The actor on avoiding Shakespeare, being Siegfried’s brother and keeping working
No fear: it’s partly a thespian in-joke, a play on the title of the prime Stanislavski text on the Method, An Actor Prepares, handed out to all drama-school students. ‘When I mention my book’s name to actors, they all say: “Oh! That’s really good”,’ laughs Mr Davison, but, he continues, it also contains a subtler message.
‘It links to my belief that an actor’s level of “despair” is consistent across the board, whether they’re a Hollywood star or unemployed in Frinton-on-Sea. Some will say they’ve done wonderfully well, they’ve worked in Northampton rep, they’ve done this and that, but I’ll think, by my standards, they’re not successful at all. Yet they’re really no different from me.
‘I can say I’ve worked consistently for five decades, but I’m not in movies or the really prestigious TV series, because so many film actors have come into that, making it harder for established TV performers. Then again, I was watching an American film last night starring Colin Farrell. Where is he now? Someone we regard as a big name, but he probably feels the same.’
Denne historien er fra October 18 2017-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra October 18 2017-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
