A Remake of ‘The Persuaders’: Linda’s Dream Role for Damian Lewis (and Rupert Penry-Jones)

Hi everyone! Damianista here…  Fan Fun “Dream Role for Damian Lewis” series continues today with a story from a very special lady. Linda has been running The Friends of Major Dick Winters Facebook Page for years and she is incredibly devoted to real-life WWII heroes. She regularly attends the reunions held on the anniversary of D-Day in Normandy with Band of Brothers actors and WWII veterans. Damian knows Linda well and appreciates her hard work honoring Major Dick Winters and all WWII veterans. You can read Linda’s wonderful story about how she became a Damian Lewis fan here! Linda’s support means the world to us and huge thanks go to her for this brilliant dream role story! ENJOY!

When I was invited by “Damianista” to write about what my idea of a dream role for Damian was, I was “in the dark” … although I usually love to write and let my fantasy flow, I had no idea this time!
What was wrong with me?
Damian has played so many great roles by now, I’ve been a fan of him since the first hours… seen (almost) everything with him, although his portrayal of Major Dick Winters in “Band of Brothers” still stands as number 1 for me.
I’ve met him a few times, seen him perform live on stage, shared a few short conversations with him, and he is so successful now all over the world… what DREAM ROLE could I wish for such an accomplished actor and wonderful man?!?!
Until this morning…
I unexpectedly got inspired by reading something in another British actor’s fan group.
That other British actor would be Rupert Penry-Jones. It is a given fact that the Rupert girls are usually friendly towards Damian, too; how come I can not explain, but it is a fact.
Anyway, birthday wishes were posted in Rupert’s group for Damian, plus photos of the 2 actors together, when out of the blue my Austrian friend Rike mentioned that the 2 should team up together in a TV series!
Preferably, I quote: as 2 not overly correct private investigators!
And all of a sudden I knew what to write about today…
Back in 1995 the 2 young thespians were already on stage together in London and Broadway. They both belonged to the Royal Shakespeare Company and so Damian played Laertes and Rupert played Fortinbras in Shakespeare’s renowned play “Hamlet“.
Over the years the 2 actors have gone their own way and build up successful careers. There are a couple of pictures out there on the internet, showing the 2 hanging out together at some social event, so it’s clear the friendship between them still stands today.
I would like to see Damian and Rupert as the new Tony Curtis and Roger Moore, respectively, in a remake of the fantastic and fun 70’s tv series The Persuaders!
My attached photos already show what a perfect fit they both would be for this.. it’s so obvious! The right physique, the British calmness, the humor, the charm, the wit, they have it all!
Damianista’s note: For those that are not familiar with the show, The Persuaders are two men from extremely different backgrounds who reluctantly get together and solve cases that the police cannot.
From Wikipedia:

“Danny Wilde, portrayed by Tony Curtis, is a rough diamond, educated and moulded in the slums of New York City, who escaped by enlisting in the US Navy. He later became a millionaire in the oil business, subsequently making and then losing several fortunes as a Wall Street investor. Curtis himself had suffered a tough childhood in the Bronx, and also had served in the US Navy. Curtis was 46 when he made The Persuaders, but he performed all his own stunts and fight sequences.

Lord Brett Rupert George Robert Andrew Sinclair, played by Roger Moore, is a polished British nobleman, educated at Harrow and Oxford, a former British Army officer and an ex-racing car driver, who addresses his colleague as “Daniel”.

A pair of globe-trotting millionaire playboys, the men are brought together by retired Judge Fulton (Laurence Naismith) in the French Riviera. They instantly dislike each other and destroy a hotel bar during a fist-fight. They are arrested and delivered to Fulton, who offers them the choice of spending 90 days in jail or helping him to right errors of impunity. Grudgingly, Wilde and Sinclair agree to help Fulton to solve a case. He then releases them from any threat of jail.

I am also sure they would not mind driving fast sport cars and wearing stylish clothes! Not to mention the pretty girls they would get involved with…. So 100 % sure…this is my dream role for Damian, and by extension, for Rupert, too!

Don’t know if the 2 themselves will consider this as their dream role, too… but then at least I hope they’ll have fun reading about my fantasies!

Author: Damianista

Academic, Traveler, Blogger, Runner, Theatre Lover, Wine Snob, Part-time New Yorker, and Walking Damian Lewis Encyclopedia :D Procrastinated about a fan's diary on Damian Lewis for a while and the rest is history!

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