Speaking of RPJ: SILK, WHITECHAPEL, and CAMBRIDGE SPIES
Posted by Dianne Brooks on Thursday, August 18, 2011
I just read an interview with Rupert Penry Jones and had to agree with him about the disappointment regarding his failure to really break into big screen stuff. I mean he is a pretty boy with an interesting face, although I'd gauge that he is only beginning to not look like a boy...he just has a young look. Perhaps that's hindered him. He's one of those actors who always popped up as the prince charming in the 90s (COLD COMFORT FARM, a must see for a great cast including a pre-UNDERWORLD Kate Beckinsale.)
Here he his for those of you who have no idea who I'm talking about:
The dispatch of RPJ from MI-5 was so shocking that I went wandering around the web for some more stuff. I had seen him as the evil Grimaldi to David Tennant's Casanova in the BBC CASANOVA, but there he was the sour and stoic rich villain, he's just got that look. He also turned up in the most recent PERSUASION as Captain Wentworth, where I thought he might have been a tad too good looking but I'll give it another look see.
I went back further in time for CAMBRIDGE SPIES, about the endlessly fascinating Kim Philby, Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean and Athony Blunt. All four met at Cambridge were Marxists and went on to spy for Russia in the 30s, 40s and 50s. The first 3 defected while Blunt managed the Queen's art collection as well as the Courtauld Institute, the place to study Art History. I mean this is a great story, lots of books, movies etc. Anyway RPJ plays Maclean the weakest link, the first to be uncovered and to defect to Russia where he supposedly led a pretty nice if, less luxurious life. He does have to share the pretty boy mantle with Toby Stephens as Philby, although when you look at pictures of the real Philby I just don't see it.
Next up: SILK. I'm a lawyer who only likes certain kinds of lawyer shows and this is one. Here we've got a lady in the lead, a crack, top notch Barrister who specializes in criminal work (anything else would be too boring for TV.) She's in chambers with RPJ and some others and there is lots of in-fighting, affairs and of course guilty clients. RPJ is an aging playboy who isn't quite a good as the the woman but they're almost like best friends. It was a 6 parter and has been picked up for another series.
I most recently finished watching something called WHITECHAPEL. A kind of creepy detective thing made up of episodes focussed on a single case. The setting is contemporary London, East End but the cases are connected to famous cases of the past. So the first three episodes involved a copycat of Jack the Ripper, the second involved the famous Kray Twins. RPJ plays a prep school DI with a serious case of OCD who has fallen off of the fast track and into a squadroom of motley underlings. So good I'm looking forward to the next series.
Here he his for those of you who have no idea who I'm talking about:
The dispatch of RPJ from MI-5 was so shocking that I went wandering around the web for some more stuff. I had seen him as the evil Grimaldi to David Tennant's Casanova in the BBC CASANOVA, but there he was the sour and stoic rich villain, he's just got that look. He also turned up in the most recent PERSUASION as Captain Wentworth, where I thought he might have been a tad too good looking but I'll give it another look see.
I went back further in time for CAMBRIDGE SPIES, about the endlessly fascinating Kim Philby, Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean and Athony Blunt. All four met at Cambridge were Marxists and went on to spy for Russia in the 30s, 40s and 50s. The first 3 defected while Blunt managed the Queen's art collection as well as the Courtauld Institute, the place to study Art History. I mean this is a great story, lots of books, movies etc. Anyway RPJ plays Maclean the weakest link, the first to be uncovered and to defect to Russia where he supposedly led a pretty nice if, less luxurious life. He does have to share the pretty boy mantle with Toby Stephens as Philby, although when you look at pictures of the real Philby I just don't see it.
Next up: SILK. I'm a lawyer who only likes certain kinds of lawyer shows and this is one. Here we've got a lady in the lead, a crack, top notch Barrister who specializes in criminal work (anything else would be too boring for TV.) She's in chambers with RPJ and some others and there is lots of in-fighting, affairs and of course guilty clients. RPJ is an aging playboy who isn't quite a good as the the woman but they're almost like best friends. It was a 6 parter and has been picked up for another series.
I most recently finished watching something called WHITECHAPEL. A kind of creepy detective thing made up of episodes focussed on a single case. The setting is contemporary London, East End but the cases are connected to famous cases of the past. So the first three episodes involved a copycat of Jack the Ripper, the second involved the famous Kray Twins. RPJ plays a prep school DI with a serious case of OCD who has fallen off of the fast track and into a squadroom of motley underlings. So good I'm looking forward to the next series.
Tags: "rupert penry-jones" whitechapel silk "cambridge spies"
