Almost 10 years after its finale, Ray Stevenson revealed what the original Rome ending and final Titus Pullo scene was supposed to be.

DEN OF GEEK
David Crow
March 17, 2017

Before there was Spartacus or The Tudors, Vikings or The Borgias—before Game of Thrones—there was Rome. As the first salvo of a legion of period epics and historic fictions on premium cable, Rome was one of the most ambitious gambles ever ventured by HBO with a first season cost that was upwards of $100 million due to pricy sets (the biggest in the world), principal photography in Italy, and the usage of old fashioned 35mm cameras.

The series proudly attempted to tell a sort of an “Upstairs, Downstairs” drama between Rome’s patrician class and its plebian underbelly, making it something of a semi-prequel to I, Claudius as we witnessed the rise and fall of Gaius Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds), and then the many years of warfare between the various parties in the wake of his death—including a young Octavian (first Max Pirkis, then Simon Woods)—as well as Rome’s transition from republic to empire.

It was a grand effort… perhaps too much so. Indeed, the popular cult series only ran for two seasons, abruptly ending 10 years ago in 2007. While there was some second-guessing and regret after the ratings for Rome season 2 increased, the die was already cast and that season concluded the story with Octavian becoming Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome, and his quiet plebian right-hand, Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), taking on the responsibilities of raising a son since his best mate Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) lies presumably in the grave.

“Bruno [Heller] once did outline a story that he was going to start the whole series with,” Stevenson said. “An 88-year-old Pullo going down to the riverside by Vorenus’ tomb, or sarcophagus, pouring wine on it, taking a sword out while sitting there on the banks, looking at the glistening river, and committing suicide.

“And as he has his face hit the sand on the banks, a fish jumped out of the water, and the silver light on the fish caught the sword, which brought us right into that first battle with Lucius Vorenus and [Titus Pullo] where he breaks ranks.”


http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/rome/252090/hbos-rome-ending-was-originally-very-different

ROBERT PATTINSON, AIDAN TURNER AND THEO JAMES: KNOW THE CURRENT HEARTTHROBS AND FUTURE STARS

MOVIE NEWS GUIDE
ANSHUL HARDIKAR
April 20, 2016

The line up has changed and so has the trend. Gone are the days when Hollywood bigwigs were the only movie stars because a new generation has already taken over. Stars like Robert Pattinson, Aidan Turner and Theo James are currently some of the leading ones in the roster. They have incredible following and are worth every penny. Here is what puts them on the top of their game.

1. Talent. Solely the most important thing any future movie star might need. Talent is one thing that sets you apart from others. All the three heartthrobs have proved their mettle with “Twilight,” “Poldark” and “Divergent” series and hopefully will continue to do so.

2. Dedication. For any individual to become an actor, it needs dedication and for any actor to become a star, it needs even more dedication. There are no doubts about their dedication because each one of them has worked really hard to get their portrayal right. Normally, when they set out to prepare for their roles, they research, read up and then apply it to their roles.

3. Ability to get under the skin. As mentioned earlier because of the immense dedication that they have, their portrayal becomes so convincing that at times it gets hard to believe if fans are looking at the actor or the character. For instance, Robert’s Edward or Aidan’s Ross Poldark.

4. Good looks. This has got to do a thing or two with being a heartthrob, however, it is not the most important thing. Their looks are something worthy dying for and there is no one better than their female fan base to express it. It is also believed that it was Aidan’s mass appeal amongst female fans and performance in “And Then There Were None” that got him a meeting with the Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.


READ MORE HERE: http://www.movienewsguide.com/robert-pattinson-aidan-turner-theo-james-know-current-heartthrobs-future-stars/196897

"Big Game" movie trailer - Ray Stevenson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jim Broadbent

‘Divergent’s’ Ray Stevenson Joins Starz’s ‘Black Sails’ as Blackbeard

VARIETY
Whitney Friedlander
News Editor
@loislane79



It’s a pirate’s life for Ray Stevenson, as the “Divergent” and “Rome” actor has joined the cast of the Starz drama “Black Sails” as the notorious raider Blackbeard.

Stevenson joins the cast for season three, which has Blackbeard (or Edward Teach if you’re being formal) returning to settle some unfinished business. A great deal has changed during his absence, meaning he’ll have to disrupt some cemented alliances and challenge new ones.

“Black Sails” follows feared pirate Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) and his crew. It takes place 20 years prior to the events depicted in Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic “Treasure Island.” Stevenson joins a cast that also includes Hannah New, Luke Arnold, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Tom Hopper, Zach McGowan, Clara Paget and Toby Schmitz. The series is created by executive producers Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine and is also executive produced by Michael Bay and his Platinum Dunes partners Brad Fuller and Andrew Form. Chris Symes and Dan Shotz also serve as executive producers.


READ MORE HERE: http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/black-sails-blackbeard-ray-stevenson-1201459131/

Theo James Jokes About Dying After Deflowering Michelle Dockery's Lady Mary on Downton Abbey

E.
by ZACH JOHNSON



Years before he was cast as Four in the Divergent movie, Theo James had a brief but memorable role on PBS' Downton Abbey. The 29-year-old actor stopped by E!'s Chelsea Lately Tuesday, where he opened up about deflowering Michelle Dockery's Lady Mary during the show's first season in 2010.

"I first saw you on Downton Abbey and you had sex with Lady Mary and then you died," host Chelsea Handler told James, whose character, Kemal Pamuk, died of a heart attack in the throes of passion.

"We did that method style," James joked of his now sex scene with Dockery, which was inspired by true events. "Obviously not the death, but I said that I had to do it full-on and be there in the moment in the castle doing it full penetration." He added, "It's incredible sex for him to die midway through."

"Have you ever passed away during sex before?" Handler asked, smiling. "No," the Brit replied.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.eonline.com/news/522658/theo-james-jokes-about-dying-after-deflowering-michelle-dockery-s-lady-mary-on-downtown-abbey

Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ray Stevenson on the Red Carpet, Divergent Premiere

Ray Stevenson interview for The Dark World with Ray Stevenson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-flxcFMMhQ4&noredirect=1

THEO JAMES: Divergent Still: Introducing Four! (THE HOLLYWOOD GOSSIP)

by Justin Dweeber at June 10, 2013 5:59 pm.

Good news, Divergent fans!

We've got a fourth look at First!

Er, no, a first look at Four.

Let's just average it out and call it a second look at Two.

Ansel Elgort, Ray Stevenson, Kate Winslet, Zoe Kravitz, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Jai Courtney, Ashley Judd, Mekhi Phifer, and Miles Teller also star.

Neil Burger directs the film, which will premiere March 21, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/divergent-still-introducing-four/#sthash.1lLUHzdh.dpuf

Kate Winslet, Theo James, Ray Stevenson: New “Dauntless” Initiation Pic Of Shailene Woodley’s Tris Prior In ‘Divergent’

EW has debuted this new still from the feature adaptation of ‘Divergent.’ Alongside Shailene Woodley, ‘Divergent’ stars Theo James, Kate Winslet, Maggie Q, Jai Courtney, Miles Teller, Zoë Kravitz, Ansel Elgort, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Ben Lamb, Christian Madsen, Ray Stevenson, Mekhi Phifer, and Amy Newbold.

The above image shows Shailene Woodley’s Tris Prior out on a ledge and perched to jump as part of initiation into her faction. For those of who haven’t read the books, in the dystopian world of ‘Divergent,’ all of society is divided into five factions: Abnegation (selfless); Erudite (intelligent); Candor (honest); Amity (peaceful) and Dauntless (brave). Our sixteen-year-old heroine has chosen the Dauntless faction, which involves a lot of very scary initiation tests.

“In this photo she’s already jumped off the train and onto a seven story building as part of the initiation rite for the Dauntless,” explains director Neil Burger (Limitless, The Illusionist). “The next thing they have to do is jump from the building and down through a courtyard that has a deep, black hole. It’s terrifying.”

And filming this scene sounds almost as frightening. “We’d been nervously planning it because it is dangerous and there’s a lot of people on that roof,” says Neil Burger. “We had to pull it off safely and also pull it off cinematically, so you have this knot in your stomach as you watch this young woman decide to do this crazy thing. We had great weather that day and I think this scene really is emblematic of the movie: It shows the energy and the rawness of the way we’re telling the story,” he says.

The cast of actors all have to do all sorts of stomach-lurching things, such as jumping off of elevated trains and scaling great heights. Their director says they’re a group ready for any challenge, especially his leading lady. “Shailene says she’s not afraid of heights but that she’s afraid of falling,” says the director, with a laugh. “This makes perfect sense to me. But she really did stand on that ledge—this is a real photo. She’s incredibly game and so adventurous. In a way, she’s very Dauntless.”

‘Divergent’ is described as a thrilling adventure set in a future world where people are divided into distinct factions based on their personalities, Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy to destroy all Divergents, she must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it’s too late.

READ MORE: http://www.flicksandbits.com/2013/05/14/new-dauntless-initiation-pic-of-shailene-woodleys-tris-prior-in-divergent/47244/

Divergent Begins Production, Mekhi Phifer And Ray Stevenson Join The Cast Author: Kelly West (CINEMA BLEND)

Following on the huge success of the Twilight franchise, Summit-Lionsgate continues to target the young adult audience with feature adaptations of popular book series. We have The Hunger Games: Catching Fire to look forward to this fall, along with the sci-fi film Ender's Game. And coming to theaters next March (2014) is Divergent, the feature adaptation of the first novel in Veronica Roth's YA dystopian series. The film has added two more to its cast and has begun production this week.

Summit announced today that production on the anticipation film Divergent began today in Chicago, which is where the story is set. It should be interesting to see how Chicago is transformed for the film, as the story is set in the future in what's left of the Windy City. Residents in the rundown city are divided into five factions, which determine a person's way of life. In the film, Shailiene Woodley will play the lead character Tris, a young woman who comes of age and must decide if she will stay with her family's faction or choose a different path. The twist is that, prior to deciding, she learns that she's "Divergent," which is not a good thing, and means she'll never fully fit into one faction. Tris keeps this secret as she makes her choice and joins other trainees as they undergo a series of tests to find their place among their faction.

READ MORE http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Divergent-Begins-Production-Mekhi-Phifer-Ray-Stevenson-Join-Cast-36834.html

Theo James Cast As Four In ‘Divergent’; Kate Winslet, Aaron Eckhart, Ray Stevenson And Miles Teller Also Starring By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday March 15, 2013 @ 10:00am PDT (DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD)

BREAKING: The male lead in Summit‘s Neil Burger-directed adaptation of Divergent has gone to Theo James, currently the star of the CBS series Golden Boy and whose credits include Downton Abbey and Underworld: The Awakening. He will star opposite The Spectacular Now‘s Shailene Woodley. The film’s set in a futuristic world where people are herded into factions based on their personalities. Woodley plays Tris Prior, who is deemed a “divergent” who doesn’t fit into any group and who learns she and other divergents are going to be destroyed. She needs to find out what makes these divergents so dangerous. James’ character Four is her intense instructor and one of the leaders of the Dauntless faction. For James, it’s a potential star-making role.

Summit is also closing deals with Kate Winslet, Aaron Eckhart, Ray Stevenson and Miles Teller. They will join Jai Courtney, Zoe Kravitz, Ansel Elgort and Maggie Q in the cast. Erik Feig and Gillian Bohrer are overseeing for Lionsgate. The film is based on Veronica Roth’s bestselling novel, and Vanessa Taylor and Evan Daugherty wrote the script. Production begins April in Chicago.

READ MORE: http://www.deadline.com/2013/03/theo-james-cast-as-four-in-divergent-kate-winslet-aaron-eckhart-ray-stevenson-and-miles-teller-also-starring/