Dan Castellaneta - Homer Simpson

My next celebrity autograph is from Dan Castellaneta, who for the last 20+ years has been the voice of the most popular animated character of all time, Homer Simpson.


Here's what Dan looks like in real life:


Dan started out as a comedian, and got his big break when he was cast on The Tracey Ullman Show in the late 1980's, which also featured the first animated shorts for The Simpsons. When the show was picked up by Fox, Dan moved across as the voice of Homer, and also provided additional voices for Grandma, Barney, Krusty, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, etc.

But it's not just The Simpsons which Dan has provided voices for, you can also hear him as Doc Brown in the Back To The Future cartoon, as Megavolt in Darkwing Duck, and also as The Robot Devil in Futurama.


Dan himself has also appeared up in many other TV shows in the past, such as ALF, Married With Children, and as a kid's basketball coach in an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond (brilliant!).

For more information on Dan's extensive career (of which I have only briefly mentioned), please consult Wikipedia, or his website http://www.dancastellaneta.com/


Now, as for the autograph, many years ago I wrote to The Simpsons c/- Fox in the US, and received this brilliant inscribed 8x10 photo of Homer in the mail. If you look closely you can see the photo has been folded right down Homer's face, damned posties!


Until next time!

Anneke Wills

Next up on my blog site is something special, an interview with Anneke Wills!


For those of you who don't know, Anneke Wills co-starred in many of Britain's best tv shows of the 1960's, such as The Saint (opposite Roger Moore), The Avengers (with Patrick Macnee, Honor Blackman, and Diana Rigg), and Doctor Who (as the companion to the First and the Second Doctors).



Anneke recently had published two autobiographies, Self Portrait and Naked, and they both can be purchased at this website: www.hirstbooks.com



Now, onto the interview:

1. In 1966 you starred alongside Roger Moore for one episode of The Saint. Although you had already been acting for 10 years, how did it feel to land the role? Could you foresee this leading to your ultra-successful TV career?

As an actor one is always hoping that everything you do will enhance your career. Of course, it was more satisfying for me to get the leading roles in the BBC dramas, like “The Primitive” in 1960, but at the same time there was some kudos attached to being in “The Saint” – and great fun to work with Roger Moore, who gave me the nickname “Knickers”...

2. You starred as Polly in Doctor Who from 1966’s The War Machines, until 1967’s The Faceless Ones, witnessing the Doctor’s first ever regeneration (from William Hartnell into Patrick Troughton). What was it like to work with 2 different actors playing (essentially) the same role?

Of course, this was the first time The Doctor had regenerated, so that in itself was nerve-wracking, because the bottom line as an actor is that you just want to be in work, and we weren’t sure whether the British public would accept the transformation. For Michael Craze and I, all the fuss about it paled into insignificance because we got to work with Patrick Troughton, who was such a nice man, and a great actor. Pat reinvented the role, and really set the standard for future Doctors. It was also a relief, because William Hartnell had become difficult to work with because of his illness, so the atmosphere on set changed overnight.

3. All of your Doctor Who episodes, excluding The War Machines, are either completely lost or incomplete. How does that feel to you? Would you like to view the lost episodes, should they be recovered?

To be perfectly honest, I have lost and had to let go of so much in my life, that a few Doctor Who episodes, for me, is neither here nor there. Of course, for the fanbase, it’s frustrating to not have a complete collection, but how many people do have a legacy from work they did 40 years ago? A tangible downside is that I miss out on the fees for the DVD commentaries! But there’s always hope that the episodes are out there somewhere... in an Australian cellar perhaps?

4. In 1963 you starred in The Avengers alongside Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman, and again in 1967 alongside Macnee and Diana Rigg. What are your memories from your time on the show? Do you prefer one episode to the other?

As a young actress, it is always wonderful to work with such consummate professionals as Pat Macnee and Honour Blackman, and I enjoyed flirting with Pat in my pussy cat costume! And it was also lovely to work with the wonderful Leonard Rossiter. One of the great things about acting is the camaraderie between the cast, which I felt in my scene with Diana Rigg – we felt like buddies. I suppose I preferred the first episode, because I had more to do!

5. You have made a return to Doctor Who, both by playing Polly and as a narrator for numerous audio adventures (I loved your work on The Tenth Planet, by the way). How does it feel to return to the Doctor Who franchise?

It feels like complete magic! I feel honoured to be involved, and to have worked with 4 more Doctors, and especially to have had the stories written for Polly (with more to come!). It was a challenging experience to read the whole of the Target book “Doctor Who and The Cybermen”, as this story had - with the exception of me - an all male, multi-national cast – so lots of different voices to do! Reading The Doctor’s lines, as Pat, was a transcendent experience – I felt as if he was sitting on my shoulders, chuckling! In fact, I often feel him sitting on my shoulders chuckling, when I’m at conventions.. his spirit is so pleased to be so fondly remembered.

6. Your two auto-biographies Self Portrait, and Naked, and your work on Doctor Who have made you a fan favourite at conventions the world over. Do you have any plans to visit Australia?

It was the warmth and encouragement shown by fans at conventions which encouraged me to write the books. I love going to the conventions – we’re one big happy family – fans and actors – which now includes Sir Derek Jacobi! If it wasn’t for the conventions, I wouldn’t have stood in the Tardis again 40 years later, and met David Tennant! Colin Baker and I had great fun climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge a few years ago, but as for the future... who knows?

Anneke also has her own website, www.annekewills.com check it out!
I would like to thank Anneke Wills for a really awesome interview, it was a real treat!
Until next time...

Rosamund Pike

Next on my list of celebrity autographs is English actress, Rosamund Pike.

Many of you may remember Rosamund as Miranda Frost in the 2002 James Bond film, Die Another Day. But what some of you may not know is the trivia behind the role, and the casting.



Miranda Frost was, as her name would suggest, cold towards Bond, denying his sexual advances for all of 3 tries before she did the dirty with him in her hotel room in Iceland (in the novel this was preceeded by a romp in a jacuzzi). Her personality was similar to that of Gala Brand, the "Bond Girl" from the Ian Fleming novel Moonraker, and this was Frost's original screen-name, before Lee Tamahori decided to go with the whole Frost/cold theme.

Another interesting story was the casting process for Gala Brand/Miranda Frost. Remember that British pop star Sophie Ellis Bextor, of "Murder On The Dance Floor" fame? Yep, that's right, she was one the last few people who Lee Tamahori considered for the role. Of course, you might also remember that Madonna sung the film's title song, and that she had a cameo as "Verity" the lesbian fencing instructor who introduces Bond to Miranda Frost. Hmmm...

After the box office success of Die Another Day, Rosamund Pike followed this up with a role in the feature film of the video-game Doom, which I didn't see. But, I did enjoy her performance as Jane Bennett in the 2005 film version of Pride & Prejudice (alongside Keira Knightly).



More recently, you may have seen Rosamund in An Education (the film in which Carey Mulligan was nominated for as Oscar for Best Actress), or in Surrogates (where no one was nominated for an Oscar).

Now, getting to the autograph... you may remember my previous post about Pierce Brosnan, how I saw him in Melbourne for the premier of Die Another Day? Well, Rosamund Pike was there as well, so I took her photo and sent it off to her in London. About 2 weeks later, I received this totally awesome reply in the mail!


You may not be able to read it, but she's written "To Manuel, Merry Christmas and best for 2003 and beyond, love Rosamund".

Until next time!

Interview with Louise Jameson

My next post is a real treat, another Doctor Who related interview, this time by one of the Doctor's greatest companions, Louise Jameson!

For those of you who don't know Louise, she is perhaps best remembered for her role as Leela, alongside Tom Baker's 4th Doctor in Doctor Who.



The character was introduced in order to "sex up" the show, even though some people thought a warrior woman dressed in a loin cloth with a hunting knife was taking things too far...



You may also remember her as Rosa di Marco from EastEnders:



Anyway, enough with the introduction, here's the interview:

As a graduate of RADA, and with a successful stint with the Royal Shakespeare Company under your belt, what was it that drove you towards Doctor Who, and to television in general?

Immediate after RADA I got a couple of 'classic' one off TV jobs, and as you rightly say, some prestigious work with the RSC... my then agent and I decided it was time to up the profile and hold out for a TV series. I tried several (got down to the last 10 for Perdy in the Avengers!) and another series called ANGELS - but eventually Dr Who came good - aren't I the lucky one!

When you joined the cast of Doctor Who, the show was experiencing what many have described as its renaissance period. What are some of your fondest memories during your time on the show?

My fondest memories... I think they have to be during the filming of THE SUNMAKERS - such a fabulous script, and fabulous cast, a lot of it filmed on location so the cast bonded more than normal. Also working with Alan Lake on a different story - he was an absolute joy to be around.

One of my favourite Doctor Who stories of all time is Horror Of Fang Rock. How did it feel to not have to wear Leela's classic leather outfit (instead opting for the grey woolen jumper, which looked very nice I might add)?

I wanted a VERY different costume for that story - I thought the clothes should have been absolutely HUGE - why would they have clothes that fitted me? It just wasn't truthful. Also I don't know if you know but that story was originally written for Sarah Jane, so it was hard to haul the character towards Leela - I had to cut several screams!

In 1998 you were cast as Rosa di Marco in EastEnders, who was part of a family which were heralded as the new leads for the show. However, many critics have suggested that the di Marco's failed due to poor script writing for the characters (despite Rosa having some pretty decent story arcs, in my opinion). What are you thoughts on the subject, and of your character of Rosa di Marco?

At the very point where they 'let us go' I thought we were about to fly. In the November before, the then-producer had asked if I was prepared to commit for 5 years as they wanted us to take over the pub and become the lynch pin of the series. I jumped at it. New Producer in February, we are out by May... That's fine, it's the way it works, but I was VERY pissed off that they let the press know before they told us; the BBC has always treated me with such respect and I've had a marvelous career with them over the years, so it was a real shock to be discarded in that way.

As a former Doctor Who companion, you get invited to conventions the world over. Recently, through First Contact Conventions, we have had highly enjoyable visits by Peter Davison, Mark Strickson, and Paul McGann, which have been fantastic opportunities for us fans in Australia to meet the actors from the show. Have you ever thought about visiting Melbourne as part of a convention?

There is the vaguest of possibilities that I may be there this October - my next email. I have had a west end job pending that has just fallen through so I am now available and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to get to the other side of the world.

Hopefully see you soon,

Love Louise X X X


So there you go. Even though I didn't get her autograph (a traight of this blog sight) I did manage to get a really ripping interview from a remarkable woman.
Thanks Louise!

Sophie Aldred

Now here's a treat, not only do I have another celebrity autograph success to show you, but I also managed to score an interview as well!


Sophie Aldred played Ace in Doctor Who, from Dragonfire in 1987 until Survival in 1989, alongside Sylvester McCoy's 7th Doctor. Many regard her as one of the best companions of all time, she certainly had the best character arc. Since leaving Doctor Who, Sophie has appeared in various childrens shows, on radio and on stage, and is a regular on the convention circuit. But enough from me, here's the interview!

When you joined the cast of Doctor Who in 1987, what impace did you have on the design and character of Ace?

I was one of the lucky one! Having come from a background of fringe and children's theatre, I naturally assumed that I would have a lot of say in my costume. Also the new young script eidtor, Andrew Cartmell, came up to my at the read through and said he really liked the way I was dressed (stripey t-shirt, army shorts, Doc Marten boots) and did I think that was a good sort of look for Ace. It always felt like a collaborative process, including character. Before I did my first season proper, Andrew got me together with the writers for tea so that we could discuss character and they could meet me and suss me out. I thought this was great as it made for a lot more realism I felt.

Looking back, how do you feel about Ace's personal journey throughout her time in the show? Many have argued that Ace had the greatest character arc during the show's run, one that had never been seen before or since.

Well, I would say that certainly before, there was not such a rounded complex character and that was partly due to the generosity of Sylvester as an actor (although he was only too happy to give me the techno jargon lines) and the foresight of Andrew Cartmell. I didn't really think of it - I hadn't watched Dr Who for a long time - but with hindsight it really was rather remarkable, considering there were no other drama roles for young actresses at the time. I would like to think that Rose couldn't have happened without Ace, but then Russell T is an extraordinarily clever man with his finger on the zeitgeist, but to me there were similar elements, especially with "Survival" Ace.

In 2008, the readers of SFX Magazine rated Ace as the 4th Best Doctor Who Companion of all time. How does it feel to still be so highly regarded by the viewers?

I am always delighted that fans have been so taken by the character of Ace, and that she continues to be a force in her own right!

When the show ended in 1989, the character of Ace lived on in various novel and comic books, and there are varied fates which could be attributed to the character, depending on which medium you followed. What future would you have liked to see for Ace?

I must say I did like the idea that she was going to be taken to Gallifrey to train as a Time Lord and put the wind up them! I can't see her having been married off, can you?

With the resurgence in popularity of Doctor Who over the last 5 years, have you ever thought about a return to the show, either as Ace or perhaps even as a new character? If asked, would you like to?

I love the new series with a passion. I am so delighted to see friends who were originally fans of ths how now working on the series and doing such a great job. My 10 year old son has just been allowed to watch his first series live, and his first episode was the first Matt Smith. I had tears in my eyes as I watched his open mouthed wonder and wide eyed excitement. What a great introduction...

I would be honoured to go back, as all of us companions would.

As a former Doctor Who companion, you get invited to conventions the world over. Recently, through First Contact Conventions, we have had highly enjoyable visits by Peter Davison, Mark Strickson, and Paul McGann, which have been fantastic opportunities for the fans in Australia to meet the actors from the show. Have you ever thought about visiting Melbourne as part of a convention?

Funnily enough I have just been invited out in the Autumn, so looking forward so very much to seeing you all!

Many thanks; hope that's all ok for you

Sophie


So there you go! My heartfelt thanks to Sophie for such a great interview. Sophie can be seen at Armegeddon Melbourne, in October 2010.

As an added treat, here is the autograph I obtained, this time through a raffle at a meeting of the Doctor Who Club of Victoria. It's not usually how I get my autographs, but I'm very pleased.




Until next time!