The board that many of us were using at Celebrity Expose is now gone and the pins along with it. I’ve started another one here. Please let me know if you want to participate. Even if I leave the fandom, which I don’t plan on doing, but if I did, I would make sure this stays. So won’t you join me? And maybe it’s better the board is not associated with something as massive as the other board. Me thinks they probably got in legal trouble and that’s why they went away. It’s doubtful this will happen to us.
This is Fantastic
To make the connection to Richard Armitage, please use your imagination, and when you see what has been done, it won’t be hard.
Maddie Brindley has made a miniature of Bag End:
An explanation and more views are here, and you will be sorry if you don’t look at the wonderful detail.
Thanks to Eagle-Eyed Editor for this find!
And I realize it was done in 2010, but I’ve been immersed in so much Tolkien memorabilia, that I flat missed this wonderful work and think some of you may have as well.
Bringing a Smile
Janine Pineo recently came into the midst of the Richard Armitage fans, and what a ray of sunshine she is. A hackneyed phrase? Sometimes. But never when it fits. Janine’s wit is readily evident. That sharp mind turning and making your eyes open up in its wake and then leaving you with a smile. That’s what I love about Janine, and now her project to send Richard Armitage a thank you is complete and on its way to him which I’m confident will leave him with a smile too. And a huge thank you to her friend Lanie for her part in inspiring this!
Richard at The Hobbit Premiere in Wellington, November 2012
edit: I was not paid to post this. :D
What a Way To Go!
I told you I was not out of The Hobbit mode, and I’m not. But I’m almost always in Richard Armitage mode, and this account by @kellyduck has thrown me into full throttle:
This post is long overdue, as it’s been nearly 2 months since my trip to beautiful New Zealand for the premiere of The Hobbit. Writing about my Richard Armitage encounter was a lot harder than I ever thought it would be, and I’ve gained a new appreciation for you bloggers that manage to do this on a regular basis. I don’t consider myself a great writer and can tend to be a bit wordy, but I hope you’ll find these ramblings a little entertaining anyway.
As I headed to New Zealand for The Hobbit Premiere festivities, I never truly expected I would actually meet the man himself. Wellington was bound to be packed with visitors and the chances of running into him anywhere seemed pretty impossible. I’d only seen Red Carpet events in pictures or videos, but most seem to be more about the press than the fans, so I wasn’t sure how close we would be able to get to Richard Armitage. I had high hopes of seeing him on the Red Carpet and taking a few quick snaps as he walked by. I even thought maybe, if we were really, really lucky we might even get a quick hello with an autograph, but I tried hard not to set my hopes too high.
So there I was, on a packed Air New Zealand flight about to be bound for Middle-earth itself. Although I was excited, I’d been traveling for much of the day, and by the time I’d reached LAX, I was beginning to feel the weariness that airport travel brings. I wanted to be ready to hit the ground running once I reached New Zealand, and I hoped to get some rest on my flight to Auckland. As I settled into my seat, I could hear the flight crew making some announcements. Over the PA, a flight attendant said something about duty-free merchandise still needing picked up and began going through a list of names…….
“Random person….random person….Richard Armitage…random person….”
Wait…WHAT!? Did she just say what I think she said? No way! Not possible, I told myself. I figured maybe someone was having a laugh, maybe another RA fan on the way to New Zealand even. After all, why would Richard Armitage be on a flight from LA? He’d be coming from London, wouldn’t he?
I managed to mostly brush it off, and settled in for my 11 hour flight to Auckland. There was plenty of Middle-earth entertainment to keep me occupied and our lovely AirNZ Concierge gal even had a Hobbit trivia contest. A few hours into the flight, as dinner service was beginning, I overheard something that nearly stopped my heart. The flight crew were serving meals to the people in the row in front of me, and the flight attendant asked if they’d started their journey on the London leg of the flight.
Wait….WHAT!? The flight I was on had originated in LONDON!? Woah! This possibility had not even crossed my mind. Holy moly! Richard Armitage actually COULD be on my flight! *Begin hyperventilation
Thankfully Air New Zealand serves complimentary wine with dinner because, at that point, I needed something to calm my poor nerves. I tried to brush it off again as best I could. After dinner, Concierge gal announced that if anyone was interested in The Hobbit to contact her (via this really awesome instant message type system, so cool!) and she might stop by their seat with some goodies. Hobbity goodies!? Yes please! :) So I typed a cheeky message about how she should come see me because I was headed all the way to Wellington for the premiere “…and to meet Richard Armitage,” I added. The curiosity was killing me, and I figured this might be my only hope of finding anything out.
About half an hour later Concierge gal did stop by my seat. She brought me some lovely goodies, and an astonishing revelation…..
“I hate to tell you this” she said, “but, that guy you wanted to meet, Richard….what was his name…”
“He’s up there isn’t he?!” I nearly squealed, pointing toward the front of the plane.
“There are several [Hobbit cast members] on the flight actually,” she said grinning. (WHAAAAAT?!!)
Maintaining my composure as best I could, I assured her I had no intention of bothering anyone during the flight, but if she happened to talk to Richard, she could maybe let him know where my seat was ;) (wink, wink)
“Well, you never know, you may run into them in the airport or something,”
Oh crapola! It suddenly occurred to me, I just might!
Well you can imagine how the rest of the flight was for me. Trapped on an airplane knowing that Richard Armitage was merely a few meters/yards away, breathing the same recycled airplane air, it was almost too much. My mind was running wild, but I also knew that being at the far back of the plane (row 58, middle seat) there was very little I could do to investigate without potentially reenacting the scene from Bridesmaids in the First Class Cabin, and probably getting myself detained & deported from New Zealand upon arrival. I wasn’t ready to jeopardize my entire trip just yet.
The hours passed VERY slowly……
Finally, we landed and are getting ready to deplane. I resisted the urge to shove my way through scores of lovely people in order to get off. As I said before, I’m at the very back of the plane, and it starts to sink in that my chances of seeing our man are getting smaller by the minute. Still, as I finally hit the terminal and head towards passport control, my eyes are peeled for any sign of the lovely Mr. Armitage. The passport area at Auckland is much like any other except that, to me it seemed rather dark, as if only half of the lights were on. I was trying desperately to get my paperwork in order while still scanning the room for a glimpse of RA. Where on earth could he be? Everyone goes through passport control, even TDH Brits. Could he have gotten through that quickly? Oh no! This can’t happen! I can’t get this close and then not even see him! I was so shell-shocked and sleep deprived, I thought I just might cry….
but then….
Wait….THERE!! It’s him! Holy moly! It’s dark and he’s on the complete opposite side of the room (VIP lane of course), but that profile is unmistakable. Oh yeah, it’s Richard Armitage.
At this point it was nearly impossible to breathe or maintain any focus on what I was doing. I still had to make it through the passport check, and I was trying to watch my line, but mostly just gawking at Richard and trying desperately to remain in a vertical position. He was wearing boots, a dark jacket, and carrying a backpack. I noticed there was most definitely something stubbly on his chin (squeeeee!) and that he was chatting away with an adorable little blonde (who we later discovered was most likely his lovely publicist, Ruth Bernstein). I took my eyes off of him for a split second and discovered it was my turn at the window. Handing the lady my passport, I make my best attempt to appear calm and rational. This attempt was smashed to bits as I see Richard walk past, directly behind the passport control booth that I was standing in front of. I’m not sure I can describe the myriad of emotions that hit me at that moment, but judging by the look the immigration lady gave me as she handed back my passport, they were written all over my face.
Passport in hand, I bolted forward into the walkway and spotted Richard a few meters ahead of me. It took a lot of willpower and restraint not to burst into a full run down the corridor, but I did however break into a bit of a speed walk/jog. It didn’t seem too out-of-place to be in a hurry in an airport, and I wanted to bridge as much distance as I could before we reached the escalator that was just ahead.
One of the things that I remember distinctly about that day was watching him walking ahead of me for those few moments. I remember the way the tops of his untied boots “flopped” as he walked. I remember there being something different, almost heavy footed, in the way he walked (maybe a remnant of Thorin in his step?) And I remember those jeans… Yeah, they looked pretty great from the front, but from the back…. Well, even his spectacular derriere could not make those jeans (and their giant orange stitched pockets) look good. Oh well, I’m guessing they were comfortable, which is how most people dress for a 24 hour flight. (We won’t even mention how I must have looked.)
My quick stepping landed me only 5 or 6 steps above RA on the escalator, giving me a perfect view of his lovely head. I stared intently as he continued chatting away with the cute blonde. They reached the bottom of the escalator and disappear to the left, into the baggage claim area. I followed close behind, trying not to lose sight of the man for too long. I stopped quickly, as I discovered he has stopped just a few feet ahead of me. His back was to me, and I realized he had just stopped in front of the rest of his traveling group. I stood there wide-eyed and mouth gaping, as I spot Martin Freeman…then Andy Serkis….Elijah Wood….and even little Kiran Shah all standing with Richard Armitage, less than 10 feet in front of me. WHAAAAA!! Holy Moly!
I stood there dumbstruck, for what seemed like days. I was completely frozen in my spot. Martin, who was facing me, was wearing sunglasses and chatting with Kiran, while Elijah and Andy seemed to be politely conversing with a couple of fans. I noticed Richard and the cute blonde began walking over to the other side of the bag carousel, presumably to be in a better position to grab their bags. There was a group of women standing off to the side of where MF, AS, and EW were standing (more publicists) that appeared to be traveling with them. After a few moments, cute blond walked over to chat with these ladies leaving RA standing on his own…..
I realized I’ve been handed a once in a lifetime opportunity! He’s by himself, so if I’m going to talk to him this was the time to do it. Oh my gosh! This was it! It was now or never! I went to New Zealand in the hopes of meeting Richard…and there he was! I knew it would likely be awkward and uncomfortable, but I owed it to myself and every RA admirer I know, not to let this chance pass. I desperately mustered every bit of courage I had, took a deep breath, and walked as calmly as I could toward where he was standing. He was standing right next to a pillar, so I had to walk around behind him to get to where he was. I didn’t know how else to get his attention so I reached up and placed my hand on his left shoulder-blade and said his name. (so bold, I know but, yes friends, I touched the leather!!) As he turned to look at me, I nearly lost the power of speech, and I could feel my body shaking. I apologized for bothering him and said that I was a “fan” of his work and he thanked me, genuinely, and gave me such a sweet smile. It was during his thank you that I remember us making eye contact and, let me tell you this, no photo can capture what it was like to look into those eyes. I don’t remember exactly what was said after that because, well, I was horribly nervous and in a sleep deprived, over caffeinated delirium. I mentioned that I was meeting up with some other fans for the premiere, and he chuckled and said it was going to be an amazing week. He asked how my flight was (sweet man), and I jabbered about the turbulence that made it hard to sleep, and he chuckled about being so sound asleep that he didn’t notice anything.
At this point he turned toward the luggage cart in front of him and (here’s where it got REALLY awkward) started fidgeting with a shopping bag (that mystery Duty Free purchase?) and said something about having trouble with his bag [getting it to stay in the cart?]. It was a strange transition, and I decided to take that as my cue to go before I made a nuisance of myself. I said I didn’t want to keep him any longer and just wanted to say hello. He didn’t look at me or say anything but just kept fidgeting with the shopping bag. It was odd, but it didn’t feel rude or anything. I got the sense that maybe he was a bit nervous too (he kept chuckling and saying “yeah”), as well as being groggy from such a long day of travel. I backed a few feet away from him, and there we stood, waiting for our luggage. His bags (2 large suitcases) came round well before mine, and I watched as he and the others pushed their carts into the next checkpoint area and disappeared.
There was no sign of them by the time I got my bags, and I presumed, at this point, that they were all long gone. As it turns out, I would see them all again, and again, and again. (My poor nerves!) After a coffee and chat with the lovely Anna, who met me at the airport (and a bit of fanning ourselves as well), I boarded a flight to Wellington only to watch RA and the rest of the group board the same plane too. Trapped on an airplane once again. At least this time I could see the back of the man’s head. As I looked toward the front of the plane, I could see dozens of Bilbos staring back at me from the cover of the AirNZ magazine. I wondered what it must be like for Martin to be sitting a few rows ahead and seeing the same thing. I wondered if he and RA had begun to realize the craziness that awaited them over the next weeks to come.They were just leaving the baggage claim in Wellington by the time I reached the terminal, so I only saw RA walking away. I gathered my bags and headed off to find my shuttle. There was a bit of walkway between the exit and the baggage area and I came upon the group again as I looked for the exit. As I passed the group, I could see in my peripheral vision that Elijah Wood started walking just behind me. I was trying to muster the courage to say hello when he came across someone he knew and stopped to chat.
(*I did get to say Hi to Elijah as he was leaving the Weta Cave the next day but didn’t try to chat; it was obvious he was in a hurry)And that was how my amazing Hobbity adventure began. The whole New Zealand trip was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. There are so many more stories to tell, but we’ll save those adventures for another day. xx
Read Anna’s account of the Red Carpet here
Love it, Kelly! But I don’t think you’re getting off the hook so easily in not sharing some more stories. :D
Candid photo of Richard snaffled from @MorrighansMuse
A Thank You for Richard
A message from our friend, Janine:
I don’t do big, elaborate gestures.
It’s not me.
Which is why a couple of weeks ago I realized in the midst of the worldwide blitz for “The Hobbit” that all I wanted to say to Richard Armitage was “thank you.”
Eight letters. Two simple words. Overflowing with power and meaning.
The thought bounced around in my head and came to roost while I was on Twitter. After a little back and forth with a friend, what hatched was the idea that sending a flock of thank-you notes would be a lovely gesture from his admirers around the world.Why? For me, who found this British actor in March of this year, it was because I admire him. And after watching the world premiere from Wellington and reading his thank you to his admirers, I liked him even more. It confirmed what I had felt in my heart about him: a thoughtful man who is cognizant of himself and believes in showing gratitude to the people who support him.
But it was also because I have been welcomed into the fold that is sweetly called the Armitage Army. I have been surprised by the worldwide following that this singular individual has rallied. Because of it, I have encountered people I never would have met otherwise, and the experience makes me grin.
It also makes me thankful.
This simple gesture to thank Richard is quite easy. What you say to him is your business. You can send your own card (nothing bigger than a letter-sized sheet of paper, please) or you can print out the one I built featuring the Hobbit hug from the movie.
You can seal up your letter so I can’t see it. Or not.
Details about what to do are over on my blog, with directions to get to the password-protected page that contains my mailing information.
Deadline to hit the mail is Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. I will be mailing the package out the week of January 7th, looking for stragglers if you let me know in advance.
As for postage, I have asked for a quarter or so if you can. Any money above the amount for postage will be given to one of Richard’s Just Giving charities.
I hope you join this little gesture for a nice guy who has brought us so much.
Thank you.
I’m game. :D
Taking Richard Out of His Box
Not long ago a body was unearthed from its burial place under a car park in the UK. It may be the corpse of King Richard III, the last monarch in the War of the Roses. Various tests have been done to help determine the identity as a small group of zealous supporters longing for the king to gain his rightful place in history have watched the world become aware of him. Despite confirmation, Richard III will still be confined to a villainous image. He will still be seen by a significant number as the man Shakespeare portrayed as a scoundrel who callously killed his nephews and anyone else who stood in the way of what he wanted. And if he really has been unfairly maligned by the Bard, few will appreciate the fact. Such is the effect of a drama with a powerfully developed character — its ability to drown out anything that would give lie to it.
Richard Armitage in The Hobbit is also an unearthing. It is a star emerging to all but a few rabid fans who have waited for several years for the public to recognize it. Despite this rise to the larger public’s notice, will Richard, like his namesake, also remain confined to an image? I hope not. I hope his Thorin Oakenshield will be sufficient to give lie to the notion that he’s only a heart throb. But when I consider the effect of his portrayal as John Thornton in North and South followed closely by Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood, and hear the current rhetoric about the hot dwarf, it’s hard not to see him remaining in the box marked tall, dark, handsome man who is extremely masculine and sensitive and must be a romantic figure.
When women in the U.S. alone get hold of the almost Svengali like appeal of his, the marketing of his roles will be narrowed to romances. Much like was done with Colin Firth and Gerard Butler only they aren’t Richard Armitage. He goes way beyond them in sex appeal. Yes, I’m biased, but I’m also not blind. Some women I know have never seen the likes of Richard Armitage, and those who have really watched him are blown away. One told me, “I laughed at your reaction. I really did. I thought you were just having a mid-life meltdown with all that’s going on in your life. Phew! I was wrong! I have never seen anyone like that!” To which I said with as much humility as possible, “I know.”
But for a good long while I’ve been finding that a trap. He’s too capable to be left to roles as a mere love interest, only useful for awakening desire. Granted, he does love interest so well, but how long can we dwell there? Doesn’t it get passe’? Or is our need as women so intense we must continually feed it with characters who engender passion? I can only answer for myself. I’m bored with this. And I’m way past the place where I wrote about his characters’ effects on me. I was actually past it when I wrote the piece but was compelled to capture the phenomenon so I wouldn’t forget. Now I want what I always want — a good story and characters that move me but without the added noise of squeeeing.
I’m all squeeed out for now. And it’s only my snark gene that continues on with the appearance of it yet with a twinkle in my eye hoping some of you catch on to my mirth at the manipulation we receive as fans.
I long for more from Richard Armitage. I long to see him leverage his ability as a chameleon and apply his fine sense of a story. When do we get to see that without the pr machine pandering to women? Playing them like a fiddle? Harsh words you say? What else to make of this? LOL!
Yes, I know I’m whining, but really, I just hate to see Richard getting in the box however big it may appear. A little Armitage Protection Mode at work? No question. And my control freak dictates this:
Dear Richard,
I hope once you get past all the hype for The Hobbit that you can really sit back and consider what’s next and do not feel compelled to give people exactly what they want. You once said of a character that he was only interesting when he didn’t get what he wanted, and it would be over if he got it. The same logic could be applied to you and your fans. Please don’t give what it seems we want. We don’t know what’s good for us. Yes, I am a capitalist, but not when it comes to art. Ignore my capitalist, please. Go with your heart.
Just please stay out of the box, or at least don’t let the marketers close the lid on you.
Other than all of that, I hope you have a Merry Christmas.
Signed,
One of your crazy fans who knows you have much more in you in than tall, dark, handsome cotton mill ownerP.S. Maybe a little chat with Viggo Mortenson might be helpful. Yes, I’m a control freak. Now listen to your mother, er, big sister. :D
The rant is done, and I want you all to know I am emphatically not against his being cast as a romantic figure, and I’ve been thinking about what I would like to see in that respect. More coming up on that and on Richard III. I’m not even close to being done with the “good” king.
edit: I am not down on Richard Armitage. I think he’s a great talent, which I would like to see succeed as some other great talents have succeeded. Neither do I begrudge him making money. Money is necessary to live.
But I had to say something about what I am seeing. More later on contributing to facilitating this. That’s the post where I admit my guilt. LOL!
When Life Gets Too Much, Take a Holiday
I’ve been busy which should be obvious; otherwise, I would have been here fangirling with the rest of you! Life does have a way of intruding. This week it came in with a vengeance, and in the wee hours of the night and the morning, I wrote about it. It would be a wonderful release to publish, but I’m not sure this is the place for it.
Nevertheless, I have plenty to publish for this blog, and those of you who have worked with me for the last few weeks know what I mean. I’m getting to it! But hang on while I throw a few other things at everyone today. I have SO’s review of The Hobbit, and I’ll intermingle mine with his. I have another post with thoughts on the New York premiere, which I wasn’t going to post, but I feel it needs to be said. Last (or maybe not :D), I have a post I’ve been sitting on since the day I started this blog. It may actually go up late tonight or very early tomorrow, which I realize is relative given many of you are not in the U.S. Whatever. It’s going up last and quite a few hours from now. And of course all of this is subject to change if I get a wild hair or we get a bombshell about Richard Armitage dropped on us. Just sayin’.
And I did not forget about SO’s Ode. He asked me not to publish it. The rat! He thinks it will offend, and although he’s not above being offensive on occasion, he doesn’t want to offend the Army. Don’t worry. I’m working on him. ;D
That’s all for now. I’ve got to head to church. Yes, I said church. Amazing that someone like me could darken the door of a church, but God has a sense of humor.
Fasten Your Seat Belts, Richard Armitage Frenzy is Here
We’re kicking into high gear with the world’s introduction to Richard Armitage, and you thought it started when his plane took off from LA. Oh, no, it really started when he landed:
I have never in all my experience as a Richard Armitage fangirl (yes, I’m a girl dammit :D) seen fangirling taken to such extremes, and the euphoria is spreading into all areas.
Our own Janine Pineo being her usual interesting self and actually making me take an interest in gardening! has done a Q&A with Anna about her beloved New Zealand. I wanna go to New Zealand! And I’ll even swear to grow some plants.
‘The Hobbit’ Made Me Do It
How Garden Maine Went to New Zealand and Back Again
• By Janine Pineo •
Back in August, this thought popped into my head: Wouldn’t it be cool to feature plants from New Zealand in The Daily Plant when ‘The Hobbit’ premieres?
Then I went back to picking vegetables or making pickles or whatever bit of garden fun I was doing at the time. Which, if you know your Tolkien, is a fairly Hobbity pastime.
But the idea didn’t fade away. Instead, the little seed that was planted lay dormant for a bit.
It sprouted about the time I met Anna Paton in the land of the Internet, where we were talking about all things Hobbit and many things not.
Anna, you see, is a Kiwi.
Read the rest here.
Wait. I guess that’s supposed only to be about Hobbit excitement. *rolls eyes*
And Heidi, the doubting Thomasina in our midst (see big time skepticism here) has been so overcome by what she’s seeing that she has now recanted her suspicions:
https://twitter.com/lovemrthornton/status/273086788325761024
Meanwhile legions of fans are “love bombing” RA’s charities.
So I’m wondering how Richard Armitage Addiction is affecting others. Like, oh say, buying a Thorin Pez dispenser? Eagle Eyed Editor said she saw one. I don’t think she’s quite worked into a frenzy yet (give her time), so she didn’t buy one, and if you did, I won’t hold it against you if you don’t admit it. LOL! For me the euphoric state has untold effect although this blog should be some clue. But two things make it abundantly clear at the moment: 1) I’m considering gardening, which means something has obliterated my usual enmity with plants. Oh, it’s not that I don’t like to look at them, but we keep our distance from each other. 2) I’m going to NYC in December. I really need to have my head examined on that one.
No, I’m not done.
I’m curious about the strange yet not unnatural acts (when considering the impetus) that you’ve gotten up to since the RA frenzy hit. Okay, you can throw in some unnatural acts too. Just keep it clean. And if you haven’t any yet, hang on. :D
Airport shot courtesy of bccmee’s tumblr. Plane shot courtesy of Air New Zealand.
edit: I stand corrected that the Pez dispenser was Lord of the Rings and not The Hobbit, and now I know the real reason Eagle Eyed Editor did not buy one. ;-)
This is a Special Time
A guest post from NZfanofRA:
Frenz has very kindly allowed me to share some thoughts with you. I’ve been thinking about Richard. Nothing unusual about that I hear you say. And you might be correct in your assumption.
But the reason for bursting into print is to invite you, with me, to pause in the giddy anticipation of The Hobbit release, and reflect upon this moment. May I urge you not to simply await the premiere or the screening you plan to attend, but enjoy the cusp of something.
And what might that something be? I’m sure you, like me, expect another wondrous performance from Mr. Armitage in his portrayal of Thorin. We also are certain that the huge audiences for The Hobbit will mean RA will become much, much more well known.
I had expected this sort of recognition would occur after the movie had been released and people had seen the performance. But it seems The Hobbit publicity machine is already promoting RA as a star of the movie in posters and by his inclusion in the team that went to Comic Con in July. This movie isn’t called The Dwarf King, it is The Hobbit, isn’t it?
The Warner Bros. publicity machine however, is not the only sign that people are starting to notice Richard Armitage/Thorin. The Geekest Link sells plush toys of Thorin, Bilbo, Gandalf, the Goblin King and Gollum. But there were reports on Twitter of company representatives noticing Thorin was selling far faster than the others. And now there’s a little pink note on the site suggesting the Thorin plush toy might appeal to Richard Armitage fans – no such mention of the actor playing the other plushy toy characters.
Then there’s the fabulous 3D 5 varieties of cover for Empire magazine’s very special Hobbit edition (highly recommended purchase, by the way). The 5 options are Bilbo, Gandalf, Gollum, Galadriel and Thorin. Guess which one has sold out – take a look.
There’s a groundswell out there, and it’s building. Mainstream media might not have discovered it yet, but I think the signs are there. This marvelous actor has been noticed, is being noticed, and certainly is about to be noticed. Big time.
And here’s a piece of complete speculation on my part. Although I am a Kiwi, I have no insider knowledge of the decisions made about The Hobbit production team, but we know the PJ team keep writing and rewriting as they film. Did the Thorin part become larger once they saw what Richard Armitage was doing with the role? I think so, even if the two films becoming three happened in an organic way, contributed to by the richness of the material and the performances of others in the cast as well.
So to return to my original idea, let’s enjoy what’s happening now, not just await what is coming. As Richard Armitage fans we’re kind of along for the ride. Aren’t we lucky?
Note: My thanks to NZfanofRA for sharing her wonderful encouragement to bask in what is happening and about to happen. She also has an enjoyable guest post about meeting RA which I hope you check out if you haven’t already! Further thoughts from me about the imminent fame are coming in another post.
An Onion and Two White Chicks Sittin’ Around Talkin’
Get ready ’cause I was on medication last night, and it seems Heidi went off of hers. ;-)
We had a discussion about an issue Heidi raised, and something I’ve been asked about quite a bit in private and most often by new fans.
Note: I’m handling this like the old Point/Counterpoint segment on 60 Minutes with Shana Alexander and James J. Kilpatrick. You decide who’s Shana and who’s James. If you don’t know who those people were, then a) you probably live outside the U.S. or b) you’re not that old yet. :D
I’ll let Heidi go first:
OK.
There’s no easy way for me to graciously get into this without charging like the Taurus bull that I am into the China shop and just ask it:
Are RA’s letters to fans a hoax?
Now before the steam pours out of your ears like Popeye polishing off a chili pepper popper, let me tell you how this question came about.
Picture this: Heidi has insomnia, so to get to sleep, she decides to hit one of those sites that lists all of RA’s letters to fans. After all, the past snippets I’ve read sound like something straight out of a CBeebies episode, peppered with pleas for everybody to be “extra good, be willingly good,” blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Those things conjure an image of a placid, book-loving, thoughtful man who literally reads my child to sleep at night on Youtube in his sing-song, gentle voice.
You know.
This guy.
I mean, look at him, reading to that stuffed dinosaur. Aw. That’s exactly how I picture him talking to his fans through his letters. “Everybody, you be sweet and go to sleep and have sweet dreams, because we all need to be kind to each other.”
Aw!
Then all the miniature-action-figure-Thorin-toting women in the Western hemisphere collectively breathe a whisper of, “What a sensitive and caring man!” and nod off on their pillows and solemnly swear in their hearts to do every saccharine-dripping request that Richard Armitage asks of them.
You know, you picture this guy admonishing you in his gentle voice:
So Heidi is reading this stuff … trying to get to sleep … and then … WHAM!
A DRUNK GUY HAS TAKEN OVER RA’S COMPUTER AND HAS SENT THIS MISSIVE!
16th December 2008
Following the repatriation of the Robin Hood company to blighty, the spokesperson for RA has mysteriously disappeared. However, Hungarian ‘Rendorseg’ managed to locate a hotel room which was noted as his last abode. After searching the room and forensic dusting for fingerprints an ‘ubersuperduper unbelievably teeny tiny mini me micro film’ was located, secreted in a particle of dust which was lodged in a greasy finger print left on the rim of a pot noodle, evidence of Spokes persons seriously compromised existence. The ubersuperduper unbelievably teeny tiny mini me micro film then had to be dipped in Russian Standard Vodka for processing. Viewing the film proved to be nearly impossible but for a lucky purchase from Wollies at 50% discount of the very last “Ubersuperduper unbelievable teeny tiny mini me micro film player/clock radio with microwave and bagless vacuum attachment….it contained the following message:
“Agent A would like to wish all his contacts/agents a wonderfully joyous, peaceful and fun filled Christmas. He wanted to thank them all for their continued support this year and hopes to deliver ‘in spades’ for 2009. He is once again overwhelmed by all the generous gifts and messages and is attempting to respond a soon as is possible. He would like also to offer a toast to 2009 wishing all ‘agents’, success and happiness. In the spirit of peace and good will this message will self destruct in 3 seconds or if option B is exercised recipients will be termin…………… “
You know what, guys?
Um.
That’s completely and excessively much hotter than anything else I’ve seen RA quoted as saying, and here’s why:
HE. IS. FUNNY!
I mean, did he really WRITE that stuff?
Now, you have to understand that I’m a prankster at heart. I pulled countless pranks when I was in college. My
parents were convinced the family name would be so tarnished, that great-great-great grandchildren would be barred from our learning institution of choice, given the havoc I was creating on campus.
I know pranks.
And this, my friends, is one of the best pranks I’ve seen in ages.
Either:
A) RA’s friends stole his laptop in the dead of night and sent it off to this fan site for world-wide publication as a prank against their mate … or
B) RA himself drank five bottles of champagne by a roaring fire on a frigid Christmas season night and got so toasty silly that he fired this off and then decided to send it, just to see what kind of reaction he’d get. I mean, look at it. It’s Saturday-Night-Live-caliber comedy, poking fun at serious-minded middle-aged women who can’t get enough of reading about a man they’ve never met!
Richard, now come on. You are so busted.
Of those two options …. I choose A.
I think this letter is a hoax, and possibly many of the others he purportedly has written, too. I mean, you saw that intellectual and thoughtful thing he did at that blog with the book reviewers (if not, go here).
Either the guy is an onion with this prankster personality lurking under his Mr. Thornton persona – which, by the way, underscores his acting abilities – or someone has perpetrated one of the most hilarious hoaxes imagined: a letter embraced by fans as the real pearls of words penned by their beloved film idol.
Guys.
I’m going with the hoax.
And if RA actually did write that thing?
We will never hear it from him, because as a prankster to the core, I can tell you that we never breathe a word of our indiscretions. The fun of the prank is portraying to the world an austere and dignified front while on the inside, we are laughing non-stop at you.
Actually, I’ll bet this guy wrote it.
My turn:
This won’t take long. :D
Okay, let me see. You say he’s a prankster, Heidi, and that pranksters can effect an entirely different demeanor. Doesn’t that bolster the argument he did write the letter and wrote the Vulpes Libris answers as well? :D Speaking as a prankster and the offspring of a prankster, I totally know someone can pull off another side to themselves that might surprise people who think they know a person. ;-) Don’t ask me how I really know that. ;P
What I find interesting is this assumption Richard Armitage couldn’t haven’t written these because he’s sweet and kind and good with children — at least from what we can tell by the CBeebies videos. Yet most people have layers. Most people are onions. In fact, I’m married to an onion. He’s wonderful with children. They adore him. He’s a really gentle soul. But oh my gosh can he he come with the humor, and can also slice someone up with his tongue when it’s warranted, and sometimes when it’s not. Wait. He just came into the room. He’s grinning and doing some kind of twisty thing with his body while saying, “I can’t do this if you don’t put some curtains on the back windows.” LOL! Now he’s doing what looks like a dance. He just stopped to grin at me. ROFLOL!! I’m not sure I’m going to leave this in the post, but it may be too good to leave out!
By the way, this is the guy who our daughter wrote of him after his visit to her first apartment in NYC and her first time living away from home:
…my dad is an extremely kind, caring, down-to-earth person. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and is a funny, intelligent, artistic man. He loves the comfort of a well-written book, and has a better understanding of the true meaning of art more than anyone I’ve yet to meet in this artist driven city.
But one thing I love most about my father is his ability to love people exactly where they are. He can see past someone’s pain, someone’s anger or someone’s facade into their being and is able to appreciate them for everything that they are. He truly enjoys each relationship he has with people, knowing that each one is important in its own special way. Just as he enjoys admiring artwork and literature, he enjoys the beauty in humans as individuals.
And he’s also the guy who had me believing his girlfriend before me had a deformed ear which she covered with her long hair swept to one side, and when I met her, my shock evident that her hair covered no deformity. Yes, it was a good yarn. Damn good yarn. Oh that it were the last time he gulled me. He also has a way of twisting up words and phrases to make them funny. He’s the one who should be blogging, and honestly, he could have written that April letter. But those abilities don’t preclude being kind and sweet.
Yes, personal experience is king. Can’t you tell from my account and Heidi’s? ;-)
So B (see above in case you’ve already forgotten it :D), which I’m calling “the onion theory,” says Richard Armitage is thoughtful and kind (but not perfectly; who is?), and he was sitting around drinking beer with a bunch of his buddies who were teasing the hell out of him about the Army, and presto! the April letter (and maybe a few before it) was born.
So yeah, I’m going with the onion theory. :D
I feel another post coming on, and a good thing or this one would have difficulty loading.
RAFrenzy 
