November 26, 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
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
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

November 20, 2014

Richard Armitage:Closing Song for Final Film of Tolkien's Saga + AJ Hartley Expounds on Hamlet:A Novel & RA(see excerpt/link) + Bon Appetit Thanksgiving(see link)

AJ Hartley interview:
EXCERPT:
we did a Hamlet, which has just come out, performed by Richard Armitage of The Hobbit.
JMW: Yes, and also the BBC Robin Hood series, I believe.
A. J. Hartley: Yeah, among other things and a show called North and South, which is very good. He’s currently in The Crucible in London, which has received very, very good reviews. He’s a terrific actor and he’s a very popular actor, has a very powerful fan base, because he’s among other things, cute.
JMW: Yeah, well, hey, it’s really important to sell those audio books.
A. J. Hartley: Absolutely, but I don’t think I had fully understood his range as an actor until I heard what he was doing that one, because a voice actor has to do everything, not just narration, but all the different characters and such. He is terrific, wonderful.
                                                                            
Perhaps serendipity will occur and Arthur Miller's daughter, Rebecca, will somehow see this and feel compelled to grant legal waiver to permit showing of the digital recording of recent Old Vic's performance of The Crucible in USA - Pipedreams are made of this;)

   The stars of upcoming film 'Sleepwalker' - Richard Armitage & Ahna O'Reilly
Gotta love a queen who wears a pink puffy coat. Watch Reign, Thurs 9pmEST, CW channel:

November 12, 2014

Richard Armitage:New Guy & Marian Fanvid + RA Manipulates His Photo for a Refreshing Change + Sleepwalker Article(see excerpt/link) + Hallmark Channel--9 Lives of Christmas + Excerpt BOTFA Soundtrack + Thornton Thursday--In honor of North and South 10th Anniversary

Twitter created a new RA photo manipulator--HIMSELF!:)
nous arrivons à Paris,ne vous inquiétez pas je ne serai pas cette tenue ridicule, ça m'a fait rire
Previous to the above manip selfie by RA, he'd sent this sweet tweet to Lucy Griffiths:
: not long to go until the first screening :)” Go Lucy...my beloved long lost Marion
That's all that was needed to inspire this fan's new Guy/Marian fanvid..

Following gif by RA fan Tanni..
Excerpt: The Help’s Ahna O’Reilly and The Hobbit’Richard Armitage are in the midst of filming Sleepwalker, a psychological thriller from writer Jack Olsen and director Elliott Lester ...
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For those who have the Hallmark Channel, this is a lovely Christmas romance involving a confirmed bachelor and a single female veterinary student. Uplifting drama, with a hunky fireman, who's adopted by a clever feline that teaches him how to overcome commitment phobia. It will get you in the holiday spirit..


http://www.buddytv.com/personalityquiz/reign-personalityquiz.aspx?quiz=500000177

DIA Narration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBs9YaIQWCA

Rebecca: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16XqPgwTnaM

November 8, 2014

Richard Armitage: Vicar of Dibley--Harry 5th Funniest Moment(see link) + Gaskell's North & South(see excerpt) + Thanks to Ali at www.richardarmitagenet.com for Compiling All RA's Messages(see link) + North and South Fanvid + The Latest Buzz - Will he play Joel in 'The Last of Us'? See Video Game + See Amazing Similarity to John Proctor

Fanvid North and South classic:
North and South, excerpt Chapter X:
(Margaret compares her father's appearance with Mr Thornton's)
Her father was of slight figure, which made him appear taller than he really was, when not

contrasted, as at this time, with the tall, massive frame of

another. The lines in her father's face were soft and waving,

with a frequent undulating kind of trembling movement passing

over them, showing every fluctuating emotion; the eyelids were

large and arched, giving to the eyes a peculiar languid beauty

which was almost feminine. The brows were finely arched, but

were, by the very size of the dreamy lids, raised to a

considerable distance from the eyes. Now, in Mr. Thornton's face

the straight brows fell low over the clear, deep-set earnest

eyes, which, without being unpleasantly sharp, seemed intent

enough to penetrate into the very heart and core of what he was

looking at. The lines in the face were few but firm, as if they

were carved in marble, and lay principally about the lips, which

were slightly compressed over a set of teeth so faultless and

beautiful as to give the effect of sudden sunlight when the rare

bright smile, coming in an instant and shining out of the eyes,

changed the whole look from the severe and resolved expression of

a man ready to do and dare everything, to the keen honest

enjoyment of the moment, which is seldom shown so fearlessly and

instantaneously except by children. Margaret liked this smile; it

was the first thing she had admired in this new friend of her

father's; and the opposition of character, shown in all these

details of appearance she had just been noticing, seemed to

explain the attraction they evidently felt towards each other.
Ali at www.richardarmitagenet.com has graciously compiled all RA's messages over the years. http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/ramessages.html
In August, after a The Crucible performance, RA fans noticed a tweet saying "have found your Joel" They have since learned he's the principal character in a Playstation game which is currently being adapted to a movie.  There is an amazing likeness to the Proctor look and it would be an action role. Well Wishers have also noted RA started to follow (on twitter) the creator of the game.
There's also a striking physical resemblance to Strike Back's John Porter after heavier stubble growth...
For those curious about the plot of the Playstation game - it's terrifying and a tad too close to the world's current Ebola fears..

Christmas Programming: http://www.tvtango.com/news/detail/id/590#today

Recipes, incl stuffing: