Fan Fun with Damian Lewis is eight years old today!
Eight years?!?!?!
YES, eight years!
I vividly remember the conversation I had with Lewisto in the last weeks of 2014 about whether it would be worth keeping an online fan diary about Damian Lewis. Being the rational guy that he is, Lewisto suggested I do it only if I was confident I could commit for at least two years so it would be worth the effort.
“Henry VIII is a monster, but he’s our monster. No other nation has a king who had six wives and cut the heads off two. We’re perversely proud of Henry.” – Hilary Mantel
The world lost a true literary genius yesterday. Hilary Mantel’s style was unique. So was her imagination. Her wit was matchless. She published 17 books that received literary applause. Yet Wolf Hall Trilogy stands out as her Magnum Opus. She once said she knew Wolf Hall would be the best thing she would produce when she started writing it. Mantel became the first British writer and the first woman who won the prestigious Man Booker Prize with Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up the Bodies. As we all know both books have been adapted for a BBC miniseries which I many times called “the best thing that ever happened to TV” as well as for plays produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company. I am privileged to have seen them both. Multiple times. That is how much I love Wolf Hall. Continue reading “In Memory of Hilary Mantel: Revisiting Henry VIII in Wolf Hall”
“Henry VIII is a monster, but he’s our monster. No other nation has a king who had six wives and cut the heads off two. We’re perversely proud of Henry.” – Hilary Mantel
source: BBC
Welcome to year 1535! In the most delightful deleted scene in Wolf Hall, King Henry declares his age to the women in Thomas Cromwell’s household: “45 in June…”
Well, Henry is 531 years old today and popular as ever — to quote Damian Lewis:
“Henry, as a brand, is right up there with Coca Cola!”
I don’t think anyone can deny the recent contributions of Hilary Mantel’s brilliant work Wolf Hall & Bring up the Bodies — the books, the play and the TV drama to Henry’s as well as Tudors’ popularity in general! Mantel’s final installment in Thomas Cromwell series The Mirror and The Light is finally out and BBC has already confirmed they will adapt The Mirror and The Light as a sequel to the Golden-Globe winning Wolf Hall and that Mark Rylance will resume his role as Thomas Cromwell. We are hoping that Damian will also return to the show as Henry VIII.
And now, in celebration of King Henry’s birthday, it is my utmost pleasure to re-visit the most memorable Henry moments in Wolf Hall TV Drama.
I’ll admit to not being the most educated person. I spent most of high school just trying to pass the time and get out with a diploma. I wasn’t a bad student, but when you decide on beauty school in your sophomore year, suddenly AP History and three hours a night of homework seem kind of like a waste of time. And I certainly didn’t spend my two study halls a day reading up on history, math or science. Now, as an adult, I am revisiting these subjects with a newly-found appreciation. I am learning things as a 36 year old woman that most people learn in high school. The history of The Tudors has been my newest interest, and I have Wolf Hall to thank for opening me up to something new. Continue reading “Damian Lewis Created a Monster”
I’ll admit to not being the most educated person. I spent most of high school just trying to pass the time and get out with a diploma. I wasn’t a bad student, but when you decide on beauty school in your sophomore year, suddenly AP History and three hours a night of homework seem kind of like a waste of time. And I certainly didn’t spend my two study halls a day reading up on history, math or science. Now, as an adult, I am revisiting these subjects with a newly-found appreciation. I am learning things as a 36 year old woman that most people learn in high school. The history of The Tudors has been my newest interest, and I have Wolf Hall to thank for opening me up to something new. Continue reading “Damian Lewis Created a Monster”
