Period Drama Actor: Alan Rickman

Last week we lost a very talented actor who portrayed a wide variety of characters in his 69 years. Every Janeite or Period Drama fan will easily recognize our own dear Colonel Brandon from Sense & Sensibility (1995). Here's a look at some of those roles and a bit about the actor's life and some quotes.

Interesting Facts:

Full Name: Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman

Height: 6' 1"

Born: 21 February 1946, Hammersmith, London, England, UK

Married To: Rima Horton, who he met in college in 1965. Alan once said: "She's incredibly tolerant. Unbelievably tolerant. Possibly a candidate for sainthood."

Short Bio: Parents are Bernard Rickman and Margaret Doreen Rose. Has English, Irish and Welsh ancestry. Before becoming an actor, he studied graphic design at Chelsea College of Art and Design and at the Royal College of Art, forming a successful graphic design company, Graphiti, with several friends. He didn't start acting until he was twenty-eight year old. During his time at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he worked as a dresser for actors. Called stage acting his "first love" and often took breaks from film and television to preform in plays. Lost his short but difficult battle with cancer on 14 January 2016.

Personal Quotes:

"I do take my work seriously and the way to do that is not to take yourself too seriously."

"I approach every part I'm asked to do and decide to do from exactly the same angle: who is this person, what does he want, how does he attempt to get it, and what happens to him when he doesn't get it, or if he does?"

"I don't play villains, I play very interesting people."

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A Few Of His Roles:

Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet (1978 TV Movie)

One of Mr. Rickman's first television roles was as Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet. He looked so young! I tried to find a video clip but alas there are none available on YouTube.

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Obadiah Slope in The Barchester Chronicles (1982 TV Mini-Series) 

Besides Sense and Sensibility (1995) this has to be my second favorite of Mr. Rickman's period drama roles. Obadiah is a slick operator with a pious air who at once makes the viewer laugh and cringe! Below is a few funny scenes that a YouTuber put into a video, the last one with Obadiah falling flat on his behind always makes me laugh!

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Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

I don't really recommend this film but this rather odd version of the classic Robin Hood story is proof positive that Alan Rickman was excellent at portraying bad guys! An interesting happening in this film sees Alan Rickman acting alongside Geraldine McEwan for the second time, the first time being in The Barchester Chronicles.

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Colonel Christopher Brandon in Sense and Sensibility (1995)

This is definitely my most favorite role that Mr. Rickman has taken on. In this film he perfectly captured the kind, gentle and passionate nature of the mature army colonel who finds true love with the passionate Marianne Dashwood. When I think of this adaptation some of the loveliest scenes that come to mind include Colonel Brandon showing his true love for Marianne by putting her needs and the needs of her family above his own needs. Below is a clip of my most favorite Colonel Brandon scene where he reads a poem from Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene to Marianne.

My heart melts into a puddle after viewing this scene! Yes, Alan Rickman is definitely my favoritest Colonel Brandon of all time! And I for one don't mind in the least that Emma Thompson made up a first name for this Jane Austen hero, there is something handsome in the sound of Christopher Brandon! Also check out this short interview from the set of the film.

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A few other roles:

• Voice of Blue Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland (2010) & Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)
• Professor Severus Snape in eight Harry Potter films (I've never seen them myself but it's one of his best known roles)
• Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest (an oddball sci-fi flick where he plays an alien)
• Voice of Marvin the depressed robot in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (alongside Martin Freeman and Bill Nighy!)

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His Voice

One of the most interesting and lovely things about Alan Rickman was his unique voice. Here's a recording of him reading Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 in his rich smooth voice (or "dark foreboding tones" as Anne Shirley might say).

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So here's to the incredible Mr. Alan Rickman. You dear sir will be sadly missed. Below is a video clip that made me tear up when I watched it because while writing this post I felt like Marianne in the scene. Thank you our Colonel Brandon! You were a true gem and will never be forgotten.

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What is your favorite Alan Rickman role?

How many of these films have you viewed?

Period Drama Actor - Alun Armstrong

During Charles Dickens Birthday Week my mind wandered to the several actors and actresses who show up in multiple Dickens film adaptations. One such man is actor Alun Armstrong who has played a wide variety of characters in no less than seven Dickens films to date!

Biography: Born July 17th, 1946, Alun Armstrong was born and raised in County Durham in North East England. His father was a coal miner and both of his parents were Methodist lay preachers. His interest in acting started as a boy when he was in a school play version of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. When he first started attending acting school he felt out of place because of his humble background and Northern accent. He was expelled for skipping classes and took odd jobs for a few years before trying acting again. His first few roles in film and television included supporting roles in films about Northern coal miners, roles he loved because they were part of his history and his accent fit right in! Since his career started in the 1970's Mr. Armstrong has become well known as a character actor in film, TV and theatre.

Alun Armstrong's Charles Dickens Roles:

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (TV 1982) as Mr. Wackford Squeers & Mr. Wagstaff

I haven't seen this version but I was reading about it. Apparently this is an eight hour stage adaptation that was filmed for TV. Mr. Armstrong took on a couple roles for this adaptation. 

Oliver Twist (TV 1999) as Mr. Flemming

I have seen this adaptation once and it was quite good but did add a bit about Oliver's unfortunate mother to the original story. Mr. Armstrong features in that part of the story and towards the end as a very kind guardian and friend to Oliver.  

David Copperfield (TV 1999) as Daniel Peggotty

Mr. Armstrong was reportedly very excited about this role because he had read David Copperfield aloud at school and through it became a Dickens fan. He even turned down an offer of a film role from well-known actor Clint Eastwood in order to take on the role of Dan Peggotty! 

Oliver Twist (2005) as Magistrate Fang

I haven't seen this film version before but thought it was interesting that Mr. Armstrong has been if two Oliver Twist adaptations, as two very different characters! This film is on my to see list because it also stars actor Ben Kingsley as Fagin which sounds like perfect casting.

Bleak House (TV 2005) as Mr. Bucket

It's hard to decide whether or not to like the policeman Mr. Bucket. He helps solve the mystery in Bleak House and bring the criminals to justice but he has some underhanded ways and likes to bring attention to himself. In the 2005 adaptation Mr. Armstrong's portrayal never fails to make me smile. His interactions with Mr. Smallweed are my favorite and his taking over Mr. Tulkinghorn's office is so interesting. Mr. Armstrong's distinguishing facial features always put me in mind of the phrase "he has a nose for crime"! :) 

Nose for crime!

Little Dorrit (TV 2008) as Jeremiah Flintwinch & Ephraim Flintwinch

Flintwinch is such a scoundrel but Mr. Armstrong plays him to a tea! In this film he also plays Flintwinch's twin brother and those scenes are quite interesting to watch - not one Flintwinch but two!! 

The Mystery of Edwin Drood (TV 2012) as Hiram Grewgious

I'm excited to see Mr. Armstrong in this role and expect to like this character a great deal because he's guardian to heroine Rosa Bud. I'm also wondering if he'll be a bit of a detective for the mystery story. 

Other Period Drama Roles:

Black Beauty (1994) as Reuben Smith - I completely forgot about his role in this film. I've seen it a few times but often forget that it's a period story. If I'm remembering correctly this character was was a nice guy. It's a good family film but it has a sadder ending.

Braveheart (1995) as Mornay - I haven't seen this but it's considered a classic now and surprised me that Mr. Armstrong  was in it. Wonder if he dons a Scottish Brogue for the character?

Aristocrats (TV 1999) as Henry Fox - This series shows interesting historical events and Mr. Armstrong's character was an influential politician. I've only seen this series once and can't really recommend it but I did like Mr. Armstrong's character in this.

Onegin (1999) as Zaretsky - An interesting story but not a favorite because of it's sad ending and flawed characters. Mr. Armstrong's character was interesting, he officiated over a duel!

Garrow's Law (TV series 2009-2011) as Mr. Southouse - This TV series about real life historical lawyer  William Garrow has some interesting stories of court cases won and lost. I enjoyed most of the series because of main character actor Andrew Buchan and Mr. Armstrong's great portrayal of Garrow's mentor, but some of the episodes have themes that aren't good.   

Les Misérables (Original 1985 cast) as Thénardier - For all my Les Miz fans out there here's one for your records! In autumn 1985 Alun Armstrong originated the role of Thénardier in the first stage musical of  Les Misérables. This news really surprised me but he does sing and has a nice voice that really suits the character as he sings songs like "Master of the House" and "Dog Eats Dog".  He is reported as being surprised that the musical was so popular because it's similar to an opera made up of all singing but he enjoyed his character who he said was "a gruesome and comic character." Mr. Armstrong left the role after a year because he got bored with the repetition and wanted to do other things but he was honored with an Olivier Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Musical. I still haven't seen Les Miz but I did find a clip of Mr. Armstrong in the role singing Master of the House and which was very clever (some swearing in the song though) and here's a short clip of the scene (without swearing) if you're interested.

Alun Armstrong with son Joe

Random Facts About Alun Armstrong:

-Had jobs as a bricklayer and a gravedigger before settling down to acting.

-He and his wife Sue have three sons: Tom, Joe and Dan

-Mr. Armstrong has been awarded two honorary doctorate degrees in recognition of his contributions to the arts.

-His middle son Joe Armstrong is an actor too best known for his role as Allan A Dale in the Robin Hood TV series (yay! he's a favorite character of mine!). It's also interesting that Joe played a character with the same name as his dad! (my sister and I still call Joe "Allan", kinda confusing!) :D

-Appeared alongside his son Joe in a TV show called Between the Sheets and they will appear as father / son characters in a new filming of Shakespeare's Henry IV.

-He and his son Joe played younger and older versions of the same character in a 1950's era TV movie A Passionate Woman. (I thought this was especially neat because they look so much alike!) 

 

Quotes: 

-He's played "the full spectrum of characters from the grotesque to musicals... I always play very colourful characters, often a bit crazy, despotic, psychotic."

-About David Copperfield: "We did David Copperfield in school. We read it around the class, everyone taking a paragraph. Whenever I think of Dickens, the thing I remember most is the boat on the beach. I wanted to do this part and I did in fact turn down Clint to do it. I said to him, 'The thing is, I've got the opportunity of doing a Dickens.' And he said, 'Oh, you must do it.'"


For more info about Alun Armstrong check out his IMDb page, Wikipedia page and Alun-Armstrong.net. 

It's always so delightful to see Mr. Armstrong turn up in a period drama, and no Charles Dickens adaptation is quite the same without him! :)

I hope to see him in many other period dramas, in particular I'd love it if this former gravedigger would take on the role of Jerry Cruncher in a new adaptation of A Tale Of Two Cities! haha 

Which Alun Armstrong roles have you seen? 

Which of his roles is your favorite?

Period Drama Actress - Anna Maxwell Martin

Anna Maxwell Martin is one of my favorite actresses for her elegance, sweetness, talent and many roles in period dramas.

Biography: The rather striking Anna Maxwell-Martin was born May 10, 1977 in Beverley, Yorkshire, England, and is a rising star on both stage and screen. Anna had dreamed all her life of becoming actress even though her family had no background in the arts whatsoever. She starred in school plays... At the age of 20 she auditioned for the prestigious Royal Academy Of Dramatic Art, the school she had dreamed of attending since childhood but however unfortunately she was declined. Undetered she applied for the London Academy Of Dramatic art, where she was accepted. Sadly, whilst training at L.A.M.D.A., her father passed away. Anna wanted to be strong and complete her training as she was sure her father would have wanted. She used the emotions she felt to breathe life into the more emotional parts she was playing in the plays she performed in while at drama school...

Anna has worked extensively as a stage actress and in television, film and audio voice work.

Her period drama roles include:

North & South (2004) as Bessy Higgins

Although she was an experienced stage actress North & South was one of Anna's first TV film roles. I read the book before watching the miniseries and Bessy Higgins was one of my favorite characters in the book. To my mind Anna was perfectly cast in the role, a wonderful friend for heroine Margaret Hale.

 

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Bleak House (2005) as Esther Summerson

This adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic has an all star cast and Anna as Esther is strong and an amazing heroine! Other people thought so too because Anna was nominated and won a BAFTA TV award for Best Actress for her role as Esther Summerson. This is my favorite of her roles! Check out the BBC Bleak House site.

I found this lovely quote on her role and winning the award:

"I was shocked by the reaction I got for Bleak House. It was very intensive but one of the best jobs of my life. It was a chance to play a character that grows and develops and I was very enmeshed in it. But I didn't realise how stylish it was and how much people would love it." - Anna Maxwell Martin, BBC Wind In The Willows Interview

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 The Wind In The Willows (2006) as Gaoler's Daughter

While doing research for this post I came across her role in this TV film. I remember my mom reading The Wind In The Willows to me and my siblings when we were little and how much fun the story of Mole and Toad was. This 2006 adaptation stars a human cast (not animated or with silly animal costumes like previous films) in stage like settings. I haven't see the entire film but I enjoyed watching this video clip of Anna in her role as the comedic Gaoler's Daughter. Also you can read the BBC's interview with Anna about this film here.

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Becoming Jane (2007) as Cassandra Austen

Although I'm not a huge fan of this biopic on Jane Austen, which is largely made up, the best and brightest point in it's favor is Anna as sweet Cassandra Austen! Because this film related the younger years of Jane Austen it also tells about Cassandra's engagement to army chaplain Robert Fowle and his later death abroad. There are some very charming scenes of Jane teasing the young couple, comforting Cassandra after Mr. Fowle's death and the sisters devoted relationship. A fan of Anna's has put together this video on YouTube with clips of Anna's scenes. She also has some of the prettiest dresses in the film! :)

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South Riding (2011) as Sarah Burton

When I heard that Anna was to play opposite David Morrissey (Colonel Brandon in Sense & Sensibility 2008) I was quite intrigued. South Riding is based on a book which tells the story of a determined young teacher, Sarah Burton, who moves back to her home town in 1930's Yorkshire to teach at a school for girls. Her students and their parents live through great hardships (some have slightly inappropriate themes)  but Sarah continues to inspire her students to better lives and brighter minds. Anna was perfect as the caring, spunky and slightly stubborn teacher and romance with David Morrissey's character was rocky but sweet. I don't recommend this film for younger viewers but if my older readers are interested you can find the trailer here and the Masterpiece Theatre site here.

 

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Random Facts about Anna:

-Is 5 feet, 6 inches tall.

-Married to Roger Michell, a film director

-Their daughter Maggie was born in 2009, their son was to be born 2011 

-Has a quirky sense of humor.

-Nominated for three BAFTA TV awards, won two.

-Born Anna Charlotte Martin but added her grandfather's name, Maxwell, to her surname to distinguish her from another actor when she joined the Equity actors union.

-One of Anna's closest friends is Becoming Jane co-star Lucy Cohu who had some lovely thinks to say about her in a 2009 interview with The Independent. 

-Has voiced many characters in BBC radio dramas including: Charles Dickens Great Expectations as Estella (2006), Agatha Christie's Crooked House as Sophia Leonides (2008), Charlotte Bronte's Villette as Lucy Snowe (2009) and Juvenile Jane (2010) reading extracts from Jane Austen's Juvenilia. 

"Anna is very rare in this industry. She is without artifice as a person, and that is reflected in her acting. I remember sitting through a screening of Becoming Jane and there is a moment where Anna's character is grieving over the death of her fiancé that was just breathtaking in its simplicity.

She is incredibly beautiful, inside and out – although she'll scream when she reads that. She is a great mate to have, because she will listen to me for hours on end..." 

- Fellow actress Lucy Cohu on being friends with Anna 

More Anna Links:

-Simply Anna

-Anna Maxwell Martin Fan Site

-Post about Anna at Becoming Jane Fansite

-IMDB page

-Wikipedia Page

Anna Maxwell Martin is a stunning and talented actress. Her portrayals of a variety of period drama characters are simply done yet charming and endearing. I admire her strength and abilities and hope to see her in many other period films (hopefully one day as a Jane Austen character)! 

Have you seen Anna Maxwell Martin in any of these films? 

Which of Anna's roles are your favorites?