Lloydalists Weekly Round-Up (Featuring The Fear)

As Lloydalists resumes its weekly “Flashback Fridays” (Harry Lloyd-style) on Twitter (find us @Lloydalists; we revisit a role, character, and/or photo-shoot Harry’s done in the past every Friday and love others’ contribution and suggestions), we also thought it best to do a round-up of the most recent Harry-related news.  Now that The Fear is only a few days away from its UK-television premiere, the interviews, articles, and advertisements have been seeping out of the woodwork and oozing into our hot-little-hands.  Here, we serve them up for you!

 

  Gripping stuff (the mini-series and Matty Beckett’s (Harry Lloyd) clench on his drug-lord-/Alzheimer’s-fighting father (Peter Mullan). Image ©Channel 4/The Fear (2012), as posted on Harry-Lloyd Tumblr.

 

“And I Could Kill Everyone”: The Latest on The Fear

In a very recent interview for Channel 4, and still sporting slicked hair and slim-cut clothing while on-set, Harry discussed his character of what the station is calling “the cool and calm” (“Harry”) Matty Beckett in the following way: “of the two [Beckett sons], he’s the sensible, business-minded, logical, seemingly-intelligent one”  in comparison to the “wild” and “instinctive” older brother played by Paul Nicholls (qtd. in “Harry”).  In the same interview, Harry also explains Matty’s involvement in fending off “twin” horrors—his father’s Alzheimer’s disease and the Albanian mob.  Regarding the latter, and despite younger-Beckett-boy Matty’s “sensible” nature, Lloyd’s character seems very well-poised to get properly nitty and properly gritty.

 

Intense gesticulations are integral to great acting. Or, rather, to explaining great acting. Image ©Channel 4  (2012)

 

Regarding what may be, perhaps, a flaw in Matty’s character is his disconnection from his father’s disease.  Matty, according to Lloyd, takes a cold, if not callous tact and “doesn’t take it personally” (Lloyd, in “Harry”).  He “writes it off,” and—making useful gesticulations, Harry explains Matty as a logical, if not overly-pedantic mind, someone “who just has to get to the next step” (qtd. in “Harry”).

Harry also talked a bit about his preparation and process for the role, revealing that reading and preparing a script never adequately prepares him for what is to be discovered when he’s actually in the scene, acting it out (“Harry”).  “It does get very emotional,” Harry admitted, talking about shooting his scenes with the Dad (Peter Mullan) who’s just not there and how he “has to drag him back” (“Harry”).  Overly-preparing for such high-expression moments cannot and should not be over-rehearsed: “You kind of find it on the day, I found” (Lloyd, in “Harry”).

Other salient bits from the interview include his highlight-moments of working with his fellow actors and, for lack of a better phrase, playing family with his onscreen family.  Harry discusses the “little bits” and “big chunks” of the irregular shooting schedule (he watched The Olympic Games on a miniature t.v. during takes), and reveals that “the most fun…is my first bit of driving-acting!” (Lloyd, in “Harry”).  Citing that his frequent period-piece acting does not often require “a mobile phone and a car,” Harry says it’s “very exciting, still, for me” to continue evolving in his sundry roles, as well as as an actor (“Harry”).

 

Harry, mid-interview, not exactly looking too convincing as a serious, mob-fighting tough-guy.  Graffiti backgrounds add much-needed street-cred. Image ©Channel 4 (2012)

 

In The Fear, Episode One, be sure to look out for Harry, driving away from Albanians in a pricey Mercedes, and—while he likely will look horrified and stressed in the scene—more certainly feeling pretty darn content to have been able to be part of such a mini-series and to have had the pleasure to inhabit the role of Matty Beckett, not to mention the freedom to drive down a country road for real, as a job, in the aforementioned car, and “I could kill everyone” (Lloyd, in “Harry”).

 

Thankfully, his driving skills must be at least half as good as his acting: everyone in the car survived even if “it was terrifying!” (“Harry”).  Maybe not too much—the laugh at the end of that admittance gives him away.

 

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO of the entire Channel 4 interview with Harry Lloyd.

 

Would you trust this guy with your Mercedes? Or to drive your getaway car?! Image ©Channel 4 (2012)

 

On His-Own-Method-Acting, On-the-Road Antics, and Champion Hula-Hoopers

Another recent, print interview with Harry comes courtesy of The Shortlist. Interviewer Jimi Famurewa learns about how Harry went from preparing for the role of dragon-obsessed, “blond-wigged git” Viserys Targaryen in HBO’s Game of Thrones (2011) to that of “a drug lord’s son” in The Fear (2012).  Go to THESHORTLIST.COM to read more about Harry’s research, methods, and style when it comes to acting.  Read on for his thoughts on his now-well-known relation to Charles Dickens; and read further to learn about his United States Jack Kerouac/Neal Cassady and Company-esque road-trip.  Other memorable moments: The Doctor Who gossip, trademark blonde wigs, and the suggestion of, he laughingly reveals, that “if the [acting] work dries up then I can go on the circuit and record some audiobooks” based on Dickens’ novels (Famurewa).

Matty Beckett crosses the set...keep walking, Harry; cars may not be safe under your control. Image ©Channel 4 (2012)

 

 

Unworldly, Aesthetic Pleasures

Meanwhile, check-out some of the masterpiece work behind The Fear advertisements and that teaser-trailer we talked about in the last The Fear post.  A step-by-step TAYLOR JAMES CREATIVE PRODUCTION STUDIO video shows how the creative concept was orchestrated (Taylor James).  Working with Kevin Griffin to create the “rather unworldly theme of the crime series” (Taylor James), the ads and t.v. spots combine Griffin's photography with CGI effects. 

Paul Nicholls, Peter Mullan, and Harry Lloyd stand strong despite the weightiness of The Fear. Image ©Taylor James Creative Production Studio (2012)

 

As a reminder, The Fear will air on the UK’s Channel 4 for four consecutive nights, Monday December 3^rd through the 6^th, at 10 p.m.  With all-eyes watching, including perhaps the proud ones of Bristol residents, since The Fear was filmed almost entirely on-location there this summer (“Bristol”), we can’t wait to hear the fan reaction!

 

 

See you Monday, Matty! Image ©Channel 4/The Fear (2012), as posted on The Short List (2012)

Works Cited & Referenced

“Bristol on Screen.” Bristol.gov.uk. 30 Nov. 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2012.  <http://www.bristol.gov.uk/press/business-bristol/bristol-screen>.

Famurewa, Jimi. “Film & TV: Harry Lloyd.” ShortList.com. 29 Nov. 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://m.shortlist.com/entertainment/tv/harry-lloyd >.

“Harry Lloyd Interview.” Channel4.com. Nov. 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-fear/articles/harry-lloyd-interview>.

Photo: Harry Lloyd and Peter Mullan from The Fear (2012). “Harry-Lloyd.” Harry-Lloyd.Tumblr.com. 29 Nov. 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://harry-lloyd.tumblr.com/post/36814206550>.

Taylor James—Creative Production Studio. “Print/Channel 4 “The Fear.” Nov. 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.taylorjames.com/the-fear?thumb=7728>.

 

 

~Written & Posted by C, with Research from K~

Harry Helps “Keep the [S]ecret” in Agatha Christie’s Classic Whodunit

Joseph Stalin was Premier of the Soviet Union, Winston Churchill was British Prime Minister and, meanwhile and across the pond, Dwight D. Eisenhower was U.S. President when, sixty years ago today, Agatha Christie’s classic whodunit debuted at the Ambassadors Theatre in London on November 25, 1952.  In attendance were slightly more than 450 people, settled in for the play-within-a-play touting suspenseful show about snowed-in people at Monkswell Manor and the murderer who is on the loose (“November”). Christie’s prediction was that the play would last eight months (Marsden).

 

Now, in 2012, The Mousetrap has become the longest continuously-running play in history; more than 10 million people thus far have viewed its more than 20,000 performances in the West End of London (“November”).  Over 300 actors have been cast as one of the eight characters (“November”) in the intimate, sometimes campy, show, and most recently, Harry Lloyd was among a star-studded cast at St. Martin’s Theatre in London putting on a tailspin rendition of Christie’s murder-mystery in honor of the play’s anniversary.  The play has been performed at St. Martin’s since 1973 (“Stars Celebrate”).

 

On November 18, 2012 (one day after Harry’s 29^th Birthday, which leads us to believe that part of his festivities included script-line cramming in addition to cake-in-mouth-cramming), Harry and fellow thespians such as Harry’s frequent co-star Iain Glen, Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Miranda Hart, Tamsin Greig, and Sir Patrick Stewart put on a whirlwind rendition of The Mousetrap, marking the 25,000^th performance in its 60-year history.

 

The cast of the 25,000 Gala Performance of The Mousetrap, in-costume. ©Express & Star online (2012) (“Stars Celebrate”)

 

British Director Phyllida Lloyd (no relation to Harry), who also directed Harry in 2011’s The Iron Lady, assembled the eight actors who graced the stage on November 18^th.  They had under 24 hours to both learn and memorize lines and stage directions, respectively (Smith).  Said Nicholas Farrell, who played Detective Sergeant Trotter, "‘One of the tricky things is that there are so many entrances and exits and it operates pretty quick-fire’” (qtd. in Smith).  A person can only imagine who adroit and flexible the actors had to be, even for a staged reading (they were in costume yet reading from scripts): in fact, “the cast admitted to feeling nervous about taking on such an enormous task” (Smith).   It was a one-time gig, and a once-in-a-lifetime event for anyone fortunate enough to be in the audience, we’re sure, especially since the show was reportedly sold out (Gans).

 

The suspicious star-studded cast of The Mousetrap at St. Martin’s Theatre on November 18, 2012 included (from left) Harry Lloyd, Nicholas Farrell, Julie Walters, Iain Glen, Tamsin Greig, Sir Patrick Stewart, Miranda Hart, and Hugh Bonneville. Photo Credit: ©Eddie Mulholland (2012)

 

The Time Out London blog explains The Mousetrap’s celebratory performance quite succinctly explaining how Christie’s mystery play

will, mind-bogglingly, celebrate its sixtieth year in the West End this weekend. For Sunday’s special gala performance at [6:30 p.m.] the usual cast of, erm, ‘jobbing’ actors will be replaced by pretty much the best cast in London. It was announced today that for one night only the indestructible whodunnit will be performed by Hugh Bonneville (Giles Ralston), Nicholas Farrell (Major Metcalf), Iain Glen (Sgt Trotter), Tamsin Greig (Mollie Ralston), Miranda Hart (Miss Casewell), Harry Lloyd (Christopher Wren), Patrick Stewart (Mr Paravicini) and Julie Walters (Mrs Boyle). One imagines they may be a little on the unrehearsed side, but the audience will probably be too star-struck to notice. Tickets are already sold out, and due to the jealousy with which the show’s producers guard its ending one imagines there will be no recording, but it’s worth queuing for a return (or even  just hanging outside to celeb spot), as for the first time in over half a century, ‘The Mousetrap’ will be London’s hottest ticket. (“Celeb”)

All proceeds from the gala performance of Christie’s whodunit featuring the star-studded cast were donated to Mousetrap Theatre Projects, which is an educational organization “dedicated to bringing the magic of theatre into the lives of young people” (Champion; “Stars Unite”).

 

Traditionally, at “every curtain call, the individual who has been revealed as the murderer steps forward and tells the audience that they are ‘partners in crime’ and should ‘keep the secret of the whodunit locked in their heart’” (“November”).  While mum’s the word on the finale of Christie’s mystery, “bravo” is the word Lloydalists would like to say to the most recent cast of The Mousetrap.

 

Check out THUMBNAILS of the cast in costume and out(side)!

 

Some of the participants in the Gala production of The Mousetrap post-show and bundled up for the wintry weather.  That’s a facially-hirsute-looking Lloyd, second from left. ©The BBC Entertainment and Arts (2012)

 

 

Works Cited & Consulted

Amer, Matthew. “Stars Collide for Mousetrap Gala.” OfficialLondonTheatre.co.uk. 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. <http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/news/latest-news/article/item161975>.

“Celeb Cast Celebrates The Mousetrap’s 60^th Birthday.” Now. Here. This. Time Out London Blog. Now-Here-This.Timeout.com. 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. <http://now-here-this.timeout.com/2012/11/16/celeb-cast-celebrate-the-mousetraps-60th-birthday/>.

Champion, Lindsay. “Patrick Stewart, Julie Walters & More to Toast 60th Anniversary of West End Thriller The Mousetrap.” 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. Braodway.com. <http://london.broadway.com/buzz/165566/patrick-stewart-julie-walters-more-to-toast-60th-anniversary-of-west-end-thriller-the-mousetrap/>.

Gans, Andrew. “Patrick Stewart, Julie Walters, Iain Glen and More Set for 60th Anniversary Gala Performance of The Mousetrap.” 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. Playbill.com. <http://www.playbill.com/news/article/172292-Patrick-Stewart-Julie-Walters-Iain-Glen-and-More-Set-for-60th-Anniversary-Gala-Performance-of-The-Mousetrap>.

Marsden, Sam. “Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap celebrates its 60th anniversary with star-studded show.” The Telegraph. Telegraph.co.uk. 18 Nov. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/drama/9686732/Agatha-Christies-The-Mousetrap-celebrates-its-60th-anniversary-with-star-studded-show.html>.

Merrifield, Nicola. “Julie Walters, Patrick Stewart and Hugh Bonneville to Appear in The Mousetrap Anniversary Performance.” The Stage News. TheStage.co.uk. N.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/production/2012/11/julie-walters-patrick-stewart-and-hugh-bonneville-to-appear-in-the-mousetrap-anniversary-performance/>.

“November 25, 1952: Mousetrap Debuts in London.” “This Day in History.” History.com. 25 Nov. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mousetrap-opens-in-london?cmpid=Social_Twitter_H2_11252012_1>.

Smith, Kelly. “Mousetrap Celebrates 60 Years with Gala Performance.” BBC Entertainment and Arts. BBC.co.uk. 19 Nov. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20385087>.

“Stars Celebrate Mousetrap’s 60^th.” ExpressandStar.com. 18 Nov. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. <http://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2012/11/18/stars-celebrate-mousetraps-60th/>.

“Stars Unite to Celebrate The Mousetrap Anniversary.” Orange.co.uk. 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://web.orange.co.uk/article/news/stars_unite_to_celebrate_the_mousetrap_anniversary>.

 

 

~Researched, Written, and Posted by C; Additional Research by K~

The Only Thing We Have to Fear

We at Lloydalists are in a state of apprehension, stuck in a hard place between excitement at the soon-to-debut BBC Channel 4 miniseries The Fear (which premieres on Monday, December 3, 2012 at 10 p.m.) and the sad truth that, as Americans, we won’t be able to see it.  At least, not in the foreseeable future.

To reappropriate some famous words from United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address (albeit not to cheapen them or their profundity of connotations), the only thing we have to fear is The Fear itself not making its way to the other side of the pond.

 

Above: Screen-cap from The Fear teaser-trailer, released in late-November 2012. Apparently, the center cannot hold; all things fall apart. Image: ©Channel4/BBC (2012)

 

Curtis Brown Actors, the acting-section of the larger Literary and Talent Agency that represents Harry, has been surprisingly silent about The Fear in comparison to many of the other news outlets and even random fans who have happened to stumble upon a shooting-location for the dramatic small-screen work.  At one point in the past few weeks, Harry’s SHOWREEL on the Curtis Brown Agency’s website was updated to include what appears to be one or two snippets of The Fear, but if it were not for our ever-vigilant eyes, now so accustomed to scouring the internet on a daily basis in order to rustle up any new news about The Fear or Harry in general, we wouldn’t have thought to check for an update on his professional page without being signaled to do so.

 

Yesterday, however, the company graced its Twitter feed (and allowed us to feast our eyes on something other than leftover North American Thanksgiving turkey, gravy, and pumpkin pie) with a sneak-peek-esque photo featuring our very own Harry.  Take a look:

 

Curtis Brown Actors tweeted this image, above, on November 24, 2012, with the following caption: “Here is an exciting glimpse of Harry Lloyd in upcoming Channel 4 drama The Fear.” All the more exciting because our Harry Lloyd drought seems to be a borderline diluvia of late—no complaints. ©Curtis Brown Agency (2012)

 

In addition to the sumptuous treat above, which has received Harry’s agency’s seal of approval, two The Fear trailers, HERE and HERE, TOO , have also been released, and Channel4.com has updated its website to include a main page with various tabs offering sundry details on the four-part drama.

 

Don’t-Mess-With-the-Family Drama

From the moment The Fear was first announced, we knew that it would be a striking “mob-family drama,” but not in the expected sense.  There are dealings with the “mob.”  And there are dealings with “family.”  But these two coexisting worlds are a far-cry from The Godfather (1972) that gave new meaning to the Italian-American mob-family-business and spawned such pop-culture favorites as The Sopranos (1999-2007).  Even early stories about The Fear stressed that family tensions would flair when Richie Beckett’s (Peter Mullan) sons simultaneously attempt to control an actual mob invasion and their father’s “erratic and extreme behaviour,” which “only inflames the situation” (Hunt).  It is Richie’s sons and his wife Jo (Anastasia Hille) left to pick up the pieces of both a family business and the patriarchal mind.

 

What we can consequently glean thus far, in addition to what we have already commented upon on the Lloydalists blog, is that Harry’s role of younger son to Richie Beckett seems poised to be the tender-hearted and optimistic member of the family. When the threat of the Albanian mob tiptoes too close to the Beckett terrain, and Richie begins to grow unsettled, it’s Matty who “believes they can do business with them [the Albanians],” while older brother Cal (Paul Nicholls) “is intent on asserting the Beckett family’s power” (“The Fear: Series 1, Episode 1”). Perhaps we can expect brotherly tensions to flare up, in addition to the already-to-be-expected hazards of a mob series.  Plus, there is the element of Richie’s Alzheimer’s disease, which certainly elevates The Fear beyond the stereotypical guts-and-glory crime pieces of this type. Says Peter Mullan of his character’s dilemma, “in some respects it brings the family closer together—but obviously in other respects it rips them apart because his nature is to fight things” (“Peter Mullan”). Fighting outwardly and internally, Richie’s behavior “becomes more and more violent and unpredictable. That obviously pushes the family away” (“Peter Mullan”).  To just what extent all the pushing, pulling, and punching goes will be seen, of course, when The Fear debuts.

 

Harry Lloyd, as sometimes-soft, sometimes-slick, and sometimes-strong Matty Beckett. ©Channel4/BBC (2012)

 

In the first trailer released for the series, we first spot Harry’s Matty as a slick-suit-and-hair-type whose soft, “Dad…dad?” nudging, more than interrogating, tone are cross-cut with shots of the zombied-out Richie.  Matty does not even look up, into his father’s face or at the camera: could the youngest son feel threatened by his father’s inner-demons and dementia, or could Matty have secrets of his own about to spill forth?  A brief, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment later, and we Lloydalists believe we’ve spotted Harry’s Matty protecting his father and ushering him away from the opposing, menacing-looking mob team, his silver-suited-back towards the camera.

Later, Matty is shown in a slightly-more-commanding light, walking his father backward down a hallway and towards what appears to be the family’s stairs. His tone and voice, slightly edged, are now clearly questioning: “you can’t remember, can you?”

Slick-hair seriousness: Matty interrogates his father Richie (Peter Mullan) at home. ©Channel4/BBC (2012)

The second trailer, a 40-second “teaser” type spot focusing on Richie’s internal monologue, shows our protagonist on a pier (likely in Worthing, which is set to stand-in for Brighton), the camera swirling around him as both sons, looking alarmed and impatient, call plaintively to him, attempting to get through to him while telling one another to “shut up” while begging, “Dad, look at me.”  This brief spot is clearly a hyperbolized version of the storyline, a small snippet of dramatic acting set up as microcosmic of the entire internal-meets-external milieu of The Fear.  Here, the Beckett boys stand glaring and in some cases screaming at their father on a collapsing pier, as Richie continues his internal thoughts and the camera sweeps out over the ocean, showing us gaudy, carnival-esque words of “The Fear” slung atop the pier, our three figures becoming smaller and smaller as if poised to be swallowed by what looms all around: fear (we cannot escape it), turmoil (represented by the sea), and fragmentation (marked by the truncated and quickly-breaking platform rising out of the water).

 

It’s a brilliant, if not almost literarily poetic, take on the story.

 

Cal Beckett (Paul Nicholls) and younger brother Matty (Lloyd) try to get answers from their self-consumed-in-thought father (Mullan) in an eerie and cleverly-orchestrated hyperbolized teaser trailer. ©Channel4/BBC (2012)

 

The link between both the full-length trailer and the shorter symbolic adaptation of the storyline is the shared tagline.  Both television spots end with the voiceover of, “the criminal mind is a fragile thing,” and we cannot help to wonder what constitutes “criminal.” As the trailer displays, everyone involved in the thickening plot seems prepared for some sort of eerie descent, metaphorically represented as Richie, in the longer trailer, physically attempts to make his way up the family stairs but always seems detained somehow.  The upward climb—out of physical terror; out of one’s own treacherous mind—never looked so dastardly.

The Beckett Brothers try to talk sense to Dad. “The Fear” hangs, literally, thick and heavy (if not ostentatiously lurid) in the air around them. ©Channel4/BBC (2012)

 

Tidbits and Links

For more of the latest tidbits regarding The Fear that have trickled in since we last wrote about it on our blog, see the following:

Peter Mullan sheds his latest insights on the new miniseries.

Crime Time Preview’s inner-look at The Fear, with some great photos included.

 

More of our original blog entries on The Fear:

July 25, 2012

July 26, 2012

September 17, 2012

 

Nicholls, Mullan, and Lloyd inhabit a world of varying shades of grey (inwardly and outwardly) in The Fear (2012). ©Channel4/BBC (2012)

 

One observation—and it could be nothing, but, then again, it could be something worthy of food for thought, if not a decent nibble—is that Channel4.com has the mini-series labeled not just as four-episodes but also by series (or “season,” as we say in the U.S.A.).  In other words, the station’s website presents The Fear in such a way that another series (season) is fathomable.  Does that mean more Harry?  If so, sign us up!  And even if not—the gripping work by director Michael Samuels and writer Richard Cottan has us already clamoring for more before seeing anything more than the trailer, the engaging teaser, or the few select photos.

 

 

Final Thoughts and Hopes

While The Fear is very much a psychomachiac inner-struggle revolving around Mullan’s Beckett, it’s the repercussions that interest us, the ways in which one man’s mental downward (and perhaps inward) spiral begins to affect the people and the world around him. As aficionados of literature and film—well-crafted stories and character-studies—we are wholly engaged by the premise of The Fear, which makes the wait to see if (if we ever may) all the worst. A synopsis of the miniseries stresses that Richie’s personal traumas threaten “to engulf him, his family and his legacy” (“The Fear: Series 1, Episode 1”).

 

As we Administrators and Co-Founders at Lloydalists, not to mention some of our readers, remain in our agitated state, wondering of the reality of The Fear and how the storyline and action progresses as we feel trapped on the “wrong side of the pond,” we hope that those Lloydalists abroad will share their thoughts, reactions, and opinions of the dramatic series as each episode debuts.  Thank you in advance!

 

As a final reminder to those of you who are fortunate enough to be in the United Kingdom and have Channel 4: The Fear (a 60-minute-per-episode drama) airs over four consecutive nights, beginning Monday, December 3^rd, at 10 p.m.

 

 

Will the boys ever talk sense to dear old dad?  Stay tuned to find out. ©Channel4/BBC (2012)

 

Works Cited & Consulted

 

Channel4. “The Fear—Brand New—Channel 4.” YouTube.com. 20 Nov. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8YZfsYj6R4&feature=BFa&list=HL1353767110>.

Curtis Brown Actors. “CBGActors.” Twitter Feed. Web. 23 Nov. 2012. <https://twitter.com/CBGActors/status/272030555493785600/photo/1>.

“The Fear: About.” Channel4.com. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. <http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-fear>.

“The Fear: Series 1, Episode 1.” Channel4.com. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. <http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-fear/episode-guide/series-1/episode-1>.

“The Fear: Trailer.” Channel4.com. Web. 23 Nov. 2012. <http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-fear/articles/the-fear-full-trail>.

“Harry Lloyd: View Showreel.” Curtis Brown: Literary and Talent Agency. CurtisBrown.co.uk. 2012. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/harry-lloyd//works/>.

Hunt, Debs. “Principal Photography Begins on New C4 Drama ‘The Fear.’” InsideMediaTrack.com. 26 July 2012. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. <http://insidemediatrack.com/2012/07/26/principal-photography-begins-on-new-c4-drama-the-fear/>.

Jarossi, Robin. “The Fear Starring Peter Mullan Ch4 PREVIEW.” CrimeTimePreview.com. 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.crimetimepreview.com/2012/11/the-fear-starring-peter-mullan-ch4.html >.

“Peter Mullan Discusses The Fear.” Channel4.com. 11 Nov. 2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. <http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/peter-mullan-discusses-the-fear>.

“TV Crews Choose Worthing Pier for Filming.” WorthingHerald.co.uk. 29 Sept. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. <http://www.worthingherald.co.uk/news/local/tv-crews-choose-worthing-pier-for-filming-1-4313768 >.

 

~Researched by C & K; Written and Posted by C~

The Truest Kind of Character

Over the last couple months, Lloydalists has spent a majority of its time focusing on the characters that Harry has had the opportunity to portray. While the character studies, evaluations of nuanced roles (aren’t they all nuanced roles?), and our sometimes-investigative look into the backstory of Harry’s characters have all been quite fun, we also don’t want to forget that, behind the morphing masks of these sundry figures is a single man portraying them…a single man with a true character of his own.

Thus, and perhaps as a fitting tribute to our recent “Birthday Boy” who is now properly on the threshold of another promising year of his life and career, we’d like to take this opportunity to shed some light on several of the charities with which Harry has worked thus far.

 

Best Beginnings

Best Beginnings is a UK-based organization dedicated to giving every infant the healthiest start possible in life, the first two years of infancy being the most crucial.

 

Harry cycles from London to Paris for Best Beginnings (with his bike chain apparently intact). ©Best Beginnings (2011)

According to the charity’s “About Us” page, Best Beginnings addresses

the challenge of reducing child health inequalities and infant mortality in three main ways. They:

1. develop pioneering ..... and resources for families and healthcare professionals, to ensure parents have the information and support needed to make choices that will improve their children's health and avoid preventable illness and death;

2. promote equal access to health services for families with babies so that people who have difficulty accessing these services are enabled to do so;

3. advance the education of both the public and professionals who have contact with young people and families about health issues affecting mothers and children. (“About Us”)

 

 

Our pensive stag, probably pondering if he was going the right way. ©Best Beginnings (2011)

 

Harry became a part of Best Beginning when asked to accompany good friend and fellow British actor Leon Ockenden (Secret Diary of a Call Girl (2009) and Heartbeat (2008)), as well as eight others as part of Ockenden's stag party. The challenge was to bike from London to Paris in order to raise funds for Best Beginnings (“Men’s Health”).

 

According to those involved (although, you don’t have to convince us, as we can believe it), Harry was a delight to have on the trip. He kept people laughing and often did what they coined “doing a Harry” by “basically, getting lost” (Baum).  In a brief video message, Best Beginnings CEO Alison Baum thanked Harry specifically for “keeping us smiling and giggling, especially the early days where he was so head-down on the road that he kept going the wrong way!” (Baum).

 

Harry Lloyd applauds the work well-done (and pedaled) by his Best Beginnings cohorts of the Stag Party. © Best Beginnings (2011)

 

 

Victory! Or shall we say “Victoire!” The Eiffel Tower is makes an impressive finish-line. ©Best Beginnings (2011)

Despite Wrong-Way Harry shenanigans and unforeseen issues like steep hills and snapped bike chains—“and once a chain snaps, you’re a bit screwed,” as Harry recounted (in Baum)—the Stag Party Fund Raisers continued as the gang biked their way from “Best Beginnings” to end.  Harry proved a huge support in the “last leg to Paris,” apparently rallying his worn and weary cycling mates (Baum).

Click HERE for a video “thank you” message to Harry Lloyd and his sponsors from Best Beginnings CEO Alison Baum, September 2010. Video: © Best Beginnings and Vimeo (2011)

 

 

Free to Dance/Dance Britain for Burma

The other charity in which Harry has partaken is “Free to Dance” (2011), currently called “Dance Britain for Burma” (2012). It is the fundraising and awareness raising campaign of LearnBurma.

 

In an attempt to open people's eyes to the situation in the Southeast Asia state, and currently partnered with five fellow organizations, teacher Ben Hammond began the charity last year. He dances the John o’Groats to Land’s End route, sometimes alone and sometimes with others dedicated to the cause (LearnBurma).

 

With the hope of finding out if “Britain was free to dance with the hope of freedom for Burma,” Hammonds’ charitable endeavor “ended with the world’s longest-ever dance” (LearnBurma). Among the dancers involved in the initial, 2011 proactive attempt “for education, human rights, and change in Burma” (LearnBurma) was Harry, one of the burgeoning young actors willing to take the time to connect with other young people—students—and help Hammonds open their eyes to Burma’s plight.

 

Actor Harry Lloyd teaches the teacher, LearnBurma creator Ben Hammond, a dance move. Image: © Dance Britain 2011

 

Now, it’s time for the teacher to teach: Ben shows Harry what he calls “Street Moves” (“2011”). Image: © Dance Britain 2011

 

The True Mark of Character

Regardless of the roles, wardrobe, and words adapted, worn, or borrowed, at the end of the day, Harry Lloyd is a dedicated, interested-in-the-world-and-what’s-out-there individual, comfortable in t-shirts and biking or dancing his way for charitable causes.

Harry is a passionate man. He has shown, and continues to show, a passion for his life, career, and helping others. Both charities were greatly benefited by his efforts and support, and he has helped keep in motion two worthwhile organizations’ goals.

 

For more information about either charity, or to make a contribution of your own, please visit:

Best Beginnings Official Website

Dance Britain Official Website & on Facebook

 

Sweet gestures for a job well-done: Harry and a fellow Best Beginnings supporter, likely thankful to have completed their goal. © Best Beginnings (2011)

Speaking of Support…

Finally, thank you to all of you who've stuck with Lloydalists through this slow time. As some (if not all) of you are aware, though, Harry’s latest project The Fear will make its BBC television debut next month and a recent all-star performance of The Mousetrap on November 18, 2012 in London also has Harry hobnobbing with a vast array of colleagues, including other up-and-comers like Tamsin Greig, comedienne Miranda Hart, and the beloved Sir Patrick Stewart and Hugh Bonneville. He’s even reuniting with his Game of Thrones (2011) and The Iron Lady (2011) co-star Iain Glen. It also appears that Closer to the Moon (2013) will be making its debut before long (knock on wood).  All of this, just as Harry has turned 29 (see our short-but-sincere birthday post, below).  Thus, we’re confident that, now that Harry Lloyd news seems to have picked up steam, we’ll be back with another installment of Lloydalist treats as soon as possible.

 

 

Works Cited & Consulted

“2011 Part Six—Famous (and Not So Famous) People.” Dance Britain Facebook Photo Album. Facebook.com. 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. <https://www.facebook.com/dancebritain#!/media/set/?set=a.279675192095009.69383.279335162129012&type=3>.

“About Us: Our Vision and Approach.” Best Beginnings. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. <http://www.bestbeginnings.org.uk/about-best-beginnings/3f373fd9-d7f9-4c65-917a-633dc4784aec>.

Baum, Alison, and Best Beginnings. “A Message For Actor Harry and His Sponsors.” Vimeo.com. Sept. 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. <http://vimeo.com/17218696>.

LearnBurma. “About Us: Dance Britain for Burma.” DanceBritain.com. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. <http://www.dancebritain.com/about>.

 “Men’s Health Week Sparks Celebrity Stag Do With a Difference.” Best Beginnings. 18 June 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. <http://www.bestbeginnings.org.uk/News/mens-health-week-sparks-celebrity-stag-do-with-a-difference>.

 

~K & C, Lloydalists Co-Founders~