Patrick Malahide, An Appreciation

Patrick Malahide News: Indian Summers

Posted on July 26, 2014 by admin

We don’t have a huge amount to go on, but here are a couple of references to Patrick Malahide’s involvement in a new epic series currently being filmed called Indian Summers. It also stars Julie Walters (Mrs. Weasley!) and is being co-produced by the very lovely and talented Indira Varma, so it is shaping up to be pretty spectacular.

Actor/singer Ash Nair has posted a couple of photos on his Instagram account. One with Mr. Malahide and one with Julie Walters.

Assistant Director John Bennett has posted a reference to Indian Summers, mentioning both Mr. Malahide and Ms. Walters, on his CV. Here’s a link, be warned it is a PDF file.

The only thing in the paper he believes is the date.

He’d make a great Viceroy, right Jonesy?

For more information on Indian Summers, click here. If doesn’t reference Patrick Malahide specifically though it does make mention of a “Viceroy” character. That sounds a suitably important role, so maybe that will be his part. I certainly hope he has lots of scenes with Julie Walters because she is fantastic. Of course, they have already worked together in A Short Stay in Switzerland, so you know they’ll have great chemistry.

Posted in Drama, News, Something Neat We've Found, Television, Upcoming Projects | Tagged Ash Nair, Indian Summers, Indira Varma, Julie Walters, Patrick Malahide | Leave a comment

Our Favourite Characters (Played by Patrick Malahide)

Posted on July 21, 2014 by RFodchuk

As part of our ongoing anniversary celebrations (I think I have a bottle of Strongbow around here somewhere), Fearless Admin and I thought we’d like to highlight some of our favourite characters played by Patrick Malahide. These are characters who mean a lot to us or have a great deal of appeal, making a lasting impression. So without further ado, here they are.

RF’s Choices: Sir Myles | The Reverend Edward Casaubon | Mr. Alfred Jingle

Admin’s Choices: Ebenezer Balfour | Mark Finney | D.S. Albert Chisholm

RF’s Choices:

RF: Sir Myles (“The Abduction Club“, 2002)

What Makes Him a Favourite?

Sir Myles: So gosh-darned dashing we can barely stand it!

He’s just so gosh-darned dashing! He’s made it his life’s mission to help a bunch of ne’er-do-well second sons marry heiresses by abducting them, just like he did. Of course, it helped a lot that his heiress fell head over heels in love with him as soon as she saw him unmasked (Eeeeeeee!! ). Sir Myles has a lovely sense of humour, near-infinite supply of patience, exquisite manners, healthy appreciation for romance, and vast amounts of experience at arranging daring escapes. He’s also highly considerate of the maidens’-in-question feelings and insists that proper protocol must be followed. No crass or rude behaviour allowed!

The Moment/Scene When You Knew He was Going to be a Favourite:

Strang [offering Sir Myles a bite]: "Pigeon?"<br /> Sir Myles [exasperated]: <i>"Quail."</i>

Strang [offering Sir Myles a bite]: “Pigeon?”
Sir Myles [exasperated]: “Quail.”

When I first saw him wearing his mask (oooo!), Ulster coat, and tricorn, waiting for his gang of second sons to finish the first abduction of the movie. He complimented the first one, who had a giggling heiress over his shoulder, with a “Good man, very stylish!” Then when the next offered him a bite of stolen pigeon, Sir Myles exasperatedly corrected him to “Quail.” It was immediately obvious he was the brains of the outfit and fighting an uphill battle, although keeping a sense of humour about it. It only got better from there when, at another abduction, he had to keep paying for the damages his boys were racking up, running a tab with the lady of the house. I’m sure she gave him a big discount for flashing lethal dimples at her with his mask on.

What Would You Do If You Met Him?

Swoon. And hope to be abducted. But not by “Poxy” Knox or any of the second sons.
Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Are We Sure They're Played by the Same Guy, Comedy, Drama, Film, Joint Post, Middlemarch, Pickwick Papers, Romance, Television | Tagged Alfred Jingle, DS Chisholm, Ebenezer Balfour, Edward Casaubon, joint post, Kidnapped, Mark Finney, Middlemarch, Minder, Patrick Malahide, Sir Myles, Television, The Abduction Club, The Pickwick Papers, The Singing Detective | Leave a comment

Analysis of a Scene XIV: Singing Detective — Nice Things

Posted on July 16, 2014 by admin

Vamping With a Tiger

We continue our overview of some of our favorite scenes from The Singing Detective with this neat little number in episode 3, Lovely Days. A recap of the overall episode can be found here, and our previous Analysis can be found here.

Pad pad pad

This sequence actually starts a bit late in the scene, but it would be too long to over the whole brilliant thing. That is kind of a shame because there is some priceless dialogue where Marlow compares Mark Binney to a tiger pacing in his cage, “pad, pad, pad.” What a neat description.

RF: Binney does indeed convey a lot of leashed tension as he paces back and forth. Of course, Marlow then compares him to a lizard as well, although that would seem to be more appropriate for Finney, who’s got more of the serpentine thing going on.

Admin: Marlow continues to vex Binney with his seemingly nonchalant approach to finding out what happened to Sonia. Marlow likes to “vamp.” Vamping, Marlow says, is what the piano guy does as he waits for the band to start. It seems he figures a similar tactic will work in this particular case. Binney, the poor dumb tiger, is far from convinced.

Nice Things

Is it nice or hideously expensive?

Marlow: You’ve got some expensive things in this flat, Mr. Binney.
Binney: (lifting Marlow’s hat off a vase) I have some nice things if that’s what you mean.
Marlow: No, that’s not what I meant. Nice I did not say, expensive I said, hideously expensive things.
Binney: Tastes differ. You’re more at home in dance halls, I dare say.
Marlow: All the same, you’re not exactly groping in your pockets for your last penny, are you?
Binney: (exhaling smoke) I do alright.
Marlow: Oh, I can see that. But what do you do alright at?
Binney: I buy; I sell.
Marlow: So does the rag and bone man. But what do you buy; what do you sell?
Binney: I rather think that’s my affair, don’t you?

Admin: I love the way Binney takes care of his “nice things” by removing Marlow’s hat from a vase and then (creepily) caressing a statue. Notice also that there is an expansive amount of smoke when Binney says, “I do alright.” It gives him a demonic air which contrasts with the overtly casual way he says those words.

What’s that hat doing there?

RF: When we first notice the hat, it’s obvious Marlow threw it onto the vase with the intention of ticking Binney off – which worked, as witness the annoyed way he removes it. There’s also a bit of a double entendre going on when Marlow comments on Binney’s “hideously expensive things”. Not only is he saying they’re incredibly expensive, he’s also alluding to the fact he finds them rather vulgar and ugly (not “nice”), no matter how much they cost. So he’s essentially insulting Binney’s taste, twice. Binney insults him right back with the “more at home in dance halls” comment, implying that Marlow is too low-class to appreciate his belongings. This idea is revisited later in the scene, when Binney calls Marlow “cheap”. Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis of a Scene, Drama, Joint Post, Singing Detective, Television | Tagged Analysis of a Scene, joint post, Mark Binney, Michael Gambon, Patrick Malahide, Philip Marlow, The Singing Detective | Leave a comment

It’s a Meme! 27 – Anniversary Edition

Posted on July 12, 2014 by RFodchuk

Two whole years of the Appreciation!! Yaaaaaaay!!

Posted in Are We Sure They're Played by the Same Guy, Humour, Joint Post, Meme | Tagged Brideshead Revisited, DS Chisholm, Edward Casaubon, Edward Ryder, Humour, It's a Meme!, joint post, Middlemarch, Minder, Patrick Malahide, The Secret Agent | Leave a comment

Analysis of a Scene XIII: Singing Detective — Feeling Small

Posted on July 5, 2014 by admin

“Who are they?”

The Singing Detective episode 2 Heat (recap here) is aptly named because Mark Binney is still feeling pretty hot under the collar. Only this time it is because Sonia, who we met briefly in episode 1 Skin, has left his flat in a panic, nearly breaking his nose in the process. The cause of her distress seems to be the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern type characters. Skin‘s “Analysis of Scene” can be read here. Up to speed? It doesn’t matter, really. The upcoming scene is fun no matter what.

Binney: Who are they?
Sonia: Let me go!
Binney: You’re not going anywhere.
Sonia smiles, pulls her head back and then butts him right in the nose.
Binney: Awwwhhhh!

He deserved it.

Admin: And it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. ;-) Seriously, Binney was behaving appallingly before that headbutt. He’s decidedly nervous about her Russian background and seems to be testing her, but his threatening behavior is disturbing. And even though he is scared of the two men outside, he still injects satisfied menace when he tells her she isn’t going anywhere. Maybe he likes that she’s scared. He’s certainly creepy enough to. I like the way Sonia smiles before she butts him. She obviously enjoyed doing that.

RF: Oh, Binney was definitely behaving appallingly and completely deserved the headbutt. He was far more concerned with saving his own skin than anything else; he seems to be something of a physical coward when he doesn’t have the upper hand. Unfortunately for him, Sonia was a little more concerned with saving her skin than he was with saving his. Interesting how all of his menace (which was considerable, up until then) immediately evaporated when he clutched at his face, yelping in pain. Sonia seems to have some experience dealing with creeps.

Admin: You are so right about Binney having a cowardly streak. It makes sense because bullies often do.

Patrick Malahide as Mark Binney in The Singing Detective

“My nose started to bleed.”

Binney: (laughingly) My nose started to bleed. I wasn’t quite fully dressed you see, I couldn’t go after her. I think she must have been not quite right in the head, you know?
Marlow: Who is?
Binney: Well, there you are, who is? Who indeed?
Marlow: But why should she butt you like that? What did she say?
Binney: Oh, she was too frightened to speak. She kind of gabbled something in Russian as she ran out of the room.
Marlow: Where did you pick up that lingo?
Binney: The Army, Intelligence Corps. I was one of the team who interviewed Red Army soldiers who got tangled up with us towards the end of the war.
Marlow: You’re not in the Army now?
Binney: (laughingly) Nooo. (shakes head) No.

Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis of a Scene, Drama, Joint Post, Photos, Singing Detective, Television | Tagged Analaysis of a scene, Dennis Potter, joint post, Mark Binney, Michael Gambon, Patrick Malahide, Philip Marlow, The Singing Detective | Leave a comment

Balon Greyjoy: Still Not With the Drowned God!

Posted on July 5, 2014 by RFodchuk

victorian ladies happy balon greyjoy is alive

Balon’s still alive! Everybody party like it’s 1866!
Click for a larger size.

“Of course I’m still alive.
Why wouldn’t I be?”

In an unusual display of longevity and survival and against all expectations, we were shocked, amazed, and delighted to find that Balon Greyjoy managed to survive season 4 of “Game of Thrones“! Quite a few others were not so lucky (looking at you, Tywin… Joffrey… Oberyn… Jojen… Grenn… Pyp… Shae… Lysa… Ser Dontos… oh forget it, I can’t remember them all), making his feat even more surprising.

Gee Stannis, you could’ve at least called first.
Image source: history-behind-game-of-thrones.com

True, he had no scenes (which was rather disappointing), but he at least had a couple of name checks from devoted son ~~Reek~~ Theon, as well as sworn enemies Roose Bolton and Stannis Baratheon. Stannis is even in Balon’s neck of the woods right now, so to speak, since he’s come to the north. Maybe he’ll drop by Pyke for a visit. Come to think of it, Roose is in the north too, hmmm. That could cause some etiquette difficulties if they both decide to visit at once. And Balon had a cameo at Joffrey’s wedding as a kraken-riding dwarf, just to make sure no one forgot him.

Admin: Oh, Joffrey’s jousting show. That boy knew how to entertain….not! But, I reckon that Little Balon came out best of the kings who weren’t named Joffrey. He certainly had the best ride. You can read all about it here.

RF: So before the next season starts and to give Benioff and Weiss some hints, here’s what we’d like to see for Balon in season 5. Be forewarned that there are spoilers ahead for upcoming plot points, if you haven’t read the books. We’ve also incorporated some mash-ups for illustrative purposes.

What Should Balon Do Next?

“By the way… I paid the Iron Price for the fee simple.”

RF: Let him live until season 6! Benioff and Weiss have proven they’re willing to bend George R.R. Martin’s narrative in interesting and unexpected ways; let Balon live until season 6 and give him some more scenes to establish Greyjoy politicking before [SPOILER!] the Kingsmoot. It would be particularly good if we had a scene or two establishing brotherly relations (or lack thereof) between Balon, Victarion, and Euron, assuming they’re going to be included. Hmm… didn’t someone mention something somewhere about how Ray Stevenson and Kevin McKidd might be perfect for this?

Admin: Absolutely. I have no real objection to book-to-series deviations, especially if they mean things work out better for Balon.
Continue reading →

Posted in Drama, Game of Thrones, Joint Post, Television | Tagged Balon Greyjoy, Game of Thrones, HBO, joint post, Patrick Malahide, Stannis Baratheon, Television, Theon Greyjoy, Yara Greyjoy | Leave a comment

Something Neat XVIII: Minder Comix

Posted on June 29, 2014 by admin

More like Something Weird

Minder comix! Who would have guessed such things existed? They seem to be very independently produced as I somehow doubt ITV nor Euston Films would be involved with this labor of love (I think it’s love).

Its Terry! Source: London Loves Comics

I really don’t know to describe them. They are, ostensibly, comics based on the television series Minder, but they seem to have their own distinctly warped flavor.

The art reminds me of Basil Wolverton which is to say it is weird. The lead artist is some guy who calls himself Lord Hurk (or maybe that is his real name!?!) and he has an interesting outlook on the beloved characters. DC Jones and Terry don’t look human at all. Terry looks like a ridiculous oaf, and Jones is drawn like a friendly dog. Hmmm. I think he is saying something about their characters there.

Chisholm looks best.
Source: London Loves Comics

Chisholm however appears properly human and certainly looks the best out of the gang, as he always does. He doesn’t look as good as Patrick Malahide, of course.

There is a little more information from Fancy Butcher Press where you can get a look at another gruesome take on Terry. This time he is doing his champion boxer pose. RFodchuk astutely noted they got Terry’s little Dutch boy hairdo right.

Posted in Minder, Something Neat We've Found, Uncategorized | Tagged DS Chisholm, Minder, Patrick Malahide, Something Neat We've Found | Leave a comment

Something Neat XVII: Matthew Goode on Working with Patrick Malahide

Posted on June 25, 2014 by RFodchuk

Mr. Ryder: A decade or two behind the times

I found an interesting snippet as I was reading an old Collider.com interview with Matthew Goode about filming “Brideshead Revisited” (2008) with Patrick Malahide. Mr. Goode played Charles Ryder and Mr. Malahide played Edward Ryder, Charles’ eccentric (to put it mildly) professor father.

[Collider:] Those are some great scenes though with your dad—the actor playing your father.

Matthew: Patrick Malahide, I know. He’s wonderful.

[Collider:] We were discussing those scenes got really good laughs in the theatre. When you were filming them did you realize they were going to come across that funny?

Matthew: I think when I first heard him laugh I knew it was going to be fairly amusing. But also touching as well. When he says your mother was always so good about….you kind of go “oooh”. You know? It’s a tough relationship when he doesn’t have that much time. We only have these tiny few little segments that come in here and there and it could be non-believable very easily and luckily with everyone kind of…I can’t talk about myself but I think we nailed it. I think we did all right. I think considering the time constraints and all of the constraints that were part of trying to tell an epic story with so many, as you say, thematically rich I think we did a pretty good job.

Very true that we didn’t get nearly enough of Mr. Ryder as we might have liked. Mr. Malahide played him with slightly off-kilter charm, so you were never quite certain if he was teetering on the brink of senility, or just taking the mickey out of everyone and making them think he was teetering on the brink of senility… but if he was going dotty, he was being very pointedly witty about it. And he had a delightfully scratchy, raspy little laugh.

He’s a sort of dotty Indiana Jones.

I think we were short-changed in not seeing more of Mr. Ryder as a single father. We learn that he was widowed when Charles was quite young and (obviously) never remarried, but Mr. Malahide also showed us that the long-deceased Mrs. Ryder was never too far from his thoughts. It all comes across in flickers of expression when he mentions her – there’s sadness, loneliness, and longing. It is indeed very touching. But I also thought it likely that Mr. Ryder was the most absent-minded father alive, and that he probably left his infant son on the bus a few times by mistake. Oops.

Chess with Charles (again)

Although Mr. Ryder is something of a remote father, Mr. Malahide very effectively conveyed his love for Charles and his hurt and sadness at knowing he was losing his son to the Flytes. He’s lonely for Charles yet he doesn’t seem to know how to interact with him when he’s there, except by playing chess. He doesn’t know how to, or can’t, express his need for Charles’ company either, so he uses his scratchy (yet still deadly accurate) sarcasm and sharp intelligence (hiding under the dottiness) to communicate his disapproval instead. The message is veiled, but it’s definitely there.

As mentioned in my earlier review, there’s a deleted scene on the “Brideshead” DVD where Mr. Malahide plays a markedly warmer and slightly less dotty Mr. Ryder. In that version, his love for Charles was plain to be seen – although Charles still couldn’t quite see it – and he was somewhat more approachable and appealing. It made me wonder if there were other scenes of Mr. Ryder that had been cut, and I wished they’d kept the warmer version for their final choice. Nonetheless, Mr. Malahide conveyed humour, wit, and warmth with the screen time he had, and the film is well worth watching for him alone. It’s nice to know that Matthew Goode enjoyed working with him as well.

Posted in Drama, Film, Something Neat We've Found | Tagged Brideshead Revisited, Charles Ryder, Edward Ryder, Film, Matthew Goode, Patrick Malahide, Something Neat We've Found | Leave a comment

Analysis of a Scene XII: Singing Detective – It’s Hot in Here.

Posted on June 22, 2014 by admin

Mark Binney entering Skinskapes

When it comes to analyzable scenes, it really is hard to beat The Singing Detective. In this scene from episode one Skin (link goes to recap)Mark is finding it uncomfortably hot in Skinskapes, the disreputable club which seems to be hotbed of prostitution, spying, and general chicanery.

I’d read it.

Brief bit of back story first: The noir sections (which feature Mark Binney, Amanda and Sonia) in The Singing Detective are created in hospitalized writer’s Philip Marlow’s (Michael Gambon) head. He suffers from crippling psoriasis and one of the symptoms is an intense increase in temperature.

RF: Hmmm, makes perfect sense that when one’s hallucinating, one would create a character like Mark Binney in one’s head. And even in his hallucinations, there’s some self-referencing; the name “Skinskapes” is yet another nod back to Marlow’s severe illness.

I feel as if I’m burning up.

Amanda: You find it alright?
Binney: [after a pause] Uh…yes, yes, I found it alright. [mops self with hankie]
Amanda: What’s up, sugar?
Binney: It’s, uh, hot in here. Baking. I feel as if I’m burning up.

Admin: The pause is because he has just found his associate dead in what appears to be a broom closet. He had told the delightful Amanda (Charon Bourke) he was off to find the Gents’ room. Not quite true. Amanda detects there is something amiss, though it isn’t exactly perception on her part as he is sweating up a storm.

Bothering ladies :-)

RF: I also noticed that Binney took care to “accidentally” wander into the ladies’ changing room on his way to find the Gents (which wasn’t really to find the Gents). The ladies didn’t seem too put out when he walked in, but he didn’t stay. Also note Binney’s posture and demeanour as he sits back down at the table: he’s a bit stooped and seems to be moving slowly, almost on autopilot. He’s plainly very distracted by both his sudden fever and his discovery, but going through the motions anyway.

Admin: Of course, finding the corpse of an associate should be enough to make anyone sweat, but what is interesting here is that Mark Binney appears to be confused as to why he is sweating.

RF: Binney has also been playing it cool up to this point, but finding his associate dead (I particularly loved it when he (the busker) sarcastically played “Deutschland Über Alles” when Binney first appeared) seems to have seriously rattled him. However, you’re right that there are lots of other factors we’re about to discover. Binney’s words about “burning up” are a direct carry-over from what Marlow’s experiencing. Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis of a Scene, Drama, Joint Post, Mystery, Singing Detective, Television | Tagged Analysis of a Scene, joint post, Mark Binney, Patrick Malahide, The Singing Detective | Leave a comment

Wished for Roles 7: The Co-Stars Edition

Posted on June 16, 2014 by admin

Whilst this is a Patrick Malahide appreciation site, there are a few other actors who we adore (shocking, I know) and would love to see alongside Mr. Malahide. So, here they are:

The Wished For Co-Stars

It's 1914 London and Richard Hannay is bored, bored, bored...

Rupert Penry-Jones: Bored because Patrick Malahide isn’t there.

Admin: Rupert Penry-Jones

What is so special about him? He often specializes in posh guy roles but always with plenty of nuance and/or vulnerability. It would be so easy for RPJ to play perfect heroes, but he goes beyond that. He has a classic, but not outdated, quality about him that enhances his performances. And he totally gets the importance of actor chemistry. Watching him work alongside Maxine Peak, or Philip Davis (such a shame Whitechapel was canceled) is a treat because he knows how to connect with a very real warmth.

What sort of project? Well, he has already appeared with Mr. Malahide in The 39 Steps, but I’d like something where they would have a lot more scenes together. Purely from a costuming standpoint, I’d like something tweedy, if at all possible. Having dearly loved Patrick Malahide as Mr. Quarles in After the War, I think a return to a boarding school would suit me just fine. I don’t know if I would prefer them as friendly colleagues or antagonistic foes, though. I think either situation would do. I really liked the first episode of After the War (in my opinion, the series flopped dramatically after that) and it was a shame the boarding school only featured in the one episode. I would love to see something very similar to it but expanded to a full series. Plus, some of the school boys were Richard Hannay fans, so of course they’d love to have him and his German enemy for teachers.

Hayley Atwell: Her lipstick will withstand everything.

Hayley Atwell: Her lipstick will withstand anything.

Admin: Hayley Atwell

What is so special about her? She’s Agent Peggy Carter! Seriously, though, Hayley Atwell has an old-fashioned glamor with a modern edge. I really like her Agent Carter character, and even though I’m not a huge Marvel/SHIELD fan, I am interested in the upcoming Agent Carter series. I also thought she was great as a WWII era spy in Restless, but anytime she wasn’t on the screen, I sort of felt like it lost some of its energy. Basically, she carried the heck out of it.

What Sort of Project?: Agent Carter, obviously! Mr. Malahide would make a great mentor, father, and / or friend for our tough but refined agent. I’m guessing the series will have a trans-Atlantic component with action taking place all over the world, so it would be brilliant if Peggy spent any Whitehall time consulting with a Patrick Malahide character.

JJ Feild: Mustache and beret aficionado

Admin: JJ Feild

What is so special about him? He looks just like Tom Hiddleston but is more affordable. ;-) No, he’s more than that. He is especially good in period drama, but is not limited to any specific era. I particularly enjoyed him in The Pale Horse. His character makes a dramatic and sudden transformation, which must have been hard to pull off without seeming cheesy or forced. But, he did a brilliant job and was highly entertaining. Because of his performance, it is one of my favorite Marple episodes.

What sort of project? Well, whatever project it is, I’d really like to see JJ Feild play Mr. Malahide’s son. But, with one major caveat: He’d be a beloved son. Mr. Malahide has played fathers of sons in Like Minds, Brideshead Revisited, Hunted and Game of Thrones but the relationships tend to be strained at best. Daughters have fared well enough, but sons, oh dear. But, just imagine him with a JJ Feild son, someone who can actually be a happy, healthy, well-adjusted, and even heroic sort. Oh, that’s not to say there can’t be any tension, you don’t want to waste the acting talent, but Mr. Malahide still deserves a TV son who isn’t a Theon. Agent Carter might be a good choice, though, as JJ Feild played the very dishy James Montgomery Falsworth (likely Union Jack) in Captain America.

RF: And my choices are…

Hugo Weaving: Facial hair optional.

RF: Hugo Weaving

What is so special about him? He’s absolutely amazing in any role he takes on, much like Mr. Malahide himself. He inhabits the role and makes you forget that he’s playing a character because he becomes that character. He can play anything across a wide spectrum of genres: from effects-driven high fantasy like the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” trilogies, to period dramas like “The Dirtwater Dynasty“, to very small-scale, personal, indie movies like “Healing“. And like Mr. Malahide, he has a beautiful and very versatile speaking voice. I would probably be quite happy listening to the two of them reading a phone book, whether they decided to use their Australian accents or not.

What sort of project? I’d be so happy they were starring together that I wouldn’t be too picky, although I think it would be delightful if it was some sort of Victorian drama. The best thing about “The Wolfman” was Mr. Weaving as Aberline in his lovely Victorian wardrobe, which suited him extremely well, and Mr. Malahide has also proven himself completely at home in that sort of milieu. We didn’t see nearly enough of him in “The Paradise“, so this would make up for it. Maybe some work of Dickens, Brontë (any of them), or Trollope that hasn’t been done yet? Or it could go in a completely different direction and be a Cold War drama, since they’re both extremely good at playing espionage types.

Damian Lewis: The Ginger Ninja

RF: Damian Lewis

What is so special about him? He can convey an amazing amount of intensity and leashed energy, all with a definite edge, when he so chooses. He can play a completely reprehensible cad, or the most serious and repressed individual (looking at you, Soames Forsyte!) on the edge of a massive implosion that you could ever imagine, or a straightforward hero (“Band of Brothers“) with equal believability. He also has a wicked sense of humour at times and doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously. You just can’t take your eyes off him when he’s on screen.

What sort of project? Damian Lewis appeared with Mr. Malahide previously in “Friends and Crocodiles” but the two of them didn’t get much screen time together. It was really a shame because their characters were basically two opposite ends of the spectrum: Anders (Mr. Malahide) was a more conventional businessman (although even then, he wasn’t that conventional) while Paul (Mr. Lewis) was decidedly unconventional and a maverick. It would’ve been fascinating to see those two styles playing off of each other, but alas, it was not to be. Again, I’d be completely happy with whatever sort of story I could get, whether it was Victorian, World War II (Mr. Lewis has had to avoid a bit of typecasting there, but what the heck), or anything else. Mr. Lewis has been doing a number of Shakespearean productions lately, which would be ideal as well. Mostly I just love the thought of all of that intensity (from both of them) making it to the screen. Perhaps one of Mr. Malahide’s characters could have a redheaded son?

And finally…

Ray Stevenson (left) and Kevin McKidd:
Because you can’t have one without the other.

RF: Ray Stevenson and Kevin McKidd

What is so special about ~~him~~ them? Yes, I am totally cheating by picking two, but (1) Fearless Admin doesn’t mind, and (2) my rationale is that they should come as a package deal. It would likely be very expensive in terms of salaries, but who cares? What’s so special about these two guys is the chemistry they have; they play off of each other and compliment each other’s styles extremely well and have a lovely camaraderie. And “Rome” showed that they could handle period drama as well as lots of high action and incredible fighting scenes.

What sort of project? It would probably be too much to ask that McKidd and Stevenson be cast in “Game of Thrones“, but I think they’d be perfect for it – that is, aside from McKidd’s tongue-in-cheek comments about how “Game of Thrones” killed “Rome” (it didn’t and he seems to know that perfectly well, but people fail to realize he’s kidding!). Anyway, lots of “Rome” alumni have ended up in “Game of Thrones” already and I could easily see these two as Greyjoy brothers or some sort of relations, or perhaps captains in Balon’s fleet. They’d certainly be able to handle the swordplay and would wear the costumes as if they were born to them. Or we could go in the other direction and have a Roman drama, with McKidd and Stevenson as soldiers again and Mr. Malahide as a patrician – at least a senator or a consul. I’m sure he’d look wonderful in a toga.

*Thanks to Admin for the meme inspiration!

Posted in Joint Post, Meme, Wished for Roles | Tagged Damian Lewis, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, JJ Feild, joint post, Kevin McKidd, Patrick Malahide, Ray Stevenson, Rupert Penry-Jones, Wished for Roles | 1 Comment