Richard Armitage: So Much to AppReCiAte. Remember, it’s ALL good.

 

Richard Armitage is all that and a bag of chips. An extra-large bag of Golden Flakes, made right here in Alabama and one of  favorite guilty pleasures to this day.

 

Actually, I prefer their regular chips for everyday eating, but the hot variety seemed ever so appropriate for the subject at hand . .

I believe we all can agree that Richard is enormously talented and versatile in his gifts. The man can act phenomenally well, using every facet of his physical being–that deep, earthy voice, amazingly mobile face, those big, elegant hands and so much more–to bring his characters to vivid (and at time, heart-wrenching) life. We can easily believe he is the individual he is portraying as we take a journey alongside him. We watch, we listen, hang on the edge of our seats as we hold our collective breath; we cheer and we shed tears. We mourn. We do not forget. Those characters, this man, sticks with us.

 

Richard as Thorin back inside Erebor for the first time in years. Courtesy of The Arkenstone-ck.tumblr.com

Along with those acting chops we have a man who can sing, play instruments, ride horseback and perform fight scenes with the grace and agility of the professional dancer he once was.  All that he has experienced in his life and learned and trained for in each of his roles has helped bring him to where he is today–an increasingly acclaimed actor of both stage and screen with several new projects on the horizon. Workaholic that he appears to be, I don’t think we have to worry about Richard “resting” (as unemployed actors refer to being in between roles) for very long.

He’s also a consummate professional described in glowing terms by co-stars, crew members, scriptwriters and directors. Richard is hard working and humble, affable and kind, generous and good hearted with an infectious laugh that reaches right up into  those twinkling blue eyes. What’s not to love?

Now, not only is he an amazing talent, he also happens to be really, really attractive.  Easy on the eyes with that arrestingly handsome face and the sort of tall, broad-shouldered masculine physique that invites daydreams and fantasies.  “Oh child of Venus, you’re just made for love . . .” He was always a cutie, but I swear he’s grown into more masculine gorgeousness with each passing year.

And it’s perfectly OK to celebrate that physical beauty along with his intelligence, talent, work ethic, charisma and charitable instincts. Because these qualities, inner and outer, are all part and parcel of what makes Richard Armitage Richard Armitage. And keeps us coming back for more . . . and more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hubba-hubba.

So don’t be hatin’ on bloggers who take time out from their serious discussions of his work to light-heartedly enjoy the siren call of Mr. Armitage’s outward qualities, whether it be nipples, biceps, bum or other physical attributes. Because it’s ALL good. Just like a big ol’ bag of Golden Flakes . . .

Sexy, Heroic Soldiers & Spies–Oh, My!

The enigmatic Lucas North–dedicated, determined, trying to make his way in an ordinary world after eight years of torture and deprivation in a Russian prison. Haunted by the past.  NOT John Bateman (that was the lie).  A hero–and sexy as hell. Watching Lucas run in those tight jeans–*guh* Pure poetry in motion.

Sgt. John Porter: tough-as-nails but with a tender side. A man who needs to find the truth, restore his tarnished reputation and fight his way back to a normal life. The very sort of bloke you’d want to come to your rescue. Heroic, clever and when necessary, ruthless. Trust him.

More of the same. Super Sexy Saturday, that is! Fanart & Vids

It’s a glorious day in the neighborhood–Lower Alabama, that is. The gray skies and rain and damp have gone, replaced by cerulean blue and blessedly lower humidity. Enjoyed a little jaunt out with the dogs, who are enjoying the warmth of the sunshine. Jack in particular is in a jolly mood today.

A nap will be in order a little later–stayed up too late reading the Bronte book and trying to pry my cats from my side and legs. I am too restless a sleeper for furry attachments.;) In the meantime, enjoy a second installment of SSS–Super Sexy Saturday.  Sssssssmokin’!

One word. Erotic.

Mmmmmmmm. Porter as diamond smuggler John Dean.  Love everything here–the look of intense concentration, the elfin ear, the beautiful hand, the wristwatch.  The way the lighting accentuates those beautiful lips. Heap sexy man.

Half-mad, dirty, disheveled, wild-eyed, wounded animal . . . speaks volumes to my inner caveman. Sexxxxxxy.

Sexy nineteenth century mill owner style. Cravats have never looked better on (or off) anyone else.

Ricky Deeming. Enigmatic. Defiant. Rebellious. And dead sexy. The black leather doesn’t hurt, either.

How about Lucas as a dark angel in his black singlet?  Beautiful and so sexy.  *sigh*

Sir Guy isn’t the only one who can smoulder oh, so beautifully. The proud warrior–the majestic and deliciously sexy Thorin Oakenshield. Thinking of you, Bechep.

Saturday Spy Games featuring Luscious Lucas

Richard as alluring Russian oligarch.  How can a man make references to “dog faeces” sound sexy??

Lucas deals with the duplicitous Sarah Caulfield . . . and looks absolutely delicious doing it. She was right, Lucas–you ARE clever–and beautiful.

Lucas undercover in Moscow being entertained by the curvaceous asset at the Bedouin Bar. It’s a shame he couldn’t have enjoyed some more time with her after completing his mission . . . nice chemistry there.

Lucas waiting for Oleg at the assigned spot. Beautiful publicity still. I love the hand here, partially covered by his sleeve, and the intensity of his gaze. Hate to think of the humiliation he is shortly going to endure at the hands of his longtime tormentor . . . and for such an unworthy creature as La Caulfield. Grrrrrrr.

Richard as Pete the banker in his pinstripes and power tie with his “fiancé.”  What an attractive couple they made.

Lucas in mentor mode. Loved his scenes with young Dean. *sniff* Here’s another example of him looking sublime in green.

Lucas North–the spy we love. ‘Cause nobody does it better . . .

More SND goodness–no foolin’, guys!

Lucas, More Light than Dark

I have to joke about Series 9, otherwise I tend to cry. Oh, well. Lucas was, is, and will always be a hero to me, a complex one, damaged by those years of torture and deprivation, plaintively longing for a relationship that was long since over with his ex-wife, struggling to find his place in the world and to regain the trust of his colleagues–flawed, damaged, but a HERO, nonetheless. Loyal to his country, concerned about colleagues, kind to young folks in trouble like Dean. Cerebral, resourceful, a deep thinker with the soul of a poet.

And what a handsome and stylish fellow he is. So attractive in his Belstaff jackets and snug-fitting jeans, in the Pete pinstripes with the power red tie, the dark hair, pale skin and blue eyes, deepened by the cool-toned sets and lighting on the show, giving him an otherworldly beauty.

Oh, and he’s also quite fetching when he’s not wearing a lot of clothes . . . just sayin.’

At this point, it’s still just a rumor for me.

From Caroline Frost at the Huffington Post UK, March 25, 2013:

Much-loved spy drama ‘Spooks’ could make the move to the big screen, with one of its stars revealing that there is a script in the works, being penned by the original writers of the hit series.

“There is a script kind of in the machine,” HuffPostUK has learned from actor Peter Firth, who played MI5 chief Harry Pearce throughout the ten series of the popular drama.

“They should make it,” he adds. “It’s not like it’s a gamble with this one. But it costs a lot, and there’s not a lot of money to go round at the moment.”

This would suit Firth, who previously told HuffPostUK that he wished for a happier ending for his character with longtime colleague and barely-expressed love – Ruth Evershed, played by Nicola Walker. Viewers of the series finale in October 2011 watched goggle-eyed, as Ruth became one of Spooks’ huge number of agents to fall for her country, or in the actors’ case, the dramatic storyline.

This article has been buzzing around on Twitter for a couple of days and been blogged about on a few occasions, too. But the more I think about it, the less I get excited about it. Hasn’t this rumor been floating around for quite a while?

Saying “there is a script kind of in the machine” doesn’t exactly equate to “yes, we ARE making a Spooks movie.” And considering the continuing economic woes, the likelihood of more money to go around for such a film seems unlikely.  Do we want to see something done on the super-cheap?

Would I love to see my favorite spy Lucas North in a film? Sure I would. But we have no idea who would be included in the cast if and when the film was made.  While Richard has expressed some enthusiasm for returning to the role, is he genuinely interested at this stage of the game or simply being polite, agreeable RA?

Since Firth is talking about wanting a “happier ending” for Harry and Ruth–who died in the final ep of the series–that can only happen if they do some sort of flashback. That, or have this become Spooks: The Zombie Files. Or possibly Spooks: The Vampire Chronicles.  All the dead spooks are really undead, you see . . .

Perhaps die-hard Spooks fans will be pleased to see any combination of cast members (dead or undead) come together for a film version.  Truthfully, being more of Richard Armitage/Lucas aficionado than a Spooks fan (although I have seen almost the entire series, sans some of the earlier eps and series 10), I am not one of them.

And a lot depends on the storyline. Naturally, IF RA was involved, I’d want a lot of Lucas.  Frankly, if I had to sit through much more UST between Ruth and Harry, I would feel like doing dire things to myself, as much as I like Nicola Walker as an actress.

Now, as I have mentioned elsewhere, Lucas, alive and well and appearing in a shower scene, scrubbing up to “Love in an Elevator,” would definitely draw me into the audience. 😀

Anyway, while it’s a fun idea to toss around, I just can’t take Spooks: The Movie seriously for now.

What I would like to see is Black Sky get finished and distributed.  We know that one will feature our Richard! And if not in a shower, then wet. 😉

Sunday SmoRgAsbord: Fedoralady Feelin’ Flirtatious!

Lucas and his blue eyes called to me. Yowzah.

And his profile, and  lovely long column of throat, and delicious stubble and . . . *sigh*

Sunday SmoRgAsbord: Luscious Lucas & Gorgeous Guy

Sunday SmoRgAsbord: A Heapin’ Helpin’ of Deliciousity

The Klutz, the Spy, the Dwarf & the Tropical Freeze

Klutz, thy name is fedoralady. I got up to go flip off a light I realized I left burning and managed to trip on my own pajama leg to go sprawling very, very hard onto my knees and one hand. It was onto the vinyl flooring instead of carpet which means no padding. And I have padding EVERYWHERE–except, of course, my knees. *sigh*

I’ve downed some Advil and now have a freezer pack on one knee and some sort of frozen Bacardi Breeze mixer doolallie on the other one. Hey, any port in a storm.

I am hoping to purchase Comic-Con badges today, having registered a while back. The online melee kicks off at 11 a.m. my time. Keep your fingers crossed for Ladywriter 78 and her husband, Rocketman . . .

My hand is also starting to throb, so I am going to leave you with some fanart of Lucas, who moves much more gracefully than I ever have, and move the Tropical Freeze doolallie to my hand. If all else fails, I’ll just drink it. 😉

Some Blue Monday, RA-Style; Future Plans

It’s raining here . . . and it’s supposed to rain through the day and the night and tomorrow and tomorrow night and finally. maybe, taper off on Wednesday. Not surprisingly, we are under a flash flood watch. One of those times I am glad I live on a hill, Pecan Ridge, to be exact.

Pecan Ridge is also the name of our fledgling video production company. Yes, this is one of the other projects I’ve hinted about recently.

Benny has actually been making very professional-looking commercials for the car dealership for quite a while now, as well as producing videos for use in arts council productions and filming the productions themselves. He’s also done some other events–and he’s good at it. He says I am the creative one of the two of us, but that’s not true. He’s just modest, as well as smart and talented and adorable. Not that I am prejudiced or anything.

Now we are getting ready in the next few months to launch our own business with his (soon to be retired) co-worker, a fellow video enthusiast who has been filming a number of sporting events over the years and has helped Benny with a couple of his projects.

I will be learning Adobe Illustrator and more about the whole process of video editing, as well as doing some videography and shooting still photos at various events. And who knows? You all may benefit from what I learn. I might make a “real” RA fanvid! 😀 We’ll be creating a website for Pecan Ridge Productions later, too.

I will also be working on the children’s book. I have my notes taken and now I need to tackle putting the story in language a young child can grasp and find interesting.  And there’s my novel. Leigh, my beta and muse, and I have been talking about that again. Guy and Lizzie’s story must be told.  Nobody’s saying it’ll be a runaway best seller, but at least whatever I produce, I won’t be ashamed that I “sold out” along the way just to make a buck.

And, of course, I will be blogging. TAE will march onward!

And now, more of RA Blue Monday on this wet and stormy early Monday morn . . .

Counting sheep or counting Lucases?

My eyes are playing up on me again so here I am, wearing my reading glasses on top of my battered old bifocals. Looks ridiculous but hey, it works! 😉

I just put in more allergy drops and took some Aleve earlier for a nagging headache. Watching a late night re-broadcast of Inspector Lewis Mysteries I must have missed on the first go-round on PBS and trying to wind down.  All the sleep I got was during the day (one of those nights I couldn’t rest if my life had depended on it) and hoping for better results tonight.

I have to confess I am feeling excited about the announcement from the University of Leicester re Richard III and possible comments to come from RA regarding it.  When I am eagerly anticipating something it makes resting even more difficult. My body gets tired, but my brain refuses to let go.  Lots of thoughts whirling through my mind . . .

Yes, I even wear out my sheep some nights, poor things.  I bet Lucas can relate, although the thoughts that crowd my mind are likely of a more pleasant quality than his . . .

Now, if I can fall asleep and have some of the vivid dreams I have had in recent months, perhaps it could feature something like this:

I could live with that. Yeah, works for me.

The lads are looking forward to it . . .

As we start a new blog year here at TAE, some of the lads said they wanted to weigh in on what they hope to bring to readers– in between eating enormous pieces of chocolate cake, that is.  I have to say they are a brood of chocoholics.  Not that I mind!