No I am not going to be on the fantastic current affairs programme Any Questions, as much as I would like to be, I am asking any readers of this site to pose me some questions on the Films of the Marx Bros. That is the strict limit of my Mastermind appearance, and I need to be on my metal. I have the great fear of not being able to answer one single question. I hope question 1 is, "Please name a Marx Brother". Question 2, "Please name another...." You see where this is going.....
As we chat about the first Merlin, I am just about to shoot my last day of the series. Phew! in some ways, because it's been a long haul, but what a lot of very talented and lovely people. I look forward to seeing how it all pans out. You may not believe me, but I don't even know the end. What I am certain of, is that I hope you all watch right up until the end, on Christmas Eve.
I saw Olly's new film, Johnny English Reborn, yesterday, & I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Half way thru', I thought that I had worked out what it is that makes the film so good. For me, it was that when I watch a Bond film, or a Bourne, I tend to want things to go wrong. Not badly, but in a silly humour kind of way, and I have never really found anyone funnier than my brother. So put him with the comic genius that is Rowan, & it hits the spot. The cast is brilliant, an adjective often over used, but this is truly A listers, Dominic West, Gillian Anderson, Rosamund Pike, Togo, Burn, Stephen, Ben & Richard Schiff. And what's clever is that Ol as a director always challenges actors to do a little bit more. I have been on the other side of it, & I have seen him do it with Judi Dench, Toby Jones and my kids. He is terrific & I have a feeling this will open a lot more doors. CLEVER BOY.
Hello Everyone,
I am having a rather surreal experience. I am sitting on the sofa in my hotel room in France, having arrived not too long ago and having had dinner I turned on the TV to see if there would be anything I could watch. I found a film called Killing Zoe, set here in France and starring my old mucker Gary Kemp. I met up with Gary a couple of months back at an awards do, and it was like seeing an old chum. Such a good guy. But in a commercial break I channel hoped and found EEEEEKKKK Inspector Lynley, I had to look up the title, One Guilty Deed. But it's not even on French TV, it's German. The lovely Ian Burfield, (also in Injustice) played the local, downtrodden cop, and Ester Hall, (my wife in Into Thin Air) and of course the amazing Tom Georgeson, (Bleak House). Blimey what a cool cast, & all talking in German! It all works rather well. Blimey I look a lot older now, but that was 5 years ago, and it seems a lot longer. A different life really. Ooooh Zyg Byfield just turned up, and he's in the present ep of Merlin
Out of sight for SO LONG. I must apologise to all for having been out of touch and relatively under the radar for such a long time. This year has undoubtedly been my busiest and among my most frustrating year for a long time.
Having moved out of London lock stock and barrel over a year ago now, as a family we have had to adjust to all sorts of new challenges. Having finally found somewhere to put roots down, we are now in the deepest, darkest stages of planning and that too throws up challenges. I have also been working throughout the year on Merlin, as you know. One of the unexpected side-effects of Merlin has been it's very tough schedule. I have had to cancel a lot of things I would have loved to have been able to do on personal, professional and charitable fronts, because the schedule is pretty merciless. That said, I have had a fantastic time shooting the series, and have been able to work alongside a lot of emerging talent, and some well established folk, even some old friends.
Well Done To Everyone on the Marsden March on Sunday, and well done and Thank You to all that sponsored me. I would urge anyone who hasn't yet to please search for any spare change and give. I know I ask a lot in troubled and testing times, and I ask it often for different charities, but I'm afraid I will keep on doing so.