Lords of the Rings star embraces Buddhism

Nabanita Sircar
London, December 6

Another Hollywood star Orlando Bloom is to become a Buddhist. The Lord of the Rings star, 27, took part in an hour long ceremony at a centre to commit himself to the faith, according to a Mirror report.

Orlando, who jealously guards his private life, joined 60 other fledgling Buddhists at the Soka Gakkai International Buddhist movement HQ at Taplow Court Mansion in Maidenhead, Berkshire. A visitor was cited: "He looked really happy. He looked comfortable and quite excited."

Bloom was presented with his Gohonzon, a scroll with Chinese and Sanskrit characters on it. Dressed in jeans, a camel coloured sweater and shirt, he accepted his scroll from centre director Ricky Baynes. An onlooker said: "He shook Ricky's hand like the other people getting their Gohonzons and looked calm."

"When everyone had theirs we all clapped and cheered. Afterwards we all had a cup of tea together and Orlando went to the gift shop. People were queuing up to get his autograph and have their picture take with him. He was very friendly and didn't seem to mind."

Orlando said his Gohonzon would take place of pride in his home. It is likely to be kept in a wooden shrine, surrounded by candles. He would chant the holy Japanese mantra nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the scroll twice a day. He must also read and recite two chapters from the Lotus Sutra holy scripture.

Orlando, who played elf Legolas in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has never publicly spoken about his religious faith but has often been seen clutching Buddhist prayer beads.

'Lord of the Rings' hobbit draws fans to his new role in 'Lost' series - The Clarion-Ledger

'Lord of the Rings' hobbit draws fans to his new role in 'Lost' series - The Clarion-Ledger

December 2, 2004

'Lord of the Rings' hobbit draws fans to his new role in 'Lost' series

By Bill Keveney
USA Today

The Lord of the Rings movies and ABC's Lost are divergent tales, but they have more in common than meets the eye. Both are runaway hits. Each features filming on a verdant Pacific island that allows for adventurous off-day activities.

"I love having the opportunity to surf," says Dominic Monaghan, speaking from Hawaii where he is part of the Lost ensemble.

And, of course, both share Monaghan — who came to renown as the hobbit Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck in the Tolkien trilogy — and his exceptionally devoted fan base.

That last common point has been a boon for Lost (Wednesdays, 7 p.m.), which drew its largest audience to date, 18.7 million viewers, for a Nov. 3 episode that focused on Monaghan's character, drug-addled Charlie. According to ABC, that's not a coincidence.

"We saw that over the summer, when we would do events. Dominic was mobbed by fans. They were burning up the Internet," says Lance Taylor, who oversees ABC's scripted shows.

For the 27-year-old, who was born in Berlin and grew up there and in England, some of the differences between the productions and characters offered the most appeal.

After becoming so identified as an adventurous hobbit paired with friend Pippin (Billy Boyd), Monaghan now plays a troubled rocker, one of 48 people stranded on an island after their plane breaks up in flight.

"It was important to me to choose something contemporary after the amount of fantasy stuff I've been involved with," he says. Also, "I wanted something I knew was going to appeal to the audience." He got that. Lost averages more than 17.5 million viewers, making it the second-most-popular new show of the season (behind ABC's Desperate Housewives).

Although some fans were skeptical when Monaghan chose a TV role, they quickly embraced Lost and the very different character of Charlie, says Cyndi Haulk, who runs The Dom Project (www.dominic-monaghan.us).

"I have not come across any Dominic fan who is not also a fan of Lost," says Haulk, 35, of Charlotte. "I know that many people started watching Lost because of Dominic's involvement, but I think people kept watching because it's genuinely good."

As much as Monaghan liked Lost's concept, he also admired the vision of one of its creators, J.J. Abrams (Alias). The feeling must have been mutual, because the Charlie character originally was to be a 45-year-old has-been rock star. With Monaghan in mind, the role was remade into a younger one-hit wonder.

Monaghan is enjoying Hawaii, where he resides with his pet chameleon, Karma. He likes his Lost colleagues, but generally keeps to himself off set. But he still retains close ties with his Rings mates, with whom he spent three years filming in New Zealand.

"Dominic Monaghan enjoys being 'Lost'

The Star Online Malaysia Entertainment: eCentral: News & Features: "Dominic Monaghan enjoys being 'Lost'
By Marisa Guthrie

Getting stranded on an inhospitable island with a bunch of nefarious characters and a blood-thirsty beast that lurks in the bushes has turned out to be a good thing for Dominic Monaghan.

The British actor acquired cult fame status by playing the hairy-footed Hobbit Merry Brandybuck in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy. And now his smoldering portrayal as tortured rocker Charlie on ABC's 'Lost' has positioned him as one of the hit show's breakout stars.

'It's great to be in a show that people actually watch,' Monaghan told the New York Daily News recently.

'My friends watch it,' he continued. 'And it's great because they're not tuning in to a piece of sh-- show just to see me. They watch it because they want to watch it.'

Monaghan has seen his share of bad TV, most of it in his native England. Although he has the blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' movies to his credit, he had few reservations about committing to an American TV project.

'American television is just a lot more dynamic and creative,' said Monaghan. 'There seems to be quite a lot invested in American television. They take it really quite seriously over here, which is really refreshing. They give it a lot of weight.'

Another selling point was J.J. Abrams, the mastermind behind 'Alias,' who created 'Lost.' The new show revolves around a group of people stranded on an island after a plane crash.

'(Abrams) was someone that I was really impressed with,' said Monaghan. 'He has an innate ability to get you excited about what he's working on.'

The cast of 'Lost' is sequestered on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where they endure a grueling production schedule and little advance warning of plot developments lest spoilers end up on the myriad 'Lost' fan sites.

'They track all the scripts so if one turns up on eBay, they will know who did it,' Monaghan said. 'They keep up with what's being said on the Internet and make sure that they confirm or deny rumors that pop up.'

But Monaghan has some information about upcoming episodes.

'In future flashbacks, you're going to see Charlie (at) the height of his heroin addiction,' he said.

'We're definitely going to see more of the monster,' he added, offering another snippet of plot. 'At least one of the major characters is going to die by the end of the season. And the monster could be the reason that character gets lost.'

On whether or not there is a supernatural element, Monaghan is more cryptic.

'Everyone on the island,' he said, 'is linked in some way.'

- Copyright (c) 2004 KRT News Service"


*********

Sent to me thru LOTR Gossip Yahoo Group

Hobbits maintain off-screen fellowship

[from AIM Celebrity]

“Lost” star Dominic Monaghan reports that he and his “Lord of the Rings’” homies, er hobbits, are creating their own off-screen fellowship.

“Elijah Wood and I are working on starting up a T-shirt company,” says Monaghan. “We’re just big fans of clothes so we want to do certain designs of clothes we wish were out there, with text we’d like to see on T-shirts. We’re in the midst of putting together designs now.”



Monaghan says he’s also collaborating with Billy Boyd, who played Pippin in the “LOTR” sagas. “Billy and I are in the midst of writing and doctoring a couple of scripts.”

The actor, who’s been in Hawaii shooting “Lost,” says the “LOTR” fellowship, which includes Viggo Mortenson and Orlando Bloom, does more than just stay in touch. “I still see the guys all the time.” In fact, he’s expecting visits from the “LOTR” gang through the holidays. “Viggo and Orlando are coming over for Thanksgiving. Then Billy and Elijah are coming over for New Year’s Eve.” They’ll need all of Gandalf’s magical powers to keep the “LOTR” groupies away, that’s for sure.


Published November 8, 2004

When it rains, it pours..

We finally manage to get Brian's check in his name and not his mother's. I get a little raise at work... but nothing ever changes.. the fucking van breaks down just as he's dropping me off for work & we had to drop almost $50 to replace spark plug wires, the distributor cap... and send $70 to the phone company to beg them to turn the damn phone back on... after all that... he got everything put together on the van & finally got somebody off their self-important ass long enough to get a jump for the battery, only to find out the alternator is bad & that's $70..... which means our last $70 & that's not even till Monday... then no food, no nothing.. we'll be lucky if there' s even gas to put in the van once it's "fixed". ONe small good note: Brian is sposeta start a job on Monday cleaning up some school that burnt down, so maybe that's a little more cash...

WHy must everything be so fucking hard....?!?!?!??! We could be very happy together if the rest of the world would just let us.

EP Misc: 19 Oct 2004

EP Misc: 19 Oct 2004: "GAY MARRIAGE

From: Stephanie Kagehiro

Q: I happen to be a straight female who opposes the idea of gay marriage. Please believe me when I say that I have absolutely nothing against gays or lesbians. I believe that if two persons love each other, they have every right to pursue their happiness and are entitled to the same basic freedoms enjoyed by everyone else. I am simply opposed to the usage of the term 'marriage' in these instances. I feel that the definition of 'marriage' is the union of a man and a women and should not be used to define any other relationship. If another term were used to describe the union between two homosexuals, I personally feel that much of the opposition would disappear. I can certainly understand your opposition to this suggestion. Using a different term to describe a gay couple might make that union seem that much less 'holy' and therefore less of a commitment to certain straight individuals. My only answer to that is, given the astronomical rate of divorces these days, there doesn't appear to be that much 'holiness' or deep commitment in the straight world. Another argument against my suggestion is that using another term could lead to all sorts of discrimination when applying for a job, getting into college, purchasing insurance, etc. Besides being wrong and totally unethical, this sort of discrimination is entirely unhelpful to society. Laws can go into place to prevent, or at least deter, such occurances, although one could argue that such laws would fail, judging by the amount of discrimination going on right now. I am an Irish-Japanese (%100 American) nineteen-year-old kid and already I've been discriminated against for my Asian heritage. I also hope this letter did not offend you or anyone else--that was certainly not my intention.

A: Underlying your clear argument, which many agree with, is perhaps a concern that gay marriage might reduce the validity of straight marriage. It would not, any more than your heritage reduces the status of Americans from other origins.

Religions have traditionally associated marriage with reproduction, although as they happily bless childless unions, why not gay ones? But the state should have no bar to society's recognition of a publically declared parnership of any two people of whatever gender or sexuality. 'Marriage' is only a word but if gays and lesbians wish to use it, they should for equality's sake be allowed to use it."

Stone Drops Into Caribbean

Thanks to a persistent Johnny Depp, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is on board both sequels to Pirates Of The Caribbean. Depp famously based his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Captain Jack
Sparrow on the ageing rocker who will, in turn, play Sparrow's father in the forthcoming films - and not the ship's plank, as previously suspected.

Apparently Richards has already been fitted for his costume, with production (on both movies) scheduled to begin at the end of February. Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Crook, Geoffrey Rush, and director Gore Verbinski will all return for the shoot, which is likely to extend until the end of next year. This will cost Disney a fortune in rum.

Happy Birthday to you.....

Happy 46th birthday to Viggo Mortensen!



Viggo Mortensen, who was born in Manhattan, New York on 20 October, 1958, is

46 years old today. Viggo Mortensen played Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings

movies, and most recently Frank Hopkins in Hidalgo. He is also an

accomplished poet, photographer and painter.

McKellen, Hines, McCann, Gurney, Murray, Parsons to Be Inducted Into Theatre

Hall of Fame

By Robert Simonson

19 Oct 2004





Actors Len Cariou, Gregory Hines, Ian McKellen, Brian Murray and Estelle

Parsons, playwright A.R. Gurney, designer Santo Loquasto and producer

Elizabeth Ireland McCann will be inducted into The Theater Hall of Fame on

Jan. 24, 2005.



The ceremony will take place in the North Rotunda of the Gershwin Theatre.

The winners were chosen by 350 voting members of the Theater Hall or Fame

and the American Theater Critics Association.



Cariou was the original Sweeney Todd in the Sondheim musical by the same

name. His other Broadway credits include A Little Night Music, The Speed of

Darkness and Proof. He won a Tony Award for Sweeney Todd.



Hines, who died in 2003, starred in the Broadway musicals Sophisticated

Ladies, Eubie! and Jelly's Last Jam, for which he won a Tony.



The English McKellen has starred in the Broadway productions of Amadeus,

Wild Honey and The Dance of Death. He received a Tony Award for the first.



Murray's many credits include The Crucible, The Little Foxes, A Little

Family Business, Racing Demon, Uncle Vanya, Noises Off and The Circle.



Parsons recently starred in the Broadway revival of Morning's at Seven.

Other shows include Seven Descents of Myrtyle, Miss Reardon Drinks a Little

and the one-person play Miss Margarida's Way.



McCann, a producer of three decades' standing, has backed such works as

Dracula, The Elephant Man, The Goat, Dance of Death, Copenhagen, 'night,

Mother, Good, The Dresser, Crimes of the Heart and Mass Appeal. Seven of her

productions have netted a Best Play or Best Revival Tony Award.



Gurney is the author of dozens of plays, including The Dining Room, Later

Life, Labor Day, The Cocktail Party, Love Letters, The Perfect Party and

Mrs. Farnsworth.



Loquasto's countless credits include Grand Hotel, Ragtime, Fosse, Tale of

the Allergist's Wife, Cafe Crown, Bent, That Championship Season and Long

Day's Journey Into Night. He won Tonys for both his set and costume design

for Grand Hotel and for his costume design for the 1977 Broadway revival of

The Cherry Orchard.

BostonHerald.com - the Edge: Ring of truth: Hobbit Sean Astin tells all in new memoir

BostonHerald.com - the Edge: Ring of truth: Hobbit Sean Astin tells all in new memoir

Ring of truth: Hobbit Sean Astin tells all in new memoir
By Stephanie Schorow
Saturday, October 16, 2004


Five minutes after arriving in Boston, Sean Astin - ``Sam'' in the blockbuster ``Lord of the Rings'' movie trilogy - launches a quest.

He wants a bite to eat. Merrily ditching his handlers, Astin, 33,
strolls down Land Boulevard, finds a restaurant and sweet-talks the staff into making a pre-lunchtime snack.

The upbeat actor is decidedly more svelte than the onscreen hobbit, but Astin's wool sweater, sturdy shoes and jaunty cap could have been tailored in the Shire.

``There's a lot of me in Sam,'' Astin said, heartily diving,
hobbit-like, into his soup. ``But I know Sam is better than me. He's an archetype of the nature and essence of loyalty and goodness. I'm a clay-footed, flawed human being. Sam's grace and his simplicity are so admirable. And while I can appreciate it, I haven't figured out how to live that yet.

``I seem to want to be a little more strategic than Sam ever wants to be in his life.''

Astin's strategy is laid out in his book ``There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale'' ($25, St. Martin's Press), written with Joe Layden. The book details Astin's early career and his emotionally draining work on ``Lord of the Rings'' in New Zealand.

In a rambling, conversational style, Astin's book dishes details on fellow Rings actors as well as Warren Beatty, Pauly Shore and other Hollywood types. He talks lovingly - yet truthfully - about his mother, actress Patty Duke, and father, actor John Astin, who played Gomez on ``The Addams Family'' and was briefly considered for the role of Gandalf in the trilogy.

Astin is Sam with a plan: he wants to direct, produce, even run for Congress one day. Yet his book lays out his anxieties, mistakes and missteps as well as successes.

``The truth is I've had extraordinary advantages laid before me so it seems almost kind of unfair for me to appropriate this `pull-yourself-up by the bootstraps' narrative,'' he said. ``But that's the way it felt.''

Astin confirms the various stories circulating about LOTR actors'
camaraderies and dedication, with his own twists. Like how Viggo Mortensen so thoroughly lived his role as Aragorn that he hounded director Peter Jackson with suggestions. Or how Astin tangled with Andy Serkis when Gollum's stand-in pulled off Sam's wig in a too-real scene.

He happily pulls down his thick sock to display the Elvish tattoo that almost all the Fellowship actors got to seal their bond. But he admitted he hadn't even heard of Tolkien before the movie.

His book ``is as honest as it could be. It's not comprehensive. But it is honest. And it's maybe a little more abrasive than I wanted it to be,'' he said.

Even if superstardom has eluded him, ``I don't think I'm ready to let go yet of the idea that I could carry motion pictures,'' Astin said. ``I think there's precedent in Hollywood for leading men to not conform to traditional standards of good looks and sex appeal. You think of Jimmy Cagney or Tom Hanks.''

At least, that's the plan. He noted humorously, however, that the editors had packed his book with Orlando Bloom pictures.


***********************************************

*runs to the store with credit card*

"I know you have the book! Don't lie to me, I know you're not sold out! You're just hoarding them till payday! Cough it up sister!"

Bishies In Bondage 2005

I'm part of a small but growing anime company, Instant Infamy, Inc. and we've just put the finished touches on our "Bishies in Bondage" Calendar for 2005. The artwork includes Naruto, GUndam Wing, Heat Guy J... and many others. A full 16-month calendar in beautifull colour and detail. On sale now at Instant Infamy Inc's website.


Thanks for taking time to check it out!

[Fic] Better Than Sake 1/1 (TenKen)

Pairing: TenKen



Rated: PG13 for a brief passage or two



Disclaimer: The many incarnations and characters of Saiyuki were

created by the wonderfully talented Kazuya Minekura--may she be forever

blessed and properly deified for sharing her vision with the rest of

us.  I venture onto her playground in the name of entertainment and

maintaining my sanity; in so doing I mean no disrespect or copyright

infringement...



Summary: Mildly-hung-over Kenren, mildly-bitchy Tenpou, and a rather

roundabout discussion of their relationship...





A/N: Just to clarify, this fic features Manga-Kenren--with the nice

black hair, not that nasty garish pink dye-job--despite the fact that I

gave him his anime boots.  Also, he's paired with Manga-Tenpou and his

vaguely-goofy prettiness rather than Anime-Tenpou, with his

usually-too-pinched face and washed-out coloring and funky plastic

action-figure hair...



------------------

Better Than Sake

By TJ Dragonblade

------------------



It was approaching mid-day by the time that General Kenren finally

managed to drag himself from his quarters to knock at the heavy door of

Tenpou's office, persistently dogged by the tenacious echoes of the

Hangover From Hell all the way.  Part of him regretted the extent to

which he had indulged himself at the previous evening's banquet; and

yet part of him knew that he would do exactly the same thing next time

around despite the fact that he had spent most of the morning getting

intimately acquainted with the commode in his private washroom. And

while his head still felt a bit hammered and tenderized--leaving him

somewhat sensitive to everyday noises and wishing the sun filtering

through the windows were just a *bit* less bright--by now the dry-mouth

and the nausea and the worst of the physical symptoms had passed, more

or less, and he figured it was high time he made an appearance. 



Especially considering the resignedly-disapproving look on Tenpou's

face when they'd parted company last night in the banquet hall...



Receiving no discernible answer to his knock--not that he'd truly

expected any; the gesture was one of habitual courtesy more than

anything else--he cracked the door open and peered around it.  "Oi.

Tenpou.  You in here?"



The absently-rumpled figure hunched over the desk shifted

non-committally in response; Kenren took it as invitation and slipped

into the cozy, blessed quiet of the diffusely-lit chamber, nudging the

door gently closed again behind him.



Tenpou said nothing, hardly even acknowledged the additional presence

in the room, appearing completely absorbed in the over-sized book open

on the desk before him, tie comfortably loose beneath his unbuttoned

collar, the tip of one finger tracking lightly down the page before he

turned to the next.



Kenren blew out a sigh and sank into the nearest chair--or rather, the

nearest chair that didn't require relocating more than three books to

be serviceable--and slouched gratefully, fragile head resting tilted

over the back.  He scanned the room idly, wondering--and not for the

first time--how on earth the field marshal could manage to return the

office to this level of complete disorganization so thoroughly on a

regular basis, much less ever find *anything* in such a state of

perpetual disarray.  "...Time to straighten up again already, eh?" he

asked conversationally, lifting his head into a less apathetic

position.



Tenpou said nothing still, simply turned his page again.



Kenren frowned.  Certainly, Tenpou was not always the most socially

gifted of men, particularly when ensconced in the comfortable chaos of

his own office; but this was stretching the bounds of politeness even

for him.



"Hey.  Don't I warrant even a 'hello'?"



Tenpou glanced up briefly over the rims of his glasses, fixing Kenren

with a weighted look that made the general feel like a mis-behaved

adolescent pinned beneath the scrutiny of a stern headmaster once

again. 



Kenren blinked, resisting the sudden compulsion to squirm, and Tenpou's

sharp green eyes flicked back to the book as he spoke at last.



"From the lateness of the hour and the fact that you've only *just*

ventured forth from your bed, can I assume that you made a drunken

spectacle of yourself yet again at the banquet last night once I left?"



Oh.  So that's all that was bothering him?  Despite the lingering

sensation of fractures in his skull, Kenren couldn't help but crack

into a fond grin of reverie as he answered.  "Tenpou, darling, you

would have been *appalled*." 



He may just as well have said 'proud' for all the remorse in his tone.



Tenpou merely shook his head slightly with a sound somewhere between a

long-suffering sigh and a mothering cluck of disapproval and turned

another page of the tome before him.



"Oh, it wasn't *that* bad."  Kenren waved dismissively.  "The entire

evening is still clear in my memory--"  He briefly assumed the tone of

a soldier reporting to his superior officer.  "In no way did my

behavior reflect shamefully on the Western Army nor do I really have

any reason to be personally embarrassed."  His tone slipped back to

casual.  "On top of that, I retired to bed alone and I woke up alone.

And I certainly wasn't the only one drinking.  Goujun was putting them

away fast and furious, too--I never would've guessed the old boy could

hold his liquor so well..."

 

"Oh, a most fitting accomplishment *indeed* for his subordinates to be

bragging about the next day..."



"Feh--it's good for morale.  The soldiers were *very* impressed, I tell

you.  After all, who wants to serve under a commander who can't loosen

up with his troops every once in awhile?"



"Every *once* in awhile is perfectly acceptable, Kenren, and I think

that Goujun understands that.  *You*, however, seem to have decided

that the notion should be 'as often as possible'; and I'm afraid you're

going to *lose* the respect of your troops if you keep this up..."  The

note of concern in his voice belied the coldness of his outward

demeanor.



Kenren shook his head, regretting it almost instantly as the room

swayed and tilted sharply in the wake of the motion.  "I know my

limits."



Tenpou arched a highly skeptical eyebrow in reply; his eyes continued

dodging back and forth across the text before him all the while.



Kenren crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest, the folds of his

uniform coat creaking softly in emphasis.  "When *you* manage to keep

this library of yours tidied for more than three days running, *that's*

when I give up the drinking."



Tenpou's head tilted away slightly in a disdainfully noncommittal sort

of gesture as he turned his page; and Kenren found himself almost

annoyed at how well the other could express himself without saying a

word.  The general's eyes narrowed slightly in response; he never *had*

appreciated being treated so dismissively, particularly when Tenpou was

indulging in this vaguely holier-than-thou demeanor.



Lucky for him, he knew just the buttons to push that would bring the

marshal down a notch or two...



He stretched casually, lacing his hands behind his head and directing

his gaze toward the ceiling once more.  "That Goujun, though...he

certainly is a lovely creature," he remarked idly, his tone very

carefully innocent.  "I wonder if all that sake he drank last night

would've been sufficient to give me a chance at taking him to bed..."



Tenpou snorted, a haughty, derisive sound, and adjusted his spectacles

primly.  "I find that *highly* unlikely."  His eyes barely flicked up

from his book, their expression mildly venomous.  "Nor do I think it

would be a particularly good idea..."



Well, at least he wasn't too put out to feel a little jealousy this

afternoon...  Kenren grinned, not able to care that doing so would only

serve to irk Tenpou further.



That jealousy...it was one of the many little quirks that he so liked

about Tenpou.  He could ogle or even bed any woman he cared to, and

Tenpou never batted an eye; but mention an interest in some other man

and Tenpou would turn possessive in a flash.



It was always nice to know that one was fully appreciated.



And the fact that Tenpou would never admit to being jealous--that was

rather endearing, too; the way he acted like he couldn't be bothered to

care one way or the other despite the sharp bite of his words, or the

way his nose would turn up just the slightest bit in unconcerned

superiority even as his eyes betrayed his true annoyance, as they did

now...



Kenren's grin softened slightly, turning fondly introspective.  Really,

there was a lot to like about Tenpou.  He was...a distinctly quirky

individual, to be sure, as had been Kenren's intial impression; but the

general had swiftly found that quirkiness rather endearing and greatly

to his liking.  Tenpou was an oddity among the kami upper ranks--a man

saddled with high authority and power who yet preferred to stay quietly

in the background for the most part, more interested in researching the

history of various wars than actively participating in current affairs.

Which was certainly an attitude that Kenren could understand--the

beaurocracy they served was a web of corruptible officials and

soft-bellied intrigue chock-full of smarmy folk with petty squabbles

over insignificant trivialities, and dealing with it all soured his

stomach on a daily basis.  Especially when there were serious issues

lurking amongst all the pompous fluff and red tape that went utterly

ignored for the most part.



And Tenpou thought the same way he did, hid a very sharp intellect

behind that absently cheerful persona, which was probably one of the

reasons they'd gotten along so well from the start.  After all,

like-minded individuals thrust into proximity by circumstance had a way

of banding together against the currents trying to sweep them into the

crowd.  Kenren had grown quite attached to his eccentric marshal,

comfortable in the easy rapport that had developed so quickly between

them.  They'd gone from comrades to bedmates in no time at all, and

over the course of their affair, they'd become...well, in all honesty,

Kenren supposed he'd have to call them friends.     



And 'friend' was a word that Kenren had never tossed about so casually

as most of heaven's denizens were inclined to do.



He levelled a measuring gaze at Tenpou a moment, studying the marshal

while the marshal studied his book.



People were right to call the man pretty, no doubt about it--that dark

hair feathering carelessly over smooth porcelain-fair skin; those

green, green bespactacled eyes that could see right through a person

when they wanted to; the deceptively delicate curve of those

cheekbones; that lovely slender neck and that invitingly sculpted mouth

that was simply begging to be kissed; the lean, simple body hidden

under those plain clothes that did nothing to mask the memories Kenren

held of that body warm and alive in his bed...and he couldn't help

recalling, then, the way that Tenpou moved beneath him, deliberate and

sure, arching and twisting with that smugly calculating gleam in his

eye, expertly driving Kenren out of his mind; the thrill that he always

felt when Tenpou finally lost his control and fell into helpless

passion; the way Tenpou's elegant hands clutched at him and Tenpou's

lips trembled at his ear as that soft voice gasped fervently wicked

words of fulfillment at last... 



Kenren smiled slightly, watching as those lips turned down a bit and a

faint frown of mild consternation creased the marshal's brow as Tenpou

flipped through another few pages.  Yes, the man was undoubtedly

lovely; and--back to the point--definitely qualified as his friend,

quirks and beauty and all.  But it certainly didn't hurt matters any

that Tenpou was ingeniously talented in the bedchamber, an absolute

delight between the sheets.  And in the bath.  And in private hidden

bowers of the gardens.  And, on occasion, in this very office, atop the

desk or otherwise.  And once or twice in some dark forgotten corner of

the prison block.  And even in the banquet hall that one time, well

into the wee hours of the morning when they had both been rather

inebriated and the few other celebrants still present had finally

succumbed to the inevitable alcoholic stupor...



Kenren wiped the silly grin from his face before Tenpou could start to

wonder just what had so amused him.



After all, they'd been discussing his drinking habits; and while he

would never let on that he put serious value in Tenpou's opinion of

such things, the truth was that if Tenpou had broached the subject to

him, then it was definitely worth the mulling over...



He stood and stretched, demeanor casual to downplay his serious

consideration of Tenpou's reprimands.  "...So you really think I'm too

free with the alcohol?"



Tenpou leafed absently through a few more pages, the crease between his

eyebrows deepening.  "I think you are a man who indulges his passions

as he sees fit and rarely has any regard for concepts such as

'moderation' or 'temperence'."



Kenren opened his mouth to make reply, but Tenpou wasn't finished yet.



"You are none too popular with certain powerful individuals, as I'm

sure you're aware; and in all honesty, I'd rather not see you

transferred again or dismissed for disgraceful reasons of any sort,

particularly as your assignment to the Western Army was precipitated by

scandalous circumstances to begin with."  His eyes never left the book.



Kenren sighed, bristling mildly at the implied slight to his military

service.  "For the ten-thousandth time, *she* came on to *me*.  I was

only there to inform her of the...altercation I'd had with her husband,

and apologize for the state I'd put him in; but...she wasn't interested

in listening.  She seemed quite set on seducing me.  I did everything I

could to talk sense into the woman, but she was having none of it--"



"Ahh, but Kenren, the way I hear the story, she was certainly having

quite a lot of *something*..."



Kenren shook his head and continued on, unwilling to cater further to

Tenpou's bemused sense of humor at the moment.  "I can't help the fact

that her husband came to and came home before I could get things under

control."



"Your clothes were in the other *room*, Kenren."



"She tore them off of me and forcibly dragged me to the bedchamber."



"So you've maintained all this time.  Tell me, though--how far did you

intend to let things progress before 'getting them under control',

hmm?"



"...I didn't want to hurt her.  I'd already made quite a mess of her

husband, after all..."



"Oh, indeed."  Tenpou licked the tip of one finger and turned his page,

eyes still fixed to the text.  "And I'm quite sure her husband

appreciated the sentiment; but the fact remains that the incident

landed you here under my authority and I don't want disgraceful

behaviour of any sort whisking you away again."



"And you think my drinking habits border on disgraceful."



"I think that you would do well to consider what those with higher

authority would label them."



And again, that was just so like Tenpou, answering questions without

really answering them, leaving room for interpretation in more than one

direction; giving answers of the sort that would satisfy those who had

heard what they'd wanted to hear whether or not the marshal truly

agreed with them.  Tenpou had such guileless ambiguity down to a fine

art.



But Kenren had known him long enough by now to have become quite adept

at reading between the lines.



Tenpou didn't really care one way or the other about how much he drank,

or even what any higher-ups thought; Tenpou's concern was whether or

not his love for the sake would end up splitting them under seperate

commands again.



Tenpou didn't want to lose his companionship.



And truthfully, Kenren reciprocated the sentiment wholeheartedly.  Not

that either of them would ever say as much so directly, of course--that

would be entirely too trite, and too...well, sentimental.



But really, life with Tenpou was far more entertaining than it had any

right to be.  And with the two of them being so much alike in their

views of the world and their opinions of the state of affairs in

Tenkai, Kenren was definitely in no hurry to be shifted to some other

command or booted from the military entirely.



Tenpou was quite important to him.  He could admit as much in the

privacy of his own thoughts if nowhere else. 



And maybe it really wouldn't hurt to convey a little of that to the

marshal, try to allay some of those unpsoken insecurities, especially

in light of Tenpou's own indirect and somewhat back-handed admission...



He settled against the side of Tenpou's desk, perching on the edge of

it and loosely folding his arms.  "There are few things in life more

delightful than drinking, Tenpou."



Another page turned.  "Yes, you *do* love your sake..."



Kenren waved one hand in impatient dismissal.  "Yes, yes--I'm a

hopeless lush and an irredeemable drunkard, we've established that; but

I wanted to talk about those other things."



Abruptly, he boosted himself onto the desk and swung his legs around in

front of Tenpou, intending to interpose himself between the marshal and

that oh-so-fascinating text.  But Tenpou, somehow, was one step ahead

of him and simply scooted back casually, quite unperturbed, sliding the

book into his lap and refusing to allow his reading to be interrupted

despite Kenren's increasingly-less-than-subtle efforts, by all

appearances oblivious to the fact that his lover was trying to hold a

conversation with him. 



Biting back a sigh, Kenren hunched over a little, hands planted on the

edge of the desk beside him, leaning toward Tenpou, who just kept

skimming through the book.



"As I was saying--there are few things more delightful than drinking in

this life.  And when a person finds one of those things, it ought to

be..."  He searched for his words.  "Treated with the proper

importance, yes?"



Tenpou nodded absently and turned a page.



"Like friends, for example.  A good friend is both more valuable and

more fulfilling than a good drink, and far more difficult to come by."



"Indeed."  Another page turned.



"And far more difficult to replace..." Kenren trailed off, not even

sure if Tenpou was truly listening to him and just a bit self-conscious

about whether or not his words were coming out right--despite his

undeniably silver tongue, he never had possessed much of a gift for

expressing himself sincerely in meaningful conversation.  He shook his

head slightly and started again from another angle.



"How long has it been since we started sleeping together?"



"I've lost track," Tenpou answered blithely, skimming down the page

before turning it again.



That book...that damned book and his lover's absorption in it were

starting to get on Kenren's nerves.  "What are you looking for,

anyway?"



Tenpou glanced up, blinking, appearing vaguely startled. "Hmm?"



Kenren gestured at the open tome in Tenpou's lap.  "What are you trying

to find in that thing?"



"Oh."  Green eyes flicked back to the parchment pages.  "Nothing in

particular..."



Well, wasn't *that* just peachy.  Annoyed, Kenren abruptly toed the

cover closed and set his boot firmly atop it, a faint jingle from the

hardware along the calf emphasizing his act.  "Dammit, then, pay

*attention* to me when I'm speaking, will you?" he demanded, somewhat

petulantly.



Tenpou's eyes lifted again, meeting his boldly with a look of polite

inquiry underlaid by a hint of vindictive satisfaction.  The marshal

folded his arms over his chest, leaning back and arching one eyebrow

slightly.  "Not only was I paying attention, Kenren; I commented where

appropriate and answered nearly every question put to me."  His voice

was mellow, mild as a young spring breeze.



"I'd like your *undivided* attention," Kenren growled, removing his

boot from Tenpou's lap and setting the book aside, aggravation creeping

up his spine. 



"Ah, well, I'm terribly sorry but the nature of my job requires that my

attention be constantly divided."  Tenpou brushed him off with a

dismissive air, the sparkle of infinite amusement in his eyes only

irritating Kenren all the more.



"Dammit, I'm trying to say something important here!"  How had he gone

so quickly from gleefully pushing Tenpou's buttons only moments before

to having his own expertly pushed in return?



"Words of importance from the tongue of General Kenren, subordinate to

the Dragon King of the Western Seas?"  Tenpou rested his jaw on the

heel of one hand in a mockery of rapt attention, index finger laid

against his cheek while his knuckles curled at his mouth, ready to hide

any hint of a smile--a vaguely snobbish gesture of amused superiority

set off to perfection by the upward tilt of his eyebrows.  "Do tell..."



"Can you *never* take me seriously, then?"



"Now Kenren, really--where would be the sense in that?"



"You...self-righteous, empty-headed arrogant little--" Enough was

enough.  Kenren was no good with putting delicate sentiments into

proper words, and Tenpou clearly held little stock in the value of his

words as it was.  Exasperated, the general fell back on the one sure

way he knew of to *make* Tenpou pay him the proper mind.



He pulled the marshal abruptly forward with a quick yank to the tie,

seized Tenpou's face, and kissed him soundly, muffling the little

startled yelp that escaped his lover's throat.



It would be quite difficult for Tenpou to talk back while his mouth was

otherwise occupied, after all.  Particularly with Kenren putting the

whole of his considerable talents of seduction into the effort--Tenpou

likely wouldn't have a single quick-witted sharp-tongued thought in his

head by the time that kiss was through.



And certainly, kissing the man really was a delightful pastime, Kenren

concluded, pressing closer, charming his way easily through Tenpou's

defenses, teasing at the soft tobacco-and-mint taste of his quirky

marshal, irritation bleeding out of him quite suddenly.  Tenpou's mouth

was so *nice*, firm yet yielding, all warm and supple and

responsive--Kenren's hands gentled slightly, stroking the back of his

lover's neck and playing up under that lovely dark mink-like hair; and

he indulged a flare of smug complacency as he felt Tenpou positively

melt beneath his touch.  Savoring his victory, he deftly countered

Tenpou's parrying tongue and tasted as deeply as he pleased, assured

that he had finally gained the marshal's full attention.



And at long last he broke off, slightly breathless himself, quite

satisfied with the rapt expression on Tenpou's face as those green eyes

blinked open, soft behind their lenses, sharpening a bit as they

focused but falling quite short of the bite they'd possessed just

moments before.  



Kenren allowed himself the barest hint of a smile, the perfect words

he'd needed suddenly clear in his mind.



"All the time we've been together, as much of a pain in the ass as you

are, this--" he lapped briefly at the cleft of Tenpou's mouth again

"--that...it's still better than sake..."



Tenpou made no move to pull away from the hands that yet held him fast.

"Oh, *I'm* the pain, am I?" 



"Yes.  But you're still better than sake."



"Well.  I suppose I can live with that..."  Tenpou's mouth twisted in a

wry smirk, but his eyes were soft with a genuine smile.



And that warmed Kenren better than any drink ever could.

-------

Fin

-------

Beg: 7/13/04

End: 9/24/04



C&C welcome - tj.dragonblade@gmail.com



=====

TJ Dragonblade

Badge-toting officer of the DWPS

Reincarnated English Teacher & Custodian of Wufei's kinky streak

http://www.livejournal.com/users/tj_dragonblade/



"Please don't use holy magic on civilians."

    Cho Hakkai  ~Saiyuki~ (manga)

********************************.

This beautiful story is not mine. Received in my daily e from Saiyuki Yaoi group mailing list.
I thought the story was great, just fab, and wanted to share it with my loyal fanbase.

Instant Infamy Inc.

Instant Infamy Inc.

Bishies in Bondage calendar!! Check this out!! Yum!!

[.mind blowing.] ..5x3x5 ML mirror site..[main]

[.mind blowing.] ..5x3x5 ML mirror site..[main] My my... such prettiness!!! This is a great site for fanfic & some beautifull fanart all on Saiyuki Sanjyo (Sanzo x Gojyo). Get your fix and come back for more!

Us VS. Them (them = kate-haters)

Lovely to know I'm not the only non-rabid Kate-hating fangirl on the planet! I've found a safe haven for Katelando lovers!!

Former hobbit Dominic Monaghan is far from 'Lost'

By Daniel Fienberg

Zap2it.com





Dominic Monaghan, an actor best known as one of the guardians of the ring in the Oscar-winning

''Lord of the Rings'' movies, is on the phone from Hawaii, where he's just embarked on another

jewelry quest, this time searching for earrings to send his mother for her birthday. There doesn't have

to be anything mystical about the earrings, but they can't be too dangly.



Along the way, there are certainly myriad obstacles. Over the course of a 25-minute interview,

Monaghan is stopped repeatedly for autographs and pictures. He's also accosted by one person who

knows the unassuming thespian looks familiar, but can't identify him. Monaghan cops to being an actor,

but notes only that he's filming ''Lost'' on the island for ABC.



A minute later, the same person returns, more confident.



''Were you in that hobbit thing?''



''Yeah, that's right, I was one of the hobbits,'' Monaghan says, only slightly drawn out. ''I was

at the shop across the street looking for earrings for my mum, but do you know any other craft-y

shops?''



Safely away from his semi-fan and back on the streets, Monaghan laughs at the exchange.



''I think it's the cheesiest thing in the world to be saying 'Oh, I'm an actor' and for people to

go 'Oh, yeah?' and for you to say 'Yes, you may have seen me in such films as blah, blah blah,'''

he explains. ''I help them along the way, but at no point do I say, 'Oh, I'm in 'Lord of the

Rings' because that's like saying 'Oh, I'm a Los Angeles Laker.'''



As good-spirited and occasionally resourceful hobbit Merry Brandybuck, Monaghan was part of a

trilogy that earned billions, but also roared through the Oscars, running the table at this year's

ceremony. In addition to coming away from the experience with fame and adoration, Monaghan quickly

discovered he had been typecast.



''Generally the more pixie-type, Mogwai-kind, Furbee-variety of characters,'' the 26-year-old

says, explaining the roles he was offered. ''There's been an assumption from a lot of casting

directors that I'm a very sweet, cute, cuddly, non-threatening, non-offensive type of person. I think

generally I am and I do have that inside me . but there are other things about me that I want to show

people.''



For many viewers, ''Lost'' will provide the first chance to see the German-born, Manchester,

England native outside of Middle Earth. Monaghan plays Charlie, a member of a once-popular rock band

which had a flourish of fame before vanishing into obscurity. Charlie is skittish and needy and has

a host of other problems that are either revealed in the pilot or as the series progresses.



It's almost impossible not to read a healthy dose of Monaghan onto his character. Caught up in the

''Lord of the Rings'' phenomenon, but not as inextricably linked to it as an Elijah Wood or Viggo

Mortensen, he's still trying to deal with the fact that fans feel that it's acceptable to come up

to him in public and start touching him. Also, between lengthy location shoots for ''LotR'' in New

Zealand and his new gig in Hawaii, Monaghan is used to a certain sense of dislocation.



''There's a lot of stuff that goes on when you leave your home,'' Monaghan notes with a sigh.

''There're a lot of situations when you'd like to sit down with people and explain to them why you've

not been around or why you've not been able to make certain events or birthdays. The bottom line

is that I made the decision when I was 18 that my main drive for the foreseeable future was going

to be my career. It's the thing that drives me.''



A veteran of British television, including the long-running ''Hetty Wainthropp Investigates,''

Monaghan initially had reservations about returning to the small screen and making a potentially

lengthy commitment to a series. He quickly realized that ''Lost'' creators J.J. Abrams (''Alias'') and

Damon Lindelof were making a character that would let him stretch.



''I think we find Charlie at a crossroads in his life and I would like to see him struggle to work

out who he's going to be and how he's going to contribute to the group,'' he says.



Monaghan knows what he contributes to the ''Lost'' group. With dozens of mysteries still

unresolved after the two-part pilot, ''Lost'' has potential to become a cult favorite with fans every bit

as passionate as the devotees of Abrams' spy drama. If that happens, Monaghan is ready to help.



''I'm in this nice position of being aware of it and being able to tell some of the younger cast

members or some of the less experienced cast members that this potentially could be a life changing

thing,'' he says. ''It can get very crazy very quickly and if you don't have your wits about you,

you can really start to get lost.''



''Lost'' premiered at 8 p.m. Wednesday on ABC.

Copyright © 2004, The Morning Call

************

Man! I've got to get this taped! The pilot 2nd half are sposeta air again on Saturday.... I've gotta see this!

Bishies in Bondage Calendar 2005!!!

Thorn's finally finished all the artwork for the long-awaited Bishies in Bondage Calendar for 2005!! I've been sneaking peeks throughout the process & can't wait for my copy!!! *drool* Tal says he's nearly got all the images scanned (yes, people, this stuff is actually drawn by hand - no Adobe cheating here) & will have the link to preview & purchase up soon at the Instant Infamy yahoo group &, most likely, the Instant Infamy homepage.

Behold My Obsessions Yahoo Group

I just started on online group for pictures, fan fic, great links! Anything!

yeah me!

Behold My Obsessions Group

Behold My Obsessions Yahoo Group

I just started on online group for pictures, fan fic, great links! Anything!

yeah me!

Up for a little drooling.... try Destiny Interrupted. The fanart on this site is fantastic!! I started with the POTC art (very nice!) because my beloved Indigo e'd me the linky, but continue on to the rest of the site.... and be ready to right-click!

PORTRAITS%20BY%20KIM%20S.%20SCHULTZ

This chicks portraits are absolutely amazing!

Obsession

Last Updated: 13/08/2004



Evening, ladies and gents!


I'm afraid I've done away with the non-frames version of the pages. The hassle of keeping both sets updated was just too much, resulting in me updating the pages less often that I would have liked. I know several of you use the non-frames version, but I hope you'll forgive me!

Today I have added several images to the Gallery, including some lovely drawings by Gabi. I have also added a couple of links to new Viggo groups on the Links page, and I've updated Viggo News with a couple of items. Also, UK readers, don't forget to set your videos for Crimson Tide, which is showing in Sky Movies twice this month.

Hugs to all...

lynn

xxxx

I've been a busy chick today girls! I made up a new blog ~ The Marvelous Misadventures of Taborliro ~ to tell the amazing, fascinating & completely fictitious (other than in my own little mind) tales of Taborliro- the house I share with Orlando Bloom, Michael Rosenbaum & Alan Cumming.... if you wanna come along for the ride, follow me......

Omigod! How pretty is he?!?!?! I love this new being able to post pics..! Fab-U-lous! And I love the looks Orli's sporting lately... they're callin it the I-wanna-be-Johnny-Depp-when-I-grow-up look! Well Goddess bless Jerry Bruckheimer for putting them together in Pirates coz he's look super delish! 

Obsession

Last Updated: 28/07/2004

Thanks to Bonnie, Linda, Tanja and Cinzia for today's crop of pictures. Wet or dry, Viggo is one of life's great pleasures!

And an early Happy Birthday to my son, Luke, who will be 11 tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Pooh!

hugs

lynn
xxxx


--
Obsession Mailing List, mailinglist@viggophile.net on Wednesday, 28/07/2004 at 22:11:23

billy boyd uk - i'll be your long haired lover from glasgow

I fell in love with James Frain as "Forney" in "Where the Heart Is". Didn't like him much in "The COunt of Monte Christo" - he still looked good, but he was a bad guy.... I want to know why I don't see more of him and why I become enamoured of these amazing guys who disappear!!

The League of Obscure British Actors

Although, I'm not sure a certain number of these boys could still be considered "obscure". Birthdates, Press Listings, and extensive fan listing for each lovely boy:

Orli

Sean Bean
Jack Davenport
Ioan Gruffudd
Ewan McGregor

The prettiness continues....

Anime Shrine
Aniverse

Anime Wallpapers & Pics....

cattle crossing
Abstract Anime
AnimeBGX -DigitalDesktops-
DA! Desktop Anime + v.6 + anime and manga for your desktop
bastardANIME v5 :: am I dreaming?...
digiTalBoing! Fanservice Wapers V4.0!
Imanimetions
-=Rave Anime=- V2 .: Anime Wallpapers, MP3s and Scans

Obsession

Last Updated: 16/07/2004

It's 2am here..so a sleepy hello to you all!

Sorry it's been a week since the last update..real life and all that family stuff has been getting in the way! ;)

Todays' updates are:-

* Some images in the Gallery (page 91) - including the ones of Viggo lying by the side of the road. One of them gives me serious stomach-nuzzling fantasies!
* A couple of lovely wallpapers by Jo - check them out on the Downloads page.
* A link to Brego.net's petition to have the film company re-issue A Walk on the Moon with the deleted scenes put back. The link is in Viggo news.
* A few more UK TV Viggo film showings.

And news that Obsession has made it through to the final of the Movies.com Filmsite awards. Thank you to all of you who supported me by posting on the message board! Could I now be dead cheeky and ask you all to go along to movies.com and vote for me? Pretty please? You have to vote in all the other categories at the same time (well, I suppose there have to be SOME sites out there that aren't dedicated to Viggo!), but if all 789 of you (!) vote, then I'm sure I'll stand a great chance of getting a wee plaque!

hugs to all...

off to bed...

lynn
xxxx


Obsession Mailing List, mailinglist@viggophile.net on Friday, 16/07/2004 at 02:02:47

Karl Urban Eomer

Lost & Blown Away -- Dominic Monaghan

- Lost, the pilot Dom filmed for ABC has been picked up and will be on wednesdays at 8pm. Filming will continue in Hawaii in July.

- Dom finished filming 3 new movies called "Spivs", The Purifiers and Shooting Livien.

- Dom attended Mardi Gras in New Orleans on the 23rd of February.

- Dom attended the Return of the King premiere in Japan on January 21st.

Sounds to me like this is gonna be a fantastic version. I prepare myself for the much knashing of teeth from the purists & shirk on my riot gear to push thru the picket line for my ticket.

Winnipeg Sun: Spotlight - Prince of Wales

Sun, July 11, 2004

Prince of Wales
Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd pins his hopes on Hollywood
By Louis B. Hobson

HOLLYWOOD -- It was just a little over 18 months ago that Ioan Gruffudd set sail for America. The Welsh star of the Emmy Award-winning miniseries Horatio Hornblower realized "Hollywood was where I wanted to work. It's where all the auditions are for major films."

No sooner had Gruffudd settled in West Hollywood than he was on a plane headed for Ireland to film King Arthur, in which he plays Lancelot.

"In the earliest version of the script there was a lot of wenches and carousing but this is a Disney movie, so we didn't even get to film those scenes," says Gruffudd.

In this new version of the Arthurian legend, there was never a love triangle involving Arthur (Clive Owen), Guinevere (Keira Knightley) and Lancelot.

"There are significant glances and verbal swordplay between Lancelot and Guinevere, but no romance. None written and none filmed. In this version, Lancelot is darker and more brooding than in any previous screen version. He's Arthur's moral conscience.

"I'm expecting there will be backlash from the Arthurian purists but I'm really happy I got to be part of something so radically different."

Gruffudd, 30, who was born in Cardiff, has been acting since he was 13.

"I got to play the landlord's son in People of the Valley, the longest-running soap opera in Wales. I've been acting ever since."

American audiences first saw Gruffudd as the animal activist in 102 Dalmatians, a film dear to his heart because that's where he met his partner, Alice Evans.

Gruffudd has already filmed eight episodes for the continuing saga Horatio Hornblower.

"I don't think we've seen the last of Horatio yet. I've played him from the time he was a 17-year-old boy. The series is very popular on both sides of the Atlantic, so there's talk of a few more episodes."

Gruffudd says he "always harboured the notion we'd do a big film version of Hornblower, but Russell Crowe's Master and Commander took the wind out of those sails."

Gruffudd is in negotiations to play Elastic-Man in the film version of Fantastic Four, which is scheduled to begin filming this fall.

DANCY DEMOTED

To join the cast of King Arthur, Hugh Dancy took a bit of a demotion from prince to knight.

Dancy played Prince Charmont opposite Anne Hathaway in the Cinderella story Ella Enchanted.

"I worked for Jerry Bruckheimer in Black Hawk Down, which is how I got on the list of British actors who Jerry and (director) Antoine Fuqua met for King Arthur.

Dancy, 29. plays Sir Galahad, the knight who was searching for The Holy Grail in traditional versions of the Arthurian story.

"Galahad's absolute purity and innocence couldn't possibly fit into the world of Bruckheimer's Arthur, so I had to forget most of what I'd learned about Arthur in school. He is the youngest of Arthur's knights, which is what sets him apart."

Dancy has nothing but praise for Knightley, who plays Guinevere.

"She was the only woman in the core cast of the film and she was considerably younger than the rest of us, but she never asked for special treatment. She was out there training with the rest of us. I could accept her as a warrior woman."

Later this month, Dancy is off to Rwanda to film the drama Shooting Dogs, with John Hurt.

"The film takes place in 1994, at the height of the genocide. We are shooting in the school compound where the actual events took place.

"John will play an old priest who's been in Rwanda for decades. I play the young idealist who thinks he can make a difference."

Dancy says he has no immediate plans to move to North America, though he hopes to be working here in the future.

"I've always wanted to keep a foot in Britain. I'm not certain I would feel comfortable living some place else, though I want to work all over the world."

HATCHET BURIED

Antoine Fuqua was devastated when Denzel Washington failed to thank him publically or personally for directing the actor to an Oscar in Training Day. Star and director have kissed and made up.

"Denzel has agreed to star for me in my next film, Tru Blu," reports Fuqua, who directed King Arthur.

"Steve Zaillian, who wrote Schindler's List and Gangs of New York, has written the screenplay, which, I know, was attractive to Denzel."

In Tru Blu, Washington will play Frank Lucas, who built a heroin dynasty in the 1970s.

"Frank's the guy who they were after in The French Connection. Benicio del Toro is going to play Richie Roberts, the cop who made it his mission to bring Frank down."

PIRATES TO SET SAIL AGAIN

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer hopes to begin filming the sequel to his runaway hit Pirates of the Caribbean this fall.

"Johnny (Depp), Orlando (Bloom) and Keira (Knightley) are all committed to the sequel emotionally but not financially. That's something we have to start working out," says Bruckheimer. "All three are busy, expensive stars now. Johnny's a $20-million man."

Depp has said he wants Keith Richards to play Depp's father in the sequel.

"Johnny loves the idea of having Keith in the movie because he used Keith as an inspiration for his performance, but the part isn't in the script yet. If Johnny insists and Keith agrees, I think it's safe to say it will be written in."

� � � � it's � G R A V I T A T I O N � � � � � [the Yuki/Shuichi fanlisting] � � � � � � � � �

Hurray! A fanlisting...... more of my fellow cult members! LOL

Gravitation - News & Updates

Today's new obsession. This is Tal & Thorn's fault!!! They're always recruiting for their "we love bishies" cult!! The new one is "Gravitation". It's about a teenage (technically 19) pop singer who falls in love with an older, mysterious, smart, supposedly-straight guy. Of course, therre's way more going on in the story than just that, but that's the best part. :)

BBC - Radio 1 News - Elijah Wood

Elijah Wood's hobbit porn shock
Last updated 08 June 2004

What happens when the LOTR actors are confronted with their "online secret lives"?

'Lord of the Rings' star Elijah Wood got a bit of a shock at a press conference in the Czech Republic.

He was answering questions about his new film, an adaptation of the book 'Everything is Illuminated', when a fan wandered up to him and handed him an envelope.

It had written on the front that Elijah should sit down whilst opening the envelope, and inside was a photo. Here's how he reacted:

"Oh... that is so wrong! Oh...that is hilarious! There are some scary things on the internet."

"I don't know if you guys know about this. There are these websites that have pictures of various actors in 'Lord of the Rings' in homosexual positions, and that's one of the pictures that they just gave me."

"The frightening thing about it is they all look a little too real. So you kind of look at it and you're like 'I didn't do that... did I?'"

New Orlando Bloom and Kate Bosworth in Louisville Kentucky - www.ezboard.com

A bit o' Sharpe to share, coz I know you like it....

Chaz, this one's just for you: Sean Bean Daily's Journal


*****************

Orlando, my dear friend, Vanity Fair (Italy), May 2004
scans by WhiteFairy of Orland Bloom Forever, translation by Valeria

My first contact with Orlando was crazy! I flung my arms round his neck and I kissed him. I didn't even know his name when the Guildhall called us to tell us the result of the entrance examination.

After days of rehearsals, improvisations, singing, dancing, we were 100 people left of 1000 that had started.

On that Sunday they called us, we were divided into 3 groups (those who were in, those out, and those who were stand-by, waiting to be someone's substitute). While everyone was in panic, I noticed a guy next to me, and I told myself : "how cute!!", and that was Orlando. He started playing the fool saying: "Hey guys, maybe there's a hidden camera, we're still under examination!".

Then the teachers entered the room saying that we were in, and I kissed Orlando on his face.

At that time I didn't know I was sharing that moment of joy with someone that was about to become one of my best friends.

We used to call each other 'me Maya, me Orlando' (i.e. 'my' in cockney). He's very sweet with friends.

The first time I went to his house he screamed: "Gibbo, Giiiibbo!", and I heard from the other room "Gibbo!"; it was his friend Chris, who Orlando was living with at that time.

We actually became friends some time later. Orlando is from London, so he had his friends there, and that's why he didn't spend much time with the group.

During the second year we all started going out together. Some words in a pub, and we became good friends. We were always together. That year I lived in Stamford Hill in a house with people who were very rude, and I was very far from school, so sometimes I went sleeping to Orlando's in Soho.

He didn't drink or smoke, neither did I, we both liked relaxing in the swimming pool after the lessons, or walking in parks.

Orlando seems absent-minded, but on the contrary he's a great listener. He' a special person. He's very generous, loyal, he has a great capability of loving.

I understood he is a great person when I met his friends. If you want to know someone you have to know his friends. Our school companions didn't see these characteristics. His only friends at the academy were Matthew Brown (who quit after one year), and me.

When I got back to Italy to shoot Marco Bellocchio's "The Nurse", I'd been away for 3 months, and I think Orlando suffered a lot about that. Especially for the accident. It's been a nightmare. At that time, I was very happy because I was the only girl who was asked to study a scene from Hamlet. On a Sunday, Orlando asked me to go out, but I had to study, so I refused. He decided to go to some friends' house for lunch.

Some how, they got stuck out of the house, and, to get into it from a window, Orlando climbed a rain-pipe and fell in an abandoned garden. The next morning teachers were particularly kind to me, a couple of friends came to me like to support me. I noticed Orlando wasn't there. A teacher told me "Yes Maya, It's about Orlando. It's life".

I thought I was about to die. Orlando couldn't have walked again. I immediately ran to the hospital, even if one of my teachers tried to convince me not to. He said to me that the evening his best friend had died, he was on stage. I answered, crying, that I wasn't like him, that that day I didn't care about my job.

Orlando has changed a lot after this experience. Something like this makes you understand your limits.

When I saw him in that hospital bed, he looked terrorized. He was under morphine, and couldn't move.

After 10 days I got back to the hospital, and I saw Chris sitting on Orlando's bed, reading comics. "Where's Orlando?" "In the toilet", he answered, smiling. After a while Orlando came in, walking.

That day I realized that he couldn't be stopped.

Orlando had had job offers even before starting at Guildhall. He was the only one having an agent.

During those 3 years at the academy, he always refused any role that he was offered. On the third year, all the school companions were desperately looking for an agent, and Orlando got 7 letters after a show in which he only had 7 lines.

Everyone was envious, but he had something more, and people noticed it. After I starred in "The Nurse", Orlando too was offered a part in Italy. But he never did it.

The last day of school he was told he was a cast member of The Lord of the Rings. 3 movies in a year and a half in New Zealand. I went to see him; I spent a month there. We traveled a lot. He also made me do some extreme sports that he loves.

We bungee jumped once. I was scared, but I jumped, and I must admit it's been one of the greatest experience of my life. He jumped backwards with a camera. I think it's on the movie's dvd.

Orlando's not only brave, but he's also a creative person, he likes sculpting and taking photographs. On the LotR's set he kept a kind of diary made of polaroids and thoughts. He's a poetic person, he's a dreamer, and he likes people and art.

When we watched Romeo+Juliet, he stated "We should have made it!", and we really could, for the love we share for Shakespeare, and for friendship. We would like to work together, it would be a good excuse to spend some time together, like in the past. At the moment we are working on different movies, even if we have the same tastes. Maybe we'll manage to do it in the future. For now, we live our friendship on the phone. But he always complains that I rarely call, and it's true, but just because it's difficult to find him! He called me from the Caribbean, from Morocco.

Success hasn't changed him, he always has the same friends. When I see his pictures on magazines, I see his t-shirts, his pendants, and I can see the guy I met in London a few years ago, when we both hoped to become actors.


*******************

So many pretty pics... where do I even begin... the obsession for today is: Saiyuki

Obsession

Last Updated: 05/07/2004


Morning..oops..no, afternoon all!

This morning I've added an mp3 from Witness (thank you to Dee for pointing out to me that Viggo actually speaks in this film!). I've also added a dozen or so images to Gallery page 90. Plus I've put up a link (in the "Films on US TV" section) to TV Now's Viggo page, where they list his films showing in the US within the next month. Saves me having to type them all, and also ensures that none get missed out. Looks like quite a good Viggo-on-TV month over that side of the Atlantic! Thanks to Sue for pointing me towards TV Now!


hugs to all

lynn

xxxx


--

Obsession Mailing List, mailinglist@viggophile.net on Monday, 05/07/2004 at 14:05:03

www.viggophile.net


********************


From OBM.net (july 4th):
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Samantha Bloom in Pride and Prejudice"

posted by Jas, 07/04/04
"Just got word from our Orlando contact, Lori, she informed us that Orlando's sister, Samantha has a small part in the upcoming "Pride and Prejudice" which is now in pre-production! As we reported
some time ago, Orlando was considered in the leading role but unfortunately he was not available for the project. Lori will be setting up a site for Samantha soon, we'll keep you posted".
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Some new piccies of everybody from the Wellington premiere. Not pretty posed ones, real pics.


How cute is Dommie with his Bruce Lee tee?!

Lij is adorable without even trying!

Nice piccies of the SamFrodo & some far-2-cute little Lij.

*****************************

David Wenham

http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=4691

Van Helsing: - October 19

Hugh Jackman, you're not fooling me buddy, I'm on to you and your "merry ways". You can play a bad ass mutant and a vampire killing hero all you want but dude, you're not fooling me.

Includes:

commentary with director Stephen Sommers and producer Bob Ducsay Commentary with Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh and Shuler Hensley
Filmmaker's Diary
New World Technology vs. Old World Monsters - FX featurette
Designing Van Helsing: 360-degree IPIX Tour of the sets
Love Bites - a mockumentary
You Are in the Movie - On-location featurette shot with miniature cameras
Anatomy of a Scene: The Masquerade Ball
Creating the Characters and the Monsters - interactive featurette
Interactive Van Helsing Map
Van Helsing Time Lapse - feature containing footage of two key sets being built, filmed and torn down
Outtakes
Anamorphic Widescreen transfer
DD 5.1 track


-------------

Elijah Wood

Delays


Eternal Sunshine: Pushed back to October 5th.


--------------

Orlando Bloom

http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id=1808529406

Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Release Date: May 6th, 2005 (wide)

Release Date Note: (7/2/04) And now, Paramount has changed its mind again, moving Mission: Impossible 3 back several weeks, so this Ridley Scott epic has the first weekend in May to itself again.

---------

Billy Boyd

http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id=1808405789

Seed of Chucky (2004)

Release Date: October 22nd, 2004 (wide)

Release Date Note: (7/2/04) Originally aiming for October 29th, 2004, Focus has now bumped this movie up a week to October 22nd so it can have two weekends before Halloween.

james van der beek, barefoot
Johnny Depp
Jon Bon Jovi
Josh Hartnett
Jude Law
karl urban
keanu reeves
matthew mcconaughey
michael rosenbaum
rupert everett
sean bean
tom welling
viggo mortensen
aidan quinn
alan rickman
antonio banderas
ben affleck
brad pitt
brendan fraser

barry watson, barefoot
Dominic Monaghan
Elijah Wood
Ewan McGregor
Heath Ledger
Hugh Jackman

Best Foot Forward

OMG! So much hotness! So many guys to choose from....
Billy Boyd
Alan Cumming
Christian Bale
Craig Parker
Colin Firth
Colin Farell
David Wenham


more to come....

dailyrecord - OUR HEROES 2004 AWARDS: I FEEL HOBBIT OF A CHEAT

Jun 22 2004

ENTERTAINER Modest Lord Of The Rings heart-throb Billy says he doesn't deserve his prize

By Cara Page

LORD Of The Rings star Billy Boyd was at this year's glitzy Oscars ceremony to see the Hollywood fantasy epic scoop an incredible 11 awards.

But yesterday, the 35-year-old from Glasgow said he felt humbled to be named as Our Entertaining Hero.

He said: 'I feel a bit of a cheat when there's people doing something that really matters.

'All I did was appear in a couple of movies.

'This is the first year of the awards and that makes it special for me.

'I'm more touched though by everything else I've seen here today. It's been pretty amazing.'

Billy's rise to worldwide fame has been nothing short of amazing in itself. He was a struggling actor living in Cranhill when he was touched by the magic of JRR Tolkien's Rings trilogy.

It looks a long and daunting trek from his first part in TV detective series Taggart to a role in one of the most successful film series in history.

But that is exactly what Billy has achieved in eight short years.

He had grown up in the Easterhouse area and dreamed of becoming an actor as a child.

But when he explained his ambition to his school guidance teacher, he was perhaps wisely advised not to tell anyone else.

After leaving school at 17, he put his hopes on hold while he worked as an apprentice printer and book-binder for six years.

He was planning to take a year out in the United States when he applied for the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama 'by accident' and got in.

His big break came when he was cast as Pippin, one of Frodo's loyal Hobbit pals in the screen adaptation of the fantasy classic.

He didn't think he stood a chance when his agent sent off his audition tape.

But director Peter Jackson was so impressed by it that he flew to Scotland to audition Billy in person.

Gruelling Billy moved to New Zealand for the gruelling back-to-back filming of the three Lord Of The Rings movies.

And he won international acclaim with the release of Fellowship Of The Ring in 2001, The Two Towers in 2002 and The Return Of The King last year.

The final film in the trilogy scooped 11 Oscars including Best Picture.

The personal rewards of Billy's success have also been massive.

He is reported to have pocketed more than £1.5million in bonuses and can now pick and choose any acting role he wants.

Billy recently starred as a seaman in the Russell Crowe action movie Master And Commander and he has other lucrative film work lined up.

His latest movie is called Instant Credit and is being directed by Ewan McGregor's mum Carol.

Billy said: 'I'm going to see it tonight actually, because they've just finished editing it.

'It's a short film, which is great. People get used to films being two hours long, or three-and-a-half hours long if it's Lord Of The Rings. But I think short films are just as fun.'

For the future, Billy would love to trade Middle Earth for MI6 by landing the role of 007.

The pint-sized star admitted: 'I'd like to be a really short James Bond.'

Billy attended yesterday's awards ceremony with his attractive girlfriend Ali McKinnon.

She proudly led the applause as he collected his award from the chairman of the judging panel, George Reid MSP, and Andrew Hannah of sponsors Famous Grouse.

Billy is currently working on a secret Scottish project but he knows he will forever be linked with The Lord Of The Rings.

He said: 'I know I'll always have that and be Pippin no matter what I do but I won't ever have a problem with it.

'I like acting, whether it's film or theatre, and I want to get more Scottish films made.

'We have great talent, great musicians and comedians in this country and we should be promoting that.

'There is alot of positive stuff going on in Scotland and an event like this shows that. I think it's been great.'

The other nominees for Our Entertaining Hero were Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus and Nicola Benedetti, the BBC's Young Musician of the Year.

Ain't It Cool News - View Article

Dom's new TV series "Lost" will be premiering on ABC Sept. 22nd!

*******************

ORLANDO'S JUST SO BLOOMING HANDSOME Jun 14 2004


Troy boy is sexiest Brit star

By Fiona Cummins

TROY and Lord Of The Rings star Orlando Bloom has been voted Britain's sexiest actor.

Bloom, 27, has eclipsed popular hunks such as Jude Law, Hugh Grant, and Ewan McGregor in a poll.

The survey, conducted by Sky Movies, contains a few surprise faces and reveals that fresh-faced youth isn't everyone's idea of sex appeal.

Bloom's 45-year-old Troy co-star Sean Bean bags second place in the top 10, while Nil By Mouth's Ray Winstone, 47, is seventh.

In Greek epic Troy, Bloom plays Paris, who woos Helen, the woman whose legendary beauty launches a thousand ships.

Bloom's meteoric rise to fame came after he was cast as Legolas in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, while he was still at drama school. He went from JRR Tolkien to Pirates Of The Caribbean and now stars with Brad Pitt in this summer's blockbuster Troy.

Unfortunately for his female fans, Bloom, who grew up in Canterbury, Kent, is dating rising young Hollywood actress Kate Bosworth.

The survey is good news for a star who says he was 'chubby' as a kid.

' Love Actually star Hugh Grant, 43, comes third in the poll, while Scots hunk Ewan McGregor is fourth.

McGregor pips Jude Law, 31, into fifth place, followed by new Batman star Christian Bale.

McGregor's Trainspotting co-star Jonny Lee Miller comes eighth, followed by Snatch actor Jason Statham, and 33-year-old Master And Commander star Paul Bettany in 10th place.

A Sky Movies spokesman said: 'It's usually the likes of Jude Law and Ewan McGregor who are voted Britain's sexiest actors. 'But it seems that Orlando Bloom's star is rising.'

******************

Obsession

Last Updated: 15/06/2004


Morning all...

Don't know how many of you saw the news I put up yesterday about Exene suing Viggo for more money for Henry, but it looks like it was true. Can't believe the Daily Mail managed to get the news first! :)

Regina sent me in a link to The Smoking Gun, where they have (alleged) copies of the actual documents.

I guess you can't blame Exene for asking for more money. According to the articles she's working as a teacher/librarian, and we all know how badly paid they are...but I can't help but wonder why it had to go through the courts. Viggo doesn't strike me as a tight-arse who would begrudge extra money to his son.

Oh well..what do I know?

I've also added details of "The Spoken Word Revolution" to the Creativity page. It's a poetry book featuring work by 20th Century American authors. Viggo's work appears in the "Youth Speaks" section, which made me laugh!

I have to go make Anniversary (it's my 15th wedding anniversary on Thursday - and they said it wouldn't last! lol) and Father's day cards..so probably no more updates (or email replies...HUGE apologies to those of you who have written to me and not received replies yet!) for the rest of the day.

hugs

lynn
xxxx


Obsession Mailing List, mailinglist@viggophile.net on Tuesday, 15/06/2004 at 09:52:15

Karl Urban on Riddick & Bourne Supremacy

Source: Chuck the Movieguy
Sunday, June 6, 2004


Karl Urban believes in learning as you go. On some jobs, that might be a hindrance, but as an actor, it's a plus. Fresh off showing his mastery of swordplay and horsemanship in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Karl will be seen showing off some new talents in two upcoming high-profile films, The Chronicles of Riddick and The Bourne Supremacy.

Although Urban has made his share of small independent features, he admits he really enjoys acting in big Hollywood blockbusters. "I love walking on the set and having the big toys and playing with the big boys. It's a lot of fun." Karl points out that the bigger budgets of studio films ensure that the very best actors for each part can be cast. For instance, his role in "Riddick" teams New Zealand native Urban with Australian actress Thandie Newton. Urban plays Vaako, a young commander in the evil Necromonger army,
while Newton as his wife, Dame Vaako, shows off all the manipulative skills of Lady Macbeth. "Working with Thandie was one of the better working relationships that I've ever had," Urban reports. "She is an A-class player and when she comes to the set, you better be ready. She comes with her A-game and quite often I'd be on the set and she'd just be weaving her way around me and I'm like, 'O.K., I give in.'"

Much harder were the days when Karl climbed into a harness for his first attempts at stunt flying on wires. "It's physically tough. You have to be fit and you're going to end up with bruises at the end of the day, but that's part of the gig."

Not part of the gig, but a challenge he was up for anyway, came during location shooting in Moscow during the making of The Bourne Supremacy. Urban plays a Russian assassin in the film, and surprisingly, he got to do his own stunt driving. But first he had to prove his mettle to the stunt coordinators. "I'm a Kiwi boy. I'm used to driving on dirt roads at crazy speeds to get to a surf break, so I hopped in the car and I'm just thrashing this thing around having a ball."

Urban is proudest of learning how to do a stunt called a reverse 180. "That's when your car is going at like 70 miles an hour in reverse and then you kind of flip it into neutral, tap the break, and just flick it around really fast and it's freaky because you are going at quite a horrendous speed and you're going sideways and then you sort of flick it into drive and go off in the opposite direction, and they let me do it!"


Karl feels taking some risks fit in with the general mood on The Bourne Supremacy set. He compares Moscow to the Wild West. Gun-toting mobsters were frequent visitors to the bar in his hotel, and one day the police even closed down the front entrance of the hotel because the manager had been gunned down there!

While Karl realizes his acting career doesn't often put him in danger, he's well aware of the tradeoffs of living the nomadic life of a film actor. "The great thing about this job is it offers you so much. It offers you exotic locations. It offers you the opportunity to work with people who you've admired and respected your whole life, and fame and fortune if those things interest you. The thing is while you're not looking, while you're so distracted with all these positive things, it just slowly takes away the
things that are most important from you. It takes away your family. It takes away your friends. It takes away the very place that you call home. I live out of a suitcase. I've been living out of a suitcase for the last year. Home is wherever my head hits the pillow at the end of the night. I spend a phenomenal amount of time in airplanes over the last year, but you know what? I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm having the time of my life."

The Chronicles of Riddick opens this Friday, June 11 and The Bourne
Supremacy hits theaters on July 23.

*******************

Wow... I didn't even realise he was gonna be in The Bourne Supremacy....

*******************


All Viggo news, all the time 09 June 2004

It's been a good five minutes since we did a story touching on the cast or crew of The Lord of the Rings, so we thought it was time to bring you an update on their activities. Viggo Mortensen has
signed on to star in A History of Violence for director David Cronenberg, which sounds suspiciously like a match made in heaven from where we're sitting.

A History of Violence is based on the graphic novel of the same name by John Wagner, about a small-town family man leading a quiet and blameless life. When he thwarts a robbery and is feted by the
press, some highly unsavoury types see him and suspect that he is a former colleague who disappeared underground years before.

The film will be Cronenberg's first since 2002's Spider, and he certainly seems like the ideal person to take on the famously violent book. Mortensen, fresh from plenty of ass kicking in that
obscure little trilogy he starred in, should fit in nicely as the quiet man with a dark side.

Mortensen will follow this film with another interesting project - Alatriste for Spanish director Agustin Diaz Yanes. It's the story of Captain Alatriste, a Spanish solider-turned-mercenary and a
heroic figure from the country's 16th century imperial wars. Mortensen will be starring there with Spanish actress Elena Anaya, with the badly educated (but only in his films) Gael Garcia Bernal in talks to join them.

Meanwhile, there is a slight hiccup for Lord of the Rings fans, with reports that the Extended Edition has been delayed until early December, rather than the November release slot occupied by the
other two extended versions. Apparently, it has been rather harder to reassemble the cast for commentaries this year, since they no longer have summer reshoots to do and are scattered across the
globe, working on other projects. Still, it should still arrive in time for our Christmas stockings, so there's no need to worry too much.

**********************

Billy Boyd Q&A at the SFX Awardsweetanya @ 11:51 am EST 6-9-2004

Ringer Marysia wrote this excellent report about Billy Boyd's Q&A at the SFX Awards.

Billy Boyd was a very last minute addition to the SFX Awards Event
lineup after several major guests dropped out at the last minute. He was also the only LotR guest, the other guests being Dominic Keating from Enterprise, Chris Barrie from Red Dwarf, Dean Haguland from X-Files, David Palffy from Stargate, Kristen Dalton from The Dead Zone and SuAnn Braun from Stargate. Andy Serkis appeared at the Awards ceremony only.

Billy made a flying visit in between filming in Glasgow for his new
movie On A Clear Day, arriving in London in the afternoon on
Saturday and departing half way through the awards ceremony on Sunday evening.

He did two question and answer sessions of about 45 mins in length
to an audience of about 150 at the extremely under-attended event as well as signing autographs and posing for photos. The low numbers meant he could really take his time in the autograph sessions and everyone who wanted to got to have a nice chat and some extremely lengthy personalisations. Among the presents he was given at the session were two diving toys (referring to the script he and Dom are working on), 4 plastic dinosaurs (see the Q&A info below) and a framed sketch of he, Dom and Elijah at the SAG Awards.

The Q&A was a little awkward at first, there can't have been more
than about 150 people there (far fewer than the room could hold) and the audience was a little reticent on the asking questions front. As a result Billy decided to ask the audience questions. He started off asking trivia questions about the cast and including Dom's birthday and Elijah's sisters name.

He answered a few questions about Master & Commander and then told
us about "Instant Credit", the short film he has just completed work on. It will be screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in August and also on ITV (though I suspect Scottish ITV only). The plot concerns a Scottish chef who meets an obnoxious rich man and accidentally ends up with his credit card. Knowing the man will be in transit for the next day he takes advantage of his good luck. The film was shot in Glasgow and Paris and is made by the same people behind Sniper 470.

Billy has no theatre work planned at the moment and when asked about pantomime said that he had done a lot of it before he became well known and hadn't forgotten how tiring it was yet. So maybe in the future but not this year. His current interest is computers and as well as trying to learn how to use them properly he also hopes to make his official site the worlds first smell-o-vision website. He plans to start with the smells of different cheeses. Another personal project is to sail round the west coast of Scotland with friends on a surfing tour of the islands.

When asked what the most extreme thing a fan had done to get his
attention was he replied that hadn't always used false names at
hotels, but he found people would phone him at 7am and ask him to
come down into the lobby and sign stuff. He thought it was weird how some people didn't consider that you might have something else to do, like sleep, rather than sit and wait for their call. Someone then asked if he'd ever been flashed as a followup. He said no but if the girls on the phone had proferred that he might have gone downstairs.

When asked about his music he said he was getting distracted a lot
by trying to learn more about computers, but he was hoping to arrange a gig soon with the musicians he's been working with. The gig will most likely be in Glasgow and the band are currently doing cover songs. The gig may be announced on his website but he's not sure yet. In a related question he said the most star-struck he's ever been was meeting Prince as he is a huge fan of his music.

When asked what his most embarassing moment on set was he couldn't
think of one, but then remembered something from primary school and
decided to use that instead. At assembly when he was about seven,
the headmaster/mistress (I forget which) was telling the girls off for not flushing the toilets and he started wonder if the boys should flush them or not since she just seemed to be singling out the girls. He didn't actually put up his hand and ask but he came incredibly close to doing it and still feels embarassed today thinking about what would have happened if he had asked.

He would love to see Crime and Punishment, a favourite book of his,
as a movie and said there was an adaptation floating about he'd like to be in.

At his second Q&A on Sunday he talked a little about how much he
liked Robert Burns and that he wouldn't mind playing Burns, unfortunately the role has already gone to Gerard Butler (a fellow Glaswegian). He then proceeded to lead the audience in a complex discussion of the functioning of light sabres, having them vote on whether they worked using the force, or by a button, or by pressing a button using the force and whether the colour was dependant on the morality of the user or pre-programmed.

When asked about his current movie, On a Clear Day (directed by Gaby Dellal) he gave us two possible options as to the plot. Either it was about a couple of young guys who want to swim the English Channel or it was about a dinosaur detective trying to teach another dinosaur how to use the internet. I suspect the truth may be that it's about a dinosaur who wants to swim the English Channel.

When asked about the script he and and Dom have been working on he
seemed a little frustrated that it wasn't proceeding as fast as he
liked, but he said they were still working on it and it would get
made.

At the Awards ceremony he arranged for the organisers to move him to the same table as Andy Serkis so they could have some more time to talk before Billy left. The ceremony was hosted by Chris Barrie and LotR won several awards including Best Director and Best Film. Billy and Andy went up together to accept the Best Director Award and claimed that together they weighed the same as Peter Jackson. Andy accepted the Best Film award alone as Billy had already left.