A new interview with Richard Armitage is in Project Magazine (issue #8), but you can only get it on iPad. He talks about playing a Nazi. Makes me want to check out the biography he mentions and a whole lot more. :D Thankfully, for those us who haven’t bought an iPad yet, RichardArmitageNet.Com has just uploaded, and you can find it here.
A few of my favorite photos from the interview:
Last image courtesy of Iz4blue.
You can thank bccmee for this public service post. ;-)
Several of us dig Richard Armitage in glasses, and the obvious reason might be that glasses usually make someone appear more intelligent. Oh, I’m sure that’s part of it — as if he needed that help! LOL! But if I let my mind relax and think of what it is that viscerally affects me when I see him in glasses, I boil it down to two things: 1) it’s like his eyes are magnified to better see who’s checking him out, and 2) he’s sort of hidden from the general public as someone hot, so he’s still ours in a sense. Ours=you and me, the early fans.
Okay, I’ve revealed quite enough about my thinking on this, and I hope SO never reads this blog. LOL! Good thing I’m anonymous or I might be ashamed of exhibiting a little CWS. Do I need an emoticon here so you realize I’m teasing? Too bad I don’t have a clown handy.
You can also thank Servetus for this post. Her analysis is rubbing off on me. Unfortunately, her prose is not. :D
Screencaps courtesy of bccmee, RichardArmitageNet.Com and my stash.
note: I intentionally left out pictures of him in sunglasses. Of course anyone would find those pictures hot. It takes someone special to love the glasses. ;-)
edit: this post has quickly earned the ripple tag thanks to bccmee. Check out kadamanja’s and Calexora’s posts. :D
The teasing about ‘Captain America’ and specifically Heinz Kruger has begun at my house. My son will go see the movie with his friends because quite simply there is not much else to see, but when I mentioned seeing it, there were some guffaws from the family. SO asked, “and what will you do once Armbruster’s part is done? Will you actually stay for the rest of the movie?” Our daughter, who is also an RA fan, chimed in, “It’s Armitage, Dad. His name is Armitage, and I’m sure Mom and I will gut it up and stay for the rest of the movie. You know how she loves Tommy Lee Jones, and of course I’ll make the sacrifice of watching Chris Evans with his shirt off. :D” SO chuckled, “No, Tommy Lee may not do it this time. She’s there for the bad guy. And who’s Chris Evans?”
Yeah, who’s Chris Evans? :D
If that’s not a picture to fangirl over, I don’t know what is. LOL!
I also like Stanley Tucci, who’s playing Dr. Erskine but not a bad guy in this.
I understand he gets torched by Heinz Kruger.
Then there are other badasses to consider. Truman Capote?
Oh well, maybe Tommy Lee will make it worthwhile just because he looks like such a badass.
Some screencaps are from my stash, the top one I got from bccmee and the rest I’m not sure about.
And if you’re confused about RA’s part as Heinz Kruger, check out Musa’s post.
Spoilers for Robin Hood Series 3
I didn’t think it was possible, but there are people who read my blog who have seen little or no ‘Robin Hood’ hence the spoiler tag. If you do not know the full story of Guy of Gisborne, please don’t read this piece. Just watch the show.
Last chance to bail. :D
Two years ago today I was waiting anxiously for the resolution of Guy. I had been waiting well over a year to find out his ultimate fate after his killing Marian, and it was so much more than wanting to know the resolution of that situation. It had transcended the absurdity that was the show and had moved from Gisborne’s love and desperation for Marian to become about finding resolution for a damaged man and specifically about finding redemption of his life. Even writing this now, it sounds a bit melodramatic, and well, it was melodramatic, but oh, the way the media treated the show made it abundantly clear Guy’s story was THE story albeit the producers could not acknowledge that overtly. It was still done in ways too obvious to miss.
Just one example was Digital Spy doing interviews with the principals in the cast, and Richard Armitage was the last one interviewed — oh yeah, saving the best for last. Some of the questions asked are a bit hackneyed. As always Richard doesn’t give hackneyed answers. He does seem tired but is still able to reveal what it is we love so much about Guy and about him as an actor:
Revelation of the inner core. Even if he had not been redeemed in the last series, he captured something that most can relate to — the need to be loved and the hunger for redemption at times as part of fulfilling that need. This is the secret of Guy’s appeal and why two years later I can still get choked about his passing.
And if Richard Armitage can pull off this kind of examination of a character most would marginalize, what is he really capable of doing? It’s potentially mind boggling to contemplate, and sorry, my friends, but romantic comedies rarely enter my thinking about potential roles for Richard. I have nothing against them and like quite a few, but I hope someone, somewhere who has the means to supply him with damn fine writing will step up, and I doubt it’s going to be a romantic comedy.
However, on a completely shallow note and completely understanding the need to see him in a romance, phew! he is fine in that clip! Blindingly handsome, and to hear from some who have seen him in person, that is nothing by comparison. If that’s nothing, I’m not sure I could handle seeing him in the flesh.
By the way, I was absolutely sure Guy was history once I saw this interview, but then I had thought for a good while Guy was going to meet his end if for no other reason than Richard Armitage had long since outgrown the show. Please note when he touches his head. A long time ago it became abundantly clear this is an obfuscating gesture and interesting to examine in light of one of Servetus’ recent posts. I guess this comment proves I can still devolve into playing the idiot chick from the O’Reilly Factor :D, and now I feel compelled to ask a pardon:
Dear Rich,
I hope you don’t mind going under the magnifying glass so much, and frankly, that is the chief reason I hope you never read my blog. It would make me feel a little self-conscious to know you see the examination of your every move. By the way, I’m contemplating the movement of your eyelashes at some point in the future, and I can’t indulge my anal tendencies quite so much if well, you’re looking at me. So glad you don’t, but I’m sure my SO is glad I’m doing this blog since my need to examine every cussed thing is not so focused on him at present. :D
Sincerely,
One of your crazy fans, who feels a bit self-conscious right now even if you don’t read my blog.
note: I debated doing this post since I still need to do my follow-up to TDHCMO, but frankly, I don’t want to be on a schedule. I’m on a schedule or at someone’s beck and call so much of the time. That’s not really a complaint despite how it sounds, but I need a place I am not so worried about meeting deadlines or others’ expectations. I guess this is it, and tomorrow, I have to continue on with Guy. Too much to talk about to hit and run with one post.
Usually I hate housekeeping. I have not been kidding when I’ve said I get bored very easily. That’s why I was such a good fit for IT and new product placement. But it means I hate maintenance, and housekeeping is maintenance. When I first started the blog, I knew there would be maintenance, and so I’ve tried to make it fun, but this time around, I’m really enjoying it. Oh gosh, I cannot believe Richard Armitage has also made me enjoy this. If he could bottle that, he would be a trillionaire.
So what the heck am I talking about? Well, I thought I would group my FanstRAvaganza posts in one place and do a few other things while I was at it. Of course when I do something like that, it means I have to pull up the post, and I sometimes will read them again. Not always as I don’t have the time, but I’ve been listening to the recordings again. What a treat, and I’m certainly not limiting that to Richard Armitage. All of you who have sent me recordings have been such a pleasure to listen to, and there will be more for readers in the following days. I plan to wrap up sometime this weekend if not sooner, but the way things are going, it will probably be this weekend. LOL!
I’m placing all of my FanstRAvaganza posts here so they will be much easier to find and hopefully enjoy.
Until next time, a picture:
Click to enlarge
I thought this one might get your attention, and you can click on it to enlarge. Ohcheemama!! See what I mean about Richard Armitage making housekeeping fun? :D And I received an alert this morning about RA being discussed on a student site. It was rather interesting to “hear” the college girls talking about him and the guys. *smirk* I couldn’t help but think of two college girls near and dear to me. One thinks he’s the hottest thing she has ever seen, and the other one is scared of him but thinks he is very handsome. They’ve never seen this picture. I’m not sure what they would think, but I know if I had a been a college student and happened to see that standing off in front of me, I would be in a daze. Truly. He is that good looking in this picture. Hell, I’m almost in a daze now.
Oh, I have to stop. This picture is probably worthy of another post. Um, yeah, I’ll have to talk about this one again later, and if this is your picture, please let me know. I’ve been saving this one for a long time (couple of years), but I would really like to use it (well, I guess I have). I just like to give proper credit. So let me know!
edit:
Photo courtesy of @kuchinggirl on Twitter, and what a photo it is!
I am so digging Richard Armitage in a beard. But then I love beards on men. SO has a beard, and I’ve never gotten tired of it. It took me a few years to convince him to grow one, but after he did, his reaction was, “Wow, you really like my beard!! What happened to that other woman? … Yeah, maybe I’ll keep the beard. LOL!” Of course not all women like facial hair on men, and some are actually turned off by it, but c’mon, doesn’t RA in a beard challenge that notion for some of you? It’s hard to believe that some who have hated beards aren’t now saying, “Yowza!” and some, “Ocheemama!”
I know I want to touch it, and this is coming from someone who has yet to have a dream or fantasy about RA. This might change things. LOL! No, it probably won’t. I’m just that much of a control freak and head over heels in love with SO to the point I can’t even bring myself to fantasize about another man, but Richard’s beard is a strong temptation. I’m sure everything in its vicinity is feeling the same. :D
Honestly, I’m hoping he wears his own hair for the Hobbit. Somehow I doubt that’s going to happen, but he may be more into method acting than I think he is. The only downside for him is he really would not be able to hide behind his beard in public. But then can this guy hide? Oh, maybe he’s been able to do so up ’til now, but it’s going to get harder and harder, and if I know anything about the American public, he really won’t be able to do it if he spends much time here. We’re just absurd that way. Plus, women here have an absolute love affair with the English accent from a man, and when it’s someone like RA, oh man, Colin Firth is going to be a pup compared to this guy. Even Gerard Butler, who I have to admit is mighty fine and has a wonderful Scottish accent, will not be able to hold RA a candle if the women of the American public ever catch onto him.
Earlier I said to someone that he is a sexy beast in this press conference, and I’m sticking by those words. None of that negates the sensitive artist. I just see it as another facet of the same wonderfully complex person. If he were just the artist with the sensitive mouth, frankly, I would become bored. Just as if he were nothing but a sexy beast in a beard. Too much of any of it is BORING. Thankfully, RA is both and so much more. And of course my current infatuation is not just about the beard because I have no inclination to touch Aidan Turner’s! :D
Candid shot courtesy of Richard Armitage’s Beard blog. [Note: alas, the original tumblr is gone. Thankfully, I had the good sense to archive it the day after this post. Enjoy!]
Sheez I’m gone for one day and an epidemic occurs from this Hobbit Press Conference. But who can blame anyone for being afflicted with Celebrity Worship when the object of our adoration easily makes us break out in a sweat. Even some of the Tolkien fans, who seem to be above that sort of thing, were affected:
Richard Armitage (Thorin) spoke surprisingly little, but when he did he had a notably deep voice, exactly right for Thorin, and real gravitas. He walked into the conference with a kind of testosterone charged lope. I don’t think he’ll have any trouble holding the audience’s attention.
Complete article here.
Uh huh, his “testosterone charged lope,” among other things ;-), is going to hold some attention, and he’s just getting started. LOL! Yeah, I was right — won’t know what hit ’em, and some of these people are just getting a little taste of what’s coming.
All of that aside, I love that he’s just a guy here:
The “guy” almost jumps out of the video and grabs me. Loving this. Yet it seems this “guy” has been hiding. Before when Richard has been interviewed, we’ve mostly seen the sensitive artist, whose tacit message to women was, “I’m a little boy in a man’s body and my inner child hears you and understands.” :D But now he’s revealed a man for all of us to rhapsodize over! ………………………………………………………………. Excuse me I had to put myself back in my chair. All I know is I was fairly smitten by what I saw, and I’ve become rather jaded about these things. I thought. I take heart in the fact that no woman in her right mind could withstand that!
Seriously, it was evident the little boy was almost completely submerged by the man when even the talk about his first time on stage as an elf could not conjure it. The man was firmly in place. However, I wonder if the boy isn’t sensing the new tidal wave of affection that’s coming and shrinks from it. What else am I to make of this picture? LOL!
I feel a letter coming on. Oh, hell yes, this demands a fake fan letter.
Dear Richard:
You’re in my prayers, my friend. You think this Army thing is overwhelming? Get ready. That’s going to seem like a walk in the park. You keep coupling that stare with eyelids at half mast and deep voice with your “testosterone charged lope,” you will not have a moment’s peace.
I’ve long thought that if you catch on in America, you are going to go off the charts, but with ‘The Hobbit’ appealing to a worldwide audience, Ohmygosh! just thinking about this is… I can’t process it.
Back to my prayers for you and especially strong ones when I think that you will not be able to hide behind a beard as some actors are wont to do.
Signed,
One of Your Crazy Fans Who is Almost Fearful for You :D
The journey of the Beard continues.
My spate of fake fan letters to Richard Armitage a while back inflamed my control freak and exacerbated my need to give an opinion on matters whether I know jack about them or not. Frankly, it’s been hell to keep that urge tamped down, but today, I couldn’t hold it back any longer.
January 13, 2011
Dear Mr. Jackson,
I put myself on the receiving end of #thehobbit via my Twitter account, and I’ve learned all kinds of interesting things. Phew, man, I thought I was passionate about Richard Armitage! I have nothing on those “guys” at TheOneRing site. My zeal for RA is a school girl crush beside their passionate love affair with Tolkien and with you. I guess I can respect them for that, and I wasn’t so much surprised by their ardor as I was at how much credence they are given by the press.
That knowledge compelled me to read their “about” page where I discovered their close relationship with you, and this has me wondering how much you are affected by what is said there as well as effect what is said. I’m envious of the relationship you seem to have worked out with this bunch of fanatics. Richard has a sort of arrangement with his fanatics too, but it doesn’t appear to be as comfortable as yours. Maybe you can give him some pointers? ;-)
By the way, it had been a while since I’d seen a picture of you, so imagine my surprise when I started reading up on ‘The Hobbit,’ and found this:
Wow!
If you ever read this blog or almost any of the other blogs on Richard Armitage, you would know that we do a bit of fangirling at times. Well, we try not to do it so much we look like bimbos, but then bimbo is a relative term. However, when we do fangirl, there is usually a PHWOAR! heard from someone. So in honor of your recent fitness, I give you a decided PHWOAR! Seriously, you look pretty sexy in this picture, and I already thought your mind was sexy. Phew! Can I get an amen from anyone? By the way, I adore your hair. Truly. I love it! And maybe that is a hairstyle you’re just partial to anyway? I know I am. A certain warrior and lieutenant are coming to mind.
Have a wonderful day, and I hope your wife is aware that she may have to beat the women off with a stick.
Signed,
A crazy fan of Richard’s
P.S. Thought you might be interested in this very well done treatment of your latest activities.
Note to Action Fans: yes, this is mostly bullshit although I do respect Peter Jackson’s abilities, and I think he looks pretty hot in that picture.
Note to Nat: I’m working on my piece.
Edit: yes, I know it’s Sir Peter and not Mr. Jackson; I have since apologized. :D
The question of whether or not Richard Armitage would make a good James Bond has come up countless times in the fandom, and it happened again the other day with DEZMOND’S poll. I didn’t vote because I’m conflicted, but I want to go on record as saying that he would make a marvelous James Bond. I’ve never doubted it. The question for me is whether or not he should indeed play Bond. I know I would love whatever he chooses, but from the first time I heard the suggestion of him being Bond, I’ve had my reservations.
The character is fairly one-dimensional. At least he is in all the Bond movies I’ve seen, which is all of them except Daniel Craig’s Bond (need to rectify that in the near future). Maybe Craig has changed things up? Somehow I doubt it, and that’s no aspersion on him. It would take a mega star to change up the Broccoli Machine, and then maybe even that wouldn’t happen because the Broccolis are not going to hire anyone who is going to mess with their cash cow. I’m sure their thinking is “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
That’s a good rule of thumb if it’s only about money. If it’s about art, then there’s no such thing. Well, money is still involved, but hopefully it doesn’t dictate everything. Last time I checked, and again, I haven’t seen Craig’s portrayal, Bond was not about art, and certainly not about any real thought. About as deep as Bond usually gets is sexual innuendo via the liberal use of double entendre. I can watch Sean Connery for that ’cause he does it so well, and really, I don’t want to see RA being a Sean Connery retread although I’m sure he could pull off some great stuff.
But let’s say RA did play Bond. What would that mean for his career? I’m inclined to think it would not bode well. All of the actors who have played Bond including Connery have not done much of note. One reason is most of the actors chosen for the part are not the best actors or even close, and I would bet it’s almost an admission that an actor is second tier to be chosen. I could be wrong about that, but my common sense says this is not considered a plum role if someone thinks of himself as a serious actor. I would hate to see RA in that group.
Another reason for my hesitance is Bond is such a larger than life character (bigger than any actor’s portrayal) that the typecasting which comes with it makes accepting the part maybe a bit daunting later, and especially if the actor plays the part really well as Connery did. Is there any doubt RA would play this well? Ohmygosh, just thinking about him being Bond, well, I need to keep this blog safe for work. Suffice to say that PHWOAR! would probably roll off my tongue so often it would be sore.
All of that aside, the only thing that really gets me excited about RA being this character is imagining how he would deal with the back story, and yes, of course some gratuitous shots for objectification edification. Speaking of which, here is a shot that in my opinion screams James Bond:
And just for comparison purposes:
Oh, heck a few more.
When I saw this…
I quite naturally thought of this…
And when I think of this…
It’s easy to think of this…
Definitely need a cool drink, and maybe I need to speak to Hunkess. I could do with a little celebration of masculinity of this historic Hunkie.
That Sean Connery has got to be one of the sexiest ever! The dude is even sexy as a graying, balding man. Phew!
Photos courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.com, Public Domain, and my stash.
What woman could resist someone that manly looking and with that beautiful, deep burr? Oh yeah, Connery has ‘it’, and obviously, so does RA. I think I’ve just convinced myself that Richard should NEVER play Bond. He is the only one I’ve ever thought could eclipse Connery. RA doesn’t need that baggage!
Side note: I think it’s a hoot that Ian Fleming based the “sophisticated persona” of Bond on Hoagy Carmichael. I love Hoagy! Love to play Hoagy, and yeah, his music is sophisticated. But his persona? I’m not seeing it. LOL!
Then again, Wikipedia could just be having us on. I’m not a Bond aficionado so I wouldn’t really know, and I don’t have time nor inclination to become one. I’m doing well to write this blog. Better stop now since I feel a strong urge to go on a tangent about Hoagy.
Oh, what the hell!
One of the all-time great songs, and a real pleasure to play as well as hear:
Another one I love to play:
And by the way, I love 7notemode. He is a helluva player, but then this is my kind of music. If you ever think of me playing anything, this would be it! And maybe a little Brubeck and Duke Ellington as well. :D
Oh, and as much as I love 7notemode, I wanted to post Oscar Peterson playing Skylark but couldn’t find it. Oscar is fantastic. If you’ve never heard him, you’re missing out!
A spoiler about Spooks Series 9. Of course if you’re reading this blog, you probably already know, but I’m not taking any chances.
I’ve never watched much Oprah Winfrey. Probably seen that show five maybe six times, but I would have to be under a rock somewhere not to know about her “Favorite Things.” For those who may not know about Oprah, she is a mega star here in the States. She has a talk show which has been on about 25 years (can’t remember exactly), and she is so massively popular that I think at one point she could have run for president and won. During the holidays, she has these giveaway shows called “My Favorite Things,” and this year is her farewell. I understand that it’s been highly emotional, but I’m hard pressed to think how much more emotional it could be than in the past. Recipients are usually weeping while Oprah stands there grinning like a Cheshire cat as they receive their gifts. That’s what’s shown on the news, and my jaded self has mostly thought of this as an ego trip for Oprah.
But maybe I was wrong. If I had that kind of money, I would certainly give some of it away. It would thrill me to do that since it’s a pleasure to make people feel good. At times I wish I were rich just so I could give to people more than I’m able to do normally. Today is one of those days. I really wish I were rich enough to pay everyone’s way to see Richard Armitage in The Rover. That would be such a blast. And no, we have no further word on it other than this tweet from our initial source of info, the English Touring Theatre:
https://twitter.com/#!/ETTtweet/status/9241191426035712
In lieu of giving any of you a trip to The Rover, I do have something planned for Christmas, but I’m not quite ready to reveal it. In the meantime, bear with me as I post a couple of more diary entries that frankly, I just need to get out of the way (picture me with my tongue hanging out), and of course I need to still mourn Lucas of Series 7 at least a few more days.
It pains me to look at that picture and think of the destruction of that wonderful character! I’m not so much thinking of him becoming a bad guy as the ruining of such an interesting character. That was just shot to hell. Sorry for this slip up. I really am trying not to be negative about any of RA’s jobs! But you may not think that after you read my next diary entry. Then again, it was just something I had to get out.
Screencaps courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.Com and me.
RAFrenzy 
