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Ioan Gruffudd
Ioan Gruffudd
CanMag discovered Ioan Gruffudd (pronounced Yo-awhn Griffith) via their
reader poll where they kept on getting email declaring, “he’s so hot.”
Gruffudd has more than heat quotient going for him, he’s a talented actor
who has been working steadily since his teenage years. Purportedly one the
nicest, most polite people in the business, he’s an interesting interviewee
with his candor, sense of humor, and musical Welsh accent (Welsh is his
native tongue). Ioan’s facial expressions, soulful eyes, expressive mouth,
and elegant hands help make all of his characters come to life on screen.
Quality bit parts in Wilde and Titanic garnered Gruffudd notice, but his
breakthrough was being cast in the title roll in the Hornblower series of
eight Emmy award winning TV movies taking Horatio Hornblower from a 17-year
old, seasick, gawky midshipman through becoming a man and a heroic captain
of his own vessel. Set during the Napoleonic wars, Gruffudd deftly portrays
Hornblower as a sensitive officer, devoted to duty and honor, who brings out
the best qualities and loyalty in his men. With a great supporting cast,
virtually everyone who has seen these films has been captivated by the
romance and swashbuckling of the era and Gruffudd’s performance in
particular.
A minor part in Blackhawk Down brought Gruffudd to the attention of Jerry
Bruckheimer, giving him another chance at a major part in a Hollywood
production. Bruckheimer cast Gruffudd as Lancelot in his blockbuster epic
King Arthur saying, "Ioan's very handsome and rugged, and he's got
intensity - exactly what we thought Lancelot should be." Gruffudd and cast
had a blast one Irish summer- galloping their horses over the Irish turf,
brandishing swords (Lancelot has two), and drinking Guinness in pubs nightly
with Keira Knightly often bellying up to the bar along with the guys. Ioan
has two of the most passionate speeches in the whole movie, lambasting
Arthur for his faith and high morals while disregarding the safety of
himself and his men. Lancelot is definitely Gruffudd’s darkest character,-
dangerous, cocky, sarcastic, and a womanizer. Many think that Lancelot was
the best thing in a mediocre movie.
Gruffudd was then cast in what many consider a stretch. He plays Reed
Richards, aka, Mr. Fantastic in another summer blockbuster, the Fantastic
Four. Reed Richards is an American comic book icon, and after practice
during a short stint in the American television series Century City, Ioan
does a very creditable American accent. While the critics panned Fantastic
Four, it did extremely well at the box office, and was well received by
audiences. It was a hard film for Gruffudd, as everything was very
technical and his stretchy body was added via special effects in post
production. He and his costars are signed for sequels, and the second
Fantastic Four has already been announced. And yes, Ioan is hot.
Summary thanks to the good people at Ioan Online
- Lancelot sees Guinevere across the battle field challenged by Cynric, one
of the Saxon leaders. He pulls out of the fighting, leaps aboard his horse,
jumps a fire ditch to reach her and intercept Cynric’s attack. What follows
is a fierce and final battle.
- The tender and joyous love scenes in Solomon and Gaenor.
- After the horrors of a campaign gone awry in France during Frogs and
Lobsters, Horatio Hornblower, his friend Kennedy, and his men are seen atop
the topmost mast on the tall ship Indefatigable.
- All the Fantastic Four interviews, both TV and print, where Ioan had entirely too much fun telling interviewers that Mr. Fantastic could stretch
any part of his anatomy, demonstrating his mime of kissing the Invisible
Woman, demonstrating his likeness to his action figures, proceeding to play
with them.
Best moments thanks to the good people at Ioan Online
Know of a better memorable moment with
Ioan Gruffudd? Let
us know.
Review of the Film King Arthur
...even though this film offers up a nice serving of action and entertainment, it fails to encompass its viewer from a lack of character build or story.
© 2004 Minds Eye One, All Rights Reserved
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