Mr Darcy's soaking shirt left my wife cold, says Colin Firth: Actor says he never understood what all the fuss was about

MAIL ON LINE
By LAURA COX FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 18:53 EST, 31 August 2014 | UPDATED: 05:52 EST, 1 September 2014



It is an image few women will forget in a hurry – Colin Firth and his wet shirt as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.

But the actor, 53, has admitted his wife was left cold by the sight of him in his ‘sodden shirt’ and breeches.

Giving an interview Firth claimed neither he nor and Livia, 44, whom he married in 1997, understood what all the fuss was about the famous ‘wet shirt’ scene.

Their adolescent sons Luca, 13, and Matteo, 11, will likely be equally unimpressed to see their father emerge from the pond, his white shirt clinging to his chest.

Reacting to the hype, Firth, said: ‘I’ve spent years trying to figure out why Mr Darcy’s fully clothed swim in his breeches and shirt caused such a sensation.

'My wife certainly wouldn't go weak at the knees if I came home in a sodden shirt.’

It would seem plenty of others would, however. The appearance as Mr Darcy has led to the actor featuring on several ‘sexiest man’ lists in recent years.

And People Magazine named him the ‘sexiest man alive’ in 2007.

But Firth said he doesn’t think of himself as a sex symbol. He told the Sun on Sunday’s Notebook magazine: ‘All I can say is that I’m glad people feel that way, but I don’t feel it when I look in the mirror. I don’t get chased down the street, nor has anyone ever thrown their underwear at me. 

'I’ve certainly never seen myself as a sex symbol.’

READ MORE HERE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2739397/Mr-Darcy-s-soaking-shirt-left-wife-cold-says-Colin-Firth-Actor-says-never-understood-fuss-about.html

Downton Abbey episode one: love is in the air, Lord Grantham v Carson (SPOILERS)

STV
16 September, 2014



Downton Abbey is back on our TV screens this Sunday September 21, and today we can share a breakdown of what to expect from the first episode from series five.

A new Labour government is in power, leaving the aristocratic classes uneasy as the prospect of social change becomes a reality, and their way of life begins to come into question.

Plans for a war memorial in the village unexpectedly pit Lord Grantham and Mrs Hughes against Mr Carson, something that leaves the butler and his master very uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, romance is in the air, as Tom Branson’s head is turned by local schoolteacher and political activist, Sarah Bunting, and Lady Mary is finally ready to move on and find love again. And with many suitors to choose from, she’s going to have a bit of fun before making her choice...

READ MORE HERE: http://shows.stv.tv/downton-abbey/latest/292283-downton-abbey-episode-one-love-is-in-the-air-lord-grantham-v-carson/

Martin Clunes aka TV's Doc Martin met a horse called Doc while visiting the New Forest's Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy of which he is a patron

THE DAILY ECHO



IT was the day two docs came face to face.

Martin Clunes, who stars as TV’s Doc Martin, met a horse called Doc when he visited the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy (FCRT) in the New Forest.

The popular actor dropped in to the Bransgore centre to receive donations totalling more than £850 from the Rotary Club of Christchurch and the New Milton Friends Group.

Martin, a horse enthusiast, took along a couple of friends – his two enormous Clydesdale horses Ronnie and Bruce – to meet students at the Avon Tyrrell-based centre, where he met many of the organisation’s 28 horses, including the aptly named Doc.

Earlier this year, Martin became patron of the FCRT, which gives horse-motivated students with special needs the opportunity to learn to relate more successfully to others and to have greater control over their lives.

Founded in 1976, the centre helps its students to learn and develop through working with horses.

He said: “When I found out about the work of the centre I was incredibly impressed and blown away by what they do.

“I was delighted when I was asked to become a patron and I hope to do all I can to help raise the profile of the organisation and keep the money coming in.”

READ MORE HERE: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/11483470.TV__Doc__comes_face_to_face_with_namesake_on_charity_visit/

Keeley Hawes: TV's toughest detective

LONDON EVENING STANDARD
STEPHEN ARMSTRONG
Published: 18 September 2014



One of the downsides to being Keeley Hawes is getting pulled over by the police. At the end of last year, for instance, she was buying a burrito in Covent Garden when a burly squad in full blue serge piled out of a riot-proofed patrol van to confront her.

‘It looked like I was a major terrorist,’ she laughs. ‘But then they said, “Can we get a picture?” They all got out their handcuffs and posed. Eventually one said, “Come on, we’re going to lose our jobs.” ’ She laughs again. ‘Having said that, this was after Ashes to Ashes and before Line of Duty. I wonder what would happen now…’

It’s easy to see why the boys in blue love Keeley — she’s been adding glamour to the force as Zoe Reynolds in Spooks, Alex ‘Bollyknickers’ Drake in Ashes to Ashes and DSI Martha Lawson in ITV’s Identity. However, as the twisted, lonely DI Lindsay Denton in Line of Duty… well, not so much.

Line of Duty is all about dodgy cops — Jed Mercurio’s internal investigations thriller follows a fictional anti-corruption unit. Denton was its target in this year’s second season, suspected of having set up her colleagues in a fatal ambush. As suspicions mounted, Denton was bogwashed and beaten up by fellow officers, thrown in jail where wardens and inmates did the same, all along protesting her innocence and uncovering even bigger scandals. In terms of water-cooler moments, Line of Duty ranks alongside The Honourable Woman and The Fall as part of the new wave of Brit TV that’s finally making US producers jealous again.

And Hawes — like Maggie Gyllenhaal and Gillian Anderson in Woman and The Fall — was a revelation. She evoked such energy and raw emotion that even the disparaging TV critic AA Gill has put her among our best actresses, alongside Judi Dench and Maggie Smith.

Today, however, she’s just a 38-year-old Londoner. We meet at an outdoor restaurant near Richmond Park on one of the last sunny days of summer. She rummages through the menu, wondering about the healthy options. ‘I’ve got a shoot in a minute,’ she explains, before quickly adding, ‘I don’t feel the pressure any more, though. I honestly don’t give a shit. Two days of dieting isn’t going to happen. I have a ten-year-old daughter and I’ve got far too much responsibility to be seen to be picking around with bits of food.’

Who knew Keeley Hawes was a laugh? Any fears of an ice queen quickly melt away as she riffs on her Marylebone upbringing — riding around her council estate on the back of her brother’s Chopper, playing run-outs, and her mum shouting, ‘Dinner!’ across the blocks. Her dad and her two older brothers are cab drivers and she grew up near the Lisson Grove Estate, in a block that’s since become luxury flats.

If her accent seems a little crisp for a cabbie’s daughter, she points out, ‘I came from Central London, I wasn’t Cockney — my mother made sure we put the Ts on the end of words, and then I went to drama school.’ She pauses. ‘I do sound slightly posher, but listen, I’ve just been working with Tom Hiddleston and I feel very, very London talking to him.’

Next up there’s The Hollow Crown, the second part of the BBC’s ambitious attempt to screen all of Shakespeare’s history plays. She’s playing Queen Elizabeth in Henry VI part 2 and Richard III, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and, terrifyingly, Judi Dench. ‘I haven’t done Shakespeare and I’ve told them I can’t do Shakespeare and they still employed me.’ She seems amazed. ‘We’re rehearsing and I feel like I’m in safe hands, but still… I mean, I’ll be doing it with Judi Dench…’

She trails off, looking genuinely worried, so I leaf through my notes, pull out the AA Gill quote comparing her to Dench and read it to her: ‘Hawes is one of a number of very good female actors we have, from Judi Dench and Maggie Smith down,’ I read. She is momentarily stunned, then her face flushes a deep, deep crimson and she stares at her hands.

‘Well, that’s ridiculous,’ she mumbles. ‘I mean, I don’t even know what to say about that…’ and then she thinks it through. ‘Although he doesn’t say exactly how far down, does he?’ and she looks up, her impish grin returning. ‘I’d say it was fairly far down — but I’d still put that in a frame…’ When it’s time for her to leave, I make a joke about her receiving an honour to match Maggie and Judi and she turns back briefly — ‘Dame Keeley…? I can’t quite hear a copper calling me that.’

Doctor Who is on BBC One Saturday night at 7.30pm


READ MORE HERE: http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/esmagazine/keeley-hawes-tvs-toughest-detective-9739507.html

'That's not nice!' Benedict Cumberbatch defends Keira Knightley in joint interview

EXPRESS
By: Kirsty McCormack
Published: Wed, September 17, 2014



The 38-year-old was clearly annoyed when David Poland took it upon himself to tell Keira she appeared "a little worn out" and couldn't help but retaliate.

As the Hollywood stars had their make-up touched up, Benedict told David: "That's not a nice thing to say to one of the most beautiful women on the planet," before Keira added: "Yeah, f*** you!"

David then proceeded to tell the 'Atonement' star that she had "a little Morticia Adams thing going on there", implying that she looked pale.

Keira, who was wearing a pretty white lace dress which was adorned with black polka dots, admitted that she looked tired because she hadn't eaten.

"I'm just basically really hungry. It's like hunger range that's about to come out in this nasty demon," she explained, before putting on a child's voice as if she was crying.

"I know that no one thinks i do eat but I do need food every now and then," she added, as Benedict laughed beside her.

The pair were promoting their new film 'The Imitation Game', which is a historical thriller film about British mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and computer scientist Alan Turing.

The film centres on Alan and his team of code-breakers at Britain's top secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, in breaking the German's infamous Enigma codes during the Second World War.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.express.co.uk/news/showbiz/511994/Benedict-Cumberbatch-defends-Keira-Knightley-in-joint-interview

Matthew Macfadyen: Lost In Karastan heads to Filmfest Hamburg

NOMINATED FOR HAMBURG PRODUCERS AWARD FOR EUROPEAN CINEMA CO-PRODUCTIONS

Independent film-maker Emil Miller is in the middle of a creative block and on top of that his wife has left him. So the invitation to a film festival in the newly independent Caucasian republic of Karastan is perfectly timed. That the country is a model dictatorship doesn't bother the burnt-out director. He gladly accepts an offer from the president to make an epic film about a Karastanian folk hero from the Middle Ages. But shooting huge battles with several thousand extras soon starts to go wrong: first the leading actor disappears, then the president is toppled by a military junta. Welcome to Karastan is a highly amusing grotesque, whose outrageousness is occasionally reminiscent of Sasha Baron Cohen's mockumentary Borat.

Website: http://www.stealthmediagroup.com/films/lost_in_karastan/

TO BUY TICKETS for Filmfest Screenings http://www.filmfesthamburg.de/en/programm/Film/21947/Welcome_to_Karastan

Dame Judi Dench: Benedict Cumberbatch is a true gentleman

TELEGRAPH
Tim Walker. Edited by Katy Balls
7:30AM BST 18 Sep 2014




Dame Judi Dench agreed to star opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC's Richard III after the Sherlock actor propositioned her during a Shakespeare masterclass at the Hay Festival. However, Mandrake can disclose that the pair are in fact old friends.

“I knew him when he was a little boy at prep school before he went on to Harrow," Dame Judi tells me. "His mother, Wanda Ventham, was at the Royal Central School of Drama a year ahead of me.”

“He is a true gentleman and a thoroughly good actor, which helps,” she says. “We start on Monday and it’s a huge project, six months in filming.”

Meanwhile, the actress says it is unlikely she will attend the Oscars next year. Despite being nominated for the Best Actress award, Dame Judi Dench was notably absent at this year’s awards after filming in India for the sequel to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel clashed with the ceremony. Now, the actress, who turns 80 this year, confides that she is in no hurry to make an appearance.

“No, I don’t think I’ll attend,” she tells me. “I don’t imagine so.”


READ MORE HERE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11102811/Dame-Judi-Dench-says-Sherlock-actor-Benedict-Cumberbatch-is-a-true-gentleman.html

Tom Hiddleston to swing on to King Kong 'origins' film Skull Island

THE GUARDIAN
Andrew Pulver
theguardian.com, Tuesday 16 September 2014 13.32 EDT



Tom Hiddleston has signed on to take the lead role in Skull Island, the follow-up to the Peter Jackson-directed King Kong remake that was released in 2005. No details have yet been released on the nature of his role, but Hiddleston, who shot to international fame playing Loki in the two Thor movies so far produced by Marvel as well as the same studio’s two Avengers films, now counts as a major draw for the science-fiction and fantasy fanbase.

Other than the teaser trailer, which features Kong battling with dinosaurs, little has been revealed about the likely content of Skull Island. Reports suggest it will be an “origins” story, focussing “on the giant gorilla’s mysterious and dangerous world”. Producers are aiming for a release date of 4 November 2016.


READ MORE HERE: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/16/tom-hiddleston-king-kong-origins-film-skull-island

Watch Henry Cavill Meet One Of The World’s Rarest Tortoise [Video]

THE INQUISITOR
September 16, 2014

Henry Cavill plays Superman in the 2016 movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, so you may be interested to see how he reacts when coming face to face with Madagascar’s Ploughshare Tortoise. The video, shared by the charity, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, of which the actor is an ambassador, shows the cute meeting.

When Cavill was on break from filming the Man of Steel sequel, he returned to his home in Jersey, in the U.K. and took the time to embark in a couple of worthy causes. One of them was the Durrell Wildlife Conservation trust, which he visited while he was in England.

On their website, the organization talks about how cool it was to have Henry as a guest in early August and how enthusiastic he was about the work they do on behalf of endangered species.

“Henry might be an actor by trade, but the infectious energy he brought with him – and the sheer happiness we saw when he met our animals – was 100 percent real.”

“That’s the thing; to a person, everyone at Durrell – from Volunteer to Director – is here because they love animals, and care about the fate of those species that need human help, if they aren’t to become extinct. It turns out that we have a soul mate in Hollywood, and his name is Henry!”

Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/1478780/watch-henry-cavill-meet-one-of-the-worlds-rarest-tortoise-video/#j9qByBc5t83lWeGL.99

16 of the funniest Sherlock fandom moments in gifs

METRO
Wednesday 17 Sep 2014 8:00 am




The Sherlock fandom is one of the most dedicated out there.

For a show with just three short seasons this is particularly astonishing and a testament to just how great it is.

Let’s be honest, the pairing of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock and Watson was a genius move.

The Sherlock fandom is revered and renowned for going above and beyond.

It is full to the brim with memes, gifs, fan fiction and hashtags.




SEE THE REST HERE: http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/17/16-of-the-craziest-sherlock-fandom-moments-in-gif-4870249/

Watch! TEN talks to Colin Firth and Emma Stone

RTE TEN
September 16, 2014



TEN's Sarah McIntyre caught up with Colin Firth and Emma Stone to chat about their new film Magic in

Check out TEN's interview with the actors, where they chatted about being intimidated working with Woody Allen, stifling laughter while filming scenes with the hilarious Hamish Linklater and wanting to take home the incredible costumes.

Plus, we find out which famous actress Colin named his pet cat after!

READ MORE HERE: http://www.rte.ie/ten/news/2014/0916/644046-watch-ten-talks-to-colin-firth-and-emma-stone/

David Tennant, Anna Gunn interview on making 'Gracepoint'

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
By James Hibberd on Sep 15, 2014 at 3:46PM   @james_hibberd



Imagine if a Time Lord and Skyler White teamed to solve a young boy’s murder in a small Northern California town? That’s what it’s like for fans of Doctor Who and Breaking Bad approaching Fox’s Gracepoint, which takes David Tennant and Anna Gunn, beloved for playing for iconic cable TV roles, and puts them into a big broadcast prime-time crime series. For Tennant, the role means embracing the unusual, perhaps unprecedented, step of reprising the same character he played in Broadchuch, the U.K. version of the show (though Fox has added a different ending for Gracepoint). For Gunn, it means leaving behind an Emmy-winning performance of a tightly-wound character that was both career-making and fan-divisive. Below the actors take our questions about Gracepoint, which debuts on Fox on Oct. 2.

EW: Let’s start before Broadchurch. What was each of your all-time favorite mystery show?

ANNA GUNN: We always said Cagney & Lacey was our inspiration. That was something that made us laugh nonstop, not because this is like Cagney & Lacey, though we could be a team like that—

DAVID TENNANT: And I’m playing Tyne Daly.

GUNN: Yeah, I’m the blonde and you’re the brunette. So that’s my ridiculous answer.

TENNANT: I’d go with Murder One. That was such a novelty because it was one story told over a number of episodes, like Gracepoint.

GUNN: That was great.

Is there anything you see actors doing in detective shows that you tried to avoid?
GUNN: I interviewed a couple different people and went on a ride-along. They pointed out clichéd things on TV shows, and I think the major thing for me was that so much of being a good detective is watching and listening very carefully and less about putting overt pressure on a suspect. It’s not really the way that’s done in the real world. So much of it was really about watching and listening and being an observer rather than cliché about the hard-boiled detective strong-arming anybody.

TENNANT: Because the story is as much an emotional story as it is a procedural story, and as much about people as murder, hopefully you avoid cliché by being true to that emotional life.

Anna, had you seen the original before you started on Gracepoint?

GUNN: I saw the original and was just head over heels for it. It was brilliant. I know that some of the actors did not watch it because they didn’t necessarily want to be influenced, and was a little worried about having somebody else’s brilliant performance hanging in your head. But in this case [Broadchurch co-star] Olivia Colman and I are so different from each other and I thought it would serve me to watch it. Plus I was just intrigued and I’m really glad I did watch it because its a good show and just watching the choices she made was very helpful for me. It informed a lot of the things I ended up doing.


READ MORE HERE: http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/09/15/david-tennant-anna-gunn-gracepoint/

5 Things To Know About Sophie Hunter, Also Known As Benedict Cumberbatch’s New Girlfriend

CRUSHABLE
Sun, Sep 14 - 9:49 am ET



I am irrevocably and wholeheartedly apologetic for doing this to you first thing on a Sunday morning, fellow Cumberbitches (or Cumber Collective/Cumberbabes if you’re feeling PC), but the mystery of the identity surrounding our beloved Benedict Cumberbatch‘s new girlfriend has been solved. Meaning she actually exists, and this is apparently a real things we must face. Sigh, I know. I know. I’m 29 years old and I’ve actually contemplated hanging a Sherlock poster on my ceiling, so believe me when I say I know the Cumberlove struggle is real. But according to multiple media outlets (British ones, so you know they’re salacious enough to probably be true), his “latest companion” is an actress by the name of Sophie Hunter.

All we knew of her previously was that she possibly possessed a real identity and was maybe part of the matchmaking efforts of a PBS producer, which is kind of weird. Now that we know who she is, let’s see what it is about her that Benedict finds so irresistible. Just allow me to first remove the fist that just swiftly punched me in the gut, and we’ll be on our way.

1. She’s hella smart.
She studied French and Italian at Oxford before enrolling at the Jacques Lecoq school of theatre in Paris. Okay, but I once took a class about the Arab/Israeli conflict back in college. So…yeah. Take that. On a more serious note, Benedict being into smart chicks just makes me even more into Benedict.

2. She likes horses and pianos.
According to her IMDB page, she is a “highly skilled pianist and equestrian.” YES BUT CAN SHE PLAY THE PIANO WHILST RIDING SIDESADDLE? The world may never know.

3. She’s starred in a few movies but is primarily a theatre actress.
She had a role in Vanity Fair alongside Reese Witherspoon, but has spent most of her career touring Europe, the Middle East, and parts of the United States with different theatre companies. She even won the Samuel Beckett Award for writing and directing back in 2007, which is a pretty big deal.

Read more: http://www.crushable.com/2014/09/14/entertainment/sophie-hunter-benedict-cumberbatch-girlfriend-who-is-she/#ixzz3DOJiur7M

Hugh Bonneville: BBC2 mockumentary W1A to return in 2015

THE GUARDIAN
Tara Conlan
theguardian.com, Monday 15 September 2014 08.00 EDT



Hugh Bonneville has signed up to reprise his role as Ian Fletcher in the second series of BBC's acclaimed mockumentary W1A. Photograph: BBC/Jack Barnes
BBC mockumentary W1A is to return for a second series next year with Hugh Bonneville’s head of values, Ian Fletcher, facing the thorny issue of the corporation’s charter renewal.

Downton Abbey star Bonneville has signed up for another outing of the follow-up to writer John Morton’s acclaimed Olympics comedy Twenty Twelve.

The new four-part series of W1A will begin with a 60-minute episode, followed by three 30-minute ones. It is being produced by BBC in-house comedy.

After the success of the first series of W1A – which featured BBC presenter Clare Balding and creative director Alan Yentob and drew 1.6 million viewers for its opening episode on BBC2 – the corporation was keen to let the cameras into New Broadcasting House for a second time.

Further casting details, storylines and cameos are still being discussed.

Jessica Hynes and Olivia Coleman, fleetingly, reprised their Twenty Twelve roles in W1A. There was speculation that BBC director general Tony Hall – referred to as “Tonyship, Lord director general” in the show – might appear in future episodes.

The BBC said in a statement on Monday: “Until the cameras roll it won’t be known exactly what crisis will be averted or indeed where Ian’s desk will be.”

However, in the second series there is an indication that charter renewal will be covered as the BBC added that “with charter renewal in 2016 getting ever closer, Ian’s job as Chair of the Way Ahead Task Force will be even more important than ever”.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/sep/15/bbc-mockumentary-w1a-return-hugh-bonneville

Benedict Cumberbatch takes top TIFF prize

IRISH EXAMINER
September 15, 2014



A Second World War codebreaker drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch has won the top prize at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Director Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game claimed the coveted Grolsch People’s Choice Award.

Sherlock star Cumberbatch plays British codebreaker Alan Turing, alongside Oscar nominee Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode.

Three of the past six People’s Choice Award winners have gone on to win the Oscar for best picture, including The King’s Speech, Slumdog Millionaire and last year’s victor, 12 Years A Slave. © Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved

READ MORE HERE: http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/celeb-life/benedict-cumberbatch-takes-top-tiff-prize-286434.html

Martin Freeman: Director drops goldfish from West End production of Richard III after accusations of animal cruelty

THE LONDON EVENING STANDARD
RACHEL BLUNDY
12 September, 2014

 

Theatre bosses working on a production of Shakespeare's Richard III starring actor Martin Freeman have dropped live goldfish from the show after accusations of animal cruelty.

A person in the audience at Trafalgar Studios in London's West End is said to have complained about the treatment of goldfish in the play to animal rights campaigners at PETA.

In a press release issued this morning, the charity said: "[The woman] reported that from her vantage point, it appeared that the fish was "ground up with the gravel and pushed up against the sides of the tank" when a cast member submerged himself in the tank and 'thrashed around wildly"".

The controversial scene sees the Duke of Clarence drowned in a bowl of live goldfish on the orders of his younger brother Richard, who wants to take the crown ahead of him.

PETA subsequently called on director Jamie Lloyd to remove live goldfish from the production, saying their use "puts the animal at risk of injury and even death".

.@peta You've declined to see #RichardIII. The goldfish are thriving & well looked after. But, as a vegan, I've followed your recommendation

— Jamie Lloyd (@lloydjamie) September 12, 2014

Announcing its decision to follow the charity's advice, the play's producers insisted in a statement this afternoon that the "safety and welfare" of the goldfish had remained a "top priority".


READ MORE HERE: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/director-drops-goldfish-from-west-end-production-of-richard-iii-after-accusations-of-animal-cruelty-9729888.html

Tom Hardy: Movie Preview - Dogs have their day in Lehane’s ‘The Drop’

LIFESTYLE
BY STEVEN ZEITCHIK
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS



There were dogs on set and dogs in the script, but Tom Hardy felt like the production of “The Drop” could use one more mutt.

The British actor – known for Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises” and now, he hopes, Bob, the not-so-simple simpleton in the new crime drama penned by “Mystic River” novelist Dennis Lehane – has a hard time saying no to a pooch, or at least something he likes that might make everyone else a little crazy. So when costar Noomi Rapace brought Hardy to an animal shelter near their Brooklyn set to research their roles, the outcome wasn’t in doubt.

“I knew the minute we walked in there, he’d be walking out with a dog,” Rapace said in her trailer on the New York set shortly after the unexpected canine trip.

Hardy did adopt a dog, a pit-bull puppy, and took her to the set. Never mind that the actor was in the U.S. only for a few more weeks. Never mind that he was spending 10 hours each day shooting a movie, then titled “Animal Rescue” before it was changed.

On a chilly April day during the 2013 shoot, Hardy’s new pet was outside the working-class bar where the film is set, jumping, barking and looking a little overwhelmed, or maybe just confused why someone had yet to walk him over to craft services.

“She’s still around, yep. She’s still around,” said Hardy in an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival when asked about the dog. “She has a great home.”

That kind of unexpected behavior characterized Hardy as he made the film, directed by “Bullhead” auteur Michael Roskam and opening Friday after its Toronto premiere last weekend.

Hardy embraced a single-mindedness to play opposite the famously self-critical James Gandolfini (the last movie the late actor shot). Hardy wasn’t bashful in offering suggestions as he watched playback of scenes at the monitors and lobbying Lehane and producers for a more ambiguous ending, which the screenwriter then partly rewrote on set.

He also often indulged in a kind of wild playfulness when Roskam yelled cut, engaging costar Matthias Schoenaerts in what appeared to be a game of unrequited tag and generally getting in touch with his inner child.

“I joke around because if I don’t let it go, it has the counterintuitive effect on the work,” he said in Toronto, puffing on an electronic cigarette.

“Some actors, they can stand still behind a string,” Roskam said. “And with some actors, it’s like they don’t want to over-concentrate and be good when you’re not shooting, and then you say action and they lose it. Tom is one of those actors.”

“The Drop” is a mood piece of double-crosses and beaten-down humans, of dog rescues that are metaphors for lost innocence. Lehane makes his feature-screenwriting debut with the film, adapting the script from his short story. Shot by Nicolas Karakatsanis in the brackish palettes and confined spaces of working-class Brooklyn, “The Drop” has the kind of muted tone and slow-burn pacing one doesn’t see much of in American thrillers these days.

“What I was trying to do was go back into a very authentic era of film noir,” Roskam said. “The average person thinks of noir, and they think of shadows on the ceiling and a femme fatale and a guy with a smoke. For me, it’s a social comment, a voice for the voiceless. I wanted to direct this film as if Frank Capra would have done ‘Taxi Driver.’”

That’s in part why the film was shot entirely on location in and around the neighborhood of Marine Park, a working-class enclave that’s just a few miles from hipster Brooklyn but a time zone away in sensibility. There is a blue-collar bar, named for Bob’s cousin Marv (Gandolfini), who is sort of like Tony Soprano but without the success. Once its owner, Marv has lost the bar to a group of Chechen mobsters who use it as a “drop” point for money laundering.

At the start of the film, a robbery has the mobsters putting the screws to Marv and bartender Bob. Meanwhile, Hardy’s character, a low-key and possibly slow-witted man, has rescued a pit bull pup.


READ MORE HERE: http://www.pressherald.com/2014/09/14/movie-preview-dogs-have-their-day-in-lehanes-the-drop/

Downton's Rob James Collier: I lost sleep over harrowing homosexuality storyline which takes character Barrow to the 'abyss'

MAIL ON LINE
By MAIL ON SUNDAY REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 18:14 EST, 13 September 2014 | UPDATED: 01:52 EST, 14 September 2014



Downton Abbey star Rob James-Collier says he is having sleepless nights over a harrowing storyline that will push his character into an ‘abyss’.

James-Collier, 37, who plays scheming under-butler Thomas Barrow, reveals that his character’s tortured homosexuality will come to the fore in the new series of the hit ITV drama which begins next Sunday.

James-Collier said: ‘It’s quite a harrowing storyline and I hope it is.

'Because if it isn’t, I haven’t done it justice.

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