Have you ever wondered why I am so fascinated by Richard Armitage? Well, I guess some of you have questioned my sanity on a very regular basis...
The video below shows everything I love about him. This was filmed at a screening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey a few weeks ago which included a live Q&A with Richard.
I love his acting skills, his attention to detail, his lust for life, his love for his craft and so much more. If you watch it, you will understand (or maybe not, but I still love this man to death!)
I'm honestly amazed at how much of himself Richard is now willing to show in public. I guess, as long as he's talking about the characters and the craft, he's fine with just being himself, not necessarily always the dedicated professional. He's content, he's having fun, and I'm delighted to be able to see that!!
And... "Dwarves Illustrated 2012"? It was a present for Peter Jackson's 50th birthday. Well, we know Richard was on the calendar for the month December. We know he was sitting backwards on a chair throwing his long Thorin hair backwards. There was a hairdryer involved. And I imagine that he had his eyes closed. Not sure about wheter or not there was a strategically placed piece of oak! ;-)
So, it could have looked something like this: (notice the strategically placed Orcrist ;-))
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
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?
Two brilliant new interviews: one in which Martin Freeman interviews Richard Armitage and one where Richard interviews Martin. Funny, adorable, sexy (that voice!)... these guys are so funny together!
What I've learned: - There's somebody out there who is even worse at telling jokes than I am :-)
- RA prefers wine to beer... As I'm belgian, it would be almost sacrilege for me not to like beer at all, but I have a definite preference for wine. My new favourite is a Sauvignon Blanc from the Stoneleigh vinyards in New Zealand ;-)
- RA had a 'relationship' with his horse - Good to hear that he got along with HER after his rather 'difficult' relationship with Richie, his horse for Robin Hood... :-§
- He trusts the judgement of a stylist to make him look good. Now, I know we agree that this man would look good wearing a plastic bag (and not much else, winkwink), but he's right that his stylist for the press tour for The Hobbit has made him look absolutely gorgeous (Best dressed list gorgeous, that is!). Can I get a big round of applause for Miss Ilaria Urbinati?
- RA is a bit of a fitness freak... lifting weights because he "would not want to be a fat dude". I love people who like to suffer the pain of sports, and appreciate the incredible feeling you get when you've put your body through an extensive workout :-)
- He's sticking to his guns (!) about social media, but he prefers making that perfect shot with a bow and arrow... good, I don't like guns anyway, unless we're referring to a specific part of RA's body; in that case: I love guns! ;-)
Oh, and can I just bring everybody's attention back to that voice... That's dip-me-in-chocolate, tingles-down-my-spine, rich velvet voice? Not even Thorin's voice can top the real thing! Enjoy!!
MAX 60 Seconds with Richard Armitage - Thank you Cinemax!!
Is this RA drought getting on your nerves as well? Don’t get me wrong: I know RA is having the time of his life in New Zealand and I want him to enjoy every single moment of the production of The Hobbit, for more than one reason.
First of all, this is the experience of a lifetime for him. This story that he loved as a child, that was one of his first experiences as an actor (he played an elf in his school play!) is now bringing him a role (Thorin Oakenshield, no less!) in one of the biggest movie productions of the decade, with a brilliant director and groundbreaking production techniques. I want him to take it all in, to learn and grow and experience it to the fullest.
Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield
(promo pictures for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)
Second of all, these films are going to be epic. I want our dearest Richard to enjoy his final months of life in relative anonymity for as long as he possible can. His life is about to change substantially, and he’ll have enough publicity to deal with once Peter Jackson releases ‘An Unexpected Journey’ to The World. I completely understand that he’s not putting himself in the spotlight for the moment. He’s not joking in front of the camera in PJs production videos, he’s not getting his picture taken at charity events with other members of the cast (maybe he was there to support the charity, but he’s not in the pictures), he’s not releasing interviews left, right and centre and he’s not appearing in chat shows or at red carpet events. I love his style and modesty, this is one of the main reasons why I am so completely in awe of this man.
I admit that it’s also frustrating. I’m craving something new. A picture, an interview, even a small, non-descript piece of random news about whatever, as long as it’s about him. I have a friend in the military who has been on a few tours of duty for up to four months. For the people who stay behind, month number three is always the most difficult. He’s been away for long enough for everyone to have gotten used to the fact of getting on with their lives after the shock of someone important leaving them, but they now start looking forward to his return. They start counting the days, but there’s still so much time left that it only becomes more difficult.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder? Absolutely true!
That’s how I feel about RA. The release of The Hobbit is now so close that I can almost taste it, but at the same time it’s so far away that I need something to get me through this long waiting period.
Fortunately, I have enough material to keep me busy.:
- I’m listening to the ‘Lords of the North’ audio book. That voice… I sometimes need to go back to a previous section of the CD, because I’m so entranced by RA’s velvet voice, that I stop paying attention to what he’s actually saying. And I have to actively make myself listen to the story. And Richard is such a great storyteller: the way he gives all the characters in the story a specific voice and a specific personality is amazing. I bow my head to his craftsmanship.
- A Belgian TV station is playing reruns of Spooks again, one episode every weekday. They’ve just reached the end of season 7, so I now have a daily date with Lucas North as well. Did I mention I absolutely adore Lucas North?
Richard Armitage as Lucas North in Spooks
So, don’t worry about me, I’ll manage to bridge the gap between now and December. On the other hand, I’ve never been much of a follower of the phrase “Good things come to those who wait”, so I’ve decided to try to make something happen instead. Imagine this: to show appreciation to his ‘Little community’ of fans (not that he owes us anything, but just hypothetically speaking), I manage to persuade Richard to grant us (the fans) an exclusive interview. What would you want to ask him?
I will get a list of questions together that I will send in a letter to Richard in a few weeks time. Want me to include your question(s)? Comment on this post and tell me what your question is, or send me an e-mail: inged3@gmail.com. Please do so before 20 May.
Let me be very clear: I’m not sure RA will ever answer our questions, and I completely understand if he doesn’t, but I just have to give this a try, you never know! Let’s see what happens! Also, if he feels the urge to invite me to London in a few months for a real interview, who am I to refuse? :-)
The result, if there ever is one, will be posted on this blog. Fingers crossed!!
This is the 30 day Richard Armitage Challenge created by http://recycledvinyl.tumblr.com/.
Thanks to Delia for sharing the challenge on Facebook.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to post one answer per day, so I’m cheating and providing my answers to all questions in 3 parts. Of course, that should not stop you from coming back to my blog every day to read one answer at a time J
The first ten questions and answers are below. Here we go!
1. The first role I saw him in.
I first saw Richard Armitage as John Thornton in the BBC’s adaptation of Elisabeth Gaskell’s North & South. A beautiful story, beautifully portrayed. For some reason, Richard caught my attention.
Richard as John Thornton in North & South
2. The role which made me fall for him.
After North & South, I started looking at other things he had done.
This one sealed the deal for me. Sparkhouse is seen as a modern Wuthering Heights, although I think there are too many differences between the stories for that comparison to make sense. The book features prominently in the series and that basically creates the link between the two, but putting Sparkhouse on the same level as Wuthering Heights would be giving it too much credit.
What Richard did with John Standring is remarkable. For that reason only, I would recommend it.
Richard as John Standring in Sparkhouse
3. My favourite character.
That’s a difficult one.Lucas North (Spooks) is definitely a favourite, but I also love watching Guy of Gisborne (Robin Hood) and John Porter (Chris Ryan’s Strike Back) but I can’t really say I prefer on character over another. At this particular moment in time, I have to say my favourite is probably Robert Lovelace as voiced by Richard in the BBC Radio play Clarissa, the History of a Young Lady.
Richard as Sir Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood, as Lucas North in Spooks and as John Porter in Chris Ryan's Strike Back
4. My least favourite character.
The Captain doesn’t do anything for me… I don't like the show, don't like the character.
Richard as Captain Ian Macalwain in Ultimate Force
5. My favourite photoshoot.
2011 Project Magazine photo and video shoot. I especially love this one…
6. My favourite interview.
Definitely one of my favourites is this interview for Series 9 of Spooks.
Richard looks great as Lucas North with the black hair, the sideburns and the 5 o’clock shadow. He speaks so passionately about his work in series 9 in which he was faced with the great challenge of making a very difficult and even contradictory storyline look believable.
And, what can I say: I can't resist a man who speaks with his hands…
7. A scene of his which made me laugh.
The proposal scene in The Vicar of Dibley, The Handsome Stranger. It had me literally crying with laughter!!
8. A scene of his which made me cry.
It takes an extremely gripping story to make me cry, so that very rarely happens, but this scene is very powerful. The proposal and rejection scene in North & South. I 've included the extended version that never made it into the final film, but it touches my heart every time I watch it...There must be a hopeless romantic inside me somewhere!
The fact that this is unedited footage without music, makes it even more powerful...
9. My favourite character pics.
Oh, there are so many favourites!! Today, I would say it's these:
Richard as John Porter in the promo pictures for Chris Ryan's Strike Back
10. My favourite body part(s).
His hands, no doubt.
But I also have to add his back. He used to be a dancer and that shows in his posture, as you can clearly see in this picture from Captain America.
