Fan Spotlight~ Meet RedPoppy

*FanstRAvaganza Day 4*

I thought it would be fitting to spotlight
an RA fan of Irish decent on St. Patrick's Day. :)

When I first met RedPoppy online,

I immediately felt an unspoken bond with this fellow Armitage admirer. 

Not only does she have a crush on Mr. Thornton (well, who doesn't!?) 

but she's also a fellow red head.  We immediately started an elite club called RH4RA
(Red Heads for Richard Armitage.)  Okay, there is no RH4RA club, but if there was, I'm

sure the #1 agenda would be to petition Richard's agent to make sure his next role

involves a ginger leading lady so we can secretly pretend it's he's kissing us

and make believable faceinhole photos from the screencaps.

Although, I guess Richard did have a strawberry blonde
girlfriend in "The Golden Hour."  So there's that.

Isn't he dreamy in this pic?

Where was I?
Oh yeah...

What I really find interesting about RedPoppy
(and other RA fans) is not what we have in common,  but our differences.

I'm from a small rural town, while she has lived all over the world and currently resides in NYC. 
I am a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl, while she's into fashion, knows all of the latest trends, and is
an award-winning hat designer!  (How neat is that!?) This is what I love about meeting  fellow
RA fans... while many of us have  common interests, we come  from  all walks of life
and have many differences too.  *Nat refrains from singing kumbaya.*

About RedPoppy...

My mother is British and my father is from Spain.  Though my mother was actually born in Ireland, ironically my red hair is from my father's side.  I was born in England and at the age of five my family moved to Venezuela (where most of my sunny freckles developed.) Five years later we relocated to the the beautiful Northwest of the U.S. Since college I have mostly resided in New York City where I work in fashion, where Sex and the City is mostly a myth, and where I am constantly inspired by the amazing abundance of arts and culture, which you can find practically on every street. I am a total anglophile, love Cadbury chocs over Hershey's any day, and I am a true redhead with almost black eyebrows, so people often ask me if I dye my hair. I tell them the proof is in the freckles! One of my biggest loves is writing a fashion blog called RedPoppy Fashion where I share my unique redhead thoughts on all things fashion, makeup, the latest styles, pop culture, etc. Another love is Millinery, as I have been an award-winning hat designer for the past ten years. Thank goodness mercury is out of fashion, otherwise I would most definitely resemble Johnny Depp's redhead character in 'Alice in Wonderland.'

First glimpse of Richard Armitage...

I first discovered North & South quite by accident when I was browsing through some costume dramas online.  Of course the first snippet of a scene that I came cross was the intoxicating train station one with Mr. Thornton and Margaret. After viewing it 36 times somehow I managed to tear myself away, and eventually watch the entire series. I absolutely loved North & South simply because it was so brilliantly made, set in England, and because the acting was superb! Especially of course RA's portrayal of JT. He was just so convincing, so conflicted, and I could listen to that voice for hours. The scene in which Thornton professes his love for Margaret only to be painfully rejected was unbelievably hard to watch!!! Such is the brilliance of Richard Armitage. Since then I've watched some episodes of Robin Hood, Strike Back, and Spooks, and what I've realized is it doesn't matter if he's wearing statuesque black leather, muscular army fatigues, or buttoned-up tattoos, RA envelops himself so deeply into each character that I'm completely taken in to whichever story he tells.

Who would RedPoppy pick as RA's ginger leading lady?
Most of my favorite redhead actresses are not redheads in real life so I would love to see Cate Blanchett acting alongside RA. Though she is a natural blonde, Cate has played more onscreen redheads than actual redhead actresses have so you never know!  [Cate will be working with Richard in "The Hobbit," although she will not have red hair, and they will not be love interests.]

RedPoppy gives us an RA fashion analysis... 

My favorite RA look is unabashedly most definitely going have to be as John Thornton. Who can resist a dashing, handsome buttoned-up-to-there man wearing a crisp high pointed collar, perfectly tied cravat, fitted waist coat, and knee-high boots?

<--- This is probably my favorite RA look [as himself.] I think a good collar suits him really well. The framing angles, especially when they reach above his neckline, flatter RA's face in a way that adds a tiny bit of fullness, bringing attention to his eyes and handsome features. When he wears a v-neck for example, it lengthens his frame and brings focus to his angular side. There's a reason RA looked so darn good in those upturned collars he wore as John Thornton in North & South!

Check out RedPoppy's fashionista blog HERE

and see her lovely hat designs HERE.

RA Fan Spotlight~ Sharona of the Russian Richard Armitage Site

*FanstRAvaganza Day 2*

One of my favorite RA hot spots is

The Russian Richard Armitage site

Thanks to google translator,
there's no need to speak Russian to
maneuver your way around it.
(Try it out!)

I became acquainted with the site's
administrator, Sharona, a few months ago
when asking permission to post some of their photos.

Being a curious person, I wanted to know all about her,
but restrained myself from peppering  her with questions...
until now.  (As Frenz mentioned before, having a blog
gives us an excuse to be nosey interview people!)

While getting to know Sharona, I was surprised to find out that the person who runs the Russian RA site is not actually Russian!

I live in Ukraine, but I run a Russian-speaking site because the Ukrainian-speaking one would have a much smaller audience.  I know the Ukrainian and Russian languages. I can read and understand what people are saying in English but when it's time for me to say or to write something in English, I'm not at all confident. So I can't really say I know English.  I adore British TV and actors. Richard is obviously my favourite but there are so many brilliant actors out there and I love them all. I am a passionate fan of period drama as well.  (You can guess how I first discovered RA.) Also, I love doing stuff in Photoshop - graphics, icons, wallpapers and site layouts. 

If Richard came to Ukraine, I'd recommend  he visit the beautiful city of Lviv. It's very old and really beautiful and it feels amazing just to walk down the streets.  I know foreigners are always excited about Ukrainian cuisine but I'm not a fan of it as well. It is too rich for my taste. (And I think Richard might consider it unhealthy, too.)

I'd recommend he go to the Karpaty for skiing... I think he'd really like that!

Sharona is one of the few RA fans who doesn't adore "North & South."

It is too gritty for my taste, although I loved Richard's performance. My favourite Richard characters are Thornton and Harry Kennedy. (Actually I'd love to say Thorin because I know I'll love him in "The Hobbit" even thought the movie isn't out yet.)

In fact, she wasn't too crazy about Richard when she started the Russian site.
I must confess, when I started my site January 1st, 2010 I liked Richard, but I wasn't actually what you would call a passionate fan. I didn't see much of his work and I didn't know what kind of person he was (well, I still don't know this because I don't know him personally but I think I understand better now what kind of person he might be.)

What I did know - he was handsome, he was British and that he had loads and loads of Russian-speaking fans and there was no Russian site for him. So I thought I could create one. It was meant to be a small site with a few photos and some interviews but from the first day, my visitors started demanding the forum so I just had to start the forum. I didn't have time to moderate it though, so GizTheGunslinger, a fellow fan, became my co-admin. She now runs the forum and does it wonderfully. She's also adding some news and articles. And yes, she's Russian.

[Nat note: GizTheGunslinger is one of my favorite RA vidders and artists!  Check out her YouTube page HERE and keep an eye out for her fan spotlight on RA Frenzy's blog this week.]

So what was it that finally turned Sharona into a true blue Armitage admirer?

Richard's interviews. I read and watched many of his interviews for the site and then I just realized... well, that I can call myself a "passionate fan."  The sexiest thing about any man to me is his sense of humour. And Richard is always really serious in his roles. But the way he talks, laughs, jokes in his interviews makes me melt. I wish he'd do more comedy.


My favorite thing about the Russian RA site is the wonderful photo gallery.  How does Sharona get her hands on such great pics?
That's a big secret!  But really, I just keep surfing the net. You wouldn't believe how many beautiful and rare pictures you can find if you google properly. And another tip - try to use other search engines, not just Google, especially the ones for different countries.  I was quite lucky to get some rare promo photos, production stills and photo shoots of Richard. I am especially proud of our gallery since it's extensive and has some amazing photos. My favourite photo shoot is the one by Chris Floyd, for Red Magazine. Richard's not just handsome in these photos, he's exquisite.

I've always wondered what Richard's Russian fans thought about about their country being cast as "the bad guy" in Spooks and how well Lucas North spoke Russian.  I could almost hear Sharona laugh out loud in her response.  Well, all the Russian bit wasn't very believable. It was hard to understand what people were saying when they spoke Russian - that's how bad the accents and grammar were. So... It was a bit funny and you couldn't seriously be offended by it.  I love Richard to bits but if it weren't for English subtitles, you would never guess what he was saying. I got to say, it was some kind of a very angry accent. Sometimes there were swear words but I'm not sure he knew he was swearing. Sometimes there was the impression he didn't know what he was saying at all.

A big thanks to Sharona for giving us a little inside info about

herself and the Russian RA site.  Keep up the good work, ladies! 



Beard Love

The upcoming RA film I'm VERY excited to see is "The Hobbit." 
(Big Tolkien fan and love The Lord of the Rings trilogy.)

There was a Hobbit press conference held early Friday morning in New Zealand
(Thursday night in my part of the world) with many of the cast present, including our favorite future dwarf.
I normally don't like beards too much... but I'm diggin' Richard's shagginess!  (Aidan Turner's too.)

Here are the "Richard bits" of the press conference.

Thanks to bccmee for uploading it to YouTube!

*Pause the blog's background music (bottom of screen) before viewing*

Visit bccmee's YouTube channel to see more clips of the press conference.

Here are a few more pics from the event:

Some of The Hobbit cast-

Whose bright idea was it to stick Richard in the back!?  You're fired.
(They must have heard about him stealing all the scenes in Robin Hood...
or don't want his scraggly beauty to distract unsuspecting viewers.)

Scoot over, Bilbo.
We need a better view of the furrow-browed, bearded one.

Check out more press conference pics HERE.
(Including one of beard + crinkles!)

I wish this film was ready already.

Thanks to Richard Armitage Net for the links to great pictures!

"Homage to Armitage" Highlight

An Armitage musical revolution is at hand!
No, Richard hasn't taken up conducting symphonies.

(Although you never know...)

It is music about our dear Richard I speak of.

There have been whispers of a Grammy nomination

and a sold-out world tour is inevitable.

What a few critics have said about
the song and video "Homage to Armitage"~

"This song will get stuck in your head for days and you won't mind one bit." ~ragirlforevah

"Homage to Armitage is musical genius! Genius, I tell you!!!" ~giddy4gizzy

"WHERE can I buy the MP3!?" ~maggiethornton

"I want that girl's cleavage." ~flattypatty

If you don't know what these people are talking about, 

you must view Allison Cossitt's "Homage to Armitage" video:

*Pause the blog's background music (bottom of screen) before viewing.*

I first saw this vid posted on RA Frenzy's site and
The Spooks Fan Blog and laughed out loud as I watched it. 
I especially like that Allison is enjoying herself while singing,
which is obvious by that big grin on her face and inability to keep
from laughing at times. I thought, "A kindred spirit!"
since Allison clearly doesn't take herself
or her  admiRAtion too seriously.   

Shortly after seeing this video, I added the
song to my "Armitage Tunes" mixpod list (bottom of screen)
which automatically plays RA-related music when this blog is
opened.  After receiving many comments about how wonderful and
life-changing this song is ;) I had to question the mastermind
behind it so we could all know a little bit more.
Plus, I'm always curious. :)

Nat: Please tell us a bit about yourself~ What part of the world do you call home? What are your interests and hobbies? Do you have a significant other?

Allison: Home is a very grey area for me. I was born in Toledo, Ohio (USA) and moved to East Amherst, New York (near Buffalo) when I was about 14. I fled Buffalo after getting my degree in theater and headed west, to Portland, Oregon. I spent three years in Portland until heading up North to finally end up in Seattle, Washington. I also did a study abroad program where I lived in Australia for 5 months, I absconded to Ireland for three months in 2008, and last Fall I spent 2 1/2 months living in the Dominican Republic. So, at this very moment, my apartment is in Seattle, but lately I've been feeling the need to move on again, so who knows where I'll end up next!  Obviously one of my big interests in travel. I've been extremely lucky to have a father who is also a world traveler, and can therefor facilitate my adventures with generous donations of frequent flier miles!

One of my great passions in life is my pet rats. I've kept rats for almost 20 years now, and they are the lights of my life. Right now I only have two, H.T. Vanderrat and Umlaut, but I'm sure there will be many more in years to come... and no, I've never named any of them after any RA characters, even though that would be rather appropriate! I love to cook and bake, play guitar (clearly), I make necklaces out of vintage postcards and stamps, I work as a barista (like a bartender for coffee beverages) in Seattle, but I'm actually an avid tea-drinker, I used to write poetry, but I've found it's a lot easier to get people to listen to a song than to get them to listen to a poem - so now I write a lot of songs! I have no significant other, unless you count the rats!

Check out her etsy site HERE, where you can

view and/or purchase one of her awesome vintage postcard/stamp necklaces.

Nat: When and how did you first discover The Armitage?

Allison: The swooning first started almost three years ago when I rented disk 1 of Robin Hood. I actually didn't care much for the first episode and wasn't going to watch the rest but luckily my roommate at the time convinced me to watch the rest - she was right, I loved it! And with each passing episode grew more and more smitten. My roommate was appalled that I was all gooey over the bad guy. We would watch RH together and she would be disgusted with Guy of Gisborne and I would be all dreamy-eyed and smiling.

Nat: Do you belong to any RA forums?
Allison: Ages ago I remember signing up for something but never kept up with it. I'm not particularly tech savvy and don't spend a lot of time computering, so I'm not a member of any of the forums or anything.

Nat: What is your favorite RA character/production?

Allison: Gosh I would have to say that my favorite role was Harry Kennedy in the Vicar of Dibley. While I do love it when he's playing bad, he's got such a sweet smile and the fans rarely got to see that! Plus I think it let us all believe that someone THAT dreamy just might show up out of the blue one day and sweep us off our feet!

Nat: What do your family/friends think of your admiRAtion?
Allison: My friends think it's adorably annoying. They don't understand how I can be ogling the tv screen while an angry, sour-looking man yells at people and cuts out tongues. My family just thinks it's cool that I have a You Tube video, they all live pretty far away so they didn't even know who RA was!

Nat: When did you learn to play the guitar? Do you play any other instruments?

Allison: I actually just started playing guitar last July. I never thought I'd be any good at it, and honestly, I don't think I would have been, but it came into my life at the precise point I needed it. Let's just say it was very therapeutic and helped me get through some hard times. I once sat in with my friend's band practice and I shook me some mean tambourine, but other than that I don't play any other instruments.

Nat: When did you write "Homage to Armitage" and how long did it take you to write it?
Allison: I wrote HtoA after having just finished watching the last few episodes of the most recent series of Spooks, so around the middle of last November. I had just finished yelling at the screen something along the lines of, "NO! How could you make him the bad guy - AGAIN!?!" And I just started thinking how funny it would be to write a cute song about how he always plays bad guys but I still think he's dreamy. I think I took all of 30 minutes to hash it out. I figured that no one would really care to hear it so I really just wrote it as a joke for myself. But then I played it for a few friends who know about my RA crush and they, much to my surprise, really liked it and encouraged me to make a video.

Nat:  Please fill us in on the video process. How many takes before it was completed? Did anyone help you?
Allison: This video would not have been possible at all without the help of my awesome friend, Jumana, who is the techmind behind all this. I'm rubbish with most technical things, and never would have managed to pull everything together on my own. With the help of several stiff shots of whiskey and her guidance, we managed to get something usable in about 5 takes, I think. It was actually much harder performing it for video then playing it on my own or even before people. Not only did I have to try to remember the chords and lyrics, but I also had to remember to play to the camera. Nobody wants to watch someone playing with their head down all deadpan - you gotta be lively! It was more of a challenge than I'd anticipated.

Nat: How do you think you'd react if you ever met Richard in person? (Become shy and hide? Chat his ear off? Burst into song like Julie Andrews?)

Allison: Well, one thing I can be sure is that I'd have a giant goofy grin plastered to my face (kind of like the one I have in the video!) and for the first minute of two it would probably be a bit hard to breathe. Other than that I really don't know. I'd certainly love to have a conversation with him, it would be great to know what he's like in real life when there aren't cameras and microphones pointed in his face.

Nat: Stick- Figure Richard wants to know if "Homage to Armitage" was actually directed towards him.

Allison: Well, before doing this interview I wasn't actually aware of the existence of SFR, but if he's the jealous type, I can always change the first few lines of my song to...

"Skinny limbs and an inky smile

Stick-Figure Richard I've been crushing on you for a while"

Nat: I'm sure SFR would be very pleased.

In conclusion, I'd like to present Allison with

the following award for having the courage to publicly declare
her "crush" on Richard with her performance. 

For a more in-depth look at Allison,
the genius behind the music, please check out
RA Frenzy's blog.  After finding out we both interviewed her,
we thought it would be fun to publish our posts on the same day. 
I love Frenz's "Allison post."  I especially enjoyed reading about
her traveling adventures and poem about the dryer. :)

Favorite Interview Moments ~ by Guest Blogger Twinkling Moon

Well, what an honor to be invited to contribute to one of my favorite blogs!

Actually, Nat’s blog was the first RA site I came across and she is the first on-line

friend I made. So I hope I do her site justice.

Mr. Armitage, Mr. Armitage.

We’ve discussed everything about you, (and I do mean everything *wink.*)

We’ve had plenty of conversations about your acting ability and the research you bring to the

background stories to each of your characters. And Lord knows there have been fan fics aplenty based on

your characters. Heck! I ought to know, I’ve read almost every single Guy of Gisborne one there is! :)

But honestly, what makes me

a true fan of you Mr. Armitage, is you!

See, I’m weird. If I like an actor, I tend to like his projects.

And if I don’t like an actor, well, I just avoid his projects. I have a hard time separating the actor from

the character. So although I was first introduced to you Mr. Armitage through North & South,

it was the interviews I saw of you that made me a bona fide fan girl. (And this is coming

from someone who never joined a fan club as a kid, or had posters on her wall of rock stars or actors

growing up. Who knew I’d be 30+ before I truly entered the fandom world?)

I know you have said that you won’t ever do a show where you just play yourself.

But honestly, for me, the glimmers of your natural self that shine through during your interviews are what

really draw me to you. Your self-deprecating humor and wit always bring a smile to my face.

So without further ado,

here are some of my favorite interview moments…

not that these are the only ones, mind you, but I do have to limit myself to just a few. :)

Interview Clip #1 courtesy of HeathDances.

The facial expressions throughout the entire interview crack me up,

but especially during the response to question #1 and the reaction at 0:18 are just priceless. :)

And the serious reflection given before answering the last question (it’s asked at 5:08 )

combined with the actual response at 5:48 , well, that laughter is just infectious.

Interview Clip #2 @ 1:50 to 1:56 courtesy of Newchanteuse

The fact that I’m a dentist has nothing to do with why I always crack up watching this, I swear. Seriously.

Interview Clip #3 @ 3:46 to 3:51 courtesy of Spookslucas

Move over 007, ‘cause honey you are so passé!

To my fellow RA fandom members,

what are your favorite RA interview moments?

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

About the guest blogger~

Twinkling Moon lives in western New York. 
She is a dentist who would love to take a look at Richard's pearly whites.

She is single and enjoys book club and British TV/drama.
TM discovered RA in Spring of 2009 when she did a search for period dramas
on YouTube and North & South appeared.  The rest is history.

PJ knows his stuff.

I'm not talking about this PJ...

but about Peter Jackson~
recently knighted, Oscar-winning director:

I wanted to highlight a few excerpts from THIS Entertainment Weekly

article entitled "Hobbit director Peter Jackson talks about casting a heartthrob dwarf."

Hmm... I wonder which actor they're referring to as being a heartthrob?

Surely not this guy, because he's definitely not the type, right?

EW journalist, Josh Rottenberg, wondered:

"What was Jackson doing hiring a hunky actor to play a character most often depicted

in illustrations — and in the 1977 animated Hobbit movie — as a squat, crabby,

Wilford Brimley-ish old dwarf with a long white beard?  Jackson tells EW the choice is

actually right in line with the casting of Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn and

Orlando Bloom as Legolas in the Lord of the Rings trilogy."

Jackson's answer:

“Thorin Oakenshield is a tough, heroic character, and he certainly should give Leggie and

Aragorn a run for their money in the heartthrob stakes — despite being four feet tall.”

After reading this article, I've come to this conclusion:

Peter Jackson must not only be a genius when it comes to movie-making, but

in the ways women think as well!  He supplies the great action scenes male viewers

will enjoy, PLUS throws in the eye candy we ladies love while he's at it.

I shall now provide you with examples of said eye candy
(for those of you not familiar with "The Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy)

to fill you in on the hunkiness that it holds as proof of my conclusion above:

I can't decide whether I enjoy watching Aragorn or Legolas more.
I also have a crush on Boromir (Sean Bean) and Eomer (Karl Urban):

My husband can never see this post, or he'll know the REAL reason

why I love watching "The Lord of the Rings" with him so much.  Haha!

 I'm sure Richard, along with these men, would rather be remembered for their fine

acting skills than squee-factor... but they should also accept the fact that we
can't help but notice their hotness displayed while defeating evil. :)

Peter Jackson understands our needs.  Thank you, Mr. J. 

We look forward to seeing our "heartthrob dwarf" in action.

 

 

Richard scores a role in "The Hobbit."

I just checked my email to find many excited messages from fellow
RA admirers informing me of the great news:

Richard Armitage is set to portray the dwarf,

Thorin Oakenshield, in the upcoming film "The Hobbit."

Peter Jackson was quoted saying this about our favorite actor:

"Richard is one of the most exciting and dynamic actors working on screen today and we know he is

going to make an amazing Thorin Oakenshield. We cannot wait to start this adventure with him and

feel very lucky that one of the most beloved characters in Middle Earth is in such good hands."

(The amazing Peter Jackson said that, people!)

Before I go any further, I must take a moment to get this off my chest:  YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Ohmygoodness... if I weren't gigantically pregnant right now, I'd be doing cartwheels around my house.

My excitement is the same feeling currently being expressed all over the RA blog world and forums. :)

Although I haven't read Tolkien's books (shame on me!) I LOVE "The Lord of the Rings" movie trilogies.

(In fact I just had a LOTR marathon a few weeks ago. Good times.)  I've been anxiously awaiting

"The Hobbit" to be made and wondering who would be cast.  The news that Richard will

be a part of this production makes it 10 times more exciting! 

After taking a moment to clap my hands and let out a shriek of glee at such great news...

my first thought was, "A dwarf!?"  (Have they not seen RA in all of his tall glory?)

But hey, I'm not picky when it comes to Richard getting a role in this movie.

He can pull of anything.  Plus, I like Gimli and his dwarf buddies.


For those of you who haven't yet read "The Hobbit,"

here is some information about Richard's character according to wikipedia:
Thorin Oakenshield is a major character in The Hobbit and is mentioned

in passing in The Lord of the Rings. He was the leader of the Company of Dwarves

who aimed to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug the dragon, and was the son of Thráin II

and the grandson of King Thrór.   Thorin is described as being very haughty, stern, and officious.

He has a talent for singing and playing the harp, wears a gold chain, and has a very long beard.

He refers to his homes in the Blue Mountains as "poor lodgings in exile." He is a capable

and a cunning warrior, if not a particularly inspiring or clever leader.


Here are a list of links confirming Richard's upcoming role:
*Thanks to those of you who filled me in on the info & links!*

Deadline.com~
"Peter Jackson Sets First Names for The Hobbit"

New Zealand Herald~
"Hobbit Cast Confirmed"

Stuff.co.nz~
"Martin Freeman set to play Bilbo"

TVNZ.co.nz~
"The Hobbit Cast announced amid squabbling"

By the way... my husband is a huge fan of Tolkien's books and has read them all.

I can't wait to see the look on his face when I tell him "that one actor I like too much"

will be playing a major character in the movie he has been looking so forward to seeing. :)

Mwaaa-haaaa-haaaa!!! *evil laugh*

Here, there or underwear.

According to THIS article,

Lucas is the character Richard has enjoyed playing the most so far.

I was surprised by that answer.  I don't know why, but I thought it would be Gisborne.

(Although, wearing layers of black leather in the summer was probably not fun.)

Now, about that Australian fan who sent Richard some underpants...

as I already mentioned HERE, I have a confession:

It was I!!! Using my Lucas-inspired super-sneaky agent skills,

I am the one who sent Richard the underpants, pretending to be an Australian.

(I even signed it "Love, Mulubinba" and provided a link to the RA Viewers Perspective blog.)

I'm a little insulted to know dearest Richie hasn't even taken those

Fruit of the Looms out of their package.  I  went to the trouble of tracking down

some limited edition adult-sized superhero briefs just for him! 

Apparently the fashion sense he says he lacks

applies to underwear too if he doesn't think they're awesome.

I'm going to have to rethink my level of admiration for the guy now.

Edit: In case you didn't know, Nat is full of it most of the time.

The only thing she has ever sent RA was that one fan letter.

Richard's TV Appearances Today *Updated*

Richard's Interview on Lorraine's Show with Myleene Klass:
*Remember to pause the blog's background music (bottom of screen) before viewing.*



Cooking segment with Chef Richard Phillips:

Thanks to Heather and Richard Armitage Net for making these available!

Discussion time:

*I feel a little lost without the stubble, but clean-shaven RA
is handsome too. :)  Which do you prefer?
*Why oh why did Myleene have to bring up the circus!?
(-10 -100 points for her.)
*What do you think of the flippy-in-front hair?
It reminds me of his latest BAFTA look, but longer:

You can also see Richard's brief BBC Breakfast appearance today-

"Behind the Scenes with Spooks Stars" HERE.

A Day in the Life of Richard

I read the news today, oh boy.

About a lucky man who made the grade...

If you haven't already, go HERE

and read the Sunday Times article called
"A Day in the Life," featuring Richard.

It's not too long, doesn't have any "Spooks" spoilers,

and takes you through Richard's  normal daily activities.

I really enjoyed this article since it isn't the same old mumbo-jumbo.

In a nutshell, Richard seems to live a normal life...
so why are his ordinary, boring activities so intriguing?
Because it's Richard doing them?

Let's discuss a few points.

*First of all, poor Richard has to get up at 5 am!?

(When he's filming "Spooks.") Ugh!  I'm not a morning person.

Woke up, fell out of bed,

dragged a comb across my head.

found my way downstairs and drank a cup

and looking up, I noticed I was late.

*Richard eats porridge for breakfast.

(You know food would catch my attention.)

Is that the same thing as oatmeal?  That's what I often eat for breakfast!
It's like we're breakfast buddies!

*Richard makes his scrambled eggs in the microwave.

My first thought was "Ew!"  My grandma used to make them that way

and they just didn't taste right.  In a pan, on the stove, over medium heat is my

preferred method... although I'm not here to judge.  You go ahead

and microwave those eggs if you want, Richard.  Just stay away

from the turkey bacon or else I'll have to start calling

you Nancy.  (My grandma's name.)

*Richard has a garden.

I wonder if it's a flower garden or vegetable garden?

Perhaps he strolls out there and does this, ever so seriously:

*Richard has an ipod.

I'd love to know what tunes he listens to.

*Richard eats healthy,

never anything processed.

It was how he was raised.  Good for you, Richard!

*His grandmother worked in a cotton mill.

*Favorite quote: "I'm a bit of a brooder."

Seriously?  That's so odd... I'd never ever associate Richard Armitage with brooding.

*Richard's house is a bit messy

(which he thinks of as organized chaos) 

since he's so busy and doesn't have a cleaner.

I wish that were my excuse.

*Richard gets fixed on a favorite dish

and likes to eat it over and over.

Again, a bonding moment for us.

Why do I like him more whenever I read his thoughts on food?
It's disturbing.

*Richard likes to take a bath before bed.

I love taking a bath at night.  We have so much in common, we should be BFF's!

(Okay, so really we share a few eating habits and both own ipods.  That's probably it.)

I am curious to know if Richard likes bubble baths with a toy submarine?
(Like Chandler on "Friends.")

Is there anything in this article

that particularly that stuck out to YOU?

Thanks to Richard Armitage Net for the goods.

EDIT:  Also, be sure to check out RA Frenzy's take on this article.
It wasn't until after writing this post that I realized she had already covered this topic with her thoughts,
a day before me, plus has quite a few comments on the subject.  (Oops... I guess that's what happens
when there are several of us who blog about the same guy! Not trying to steal anyone's thunder.)

*For those of you who aren't familiar with the Fab Four,

the green, italicized writing in this post are lyrics from the Beatles song "A Day in the Life,"

which is also the name of the Sunday Times article.