Some people in my industry have dreadful reputations.
They are just not nice to their fans. Like it or not, it is part of the job.
Some talented people have great reputations. Hugh Bonneville, the English actor, is one of them.
This talented man is starring in The Gold, BBC1 which started last Sunday. It’s about the dramatisation of the 1983 Brink’s-Matt gold robbery.
I have recently had the pleasure of being in the company of this man, over dinner in London.
The restaurant was J Sheekey’s in the heart of Covent Garden. It’s a wonderful dining experience, with the best seafood.
The intimate restaurant has wall-to-wall framed photos of some of the most famous people in the world who have dined there.
There were just 30 of us in the company of Hugh. In between courses he talked about his amazing career, and his book Playing on the Piano.
I’ve loved so much of his work, but standouts include Downton Abbey, Paddington and I really enjoyed the drama I Came By. Along with a tremendous cast, this Netflix series was very disturbing.
Hugh played retired judge Hector Blake, but there was a dark side to this man’s personality. I was on the edge of my seat.
I had so many questions for Hugh, especially about Maggie Smith – who I am a great fan of. The last scene in Downton when Maggie, playing the Dowager Countess of Grantham, dies, Hugh said: “So much emotion from all the actors was played by her bedside”
Downton is a worldwide phenomena, as is Paddington. Thank you Hugh, for giving us so much pleasure from your acting talent. Already loving The Gold.
That was the start of my weekend, the next night we went to dinner at Rules restaurant. Rules Restaurant was established in 1798. The Edwardian surroundings and the bonus of the magnificent English menu was superb.
An extra highlight to the evening was on the next table. I had to double take.
The words went through my mind “The final frontier, to go where no man has gone before”.
Sitting there, one of the crew of the Starship Enterprise, George Takei, who played Sulu. He was so lovely and we spent some quality time with him.
He is in London, starring in Allegiance – a story set during the Japanese American internment of the Second World War. It was inspired by George’s personal experiences.
So that was just a couple of days in the big smoke, I’ll be back again this weekend to do some tv.