Rowan Atkinson [Replay] - ©Theda Bara

Today, the excellent British actor, comedian, screenwriter, writer, voice actor and radio announcer Rowan Sebastian Atkinson, born on January 6, 1955, is turning 70. He is our eternal “Mr. Bean”.

Rowan Atkinson has a long filmography, his first work on the BBC was the series: “The Blackadder”, character: “Edmund Blackadder”, which aired for six years (from 1983 to 1989); acted in a “James Bond” plot: “Never Say Never Again” (1983), character: “Nigel Small-Fawc”; acted in the 29-minute short film: “The Appointments of Dennis Jennings” (1988), character: “Dr. Schooner"; in “The Tall Guy” played the character: “Ron Anderson” (1989); in the nineties he would have his great success, the television series: “Mr. Bean” (from 1990 to 1995), where he played the character that gives title to the series; in another TV series: “The Thin Blue Line” (1995 and 1996) he played “Inspector Raymond Fowler”. The actor had three great successes in a row in Hollywood: “The Witches” (1990) where he played: “Mr. RJ Stringer III"; “Part Two” (1993) character: “Dexter Hayman”; and “Four Weddings and a Funeral” (1994) character: “Father Gerald”; in “The Lion King” (1994) he lent his voice to: “Zazu”; with “Bean’s” (1997) he took his main character to the cinema for the first time; in “Maybe Baby” (2000) he played: “Mr. James”; in the film: “Scooby-Doo” (2002) he played: “Emile Mondavario”; plays in (2003) the secret agent “Johnny English”, parodying “007”, in the film of the same name; in “Love Actually” (2003) he played: “Rufus”; he took his main character to the cinema once again, in: “Mr. Bean’s Vacation” (2007); he played the secret agent once again in: “Johnny English Returns” (2011); “Mr. Bean” would return in: “Top Funny Comedian: The Movie” [original title: “Huan Le Xi Ju Ren”] (2017); would play the secret agent for the last time in: “Johnny English Strikes Again” (2018); The film that earned him his only major award in his career, a BAFTA, was: “Man vs. the Bee” (2022) when he played “Trevor Bingley” and his last film appearance was in the remake of: “Wonka” (2023) when he once again played a religious character: “Father Julius”.

In October 2018, Atkinson, as “Mr. Bean” received the Diamond Play Button from YouTube for his channel surpassing 10 million subscribers on the video platform. Among the most watched channels in the world, in 2018 it had more than 6.5 billion views. “Mr. Bean” is also among the most followed pages on Facebook, with almost 100 million followers, more than the English football club Manchester United or the character “Harry Potter”.

Rowan Atkinson does not have a star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame and has never been nominated for an Oscar.

Rowan Atkinson had two marital relationships, first with British makeup artist Sunetra Sastry (1967-) from 1990 to 2015, with whom he has two children, British actress Lily Sastry (1995-) and Benjamin Atkinson (1993-) who is pursuing a military career. Before separating in 2015, the actor had an extramarital relationship with British comedian Louise Ford (1981-) since 2014, with whom he lives to this day. The couple has a daughter, Isla May, born in (December 2017).

Maggie Smith [Replay] - ©Theda Bara

Yesterday morning, September 27, 2024, at the age of 89, we lost actress Dame Maggie Smith, who will be remembered on stage and in film, as she herself liked to describe herself: an icon. Always acting with naturalness combined with emotion, common to the British, she always enchanted Hollywood. She was a “dart” that always hit the bull's eye with her brilliant performances.

With an extensive career in English theater and TV, on HBO in the United States, in Hollywood and on Broadway, Smith has appeared in over 60 films and over 70 plays and is one of the UK's most acclaimed, recognized and prolific actresses, which in more than seven decades, has won the Triple Crown of Acting: she has received the highest praise from acting experts in film, television and theatre, what more could an artist ask for during her career? An Oscar, right? And he came twice. Smith also won a Tony Award in 1990; three Golden Globes 1979, 1987 and 2013; and four Primetime Emmy Awards in 2003, 2011, 2012 and 2016.

In 1990, Maggie Smith was named a “Dame” by Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022), for contributions to the arts, and in 2014 she was made a Companion of Honor for services to drama. Her first film appearance was in the British film: “Child in the House”, in 1956, as an actress without lines, at a party, even so, she stole the scene.

Her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress came in 1966 for her performance in the film adaptation of “Othello” (1965); five years later 1970, Smith would win the first Oscar this one for Best Actress for her performance in the title role of the film: “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” (1969); in 1979 another Oscar, this one for Best Supporting Actress, in “California Suite” (1978), her character was: “Diana Barrie”. His other Oscar-nominated roles were: in “Travels with My Aunt” (1972), in 1973, character: “Aunt Augusta”; in 1986 “A Room with a View” (1985), interpreting: “Charlotte Bartlett”; and in 2002, in “Gosford Park” (2001), character “Constance Trentham”. She gained popularity playing half-blood Scottish schoolteacher, the witch “Minerva McGonagall”, in the "Harry Potter" film series (from 2001 to 2011). Other notable films include: “Death on the Nile” (1978), character: “Miss Bowers”; “Hook” (1991), character: “Wendy Moira Angela Darling”; “Sister Acts 1 and 2” (1992 and 1993), character: “Mother Superior”; “Secret Garden” (1993), character: “Mrs. Medlock”; “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 1 and 2” (2011 and 2015), character: “Muriel Donnelly”; “Quartet” (2012), character: “Jean Horton”; and “The Lady in the Van” (2015), character: “Mary Shepherd”.

Maggie Smith does not have a star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, but she has perpetuated her hands on Cinema 100, due to the series “Downton Abbey”, where the actress spectacularly gave life to the character: “Violet Crawley”. This award-winning series first aired on ITV in the UK on 26 September 2010 and on PBS in the US on 9 January 2011 (themed around the sinking of the Titanic in 1912). The final episode aired simultaneously in both countries on November 8, 2015.

 

Maggie Smith, born Margaret Natalie Smith, on December 28, 1934 in the city of Ilford, United Kingdom, died on September 27, 2024, at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, United Kingdom, 3 months and 1 day before her 90th birthday.

Dame Maggie Smith was married twice, the first to British actor and also a Knight of the Queen: Sir Robert Graham Stephens (1931-1995) from 1967 to 1975, with whom she had two children, also actors Chris Larkin (1967-) and Toby Stephens (1969-). Maggie and Robert divorced and the couple's two children stayed with their ex-husband; in the same year of the separation, she was married from 1975 to 1998 with the English playwright and screenwriter Alan Beverley Cross (1931-1998), of whom she became a widow after 23 years together.

Theda Bara [Replay] - ©Theda Bara

Today, July 29th, would be the 139th birthday of this actress who ended up being the inspiration for my parents to give me my name. Therefore, I bring this updated republication so that we can celebrate together.

Theda Bara, born Theodosia Burr Goodman, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, on July 29, 1885 and died in Los Angeles, California, on April 7, 1955, aged 99, was the daughter of Bernardo Goodman (1853-1936 ) and Pauline Louise de Coppett (1861-1957) and sister of silent film actress Lori Bara (1903-1965) and Hollywood artistic agent Marque Goodman, known as: Mark G. (1888-1954).

My dear paternal grandfather, Jonathan Jon Goodman (descendant of the Goodmans, from the father of actress Theda Bara), in addition to being very wise, was a visionary man, because from a very young age, as soon as silent films appeared, he acquired some old theater rooms transforming them in (street) movie theater in Los Angeles, California, United States. My family has been involved in cinematic entertainment for decades and today we still have movie theaters in large shopping malls. This love for the seventh art motivated my father, who has the name Goodman in the genealogy of his ancestors, and my mother, a fan of Theda Bara, to baptize me with the name of this great silent film actress Theodosia, a name that comes from Greek culture and means: “gift from God”. I really like my name and I love old films, whether silent or not.

Theda Bara, who for her fair skin and expressive green eyes was nicknamed “Vampira” (equivalent at the time to “femme fatale”). Theda was one of the most popular and highest-paid actresses in the world, surpassed only by iconic actor Charlie Chaplin, who once said that Theda was cinema's first sex symbol.

From her Jewish childhood in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, to her happy retirement in Hollywood, Theda Bara always dreamed of being an actress and ended up being the most brilliant representative of silent cinema.

Theda married in 1921 the renowned filmmaker and screenwriter born in England, but based in American cinema, Charles J. Brabin (1882-1957) with whom she lived until his death in 1955. She made more than 40 films alongside her husband, to Fox. Entertainment Group Inc., only six of which still exist in good condition.

Theda Bara had no children, although she was a very maternal woman.

Even without having received any Oscar statuette, Theda Bara has her star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, at 6307 Hollywood Boulevard, in the Cinema category, being one of the most visited by fans and tourists.

Theda Bara is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States.