a man of Russian arisocracy? :) :)

Very funny article, re: British and American menus. If I recall, isn't it what you shall and shall not do with your fork and knife while eating meat that is the real deal breaker for Americans and Brits eating together? Also, by complete coincidence, I was transported to London yesterday when I had lunch at our only Indian restaurant (it's a small town). It is an excellent restaurant and brought me back to London immediately. (Am I allowed to say that?)

Sigh. I can't get over the Thornton/RA/Russian aristrocrat photo, and the new video. Thanks, Ricrar. You do make the day a cheerier place.

P.S. Re: RA bad girl at school poll: Oh, after school detention. Please!!!!

cleopatraascreenplay said...

LOVE the Lucas-after-Thornton-in-front-of-the-Kremlin photos!!! Oh, when do we get to see RA as a Russian aristocrat, Ricrar? Are you responsible for these decisions? :) :)

Still love the "One Direction" video. Not a fan of the new John Mulligan video. Doesn't jibe with my hero-worshipping version of RA's work :) (I didn't think Mulligan came out so sleazy in the show).

I have a few new things on my writing blog this week, and, following your model (yet again), I have added a "Popular Posts" column. Thus far, topping the list for this week are some scenes from my play, The Lotus Cafe; a poem called "My Antony;" and another poem translated in three languages. Kinda cool. I like the "popular posts" function! :) :) patriciajwoodsblogspot.com

My heart is broken, however, Ricrar. One RA equestrian photo is just not enough. I am trying to hold myself up from the loss. (You think I jest.)

Cheers!!

Ricrar said...

Cleo while the after-school detention gals are splitting teacher time with the run-a-mile group, there I'll sit directly in front of his desk with a fresh off the vine juicy apple and a shy smile;D Gary might outsource detention and enlist a teacher's aide to put the runners through their paces, but he cannot avoid class--at least not every day. So, as Richard romantically quoted to Gerry in Vicar of Dibley "...there shall I be."

I'm starting to agree with many of his fans who wanted RA to choose almost nothing other than costume dramas. There are so few photos of him in period costume other than John Thornton. Guy's leathers look splendid(to put it nicely) but don't exactly lend themselves to the War and Peace era.

One Direction Downton is a howl--especially when dowager Violet shakes her hips.

As for Mulligan, I've always felt "You're Heart is as Black as Night" pretty much encapsulates the fact he tried to rationalize selling drugs to poverty stricken teens. The very last moments of the Mulligan ep, when his former lover walked out, didn't Richard's eyes look absolutely dead to you? I believe he wanted to register in them the look of a man whose evil choices in life had resulted in a figurative dead end.

I've always said Mulligan was one of RA's best performances - might rate as #2 with John Thornton firmly ensconced in the #1 position. Then it's a tossup for me between Guy and Porter for #3. Luv both those bad boys for far different reasons.

Have a fun wkend - don't fall off any horses;D Just think - if your daughter competes in dressage, you might well stumble upon a single dad who can ride a horse as well as Richard. Can't tell you how often I've heard some of Guy's most fervent fans describe being whisked off to Sherwood on that black stallion...in their dreams of course.

cleopatraascreenplay said...

Morning, Ricrar! While the “shy smile” option that you suggest is probably closer to my real life, when choosing an answer for your poll, the more interesting option of after school detention just somehow – seemed more interesting.

Mulligan. That is a quandary, isn’t it. I was a little bit flummoxed by “Moving On”. As I watched the first time, I read him as very authentic in his interest in the woman protagonist, and authentic in his feelings for her. It was only at the end that this twist came, making him the villain. I almost felt like it was a last minute decision of the show. It didn’t seem to follow from the earlier parts. So I wasn’t sure what to do with his change of fate. I almost thought that he still legitimately cared for her. I definitely agree that his eyes looked singularly dead and defeated as she walked out. He didn’t look defiant or angry with it, even, just crushed. That’s why I thought he still really cared about her. It was hard to reconcile that with the drugs, for sure, although I’m sure even drug dealers can love, right? :) :) Again, his ability to show that kind of tension was very impressive to me.

I will certainly endeavor to have a good weekend, and I will also endeavor not to fall off any horses or ponies. My daughter does train in dressage. She’s fairly skilled, so they tried to start her jumping very young, to which I said “wait, ho, stop!” So, we’re just flat work now. No shows for a while. They don’t target them here for her age group, although she did very well in her “Walk Division” when she was six and seven. :)

As for “…there shall I be…” you can count me in on that if RA is teaching! :) :) Can’t wait to meet Gary.

A fun weekend to you!!!

P.S. Have you seen the movie “Butterfly”? It’s from Spain (1999, I think the Spanish title is La lengua de las mariposas). Very moving on what happens on the ground with certain kinds of political changes at the top. And it doesn’t even have RA – can you believe it??

cleopatraascreenplay said...

P.P.S. I actually have a short story about a little girl, named Rhiannon, who is whisked off on a magic ride from the Black Forest and across the Mediterranean on none other than a Black Stallion. It's a child's tale. I wrote it before I met Sir Guy, I promise! ;) :) But it is ever so apropos.... :) :)

http://patriciajwoods.blogspot.com/2012/06/rhiannonand-black-stallion-achilds-tale.html