Tag: London

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis as a Teacher? Yes, Please! *UPDATED*

Recently, Romesh Ranganathan reminded Damian Lewis that he once said he wanted to be a teacher. Damian’s response? He laughed and said he probably gave that answer to the classic question: what would you do if you weren’t an actor? Still… it’s not a random answer. Because in many ways, he’s already done it. Damian also mentioned that he’s given acting masterclasses over the years—sharing what he’s learned with younger actors. So this feels like the perfect moment to revisit one of those: the masterclass he gave to young stage actors during his West End run in The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? back in 2017. Professor Lewis, anyone? We’re taking notes.

Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis as a Teacher? Yes, Please! *UPDATED*”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis Voicing the Statue of George Orwell

Damian Lewis. George Orwell. A talking statue outside the BBC.

Damianista’s note: Gingersnap wrote this post in 2017. With Damian recently bringing this up when he guested on Romesh on BBC Radio 2, it’s the perfect moment to revisit one of the most unique—and quietly brilliant—projects he’s ever lent his voice to…

His voice. That distinguished, recognizable voice. Yes, THAT voice. Whether it’s soothing poetry reads, children’s bedtime stories or a narrated documentary, we know that voice! I’ve often said Damian could sell me a tube of toothpaste should he ever voice a commercial ad, whether Crest, Colgate, Rembrandt – hell, take your pick. And you can bet your last dollar the company stocks would soar soon after the commercial aired…so much so, Bobby Axelrod would be proud.

Many of his U.S. fans think his British accent alone is dreamy, but combine that with his velvety tone, it’s Mozart to anyone’s ears – always with the right amount of inflection, emphasis and dramatic pause. And perfectly modulated to portray emotions of wrath, bewilderment or exhilaration. That is our beloved Damian Lewis.

In November, 2017 the Guardian announced that Damian would be voicing the talking statue of George Orwell! Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis Voicing the Statue of George Orwell”

Throwback Thursday – How We Turned Fan Stories Into a Book… And Put It in Damian Lewis’ Hands

I can’t believe it has been exactly seven years since our Fan Fun fan stories turned into a book and landed in Damian Lewis’ hands! Join me in this fun walk through the memory lane!

It all started with a random conversation on NYC subway.

I am a part-time New Yorker. Lady Trader, on the other hand, is a true New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn, now living on Long Island. The two of us tried to meet almost every time I was in the city over some yummy dessert and tea at Veniero’s and chatted away for a few hours (Hey, Lady, we need to revive this tradition!)  Then we took the subway together: Lady Trader got off at Penn Station to take the LIRR home and I continued uptown.

On one of my spring visits in 2016, on a subway ride home, I asked Lady Trader how she “discovered” Damian. When she told me her story, and it was hilarious, I told her she should really write a blog post about it. And as soon as she drafted her story, a NEW idea was born! Wouldn’t it be FUN if we invited fans to write their own stories about how they became Damian Lewis fans? Continue reading “Throwback Thursday – How We Turned Fan Stories Into a Book… And Put It in Damian Lewis’ Hands”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in American Buffalo

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Damian took  a long break from stage – 6 years – after he did The Misanthrope with Keira Knightley and Tara Fitzgerald at Comedy Theatre in 2009. And three seasons of Homeland, a season of Wolf Hall, three movies, an Emmy and a Golden Globe later, in 2015, he made a wonderful comeback to West End as Walter “Teach Cole” in David Mamet’s American Buffalo which went into history as the first (and second) time I saw my favorite actor on stage. Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in American Buffalo”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Pillars of the Community

This post was originally written in 2016. With Damian set to star in Jack of Spades alongside Lesley Manville, it feels like the perfect moment to share it again. Enjoy!

It all began when a dear colleague—someone who shares my deep love for theatre—asked me to name my favorite male and female stage performances of 2015. Easy.

Lesley Manville in Ibsen’s Ghosts.
Damian Lewis in Mamet’s American Buffalo (with Mark Strong in Miller’s A View from the Bridge a very close second).

So what was it about these performances that made me fall in love with them?

One word: precision.

Then I thought about the heart-breaking performance Lesley Manville gives in Ghosts which, in fact, brought her an Olivier Award in 2014 (I saw the play later when it visited Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2015). I know Manville mostly from her work on big screen such as Secrets and Lies (1996), Vera Drake (2004), Another Year (2010) and Mr Turner (2014) all of which were some of my favorites in the year they were released. But I really did not know about her stage work. So I googled her.

And here is the first image I hit! Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Pillars of the Community”