A. Richard Jeffrey Bland
Q. Age?
A. 37
Q. Occupation?
A. Actor / writer / professional bore.
Q. Describe your personality in 5 words.
A. Fun, energetic, generous, smart and honest.
Q. What is your favourite role to play in the shows you have done so far?
A. I like all the roles I have played for various reasons, I think my fave would be the role I played in the Bible on tour in 1997-1998 and
on tour in Ireland in 2001. My favourite role thus far as an actor is that of Jerry Springer in Jerry Springer the Opera which
I finished doing on Feb 23rd.
Q. And out of the four shows which is your favourite and why?
A. I think my fave would have to be either Shakespeare or the Bible.
Q. What is such a nice guy like you doing in with a crowd such as the RSC?
A. Whoever told you I'm a nice guy is a liar and a cheat and must be named John Schwab because he is a fool.
Q. Have you always wanted to be an actor or did you want to be a fireman at the age of four?
A. I wanted to be an olympic swimmer. I went to numerous national championships but never made the Canadian olympic team.
Q. What do you do before a show?
A. Another show.....and so on and on and on....
Q. Do you get any fanmail? Anything interesting?
A. No one writes me anything. Probably because it takes me so long to respond.
Q. What are the differences between the UK and USA audiences?
A. English audiences have taste. They aren't as stupidlly sentimental as Americans.
Q. Do you have any strange or funny talents?
A. Any sentence with talent and Rick Bland in it is blasphemous.
Q. Have you enver been unable to stop laughing while performing? What did you do?
A. Sadly, this has happened to me often. The time that most sticks out is when John Schwab tried to make me laugh and said
something that I can't even remember and he started to laugh and suddenly everytime we made eye contact we would laugh
rendering us both incapable of speech. This went on for some time as tears poured out of our eyes. Shameful behaviour really, but
a load of fun none the less.
Q. If you could be a vegetable what would you be?
A. With a head like mine, I'd have to be a pumpkin.
Q. In your opinion, what way should toilet roll be fed?
A. Over the top.
Q. If you discovered a planet, what would you name it and why?
A. I'm far too stupid to ever discover a planet.
Q. Do you have any bad habits? And do any of the other RSC folk have any you hate?
A. No. I'm perfect and anyone of those RSC losers that tell you otherwise is a liar and a cheat.
Q. Have you anything to say to your fans?
A. I don't talk to fans unless they break on a hot day. Do you often talk to fans or airconditioners?
Q. And how much do you actually know about Shakespeare?
A. A fair amount. Have done Measure for Measure, Macbeth and the Tempest as well as having read most plays beside King John.
Q. Would you be willing to take a test to see?
A. I hated school because of tests so I see no reason to invite tests back into my life unless they are of the British Driving type of test.
copyright.2002