New Interview with Robin Ellis - My Ross Poldark

Interview with Robin Ellis by Adamcarpenterchbn on Mixcloud

Robin Ellis talks about his work as a successful cookbook author and talks about meeting the new Poldark, Aidan Turner, and filming in Cornwall for Poldark then for his series and now for the new series. 

If you are in the Washington DC area you can watch Robin Ellis as Ross Poldark on WETA UK on Saturdays at 10:00pm.  See link below for other times: 

http://www.weta.org/tv/program/poldark-0

You can follow what Robin is doing these days on his wonderful blog:

http://robin-ellis.net/

Robin Ellis Reacts to news - Aidan Turner will be Ross Poldark

Aidan in Desperate Romantics

Robin Ellis posted on his blog about the decision to cast Aidan as Ross Poldark:

"Just needs to add the scar and he's away!

Congratulations to him--I hope he has as much fun as we did filming this wild and wonderful saga written in 12 books over a sixty year period by Winston Graham.

Forty years ago this November I went for the first of three auditions for the part, knowing little about Winston Graham and less of the books.

A brief glance at the first book of the saga, Ross Poldark, was enough--I seriously wanted him to be me or vice versa.

I had to go through two more nail-biting sessions in front of producer and directors before finding myself in the position Aidan is in today….

...Cast to play Ross Poldark."

...

"Aidan and I share a common debt to Winston, for giving us the chance to play a difficult, contrary, complex man often out of his time."

"It's a roller coaster of a ride!"

To read the rest of Robin Ellis' post about the casting of Aidan Turner as Ross, click on the link below: 

http://robin-ellis.net/2014/03/01/forty-years-on/

As for me, I have mixed feelings. No secret that I would have loved for Richard Armitage to be the next Ross Poldark. He would have been perfect as Ross.  But I've been a fan of Aidan's since Being Human, and I know he'll do a good job.

My Ross Poldark will always be Robin Ellis. 

Whatever Happened to Robin Ellis? (Article)

Robin Ellis as Ross Poldark

I was a teenager when I first fell madly in love with Ross Poldark. Now many, many, years later I still have a soft spot in my heart for the actor who played him in the 70's.  Robin Ellis has a very entertaining blog these days, he writes cookbooks, and talks about his travels, and is just so charming. He still looks good too.

Robin Ellis in 2012

I subscribe to his blog and always feel happy when I see he has a new blog post. I don't cook much these days, but I enjoy hearing about his travels selling his cookbooks and his life in France, and occasionally about the glory days of Poldark.

Today I was happy to see he had shared a recent interview he did for the Daily Express titled "Whatever Happened to Poldark's Robin Ellis?"  Interest in Poldark is back because the BBC is remaking the series for airing in 2015.

Before I post more about the article and a link, have to post this intro from Ellis that made me both laugh and cry. Apparently all actors know this sequence, titled the Five Lives or Five Stages Of an Actor:

"Five lives of an actor":

Runs like this:

Who is Robin Ellis?

What about Robin Ellis?

We must have Robin Ellis!

We need someone like Robin Ellis….

Whatever Happened to Robin Ellis…??

(From Robin Ellis' Healthy Eating for Life blog)

Ellis thinks the BBC remaking Poldark is a "lovely idea." Not only has he enjoyed a long career in the theater, he also has a history degree from Cambridge because his parents wanted him to have something to fall back on.

To read the entire article, click on the link below:

http://robinellisdotnet.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/expressarticlejan12.jpg

I hope if Robin Ellis gets any news about the new Poldark, he'll share it with us on his blog. 

Three Richard Armitage Fan Projects I Support: Bring North and South to PBS, Armitage for Dawsey Adams, Armitage as Ross Poldark

Yes, I know, it doesn't really matter what I support - who am I to say!  I have nothing to do with initiating or maintaining any of the three projects below, other than my interest, and yes, my firm support. 

It is Richard Armitage's decision of course what his next project, and future projects will be. We don't know what he's auditioned for or has been offered, or is interested in pursuing. The most important thing for me is his satisfaction and happiness with his career. I will follow wherever he leads us. 

But if you are a Richard Armitage fan and happen to drop by this blog intentionally or accidentally, I did want to bring to your attention three Armitage related fan projects that may be worthwhile for fans to explore further and see if they want to join and support their fellow fan efforts. 

Bring North and South to PBS

Looks like there will be renewed efforts and a new campaign soon in the ongoing project to have PBS (US Public Television) show North and South with Richard Armitage nationwide, or make it available nationwide, on PBS stations. Click on the link below for more information and to join and show your support:

https://www.facebook.com/NorthSouthtoPBS

The new efforts, from what I'm reading on the FB page, will be directed towards the BBC and not just PBS. (Thanks to Me and Richard Armitage for the original info).

I posted about the original campaign in 2010- you can read about it at the link below:

http://whiterosewritings.blogspot.com/2010/09/bring-north-south-to-pbs-postcard.html

Richard Armitage for Dawsey Adams

This has been a long running fan campaign to have Richard Armitage cast as Dawsey Adams in the future film based on the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Richard-Armitage-for-Dawsey-Adams-Campaign/228951940486649

The campaign seems to have gained new momentum after Richard mentioned in an interview recently, during the Australia Hobbit DVD Promo I believe, that he's been auditioning or talking to producers in Los Angeles, and that one of the projects is based on a charming book that we (his fans) would like (I'm paraphrasing here).  Could the "charming book" be Guernsey?

I also posted about this fan campaign a while back, and you can read if interested at the link below:

http://whiterosewritings.blogspot.com/2012/04/guernsey-literary-and-potato-peel-pie.html

Now, some fans believe that Armitage should play another character from the book,  Markham V. Reynolds, rich and handsome American.  I agree that the physical description in the book matches Armitage, and I have no doubt that he could play this ultimately not always sympathetic character well.

I'm with the fans that think he would be perfect for Dawsey, and for me that has to do with the "inner RA" more than the outward physical beauty of the man.  On the Dawsey/Armitage side I offer the description of Dawsey when book heroine Juliet first sees him:

"Then Dawsey held out his hands. I had been expecting him to look like Charles Lamb, and he does, a little - he has the same even gaze... Dawsey is dark and wiry, and his face has a quiet, watchful look about it - until he smiles...he has the sweetest smiles I've ever seen..."

Portrait of Charles Lamb:

The Guernsey film project is currently "In Development" according to IMDB.

Poldark Fans Want Richard Armitage 

Robin Ellis as Ross Poldark

The BBC has announced they are producing a remake of the very popular 1970's series Poldark.  I was a great fan of the Poldark series in my teens thanks to PBS airing the entire series here in the US. I also read all the Poldark books at the time, and still own them. I agree that Richard Armitage would be the perfect Ross Poldark - the only actor I can think of that I would accept without reservations as playing the character other than the original, the wonderful Robin Ellis.

For those that have never heard of Poldark, below is a video of a documentary about the series that may answer some of your questions:

Below is a link to the original article saying that the Poldark Appreciation Society members voted for Richard Armitage as their favorite to play the lead, Ross Poldark, in the new BBC series in production:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/poldark-fans-want-richard-armitage-1962515

If you want to show your support below is the link to the Poldark Appreciation Society on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/18575480860/

_______________

I hope Richard Armitage gives us more hints soon as to his future 

projects. I'm a believer that mention of fan interest in seeing him on stage, screen, or our TV sets, is a good thing. 

Image sources many and varied from various fan sites, Wikipedia, RichardArmitageNet.com