A Piece of My Mind: Richard Armitage

Showing posts with label Richard Armitage. Show all posts

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Thursday Thirteen - 224 - 13 Ways Richard Armitage Serves as My Muse

On Monday, the actor who serves as muse for my Scorpius character will turn 40. To mark this illustrious milestone, here is a series of 13 screencaptures from several of his projects that stand in for my own fictional character, Scorpius, featured in my Tuesday/Wednesday serial feature. You can CLICK HERE to read the boyhood backstory so far.

I wish Richard Armitage a very happy birthday with much gratitude, as he has given me a character whom I have grown to love deeply.

The synopsis for the adult Scorpius storyline:

Scorpius is freed from captivity and torture when the noble he serves is ransomed. Delivered to the service of the Lady Elysande, he rises to become Chamberlain of her Keep, just as the wars between the houses become secondary to a series of dragon sightings and attacks.

Elysande is an adept who works in secret to draw the essences she needs, in order to create enough power to summon a dragon. The terrorizing beasts will be the deal-breaking weapon that will end the wars and restore peace. But she requires pain and suffering in order to draw the right essences.

In Scorpius,she discovers a kindred spirit – but does he truly understand the limits to which she must push him?

Screencaptures from:
North & South
Spooks/MI-5
Strike Back
BBC's Robin Hood

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Thursday Thirteen - 217 - 13 Eye Candy T13s

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Thursday Thirteen - 207 - 13 More Ways to Admire Richard Armitage

Day 18 of the A to Z Challenge at A Piece of My Mind Falls on Thursday Thirteen day.

That means thirteen ways to explore or contemplate something - which, in this case, means thirteen fabulous facts about Richard Armitage.

Because R is definitely for Richard Armitage.

1 - In fact, R has been for Richard Armitage three times previously on Thursday Thirteen day:

13 Truly Marvellous Things About Richard Armitage

13 Characters Played by Richard Armitage

13 Ways to Admire Richard Armitage

I'm allowed to be obsessed with him, because he's the muse for my Scorpius character who appears on Saturdays in my serialized fiction feature.

2 - Richard Armitage - most recently appearing as John Porter in Strike Back depending on air dates in different countries.

6' 2"

Eyes - Blue

Hair - Dark brown

Type - Athletic / Turning 40 this year

He works as an actor / Extensive voiceover work

Works in television / Film / Stage

3 - Richard grew up just outside of Leicester in the East Midlands of England, the son of John, an engineer and Margaret, a secretary.

His family recognized his aptitude for the arts and enrolled him at Pattison College, a performing arts boarding school.

Once graduated, he joined a physical theatre troupe, The Second Generation.

Performed in Nachtcircus in Budapest, Hungary

Appeared in West End productions of:

42nd Street
My One and Only
Nine
Mr. Wonderful
Annie Get your Gun
Cats

Next photo is straying into Not Safe For Work territory...

4 - Richard has kept up his tiptop dance form for his stunt-heavy roles, such as Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood, shown above.

5 - Mr. Delicious is not strictly eye candy, ladies - if you can find some time in his schedule, perhaps you could meet up...

6 - If you have yet to discover Richard Armitage, might I suggest beginning with this sublime British miniseries about class differences in Victorian England?

In North & South, he plays a mill owner - read, loathsome merchant - who develops feelings for a gentlewoman from the south of England.

My Guarantee: This series has the most romantic kiss ever.

Ever.

7 - The next character you should not miss if you're going to dive into Richard's work is Guy of Gisborne from Robin Hood.

Richard pretty much specializes in The Gray Character - and this enforcer for the Sheriff of Nottingham makes you somehow care deeply about a truly ruthless person.

8 - More Gray Character exploration in Spooks / MI-5 - Richard played British spy Lucas North for three seasons, where his identity issues and loyalties were presented and reworked in kaleidoscopic fashion.

9 - Remember my soft spot for a man in chains?

...well...

Richard never fails to disappoint. He's given us numerous reasons to tune in for some prime Prometheus Bound, particularly with Robin Hood, Spooks/MI-5, George Gently and above in Strike Back.

10 - One of my favorites of Richard's roles is young painter Claude Monet in The Impressionists. If you can find this one, it will fill you with admiration for this revolutionary group of artists.

11 - Another role where Richard really shines is the incredibly shy Yorkshire farmhand John Standring in Sparkhouse. Here he's gets to play a less gray, though just as complicated man who forms a third of a love triangle (my favorite!)

12 - And Richard is an awesome crier.

CLICK HERE to watch clip

13 - Richard is currently shooting Peter Jackson's The Hobbit in New Zealand.

Go, Richard!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

5 on Friday - Set 29

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

To continue on with my admiration for all things Richard Armitage, here are five songs I discovered on You Tube by watching various Richard fanvids.

Of course, as a graduate of film school, I should be shocked and appalled at fanvids - but I love them. The people who make them are using music and footage that in no way belong to them. However, in my not-humble opinion, these fanvids end up working as free publicity, so I look at it as a win-win situation. Discovering musicians and films through these fanvids have led directly to my buying their CD's and DVD's.

Besides which, I get a real charge out of seeing what regular folk manage to come up with, using their home editing programs. The fanvids become mini character studies which I find irresistable.

Keep in mind that these videos all contain spoilers.

1 - When You're Falling - Peter Gabriel with Afro Celt Sound System

Cause when you’re falling
I can’t tell which way is down
And when you’re screaming
Somehow I don't hear a sound

And when you're seeing things
Then your feet don’t touch the ground
Cause when you're falling
I can't tell which way is down

- Emmerson / Lionaird / McNally / Russell

2 - Lies - The Pierces

I can't tell you how many times I've cried
Over you, my baby
I've had one too many sleepless nights
Over you, my baby

While you're out there getting high
One more night for me to cry
Can you look me in the eye
Cross your heart and hope to die

- Greenawalt / Allison and Catherine Pierce

3 - Shame on the Soul - Speck Mountain

Weight of all your reason
A harder hand you'll find
Ooo I know
Lord it's cold
On this empty plane of mine

Shame on me
On me
Lord I know
Shame on me
Oh lord I know

- Speck Mountain

4 - Make Me Wanna Die - The Pretty Reckless

Taste me
Drink my soul
Show me all the things
That I shouldn't know
When there's a new moon on the rise

I had everything
Opportunities for eternity
And I could belong to the night
Your eyes
Your eyes
I can see in your eyes
Your eyes

You make me wanna die

- Khandwala / Momsen / Phillips

5 - Almost Lover - A Fine Frenzy

Goodbye my almost lover
Goodbye my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
Can't you just let me be?

So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should have known you'd
Bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do

- Alison Sudol

Jamie says It is a good set when you can't decide your favorite in the "never heard before" songs.

Mike Golch says I enjoyed these. I like that you are part of the on Friday meme.

VA Bookworm 87 says Guy is such a terrible person, but Richard Armitage [inadvertently] made him into a super hot bad boy! I love fan vids :D I watch a lot of North & South vids!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Thursday Thirteen - 173 - 13 Ways to Admire Richard Armitage

1 - This week's Thursday Thirteen is a celebration of Richard Armitage's birthday, which rolled around last Sunday.

Like many, many people I first discovered this actor when I settled in to watch North & South, a BBC miniseries set in Victorian northern England. If you have not seen it yet - walk, don't run to your nearest movie provider and do yourself a HUGE favor.

2 - From there I went on to gobble up three seasons of BBC's Robin Hood.

His portrayal of extremely gray character Guy of Gisborne took me places I'd never thought I'd go. He somehow made a self-absorbed, opportunistic brute into a tragic, redeemable soul.

3 - These two preceding roles did not prepare me for his charming turn in the 2006 Christmas Day double episode of The Vicar of Dibley.

His character arrived to end the series by sweeping Dawn French - and all the other Dawn French's out there - off our collective feet.

4 - Because I knew he would be joining the cast of Spooks (MI-5 in North America) my husband and I decided to catch up on the previous six seasons first.

Not only did that bring me two marvellous predecessors to Richard's character of Lucas North (Matthew Macfadyen's Tom Quinn and Rupert Penry-Jones' Adam Carter) but it made Richard's ultimate arrival exceedingly bittersweet.

5 - His latest action/adventure/spy game role is in a series based on the novels of Chris Ryan, a former member of the British Special Forces.

Strike Back aired in the UK in May of this year, and has been released on DVD and Blu-ray. International broadcast is to be announced. My amazing hubby has already delivered this series to me for our viewing pleasure. Thumbs up from both of us.

6 - As many of you know, Richard is the model for my dark fantasy character Scorpius. He is front and center in my mind as Scorpius' story reveals itself to me. I find it easier to cast actors as my characters. Then I 'download' the actor's mannerisms, physical appearance and voice into my mind, and simply run that program when I'm writing about that character.

7 - And I have a ninth season of Spooks in which to lose myself.

Praise be!

"This year is very much about identity," Armitage admits. "Because they're turning Lucas inside out, so he's not who we thought he was – which was kind of a surprise to me as well. It's almost like what you've seen so far is only part of the picture." - guardian.co.uk

8 - In response to the assertion that he has become many a writer's muse, Richard says:

"Much as I would love to take credit for ‘launching writing careers’ the credit is Elizabeth Gaskell’s" (for her creation of the character of John Thornton in North & South.) - Vulpes Libris

9 - What would Richard's dream role be?

"A series about Richard III," he says. "That's something I really want to do. A prequel to The Tudors. That's what I dream of doing." - tv.com

10 - In the meantime, no rest for the wicked:

A second series of Strike Back has been ordered by Sky 1, which will keep Richard busy as soon as season 9 of Spooks wraps up.

11 - In between military training and the filming of waterboarding scenes for all his various spy roles, Richard has racked up an impressive array of voiceover credits. Among many projects are the three Georgette Heyer audiobooks he's narrated - The Convenient Marriage, Sylvester and Venetia.

12 - "I think I've perfected my serious face," Richard says. "I can do 'confused and angry' or 'utter panic'. If I could do 'humorous' that would give me three faces to pull." - Reader's Digest

13 - "I have fun with the baddies," says Richard. "Because I can really delve into my naughty side." - Radio Times

VA Bookworm 87 says How incredibly ironic! The original post that drew me to your blog ages ago was your "Thursday Thirteen - 61 - 13 Truly Marvellous Things About Richard Armitage"! And here I am again reading about how awesome he is :) You're the only person I know who obsesses about him the way I do! lol

Nikita Banerjee says He is hot!

Joanna D'Angelo says Julia - I do believe you have made my day! Also - you should make RA a regular feature. Like RA Day or something. ;)