Alex Jennings

#1 Guest_Penny_*

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Posted 01 October 2007 - 11:16 PM

Hello,

First post, been lurking for a while, but as I haven't seen a thread for this actor, I thought I'd start one. Hope that's ok?

I haven't ever seen Alex Jennings on stage, but I've booked to see "Present Laughter" at the NT, and am looking forward to it.

I was wondering about your views about Alex as I've heard positive things and by all accounts he's pretty good in PL.

I really wish I'd seen him in "His Girl Friday", because I'm a huge fan of the film.

And slightly off topic here, but if anyone has seen Present Laughter, when is the interval? I only want to know as I can then pace my liquid intake to prevent me from sitting for 20 minutes desperate for the loo!

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#2 Jan Brock

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Posted 02 October 2007 - 08:45 AM

AJ is very good in parts that suit him, and it seems PL is one of those. His range is quite wide - I have seen him many times - and like Simon Russel-Beale his is playing a broader range of parts than when he first started.

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#3 armadillo

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Posted 02 October 2007 - 09:26 AM

The first half is just under 90 minutes, IIRC. Personally I thought a bit of judicious cutting wouldn't have done any harm - 3 hours really is too long for a light comedy.

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#4 Guest_Kitten Heels_*

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Posted 02 October 2007 - 09:43 AM

AJ is one of the funniest actors I have ever seen.

He won the Olivier for Best Actor In a Musical in My Fair Lady having taken over from Jonathan Pryce and I have to say I thought he shaded past Jonathan Pryce. I've never heard of someone taking over a lead and getting an Olivier apart from that year (I think maybe his Eliza got the same gong?).

What else? Brilliant Hamlet, but naff director, that Lord of the Rings man put stupid video screens everywhere (yawn). He did a great Peer Gynt, which will no doubt add irony to the Peer Gynt jokes in Present Laughter. Eponymous part in Albert Speer, Lord Foppington in The Relapse...

His Girl Friday I thought was an awful mistake on stage for everyonne concerned. I just didn't get any of it. I wouldn't know which performances of his to pick out as his best as usually after I've seen him I think oh that's the best thing he's ever done but then I think back and realise just how much great stuff he's done before.

He was also Theseus/Oberon in Adrian Noble's Dream, which is the best Dream I have ever seen.

I think he was also auditioned for Four Weddings...

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#5 Alexandra

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Posted 02 October 2007 - 09:51 AM

I was watching a film the other day, that one Mark Kermode hated and I absolutely loved (so much I can't remember its name

- but it had Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in it and she got shot, help me someone) and apart from a little cameo by Harriet Walter, I'm almost certain that Alex Jennings appeared for literally about half a second right at the end, playing a diplomat I think. It was so brief it was almost subliminal (though clearly not quite, since I'm mentioning it). Am I going mad or did it actually happen?

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#6 armadillo

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Posted 02 October 2007 - 11:16 AM

Babel. He had quite a big role in The State Within with Jason Isaacs but he's not had good luck with tv - there was a terrible sitcom about a failed actor (which I think sat on a shelf for years) and a thriller about a WW1 spy that nobody was very interested in but he's never had the right breakthough costume drama role

Who knows what would have happened to his career if he'd done Four Weddings - he was actually cast for a bit but filming delays meant he decided to go to Broadway instead (Hamlet? Peer Gynt).

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#7 Alexandra

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Posted 02 October 2007 - 11:17 AM

Oh yes, thanks armadillo. Was it him?

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#8 armadillo

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Posted 02 October 2007 - 11:23 AM

Yes - he mentions it in a recent Guardian interview. Maybe his part was cut?

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#9 Alexandra

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Posted 02 October 2007 - 12:08 PM

Right, thanks, I thought it was him. I think it must have been cut. I can't think why he'd have done it for no lines and half a second's screen time, no matter how big the cheque. At least Harriet Walter got to say a few lines.

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#10 Jan Brock

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Posted 02 October 2007 - 01:42 PM

I think one of his best performances was as Lucio in the Hytner "Measure for Measure" - always nice to see a very good actor in a relatively small part.