Richard Armitage:Eliz Gaskell's North and South (1994) + John Jakes North and South (1985) + Trailer for 'Reign'(Mary Queen of Scots) Coming This Fall

For anyone who has seen the British tv adaptation of Eliz Gaskell's North and South many times, but never viewed the US adaptation of John Jakes trilogy North and South - including yours truly:) - Here's episode 1 of both series.  For the very first time that I've noticed, the tv series of Jakes books is currently playing on Encore.  It's star is Patrick Swayze, who has of course passed to a movie set in the skies.  His co-star is actor James Read (playing Orry's best friend), whom I'd never noticed before, but am verrrry impressed with in the following series (according to IMDb he's still acting in various tv roles)

I've already seen sharp criticisms of the authenticity of costumes, etc for this upcoming series about young Mary Queen of Scots.  Would be best for the critics to keep in mind that encouraging the younger generation to watch some form of history of the human race should be endorsed and supported, rather than squelching the effort with negativity.  If it's necessary to accomplish this major feat by *sexing up* history somewhat - so be it, for the greater good.

On the trail of a new historical series - when it *reigns* it pours with information about this upcoming saga.  Appears both Ashford Castle, Co Mayo and indeed the one visited last week at Tullamore are filming locations.  Latter is prob for interiors:
http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17509:american-tv-series-filming-in-cong&catid=23:news&Itemid=46
This area of Co Mayo was hometurf for one branch of my family tree - the others were located in Nottinghamshire,UK and Co Cork, Irl.

Richard Armitage is Thorin:New Guy/Marian Fanvid + Visual Slow Drip Continues..(isn't it nice to be "taken care of";) + Fan Art(see artist's deviantart website) + Davinci's Demons Theme Composer

Have enjoyed all the following, except Merlin..

New fans are still inspired to create Guy and Marian fanvids:

So, who's inspired to find some comfy gladiator sandals for the summer? Cleopatra has recently played almost daily..

http://www.hm.com/gb/dressingroom/LADIES

Richard Armitage:Chrome Browser Will Take You On An Adventure(see preview vid) + OneRing Says Filming Resumes May 20(see link) + MGM Announces Windfall Profits From The Hobbit(& another film)..Stockholders Are Back in Black saying "Thank You Thorin&Co" + Black Sky Director Tweets Release Date is Coming Soon! Hooray!(see tweet) + New Photos and New NZ Fan

The onering website just stated it's been confirmed that The Hobbit:The Desolation of Smaug will resume shooting schedule on Mon, May 20:

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2013/05/16/71682-confirmed-hobbit-filming-resumes-monday/

Another great Davinci's Demons episode tonight.  Fabo has the feeling the actor that played Dracula is the same one who was the diabolical banker in Spooks 7. If so, the makeup is fantastic, menacing voice and carriage - wild expression in his eyes.  He really freaked us out - very creepy Vlad!! [Update: She is correct--Paul Rhys played banker Meynell. Lucas was introduced to him by Ros in one of RA's very first Spooks eps]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1203866/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm#cast

As Meynell, who's out of focus. Seems Lucas was always in focus:)

https://www.facebook.com/davincisdemons.starz/app_175509102599566

                     

               

New Fan Posted within past 48hrs: 

Richard Armitage was on my flight home to NZ today. Guess they are filming again?

I’m not really a fan of his [never seen him in anything; yes that includes the Hobbit, I am a bad Kiwi], more just aware of him because of this site, but let me say he looks like a movie star in person. I tried not to stare at him at the luggage carousel but he was sporting beard and it was impressive. However I think he went pretty much unnoticed.

Today's tweet by the director of Richard's new movie - BLACK SKY

Todd Garner ‏@Todd_Garner11h

#BlackSky is looking awesome! So happy with the way the efx are coming along. Release date coming. Thank you for your patience!

                                               

https://www.google.com/search?q=cooney+coyle+fenton+family+tree&aq=f&oq=cooney+coyle+fenton+family+tree&aqs=chrome.0.57j62.108468j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Richard Armitage:VOTE for Him as Best Actor(see SFX link below) + Popcorn Taxi Interview + Dwarves Go Camping(See below) + IGN Video Interview + Details of a New CW tv series about Mary Queen of Scots

Why do I get the feeling the protester walked away ripping up his poster..

Excerpt from below interview:

PT: It’s remarkable. And the female response to your character and obviously yourself, which I find fundamentally puzzling. I mean, you’re a nice looking bloke, I’m sure you can act a bit.

RA: I can string a sentence together and walk and talk without bumping into the furniture. But that’s about it.

PT: Why?

RA: You know what? You need to point the microphone into the audience. Actually, don’t do that. I don’t know. I’ve been really lucky. I’ve got a really loyal little fan base of very well-educated, well-read ladies. Well I don’t think they’re all ladies. God, you know. But they’re incredibly supportive. I often do a lot of research. I didn’t know I was doing a Q & A screening until I read it on one of the websites and they were booking tickets. I was like, ‘Oh, that’ll be nice. I better brush my hair then’. No, they’re great. They’re really supportive. I try to look after them.

Yes he does - the nice man even reads night time stories for us;D

 http://www.popcorntaxi.com.au/2013/05/blog/interview-richard-armitage-mr-majestic-of-the-hobbit/

VOTE RA as Best Actor in SFX runoff:

http://www.sfx.co.uk/2013/04/25/sfx-awards-2013/9/

John Mulligan:Moving On - It played on UK afternoon tv.  Recall at the time I'd whined that the only thing we fans in the US had on tv, at that time of the day, was Sesame Street:)

Another interview from Australia, in which RA wonders what life would be like without today's energy sources, etc. hmmm, Wonder if he's ever asked himself where his career would be today without the Internet, etc?

Find context for the following in interview above:

                                           
New Interview:
http://www.ign.com/videos/2013/05/08/the-hobbits-thorin-speaks

Richard Armitage:Listen to RA's Playlist + See Link to Warner Bros Aus Interview + Other Interviews + All Blue-eyed People Had a Common Ancestor(see chart) + Proper Mr December

Warner Bros interview..Clue to future project--Quote: "perhaps something more intimate..something from literature maybe."

http://warnerbros.com.au/news/details/the-hobbits-richard-armitage-answers-your-questions

localtoday.com.au/index.php?news=71833

EXCERPT:During filming Armitage got to know Cate Blanchett but unfortunately never got to film a scene with her. 

"Thorin and Galadriel (Blanchett's character) don't meet but when I watched the movie and I heard Galadriel say Thorin's name and it sent a chill down my spine," he says. 
"It felt so special that she was saying my name, because her character is just so ethereal and a goddess." 
Armitage will get to see some of his castmates again when he returns to New Zealand for more filming this year. 
"I think we've got ten more weeks because we haven't shot the final battle, which is the Battle of the Five Armies," he says. 
Throughout the interview, Armitage is tight-lipped on what fans will see in the second and third films. 
Before answering questions he frequently repeats "if you've read the book..." as he does when talking about the scenes he is about to shoot. 
"If you've read the book, it's one of Tolkien's great epic battles," he says. 
"To call on five armies, one of which is airborne, it's going to be pretty spectacular." 
When Armitage does return to Middle-earth, one thing he's not looking forward to is the prosthetics. 
As Thorin, he wears a prosthetic that covers his head, ears, nose, forehead and eyebrows, as well as a fat/muscle suit and costumes with heavy velvet, leather, fur and weaponry. 
All up, he says it totalled about 25 kilos - like carrying 25 bags of sugar on your body. 
"That's something that's a scary thing to go back to, because it's so hot," he says. 
"You can literally feel the water trickling down the back of your neck all day. It's like being in a sauna." 
While it's unlikely Armitage will want to keep his prosthetics when filming wraps, he does have a version of Thorin's sword - Orcrist - of his own. 
"The weird thing is, I want to take it down to the gym and start swinging it around in preparation, but I don't think my gym would let me do that," he says pretending to swing the sword. 
"'I'm just training, what's the problem?'"

            Apologies to hard-core Spooks fans--you might want to turn away:)

http://www.infographicsarchive.com/health-and-safety/what-does-your-eye-color-say-about-you/

(Above link explains the science behind eye color)

****

John Porter gets *Mabelized*

 Excerpt from RA's recent question/answer The Hobbit session in Australia:

Oscar Hillerstrom: ‘Sir’ Peter Jackson Ladies and Gentlemen  (Audience laughing loudly all the way through this and the next ‘embarrassing moment’ tale) is not the first person to lose their trousers on the set of The Hobbit. I want to take you to a fan question about Dwarves Illustrated 2012.

Richard Armitage: This was actually my idea. Don’t let Graham McTavish tell you any different. This was my idea! It was Pete’s 50th Birthday and we decided we would create a Naked Dwarf Calendar. But of course you know what a naked dwarf looks like – we’re loaded with padding. So that was the joke. So basically every Dwarf was a different month in very compromising positions… (laughter erupted) in their fat suits or their colossus suits or whatever you call them. But there’s only one copy which Peter owns. They wanted to make more but I said absolutely not!  There’s only one copy.
Oscar Hillerstrom: So for you obviously as Thorin Oakenshield, you had a strategically placed piece of oak or …

Audience: (clapping and laughing)

Richard Armitage: What happened in the calendars stays…?  winks and laughs

Oscar Hillerstrom: Well that’s all we have time for from Mr December.

http://www.marieclaire.com/blog/ten-best-woman-apps

Richard Armitage:New CNET,Aus Interview(see link) +"if it comes through the fans will be pleased!" + New Pics..Converse Sneakers?? + New Interview(see link) + New Photos + Thorin in THE HOBBIT

NEW INTERVIEW:

http://www.cnet.com.au/richard-armitage-interview-339344161.htm

Stylist tweeted the details below -  those who voted for sport coat, white shirt, jeans were closest:

Richard Armitage in a Calvin Klein olive blazer, Jbrand jeans, Hugo Boss boots for Hobbit DVD press

http://video.au.msn.com/?mkt=en-au&vid=345a7a08-532c-4f58-b256-58fdf1f7ef35&from=sharepermalink&src=v5:share:sharepermalink:

NEW INTERVIEW: http://www.thevine.com.au/entertainment/interviews/richard-armitage-interview?page=1

EXCERPT:

RA:What have I been doing recently? Oh god I can’t talk about it because it might happen as a potential job! But there’s a novel I’ve been reading...and then you read then novel, then you read the social comment on the novel that was written at the time, then you start looking at their other work. Now you’re going from battling flying dragons to twisters in Black Sky, so what can we see you in next?
RA:After Black Sky? Oh I wish I could tell you. Every script that I’ve read has got a book attached, and I think I’ve read five books. So I just need to steal your Kindle, is what you’re saying?
RA:(Laughs) You just need to steal my Kindle. There are some big scale projects, and then one incredibly charming book that I love so much. But I don’t have anything confirmed, so I’m going to keep my fingers crossed. That’s interesting, how do you go about selecting roles? Is it different after The Hobbit?
RA:It’s not as easy as people think. My job at the moment is to convince people that I’m not 5 foot 2 and hairy. (Laughs) But I suppose the priority for me at the moment is to try not to repeat myself, and also to really focus on how I want to stretch myself, and what kind of directors I’d like to work with. So that’s been the focus. So Thorin has opened doors then?
RA:A little bit, yeah, but I’m now swimming in a much bigger pond, you know. I’m going up for roles that are going to big actors, big actors! And I’m in my forties and those big actors have got big CVs. But hopefully I’ll win one of those roles that I love so much. 

http://holymilkshakes.livejournal.com/59772.html

http://www.allthingsrarmitage.blogspot.com/2009/11/spooks-8-discussion-all-comments.html