>From Kim Robarts--"Well, one thing I would love to see him do that he hasn't gotten much opportunity to lately is comedy. I would to see him do a British sitcom, maybe a romantic comedy. Only as far as a plot, I would have to think for a bit. I would also like him to make a move towards more American productions--I would love to see him over here more."
>From MizPat--"I think the best role for Brett would be one in which he could dress as he seems to look best, in those well-fitting three-piece suits of the latter 1800's. He's so s'wave (pardon my California colloquialism)."
>From Trikywu--"Nice idea...I've thought of various things myself. Personally, I would love to have seen Jeremy in The Madness of King George, Howard's End, or Remains of the Day, in some sort of role. [He would have been good in Shadowlands, too--llo] He would be perfect in a lush, Merchant-Ivory type film. Jeremy once said [actor and close friend] Robert Stephens proposed that he was all 'champagne, Perrier water, and dance', so he seems best in that upper-class type of role. Another idea...perhaps he'd make a good Uncle Vanya? Or a sinister low-life in a Dickensian production? I would also love to see Jeremy in another prime-time mystery such as Inspector Morse or Prime Suspect. The list could be endless!"
Indeed! Incidentally, I (llo) thought of another role for Jeremy. In early 1994, I read a wonderful novel by Gail Godwin called Father Melancholy's Daughter. It told the story of a young woman remembering her late father, a kind, devoted pastor who had struggled with depression and the loss of his wife. I had just seen the melancholy Granada episode The Eligible Bachelor, and as I read this novel, I couldn't help seeing Jeremy as the pastor. Father Melancholy Daughter has no Holmesian content whatsoever, but I highly recommend it--it's a thoughtful, well-written character study. It will probably never be made into a film; however, it's well worth reading.
After filming the spectacular Reichenbach Falls sequence for The Final Problem, Mr. Porter said, "[Moriarty] is such an incredibly complex figure--in his way every bit as obsessed and driven as Holmes--that even on the brief canvas of his appearance in The Final Problem there are still endless opportunities for an actor to pursue. I have always felt some of the performances of the earlier Moriartys lacked any real depth. He was just played as an unregenerate villain without any attempt to show the real motivations of ego and pride that drove him to the confrontation with Holmes to prove which of them was the better man. I found acting with Jeremy Brett a splendid challenge, too, for he was so deeply involved with Holmes that he understood every nerve and fibre of the man. I like to think I gave a good account of Moriarty--though like Jeremy I could hardly bear to watch the two stunt men going over the cliffs." (Quote from The Television Sherlock Holmes by Peter Haining.)
Yes, Mr. Porter--you did give a good account of Moriarty...R.I.P.
Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care, and I'll see you next time.
--Lisa :-)