I don’t think I’ve ever met an actor who was also a born comedian. Ronnie Barker was. Ronnie Barker was a character actor who had such a flair for comedy. Comedy Legends s1e4: Ronnie Barker, Barry Cryer, Sky Arts 2018
In the year 1600 on the streets of Elizabeth I’s London a bizarre and violent series of events took place: this is the true story of an abducted child and of how his father tried to get him back. Set behind the scenes in the golden age of Shakespeare, it sheds a shocking light on a world we can barely comprehend, long before children were thought to have rights. Abducted: Elizabeth I’s Children, Dr Katherine Rundell, BBC 2019
He was delivered into the hands of the man who had organised and paid for his abduction – Henry Evans. ibid.
Companies of boy actors perform more frequently at court than companies of adult actors. ibid.
Clifton was absolutely furious and demanded the immediate release of Thomas. ibid.
Any girl can look glamorous. All she has tot do is stand still and look stupid. Hollywood’s Brightest Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, Hedy, BBC 2019
She becomes the model for Snow White. And she inspired Catwoman. ibid. fan
She lived this life of great accomplishments. ibid.
One of the most recognisable faces of her time. ibid.
There were different chapters of scandal … The multiple marriages and divorces. Then the arrests … ibid.
She seduced men and women … ‘including Kennedy.’ ibid. Hedy
Samson and Delilah was a huge hit. ibid. fan
I think the drugs were very responsible. The slightest thing could set her off. ibid.
There’s Steve McQueen and then there’s cool. When he walks on to the screen, he kidnaps you. You just want to look at Steve McQueen. I Am Steve McQueen, Gary Oldman, Sky Arts 2019
Those eyes: he could give you that stare. You knew he meant business: ‘You work your side of the street. And I’ll work mine.’ ibid.
Steve McQueen is the coolest of the cool. The searing performances in blockbusters like The Magnificent 7 and Bullitt, and his love for fast cars, beautiful women, and life on the edge, he was one of the hottest cultural icons of the twentieth century. ibid.
This is the story of one man who pushed the boundaries, broke the rules and drove through life on his own terms. ibid.
This is a man who climbed the Hollywood ladder one rung at a time until he reached the top and became the most popular American actor of the time. This is the story of a star who embodied his country and who little by little became consumed with patriotic fervour. This is the story of an actor seemingly one and the same with his on-screen persona, the heroic, confident cowboy, a pillar of strength and virility. John Wayne: America at all Costs, Sky Arts 2019
He was 22, handsome, and Fox Studios put their bets on him as if he were a young racehorse. ibid.
With the exception of a trip to the Pacific to entertain the troops, John Wayne spent the entirety of the war years in Hollywood. ibid.
His golden age had begun. In a few short years he made one big picture after another. ibid.
He topped the box office and remained there for the next 25 years. ibid.
He embodied America. And yet Duke Morrison, his alter ego in real life, was a tormented man ever since the end of the Second World War. ibid.
In the post-war years while he was performing his greatest roles, John Wayne began to over-compensate and to devote himself to the cause of the American military. ibid.
John Wayne’s political convictions began to determine the roles he chose. ibid.
By the end of the 1960s, John Wayne appeared to be completely out of luck with the new generation. ibid.
During the making of Le Mans a rumoured one million feet of film was shot. It was presumed lost or destroyed. Steve McQueen: Le Mans & The Man, BBC 2020
A superstar who loved auto racing decided to do a picture about his sport. ibid.
He was American royalty … ‘Basically, I come from the gutter.’ ibid.
With a budget of $6 million, Le Mans would be the most expensive Cinema Centre film to date. ibid.
‘After the Sebring race … he was admired by the other drivers as a real professional racer.’ ibid.
‘The movie for all generations, the movie that captured the smells, the noise, the feeling of car racing like no other film.’ ibid.
15 June 1970: Principal photography begins on Le Mans … 17 July 1970: filming on Le Mans is suspended for two weeks … 3 August 1970: Filming resumes on Le Mans … ‘It was the most difficult film I had ever done.’ ibid.
‘He was very gentle and didn’t want to hurt a creature.’ Heath Ledger: Too Young to Die s1e1, father, Sky Arts 2020
By his mid-twenties Heath Ledger had established himself in Hollywood as one of the best actors of his generation. He was an actor who’d never sought stardom, who tried to preserve his naturalness in the spotlight. The news of his sudden death therefore came as all the more as a shock: he died on 22nd January 2008 as a result between prescription drugs that he’d taken in the wrong combination. Heath Ledger was 28 years old. ibid.
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus (2000) director Terry Gilliam … ‘They are forever young. They are gods.’ ibid.
Heath’s Ledger’s estate is currently being catalogued for an exhibition in the Western Australian museum. ibid.
‘You know John I don’t think he ever slept.’ Too Young to Die s1e3: John Belushi, friend
‘He always played at the top of his skill, at the top of his ingenuity, at the top of his personality.’ ibid.
He made just seven films but they immortalised him. ibid.
Belushi was arrogant and quick-tempered, funny and dramatic, insecure and beset by doubt. ibid.
An early death that was inevitable? John Belushi died in 1982 of a mixture of cocaine and heroin. ibid.
‘Absolutely brilliant parody of Joe Cocker.’ ibid. friend
Saturday Night Live: In four seasons of the show John played well over fifty characters and improvisations. ibid.
Animal House became the most successful comedy of all time. ibid.
For Saturday Night Live he [Belushi] had devised the Blues Brothers – their records sold millions: The Blues Brothers: a musical with crazy car chases. The film cost $27 million … A triumphant return for John. But shooting was overshadowed by Belushi’s alcohol and drug excesses. ibid.
Shot, stabbed, massacred: In the months it took place to find the murderers, fear and panic spread. Four members of the so-called Manson Family were arrested, convicted and sentenced. Driven into a homicidal frenzy by the crude apocalyptic visions of their guru Charles Manson, they had committed this appalling crime and others. Too Young to Die s1e4: Sharon Tate
Charles Manson became an evil icon of the twentieth century. The man with a long criminal record who could hardly read or write and who saw himself as Jesus and Satan in one person still has followers today. ibid.
London had a new celebrity romance … The couple [Tate & Polanski] were a sensation … They ignored conventions and enjoyed life. ibid.
Sharon’s next roll earned her a Golden Globe nomination: Valley of the Dolls. ibid.
The 13 Chairs was a highly promising comedy to be filmed in London and in Rome. ibid.
She was set on having the baby at home. ibid. director
Early morning on 29 November 1981: Actress Natalie Wood was found dead today. Her body was discovered fully clothed in the waters off Catalina Island. Too Young to Die s1e5: Natalie Wood
It was the death of an actress who even as a little girl had given the term ‘child star’ a new meaning. ibid.
The death of Natalie Wood is one of Hollywood’s great mysteries. ibid.
‘God created my daughter. But I made her.’ ibid. mother
Natalie took refuge in a dream world. She fell for a handsome film actor eight years her senior: Robert Wagner. ibid.
In those years Natalie Wood belonged to everyone … except herself. ibid.
Natalie was nominated for an Oscar and signed an exclusive contract with Warner Brothers. ibid.
Hollywood loved Natalie and Natalie loved her life as an actress. ibid.
The two led a life in the public spotlight. ibid.