Predictions & Potential Hot Commodity: What the Future May Hold for Harry

I typically don’t like to conjecture, make unsupported claims, or put forth illogical thoughts, but judging from the general discussion among other fans, admirers, and supporters of Harry Lloyd on message boards, Twitter, and the occasional fan site, it appears that the general consensus—at least that on The Internet Movie Database forum thread where user Ncgraham asked the precise question “Why isn’t he getting leading roles?”—is that it’s head-scratching as to why, in fact, he isn’t getting (more) leading roles—or perhaps the better term is definitive roles.

Are things about to change, though?

According to a recent article in The Oxford Times, a progressing trend in which a certain “pedigree,” if I may, of actor is preferred seems to be gaining ground. Katherine MacAlister reports, “Eton, Oxford and then the Conservatives? That seems to be the current well-trodden path” (MacAlister). Harry Lloyd, as we know, is one of several young British actors whose career trajectory follows such a line.  MacAlister’s article is about Ben Lamb, but this rising star is held comparatively (and contrastingly) to his peers. Following firmly on the heels of War Horse’s Tom Hiddleston, and The Iron Lady’s Harry Lloyd,” the reporter claims, “Oxford’s actors are en vogue right now” (MacAlister). Twenty-three-year-old Lamb is pursuing ardently his own varied path to success, as MacAlister stresses, but don’t think we should dismiss Harry Lloyd as someone merely following a predetermined, well-trod path, either.

After all, despite the aforementioned stint in a big American-made picture starring Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady (2011), Lloyd isn’t yet a household name.  Hiddleston’s turn as baddie Loki in Thor (2011) and The Avengers (2012), not to mention his captivating F. Scott Fitzgerald in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris (2011), have helped him rise quite assuredly, gaining wider recognition due to his diverse filmography.  Lloyd, meanwhile, seems often relegated to small-scale shorts, limited releases, or period pictures.  His role as Richard Mason in 2011’s Jane Eyre was unsatisfyingly small and, as I’ve commented to others after viewing the film, could have been played by just about anyone.  Granted, the role is small in Charlotte Brontë’s original book as well, but there was still some room for Lloyd to have a bit more screen-time, even if only face-time in order to help convey further his plight as the brother of the mad Bertha and brother-in-law of secretive Mr. Rochester as being as desperate as it really is.

The Merry Men of Robin Hood’s gang consult with Will Scarlett (Harry Lloyd, center). Much (Sam Troughton, far right) asks, “why isn’t Harry Lloyd getting more leading roles?”  John (Gordon Kennedy, left foreground) pouts before offering to help Lloyd muscle his way into Hollywood.

Image Credit: Screencapture, Season 1, Episode 2 of Robin Hood (first aired October 14, 2006), “Sheriff Got Your Tongue?” © Tiger Aspect/BBC 2006.

It was probably HBO’s increasingly-popular Game of Thrones (2011ff.) that was the best launching board for Harry Lloyd’s career thus far, but, to be honest, it seems that his performance as a villainous scoundrel who gets his comeuppance only a few episodes into Season One was both too short-lived and lost slightly among the ensemble cast.  And even though people remember Viserys and his “golden crown,” they don’t necessarily know or remember the actor.  Plus, he does not look at all in real-life like his blonde on-screen “doppelganger” (for which we Lloydalists are quite thankful).

Still, the ability of Game of Thrones to help propel young stars in particular into fortune’s greater way has not gone unnoticed.  Up & Comers has cited the epic fantasy series as the catalyst for many a budding actor’s career (Ge).  Tracing the careers of up-and-coming stars, Linda Ge notes how it is “fair to say that [Game of Thrones] boasts one of the most promising young casts on television, and the sprawling and dramatic nature of the show certainly suggest the actors may have a better shot at film careers than most TV actors do” (Ge).  She mentions Harry Lloyd, as well as co-stars Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, and Richard Madden, as members of a sort of young-star’s club “at making a play for the big screen” (Ge).

Lloyd is content to cast the net wide, though, even if it means playing a big fish in a small pond or a very small fish in an ocean. Much of his acting credibility, in fact, seems to come from tantalizing stage performances, which have gotten him more acting-based critiques than any screen role.  When The Duchess of Malfi wrapped up in London on June 9, 2012, even The New York Times couldn’t help itself from making a comment about Lloyd and his co-stars. Reviewer Ben Brantley, discussing the “Duchess’ conniving brothers Ferdinand and the Cardinal, described Harry Lloyd’s and Finbar Lynch’s turns in these roles, respectively, as “juicy and credible performances” (Brantley).

Fellow Lloydalists, let me throw a few questions out there to help get the gears going:

What is it about Harry Lloyd that makes you feel he deserves or should get better roles?  What is a “better role”?  What kinds of role—specific or generic—would you like to see him in?  And why is he—not another actor—the best fit?  Are there any roles you think would be unsuitable for him?  Why?  Please feel free to offer some insights into his career and your interest in it in our comments section.

The big question is how will Harry Lloyd make the transition from acclaimed stage star in London to rising star outside the UK?  And will he be able to?  Of course, no one can answer any of these questions for certain, and it’s up to Harry, in the end, as to which roles he will take, which turn down his career path he will make, and in which general life-direction he plans to steer.

In the meantime, Lloydalists will keep a wary eye out, as we have been even before the inception of our formal blog.  We hope you will keep watching with us.

Works Cited and Referenced

Brantley, Ben. “London Theater Journal: Another Prisoner of Noble Title.” Arts Beat: The Culture at Large. The New York Times. Artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com. 10 June 2012. Web. < http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/10/london-theater-journal-another-prisoner-of-noble-title/>.

Ge, Linda. “‘Game of Thrones’ Star Richard Madden to Have ‘Long Nights Short Mornings’ in Indie Drama.” Up & Comers. Upandcomers.net. 30 May 2012. Web. 13 June 2012. <http://upandcomers.net/2012/05/30/game-of-thrones-star-richard-madden-to-have-long-nights-short-mornings-in-indie-drama/>.

MacAlister, Katherine. “Meaty Part is a True Classic.” The Oxford Times. Oxfordtimes.co.uk. 24 May 2012. Web. 13 June 2012. <http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisure/9724804.Meaty_part_is_a_true_classic/>. 

Ncgraham. “Why isn’t he getting leading roles?” Forum Post. The Internet Movie Database Message Board. IMDB.com. 8 April 2012. Web. 27 June 2012. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0516003/board/nest/197365945>.

~Written & Posted by C~