♦ Okay, the catch up starts - in random order - here...
If you missed England Their England, the radio play featuring Rufus along with a "glittering cast" (which you would have if you were counting in being reminded here, sorry), you can still listen to it on the BBC Radio 4 website for the next couple of days. But, even better, it will air again on Saturday 31 December at 9 pm, which perhaps means it will be available for another seven days after. This is the link for the webpage and for listening online.
All Things To All Men: you can see the photos taken on the set (promised a while back) here. You can also see a fun photo taken during the filming here.
Meanwhile, Paradise Lost, the other project Rufus was associated with, has been postponed. This is the original article from Deadline, 12 December 2011:
EXCLUSIVE: Legendary Pictures has halted plans to begin production early next year on Paradise Lost, the epic-sized Alex Proyas-directed film about the battle between good and evil that is inspired by the John Milton poem. Bradley Cooper had been set to play Lucifer, Benjamin Walker to play the archangel Michael, and Diego Boneta playing Adam and Camilla Belle Eve, with a host of other actors lined up for the action epic. I’m told that the film isn’t scrapped; rather, Legendary’s Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and producer Vincent Newman will continue developing it to rework a budget that had passed the $120 million mark by 10% or 15%. The picture has crewed up for an Australia shoot and the talent and below the line is learning about the postponement right now. Films including Moneyball and American Gangster had their plugs pulled within a month of production and bounced back, but it is always a shock when a large film has its start date scratched so close to production, even if it is temporary. [...] In the case of Paradise Lost, there is so much green screen work and VFX that the budget looked to be getting unwieldy. They will try to rework those costs and possibly get the film into production by the late spring or early summer. Awaiting a response from Legendary Pictures, but several sources have confirmed the postponement.
The postponement has since been confirmed in the media, no clear date yet when filming will start.
Meanwhile, you can click here to see a photo of Rufus in his Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter garb (looks like leather trousers and a Transylvanian vest, heh heh). The lady in the photo was the head dialect coach on the film.
More to come soon!
(29 December, thanks GE2 and the RoofTop)
♦ Dear Rufus fans, abject apologies for the huge long silence! I have not abandoned Rufus or you, just trying to learn to manage my time (chunks of which get "stolen" by vertigo). It's the hols now so I hope to be back soon, but a quickie today:
VOTE FOR RUFUS SEWELL AS GQ.COM'S BEST-DRESSED 2012! Click here for the site and the link to vote.
Rufus is currently at number 3, and I am sure I do not have to remind you that (fan-aticism apart) he is more than deserving!
But I will remind you anyway... from 2011: Best-Dressed I, Best-Dressed II, Best-Dressed III, and from previous years... Best-Dressed in 2010 and Best-Dressed in 2009. So vote soon, vote often (or from different IP addresses if necessary :-))!
Back when I can!
(23 December, thanks GE2)
♦ Hi Roofers. Some minimal catch-up starts here... Rufus has a new role and is filming as we speak (write, read). Small article about the project here. There have been a few photos from the set - they'll be here soon.
More work - and a Christmas present for us: Rufus will be in a radio play which will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Christmas Day. Read about it here.
And finally for today (apologies that it's so short but dizziness is still trying to rule my life), a lovely article about 'Out of the Blue', and Rufus's inimitable recitation of it: read it here.
Back soon I hope!
(2 November, thanks Rai, Rooftop, Glenda)
♦ Rufians, you can read a new daily-mailish article here (from, indeed, the Daily Mail). It comes with photos, and some additional ones thanks to the Rooftop, which you can see here.
There were some photos from the Bafta Tea Party which I still have to put up. (I've been spending more time than I care to on the couch with Meniere's vertigo and nausea, but hopefully it will pass soon.)
Of course, Rufus was robbed at the Geminis, which were as lame as ever (and ribbon-cut to one hour for television, still too long, hahaha). Sigh.
More when the head clears...
(26 September, thanks Rai, GE2, the Rooftop)
♦ There is no news on Hotel Noir, but one (pretty) Vanessa Suarez, who seems to be involved with the production, has got a photo of herself with Rufus on IMDB: www.imdb.com/media/rm3182803968/nm2938272.
Meanwhile, in other (purported) upcoming projects... you can read an article announcing that The Sea will be filmed in Ireland here. And Rufus is listed under rumoured in the IMDB listing for Paradise Lost, so the fingers remain crossed.
Meanwhile, here is a quote from Alan Tudyk, 9 August 2011:
"I'm Abe Lincoln's political foil," Tudyk said, "Historically, Stephen Douglas was
initially engaged to Mary Todd, who became Abe's wife. They were fellow
Senators and they battled it out for the presidency. Stephen Douglas was a flip
flopper. He started out his career being opposed to slavery, then he married
someone with a plantation and saw all of the money coming in - it was then
politically expedient to be pro-slavery... Whenever there's a political statement to
be made, Stephen wanders into the movie to represent the other side. Also,
historically, Stephen Douglas worked closely with vampires to realize his political
ambitions. Working with Rufus Sewell, the big baddie vampire, was great. So was
Ben Walker, who plays Abe."
Casting back a bit, here is a nice review of Zen, and a nice review of the DVD of Zen.
Just a reminder that the Gemini Awards are being handed out on Wednesday 7 September. Rufus has been nominated in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series, for The Pillars of the Earth, along with Ian McShane, Alison Pill, Hayley Atwell in other categories. Pillars has already cleaned up for Best Achievement in Make-Up, Best Dramatic Mini-Series or TV Movie and Best Sound in a Dramatic Program, sooo... you never know. Canucks can watch on CBC and hope that Himself might be there. :-)
(5 September, thanks Rooftop, GE2, Ilex)
♦ So apparently Rufus has a part in Hotel Noir, a film by Sebastian Gutierrez - about which little is known, except that perhaps it will only be available on the Internet, and perhaps only in the US. The filming info is from the "Carla Gugino LiveJournal Community, via the Rooftop. You will (should) remember her from She Creature. We'll keep you posted if there is more info.
If you loved Zen (and who didn't? and in this I include the reviewers) you can join a Facebook page to encourage more episodes (there was talk of the series being continued by some organisation other than the BBC): More Zen Please.
More of all this soon, I hope.
(14 August, thanks Rooftop, GE2, Uke, BA)
♦ Quick update: Rufus has been nominated in the "Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series" category for the 2011 Gemini Awards. As a Canuck I generally ignore this fest (it features nominations for rivetting items like CBC News Canada Votes 2011) but, since they are going to be broadcasting the event on the box this year (another thing that comes and goes, like the entertainment value of the awards evening, heh heh) I will cross my fingers that Rufus may deign to attend (but not be offended if he doesn't!!) and mostly that he will win (Nicholas Campbell is depressingly popular, alas). Anyway, you can read the full list of nominations (no one will know you're having a dull evening) here. GO ROOF!
(3 August, thanks Rooftop, Judypatooty)
♦ A bit of catch-up: a few more Zen articles... one, two, three, four, five and six. There is also this article which relates to Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter (for which I hope there will be a page soon).
And we can't leave out the paparazzi pics (unfortunately with watermarks like prison bars, which accounts for the mini-versions offered here): Rufus reading outdoors on 15 June (the paps say), and driving the Alfa on 2 July.
(31 July, thanks to the Rooftop, GE2, Rueful, Judypatooty, Stama)
♦ So, rather than add more Zen reviews (lots more of you will have seen episode one by now), I've decided to give a small example that ...one day ... this site will have a lot more of Rufus Sewell's career. So you can see a page, with a few reviews and very few photos, about Twenty-One.
(17 July)
♦ Zen airs on PBS tomorrow, and there are many articles... I've put up a few: one; two; three; four; five; six. Then there are a couple which are more general: one (not about Zen, despite the title) and two (the eco side, the car we don't see in the lovely paparazzi pics!).
There is also a new photo here
The pre-June 2011 news has moved to the News Archive.
More to come. Happy viewing, PBSers
(16 July, thanks PGG, Judypatooty, Rueful, Virginia)
♦ One week to go till Zen is shown on PBS! The New York Times has it covered here. And if you live in the United States you can watch a behind the scenes video here (a bit annoying since tons of Canadians watch PBS and donate to it...that crosses borders with no problems, hmmmm).
(10 July, thanks Virginia, GE2)
♦ Quick sign of life: you can see a bunch of photos of Rufus driving a bellissima to-die-for Alfa Romeo Spider 2000 (veloce, too). Maybe not looking quite as happy as he ought to be, behind that wheel, but hey... :-)
Till soon!
(26 June, thanks GE2)
♦ Two quickies: there has been a sighting of Rufus in Los Angeles, so perhaps his vampire stint is complete. I'm thinking that when Zen hits the American small screen a few casting agents will look up suddenly and get out their phones (I almost wrote "rolodexes", and then remembered it's 2011, hahaha).
There is a Rufus Facebook page: ♥Rufus Sewell♥ which has a wonderful photo gallery (something sadly lacking here, mea culpa!). Have a look!
Back soon...
(14 June, thanks GE2, PGG)
♦ Apologies for being shockingly AWOL (submerged in the saltmine!)
A little reminder, that Zen is just over a month away for anyone in North America who is waiting to see it on PBS. You will find the website here.
Meanwhile, Rufus is filming (still, we assume) Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter in New Orleans. There are no images of him yet, in vampire guise or other, but here is a neat photo of Rufus in photographer mode. In the meantime, subject of the photo has put up a website, "featuring new pictures by british actor RUFUS SEWELL". If Rufus needs to give up his day job, we know what he can do instead... :-)
I plan to be back soon...
(6 June, thanks Laura, Petruchio-Good God)
♦ Yay - NEWS! New film on the horizon for Rufus. Actually, more than on the horizon - filming as we speak! Roof will be Adam, a "vampiric leader" in the film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. You can read the semaphored Variety article here, and excerpts from a more general article here.
To be continued as we get more information...
(16 April, thanks JudyPatooty, GE2)
♦ Added four more articles... there are some holes, hope to fill them at some point.
(30 March)
♦ So, taking advantage of no new news, I have added a crapload (fifteen :-)) of articles to the site. Instead of listing them here, just visit the Reading Room and look for the little 
flag. There are still enormous holes to fill in - the spirit is willing, the time is short, but it will come. I am not putting up images because there is a gallery in the works (from other devotees), which will certainly be worth waiting for. In the interim, you can feast your eyes over at the RoofTop.
More to come.
(27 March, thanks GE2 and all the Rooftoppers)
♦ Finally, some catch-up! The crap news is that Zen has not been renewed by BBC1. Bah humbug! I won't start... Anyway, a nice article from the end of the series, before the axing. And then three articles relating to the demise - but also possible rebirth - of the series: one, two, and three.
Meanwhile, Rufus has not been moping - you can see some photos of him at the premiere of Dangerous Beauty, the musical(!); and photographed on the street in February, and captured by paparazzi in Los Angeles.
Back soon, I hope.
(13 March, thanks GE2, Ekaterina, Petruchio-Good God)
♦ Small sign of life - the site is alive (but time is in short supply just now), but here is an article from 2001. More to come (not saying when!).
(17 February)
♦ Wee bit of catch-up, in reverse order: you can see Rufus, in drop-dead divo (in the orginal sense of the word, not as applied to tenors) mode, appearing at the National Television Awards four days ago; and then you can see Rufus, beautiful and beautifully accompanied, appearing at the BAFTA Tea Party two weeks ago.
There is a new review of Zen and another new review of Zen, and also an oldie-but-goodie, article.
And a few choice bits from articles here and there...
From a transcript of the PBS Winter 2011 TCA Press Tour:
Ed Stoppard: Rufus has been Tom (Stoppard's) surrogate son for about the last 20 years. I'm working through a lot of issues, actually, about this at the moment.
Rufus Sewell: This is a breakthrough.
Ed Stoppard: Yeah, and you're all here. It's like an intervention. Rufus, as I'm sure you're aware, starred in 'Arcadia' in 1993. So I would have been 19. I remember going to see it — 18, 19 — and I remember going to see it and sort of slightly having a crush on him, really, truth be told. Have I not told you this before?
Rufus Sewell: No.
Ed Stoppard: Okay. Don't print that. But basically thinking, "This is, that was certainly one of those moments in my adolescence where I thought, 'This is something I'd like to do.' So I kind of knew Rufus from afar, and we'd sort of bumped into each other once or twice over the years. But, you know, Caterina was quoted in an interview I noted where she was asked, 'What first attracted you to this project?' And she said, 'Rufus Sewell.' And I kind of felt... I mean, that was also sort of pertinent to me. The idea of working with Rufus was... I was about to say very attractive. That's not what I want to say at all, but…you know what I mean.
Rufus Sewell: More of a breakthrough than we need.
And if that didn't put a smile on your face here's one that will. From someone writing about parking woes in This Is Kent, 28 January:
Frankly, for the kind of money Sevenoaks charges me to park my car, I'd expect Rufus Sewell to turn up in a singlet and lick my windows clean.
Quite an image. Say no more. And while we're into the deep stuff, from an undated Hello mag article on Ski Resorts With Star Quality:
Capital of the Tyrol in the Austrian Alps, Innsbruck is also famous for the range of winter sports available in the surrounding mountains. Thanks to these giants, such as Nordkette, Nockspitze and Patscherkofel, Innsbruck hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964. Now its many resorts and ski stations provide over 300 kilometres of piste, ensuring skiing opportunities throughout the season. The region has been the setting for a number of films, including 'Extreme Ops', whose eye-candy studded cast includes Devon Sawa, Rupert Graves and Rufus Sewell in a tale in which five extreme-sports enthusiasts need all their skills and ingenuity to outwit a group of terrorists.
They didn't mention Heino Ferch, not quite eye-candy, but one who can hold his own in terms of presence... but I digress.
I think there are more Zen articles. That will be next time.
(30 January, thanks GE2, Stama, Petruchio-Good God, Ekaterina, Rousse, Wichiwoman)
♦ As promised, some photos. Gallery I: Rufus at the PBS Winter 2011 TCA Press Tour, promoting Zen, "premiering Summer 2011". Gallery II: caught outside the ITV Studios. Gallery III: photos from Zen.
More soon...
(15 January, thanks GE2, Stama, Anyother)
♦ Just one quick thing (it's back to the salt mine tomorrow, so it's the time for the "you really have to go to bed" conversation with self). I got to see Zen tonight! (the first one). Wonders of the 'net and all that (thanks Gill!). Fantastico!
As is this short interview, Rufus with Andrew Marr. My one comment on this (besides all the Rufus is so clever and so gorgeous stuff, which I'll keep to myself, cough) is that Zen is absolutely nothing like Wallander, which is why they are both so brilliant.
There will be photos, promise!
(8 January, thanks Claudia, Nell)
♦ A cartload of articles/reviews today... 12 on top of the 2 from last time. See them here with a little flag, or only the Zen ones on the Zen page.
Photos coming next.
(7 January, thanks Anyother, GE2)
♦ A couple of other video interviews: one and two (UK only; try Youtube for elsewhere)
(3 January, thanks Anyother, Nell)
♦ A couple of other articles: one and two.
And the beginnings of a Zen page... more to come.
Reviews to follow!
(2 January 2011, thanks GE2, Gill)
