Female of the Species

Music & More Challenge

15.) your favorite female interviewer: greendragon

I like the greendragon interviews because we get to see Richard geek out about Tolkien, but also because her style is a nice mix of casual and professional.

greendragon has done several print interviews with Richard Armitage for TheOneRingnet. I especially enjoy when the conversation turns to Richard’s portrayal of Thorin, and his acting process in general. In their first interview for The Hobbit: an unexpected journey, they talked about how Richard incorporated Shakespeare into his characterization of Thorin Oakenshield:

“…the whole idea of the rallying cry of a leader on the battlefield is very much Henry V; the self hating deformity of Richard III was sort of relevant; and also the Macbeth figure when it comes to the gold lust- this man who believes he is doing the right thing and gets corrupted by something which ultimately destroys him…I just felt that those three figures were all going to be pretty useful for me to have in my head.”

In their interview for The Hobbit: the desolation of Smaug, greendragon gets Richard to talk a bit about his acting history, the pros and cons of “learning on the job” vs. organized classical training, and also how much of himself he brings to his roles:

” […]sometimes if it feels like too much ‘acting’, it can really pull you out of character. That was the thing about Thorin; there were times when I really felt like I was acting; and I’d go to Pete and say, ‘can we go again?’, because it just felt like I was ‘doing’ the character. The moments which are the most real and the most moving were the moments where I just wasn’t acting; I was just inhabiting what was literally another being, a whole body of clothing and a whole new face.”

I find all of the interviews from TheOneRing.net team interesting. I think Richard sharing his thoughts about Thorin with people who are already familiar with the history and feel of Middle Earth, allows him to delve in at a deeper level than he would normally feel comfortable doing. greendragon brings out a relaxed honesty with her questions that keep things from getting too heavy, as shown in her first report with Richard when he shared his thoughts about Tauriel:

“The older audience can grunt and snarl about it, but  at the end of the day, she’s a great character and she’s female! There are so few female characters- aspirational characters- in this, you know? I’m saddened that he hasn’t created a demonic female orc! I think that would be kind of interesting…”

is that…lipstick?

⭐

music question: your favorite female vocal song

Brave by Sara Bareilles

this song has become a kind of affirmation for me. the lyrics are inspiring and validating at the same time. I want to be as honest as I can be with my words, not only to others, but to myself as well. I don’t want them to hurt, although I know that will sometimes inevitably happen; I want them to be freeing. free from silence, free from stress, free from masks.

let your words be anything but empty

why don’t you tell them the truth?