Charles II

[GreenEyesToo]

I can't believe we didn't have a thread for my favourite out of all Rufus's work!

And I can't believe it took me this long to realise it!

I recently got the DVD of this (my video tape's wearing thin after all the rewinds and fast-forwards).

My-oh-my, doesn't he look unbelievably gorgeous in the "Making of..." documentary?

What I mostly wanted to comment on, though, is to do with the commentary, when either Joe Wright or Adrian Hodges says: "Rufus exposed more and more of his heart as the filming went on. He started as quite a technical actor, and then became more emotional and open".

What a wonderful thing to say about him! And what an insight into how Rufus worked his way into becoming the Charles we see on screen. I think that's the key to why he's so good in this role, and in so many others - he's willing to lay himself open emotionally and see where it takes him. Quite a brave thing to do, really.

I love this series more than words can say. And I am still so mad that he wasn't even nominated for a BAFTA for this. Rufe wuz robbed!!!

[ree]

greeneyestoo said:

What I mostly wanted to comment on, though, is to do with the commentary, when either Joe Wright or Adrian Hodges says: "Rufus exposed more and more of his heart as the filming went on. He started as quite a technical actor, and then became more emotional and open".
I think that's the key to why he's so good in this role, and in so many others - he's willing to lay himself open emotionally and see where it takes him.
I love this series more than words can say. And I am still so mad that he wasn't even nominated for a BAFTA for this.

Thanks GE2! Even though I loved this Docu, I must have fast forwarded past this revealing description of Ruf's acting style.
Your insightful comment reminded me of something the Director of Carrington said about Rufus. He remarked how Ruf would work up & release such a quanity of emotion that he would just keep filming to see where it led.
I thought he had been nominated for the BAFTA for Charles II!!
He so obviously should have been!!

[GreenEyesToo]

ree said:

Even though I loved this Docu, I must have fast forwarded past this revealing description of Ruf's acting style.

Ree, this quote was from the commentary over episode 1 (I think) which you'll have to specifically turn on.

something the Director of Carrington said about Rufus. He remarked how Ruf would work up & release such a quanity of emotion that he would just keep filming to see where it led.

I hadn't heard of that comment before! I can imagine what he meant, though - and Rufus must be mentally amd emotionally exhausted at the end of occasions like that (Rufe, if ever you need a big hug at the end of emotional scenes, I'm always available to be on stand-by! ). That's probably why he was so exhausted by the end of R & R. there are scenes in that, that would really have left him wrung out by the end.

How exciting to watch that sort of raw energy unfold - from any actor, not necessarily (but especially!) Rufus. And how lucky for Rufus that he had a director that didn't just feel he had to watch the clock and get the take, but was willing to explore his energy and emotion and work with it.

What a gift our lad is to a perceptive director. Makes me even prouder of him!

[maxx02]

One of the nicest things about Rufus as an actor is his emotional transparency. When you watch him perform, you have the sensation of being on the cutting edge of every experience that is affecting him. It's wonderful and amazing on film but it's really exciting and exhilarating in the theatre. It's difficult to imagine expending that amount of energy every day for 3 hours and 6 on others.

Charles is one of my favorites, not for this particular reason which you see (I'm sorry to disagree with Joe Wright or Adrian Hodges but this was not something new with Charles, but I don't think anyone ever gave Rufus such a broad canvas to explore it before.) in most all of Rufus' work, but because he provides different sides of a private and a public monarch. Just as in Rock 'n' Roll where Jan had a face for his British friends and another for his Czech friends you see the seeds of that performance with Charles. If Charles were a novel you could split it into two threads and read about Charles and his family then read about Charles and his court.

I absolutely adore the relationship between Charles and the women in his life. How interesting to watch him give in because he cannot bear to see the cry then watch him sign a letter of execution for one of his closest advisers. What a complex and interesting character Rufus has created.

There are so many things to love about this miniseries but my favorite is still the complexity of Rufus' interpretation of Charles. I think he starts all of his very best performances by saying, I didn't understand this character, which you'll recall he also claimed about Jan in Rock 'n' Roll.

[reveuse]

maxx02 said:

One of the nicest things about Rufus as an actor is his emotional transparency.

Also one of the bravest things about him.

I think he starts all of his very best performances by saying, I didn't understand this character, which you'll recall he also claimed about Jan in Rock 'n' Roll.

Agreed. And his best are his most human. I think Rufus understands that part of the complexity - and the vulnerability -of human nature is that we often fail to understand ourselves; we act and react on instinct and are often at a loss to understand *why* we did something - knowing only that we had to.

For me the beauty of Charles is that he displayed so openly those characteristics we can all relate to: the face we show the world, and the private face. But as a monarch, he was obliged to do it on a grand scale, a world stage.

Rufus understood that. Perhaps because he's sometimes as confused about himself as the rest of us and isn't afraid to explore that professionally. I'm not an actor, so I don't know the mechanics (with Ruf I get the feeling it's more 'organics' than 'mechanics' in any case). But *my*instinct tells me that, with a character he first finds difficult to understand, he immerses himself and allows himself to feel, instinctively, how that character might feel, react as he might have reacted - and the performance, and the understanding, grow from inhabiting the man, rather than the part.

Does this make any sense or am I waffling?

[maxx02]

reveuse said:

(with Ruf I get the feeling it's more 'organics' than 'mechanics' in any case).

really? because I just think he's fibbing... or rather I think what he means is that he had to work to get there. I always remember reading an interview with Rufus a few years back in which he said he was rarely told anything about himself that he didn't know already. And then he said, you have to be very honest with yourself to be a good actor, or something to the effect. Which of course is quite true if rather brilliant for him to comment upon.

[reveuse]

[quote author=maxx02 board=work thread=1176513518 post=1176751011
really? because I just think he's fibbing... And then he said, you have to be very honest with yourself to be a good actor, or something to the effect. Which of course is quite true if rather brilliant for him to comment upon. [/quote]

The true brilliance of which, of course, could be his implicit admission that, in being honest with himself, about himself, he admits that he hasn't got a f***ing clue sometimes, just like the rest of us. And just like the people he plays.

That doesn't mean he studies the part, or the person, less. It doesn't mean he strives, or struggles, less to get it right. Those efforts show in his work , all the time. I just think that what gives him the edge is his letting go, emotionally - abandoning himself to his instincts and to the man he's becoming. (I can't seem to type "playing" and mean it).

And now I know I'm waffling. But with sincerity. Someone come rescue me by talking about his arse. ;D

[etherealtb]

maxx02 said:

lol! I'll do you one better--

www.roofsewell.com/GTS/*****.jpg

look quick because this isn't going to be here very long.

Ackk!!!! A warning for those of us here at work who sneak peeks at this website would've been nice (as was the bottom!) LOL.

[reveuse]

And I was off being serious somewhere else and missed it. Typical.

[etherealtb]

reveuse said:

And I was off being serious somewhere else and missed it. Typical.

I'm not an arse-gal myself (more of a thigh-girl) but that said, it was/is a lovely one.

BTW, I always assumed he was one of those skinny Englishmen until I saw him with his clothes off. ;D I swear, if Ruf had worked that gorgeous face and body of his on Hollywood, he'd be a big star by now. But obviously, that has never interested him.

[quoll]

Definitely a very cute b*m. (Having been around swimming carnivals for a number of years, I am a bit of a connoisseur of b*ms in budgie smugglers, and backs, and muscles and......) And how far from musing about Roof's approach to Charles!

I always like the way he tries to work out what makes people tick and to see the inner person behind the facade that they show to the world. He can find excuses in even the most villainous which I think is great. It must be difficult to do that with people that the world "knows" because there is always the taint of history's perceptions which blur the actual motivations and personality of the person underneath. I couldnt do that, I am far too literal and not nearly creative enough.

[etherealtb]

quoll said:

I am a bit of a connoisseur of b*ms in budgie smugglers

I'm a bit afraid to ask what a budgie smuggler is..... although I have a good guess...

[quoll]

etherealtb said:

quoll said:

I am a bit of a connoisseur of b*ms in budgie smugglers

I'm a bit afraid to ask what a budgie smuggler is..... although I have a good guess...

Speedos - quaint Australian colloquialism

[etherealtb]

quoll said:

etherealtb said:

I'm a bit afraid to ask what a budgie smuggler is..... although I have a good guess...

Speedos - quaint Australian colloquialism

That's priceless!

[mcr5137]

reveuse said:

The true brilliance of which, of course, could be his implicit admission that, in being honest with himself, about himself, he admits that he hasn't got a f***ing clue sometimes, just like the rest of us. And just like the people he plays.

That doesn't mean he studies the part, or the person, less. It doesn't mean he strives, or struggles, less to get it right. Those efforts show in his work , all the time. I just think that what gives him the edge is his letting go, emotionally - abandoning himself to his instincts and to the man he's becoming. (I can't seem to type "playing" and mean it).

And now I know I'm waffling. But with sincerity. Someone come rescue me by talking about his arse. ;D

I completely agree with you, reveuse! I do think he knows himself well enough to know that he DOESN'T know everything! And sometimes he just flat doesn't have a clue.......and he works even harder to get there. He made a few comments about Jan in R&R about that I think.