Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2026-01-22T18:55:25.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: 10 Questions with Claire Foy
items: Claire Foy talks "emotionally exhausting" H Is for Hawk role, playing queens, and why she must be in a "grief phase"
items: 10 Questions with Brendan Fraser
items: Brendan Fraser reveals impact of his years away from the spotlight: "There always was a light"
items: 10 Questions with Paul Giamatti
items: Paul Giamatti reveals how Star Trek role as villainous Nus Braka is a dream come true: "It is Shakespearean!"
items: Sam Worthington on returning to Avatar
items: Oona Chaplin joins the Avatar saga
items: The stakes are higher than ever
items: Avatar: Fire and Ash director James Cameron shares how this film about loss helped him process his "true grief"
items: Game of Thrones star reveals her Avatar: Fire and Ash villain is a "magnificent beast of a lady"
items: Avatar star Sam Worthington reveals why he didn't interact with one key cast member during sequel filming
items: 10 Questions with Lennie James
items: BAFTA winner Lennie James calls out issues of the current Trump era and why we need working class voices
items: View from my sofa: Maisie Adam
items: Taskmaster's Maisie Adam: "You look at early series of Mock the Week and it was all the same kind of male"
items: Ten Questions with Jared Harris
items: Jared Harris reveals one of his biggest regrets – never working with his screen icon father
items: Star Wars grows up
items: Andor creator: 'We try to be more serious about Star Wars – we shot a cop in the face in the opening scene'
items: Ten Questions with Chris O'Dowd
items: Chris O'Dowd on returning to his roots for Small Town, Big Story: "I'd been looking for a reason"
items: Star Wars: Skeleton Crew creator says he'll "protect" young cast as they opt to "stay off social media"
items: 'As a kid, my world fell apart'
items: Ten Questions with John Lithgow
items: John Lithgow turned down playing "ghastly threat" Donald Trump several times
items: View from my sofa: Nick Mohammed
items: John David Washington on The Piano Lesson: "The scab wounds of those times still affect us today"
items: Ten Questions with John David Washington
items: Michael Douglas on nepotism, playing an American legend and sex scenes

10 Questions with Claire Foy
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The star of The Crown and Wolf Hall on being pigeonholed — and acting opposite Britain’s meanest birds of prey
encoded: Add H is for Hawk to your watchlist Few actors capture the British “stiff upper lip” like Claire Foy. Many first discovered her quiet steel as Anne Boleyn in the BBC’s adaptation of Wolf Hall, but it was playing a young Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown that propelled her to stardom. Now, in new film H Is for Hawk (an adaptation of Helen Macdonald’s 2014 memoir of the same name), Foy plays a reserved Cambridge academic who adopts a goshawk following the death of her father. You spend much of H Is for Hawk with a goshawk on your arm. Was that a daunting prospect? I was nervous! Goshawks are the most difficult birds to handle. Our bird trainers [married couple] Rose and Lloyd Buck said, “Claire will get footed,” which is basically when the bird claws you, “because a goshawk has never not footed a falconer.” And our director [Philippa Lowthorpe] had to say, “No, she won’t!” because otherwise we wouldn’t get insured. I did get footed, but only in the last shot of the whole thing. We used five birds and it was by Jess, the least likely one. It was her little “see you later”. What was it like acting with the goshawks? Every scene with the birds was improvised. There are a couple where I’m talking to the bird and it does a poo. So you have to respond to it, which I found incredibly freeing. In a way it’s much easier than improvising with an actor. The film is a study of grief and depression. Was it challenging? It was emotionally exhausting, but being close to that emotion makes you feel very alive. I think that can be very true of real grief. It can make you live a little bit larger, a bit louder, in response to it. I never saw it as a burden. I never saw it like, “Oh, it’s terrible that I have to feel all these feelings.” Helen actually hardly cries. Did that feel more authentic? Yeah, and I found it an appealing thing to try to communicate: it’s an interior battle. We often presume that what’s happening on the outside is happening on the inside, and it’s just the opposite…

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Claire Foy talks "emotionally exhausting" H Is for Hawk role, playing queens, and why she must be in a "grief phase"
type: item
date: 2026-01-19T17:01:26.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
subject: Netflix
description: The star of The Crown and Wolf Hall on being pigeonholed – and acting opposite Britain’s meanest birds of prey.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Few actors capture the British “stiff upper lip” like Claire Foy. Many first discovered her quiet steel as Anne Boleyn in the BBC’s adaptation of Wolf Hall, but it was playing a young Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown that propelled her to stardom. Now, in new film H Is for Hawk (an adaptation of Helen Macdonald’s 2014 memoir of the same name), Foy plays a reserved Cambridge academic who adopts a goshawk following the death of her father. You spend much of H Is for Hawk with a goshawk on your arm. Was that a daunting prospect? I was nervous! Goshawks are the most difficult birds to handle. Our bird trainers [married couple] Rose and Lloyd Buck said, “Claire will get footed,” which is basically when the bird claws you, “because a goshawk has never not footed a falconer.” And our director [Philippa Lowthorpe] had to say, “No, she won’t!” because otherwise we wouldn’t get insured. I did get footed, but only in the last shot of the whole thing. We used five birds and it was by Jess, the least likely one. It was her little “see you later”. What was it like acting with the goshawks? Every scene with the birds was improvised. There are a couple where I’m talking to the bird and it does a poo. So you have to respond to it, which I found incredibly freeing. In a way it’s much easier than improvising with an actor. The film is a study of grief and depression. Was it challenging? It was emotionally exhausting, but being close to that emotion makes you feel very alive. I think that can be very true of real grief. It can make you live a little bit larger, a bit louder, in response to it. I never saw it as a burden. I never saw it like, “Oh, it’s terrible that I have to feel all these feelings.” View Green Video on the source website Helen actually hardly cries. Did that feel more authentic? Yeah, and I found it an appealing thing to try to communicate: it’s an interior battle. We often presume that what’s happening on the outsid…

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height: 4011

10 Questions with Brendan Fraser
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The Oscar winner is now playing a dad for hire in Japan, but could he soon be back in another Mummy movie?
encoded: Add Rental Family to your watchlist Brendan Fraser is enjoying what his fans have called a “Brendanaissance”. The doe-eyed American-Canadian actor rose to fame in the early 2000s thanks to his part as a swashbuckling archaeologist in The Mummy movies, but he retreated from Hollywood in the 2010s owing to physical and personal problems. That changed in 2022, however, when he won the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of a morbidly obese English teacher in The Whale. In his latest role in the playful drama Rental Family, he portrays an American actor struggling to find work in Japan… Rental Family is based around a real Japanese service where people can hire actors to be their friends and family. What do you make of that concept? It’s existed since the 1980s. There are some 300 businesses that operate. It made me think, “Where does the make-believe and reality end?” That’s the point of the film. It’s awkward and a bit prickly, and it should be. In the end, what people want is a sense of authentic connection in an increasingly divided and synthetic world. Your character, Phillip, takes on a role that involves convincing a little girl that he’s her father. Do you think he did the right thing? It’s a tricky one! I have three sons and we’re lying to them constantly. So what truths do we give children anyway? But I can see that there would be damage done to a child’s trust in that scenario. The point of that relationship is how stigmatised being a single mother is in Japan. I have empathy with that girl’s mother because she’s trying to do the best she can. What would you use a rental family agency for? I would hire a sister. I’m the fourth of four sons and I’ve always wanted that kind of sister relationship where you give each other advice on life and tease each other. I love the fantasy of being the guy who sticks up for his sister and beats up the jock. “Hey, that’s my sister. Back off!” You speak Japanese in this film. Did you learn the language or was it more of a case…

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Brendan Fraser reveals impact of his years away from the spotlight: "There always was a light"
type: item
date: 2026-01-12T17:00:51.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: The Oscar winner is now playing a dad for hire in Japan, but could he soon be back in another Mummy movie?
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Brendan Fraser is enjoying what his fans have called a “Brendanaissance”. The doe-eyed American-Canadian actor rose to fame in the early 2000s thanks to his part as a swashbuckling archaeologist in The Mummy movies, but he retreated from Hollywood in the 2010s owing to physical and personal problems. That changed in 2022, however, when he won the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of a morbidly obese English teacher in The Whale. In his latest role in the playful drama Rental Family, he portrays an American actor struggling to find work in Japan… Rental Family is based around a real Japanese service where people can hire actors to be their friends and family. What do you make of that concept? It’s existed since the 1980s. There are some 300 businesses that operate. It made me think, “Where does the make-believe and reality end?” That’s the point of the film. It’s awkward and a bit prickly, and it should be. In the end, what people want is a sense of authentic connection in an increasingly divided and synthetic world. View Green Video on the source website Your character, Phillip, takes on a role that involves convincing a little girl that he’s her father. Do you think he did the right thing? It’s a tricky one! I have three sons and we’re lying to them constantly. So what truths do we give children anyway? But I can see that there would be damage done to a child’s trust in that scenario. The point of that relationship is how stigmatised being a single mother is in Japan. I have empathy with that girl’s mother because she’s trying to do the best she can. What would you use a rental family agency for? I would hire a sister. I’m the fourth of four sons and I’ve always wanted that kind of sister relationship where you give each other advice on life and tease each other. I love the fantasy of being the guy who sticks up for his sister and beats up the jock. “Hey, that’s my sister. Back off!” You speak Japanese in this f…

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width: 4729
height: 3378

10 Questions with Paul Giamatti
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: From Trek fan to Trek star, the acclaimed actor of indie projects is living the dream as an alien pirate
encoded: Add Star Trek: Starfleet Academy to your watchlist Paul Giamatti is the patron saint of passive-aggressive sad men — from 2004 breakout film Sideways, where he played a depressed failed novelist, to 2023 festive hit The Holdovers, which won him a Golden Globe for his role as a cantankerous professor. But his next part couldn’t be more different. Now, the 58-year-old Oscar nominee plays the snarling half-Klingon space pirate Nas Braka, the villain of new Star Trek show Starfleet Academy. A surprising departure, perhaps? You’re a respected indie film darling — how did you come to beam aboard Starfleet Academy? I have made my interest in Star Trek known over the years. I probably said stuff while promoting The Holdovers about how all I’ve ever wanted to do is play a Klingon! I didn’t think it would lead to anything. But somebody caught wind of it and brought me a script and they had a couple of parts to offer. I said, “Oh, the bad guy looks interesting.” As you’re such a Trek fan, how big an ambition was it for you to be in the series? It was a fantasy. I never thought it was ever going to happen. I have been watching Star Trek since I was about seven years old. My father was a fan in the late 60s, and we watched together. I do keep pinching myself that I got to do this. Your character, Nas Braka, is a deranged half-Klingon space pirate. What drew you to him? Just the fact that he was a villain! A lot of the Star Trek parts that were attractive to me growing up were bad guys. He’s a low-life. He’s playing the clown but he’s not a fancy, high-end criminal. He’s drunk most of the time. I’m surprised you didn’t choose a captain role. Surely you want to wear the uniform? No! That’s like when I did Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes movie. They said they had an ape part and my agent goes, “Oh, but surely you should play a human so people can see your face?” I’m like, “Are you crazy? Who wants to be a human in Planet of the Apes?!” I’m like that about Star Trek. I wanna be an a…

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Paul Giamatti reveals how Star Trek role as villainous Nus Braka is a dream come true: "It is Shakespearean!"
type: item
date: 2026-01-05T17:00:07.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: From Trek fan to Trek star, the acclaimed actor of indie projects is living the dream as an alien pirate.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Paul Giamatti is the patron saint of passive-aggressive sad men — from 2004 breakout film Sideways, where he played a depressed failed novelist, to 2023 festive hit The Holdovers, which won him a Golden Globe for his role as a cantankerous professor. But his next part couldn’t be more different. Now, the 58-year-old Oscar nominee plays the snarling half-Klingon space pirate Nus Braka, the villain of new Star Trek show Starfleet Academy. A surprising departure, perhaps? You’re a respected indie film darling — how did you come to beam aboard Starfleet Academy? I have made my interest in Star Trek known over the years. I probably said stuff while promoting The Holdovers about how all I’ve ever wanted to do is play a Klingon! I didn’t think it would lead to anything. But somebody caught wind of it and brought me a script and they had a couple of parts to offer. I said, “Oh, the bad guy looks interesting.” As you’re such a Trek fan, how big an ambition was it for you to be in the series? It was a fantasy. I never thought it was ever going to happen. I have been watching Star Trek since I was about seven years old. My father was a fan in the late 60s, and we watched together. I do keep pinching myself that I got to do this. View oEmbed on the source website Your character, Nus Braka, is a deranged half-Klingon space pirate. What drew you to him? Just the fact that he was a villain! A lot of the Star Trek parts that were attractive to me growing up were bad guys. He’s a low-life. He’s playing the clown but he’s not a fancy, high-end criminal. He’s drunk most of the time. I’m surprised you didn’t choose a captain role. Surely you want to wear the uniform? No! That’s like when I did Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes movie. They said they had an ape part and my agent goes, “Oh, but surely you should play a human so people can see your face?” I’m like, “Are you crazy? Who wants to be a human in Planet of the Apes?!” I’m like t…

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width: 2017
height: 1342

Sam Worthington on returning to Avatar
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The actor reprises his role as human-turned Na'vi Jake Sully
encoded: Add Avatar: Fire and Ash to your watchlist The first Avatar movie was released 16 years ago. How would you describe its impact on your life? When we started, I was 31 – I’m 49 now. Avatar made my whole world do a 180. You can’t prepare for the Hollywood industry, you’ve just got to survive the turbulence. And then you learn as you’re doing it. Unfortunately, you have to do it under a spotlight. James Cameron has a reputation for being demanding. What’s he like to work with? Jim is the best acting director I’ve ever met! He’s so detailed. It really helps. His movies are acknowledged for their spectacle, but these movies don’t work unless they have a soul and that’s what you get from the performances. I’m humbled to have Jim as my friend and mentor. When I go to other jobs, that bar is very high once you’ve worked with Jim. Before the release of The Way of Water there were doubts whether audiences still had the appetite for Avatar. Were you worried? I don’t doubt my boss, man! People thought Aliens wouldn’t match Alien. People thought Terminator 2: Judgment Day wouldn’t be as good as The Terminator. The thing about Jim is he always gives you the unexpected. Jake’s eldest son Neteyam died at the end of The Way of Water. How does that grief affect him in Fire and Ash? They’re still in a state of shock over what happened. The movie explores the struggle to hold together the things that you love. Jake goes back to his touchstone, which is soldiering. He doesn’t want violence to come, but soldiering is what he knows, and that helps him navigate these harsh emotions. You’re the father of three boys. Was it a challenge to tap into every parent’s worst nightmare? The great thing was that we filmed the two sequels simultaneously. So Neteyam’s death came early on and I knew we could use the emotion of that scene and carry it into Fire and Ash. You can’t “play” grief, otherwise the movie becomes bogged in this mire of pain and sadness. It’s more about how you resurrect out of th…

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width: 1552
height: 1035

Oona Chaplin joins the Avatar saga
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The actor joins the cast as the fearsome Varang, leader of the Ash clan of Na'vi
encoded: Add Avatar: Fire and Ash to your watchlist Tell us about Varang, the leader of the antagonistic Ash people, who you play in Fire and Ash. She is spicy! A magnificent beast of a lady. She is the leader of the Ash clan, who are very different to the other Na’vi clans. They live in a place where there was a huge natural disaster so their connection to [Pandora’s spiritual nature entity] Eywa was severed. They have this huge trauma and pain and the smart, brilliant Varang has figured out a way to harness that despair. Sam Worthington mentioned that you went “Method” for the role of Varang. What did you do to get into character? I plastered very traumatic images all over my trailer, which I don’t think I’ll do again! Also, before scenes I would do these chants and stomps to get myself into Varang’s headspace. Looking back on it now I am a little bit embarrassed… but at the time it seemed the right thing to do. Going from being the kind of person who is like, “Oh no, don’t worry about me!” to being like, “Do exactly as I say or you shall die!” – it was a big leap! What was your audition for Varang like? At the time, I had built myself a treehouse and I was determined to live in there and start a permaculture project [for sustainable land use]. And then there was this opportunity to audition for Avatar and I was like, “That’s a good reason to come out of my treehouse!” James Cameron is a hero for me. But then I met him and he’s so playful and curious. We ended up stopping the audition and talking about agriculture and biodynamics. It sounds like you were at an interesting point in your life at that time? A huge crossroads. I was in a place of really feeling the injustices of the world. I spent a lot of time in Calais building shacks in the Jungle [the refugee camp in France]. And I was very conflicted, because then I’d be going on to set and wearing a £9,000 dress. There was a lot of inner turmoil in that. The performance-capture process used in Fire and Ash meant you had …

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height: 836

The stakes are higher than ever
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: As the Avatar saga’s latest chapter hits cinemas, can director James Cameron replicate the mind-blowing success of its predecessors? No pressure…
encoded: Add Avatar: Fire and Ash to your watchlist James Cameron operates at the kind of scale usually reserved for plagues and empires. For instance, for his latest “very expensive” Avatar sequel, Fire and Ash, to be considered successful, “I don’t have to affect every single person on the planet,” he says, modestly. “I only need about 3 per cent.” If you’re wondering, that equates to about 240 million people: over three times the population of the UK. And if they all buy a ticket for $10 each, then that translates to a gross of $2.4 billion: placing it in the top three highest-grossing films of all time. “It is the stupidest business model in the world,” he laughs. “We’ve made a movie that fails if it’s not in the top ten in history. That’s ludicrous, right?” Ludicrous for most directors, perhaps. But not James Cameron. This is the man who directed the 1997 phenomenon Titanic, a blockbuster so over budget that at one point it looked as though it would sink his career. Instead, it became the highest-grossing film of all time. And then there’s 2009’s Avatar. Back then, it was a baffling prospect: a surreal 3D science-fiction extravaganza made almost entirely on a virtual soundstage, about a distant planet of blue aliens called the Na’vi. It overtook Titanic to became the highest-grossing film of all time. And yet, even by Cameron’s standards, the 71-year-old director admits that he has played a “dangerous game” with his two Avatar sequels, which were filmed back to back in New Zealand. “That was a big bet,” he says. “Because we had to assume that the second film would be successful enough to warrant the finishing of the third.” The first sequel, The Way of Water, was released in 2022 amidst scepticism as to whether audiences still cared about Avatar. It grossed $2.3 billion: placing it in the top three highest-grossing films of all time. More than enough to justify this third instalment, Fire and Ash. Avatar’s status as a worldwide phenomenon is often attributed to its spec…

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Avatar: Fire and Ash director James Cameron shares how this film about loss helped him process his "true grief"
type: item
date: 2025-12-03T17:01:10.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: As the Avatar saga’s latest chapter hits cinemas, can director James Cameron replicate the mind-blowing success of its predecessors? No pressure…
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. James Cameron operates at the kind of scale usually reserved for plagues and empires. For instance, for his latest “very expensive” Avatar sequel, Fire and Ash, to be considered successful, “I don’t have to affect every single person on the planet,” he says, modestly. “I only need about 3 per cent.” If you’re wondering, that equates to about 240 million people: over three times the population of the UK. And if they all buy a ticket for $10 each, then that translates to a gross of $2.4 billion: placing it in the top three highest-grossing films of all time. “It is the stupidest business model in the world,” he laughs. “We’ve made a movie that fails if it’s not in the top ten in history. That’s ludicrous, right?” Ludicrous for most directors, perhaps. But not James Cameron. This is the man who directed the 1997 phenomenon Titanic, a blockbuster so over budget that at one point it looked as though it would sink his career. Instead, it became the highest-grossing film of all time. And then there’s 2009’s Avatar. Back then, it was a baffling prospect: a surreal 3D science-fiction extravaganza made almost entirely on a virtual soundstage, about a distant planet of blue aliens called the Na’vi. It overtook Titanic to became the highest-grossing film of all time. And yet, even by Cameron’s standards, the 71-year-old director admits that he has played a “dangerous game” with his two Avatar sequels, which were filmed back to back in New Zealand. “That was a big bet,” he says. “Because we had to assume that the second film would be successful enough to warrant the finishing of the third.” The first sequel, The Way of Water, was released in 2022 amidst scepticism as to whether audiences still cared about Avatar. It grossed $2.3 billion: placing it in the top three highest-grossing films of all time. More than enough to justify this third instalment, Fire and Ash. Avatar’s status as a worldwide phenomenon is often attributed t…

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width: 5768
height: 3846

Game of Thrones star reveals her Avatar: Fire and Ash villain is a "magnificent beast of a lady"
type: item
date: 2025-12-02T19:01:02.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Oona Chaplin tells us how she brought Varang to life with intense Method prep, ritual stomps, and unflinching authority.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Tell us about Varang, the leader of the antagonistic Ash people, who you play in Fire and Ash. She is spicy! A magnificent beast of a lady. She is the leader of the Ash clan, who are very different to the other Na’vi clans. They live in a place where there was a huge natural disaster so their connection to [Pandora’s spiritual nature entity] Eywa was severed. They have this huge trauma and pain and the smart, brilliant Varang has figured out a way to harness that despair. Sam Worthington mentioned that you went “Method” for the role of Varang. What did you do to get into character? I plastered very traumatic images all over my trailer, which I don’t think I’ll do again! Also, before scenes I would do these chants and stomps to get myself into Varang’s headspace. Looking back on it now I am a little bit embarrassed… but at the time it seemed the right thing to do. Going from being the kind of person who is like, “Oh no, don’t worry about me!” to being like, “Do exactly as I say or you shall die!” – it was a big leap! What was your audition for Varang like? At the time, I had built myself a treehouse and I was determined to live in there and start a permaculture project [for sustainable land use]. And then there was this opportunity to audition for Avatar and I was like, “That’s a good reason to come out of my treehouse!” James Cameron is a hero for me. But then I met him and he’s so playful and curious. We ended up stopping the audition and talking about agriculture and biodynamics. It sounds like you were at an interesting point in your life at that time? A huge crossroads. I was in a place of really feeling the injustices of the world. I spent a lot of time in Calais building shacks in the Jungle [the refugee camp in France]. And I was very conflicted, because then I’d be going on to set and wearing a £9,000 dress. There was a lot of inner turmoil in that. The performance-capture process used in Fire and Ash mean…

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width: 2413
height: 1608

Avatar star Sam Worthington reveals why he didn't interact with one key cast member during sequel filming
type: item
date: 2025-12-01T14:01:48.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: From the first Avatar to Fire and Ash, Sam Worthington talks 16 years of filmmaking, fatherhood, and working with Jim Cameron.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. The first Avatar movie was released 16 years ago. How would you describe its impact on your life? When we started, I was 31 – I’m 49 now. Avatar made my whole world do a 180. You can’t prepare for the Hollywood industry, you’ve just got to survive the turbulence. And then you learn as you’re doing it. Unfortunately, you have to do it under a spotlight. James Cameron has a reputation for being demanding. What’s he like to work with? Jim is the best acting director I’ve ever met! He’s so detailed. It really helps. His movies are acknowledged for their spectacle, but these movies don’t work unless they have a soul and that’s what you get from the performances. I’m humbled to have Jim as my friend and mentor. When I go to other jobs, that bar is very high once you’ve worked with Jim. Before the release of The Way of Water there were doubts whether audiences still had the appetite for Avatar. Were you worried? I don’t doubt my boss, man! People thought Aliens wouldn’t match Alien. People thought Terminator 2: Judgment Day wouldn’t be as good as The Terminator. The thing about Jim is he always gives you the unexpected. Jake’s eldest son Neteyam died at the end of The Way of Water. How does that grief affect him in Fire and Ash? They’re still in a state of shock over what happened. The movie explores the struggle to hold together the things that you love. Jake goes back to his touchstone, which is soldiering. He doesn’t want violence to come, but soldiering is what he knows, and that helps him navigate these harsh emotions. You’re the father of three boys. Was it a challenge to tap into every parent’s worst nightmare? The great thing was that we filmed the two sequels simultaneously. So Neteyam’s death came early on and I knew we could use the emotion of that scene and carry it into Fire and Ash. You can’t “play” grief, otherwise the movie becomes bogged in this mire of pain and sadness. It’s more about how you resurrect…

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width: 3240
height: 2160

10 Questions with Lennie James
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: He’s a major star on both sides of the pond and has won awards for writing and acting — so what’s next?
encoded: Add Mayor of Kingstown to your watchlist British writer, actor and director Lennie James has just turned 60 and splits his life between the UK and the USA. He wrote and starred in the dramas Save Me and Save Me Too, he was corrupt DCI Tony Gates in Line of Duty and in May this year he won a Bafta for his performance as Barry Walker in Mr Loverman. In the USA he was Morgan Jones in The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, and in his latest role he is crime lord Frank Moses in Mayor of Kingstown, an American drama set in a community whose fortunes are entwined with those of the prisons that surround it. So what’s it like living the American dream? You have lived in America for a while now. What do you find are the cultural differences between the USA and the UK? We are two countries separated by a common language. There are similarities between Britain and America, but to almost every situation add race, add guns. Those two things define the cultural differences between our two countries. That, and size! Mayor of Kingstown is about private prisons. Was that a concept strange to wrap your head around as a Brit? It’s one that’s scary. Prisons can be big business. That means that they need prisoners. And in order to have prisoners, that affects the way that people are sentenced, and it affects who is being sentenced. Under this current administration, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out who is going to be populating the prisons and feeding that particular industry. Have you felt the difference in the past few years since Donald Trump became president again? It’s noticeable, particularly if you’re a black or brown person, a member of the LGBTQ+ community or a woman. It’s noticeable how quickly and systematically the advances that have been made are being eradicated. It’s obvious what’s going on and how someone who looks like me would feel about it. In Mayor of Kingstown you play erudite gangster Frank Moses. What attracted you to the role? I’m now looking for…

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BAFTA winner Lennie James calls out issues of the current Trump era and why we need working class voices
type: item
date: 2025-10-28T00:01:36.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
subject: Paramount Plus
description: He’s a major star on both sides of the pond and has won awards for writing and acting – so what’s next?
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. British writer, actor and director Lennie James has just turned 60 and splits his life between the UK and the USA. He wrote and starred in the dramas Save Me and Save Me Too, he was corrupt DCI Tony Gates in Line of Duty and in May this year he won a Bafta for his performance as Barry Walker in Mr Loverman. In the USA he was Morgan Jones in The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, and in his latest role he is crime lord Frank Moses in Mayor of Kingstown, an American drama set in a community whose fortunes are entwined with those of the prisons that surround it. So what’s it like living the American dream? You have lived in America for a while now. What do you find are the cultural differences between the USA and the UK? We are two countries separated by a common language. There are similarities between Britain and America, but to almost every situation add race, add guns. Those two things define the cultural differences between our two countries. That, and size! Mayor of Kingstown is about private prisons. Was that a strange concept to wrap your head around as a Brit? It’s one that’s scary. Prisons can be big business. That means that they need prisoners. And in order to have prisoners, that affects the way that people are sentenced, and it affects who is being sentenced. Under this current administration, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out who is going to be populating the prisons and feeding that particular industry. Have you felt the difference in the past few years since Donald Trump became president again? It’s noticeable, particularly if you’re a black or brown person, a member of the LGBTQ+ community or a woman. It’s noticeable how quickly and systematically the advances that have been made are being eradicated. It’s obvious what’s going on and how someone who looks like me would feel about it. In Mayor of Kingstown you play erudite gangster Frank Moses. What attracted you to the role? I’m now…

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View from my sofa: Maisie Adam
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Joining Taskmaster was like winning the lottery, says the comedian — but appearing on it really tested her temper
encoded: Add Taskmaster to your watchlist What’s the view from your sofa? My husband [businessman Mike Dobinson] and I live in a small flat in Brighton, so we’ve got the telly in the corner and then we’ve got our little sofa on the opposite side. I got a sore neck last night because there’s a good and a bad seat on it and I was in the bad seat… but it’s lovely and it’s ours, so it’s all right! What have you been watching? We’re bingeing The White Lotus, which is so good. It seems like the best job ever: to be taken to these gorgeous destinations and deliver great dialogue about being the worst people in the world. Who controls the TV remote? Me! I’m terrible for chipping in with my own personal thoughts about what we would do in that scenario. I do my husband’s head in by constantly pressing pause and going, “Can you imagine if I did that?” And he’s always like, “Yeah... Should we carry on watching?” How big a deal was it when you got the call from Taskmaster? It’s the show that everybody wants to do. When the offer came in, I felt like I’d won the lottery! I’ve been waiting and hoping that I might get asked. It’s a bit like when your parents go, “Why don’t you just hand in a CV and ask if they’re hiring?” It’s not for lack of wanting, believe me! I haven’t turned it down these past five years. Did anything surprise you about being on the show? My temper! I’ve watched the show so many times and thought, “You just need to stay calm and think laterally; take a step back.” When you’re there, you’re filming back-to-back tasks from early in the morning to late at night and it’s filmed in real time. You’re also not given any information, so you do feel quite exposed. I’ve learnt that I’m not great under pressure! What have you learnt from being on panel shows? When I started doing them, there was definitely a style that was very “elbows out”. Five people would start talking at once and whoever kept talking would get the gag in the edit, and that is tiring across a three-hour recor…

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Taskmaster's Maisie Adam: "You look at early series of Mock the Week and it was all the same kind of male"
type: item
date: 2025-10-13T23:01:23.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Entertainment
subject: TV
subject: Channel 4
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Joining Taskmaster was like winning the lottery, says the comedian – but appearing on it really tested her temper.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. What’s the view from your sofa? My husband [businessman Mike Dobinson] and I live in a small flat in Brighton, so we’ve got the telly in the corner and then we’ve got our little sofa on the opposite side. I got a sore neck last night because there’s a good and a bad seat on it and I was in the bad seat… but it’s lovely and it’s ours, so it’s all right! What have you been watching? We’re bingeing The White Lotus, which is so good. It seems like the best job ever: to be taken to these gorgeous destinations and deliver great dialogue about being the worst people in the world. Who controls the TV remote? Me! I’m terrible for chipping in with my own personal thoughts about what we would do in that scenario. I do my husband’s head in by constantly pressing pause and going, “Can you imagine if I did that?” And he’s always like, “Yeah... Should we carry on watching?” How big a deal was it when you got the call from Taskmaster? It’s the show that everybody wants to do. When the offer came in, I felt like I’d won the lottery! I’ve been waiting and hoping that I might get asked. It’s a bit like when your parents go, “Why don’t you just hand in a CV and ask if they’re hiring?” It’s not for lack of wanting, believe me! I haven’t turned it down these past five years. Did anything surprise you about being on the show? My temper! I’ve watched the show so many times and thought, “You just need to stay calm and think laterally; take a step back.” When you’re there, you’re filming back-to-back tasks from early in the morning to late at night and it’s filmed in real time. You’re also not given any information, so you do feel quite exposed. I’ve learnt that I’m not great under pressure! What have you learnt from being on panel shows? When I started doing them, there was definitely a style that was very “elbows out”. Five people would start talking at once and whoever kept talking would get the gag in the edit, and that is tiring acros…

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Ten Questions with Jared Harris
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The acclaimed actor on how to cheat death, fame’s “hall of mirrors” — and one small misstep for Harriskind
encoded: Add Foundation to your watchlist. Series 3 is available to stream on Apple TV+ from Friday 11 July. British actor Jared Harris has starred in some of the most critically acclaimed TV shows of the 21st century. He played tragic Englishman Lane Pryce in Mad Men, Soviet scientist Valery Legasov in Chernobyl and King George VI in The Crown. But for now the 63-year-old has left period drama behind, playing prophetic genius Hari Seldon in Apple TV+ sci-fi epic Foundation. About to kick off its third series, the show is based around a science capable of mapping out the future… One of Foundation’s core themes is how seemingly tiny events can have profound consequences for the future. Has that made you think about our own future as a society? There are all sorts of crossroads. If the US Supreme Court had made a different decision in 2000, Al Gore would have been the president. Maybe then we would have a completely different attitude towards climate change. We’d probably be in a different situation now. In Foundation, those tiny events snowball into huge inflection points called Seldon Crises. Are we nearing our own Seldon Crisis? I think we’re constantly going through those. When I was younger we were living under the fear of nuclear armageddon. The Cold War was something that would keep you up at night. Now we face different sorts of existential crises. You wanted to go into space as a child, so is Foundation the next best thing? Of course! The Apollo programme was such a big thing when I was young. Unfortunately I missed the Moon landing because my older brother had discovered a bottle of cider and persuaded eight-year-old me to drink some. Only it wasn’t cider, it was paraffin! So we were having our stomachs pumped when Neil Armstrong was walking on the Moon. Your TV CV is impressive. What do you look for in a script? You’re looking for something that is a story that you’re interested in telling. If you’re struggling to turn the pages and get to the end, that’s probably s…

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Jared Harris reveals one of his biggest regrets – never working with his screen icon father
type: item
date: 2025-07-07T23:01:52.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: The acclaimed actor on how to cheat death, fame’s “hall of mirrors” — and one small misstep for Harriskind.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. British actor Jared Harris has starred in some of the most critically acclaimed TV shows of the 21st century. He played tragic Englishman Lane Pryce in Mad Men, Soviet scientist Valery Legasov in Chernobyl and King George VI in The Crown. But for now the 63-year-old has left period drama behind, playing prophetic genius Hari Seldon in Apple TV+ sci-fi epic Foundation. About to kick off its third series, the show is based around a science capable of mapping out the future… One of Foundation’s core themes is how seemingly tiny events can have profound consequences for the future. Has that made you think about our own future as a society? There are all sorts of crossroads. If the US Supreme Court had made a different decision in 2000, Al Gore would have been the president. Maybe then we would have a completely different attitude towards climate change. We’d probably be in a different situation now. In Foundation, those tiny events snowball into huge inflection points called Seldon Crises. Are we nearing our own Seldon Crisis? I think we’re constantly going through those. When I was younger we were living under the fear of nuclear armageddon. The Cold War was something that would keep you up at night. Now we face different sorts of existential crises. You wanted to go into space as a child, so is Foundation the next best thing? Of course! The Apollo programme was such a big thing when I was young. Unfortunately I missed the Moon landing because my older brother had discovered a bottle of cider and persuaded eight-year-old me to drink some. Only it wasn’t cider, it was paraffin! So we were having our stomachs pumped when Neil Armstrong was walking on the Moon. Your TV CV is impressive. What do you look for in a script? You’re looking for something that is a story that you’re interested in telling. If you’re struggling to turn the pages and get to the end, that’s probably something you should let somebody else do, who’s…

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Star Wars grows up
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
subject: App archive 100
description: As Star Wars origin series Andor returns, creator Tony Gilroy reveals why he insisted on turning his back on the Skywalkers and embracing the dark side
encoded: This article was first published in Radio Times magazine in May 2025. Add Andor to your watchlist The American screenwriter Tony Gilroy, a cerebral man best known for making the gritty Bourne action movies, had one condition before signing on to create a Star Wars TV show. “I was just not interested in the Skywalkers,” he tells RT. “I said to Disney, ‘You’ve made all these films about one group of people.’ There are billions of creatures in the galaxy and most have never heard of Jedis or the Force. Let’s get out of the front of the restaurant and go into the kitchen. That’s where I’ll be.” George Lucas’s Star Wars is, at heart, a space opera for children; morality tales about light versus dark, good versus evil. But Andor is something different. Indeed, there are no Skywalkers here. No lightsabers. No cute little Ewoks or Baby Yodas. In fact, the series – which has become the most critically acclaimed Star Wars story of the past decade – hardly feels like Star Wars at all. Instead, it’s a moody spy thriller in the mould of John le Carré, set during the height of the Galactic Empire, told in the serious, sophisticated style of prestige television. It doesn’t exactly scream “Disney”. “I mean, my God,” says Gilroy, “in series one we shoot a cop in the face in the opening scene – outside a brothel!” Andor is something extraordinary – Star Wars for adults. Ask a fan of the show what it’s about, and they might tell you different things. The scrappy rise of the Rebel Alliance. The suffocating oppression of the Empire. But primarily, it’s about Cassian Andor – played by Mexican actor Diego Luna – who was first introduced in 2016 Star Wars spin-off movie Rogue One. That film told the story of how seasoned spy Andor sacrificed himself to steal the plans for the Death Star; the planet-destroying superweapon introduced in 1977’s original Star Wars movie (and later blown up by Luke Skywalker). Andor rewinds the timeline back a further five years. It is, in the words of Luna, a …

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Andor creator: 'We try to be more serious about Star Wars – we shot a cop in the face in the opening scene'
type: item
date: 2025-04-22T13:48:56.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Magazine
description: The spin-off's creator reveals why he insisted on turning his back on the Skywalkers and embracing the dark side.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. The American screenwriter Tony Gilroy, a cerebral man best known for making the gritty Bourne action movies, had one condition before signing on to create a Star Wars TV show. “I was just not interested in the Skywalkers,” he tells Radio Times magazine. “I said to Disney, ‘You’ve made all these films about one group of people.’ There are billions of creatures in the galaxy and most have never heard of Jedis or the Force. Let’s get out of the front of the restaurant and go into the kitchen. That’s where I’ll be.” George Lucas’s Star Wars is, at heart, a space opera for children; morality tales about light versus dark, good versus evil. But Andor is something different. Indeed, there are no Skywalkers here. No lightsabers. No cute little Ewoks or Baby Yodas. In fact, the series – which has become the most critically acclaimed Star Wars story of the past decade – hardly feels like Star Wars at all. Instead, it’s a moody spy thriller in the mould of John le Carré, set during the height of the Galactic Empire, told in the serious, sophisticated style of prestige television. It doesn’t exactly scream “Disney”. “I mean, my God,” says Gilroy, “in series one we shoot a cop in the face in the opening scene – outside a brothel!” Andor is something extraordinary – Star Wars for adults. Ask a fan of the show what it’s about, and they might tell you different things. The scrappy rise of the Rebel Alliance. The suffocating oppression of the Empire. But primarily, it’s about Cassian Andor – played by Mexican actor Diego Luna – who was first introduced in 2016 Star Wars spin-off movie Rogue One. That film told the story of how seasoned spy Andor sacrificed himself to steal the plans for the Death Star; the planet-destroying superweapon introduced in 1977’s original Star Wars movie (and later blown up by Luke Skywalker). View Green Video on the source website Andor rewinds the timeline back a further five years. It is, in the words…

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height: 2000

Ten Questions with Chris O'Dowd
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The IT Crowd star is back on home turf in his culture-clash comedy drama where Hollywood meets small-town Ireland
encoded: Add Small Town, Big Story to your watchlist Irish actor Chris O’Dowd is known for the Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd and the hit American romcom Bridesmaids, but it was the experience of shooting his 2012 coming-of-age Sky comedy Moone Boy, filmed in Boyle, where he grew up, that inspired him to write and direct his new show, Small Town, Big Story. Set in the fictional rural town of Drumbán, it follows a community that’s taken over by a huge Hollywood production. And for O’Dowd — who recently moved from Los Angeles to London with his wife, writer Dawn O’Porter, and their two sons, aged ten and seven — it was a chance to return to his roots. Small Town, Big Story took you back home to Boyle. What made you want to film there again? I’d been looking for a reason to go back and film close to home. I was stuck in Los Angeles during lockdown in 2021 and we were living by a ravine. I’d walk the dog near it for two hours a day and it was the closest I had felt to home – the scenery reminded me of the forests where I grew up. It gave me a feeling of being far away. And this show is how that feeling manifested itself. How did the experience of making Moone Boy a decade ago inspire your new story about a small town swallowed up by Hollywood? It’s not a coincidence! The locals love you at first and then eventually it’s like, “Oh my God, my driveway is blocked again!” You get into the practicalities of life and the novelty wears off. It’s interesting how unnatural it all feels. People that you’ve known all your life come up to you wearing a little bit more make-up than they usually would! Was there anything in particular you wanted to capture about small-town Irish life? I like that nobody has moved on from the dynamics that they had at school! That happens in small towns more than people realise. You see it in the bar scenes where these middle-aged men are still ribbing each other. It’s so juvenile and silly, although it has its own kind of intimacy to it. Christina Hendricks pl…

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Chris O'Dowd on returning to his roots for Small Town, Big Story: "I'd been looking for a reason"
type: item
date: 2025-02-18T00:01:49.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Magazine
description: The IT Crowd star and Moone Boy creator speaks to Radio Times about his new Sky series.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Irish actor Chris O’Dowd is known for the Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd and the hit American romcom Bridesmaids, but it was the experience of shooting his 2012 coming-of-age Sky comedy Moone Boy, filmed in Boyle, where he grew up, that inspired him to write and direct his new show, Small Town, Big Story. Set in the fictional rural town of Drumbán, it follows a community that’s taken over by a huge Hollywood production. And for O’Dowd — who recently moved from Los Angeles to London with his wife, writer Dawn O’Porter, and their two sons, aged 10 and seven — it was a chance to return to his roots. Small Town, Big Story took you back home to Boyle. What made you want to film there again? I’d been looking for a reason to go back and film close to home. I was stuck in Los Angeles during lockdown in 2021 and we were living by a ravine. I’d walk the dog near it for two hours a day and it was the closest I had felt to home – the scenery reminded me of the forests where I grew up. It gave me a feeling of being far away. And this show is how that feeling manifested itself. How did the experience of making Moone Boy a decade ago inspire your new story about a small town swallowed up by Hollywood? It’s not a coincidence! The locals love you at first and then eventually it’s like: "Oh my God, my driveway is blocked again!" You get into the practicalities of life and the novelty wears off. It’s interesting how unnatural it all feels. People that you’ve known all your life come up to you wearing a little bit more make-up than they usually would! Was there anything in particular you wanted to capture about small-town Irish life? I like that nobody has moved on from the dynamics that they had at school! That happens in small towns more than people realise. You see it in the bar scenes where these middle-aged men are still ribbing each other. It’s so juvenile and silly, although it has its own kind of intimacy to it. Christina Hend…

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height: 2000

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew creator says he'll "protect" young cast as they opt to "stay off social media"
type: item
date: 2024-12-05T00:01:37.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Disney Plus
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
subject: On demand
description: The cast and creators of Skeleton Crew, including Jude Law, spoke with Radio Times magazine.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. When Jude Law was seven years old, he would run around his playground at school in Blackheath, London, pretending to be Luke Skywalker. “We had those really early, fat, chunky lightsabers,” he says, reflecting on the years in the late '70s when Star Wars mania first swept the UK. “They didn’t make any noises. They barely lit up. But we would go ‘pew-pew!’ and bash them about!” There is a fitting symmetry, of course, in the child who once pretended to be in Star Wars growing up to be in it for real. Yet for Law, now 51 and the star of the new Disney Plus series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, it means more than that. “That leap of the imagination,” he says. “Play-acting as a kid, having that connection with roles that you want to recreate – it’s probably the reason I’m an actor.” That sense of childhood wonder – the generations of kids transfixed by starships, Jedi and adventure – is writ large in Skeleton Crew, the Star Wars story that puts the kids in charge. It follows four pre-teen protagonists who stumble upon a mysterious spaceship in the suburbs of their seemingly mundane, Earth-like planet. The wide-eyed Wim, played by 13-year-old American Ravi Cabot-Conyers, believes the ship leads to a Jedi temple. Instead, inside is the wreck of an old pirate ship – one that maroons them in space with no way back home. Law plays the enigmatic rogue Jod Na Nawood, a swashbuckling space pirate who tags along with the kids in the hope that they will lead him to long-lost treasure, entering the story properly in the third episode of the series. “I took a little bit of Han Solo as inspiration,” he explains. “I adore that slightly cynical, world-weary swagger.” Jude Law is no stranger to big, family-friendly franchises. In recent years he has popped up as villain Yon-Rogg in comic book movie Captain Marvel, and as the young Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts films. Law is the father of seven children, most recently with psycho…

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'As a kid, my world fell apart'
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The Star Wars films made a huge impression on the young Jude Law – now he’s taking a new generation of space adventurers across the universe
encoded: Add Star Wars: Skeleton Crew to your watchlist When Jude Law was seven years old, he would run around his playground at school in Blackheath, London, pretending to be Luke Skywalker. “We had those really early, fat, chunky lightsabers,” he says, reflecting on the years in the late 70s when Star Wars mania first swept the UK. “They didn’t make any noises. They barely lit up. But we would go ‘pew-pew!’ and bash them about!” There is a fitting symmetry, of course, in the child who once pretended to be in Star Wars growing up to be in it for real. Yet for Law, now 51 and the star of the new Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, it means more than that. “That leap of the imagination,” he says. “Play-acting as a kid, having that connection with roles that you want to recreate – it’s probably the reason I’m an actor.” That sense of childhood wonder – the generations of kids transfixed by starships, Jedi and adventure – is writ large in Skeleton Crew, the Star Wars story that puts the kids in charge. It follows four pre-teen protagonists who stumble upon a mysterious spaceship in the suburbs of their seemingly mundane, Earth-like planet. The wide-eyed Wim, played by 13-year-old American Ravi Cabot-Conyers, believes the ship leads to a Jedi temple. Instead, inside is the wreck of an old pirate ship – one that maroons them in space with no way back home. Law plays the enigmatic rogue Jod Na Nawood, a swashbuckling space pirate who tags along with the kids in the hope that they will lead him to long-lost treasure, entering the story properly in the third episode of the series. “I took a little bit of Han Solo as inspiration,” he explains. “I adore that slightly cynical, world-weary swagger.” Jude Law is no stranger to big, family-friendly franchises. In recent years he has popped up as villain Yon-Rogg in comic book movie Captain Marvel, and as the young Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts films. Law is the father of seven children, most recently with psychologist wife…

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Ten Questions with John Lithgow
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
subject: App Oscars 2025
description: The star of stage and screen on his Vatican thriller — and paying to appear in the West End
encoded: Conclave is nominated for eight Oscars. Add it to your watchlist New film Conclave is a nail-biting political thriller set in the Vatican and based on Robert Harris’s bestseller. John Lithgow, best known for his turn in the 90s sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, plays the politicking Cardinal Tremblay, one of many ambitious candidates in the running to be elected as the new Pope. But are his methods more devilish than holy? Of course, 79-year-old Lithgow is no stranger to politics himself. Not only did he play Winston Churchill in The Crown, but in recent years he has been a vehement critic of Donald Trump… Conclave is a film rooted in the machinations of politics. Was that something that attracted you to it? I think so! I love the fact that it’s about political behaviour. You don’t see stories of politics told in such an extraordinary setting. It was uncanny how this social organism, just like every other political entity, divided itself into a left and right wing. We all have politics on the brain these days, but we don’t think much about the politics inside the Vatican. View oEmbed on the source website What is your own relationship with religion? I’m not religious. Both my mother and father were from serious churchgoing families, but it never stuck. Still, I have my own morality and I try to lead a good life. And I’m a great fan of religious art, of Bach’s masses and Mozart’s sacred music. There are also certain things about religious holidays that I find deeply moving. Cardinal Tremblay is a scheming, contradictory character. Did you base your performance on anyone in particular? I dove into shady parts of my own nature. To me, the film is about the conflict between faith and ambition. I consider myself a serious artist, but I’m still vulnerable to wanting to make more money in my next job. Right now I’m working in the theatre in London, in a wonderful play called Giant [in which he plays Roald Dahl]. But I’m basically paying to do the job. I head to the theatre eve…

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John Lithgow turned down playing "ghastly threat" Donald Trump several times
type: item
date: 2024-12-02T00:01:26.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: Magazine
description: The veteran actor spoke to Radio Times about his role in new movie Conclave and why he won't play Trump.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. New film Conclave is a nail-biting political thriller set in the Vatican and based on Robert Harris’s bestseller. John Lithgow, best known for his turn in the 90s sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, plays the politicking Cardinal Tremblay, one of many ambitious candidates in the running to be elected as the new Pope. But are his methods more devilish than holy? Of course, 79-year-old Lithgow is no stranger to politics himself. Not only did he play Winston Churchill in The Crown, but in recent years he has been a vehement critic of Donald Trump… Conclave is a film rooted in the machinations of politics. Was that something that attracted you to it? I think so! I love the fact that it’s about political behaviour. You don’t see stories of politics told in such an extraordinary setting. It was uncanny how this social organism, just like every other political entity, divided itself into a left and right wing. We all have politics on the brain these days, but we don’t think much about the politics inside the Vatican. What is your own relationship with religion? I’m not religious. Both my mother and father were from serious churchgoing families, but it never stuck. Still, I have my own morality and I try to lead a good life. And I’m a great fan of religious art, of Bach’s masses and Mozart’s sacred music. There are also certain things about religious holidays that I find deeply moving. Cardinal Tremblay is a scheming, contradictory character. Did you base your performance on anyone in particular? I dove into shady parts of my own nature. To me, the film is about the conflict between faith and ambition. I consider myself a serious artist, but I’m still vulnerable to wanting to make more money in my next job. Right now I’m working in the theatre in London, in a wonderful play called Giant [in which he plays Roald Dahl]. But I’m basically paying to do the job. I head to the theatre every night on a London bus. And yet it’s my most…

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View from my sofa: Nick Mohammed
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: He likes hiding behind his alter ego, but will he be back in Ted Lasso?
encoded: Nick Mohammed is currently on stage in London's Soho Place theatre in A Christmas Carol (ish). Ted Lasso is on Apple TV+ – add it to your watchlist. What’s the view from your sofa? A relatively small TV! We don’t have a big wall-mounted flatscreen or anything. Our sofa is old and tatty. My wife [teacher Becka] and I have had it since we were renting. We keep meaning to replace it but my three children are still little; what with all the spillages, there’s not much point right now. But our small cosy living room is my favourite place. What have you enjoyed on TV recently? I just finished watching Industry series three, which I thought was phenomenal. The subject matter is money and greed and a lot of the characters aren’t explicitly likeable, but it’s so smartly done. It’s edge-of-your-sofa stuff. Do you watch much comedy? I tend to avoid comedy, partly because you don’t want to find yourself imitating it. It’s also what I do for a living, so I tend to prefer drama when chilling out – I get exposed to it enough during the day! You’re currently on stage in A Christmas Carol(ish) as your comic persona Mr Swallow. What is his take on Dickens? Basically, Santa is our Scrooge figure. He’s a mean Santa – miserly, doesn’t want to give presents away. So he cancels Christmas on Christmas Eve and is visited by three ghosts. Mr Swallow has got that end-of-the-pier feel to him. A bit of a has-been. The character originally came from me doing an impression of my teacher in Leeds when I was 14. It’s quite camp! Why did you decide to adopt an alter ego while performing? I like to preserve the mystery! It was also more of a nerves thing when I started doing live comedy. It was useful to hide behind a mask. Even with something like Taskmaster, which I did as myself, I still wanted to hide behind Dracula make-up! It helped me feel less self-conscious. Do fans of Ted Lasso turn up to your shows bamboozled by Mr Swallow? His appearance at this years Bafta Film Awards took a lot of peopl…

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John David Washington on The Piano Lesson: "The scab wounds of those times still affect us today"
type: item
date: 2024-11-12T00:01:21.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
subject: Netflix
subject: On demand
description: "I just had to think about my grandparents, all my elders, to get into character."
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. For actor John David Washington, the son of double Oscar-winner Denzel, new Netflix movie The Piano Lesson is a family affair. The adaptation of August Wilson’s 1987 play is directed by his brother Malcolm, while his father and sister Katia are producers. And of course, Washington stars as the rambunctious Boy Willie, the youngest child of a 1930s African American family who are divided on the future of an inherited piano. As you might expect, the themes of family legacy were especially resonant for the Washingtons… You played Boy Willie in the Broadway version of The Piano Lesson. Was it a no-brainer that you would play him in the film? I don’t know if it was a no-brainer! I know I wanted to do it. My father has made it his mission to bring all of August Wilson’s work to the big screen, so I was very much aware of that. It became a real discussion as I was getting more comfortable in doing the play and it just went from there. Luckily, the producers of the film believed in me enough to do it! How involved was your father as a producer? My dad respected everybody’s process. I didn’t see him giving any notes. That being said, when he was on set we felt his presence. It was encouraging to see one of the GOATs [greatest of all time]! We had the greats – Michael Potts, Samuel L Jackson, Denzel Washington. When they’re on set you shut up and listen! But if they don’t have anything to say, then you’re doing something good. How have you found navigating the film industry as the son of Denzel Washington? My parents have always been supportive. My mum was a piano teacher at nine years old. My father attended Fordham University to study acting. They had this relentless pursuit of excellence in their artistry, so that’s all I knew. And they have both had a great influence on the kind of artist I’m trying to be. Has it been a challenge to step out of that shadow? My parents are a huge influence in my life, so they’ve encourag…

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Ten Questions with John David Washington
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The former American football player has joined the family business and is now working with the best — his dad
encoded: Add The Piano Lesson to your watchlist For actor John David Washington, the son of double Oscar-winner Denzel, new Netflix movie The Piano Lesson is a family affair. The adaptation of August Wilson’s 1987 play is directed by his brother Malcolm, while his father and sister Katia are producers. And of course, Washington stars as the rambunctious Boy Willie, the youngest child of a 1930s African American family who are divided on the future of an inherited piano. As you might expect, the themes of family legacy were especially resonant for the Washingtons… You played Boy Willie in the Broadway version of The Piano Lesson. Was it a no-brainer that you would play him in the film? I don’t know if it was a no-brainer! I know I wanted to do it. My father has made it his mission to bring all of August Wilson’s work to the big screen, so I was very much aware of that. It became a real discussion as I was getting more comfortable in doing the play and it just went from there. Luckily, the producers of the film believed in me enough to do it! View oEmbed on the source website How involved was your father as a producer? My dad respected everybody’s process. I didn’t see him giving any notes. That being said, when he was on set we felt his presence. It was encouraging to see one of the GOATs [greatest of all time]! We had the greats – Michael Potts, Samuel L Jackson, Denzel Washington. When they’re on set you shut up and listen! But if they don’t have anything to say, then you’re doing something good. How have you found navigating the film industry as the son of Denzel Washington? My parents have always been supportive. My mum was a piano teacher at nine years old. My father attended Fordham University to study acting. They had this relentless pursuit of excellence in their artistry, so that’s all I knew. And they have both had a great influence on the kind of artist I’m trying to be. Has it been a challenge to step out of that shadow? My parents are a huge influence in my life,…

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Michael Douglas on nepotism, playing an American legend and sex scenes
type: item
date: 2024-05-08T21:36:17.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Drama
subject: TV
description: "It’s interesting with all the intimacy co-ordinators. It feels like executives taking control away from film-makers."
encoded: For his most recent role, Michael Douglas is playing Benjamin Franklin — writer, scientist, inventor and one of the founding fathers of the United States. Apple TV+ drama Franklin, however, explores one of the polymath’s lesser-known qualities: diplomacy. Specifically, his efforts in 1776, at the age of 70, to bring France into the American War of Independence — one of the great gambles of his career. It was a character that Douglas, at 79, could relate to. Both in their 70s, the two men are celebrities of their time and find themselves in uncharted territory… Your father was Kirk Douglas. Was it difficult to emerge from his shadow and make a name for yourself? Oh, very much so. I remember when I first started auditioning and they’d say, "That’s just like your dad, that’s amazing, just the same expression as your father". But the best part of being second-generation is you understand how the business operates. When I was growing up, I'd see Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis and Gregory Peck in the house and you’d see their foibles and insecurities, just like real people. How do you feel about the recent spotlight on so-called "nepo babies" in Hollywood? I’m a little defensive about that. There was a big article about it in New York Magazine and I thought it was a snarky attack. Whether it’s a plumber or electrician or anyone else, I can’t think of a business where mothers and fathers don’t encourage their children to follow them into it. All three of my kids are actors and I wish them the best, because it’s not easy. As a star of erotic thrillers like Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct, what’s your opinion on the discussion that sex scenes are disappearing from cinema? I’m past the age where I’ve got to worry about that! But it’s interesting with all the intimacy co-ordinators. It feels like executives taking control away from film-makers – but there have been some terrible faux pas and harassment. Sex scenes are like fight scenes, it’s all choreographed. In my experience…

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