Let's gee things up a little, as it seems to have gone a bit quiet.
You are now the biggest name in the industry, and you are approached by a mega film company to see what part you would like to play in their forthcoming epic movie about the history of the world… What character from history or legend would you want to play? and why?
Steve .. using your format... all to play for and nothing to lose ... a man by the name of John Wycliffe.
Wycliffe lived in the 14th cent. Born Yorkshire, drop dead poor. The boy needs some learnin' .. is taken on by the Church. Ends up a Priest with a
lowly Parish. But .. and it's a big one ..... his command of the Latin is unsurpassed, so becomes Master of Balliol College in Oxford... is respected throughout the land and is even courted by Royalty.
He translates the Latin Bible into English against the wishes of the Pope, thus starting a revolution within the Church. He is tried for heresy, but shrugs them all off with his vastly superior intellect.
To cut the story down, he created so much furore within the Church .. that FORTY years after he was buried, theChurch disenterred his remains and threw them in the river. Timewise, a bit like the Yanks digging up old Kennedy and throwing him into the river.
Cleopatra VII. First shared power with her father and her brothers, who she then married (explore that alone and you have a few scenes). She later possessed sole rule over them, no mean feat in 30 BC I would imagine.
Shacks up with Julius Caesar thereby cementing her girl power status then upon his death, shacks up with Mark Anthony against Caesar's own legal heir Octavian (talk about cutthroat politics). To cap it all, she offs herself too in response to Mark Anthony's suicide when he loses the battle of Actium to Octavian, very romantic.
She was the grandest of dames whose life was filled with beauty, luxus, power, drama, intrigue, tragedy and great romance.
Plus, I love cats and have no known allergies to milk & honey baths.
I'd like to be Jean - Paul Marat in a proper consideration of his life story. He is famous as a 'stage' character, thanks to Peter Weiss's 'Marat - Sade', which is undeniably a great play, but reduces him to a caricature. Marat the man fascinates me because he was riddled with contradiction: a skilled scientist who, nonetheless, propounded crackpot theories and faked his medical degree; a man who at one time served the royal household, and later became the most rabid of revolutionaries, declaring that the heads of thousands should roll in the streets; a pariah known late in life for his tramp like appearance and general hideousness who, in his youth, had held relationships with some of the most elegant and talented women of the era; a hothead, a cynic, a political incendiary, a genuine 'man of the people', and a hundred other things at once.
Which is not to say that I admire him particularly as an individual...but what a fascinating man to play!
Great characters so far, but I'm sure there are greater parts to play...My backside would be twitching if I was the director trying to fill 3 hours of screen time...hehe
Allan, John Wycliffe...sadly I have never heard of me. But, whats worse is why have I not heard of him?...what an incredible man...I am amazed he has not been subject to (at minimum) a 6 part on either ITV or BBC...and may I say Allan, I can see you in the role.
Glenn, Finn McCool...Great choice...Hands up, who thought this was a range of pubs!!!...Glenn, you should have explained that he was an Ulster tribal chieftan and commander of the King of Ireland's warriors. He was renowned in Ireland for his fighting ability and for his strength. I like it, Glenn.
Jenny...Cleopatra VII, now we are starting to talk 'Great'...can I play the part of the snake...which is the correct form...'She was bitten by an Asp' or 'she was bitten on her Asp!!!'...I'll get back to you on that one...hehe
Lee...Another great part to play...what an incredible man and what a role to enact, and again, this guy should be made into a series at the least...Thank you, Lee
Sadly, Steve ... wrote the Script, involving minute research, both for T.V. and also for big screen, but ... quite obviously Period .. an' there's the rub .. too,too expensive for both formats. Even converted it to Stage, though praised for the writing and research, still, it seems, it involved problems. How ?? .. when basically, no different from staging Shakespeare.
I agree exactly with you, Allan - What would be the difference...I mean look at 'The Tudors' if they can do that, then anything is still possible.
I have got to say, just in those few sentences you spent describing John Wycliffe, you made me want to know more about the man...the sign of a good story teller and a good story, Allan.
I know you are not going to stop pushing this dream forward and nor should you.
Who knows there may be some producer/director out there reading this thread...champing at the bit to get his/her teeth into such a project. I wish you every success.
and if the shoe was on the other foot...I'm sure I would hear you say..."Go on, my son"
Hmmmm............Henry I youngest son of William The Conqurer. Ended up as King after a series of 'hunting accidents' accounted for his elder siblings.Bit of a character apparently.
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