Category: Appearances

DRUMROLL! Reviews are IN & Billions is a Critics’ Pick!

damian lewis, bobby axelrod
source: showtime

As Billions is premiering on Showtime tonight at 10pm ET, reviews have been pouring in… and guess what? It is getting a LOT OF LOVE and BIG THUMBS UP from the critics. HURRAH!

So… Welcome to a little celebration organized by Damianista & JaniaJania!

We both read all reviews that came out and picked our TOP TEN. Damianista selected her favorite paragraph from each review and JaniaJania added her two cents to that paragraph. Hope you enjoy our post as much as we enjoyed collaborating on it!

First things first! … This is not a review but it’s a little story PressTelegram reports Billions co-creator Brian Koppelman has shared with them: “Koppelman tells a story about how years ago he was sitting in an agency in New York with Levien when they saw Lewis, who was then starring in HBO’s “Band of Brothers,” walk by. “Dave turned to me and said, ‘Someday we are going to work with that guy.” He’s the best actor.’ ” Continue reading “DRUMROLL! Reviews are IN & Billions is a Critics’ Pick!”

TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2015: Hand in Hand

If you feel the need you can debate who is making who look better, but I’m going to be diplomatic and say that Helen and Damian are just gorgeous together.

source: zimbio
source: zimbio

Quite honestly I have no idea how they manage to fit in everything that they do, but it is certainly true that life is not fun if you have no one to share it with. I’m sure Charlie Crews would in all likelihood give us a sad smile in agreement.

Chloe Fox of vogue described Helen and Damian in an interview from 2013 like this

“Separately, they are engaging. Together, they are a little bit intoxicating.”“

So, with that wonderful quote in mind, the last blog of 2015 is looking back at our favourite couple hand in hand at various points throughout the year.

65th Berlinale International Film Festival

The couple attend the Berlinale for the premiere of Queen of the Desert in which Damian plays Charles Doughty-Wylie. Damianista actually posted about the Berlinale as an individual top moment for Damian as well.

source: zimbio.com
source: zimbio.com

Continue reading “TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2015: Hand in Hand”

Top Damian Lewis Moments 2015: Cleo at the New Yorker Festival

Damian Lewis
source: New Yorker

The holiday season seems a great time to watch new films and catch up with the waiting list. One film long on my list has been Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. I knew enough about the film and had seen enough clips to know it would not be the typical feel-good holiday watching. But I also knew enough about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor’s history together that any film starring the two of them would be a scalding glimpse into their mad love story.

What does all this have to do with Damian Lewis, you wonder? Well, one of the Top Moments in 2015 for Damian Lewis was his reading the role of Richard Burton in Lawrence Wright’s Cleo at the New Yorker Film Festival in October. And because Damianista and I were there, front row center, it’s a TOP moment for us too! There we were rapt in attention as Damian belched his way into the script and, despite the fact that the show was simply a table reading, proceeded to channel the rude, sexy, and perpetually drunk Welshman to a tee.

Continue reading “Top Damian Lewis Moments 2015: Cleo at the New Yorker Festival”

TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2015: In Conversation at New Yorker Festival

damiannyerlineup

Two of my MOST favorite things, Damian Lewis and the New Yorker came together at the New Yorker Festival in October. I wrote earlier here about the proud fan moment I had thanks to Damian making not one but two appearances at my most favorite festival! Just to re-iterate briefly, I’ve been reading The New Yorker quite religiously for more than a decade now. I don’t remember how many subscriptions I gave to friends as gifts over the years and it is still one of the few subscriptions that I receive in the mail every week. And, the New Yorker Festival feels like the pages of the magazine literally coming to life for a weekend throughout the city with talks, conversations, readings, performances, panels with individuals that are at the top of their game in their respective fields — including arts, sciences, politics, sports, theater, music, literature, film, TV, food and more… As someone that attended quite a few events at the festival over the years, I can confidently say that, independent of the context, all events share one characteristic: intelligence. The festival participants are without exception endowed with some real brainpower. They are, in The New Yorker‘s own words, “some of the most talented and influential thinkers about topics ranging from politics to pop music, science to cinema, and so much more.”

Enough said 🙂 Both appearances at New Yorker Festival make it to our TOP Damian Lewis moments of the year! Today we will share with you the conversation Damian Lewis has with New Yorker staff writer Lauren Collins today and and tomorrow the play reading.  Continue reading “TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2015: In Conversation at New Yorker Festival”

TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2015: Damian Lewis as a Grateful Student

In my experience, one of the best returns in an educator’s life is to see her former students graduate and thrive in their careers. It feels so good when a former student sends an email saying: “Hey professor, I had taken such and such class with you and then you wrote for me a letter of recommendation and I got into law school and now I am doing very well at such and such company. Thank you.” You simply feel you have, in fact, touched THAT life and in a very good way, too! I just cannot think of a better reward for an educator. Otherwise, what’s the point?

damianbooklaunch6
source: Dan Wooller

That’s why we declare Damian Lewis writing the foreword for his drama school teacher Ken Rea’s new book The Outstanding Actor and giving a speech at the book launch party a TOP Damian Lewis moment of 2015! Continue reading “TOP Damian Lewis Moments 2015: Damian Lewis as a Grateful Student”