Today I learned the sad news that I had expected for some time. At the grand old age of 104, one of the last great icons from the Golden Age of Hollywood has left us for that great awards ceremony in the sky. The Great Olivia de Havilland is dead.
Born in Tokyo in 1916, the arts were in her blood, her Mother being a RADA trained stage Actress; and a younger Sister, Joan Fontaine, also becoming a famous Actress, and with whom she was said to have had a long-standing rivalry; (although I personally felt the media overplayed it). Her paternal cousin, Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, was the founder of the legendary de Havilland aircraft company.
Olivia de Havilland's remarkable career would span some five decades, and in addition to being a wonderful Actress, she became a champion of performers' rights when she challenged the studio system which was prevalent in Hollywood at that time. Backed by the Screen Actors Guild she took her employers, Warner Brothers, to court and won what became a landmark labour ruling in 1944, known to this day as the 'De Havilland Law'.
I think I fell in love with her when I was eight years old, watching her on the old black and white telly opposite the great Errol Flynn, with whom she co-starred eight times. And of course, there was 'Gone With The Wind', for me still the greatest movie ever made, which garnered her one of the five Oscar nominations of her career. She would win two.
I guess when you are one hundred and four years old, you are entitled to cash your chips; but I cannot help but feel a deep sadness at her passing. It is as if a little part of my childhood has gone. They really don't make films like that any more; and we may never see her like again.
When her character, Melanie Wilkes, dies in Gone With The Wind, Rhett Butler speaks a line which somehow seems appropriate today...

"Well, God rest her. She was the only completely kind person I ever knew. A great Lady. A very great Lady."

A Great Lady, indeed.
Goodbye Madam, and Thank You...

Olivia Mary de Havilland, (1916-2020).
Requiescat In Pace...

I was extremely honoured to have been cast in 'Adam' and privileged to have worked with such a dedicated and professional cast and crew.
May I take this opportunity to wish everyone involved with this film success at the forthcoming Venice Film Festival...
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In bocca al lupo!

Since venturing into the world of acting, some of my happiest times in training were at Royal Central, where I studied courses ranging from acting technique, Shakespeare, singing and text. I look forward very much to learning at this wonderful Conservatoire again before too long.
In this picture, taken a few years ago, I am standing beside a bust in the foyer of the most famous Student ever to attend the school... Sir Laurence Olivier.
Follow my blog for announcements about my current and forthcoming projects...
#actor #actorslife #matureactor #proactor #royalcentralschoolofspeechanddrama

My Friend and Screen Acting Tutor, Ruggero Dalla Santa gives his thoughts here on one of the most powerful cinematic scenes ever.
I thought Joaquin Phoenix was immense in Gladiator, and Ruggero has picked exactly the scene that I would have done. The first time I saw it, my heart broke for Commodus, who only wanted his Father to love him, and to feel himself worthy of that love. I have said many times that great Actors can tell me what their character is thinking and feeling with very little physical action, and Phoenix does all that here. With the slightest of facial movement, you see his character in a moment of terrible personal torture. The only issue I would question Ruggero on is the incidental music, which I think can be very powerful on screen, and was here.
That final line of dialogue: "I would butcher the whole World, if you would only love me", is truly heartbreaking.
I think it was Stanislavski who said: "if you are playing a bad character, try to find a little good in him", (and vice versa). And in a strange way, this is a great example of that; as we watch this heartbroken child turn into a monster later in the film.
If like me, your first love is acting for camera, I can highly recommend following Ruggero's channels...

Another of the great Shakespeare monologues delivered by my Friend and Acting Tutor, Colin David Reese.
I know he's a Mate, (so I would say this wouldn't I?!!); but I really love listening to Colin doing Shakespeare. His voice character, pacing, and the sheer intensity of his delivery has me spellbound.
I shall be recording some monologues of my own shortly, and whilst they may not be in this league, I certainly have a great example to learn from and aspire to.
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Enjoy...

In the midst of the struggles we are all facing at the moment with the COVID-19 pandemic, my Wife and I were overjoyed today to learn that our six year-old Granddaughter, Alice, has just received the results of her first Performing Arts exam at LAMDA, and has passed with Distinction!
Many Congratulations, Alice! You fill us with pride and joy every day. Love You...

"Personality is the most important thing to an Actress's success."

​Mae West.

As with any profession, people always have different opinions on how best to do the job, and around these opinions, schools of thought develop. Then there are the endless debates about which is the best approach, and the claims that you can only hope to be successful if you subscribe to a particular school of thought and pay copious amounts of money to study with their teachers.
Thinking about this, I was reminded of a question I once saw asked on an online discussion page...

'Is there a word for Actors who are most comfortable playing the characters closest to themselves? Thanks.'

Yes there is. They are called 'Personality Actors'. In simple English, they are Actors and Actresses who can play many different roles by effectively playing themselves. This is not the same as being 'typecast', which involves those responsible for casting, employing the same person for similar roles. Some of the most wonderful and entertaining work in history has been made with the skills of Personality Actors, and there are many such Actors and Actresses around today. Errol Flynn, (pictured here), made fifty-six movies, and effectively played one character! But his films were hugely popular in the Golden Age of Hollywood, and are as entertaining over sixty years after his death as they were back in the day.

In the final analysis I do not believe there is a 'right way' to act. Since I came to acting the single most important thing I have learned was taught to me by my Friend and acting Tutor, Colin David Reese. He said: "Our job as Actors is to give the Editor something he can work with."

Personally I would never question what works for another Actor, because it doesn't matter whether you use Meisner/Method/System or Personality, ultimately it comes from you, and if you have given the crew something they can use in post production to tell their story, then you have done your job...

Image from the Movie: They Died With Their Boots On, (1941).
Director: Raoul Walsh.
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a Very Happy and Blessed New Year...

This is a lovely rendition of Angelo's monologue from Measure for Measure: Act 2, Scene 2; delivered by my old Friend, Tutor and Great Shakespearean: Colin David Reese...

Very Good 'Beyond Repetition' session with Nicole Gaskell at the Actors' Temple today. I love the Meisner Technique in acting, it is so visceral and alive; and every time I practice it I am astonished at how many barriers we have constructed in our everyday lives to prevent our being truly connected to ourselves, and each other.

Always a pleasure to meet the folks at AT...