Richard on a Monday morning…

On By EstherIn Richard Armitage

I’m working from home today but it’s not that busy and I came across this article published today in The Telegraph that I just had to link to here. If you register you can read one article per week for free, so I registered and read the article. I liked it far more than the one from yesterday because it gave me quite some new information. Yay! I took screenshots, so I’ll just copy and paste the article here:

RA Telegraph 01RA Telegraph 02RA Telegraph 03RA Telegraph 04RA Telegraph 05RA Telegraph 06RA Telegraph 07RA Telegraph 08RA Telegraph 09RA Telegraph 10

Of course, there is the mandatory beefcake reference but there’s much more too, like how he uses his body to fit his roles (contradicting being ‘way past taking his shirt off’ with examples of how he still does take his shirt off – LOL!), talking about Uncle Vanya coming at the right time when he too is in a mid-life crisis, referencing a relationship he’s in and that’s it’s a good one which makes me very happy for him (I suspected as much after seeing this photo, although he doesn’t mention who he’s in a relationship with), and I was surprised that he’s been ‘based’ in a hotel for the past 5 years when I thought he had bought an apartment in New York. Also, he mentions optioning the Joy Ellis novels and working on a pilot for The Taking of Annie Thorne. I don’t know in what capacity he’s working on the projects but it’s interesting nonetheless. And reading his description of what The Stranger is about makes me more curious to watch it than I was before, it sounds quite good! Yes, this article is a nice mix of not so new and new information and I like it.

I just now saw a tweet from Richard referencing the article and finding the title misleading…

I think he may regret talking private life now, and creep back into his shell, but I kinda like getting that little glimpse in. This new year is starting well with all the Richard-content we are getting. 🙂

121 thoughts on “Richard on a Monday morning…”

          3. He owns an apartment there. It’s possible he may have sublet, but more likely he just had the meeting at the hotel. I don’t like the idea of saying just where he was though, some “over zealous” fans might start stalking him.

            Liked by 1 person

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          2. Servetus

            In US English, the relative clause has to refer to the most immediate antecedent (“where” refers to Manhattan) or it’s considered an error. I’ve noticed that British newspapers take this rule extremely loosely, though.

            Liked by 2 people

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              1. Servetus

                if you read a lot of British print journalism, it totally makes sense as the hotel is where the emphasis in the sentence falls. I read horrifying dangling and misplaced modifiers all the time in UK publications, to the point that I occasionally wonder how they can communicate with each other.

                Liked by 2 people

              3. Servetus

                We do, but it’s a bit like communicating primarily with emojis. I’ve probably spent too much time studying languages like Latin and German that emphasize more precision in communication than English or cell phone hieroglyphics do, to fully appreciate the charm of the latter group.

                Liked by 3 people

              5. I love emojis to express myself I see nothing wrong with it and it doesn’t mean anything other than that’s how I choose to comment
                I don’t use lol or rotflmao which I see used but I wouldn’t care if people used those abbreviations to express themselves.😘❤️❤️😉

                Liked by 2 people

              6. I’m fine with emojis and LOLs, use them myself. I guess there’s a time and place for everything, I don’t think emojis would do for real articles, for instance.

                Liked by 1 person

              7. Esther quite right not for articles but I’ve read articles where written words are vague and the meaning is not spelled out succinctly and I think one can use what they are comfortable with. 😘❤️❤️❤️❤️

                Liked by 2 people

              8. Servetus

                My personal position on this is that emojis only communicate anything at all when the recipient already knows what you wanted to say, in which case, why bother? I am always bemused when I get a comment that’s all emojis and typically reply “if you want to say something, use your words.” I use LOL to indicate laughing (I used to put the type of laugh in parenthesis, e.g., [giggle], [snort] etc.) and I use the smiley face and the frowny face fairly frequently in situations where I know the recipient already knows how I feel. This year our course software wanted us to grade with emojis, and I went back to asking for paper submissions for assignments. I just think that in the vast majority of cases they tell me nothing useful that I don’t know already. Just my opinion. I realize I’m part of a dying breed here, but I refuse to communicate by rebus.

                Liked by 3 people

              9. Yes, I wouldn’t want to do that completely either but I also feel that sometimes what you write does not convey the feeling you want to bring across. For instance, you could write something as sarcasm and someone could understand it as truth. With the absence of tone and body language when you actually talk to a person, I think an emoji can help convey a feeling when you’re not always sure the way you phrased something in writing comes across right. Or an enoji can just emphasize what you write, just as you say above and that can be fun. But to communicatie with only emojis isn’t my preferred way of communication. And yes, emojis can be misunderstood as well, just like words can be.

                Liked by 2 people

              10. Servetus

                I’m slowly coming over to Poe’s law, although many cases of it I see are really failures of critical thinking on the part of the reader. It’s true that there are cross-cultural problems (as when the Russian readers thought my spoof on the crew of women who shaved Armitage’s beard was a read news report) that interfere. Even so, I could simply use the [/sarcasm] tag (and do ever more frequently). I tag things as spoofs. I don’t need a picture for that. I regularly see emojis in texts from my nieces and I have no idea what they mean. Whereas if they’d just use a word, I’d know immediately. Even with something like a smiley face, there are so many ways to express happiness in words that are more exact. And then there are the people who use emojis ironically — which drives me batshit crazy. I just really don’t see that they improve communication in any way. Sorry. (And I know you’re sick of talking about this now [smiles wryly in apology]).

                Liked by 2 people

              11. LOL! Sorry – lauging out loud here [wink]. Yeah, this is running its course for me, you know me (in writing) well, that makes me grin.
                I totally get you, I’m just not as particular in this as you are. And yes, I too have had to have emojis explained to me on occasion, but I don’t mind. Figure I learn something new every day and that’s good.

                Liked by 2 people

              12. And I would add lol and lmao and all those other abbreviations I have to look up every time I see them all can be used in different contexts with misunderstanding but each person should be allowed to convey how they want to express themselves just like wearing pants over skirts as a teen 😉🤔😊

                Liked by 2 people

              13. I learn new abbreviations from my daughter occasionally. These young Anne with an E fans I now follow tweet all kinds of stuff I don’t always understand, I sometimes have to ask my daughter what they mean. And it’s not just emojis and LOLs now, they also send these short meme-films where some seem really rude and disrespectful to me and my daughter says, “mum, they’re not meant to be serious!”. Communication is going through turbulent times now, I’m sure in 20 years we old people will shake our heads and not understand the youth at all anymore…

                Liked by 1 person

              15. Servetus

                I pretty much always want exact information. I see very little advantage to vagueness or unclarity. However, luckily I can avoid communicating with emojis most of the time!

                Liked by 2 people

              16. Yeah, you always strike me as a very precise sort of person. 🙂 I don’t always find it easy to be that precise, so I guess vagueness and unclarity just happens to people who are less analytical, like me. It’s always a thing when I have Mr Esther read through something I have written, especially official correspondence, he is far more precise than I am. Sometimes I like the structure and official tone he brings, but sometimes I want to convey more emotion and room for interpretation and I reject his edits. I’d never put an emoji into something more formal or official, though.

                Liked by 2 people

              18. Yes, when you have time to formulate but sometimes an emoji can be quicker. For instance, I like using this one when I think something is really funny: 😂 – says it all, nice and quickly.

                Liked by 2 people

              20. There is vagueness in all communication, whether written or with emojis that sometimes also confuse me. Those little purple people you sent, for instance, are so small I with my old eyes can hardly see them. The good thing with interactive communication, like on this blog, is that I can always ask. 🙂
                OK, it’s past midnight, I need to get to bed now! Night night!

                Liked by 2 people

              22. Servetus

                I guess? To me that seems like a vague sentiment. “very funny”. Did you mean it was hilarious? Did you mean it was the kind of funny that would make you slap your knee or clutch your stomach in pain? Was it a visceral kind of laugh, or was it a more intellectual one? That’s an emoji I’ll never even consider using because to me it says almost nothing.

                Liked by 2 people

              24. Servetus

                And I almost always do. Admittedly I’ve been teaching semantic logic for the last three days, so it’s maybe more on my mind that usual. Luckily we move on to the nature of reality tomorrow.

                Liked by 2 people

              25. You’re making me grin again. And logic isn’t reality?
                OK, I really need to get to bed now, it’s way past midnight and I need to get up on time tomorrow. Night night!

                Liked by 2 people

              26. Servetus

                Well, you know that a deductive argument can be valid without being true (something my students are struggling with) — whereas truth (in logic) is the condition of corresponding with the world as it is (one definition of “reality”). Sleep tight!

                Liked by 2 people

              28. Servetus

                I have 18 graduate credits in philosophy so I’m considered qualified to teach this class, but I’m really weak on ontology in comparison to a real philosopher. I’m more of an intellectual historian. We’ll soon be on to epistemology and politics which are both things I’ve spent a lot more time on over the years. So you can take the class, but I’m not sure I’d have a lot more to say on the topic of “truth” as a component of logic than that.

                Liked by 1 person

              29. squirrel.0072

                Just to say when I write 🙂 that means , I like or I agree but do not want or couldn’t write something else. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 to all of you Esther, Michèle, Servetus, …. But I do hate swearing, dirty words.

                Liked by 3 people

      1. squirrel.0072

        In your opinion, who in the couple cooks? Industrially prepared dishes are not very healthy. Unless it is Russian menus recipes. To get into the skin of the country doctor, to whom patients offer Vareniki, Pierojki, Potato gratin, Pelmeni, Bortsch, Plof … sweet omelet and vodka.

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    3. As if Daniel wasn’t shirtless, and more not so very long ago. I’m not buying the dad bod. He may not be in Dwarf Camp shape, but he’s hardly got a beer belly either. Of course, he doesn’t really drink beer. 🤭 The giggly face is for you Servetus. It is meant as a friendly, joking emoji referencing the previous conversation to slightly annoy you, but mostly in hopes that it will make you giggle. 🤭

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      2. Servetus

        I couldn’t even read what the emoji was without clicking into a browser, Jane. To me this is obstacle #2 to emojis becoming universal communicators — half the time they disintegrate in the medium in which I’m reading them. (Obstacle #1 is the size; I had to move my laptop to my face to even see what the emoji was.) I just don’t see the point. It’s possible that emojis could develop into a language as sophisticated as hieroglyphics at some distant point from now, but that would require a lot of technological advance.

        🙂 <— ironic use of smiley emoji

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        1. Hopefully we will both be long gone before that could come to pass. Honestly, I really still prefer paper and pen. I find it easier to organize my thoughts, or lists. I think creativity, or recollection and gratitude if journaling flows in a more natural way through the actual act of writing, when I’m not having to go back constantly to correct autocorrect’s spelling and grammar mistakes, or flying to a different part of the page because my fingertip had too much pressure while scrolling. Even real typewriters were faster, and more conducive. They didn’t think they knew better, they just did what my fingers directed by muscle memory without any distraction from my thoughts.

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          1. Servetus

            I really enjoyed typing on a typewriter (both mechanical and electric) — although I love word processing simply because it’s easier to revise. But I have no plans to become adept with a phone screen. All the tech predictions for this year anyway predicted that phones will be over in the next few years — mobile computing will become ambient and voice-controlled. I can wait.

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            1. Technology races onward. It’s made work, and school life so much easier. It’s put every encyclopedia, dictionary, and news story at our instant command. It’s opened up the world to us. It’s also resulted in a lot of harm to many people’s emotional well-being, and human connections. At the hands of some, it’s brought us to the brink of wars more than once. It’s the ultimate double edged sword.

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  4. Kate

    Thank you sooo much for sharing, Esther. 😘

    I am very happy he feels more relaxed about his life. I’ve always wished that for him.

    And can I just squee loudly about the confirmation that he has optioned the Jackman & Evans series. 🙌🏻😃🥂🍾 Boy, would I love to see that.

    Really looking forward to The Stranger.

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    1. You’re welcome.
      As I don’t do audiobooks I haven’t done the Jackman books but I do hear that he did great reading those and would be perfect for the role if it were filmed. So yeah, this sounds good to me too! 🙂

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      1. Kate

        I really like those books. They are my Katenip. 😉 He does an amazing job reading them and I can envision a Broadchurch-like TV adaptation for them. That is my fantasy, at least.

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              1. Kate

                Jackman is the DI, Marie is his sergeant. Not a love interest, but his other half in the investigations. I would say she is his work wife. 😉 Sidekick doesn’t convey how important she is to him. Partner, sounding board, trusted colleague and friend.

                Liked by 4 people

          1. I’m thinking Gwendoline Christie for Marie. Definitely an Amazon at 6’3″. Plus we already know that she can be the strong, powerful, equal partner no matter what the situation calls for. She was Brienne in GOT, a very capable personal guard, and battle tested military woman. She spent her time protecting, or on journeys to rescue, or fighting alongside the best of them. She also had a true heart throughout. She was even knighted towards the end. She’s also a model, so she can pretty much do it all.

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  6. Esther thank you so much for posting the entire interview. Won’t get into the pic here but he looks happy and healthy and nice to know what he is planning now production wise
    I wonder if he will go the Netflix route with Joy Ellis series 🤔😉
    Hope you are enjoying working from home!
    Happy Monday to you 😘❤️

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  7. Nix

    Thank you for the screencaps! I did register to read it, but it is nice to document too. I chuckle at the dad bod really! On a more serious note as I wrote on my private twitter: I strive where he is in his point in life. He seems happy and a bit more carefree, while asking himself if he has done enough and could do more.

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    1. You’re welcome and thanks for commenting here. 🙂
      Yes, he does seem in a good place now, despite doubts, but I guess there will always be doubts at any point in everyone’s life.

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  8. rachel

    Really good interview and it’s interesting that he’s been so candid and I congratulate him on that. I like that he’s not hiding stuff but it’s not a big thing..it just is what it is. Though I am worried the tabloids will make a big thing out it (i dearly hope not)
    great news on the Joy Ellis and CJ Tudor front aswell! He should take MacKenzie Crookes lead …directing and starring!

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    1. The secrecy sometimes makes it a bigger thing than it needs to be, I feel, but he needs to do/share whatever he is comfortable with. He’s not really tabloid fodder, so they may not notice (I hope).
      I think directing and starring is a huge thing to do, I wonder if he wants that. Maybe he is producing and starring (which would also be tough). I hope we’ll hear more in the not too far future.

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  9. What a great read with so much insight, both personal and professional, and so many good news. It felt good hearing himself refer to his private life so candidly. I don’t see it as a topic up for discussion at all but I appreciate that the speculations can now end and he can live his life openly. Basta!
    I am not at all happy with the prospect of seeing RA vanish *behind* the camera, though *hehe*. I am glad he has snapped up the Jackman/Evans rights, big time, but oy, yes, there still is quite a lot of mileage in the dad bod 😉
    Thanks for sharing the article and for the sensible commentary!

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    1. My commentary was brief but you’re welcome. 🙂
      Exactly, speculation makes things worse I feel, so just say it and move on. I wish for him a happy relationship and he seems to be in that now, so yay!
      Yes, I want RA infront of the camera too. 🙂
      And dad bod – sheesh, LOL! I know a dad bod when I see one, my Mr Esther has one that I love, and Richard’s bod is not that…

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      1. Kate

        I think he’s still working the “not a heartthrob” angle with these dad bod comments. I agree with both of you in disagreeing with him. That, my dear Mr. A. is not a dad bod.

        Happy that he’s happy. Makes me happy. Happiness for everyone!!

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  10. Owlet

    Thanks for posting the article and comment. I was fascinated that you mentioned Broadchurch as a reference to the Ellis series. I would just love that and it would fit so much better to the source material than ‘tamer’ UK crime series.

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    1. You’re welcome.
      I think Kate mentioned the Broadchurch style, I have yet to watch Broadchurch. I hear from everyone it’s really good, so I really need to dive into that at some point.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Kate

        Yup, it was me. There’s a scene where David Tennant‘s character yells and curses. Be still my heart! 😍
        Not that I foresee that sort of thing happening for Jackman. He doesn’t seem the type. 😉
        Broadchurch is not an easy watch as far as subject matter goes IMO, but the acting is excellent. I really enjoyed it.

        Liked by 3 people

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          1. Owlet

            I think it’s an excellent series with regard to story, characters, acting, and also visually. Something of this sort would be just great, far more interesting and suitable to the books than more traditional British crime series. It would also work really well to have several episodes / one short season per book.

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  11. Thanks for posting this, Esther. A very interesting read, indeed! Lots of new info. While I’m not overly thrilled with the actual plots of the Ellis books, I do like the characters a lot and if done well, the series could be good.

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  12. I think if people don’t go crazy, and comment on his being gay or bi, pro or con that it will be okay. I’m afraid that if people assume it’s a man, which we are taking as a possible meaning because we’ve had that possibility for a few years now, and start talking about him being so, that could drive him away. That would be a pity since he’s been so sharing, and obviously happy and more relaxed for so many months now. We know he can be driven off when it gets nuts. There is still the distinct possibility that it could be a woman, who is an appropriate age for him, that can no longer have children. He has not “come out”. He’s just been more open. It’s possible that if he thinks that we think he is, and media or SM pick up on that it could be disastrous. Especially right now when he’s about to open a play. If he chooses to open up more, and start posting more definitive information, fine. Until then, I think we should go on exactly as before. Be happy that he’s happy, and leave it at that.

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    1. I agree, he hasn’t definitely said anything one way or the other (quelle surprise 😉 ) and I do have my strong suspicions but I won’t elaborate or comment on that too much and it doesn’t really matter that much either way to me. As you say, I’m happy that he seems happy now and that is good!

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    2. Livi

      “There is still the distinct possibility that it could be a woman, who is an appropriate age for him, that can no longer have children. He has not “come out”. He’s just been more open.” – exactly, what i think.

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  13. I’m probably in minority here but i found the article largely repetitive and irritating. I am getting tired myself of the whole heart throb – not heart throb issue. He’s not a spring chicken anymore and still looks good but there’s more to his work than that and it’s up to him really i think to stop having the conversation if it irritates or bores him. It certainly bores me. And just as he didn’t want to talk about his private life until now and certainly didn’t he can also stop talking about the ‘hot bod’ thing. Honestly at his age and with his work history he can move any journalist right along if he so chooses from the subject. Why it still preoccupies him and he still engages in this conversation is a mystery to me, but i’m out of the pity party on it, i’m just bored with it.

    The article is typical Telegraph, bleh but i think even they can be redirected to other subjects. 70% of this article is about the bod.

    I’m glad he’s got the decent business sense he’s always seemed to have in his career and optioned rights to titles he’s had a close association with and he’s enjoyed doing and the author clearly favours him in working with it, so it would have been silly not to in the current circumstances in the industry when everyone who can signs rights deals. I do hope a producer will show interest in adapting the books, they would make a decent series.

    In terms of directing, he’ll have to try it if he wants it 🙂
    Pity there wasn’t more discussion about the play in this, but hopefully there will be other opportunities where he’ll be able and willing to steer the discussion more towards it.

    Looking forward to the Netflix series, hopefully as good as promised and hopefully i#’ll finally find time to use that subscription i’ve been wasting so far.

    As to other private details, shrugs,it’s certainly a non-issue here and not something people will be much interested in i suspect. I guess he’s probably discussed the issue with his parents before sharing with anyone in the press, i’d be very much surprised if he hadn’t and i assume that discussion might have triggered him to be more open. His parents have always loved him very much i believe so that’s why i think the openness is triggered in a way by their affection towards him. Just my take on this. His choice either way and if this gives him peace, fair enough. I don’t think as i said it makes any difference to anyone else but him at this stage either way.

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    1. This is true, that a lot is about the bod, but it’s also about how he uses his bod which I found mildly interesting (even though we’ve heard it before).

      I agree that if he didn’t want to say anything about his private life he wouldn’t have and, more importantly, he wouldn’t have returned to the subject as the interviewer suggests. I confess to being interested in some private life details (not too many, a little mystery is good!), I am always interested in that, but it doesn’t make me love him less or differently.

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