So instead of bringing Allan back they have to bring in someone who
might not be as effective.

I hope they don't whack Guy too soon. He doesn't deserve to die.

http://www.daemonstv.com/2008/05/02/interview-richard-armitage-from-
> robin-hood/
>
> Interview: RICHARD ARMITAGE from ROBIN HOOD
>
> May 2, 2008 ¡¤ Print This Article
>
>
> Last week, Daemon¡¯s TV spoke with RICHARD ARMITAGE, who plays Guy
of
> Gisbourne, about the return of ROBIN HOOD for its second season on
> BBC America.
>
> Richard Armitage talked about the evolution of his character in
> season two and his interesting infatuation with Marian, his
favorite
> episode of the season, his new role on Spooks (MI-5 in the US), and
> much more.
>
> Don¡¯t forget to watch Robin Hood Saturdays at 9pm on BBC America.
>
> And without further ado, enjoy the interview!
>
> Daemon¡¯s TV: What is it like to play a villain in ¡°Robin Hood,¡±
> especially since it¡¯s such a well known story?
>
> Richard Armitage: You know what, I was pretty nervous about playng
a
> villain at the start, because people are not going to necesserally
> like this character, and I¡¯m going to be booed and hissed on the
> streets. But it¡¯s just so much fun because the writers, I think
they
> have a lot of fun planning all the bad things that these characters
> are going to get up to, and it¡¯s actually a lot of fun doing it.
It¡¯s
> naughty and you get to sort of exercise all those elements that you
> can¡¯t really do as a person, because it¡¯s not civilized or polite
or
> nice, so it¡¯s actually really enjoyable to do it. (Laughs)
>
> Have you actually been booed on the street?
>
> RA: Well, it¡¯s the little kids that point at you and then come and
> stick their tongues out. It¡¯s brilliant, it¡¯s my favorite
reaction.
>
> Were you fan orginally of ¡°Robin Hood¡±?
>
> RA: Yes, in the eighties, I mean there was a ¡°Robin Hood¡± for
every
> generation. The ¡°Robin Hood¡± that we had was Michael Praed and I
used
> to love it every Saturday night. I lived in the midlands as a child
> and my parents used to drive me up to the forest and we sort of
> played around. So it means a lot to me.
>
> Would you have liked to play Robin Hood instead of Guy of Gisbourne?
>
> RA: Well everyone wants to play Robin Hood, don¡¯t they? I think I
was
> the wrong side of 30 to play Robin Hood.
>
> How were you first approached to play the part of Guy of Gisbourne?
>
> RA: I originally was sent the script to look at the Sheriff and
also
> Guy of Gisbourne. I went and read for both parts, and I think
> obviously I¡¯m a bit young to play the Sheriff and Guy sort of sat
> quite well with me. I was really interested in the side of him
which
> is sort of damaged and quite desperate, and then this sort of angry
> aspect of him I was quite interested in. I also read some scenes
with
> Marian at the very beginning and I really liked his approach to
> wooing her. It was quite unconventional and a bit brutal, so that
was
> something that really interested me.
>
> Why do you think Guy of Gisbourne is so attracted to Marian?
>
> RA: Well, I think in series one it was definitely that she was the
> most eligible woman in the area, the daughter of a Nobleman. She
was
> also rumored to be betrothed to Robin Hood, and I think he wanted
> everything that Robin had, in terms of his reputation and his
power,
> and the love of the people. And then he wanted her as well as a
sort
> of decoration. But actually, through her he sort of found the human
> side of himself and she sort of made him into a man as opposed to a
> sort of a machine. And I think once someone¡¯s done that to you, it
> becomes a bit of an obsession. The fact that she had this power
over
> him he really couldn¡¯t control, I think that it became
irresistible.
> Those feelings, at the same time, are incredibly conflicting in
> himself, but I think he wanted to see where it ended as it were.
>
> How is that going to evolve in Season 2?
>
> RA: He becomes even more human. I mean she really gets under his
> skin. And so the great conflict between what he has to do in his
work
> and in his relation with the Sheriff, which is probably the
complete
> opposite direction of how he¡¯s feeling as a man, and his love for
her
> and the gentle side of him that she¡¯s bringing out. So he¡¯s
trying to
> sort of hold it all in and not wreck himself up again, but she¡¯s
> really pulling him out. At the same time, she sort of has an
> attraction to him in a strange way, but she also finds him very
> useful in her need to infiltrate the castle, so it¡¯s quite an
> interesting, slightly odd relationship.
>
> Do you think he has suspicions that Marian is a traitor?
>
> RA: Yes, I think that¡¯s there all the time. I think that she¡¯s
proved
> herself to be traitorous at the end of series one, so that thought
is
> always hanging in his brain. But she manages to win him over time
and
> time again. Kind of a fatal attraction, this sort of blind love
that
> allows himself to be used by her. And he forgives her time and time
> again, and his worst fears are gradually coming to the surface
> throughout the whole series, in a culmination in episode 13 of
> possibly one of the worst things a man could ever do to the woman
he
> loves. So it¡¯s a really interesting journey.
>
> What can we expect from Guy of Gisbourne this season?
>
> RA: After being jilted at the altar at the end of series one,
there¡¯s
> a fire in him which is going to explode. So he¡¯s much more wild
and
> angry and he¡¯s ready for it. He has sort of already been pried
open
> by her, and so it¡¯s almost like he¡¯s got an open wound, which is
the
> sort of seething blood, and so he¡¯s trying all the time to contain
> it. Also his relationship with the Sheriffl is very much looked
into.
> There¡¯s a father son relationship which the Sheriff uses to his
own
> advantage, knowing that Gisbourne really needs that kind of
paternal
> approval.
>
> How is the part of Guy of Gisbourne different from other parts you
> have played in the past?
>
> RA: I think this is the first time that I¡¯ve ever played one
that¡¯s
> so outwardly aggressive, angry, brutal, and violent. It¡¯s the most
> violent role I¡¯ve ever played. If this were to be played as an
adult
> show, the violence would be extreme. But at the same time there¡¯s
> this conflict of the man inside, and I think those two extremes
have
> something, which I¡¯ve not quite explored before. It¡¯s really
> interesting because sometimes you find yourself doing something,
> which you feel goes against character, but it¡¯s actually just one
> side of the character, which is being allowed to exist rather than
> all of it in the same time. I think that¡¯s kind of a human thing,
you
> know.
>
> Yes, it¡¯s hard to totally hate him.
>
> RA: Yes, I think when you see somebody that is damaged like that, I
> thought I had to find that side of him in order to like him, in
order
> to play him, because it was important to me to sort of find that
> aspect of him.
>
> Do you do your own stunts?
>
> RA: We really push to do as much as we can. Obviously some elements
> of the riding, when they¡¯re riding extremely fast through trees,
they
> won¡¯t let us do that because it¡¯s just too dangerous but we do
all of
> the fighting ourselves. I know Jonas (Armstong) certainly does all
> the wire work and all the kind of tricks himself. The more we can
do
> the more exhilirating it is. Actually, it¡¯s one of the best bits
of
> the job. That¡¯s why we all enjoy ourselves so much. It¡¯s a dream
job
> in that respect.
>
> What¡¯s your favorite episode is season 2?
>
> RA: Well I¡¯ve got two actually. For myself my favorite episode is
> episode 13 and you¡¯ll understand why when you see it. In terms of
the
> show, I think episode 2, which is an episode where the show sets up
a
> casino in the great hall. The balance of the heist and the comedy
> aspect, and the anacronistic style of the casino, which is a sort
of
> a ludicrous idea, for me it just works and I think it¡¯s a
hilarious
> episode and at the same time it¡¯s kind of scary and dark. I really
> enjoyed that one. That thing of taking a license with history in
> order to kind of have a fun episode, I think it¡¯s something which
> Americans probably have embraced a little bit more than the
British.
> You know they took inspiration from things like ¡°Buffy¡± and ¡°A
> Knight¡¯s Tale,¡± where history was allowed to be relaxed slightly
just
> so that the entertainment value can be higher whereas the British
can
> be a bit stuffy about their history, so I think it¡¯s probably why
> it¡¯s been quite popular over there.
>
> Who is your favorite person to act with in ¡°Robin Hood¡±?
>
> RA: I think I have to say Lucy Griffiths because we have most of
our
> stuff together and the shape of their scenes is so interesting.
I¡¯ve
> really seen her develop as an actress as well and then she¡¯s sort
of
> done the same to me, so definitely Lucy.
>
> I saw that you are playing a new character on ¡°Spooks¡± (¡±MI-5¡å
in the
> US) season seven.
>
> RA: I think season seven is going to be quite interesting. They¡¯ve
> taken a new look at the show and they¡¯re definitely bringing the
> sixties espionage and looking at the reemergence of the cold war as
> well. I think it¡¯s something which America will really enjoy, so
> that¡¯s going to be on BBC America as well.
>
> Can you talk about your character a little bit?
>
> RA: He¡¯s been in a Russian prison for eight years. They do a spy
swop
> at the beginning of the series and Lucas North, that¡¯s the
> character¡¯s name, returns from Russia with a lot of dirt on him
and
> it sort of sets off a chain reaction. That¡¯s how the series sort
of
> kicks off. It¡¯s fascinating and I¡¯ve been water boarded and all
> sorts, so it¡¯s been pretty current actually.
>
> Are you going to be a regular on the show?
>
> RA: Yes, it¡¯s a regular character.
>
> How is that going to work out with ¡°Robin Hood¡±?
>
> RA: Yes, I¡¯m double backing. I finish ¡°Spooks¡± on the 29th of
June,
> and I¡¯ll be in the forest on the 30th of June on a horse. So it¡¯s
> pretty tight this year for me, but it¡¯s great because the two
> characters are completely contrasting, so it¡¯s gonna be great fun
to
> do that.
>
> Is there a storyline that you would love your character to have
> in ¡°Robin Hood¡±? Is there something that you haven¡¯t been able
to do
> that you would like to?
>
> RA: Yes, and I think that they are going to be doing that in series
> 3. I went and met with the producers today and they¡¯re gonna take
the
> character on a very downward spiral, which is really interesting.
> They¡¯re going to take him to rock bottom in series 3, so I¡¯m
really
> looking forward to that. He¡¯s getting darker.
>
> How did you originally get into acting?
>
> RA: I went to a school where there was lots of drama, singing,
dance,
> and that sort of thing, so I had bit of a taste of everything. I
did
> a series of exam, where you do a speech from a play. I kind of got
a
> taste for it there, and then I went into a more commercial aspect
of
> theater to singing in musical theater and I did that for a few
years.
> Then I realized it was actually the classical theater that
interested
> me more. So I went and did a three years classical acting course in
> London and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. Then on I kind of
> continued doing theater and in more recent years it¡¯s kind of
> branched off into television.
>
> What do you like better, theater or television?
>
> RA: At the moment, I¡¯m kind of really interested in this sort of
> television and film media, just because I like the ability to kind
of
> correct it or enhance it immediately rather than having to wait
until
> the next night to do it. I do sort of miss the live audience, but
> there¡¯s a part of me that just enjoys the kind of piecing together
of
> a character over a very long period. I¡¯m really happy where I am
at
> the moment.
>
> Are you thinking of expanding to the US?
>
> RA: Absolutely, I can¡¯t wait. I¡¯m ready for it, I¡¯ve watched
some of
> US TV dramas at the moment. I¡¯ve just finished watching ¡°
Damages¡±
> which I just loved. I think the quality of the writing was
> spectacular, so as soon as I¡¯ve got a free moment I¡¯m gonna
hopefully
> come over there and see what¡¯s around.
>
> Are there any other TV shows that you enjoy watching?
>
> RA: I really enjoy ¡°Heroes,¡± that was something that¡¯s been very
> popular over here, and ¡°Brothers & Sisters¡± as well. I think
they¡¯ve
> both been spectacular and brilliantly written. And funnily enough,
> British television, I¡¯ve been doing catch up on all of the ¡°
Spooks¡±
> series as well. I think for me I¡¯m really proud to be part of
that,
> because I think it¡¯s some of the best television that we produce,
I
> really do. Each time there is a new cast change they really up the
> game, raise the bar, it¡¯s really thrilling.
>
> Is there a part that you would like to play that you haven¡¯t had a
> chance to play yet?
>
> RA: At the moment I¡¯m working on a project about Richard the
Third.
> I¡¯m very keen to resurrect his reputation and tell his story,
which
> hasn¡¯t really been told before. It¡¯s not the story that
Shakespeare
> told about the hunchback monster. I¡¯m really interested in looking
at
> that.
>
> In England there is a lot of cast changes, they seem to kill off
main
> characters a lot. Are you afraid that it might happen on ¡°Robin
Hood¡±?
>
> RA: To be honest, I do think that Guy of Gisbourne needs to get it
in
> the neck at some point. I¡¯d like to make it to the end of series
3,
> but I don¡¯t know what they¡¯ve got planned for me. But I do think
he
> needs to get his just desserts, doesn¡¯t he?
>
> But then who would replace him? Who would be as mean to Robin Hood
as
> Guy of Gisbourne?
>
> RA: Who else? I think they¡¯ve got something planned. After talking
to
> the producers today, they mentioned that they are bringing another
> couple of characters. Obviously I can¡¯t give it away yet, but yes,
> there¡¯s going to be another character coming in, which is going to
> add to the evil side.
>