Mere Hours Away Now

steely and silky, fragile and fierce

It is now only hours away from the premiere of A Gifted Man at 7 pm [she says, as she casually elbows aside time zones of two coasts, a mountain range, and a series of islands]. The anticipatory stomach butterflies here have been replaced by what I suspect are hyperactive pterodactyls.

While we wait, here is just a small sampling of some of the many reviews and videos that have led up to the event.


A Must Read: Jennifer talks "about about ghost sex and Mr. Darcy".
Via Jace Lacob at The Daily Beast in an article titled A Gifted Man’s Leading Lady.

Why did you decide to do a weekly series now?
Jennifer Ehle: I never thought in a million years that I would do a weekly series. One of my closest friends is [creator] Susannah Grant, and I know how dedicated she is and how hard she works. I met Jonathan Demme when I’d auditioned for him for Rachel Getting Married. It hadn’t worked out, but I knew he liked me. Without Patrick being attached to this and Jonathan directing it I don’t think I would have even read it or looked at it. Then I just sort of started taking baby steps because if they’re both seeing something in this then maybe what I see is not an illusion.
Your character, Anna, seems almost saintly, but she does have flaws.
Ehle: She does have flaws. My kids don’t really know what I do. They kind of do, but it’s just always been “We help to tell stories,” and that’s what we’ve always said that we do as a family. It’s kind of hard to tell a story when you don’t know where it’s going to end so, it’s a steep learning curve. The way that I’ve adjusted it in my head to kind of make sense for me is that Anna, she is a new fresh spirit in the pilot: like in a photograph, she’s not fully developed yet. Then she begins to come into focus as we’re all discovering who she is along with the audience. It’s very important to me that she not be someone who ever wants him to just be good solely because he should be good or just for his own sake, because I know that’s not somebody that I would particularly want to watch. Her objective is to continue the work that she was doing and she was so passionate about since she finds herself here. She didn’t choose this.
I think that’s an important distinction to make.
Ehle: They are being given a sort of odd second chance. They’re not quite ready to let go of each other now that they’ve found each other, even though it’s not all roses and Champagne, one of them happens to be dead, and also they still have the same clashes personality-wise and ethics-wise that is perhaps what ended their relationship.
You were in the original pilot for HBO’s Game of Thrones, but opted not to return for the series. (The part is now played by Michelle Fairley.) Why did you ultimately decided to not stick with the show?
Ehle: Well, it was entirely personal. My daughter was seven months old when we did the pilot. It was too soon for me to be working, emotionally and bonding-wise, but I needed to do it and I was also passionate about the books. I loved the idea of telling that story. I finished the first book when I was in the hospital getting ready to have my daughter. My husband actually went out and got the second book for me. I handed the first book to the midwife and started the second one. When I went back for my six-week checkup with the midwife, she had started the second book.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: "A Gifted Man" ”let's credit a great cast. Wilson has two Tony nominations, Jennifer Ehle (as his late wife) has two Tony wins”

Mary McNamara’s review of AGM in the Los Angeles Times found a lot of weaknesses based on the first episode, and thought “With just a few tiny modifications, "A Gifted Man" could be a smart satiric comedy”.
But she does say ”Ehle is charming enough to be morally seductive”

Robert Bianco, USA TODAY, lauds the cast (“the almost absurd amount of talent involved”) but feels the show doesn’t (at least in the first episode) deliver what such a stellar lineup could. In conclusion, though, his thoughts are:
”Thanks to all the talent, what could have been an incredibly hokey Ghost Whisperer retread has much more moody potential. Wilson has the magnetism and acting chops to lead a network series, and while Ehle's Anna starts off a bit too angelic, we're promised she'll become more complex.”

The Boston Globe’s Matthew Gilbert thinks “The cast of CBS’s “A Gifted Man’’ is to die for”.
”The elegant Jennifer Ehle … {snipguesswhat} …. She’s both steely and silky, fragile and fierce.”
Overall, though, he felt the show so far failed to take advantage of the cast’s potential. Still, the article ended with optimism that future episodes might “set the characters free from endless debate over whether Anna is real or not. Let the actors find drama in more earthly concerns. I think they’re up to it.”

A New York Times article By NEIL GENZLINGER says ”It is also unclear how often we’ll be seeing Ms. Ehle (who is currently fighting for a disease-free world in the film “Contagion”) and whether she’ll ever be given anything to do other than look beatific.” [Oh, a LOT more, we hope.]


From Maureen Ryan at Aol TV in a piece titled A Terrific Cast Brings 'A Gifted Man' to Life,
”Fifteen minutes into 'A Gifted Man,' the performance of Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Ehle and Margo Martindale had completely won me over, and of all the pilots I've screened for fall, this is the one I most want to see more of.”
and
”Jennifer Ehle, 'A Gifted Man's' female lead, has a wry, understated presence that meshes perfectly with Wilson's low-key but palpable charisma. The chemistry between the actors implies a long and complex history between their characters, and I look forward to finding out about more about their pasts.”

Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that 'Gifted Man' is hauntingly good drama, and after describing Jennifer’s character Anna in somewhat derisive terms, goes on to say:
”On first glance, Ms. Ehle's Anna seems an unlikely match for Michael -- maybe it's her maternal nature? -- but as the show moves through its briskly-paced pilot episode, it's hard to imagine an actress more suited to the role. Her warm humanity nicely balances against Mr. Wilson's cold aloofness.”

Jonathan Storm , in the Philadelphia Inquirer reviewed some new CBS offerings, including A Gifted Man.
”A Gifted Man has relatable actors, including double Tony Award-winner Jennifer Ehle as a very down-to-Earth visitor from beyond the veil.”

Fiona’s blog at Tumblr has a mission statement that reads: “This blog posts just about anything related to the new CBS show A Gifted Man”. [Check it out for the great selection of pictures so far.]

ODG has her own musical theme! >Walt Belcher of The Tampa Tribune wrote of “Anna’s Theme” and how it came about.
There was a scene in the pilot of "A Gifted Man" in which actor Patrick Wilson plays a piano in his character's loft apartment. He picks out a few notes that become a recurring melody linked to the ghost of his dead ex-wife Anna.

Actress Jennifer Ehle, who plays the departed woman, says the piano wasn't part of the script.
"When we went to shoot the scene, I don't think anybody expected that to happen," she says. "Patrick just sat down and started to play, and it was so gorgeous that it became a big part of the scene."
…
They brought in a composer/arranger and created "Anna's Theme."
[This article also reveals that AGM was originally intended to be filmed in LA, but relocated to NY to accommodate the actors, for which we Jennifer Ehle fans should be very grateful!]

Danielle Turchiano of LA TV Insider Examiner reviewed AGM’s initial episode and remarked ”We are not usually one for medical dramas, but A Gifted Man has the potential to be so much more than “just” that.”
She also noted:
”Michael’s ex is dead, having been hit by a car just a few days prior, and she is reaching out to him from beyond so that he can go to her own medical clinic and access her files so her employees aren’t overwhelmed. Or so she says. With a slight twinkle in her eye, Ehle promises that this tale will be about much more than just logistics, and though she is acting like just another somewhat lost soul in his life, it is really she who is going to help him.”

On September 16th The Jane Austen Film Club Blog declared Jennifer Ehle- Actor of the Week and provided convincing proof.

It's probably best that I stop here or it will be a posting to rival the outrageous size of two ago. This has been just a sampling and I hope you can find and enjoy all the others I left out.


A Gifted Man - 'Pilot' Behind the Scenes, includes comments from Jennifer.




A brief peek; don’t look away too quickly.





Oh, yeah, those other things

Contagion was number one in box office receipts in its debut weekend and continues to rank high in subsequent weeks. I saw it and recommend it. Jennifer owns the screen whenever she's on!


The Ides of March (coming out October 7th) trailer. Concentrate and you’ll glimpse Jennifer at 1:00, 1:30, and 2:00

Thumbs down

Ehle out, Fairley in, according to Winter is Coming.

Last reviews before taking off

Paul Hansen at the NewYorkGrapevine is extremely positive about Mr & Mrs Fitch, and its author Douglas Carter Beane - so positive that I can not resist the pleasure to give you a great part of the article to read:

It is a testament to the writing ability of Beane that tremendous humor is generated in references to Edith Wharton, Virginia Wolf and Evelyn Waugh, to name but a few authors in the Fitchs' lettered galaxy. It would probably take at least three or four viewings of the play for even the most sophisticated audience-goer to catch all of the humorous cultural allusions.

Although the comedy can be very erudite, the humor in Mr. and Mrs. Fitch is never dry or sterile. Those who are not as literary-minded as the Fitch's need not be intimidated as the infectious exuberance and virtual musicality of the actors' performances creates genuine dramatic excitement. It is also wonderful to listen to a script in which the author challenges the audience instead of pandering to it. The tenor and the delivery of the dialogue in the play remind a viewer of the rapid-fire dialogue in the 1930's screwball Hollywood comedies featuring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, or Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Mr. Lithgow sings several excerpts from Cole Porter and George Gershwin to highlight the play's cultural connection to 1930's sophistication.

The comedy offers an interesting snapshot of how information is transmitted in the early 21th century. The irony is that the very explosion of methods of communication through the internet, blogs, twitter, etc. can make it more difficult to determine what the truth actually is. Facts may be circulated before being checked. Fame and celebrity can be manufactured virtually overnight to masses that enjoy being titillated, even if those same masses suspect in the back of their minds that they are being manipulated. The play humorously examines the superficiality of much of popular culture and the danger of having a relative approach to reality.

Like their cinematic counterparts referred to above, John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle have tremendous synergy and charisma as a couple. Like any true duo, each derives inspiration and energy from their partner. It is a great challenge for two actors to carry a full length play and one can only admire the sparkle and zest that Lithgow and Ehle bring to their roles.

(...) Visiting Mr. and Mrs. Fitch in their dapper digs can make for a very rewarding evening.

Other late reviews include the more mixed ones at Wolfentertainmentguide, the hofstrachronicle or the villagevoice.

Pros-cons discussions and comments about reviews to be found at Broadwayworld.com, while playwright Carter Beane will discuss his comedy on Cuny TV on Monday, March the 15th.

News about Game of Thrones include an impressive list of crew members needed for the forthcoming filming of the series (info reported by Winter is Coming). Lucky readers from Belfast!

No updates from me next week, as I'll be in New York City judging for myself what to think of the Fitches! I'll be back soon, though...

"The effortlessly charming Jennifer Ehle and John Lithgow"

On the Fitch front



New critics have flourished all over the net, some of which much nicer than the first ones.



Entertainment Weekly has given a B+ to Mr & Mrs Fitch, stating that:

The media-urbanite will savor every crazy morsel of Mr & Mrs Fitch (...) That's mostly because the characters, the minutiae they talk about, and, natch, where they live, are just so neurotically New York. Tony winners John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle smashingly portray a married couple who write a gossip column (hello, Daily's News' rumor patrol Rush & Malloy!).

The banter-filled dialogue is so rapid-fire that it can get a tad exhausting. But overall, Mr & Mrs Fitch is the work of a fine writer.

One of the play's major strengths lies in its meta-awareness. "Yes, you know, theater", Lithgow intones during one of his many linguistic sword fight with Ehle. "That thing that movie people do when they want to announce they're available for television." It's that heightened, self-conscious cleverness that makes Mr & Mrs Fitch a riotous deep dive into the shallow waters of gossip.

Another (short) positive review to be found at flavorpill:

Douglas Carter Beane tackles the growing blur of journalism and fiction in his new acerbically funny play. The title characters, played with amazing acuity by the effortlessly charming Jennifer Ehle and John Lithgow, are a gossip columnist couple who live a vampiric lifestyle (...)

Hilarity and madness ensue as they try to stop the monster they've created in this savvy comment on our celebrity-obsessed culture.

Witty Sandy MacDonald at Theatermania has a lot of good words for Fitch too:

The script for Douglas Carter Beane's latest comedy (...) consists mostly of a warp-speed badinage. But the words are of so entertaining a caliber - and so gloriously delivered by stars Jennifer Ehle and John Lithgow - that audiences likely won't mind the play's lack of forward motion. (...)

Hints are dropped early and often that Mr Fitch is predominantly gay. (Bisexuality makes women appear "adventurous", whereas men simply seem "indecisive", quips Mrs F.) Still, the couple's own rapport is as fond and fizzy as a teenage romance (...) And yes, it's sexual. Dinosaurs though they be, the Fitches' blood runs hot. Love comes in all shapes, sizes, and configurations, suggests Beane. And most of all, certain accomodations ought to be made to ensure the survival of the wittiest.

Other less enthusiastic and/or less original reviews can be found at TheVillageVoice, the WallStreetJournal or NY1. A quite complete review of reviews (!) at StageGrade. Reviews from the audience include the positive one of freakgirl.com, and the very negative one of Broadway & me.

On the Thrones front

A lot has happened during the week following the HBO greenlight announcement of Game of Thrones, including reactions from Northern Ireland Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster and Culture and Arts Minister, Nelson McCausland:

This is extremely positive news for Northern Ireland (...) At this stage, it is estimated that £20M will be delivered into the local economy though the production of the nine-part series.

Filming is due to begin in Belfast in June, for a release in spring 2011.

You'll find extremely good recaps of the events of the week at Game of Thrones news and Winter is coming - the latter has even decided to reinforce his contributors team to stay "on top of the latest news" !

For French and francophile readers, more about Thrones at lagardedenuit.com, a French site dedicated to the Game of Thrones.

Green's the colour !

Green is definitely the colour for March, and it's now official.

Winter is, indeed, coming.

HBO has greenlighted highly anticipated fantasy series "Games of Thrones"

The Hollywood Reporter also notices that this great news is partly due to the "enormous, perhaps unprecedented, online interest (...) at such an early stage".

The picture on the right is from the opening scenes of the pilot.

10 episodes ordered (pilot + nine), so you can actually let your imagination go a long way through the woods, imagine the mighty Starks, the opponents Catelyn and Cersei, Eddard, Robert and Jaime...No limits now!

More later, to be sure.

Are you anxious ?

You should be.

Bits of hope

Winter's nearly coming!

Yes, I know, for lots of you, readers from the North continents, winter's already there and very annoying! (The other lucky ones will have to imagine: cold, snow and chilling wind...).

But I'm talking about a very different kind of winter, a kind that includes the beautiful Jennifer Ehle wearing an auburn wig and playing the icy Catelyn Stark, lady of Winterfell and loving mother of five children.

For the past few weeks, the net has indeed rustled with some very promising signs that A Game of Thrones will soon be picked as a new HBO series. The more exciting one is an interwiew with HBO programming chief Michael Lombardo from The Hollywood Reporter, in which Lombardo tells us that

Everything looks fantastic [...] The director got great performances [...] I would be surprised if it doesn't [get green lit]. It has everything going for it.

More encouraging signs at the vital Winter is Coming blog where an extra in the pilot reveals that the agency that hired him in Belfast asked AGOT-related questions in their 2010 registration form (eg questions on skills in "horse riding, combat training and historical re-enactments"). Let's hope they're preparing for more Thrones!

While waiting for the big announcement (coming in March if all goes well), you can always participate to casting conjectures about Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, Catelyn's childhood friend, at Westeros forum - having in mind that the actor should be a smidgeon younger and shorter than Ms Ehle; or you can watch a video of the confirmed cast so far, to help visualize...

Aren't you feeling a lot warmer now ?

Etc

• BroadwayWorld roundup of John Lithgow's tweets about Mr & Mrs Fitch. Particularly friendly:

  1/3 of FITCH staged in a 5 hour rehearsal. Jennifer E. is fast, smart, and fabulous, Scott Ellis terrific. This is going to be some fun.

• Follow Mr Lithgow and Second Stage (also on Facebook).
  

• Previews start Jan 26th. BWW readers note that there's a discount available from Theatermania, at $49. There are $30 tix for youth (under 30s) and $15 student rush tix.
• There was a YouTube video of the photo shoot for Mr & Mrs Fitch, now deleted. The pic below is from the Second Stage site.
  
• A few screenshots I don't recognise on Flickr. Probably The Russell Girl?
• Also at Flickr are two batches of set photos from The King's Speech at the Pullens Estate. There are even a couple of videos, one of a Geoff Rush scene. More photos seen at Facebook.
  
• The movie is said to be in post-production, according to IMDB. There are a couple of posts on the message boards about filming at Buckingham Palace and Ely Cathedral. An extra posts a few shots of costumes and such on her blog, The Virtue of Style.
• Never too soon for the O-bomb...
  

  Analysis: The most obvious chance for Oscar glory next year for the Weinstein Company, this British/Australian co-production has a simply superb pedigree of talent involved combined with a story rarely heard about that should ensure something hopefully remarkable.

  The teaming of Rush and Firth in any film is exciting enough, but with supporting talent in historical roles like Guy Pearce as the abdicating Edward VIII, Helena Bonham Carter as a young Elizabeth II, Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill, not to mention greats like Derek Jacobi and Michael Gambon - it's downright pants-wetting.

• And seconded:

  Colin Firth is so hot right now — and Oscar bound — in “A Single Man.” Add all that to Geoffrey Rush and very hot HBO director Tom Hooper (”John Adams”) and we may have a new “Shakespeare in Love” next fall. Woefully underused Jennifer Ehle, plus Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall, and Michael Gambon round out this cast. If this isn’t an Oscar nominee, I don’t know what it is.

• For a great collection of news and photos, check out Firth.com's page on King's Speech. Some quotage from The Man. Example.
• Some pro-con discussion of Jennifer Ehle as Catelyn at the ASOIAF forums.
  

Thanks for tagboard tips. & belatedly...

Speaking of Thrones

Mr. and Mrs. Logue

Wow, when she goes back to work, she keeps on working, doesn't she? Making good use of her time in the United Kingdom, Jennifer Ehle is moving from one throne to another while Mom rules the Royals on the stage in New York. It has just been announced that she has been cast in the historical drama The King’s Speech, which started shooting today (November 13) for a projected 2010 release.

Baz Bamigboye in the Daily Mail reported on Ms Ehle's casting.

Jennifer Ehle, who captivated the nation when she starred as Elizabeth Bennet in costume drama Pride And Prejudice opposite Colin Firth, is to be reunited with her Mr Darcy.

The actress has just signed to join Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter in a new movie called The King's Speech about how Lionel Logue, an Australian speech therapist, was retained by the then Duke of York (later King George VI) to help him to overcome his stammer in the years before, during and after the Abdication crisis.

The two will be in scenes together - but they're married to other people

Firth will portray George VI, Helena his wife Elizabeth, who later became Queen and then the Queen Mother.

Jennifer has been cast to play Myrtle Logue, and Oscar-winning Rush will be her screen husband.

Director Tom Hooper held a read-through of the script on Wednesday [November 12] with the company, including Guy Pearce as Edward VIII, Michael Gambon as his father George V, Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill and Derek Jacobi as Dr Cosmo Lang, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

However, Jennifer was filming the lavish HBO drama Game Of Thrones and couldn't meet Hooper and his cast at the rehearsal.

Producer Iain Canning said although the former Jane Austen heart-throbs are not playing a couple in The King's Speech 'it's a wonderful thing to bring together two people that, in the British public's memory, are so part of a moment in time'.

Firth's role was reported at this blog earlier, on September 10th.

Sarah Cooper at Screen Daily also reported on the casting.

The Kings Speech will shoot for seven weeks, taking in UK locations such as Lancaster House, the Bradford Bulls Stadium, Ely Cathedral, Harley Street and Battersea Power Station.

The Weinstein Company is handling international sales and has picked up the US rights to the project as well as licensing rights in Germany, France, China, Hong Kong, Latin America, Benelux and Scandinavia. Momentum has picked up UK rights, whilst Transmission Films will distribute in Australia and New Zealand.

It remains to be seen if JE will be needed for all seven weeks, although the time line would still allow a return home for a Christmas break before rehearsals begin for Mr. and Mrs. Fitch which I'm guessing will be sometime in January.

Hollywood com discusses the film.

The film is based on the true story of King George VI and his friendship with maverick speech therapist Lionel Logue. As the second son of George V, Prince Albert was not expected to ascend to the throne, but when his brother Edward chose to abdicate to marry Wallis Simpson, Albert was his successor and in 1936 was crowned King George VI. The reluctant king, who was plagued with a nervous stammer, engaged Logue, an irreverent Australian**, who helped him find a voice with which to lead the nation.

**[We know of a couple of those, don't we?]

Read about Lionel and Myrtle Logue in this piece by Caroline Bowen


So much to look forward to in 2010! This is amazing.

At the Scene

A Family Outing

Filming of A Game of Thrones has begun in earnest. Comments and summaries can be seen at the invaluable Winter-Is-Coming blog (Thank you, Phil!) Visit often, for it is updated during the day as additional information comes to light, plus the reader comments are always interesting.
Today's entry covers Day 4: Filming at Doune Castle with the promise:
"As usual, keep it here for updates throughout the day."

Yesterdays coverage of Day 3 contains news of interest to readers of this blog, including reports from eyewitnesses on set, predominantly quoted from the Westeros forum.

Post #145 by Crakehall "Jennifer Ehle was there and looking very Catelyn-like, which, in my mind, is beautiful and motherly. ... "

and

Post #150 from JacMac30 "Jennifer Ehle, couldn't see her outfit. She was wandering outside the castle with her baby. Her husband and son turned up later. Hair quite ginger (long wig unless her hair is very long these days). More ginger than I expected. Not what I'd call auburn but then it may look different under studio lights and on camera. It was tied back in multiple plaits.

I'm bitterly envious of these two and all others lucky enough to be present. The reports of filming and production indicate that no effort is being spared or detail overlooked. Scotland has been mentioned as a filming location along with Northern Ireland and Morocco. At the same link it is noted that Game of Thrones officially began production on October 24; and if it is picked up by HBO for a full series to expect a premiere in 2010 or 2011. (Nooo, not 2011, too long to wait!!).

G R R Martin reported his own sightings at his not-a-blog

Also ran into Ron Donachie, Jennfier [sic] Ehle, and Kit Harington, and all of them were great ...

In a blog last month he mentioned a Speak & Sign scheduled for next month.

On Tuesday, November 3, I will be speaking and signing at Eason's Bookstore in Belfast. The event begins at 1:00 pm. Or 1300 for you European types.
[...]
There's a chance that David and/or Dan will drop by for the Belfast signing, and possibly some of the cast as well, but that's not certain. May depend on how the shoot is going, what's scheduled for that day, what's happening down at the Paint Hall, etc.

[Fingers crossed for one cast member especially.]


Correction
Reader Maenad has provided a true link to the G R R M character depictions attributed to Michael Sparks. Here is the new link to the works by Russian artist Amok. Thanks for the new link, Maenad.

Just for Hits and Giggles

You would think a blog update that was weeks in the crafting, and for which a 12-hour composing session was lost to the ether by a random flailing of a finger on the keyboard, should be better than this. But here it goes anyway. (There's a whole lotta RH goin' on, so let's hope you're a fan. But a good deal of JE too).

Giggles and more, the JE-centric part.
As we know, Rosemary Harris has been very visible and active in New York recently, leading to some interviewage about "Jen" growing up and grown up.

Barbara Hoffman in the New York Post reported a conversation with Rosemary Harris about her scheduled Reading at 92Y.

The mother of actress Jennifer Ehle (now a mother herself) says she loved reading books to her daughter.

“I read her all the classics — ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ ‘Winnie the Pooh,’ the Narnia books,” Harris says.

“Then Jennifer started reading to me, and that was the most fun. I’d leave a little tape recorder on, just to catch her giggles as she read a funny book like ‘Harriet the Spy,’ I listened to it the other day, and she was giggling so much, she could hardly read!”

CELIA McGEE in the New York Times reports on The Royal Family & some chat with the cast in her jam-packed article (a must read, for more than just the quote included here) titled The Tangle of Branches in a Royal Tree.

Ms. Harris remembers a tiny Jennifer Ehle drawing of herself with her father on one piece of paper; her mother, alone, on another. She was surprised, she said, when her daughter announced, at 14, that she wanted to be an actress. “Of course, I had always taken her with me a lot. We just stuck her in our pockets and off we went.“

Not To Be Missed: My Royal Family Reunion By Rosemary Harris.

[...] "So many things in this play ring true today, particularly the way the women characters find themselves torn between work and their families. Fanny’s line, “Marriage isn’t a career. It’s an incident!” must have gotten shocked laughter in 1927 from all those society ladies, because marriage was a career to them. In 2009, the same line gets understanding laughter. I remember so distinctly when I was doing Hay Fever on Broadway and my daughter [actress Jennifer Ehle], who was about 13, wanted to take a taxi uptown alone to see a movie with friends. I said, “Jennifer, darling, please don’t! I won’t be able to go on the stage, I’ll be so worried.” [...]

Harry Haun's article at Playbill, The Royal Family — A Blast of Troupers! features conversations with the cast and has Ms. Harris talking (although possibly seriously mis-quoted!) about many interesting things!

Harris doesn't subscribe to Fanny's hard line of career-over-marriage, and she hasn't lived it. "It's a juggle," she allowed. "I know Jen finds it a juggle. She has an 11-year-old [????] son and a wonderful husband, and she has to keep everything on an even keel."

"Jen" is her daughter, Jennifer Ehle, herself a two-time Tony winner. She is currently filming an HBO television pilot in Northern Ireland, her mother reported.

The Royal Family would seem to be a perfect opportunity for mother-and-daughter at last to co-star. They have done two films together — a 1992 TV-film, "The Camomile Lawn," and a 1999 feature, "Sunshine" — but, playing the old and young versions of the same character, they never had the chance to do a scene together.

Ehle was indeed offered the play but opted to pass. "She said, 'Mom, you did it, and I would only do it the way you did it.' Comparisons are odious, and maybe, like Julie Cavendish, I didn't want her to be better than me — so I didn't encourage it."

RH is not the only one speaking of JE lately as evidenced by Broadway World's eavestwitting on John Lithgow's September 29th Tweet

"Saw Pride & Glory on HBO and there she was, playing cancer victim Abbey, my next NY leading lady the wonderful Jennifer Ehle."

It's a Hit, the RH-centric part
CHRISTINE DOLEN/McClatchy Newspapers says "The changing season promises to be extra hot this year both on Broadway and off", mentioning The Royal Family, Mr. and Mrs. Fitch, and Cate Blanchett.

The Royal Family's run was Extended by one week before it even opened!
Oh wait, make that Extended by Two Weeks!

Harry Haun at Playbill reported on the play and chat with some of the cast. Jan Maxwell said, "... it's a real honor to play this with Rosemary."

A Playbill article by Matthew Blank includes some nice Photos of the Friedman Theatre

Mondschein's in a review at Third Row, Mezzanine blog found the play disappointing in many respects but noted "It's certainly a worthy goal [to] get Rosemary Harris on a Broadway stage..."

Photo Gallery at Playbill, especially photos 3/5 and 5/5.

In an Interview by Zinta Lundborg Ms. Harris reminisced about the 1975 revival, when she played Julie.

“It’s lovely to be in the driving seat, which Julie is,” said Harris, dressed in a bright flowery shirt, silver hair smoothed back from her unlined face. “But you’ve got to keep your foot on the accelerator all the time.”

With Fanny, she said, it’s a lot easier. “I just pop in and out delivering bon mots.”

At Playbill Kenneth Jones posted the article
Broadway Curtain Goes Up on Royal Family

LINDA WINER at Newsday thinks On Broadway, 'The Royal Family' rules

" ... there are many pleasures in Doug Hughes' sumptuous joy of an old-fashioned revival, including a keepsake performance by the legendary Rosemary Harris as the aging matriarch of the Cavendish (think Barrymore) family. ...

... there is the thrill of seeing Harris, who had the role of Julie in 1975, portray the ailing, stage-enamored star of a mother with a ravishing sense of playfulness."

Terry Teachout in a Review at The Wall Street Journal was less than happy with the play, but more happy with a couple of the performers.

Fortunately, Rosemary Harris and Jan Maxwell manage to give neatly turned performances—Ms. Harris is stately and sardonic, Ms. Maxwell fey and winsome—that are just about worth the price of admission.

David Sheward presents a glowing Review at THR

The leading light of the 1975 staging was Rosemary Harris, who played Julie Cavendish, the glamorous leading lady not unlike Ethel Barrymore, who must choose between her career and marriage to a wealthy old flame. Now playing the matriarch Fanny, Harris is just as glowing and youthful as she was then. She radiates the joy of acting, which animates this feisty, lovable, indomitable figure.

A review By Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY observes,

" ...the central relationship between a grand old dame of the stage and the glamorous, much put-upon daughter following in her footsteps is a fine showcase for two marvelous actresses featured here.
[...] Harris similarly makes us laugh and breaks our hearts as Fanny, a life-long trouper determined not to let age or illness keep her out of the spotlight. Where Julie has clearly had some ambivalence about the personal sacrifices made for her craft, Fanny, though an adoring mother, considers art her greatest passion. Her struggle to carry that flame, with mortality nipping at her heels, is the sweetest, most moving aspect of this play, and the masterful Harris gives it a depth it might not have had in other hands.

Under Dough Hughes' sprightly direction, the other ensemble members all perform gamely, if less consistently. As Fanny's foolish, pompous brother, the excellent John Glover wins us over in spite of his role; as his cloying wife, Ana Gasteyer doesn't. Larry Pine is a tad pallid as Julie's wealthy, gallant love interest, while Reg Rogers is a bit overzealous as her brother, a movie idol with a talent for trouble.

None of this detracts, of course, from Harris' and Maxwell's star turns. Women wear the pants in this Family, and they're a joy to behold.

The Royal Family is discussed at tapeworthy blog where some vibrant stills are also included.

"The cast is superb with a bemused Rosemary Harris ... leading the pact [sic] as Fanny (and devastating in the final scene)."

David Rooney in Variety reviewed The Royal Family

"There's a sentimental satisfaction in watching Rosemary Harris -- who played equivocating diva Julie Cavendish in the 1976 Broadway revival of "The Royal Family" -- still navigating the stage with grace and good humor ... while the ensemble work could be tighter, its lead performers rise to the occasion in sparkling turns.
[...] Harris delicately balances graciousness and hauteur [...]"

Tom O'Neil in The Awards Insider (The Los Angeles Times) maintains 'The Royal Family' revival rules Broadway and mentions the T-word.

At Broadway.tv blog is a Royal Family Broadway Review Matrix providing a commentary on several reviews with links.

The Hollywood Reporter's Showbiz 411 blog has coverage of the Great “Royal Family” Opening

Michael Kuchwara [The Canadian Press] write about An effervescent revival

[...] "The cast is headed by the ever-lovely Rosemary Harris, portraying Fanny Cavendish, the grande dame of this exotic troupe.

Harris has a serene stage presence, even when Fanny is zinging the other characters on stage ..."

BWW presents a special feature, Ken Fallin's Illustrations - THE ROYAL FAMILY

Opening night photo galleries Here and Here and Here.

Robert Feldberg says Rosemary Harris leads a triumphant revival.

"Harris, one of the great actresses of the American stage (she began her Broadway career 57 years ago, and played Julie in the 1975 revival of "The Royal Family") is deliciously droll as Fanny ..."

Brendan Lemon at the Financial Times reviews and reveals a discerning eye for the proper way to wear costumes.

"Rosemary Harris, who was Julie in a 1975 revival, resists the temptation to play Fanny with grande-dame hauteur; weakened by health problems, Fanny still possesses the driest wit in the house.

Harris also is an adept at a lost art: wearing a peignoir as if it were a second skin."

Robert Hofler writes about Rosemary Harris at the kick-off part. [The link includes a photo of Rosemary Harris chatting with Tovah Feldshuh at the opening night of 'The Royal Family]

"Legit legend Rosemary Harris returns to the Broadway boards [...] Return visits have their advantages, even after all these years.

"I know all the parts. I hear the whole play in my head," said Harris, who turned 82 last month.

At Thursday's preem party, at Planet Hollywood, Harris said that Eva Le Gallienne's Fanny from the 1975 production was "more acerbic" than her portrayal, while Harris' former role of Julie is "marvelous, very controlled" in the capable hands of Jan Maxwell.

"I was smoking when I played Julie, and after my second-act meltdown, I would be huffing and puffing all the way to the dressing room. Then I stopped smoking during the run, and I could whistle right through it," she said."

Andrew C. McGibbon reviewed the play.

"Rosemary Harris, at the age of 83 is a wonder to behold. She moves about the stage and strikes poses as fluidly as a woman half her age ..."

Chesley Plemmons at The News-TimesMerry and madcap

From a Wilton Villager review By DAVID. A ROSENBERG, who may have found a solution to the energy problem, at least in regard to lighting. (I suspect with JE and RH both being noticeably luminous that the electric bills in the Ryan and Ehle households are significantly lower than average.)

"Genuine stars have a tendency to take over, consciously or not. Take Rosemary Harris who lights the galaxy in the current revival of George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber's 1927 "The Royal Family. [...]

[...] As Fanny, the irreplaceable Harris sweeps her words from orchestra to second balcony while eyeing all the folks along the way. In her hands and voice, "get out" is a symphony, "quaint" is a three-part novel. She ought to be bronzed.

The Village Voice review By Michael Feingold

Blogger James Camner remembers seeing the 1975 version at Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test

"We saw the 1975 revival of The Royal Family, an unforgettable experience featuring magical performances by Eva Le Gallienne as Fanny Cavendish and Rosemary Harris as her daughter Julie. So it is an indescribable and rare pleasure to see the radiant Ms. Harris ascend to the role of Fanny."

Stephanie Zacharek's article at New York Magazine Ladies’ Nights expresses some disappointment with the acting, with at leas one major exception.

" {...} Rosemary Harris, as the dowager matriarch Fanny, may wear the heaviest costumes—she’s draped in exotic, old-fashioned (by twenties standards) velvets—but her performance is the spriangiest, the most fleet, in the show. Her lines have the texture and glow of South Sea pearls; if any voice could reflect light, it would be this one."

Here's a struggling artist anecdote from RH's past By CINDY ADAMS at the NY Post



Other news

[RH at Broadway Flea Market photo by Aubrey Reuben]

[John Ehle photo by Jan Hensley Special to the Citizen-Times]




Miss Harris participated in the Broadway Flea Market. (photo gallery available Here)

The 23rd Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction held Sunday, September 27 raised a grand total of $403,929 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA).

interviews and reactions at the market include this with a starstruck Thomas Sadoski.

Q: Enjoying your experience at the Flea so far?
Sadoski: Oh yeah — anything to help out this organization. It's such an essential organization. You spend a long time working in this business to get to a point where you are invited to donate your time to something like this. It is really cool. I was in the other room signing posters and trying to squeeze my name in as neatly as I could underneath Rosemary Harris. That's a really cool thing.

Rob Neufeld in the Citizen-Times (Asheville) reported that Press 53, a Winston-Salem publisher, launched the release of its 25th anniversary edition of John Ehle's “Last One Home”, the sixth book in his six-novel epic about Western North Carolina.


Sharmistha Gooptu has reviewed Before the Rains





Lizzy rules
The voting may still be open for choosing your Favorite Elizabeth Bennet. At my last peek, the results stood as shown below; had this been a national election it would be a mandate for dictatorship.



Paul Whitington at the Irish Independent has written an article about Austen adaptations and rightly notes,

"... The beautiful Jennifer Ehle was easily the most sultry and glamorous Elizabeth Bennet thus far ..."

Ticket to Read

A Full Weekend
Rosemary Harris has a very beesy weekend scheduled September 26-27.
Linked here some time ago, now Brian Scott Lipton at theatermania has helpfully published a reminder about the 2009-2010 season lineup at The 92nd Street Y's Unterberg Poetry Center.

"Highlights of interest to theater lovers include Tony Award winner Rosemary Harris reading children's literature(September 26 at 11:30am)"

Then on Sunday, as Andrew Gans reports at playbill, Ms Harris will attend The 23rd Annual Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction.

"The outdoor fundraiser in Shubert Alley raises money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and features a host of theatrical memorabilia donated by the theatrical community. The day-long event also boasts a Celebrity Autograph Table and Photo Booth, where theatre fans can purchase autographs by or photos with their favorite stars [...]

Some of the items that will be featured in the Grand Auction include ... opening-night tickets to ... The Royal Family [...]

Celebrities scheduled to appear at the Celebrity Autograph Table and Photo Booth in exchange for donations to BC/EFA include: ... Rosemary Harris [...] "

Dan Bacalzo at theatermania also reported on the event and noted "All auction items will also be available for online bidding in September for those unable to make it to New York. For more information, including how to place a bid, visit broadwaycares." [Better than EBay!!]

All this in addition to two performances of The Royal Family on each of those two days ... one weekend after her birthday (September 19th, mark your calendars) If I had as much energy as this marvelous lady, you'd be reading blog updates here more often.


She's not the only Reader in the Family

Valerie MacEwan's Blog: and Kathryn Stripling Byer's Netwest Mountain Writers and Poets Blog alert us to an event on October 10th in Asheville NC.

"Internationally acclaimed author and Asheville native, John Ehle, will read and sign books on October 10 at 2 pm. The event, sponsored by The Writers’ Workshop, will be held at the West Asheville Public Library at 942 Haywood Road. It is free and open to the public. A reception follows, hosted by Friends of West Asheville Library. Books will be available for purchase at the book-signing.[...] A luncheon for Mr. Ehle will be held at noon, prior to the reading. For more information about the reading or luncheon, please email writersw@gmail.com , or call 828-254-8111."

Getting Close to The Royal Family
Previews are less than a week away.

playbill reports on the Photo Call

Single tickets available for purchase at the box office.

In addition, Tickets are on sale now via Telecharge (where the schedule shown below can be seen) or by calling (212) 239-6200.


Since last posting here about the play, casting changes and additional casting and other news were announced at backstage blog and theatermania. And I can't resist including Michael Kuchwara (AP) from the Washington Examiner simply because he writes "The always incandescent Rosemary Harris plays its matriarch"

Alexis Soloski in The Village Voice writes about an Interview with director Dough Hughes in which is revealed "Hughes hand-picked this varied cast, having first persuaded Harris to be Fanny."

A "little royal family"
Robert Simonson shared PLAYBILL.COM'S BRIEF ENCOUNTER with the Queen herself. It's a charming interview, be sure to read the entire article. (Now we have circus ponies and sled dogs along with chicks and bees to add to this blog's signature references!)

"[...]
Playbill.com: With your daughter, Jennifer Ehle, do you sometimes feel like you have a little royal family yourself?
RH: Who knows? (Laughs) She's just given birth to a little girl, so who knows? Who knows if she'll tread the boards or not? Who knows? "

Thrones
The latest biggest news is the casting of Lena Headey (aka Blanche Glover, Christabel LaMotte's BFF) as Cersei. The announcement was widely covered as you can see by the links below. It's amazing and confounding though that everyone seems to have missed the opportunity to recognize that JE and LH had worked together before in Possession. I saw only one connection made & that was in a reader comment, not the body of the article.

Read all about it at these links:
Scifi.About
Jacksonville-TV-Examiner
iftn Lena Headey Joins ‘Game of Thrones’
TV Overmind
Aceshowbiz
Collider
Zap 2 It News & Buzz
Chicago Tribune Features Blog (This one has several comments. You have to love the commenter who wrote "She's won two Tonys for roles in play by Tom Stoppard -- 'The Real Thing' and 'The Coast of Utopia'. You don't get to phone it in with Stoppard: He demands actors who are intellectually and emotionally bringing their A-game all the time. "

It remains to be seen if any tables will be overthrone in this new project --



Look who's getting into the act
Not to be outdone in the Royals & Thrones arena, just look who is going to play the role of Queen Elizabeth II's father King George VI in "The King's Speech".



Let's not forget the Fitches

Variety
New York Theater Guide

Cats and Dogs

Cat’s kits cast [say that 10 times fast]

As reported at GRRM’s Not a Blog, Catelyn's daughters Arya and Sansa Stark will be played by Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner.

Jay Tomio at BCS discusses the casting in his articles the Stark Girls of HBO’s A Game of Thrones and more A Game of Thrones casting

James Hibberd in his writings at The Hollywood Reporter HBO appoints subjects to 'Thrones' and HBO's 'Game of Thrones' casting news announces the daughters and other casting including Richard Madden as Stark's eldest son, Robb, mentioning ”HBO still has a few more roles to fill in the large ensemble cast of Thrones, one of the more buzzed-about titles on the network's development slate.”

Other news coverage of the casting:
SciFiWire
and
Bryant Griffin at airlockalpha

Bloggers weigh in too.
Seven actors for the Seven Kingdoms at the Wertzone
Heroine_tv
SciFi Stream
A Game of Thrones cast expands
Captain Elias at Superpowers That Be
Diana at Fire of Spring
Jace at Televisionary
Nix at SciFi Cool


In an Audio Interview linked from The Montreal Gazette piece by Matthew Surridge GRR Martin pronounces (sort of) on the HBO pilot & casting &writing the books.
The Cimmerian’s August 15th article addressing the interview, In Conversation with George R. R. Martin, points out

“Martin also discusses the much-speculated HBO pilot, and possibility of a series based on the septology, each 12-episode season based on a book. Already cast for the pilot is the inimitable Sean Bean as Eddard Stark, Peter Dinklage (who would make an excellent Count Volmana) as Tyrion Lannister, and Broadway thespian Jennifer Ehle as Katelyn Stark. Even with a several-year head start on the first four seasons, Martin definitely needs to get cracking on The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, and have them in bookstores on time for a series adaptation.”

Catching up with some discussion links from the past few days:

A Song of Ice and Fire thread at Chamber of Secret Forum includes commentary along the lines that Ms Ehle is not “snotty” enough or strong enough to play Catelyn … all based of course solely on Elizabeth Bennet (who could be pretty snotty herself, actually). I am Soooo looking forward to the day when the series airs and the doubters are proved wrong! I have no doubts.

Comments in the HBO to make A Song of Ice and Fire series Thread at NeoGAF are mixed but mostly very positive.

Tracey Steele blogged about the pilot & series in Casting Begins for HBO’s Game of Thrones Pilot

In an August 19th post at Planet Sillicon titled A Game of Thrones - The Cast that author, unlike some others, had no reservations about any Elizabeth Bennet carry-over, saying:
"Jennifer Ehle as Catelyn Stark will work very well, even as Elizabeth Bennett in the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice she had an austere coldness that I think will work wonders - now that she is older - as cold and hateful Catelyn."


Feeble Segue

To flagrantly and shamelessly extend the cat-dog metaphor, I offer: Definition of Fitch = poleCAT. And thank you Douglas Carter Beane for also writing a prize-winning play with Dog in the title so that I could have two reasons to stretch this oh-so-tenuous connection. I'm not sure whether it is irony or serendipity or something else, but how awesome for this blog is it that another of his plays has BEES in its title? It's as if we were designed for each other.


For up-to-date Mr. & Mrs. Fitch news, you’ll need these important links.

Second Stage Theater Home Page

Mr. & Mrs. Fitch Home Page at 2ST

(FYI, a valuable calendar to guide your planning.)

2ST has an interview with the author, TALKING WITH DOUGLAS CARTER BEANE in which he, among other things, verifies a Cole Porter connection.

More about Douglas Carter Beane.

DCB at Wikipedia

DCB in a December 2006 Video episode of American Theatre Wing’s Working in the Theatre.

A W Magazine article also leads to this W magazine interview from July 2009 in which Mr. Beane (I think that’s the last time I’ll write that; it makes me think too much of spray-painting a room by way of paint bomb) talks about M&MFitch & other things.


Meet his work.
Music from a sparkling planet at Google Books

As Bees in Honey Drown at Google Books

The Little Dog Laughed at Google Books

The Little Dog Laughed, the best known of his plays, will certainly be known to the dedicated followers of this blog who have vivid memories of the 2007 Tony Awards. It was nominated in the Best Play category (won by The Coast of Utopia). Julie White starred in it and won the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play the same glorious night that JE achieved BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY.

Last but not least, Robert Simonson at Playbill says of M&MFitch

“John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle will sink their teeth into the no-doubt juicy title roles of the upcoming Second Stage Theater world premiere of Douglas Carter Beane's Mr. & Mrs. Fitch Off-Broadway. They will play married gossip columnists. Scott Ellis directs the work, which is scheduled to begin previews Jan. 26, 2010. This may become the first Off-Broadway play in some time to regularly appear in the city's gossip sheets.”

The past two weeks have been astounding and wonderful and unexpected. Some of us anticipated a longer hivernation. Instead we have cold-hateful-throatslit-Catelyn of a blood-thirsty warring world AND a comedic Mrs. Fitch of the modern celeb gossip world to look forward to. I love the contrast and the opportunity for her to display her awesome acting range.

Music to our Ears

After the little battle html and I had last time I hope to be able to orchestrate some links now without invoking any wayward musical instruments.

It is evident that the following sites will be ones to check frequently for updates and discussion so they have been added to the permanent link list here (available under Links at the right)
George R.R. Martin's Not A Blog
and
Winter-is-Coming blog (rich with comments and has a promised-to-be-frequently- updated FAQ)
and
A Song of Ice and Fire Forum


[Morocco!] From the FAQ mentioned above and noted in our own ShoutBox:

"The pilot is filming in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Specifically, a large film studio there called the Paint Hall. They will also be doing some remote shoots in Morocco. Filming for the pilot is currently scheduled to start October 12, 2009 and last until November 6, 2009. Although these dates are not set in stone."

Check Your Bloggage Here

Captain Elias In his Super Powers that Be blog, commented on Jennifer Ehle's casting as Catelyn fearing that, based on her performance as Jane Bennet in "Keira Knightley's Pride and Prejudice" [!!], she was too sweet for the role. After some gentle nudging via comments at his blog, he corrected one misapprehension and switched to Christabel LaMotte to support the "too sweet and romantic" worry.
In the Captain's next Blog anxieties had been laid to rest as he reported "I'm very eager to see Jennifer Ehle as Lady Catelyn".

The Stratovarius Community Forum has a discussion of AGoT casting and favorable comments about JE.

At Chronicles Network , "The UK's largest Science Fiction & Fantasy Forums" there is additional casting commentary including one that notes "What a score the actress who will be Catelyn is!

The treacle mine road blog draupadi writes about the book and the casting.

Ain't it Cool News has a forum thread for HBO's "A Song of Fire and Ice"

The youthink.com site also has A Song of Ice and Fire forum thread, from which this comment caught my eye. "She doesn't look cold enough. I guess it's up to acting." (Oh, you bet it is. I can hardly wait for her to make the doubting jaws drop).


Recent Arrival

Look what just arrived at my house from Amazon! My weekend is now fully scheduled.

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3


Lines on Lizzy

Isabellecs livejournal lists her Twenty Favorite Bad Ass Female Characters. Guess which someone with the initials EB came in at #17.

Alyssa Rosenberg in her blog entry titled How We See Things In Our Heads commented on Jonathan Yardley's article, Pride. Prejudice. Perfection in The Washington Post, which contended that film adaptations of Miss Austen's classic had failed to firmly fix [yep, that's a split infinitive. yep, I'm going to leave it there] actors in the public's (or his at least) mind as the personification of the characters ala Clark Gable/Rhett Butler. Alyssa responded:
"If Yardley somehow managed to miss A&E's 1995 adaptation of the novel, he is deprived. It's perhaps the only cinematic or television adaptation of a work of literature where the faces of the actors deserve to float back into our minds as we read the novels where they originate"

A Jog around the Blog

It's so fun to see reaction and chatter about Ms Ehle around the groups and blogs. On one hand there are the uninitiated who say "Who? Never heard of her." and on the other hand those who reassure them with, "Don't worry, she's a gifted award-winning actress who is going to be outstanding in this."

So that you can experience the fun too here are some of the links. (A couple have been included before and repeated here. ) Take a look if you have time. Many varying comments (read at your own risk but most are good).


[Edit. I managed to mess up links. I've fixed them (they work for me anyway) and the sad trombones should now be playing upbeat jazz. My sincere apologies.]


George R.R. Martin's Not A Blog

Winter-is-Coming blog
(At last look 482 comments ranging from Who is she to Love
her, great casting.)

Jane Austen Today:Mr. & Mrs. Darcy in the News

A Song of Ice and Fire The George R R Martin Forum,, specifically The Jennifer Ehle cast as Catelyn Stark thread
(Comments now at 6 pages)

HBO to Tackle A Song of Ice and Fire!
thread in Quarter To Three Forums

At The Get a move on, George R R Martin thread included at ‘The Premier TV-Bashing Community Since 2001” (I don’t make these things up), there are a few comments at A JE casting section which I include only because I found the following comment hilarious. "I bet Jennifer Ehle only accepted this role so she could use the "zombie, post-dead Catelyn" as inspiration for when Hollywood eventually adapts "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies".

Xenagia Forums: Fantasy, Science Fiction & Horror

The Wert zone blog

Fronk livejournal

Tower of the Hand

Heroine TV

Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist

Finish the Book, George
A blog that angrily waits for George R.R. Martin to finish A Dance With Dragons

I Was Never Young blog

Writer's News

Fantasy Fan blog

This is Lee blog



A link to
Depictions of some characters from A Game of Thrones by Michael Shanks
Including Eddard and Catelyn

For you readers, a link to the text of the book A Game of Thrones coughed up at the Forum (was that you Kitty Bennet?) A Game of Thrones, the book


Here’ s A Very Happy Mrs. Darcy. I also felt like swinging from the chandelier when I heard about the new project, but I would not have looked anywhere near this good, believe me.


Not forgetting all that has come before, a recent review of Pride and Glory posted by okapi

[…]To watch the interaction between Francis and his dying wife, Abby (Jennifer Ehle, in no doubt an underappreciated role), is to watch love at its purest…and hardest. It’s an interaction that gets lost within all the shooting and bleeding, but I think, in the end, it’s ultimately the symbol of what this movie is all about, and what is most important above all else.[…]

Let the Game Begin

Stark Raving

The bees and chicks are now very alert and awake. Along with the rest of us, they are stark raving mad with surprise and happiness at the latest news!

















Jennifer Ehle has been cast as Catelyn Stark in HBO’s A Game of Thrones





Reported at
The Hollywood Reporter
and by Jay Tomio at BSC

"Following up recent announcements of Sean Bean (Ned Stark) and Kit Harrington (Jon Snow) Harry Lloyd (Viserys) Jack Gleeson (Joffrey) and Mark Addy (Robert), THR tells us we get another member of House Stark in the form of Jennifer Ehle. [...] this may be the best fit thus far [...] "

Read about it in French too


S'more added

The author George R.R. Martin laments being "scooped" (I can sympathize) at his blog

" [...] she's won a BAFTA Award and two Tonys, and she will be a wonderful Catelyn.

Fortunately, even HOLLYWOOD REPORTER doesn't know all the cool stuff I know, so I will still be able to smile engimatically and drop sly hints in Montreal. "

I can't wait for the "cool stuff"!
If you visit his blog, be sure to enjoy the many lovely comments left by readers.

At The George R R Martin Forum, "A Song of Ice and Fire" you can enjoy a discussion of the news by what seems to me to be a membership of unusual insight and perspicacity.

JE is certain to gain a horde of new fans with this.
Hi, new fans, if you're reading this. You've just met an actress of the highest talent and ability, and a lady of character. While you wait for AGoT, check out her available work so far. You're going to be impressed.


Information about the Catelyn Stark character can be read at the following links.
A Wkiki of Ice & Fire
and
Wikipedia :House Tully

"Catelyn Tully Stark (a POV character) is Hoster's eldest child and once his heir until the birth of her brother. She is the wife of Eddard Stark of Winterfell and mother of their five children, Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. Catelyn is seen as honorable and upright by acquaintances, holding duty over desire as a governing principle of behavior. She has a deep love for family and a strong faith in the Seven. However, she regards the bastard Jon Snow as an outsider to her family, and has never forgiven Eddard for bringing him into her household. She has a strong and stately beauty, with auburn hair, blue eyes, and long fingers.i

Sounds like an ideal match of actor and role, a coup de casting. I wonder if JE will sport the auburn hair. She's been gorgeous in that hue in the past. Perhaps we need a poll here: Brunette (ala Lizzy Bennet), Auburn (ala Christabel LaMotte), Blond (ala Lorainne Morrissey), or Other (ala Abby Tierney).

According to Wikipedia, The shooting for the pilot will begin in October 2009 and take place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the Paint Hall Studio.

And, finally, here's a chance to read a Game of Thrones Script



Thanks to HoBO for the hint in ShoutMix that sent me stalking HBO on Google (only to be scooped by a jezillion other bloggers while I slept); and to Ann who posted the THR news in the Chat Extension; and to t/Tez who shared the great links at the Forum.