I have a confession. I have the hots for a dwarf I’ve never met. But he’s not just ANY dwarf. He’s Thorin Oakenshield, a prince of sorts, next in line to the throne (I think). He’s the strong, silent type. A leader who oozes power. A man (?) on a quest to right the wrongs done to his people. A fallible hero. A stare that suggests he’d take you in a breathless night of unforgettable, middle-earthly passion. And his voice–that deep, melodic, vibrating voice. I swear I’m genetically programed to physically respond to those deep sound waves in a very primal way.
And at 6′ 2″, he’s taller than the average dwarf.
The actor behind the beard is Richard Armitage, an actor I’d never seen. As I did some research, I quickly discovered I’m not the only woman who has been floored by his eyes and voice. There’s a name for his followers, The Armitage Army. How hilarious is that? Well guess what? I’ve happily joined their ranks. So who is this man and how have the British hid him from us Americans for so long?
Richard Crispin Armitage is 41 years-old and began his acting career as a teenager. He’s had a long journey, acting in both stage and TV productions, mainly in England. He played in BBC’s North & South, Robin Hood, and ShakespeaRe-Told series. He was also a German spy in the movie Captain America: The First Avenger. I might just see that movie again to get my Armitage fix. . .
For future works, he’ll continue to play Thorin in the next two Hobbit installments (which I’ll see just because of him), and he’s staring in a thriller called Black Sky, set to be released this year.
Here are some links for more info:
An unofficial fan site (really, really informative!)
An interview by a Finnish station, Helsginin Sanomat
Welcome to the growing ranks of the Armitage Army. I have been a card carrying member since I fell for Richard Armitage after seeing his portrayal of John Thornton in the BBC’s North and South. I too wondered why such a talented actor was virtually unknown in North America, and even underused in his own country! But it was after discovering what a truly kind, humble and decent man he really is that made me his life long fan. I have been blogging about him for 3 years now and am so very happy about his latest role as Thorin Oakenshield as it is finally getting him the attention he deserves.
I was first introduced to RA when he was suggested as a possibility to play one of my favorite literary characters – Matthew Clairmont from A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. You’d think she wrote the part with him in mind. You can check out our website dedicated to this campaign at http://www.armitage4clairmont.com or http://www.facebook.com/armitage4clairmont. You’ll find amazing pictures and quotations from the books to go along with Ruichard images!
You must(!) see him in North & South. That was my introduction to Richard Armitage. 🙂
I LEA the way you find hot men to research for your blog. Such a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. I’m glad it could be you. 🙂