The early word on The Weinstein Company‘s The Imitation Gameis that it’s headed for Oscar gold after enjoying a successful run at film festivals in both the US and UK, beginning with the Telluride Film Festival where it made its world premiere, followed by the Toronto International Film Festival where it won the top prize People’s Choice Award for Best Film, the Hampton’s Film Festival where it took the Audience Award once again…to its rave reviews at the recent 58th BFI London Film Festival. Harvey Weinstein seems to have the Midas Touch when picking out Oscar-worthy films.
The Imitation Game could be headed for Oscar gold!
The Imitation Game, which tells the story of World War II hero, Alan Turing, who cracked the German Enigma code, stars Britain’s hottest export, Emmy Award-winning Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch in what very well may be his first Oscar nominated performance. Cumberbatch has already been nominated in the Lead Actor category at the British Independent Film Awards along with Co-star Keira Knightley, and we expect more to come as the award season gets underway.
Opening Night Gala at the BIF London Film Festival
Adapted by Graham Moore from Andrew Hodges‘ book Alan Turing: The Enigma, the history-inspired period drama is directed by Morten Tyldem who spoke to us about how important it was to bring Turing’s story to the big screen and what made him think of Cumberbatch in the lead role. We also spoke with Imitation Game co-star Allen Leech and got his thoughts on his fellow castmate as well.
The British actor with the most unusual name is now on everyone’s lips after coming off the most amazing two years of projects starting with his acclaimed role as Sherlock Holmes, to last year’s villainous Khan in Star Trek: Into Darkness, headlining The Fifth Estate as Wikileaks founder Julian Assange,a small but note-worthy role in August: Osage County, voicing the role of Smaug the ferocious fire-drake in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug to his role in the Academy Award winning film, 12 Years A Slave…Cumberbatch has been on fire, and it doesn’t look like things are going to slow down for him in the coming years. You would think it would create jealousy however, Cumberbatch elicits the exact opposite from industry peers and fans alike. Hear what people are saying about Benedict Cumberbatch and his amazing talents as an actor:
Despite international fame being thrust upon him, Cumberbatch is still very serious about his work. He spoke to BBC about his portrayal of British mathematician Turing, and what it meant to play him: “To be asked to play such a phenomenal human being – a true English hero – is a great honour and comes with a great responsibility,” Cumberbatch said, adding that he knew ”embarrassing little” about Turning prior to signing on to the film. He continued, “That’s the tragedy of this man’s extraordinary life – his achievements and his heroism and his criminal prosecution are not well known. He should be on the front cover of text books.”
Cumberbatch on his way to Oscar!
The Imitation Game, which also features Mark Strong, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear and Charles Dance, opens in the UK on November 14th and in the US on November 28th.
Lady Anglophile….ballot in hand and ready to vote!
British and Hollywood royalty alike shared the red carpet on Thursday night as the stars came out for the 2014 BAFTA Los Angeles Jaguar Britannia Awards.
The glittering night included British Honorees Dame Judi Dench, Emma Watson, Mike Leigh, along with American honorees Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo and Julia Louis Drefus. Joining them were a host of exciting film and television stars such as Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who), Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Allen Leech (Downton Abbey), Stephen Mangan (Episodes) and Ceclia Imrie (The Second Best Marigold Hotel) and Hollywood legend, Dustin Hoffman…just to name a few!
The Anglophile Channel was honored to be on the red carpet to chat with many honorees, dignitaries and presenters. Here are some of our favorite moments:
The Britannia Award is the highest accolade presented by BAFTA/LA and is a celebration of achievement honoring individuals and companies from the US, UK and beyond who have dedicated their careers or corporate missions to advancing the art-forms of the moving image.
This year’s ceremony was once again, hosted by comedian, Rob Brydon who threw down another “impression challenge” for his “The Trip” co-star, Steve Coogan:
What we love about events like this is the combination of legendary artists such as Dame Judi, mixed with the younger generation of talent, such as Emma Watson who represents the future of the entertainment industry. Absolutely electric.
Two of our favorites: Dame Judi Dench and Emma Watson
Dame Judi was honored with Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Entertainmentfor her amazing six-decade career, while Emma Watson was honored with the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year. Dench regaled the crowd with a story of being told that she would never be in films due to her ‘face not being properly arranged’, along with the revelation that she has Harvey Weinstein’s tattoo on her ”bum”…and THAT’S why we love Dame Judi!~
In Watson’s acceptance speech she spoke of her years growing up on the Harry Potter set, and how the British film industry has been more than just a workplace for her, it became her second home, a surrogate family if you will. She dedicated her award to her hamster Millie who met with an untimely demise during the filming the first Potter film.
Emma Watson accepts the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year
Our main focus at The Anglophile Channel is celebrating and promoting all things in British Entertainment, Arts & Culture…therefore, going after celebrity interviews is not always our main objective. Having the opportunity to speak to British dignitaries is equally important to us and is as great…if not greater…an honor. Such was the case when British Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott, British Consul-General Chris O’Connor and BAFTA/LA Chairman Nigel Daley all stopped by to chat with us on the red carpet!
Lady Westmacott, Sir Peter Westmacott, British Consul General in Los Angeles Chris O’Connor and Martha O’Connor attend the BAFTA Los Angeles Jaguar Britannia Awards
There’s no doubt, however, that we do love looking at all the lovely ladies in their red carpet fashions. The biggest hit of the night for us was Jenna Coleman who stunned in a Victoria Beckham yellow halter-neck dress.
Jenna Coleman gets our Best Dressed in this Victoria Beckham halter dress.
Jenna stopped to talk to us about her recent role as the hysterically dramatic Lydia Wickham in the BBC production of Death Comes to Pemberley and shared what her favorite Doctor Who episode was!
My secret crush, Stephen Magnan (Episodes) and the lovely Celia Imrie (The Second Best Marigold Hotel) were a pure delight to talk to and was quite impressed that there was such a thing as an Anglophile Channel! Spread the word guys!
Stephen Magnan and Celia Imrie
We were equally excited to get our “Daily Dose of Downton” thanks to Downton Abbeystar, Allen Leech who spoke to us about his appearance in the upcoming, The Imitation Game as well as gave us a ‘wee bit’ of what to expect in Season 5 for Downton! Yes, he was adorable.
A little Downton Gabbey from Branson himself!
British director, Mike Leigh (Mr Turner) was honored with the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing(Presented by the GREAT Britain Campaign) Presenting to Mr. Leigh was another great British director Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In The Name of The Father) who expressed to us what an honor it was to present the award to someone he considered to be the best director in Britain!
Felicity Jones, Britannia Honoree Mike Leigh, and Jim Sheridan
The two films receiving the most pre-Oscar buzz these days are The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything…both starring British talent and both films centering on the lives of brilliant, ground-breaking Brits, Alan Turing and Stephen Hawking respectively.
Eddie Redmayne soon to be seen in The Theory of Everything
We were delighted to have the opportunity to speak with Theory of Everything screenwriter, Anthony McCarten.
The Imitation Game director Morten Tyldum spoke to us about the importance of bringing Alan Turing’s story to the big screen and how he thought of Benedict Cumberbatch for the lead role.
Cumberbatch who was last year’s British Artist of The Year recipient, was not at this year’s event…but that did not stop his name from being on everyone’s lips! Here is what everyone was saying about the UK’s hottest export:
We missed you Cumby!
So it was another exciting BAFTA event celebrating the best in film and television from both Britain and America! Thank you BAFTA/LA for having The Anglophile Channel at another classy British soiree!
Lady Anglophile…picking out her gown for next year!
Cumberbatch a Superhero? Marvel may have found its Doctor Strange, it was revealed last week! You knew it would happen sooner or later!
Cumberbatch: Superhero!
Lady Anglophile is going to need a whole team just to cover the career updates of Benedict Cumberbatch alone! The Imitation Game star is everywhere these days. From his hilarious guest spot on Graham Norton where he was introduced to his wax likeness, to his Oscar-buzz generating role as mathematician Alan Turing, to his animated “pengween” spy in Penguins of Madagascar, to ferocious Smaug in The Hobbit; The Battle of the Five Armies…Cumberbatch is keeping his (most likely ecstatic) agents and publicists quite busy these days.
Word around the studio commissary is that negotiations have begun for Cumberbatch to star in Marvel’s “Doctor Strange”, playing the neurosurgeon who becomes Sorcerer Supreme, protecting Earth against magical and mystical threats with powers of sorcery, mysticism, and martial arts. But I’ll go see it anyway 😉 (Not a big superhero fan.)
Cumby is on everyone’s A-list these days, but this deal is contingent upon his hectic schedule which is tricky to say the least and which includes (hopefully) another season of “Sherlock” and of course Hamleton stage in the West End next year. But if I were a betting woman, I’m willing to say Cumberbatch will find time in his busy schedule to become a Marvel Superhero!
Cumberbatch is repped by (some very happy agents at) UTA.
It’s been a Richard Armitage kinda day with the announcement of The Hobbit world premiere to be held in London on December 1st and now this gripping new trailer from The Old Vic‘s production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible which is set to be released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on December 4th & 7th!
For those of you lucky enough to have witnessed this play in person you know what the rest of the world has in store for them. The most powerfully intense, and visceral production of Miller’s most famous works, that one has ever witnessed. If Academy Awards could be handed for limited release/special event productions (and they should!) then Armitage would be well deserving of an Oscar for his gut-wrenching, brilliant performance as John Proctor, the Massachusetts farmer who fought to save his identity in a repressive Puritan community during the Salem witch trials of 1692.
Award-worthy performance by Richard Armitage.
Miller’s play was inspired by the McCarthy Hearings and the actions of The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) in front of which the playwright was asked to testify shortly after The Crucible opened. The committee even denied Miller a passport to attend the play’s London opening in 1954.
Armitage is surrounded by a stunning cast which includes: Anna Madeley (Elizabeth Proctor), and making her professional debut, Samantha Colley (Abigail Williams) Also in the cast: Christopher Godwin, William Gaunt, Sarah Niles, Rebecca Saire and Zara White.
The Old Vic’s production of The Crucible in cinemas soon!
The Crucible, Directed by Yael Farber, ran earlier this year at The Old Vic, with design by Soutra Gilmour, lighting by Tim Lutkin, music and sound by Richard Hammarton and movement by Imogen Knight. The play was filmed by Digital Theatre.
Lady Anglophile…hoping The Crucible makes it across the pond!
So there you have it! Answering the question that has long been on everyone’s lips: WHERE will the final Hobbit premiere take place? It seems London is the location of choice and the date is set for December 1st! And even more exciting, is the news that fans will have the opportunity to enter a contest for a chance at attending this monumentally milestone event in Peter Jackson-Tolkien-Lord Of The Rings- Hobbit history. Not only will the cast from The Hobbit film series be there, but the cast and creatives from all SIX films as well, making it the most epic film premiere staged since Gone With The Wind!
The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies…the epic finale!
The countdown is ON and Hobbit fans around the world are anxiously awaiting Peter Jackson‘s final installment in his epic Tolkien saga, which began nearly two decades ago with his monumentally successful Lord of the Rings trilogy, and now culminates with his final offering, The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies which promises to be ‘THE Defining Chapter’!
The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies…the epic finale!
Almost as exciting as seeing the film itself, is watching the lavishly glamorous red carpet premiere’s that have been staged around the world…multiple premiere’s for each film’s opening. How they actually pick the locations for each premiere is anybody’s guess, but fans have already begun placing bets on where the final celebrations will take place for what is sure to be the A-list party of the decade!
The Hobbit International Red Carpets
The obvious locations are New Zealand, where all the films were shot, and conveniently located just down the street from Peter Jackson’s pad…so everyone will have a place to crash after the parties have ended. (Can you say Hobbit sleepover?) London, LA and NYC are the usual ‘whistle stops’ along most film premiere routes. Last year Spain, Switzerland, and even Berlin each got to host The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug‘s glitterati… with Berlin, surprisingly, putting on the most off-the-hook, impressive premiere ever!
That would be…Smaug guarding his gold at the Berlin premiere. Epic presentation!
So, the burning question on MANY a Hobbit fan’s lips is which cities/countries will be lucky enough to be chosen to host the likes of Sir Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Richard Armitage and Benedict Cumberbatch? Well, I know one country who has a group of devoted fans that are clamoring for the opportunity to host a Hobbit premiere in their neck of the wood and that would be: ITALY!
Viva Italia! Are you listening Warner Bros? I think it’s a splendid idea! Andiamo! Andiamo!
The Hobbit In Italy? Count Me In!
Like bidding the IOC for the next Olympic Games…this amazingly dedicated group of Hobbit fans, led by fearless leader Alessia Catto of Turin, Italy have raised a campaign that is starting to generate some attention. Let’s just hope it’s not too late! Strike that…let’s MAKE it not too late!
The Hobbit In Italy group has launched a campaign which includes a Change.org petition that makes a plea not only to Peter Jackson and Warner Bros (US and Italy!) but the Mayor of Rome Iganzio Marino himself! Also addressed in the petition are: Weta Digital and the Minister of Heritage and Cultural Activities and Tourism Dario Franceschini! Oh Mio Dio! That’s a pretty impressive target list. Hmm, I wonder if The Pope is a Hobbit fan?
I don’t think you want to mess with Lee Pace on this one…
Their Change.Org pitch states that there has never been a premiere in Italy for either the Lord of The Rings films nor any of The Hobbit films despite there being an abundance of Italian Tolkien and Peter Jackson fans, ALL of whom would love the opportunity to host the cast of the Hobbit in one of their lovely cities. (And by “host”, you know that means being invited to every single Italian home in the country and being stuffed with the best homemade pasta and wine known to man. Seems like a no-brainer to me.)
Additionally Hobbit In Italy have taken out a Facebook page and Twitter account using the hashtag #HobbitInItaly in all their posts and manning each social media account around the clock. They’re nothing if not persistent.
I have NO idea what it says…but I’m all for it!
I must admit it has been quite infectious and the more I think about it the more I believe Italy would be a PERFECT location for at least ONE of the final Hobbit premieres…and not just because I want to jump on a plane to Venezia or Napoli, which I do…but, here are my “Top Ten Reasons Why” I think this is a great idea!
Top Ten Reasons Why There Should Be A Hobbit Premiere In Italy
Venezia!
1. OK, Let’s just get this one out of the way right off the bat: I’d pay anything to see Thorin aka Richard Armitage manning a gondola in Venice. We already know he drives a mean barrel. And yeah, I know there’s the “water thing”…but he’s already proven that he can rise above it. And, between you and I…I actually think he actually likes it.
And they do hold Gondola races there…just sayin’
If it was good enough for Clooney’s wedding…
2. J.R. Tolkien was actually mesmerized by Italy after a trip he took there, describing Venice in particular as “the ancient Pelargir at the time of Numenor, full of ships from the countenance Shadow Elvish because it had not yet fallen on the Men of Westernesse. Assisi , the place in Italy which caused more commotion in the Professor, had become Lossarnach , the “district of flowers”, the hilly region and the south of Florida fruit Minas Tirith and the White Mountains, kissed by the sea wind. After this trip Tolkien became accustomed to speak of Italy by the name of Gondor.” (Translated from Tolkien Italian Network)
Tolkien himself would approve!
Roma
Como e’ bella ce’ la luna brille e’ strette / Strette como e’ tutta bella a passeggiare / Sotto il cielo di Roma….
3. Ahh, Roma! The Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, The Vatican and more! What’s not to love about Rome. The cast can arrive on Vespas just like Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in “Roman Holiday”. Plus, maybe the Pope’s blessing will lead the film to Oscar gold!
Three coins in the fountain and the film will be a hit! And there’s an adorable little hotel facing the fountain called Hotel Fontana. Ask for Fabrizio. Really.
4. The cast party can be held in the Sistine Chapel thanks to Pope Francis‘s recent decision to rent out the room where Michelangelo spent four years of his life, on his back painting one of the greatest masterpieces known to man…for an unprecedented private corporate event! To be fair…it was for charity. It’s not like the Alpha Chi sorority can book the room for their pledge party. But still…food for thought, Warner Bros? I’ve been in that room many times…I know exactly where to place the bar and photo booth.
The room where every new Pope is chosen…can now be rented out for special events!
Milan
5. Milan is considered one of the fashion capitals of the world…and a perfect place for our fabulous stars, Cate Blanchett and Evangeline Lilly to order their red carpet gowns. Somebody ring Valentino! Both actresses have worn the Italian designer’s creations to much success on the red carpet, and in Cate’s case it even brought her luck at the Oscars!
Valentino equals Oscar gold for the elegant Cate Blanchett!
Evangeline wows them in Valentino!
Firenze (Florence)
Florence could make a lovely host city for a Hobbit premiere!
6. The capitol city of the Italian region of Tuscany…which means wine flows like water from the river there! Florence is known for its history and is the birthplace of the Renaissance. The Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze is home to some of the world’s most beautiful sculptures, including the David by Michelangelo. Art students still try to recreate the masterpiece using live subjects today…so, if any of the Dwarves of Erebor are game. Personally, I’d nominate Aidan Turner since he’s familiar with the genre (and level of undress needed) having starred as artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti, in “Desperate Romantics”, so he’ll feel right at home.
Michelangelo’s David
Aidan Turner as artist, Dante Gabriel Rossetti in Desperate Romantics
And Pisa is just an hour away so the cast can take turns taking the typical touristy shot of holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Maybe a dwarf group shot?
I’d give money to see Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen taking this shot!
Napoli/Pompeii/Sorrento/Capri
7. OK, now I’m just dreaming as I just love this part of Southern Italy and I KNOW not only the Hobbit cast will love it, but so will all the Warner Bros execs that get to jet-set around the world to these events. From Naples and their amazing cuisine and world class opera houses, to the ruins of Pompeii and the boat ride to Sorrento. The possibilities are endless.
Teatro San Carlo, the oldest opera house in Italy…perfect for a premiere! And maybe that Dwarf musical number Armitage promised me!
Sorrento, Italy: The birthplace of Limoncello so the cast will be PLENTY loose before all those press interviews!
8. Italians are known for their hospitality and being the friendliest people ever! In all my travels I’ve never met people more welcoming and willing to help with directions….and wanting to cook for you! Mangia! The Hobbit cast will never go hungry in Italy! And, with plenty of Michelin-star rated restaurants to choose from…the cast will be in ‘foodie’ heaven!
Caruso Museum Restaurant devoted to Italian tenor Enrico Caruso
Sicily
They’re Gonna Make You An Offer You Can’t Refuse….
(Cue Godfather music…)
This is an offer you can’t refuse!
9. Ok, I’m gonna go to the mattresses on this one. I love Sicily, especially Taormina which, at one time, was a haven for British expat artists, writers and intellectuals, with the likes of D.H. Lawrence and Evelyn Waugh finding the atmosphere conducive to creativity. Imagine the final Hobbit premiere being staged at the Teatro Grecobuilt in the 7th century. The perfect theatrical backdrop for Peter Jackson to address his audience.
Ancient theatre of Taormina
Taormina
10. It’s Italy…They’re going to make you an offer you can’t refuse. ’nuff said! Take a look:
I applaud their dedication and tireless efforts as I know it’s coming from their hearts. I truly hope the Hobbit In Italy group will have their dreams realized and Warner Bros will catch wind of this amazing campaign and think about sending our merry band of Hobbits, Elves and Dwarves to Italia! And if it happens, The Anglophile Channel will be right behind covering this amazing event! I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Death Comes To Pemberley, the adaptation of P.D. James‘ best-selling mystery novel has finally come to PBS in all it’s Regency splendor!
Death, stars Matthew Rhys (The Americans, Brothers and Sisters), Anna Maxwell Martin (Bletchley Circle, Bleak House) and Matthew Goode (The Imitation Game, The Good Wife) and the doctor’s current companion, Jenna Coleman.
Lovely Jenna Coleman without her Doctor!
Written as a continuation of Jane Austen‘s most beloved novel, “Pride and Prejudice”, and taking place six year’s after Elizabeth (Martin) finally accepted Mr. Darcy’s (Rhys) proposal, the story finds the Darcy’s happily ensconced at Pemberley and preparing for their annual ball when tragedy strikes involving Wickham (Goode) and Lydia (Coleman)…after all, where trouble is, can Wickham be that far behind?
Still the bad guy getting in trouble…Mr. Wickham.
Filmed on location at some of Britain’s most sumptuous estates including Castle Howard (The Buccaneers), Harewood House and my favorite, Chatsworth (Jane Eyre and 2005’s Pride and Prejudice), Death Comes To Pemberley promises to combine all that we love about Jane Austen with a bit of murder and intrigue thrown in the mix.
The Synopsis reads:
One the eve of the annual Lady Anne ball at their magnificent Pemberley estate, the silver gleams, the kitchen bustles with activity, the grounds evoke serenity and order, and alongside her husband Darcy, Pemberley’s Lady Elizabeth presides. Together, they welcome their guests: Colonel Fitzwilliam, Darcy’s severe cousin and a newly-minted heir in a dutiful search for a wife; young lawyer Henry Alveston, a sincere admirer of Darcy’s gentle-natured sister Georgiana; and the histrionic Mrs. Bennet and her long-suffering husband. Unwelcome and uninvited are the Wickhams.
Yet the pre-ball festivities are brought to an abrupt halt when a coach races up to Pemberley carrying an hysterical Lydia Wickham, shrieking “Murder!” Darcy leads a search party and discovers the old thorn in his side, George Wickham, distraught and covered in blood, dragging the body of Captain Denny, whom he’d pursued mid-argument into the dark woods.
All evidence—now in the hands of the magistrate Hardcastle, an old Darcy adversary—points to Wickham’s guilt. Has Wickham committed the ultimate crime? And innocent or not, will he finally damage Pemberley and its residents beyond repair?
Sounds exciting to me!
Matthew Rhys has some big shoes to fill as Mr Darcy!
The movie is rated TV-14…which I’m quite curious about. My 12-year old daughter is a huge Jane Austen fan and is eager to see this adaptation. I certainly hope we’re not going to be seeing Mr. and Mrs. Darcy in the altogether…I don’t think Jane would approve!
Death Comes to Pemberley comes to MASTERPIECE Mystery on PBS, Sunday October 26 at 9PM.
Lady Anglophile…Regency gown on, tea in hand…and ready to watch!
What’s better than Trick or Treating on Halloween night? Having a NEW Harry Potter tale to read while enjoying all your candy swag! J.K. Rowling announced a “special Halloween treat for Harry Potter fans” on her Pottermore website that she has penned a new 1,500-word story that will offer “revealing first-person” thoughts about the evil, pink-wearing Hogwarts professor Dolores Umbridge.
New ‘backstory’ on Dolores Umbridge played by Imelda Staunton
JK has been delighting Potter fans as of late with stories released online this past July as well. That story featured Harry, Ron and Hermione as adults attending the Quidditch World Cup! I love that Harry Potter need never die and go away thanks to JK’s continued gifts to the fan base.
In the Halloween release Rowling will focus on the the Ministry of Magic Undersecretary. Umbridge is the one that tortured Harry by making him write “I must not tell lies” in his arm using a blood quill…brilliantly played by Imelda Staunton!
“Umbridge is not only one of the most malicious Potter characters, she is the only person other than Lord Voldemort to leave a permanent physical scar on Harry,” said a statement on Pottermore, adding that this story will give you insight into the back story of one of the most hated characters in Potter history.
Wow, did Benedict Cumberbatch give the CumberFans a lot of fantastic viewing to indulge in when he popped in on The Graham Norton Show this week. Covering a slew of juicy and hysterical topics such as…IS he in the new Star Wars? Why can’t he say the word “penguin” and a priceless moment where he photobombs his own wax figure…it all made for another memorable appearance on The GNS!
The King of the Photobombs….photobombs himself!
The Sherlock star sat down with Norton, alongside fellow guests Miranda Hart and Timothy Spalling, soon to be seen in Mike Leigh’s “Mr Turner”, to talk about his upcoming role in “The Imitation Game” where his performance as the Enigma codebreaking, Alan Turing is already generating Oscar buzz!
But the highlights of the show were, without a doubt, his evasiveness when asked about whether or not he’s in either of the upcoming “Star Trek” or “Star Wars” movies to which he replied “no comment”. All he would concede to is that he visited the set of Star Wars, which he says was like “walking through my childhood”. But, when pushed on whether he was actually APPEARING in the film, the Cumberbabe again said, “no comment”.
No comment! WOW! That’s not a yes…but it’s definitely not a no either! So what do we make of that? Might he actually be in the most anticipated Star Wars film ever? If so, who do you think he might be portraying? Perhaps Anakin the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia?? He’s about the right age-range-ish. Or maybe he just makes a Hitchcockian appearance as an extra “Jedi” fighter?? Either way, it is shrouded in secrecy!
There was also some rather humorous time spent on whether or not Benedict can say the word “penguin” which quite surprisingly and hysterically…he can’t. Well, he CAN….it’s just that in a recent documentary he narrated he kept saying “penween”…instead of penGWIN. So of course Norton spent a good amount of time taking the piss out of him for that…to which Cumberbatch wondered aloud why he alone is taking full blame on this when the producers that were with him in the recording booth SURELY could have corrected him! Quite right!
Here’s a peek at Benedict on Graham Norton:
Lucky Miranda Hart getting an up-close and personal peek at Smaug in the flesh! The two of them also had a lot of fun showing off their cat-walks!
The CumberCatWalk
However, The moment sure to become a fan favorite is when Benedict is shown his Madame Tussauds wax figure for the FIRST time! Tussauds unveiled the CumberFigure in London last week and Benedict has simply not had time to pop over to Marylebone Rd to see it. So, apparently Norton pulled some mighty impressive strings and had the statue brought over to his studio! (Of course he did!) Not only did he arrange to introduce the CumberBabe to his wax likeness but he proposed that Benedict actually photobomb his own statue!
The king of the photobombs performed a photobomb to end all photobombs…and here it is:
I think that one tops the U2 photobombing for me. And what do we think of the likeness? May I have both please?
A good likeness?
It’s always entertaining when Cumberbatch pops over to the Graham Norton Show and it never disappoints. I think I shall invite both over for tea sometime….
Watch The Graham Norton Show on BBC One on Friday nights at 10:30pm and on BBC America Saturday nights at 10PM
Lady Anglophile….wondering if one may order a copy Cumberstatue for her salon!
Who says she’s not a modern Queen? At 88 years-old Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is on top of everything current in social media including Twitter! Today The Queen attended the Science Museum in London to open an exhibition about the information age, and it was there that she sent her very FIRST Tweet! #OMG!
Her Majesty’s First Tweet
And what did Her Majesty say to over 724,000 followers? Read for yourself!
It is a pleasure to open the Information Age exhibition today at the @ScienceMuseum and I hope people will enjoy visiting. Elizabeth R.
How exciting is that to see? But don’t expect The Queen to be replying to every single request for a birthday shout-out or RT-ing pictures of your favorite cat, anytime soon. The British Monarchy Twitter page has previously been managed by palace officials and I suspect it will continue to be so…as I’m sure The Queen has more pressing matters to get on with.
The Twitter Queen!
But this is not the first time The Queen has been on top of technology. She was the very first monarch to ever send an email as Tweeted earlier by @BritishMonarchy here:
Indeed, The Queen has utilized modern technology in her communications throughout her reign. Her first televised Christmas broadcast was made in 1957 in which she mentioned “the speed at which things are changing all around us” .
If she only knew exactly how much change she would witness in over 60 years on the throne! Well, we welcome Her Majesty to the Twitterverse and look forward to more exciting Tweets in the future!And don’t forget to #FF @BritishMonarchy to keep up to date with The Queen’s latest entries! Who knows what’s next…Pinterest? Snap Chat? Selfies? The possibilities are endless!
Lady Anglophile….#FollowMeYourMajesty! @AnglophileTV
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