What were you doing in 1995? Cynthia’s Story *UPDATED*

Hello all! Damianista here. Welcome to Fan Story Tuesday!

We are publishing Cynthia’s story for a second time today because we have LOVELY updates to share! ENJOY!

copright: Cynthia Canty

Those of you from Michigan may know Cynthia from her program Stateside on Michigan Radio, part of the NPR digital network. Cynthia has had work experience in radio and TV for more than 35 years.  She has been a popular radio host, a TV news anchor, producer and a medical and consumer reporter. She has won a number of awards for her writing and reporting — including an Emmy! And, in addition to all this, Cynthia is a Damian Lewis fan. Big thanks go to her for being one of the first to respond to our call for fan stories and sharing this very special story.

Without further ado: What were YOU doing in 1995? This is Cynthia’s story.

Continue reading “What were you doing in 1995? Cynthia’s Story *UPDATED*”

From Yosemite Sam to Ice Juice: Why We Love Billions’ Sense of Humor – Season 2

source: Showtime

I have repeatedly said Billions is the smartest show on TV and I stand behind my words. A smart show starts with smart writing and Billions’ plot, a true roller coaster ride with mind-blowing twists and turns, speaks volumes in this regard. And I am particularly impressed by the way the show is served peppered with some delicious sense of humor. We wrote about why we love the sense of humor in Season 1 earlier here and it is time to take a closer look at some of the fun moments Billions brought to us in its sophomore season. Continue reading “From Yosemite Sam to Ice Juice: Why We Love Billions’ Sense of Humor – Season 2”

Much Ado About Nothing

Ah, the romantic comedy: A genre when presented as an evening’s viewing option has sent many an otherwise lovey-dovey couple to opposite ends of the couch. I have to say the romantic comedy has never been my first stop when Netflix surfing. Actually, it’s rarely my choice at all, unless When Harry Met Sally is on (the last great romantic comedy, IMO) or the least appreciated but my personal favorite of the Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks vehicles: Joe vs. the Volcano. [The guy falls for different versions of the SAME woman; how much more romantic (and comedic) can you get?]

William Shakespeare knew a thing or two about romantic comedies. In fact, he invented the genre! The formula of boy meets girl, they run up against some obstacles, surmount said obstacles with the help of a jocular coterie of friends, and live happily ever after: That’s Shakespeare! And perhaps the most seminal of his romantic comedies is Much Ado About Nothing. The plot and characters gave rise to many adaptations and permutations. There was the beautifully hilarious big-screen adaptation in 1993 with real-life couple-at-the-time Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. More recently, in 2012, there was another lovely big-screen adaptation, this time by Joss Whedon, set in modern times but true to Shakespearean language. And between those two, in 2005, our very own Damian Lewis starred as Benedick in a BBC adaptation of the story, set in modern times with modern language, for their series Shakespeare ReTold.

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Continue reading “Much Ado About Nothing”

Damian Lewis in Life Enters Their Lives: Margit and Monique’s Stories

Hi everyone! Damianista welcomes you to a NEW Fan Story Tuesday!

Today we bring you two stories in which two wonderful fans inevitably fall in love with the wonderfully charming and quirky Charlie Crews in Life!

source: NBC

The first story comes from Margit in Estonia who describes herself as a member of many fandoms where as the second story comes from Monique in France who describes herself as the biggest Damian Lewis fan. And we believe her! Monique is an amazing lady, a wonderful fan, and we cannot thank her enough for the constant support she has given to Fan Fun from its early days with her spirited, kind and encouraging remarks.

Huge thanks go to both Margit and Monique for sharing their lovely fan stories with us. Here is to many more years of sharing Damian Lewis love together. Cheers! Continue reading “Damian Lewis in Life Enters Their Lives: Margit and Monique’s Stories”

Behind the Scenes with Damian Lewis: The Making of Keane

Alex Gansa knew he had the actor to play Nicholas Brody in Homeland once he saw Damian Lewis’ performance in Keane.

“Every ounce of me wanted to go home and pour a gin-and-tonic, but I thought, let me see if it’s streaming on Netflix. I looked on my computer and put on my headphones and opened my laptop and there was this little movie. The first forty-five minutes of the film are essentially Damian on camera. I hit pause and picked up the phone and called the studio head and said, ‘This is just an incredible performance—a damaged person on camera holding the frame. ”

Well, we blogged earlier about how Keane gave us Brody here and both JaniaJania and I wrote our reviews of the movie here and here. But how did Damian get to work on Keane? How did he prepare for his wonderfully gripping but extremely consuming part? How did the filming go? How did it all come together? Continue reading “Behind the Scenes with Damian Lewis: The Making of Keane”