Comedy Dillane, Bureaucratic Dillane, Vulnerable Dillane
June 16, 2015 3:47 PM Subscribe
It may seem impossible to believe for those who know him only as Stannis, but I had such a crush on Stephen Dillane as a flirty, charming Thomas Jefferson in HBO's John Adams. (Much, much more on Tumblr, of course.)
posted by maggiepolitt at 4:00 PM on June 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by maggiepolitt at 4:00 PM on June 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
Headhunter is incredibly awesome. I caught it on Netflix last year (I think they still have it available).
Also, Ciaran Hinds is my spirit animal.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 4:01 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also, Ciaran Hinds is my spirit animal.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 4:01 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Lena Hedley showed up in Ripley's Game which we watched a few days ago and while she looked totally different she still had the same voice and it was seriously confusing..
and Dredd is underrated as a pure balls to the wall, nonstop action fest. Headley is freakin' terrifying.
posted by The Whelk at 4:01 PM on June 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
and Dredd is underrated as a pure balls to the wall, nonstop action fest. Headley is freakin' terrifying.
posted by The Whelk at 4:01 PM on June 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
Black Book and Persuasion are two of my favorite films. (Yes I realize that's kind of a spectrum). I really like the Station Agent as well.
Black Book is sort of restrained, pre-Hollywood Verhoeven and also sort of crazy, devil-may-care Hollywood Verhoeven, and it's just the perfect mix. It's worth watching back to back with Soldier of Orange to see the same director deal with a similar period/place many years apart.
Persuasion is a lovely grace note of a movie and Amanda Root is so, so good.
posted by selfnoise at 4:02 PM on June 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
Black Book is sort of restrained, pre-Hollywood Verhoeven and also sort of crazy, devil-may-care Hollywood Verhoeven, and it's just the perfect mix. It's worth watching back to back with Soldier of Orange to see the same director deal with a similar period/place many years apart.
Persuasion is a lovely grace note of a movie and Amanda Root is so, so good.
posted by selfnoise at 4:02 PM on June 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
Dilliane is kind of a very specific You Know, That Guy to period dramas...
posted by The Whelk at 4:02 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 4:02 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Charles Dance aka Tywin Lannister in The Last Action Hero. Oh, you said "great."
posted by The Card Cheat at 4:07 PM on June 16, 2015
posted by The Card Cheat at 4:07 PM on June 16, 2015
That's a great movie you take that back.
posted by Carillon at 4:08 PM on June 16, 2015 [10 favorites]
posted by Carillon at 4:08 PM on June 16, 2015 [10 favorites]
Dilliane is kind of a very specific You Know, That Guy to period dramas...
I enjoyed his turn as a grim competent type in The Greatest Game Ever Played (AKA What If Stannis Was an Edwardian Golf Pro?)
posted by Iridic at 4:12 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
I enjoyed his turn as a grim competent type in The Greatest Game Ever Played (AKA What If Stannis Was an Edwardian Golf Pro?)
posted by Iridic at 4:12 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Lena Headey was also wonderful in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles which was maybe the best thing to ever come out of the Terminator franchise.
also "Birgitte Hjort Sørensen—Borgen" is not a real string of words, it is Swedish Chef talk
posted by jason_steakums at 4:23 PM on June 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
also "Birgitte Hjort Sørensen—Borgen" is not a real string of words, it is Swedish Chef talk
posted by jason_steakums at 4:23 PM on June 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
For Iain Glen they don't mention Jack Taylor? For shame.
posted by Carillon at 4:25 PM on June 16, 2015
posted by Carillon at 4:25 PM on June 16, 2015
It may seem impossible to believe for those who know him only as Stannis, but I had such a crush on Stephen Dillane as a flirty, charming Thomas Jefferson in HBO's John Adams.
This is really funny to me because a buddy of mine who's a history prof once remarked to me how much he enjoyed Stephen Dillane's turn in John Adams because he felt it was true to a lot of the primary sources that depict Jefferson as actually being pretty wooden and unsociable in person, and how funny he thought it was that Dillane then went on to play ol' dour, duty-bound Stannis.
I haven't seen John Adams myself, but now I'm pretty sure I can't because I don't want to collapse the wave function.
posted by invitapriore at 4:28 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
This is really funny to me because a buddy of mine who's a history prof once remarked to me how much he enjoyed Stephen Dillane's turn in John Adams because he felt it was true to a lot of the primary sources that depict Jefferson as actually being pretty wooden and unsociable in person, and how funny he thought it was that Dillane then went on to play ol' dour, duty-bound Stannis.
I haven't seen John Adams myself, but now I'm pretty sure I can't because I don't want to collapse the wave function.
posted by invitapriore at 4:28 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
This seems to be the right place to mention that Rory McCann, who played the Hound, was also the Yarp guy from Hot Fuzz.
posted by A dead Quaker at 4:39 PM on June 16, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by A dead Quaker at 4:39 PM on June 16, 2015 [9 favorites]
Ciaran Hinds was also great as Julius Caesar in HBO's Rome. I wish they could have found roles for everyone else from that show, like Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson. Or hell just drop Pullo & Vorenus right in there wholesale, it would have been fine.
posted by bleep at 4:40 PM on June 16, 2015 [22 favorites]
posted by bleep at 4:40 PM on June 16, 2015 [22 favorites]
I guess I would have expected them to mention Rome for Ciarán Hinds, since he does such an excellent job in that show of emanating that aura of gravitas that you'd expect from Caesar and also keeping your sympathies for, and your understanding of, the character dancing at arm's length. I was so excited when he was cast as Mance and was pretty disappointed both by how little he appeared and how little he had to do when he did.
posted by invitapriore at 4:42 PM on June 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by invitapriore at 4:42 PM on June 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
Or hell just drop Pullo & Vorenus right in there wholesale, it would have been fine.
Are you kidding? Pullo and Vorenus are too nice for Westeros....
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:44 PM on June 16, 2015 [7 favorites]
Are you kidding? Pullo and Vorenus are too nice for Westeros....
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:44 PM on June 16, 2015 [7 favorites]
Yes they are there to chew bubblegum and kick ass but sometimes they're ALL OUT OF BUBBLEGUM and all hell breaks loose! They could have helped Jamie find his niece or whatever, that's their specialty.
posted by bleep at 4:48 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by bleep at 4:48 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
I didn't like Force Majeure/Turist all that much, mostly on account of what I found a pretty weak lead performance from Johannes Kuhnke, but it was great fun to see Kristofer Hivju in a non-Giantsbane role. You can't necessarily tell whether a guy has real acting chops just from seeing him in a one-note supporting role as Barbarian Chief, but when he manages to be a genuinely nebbishy sad-sack in the very same beard…
posted by RogerB at 4:50 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by RogerB at 4:50 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
I guess I would have expected them to mention Rome for Ciarán Hinds, since he does such an excellent job in that show of emanating that aura of gravitas that you'd expect from Caesar and also keeping your sympathies for, and your understanding of, the character dancing at arm's length.
Really? I think he's a great actor, but I started watching Rome and couldn't get into it because of his Ceasar, he seems like such a grim bastard, and everything I've ever read about Ceasar he comes across as this incredibly charismatic, appealing figure --- dude literally winked at a bunch of pirates, slapped 'em on the back and then did the whole "I'm going to kill you in the morning" routine. And then he did. Ciaran Hinds seemed way more terrifying than inspiring as ol Julio.
posted by maggiepolitt at 4:54 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Really? I think he's a great actor, but I started watching Rome and couldn't get into it because of his Ceasar, he seems like such a grim bastard, and everything I've ever read about Ceasar he comes across as this incredibly charismatic, appealing figure --- dude literally winked at a bunch of pirates, slapped 'em on the back and then did the whole "I'm going to kill you in the morning" routine. And then he did. Ciaran Hinds seemed way more terrifying than inspiring as ol Julio.
posted by maggiepolitt at 4:54 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
BTW Charles Dance is also fantastic in the BBC's somewhat recent Bleak House miniseries (which is great in general).
posted by selfnoise at 5:07 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by selfnoise at 5:07 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Headhunter is incredibly awesome
Definitely. Without giving any spoilers away, once you've seen it, search on "headhunters mythbusters" to see one of the most stressful scenes tested out.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 5:18 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Definitely. Without giving any spoilers away, once you've seen it, search on "headhunters mythbusters" to see one of the most stressful scenes tested out.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 5:18 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Lena Headey was also wonderful in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles which was maybe the best thing to ever come out of the Terminator franchise.
Although the fantastic Peter Dinklage aside, GoT is very light on Americans, I dearly hope next season they find a small role for Linda Hamilton.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:21 PM on June 16, 2015
Although the fantastic Peter Dinklage aside, GoT is very light on Americans, I dearly hope next season they find a small role for Linda Hamilton.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:21 PM on June 16, 2015
Didn't know the 'Best Boys' guy from Cracker played Davos; that's some great casting.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 5:33 PM on June 16, 2015
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 5:33 PM on June 16, 2015
And while I would not necessarily go to this film for great performances, the 2004 King Arthur gives us Stannis as Merlin to Clive Owen's King Arthur: the round table comprises Titus Pullo, Uncle Owen (young edition), Mr. Fantastic, Beowulf, and both Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham. That is a deep bench.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:46 PM on June 16, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:46 PM on June 16, 2015 [6 favorites]
Wait, wait, Jorah Mormont a.k.a. Iain Glen was Hamlet in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead?
[Boggles]
[Checks YouTube]
Yup, I'd recognize that walk anywhere.
posted by googly at 6:00 PM on June 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
[Boggles]
[Checks YouTube]
Yup, I'd recognize that walk anywhere.
posted by googly at 6:00 PM on June 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
Ciaran Hinds seemed way more terrifying than inspiring as ol Julio.
I can definitely see that. I know next to nothing about Caesar as historical figure, so it's hard for me to evaluate his performance in that sense, but yeah, gregarious charmer Hinds' Caesar is not.
posted by invitapriore at 6:13 PM on June 16, 2015
I can definitely see that. I know next to nothing about Caesar as historical figure, so it's hard for me to evaluate his performance in that sense, but yeah, gregarious charmer Hinds' Caesar is not.
posted by invitapriore at 6:13 PM on June 16, 2015
Lena Hedley is very good in roles where she gets to murder the fuck out of a ton of people.
Which may come in handy.
posted by Artw at 6:15 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Which may come in handy.
posted by Artw at 6:15 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Ma Ma also makes for low key but highly effective cosplay, especially if there's a cosplayer or two around in Judge uniform. I always dig seeing that.
posted by Artw at 6:39 PM on June 16, 2015
posted by Artw at 6:39 PM on June 16, 2015
There's a bonus (albeit small) appearance of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in Black Hawk Down.
posted by bluecore at 7:25 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by bluecore at 7:25 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Yeah they were definitely going for an "odd couple" type pairing with Marc Antony as the younger, gregarious impulsive leuitenant and Caesar as the world-weary General playing the long game.
posted by bleep at 7:32 PM on June 16, 2015
posted by bleep at 7:32 PM on June 16, 2015
My dear brother Numpsy!
God, I watched this movie so many times as a wee little Diagonalize...
posted by Diagonalize at 8:01 PM on June 16, 2015
God, I watched this movie so many times as a wee little Diagonalize...
posted by Diagonalize at 8:01 PM on June 16, 2015
So, everyone knows about Bron's pop career as one half of Robson and Jerome, right?
posted by Artw at 8:04 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 8:04 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Oh my god wow, Davos... everything about that scene is so intense, intimate, visceral. Why is he not getting more work?
Also, Ciaran Hinds is my spirit animal.
Just like, a thing I've read: a lot of Native/Indigenous/First Nations people are really really really not okay with non-N/I/FN people talking about "x thing is my spirit animal" so maybe worth considering in the future.
Don't get me wrong, I love Ciarán Hinds--his turn as Caesar in Rome was the very best thing about that sadly abbreviated series. He can do this thing where he plays someone who is brutally honest, sloppy even, while remaining absolutely relatable. I want to see him lead a major Hollywood movie under a great director. He's just lovely on all levels.
I never ever put together Jorah and Hamlet in RAGAD, which is one of my favourite movies and absolutely my favourite play. Must hunt him down in everything.
Dinklage, well.. I haven't yet managed to see him in anything else. And part of me doesn't need to--he's so good as Tyrion, anything else would be gilding the lily. The rest of me is going MOAR DINKLAGE NAO.
Actually, just realized. I want to see Lena Headey and Ciarán Hinds as leads together. I feel like the two of them--with the right script and director--would make magic for the ages. It seems, from their performances that I've seen, that they are two actors who give everything, blood sweat and tears, to what they are doing. They hunt for truth.
Okay amend that to Headey/Hinds/Viggo Mortensen. Three unbelievably underrated actors who search for honesty. Someone make this happen pls.
Also, errr... show of hands (maybe via memail so it doesn't fuck up the thread) of people who'd be interested in Fanfaring Rome? Because I love the fuck out of that show.
And now I'm imagining Headey playing Attia and oh my good gravy.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:02 PM on June 16, 2015
Also, Ciaran Hinds is my spirit animal.
Just like, a thing I've read: a lot of Native/Indigenous/First Nations people are really really really not okay with non-N/I/FN people talking about "x thing is my spirit animal" so maybe worth considering in the future.
Don't get me wrong, I love Ciarán Hinds--his turn as Caesar in Rome was the very best thing about that sadly abbreviated series. He can do this thing where he plays someone who is brutally honest, sloppy even, while remaining absolutely relatable. I want to see him lead a major Hollywood movie under a great director. He's just lovely on all levels.
I never ever put together Jorah and Hamlet in RAGAD, which is one of my favourite movies and absolutely my favourite play. Must hunt him down in everything.
Dinklage, well.. I haven't yet managed to see him in anything else. And part of me doesn't need to--he's so good as Tyrion, anything else would be gilding the lily. The rest of me is going MOAR DINKLAGE NAO.
Actually, just realized. I want to see Lena Headey and Ciarán Hinds as leads together. I feel like the two of them--with the right script and director--would make magic for the ages. It seems, from their performances that I've seen, that they are two actors who give everything, blood sweat and tears, to what they are doing. They hunt for truth.
Okay amend that to Headey/Hinds/Viggo Mortensen. Three unbelievably underrated actors who search for honesty. Someone make this happen pls.
Also, errr... show of hands (maybe via memail so it doesn't fuck up the thread) of people who'd be interested in Fanfaring Rome? Because I love the fuck out of that show.
And now I'm imagining Headey playing Attia and oh my good gravy.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:02 PM on June 16, 2015
Dinklage, well.. I haven't yet managed to see him in anything else.
Seeing him in the earnest yet terrible Tiptoes, opposite Gary Oldman as a dwarf, is almost worth it for his French accent.
posted by Artw at 9:15 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Seeing him in the earnest yet terrible Tiptoes, opposite Gary Oldman as a dwarf, is almost worth it for his French accent.
posted by Artw at 9:15 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Yeah they were definitely going for an "odd couple" type pairing with Marc Antony as the younger, gregarious impulsive leuitenant and Caesar as the world-weary General playing the long game.
Hunh. Well, you're making me glad I gave it up then, because that's nearly the opposite of the dynamic in actual history...I mean, I get that any fictionalisation is going to change some bits and paint over others in order to form its own picture, but I've found the thing that's so fascinating about that era in particular is that we do have enough first- and second-hand evidence to get a picture of the personalities of these guys, and Ceasar's incredible charisma and popularity with both the common people and his soldiers, combined with his crazy ambition, is precisely what made him such a threat to the Senate. And the trick the inexperienced, sickly, priggish, unpopular Octavian pulled in managing to seize power for himself as Ceasar's heir, at the age of 18, is nearly miraculous, and due entirely to his brilliant, ruthless, calculating political mind. I dunno why you'd swap such a unique and fertile dynamic for the same stereotypical relationship you find in nearly every war movie.
posted by maggiepolitt at 9:35 PM on June 16, 2015
Aw I hope I didn't put you off it. Its still pretty entertaining especially if you like GoT.
posted by bleep at 9:43 PM on June 16, 2015
posted by bleep at 9:43 PM on June 16, 2015
They really do get this, I think:
Ceasar's incredible charisma and popularity with both the common people and his soldiers, combined with his crazy ambition, is precisely what made him such a threat to the Senate. And the trick the inexperienced, sickly, priggish, unpopular Octavian pulled in managing to seize power for himself as Ceasar's heir, at the age of 18, is nearly miraculous, and due entirely to his brilliant, ruthless, calculating political mind.
posted by bleep at 9:45 PM on June 16, 2015
Ceasar's incredible charisma and popularity with both the common people and his soldiers, combined with his crazy ambition, is precisely what made him such a threat to the Senate. And the trick the inexperienced, sickly, priggish, unpopular Octavian pulled in managing to seize power for himself as Ceasar's heir, at the age of 18, is nearly miraculous, and due entirely to his brilliant, ruthless, calculating political mind.
posted by bleep at 9:45 PM on June 16, 2015
Ceasar's incredible charisma and popularity with both the common people and his soldiers, combined with his crazy ambition, is precisely what made him such a threat to the Senate. And the trick the inexperienced, sickly, priggish, unpopular Octavian pulled in managing to seize power for himself as Ceasar's heir, at the age of 18, is nearly miraculous, and due entirely to his brilliant, ruthless, calculating political mind.
You would actually really, really, really, really ... really, really, really like Rome. Not a single damn thing about (adult) Octavian is likeable except for his asskickery. It's entirely about being brilliant, ruthless, calculating, and political. Please. Trust me. What you want is exactly what the show delivers.
(slightly paraphrased because I can't be arsed right now to find the transcript)
Octavian: "And what about me? Cold and heartless?"
"I wouldn't say that. But you've never needed love, have you?"
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:47 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
You would actually really, really, really, really ... really, really, really like Rome. Not a single damn thing about (adult) Octavian is likeable except for his asskickery. It's entirely about being brilliant, ruthless, calculating, and political. Please. Trust me. What you want is exactly what the show delivers.
(slightly paraphrased because I can't be arsed right now to find the transcript)
Octavian: "And what about me? Cold and heartless?"
"I wouldn't say that. But you've never needed love, have you?"
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:47 PM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
(I liked Rome a lot not cause it stuck to historical as it happened happened fact -oh lord does it take LIBERTIES- but cause it was one of the few depictions of ancient Rome I can remember that accurately felt like what an urban, Imperial city with a STAGGERING inequality between classes would look like)
posted by The Whelk at 10:27 PM on June 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 10:27 PM on June 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
Oh Mater Juno yes the liberties. And the reality..! Fun fact: someone as a background extra is a butcher? That person was actually in real life a butcher. They had a thing about that on the show.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:35 PM on June 16, 2015
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:35 PM on June 16, 2015
Hannah Murray who plays Gilly was already a huge teen favourite in the UK for her portrayal of space cadet Cassie in Skins.
posted by colie at 11:38 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by colie at 11:38 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
I recently updated my list of cast members who have appeared in both Game of Thrones and Doctor Who.
It's quite extensive, which is not surprising seeing as how both are filmed in the UK and both require a steady stream of new or additional characters (Who in particular needing a new supporting cast each episode.)
posted by Major Clanger at 11:42 PM on June 16, 2015
It's quite extensive, which is not surprising seeing as how both are filmed in the UK and both require a steady stream of new or additional characters (Who in particular needing a new supporting cast each episode.)
posted by Major Clanger at 11:42 PM on June 16, 2015
Another Game of Thrones cast member seen in Rome is of course Indira Varma (Ellaria Sand), who played Niobe, Vorenus' wife. She hasn't been in Doctor Who itself, but if we count spin-offs appeared twice in Torchwood. (And she was in UK legal drama Silk, as were Natalie Dormer, Peter Vaughan, Owen Teale and Ron Donachie.)
posted by Major Clanger at 11:56 PM on June 16, 2015
posted by Major Clanger at 11:56 PM on June 16, 2015
For the record, I agree with Maggie. I tried watching Rome and I thought it was incredibly overrated. People complain abou the misogyny on GoT, but OMG the women characters in Rome barely even qualify as two-dimensional. Blech. (On the other hand, it had nice sets, but that's not enough to make me watch a show.)
Re: the original post, there are some great recs in it. Black Book and Persuasion are also two of my favorite movies.
posted by suburbanbeatnik at 12:01 AM on June 17, 2015
Re: the original post, there are some great recs in it. Black Book and Persuasion are also two of my favorite movies.
posted by suburbanbeatnik at 12:01 AM on June 17, 2015
Peter Dinklage plays the same character in both the original 2007 UK Death at a Funeral and in the 2010 US remake.
posted by obloquy at 12:24 AM on June 17, 2015
posted by obloquy at 12:24 AM on June 17, 2015
Surprised at the reaction to Hinds's Caesar's charisma here. Fine, he wasn't back-slapping gregarious but I thought he was anything but stone-faced. Hinds had him put on a very genteel interest in other people, like he was taking them into his confidence, whoever they were. I really got the impression that if you were talking to that Caesar, you'd be thinking 'Wow, he just shared a joke with me!'. You see this particularly when Hinds is put in a position to forgive someone.
(I liked Rome a lot not cause it stuck to historical as it happened happened fact -oh lord does it take LIBERTIES- but cause it was one of the few depictions of ancient Rome I can remember that accurately felt like what an urban, Imperial city with a STAGGERING inequality between classes would look like)
The DVD set of Rome had a nice feature you could enable where text boxes would occasionally appear on screen giving little snippets of historical or anthropological detail. For example, when Pullo is gambling, a box popped up to inform you that a dice roll of a double six was called a 'Venus throw'.
They could be hilariously trivial though. When Atia was feeding her parrot, what pops up but 'Roman aristocrats often kept colourful birds as pets'. Thanks Rome, I learned so much.
Favourite thing about Rome was the portrayal of Roman religion. There's a good range of beliefs shown and everyone is sincere about it. There was no character who is totally just a christian before their time, dropped amongst the pagans.
posted by ocular shenanigans at 1:50 AM on June 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
(I liked Rome a lot not cause it stuck to historical as it happened happened fact -oh lord does it take LIBERTIES- but cause it was one of the few depictions of ancient Rome I can remember that accurately felt like what an urban, Imperial city with a STAGGERING inequality between classes would look like)
The DVD set of Rome had a nice feature you could enable where text boxes would occasionally appear on screen giving little snippets of historical or anthropological detail. For example, when Pullo is gambling, a box popped up to inform you that a dice roll of a double six was called a 'Venus throw'.
They could be hilariously trivial though. When Atia was feeding her parrot, what pops up but 'Roman aristocrats often kept colourful birds as pets'. Thanks Rome, I learned so much.
Favourite thing about Rome was the portrayal of Roman religion. There's a good range of beliefs shown and everyone is sincere about it. There was no character who is totally just a christian before their time, dropped amongst the pagans.
posted by ocular shenanigans at 1:50 AM on June 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
How about Charles Dance as Sardo Numspa
posted by aydeejones at 1:53 AM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by aydeejones at 1:53 AM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
(Whoops, already mentioned but worth a specific callout :)
posted by aydeejones at 1:55 AM on June 17, 2015
posted by aydeejones at 1:55 AM on June 17, 2015
Think I first really noticed Dillane in the criminally overlooked 44 Inch Chest in which he was great (if slightly overshadowed by some near career best performances by Ian McShane, Ray Winston and especially John Hurt - as I say criminally overlooked)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:20 AM on June 17, 2015
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:20 AM on June 17, 2015
In addition to The Last Action Hero, where he's really the best thing in the movie (ditto Alien 3), Charles Dance also did a movie called White Mischief that has just an incredible cast. Also WRT early Iain Glen, there's a great movie called Mountains of the Moon about Richard Francis Burton's expedition to find the source of the Nile; Glen plays John Hanning Speke, Burton's partner in the expedition, and makes him the more interesting character, not what you'd expect in a film featuring Burton. (That film also has Richard E. Grant and Fiona Shaw, probably best known as Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter films.)
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:14 AM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:14 AM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
Dillane also starred (and was damn good) in "The Tunnel" the UK/French adaption of the Swedish/Danish show "The Bridge", also remade in the US.
posted by Nice Guy Mike at 6:12 AM on June 17, 2015
posted by Nice Guy Mike at 6:12 AM on June 17, 2015
While we're on this topic --- I think I've posted this before on Fanfare, but it should go here too --- Littlefinger comes out of the closet to Barristan Selmy
posted by maggiepolitt at 6:14 AM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by maggiepolitt at 6:14 AM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
Dredd is underrated as a pure balls to the wall, nonstop action fest
Dredd is a nearly perfect action movie, pure and lean with nothing to waste.
Indira Varma has also been Idris Elba's (ex)-wife in Luther.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:58 AM on June 17, 2015
Dredd is a nearly perfect action movie, pure and lean with nothing to waste.
Indira Varma has also been Idris Elba's (ex)-wife in Luther.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:58 AM on June 17, 2015
After season one, I went and watched a bunch of other performances by some of the actors.
Rory McCann was really sweat in the dark comedy The Book Group as a paraplegic.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was the lead in the not renewed New Amsterdam as a 400 year old immortal cop working in New York since it was originally named New Amsterdam. Highlander-esque flashbacks galore.
posted by porpoise at 10:17 AM on June 17, 2015
Rory McCann was really sweat in the dark comedy The Book Group as a paraplegic.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was the lead in the not renewed New Amsterdam as a 400 year old immortal cop working in New York since it was originally named New Amsterdam. Highlander-esque flashbacks galore.
posted by porpoise at 10:17 AM on June 17, 2015
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's first big part was in Nattevagten (1994) (remade as Nightwatch with Ewan McGregor later on). Bonus for fans of Scandi noir as both Sofie Graabol from The Killing and Kim Bodnia from Bron appear. Excellent thriller that gave me nightmares back in the day.
posted by kariebookish at 10:39 AM on June 17, 2015
posted by kariebookish at 10:39 AM on June 17, 2015
Stephen Dillane! I had such a crush on him! For romantic Dillane, definitely seek out "Firelight" with Sophie Marceau.
Bonus suggestion for romantic Ciarán Hinds: he as an underwear designer in fluffy "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day", pairing with Frances McDormand.
posted by of strange foe at 1:39 PM on June 17, 2015
Bonus suggestion for romantic Ciarán Hinds: he as an underwear designer in fluffy "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day", pairing with Frances McDormand.
posted by of strange foe at 1:39 PM on June 17, 2015
i think CIA is a pretty cool guy
posted by invitapriore at 9:58 PM on June 17, 2015
posted by invitapriore at 9:58 PM on June 17, 2015
Indira Varma (Niobe) was also in Rome, so you get a double GoT actor fix.
Same with Black Book, which also had Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis) in it (I haven't seen it yet, but I remember reading an interview with van Houten saying that's where they became friends.)
posted by homunculus at 5:52 PM on June 18, 2015
Same with Black Book, which also had Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis) in it (I haven't seen it yet, but I remember reading an interview with van Houten saying that's where they became friends.)
posted by homunculus at 5:52 PM on June 18, 2015
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posted by prize bull octorok at 3:58 PM on June 16, 2015 [2 favorites]