Tuesday, July 6, 2010

And the winner is...

The BAFTAs have been over for awhile now, giving fans of Richard Armitage an abundance of new  pictures to fawn over. I couldn't help but think how good Richard looks holding this award. Too bad it's not his own!

Oh well...I am sure his time will come. After all, many accomplished performers wait in vain to hear their names called to collect their trophies. While wondering about this, I came upon this Top Ten List of Ten of the Best in Hollywood who Never Won an Oscar. The biggest surprises for me -- Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole!
Sometimes it just comes down to bad timing.  Lawrence of Arabia, O'Toole's tour de force came up against To Kill a Mockingbird brought to film starring none other than Gregory Peck! Now as much as I always enjoy Gregory Peck's performances, (particularly in Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn!) I would never have thought him a better actor than Peter O'Toole!

Another actor who was well-deserving of an Oscar and never got one (until the very end of his career) was Paul Newman.  When I started perusing pictures of Mr. Newman, it struck me that these two actors really have quite a bit in common. Let me explain...

Paul Newman is famous for his startlingly blue eyes. 

Richard Armitage's eyes
(as I have been raving about for several posts)
are a mesmerizing shade of grey (depending on the light can look blue or green).


They both look great in nothing but a towel!
Paul Newman in The Prize (1963)


Richard Armitage in Ulitmate Force (2003)


They even look good after a mean ol' prison fight!
 Cool Hand Luke (1967)


Strike Back (2010)


Mr. Newman was well-known for his charitable donations.
Paul's company "Newman's Own" makes salad dressings and other sauces
from which Mr. Newman donated all post-tax profits and royalties to charity.


Mr. Armitage has inspired his fans to donate to various charities
(rather than sending him so many presents!)
This picture is from a commercial to raise funds for the BBC's Children in Need.




My favourite fact about Paul Newman was his long-standing happy marriage to actress Joanne Woodward.
R.I.P. Paul Newman 1925-2008


I wish for Richard Armitage the same happiness in his own real life.
 Sorry to do this to Orla Brady, Richard's Strike Back co-star,
but we all need to dream, don't we?


Paul Newman finally received his Academy Award (Oscar) for the movie The Color of Money (1986). We hope it does not take the world as long to recognize the prodigious talent of Richard Armitage, so that he is given roles deserving of his expertise and that he is honored for his work as he so richly deserves!

26 comments:

RAFrenzy said...

Love the comparison! I just hope it's not complete so that RA doesn't receive an award until much later. NO! That's so unfair.

Another actor who didn't get a thing until they were a lot older, and other than RA, this is my all-time favorite actor -- Jack Lemmon. He was pretty well along when he won for Save the Tiger.

Nat at RA FanBlog said...

Love Paul Newman. I wish RA would slap his face on some salad dressing... it would be off the shelf in minutes. :) (And I'm on Team RA-has-blue-eyes since that's how they look the majority of the time.)

Traxy said...

Ooh lush piccys! :)

With actors who should've got an Oscar but didn't - Robin Williams for "Dead Poets Society". I believe he was nominated, but didn't win. Boo! Also, I'd love to see Sam Neill get an Oscar. (Not that I'm biased in any way, shape or form... *cough*) Heck, just a nomination! The man can act and deserves some recognition for it. "The Piano", "Dean Spanley"... I could go on. Instead, he just brings out the best in his co-stars so they win the awards instead (The Piano, Merlin). No fair!

tyme_4_t said...

Great post! Paul Newman was one of those people who were about so much more than acting. Another one of his connections to good deeds was his association & support of "The Famous People Players" which is in Toronto.

@Nat - I would eat a LOT more salad if there was RA dressing in a towel...I mean dressing the salad.

Unknown said...

LOVE this post! I adore Paul Newman, and I agree, surely Richard's day is coming for the awards spotlight! The Long Hot Summer is one of my favorite Newman films, I think in large part due to the fact that he stars oppositie Joanne Woodward - and I love their love story. I wish the same happiness for Richard too! :)

RAFrenzy said...

@ Nat,

Oh, we've got teams now for his eyes! LOL!!

@Phylly,

I'm with YOU. They're grey! :D

Phylly3 said...

LOL about teams for his eyes!!
Thanks for the feedback everybody! I am away from a computer most of the time so sorry if I don't reply individually!

Nat at RA FanBlog said...

Don't listen to RAFrenzy. They're blue.
Perhaps I should arrange a meeting with man in person so that I can properly examine this question for research purposes. :)

Nat at RA FanBlog said...

THE man, I meant.

Phylly3 said...

Yes. Research purposes! Maybe you can get a study grant from the Institute of Armitage Studies. I'm pulling for you!

Avalon said...

It has been awhile since I have watched the Children Charity cut, I thought it was so cute. I especially like how Guy snarled and grasp the teddy by the ear.

fitzg said...

Blue-grey - now there's a Canadian compromise!

RAFrenzy said...

LOL! No, Grey with some blue. :D

tyme_4_t said...

I'm still distracted by RA dressing in a towel...

fitzg said...

@RAFrenzy. Oh very well. (Huffily).:D Compromise is compromise. Tyme - did you say "dressing"?

Newman was lovely. Exodus was re-played on TV a while ago, and whatever its qualities as a film, is still riveting.

Maria Grazia said...

I had missed this post of yours, Phylly!!! So damn busy lately! Lovely pics... Let's hope RA gets what he deserves ... meaning prizes, love, happiness, success, satisfaction, ... whatever he wishes for! He gives us such joy with his work (and his blue/grey/green no-matter-what colour eyed gorgeousness!) ;-)

Myrtle said...

Lovely post phylly, PN & RA in towels, gorgeous.

I am sure that RA will have his moment in the spotlight eventually. We already have him on a pedestal:D

Maria Grazia said...

I've been inspired by the first picture above and...you've been awarded, Phylly!!!
http://flyhigh-by-learnonline.blogspot.com/2010/07/giveaways-challenges-awards.html

Avalon said...

You have been away too long, lol...

Phylly3 said...

Ooo! Thank you so much for the award Maria Grazia! How generous of you!
Sorry that I haven't been posting lately everyone! I am just about to return to Canada from a three week tour of Britain. Without always having access to the internet it was difficult to keep in touch with my blogger buddies. Thanks for missing me Avalon! I have missed you too, and although the trip was fabulous, it will be nice to get back home and somewhat back to normal (but with many lovely memories--and lots more blog ideas!)

Starheart said...

What a cool post! A little embarrassing to admit but my first experience of Paul Newman was also the first time i tried cooking. Yes, the spagetti sauce dude. Then came Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Liz T. Man that man was hot.

Anonymous said...

I'll have to talk to the John Porter Chair (MillyMe) and to our advisory board, but I am pretty sure that the Institute of Armitage Studies would be happy to provide a grant for such a worthy purpose.

fitzg said...

Look forward to hearing about the trip, Phylly! Did you get to the Midlands, Nottingham etc?

mulubinba said...

I loved Paul Newman (RIP) - what a loss to the movie world! Very nice comparisons with RA. Phylly - the pics are lovely. Interesting to see that Paul newman wasn't nearly as well built as RA in a towel. I wonder if that is the sign of the times - actors have to go to gym to get a "perfect" physique by today's standards and yet Paul Newman looks great just as he is.

As for RA's eyes - I can't work them out at all. I thought they were grey and the blueness in Spooks (Mulubinba ducks for cover) was achieved by contact lenses. But..... someone mentioned that his eyes change colour with what he is wearing so that makes a bit more sense and is a far more PC statement :)

as for RA winning an award?? Finger crossed - I would love to see that happen!! (I liked Cary Grant - he was rather suave in his day too :) )

Phylly3 said...

Cary Grant! Oh yes! Another fabulous British actor. Loved him in everything but the Philadelphia Story is one of my faves, because I love Kate Hepburn too! And Jimmy Stewart! LOVE that movie!

Phylly3 said...

@fitzg - I did indeed breeze through Nottingham! But don't get too excited, because we only stayed overnight and we visiting friends so we didn't really see much. I am still sorting through all our vacation pictures so I will get to that post as soon as I can!