Acording to http://clients.troikatalent.com/printpdf/conor-mccaughan-sam-fox/sean- harris/ Borgias hottie Sean Harris is in this as Joss, considering it's his agents I would consider it fact.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Talented-Gorgeous-Mr-Sean-Harris/11 4137988745508
I have just watched the first half hour and it is dark and very atmospheric. However totally spoilt for me by the in audibility and
incomprehensiveness of the dialogue, especially the lead Sean Harris, who plays Joss, and who apparently communicates in a series of guttural grunts without moving his lips. Probably very realistic for an uneducated Cornish smuggler of the period, but not much use on stream without subtitles, despite a quality sound system.
Because of the sound difficulties, this may be easier to appreciate later, on a download .
How about the other actors? I am watching mainly for JBF and the guy who plays Jem. Curious to see her in this role.
shareJBF is doing okay, but I think I liked Jane Seymour better in this role, but I might still change my mind after watching the rest of the series (I've only seen the first ep).
McNulty is doing very well, per usual.
JBF improves a lot in the second and third episodes, maybe because Mary cheers up a bit and starts to get livelier. In the first episode she seems depressed and traumatized or something. She doesn't show a range of emotion. But that changes and it improves her performance overall.
shareShame he mumbled all through it. Terrible actor
'Barba needs a pimp cane...'
Shame he mumbled all through it. Terrible actorHe is a great actor ... terrible writing.
DuMaurier's son said he loved the script but hated Harris' performance. Said he blamed the director and Harris. And the sound people.
IDK, I didn't mind the mumbling. It didn't ruin the story for me. I can't say I loved his performance but it was fine.
But I was surprised to hear what the son said. He's the only one who has publicly pointed the finger at Harris and the director. Not the only one to defend the writer though.
DuMaurier's son said he loved the script but hated Harris' performance. Said he blamed the director and Harris. And the sound people.His son has no idea about talent.Sean played the character not only how it was written but how it would have been for the people in those days.
IDK, I didn't mind the mumbling. It didn't ruin the story for me. I can't say I loved his performance but it was fine.It was true to the character ... thats what Sean does, if you watch Borgias amongst other roles he has done you will see he is a character actor, he reads the script and studies how people in that time acted.
But I was surprised to hear what the son said. He's the only one who has publicly pointed the finger at Harris and the director. Not the only one to defend the writer though.Same here, surprising to say the least. To be honest I doubt the son knows what he is talking about.
I really liked him in The Borgias and my husband is a big fan, just based on that show. Like I said, I liked his performance fine and didn't have any issues with the mumbling. I don't get the fuss but for whatever reason, there is one.
Frankly I find all the finger-pointing really weaselly. First everyone blames the sound people, then the sound people blame the actors, everyone blames the BBC, the BBC blames the actors as a group (which is completely unfair, since most of them were perfectly intelligible). Now the son is blaming the director and Harris.
The director doesn't say anything but retweets supportive comments by friends. I can't blame her for that though.
The media reprints the same story over and over, citing the number of complaints (It's up to 2000!) and giving a couple of snarky celebrities publicity by mentioning their tweets over and over. All jumping on the bandwagon.
The only people staying out of the fray are the actors, as far as I can tell. And the writer. Which is smart IMO. Let everyone sling mud and try to keep any from sticking to you. Carry on.
I did note that a day or two after the whole sound scandal started (before the show even finished airing), Vogue published a big article online about JBF, with the pictures from her May photoshoot and an interview that had already been published a week or so earlier, elaborated to be even more flattering.
It seems like her people got right on it.
To be fair to Kits Browning, he didn't say he hated Harris' performance - just that he "mumbled". (If we're reading the same article.)
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.
Well, he was pretty hard on him. Said he was glad when the character died, not because he was evil but because of the mumbling.
At any rate I think while this series isn't everyone's cup of tea, it was well-done overall and I enjoyed it. I also think it would go over reasonably well with American viewers and PBS should air it. Mumbling has been a thing here for a long time and we're accustomed to it. There is a lot to like about the production and I hope this brouhaha doesn't discourage them from broadcasting it here. They can also tinker with the sound problems anyway, I imagine.
I say that because I have encountered a number of Brits on another forum who say that the mumbling thing is an American import. And they don't care for it! LOL.
Well, he was pretty hard on him. Said he was glad when the character died, not because he was evil but because of the mumbling.
I don't know. I am reluctant to "fault" anyone as I personally did not mind the manner of speech he used. I had to fill in the blanks here and there, but that doesn't bother me.
I think artistic choices were made that a lot of viewers didn't like. Since it's the BBC their goal is to please as many as possible, I assume. So making risky choices might not have been wise.
At the end of the day the actor is sort of at the bottom of the chain. The producer hires the writer (I assume?) and the director. Then the actors have to work with the script and the direction as best they can. Unless one of them is some mega-star who can throw his/her weight around on set, which none of these actors could.
IMO all of the roles were well-cast. Harris is a good actor. But some seem to feel he was not physically large or imposing enough for the role? Or was not directed to be as confident and charismatic as he should have been? That is what I understand anyway, from those who have read the book. Which I have not.
Anyway, I liked it a lot and was impressed with most of the work done by all. I wish it hadn't come down to this sort of thing.
I think I understand what Harris was trying to do here...but he really did need to be reigned in.
The script was great, the cinematography was fantastic, most of the other actors were excellent.
Harris' acting was excellent too...a great take on the character....but his mumbling was just too unintelligible.
It almost ruined the production for me.
I really only recall one line I couldn't decipher in the beginning. I just turned on the cc. no big deal. I do it all the time.
Love Harris from the Borgia's so I guess I'm used to his gravelly voice. I thought he did an excellent job of bringing depth to what was essentially a pretty badly written character. They totally failed to give us any motivation for why this tough guy is doing what he's doing. Harris did his best to fill it in for us emotionally. Whaley's devotion to him also did an excellent job of hinting at more to the story than what is shown on screen. The scene in the hallway when he kneels down in front of Mary... is menacing and yet also strangely so vulnerable. I was riveted. And he never said a word. Excellent work.