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?
Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? For my better half and I, this is just a day like any other day. We are always kissing and cuddling and we never leave the house without saying 'I love you', so we don't need a day to remind us how happy we are together. But even though we don't buy each other fancy presents or go out to dinner, I know a certain Brit who has been rather busy on Valentine's Day over the years. ;-)
In 2001, Craig Parker turned on the charm for this pretty blonde...
Richard played Craig Parker in one episode of the BBC drama Casualty
In 2004, two ladies were fighting for the honour of being RA's Valentine...
Lucy Brown (Ann Latimer), Richard Armitage (John Thornton) and Daniela Denby-Ashe (Margaret Hale) in the BBC's adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South
And although this lady may have thought she had him hooked...
His heart showed him his one true love with one single yellow rose...
In 2005, Richard dressed up as Guy of Gisborne to present Lady Marian with a token of his regard for her:
Richard Armitage and Lucy Griffiths as Guy of Gisborne and Lady Marian in episode 6 of season 1 of the BBC's Robin Hood (2006)
In 2006, we fell in love with Harry Kennedy, but he fell in love with Geraldine...
Richard Armitage and Dawn French as Harry Kennedy and Geraldine Granger in The Vicar of Dibley
In 2009, our spy-cam spotted senior case officer Lucas North on a romantic date with yet another pretty blonde. Well, anything's better than Sarah Caulfield, right?
Richard Armitage as Lucas North in Season 8 of Spooks
In 2010, RA hoped these lovely flowers would cheer up his love, as she was not feeling well and had to stay in hospital...
Richard Armitage played Sgt. John Porter in Chris Ryan's Strike Back
In 2011, he declared his love for all the world to see...
Richard Armitage leads his fellow cast members in the Powhiri ceremony on the first day of filming for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in Wellington, New Zealand
In 2012, he sent Valentine cards to all his friends!
And in 2013, under a Black Sky or threatened by Dragon fire, whether on Valentine's Day or not, may our very own King Richard love with all his heart and find that special someone who says 'I love you' back to him.
You may or may not have noticed that it's been rather quiet on this blog for the last month or so. That was not planned. I found myself completely overwhelmed with the constant influx of news about RA. As if there was no more room in my brain for anything creative while I was trying to absorb all the news, video, photoshoots, interviews... and of course the film: The Hobbit. I've seen it (only) 3 times now, in 48fps 3D and I'm trying to stop myself from going to the cinema just one more time.
Promo poster for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey with Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield
The enormous media coverage has also caused an explosion of the RA fandom. The Armitage Army is no longer some marginal group of people from around the world who follow the career of some English guy that most of their friends and family have never even heard of. Our man is suddenly public property and, although it's exactly what I was expecting, it's still scary. Don't get me wrong, I welcome the change with open arms. It's so wonderful to see that Richard is finally getting the attention and appreciation that he deserves. And the more people know about him, the closer we get to convincing the entire world of Richard's extraordinary talent.
Richard Armitage in New York, at a photoshoot for Glamour Magazine
So, I don't mind sharing the fandom with the world, but the fact that the fanbase has grown exponentially has made me re-evaluate the place I want to take up in it. I feel the need to explain myself, to elaborate further on the kind of fan that I am. I don't know if that makes any sense at all, but it feels like the right thing to do. Please keep in mind that you don't have to agree with anything that I say in this blogpost. Actually, I hope you don't. Wouldn't the world be a horribly boring place if we all had similar opinions about everything? But I need to share my own opinions about certain things. I'll start by taking a stand on some of the ideas that have been going around in the fandom lately.
Do I want Richard to play James Bond? No. Please, no! Not that he wouldn't be a wonderful 007, but he's so much better that that. Stepping into a billion dollar franchise like James Bond would haunt him for the rest of his career. He'd be typecast for all eternity. And the interesting, challenging roles that he so desperately wants to play, would pass him by, because people would not be able to see past a certain spy... Lucas North: yes. James Bond: No.
To me, this will always be Richard's 'James Bond' picture, simply because of his casual elegance and obvious grace. Behind the scenes at the 2009 BAFTA awards
Do I want Richard to star in a romantic comedy? No. Please, no! Again, I'm sure he'd be wonderful at it, but there are so many more exciting roles waiting for him. Why should he waste his time on cheap, easy, romantic fluff? One book in particular seems to be circulating in the fandom these days: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. I haven't read it, so I don't mean to judge the book or the author, but if I had anything to say about Richard's career, I would advise him not to be a part of a screen adaptation of the novel. That's just my opinion, feel free to disagree.
Do I want Richard to play Matthew Clairmont? Honestly, I have no idea who Matthew Clairmont is. I haven't read Deborah Harkness' books and I don't want to pass judgement on them. But I do know that Matthew Clairmont is a vampire. For that simple reason, RA should stay well away from him and leave the vampires to the likes of Robert Pattinson or Stephen Moyer.
Do I want Richard to play Richard III? Yes. Yes, please. Richard III is such an interesting character to play because there is so much we know about him but there's also so very much we don't know, leaving the details of his character and the truth about his abilities as a monarch open to creative interpretation. Now that his remains have been found and the eyes of the world are on Leicester, the challenge would be to make Richard III a real man, giving equal importance to his many wonderful accomplishments and the horrible dark truths about his reign while giving them the historical context required for us to completely understand their significance. Let me quickly add 2 things:
1. If Richard ever gets to play RichardIII, I can only hope that this film or series also pays tribute to the women in this story: Cecily Neville, Anne Neville, Isabelle Neville, Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beauchamp, Marguerite of Anjou, ...the lust goes on and on. Their significance may have been overlooked by the history books, but these women play a vital part in the story of the wars of the roses. Ah, to play Anne or even Cecily - I wouldn't even mind sinking my teeth into such a challenge myself (wishful thinking, I know!)
A facial reconstruction of Richard III. Does it look like RA? Not necessarily. Is the resemblance enough for RA to be able to play him convincingly? Without a shadow of a doubt!
2. What if RA decides, as he has often said, that by the time this project actually happens, he will be "too tall and too old" to play the role? Fine by me, as long as he gets to make the decision for himself. He'd be brilliant as Warwick the Kingmaker or even as Richard's father, the Duke of York. Alternatively, he could produce the piece and I'm sure you'll agree that his storytelling abilities would benefit very much from having him in the director's chair. Ah, such a dilemma! (sorry for going on and on about this, I should really do a separate piece about the RIII thing)
OK, enough confessions for today. I didn't mean to just be negative and I promise to also talk about other things that I would love for Richard to get involved in. In the meantime: is there anything you want to ask me? Anything you would like me to share? Please leave a comment and I'll do my very best to answer all of your questions.
This is me this morning: on the sofa with my laptop. And Episode 2 of season 9 of Spooks in the background. When Lucas is still Lucas and John Bateman is still only a ghost from the past without any real influence on the future.
I find myself going back to Lucas North more and more these days. I'll write more about him very soon. But there's other things I wanted to blog about today, so I'd better get back to that first!
Richard Armitage as Lucas North in Spooks (Season 9 episode 2) Image courtesy of www.richardarmitagenet.com
Today, on
Remembrance Sunday, I would like to pay my respects to those who sacrificed
their lives, their future and their freedom for future generations. I have
always been especially interested in the stories behind World War I and II,
both the grand strategic and political decisions and the personal stories of soldiers,
civilians, families and villages. I’ve travelled to places like London, Paris and
Berlin to understand how these cities and their people were affected by the
wars and I’ve visited the important landmarks and memorials in my own country (e.g.
Tyne Cot cemetery in Paschendaele, Menin Gate in Ypres, the woods of The
Ardennes).
When I
visit a war cemetery, I try to stop at as many graves as I can to read the
name that is on the gravestone out loud. It’s my own personal way of
honouring them and thanking them for their sacrifice.
Last week,
I visited the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Hotton (Belgium), where I found this grave.
Final resting place of Sergeant P.S. Armitage
The text on
the gravestone reads:
1809956
sergeant
P.S.
ARMITAGE
Air Gunner
Royal Air
force
2nd
March 1945 Age 21
The Lord is
my shepherd
I shall not
want
He maketh
me to lie down In green
pastures
The records
of Hotton Cemetery provide the following information:
ARMITAGE
PETER SPACKMAN
VI.A.3. United
Kingdom Sergeant ( Air Gnr. ) 1809956 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
2nd March 1945. Age 21. Son of George Henry and Louise Hilda Ellen Armitage of
East Barnet Hertfordshire. Unit: 622 Sqdn.
The War Cemetery
at Hotton (Belgium) is the final resting place of 665 British and Commonwealth
soldiers killed during WWII and the Battle of the Ardennes. Among them was one
Belgian who fought with the 53rd Welsh Division.
I’ve seen
the name Armitage in these war cemeteries before. I distinctly remember
standing by a grave at the WWI memorial cemetery Tyne Cot near Paschendaele
here in Belgium and I recently found out that the Tyne Cot memorial contains
sculpture by a man named Joseph Armitage.
The Tyne Cot Memorial that surrounds the cemetery (unveiled on 20 June 1927) now
bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known.
“They shall not grow old, as we who are left
grow old
Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We shall remember them”
Lucas North (Richard Armitage) wear the poppy, the symbol of Remembrance, in Episode 1 of Season 7 of Spooks (BBC)
Though they sink through the sea they shall
rise again;
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion.”
(From: And death shall have no dominion by
Dylan Thomas)
If you know
me, you know that I’m not easily impressed. I tolerate a lot of things, I’m
open-minded about changes and new ideas and I always give people the benefit of
the doubt, but once you’ve lost my regard (or my attention, or even my respect),
it’s incredibly hard to get it back.
Imagine
this: My sister and I are at our third Chris Isaak concert. This man’s concerts
are some of the very best live experiences I’ve ever had, apart from *Live* and
maybe Metallica (yes, my taste in music is very diverse). So we usually don’t
really pay attention during the opening act. We simply want whoever it is to
keep it short, stop trying to be funny (nobody’s interested in your jokes, get
over it!), sing a couple of songs while we wait and please do take our polite
applause as an encouragement – for you to get off stage as soon as possible.
On walks
some guy with a guitar… “Hello, my name is Paul Freeman, I’m Welsh.”
Well, the
Chris Isaak concert was brilliant. We had so much fun, there are no words that
would do it the justice that it deserves. The man, the music, the band… even
the silly dance moves – I loved every second of it!
So, I wake
up the day after this brilliant concert and I’m still feeling great about this
wonderful night. I’m singing in the shower and while I’m having breakfast it
suddenly dawns on me: I’m not singing a Chris Isaak song! The song that’s been
in my head all morning is called Tightrope
and it’s by Paul Freeman…
“There's no way back if I let go
You’re where I’ll land
So here I go
Cause I just want to live
And I just wanna feel it”
(From: Tightrope by Paul Freeman)
Yes, I enjoyed
his five-song mini concert, and so did the rest of the crowd, judging from the
louder-than-average applause after, and the attentive silence during the songs.
But only the morning after do I realise exactly how much of an impression this
man has made. I HAVE to know more!
I am
absolutely certain that I had never even heard his name until about 2 weeks
ago. And now, I just want him to come back to Belgium and play for me again – I
feel as if I didn’t pay enough attention the first time and I’d like to
experience it again to see if he can impress me a second time.
So what is
it about Paul Freeman that made him able to wipe away a wonderful Chris Isaak
concert and make his way into my subconscious? His boyish good looks and
radiant smile? Although he definitely has those, it’s the music that impressed
me.
“It's easier to compromise when everything has
gone
And it's hard to make amends when all the
damages are done
And to everyone I've ever hurt, I'm sorry
But I was wrong”
(From: That’s how it is by Paul Freeman)
When I got
a chance to meet Paul after the concert, he was just as sweet and genuine as he
seemed to be on stage and he’s as intelligent as his lyrics. He won my undying
respect a few days later when I found out that he likes Dylan Thomas. Thomas
was known to be a great admirer of William Blake which almost makes us kindred
spirits. (Hey, can you believe I just found a link between Paul Freeman and
Richard Armitage? I knew there was a reason I liked this man!)
Right back at you, Paul!!
Another
thing that caught my attention is the way Paul sings his songs. Every time he
started playing, it was as if he went into a world of his own. There was such dedication
and joy in the way he performed; it makes me smile to even think about it. But
don’t take my word for it, here’s the proof. This is Paul’s performance of
Tightrope at the concert that I attended in Brussels.
It’s that joy that woke the room up and Paul
managed to grab the attention of people who would usually just see him as the
reason why the main act of the evening wasn’t there yet. By the third song, he’d
won them over. When he finally walked off the stage, I felt a sense of loss…and
the applause continued longer than I have ever seen it last for an unknown
opening act.
So Paul,
when exactly are you coming back to sing for me?
Happy Armitage Day to Richard Armitage fans across the globe...
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Richard Crispin Armitage, actor, heart-throb (yes, you, Mr. A!), dandy (very suave, when he's in the right frame of mind), circus worker (yes, he slept next to the elephants, get over it), dwarf (the tallest dwarf, in every way!), professional spy (I love Lucas North, did I mention that?), and Nazi saboteur (He's the only person who would want to make a cartoon character - Heinz Kruger in Captain America - look like more than a one-dimensional bad guy: Erich Gimpel, your biography is now on my reading list as well!)
After 21 days of counting down to this day, I owe you my favourite picture in honour of RA's birthday. so here it is:
- It's Richard, as himself. No character to change his features, his voice or his actions, he's his very own, adorable self!
- His hair is short, and it's his natural colour
- The beard... what can I say? THE BEARD!! *I'm controlling the urge to run my fingers across his jaw*
- That incredible Belstaff leather jacket that fits him so very well - actually, I can't believe that the brand has not asked him to be their poster-boy (or man, I should say) because their jackets and coats look exquisite on him!
- He's talking about his role in The Hobbit and I am eagerly awaiting the day when I can finally see RA as Thorin on the big screen, in high-definition 3D!
- He's being serious: he's giving one of his incredibly intelligent, well thought-through answers to some interviewer's not-so-very-original question...
- His voice, yes his beautiful, deep, velvet, dip-me-in-chocolate, tingles-down-my-spine voice. Of course, you can't hear that voice in this picture, so I would like to share a video as well. A minute of Richard Armitage - thank you bcc mee for creating this!
I hope you've enjoyed my countdown to Armitage day and my selection of pictures. I've had a wonderful time going through the picture gallery and finding my favourites to share... Thank you all for visiting my blog, commenting on the pictures and for taking part in all the birthday fun!
Thank you Mr. A for inspiring me! Whatever you are doing to celebrate this day, I hope you enjoy it. Happy Birthday, Richard!! x
Episode 3 of season 7 is my favourite episode of Spooks. It's the first episode in which we really get to see Lucas North in action. He's confident in dealing with assets and in taking decisions that could affect the lives of his colleagues. They are immediately in awe of the lanky, strong case officer who seems to have found his place in the team after 8 years of captivity in Russia.
Richard looks great in this episode full of close-ups. Just look at those blue eyes, that intense look of concentration and determination, the sensitivity and insecurity that shines through from the depths of his soul, that hint of a smile on his lips or those seriously cute crinkles! And don't get me started on how elegant he looks in that beautiful, dark winter coat... *blush*
I really, honestly tried to find my favourite picture from this episode, but there are so many! Enjoy them, I'm sure I will... again!! ;-)
As always, none of this would have been possible without the amazing picture gallery supplied by www.richardarmitagenet.com. Don't forget to find them on Facebook and 'Like' the page!
What's a
birthday without a birthday present? But what do you get the man who's living
his dream? This year,
consider donating to one of Richard's selected charities (Shelter, The Salvation
Army, Childline and Barnardo's) - visit his Just Giving
page. Thank
you!
