Throwback Thursday to Nicholas Brody and His Muslim Faith

“You live in despair for eight years; you can turn to religion, too. And the King James Bible was not available.” – Nicholas Brody

source: Showtime
source: Showtime

I was born and raised in a secular family in Turkey, a country that is predominantly Muslim. That is, even though I am not religious myself, I am very familiar with the Islamic traditions, rituals and norms. I am obviously coming out of the culture and have been shaped by it in ways that I am probably not aware of 🙂 Thus, I thought it would be neat to talk about Nicholas Brody, my most favorite fictional character ever on small screen, and his Muslim faith, in celebration of Ramadan!

Now, I am not an expert, not even close, about Muslim characters on TV shows; however, even if there had been a popular Muslim character on TV before Brody came along, I just don’t think there is any way she or he could beat him on any popularity scale. Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Nicholas Brody and His Muslim Faith”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Agatha Christie’s Poirot

“I was at home a little while ago and that episode came on the TV and I just couldn’t believe how young I was. Where did all those years go?” – Damian Lewis

This was Damian’s response when he was recently asked in an interview with Essex Life about one of his earliest roles on TV, the ITV’s Agatha Christie’s Poirot episode Hickory Dickory Dock.

Lucky you, Damian, you are one of those men who ages like a good bottle of wine… I wanna say red Burgundy to be precise! But in honor of the years that passed since our early 20s, we revisit that young medical student Len Bateson in Hickory Dickory Dock today. ENJOY!

Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Agatha Christie’s Poirot”

How Keane gave us Brody and How Brody gave us Axe *UPDATED*

Lodge Kerrigan’s beautiful film ‘Keane‘ with Damian Lewis received a 4K restoration thanks to Grasshopper Films and had special screenings at several movie theaters in the U.S in summer – fall 2022. I was very lucky to be at the Film at Lincoln Center’s screening in August 2022 followed by a a Q&A with Lodge Kerrigan and Damian himself. The 4K restored ‘Keane’ is available for streaming on AppleTV. So… why don’t we talk today about how this critically acclaimed movie caused a chain reaction in Damian’s career? 

Join me!

Continue reading “How Keane gave us Brody and How Brody gave us Axe *UPDATED*”

Guitar Man: Damian Lewis’ Music Journey Part I

“I’m looking forward to getting out there and playing the songs I’ve written and been recording for my debut album. Be good to be back on stage, this time with a guitar in my hand.”

—Damian Lewis

You know what I did in the title, don’t you? If you know a certain ginger man who thinks he is the “second coming of Elvis” that is returning to stage with a guitar in hand, you go and title your related post after a lesser known Elvis gem.

So… if you are not living under a rock, you know that Damian returned to stage, this time, with a guitar in hand turning his fantasies into reality. He released a few singles in spring 2023 followed by his highly acclaimed first album ‘Mission Creep’ in June, and is already working a second album. He did live gigs in London, played at music festivals, rocked the paddock at the British Grand Prix, and went on a UK tour the second part of which is coming up in March.

https://twitter.com/FanFunDamian/status/1758882092744581219

If you want to see Damian and his new beard on stage, you can find all gig dates, venues and ticket information here. Continue reading “Guitar Man: Damian Lewis’ Music Journey Part I”

Prop Improv with Damian Lewis – Redux

According to Wikipedia, a prop, formally known as theatrical property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct from the actors, scenery, costumes, and electrical equipment. Based on that definition, clothing, shoes, hats or scarves would typically be out of play, but we are going to bend the rule just a bit and allow it! Interesting enough, consumable food items appearing in a production could be considered props, too.

So you know what all this means? It’s game time! Name three stage or screen props you would most like to own from the set of any of Damian’s theatre, film or television series and explain why. As an added bonus, some of us came up with an original or funny use of the prop, without using the prop the way it was intended. Let’s play Prop Improv with Damian Lewis.

Continue reading “Prop Improv with Damian Lewis – Redux”