musings about the actor and the characters he brings to life
This one is for everyone who’s missing Bobby Axelrod!
Cheers to six years of Bobby Axelrod on Billions! What an indelible character Damian has etched in our pop culture forever. Although Damian left the show after five seasons there was always an opportunity for him to return – never say never, right? We even felt his character’s constant presence in season six. Fast forward to the upcoming season seven and that’s exactly what has happened…the Axe returned.
It’s game time! Growing up I loved watching 70’s/80’s game shows. Remember these catch phrases?
“Come on down!”
“Survey says…”
“No whammies, no whammies, no whammies…and STOP!”
“I’d like to buy a vowel.”
And I’m in heaven with the recent revivals of Match Game, Celebrity Family Feud, and To Tell the Truth. I even DVR old Match Game episodes from time to time to watch my favorite panelists Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly like I did when I watched reruns as a child.
If it’s a game, you can count me in! I often host Bunco round-robins, hold Whiz Spades tournaments, and throw Mexican Train Dominoes events. I am no emcee–I have to be in on the action and playing. Games are great fun, whether spending family time together or as an added bonus to your dinner party with friends. Even drinking games like Never Have I Ever and Marry, Shag, Kill are hysterical to play.
Which brings me to Marry, Shag, Kill (our version is Marry, Shag, Banish to an Island).
Continue reading “Marry, Shag, Banish – Damian Lewis Characters Version”
“Pretend we’re having an argument.” —Bobby Axelrod
A good hour of television absolutely starts with good writing and I pride myself in calling Willie Reale, the writer of Billions Season 1 Episode 10 Quality of Life, a genius way before I find out that he is, in fact, one! I don’t know if you are familiar with MacArthur Fellowships also known as “Genius Grants” but Mr. Reale is a recipient of this fellowship “in recognition of his ingenuity in creating theater and theater education programs for young people.” Bravo!
Quality of Life, with Donnie’s memorial service being at its heart, has a number of moving parts; however, Mr. Reale delivers the story seamlessly with a number of timely back and forths between the memorial service and all else going on and the episode’s director Karyn Kusama perfectly translates the writing into action. And, in my humble opinion, Brian Koppelman’s tweet sharing with us that the fake argument scene between Axe and Dollar Bill was Reale’s idea alone deserves standing ovation for this brilliant writer! Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to a Beloved Billions Moment: The Fake Fight”
“This sounds absurdly pretentious, but the American Damian, I’m sort of oddly comfortable with him.” – Damian Lewis
A Guardian article from July 2015 talks about Brits versus Yanks in Hollywood:
“The invasion of British and Irish leading men in Hollywood has now gone beyond a joke for many in the American entertainment industry. First noticed some time in 2011, the trend was initially dismissed as a novelty: an interesting phase that would pass, rather than as a threat. But this summer actors and directors are calling for action to mobilise American drama teachers and schools to counter it.”
So Hollywood has finally taken notice and is now somehow mobilizing to defend its territory against the British invasion 😀 Well, maybe it is too little too late at this point? I mean, it is not that the Brits are coming, but they have already arrived. Besides, Vanity Fair says “victory is assured” in the video clip below, with fabulous ginger alert at 0:29, about which I blogged about earlier here! Continue reading “From Dick Winters to Steve McQueen: The “American” Damian Lewis”
Time flies! Damian Lewis was the guest of celebrated Times Talks at Directors Guild Theater eight years ago. And I would love to take this opportunity to travel back to that day and re-live the wonderful conversation Damian had with Cara Buckley, a New York Times culture reporter and celebrate the eighth anniversary of a beautiful friendship with Paige and Joyce with whom I clicked as soon as I met them in the line! Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis at Times Talks”