Rufus Sewell- Actor of the Week

Rufus Sewell

Rufus Sewell is my actor of the week. He is a hot commodity this week after appearing in Zen on PBS Masterpiece Mystery Sunday. By the way, the next two Sunday nights feature the other 2 episodes (this delightful series about an Italian detective was canceled after only 3 episodes). Americans can catch up on the one from this past Sunday night on the PBS website. The rest of us are out of luck!

Rufus Sewell as Count Adhemar in A Knight's Tale

Adhemar: You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting. In what world could you possibly beat me?

Rufus Sewell as lowlife Jasper Bloom in The Holiday

Jasper: I wish you could just accept knowing how confused I am about all this.
Iris: Okay, let me translate that. So, you are still engaged to be married?
Jasper: Yes, but, I mean...
Iris: Oh, my God.

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I always think of Rufus as a bad guy. I mean, he was truly horrible to our beloved Will Thatcher (Heath Ledger) in A Knight's Tale, one of my all time faves. He was also completely rotten to dear Kate Winslet in The Holiday. Can we ever forgive him for that? But he is a wonderful actor and has been in many beloved Period dramas.

Rufus Sewell as Will Ladislaw in Middlemarch. Be still my beating heart!

His first big Period role was as the talented, handsome but poor Will Ladislaw in Middlemarch. Check out those boots ladies!

Rufus Sewell as the hilariously smouldering Seth Starkadder in Cold Comfort Farm

OK, gaze into those eyes of Seth Starkadder in Cold Comfort Farm. And yet Kate Beckinsale seems unimpressed. Harumph!

Rufus Sewell as Charles II in "Charles II: The Power & the Passion"

OK, how many of you knew he played the titular role in Charles II: The Power & the Passion? Nobody? Well me neither although I do like the way he looks in the wig and the crown! I may have to track this one down.

If that has whetted your appetite, here are a few more Rufus Sewell films that you may want to check out!

Clueless 1995...A Modern Emma Turns 16!

Clueless 1995 starring Alicia Silverstone Brittany Murphy and Paul Rudd

Clueless is 16 years old this month. Wow, if it was a kid it would be, like, totally going for its drivers license. And we all know how that turned out for Cher!

I'm going to assume that you have all seen this iconic modern interpretation of Jane Austen's Emma.  A thinking persons teen movie if you will.  I hadn't seen it for a while, so it was fun to pop in the DVD again. I had forgotten how funny the film is! So here we go fans!

Alicia Silverstone as Cher in Clueless

Cher: Okay, so you're probably going, "Is this like a Noxzema commercial or what?" But seriously, I actually have a way normal life for a teenage girl.

Tai, Cher and Dionne from Clueless

Cher: Dionne and I were both named after famous singers of the past, who now do infomercials.

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Tai: I could really use some sort of herbal refreshment.
Dionne: Oh, well we do lunch in ten minutes. We don't have any tea, but we have Coke and stuff.
Tai: No shit. You guys got Coke here?
Dionne: Well, yeah.
Cher: Yeah, this is America.

Dionne and Cher from Clueless-Break out the plaid and the knee socks!

Cher: Would you call me selfish?
Dionne: No, not to your face.

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Dionne: Cher's saving herself for Luke Perry.

Justin Walker as Christian from Clueless

Cher: Christian had a thing for Tony Curtis so he brought over "Some Like it Hot" and "Sporadicus".

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Murray: Your man Christian is a cake boy!
Cher, Dionne: A what?
Murray: He's a disco-dancing, Oscar Wilde-reading, Streisand ticket-holding friend of Dorothy, know what I'm saying?

Donald Faison as Murray in Clueless

Murray: Woman, lend me fi' dollas.
Dionne: Murray, I have asked you repeatedly not to call me "woman".
Murray: Excuse me, "Ms. Dionne."
Dionne: Thank you.
Murray: Okay, but, street slang is an increasingly valid form of expression. Most of the feminine pronouns do have mocking, but not necessarily in misogynistic undertones.

Brekin Meyer as Travis Birckenstock in Clueless

Travis: I would like to say this. Tardiness is not something you can do on your own. Many, many people contributed to my tardiness. I would like to thank my parents for never giving me a ride to school, the LA city bus driver who took a chance on an unknown kid and last but not least, the wonderful crew from McDonalds who spend hours making those egg McMuffins without which I might never be tardy. 

Twink Caplan as Miss Geist in Clueless

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:

But thy eternal summer shall not fade

Dionne: Phat! Did you write that?
Cher: Duh. It's like a famous quote.
Dionne: From where?
Cher: Cliff's Notes.

Totally over-the-top Amber from Clueless

  
Cher: Do you prefer "fashion victim" or "ensembly challenged"?

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Amber: Ms. Stoeger, my plastic surgeon doesn't want me doing any activity where balls fly at my nose.
Dionne: Well, there goes your social life.

Josh and Cher from Clueless

Cher: [Referring to Josh] Okay, okay, so he is kind of a Baldwin.

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Cher: I am totally butt crazy in love with Josh.

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Well, I sure had a few good snorty laughs as I was putting this together for y'all!  And yes, Paul Rudd is still kind of a Baldwin don't you think? I'm off to watch all of the extras on the Special Whatever Edition now!

P.S. There are some nice clips of the late Brittany Murphy in the extras, in which she reflects fondly on making this film. Happier times for her.