19 replies to this topic

[cbc007]

Timothy Dalton has been cast as 'Lord Asriel' in the National Theatre's production of 'His Dark Materials'. The two plays (based on the trilogy of books by Philip Pullman) will run at the Olivier theatre on London's South Bank between December this year and March 2004! For those who know the books this should be a great experience, all the more so with TD in the cast!

x

[scaramanga]

Nice to see Tim has gone back to his roots - the theatre. Might check it out. Thanks for the tip-off cbc007, much appreciated.

[Tarl_Cabot]

Jaelle,take a camera with you and post some pics of London when you go!

[Jaelle]

I have just gotten off the phone with three friends (where we screamed and sounded like the totally irrational and crazed females that we are for minutes on end) and my inbox is deluged with e-mails from all my fellow Dalton fan friends from all over the world! A woman from Japan just sent me an e-mail begging me for more info on cheap ways to get to London (she's never left Japan in her life). We've been waiting for this for 15 FREAKING YEARS!!!!!!!! To describe me as hysterical right now is much too paltry a word. I'd better leave you guys alone, I'm just not fit company today!

[Tarl_Cabot]

Well, have fun! Get some shots for us...

[Jaelle]

Thanks Tarl!

Here's a link for an article with the announcement:

http://www.whatsonst...=E8821062759154

The picture accompanying the article is of Tim's classic Bond pose.

You can also check out more info on the play at the website for the National Theatre:

http://www.nationalt...rg.uk/?lid=6158

[Kingdom Come]

Photographic equipment is not allowed in theatres. For those of you/us who are 'fans' of Dalton - check out The Lion In Winter - film made in 1968 and is a masterpiece.

I remember Dalton having to sell the idea that Bond should/would return to his roots etc and me thinking... 'just you wait and see'!

[SeanValen00V]

I have been thinking about going to this, would be great to see Dalton on stage.

[Triton]

Originally posted by Kingdom Come
For those of you/us who are 'fans' of Dalton - check out The Lion In Winter - film made in 1968 and is a masterpiece.

Yes, it certainly is! The feature film debut of both Timothy Dalton and Anthony Hopkins. The film also won Academy Awards for Katherine Hepburn (Best Actress), John Barry (Best Original Score), and James Goldman (Screenplay based on material from another medium). The cast also includes Peter O'Toole, John Castle, and Nigel Terry (Excalibur).

John Barry certainly earned the Academy Award for his magnificent score! It is one of his best. I know that praise has been heaped on a lot of his scores, but this one is truly remarkable!

Timothy Dalton is brilliant as the young king of France, Philip II. He holds his own with the likes of Peter O'Toole, Katherine Hepburn, and Anthony Hopkins.

I call it my favorite Christmas movie because the story happens during Christmas in 1183.

[Tarl_Cabot]

"Photographic equipment is not allowed in theatres. "

thanks for the info(NS); I'm just another stupid American-I'm glad we cleared that up...

[Kingdom Come]

Don't be too hard on yourself.

[Jaelle]

Originally posted by Triton
Yes, it certainly is! The feature film debut of both Timothy Dalton and Anthony Hopkins. The film also won Academy Awards for Katherine Hepburn (Best Actress), John Barry (Best Original Score), and James Goldman (Screenplay based on material from another medium). The cast also includes Peter O'Toole, John Castle, and Nigel Terry (Excalibur).
John Barry certainly earned the Academy Award for his magnificent score! It is one of his best. I know that praise has been heaped on a lot of his scores, but this one is truly remarkable!
Timothy Dalton is brilliant as the young king of France, Philip II. He holds his own with the likes of Peter O'Toole, Katherine Hepburn, and Anthony Hopkins.
I call it my favorite Christmas movie because the story happens during Christmas in 1183.

Agreed, with everything above. I have the original vinyl LP soundtrack, it's a magnificent score. This film has one of the most *perfect* casts ever in film history, I think. Everyone is just pitch perfect. The close-up on Hopkins' face as he hears Philip tell Henry his true feelings about him still gets me chocked up. Tim's scene with O'Toole is exquisite, as is his scene with Hopkins. O'Toole had seen Tim on stage and chose him specifically for the role of the French king. Hopkins was at the National at the time working under the difficult aegis of Olivier (Olivier gave the approval nod to both Hopkins and Dalton in the early years of their career--he named Hopkins as his understudy at the National and suggested Dalton for the first remake of Wuthering Heights as Heathcliff, the role that had made Olivier famous to US audiences decades before).

Tim has talked a lot about his experience working on that film. In the current issue of Premiere magazine, he was one of the people interviewed for quotes for their special tribute to Kate Hepburn. They quote him 3 times. During his Bond years, Bondage mag. and others commented often about Tim's habit of always being on the set even when he wasn't needed, so that he could be there for the other actors to speak to (while he's off camera). Many actors don't do this. It's one of the many reasons his co-stars call him "generous" - it's part of the professionalism and care he learned esp. from Hepburn. He often tells the story of how she came in to work one day on the "Lion" set when all she had was one line to do. She was told she didn't need to come in. They were filming Tim only that day and she had only one line. But she came in and stayed there the whole day, kneeling on the floor, not being filmed, feeding her line and facial reaction to him. He was very touched and honored by this.

As to Tarl's request for photos....no, pictures are not allowed inside the theater, but fans can often take them at the stage door after the play when the actors come out (and if the actors are so inclined). I saw Tim in 3 plays in the 80s and he was quite amenable to this. It was in 1988's "A Touch of the Poet" that he drew in so many Bond fans who'd never seen a play in their lives and had just come to see him because he was the new James Bond. Tim on stage is an experience. As Hopkins himself said "He's not only better looking than I am, he commands a stage better than I do, damn him."

[Tarl_Cabot]

"As to Tarl's request for photos....no, pictures are not allowed inside the theater, but fans can often take them at the stage door after the play when the actors come out (and if the actors are so inclined). I saw Tim in 3 plays in the 80s and he was quite amenable to this. "

That's what I meant. I was a little sloshed when I wrote that sarcastic reply. Sorry, I had a bad day.

[ChandlerBing]

Timothy Dalton going back to the theater makes a lot of sense, actually. From what I know of the man--not nearly as much as you all--I think he's more comfortable on the stage than in front of the camera. He spent most of the 70s on the stage, turning down a chance to get into mainstream movies after the notices he got with The Lion In Winter. That decision might have been a good thing. Anyone love to recall a lot of the movies Burton did in the 70s? Exorcist 2, anyone? Dalton reminds me a lot of Kevin Kline. Kline is a fine actor, but he actually prefers the stage, unless Larry Kasdan gives him a part. I'm not trying to be ****ty here, either, Daltonites. This actually just reminds me of one of the reasons I didn't care much for Dalton's Bond. He acted like he really didn't want to be there. It was like someone really twisted his arm and laid on a guilt trip to get him to play Bond. Dalton just strikes me as the kind of actor who would rather NOT be a star. He just wants to act. In which case, being in the role of Bond was most likely not what someone of Dalton's temperament was comfortable with really.
I'm not asking for my *** to be handed to me on this board, Daltonites. I'm merely saying that Dalton is more likely more comfortable doing these kinds of parts on the stage than he ever was as Bond.

[Jaelle]

Originally posted by ChandlerBing
Timothy Dalton going back to the theater makes a lot of sense, actually. From what I know of the man--not nearly as much as you all--I think he's more comfortable on the stage than in front of the camera. He spent most of the 70s on the stage, turning down a chance to get into mainstream movies after the notices he got with The Lion In Winter. That decision might have been a good thing. Anyone love to recall a lot of the movies Burton did in the 70s? Exorcist 2, anyone? Dalton reminds me a lot of Kevin Kline. Kline is a fine actor, but he actually prefers the stage, unless Larry Kasdan gives him a part. I'm not trying to be ****ty here, either, Daltonites. This actually just reminds me of one of the reasons I didn't care much for Dalton's Bond. He acted like he really didn't want to be there. It was like someone really twisted his arm and laid on a guilt trip to get him to play Bond. Dalton just strikes me as the kind of actor who would rather NOT be a star. He just wants to act. In which case, being in the role of Bond was most likely not what someone of Dalton's temperament was comfortable with really.
I'm not asking for my *** to be handed to me on this board, Daltonites. I'm merely saying that Dalton is more likely more comfortable doing these kinds of parts on the stage than he ever was as Bond.

No offense taken, Chandler, I understand what you're saying. But I can tell you that Dalton would very much disagree with you. That doesn't necessarily mean that you're wrong (we humans are famous for not recognizing simple plain facts about ourselves after all), it just means that he would tell you that he's quite comfortable working in films. I know many people say that he didn't seem relaxed or comfortable doing Bond. But from reading and viewing his interviews from the mid-80s to the present day, what clearly comes across is his passionate desire to do Bond justice, to bring to life the man he found in the books that he read. Dalton truly loved the character and dedicated himself to portraying the man that he found in the books (whether or not you agree with his views of that man and his interpretation is another issue). Dalton never viewed the Bond films with condescension -- how could he? This is a guy who'd done about four trashy miniseries, an episode of Charlie's Angels and Sextette. He has always vigorously defended doing those miniseries by saying "an actor has to try everything that's out there."

What he did not feel comfortable with was the media exposure, that was clear. Tho as you watch his interviews as the years go by, he began to relax, told jokes more often, spoke much more expansively about the character and the films. And became much more friendly with the press. All he needed was time. And I think he's very comfortable in his TV work like the brilliant performance he put in the excellent British production of Framed (broadcast on A&E back in 1994).

About the stage, he was once quoted as saying "I'm really desperate about the theater" -- he loves it dearly, it's his first acting passion. This is the guy who as a young, hungry actor turned down a $400,000 offer to do a prestigious European film so that he could do a play at the Barbican Theater in London earning a pittance. But he left the stage for 15 years by choice (well, not counting a sold-out 2-day one-man-show 9 years ago at the Hollywood Bowl and a sold-out 2-day appearance with Whoopi at the Hollywood Canteen in "Love Letters" back about 10 years ago).

Interesting that you mention Kevin Kline. Kline was Fran Drescher's first choice for the Beautician & the Beast. Kline initially said yes then had to back out because of a stage offer he wanted to do.

[ChandlerBing]

Kevin Kline just reminded me of Dalton. Always popping up in something, but never going for the big starry parts. Both have been acting for a long time, but are very private, and just keep plugging away.

[TheSaint]

I'd rather see Dalton back on some stage, UK or US, then see him in that upcoming Looney Tunes debacle!

[ChandlerBing]

Maybe he is just doing it for his kid or something. A lot of actors do them so their kids can watch something of theirs while they are young.

[Jaelle]

Well I went thru all of that whole Looney Tunes thing on another thread. His manager told a friend of mine who runs one of Tim's websites that his son Alexander (6 years old) is a big fan of Bugs Bunny, so I hope he did it for that reason. I'll be going into the movie theater cringing every step of the way.

By the way, in comparison to the other Bond actors, Tim's prior theatrical film experience before doing Bond stands up very well. He'd done 12 theatrical films before TLD, five of them as the male lead. And in the rest, in none of them did he play bit parts, they were all major supporting roles. Several of them were high-profile films with big names attached to them (Agatha, Lion in Winter, Cromwell, Mary Queen of Scots, Le Voyeur, Permission to Kill, Doctor & the Devils, Wuthering Heights). Tim has always been described as a "renaissance" actor who moves easily between film, stage and TV; a guy whose career is a combination of "crass and class." (That's typical of British actors, tho---they move between all 3 venues much more frequently and easily than American actors. In the UK you can see Judi Dench doing a TV series one moment and a big Hollywood movie the next. You can't say that about, say, Meryl Streep.)

When Pierce was first hired as Bond in 1986, he'd only done about 4 or 5 theatrical films and none of them were lead roles. By the time GE came around, he'd done about 12 theatrical films with only a couple of them being lead roles. Before Roger started as Bond he'd done about 17 theatrical films and about 7 of them were in tiny bit parts that went uncredited, and almost none were lead roles. When Sean started as Bond, he'd done about 9 theatrical films and none of them had been lead roles.

So if we're just talking about "comfort level" doing theatrical films, Tim had more expeience than at least two of the other Bond actors.

[Jaelle]

Here is a further update. This production looks like it will be akin to The Lion King and a screenplay is already being written for the film. The UK newspaper The Observer put HIS DARK MATERIALS as #12 out of 50 in its list of the most exciting things to do in London this coming Autumn/Winter.
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His Dark Materials is Number 12 in The Observer ...(21st September 2003)

Nicholas Hytner's National Theatre will take one of its boldest leaps later this year, with the staging of Philip Pullman's trilogy, adapted by Nicholas Wright as two complete plays which audiences will see together on one day, or separately. Hytner, who directs, thinks of His Dark Materials as 'the defining epic' of the era, one that 'invents a new mythology for a secular age' - and in doing so, presents a challenge to which the National must respond. It promises to do so spectacularly. After the 'aesthetic austerity' of his