Unputdownable Articles – by Jeffrey

MY 12 FAVOURITE CHARACTERS IN PLAYS, FILM & TV SERIES

I am continually inspired by characters who are the product of a perfect alchemy between actor, director and screenwriter.

These 12 are all exemplars of this craftsmanship. Each one manages to bring something unique to the table; their traits and nuances elevating the story and compelling us to invest ourselves emotionally and intellectually.

In them, we see the magic that happens when a great character is brought to life, making us yearn to watch, learn, and spend time in their company.

Most here are old classics (well, I am over 80!) but I have also included a couple from the modern era that I believe will stand the test of time.

1. Miss Trunchbull played by Emma Thompson – MATILDA THE MUSICAL by Roald Dahl (2022)

You don’t get many all-rounders like Emma Thompson.

A fantastic actress and a hugely talented writer. Although she wasn’t involved in the writing here, she did pick up both an Oscar and a BAFTA for her 1995 Sense and Sensibility screenplay.

There is a lot of make-up involved with a character like Trunchbull and that can sometimes get in the way of the acting. Not here. Emma Thompson is in complete control… within seconds, you feel you know everything about this Headmistress From Hell – and you cant take your eyes off her. I’ve seen children hide behind the sofa, and whisper about The Chokey – they sort of love – hate her, and that is down to her truly wonderful performance shoawing the wonderful villain created by Dahl.

One of those actors who make the job seem so effortless.

It is probably the most watched film by my grandchildren too. I think they have seen this version about 20 times so far, and will be more soon.

2. Hercule Poirot played by David Suchet – AGATHA CHRISTIE’S POIROT by Agatha Christie (1989-2013)

Here you have one of literature’s greatest creations, created by the greaeast thriller writer, Agatha Christie, and played by many, many different people over the years. But such is the talent of David Suchet that he has made that character his own. When you think of Poirot, you think of Suchet.

I remember reading an interview where David describes Poirot’s walk – those delicate little steps – and how he built everything from there.

Adding a handful of irritating foibles, but never resorting to cliche or caricature. When I saw him in that very first series back in 1989, I instinctively knew that we were looking at something special.

3. Fleabag played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge – FLEABAG by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. (2016-19)

I’ll admit that I was a latecomer to this hit show and its witty, troubled, unapologetically flawed protagonist.

As a character, she is an absolute triumph of writing and acting, and I say this as an ardent admirer of both.

She is also painfully real, brought to life with such skill by Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

What strikes me most about Fleabag is the raw honesty. She speaks to the audience as if confiding in a friend, breaking the fourth wall not just as a narrative device, but really as a way to connect with us on a deeply personal level. Truly amazing all round – no wonder Hollywood is in love with her. More please?

4. Sir Thomas More played by Paul Scofield – A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS by Robert Bolt (1966)

Str Thomas More is a great character, who has been depicted in so many forms. But has it ever been as good as this version?

Scofield, who for some reason often gets left out when people list our most celebrated actors but, for me, he was the best of his generation; the greatest actor I ever saw on screen or stage. And let’s not forget that he was up against some pretty stiff competition in those days: Alec Guinness, Olivier, Gielgud, Ralph Richardson.

Not only is he one of the few actors to have won the so-called Triple Crown of Acting [the Academy, Emmy and Tony awards], but he did it in just seven years! The Tony in 1962 for the stage version of A Man for All Seasons, the Oscar in 1966 for this film and an Emmy in 1969 for Male of the Species. He also won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for this film, too! Watch it… you’ll be astounded?

5. Bud Baxter played by Jack Lemmon – THE APARTMENT (1960)

Directed (Oscar) and written by Billy Wilder and IAL Diamond (Oscars) , this romantic comedy is a tear jerker, based on a true LW story of the producer Walter Wagner, and his agent Jennings Lang.

Jack Lemmon plays Bud Baxter, and the combination is genius.

Lemmon is not what you’d call a classic matinee idol, but when he’s up there, you cannot take your eyes off him. And Bud Baxter is tailor-made for him: the office everyman who hopes to climb the corporate ladder by allowing his bosses to use his apartment for their farcical extramarital shenanigans.

Yes, he’s known for his comedy roles – such an expressive face! – but he’s more than capable of handling the heavy stuff, too. Have you seen him in Glengarry Glen Ross? That scene where he’s in the telephone box, trying to sell the old lady a bit of real estate? It only lasts a minute or two, but it gets you every time. The desperation, the lying, the deceit, the utter sadness of this broken man.

6. James Tyrone Sr played by Laurence Olivier – LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (1973)

What an awful part to play and what a demanding part to play. What a playwright (Eugene O Neill) – what a play (Pulitzer Prize).

How draining it must have been to carry the weight of this bitter man, night after night in front of a live audience. As you can imagine, Olivier did it brilliantly.

I did meet the great man. Once when I was at the Greater London Council and then when I chaired a meeting where he was giving a talk. Even if he was telling you what he’d been doing at the weekend, every syllable of every word seemed to come alive. Just to sit and listen to that voice was such an honour.

7. Eleven played by Millie Bobby Brown – STRANGER THINGS (2016-onwards)

I’d heard a lot about Stranger Things long before I finally watched it, but I’m so glad I did.

Eleven is a young girl who really grabs your attention; tough, vulnerable and wonderfully odd. For me, her character and story is one of the best parts of the show. She starts off as this mysterious kid with strange powers, but as the show goes on, we see her trying to figure out who she is and where she fits in. The team who wrote Stranger Things did an amazing job with her character arc.

Real and relatable, even though she has out-of-this-world abilities – like many heroes over the years. This isn’t just sci-fi and superpowers, though. It’s really about friendships and childhood and maybe not fitting in.

Eleven shows us how how to hang on in there when everything around you is going crazy, and remember what is truly important.

8. Coriolanus played by Albert Finney (understudy to Laurence Olivier at Stratford) – CORIOLANUS by William Shakespeare (1959)

A Shakespeare character – need I say more?

Like the rest of the audience, I went to Stratford hoping to see Olivier, but he was ill and we were told that Finney would be taking his place. At first, there was a slight rumble of disappointment, but then we saw the performance and… it was pure magic. Up until that point, Finney was an actor; the next morning, he was a star.

We became friends some years later and I always complained about not being able to see him in the theatre. Every time we met, I’d ask the same question: “Why aren’t you in the West End?” He’d look at me and grin. “Because I’m enjoying myself just pottering around at home in the West Country.”

9. Malvolio played by Donald Sinden – TWELFTH NIGHT by William Shakespeare (1969)

Best-known as one of TV’s big sitcom stars in the 70s and 80s, but another of those brilliant all-rounders who could take on much weightier roles – he’d actually been involved with Shakespeare since the 1940s. The was by far the best Malvolio I’ve ever seen and it felt like a role he was born to play. A character so torn, so pompous and yet so in awe of the upper classes. There are very few actors whose voice is instantly recognisable, but Sinden only needed a word or two, and you immediately knew it was him.

10. Jed Bartlet played by Martin Sheen – THE WEST WING (1999-2006)

What a series – there are 156 episodes and I’ve seen every one of them two or three times – and what a performance! What writing – so much has been written of the true genius of Aaron Sorkin (first 4 series only), but let me add my name to the long list of super fans who sit in awe at the beaty of the writing, the characters he creates, and the emotions they evoke in us. I never once watched The West Wing and didn’t feel inspired. 

Once the show got into its stride, it wasn’t hard to see why he (Jed / Martin Sheen) took over from Sam Seaborn / Rob Lowe as the main character. So magnificent to watch; underplayed, yet still exuding so much authority – although lets be clear I love Sam, Josh, Toby, Leo, CJ and more….. and they all love Jed, and want to do their best for him, and their country. WOW!

There have been great political dramas written on both sides of the Atlantic – and in Europe – but there is something about the scale of American politics and the world events they touch, that adds much more gravitas to the show.

It was at the time the most powerful nation on earth, which today still makes the US President far more important than any other world leaders

11. Billy Mack played by Bill Nighy – LOVE ACTUALLY by Richard Curtis (2003)

I love many Richard Curtis’ films and could easily have picked one of his other characters, but there is something about Billy Mack that always makes the day seem a little brighter.

He is the most marvellous, singularly delightful character. Nighy was in his 50s when this came out and I’m ashamed to say that it was the first time I’d really come across him on film – although I knew him from his incredible career at the National Theatre (Pravda, King Lear, Arcadia) – where it was obvious he was a generational talent.

Say what you want about Richard Curtis, but in this age of cynicism, when we’re surrounded by so much sadness and bad news, films like this become even more important – Billy Mack makes me laugh out loud.

People need to laugh; they need a bit of fun. The combination of Curtis’s writing and Nighy’s sense of humour – I will never forget – Thank you

12. Henry J. Wilcox played by Anthony Hopkins – HOWARDS END by James Ivory (1992)

Adapted from E. M. Forster’s 1910 novel, a world in which Hopkins seemed such a perfect fit. He was equally wonderful in The Remains of the Day just a few years later. Some call him our greatest living actor and it’s hard to argue with that – although we have many great ones (including all the Dame’s)

He was staggering in Peter Hall’s Antony and Cleopatra at the National, opposite Judi Dench. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him give a bad performance… even the big budget Hollywood stuff.

Pure class, and a thoroughly nice man (so I’m told).

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