A couple of months ago I passed the five year milestone as a Richard Armitage fan, and I’m satisfied as to why Richard became such an obsession for me. I’m sharing the discovery in my diary entries, which I started because this is a common question among people who aren’t fanatics one moment and a little while later, they are.
This week during FanstRAvaganza, I’m exploring the subject a little more and talking to new and not so new fans about it, and hopefully catching up with where they are in their lives. So hang on while I get my act together, and I’ll be back to share with you.
For now the screencap of one of the scenes that got me started:
Screencap courtesy of RichardArmitageNet
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RAFrenzy 
I’m three years in….if there is a God, he got perfection with that man……….*sigh*
Looking forward to this, as I am a bit dumbfounded by the speed with which this happened to me. I can look at my YouTube history and very clearly see the day that I got hooked. :} Before N&S, regular viewing: work research videos. After N&S: OMG Guy OMG Thornton OMG Who IS This Fellow? and then the occasional desultory: work research video. I feel kind of like I was hit by an extremely handsome, very charming and polite bus.
I love that moment in N&S when Fanny starts running her mouth off about Margaret and Thornton is thinking: Shut up! That’s my girlfriend you’re talking about LOL!
I don’t remember the exact date–it’s been longer than five years for me, which is probably why I don’t. I do remember that the moment I saw him as Harry in the Vicar of Dibley, I was a goner and it’s been that way ever since. I rewatched it over and over and OVER and was appalled at how little there was available of his work at that time. Thankfully that is no longer the case–cannot wait for 3/19 and the release of “The Hobbit”. Bus? For me, it was more like an express train.
I am new (November) N&S. I watched it by accident, I had never heard of N&S or RA and was actually loving on Rupert Penry-Jones as Captain Wentworth in Persuasion when Youtube listed N&S. on the sidebar. So I watched. For me it will always be “Are you coming home with me?”. I will never get over that one. The look on his face! I am crazy! I must be crazy!
Fanatic? No. Interested observer? Most definitely, yes indeed. Inspirational in those moments? Of course. But there are days and weeks go by where life and writing take over and then suddenly I’ll see something online and think gosh, where did that come from? But I suspect he’s changed, developed, grown more private, and the fandom has changed too. Private email heading your way, Frenz!
Louie9876….ME TOO!!!! Rupert was THE man. I was fresh off Persuasion, saw a comment about if you thought the Wentworth kiss at the end of Persuasion was something, just wait til you see the end of N&S. Huh? Civil War mini-series?? Not even close.
I actually ordered it, camped at the mailbox until it came then locked myself away until I had watched the whole thing. Then watched it again. And again. And again. Well, you know. Then I ordered another copy of N&S just in case. Loaned that out to a relative, who then stayed up half the night watching it. She called the next AM and said “Thanks a lot. I need a nap. And that man is gorgeous.” or something like that.
Sigh…the good old days. Love seeing all the new stuff tho. But yeah, the are-you-coming-home-with-me thing swept me right off my feet. And slapped me right up side the face! In a good way…. :)
I just saw something that made me feel like I had an answer to this question of “Why Richard?”, at least for me. It said “You bring light to the world. You can’t help it.” Which is pretty much the way I have felt ever since I began watching his work.
[…] Why Richard? […]
You know how I got hooked on our hero RA — YOU! It all started when you visited my blog and I got curious. And it’s been fun ever since. *smiles*
I am only one year into it and why Richard is a good question. North & South is what did it for me and I know that a lot of it is physical attraction. However, I have been physically attracted to men lots of times before. With Richard it seems to go deeper and I would like to explore that.
I love hearing the “testimonials” of other RA fans – and this comment section is just working out like that. I am a relative newbie and it still excites me to discover all these interesting women who often share the same story with me. – N&S sort of stood at the beginning of my journey, too – I am looking forward to finding out more about the fandom’s greatest asset: its members.
awww… what guylty said. I think we all agree that although we have different views and how Richard should be… we know we all want what’s best for him. My journey started in North and South also. And since then… here I am.
It’s interesting to read how others became fans.
For me it happened like this.First I saw The Hobbit and I felt ok. At the evening I thought that I must look up some of the actors, wonder who is playing Thorin. So I looked him up and suddenly I realised that I had seen him before in Robin Hood and that the actor actually was hot. I started to think that I kinda like that beard. And suddenly that evening I just fell. I thought I would see Kili and Fili as the atractive ones but now I was looking up everything about Thorin and RA.
So I never had the N&S experience as many other fans. I think RA is doing one of his best performances in it but otherwise I’m not so mad about the series. I’ve only seen it one time, exept for the kissing scene of course. I don’t even like kissing scenes, but that scene is just brilliant, amazing, RAs talent really is kissing, hehe but sadly he doesn’t seem to have that mutch time for it.
It’s been a couple of months now but I’m feeling as mad as ever. When will this stop? I have seriously never felt like this for any actor, I feel so silly, I’m even reading blogs now.
One other thing too. I’m so happy that he seems like such a nice and down to earth person. I believe he must have a really big heart. Thats probably why I’m still so mutch caught in him. Even if I don’t know him, I really love the personality we see, I can’t understand that anyone could ever say a bad thing about him. And Stephanie I feel just like you, that he brings light to the world. Well atleast in my life. He has made my crappy life so mutch happier and interesting than it was a couple of months ago.
I know I’m grazy, but I don’t really care. He’s my sunshine. What ever works, it works. I do hope he reads your blog but I so hope doesn’t see my comment, hehe.
I need a moment. All of your words have touched me. Maybe I’m still on an endorphin high from my morning walk, but I’m getting misty eyed and I cannot let that happen because I still have a post to submit for FanstRAvaganza 4 today. I suddenly have a vision of the entire Army singing ‘This Little Light of Mine’. Have a great day, everyone and thank you for sharing your thoughts and lifting my spirit. :)
That is such a sweet comment, Thora, and I agree. RA seems to be such a nice bloke. Like you say, he’s like sunshine. :)
I am glad that you agreed with my comment, Thora–as soon as I saw it, I immediately thought “Richard”, because he has gotten me through any number of down times over the past years and I don’t see that changing. He really is a light in very dark times, and in my heart, I hope he realizes that.
It seems like a lot of you fell for Richard the first time you saw him and N&S seems to have been the one. I first saw Richard in I think 2006 in Inspector Lynley on PBS. Since we watch a lot of British shows, there are the actors who we just don’t know and that is how it was then, I also never looked him up at that time. Fast forward to 2010 and saw Rupert Penry-Jones on again PBS after seeing him a couple times decided to look up RPJ and one thing to another and You-Tube and there in some of the vids was Richard along with RPJ. I really had to ask self, why I didn’t seem to like Richard too. Well slowly I came around and by the time I saw Robin Hood it was not to hard to bring me around. I seem to have to be won (it took me a month to give my phone number to this guy that wanted to get to know me better, I married him) I don’t seem to jump to fast into anything.
I appreciate all of you sharing your experiences. Frankly, I just love getting to know all of you, and such sweet comments you’ve made — touching the heart of what’s going on! I did start typing a more detailed response, and well, it turned into a post.
And I can’t believe I made a convert. LOL! To date I have not made many of those. I just hope you continue to have fun. Eagle-Eyed. :D
Xenia, the joy is in the exploration. :)
Sorry, my comments are sooo delayed! I see that I’m ‘late to the party’, LOL but just wanted to share my thoughts anyway :) Hope that’s alright? For me, it started when I saw Strike Back!! I normally don’t even like that genre, but this show was different… all because of RA! OMG, was I smitten or what??!! The acting, the story, the looks! Loved him in SB, and then of course in Spooks/Mi5, N & S, The Hobbit, Vicar of Dibley & also Sleepwalker recently. To say that he’s an AMAZING actor is an Understatement & of course he’s Beyond GORGEOUS! And I agree with Thora, Stephanie & others that what makes him even more appealing is the fact that he seems such a NICE, KIND, HUMBLE & SWEET person in real life! He’s Beautiful Inside & Out! I know it sounds silly, but he ‘makes you want to be a better person!’ So inspiring…never has an actor had that kind of an impact on me…must be the RA MAGIC that we ALL can feel :) Just can’t get enough of him!!!
It’s never too late to come to the party! :D
Aww, Thanks Frenz :)
You’re welcome. :)
I discovered North and South by accident wstching several other British period dramas and saw several other actors were in it it so I found it and watched. And as many I watched it over and over and over and over again. Could not stop talking about this discovery until a friend told me about the Richard Armitage fandom. And now I don’t feel as weird or crazy that I am obsessed with this actor and have been searching and watching everything I can find of his, and his audible narrations. This is 2021 and these posts seem to have been written years ago and I fell into this blog last night after finding between the sheets on YouTube last night and staying up past 1:30 am reading these posts, fascinated. And it makes me even happier that he’s such a gracious, professional, kind, and articulate person. I’m glad, though he is well known now, that he’s not a superstar and can still be himself. I admire his work, listening to his voice and watching him just makes my heart race and other enjoyable feelings! So glad to have stumbled upon this talented heart throb and the fan universe that I now look forward to being part of sharing with the many who feel the same!
I discovered North and South because I had watched several other British period dramas and saw that several other actors in them were in North and South. were in it . So I found N&S and watched. And as many here, I watched it over and over and over and over again. Could not stop talking about this discovery until a friend told me about the Richard Armitage fandom. And now I don’t feel as weird or crazy that I am obsessed with this actor and have been searching and watching everything I can find of his, and his audible narrations. This is 2021 and these posts seem to have been written years ago. I fell into this blog last night after finding Between the Sheets on YouTube last night and staying up past 1:30 am reading these posts, fascinated. And it makes me even happier that he’s such a gracious, professional, kind, and articulate person. I’m glad, though he is well known now, that he’s not a superstar and can still be himself. I admire his work, listening to his voice and watching him just makes my heart race and other enjoyable feelings! So glad to have stumbled upon this talented heart throb and the fan universe that I now look forward to being part of sharing with the many who feel the same!