#Lucas North/John Bateman
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Betrayal (17) - FINALE.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16
Masterlist of fan fiction
Fandom: Crossover of Spooks and Pilgrimage (Modern AU)
Pairings: Lucas North x OC/Raymond de Merville x OC
Warnings: Love triangle. Angst. Language. Sexual references/language. Cheating. Stalking. Some spoilers from season 9. Su*cide. Grief.
Summary: Amy Holland is Lucas North’s girlfriend of six months. Amy is aware of his job as an MI-5 agent and supports him. However, Lucas’ cousin, Raymond de Merville, has always loved Amy and uses their one night stand together as leverage for something more.
Comments/Notes: If you wish to be tagged in any of my tag lists for fics or characters, please let me know, and stipulate what you want to be tagged in. I’m gradually removing people from my tag lists who do not interact.
If you enjoy this fic, please remember that a reblog is always much appreciated and helps us writers out immensely with getting our fics circulated. <3
There is an explicit warning in this chapter for su*cide. Please read with caution if you feel that it something that may affect you.
This will be the final instalment of this fic, so thank you to everyone who has come along on the journey with me. I appreciate all of you so much.
ONE YEAR LATER
Amy crouched at the gravestone, reading the name John Bateman in gold, italic lettering. Tears dripped down her cheeks as she placed a small bunch of white roses into the font. "I'm sorry, Lucas," she whispered. She said those words every day, still carrying the guilt for his passing. In his sheer terror at the thought of being imprisoned again, after living a lie and carrying another man's name, John Bateman, threw himself from the roof of Thames House in London.
Raymond took Amy's hand in his and helped her back up to her full height. "Come here," he whispered, and took her into his arms.
Amy remembered the funeral, a tiny gathering of only her, Raymond and a vicar, to commend John Bateman to ashes and his final resting place. None of his colleagues had come to the service; none of his family wanted anything to do with the man being laid to rest. Only Raymond and Amy showed any kind of care and compassion.
Back at the car, Amy got in the passenger seat. Her eyes remained focused on her hands which were fidgeting in her lap.
Raymond took a deep intake of breath as he got back in the car. Every day and he saw the pain she carried with her, the guilt of Lucas' death. He knew that she blamed herself for not stopping him taking his life. None of the counselling seemed to be helping her, and all Raymond wanted was to see her smile again...properly.
"Aim?"
"Mhmm?"
"He wouldn't want you to live like this, you know?" Raymond said softly, turning towards her. "I think I knew him enough to know that he'd never want you carrying guilt on your shoulders. When he took his life, that was his choice. There was no way you could have stopped him."
"How do I know that?" Amy looked at Raymond with a watery gaze. "Will I ever really know?"
"No, you won't, but his choice isn't something that should define you. Amy, I want to see you live. Don't you think it kills me seeing you like this day after day? Everything that John did was his choice alone. We go over this so many times, and I don't think even your counsellor is getting through to you either."
"I was one of the last people he spoke to, and I heard all that pain in his voice," Amy began. Then the sadness overtook her again, the hole in her gut opening up and outwards.
"Amy, please?" Raymond begged. He reached over the space between them and held her face in his hands. "I love you so much, and I just want to see you smile." Tears also fell down his cheeks. He peppered her face in kisses. "I'd do anything to take this pain from you. Blame me if you need to, just...stop carrying this."
***
A week after Amy and Raymond's trip to London to visit Lucas' grave, Amy stood in from of her bathroom mirror. She looked at the the two pink lines. Positive. It didn't comprehend for the first few seconds, and then she gasped, dropping the white test into the sink with shaking hands.
Raymond let himself in to the two bedroom flat he shared with Amy in Coventry. After a near twelve hours at work, he was ready to have an early night. The flat was quiet, he noticed. Normally if Amy was home before him then music would be playing, and tonight should have been one of those nights.
He placed his keys down onto a small table in the hallway and then followed it down into the kitchen at the end. She wasn't there. He checked the living room. She wasn't there.
"Amy?" he called.
"In here. I'm in the bathroom."
Raymond opened the bathroom door to see Amy sat on the toilet lid. She was holding a small white object in her hand, and she was smiling. It was a contented smile, a smile that made its way to her eyes.
She lifted the object to Raymond for him to look at it. "I'm pregnant," she said simply.
Raymond stared at Amy, speechless. Like her, the news didn't comprehend immediately. And then it hit. He was going to be a father. The second part of his dream had come true. Not only did he have Amy, the woman he loved, but she was carrying their baby.
Amy waited, growing nervous at Raymond's lack of response. Until his whole face changed and he beamed. He grabbed her tight and pulled her to him, and together they kissed.
As they parted, Amy saw tears in Raymond's eyes. "Our little de Merville baby," Amy said, smiling from ear to ear.
Without another word, Raymond got to his knee and took Amy's hand. "I intend to make you one, too. Will you marry me?"
Amy couldn't help but let the sheer joy of what was happening over take her completely. Tears fell down her cheeks, and she threw herself and Raymond into another tight, love-filled embrace. "Yes. I'd want nothing more."
FIN.
***
Follow Forever tag list: @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @knittastically @meganlpie @luna-xial @middleearthpixie @eunoiaastralwings @asgardianhobbit98 @linasofia @guardianofrivendell @rachel1959 @msjava1972 @xxbyimm @sunflwrnsunnieshine @tschrist1 @quiall321
#Raymond de Merville#Pilgrimage#Modern Raymond de Merville#Modern AU#Crossover#Raymond de Merville x OC#Lucas North/John Bateman#Lucas North#Lucas North x OC#Spooks#MI-5
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“I regret to have to inform you that, as of this moment, our former section chief, Lucas North, is to be regarded as a rogue officer. He is believed to be in pursuit of information, which, if it fell into the wrong hands, would pose an unprecedented threat to national security. I don’t need to remind you that he is a skilled, resourceful and dangerous operative. Our main priority is to find him and bring him in, whatever the cost.”
–––––– #SpyNorth. John Bateman (”Lucas North”) from bbc’s spooks ©
#self promo ;#jimberly really out did it on this one#anyways my little sea rats -#i run on coffee and validation#and unfounded criticism#and i plan on being here today#so support the lucas and lucas train
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2,6,7 and 9 !
spread the love // @spynorth // accepting
What’s a roleplay blog whose writing style you admire?
@trickstercaptain - One of my oldest rp friends and someone who’s writing I have always admired. Lottie is simply a very talented writer. I don’t even know where to begin, but I guess the biggest thing that comes to mind is that they are excellent at ‘show don’t tell’. I’m obviously most familiar with their portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow. He’s not the most emotionally honest character but they manage to portray his complexities in such a well fashioned manner. They do that for all their muses though. They’re someone who prefers to do deep dives on their muses and really get into the nitty gritty of what makes them tick. Aka my kind of person.
@hlsng / @cravensw0rth - It can be especially hard to capture a characters voice but this is something I’ve seen jayne do very well. When I read the dialogue of their replies I clearly hear the characters voice behind each. Furthermore, each muse they write is made distinct in their replies. You can sense Guillermo’s apprehension or Laszlo’s passion through their writing. I don’t know, they’re just someone who has been a more recent (but very welcome) addition to my dash.
@munsontm / @goldenngore - I’ll admit, sometimes I read Frankenstein’s thread replies just for inspiration. They’re an excellent writer but what stands out most to me is that they do a great job of setting the scene and having the environment interact with their muse. So often if feels like two muses are interacting in vague black hole, but Frankenstein knows how to color in their threads and really pull you into the scene.
What’s a roleplay blog who’s an absolute joy to talk to ooc?
@lighthouseborn - Hannah is a really fun person to talk to. They have so many ideas about Henry, Shipwreck, and the PoTC universe at large. I always love to pick their brain and read their dissections of Henry. They just have so much passion for their muse and it can be contagious.
@musecraft / @harringtontm + @trickstercaptain - The two people I talk to on a near daily basis. Lottie and Rosemary are the bomb-diggity
What’s a roleplay blog you love whose character you didn’t know until you started writing with them?
@spynorth / @piraticalwit - I still have no fucking clue who Lucas North is or why you occasionally call him John Bateman. I technically knew of Hook but not your Hook and at this point I feel like anything OTHER THAN your Hook would be a disappointment. I don’t know what the point of this is other than me saying that I love you, Lucas, and I hope one day you’ll rp a muse I’m actually familiar with (but also I hope you don’t because it’s funnier this way).
@azmenka - LISTEN I’m on the wrong blog for this because technically Maron has only interacted with Teague, but I wanna say that Hannah has done such an excellent job with Maron Greyjoy. Technically he is dead in the books so it was impossible to know the character. But at this point I don’t care. They have saved Maron from GRRM’s grimy clutches and developed him into a splendidly smarmy character whom myself and Teague have grown to enjoy immensely.
What’s a roleplay blog whose dedication you admire?
@musecraft - Rosemary is one of the most creative people I’ve met on this platform. They have quickly become one of my favourite people to plot with and their ability to mold different muses into a variety of verses is unparalleled. Like, they do such an excellent job with developing each muse in a variety of verses and seeing how it all turns out. It’s like watching master chef Gordon Ramsey except instead of hurling insults at you, they’re throwing words of encouragement and hugs. Truly a fabulous person and a fabulous writing partner.
@matriiiarch - Someone I’ve admired from afar for a few months. I’m a sucker for muns who are able to weave cohesive plots across a thread and set up established timelines, lore, canon, etc. They’ve managed to do that with their Gomez and I find it really splendid to read/watch their threads together develop. I think they’ve built something very unique on their blog and it’s a joy to have them on my dash.
@therelentless - I’ve said this before but pluto has taken a comedic character and given him layers while maintaining his character voice and overall personality. They have kept Nandor funny while fleshing out his backstory. They have expanded his character while not shirking away from what makes Nandor such a mess to begin with. They have really dedicated themselves to keeping Nandor at his most authentic self and it’s always nice to see someone so dedicated to developing their muse without changing them for the sake of plots or ships or whatever else. Pluto is someone I would want to follow even if I wasn’t a fan of WWDIT because I simply admire how much they care about their muse and doing him justice (which they do).
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So...just to point out. I am not roleplaying Lucas North. Lucas Bateman is John Bateman/Lucas North's twin brother. (OC because it wasn't mentioned if he had siblings). Lucas and John were close until they lost touch and Lucas never heard from him since. He had no idea he joined MI5, or even used a different name.
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https://mezzmerizedbyrichard.tumblr.com/post/689450305229930496/heathfeath26-a-set-of-screen-caps-of-richard
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Lucas North / John Bateman - Richard Armitage [Spooks]
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Close your eyes, you’ll remember.
Close your eyes.
#lucas north#lucas and maya#john bateman#spooks#MI5#bbc#maya lahan#richard armitage#richard crispin armitage#laila rouass
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Lucas North/John Bateman ~ Spooks S9
Apart from the first 3-4 episodes, I prefer to pretend that S9 never happened, but there’s no denying Richard’s powerhouse performance is worth as least one watch. If I recall correctly, (some?) episodes were filmed out of order, which makes Richard’s portrayal even more astounding....Lucas or Lucas/John or John?
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And the United States once again cried crocodile tears
And the United States once again cried crocodile tears
Mutatis mutandis. “You’ll sit in your office and drink whiskey, and feel sorry for yourself, and you’ll tell people what you told me once, this job we do is a machine, good people go in and get chewed up and get spat out, that’s how you make sense of it.” “
View On WordPress
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The blogs you can find me on:
Lucas North / John Bateman / MI5 Officer, Spy ( Spooks S7 - S9 )
Dr. Jonathan Reid / Doctor, Vampire, Ekon ( Vampyr, 2018 )
Rassilon / Time Lord ( Doctor Who )
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Betrayal (16)
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15
Masterlist of fan fiction
Fandom: Crossover of Spooks and Pilgrimage (Modern AU)
Pairings: Lucas North x OC/Raymond de Merville x OC
Warnings: Love triangle. Angst. Language. Sexual references/language. Cheating. Stalking. Some spoilers from season 9. Su*cide.
Summary: Amy Holland is Lucas North’s girlfriend of six months. Amy is aware of his job as an MI-5 agent and supports him. However, Lucas’ cousin, Raymond de Merville, has always loved Amy and uses their one night stand together as leverage for something more.
Comments/Notes: If you wish to be tagged in any of my tag lists for fics or characters, please let me know, and stipulate what you want to be tagged in. I’m gradually removing people from my tag lists who do not interact.
If you enjoy this fic, please remember that a reblog is always much appreciated and helps us writers out immensely with getting our fics circulated. <3
There is an explicit warning in this chapter for su*cide. Please read with caution if you feel that it something that may affect you.
Amy remained at Raymond's side for the rest of the evening, and gradually darkness began to fall over the world outside. Droplets of rain patted against the window, and for a few seconds, Amy stood by the window and peered out. She was wondering where Lucas was and what was happening to him.
"Are you okay?" Raymond asked, watching Amy from across the room.
"I'm just wondering what will happen to Lucas," she said, but remained turned away from Raymond. The police had been, and questioned both of them. Neither of them had uttered a word in regards to Lucas' real identity. That was not something they wanted on their conscience. Surely Lucas would be thrown into prison for identity theft. For the first time since Amy had discovered who he really was, she burst into tears. "Everything has been a lie."
"Aim, come here," Raymond urged.
Amy swept across the room and leaned over the bed, falling into an embrace. She felt Raymond kiss her head. "I know what he did, but I can't just wipe out all the feelings I've had for him, you know? I still care about him."
"That's natural. I get that," Raymond replied. He was still holding her. "You can't fall out of love with someone completely overnight. That's impossible."
"How many times have you been in love?" Amy asked. Her green gaze met his.
Raymond looked at her tear streaked face and smiled. "Twice."
"Really? I'd have imagined you'd have been in love more than that. I've only been in love twice, too. Who have you been in love with?"
"The first person is obvious," Raymond chuckled. "Someone who isn't a million miles away from me now. The first time I fell in love was with a woman I worked with at my very first job before I enlisted in the army."
"What happened?"
"Unrequited. And she was married."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Amy said softly.
"Nothing to be sorry for. Between her and you, I just never found the right person. Well, she wasn't the right person. That right person is you."
"How can you be so sure?"
"How can you not be?" Raymond asked. His tone was stern. "I watched you with Lucas; how attentive you always were to him, the way you looked at him, how happy you made him. No wonder he always called you his angel. But when I think of all the guilt you carried around for months because of sleeping with me, but I knew the secret he was hiding. I always knew that you couldn't stay with him, Aim. One day he would lead you into danger."
***
Amy remained with Raymond overnight, sleeping awkwardly in the chair that was next to his bed. All night, they held hands, their arms outstretched to one another. However, the officer the unknown caller had mentioned, never came that day.
Raymond was checked that morning. The doctors were happy with the progress he had already made in twenty four hours. His pain relief was administered through his IV and the dressing on his stomach changed.
Early afternoon, a call came through to the ward. The call was transferred through to the portable telephone which was just outside Raymond's private room. A nurse rolled the phone inside and handed the receiver to Amy. Her hands were shaking at the thought of who this could be.
"Amy Holland?" a male voice came.
"Y...yes. Who is this?"
"It doesn't matter who I am. I'm with Lucas and he wishes to speak to you."
The voice of the man was the same as the unknown caller the afternoon previous. It was professional and straight to the point.
"Amy?" Lucas' voice came. Immediately she could hear that he was crying.
Raymond watched on, his eyes studying Amy and his jaw clenched in apprehension. "Who is it?" he asked. "You don't have to talk to them."
"Lucas?" Amy asked. "What's happening?"
"I needed to talk to you one last time, angel." Then she heard a sob. "I'm sorry, for everything I put you through. I can't go back to prison, Aim, I can't." There was more sobbing.
"Lucas, please," Amy begged. "You need to be strong."
"But I'm not. Raymond kept my secret, and I owe him for that. He deserves you so much more than I ever did. Makes sure he looks after you. This world doesn't need me."
"Stop talking like that. Please."
"I can't do this anymore, angel. I love you so much."
"Lucas, please."
"Bye, Aim. Maybe we'll meet again on the other side."
Amy could only hear wind gusts in the background and then nothing at all. She gasped, still asking for him but knowing that the line had been terminated. Panicked, she dropped to the floor on her knees.
"Aim? Fucking hell. What's happening?" He shouted for a nurse, and within a few seconds, a young woman came rushing in.
She helped Amy up from the floor and into a seat. Amy continued sobbing, gasping for breath.
Raymond reached over and grabbed her hand. "I'm here. I'm here."
"I think he's going to kill himself," Amy wept.
Raymond dragged himself out of bed, gritting his teeth through pain, and took Amy in his arms, where she wept. The pain was ripping through his stomach, but she was more important in those moments. Embracing her, comforting her.
The nurse who had come into the room to help Amy called out to Raymond, advising him not to move out of the bed. But he grit his teeth at her, and his steel blue eyes bore into her with such intensity that she backed off in nervousness.
"Maybe I could have stopped him?" Amy sobbed, her voice shaking. "I should have been able to stop him...."
"Amy," Raymond said. "Look at me."
She looked up at him.
"You couldn't have stopped any of this. Please, please...Just....don't blame yourself. We don't even know yet if he went through with it."
***
Follow Forever tag list: @lathalea @i-did-not-mean-to @linasofia @xxbyimm @guardianofrivendell @knitastically @middleearthpixie @meganlpie @msjava1972 @asgardianhobbit98 @luna-xial @rachel1959 @sunflwrnsunnieshine @eunoiaastralwings @tschrist1 @quiall321
#Raymond de Merville#Pilgrimage#Raymond de Merville x OC#Modern Raymond de Merville#Crossover#Fanfiction#Lucas North#Lucas North x OC#Lucas North/John Bateman#Richard Armitage#Spooks#MI-5
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🔥
unpopular opinion time.
here's a big one that I was talking about with a friend the other day .. when people say all portrayals are valid ... I think that's really stupid. All portrayals of original characters are valid ... but when it comes to canon muses, I don't know where people get off saying you can butcher a characterization/the core of a character and their canon and still be 'valid' in how you're interpreting that character. And I'm not talking about canon divergences, I'm all for those. But the belief that I could take a Lucas North blog and say 'I don't think John Bateman would have followed in Lucas North's footsteps to MI5 after killing him. I think he would become involved in interpretive dance and work through his trauma and choreograph an apology to Lucas' ghost that way." and be told I'm 'valid' is completely fucking asinine. I see blogs and I just sit there like .. are you fucking kidding me??? I don't know what you are doing, mate, but that ain't valid.
#djhjfhfjfh i dont even know if i was able to properly able to express how feral this makes me#but we all know what i'm talking about.
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I’VE BEEN INFORMED THAT I’VE BEEN ERASING ONE OF MY MOST IMPORTANT MUSES
THIS IS DOORMAYA. SHE LOVES LUCAS NORTH JOHN BATEMAN. SHE’S A DOCTOR. SHE’S PRETTY. IF YOU WANT TO RP WITH HER YOU CAN FIND HER AT @doormaya
#her name is doormaya because she's a doormat for manpain#also fuck you Thera mun and fuck you SatanFish#how dare you remind me I actually made a blog for her
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I was going to post my contribution to the Mystery Blogger Award today, but have decided that I must record my thoughts on yesterday’s podcast by Christopher Maynard of Following Films with Richard Armitage. I am going to lean far out of the metaphorical window here and say that it was a near-perfect interview. And what a surprise, too, sprung on us some time yesterday afternoon (GMT) by way of a call for questions.
And the resulting podcast was an even bigger surprise. Not only because it actually arrived when it said it would (the same night unlike some other sites who keep tapping us for questions and likes and then never deliver the goods…), but because it turned out to be a *proper* interview, not just a mini Q&A but a veritable 41 minutes long! For posterity – here it is linked below. I suggest you keep these visuals in sight when listening to it.
An intense phone interview…
Both gifs snaffled from PreoccupiedwithArmitage
https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/followingfilms/episodes/2017-10-29T15_20_30-07_00
So why is this an outstanding interview? Because it is a calm, long conversation rather than a short sensational quiz. Interviewer Chris Maynard gives Armitage space to expand his thoughts – not just to get the usual information about the release date of his latest work across, but to actually talk about his process and experience on Sleepwalker. The interviewer asks considered questions that cannot just be answered with a simple yes/no or a one-sentence anecdote, but demand careful answers. The whole interview feels less like a Hollywood entertainment show between a celebrity reporter and a movie star, but much more like an in-depth conversation between two interested equals. And as such, Maynard manages to draw out so much more from Armitage than most promo interviews that stay at the surface because they are after the funny anecdotes and need short sound-bites.
Armitage, in turn, is a true pleasure to listen to. It’s not just his beautiful diction, the way he expresses his thoughts in supple, measured sentences – but also the passion when he’s touching on issues that excite him. I even like the little pauses he makes – a sign of an active mind searching for the right word and the right thought to answer a question in a careful, deliberate way, considering language very carefully.
Yeah, no one believed that Bateman was real… In fact many of us were rightly pissed-off that the BBC fobbed us off in such a cheap way… Final scene of Lucas North in Spooks 9
It’s actually the glimpse of the workings of this actor’s mind – his approach to details of his work, the insights into his work on set, the context he puts his work in, both in terms of practical anchoring of a character’s actions, as well as their supposed subconscious. From my notes I can see that I particularly was struck by his audience awareness. And by that I don’t mean that he was aware of who was likely to be listening to the podcast (and for whom he was thus adjusting his statements) but his general awareness of the audience who will perceive his work. For instance, when talking about Sleepwalker, he touches upon the risk the filmmaker is taking by leaving the film somewhat ambiguous – and Armitage shows his audience awareness by conceding that ambiguity is tricky for an audience. Or around the 11:00 minute mark, Armitage uses the Lucas North/John Bateman dichotomy as an example for the importance of taking the audience seriously. These little tidbits resonate with me because they exactly touch on things that *I* struggled with in the respective film/show. Whether Armitage agrees with my POV or supports the filmmakers’ decisions is not really the point – for *me* the point is that he is *aware* of audience reactions.
Other bits that resonated with me:
Armitage on himself: “not a performer or a showman”, “would rather like to be observed than push something to the audience” – as in ‘quietly doing his job’ rather than ‘pointedly pretending to be someone’? Or ‘being a character’ rather than ‘pretending to be a character’? ‘Method acting’?
The gratification that is in the work: “the riches are not financial but artistic”
And total bonus: His laugh at 31:50 Someone make a ringtone out of that, please
Oh, and Armitage inadvertently answering my question re. the playlist for Scott White. Interesting answers – he mentions Max Richter and Mica Levi, both producing suitably “atmospheric” music for a film that is dealing with the subconscious. Have a listen to these two samples of their work – they both sound to me as if they could’ve been on Armitage’s playlist (although he doesn’t mention the exact pieces)
Self-indulgent Guylty guilty plus: Interviewer Christopher Maynard even acknowledged the input from fans who submitted questions right at the end of the podcast. That’s a definite first. Thank you for that!
So, a really nice interview – I really liked what I heard. Not least because it will provide more fodder for my imaginary version of the Armitage, considered actor, assured talker. Over and out.
On Hearing Richard I was going to post my contribution to the Mystery Blogger Award today, but have decided that I must record my thoughts on yesterday's podcast by Christopher Maynard of Following Films with Richard Armitage.
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Richard Armitage: 'I’m a bit mean. I haven’t got a nice-guy face’
Source: telegraph.co.uk
By Jasper Rees
7:00AM BST 22 Jul 2011
Richard Armitage talks to Jasper Reesabout his penchant for playing tough nuts, including his latest role as a Nazi in the superhero movie 'Captain America’ .
Is there a harder hard man? A more dastardly villain? He incarnates SAS author Chris Ryan in the Sky series Strike Back, was Robin Hood’s scowling nemesis Guy of Gisborne, and infamously revealed himself as a ruthless killer - not nice Lucas North but nasty John Bateman - in the most recent series of the BBC’s Spooks. And now he’s playing a cold-hearted Nazi infiltrator in the much anticipated whizzbangy film version of Captain America.
In person, of course, Richard Armitage turns out to be the softest pussycat. Not to look at, of course. He’s six foot something and mostly consists of granite and stubble. But the voice is on the quiet side, and he radiates an air of proper humility. So why is he never Mr Nice on screen?
“I suppose I’m a bit mean. My face on camera doesn’t lend itself to happy nice guys. I think it’s just that my bone structure looks menacing. I don’t smile that often.”
He duly smiles, enchantingly, at the absurdity of the gap between image and reality. “Somebody asked me after I’d done all that training for Strike Back, 'Could you go out and work with the SAS?’ I thought, what a ridiculous question. It’s about replicating a look.”
He even thinks he may qualify as a wimp. In Captain America: The First Avenger, the latest cinematic take on a Marvel Comics superhero, Armitage is once more rotten to the core. He plays Heinz Kruger, a Teutonic assassin who at one point is involved in a super-macho underwater tussle. Only one problem.
“I am just not a water baby. I can swim but I just don’t. Everyone else is jumping in and I’ll go, ’You know what? I’ll just stand on the side.’
“I did four weeks of scuba training for the sequence and made myself do fifty lengths every day. Then we were at the bottom of a tank and there was ten metres above you.” All 15 or 16 stone of him shudders at the memory of the moment the divers confiscated his goggles and breathing line. “They had put a microphone in the water so you could hear them say, 'Just waiting for the bubbles to clear.’ I’m at the bottom of the tank thinking, I’ve taken a deep breath but I haven’t got enough air. When they asked me to do it again I was sitting in the dressing room crying, 'I can’t!’”
In another scene they put him in an empty box within a container filled with water. “They wanted to smash a window and the water rush in quickly. They’d put all the safety things in place but you can’t fool the brain: you have a fight-or-flight mechanism that you can’t control. I smashed the roof off.”
Armitage’s modest portrait of himself as the reluctant stuntman is slightly tarnished when he reveals that, to prepare for a scene in Spooks, he became perhaps the first person in the history of torture to volunteer for waterboarding. “They put a wet cloth over your nostrils and your mouth, hold it tight and pour water into it. It’s like suffocating underwater. I think I managed five seconds. I got the glimmer of something I could replicate: total terror, a certain sound, and the spasm the body does when you feel it.”
The young Armitage, growing up eager to act, ran off to the circus in Budapest at the age of 19 to get his Equity card. It’s a less than romantic memory. “The best grounding it gave me was that I couldn’t stoop any lower than sleeping next to an elephant and throwing a hula-hoop to a skateboarder. It was pretty grim. Two Russian guys taught me to do a back flip with two towels.” Could he do one now, aged 39? “No way.”
After drama school he guessed his future was in theatre. Spear-carrying at the RSC cured him of that assumption. He understudied in one hatchet-faced tragedy that went on tour. “We limped around and I saw audiences being tortured by our production. That put me off. I’m not much of a show-off. I don’t really go after that kind of applause.”
Screen acting didn’t go much better until one day he went into an audition for the BBC drama Sparkhouse in character as a grouchy Northern farmer. “It came out of real frustration of not getting anything. Normally I’d go in with my hair all brushed and polished. It was the first time I’ve played a character over four episodes with an arc.”
His gruff mill-owner in Mrs Gaskell’s North and South followed, as did his betrothal to Dawn French in The Vicar of Dibley. He’s even played Monet in a drama doc.
But there’s no getting round his physique. He got Strike Back, he says, because “somebody must have turned it down. I thought, this is your bog-standard boys-with-toys story. The challenge was to find the human interest inside a war machine story.”
When Spooks came round, he’d not seen more than a few episodes of the first series. “They hadn’t written the part. They wanted to bring in a character who had quite a complicated back story so they could then feed off that.” Even Armitage was surprised by the sudden stripping away of Lucas North’s carapace. “They kept it from me at the end that he did know there was a bomb in the bag. There’s me thinking that he’s done a good thing.”
One day he’d like to have a go at ultimate baddie Richard III. For the next two years Armitage will be flying back and forth to New Zealand to play a dwarf in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit. Not a small dwarf, mind. “I’m carrying 20 kilos of costume and weights so I’m doing load of lower back and leg exercises.”
Is that a drag for an actor keen to stay in touch with his inner softie? “I want to be strong enough to cope with the roles, but I don’t want to be cast as the guy that takes his shirt off. I’m looking forward to getting fat and old so I don’t have to lift weights.”
Captain America is released next Friday
#he is not a water baby#me neither#we have a lots of things in common#that's strange#and also charming#:)#richardinterview#BerlinBoy
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