Finally, link to Richard Armitage’s statement about “a student film” — “Staged”?

I am usually not so scatterbrained. I remembered this quotation a long time ago and should have looked it up then, or at least before I saw “Staged.” However, coulda, shoulda, woulda, I know — anyway, here it is now.

This is the interview, linked at RichardArmitageOnline.com. It was given to Time Out, a weekly London listings magazine (not sure what that means) in 2009.

I want to apologize because, in my earlier remarks, I conflated Richard Armitage’s report about his performance in “A Lie of the Mind” with his statement about a student film. Both are discussed in this interview.

Of the earlier performance, Armitage states, “in my second year at drama school … I did this scene where I was jumping around in my boxers, screaming and shouting, really emoting. I went in for my critique expecting to be told I was the new Richard Burton, but my tutor said it was some of the worst acting he’d ever seen at the school.”

So that statement was not one about “Staged.” [And I don’t know where I got the element about the sofas — so I’m still looking through old interviews looking for that detail.]

Of the student film: in response to the question, “Piece of work you’re least proud of?” Richard Armitage replied, “A student film I did where I had an appalling American accent. It looked like soft porn — the Vaselined lens and all that.”

In my first series of viewings, my reaction was that I didn’t notice him trying to do an American accent; after more viewings I could see places that suggest that he was trying to do that part of the time (at the very least, when he’s playing Darryl playing the unnamed character in the play). If anyone’s interested, I will be willing to substantiate that assertion more fully (I assume that would be boring for most readers, but if you’d like me to do it, please leave a comment).

As to the quality of the cinematography, I leave that to the viewer’s discretion.

Additionally, a comment was left by Lee on the blog this week that asserts that this statement by Armitage refers to another student film, one from 1996/97, and not to “Staged.” That evidence should also be weighed as readers feel appropriate.

In my opinion, however, both descriptors actually applied by Armitage to the unnamed student film apply at least potentially to “Staged.” While “Staged” can’t be identified as that film with 100 percent certainty, nothing about the film absolutely excludes it from being that film, either.

I remain, however, by my initial judgment that nothing about the appearance of this piece is harmful or embarrassing to Richard Armitage. I enjoyed seeing it, felt it was worth the purchase, and felt that it significantly expanded my knowledge of (and questions about) Armitage’s early career. Intense fans of Armitage will want to see it eventually.

~ by Servetus on July 3, 2013.