Confirmation of Jane Eyre on PBS
From today's press release from PBS, we have confirmation of our earlier information that the BBC's new mini series of Jane Eyre will appear on Masterpiece Theatre in January 2007:
MASTERPIECE THEATRE "Jane Eyre" (two two-hour programs, January 2007) A new adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's beloved gothic novel about the passionate courtship between a governess and her tortured master. Directed by Susanna White ("Bleak House"), the cast includes Georgie Henley (The Chronicles of Narnia) and newcomer Ruth Wilson as the young and grown Jane respectively, and Toby Stephens (son of Maggie Smith; The Queen's Sister, Cambridge Spies) as Mr. Rochester.
Apparently some readers feared it would take years for the series to reach the US. You can all rest easy now. This synopsis gives me a new sense of pity for Toby Stephens. His first credit to his name is that his mother is Maggie Smith? And each interview I have found so far concerning this project has had much to say about the size of his sideburns (another reference to the man's sideburns. In fact, none of the interviews I have about his part in the series do not mention them). Poor man.
Photo is of Cosima Littlewood as Adele in the new BBC production of Jane Eyre.
4 comments:
I feel for Toby as well, hopefully after this he can be remembered as the guy that played the definitive Mr. Rochester...
Toby Stephens doesn't give that many interviews, he's pretty private (a bit like his Mum). I quite like that though, it lends an air of mystery, and if you don't know the actor, you are more likely to believe in them when they're playing a part, aren't you?
I think it's a pretty good bet that the "Radio Times" will do an interview with someone connected with Jane Eyre, hopefully Toby and equally hopefully, Ruth Wilson. I'll keep an eye out.
I came across this interview in an archive that I have access to: the first paragraph makes me think of the famous "Zoolander" quote: "He's so hot right now!"
The actor Toby Stephens is hot. Very hot indeed. Orange flames are creeping up his shirt, which he has just set alight while brewing up a pot of tea on his kitchen stove. Cue panicked slapping of the fire (by him, I'm afraid - I just stare open-mouthed) and a volley of choice swearwords. Finally putting the blaze out, he removes the blackened garment altogether and mournfully observes: "Well, that's the end of that shirt." This, charred but not burnt, is the new Bond hard man.
The interview was given when he was the new Bond Villain, if you want to read the rest, I've posted in on my blog. Which isn't as egotistical as it sounds, it's a little too long to paste in here and I can't link to it directly, it's in an archive, and you can just read the interview, not worry about the other rambings ;)
Marshalsea: I hope he becomes the definitive Mr. Rochester too!
to marshalsea:
He stands a good chance of being well-loved. There are very few portrayals that are actually despised by most people- even Ciaran Hinds' portrayal has a large number of fans even though what he presented is really only a stock figure of a brutal 1840's stage landlord.
to pennyforyourdreams:
a bit like his mum
I have to confess, I have no idea who she is personally! I had not heard of her before. In this case, Toby has nothing to fear from me since I cannot compare him with his parents!
Do send anything my way! Not only am I unlikely to find anything in Canada because of the later release, but Canada doesn't particularly care for the Brontes.
LOL! That's fabulous! I think I like him already. (See, it just takes a little eccentricity!) And of course, he'll know all about being on fire and such. ;) And from what he says in the rest of the interview, I have a lot more confidence in his ability to understand Mr Rochester- and to sympathise with him, which seems to make some actors stumble (I am sorry, Mr. Hinds... but you know it's true: you said so yourself).
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