Month: July 2025

Throwback Thursday to Visiting the Brody House

source: Daily Mail
source: Daily Mail

Well, tell me, what could be a better day than combining a shopping trip to Ikea in Charlotte with a quick visit to my Homeland Mecca?

Even though Brody family resides at 3319 West Chapman Street in Alexandria, Virginia, Homeland was shot in North Carolina before they moved to South Africa for Season 4. They filmed the first three seasons mostly in Charlotte, a two-and-a-half hour drive from our house. And, I never even tried to visit the set thinking  they would always be there and I could always visit one day… Oh, yes, I did not see it coming – shoot me!

The Brody house was at the core of Homeland in many ways in the first three seasons. It is the place where it all started and also ended in a way… Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Visiting the Brody House”

Damian Lewis’ Song of the Week: Harvest Moon

“The cover [Harvest Moon] was presented in a beautifully soft and soothing manner with the actor {Damian Lewis] showing off his vocal talent to the full…”

– Edward Burnett reviewing Damian’s gig at O2 in Oxford Mail

Each original track on Damian Lewis’ debut album, Mission Creep, carries a deeply personal story. For the past two weeks, I have made it my mission to explore these narratives one by one, sharing insights about each song in our new Fun Fun “Song of the Week” series. If you missed the previous posts, here are the stories behind Zaragoza, and She Comes.

This week, I will make an exception and highlight one of the three covers on Damian’s debut album: Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon.” Although it is not an original composition by Damian, this beautiful song has a story of its own worth sharing.

ENJOY! Continue reading “Damian Lewis’ Song of the Week: Harvest Moon”

Book Review: Meeting Damian Lewis

Never touch your idols: the gilding will stick to your fingers.

Il ne faut pas toucher aux idoles: la dorure en reste aux mains.
― Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

How I love when art gets meta: when a writer or artist has the self-awareness and genuine capacity to make fun of themselves. That’s what we mean when we say the writing is “honest”. There’s no agenda to convince or win over the reader, just a need to show, everything, even the warty not-attractive bits.

With her first novel, Meeting Damian Lewis, Christine Wilson has succeeded beautifully in that effort. Continue reading “Book Review: Meeting Damian Lewis”

Ride4Hugo 2025 in Memory of Hugo and Helen

L-R: Damian, his sister Amanda Yaxley, his brother Gareth Lewis, and brother in-law Charles Yaxley during the bike ride in memory of Hugo and Helen in June 2022

I find it beyond impressive when families turn their tragic losses into good for many others in memory of the loved ones they lost. Ride4Hugo, a campaign Damian’s family run in memory of Hugo Yaxley, Damian and Helen’s nephew, who tragically died in a car accident in November 2020, and also in memory of Helen, who passed away only 5 months after Hugo’s accident, is an extraordinary effort aimed to do good for so many people.

2025 is marking the 5th anniversary of Hugo’s car accident and almost five years since the passing of Helen McCrory. So Hugo’s older brother Tom is getting ready to take on new bike challenges this year to raise funds for charities close to Hugo’s and Helen’s hearts as well as the family’s: Place2Be, Sir HvH Arts, and The Air Ambulances UK.

Here is a recent note from Tom on Instagram about the upcoming Air Base Challenge in which he will ride to all 21 UK Air Ambulances, including Northern Ireland Air Ambulance! These ambulances are funded by the public, and they are on standby 24/7 all year in case you or one of your loved ones need it. Continue reading “Ride4Hugo 2025 in Memory of Hugo and Helen”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in The Misanthrope

“This Misanthrope is angered by everything he sees around him and yet, at the same time, you might say he’s one of the great romantics in literature.” – Damian Lewis

Damianista’s note: When a good friend shares this picture from Damian’s dressing room with you, you know it is time to travel back to 2009 and re-visit our guy in The Misanthrope. It is Damian’s handwriting on the mirror: I would recognize that capital “G” anywhere. And it says ““Rouse tempers, goad and lacerate, raise a whirlwind.” A little research shows that this was Kenneth Tynan’s lifelong motto, pinned above his desk at the National Theatre when he was its literary manager. ENJOY!

It was 2009 when Damian played the lead role of Alceste in Martin Crimp’s modernized version of Moliere’s 17th century comedy. After his appearance in The Misanthrope he was not seen on stage again until American Buffalo six years later. Dare we say, The Misanthrope marked a turning point for Damian, the last one where he was the nearly A-list actor playing against decidedly A-list’er Keira Knightley. NOW, of course, he is not nearly anything but a full-blown highly sought commodity on stage and screen. In this post, I’ll tell you a bit about the play, then, beg your indulgence as I wax philosophical about the extent to which the themes of the play translate to Damian’s own career trajectory.

Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in The Misanthrope”