Here is yet another question from a fan for Damian Lewis from American Buffalo programme booklet. Jon Holdsworth asks: “Which moment made you prouder – receiving an OBE from the Queen or scoring in the Soccer Aid penalty shoot-out in 2010?”
Ha! That’s a tough one!
Let’s first remember these two TOP moments in Damian Lewis’ life!
Damian was made Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) as part of the Queen’s birthday celebrations in June 2014. OBE is part of the UK honor system and it is “awarded for having a major local role in any activity, including people whose work has made them known nationally in their chosen area.” Accordingly, Damian Lewis has been commended for “his services to drama.”
Damian’s first reaction to his OBE was, as usual, priceless: “I decided to do the very un-British thing of accepting the compliment. I don’t think our republican cousins quite understand our honours system or are that bothered about it.”
Hmm… Yes, Damian, it’s not like we, your republican cousins, closely follow the OBEs and MBEs here, but… when you are made OBE, dear cousin, we turn into OBE experts in no time! 😀
The Duke of Cambridge aka Prince William hosted the investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace late November last year where the duo seem to have had a few minutes to chat about Homeland as well!
Damian tells Daily Mail about being made OBE just after the ceremony at the palace:
“I was stupified, I had no idea, so it was a big, big surprise… I remember when I heard I was being awarded it, it was a little bit like “now you’ve got to prove it… ‘It was a bit like being asked to be a prefect, now I have to be extremely responsible.”
And he adds about his Homeland chat with the Duke of Cambridge:
“He said ‘Catherine and I are huge Homeland fans.”
“He said ‘you appeared again the other night briefly, and we all got very excited,’ which is true, but it was also on Sunday night which means he is absolutely up to date with the latest episode and I’m amazed they have time for that.”
So… The day Brody came back did not excite just us, the mortals, but also Katherine and William!
But, of course, everyone makes time for Brody 🙂
Now… on to Soccer Aid 2010: We, in fact, talked about Soccer Aid a bit earlier here. But, in a nutshell, it is “a biennial British charity event that has raised over £15 million in aid of UNICEF UK, through ticket sales and donations from the public. The event is a football match between two teams of celebrities and former professional players, representing England and the Rest of the World(RoW).”
Here’s Team England in Soccer Aid 2010:
The match between England and the Rest of the World took place on June 6, 2010 at the Manchester’s legendary Old Trafford stadium. And, one of the former professionals that participated in the match was one of all-time BEST: Zinedine Zidane! It’s just so amazing to see one of my favorite footballers and my favorite actor in the same shot playing the game they LOVE!
Here is a detailed score sheet for the match:
Because the regular match time was over with England: 2 – Rest of the World: 2 they had to go to a penalty shoot out to determine the winner. One thing about the Soccer Aid penalty shoot is that it’s an all-celebrity zone meaning the world famous former football players in the match are not allowed to participate in the penalty shoot — fair enough 🙂
When it is Damian’s turn for the penalty shoot, both England and Rest of the World seem to have missed 3 penalties each — which means if Damian scores for England, he will take his team a step closer to winning… Haha I love it the way I dramatize a charity football match!
I’m sure you want to re-live that moment Damian scores the penalty! But first just focus on the look Damian gives to the goal keeper as he comes for the penalty for a second… I mean, it’s just such an out of this world, confident smirk that I can’t help love it… 🙂
And here comes our Number 8… and the penalty shot! Watch it here!
And… the well-deserved celebration after the penalty!
And so… which one is it, Damian? Is it the OBE that made you feel like you were made prefect or is it the Soccer Aid penalty shoot that made you jump really really high? 🙂
Damian’s answer to Mr. Holdsworth: “Receiving the OBE, you’ll be surprised to hear.”
It may come a bit surprising when you think this is coming from Damian Lewis who LOVES football and Liverpool and all… But then again… Penalty shoot is great, so much fun and probably some serious adrenaline flowing but OBE is awarded for your accomplishments giving some serious meaning to what you have done with your life so far. It’s flattering. And, besides, you know… Our guy has a soft spot for the Queen, too! When asked about his favorite royal family member earlier in the year, Damian goes:
And it seems you are a Queen favorite, too, Damian… Well done, cousin! 😀
he shot a fine penalty, my husband, a former professional player, told me that a penalty shot is very stressful, because in principle it is very important!
And I know very well Zidane, “Zizou” a friend of my husband, and really, he is the same kind of man Damian!
Nice, modest, he is always ready to invest him, helping a humanitarian cause!
Like our Damian!
Monique
Hi Monique, thanks for your comment, how cool that you know Zizou!!!! Oh Damian did a fine penalty all right! It should be very very stressful, I am a big football fan and I could never watch penalty scenes, even I get nervous as a viewer, Monique! What team did your husband play for? Zizou is one of all-time best players, he was the star of 1998 World Cup, I remember, he’s a super great player!
.My Husband playing SCO Angers, a first division club in France, but as he is Algerian, he played in the national team of Algeria, during the Brazil match against Algeria, as defender, he got the role, very difficult to mark Pele, a very great player!
But Zizou is really the greatest player in the world!
My husband hated to take a penalty, and Zizou had told us that he too hated it!
Wow, your husband playing against Pele should be a real memory!!! So amazing!!!! I am a huge a football fan, I believe it’s the best sport ever, my dad was a fanatic and he turned me into one, too 😀 Yeah, I can imagine that players do not like to take a penalty, it should be nerve-recking. And you’re so alone there with the ball and the goal keeper. Yikes! Sending you much love Monique!
My husband has a lasting memory of his match against Pele, they exchanged shirts at the end of the match, so that I have that of Pele, in my closet! It’s a great player, and my husband, suffered marking him!!!
Amitié Monique
OMG — you have Pele’s shirt in your closet! What a memory, Monique, it’s amazing!!! All the Best to you and your husband!
“when you are made OBE, dear cousin, we turn into OBE experts in no time!”
HAHAHA, Love it! And so true!
So he accepted the award, of course, as a Britisher but really for the sake of his cousins, the Yanks, who he knew wouldn’t mind at all if he did. He knows us SO WELL. 😀
Thank you!!!! Honestly, partner, I had never heard of an OBE before. I only knew about knighthood which I think is a notch above OBE. And that day I even tweeted to his agency to correct their tweet about him receiving an MBE because OBE is a notch above MBE. And they did!!! 😀 Oh yes, Republican cousins lovingly approve the OBE 😀