Richard Armitage Posts Last 2014 Selfie & New Years Greeting on Twitter. HAPPY 2015!!

His message:

Happy New Year. Thanks for your support through 2014. Here is to a year full of joy, industry and fulfilment in 2015

My choice for a movie remake starring RA. This time it's the Tom Berenger NYPD officer in Ridley Scott's film 'Someone to Watch Over Me' The character is assigned to protect a wealthy woman 24/7 at her penthouse aptm. The trailer..

Richard Armitage: Latest EW Mag Compares RA as Thorin to Humphrey Bogart in Treasure of Sierra Madre + Blogger Compiles Thorin Review Quotes(see excerpts & link)

It doesn’t help matters that the dwarf prince Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), presumptive heir to Erebor’s throne, is not long inside these hallowed walls when he succumbs to a familiar Tolkeinian malady — a lust for gold and jewels that renders its victims void of reason or empathy. And if “The Battle of the Five Armies” feels psychologically weightier than the previous “Hobbit” films, that’s largely a credit to Armitage, who plays Thorin with the paranoid despotic rage of a Shakespearean king, his heavy-lidded eyes ablaze with a private madness. 
– Variety 

As both hero and antagonist at various points, this is in large part Armitage’s film. Thorin’s descent into madness under the dragon’s taint is played out with maniacal intensity. His grim rebuff of Luke Evans’ diplomatic overtures (the exchange framed beautifully by a hole in Erebor’s barricade) and final, hallucinatory epiphany upon a floor of burnished gold are as masterfully shot as they are powerfully delivered.
– Empire

Maddened by greed, the dwarf king Thorin (Richard Armitage, a dramatic standout in all three films) refuses to honor agreements to share his treasure with his elvish and human allies. Who then decides to fight for what’s owed them.
– Sun Times

From their prominent position front-and-center in An Unexpected Journey, the dwarves slowly recede into the background during Five Armies, arguably to the story’s benefit; in the pitched battle of the climax, they’d be of little use, and they collectively manage to survive the carnage largely by staying out of harm’s way. The exception is their leader, Thorin, and the formerly little-known actor who plays him, Armitage, who emerges as perhaps the dominant actor in this very large ensemble. 
– Hollywoodreporter.com   Current StarMeter standing at imdb board:

 
If there was one performance that stands out the most in the film however it would belong to Richard Armitage, dominating proceedings utterly, as the arc of the plot circles around Thorin’s redemptive path from madness to heroic end, all delivered with a thundering, Shakespearian presence. Despite the demise of the dragon, in a genius touch, composer Howard Shore’s shifting and creeping theme for Smaug shifts to Thorin as the greed threatens to overwhelm him, with Armitage’s voice manipulated in a similar way as Cumberbatch’s. It is a fearless, dangerous display from him, as he risks losing the sympathies of the audience utterly, and so when he does emerge from his stupor, it is a triumphant moment. 
– sherlockology.com 

In fact, your heart is put through more strain here than compared to any of the previous Middle-earth instalments, and it’s mainly down to Jackson’s love of the material, but also down to the cast, in particular, Martin Freeman (as Bilbo Baggins) and Richard Armitage, who are both equally brilliant, but in such different ways. 
(…) As Thorin falls to ‘dragon sickness’, Armitage takes, what was once a heroic character, and brings him to the depths of greed, to the point where he becomes close to villainous and, at times, downright menacing – his incredible performance is frightening, frustrating, sympathetic, heartbreaking, but ultimately inspiring. It’s hard to believe that this is the same guy that starred in the final episode of THE VICAR OF DIBLEY. 
But, what makes the combination of these two actors so outstanding is that you have Armitage playing Thorin as though he has just come fresh from THE LORD OF THE RINGS series. And, on the other side to that, you have Freeman playing Bilbo as the rational, down-to-earth character, who has just come fresh from THE OFFICE (and I don’t mean that as a criticism). What this leads to is Armitage retaining what the fans held, and still hold, so dearly to the trilogy: grand speeches of honour and betrayal, male ego, warriors and so on, along with Freeman, who acts as the audience’s eyes into this warring world, making us truly involved in Middle-earth, in a way with which I initially struggled in THE LORD OF THE RINGS series. Thanks to these two actors’ performances, this film is for everyone, fans or otherwise. 
– Screenrelish.com 

And once again Richard Armitage is a powerful presence, with Thorin’s journey both touching and heartbreaking. 
– ign.com 

If all those names are so much gibberish, “Five Armies” is likely to leave you cold. But the cast, especially Armitage and Bloom, play it all like Shakespearean historical drama, which helps overcome some of the baked-in twee-ness. Also of aid there is Freeman’s wry performance as Bilbo. 
– nydailynews.com 

In a film with universally strong performances and one that is supposed to focus on the titular Hobbit, the now complete trilogy is dominated by the mesmerising presence of Richard Armitage’s Thorin Oakenshield, whose story arc finally sees the heroic leader get his big moments in the spotlight. I really can’t say enough good things about Armitage’s work here – from the moment he first arrived in Bag End he managed to immediately capture what makes Thorin such a compelling and charismatic leader and his work in The Battle Of The Five Armies is excellent. 
– Denofgeek.com 

Remember how it was mentioned earlier that the hobbits were the emotional core of the original trilogy of films? Jackson has tried time and again to provide the dwarves with a similar function, but their large quantity has often made many indecipherable from one another. And yet this is the story in which Thorin Oakenshield is finally the centerpiece of the narrative and helps to put the film back on its feet. There were seeds of his selfishness planted in earlier films, but they finally bear dramatic fruit in this one. His lust for power has turned him into a violent monster who distrusts his own kin and is obsessed with finding the infamous Arkenstone. Richard Armitage, who plays Thorin, continues to steal the show as the omnipotent and omnipresent dwarf. One must forgive some of the exaggerated speech (unfortunately Jackson, who was solid at using slow-motion technique in his first trilogy for poetic depiction, has overstepped the boundaries of indulgence at times) in which he tells Bilbo of his desire to destroy the traitor because it is the only pitfall in his performance. Once he eventually goes through his emotional trial and reaches his epiphany, Thorin retains the heroic stature that made him the trilogy’s true hero. 
– latinpost.com 

However, it’s Thorin’s movie, as Richard Armitage takes his Dwarf king character to the edge of madness. With the “Dragon Sickness” that plagued his grandfather taking hold, Thorin is a danger to everyone under his rule, yet Armitage never allows him to become a monster, allowing glimpses of the good man he was before to shine through. 
– gamesradar.com 

As a bonus, “Armies” is armed with one of the best performances in the entire Jackson Middle-earth series, and that’s saying a lot when the cast includes Cate Blanchett and Ian McKellen. As Dwarf Lord Thorin Oakenshield, Richard Armitage perfectly embodies one of Tolkien’s steady themes about man’s eternal war with his own inner demons. Even when the showy director can’t restrain himself and allows that epic battle sequence to run on too long, Armitage’s performance brings the film back to its classic literary firmament. He taps into his character’s “dragon-sickness” — coveting riches at the expense of the soul — and does it with a mad glint in his eye one instance, a conflicted expression the next. His performance is a highlight, as is the presence of Martin Freeman, whose hobbit Bilbo Baggins feels the tug of his own dark side. And, yes, “Ring” veterans Blanchett, McKellen and Christopher Lee contribute as well. 
– mercurynews.com 

Richard Armitage delivered an intense and commanding performance as Thorin Oakenshield, and is arguably the true star of the film. Armitage was also very skillful at portraying the subtle and the heightened aspects of Thorin’s internal struggles. But with Thorin being the star of the film, this also means that Bilbo Baggins plays more of a secondary role (in a film that’s named after him). This is unfortunate since Freeman’s sympathetic and caring Bilbo Baggins delivers much of the touching moments in the film. 
– nerdreactor.com 

The tragic figure here is the Dwarf king Thorin (a splendidly conflicted Richard Armitage) who, having recaptured his people’s ancestral cave of gold, is tainted and maddened by it. 
– time.com 

Though they’re both good actors with a gift for subtlety and pathos, Freeman and Armitage are a bit swallowed up by the action surrounding them, only really allowed to shine near Battle’s end once the warring ceases and their characters’ bond is finally allowed to be addressed. 
In truth, Thorin is Battle’s main character with the greater arc: Early on in Battle, the noble Dwarf succumbs to madness, his lust to keep all of Erebor’s gold prompting him to declare war on Middle-earth’s other tribes, even those who are the Dwarves’ comrades. Thorin’s eventual change of heart may be simplistically dramatised, but Armitage gives it a punch, showing us how a good Dwarf can let greed temporarily blind him. 
– screendaily.com 

Richard Armitage is perhaps the best thing about ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’. He’s utterly brilliant as Thorin and the way in which he plays the character is tremendous. 
– derryjournal.com 

Maddened by greed, the dwarf king Thorin (Richard Armitage, a dramatic standout in all three films) refuses to honor agreements to share his treasure with his elvish and human allies. 
– Chicago Sun Times 

In the series as a whole and in this movie, Armitage provides fine work. As the stoic and increasingly mad Thorin, he is ever compelling. 
– News-herald.com 

The real standout is undoubtedly Richard Armitage. His portrayal of Thorin, as he descends into madness, provides a real gravitas to this final chapter. There is real depth to his character’s story that is brought out beautifully. 
– atolkienistperspective.wordpress.com 

Martin Freeman as Bilbo is as charmingly aloof and plucky as ever, but he’s (somewhat awkwardly) replaced as the protagonist by Richard Armitage’s Thorin, who has the most well-defined character arc of the many players in Battle of the Five Armies. The two actors not only play their respective parts well, their scenes together are, by far, the most engaging when it comes to the non-action-driven material. Battle of the Five Armies doesn’t have a huge “heart,” but the one it does posses comes from the Bilbo/Thorin relationship. 
– screenrant.com 

Jackson also carves out some more room for Armitage to show what the dwarf king is made of. With the actor’s flare for making dark, brooding introspection magnetic, Thorin’s battle with himself and his legacy is by far the film’s most interesting fight. 
– latimes.com 

On the other side of the wall, Richard Armitage’s Thorin is more interesting than ever, glowering through hallucinatory sequences that illustrate how much of a hold the treasure has on him. Armitage is unafraid to take the character to dark places, repelling his friends with his Arkenstone obsession and his paranoia. It’s to the film’s credit that you’re not sure if he’ll be able to pull himself out of the spell; we may have never really been invested in him the way we were with Aragorn or any LOTR character, but this final film goes a long way to humanize (dwarvenize?) him, and the conclusion of his arc is entirely earned. 
– screenfellows.com 

Watching Thorin succumb to the dragon sickness and turn his back on his dwarves, Bilbo, and those who helped them reclaim his throne is powerful in relating the troubles of greed and its affects on those who hold power over others. Richard Armitage does a fine job recreating Thorin’s madness and the destruction and death it brings to those around him, making you feel for him and want him to be a better dwarf than he is because you know he has the ability to redeem himself. His scenes with Martin Freeman (Bilbo) are definitely the most touching, and they honor the rocky relationship these two characters have in the book perfectly. 
– entertainmentbuddha.com https://bookesther.wordpress.com/2014/12/18/the-hobbit-the-battle-of-t he-five-armies-and-richard-armitage/ 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hume Castle, Berwickshire

Richard Armitage as Thorin Review Quote:"arguably best performance in Hobbit Trilogy"(see link) + See Bilbo GuestHost Sat Nite Live(vid clip)

Kudos for RA's Thorin performance from:

http://www.hypable.com/2014/12/19/hobbit-actors-future-projects/

http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?forum=holmes&url=%2Fholmes%2F&path=%2Fholmes%2F&terms=yorkshire&boolean=AND&startnum=1

http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.states.pennsylvania.counties.northumberland/3092/mb.ashx

http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:3071795&id=I587616185

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/

Richard Armitage:Twitter Delivers Personalized Autographed Hobbit Posters + Cinemax Tweets Link to RA's Strike Back + Thanks to www.richardarmitagecentral.com for Q&A Transcript + Director Peter Jackson--Hollywood Walk of Fame(see photo) + See RA Quote About His Next 2 Projects + Interviewed Prior to Last 4 Performances of The Crucible

HobbitAutograph‏@HobbitAutograph

@armitageblogger Click to download & share …http://vv-php-production-4-hob.elasticbeanstalk.com?userID=14181770206659541production-4-hob.elasticbeanstalk.com/?userID=141817 … for #TheHobbit memories of the cast #OneLastTime
New photo from Sarah Dunn..

If you've never seen John Porter(on right above), here are all the episodes of Strike Back Origins at youtube(that's Spooks, Lucas North on left)..

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_1_vgzQdhafPNpqQ1tSPf2MSbIJnn7M5

http://richardarmitagecentral.co.uk/twitter-qa-9th-december/

Twitter Q&A EXCERPT: Apágamelavela, María ‏@prettyoddsoren
@TheHobbitMovie @RCArmitage #AskThorin what kind of music would Thorin have in a music player, if he had one? Any specific songs or bands?

.@prettyoddsoren @RCArmitage Some heavy rock or Queen’s “Who Wants to Live Forever?” #AskThorin #TheHobbit

Director Peter Jackson was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame..

Sometimes modern technology gets in the way ;) 

NEWS:During an interview in Brazil within past couple days, RA said following:

"I'm producing something of my own, which is based on a true story. It's going to be set and filmed in Ireland in the late 1800s, it's a true story and I'm also going to be doing a thing called Pilgrimage, which is an 11th century story of a crusade to return a holy relic to Rome, and I'll be speaking ancient French. Which I have never spoken before so that'll be fun."

Within the past few days, during an interview,  RA said he believes the digital recording of The Crucible "will be available for download worldwide -  probably in Feb 2015"

Richard Armitage:New Interview When "will produce movie" First Mentioned + Brazil Soccer Selfie + Yesterday's Twitter Interview Provided by www.richardarmitagenet.com(see link/excerpts) + Paris Hobbit 3 Premiere

Proving boys will be boys:) and that's what we love about them - a recent gift of Brazil soccer shirt turned almost instantly into a selfie posted on Twitter:)

Recent interview excerpt:

Q : Who is your favourite fictional character of all time and why ? #AskThorin

 A : Gollum ! One of my teachers imitated him as well as Andy Serkis #Ask

Thorin

*He was also photobombed by Gollum in edition of EW:

Q : I See Fire or The Last Goodbye ? #AskThorin

 A : I see Fire #AskThorin 

Off to The Hobbit:Battle of the Five Armies Worldwide Premieres..

Yesterday's Twitter interview:http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/articlescans/WarnerBrosFrance-twitterQandA-4Dec14.pdf

Q : Last played song on your iPod ? #AskThorin

 A : One moment, I’ll check… “Pompeï” by @bastilledan (Bastille) #AskThorin 

Not the same one - it doesn't have a fanvid & this music is powerful:

This isn't the first time Mr A has worn hot pink.....few years ago we saw....

Richard Armitage:Paris Hobbit Premiere(See selfie) + Access Hollywood Interview + The Crucible On Screen Interview(see quote/link) + The Hobbit:Battle of Five Armies London Premiere in Photos

RA fan Mariad Donnici's Thornton Wedding..

INTERVIEW Quote: "Any plans for more theatre?"

‘Yes, now that I’ve broken the taboo of not being on stage for 12 years. Yaël and I will definitely work together again, because we both got such a kick out of each other. It might be 2016, but it certainly won’t be too long."

http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/richard-armitage-interview-i-just-wanted-to-curl-up-in-a-ball-and-cry

RA started the day's events by posting this selfie on Twitter..

Dec 1 - the official start of Christmas season 2014..

Richard Armitage:Link to Warner Bros BOTFA Countdown Clock + Ireland Radio Interview + New BOTFA Promotion Photos + The Times Interview(excerpt) + Best Leading Actor Award for The Crucible + Hobbit Press Tour Begins..one last time + Happy Thanksgiving USA +RA Nails Thorin Says whatculture.com Website

This is the photo Warner Bros is using as background for the Countdown Clock (link below)Dec 1, London premiere of The Hobbit:Battle of the Five Armies

https://www.warnerbros.co.uk/insider/articles/2014/november/watch-the-world-premiere-of-the-hobbit-the-battle-of-the-five-armies-live-from-the-green-carpet

November 28 2014 EXCERPT from The Times:

At 43, Richard Armitage thinks he’s too old to be a pin-up. Fans who have seen his brooding John Proctor on stage and his handsome Thorin in The Hobbit might disagree, says Ed Potton

What do Adolf Hitler, Alex Salmond, Richard III and Iron Maiden have in common? No, they’re not guests at Piers Morgan’s fantasy dinner party. They are all inspirations for Richard Armitage’s portrayal of Thorin Oakenshield, the exiled dwarf king in Peter Jackson’s blockbusting Hobbit trilogy.

We already knew that Armitage was an intense, visceral actor, with a strong scent of The Method about him, a gutton for authenticity....
...the 43-year-old Armitage is also a practitioner of a technique that you might call “mixtape method acting”. Before he plays a role he compiles a selection of music that helps him get into character. So what was on the Thorin playlist? “Philip Glass, some Iron Maiden, Arvo Pärt, Kings of Leon,” he says. A combination of melancholic, fierce and hairy — sounds about right.

Armitage is more affable than Oakenshield, less fierce and hairy and, at 6ft 3in, considerably taller. His height, he says, often surprises those expecting someone of dwarven dimensions. Many of the people who saw his much-praised performance in The Crucible “were shocked that I was about a foot taller than the rest of the cast. They thought were going to see a little person toddling around the stage.” roadway World Website - West End Awards:

The Crucible Awards: Best Direction of a New production of a Play - Yael Farber - The Crucible

Best Featured Actor in a New Production of a Play - Adrian Schiller - The Crucible

Best Featured Actress in a New Production of a Play - Samantha Colley - The Crucible

Best Leading Actor in A New Production of a Play - Richard Armitage - The Crucible

Best Leading Actress in a New Production of a Play - Anna Madeley - The Crucible and Gillian Anderson - A Streetcar Named Desire - The Young Vic http://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/BWWUK-Awards-2014-MISS-SAIGON-Sweeps-The-Board-20141127

Thorin Oakenshield – Richard Armitage

New Line Cinema

Thorin is the most important dwarf character in Middle Earth. Gimli may have been a key member of the fellowship but it is Thorin who leads the quest to reclaim Erebor, a quest that enlists Bilbo Baggins, who in turn discovers the one ring. The rest is history. The film adaptations needed an actor who captures his nobility, commanding presence and arrogance and Richard Armitage certainly met those requirements.

Thorin’s ability to lead the Fellowship, to stand head to head with Elrond and demand the respect of Gandalf is unquestionable. In the films he comes across as a dwarf with the weight of the world on his shoulders; in fact the guilt and despair over the destruction of Erebor is perhaps more keenly felt in Armitage’s Thorin than it is in the books. There is also a dangerous and selfish edge to him too; he carries the arrogance of his forefathers and his obsession to find the Arkenstone and restore his kingdom should make for an interesting final act in next month’s film.

While some of the dwarves remain somewhat forgettable in the large mix of characters, Thorin stands out as the key that holds everything together.

http://whatculture.com/film/11-characters-the-hobbit-trilogy-nailed.php/8
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201412

Richard Armitage:The Crucible Farewell(see photo) + Excerpts From Today's Twitter Q&A

RA tweeted photo from final ADR for Battle of Five Armies

Last night was final performance for RA's The Crucible. A friend forwarded this photo of stagedoor line which extended around the corner. Apparently a few were pushy - hopefully that didn't spoil it for the well behaved majority.

When asked about his upcoming projects in today's interview, RA replied: "a cameo in a movie based on a well known novel by Lewis Caroll(is it 2016's Through The Looking Glass?) Battle of the Five Armies press tour, Christmas with family and a big ski up a mountain. The most interesting item, mentioned on RA's list of what's next, is an "independent psychological drama" titled 'Sleepwalker' directed by Elliot Lester. Excerpts from today's Twitter Q&A:

What are your early memories of theatre? What sparked the passion?

Gingerbread Man Leicester Haymarket aged 7. Michael Gambon 'Volpone’ Janet McTeer Dolls House... RSC StratfordIan Holm Lear Alan Howard 'Women of Troy' audio.Ian McKellen Macbeth John Barton.Tony Sher 'Year of the King'

The Old Vic Theatre ‏@oldvictheatre
Which of Proctor's lines do you find the most difficult to speak? Which line moves you most?

"When will you know me...were I stone I would have cracked for shame this seven month".

The Old Vic Theatre @oldvictheatre
What were your first impressions of working with @yfarber?

Her uncompromising indomitable search for the truth, beyond the civilised, permitted acceptable...

The Old Vic Theatre
What aspects of society/culture do you think #TheCrucible best speaks to today? @rcarmitage @pamelatrang3 #AskArmitage

It speaks of prejudice and persecution and any society who has permitted it's government... to legislate in favour of such denial of human rights, be it, race, gender, religion, sexual preference and

The Old Vic Theatre
How did visiting Salem help you prepare for the role? Anything in particular that put you in character? @rcarmitage @nikitucker #AskArmitage

Seeing the foundations of Paris's parsonage, the clearing in the woods where the Girls may have danced...
the grave stones in Salem town, and a baby’s small wooden cot in Rebecca nurses house.

The Old Vic Theatre ‏@oldvictheatre
Proctor is quite an intense character, how did you prepare yourself to become him?

He's been 43 years in the making, I can't describe it in 140 characters. CowsVoiceSalemMillerMillerMiller

The Old Vic Theatre @oldvictheatre
What has been the best moment for you during the production of #TheCrucible? @rcarmitage @sharonshazkley #AskArmitage

The first time I attempted Act 4, in the rehearsal room, the whole company were gathered to witness...
and support. I could barely speak, it broke me.

The Old Vic Theatre @oldvictheatre
After playing a character for so long so intensely, how do you let them go when the role ends? @rcarmitage @reebeekins #AskArmitage

We never really let them go, I'll never play Proctor again, so I must keep him somewhere...
I think he's always been here to an extent.

Ichabod Crane returns on Monday for Season 2 of Sleepy Hollow..

Outlander wedding on Sat..

                                                                    

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends_meeting_house

http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?forum=holmes&url=%2Fholmes%2F&path=%2Fholmes%2F&terms=yorkshire&boolean=AND&startnum=1

http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.states.pennsylvania.counties.northumberland/3092/mb.ashx

http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:3071795&id=I587616185

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/