I've had a thing for 'Rafe' for ages. He starred in one of my favourite movies of all time, The English Patient. He was fascinating and terrifying in Red Dragon. Heartbreaking in The Constant Gardener. I didn't care for Maid in Manhattan but hell, I'd watch him in anything - he's that brilliant, that intense. No other actor, imho, quite manages his strange but potent combination of aloofness, sensuality, mystery, menace and almost-but-not-quite-boyish vulnerability. He has an aura of suppressed passion, or is it violence? He makes me a little - afraid.
- Born in Suffolk, England in 1962, he was the son Mark and Jennifer, the former a photographer/artisan, the latter a novelist.
- He's an 8th cousin of Prince Charles.
- He joined Britain's Royal National Theatre in 1987 and the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1988.
- He had an 11 year relationship with Francesca Annis, 19 years his senior, after being cast as Hamlet to her Gertrude (Hamlet's mother) in 1995. Being partial to younger men myself (aye, I married one), I totally approved!
12 comments:
Oh what a fine thing! He was in a play here, tried to go to see it but it sold out in minutes...drat!
when your blog page opened up, there he was looking at me -- big sigh.
I used to nanny for a woman who loooooved him, so whenever I came across a pic of him I would put it under her pillow.
He does smolder a bit, doesn't he.
Corrrrrrr.
Oh Liane, you don't ever disappoint us, do you?
He really is almost too good to be true. Mmmmmmmmmm. Lovely.
Yvonne, I'd love to see him live on stage. I'd probably pass out from the excitement.
Kim, definitely smoulders. Lucky Francesca! He has an inscrutable quality that fascinates me. I like actors like him that you can't pin down.
JJ, glad to hear it! I just go with what I like! :)
Sprialskies, simply delicious!
I know exactly what you mean but - sigh - he's lovely eye candy! I think he's probably a depressive.
It's definitely worth a try! Lovely pictures :o)
Everybody is related to Prince Charles, unfortunately :)
I remember him in the English Patient and Constant Gardener, bot great movies.
(Comes in, looks around) Is he here? Is he here?
(Crickets)
Guess not.
Hmmm... great idea. I think I'll mention a hockey player and hope he drops by to offer to read Bad Ice!
I've got a bit of a crush (okay, a lot of a crush) on him too! And The English Patient is one of my all time favourite films. What good taste we both have :o)
flowerpot, you're probably right. Dark and complex, but great to look at.
Karen, Chumplet, no sightings yet but we live in hope...
akalol, it's sad, but being related to the crown prince must have a lot of snob value.
calistro, we certainly do! Remember the scene when he's with the woman in the car during the sandstorm? And in the bathtub? Ahhh...
I have always found this man rather delicious. He has that rare combination of talent, brains and humour all wrapped up in a yummy package.
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