Month: July 2024

Throwback Thursday to a Beloved Billions Moment: The Fake Fight

“Pretend we’re having an argument.” —Bobby Axelrod

source: Showtime

A good hour of television absolutely starts with good writing and I pride myself in calling Willie Reale, the writer of Billions Season 1 Episode 10 Quality of Life, a genius way before I find out that he is, in fact, one! I don’t know if you are familiar with MacArthur Fellowships also known as “Genius Grants” but Mr. Reale is a recipient of this fellowship “in recognition of his ingenuity in creating theater and theater education programs for young people.” Bravo!

Quality of Life, with Donnie’s memorial service being at its heart, has a number of moving parts; however, Mr. Reale delivers the story seamlessly with a number of timely back and forths between the memorial service and all else going on and the episode’s director Karyn Kusama perfectly translates the writing into action. And, in my humble opinion, Brian Koppelman’s tweet sharing with us that the fake argument scene between Axe and Dollar Bill was Reale’s idea alone deserves standing ovation for this brilliant writer! Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to a Beloved Billions Moment: The Fake Fight”

In celebration of Mad Men’s 17th Birthday: Damian Lewis Loves Don Draper!

Hello, everyone! This is a post I wrote in 2015 when I said farewell to Mad Men, my all-time favorite TV show. This week marks the 17th anniversary of the show premiering on AMC. And the fact that I share some Mad Men love with my favorite actor provides a unique opportunity to share Damian’s love for Mad Men here again. Hope you enjoy it.

“Mad Men. I watch endless episodes when I should be working.”

-Damian Lewis

Don Draper immortalized in front of the Time-Life Building on March 23, 2015, NYC source: Damianista

Oh, yes!

Damian, I cannot thank you enough for loving Mad Men; because, first, you give me the chance to write about something that I LOVE very deeply, and second, it is so much fun to share this love for Mad Men with you! Continue reading “In celebration of Mad Men’s 17th Birthday: Damian Lewis Loves Don Draper!”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis at the Royal Shakespeare Company

Damian’s recent performance, with other brilliant actors, of excerpts from Shakespeare’s works  at Allie Esiri’s “Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year – Live” at Open Air Theatre in Regents Park tempts me to take us all back to mid 1990s and visit a young Damian at Royal Shakespeare Company!

Shall we?

Damian shares in a 2009 interview with The Telegraph:

“My heroes were all in the theatre. I wanted to be part of that great tradition that ran back to Garrick and Macready and Kean. That’s what I wished for, when I was asleep and dreaming.”

Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis at the Royal Shakespeare Company”

On The Horizon: Damian Lewis as Twin Vampire Brothers in The Radleys *UPDATED*

“Your instincts are wrong. Animals rely on instincts for their daily survival, but we are not beasts. We are not lions or sharks or vultures. We are civilized, and civilization only works if instincts are suppressed. So do your bit for society and ignore those dark desires inside you.” – The Abstainer’s Handbook (second edition), p. 54

Meet Will Radley, ladies and gentlemen! We’re thrilled to share with you the first images from The Radleys. The movie will have its premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF)  on August 20th. If you happen to be in the area, grab a ticket!

The Radleys is seemingly an ordinary suburban family. They live at 17 Orchard Lane in the village of Bishopthorpe, Yorkshire. Peter Radley is an overworked general practitioner. His wife Helen is an amateur artist who paints apple trees in watercolor. Their marriage has got distant over the years. Peter and Helen have two teenage children who attend the local high school. Rowan, their 17 year old son, suffers from rashes and chronic insomnia and reads Lord Byron .Clara, their 15 year old daughter, has recently become a vegan with the hopes of having animals treat her better. Continue reading “On The Horizon: Damian Lewis as Twin Vampire Brothers in The Radleys *UPDATED*”

“My Song” – Damian Lewis: The Story of a Photograph and The McCrory Award

“These are kids who otherwise would have no access to the arts and no space in which to express themselves freely, fully and joyfully. It’s brilliant what Debbi and HvH ARTS does. It’s incredible what it achieves. And I’m extremely proud to call myself its Patron.” — Damian Lewis

“My Song” – Damian Lewis by photographer and HvH Arts CEO Debbi Clark

This post is past due.

I bought this photograph by Debbi Clark, an accomplished professional photographer who is also the founder and CEO of Sir Hubert Von Herkomer Arts Foundation (HvH Arts in short) back in 2022 in support of The McCrory Award. 100% of the proceeds from art sales on HvH Arts Gallery fund this award, given annually in memory of Helen McCrory, to gifted unprivileged young people so they can have access to resources and training they need to fulfill their dreams. Continue reading ““My Song” – Damian Lewis: The Story of a Photograph and The McCrory Award”