Jeremy Northam

[kafka]

karin said:

I even suffered through that movie he did with Mira Sorvino, something about giant cockroaches taking over the city...but that one I could only do once!

Karin, you're a bigger fan (not to mention a stronger woman) than me. Not even Jeremy could make me see a movie about giant cockroaches on the attack. <shudder>

tiggertoo said:

Also, he was in a movie about Enigma (was it called Engima? can't remember) the code cracking team in WWII England.

TiggerToo, yep, it was called Enigma. As I mentioned earlier, I thought he was the only good thing about that movie. To be fair, the real problem (IMO) was the book upon which it was based. I've read it and it was a murky, badly written mess. Whomever did the screenplay obviously wasn't able to transition it into a more coherent, effective film.

TamaraDixon, I'm curious, why do you think he's sold out? A lot of British actors have done more commercial projects than he ever has, from Ian McKellan to Hugh Laurie, Richard E. Grant, Kenneth Branaugh and others.

[Deleted]

Northam is a ridiculously underrated actor. I have no idea why he's never taken off. Or even inspired a sort of "internet cult" (the sort of thing that kept Christian Bale's hype alive during the lean, pre-Batman years).

His performances in little seen films like CYPHER (probably his best screen performance to date, and I urge people to watch this underrated sci-fi gem) and HAPPY, TEXAS are exceptional, and astounding in their range. For my money, he's one of the best Brit actors at playing Americans. He's not just limited to playing slick, period Englishmen, as he did so well in EMMA, THE WINSLOW BOY and GOSFORD PARK.

His profile, and the respect that should be accorded him as an actor, ought to be up there with Daniel Day-Lewis, Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson and actors of that calibre. Yet major stardom and even major awards recognition persitently illudes him. He's got the looks, the screen presence and the talent, but I suspect he'll be an old man (ie Ian Mckellen/Anthony Hopkins "old") before the world wakes up and acclaims him as one of the great living actors.

[katyzz]

He is such a tremendously talented actor. (and so very pretty)

I've yet to see him in any film where he wasn't absolute perfection. I even sat through Gwyneth.. ok fast forwarded, but I could still see her.. in Possession for him. Yep, I'm a fan. ;D

[plush]

katyzz said:

He is such a tremendously talented actor. (and so very pretty)

I've yet to see him in any film where he wasn't absolute perfection. I even sat through Gwyneth.. ok fast forwarded, but I could still see her.. in Possession for him. Yep, I'm a fan. ;D

So so pretty! I have only seen him in Possession and he was exquisite in that part opposite Jennifer Ehle. Just checked his imdb page and he played Poirot? Poirot was never a handsome man but I wouldn't mind it if they didn't stay faithful to the book description. He also played Hindley Earnshaw which reminds me that he could make a perfect perfect Heathcliff as well. I can totally see him in that part when I have trouble seeing someone like Depp playing him.

[kafka]

More of The Pretty

1.

2.

3. (shirtless!)

4.

5. Several showing him touseled, in bed, and/or showing his hands

6.

7.

ETA: Fixed the shirtless link. Sorry about that. And here is one more photo.

[kittykitty]

I've never actually loved a movie actor more than I loved Jeremy Northam as Mr. Knightly in Emma, in the scene at the end, when he meets Emma on the path and confesses his love to her by saying "I road through the rain to see you. I'd ride through worse than that if I could just hear your voice telling me that I might have some chance to win you." Swoon. I can watch him over and over and over again saying that line and it always gets me.

Oh well. Even if he never becomes as famous as he deserves to be, I'll always have that moment with him.

[underjoyed]

He was just swoon-worthy in Enigma. He made me wish men still wore hats. (Hats, not baseball caps.)

When I was still living in London, I saw him during the intermission of a concert I was attending at the Barbican. He was in line ahead of me for refreshments. Just as good-looking off the celluoid as on it.

[Ginger]

Any recent articles about him out there? I used to be a huge fan and I'd read interviews with him where he'd talk of his longing to be married and settled, and it never seemed to jive with his penchant for drinking and dating models. Not to spread vicious gossip, but I've always suspected he might have a bit of a drinking problem.

[zivvie]

A former member of Thee Olde Syte saw Jeremy in a Gap in Toronto. This member said that his gaydar pinged big time. This could have been more than wishful thinking on his part, however.

I love him as much as I love Liam Neeson (and that is quite massively!). One of my favorite Jeremy stories is how he first came to prominence in the British theatre. In 1989, Jeremy was understudying Daniel Day-Lewis in Hamlet at the National Theatre when during a performance, Daniel thought he saw the ghost of his own father (as Hamlet does), and left the stage in the middle of a monologue. Jeremy had to pick up where Daniel had left off, even though he hadn't rehearsed the part in months. Even though I'm sure there were a lot of patrons who were peeved that they didn't get to see DDL as Hamlet, Jeremy pulled it together - and the rest is history.

By the way, all youze (*coughKafkacough*!), hands off. He and I were both born 26 days apart in the same month in the same year, and under the same moon (a very unusual occurrence that must mean we're destined to be together ).

[Deleted]

karin said:

I even suffered through that movie he did with Mira Sorvino, something about giant cockroaches taking over the city...but that one I could only do once!

I think you're thinking of Mimic. I think that was one of the first scary movies I have ever seen.

I LOVE him in Happy, Texas. Him, Steve Zahn, and William H. Macy are comedy gold.