READ ALL ABOUT IT...........

Heather Graham and Rufus Sewell.... a couple?
WENN September 21, 2000.

Heather Graham has apparently struck up a relationship with Brit actor Rufus Sewell despite being linked to Aussie hunk Heath Ledger. The pair were seen stroking each others hands and arms at The Ivy restaurant in London on Monday night while Elton John and Janet Street-Porter, the editor of The Independent on Sunday looked on. An onlooker says, "It was fascinating to watch them. They arrived separately but got stuck in as soon as they were seated. "They didn't take any notice of anyone else despite the fact that someone was sitting between them." Both stars have been making films in the Czech Republic with Rufus working on Knight's Tale, A (2001) while Heather has been working on a Jack the Ripper film, From Hell (2001) with Johnny Depp.

Some Bless the Child tidbits from the press kit video:

Rufus Sewell:
I'm excited about stories that involve characters that are like 'real people', you know. As soon as, as soon as people become stereotypes, then, I mean, -- I do like action films and stuff, but they're only really interesting to me when the characters aren't obvious, you know - and - like Eric Stark, the character I'm playing for example, is, he's a pretty bad guy in terms of what he does. But he doesn't come across - you know, it's like, well I hope, I hope - as soon as you see him you don't think - Ah, there's the bad guy. I thought it was really scary - I mean REALLY scary. Just - and it needed to be done right, you know, and I think Chuck is - uh - there's just the right amount of suspense and danger and hopefully a little bit of humor in it. But is scared me and I don't often get scared by things that I read, so I liked the idea of that. I liked the idea of being one of the scary ones.

He starts - um - a foundation called The New Dawn - which is about getting kids off the street, off their habits, out of their addictions, be that gambling - you know - gets them out of gangs, off drug habits, off alcoholism. Cleans them up and gives them a new positivity about life. So - this man could exist, and he does self-help videos. He does books. He's on the cover of Time magazine. You see him on Chat shows. Everyone knows him - he's a popular guy, and he has an enormous influence. And he's trying to get hold of this child who was born on a specific date - with a great deal of power, a power for GOOD! He wants to convert her over to his side, because in the great war between good and evil, evil is just about to start. He wants her to be on his side.

Kim Basinger (on Rufus):
This was a great cast - a great cast. Rufus Sewell is just a marvelous - just really a great actor. There's something very dark abouthim, and very mysterious - and at the same time very haunting - and seductive - and that's what makes a great evil guy, you know, is that he can play either side.

Thanks Ginny!

Rufus is currently at work on ....

A KNIGHT'S TALE

In Theatres June 1, 2001

Cast

HEATH LEDGER, MARK ADDY, ALAN TUDYK, PAUL BETTANY, RUFUS SEWELL, LAURA FRASER, BERENICE BEJO, CHRISTOPHER CAZENOVE AND SHANNYN SOSSAMON

GENRE: Action-Adventure

The Columbia Pictures action-adventure A Knight’s Tale stars Heath Ledger and is written, produced and directed by Brian Helgeland, who won a 1998 Oscar® for his screenplay for L.A. Confidential.

A Knight’s Tale, inspired by “The Canterbury Tales,” traces the story of William (Ledger), a young squire with a gift for jousting. After his master dies, the squire hits the road with cohorts Roland (Mark Addy) and Wat (Alan Tudyk). On the journey, they stumble across an unknown writer, Chaucer (Paul Bettany), who agrees to forge documents that will pass William off as a knight so he can test his talent in the ring. The film also stars Rufus Sewell (Bless the Child, Dangerous Beauty, Hamlet) as Count Adhemar, the premiere jouster of his generation and rival to William. Rounding out the cast are Laura Fraser, Berenice Bejo, Christopher Cazenove and newcomer Shannyn Sossamon as Ledger’s love interest, Jocelyn.

A Knight’s Tale is produced by Tim Van Rellim (Invisible Circus, Ravenous, K2), Todd Black (Fire In The Sky, Dunston Checks In, Wrestling Ernest Hemingway) and Helgeland. The screenplay is by Helgeland. The talented creative team includes Academy Award®-nominated director of photography Richard Greatrex (Where the Heart Is, Shakespeare in Love, Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown), Academy Award®- nominated production designer Tony Burrough (“Arabian Nights,” Great Expectations, Richard III) editor Kevin Stitt (Payback, Lethal Weapon 4, Conspiracy Theory) and BAFTA-nominated costume designer Caroline Harris (An Ideal Husband, Still Crazy, The Governess). ® Academy Award(s) and Oscar(s) are registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Opened August 11, 2000.

Omens and concepts of good vs. evil have no place in Maggie O’Connor’s (Kim Basinger) well-ordered, practical universe. Her life revolves around her job as a nurse at a busy New York hospital -- that is, until her wayward kid sister, Jenna (Angela Bettis), shows up on her doorstep one rainy Christmas Eve and saddles Maggie with an autistic newborn child named Cody (Holliston Coleman).

Cody quickly touches Maggie’s heart and becomes the daughter she has always longed for. But six years later Jenna suddenly re-enters her life and, with her mysterious new husband, Eric Stark (Rufus Sewell), abducts Cody. Despite the fact that Maggie has no legal rights to Cody, FBI agent John Travis (Jimmy Smits), an expert in ritual homicide and occult-related crime, takes up her cause when he realizes that Cody shares the same birth date as several other recently missing children.

The little girl, it soon becomes clear, is more than simply "special." She manifests extraordinary powers that the forces of evil have waited centuries to control, and her abduction sparks a clash between the soldiers of good and evil that can only be resolved, in the end, by the strength of one small child and the love she inspires in those she touches.

Paramount Pictures and Icon Productions present a Mace Neufeld production of a Chuck Russell film starring Kim Basinger, "Bless the Child," with Jimmy Smits, Rufus Sewell, Ian Holm, Angela Bettis and Christina Ricci. The film is directed by Chuck Russell and produced by Mace Neufeld. The screenplay is by Tom Rickman and Clifford Green & Ellen Green based on the novel by Cathy Cash Spellman. The executive producers are Bruce Davey, Robert Rehme and Lis Kern. The co-producer is Stratton Leopold. Viacom Inc. is one of the world’s largest entertainment and media companies, and a leader in the production, promotion, and distribution of entertainment, news, sports, and music. The film is MPAA Rated R.

From the Official Site:-

For the role of ruthless cult leader, Eric Stark, the filmmakers chose British actor Rufus Sewell. Sewell relished the opportunity to portray a character with so many underlying layers. "The fact that I get to play someone who is really evil, truly nasty, but don’t have to show it all the time is great fun," the actor says. "Let’s be straight about it: Stark is uncomplicatedly evil, but like most truly dangerous people, you don’t see it coming. He’s an open, breezy, charming, nice guy, the sort of guy that you’d like to go for a beer with. He does chat shows, sells books and is very popular with all of America because he’s been famous since he was a child TV actor. He’s the kind of guy that workmen will shout out to in the street as he walks past and that children will ask for autographs. He just happens to be a Satanist."

An Interview Transcript that I obtained from the Rufus Mailing List. Thanks Rai. :-)

Interviewer: So how was it playing this evil evil character - just a
twisted and demented guy but in the same sense a guy whose logic is
completely rational to himself?

Rufus: Well, that was why it was interesting to play. You know, it does
kind of make sense - it's quite a persuasive argument, ultimately. I mean
you make that choice to go in that direction or not in life. To play
someone who believes in evil is quite liberating. I mean it makes it
difficult for whoever you're living with at the time,(giggle) but it's a lot
more fun. I felt a kind of lightness of spirit playing it.
When you're playing nice guys...well I kind of was abdicated of
responsibility so I could be just as wicked as I wanted. So that was kind
of liberating. But the problem with it was avoiding all the cliches - well
not *all* the cliches - at least some of them - would be a success -
because the danger of it just being a stereotype.

I: Well I would say in today's day and age issues of Satanism wouldn't be as
shocking say as when "Rosemary's Baby" was released. How will that hit the
masses?

R: I have no idea about the masses, but you know, leave them to it.
I mean, I wanted to play the part but basically I don't work in PR. I think
the thing is that's one of the most persuasive arguments of the film that
the Devil's greatest trick was to convince people he didn't exist. Whether
we're shocked by it or we whether we're so used to the iconography of cinema
where we go "oh yeah it's one of those movies" - it doesn't make any
difference. It does exist.

There is Satanism in council estates all over Britain. There are enormous
Satanic rings all over the world and we can render them safe to ourselves by
turning them into movie cliches, but it doesn't mean they don't exist.
That's what's interesting about it.

I: Ultimately do you think the film will be perceived as being as scary? To
me it's a fairly freaky and disturbing film. I mean some of the scenes you
have with Cody...

R: Mmmm hmm - I think the freakiest thing about it is just
psychologically - the idea of kind of weird fatherly relationship which is
all about evil. To me what was chilling about it was the kind of
father-daugher relationship that he's trying to develop. There's
shocks in it and there are classic 'scary movie' scary moments but what's
creepy about the movie is the basic premise - a custody battle between God
& the Devil.

I: Are you a fan of the thriller/horror genre?

R: When they're good. I'm a fan of anything when it's good. I'm bored of
everything when it doesn't work.

I: Any specific movies?

R: Well, I loved "Rosemary's Baby". And one of my favorite movies is "Don't
Look Now". I mean I like psychological horror. "Don't Look Now" for me is
the scariest movie I've ever seen. But occasionally I like movies with big
things that explode and stuff like that. It's just a matter of as
an example of its genre, is it good? But I don't lean towards any
particular genre and the same with work, I just don't want to do the same
thing again.

I: It's interesting because in your career you've played some really
interesting characters in some really interesting films, but for the most
part one could lop you into the fringe category.

R: Yeah, well I always wanted to be in the fringe category.

I: Do you embrace that?

R: Yeah.

I: Or do you say I just want to play interesting parts and I could care
less where they're coming from.

R: I couldn't really care less where they're coming from. I always wanted
to be someone who flits around doing interesting work and I'd rather play a
great part in a small movie than an average part in a big movie. Because
for me, if I'm not enjoying my life than what am I doing it for?

I: Thank you

The names Sewell, Rufus Sewell.....Rufus as Bond???

MGM is considering Rufus Sewell as a replacement when Brosnan decides to retire from the role........
Imagine him saying those famous lines" The names Bond, James Bond......I'd like a martini, shaken, not stirred"...Ooooo sexy! ;-)

Here is some more:-

From the London Sunday Times:-

Another rising British star tipped for the part Post-Pierce is Rufus Sewell.
Just about every woman in the land seemed to fall for him after seeing him
perform as Will Ladislaw in the 1994 Television adaption of Middlemarch.
He's gone on to star in such films as "Martha Meet Frank Daniel and Laurence",
aka "The Very Thought of You","Dark City" and "The Woodlanders"-none of which
quite lived up to expectation. But shorn of his curly girlie locks he could make the grade.

Photo proof to show how good he'd look in a tux as Bond, screenshot from Cold Comfort Farm:-

Thanks to Ginny and her site "Sewell Scenes", where I got the above photo.

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©opyright FAB4GIRL 2000.