Forum Activity for @nick-stradling

Often wonder the same thing mate re: actors - or related to it, sometimes you'd think the Welsh thesps never speak about where they're from. For example, I recently watched the DVD extras for Silence of the Lambs. The supporting actors are all gushing about the "polite little Englishman" Anthony Hopkins.

I mean, you'd think being on set with them for a few months, that he'd say something wouldn't you? Or worse to contemplate, maybe he did tell them but, being north American, they just didn't get it?

The blind spot the rest of the English-speaking world has for Wales is considerable and can't be underestimated. Evidenced when Tom Cruise saw the film Twin Town and then hired Dougarry Scott for Mission Impossible 2. When asked how he found the then-unknown Dougarry, on another set of DVD extra interviews, Cruise replies "I first saw Dougarry when I saw the Scottish film Twin Town!"

Twin Town has a reference to Wales more or less in every scene and Cruise has grandparents from Flintshire! Yet he couldn't recognize Twin Town as a Welsh film. It really is bizarre how we continually slip under the radar.

Very much so Ceri. Of course one of the problems with selling Welshness to the USA could very well be that the history of Modern Wales, is very much the history of the left. Socialism, welfare state, chartists, protest- not themes that tend to go down too well in certain parts.

Madoc, Rhdori the Great, Llewellyn Y Olaf, Glyndwr, Dic Penderyn, Iolo Morganwg - there's a hilarious comedic tale right there.

Just wanted to bump this thread after reading a few of it's pages.

Great to see so many people talking about this over the course of the last few years. If anyone would like to read my essay/article about the need for and lack of Welsh film representation, it is here on my new blog.

http://wibbleclarkeblog.tumblr.com/post/66574487958/its-a-celtic-country-isnt-it-wales-on-screen-wales

Rather than an effort on self promotion (which would also be nice) I'd just like people to consider that there are MANY tales from Wales that could be adapted for the screen and could sell Welshness to the world. So many stories and most importantly - we shouldn't EVER worry about historical accuracy. So if somebody had an idea for a Glyndwr film that required an actor in his 30s - it doesn't matter folks just run with the idea and talk about it. This is the power of mythology.

Nick