I just love him in this role. He plays says a good flawed hero.
I wish we got to see more of him in Hollywood today.
About Ivanhoe (1997) in general, I love how raw and gritty this film is. Very realistic. It's like you can almost smell the horses, the dank castles, the burning flesh of the meat as they cook it. It's very well done.
If you're a fellow Waddington fan, be sure and check out Last of The Mochicans!
I'm not sure his character was really flawed in Ivanhoe as much as misunderstood and wrongly vilified. I wish Steven Waddington been allowed to play the role as strongly as he could have played it, but that would have pulled the focus away from Bois-Guilbert. Having Ivanhoe as a stronger protagonist would have strengthened the film, but I loved it anyway. And if you haven't seen Waddington in Edward II, it's worth finding a copy to hear his command of Elizabethan English.
You are right in saying that Waddington's character is not flawed. His father has renounced him for loving Rowena; he is therefore unwelcome in Cedric's home; he is forced to be on the run for much of the film. Waddington plays the role as Scott would have liked it to be played: He is much the same kind of character in the film that he is in the book. De Bracy, Bois-Guilbert, Front-de-Boeuf, and other figures are by contrast more memorable in the film. Waddington as Ivanhoe is deliberately shaped to differ from them. It's they who are flawed, not he.
shareMisunderstood is definitely a better description.
He's just so damn good at it - however you want to label it!
I can't wait to check out 'Edward II' and I hear that 'Carrrington' is also a great performance of Waddingtons.
"I can't wait to check out 'Edward II' and I hear that 'Carrrington' is also a great performance of Waddingtons."
Yes, he was also good in Carrington. And he looks strong in the previews for "The Tudors," which will air on the Showtime channel this winter. Check out the trailer for "The Tudors":
http://www.peacearch.com/video/flashPlayer.cfm?v=27
Steven weddington’s performance is o.k, given the kind of character Ivanhoe is in the novel or the movie: he wasn’t given many actions, or opportunities to develop his character. (Steven widdington has the nicest body though). Anthony Andrews did a much better job in the 1982 version: Anthony Andrew’s acting is always marked by great subtlety, which helps a lot in developing a believable and memorable character.
shareI agree. People who dislike him simply do not understand the type of character he is supposed to be.
shareI totally agree with you! Although I've seen him in other films, I didn't think he was as sexy as he is until I saw him in Ivanhoe! What woman could resist a beautiful knight like him?! I can see why Rebecca fell so hard for him! :)
shareIn my opinion, Waddington was wooden, although physically impressive. The tremendous male performance of this mini-series is given by Cirran Hinds as the tormented anti-hero Bois Gilbert. Check out Hinds' performance as Julius Ceaser in HBO's "Rome" for another superior performance by this impressive character actor. Kudos also go to Ralph Brown who played the murderous Prince John. The production itself was AWESOME and most accurately brought Sir Walter Scott's great classic "Ivanhoe" to life.
shareThe role of Ivanhoe is essentially thankless. Despite that fact that the story is named after him, the most compelling character is Bois-Guilbert. Waddington is a fine actor, but Hinds has the fire and brimstone in his belly which usually steals every scene he’s in unless he’s opposite another very strong actor or actress (Susan Lynch, and Samantha Morton come to mind). I don’t think that Hinds’ Bois-Guilbert and Waddington’s Ivanhoe should even have been in the same story together. Bois-Guilbert is just too strong for anyone to really care about Ivanhoe.
share"Bois-Guilbert is just too strong for anyone to really care about Ivanhoe. "
BOLLOCKS!!!! We guys all prefer Ivanhoe over a wretched dishonorable Templar. It is about living vicariously, that is what cinema is all about. Ciaran Hinds was the best actor no doubt but it is the character in the story we are talking about here and that alone should merit consideration. The character did get a lot of annoying screen time especially his pathetic attempts to woo Rebecca. Who freaking cares?! Us men are in it for the macho moments-the blood and gore and the fancy sword play..not the chick flick gooey garbage.