Richard does Gandalf!

Another lovely video interview that surfaced today... probably filmed on the same day as the Twitter Q&A for @TheHobbitMovie, judging by the fact that Richard is still suffering from the sniffles. Bless him!

Why should you watch this one?

- the cutest Gandalf impersonation
- an architect? Of course!
- That's quite a grin for a bad-tempered Thorin!
- It's not difficult to learn your lines with this simple tip from Richard!

And the word "blue" *sigh*

Enjoy!!

Bin Weevils interviews Richard Armitage - Thorin from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Published on YouTube on 28 March

FanstRA 4 - Dixit RA

I would like to share my 3 favourite quotes from Richard Armitage since the World Premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on 28 November 2012. I don't necessarily remember where or when he said this, but for some reason, I did remember what he said.

“I’m standing at a bus stop next to a massive flag of Thorin, and I’m standing there thinking, ‘Everyone’s looking at this flag and yeah, you don’t realize that the man on that flag is standing in the bus stop with you,’ ” he said with a grin.

Why I love this quote: Richard’s such a modest man. He’s not in this acting game for the fame, but simply because it’s the only thing that could ever really make him happy and satisfied. He’s still hoping that people will not recognize him as Thorin and that he can go on leading his anonymous life in the real world. I honestly hope he will succeed!! (I am secretly very protective of him and I’d love to just keep him to myself, although he absolutely deserves all of the acknowledgements that he’s been getting lately) Although with 3 films, people have time to get to know his face, so I sincerely doubt he’ll be able to remain anonymous for more than another year or so…

Your face on a flag, your face on a stamp? Nothing says "You've made it big" like your face on a plane!

“The fact that we’re on a New Zealand stamp, so someone’s licking the back of Thorin’s head and sticking on the back of an envelope. I think that’s amazing.”

Why I love this quote: When you’ve made it onto a stamp, you’ve really made it big!
When I read this quote, the first thought that went through my mind was: “Everyone will be thinking of licking the back of Richard’s head, not Thorin’s head…” ;-) Richard has said before that he believes that the fans really love the characters, not him as a person. But the more we know about this man behind the characters, this lovely, sweet, shy, caring man (with a propensity for a bad temper, but that’s what makes him human) we love him more and more. We support him because of the lovely work he has done and because of the wonderful characters he has portrayed so brilliantly, but it’s really the actor, the master of the craft whom we support, not his characters.

Walking in Dwarf boots. The heirs of Durin show us how it's done! (And not a diaper in sight!)

 

 “And also, when you have those big boots on, you sort of walk like you're wearing a diaper. So we had to de-diaperize ourselves.”

Why I love this quote: I just think it’s really funny. Richard seems to make links between the most random things, and the weird thing is that those comparisons actually work. Everyone understands exactly what he trying to say, how it feels to walk around in those big boots. The man has a great way with words and he proves himself to be a true storyteller in the way he describes the world around him. For a language addict like myself, there’s nothing sexier than an intelligent man who appreciates the art of storytelling.

 

What's your favourite RA quote?

 

Want to know more about FanstRAvaganza 4?
Check out the official FanstRAvaganza website where you'll find a list of all paticipating blogs: http://fanstravaganza.com/2013-event/participants/
If you have a Twitter account, follow @FanstRAvaganza where tweets about new posts will appear. Like the Facebook page to stay in touch:
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FanstRA4 - The Stolen Crown

Now that production for The Hobbit is almost completely at the end, over the next two years or so, Richard Armitage will have some time between movie premiers and appearances to figure out what he wants to do next. He has mentioned that these films and especially this character is one of the best things he will ever do in his career and, while I don’t disagree with that, I personally hope that he will also go back to his project of bringing the life of King Richard III of England to the big screen.

With the recent discovery of Richard III’s remains under a car park in Leicester and the involvement of screen writer Philippa Langley, this seems to be very much a case of “now or never”.  Ms. Langley has even been reported as saying that she can simply not look past Richard Armitage for the portrayal of ‘her’ Richard III, meaning the character of Richard III that she has created in a screenplay. For the moment, Richard is keeping his mouth securely shut when it comes to this screenplay. Yes, he has acknowledged that he has read it and that he’s very much interested in Richard III and in telling the ‘true’ story of the King. He has even said that he would love to play Richard III, but at the same time, he’s always very quick to add: “but I’m probably a bit too tall and a bit too old to play him.”

Facial reconstruction of Richard III, based on the remains found in Leicester

Ever since Richard announced his interest in this project and he revealed his personal dedication and affiliation to the medieval king, the fans have been rallying support, hoping that he would one day be able to make this dream a reality. Have you signed the petition yet?

Of course, in order to be able to support a project, you need to learn more about it and about its subject. I have taken a specific interest in Richard III, and especially in his wife and queen, Anne Neville. I even turned to her when it came to naming this blog, and I try to learn more about Richard and Anne by reading both fiction and non-fiction about them.

I recently read The Stolen Crown, a historicalfiction novel by Susan Higginbotham. The novel tells the story of Richard III from a completely different angle. It takes the point of view of Henry (Harry) Stafford, the Duke of Buckingham and his Duchess, Katherine Woodville. That last name should definitely ring a bell to anyone who has investigated this period. Katherine was the youngest sister of Elizabeth Woodville, queen consort to Edward IV, Richard’s older brother, and mother of Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, the ‘princes in the Tower’ and of queen Elizabeth, wife of Henry Tudor, or Henry VII who took the crown of England by defeating Richard III in the battle of Bosworth.

 

As was often the case in those days, Kate and Harry were matched by their families and married at a very young age. Kate was only 7 years old when she became a married woman and the novel describes very well how she and Harry don’t particularly like each other at first, but they grow to care for one another over the years. So much so that when the time comes for them to consummate their marriage when Kate is sixteen, she is very eager to please her husband and he, in return, would love only her from that day on, which is quite remarkable for a time when husbands of noble birth were almost expected to have mistresses and illegitimate children.

Susan Higginbotham shows us the very strong and slightly obsessive friendship between Harry and Richard of York, Duke of Gloucester who will later become King Richard III. Harry’s relationship with King Edward IV is rather difficult and he is not given the honours at court that even much lesser nobles are receiving because of his family’s previous Lancastrian affiliations. Harry focuses on his friendship and love for Richard and ultimately allows him to manipulate him into doing his bidding when it comes to taking the crown of England instead of pledging allegiance to Edward V. Looking back on the story, it seems as if Richard has been manipulating Harry all along, comforting him in difficult times, getting him into king Edward IV’s favour, taking him out drinking and becoming his ‘blood brother’ in a drunken show of appreciation and undying love. And Harry falls for it. He loves Richard unconditionally and would die for him if necessary. He never questions any of the stories Richard feeds him about a previous promise of marriage between Edward IV and Eleanor Butler which would make his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville (Harry’s sister-in-law) invalid and their children bastards, making Edward V’s claims to the throne illegitimate. When Jacquetta, Katherine and Elizabeth’s mother, is accused of witchcraft, when Richard’s brother George is executed for treason and when Kate’s family is persecuted, Harry remains loyal to the monster that is Richard.

The Two Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower, 1483 by Sir John Everett Millais, 1878,
part of the Royal Holloway picture collection

So did Richard really go as far as to kill his nephews, the princes in the Tower? From this story, you would not be surprised if he did because it’s exactly the kind of thing this manipulative, egotistical, power hungry Richard would do.

This is a fictional story. Yes, it is based on certain historical facts, but so many of the details are uncertain or completely unknown that many fiction writers have been able to interpret them in many different ways. All of these stories definitely provide food for thought. I would gladly believe that Richard III was a good man after all, but the many different theories provide for great stories and probably the necessary perspective and background to make the characters more than one-dimensional cardboard cut-outs of themselves. In that respect, this was a great story and I enjoyed it very much!

 

Want to know more about FanstRAvaganza 4?
Check out the official FanstRAvaganza website where you'll find a list of all paticipating blogs: http://fanstravaganza.com/2013-event/participants/
If you have a Twitter account, follow @FanstRAvaganza where tweets about new posts will appear. Like the Facebook page to stay in touch:
https://www.facebook.com/FanstRAvaganza

FanstRA4: She's in the Army now!!

This was not supposed to be my first post for FanstRAvaganza, but faith decided differently when I stumbled upon this lovely picture of Richard and Evangeline Lilly (who plays Tauriel the Elf in The Hobbit 2 and 3) shared by a fan on Evangeline's Twitter account  @EvangelineLilly . I had never seen this picture before, have you?

According to Evangeline, it was taken at a local premier that they went to in Wellington during the filming of The Hobbit. Thank you to www.richardarmitagenet.com @RAnetdotcom for finding it!

But it got me thinking about how incredibly stunned all the women around Richard are after meeting him. Apparently (SPOILER ALERT) Evangeline did not even really get to work with Richard as their characters never actually get to interact in the films. But miss Lilly could not help but be in awe of his talent... and looking at this picture: how could anyone not be impressed?

The Dwarf Prince and the Wood Elf: don't they make a lovely pair?

So, I hereby officially declare Evangeline Lilly an active member of the Armitage Army! Welcome!!

Oh, and how spoiled are we - there seem to be new pictures of Richard every single day *does happy dance* :-)

Want to know more about FanstRAvaganza 4?
Check out the official FanstRAvaganza website where you'll find a list of all paticipating blogs: http://fanstravaganza.com/2013-event/participants/
If you have a Twitter account, follow @FanstRAvaganza where tweets about new posts will appear. Like the Facebook page to stay in touch:
https://www.facebook.com/FanstRAvaganza

Are you ready for FanstRAvaganza 4?

FanstRAvaganza 4 is coming you way in the Richard Armitage blogosphere next week!

From 11 to 17 March, bloggers from around the world are celebrating their joint admiration for Richard Armitage in the 4th edition of the annual blogging frenzy called FanstRAvaganza.

At the last count, 26 blogs had signed up to post about Richard during that week and, just like last year, Crispin's Eclipse is one of them!

Check out my contributions to last year's FanstRAvaganza 3:

- Richard III: A biography

- Is Peter Jackson colour blind?

- He's so fine he blows my mind...hey Ricky!

What am I blogging about this year? Harry Kennedy's glasses, Guy of Gisbourne's sword or Thorin's love for the Arkenstone? I'm not quite sure yet...

Want to know more? Check out the official FanstRAvaganza website where you'll find a list of all paticipating blogs:

http://fanstravaganza.com/2013-event/participants/


If you have a Twitter account, follow @FanstRAvaganza where tweets about new posts will appear

Like the Facebook page to stay in touch with what's happening:

https://www.facebook.com/FanstRAvaganza


A special *Thank you* goes out to Traxy at The Squeee for organising this year's FanstRA event and to @angelfish69 who created the official FanstRA4 banners. Well done ladies!!

Be sure to check back here next week for fun FanstRAvaganza madness!

Mount Everest and chocolate ice cream

Today was an important day: Richard Armitage is no longer a Twitter virgin.
No, he did not get his own account (thank G-D for that!) and he was only passing through, but he come over, hung out and, most importantly, answered some questions from fans. He answered one of my questions as well, it's number 7 in the list below. I sincerely doubt that he will take up permanent residence on Twitter, but that's perfectly fine. The fact that he was willing to share a few precious moments with us was enough.

Andy Serkis (Gollum), Richard Armitage (Thorin) and James Nesbitt (Bofur) look amused and slightly overwhelmed as they make their way through the thousands of questions that were sent in by the fans

So did we learn anything new? Yes and no. Some questions were rather silly and just for fun or they repeated things we already know from previous interviews. Other answers were new and surprisingly honest. I'm sure not everyone would willingly tell the world about their fear for deep water or their propensity for a bad temper. "A propensity for a bad temper and anxiety of care" sound beautiful, doesn't it? Again, RA managed to charm us with his intelligence and wit.

I still can't get over the fact that this man continues to surprise and charm me in everything he does... even in 140 characters or less!

Here's an overview of the questions answered by Richard Armitage on Twitter today. Questions were sent to @TheHobbitMovie using the #AskThorin hashtag and these were chosen out of thousands of questions that had been flooding in since yesterday afternoon.

 

1. Would you rather fight a horse-sized duck or an army of duck-sized horse?

Richard: Horse sized duck. Good in hand-to-hand combat and (can give) a sword to the beak.

2. If you could have dinner with any 3, fictional or non-fictional, who would they be?

Richard: Richard III, John F. Kennedy, and Ian McKellen.

3. What was the scene you were most excited to shoot? And the one you were more worried about?

Richard: Thorin’s first arriving in Bag End. Because you are seeing him out of his comfort zone and starting his journey.

4. Do you like #DepecheMode? I won't believe if not, cause their songs match greatly with most of your characters

Richard: Yes. I would like to know which songs you think fit his character. Master and servant.

 5. Somewhere in the world you've always wanted to travel to, but not had the chance to yet?

Richard: Peru. I would like to climb Machu Picchu.

6. I am making hobbit feet for a Tolkien mad 9yr old...Any tips even though you were a dwarf?

Richard: Lots of talcum powder when putting them on. Use lots of hair. Stay on flat surfaces and avoid stairs.

7. Richard, what's currently n°1 on your bucket list?

Richard: Climb Everest.

8. It must be hard putting on all that makeup and costume! Which part do you dread the most?

Richard: The face because it was the most uncomfortable, it stings, and fills up with sweat.

9. What is your recipe for life? :)

10.  What's your favorite dessert?
Richard: Chocolate ice cream. Treat others as you would want to be treated. And lots of chocolate ice cream.

11. What is your favorite part of playing Thorin?
Richard: 1.) Making him fight. 2.) Trying to rationalize his madness.

12. What is a dwarve's fave type of beer? Stop via Sydney & i'll shout you one
Richard: Room temperature ale

 

13. (one) thing you are afraid of?

Richard: Deep water

14. What characteristics do you admire of Thorin and why, & what do you recognize in yourself?
Richard: His nobility and bending will to succeed. We share a propensity for a bad temper and anxiety of care.

 

Richard's parting words:

Thanks fans for supporting the film. Come back and keep watching. - Richard Armitage

 

Extra extra!!

So, I did the '30 days of Richard Armitage' challenge last year. I actually cheated and instead of answering 30 questions in 30 days, I answered them in only 3 days.
Have a look at my answers here (part 1), here (part 2) and here (part 3).

But lately, some other bloggers and facebookers have started doing the challenge and I've noticed that the questions are slightly different. So, I thought it would be funny to answer those new questions as well.

Pictures of Richard Armitage are taken from www.richardarmitagenet.com
Other images were found via Wikipedia.

The 30 days of Richard Armitage challenge... part 4!

31. The character I would like to meet

I would love to meet Claude Monet. I would jump at a chance to have dinner with this wonderful artist. We would talk about impressionism and the things that inspired him to create his masterpieces. And I would love to hear his thoughts on modern art. 

Richard Armitage played the young Claude Monet in the BBC's The Impressionists in 2006

32. The character I would spend one week with

I would get on the back of Ricky's bike and we would ride across the UK for a week...or maybe even much longer ;-)... that would be the perfect holiday!

I may just not bring him back at all ;-) ... Richard Armitage as Ricky Deeming in the George Gently episode Gently Go Man

33. The character I would want to have a longer affair with

This is a difficult one... If I was single, I would probably fall head over heels for Lucas North. I know, I know, with all that baggage (8 years in a Russian prison and all that jazz) he's probably not the best boyfriend material, but I know for a fact that I would not be able to resist him. For the record, please note that I still refuse to acknowledge the existance of John Bateman. Just so we are absolutely clear about that little detail.

I love Lucas, I really do... :-)

RA as Lucas North in season 7 of Spooks

34. The character I would want to marry

Honestly, none of them. Although I think Lucas and I have similar personalities, marriage is something that takes just a bit more than that...

But if I absolutely had to select one of Richard's characters to marry, I would probably go for John Thornton. I don't think any woman could resist a real gentleman. Even though he's a mere tradesman (manufacturer, I beg your pardon), I'm sure JT is as much a gentleman as any man of noble birth could be. And he reads Plato: there's nothing sexier than a man who knows his classics ;-)



Mr. Thornton finishes a book before returning it to its rightful owner. RA first caught my attention when he played cotton mill owner John Thornton in the BBC's adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's classic novel North & South.

35. Describe Richard in 3 words...

Reader
Craftsman
Inspiration


36. Richard should work together with this actor or actress...

Another difficult one... it really depends on the film and the character they would be playing. But one thing is certain: Richard and Hugh Jackman could definitely play brothers!

37. My favourite crossover pairing

 

John Porter meets Homeland's Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) - They both look good in scarves! :-)

No, I honestly think they would make an excellent team...

 

 

 

38. I would like to see Richard doing a cameo in this film/series

I love to see Richard in intelligent drama, so he would be a perfect villain in Sherlock!

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in the BBC's modern interpretation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes

39. Something I would like to know about Richard

Richard, do you still enjoy dancing or have you given it up completely?