Pam Ferris- Actor of the Week

Pam Ferris has been in so many period dramas! Most recently cast as Sister Evangelina in Call the Midwife, now showing on PBS, she has worn many a bonnet over the years.

Pam Ferris as Ma Larkin in Darling Buds of May

Possibly best known as the warm beloved mother Ma Larkin in The Darling Buds of May. Catherine Zeta-Jones may have been the sex appeal in this show, but Ma Larkin was the character who made you want to join the Larkin family for dinner.

Pam Ferris as Mrs. General in Little Dorrit

As the horrid Mrs. General in Little Dorrit, hired to accompany the Dorrit sisters on their trip to Europe and educate them, she is wonderful and terrible all at the same time. Poor little Amy Dorrit!

Mr. Dorrit: Mrs General and I have been in conversation about you, and we agree that you scarcely feel at home here in Venice. How is this?
Amy Dorrit: I think I need a little time. Father.
Mrs. General: [sighing] "Papa" is a preferable form of address. "Father" is rather vulgar. Besides, the word "papa" gives a pretty form to the lips. "Papa", "potatoes", "poultry", "prunes" and "prism" are all very good words for the lips - especially "prunes" and "prism".

Pam Ferris as Grace Poole in Jane Eyre 2006

Perfectly horrible again as Grace Poole in Jane Eyre 2006, the alcoholic minder of the crazy woman in the attic. Wonderful role to play but not a warm fuzzy role.

Pam Ferris as Mrs Boffin in Our Mutual Friend

As the friendly Mrs. Boffin in the Dickens adaptation Our Mutual Friend 1998, she gets to play a working woman who, with her husband, comes into a fortune. She retains her heart of gold while she tries to negotiate the world of the monied upper classes.

Pam Ferris as Miss Trunchbull in Matilda

As one of the most horrible characters in literature, Pam Ferris plays Headmistress Miss Trunchbull from the film based on the book Matilda by Roald Dahl. Evil, evil, evil...but at least Matilda gets revenge in the end!

Pam Ferris as Aunt Marge in Harry Potter

As the nasty Aunt Marge Dursley in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Pam Ferris gets "blown up" by Harry who accidentally uses his magical powers after being enraged by the things that Marge says.

Aunt Marge: I still don't like your tone, boy. If you can speak of your beatings in that casual way, they clearly aren't hitting you hard enough. Petunia, I'd write to them if I were you. Make it clear that you approve the use of extreme force in this boy's case.

Pam Ferris as Mrs Dollop in Middlemarch

In a small part in the 1994 BBC production of Middlemarch Pam Ferris plays Mrs. Dollop, the opinionated landlady of The Tankard in Slaughter Lane.

Pam Ferris as Sister Evangelina in Call the Midwife

But my favourite role for Pam Ferris so far is Sister Evangelina in Call the Midwife. This character (and the entire miniseries) has a wonderful balance of humour and heart. Sister Evangelina makes me laugh and cry all in the same episode. She is mostly a fun, no nonsense character who is likely drawn from a real person as the miniseries is based on the memoirs of midwife Jennifer Worth. I can't wait for more Call the Midwife. Apparently there is a Christmas special and another series coming next year. Yay!!!


Sister Evangelina:  Ah, Camilla Fortescue-Cholmeley-Browne?
Chummy Browne:  I generally answer to "Chummy". My pa used to say "Long dogs need short names".
Sister Evangelina:  Follow me. And mind your head. I understand you qualified by a whisker, Nurse Fortescue-Cholmeley-Browne.
Chummy Browne:  I did pass. It was a bit of a scrape.

Christina Cole- Actor of the Week

Christina Cole

Christina Cole is a young actor with an amazing body of work already, much of which is period drama. Her breakout role was opposite Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth and Anna Chancellor in What a Girl Wants. She finished drama school early to play the snooty, catty Clarissa Payne.

Anna Chancellor and Christina Cole in What a Girl Wants

Clarissa: Oh, very you, lovely. So Henry asked us to give you a few pointers, didn't he? Well, pointer number 1: go home. Mother and I belong here and it's quite clear you just don't fit in. And pointer number 2: while you're packing, keep your grimy little Yankee paws off Armistead Stuart, he's mine.
Daphne Reynolds: If you take your nose out of the air for one second you'll see you're designer, I'm vintage. You've got a mansion, I've got a five floor walkup. You're a snotty little miss cranky pants and I go with the flow, so why would you ever think for one second that I'd ever have the same taste in guys? So here's a little pointer for you. Get over yourself and stop trying to be my daddy's little girl because I'm not going anywhere.

Christina Cole in He Knew He Was Right

From bad girl to nice girl, Christina hit it out of the park as the lovely Nora Rowley in He Knew He Was Right. In the classic struggle of the Victorian lady, she has to choose between love and wealth when she is pursued by two men. Quite an excruciating choice as the men are both wonderful and she plays her dilemma with great sensitivity and believability. I think I would have gone with Mr. Glascock personally, but that might be because I loved Raymond Coulthard as Frank Churchill in the Kate Beckinsale version of Emma. I am soooooo shallow!

Michael Fassbender, Christina Cole and Jemima Rooper in Hex

If your taste runs to witches and the supernatural with a bit of girl on girl action (not my taste, but I work with a woman who would love this) Hex has some pretty great actors in it. Along with Christina Cole as the main witchy type, we have Michael Fassbender (Rochester from Jane Eyre 2011), Jemima Rooper (Amanda Price from Lost in Austen) and Laura Pyper (Jane Fairfax in Emma 2009).

Christina Cole as Blanche Ingram in Jane Eyre 2006

Back in her Victorian garb again for Jane Eyre 2006, Christina almost makes us forget that Blanche Ingram is supposed to have raven locks. Actually, it makes me wonder what she would look like as a brunette. (Squinting hard at photo...nope, can't picture it!)

Lost in Austen

Then into Regency garb to play Caroline Bingley in Lost in Austen. I kind of love the wackiness of this time travelling Austen piece, and Caroline starts out like a catty Clarissa Payne but transforms into...well I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen this one yet.

Caroline Bingley: Money, Miss Price. The fortune to which you aspire in an immediate instance may pass you by. But I am certain you shall not starve.
Amanda Price: No, I don't suppose I shall on 27000 a year.

Christina Cole as Mrs. Elton in Emma 2009

My sister complained that there were too many blondes in Emma 2009. I will agree that the lack of variety in hair colour may have confused those not familiar with the story, but this is still my favourite version of Emma so far.

I will however concede that Juliet Stevenson is the definitive Mrs. Elton in the 1996 Gwyneth Paltrow Emma, but I don't mind Christina Cole in the role either. She certainly can play the nasty jellyfish woman type (nod to Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason, and didn't the jellyfish woman also play Mrs. Elton if I recall? Tee-hee!)

So it will be interesting to see if Christina Cole ever dons a bonnet again after seeing how many period roles she has done in a relatively short period of time. Small roles in Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day and Foyle's War at least get her into the 20th century. We will have to see where her talent takes her in the future.

Did I miss any roles that you enjoyed her in?

Migraine Movies- Jane Eyre 2006 and Emma 2009

Jane Eyre 2006-Toby and Ruth

Ah, the migraine movies. Those nights when I come home from work with my right eye feeling like it's going to pop out and a slightly upset tummy. I need a certain type of film. One of my faves is definitely Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility as the music alone will soothe me. The latest Pride and Prejudice will also work as it has the gorgeous music and is very easy on the eyes. Much as I love P&P 1995, the voice of Mrs. Bennet is too grating for migraine soothing.

This week, I think I was partly guided to Jane Eyre 2006 because the new film version will be coming out in Toronto next weekend, so I was already sort of in the mood. So all 202 minutes of wonderful Jane Eyre later and at least 3 separate weepy moments, I was happily exhausted and ready for bed.

Emma 2009-Romola and Jonny

So last night, when I had again worked a full day and still had just the last dregs of migraine left (migraine hangover I like to call it) I needed another film. So I grabbed Romola and Jonny (Emma 2009), knowing full well that I couldn't finish the whole miniseries in one night, but I gave it a good try. I made it through 2 episodes although I admit to dozing off during the Coles's party. I was lulled to sleep by Emma singing and playing the piano and only woke up when Jane Fairfax had finished exhibiting her talents.

There is something wonderful about a familiar story with gorgeous music and locations that are sheer eye candy. There is always a place for grittier films, just not when you are ill or feeling low. That's when you need the good old soothers. I'm feeling better this morning, but now I have to finish Emma as the last bit is soooooo the best part. When I don't have time for the full miniseries, I just play the ending on Youtube. If you have time for just the ending, here is the proposal:


And now for the adorable ending. Oh that Romola is so spot on as Emma. Her facial expressions alone are worth watching it for:



And here are a few other lovely soothers for when you are feeling poorly:



Have a great weekend and feel free to leave a comment with your favorite "Feeling poorly film"!