By Chrisdfw (Chrisdfw) (209.245.229.153 - 209.245.229.153) on Saturday, October 13, 2001 - 09:41 pm:
| By Chrisdfw (Chrisdfw) (209.245.229.153 - 209.245.229.153) on Saturday, October 13, 2001 - 09:41 pm: |
Damian Lewis as Winters
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) on Monday, September 03, 2001 - 03:25 pm: |
Damian Lewis plays Maj. Winters. Frank John Hughes who plays Sgt. Bill Guarnere is on the right.
| By ChrisDFW on Friday, September 07, 2001 - 07:01 pm: |
Damian Lewis leads the attack on German guns.
| By Chrisdfw (Chrisdfw) (64.152.233.250 - 64.152.233.250) on Saturday, October 13, 2001 - 08:24 pm: |
Damian Lewis as Richard Winters
| By Chrisdfw (Chrisdfw) (209.245.229.153 - 209.245.229.153) on Saturday, October 13, 2001 - 09:55 pm: |
Winters (Lewis) rallys his troops during an attack.
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (64.157.118.92 - 64.157.118.92) on Tuesday, November 06, 2001 - 01:10 pm: |
(Jill Johnson/JPI)
Damian Lewis at the premiere in L.A.
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.239.86.117) on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 - 07:54 pm: |
Thanks to Jane!
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.239.86.117) on Wednesday, February 27, 2002 - 11:58 pm: |
| By AMY (63.145.62.99 - 63.145.62.99) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 01:42 pm: |
Damian Lewis is a great actor. It seems that Winters was a strong, silent type, and Lewis pulled this off with finesse. He makes the silence interesting. (Not only is he very good looking), he is believable, and you wait to see what he will do next. The whole crew and show is amazing.
| By AMY (63.145.62.99 - 63.145.62.99) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 02:18 pm: |
Damian Lewis is a great actor. It seems that Winters was a strong, silent type, and Lewis pulled this off with finesse. He makes the silence interesting. (Not only is he very good looking), he is believable, and you can't wait to see what he will do next. The whole crew and show is amazing.
| By Hinshaw (152.163.204.66 - 152.163.204.66) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 04:51 pm: |
Concur,,, Lewis portrays Winters with absolute accuracy ( as per the book -which is a very historical account ).
Frank John Hughs, Wahlberg, and Neil McDonough are also doing excellent jobs.
| By Bob (209.154.254.188 - 209.154.254.188) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 09:29 pm: |
Yeah, Lewis - he's doing a fantastic job. Easy would follow Winters through hell if he was the CO and Lewis gets that across without ever letting it look like acting. The flashback scene during his typing of the report, where he recalls leading the assault on the hunkered down SS company by the road - fantastic episode - fantastic, subtle acting. Some of the most rivetting story-telling I've ever watched. Horror, adrenaline, innocent faces of that young German kid, the shock - just really well orchestrated film-making.
Also, I really like the Guarnere character, played well. He uses profanity just like my old man used to. Anyways, I really think about those guys, after reading the Ambrose book. In fact I'll say it outright - the whole Easy Company saga - it's damn inspiring is what it is.
OK, thanks for letting me babble.
Cheers,
Bob
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (209.244.95.86 - 209.244.95.86) on Saturday, October 20, 2001 - 07:59 pm: |
What's On (B.B.C) caught up with Damian Lewis (Hearts And Bones, Warriors) to talk about working with Steven Spielberg, the effects of war and staying out till five in the morning...
What's On: Tell us about Band Of Brothers.
Damian Lewis: Band Of Brothers shows us the horror of war. The series demonstrates the effect of war on a group of young men. History doesn't have much impact if you just issue a bunch of dates and military manoeuvres about the Germans coming up the right flank. It is most effective when it features real people, and when the real human cost is evident.
WO: Was it nerve-wracking playing a real person?
DL: When I first sat down to watch Band Of Brothers with Dick and the other veterans at the world premiere in Normandy, it was incredibly nerve-wracking. When you're playing a real-life person and he's there, you want everyone to react positively to your portrayal of him. It's not just a question of whether it's a credible performance, but whether it's a credible performance as him. At the end, I was relieved because the other veterans came up and said: 'You've nailed him'. That took a lot of the pressure off.
WO: Tell us about the audition.
DL: I met Tom Hanks on the Friday, and he was very enthusiastic but I didn't think I'd got the part. So I went out with a mate till five in the morning, only to be woken at eight by the casting director saying: 'Mr Spielberg wants to see you at 12'. I had four showers… but I still felt drunk. When I got to Spielberg's office they had photos of Dick Winters as a young man all over the walls, and I sat down next to a guy who was the spitting image of him. He said 'I'm here for Dick Winters,' and my heart sank. I thought, 'They've brought me all the way over here to tell me that this guy who looks like Dick Winters's love child has got it!
WO: How did you get on with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks?
DL: I learnt what kids they are. They're so normal because they absolutely adore what they do. They've never allowed their status as Hollywood royalty to interfere with what they love. Steven will sit for hours with you and a tea-boy telling you exactly how he got a particular shot in Jaws.
WO: How is Band Of Brothers different from other war-time dramas?
DL: What makes Band Of Brothers different is how tirelessly the producers have stuck to Stephen E Ambrose's book, which is not a work of fiction but a well-respected history text. It is a documentary drama in a way that Saving Private Ryan, Pearl Harbor and U571 never were. They were fictionalised; this is immaculately researched and completely accurate.
WO: How do you think the audience will react to the series?
DL: I hope viewers come away from this thinking that what the men of Easy Company achieved was extraordinary. It is important that they're immortalised in this way.
| By Derek D. Tircuit (Dtircuit) (216.78.134.127 - 216.78.134.127) on Monday, October 29, 2001 - 11:30 am: |
ACTING TOUGH
From Daily Mail Weekend Supplement Saturday 6th October 2001
British actor Damian Lewis beat off hundreds of rivals to land the lead in
BBC’s Band of Brothers, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ £86 million WWII epic
which has caused critical controversy for overplaying America’s role in
defeating the Nazis. In this compelling diary, he tells of his own battle to
win the role of American officer Captain Dick Winters, his agonizing first
meeting with Hanks – and the extraordinary filming regime, which turned actors
into men of war.
LATE AUGUST 1999: Call from my agent. Hollywood’s coming to town. Hurrah.
Another chance to record myself on tape for some big blockbuster which will
gather dust on a shelf in LA. ‘But this is different,’ my agent, Stephanie
Randall, stresses, ‘It’s Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. They’re seeing
everybody, and they want you to play an American. This is gonna be huge.’
DAY OF AUDITION: I head off on my motorbike. It rains on me. I arrive,
soaked, having found the only parking spot left in Soho to park my bike. I
walk down some steps into a colourless basement.
‘Damian Lewis?’
‘Yes.’
‘Take a seat please, Damian.’
I glance at the audition sheet. Every actor in London under 30 who still has
both his legs is being seen. This is huge. I do the audition and leave. I
feel good, and it seems to have gone well. My accent held together – if you
like Sylvester Stallone impersonations. I find I have a parking ticket. I
ride home thinking violent thoughts. I’ve totally forgotten about the audition.
A MONTH LATER: ‘Damian, remember that audition you did for Spielberg and
Hanks? Well, they want to see you again.’ It’s Stephanie on the phone. I
return to the same colourless basement, and I’m greeted by the casting
director, more enthusiastically this time.
‘You know they want to see you for the main part, Winters. He’s the hero.’
I’m packed off to have American accent training. For some reason, I sound like Jimmy Stewart.
A MONTH LATER: A third audition. Same part, different accent. I think I’m
James Caan in The Godfather and have come over all ‘ba da bing ba da boom.’
Christ, someone help me.
LATE NOVEMBER: ‘Damian, I think you’re the only person they’re still seeing for
the main role.’ Stephanie sys down the phone. I walk into the same colourless
basement for a fourth time. Same line of producers and casting directors – the
examination board. I do my piece.
‘So Damian, how would you like to fly to LA on Thursday and meet Steven
and Tom?’ says Tony To, who’s running the audition. My heart misses a beat.
My pulse quickened. This is definitely a Hollywood moment. In Soho.
‘I’ll have to call my Granny to rearrange lunch.’
They all laugh. It doesn’t occur to them I might actually have to do this.
Or, more probably, they don’t care, and the Hollywood machine whirrs into
action around me. Flights, hotels and limos are booked, right there in the
room. I sit down. I still have to get on my motorbike and I’m breathing way
too fast to ride it in a straight line.
48 HOURS LATER (THURSDAY): I’m staying at Shutters On The Beach, an exclusive
hotel in Santa Monica. I’m looking out of my window at the deep blue of the
Pacific Ocean and the rich yellow of the sandy beaches. I listen to the warm
breeze play in the palm trees. I like this a lot. Money is being spent on me
here – could I really be in with a chance?
FRIDAY: When I get out of this limo, I’m going to walk into a room and meet Tom
Hanks. I must remember to tell him how much I like Philadelphia, Saving
Private Ryan, Apollo 13, his ‘serious’ work. But all I really want to talk
about is Splash, Big, and Bachelor Party, the ones I grew up on.
‘Hey, Damian, thanks for coming. You must be tired after flying all the way from London.’
Tom is speaking to me. Before I can stop myself, I’ve launched into one of the
unfunniest jokes I’ve ever made. I rub my arms, and blurt out: ‘Yeah, my arms
are pretty stiff,’ (implying I’d actually flown). Geddit? Genius. Traffic
comes to a screeching halt. Tumbleweed blows through the room. Silence.
‘Did this guy just say what I think he said?’ At least, this is the
look on Tom’s face. His jaw slightly open, a look of utter disbelief in his
eyes. The silence lasts a few seconds before Tom, realizing that he simply has
to help me out of this horrible moment, yells out: ‘Aw, okay, funny guy. Very
good. Sit down over here.’
He can’t possibly give me a job after that, I’m thinking, but undeterred, Tom
cracks on. We act together. I play Winters. Tom does all the other
characters. My accent is now rock solid. Nothing can shake it. Not even
Tom’s beard, now so big for the film Castaway that I can’t be sure it’s even
him talking.
‘Okay, you’re too good. Get outta here,’ he yells, oozing bonhomie.
Tony To appears from behind another door. ‘Nice work, Damian, you have nothing
to worry about.’
A little cryptic for my tastes, but assuming he means a job well done, I go out
and get absolutely smashed until five in the morning.
8AM NEXT MORNING: ‘Damian, are you awake? Steven would like to see you at
midday.” It’s Meg, the casting director. I cry into my pillow. Little
simpering sobs at first, then naked hysterical screaming. The biggest meeting
of my life and I’ve blown it. I’ve had three hours’ sleep and I’m still
drunk. By midday I’ve had three cold showers, five coffees and stubbed my toe
a lot. I walk into the office sweating heavily and shaking. We’re
introduced. ‘I used to live in Hampstead,’ Steven tells me. ‘Maybe we know
the same people?’
Not unless you’ve been around Kensal Green lately mate, I thought to myself.
‘Do you know Ralph Fiennes?’ he asks.
‘Yes, yes, I do,’ I nearly fall off my chair with excitement that I can
actually continue this conversation with Steven Spielberg.
‘We did Hamlet together on Broadway. I played Laertes,’ I say.
Steven remembers the show and even me in it. He saw it twice. He liked it.
This is good. We chat some more. Steven’s off to watch his kid play soccer.
I want to tell him it’s called football. Probably not the best time, though.
Tom has to go and buy a Christmas tree with his daughter. They leave. Tony
looks at me and says:
‘So, ready for boot camp in March?”
I leap up and kiss everyone in the room. I’ve got the part! I’m Dick Winters. I’m in Band of Brothers.
FOUR MONTHS LATER: BOOTCAMP AT LONGMOOR, NEAR PETERSFIELD, HAMPSHIRE, MARCH 23:
‘You better not give up on me Winters. I’m watching you Winters.’
I’m on my 70th sit-up. I’ve been given a personal trainer to get in shape and
for the moment it seems to be working. But I’m on my way to 80 and my stomach
has cramped. Captain Dale ‘no namby-pamby actor s**t’ Dye, a Vietnam veteran,
is hulked over me and letting me know who’s in charge. It’s the first morning
of a ten-day basic training. It’s 6am, we’ve been on a five-mile run and now
we’re being watched doing 45 minutes of physical training. All before
breakfast. Captain Dye addresses us only by our character names. We’re not
allowed to have mobile phones or contemporary literature. We’re in 1942,
whether we like it or not. Already he is instilling in us the feeling that we
are special, or will be if we make it. This drive for authenticity is
exhilarating. All I know is, the deeper I involve my imagination and give him
the ‘heart’ he asks for, the more rewarding all this will be. Tom Hanks made
it perfectly clear in a trademark tub-thumping speech to us all that we have a
social responsibility to document this period of history as accurately as
possible. I think he’s right. I’m the lead role in this show, which is going to be seen by millions of people
worldwide and has a budget of £86 million. When I’m Damian Lewis, I’m
nervous. When I’m Dick Winters, I can do anything. Now that’s drama therapy.
DAY 2: ‘Who’s Winters? Who’s playin’ him? Is he English?’ There are murmurs
in the camp – a lot of the guys don’t know who I am yet. Is this where the
trouble starts? I brace myself for a bit of Limey bashing, but incredibly, I
seem to have the full respect of all the men resent. People are asking for my
opinions and calling me ‘Sir’. Suddenly it’s clear I’m in a 24-hours-a-day,
ten-day Method rehearsal. I think to myself, ‘If they want Method. I’ll give
them Method,’ and start dishing out a lot more orders.
DAY 3: The training regime in the mornings is now established. We run in
formation and sing: ‘Mama, Mama, can’t you see, what the Airborne’s done to
me?’ Singing together makes the five miles easier. I feel like I’m in a movie
already, not preparing for one. Guard duty tonight. Each man is to patrol the
perimeter for one hour, in temperatures below zero. It’s too cold to sleep,
but I don’t think sleep is valued particularly highly around here.
DAY 6: Promotion today. I’m now Captain Dick Winters. Injuries have started
to happen. David Schwimmer [Herbert Sobel] has twisted his knee performing
field manoeuvres and has become ‘officer in charge of cigarettes’. Thankfully,
Schwimmer is taking his responsibilities seriously. With no booze for ten
days, people are smoking furiously. Neal McDonough [Buck Compton] has cut his
lip open with the butt of an M1 rifle and has had stitches without anaesthetic.
‘Well Buck wouldn’t have had anaesthetic, ‘ he chimes, grinning widely.
DAY 7: We have a massive simultaneous attack today on a train. With a six-man
training team sniping (with blanks) at our 50-man company. I lead the
assault. It’s a total disaster. I’m shot so many times I feel like a sieve.
I fail to control the men. I get torn apart by Captain Dye, who tells me I’d
better get them in order. I’m so immersed by now, believing that I’m in 1942
and that I’m Dick Winters, that I go and hand out the biggest roasting in
military history to my men. And what’s more, I expect to be listened to.
DAY 8: We move into our week of jump training today. There’s one major
problem. I’m scared of heights. Thankfully, today is spent jumping off chairs
on to mattresses, practicing our falls and rolls.
DAY 9: We visit RAF Brize Norton for a day in jumping school. Today I’m going
to jump off a 60ft tower screaming from the top of my lungs ‘One thousand, two
thousand, three thousand, four thousand. . .’ After this, you’re supposed to
open you chute. Looking up, the platform doesn’t seem so high. Looking down,
I want to cry. I can’t hold on to anything because I can’t get any grip. My
palms are sweating too heavily. A jump trainer edges me out. I look straight
ahead at the horizon and leap into the void. I land about five seconds later.
I’ve done it. Parachuting becomes addictive. Apparently.
DAY 10: The day of the ‘propblast’, airborne slang for big drink. Boy, do we
need alcohol. It’s been ten days of authentic military training and everyone
is incredibly proud to have got through it. So we all get drunk and hug each
other a lot.
FIRST DAY OF FILMING: APRIL 4, 2000: Arrive on the disused runway at Hatfield
Aerodrome. This will be our home for the next eight months. Here we will walk
through film sets constructed to look like the streets of France, Belgium and
Germany. We will storm dykes and cross the Rhine. It’s the first day of an
epic undertaking. Band of Brothers is about a small group of ordinary men.
The faithful retelling of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne
Division and its achievements in World War II. How the men suffered and how
they prevailed. They’re American in this series. But they could just as well
be English, French, or German.
It’s an eager bunch of actors that turn up on that first day. All stories and
japes. But within an hour we’ve changed into our combat gear, have lined up in
formation and are marching the half mile to the set. Word gets around and
hundreds of people in the production offices start flocking to the side of the
runway. Can this really be the same bunch of actors they’d hired? We look
like real soldiers. We know we’ve turned a few heads and we’re quietly smug
about that, but no one is in the least bit complacent, because we know this is
day one. Zero hour. Day one of an eight-month shoot. The soldiering starts here . . . .
| By Katie (Katie) (141.155.7.218 - 141.155.7.218) on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 08:58 pm: |
BBC Interview with Damian Lewis about the series:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1580000/video/_1580805_bandofbrothers2_vi.ram
| By nina rose berden (Schyler) (192.169.39.69 - 192.169.39.69) on Saturday, December 22, 2001 - 10:11 am: |
Damian Lewis is one terrific actor...it is like the role of Dick Winters was made especially for him...he did a great job...i'm missing him already because it's been a week since the last replay of BoB on HBO here in the Philippines...i hope to see more of him in movies...
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.239.86.117) on Sunday, March 10, 2002 - 07:23 pm: |
USA Weekend
10 March 2002
"Band of Brothers" star Damian Lewis, 31, has been touted by everyone from the "New York Times" to "People" magazine as Hollywood's new golden child. And rightfully so. The British actor -- a veteran of London's Guildhall School (where he studied drama with Ewan McGregor and Joseph Fiennes), the Birmingham Repertory and Royal Shakespeare Company (where he befriended Ralph Fiennes) -- has not only proved himself worthy of the stage during the last decade, but has also made his mark on British television BBC's Warriors and Hearts and Bones). Band of Brothers brought him to American audiences -- and rest assured, that was just the beginning. We caught up with the humorous, fun-loving (yet humble) redhead, who's currently filming a
Stephen King thriller, Dreamcatcher, in Canada.
Q: Your latest project is Dreamcatcher, based on Stephen King's novel. Tell us a little bit about your character.
A: I play one of four friends with telepathic power. They're all at a dead-end place in their lives, and they go to cabin in Maine and are
attacked by aliens. My character is a Boston professor whose name is "Jonesy" who gets possessed by an alien, but does not die. Two others die. I have to deal with having two people in my body at one time. Filming wraps up in mid-May. The movie should be released early next
year.
Q: You filmed a new adaptation of The Forsyte Saga last fall. When can audiences expect to see it?
A: Yes, we filmed it during the fall, and I play the lead, Soames Forsyte. It airs in Britain on the BBC at the end of March and on PBS later this fall. We only filmed two books of the three-part saga. So we'll be filming the third book in the fall. It will be out in the U.S. next year, around the same time as Dreamcatcher.
Q: You turned down a role in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down, a major box office success described as one of the most realistic war movies ever. Why? Were you sick of war movies by the time Band of Brothers was finished?
A: Exactly that. I just couldn't face it. I'd been a soldier for 8 months on the set of Band of Brothers. I didn't want to go to Morocco for three months and be a soldier in the desert.
Q: You've said you'd much rather do quality TV than big films that aren't very good. Was that your take on Black Hawk Down?
A: No, not at all. I would rather do films, given the choice, over TV. There's such a hunger in young actors to do movies, but actually
some of the best quality writing is in TV. It's just not as high-profile or glamorous. All the glitz and the glamour is fun in the film industry. I want all of that, I want to do big screen. But I don't have a child or a family to support right now, so I can afford to choose quality TV [and not get paid as much]. Maybe when I have three kids, maybe then I'd take work I'd be less proud to do. But I haven't encountered that yet. I'm lucky.
Q: Producing, directing and writing. Any aspirations there?
A: I've always thought I'd move on to one of those things from acting. I've always loved acting and I think I am in every way an
actor. Actors have something instinctive in them that makes them act. Anyway, I have aspirations to do these things but they're not clearly
in focus yet. I do think I have ambitions to direct or produce, but I just know I'm not ready to do that. I've thought about it a lot though. I think I surprise people when I stick around on the set. Most actors go back to their trailers, but I like to be out there, a part of the process, even on night shoots. I like to see the
decisions directors make and hear why. I feel more a part of the process.
Q: You were with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Do you wish to return to the stage, or are you all about the silver screen now?
A: It changes overnight. I have always imagined I'd go back to the stage and continue theater work. Gosh, the idea of going back to the
stage is already terrifying to me, having been away for three years now. It takes greater concentration now, because I know more things.
I feel like I want to go and do new things: films and original scripts. I've been in plays since I was 8-years old. Now, I'm starting to learn so much about films, it's proving to be a terribly
fulfilling environment. It's proving to be very seductive. I do miss the live audience, I will say that. There's nothing like a live space
with an audience responding to you.
Q: You've received extraordinary praise for your role as Maj. Richard Winters in Band of Brothers. How did you a) nail down such a
perfect Pennsylvania accent (not just American) and b) survive boot camp?
A: I listened to a lot of tapes of Major Winters. The accent in the end isn't too specifically a Pennsylvania accents. I concentrated on
an authentic American accent that was totally believable, so people wouldn't think, "Hey the limey does a really good American accent."
Regarding boot camp, I went to boarding school, and when I lay there in bed the first night, it was like a grown-up version of sleeping
there with other guys in the dormitory. I have to say there's something so liberating about being told what to do throughout your entire day. About having that structure. For 10 days, we were run off our feet. We were up at 5:30 every morning, and every single minute of the day was taken up by activity. You didn't have to make any
decisions yourself. We would literally just fall into bed at 10:30 every night.
Actually, we stopped doing our 5-mile runs in the mornings after a week. The majority of us complained that we missed our 5-mile runs!
It felt good to get out there and do it.
Q: You've been quoted showing your surprise/discomfort with Tom Hanks's emotional side. You said he cries a lot and pretty much at
the drop of a hat. Did it just grate on you?
A: An article said that? Funny, I don't remember expressing any discomfort over that. I just remember him being choked up at the commemorative screening for the veterans over in Normandy. He's very involved, and I guess I'm a bit more British about these things. I wouldn't feel so comfortable showing my emotions in public like that.
Then again, I remember feeling like I wasn't going to be able to control my emotions at the Golden Globes. I was worried that maybe I
would get up on stage and just burst out crying. So I guess I now know how it feels.
Q: How does it feel to be known as Hollywood's "next big thing"? Does the pressure make you nervous?
A: Thank God I haven't read too many of those or else it would make me nervous. "The next big thing" is only exciting while you're the next big. I'll be the next big thing for a small window for the next six months, and it's very flattering, but you've got to try and remain the next big thing. You've got to think of how much you want it. What level of stardom do you want - what kind of a life you want to lead? I don't want to be so famous that I have people taking
photographs of me with my girlfriend or [future] wife on holiday. I don't want people with long lenses hiding in the bushes. I don't want
that kind of scrutiny. Take Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston. How do they cope with their lives? I've met Brad and he's one of the most
normal guys I know. I want to do well in my career, but how do you get to the top without compromising your private life? It's tough,
but I think you can do it. Look at Harrison Ford.
Q: You probably don't mind the comparison to Steve McQueen, right?
A: I probably don't mind is right! I love it, I'm going to put it on my gravestone. It's very flattering, it's nice. I don't think I'm
like that as a person. Perhaps the performance I gave as Major Winters was like McQueen...although come to think of it, I've had one or two cinematographers tell me I look like him.
Q: Who is your mentor in the business? Who did you grow up admiring?
A: I've never been one who has heroes - I'm too egocentric for that maybe, I don't know? -oh, except for Elvis. I used to dress up like
him and look in the mirror. I used to spend hours coiffing my hair with the blow-dryer and wax. Then I'd play this double LP at home and look into the mirror for hours.
Q: What was your favorite job ever (doesn't have to be acting)?
A: The one that sticks out because it was a real coming of age time for me was working on Broadway with Ralph Fiennes. I was 24 and there were a bunch of us on Broadway. Vanity Fair did this cover Boys on Broadway and we were walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a fantastic time. There was always a Dorothy Parker-style group of friends at Café Un, Deux, Trois a block away. We'd go there after performances. We were behaving badly and going out, but the whole
town wanted to buy us drinks. New York was like our playground for four months. And I have good friends from that time, people I've stayed in touch with. It's a good test of the time you've had if you bring friends out of that period in your life. It means you had a rich and exciting time.
Q: Do you still live with your brother in the Kensal Green part of London? Do you now have a home in L.A.?
A: I've moved to Camden in central London now because my brother got married and is having a kid. I don't feel any pressure to move to
London and New York for film purposes. It's an international industry.
Q: Are you dating anyone right now? Who?
A: I'm seeing a girl called Katie, who's very sexy. She's a news broadcaster and journalist in England.
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: I grew up with dogs, but I have no pets now.
Q: What is your biggest weakness? Are you a glutton for something?
A: Oatmeal raisin cookies and ice cream. I have a sweet tooth. Otherwise, emotional complexities.
Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: Selfishness in people.
Q: Do you have any regrets in life thus far?
A: Yeah, that my mother died.
Q: If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be?
A: Jesus. He's got a lot of explaining to do and I'd like to hear it! Other than him, I'd say Osama bin Laden. I'd like him to come and
give me some tips on how to decorate my house.
Q: How do you like to spend your down time? What are a few of your favorite pastimes?
A: My hobby at the moment is my laptop because I'm so backward in all things having to do computers. I'm teaching myself how to type and
use e-mail. I'm finding it very comforting and fun to e-mail all of my friends in London when I'm away, but it takes me an hour to write
a letter. I also play the piano. I taught myself how to play.
With Evelyn Poitevent
thanx, ella
| By JANE Southern England (Jane) (195.93.49.157) on Saturday, April 06, 2002 - 04:34 pm: |
The Sun supplement 'The TV mag' April 6 - 12
"Say hello to the next Steve McQueen. Well that's what Tony To, co-executive producer of Band of Brothers, thinks of Damian Lewis, who played the lead in the BBC Second World War blockbuster.
It's a compliment the 29 year old actor is happy to accept. "After all, it's a pretty good thing! I'm flattered" says Damian. Then he laughs: "Actually, er, I'm the ginger McQueen!"
He may joke about his image, but Damian is clearly becoming a big star. And as he returns to our screens, it's again at the centre of an epic drama.
Damian plays Soames in ITV's lavish adaption of John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga. The BBC's 1967 version, with Eric Porter and Nyree Dawn Porter, was a huge hit, and ITV's period piece promises to be just as a big draw. Other top names appearing include Rupert Graves, Ioan Gruffudd and Gina McKee.
Damian reveals that when he was offered the part he was immediately keen on taking it.
"I've read the books and it's a cracking yarn" he says. "The scripts were great and if you think there's an acting opportunity that's going to be stimulating and fulfilling over that period of time, you take it"
Soames is the pompous, repressed lawyer whose fiery relationship with his wife Irene (Gina McKee) is central to the tale.
"He's a hard, uptight man with the heart of a shrivelled walnut!" grins Damian. "You don't automatically warm to him, but he does have a tremendous sense of right and wrong, He's not a great romantic and his love for Irene is couched in Victorian values, It's hopeless"
Since starring in Band of Brothers, Damian's become a familiar face in Hollywood and has just signed a major deal to appear in one of the lead roles in a film of Stephen King's Dreamcatcher novel.
"I've had a fantastic eight years since becoming professional, no question," admits Damian, who before Band of Brothers was best known for the TV drama Warriors and Hearts and Bones.
"My work's not always been high-profile things, but in terms of fun, it's been great"
Damian wanted to act from the age of 16, but at one point he might have become famous in a different field, alongside the likes of David Beckham and Michael Owen.
"I can't say I had a serious ambitions as a footballer, but I did have school trials for England, so I got to that sort of level" he reveals. "Now I'm a massive Liverpool fan"
Instead, Damian went to drama school, and spent time busking in the South of France. "I used to have an old motorbike and take it to France for a month in the summer, paying my way by busking on the guitar", he remembers fondly.
"It was just a way I could bomb around, meet up with friends, swim in their pool and leave. Busking was a sideline to enjoying myself."
Now it's first class all the way for Damian, who recently bought a house in north London's trendy Camden. He's happy with his girlfriend, Channel 4 producer Katie Razzall, and would love to be a dad - but not just yet. "In about 10 years, I'd like to think I'd be happily married with kids," he says. "Maybe three - I'm from a family of four but I'm not sure I could deal with that, let alone expect my wife to!"
(*Hope that's ok me putting this here...Jane*)
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.239.86.117) on Thursday, May 09, 2002 - 09:53 am: |
Thanks to Jane.
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.239.86.117) on Saturday, May 25, 2002 - 12:25 pm: |
Damian and Jake Powers, who has been Easy Company historian for 12 years.
Courtesy of Jake Powers
| By Jane Lindholm (Jlindholm) (204.48.169.252) on Saturday, May 25, 2002 - 03:27 pm: |
Hey Chris,
Nice pic of Damian and Jake. Have you heard from Jake recently? He used to be a member of Easycompanygroups. Went to Europe, I believe to join others to trace Easy's tour of Europe. I read in the HBO/BOB boards he had returned, then left to do another BOB related activity. I was wondering as to his wherebouts theses day and what he's doing. He's a rather interesting person.
Jane L.
PS: Thank you for going through the trouble to download the AOL thing so you could join the chat. There were more participants than usual. I know everyone had a great time. Also thanks for patiently sitting through the silliness about who's cuter, whether Shane wears...wait a sec, you brought that up, never mind ;) LOL. Try to make it to next Monday's chat, will post the details to Easygroup, be looking for you.
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.239.86.117) on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 - 02:42 pm: |
Damian and Tara Fitzerald
Photo by: Brian J Murray
John Robinson site
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.239.86.117) on Saturday, June 29, 2002 - 11:57 am: |
Damien, Tom and Ron during Ep. 5 filming
http://www.rexfeatures.com/cgi-bin/rppshimg0?i=325011A
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.241.64.130) on Tuesday, October 01, 2002 - 12:16 pm: |
Those formidable Forsytes again
A groundbreaking British series from 1967
gets a thoroughly modern makeover
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ent_radio/story/22263p-21129c.html
| By Jane Lindholm (Jlindholm) (204.48.169.252) on Tuesday, October 01, 2002 - 09:03 pm: |
Great find! The numbered picture is a real help....I've viewed the first three parts....now i can figure out who's who, LOL!!
Seriously, this is only for Damian fans or peeps who really enjoy Victorian melodramas.
Jane
| By Iines (Iines) (195.197.127.149) on Monday, October 21, 2002 - 03:04 pm: |
Damian Lewis is so very handsome and wonderfull actor
I would like to see other movies where he's acting.
Iines
| By Marigold Papa (Marigold) (203.170.2.78) on Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 10:00 am: |
Iines, Dreamcatcher is coming soon, watch for it.
Don't you get to see Forsyte Saga where you are?
gold
| By Iines (Iines) (195.197.127.176) on Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 03:22 pm: |
Yes, I must go to watch that movie It must be strange to see him some other character than Winters. I haven't heard anything about Forsyte Saga, I think they don't show it here in Finland
Iines
| By Marigold Papa (Marigold) (203.170.2.80) on Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 09:04 am: |
Awww...that makes two of us. I never get to see other movies/shows from the guys. *sniff* I hope they air their shows here in my country too.
gold
| By Iines (Iines) (195.197.126.55) on Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 03:13 pm: |
Really? In what country do you live? I haven't either seen anybody else than David Shwimmer as Sobel And I don't like him very much.
I want to see them somewhere again...
Iines
| By Marigold Papa (Marigold) (203.170.2.76) on Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 09:07 am: |
Philippines, Iines. We share the same depression. LOL I only get to see Shwimmer in "Friends" here too. Wish i were as lucky as them out there. Can't wait to see any of their shows.
gold *cross fingers*
| By Iines (Iines) (195.197.126.94) on Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 03:31 pm: |
There are really BoB-fans from all around the world Amazing that our experienses are so similiar, I saw "Friends" too!
Well, we must be happy that they showed us BoB
Iines
| By Marigold Papa (Marigold) (203.170.2.79) on Friday, October 25, 2002 - 09:14 am: |
Yes, I am indeed very very happy they aired BoB here. I would have to say I'd miss 1/2 of my life if i missed it.
gold
| By Iines (Iines) (195.197.127.55) on Friday, October 25, 2002 - 03:01 pm: |
I feel the same, i can't imagine life without BoB any more It also helped me trought one very hard time of my life, when my beloved pet died and also beloved person moved far away So i'm just very, very gratefull about BoB and this site and everyone here!!
Iines
| By Marigold Papa (Marigold) (203.170.2.77) on Saturday, October 26, 2002 - 01:58 am: |
Yes indeed. Lots of people here know so much about BoB and WW2, we sure can learn a lot from here. Thanks guys, you know who you are...
gold
| By Ewa Molik (Layyla) (212.182.63.102) on Thursday, January 23, 2003 - 10:55 am: |
wow!
it's the first time i read the diary of damiam here!if it is his idea to put here - i'm down on my knees. it's fantastic, revealing his true nature, showing the private Damian. he is one of the greatest actor in the series, i've already said that somewhere but i can't imagine anyone else in this part. everything in this performance was superb - he showed major winters just the way he was with all the caring for his soldiers, humor and frindship with nixon.i can't put my feelings in words that would describe everything..
just one thing that is curious for me - did Damian have to give up drinking for the time of filmng? because it seems to me that he likes to drink one or two beers and mj. was a tee - totaler?
greetings to all damian fans
layla
| By Iines (Iines) (195.197.127.155) on Thursday, January 23, 2003 - 01:50 pm: |
Layla, that's true, Damian is the greatest actor i've ever seen And so handsome...
I'm quite sure that Dale Dye didn't let him drink during filming and in bootcamp;)
It's sad if Damian likes drinking, it was one of Winters's attractive features that he didn't do that.
Iines
| By Marigold Papa (Marigold) (203.160.183.79) on Thursday, January 23, 2003 - 10:03 pm: |
He did such a good job during bootcamp, as well as the others. If i knew Winters personally, i would say Damian really acted like a real soldier like Winters did. They all did such a good job during bootcamp...
gold
| By Katie Hargreaves (Lil_Dl_Fan03) (68.14.80.156) on Monday, January 27, 2003 - 05:59 pm: |
Damian did a commendable job on Band of Brothers. I watched the sixth disc in the dvd series.... the one with all the special features, and it had an interview with Damian... I was like 'whoa, he's british.' he did such a good job with his american accent, and he portrayed Winters very well.
katie
| By Marigold Papa (Marigold) (203.160.183.79) on Monday, January 27, 2003 - 10:23 pm: |
True, the Brits in BoB really did a fantastic job doing their american accent. I never really knew they were British!
gold
| By Ewa Molik (Layyla) (212.182.63.102) on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 01:17 pm: |
Well he put away his faavourite drinks for awhile. i'm sure he did so, even without dale telling him to do so. after all he is such a good actor that he did everything to play the part well. and not everyday you get to play the lead in such a series. his accent is terrific as well - i really liked reading about how he perfected it. i love to listen to him, right now i can't imagine how he sounds speaking british english - must be marvelous though...did any of you notice that when he say short phrases: like yeah, no etc. he usually repeates himself after short intervals? i like it
and just imagine what they had to do an that bootcamp. i'd give evrything to see them during practise......gosh need to stop dreaming!!
layla or ewa as you prefer
| By Natalie White (Nikeayngel) (81.131.47.105) on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 02:28 pm: |
just read an article in the paper and Damian is in the running to play Edward VIII in a BBC project called The American Women. It's set to follow on from the BBC's drama The Lost Prince so unfortunately I don't know whether it will be broadcast internationally.
| By Amy Welsh (Jacobi) (144.138.221.161) on Monday, February 17, 2003 - 11:44 pm: |
Hi everyone!
As a large fan of Damian Lewis (there seems to be a lot of very skilled male actors around at the moment) I saved this article about him when BOB aired in Australia (September 2002...delayed by a year due to 9/11). I apologise for the image quality. Enjoy,
AMY
To Ewa, I own both BOB and Forsyte Saga on video so if I ever get too freaked out about evil Soames (DL's character in the Forsyte Saga) I have Winters to counter that!!! His native accent is wonderful!
| By Amy Welsh (Jacobi) (144.138.221.161) on Monday, February 17, 2003 - 11:51 pm: |
Oop...I just realised that due to problems that I was having with figuring out how to post with an image, my message was posted three times. Sorry all.
AMY
| By Marigold Papa (Marigold) (203.160.183.79) on Tuesday, February 18, 2003 - 08:09 am: |
Nice Amy, thanks
gold
| By Leonie ten Cate (Lechan) (217.120.162.33) on Saturday, February 22, 2003 - 07:44 am: |
Nice piccie! Thanks for placing it
Does some-one know which day is his birthday? I thought april 12, is that correct?
| By Marigold Papa (Marigold) (203.160.183.79) on Saturday, February 22, 2003 - 08:17 am: |
There were a lot of questions about that, until someone posted at Damian's yahoo group that a friend of hers was able to attend Damian's Birthday last February 11 and the BoB guys were there. He/she didn't have pictures though. That brought the answer to our questions...providing that were true.
gold
| By Iines (Iines) (195.197.127.1) on Saturday, February 22, 2003 - 01:15 pm: |
Great article Amy, thanks
Shame that they don't have pictures from his birthday, i would love to see them.
Iines
| By Ewa Molik (Layyla) (212.182.102.130) on Friday, February 28, 2003 - 11:40 am: |
yeah i'd like to see that photos too. shame noone told us sooner about that bithday we would send some spies or a birthday card to him...
| By Erin Bingham (Bingham) (210.50.171.111) on Friday, April 04, 2003 - 02:23 am: |
Hey Guys!
I found this article on imdb.com. I thought it would make you laugh, it made me laugh.
Damian Lewis Goes for Nude Underwater Antics
Naughty British actor Damian Lewis has been caught - literally - with his pants down. The Band Of Brothers star got a little carried away while partying at L.A.'s Chateau Marmont hotel with co-stars from his current film Dreamcatcher - and skinny dipped in the hotel pool. He was joined by his girlfriend, Colin Hanks, Jason Lee and a group of thrilled American girls. A source tells British tabloid The Daily Mirror, "They were all partying in Damian's room when about 10 of them headed for the pool. They were swigging champagne from the bottle in the water and were mucking about. Damian's girlfriend was really shy and stood watching them all. He coaxed her in but she refused to strip off and kept her underwear on in the pool." But their high-jinks were cut short when hotel staff told them off for being noisy and ordered them out of the pool.
| By Stephanie Ambroos (Freaky) (80.200.248.201) on Sunday, April 06, 2003 - 04:53 pm: |
hi everybody
I didn't find a toppic to post this so. I saw this trailer yesterday on TV of a new film and I think I saw Damian in it but I'm not quite sur, and dum as I am [:-)]I forgot the title I think it's something with dream but I'm not sur can somebody help me?? thanks a lot if you can.
and Erin funny aricle would damian really be like that I always thought he was such a shy person when you see him on TV :-D
X stephanie X
| By John Wood (Woodman) (66.112.102.46) on Sunday, April 06, 2003 - 04:58 pm: |
Yes, the movie is "Dreamcatcher" and is based on a Stephen King Novel of the same name. Set in the woods of Maine, no doubt Damian got to use his Pennsylvania accent yet again.
| By Richard Pham (Captain_Slick) (202.129.95.21) on Wednesday, April 09, 2003 - 08:05 pm: |
...and if I'm not mistaken, Donnie Wahlberg (1st Sgt. Carwood Lipton) also stars in this movie as well. His character name is Douglas "Duddits" Cavell.
Cheers.
| By Marigold Papa (Marigold) (203.160.183.79) on Wednesday, April 09, 2003 - 11:51 pm: |
Richard, yes you are right. Love it when he said "I Duddits!!!" Hehe! ;) A small part though but he saved he world!
gold
| By Leonie ten Cate (Lechan) (217.120.162.33) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 02:31 pm: |
It's such an honour to be celebrating my