Thursday, February 07, 2008

Wanted: A Few Good Women

For the Armitage Army. Who are the Armitage Army? The legions of discerning women who have discovered the smouldering talents of Richard Armitage. Above is a clip from North and South from Elizabeth Gaskell's book of the same name (not the miniseries from the 80's starring Patrick Swayze and Lesley Ann Down.





Here he is snogging Dawn French as Geraldine the Vicar of Dibley (proving that he even loves full-figured women as well!)



I'm not the first woman to discover Richard Armitage, but now it seems like everyone is watching North and South and joining the Army (Amanda, your secret decoder ring and life-size poster are in the mail). Recently Kwana, Megan and Kristie J. have joined the Army.



Why Richard Armitage and why now? Could it be because in North and South he plays the ultimate smouldering alpha male, John Thornton, the owner of a mill in Northern England? Is it the lips? The beautiful light brown eyes? The way he can be stern and cutting at one moment and then tearing his heart out to throw it at Margaret Hale's feet? Sigh!



And don't even get me started on Guy of Gisbourne, in the otherwise forgettable and regrettable Robin of Sherwood. He makes being evil look good and he's redeemed by his love for Marian who for some reason prefers the punk who lives in the woods that claims that he's Robin Hood, but he's such a wimp, I don't believe him. Seriously, she'd be much happier with Sir Guy, even if he is evil, as long as she gets him to wash his hair occasionally.


Richard Armitage is from Leicestershire in England, and he has that sexy Northern accent that Sean Bean has (although SB is from Sheffield as Michelle Cunnah likes to remind me). Why I never ventured into the North of England, I'll never know. Apparently they breed them differently up there.


Kwana writes that she hopes to write a hero worthy of RA. He certainly fills my writing dreams.


I could easily imagine RA playing a sexy Regency vampire, all smouldering and wearing black as he sinks his teeth into your neck. Or a sexy but rebellious vicar who comes to the village in Victorian Engalnd and turns everybody's life upside down, including the uptight widow who's family own the living. How about this, RA is a sexy and smouldering former soldier in Wellington's army who comes back all broken and shattered by his experiences in war, and has to be nursed back to health and love by the widow of his best friend who has been left destitute after her husband's death (actually I think Mary Balogh wrote this already). Or a sexy pre-Raphaelite artist, and the model who must work to pay for her 12 brothers and sisters so they don't have to slave in the factories and get addicted to gin. Not too mention the good old-fashioned boss/secretary Harlequin Presents story. So many fantasies, so little time. Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?


Thank god I bought that region free DVD player so that I can indulge my addiction and purchase some of Mr. Armitage's performances that aren't available on this side of the pond. But good news for Armitage lovers in the US, the new series of Robin Hood will be shown on BBC America as of the end of April. A good time to start subscribing to Satellite or DirectTV if your cable company doesn't have BBC America (Thank you TimeWarner Cable, it's the only good thing to come out of the huge amount of money I pay you every month).

So if you haven't joined The Armitage Army, what are you waiting for? It's certainly the only Army I ever want to join. Pick up a copy of North and South here.

Or just rent it from Net-Flix. You'll be happy you did.

20 comments:

KT Grant said...

We may have to start cloning Richard since there are so many of us!

Elizabeth Kerri Mahon said...

Katie,
I don't know if my poor heart could take a plethora of Richard's running around the planet. Although it would be intersting

Megan Frampton said...

I just got my copy of N&S in the mail today. Although I'm not so into anybody (not even if it were Clive) to go on a message board to talk about him. I wasn't even like that in high school--I wonder what's wrong with me?

Kristie (J) said...

I meant to drop by earlier but I've been felled with a Nasty Cold and I fell asleep. I can't remember the last time I've had such a crush on an actor (probably cause I never have). I tend to lust after their character ie DDL in Last of the Mohicans - but in this case it's Richard Armitage himself that I find devilishly attractive - it's his wide variety of roles in which he excells beyond measure, it's his adorableness in interviews and his self-effacing manner in articles. He does so seem to be a truly genuine person. And I even joined The Army (laughing) cause of him.
It's wonderful finding others who find him as wonderful and such hero material

Kristie (J) said...

Megan: *laughing* as you investigate this talented actor further you just may. I've never been the kind to go this loopy over someone - but it can happen *g*

Kwana said...

Welcome to the wagon, Elizabeth. I'll move over to make some room! Love ya RA!

Elizabeth Kerri Mahon said...

I used to put posters up on my wall, mainly of ballet dancers and scenes from Star Wars, but there's something about Mr. Armitage that makes me giddy like a school girl. Ever since I saw him in North and South, I've been smitten. Even Mr. Purefoy hasn't affected me this way.

Unknown said...

so glad to welcome you to the Army! One thing though - the eyes are not light brown, they're blue! As blue as...well something very blue indeed!

CherryT said...

Goodness me you've got it bad, but then again so have I.

I could just watch him all day long. *sighs*

Amanda McCabe/Amanda Carmack/Laurel McKee said...

I will be looking for my decoder ring, Elizabeth! :)

And I thought the same thing about his Guy of Gisbourne in RH--until what happened in that last reprehensible episode. Ugh.

"I tend to lust after their character ie DDL in Last of the Mohicans - but in this case it's Richard Armitage himself that I find devilishly attractive"

I completely agree with this! Though I haven't yet gone on any message boards to chat about him, lol. Well, except these...

Stacy~ said...

Although I hate to share, I am glad to follow the trail of Richard lovers and discuss his many, many fine attributes. I will forever be indebted to Kristie for leading the North American crusade. Today I showed a co-worker the infamous "white shirt" picture and she was all aflutter. Now I just have to get her to watch N&S...

Stacy~ said...

Maybe Kristie needs to start up the RA blog, all Richard, all the time....

Elizabeth Kerri Mahon said...

Siobhan, thanks for the comment about Richard's eyes. I'll have to go back and watch North and South and freeze-frame all the close-ups just to make sure!

Amanda, I've heard about what RA as Guy does in Robin Hood in the second series, and I'm not happy but he's so lovely, I may have to forgive him.

Stacy, I second the All Richard, all the time blog idea!

MJFredrick said...

I adored RA in Robin Hood, even though he's a baddy. I just put N&S in my queue.

Elizabeth Kerri Mahon said...

You are going to love it Mary. Then you can join the cult with the rest of us!

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, I cast him as Crown Prince Mortimer of Northern Enchantment in my as-yet-unpublished novel 'The Ugliest Princess'. Picture, if you will, Sir Guy of Gisborne... with a high-necked velvet cape edged in red, CLEAN hair with a silver circlet (something not TOO girly) and very advanced magical prowess. Arrogant, charismatic and merciless. I do so love a bad boy... ^_^

We're a little lucky in Australia. I was able to go out and buy North & South, Robin Hood S1 and The Vicar of Dibley reasonably easily.

*sigh* those gorgeous eyes... *drools*

Elizabeth Kerri Mahon said...

Wow, Lady Gisborne, that sounds like a cool story and with him as the hero. Sigh! I just got Vicar of Dibley, but he plays Marie Lloyd's husband in a TV movie that's not available in US format, but since I have a region free DVD player, I can purchase it from the UK.

maggiemae said...

Can't get enough of Richard.He is just georgous. Love him with longer hair and the five o'clock shadow..and those eyes. I am on utube all day and night watching the videos of him. I have several dvds from the UK that I had transferred from pal system to ours just to see him, was expensive but worth it. Hope the BBC in America will start to televise everything starring Richard, thats the only reason I pay extra for cable for the BBC just to see him. I have no interest in anyone else but him.
He is a heart-throb for sure.. Love those eyes....

maggiemae said...

Where can I get a poster of Richard as Sir Guy which really shows off his eyes????

Hope Tarr said...

In keeping with the Principle of Parsimony, I *love* him. I quite simply love him.

Haven't been so smitten since Sean Bean in "Sharpe." How many people d'ya know who have the companion book to the tv series? Well, I do, as well as the series (albeit on VHS).