charmed utterly

The other night, when I was watching Enough Rope, I took pause to reflect how like Richard E. Grant is to my dear friend Johnno, in looks, charm and well-bred post-colonial accent.  In a good mood, that is. Which was really rather interesting, because his characterisation of Withnail in Withnail and I reminded myself and others of our dear friend Johnno in a bad mood.  (Alas, there is something of a good/bad Johnno dichotomy, but I don't think he reads my blog anymore, so...I'm being bad myself here.)

In fact, I thought it was an extremely good Enough Rope, especially since the interviewee had prepared so well with google searches, etc, and set out to turn the tables and interview Denton himself.  Which was really rather nice, because you ended up with two guys talking about Deep Personal Things, tho not in some saccharine-yet-with-a-knife-in-the-guts-Steve-Biddulph kind of way.

Also -- also, also, also -- Richard E. Grant is a rampant diarist.  Here's what he had to say:

ANDREW DENTON: ... You're still a regular diariser?
RICHARD E. GRANT: I am, yes. I think it's - you know, if you don't have religion or you need something that is meditative or a way of just saying this is what's happening, a diary is a very habitual and a good way of doing it. Also you earn money out of it, because after a while you can publish some of the stuff. But I seriously think it's a thing that has kept me sane. Also, keeping a diary is also a way of saying, "Today I went on Andrew Denton's show in Australia and I didn't think four people knew me from a bar of soap." It's a way of making something that is unreal, somehow real. That you're keeping a record of your own life somehow. I know it's egocentric to do that, but it has a real - it's a, sort of, pinch yourself kind of activity.

I really think he should try his hand at blogging.

Comments

[third cat]

Yes, I thought that too about the blogging. And then I thought 'maybe he already does'.

I was a bit grumpy about that show actually, because I just flicked from Grey's Anatomy (I have fairly basic television loves) and then that interview was compelling in a 'is this really, really clever or really, really up itself' kind of way so I didn't really get to watch either of the shows properly.

[elsewhere]

Well, I was sucked in.

[third cat]

I think, on the whole, so was I.

But I'm watching Grey's Anatomy next week.

[elsewhere]

Your programming sounds more diverse than ours!

[laura]

"well-bred post-colonial accent" - the way to the thinking woman's heart.

[Pavlov's Cat]

Oh Laura, don't believe it. I used to be married to somebody who talked like that, and he was an utter, utter prat. He would even have qualified as a Bad Man, had he not been way too lazy to get up to Teh Evil.

[Tjilpi]

One night Andrew Denton and I were the only customers at a drive thru bottle shop near Noosa. He was in line before me. When it came to paying he pulled out one of those wallets which will hold 100 credit cards in a kind of concertina fold up arrangement. He very impressively let them all drop down. The length of his credit card folder arrangement very nearly matched his height. I thought "Poor bugger".

[elsewhere]

Heh heh. I presume you are a giant, Tjilpi?

Don't you think AD would be a gadgets and collectors type?

A friend of mine had an encounter with him while working in the kids clothing section of an eastern suburbs DJ's, actually, but it was fairly underwhelming. Which was a shame, as I would have thought she'd be an excellent subject for interview, but he must get tired of running into people who recognise him everywhere...

I think I've ridden down your street a couple of times recently (starts with an 'R'). It's very noice.

[susoz]

We often see them around on hols up the coast. (Them being Jen and A.)
I had moxed feelings about that interview too, though I like REG a lot, Denton not such a lot. REG's autobiography (or whatever it is) is very nice too, quite old now.

[Laura]

oh, ok. Shall block ears whenever Imran Khan walks into room, then.

Tjilpi, nice story.

[naomi]

Heh, don't really see the physical resemblance, but the good/bad dichotomy is there - an aristocratic sense of entitlement perhaps?

[elsewhere]

Hmmm, I don't think there is much of an explanation for our dear friend -- just a freak of nature, really.