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

"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/

Further cast announced for Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch

WHAT'S ON STAGE
Rosie Bannister • London, Off-West End • 2 Apr 2015



Ciarán Hinds and Anastasia Hille will join Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre later this year.

Hinds, whose recent theatre credits include The Night Alive and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, will play Claudius in Lyndsey Turner's production, with Hille (The Effect, The Master Builder) as Gertrude.

They are joined by Sian Brooke as Ophelia, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Laertes, Jim Norton as Polonius and Leo Bill as Horatio.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/benedict-cumberbatch-hamlet-cast_37524.html

‘Game of Thrones’ Alumnus Sean Bean to Lead ‘Frankenstein Chronicles’

VARIETY
Leo Barraclough

November 17, 2014

 Actor Sean Bean, whose credits include “Game of Thrones” and “Lord of the Rings,” will star in “The Frankenstein Chronicles,” a re-imagining of Mary Shelley’s monster tale as a six-part period crime drama.

Executive producers are Rainmark Films’ Tracey Scoffield and Frank Doelger, whose credits include “Game of Thrones,” “Rome” and “John Adams.”

The series has been created by director and writer Benjamin Ross, who was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for “RKO 281,” and writer Barry Langford (“Torte Bluma”). Ross will direct the series.

Rainmark is producing for U.K. broadcaster ITV. Endemol Worldwide Distribution will be responsible for international sales outside U.K./Ireland.

The series is set in London in 1827 with Bean playing Inspector John Marlott. It opens with the discovery of the corpse of a child that turns out to be a crude assembly of body parts. Marlott accepts the challenge to track the perpetrator of this crime.

“Marlott’s investigation takes him into the dark corners of Regency London,” Ross said. “He discovers an underworld of prostitution, drug smuggling, bodysnatching, and murder for profit. The rational evidence points first one-way and then another as he contemplates a frightening alternate scenario.”

ITV’s director of drama, Steve November, and controller of drama, Victoria Fea, have commissioned the series for ITV Encore.

The series will be produced by David Tanner for Rainmark and Carol Moorhead.

Filming will begin in Northern Ireland, with funding from Northern Ireland Screen, in January 2015, and further casting will be announced in due course.

READ MORE HERE: http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/game-of-thrones-alumni-sean-bean-to-lead-frankenstein-chronicles-1201358380/

Ray Stevenson interview for The Dark World with Ray Stevenson

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

Jim Broadbent, Ray Stevenson and Mehmet Kurtulus join “Big Game” Jalmari Helander's actioner begins lensing September 12

VARIETY
Diana Lodderhose
Reporter

Jim Broadbent, Ray Stevenson and Mehmet Kurtulus have been added to the cast of Jalmari Helander’s actioner “Big Game

Thesps will join previously announced Samuel L. Jackson and Onni Tommila.

“Big Game” tells the story of a nervous and shy 13-year old boy who must prove his manhood by spending a day and a night alone in the forest. That night, Air Force One is shot down by terrorists and the boy discovers the U.S. President in an escape pod and the two team up to survive.

In the pic, Jackson will star as the President while Tommila plays the part of the young boy.

Pic, a Finnish-German-U.K. co-production, is based on a story by Helander and Petri Jokiranta and will be shot on location from September 12 across Bavaria and at Bavaria Film Studios.


READ MORE HERE: http://variety.com/2013/film/international/jim-broadbent-ray-stevenson-and-mehmet-kurtulus-join-big-game-1200607432/

Ray Stevenson: European Crime Drama 'Crossing Lines' Gets Second Season

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
7:21 AM PDT 8/29/2013 by Scott Roxborough

Ray Stevenson and Carrie-Anne Moss will be among the guest stars on the new season of the procedural.

BERLIN – The European crime procedural Crossing Lines, a summer primetime series on NBC, has been greenlighted by its European backers for a second season.

German producer Tandem Communications and Ed Bernero's Bernero Productions will begin shooting season two of Crossing Lines on Sept. 22. The new season will expand from 10 to 12 episodes and will shoot on location in France, the Czech Republic, Monte Carlo and Bulgaria.

Created by Bernero, a TV procedural veteran whose credits include Criminal Minds and Third Watch, Crossing Lines follows a special police unit of the International Criminal Court that investigates serial criminals that cross over European borders.

Season two will see the return of Crossing Lines regulars William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Tom Wlaschiha, Gabriella Pession and Richard Flood alongside actress Lara Rossi, who was introduced near the end of season one as a new member of the investigative team.

Season two will also feature several high-profile guest stars, among them The Matrix and Vegas actress Carrie-Anne Moss and Irish actor Ray Stevenson (Thor, Dexter). 

READ MORE HERE: 

‘The Following’ season 2 spoilers: Confirmation and James Purefoy

CARTER
August 7, 2013

Just in case you for whatever reason had any doubt at all regarding whether or not Joe Carroll was still alive on “The Following,” we have this story here to prove to you that the character is still alive and kicking.

Granted, you probably assumed this courtesy of the news that James Purefoy is still going to be back on the show for more, but it is always nice to hear something that confirms it.

Of course, Purefoy is not interested in having Kevin Williamson follow him around with a pitchfork, so he has kept a lot of the details about the upcoming episodes a secret. However, he did tell E! News in a new interview that he does not see Joe repeating anything that got him in trouble last time. He’s a smart man, and that to us translates mostly to mean that he is rather resourceful:

“I think he’ll learn from lost mistakes and I think he’ll rise up like a phoenix and create more murder, mischief, and mayhem.”


READ MORE HERE:

Ray Stevenson Talks Suiting Up For 'Volstagg' Role In THOR: THE DARK WORLD

COMIC BOOK MOVIE

By DCMarvelFreshman - 7/29/2013

With its release date just over three months away, Thor: The Dark World is gearing up for a massive marketing campaign starting next month, or rather later this week. But until then, Volstagg the Voluminous actor Ray Stevenson has talked a bit about returning to Asgard for the Alan Taylor-directed Marvel sequel while out promoting the Blu-ray/DVD release of G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

"Thor is a completely unique experience altogether. I had to wear this vest that contained tubes pumping ice water on to my torso, otherwise my costume would have killed me!" he admitted. "First there was the big foam fat suit that went from my toes to my neck, then the costume on top of that, and then the big beard, then the wig, then I had to go and fight!"

"The truth is, I am really passionate about these action roles. I don't want to appear like some big bouncer standing on the door, I like to bring more to it and for me, that is the best part of the industry," he said. "I've worked with Alan Taylor before and he has a heart the size of planet that he wears on his arm and I'm forever indebted to him." Ray Stevenson was asked again if he'll reprise his Asgardian warrior role in Marvel's The Avengers: Age of Ultron. "I haven't heard a thing!!" he said. "But I'd be absolutely delighted!! I'm under option with Marvel but hopefully there will be a few more Avengers films to come, I'm thinking three or four."

Read more at http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/MarvelFreshman/news/?a=84475#Gb4Pxs1ig5j51C7V.99 

'His arms are the size of my legs' Ray Stevenson on working with Dwayne Johnson

By: Kirsty McCormack

Published: Fri, July 26, 2013

EXPRESS

The 49-year-old plays Firefly in 'G.I. Joe Retaliation' but he wasn't sure about working with 'The Rock' at first.

"The director told me, ‘bring what you want to the movie but we need somebody to go up against the rock,'" Stevenson explained.

"I thought ‘well he’s a big boy…’ I’ve got about a half a centimetre height on him but his arms are the size of my legs!"

"But Dwayne was terrific – he is a consummate athlete and a consummate professional and with a couple of big guys on set together you need to know how to dance! We spent a lot of time on our fighting scenes and we took a couple of blows each; but of course we just shrugged it off.

Read more here:http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/417663/His-arms-are-the-size-of-my-legs-Ray-Stevenson-on-working-with-Dwayne-Johnson

JAMES PUREFOY talks Season 2 of The Following at Comic Con

TV/FILM/WEB

RAY STEVENSON: How a Gay Gangster on ‘Dexter’ Inspired A Norse God in ‘Thor’ (WALL STREET JOURNAL) By Alexandra Cheney

Isaac Sirko was a gay Ukrainian gangster who sacrificed his life for the man he loved. In the seventh season of “Dexter,” actor Ray Stevenson portrayed the mobster, in a role he called “not just being the villain of the week.”

“I didn’t try to lionize it or make it grandiose,” Stevenson said. “I think love is love and Isaac had a full deep meaningful relationship but he still had the propensity to be a stone cold killer.”

Stevenson said he borrowed some of that “tough alpha man” that defined Isaac to reprise his role as the warrior Volstagg in “Thor: The Dark World,” the sequel to the 2011 Marvel Entertainment film.

The film was shot on location outside London. Stevenson chatted with Speakeasy about his character, the health of Asgard, and who Thor, the God of Thunder, played by Chris Hemsworth, really is.

Speakeasy: Has Asgard lost its luster in “Thor: The Dark World”?

Ray Stevenson: In the first “Thor” Asgard had this tremendous peace among the 9 realms. They were riding at the heights. Everything is working and looking as it should be. In this one, the realms are being whipped up into various rebellions. There is a darker malignant force out there and we are in the process of engaging in long protracted skirmishes and battles. The luster and shine of the city has been taken off and it all leads to a huge assault, an attack at the heart of Asgard. It could be completely wiped out, the stakes are a lot higher.

And what do we see of Volstagg?

He’s great on a battlefield. He is one of the warriors three and doing what they do, their time is spent fighting on many different fronts. They’re not always fighting together. Volstagg is struggling, he has a brood, they are fighting for hearth and home as much as for the idea of Asgard itself. That’s where he has trouble.

What do you mean?

He’s all too aware of how potentially threatening this new enemy is on both the home front and the battlefield.

READ MORE: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/05/22/how-a-gay-gangster-inspired-a-norse-god-in-thor/

Ray Stevenson Talks Season 7 of DEXTER, How He Got Involved, Playing the Villain, Working on a Secretive Show, Plus THOR: THE DARK WORLD & DIVERGENT by Christina Radish (COLLIDER) Posted: May 15th, 2013 at 7:48 am

Ray Stevenson is a great actor.  So, when I heard that he would be playing the villain on Season 7 of the Showtime drama series Dexter, I was very intrigued, and he definitely didn’t disappoint.  As Isaak Sirko, the ruthless leader of the Koshka Brotherhood, Stevenson gave a complex and layered performance of a character where there was certainly more than meets the eye.

During this recent exclusive interview with Collider, actor Ray Stevenson talked about how he came to be a part of Dexter, how he wished his character could have gotten Dexter (Michael C. Hall) on a kill table, that he loved working with such a great cast and crew, what it was like to work on such a secretive show, and just how much more villainous a stone cold killer can get when you break his heart.  He also talked about being a part of the Marvel universe as Volstagg in the Thor films and the challenges of wearing such an extensive fat suit, as well as what appealed to him about Divergent, in which he’s playing Marcus.  Check out what he had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.

Collider:  How did you come to be a part of Dexter?

RAY STEVENSON:  Scott Buck, who’s the showrunner, had worked with Bruno Heller on the series Rome, that I did, and the call came out of the blue.  I knew that it was a very privileged thing to get offered this nine episode lead baddie, as such.  When he started telling me about it, and said he was this Ukrainian mob boss whose business associate friend gets killed and that he’s worst than any other hit man, I was like, “Yeah, okay.”  But then, when he told me the reveal, I went, “Oh, god, Scott, I’m in!” 

When you’ve got gangsters who are homosexual, it always has to be something deviant to them.  This guy was a stone cold killer, but there always has to be some perverse deviance about a gay gangster guy.  This guy didn’t have that.  His heart was ripped out.  His heart had been broken and that’s why he went after Dexter.  So I said, “Okay, Scott, now you’ve got my attention.  Yes, I want to do it!”  

I was delighted at the chance.  It was courageous of them to go for it, and I was very happy not to end up on Dexter’s table.  At one point, I said, “What if I got Dexter on his table and put the knife across his lips, and then go, ‘You’re too pretty to kill’?”  And then, you could just see me leave on my G4 and not know where he’s going.  But, it was a beautiful ending.  Working with Michael [C. Hall] was just brilliant.  He’s the real deal.  Everybody is.  It’s an amazing crew and cast.

Was the unexpectedness of the character what ultimately appealed to you most?

STEVENSON:  It was really lovely, the way they went for it and allowed Dexter’s character to find somebody, in the weirdest place, that he could actually talk to about the detachment of being a cold serial murderer, but who is really scared about being emotionless in other aspects of his life.  They took some bold choices, which is a testament to the series itself. 

Had you been aware of how important the villains are to each season of Dexter? 

STEVENSON:  I don’t get a chance to follow TV.  I try to catch whatever series is out there, every now and then.  So, they opened me up to this, and then I realized how important it was to have this nine episodic piece.  The character played such a pivotal role in that season.  He wasn’t just in for one episode, or two or three episodes, as a villain-of-the-week sort of thing.  That’s when it dawned on me.  It was a tremendous opportunity.  I just loved it, and I loved working on it. 

READ MUCH MORE:  http://collider.com/ray-stevenson-dexter-thor-2-divergent-interview/

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/

Sean Bean, James Purefoy: Abigail Breslin answers Wicked Blood‘s call (MOVIEHOLE)

 

After her showy turn in “The Call”, young Abigail Breslin is set for a bigger gig, playing the female lead in writer/director Mark Young’s crime thriller “Wicked Blood”.

Sean Bean, James Purefoy, and Alexa Vega are already set for the pic. Story tells of a teenage girl, Hannah (Breslin) who makes an enemy out of her fearful crook Uncle Frank (Sean Bean), who runs the illegal family business with an iron fist, when she falls for his rival (Purefoy).

Vega, of “Spy Kids” and “Machete Kills”, plays Breslin’s sister.

Read more at  http://moviehole.net/201364079exclusive-abigail-breslin-answers-wicked-bloods-call

Ray Stevenson to be the next James Bond? By Jim Leap London Last updated on April 27, 2013 (MEDIA MASS)

Is Stevenson set to be the next James Bond? Rumors that the producers are looking for someone slightly different to play James Bond emerged in March 2013. One of the names who keeps cropping up is Ray Stevenson.

Every man, at some point in his life, wishes he could be James Bond. And with the news that Daniel Craig may well be out as 007, there are a whole bunch of actors in London wondering what they could bring to the role

This 'Stevenson To Play James Bond' Rumor had the internet in a frenzy

Twitter was flooded again Friday with loads of tweets related to the rumor. Some fans even launched an online Facebook page called We Want Ray Stevenson for James Bond.

“His name is Stevenson. Ray Stevenson!”
— Alan Sepintree (@sepintree) April 26, 2013

“He was perfect as Porthos in The Three Musketeers, he will be tremendous portraying James Bond.”
— The Clear Observer (@clearobserver) April 26, 2013

“A 48-year-old James Bond!?! Is it some kind of a joke?”
— Boris Kleinman (@UKBoris) April 26, 2013

“Now, this might be a bit of a controversial pick for the role. But think about it: Stevenson has always been a skilled actor. He's also known for his wit.”
— Claire Stone (@averageclaire) April 26, 2013


READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE: http://en.mediamass.net/people/ray-stevenson/james-bond.html

JAMES PUREFOY: ‘The Following’ finale spoilers: Assorted teases from James Purefoy (CARTER)

We don’t need to tell you at this point that Monday night’s season finale for “The Following” is going to be intense. Odds are, you have already seen the last 14 episodes, and know just what the Fox series is building up to: An epic showdown between Ryan Hardy and Joe Carroll. Is it going to be their last stand? That is what is still unclear. There’s only so long that viewers are going to want to watch Hardy chase after one villain, especially since it further steps over the bounds of realism to have a serial killer out there for years on end without a capture.

The teasers we have to share now from James Purefoy (via E! News), are vague at the moment, but nonetheless insight....

READ MORE: http://cartermatt.com/58621/the-following-finale-spoilers-assorted-teases-from-james-purefoy/

James Purefoy: Today's News: Our Take - The Following: Who's a Follower? (TV GUIDE)

With all the twists and turns that have marked The Following's first season, we wouldn't be surprised if creator Kevin Williamson doesn't sneak in another twist in the show's final two episodes. Like... a mole in the FBI perhaps? We ...

With all the twists and turns that have marked The Following's first season, we wouldn't be surprised if creator Kevin Williamson doesn't sneak in another twist in the show's final two episodes. Like... a mole in the FBI perhaps? We know Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) was able to infiltrate local law enforcement with Roderick (Warren Kole) and also put Molly (Jennifer Ferrin) in place to keep an eye on Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon). But who else is in on it?

khamarupa youtube

READ MORE: http://www.stjamesnews.com/article/20130416/NEWS/304169900

James Purefoy: The Following Spoilers - Get Out of Town Written By Jon Lachonis on April 15th, 2013 at 4:17 pm (TVOM)

THE FOLLOWING: Joe (James Purefoy, R) and his followers have an escape plan in the "The End is Near" episode of THE FOLLOWING airing Monday, April 22 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2013 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Barbara Nitke/FOX

With only three episodes remaining, The Following has been building to an epic confrontation between Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) and Joe Carrol (James Purefoy).  The FBI is closing in on his location and if you've caught the previews of tonight's episode, "Havenport",  you probably know they are about to get a big boost from one of Carrol's most trusted insiders:  Roderick himself.

So what will the setup for The Following's finale be?  Will Ryan and his Federal compadres descend on Joe's compound Waco style and force Joe into a desperation play, or has the psycho prepared for this all along.  Thanks to a collection of images from next week's penultimate episode "The End is Near" we have some tantalizing details of what is to come.  Not major spoilers, mind you, but enough to set the stage for what is bound to be an incredible finale for The Following.


READ MORE: http://www.tvovermind.com/the-following/the-following-spoilers-get-out-of-town-208001