Sgt Nicholas Brody – Damian Lewis

The Greatest TV Episodes of All Time

On April 8, 2023 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Homeland: ‘The Weekend’

by Staff | The Independent | April 8, 2023

Television shows are, inevitably, made up of parts. On the surface, there’s the great, overarching story that begins with the first shot and ends with the last. But, within that narrative, there are small parts: the series, and the episode. It is the smallest of these sub-divisions, the episode, that is most intriguing. A truly brilliant episode can bridge the gap between cinema and TV. It can refine the essence of the best shows into a single, self-contained moment. At its most potent, a perfect episode is like mainlining all the myriad ingredients of prestige television in a single sitting.

But great TV shows do not necessarily beget great episodes and, conversely, great episodes are not always the sign of a great show. The start of 2023 has been dominated by discussions about The Last of Us, a perfectly good series including one stunning episode. In it, two supporting characters tell us the story of humanity’s endurance at the end of the world. It is an episode that any show would be proud of. This list contains lots of excellent shows and a few mediocre ones, but what matters here is how they tell a story over one single broadcast. Whether that’s an hour of prestige drama or a 20-minute sitcom, these are the moments when television transcends its format and becomes an art form.

Continue reading The Greatest TV Episodes of All Time

Homeland Poll Print Media

All The TV Deaths That Shook Us To Our Core

On May 18, 2022 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Nicholas Brody

by Daniel Trainor | E! Online | May 18, 2022

Misery loves company—even when it comes to our favorite TV shows. For the most shocking deaths in recent TV history that we didn’t see coming, keep reading:

Brody, Homeland

OK, so we knew this day would eventually have to come, as the executive producers always said their original plan was to off the conflicted war vet-turned prisoner of war-turned terrorist-turned-maybe a good guy. But then you take into account that Damian Lewis is Damian Lewis. He won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his performance and he’s the male freakin’ lead, so yes, we were completely thrown off-guard when Brody was hanged in public in the season three finale as as devastated (and pregnant!) Carrie (Claire Danes) watched.

Read the rest of the original article at E! Online

Homeland Print Media

Homeland Series Finale Acknowledges Brody – April 26, 2020

On April 26, 2020April 29, 2020 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Arm in Arm in Espionage: Series Finale Recap

by Bill Keveney | USA Today | April 26, 2020

When “Homeland” grabbed the public’s attention and six Emmys, including best drama series, for its spellbinding first season in 2011, the relationship between CIA super spy Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) and military hero and suspected terrorist Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) took center stage.

Over eight seasons, many ups and some downs and the death of Brody in Season 3, the central dynamic shifted to Carrie, a brilliant operative struggling with mental illness, and her savvy CIA mentor, Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin).

That bond frayed at times, as Carrie broke every rule in the book twice, but never has it been as endangered as it was going into the series’ final episode, which aired Sunday, after Russian agent Yevgeny Gromov (Costa Ronin) gave Carrie only one way to secure the black box flight recorder, evidence that can prevent a possible nuclear war: “Kill Saul.”

Here’s how the finale played out:

Continue reading Homeland Series Finale Acknowledges Brody – April 26, 2020

Homeland Print Media

Homeland Declassified: An Oral History of Never Told Tales – Jan 16, 2020

On January 16, 2020 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Battles, Backlash, CIA Meetings

by Michael O’Connell | Hollywood Reporter | January 16, 2019

Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Damian Lewis and the creators of the era-defining Showtime drama — now entering its eighth and final season — reveal in The Hollywood Reporter’s oral history never-told tales of a show that smashed records, captivated presidents and predicted everything from terrorist attacks to Russian election hacks.

“What keeps you up at night?” That’s the question Homeland showrunner Alex Gansa annually posed to Washington insiders before putting fingers to keyboard on a season of his Emmy-winning Showtime drama.

What began as a slick spy thriller driven by a potent sexual chemistry, courtesy of leads Claire Danes and Damian Lewis, evolved into an exposé on the greatest dangers to an America that finally had some distance from 9/11. Threats from ISIS, the surveillance state and Russian interference punctuated clandestine meetings with the intelligence community — part of a yearly writers and cast symposium in D.C. affectionately dubbed “Spy Camp.”

The series, loosely developed from an Israeli format by Gansa and longtime collaborator Howard Gordon (24), became an instant and bona fide success when it premiered in 2011 to 2.8 million viewers and unanimous critical acclaim. Boasting a murderers’ row of writers, each a showrunner at one time, the drama catapulted Showtime and studio Fox 21 to an echelon of prestige TV they previously couldn’t reach. It swept its first Emmys (with six awards total) and those first seasons had both the Obamas and Clintons soliciting screeners.

Continue reading Homeland Declassified: An Oral History of Never Told Tales – Jan 16, 2020

Billions Homeland

Our 20 Most Eagerly Awaited TV Shows of 2020 – Jan 1, 2020

On January 1, 2020January 14, 2020 By Gingersnap Comments Off

**Both Billions and Homeland Make the List**

by Staff | Los Angeles Times | January 1, 2020

Television … now more than ever: To paraphrase the satirical film studio slogan of Robert Altman’s “The Player,” TV’s dominant mode these days is the avalanche, the deluge, the endless binge. But even amid the clutter of 500-some scripted and countless unscripted series, there’s plenty to be excited about, including originals from nascent (or still-to-be-launched) platforms like Apple TV+, HBO Max and Quibi. Let the Times TV team help you plan your viewing schedule with this list of our 20 most anticipated new and returning shows of 2020.

Billions

The searing drama about the high-stakes battle between federal government watchdog Charles Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and cocky billionaire Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damian Lewis) incorporated a clever twist in its fourth season when Axe became consumed with destroying his former protégé, Taylor Mason (Asia Kate Dillion), who left him to form their own hedge fund firm. In a complicated scheme, Axe blackmailed Taylor and wiped them out, forcing them to return to Axe’s firm. Though Taylor is chastened, they vow to work from within to take down Axe and Rhoades, setting up another lethal war. Upping the ante are Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife”) and Corey Stoll (“House of Cards”), who join the cast. (Showtime, TBA) —Greg Braxton

Continue reading Our 20 Most Eagerly Awaited TV Shows of 2020 – Jan 1, 2020

Homeland

Homeland Over the Decade – Dec 31, 2019

On December 31, 2019January 14, 2020 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Homeland Makes All the Decade Lists

Political Comedy, Drama Defined the Decade
by Hal Boedeker | Boston Herald | December 31, 2019

It was the decade of Game of Thrones, peak drama, political comedy and superhero films. Here are a few works that defined 2010-19. Showtime’s Homeland started explosively with a twisty story of treason that still resonates in the culture. Claire Danes and Damian Lewis were exceptional. The final season begins February 9, 2020. The way that films and TV series are shown may change, but first-rate storytelling cannot be replaced. On that score, the decade offered reasons to hope.

Decade Disruptors: The 10 Most Influential International TV Shows Of The 2010s, From Hyper-Local Thrillers To Euro Entertainment
by Peter White | Deadline | December 31, 2019

The 2010s was the decade that foreign-language television broke through the global ceiling and got Hollywood to notice the quality of content coming from all corners of the world. While Danish drama The Killing (Forbrydelsen) and French thrillers Braquo and Spiral began inching the door open in the “aughties,” hyper local titles and the booming streaming market means that Netflix subscribers are just as likely to binge Spanish drama La Casa De Papel (Money Heist) or German supernatural thriller Dark as they are the new season of The Crown.

Netflix’s VP International Originals Kelly Luegenbiehl recently told a London conference that “Hollywood is not the be-all and end-all of storytelling,” and “this is really just the beginning.” Georgia Brown, European content chief at Amazon, agreed that “language is kind of irrelevant now.” It’s not just the SVODs that are helping this boom; linear broadcasters around the world have realized that specifically local titles stand more chance of becoming hits than global puddings. Many broadcasters, such as European public stations France Televisions, Italy’s Rai and Germany’s ZDF, are also teaming up to match the budgets of the streamers.

Continue reading Homeland Over the Decade – Dec 31, 2019

Homeland

Decade in Review, Nick Brody – Dec 19, 2019

On December 19, 2019January 14, 2020 By Gingersnap Comments Off

The Most Shocking Character Deaths and Actor Exits of the 2010’s

by Jean Bentley | Hollywood Reporter | December 19, 2019

In the age of social media, it’s even more impressive that these major developments were kept under wraps.

Surprising savvy TV viewers is increasingly more difficult now that there are 500-plus scripted series airing each year — and that’s not even taking into account the ways in which social media makes it nearly impossible for a production to preserve a meaningful secret for viewers across time zones.

But somehow, plenty of series throughout the exploding age of Peak TV managed to shock audiences with major cast shake-ups. Whether it was Game of Thrones ruthlessly informing its non book-reader viewers that no one was safe; a major contract dispute ending poorly for an actor; a real-life tragedy; or a popular performer deciding to move on, there were many reasons why shows shook up their core casts by killing off beloved (and occasionally reviled) characters.

Here are some of the most notable examples of the biggest actor exits and character deaths of the 2010s. (Spoilers ahead, obviously.) Continue reading Decade in Review, Nick Brody – Dec 19, 2019

Gallery Homeland memory lane Photoshoots Site Social Media

Throwback Thursday – March 14, 2019

On March 14, 2019March 9, 2019 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Brody and Carrie

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | March 14, 2019

Last Thursday we shared with you a photoshoot of Damian and Helen from the Philips British Academy Television Awards held in 2011. This week we’d like to share with you a Homeland photoshoot of Damian and Claire Danes from September 14, 2012.

Visit the throwback gallery here. Enjoy!

Homeland Poll Print Media

All 109 Golden Globes Best TV Series Winners, Ranked From Worst to Best – Jan 5, 2019

On January 5, 2019January 5, 2019 By Gingersnap Comments Off

The Brody Effect

by Janaki Jitchotvisut | Insider | January 4, 2019

Ranking TV series according to critical acclaim is bit different from movies — because there are multiple seasons, a show might appear more than once on this list. It also might have completely different ratings from season to season — among critics and fans alike. After all, isn’t half the fun of being a fan of a show arguing over which season is the best, and exactly where your favorite jumped the shark? Seasons of TV shows are rated individually on Rotten Tomatoes — but in some cases, no critical scores are listed for quite a few Golden Globes winners. These are listed in their own category and are not included in the rankings. Because the Golden Globes dates so far back, some TV shows do not have written critic reviews.

#19 – Homeland

Homeland Remained a Firm Favorite with Fans and Critics in its Second Year

Category: Drama
Year: 2013
Starred: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Damian Lewis
Tomatometer rating: Season two, which aired in 2012, is 95% certified fresh with 39 fresh and 2 rotten reviews

Matt Zoller Seitz wrote for Vulture:

“More than anything else, ‘Homeland’ is about trust. What makes people trust each other? Do we give people our trust for rational, defensible reasons or because they’re deceiving us, pushing our buttons, telling us what they know we want to hear? Can we trust the show’s main characters to do the right thing — to be ethical and patriotic and act in the country’s (and their own) best interest?”

#3 – Homeland

Homeland Made for Compelling Viewing from the Start

Category: Drama
Year: 2012
Starred: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Damian Lewis
Tomatometer rating: Season one, which aired in 2011, is 100% certified fresh with 30 fresh and 0 rotten reviews

Adam Sweeting wrote for the Arts Desk, “The amount of information packed into this pilot episode, which still managed to sustain an urgent dramatic pace while creating a shivery sense of foreboding, is a testament to the quality of the writing and performances”

Read the rest of the original article at Insider

Band of Brothers Billions Homeland Keane Our Kind of Traitor Print Media Wolf Hall Your Highness

Damian Lewis’ Path from Band of Brothers to Billions – March 23, 2018

On March 23, 2018 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Damian Discusses His Most Pivotal Roles

by Emily Zemler | LA Times | March 23, 2018

Source: LA Times – Photo by Genaro Molina

“I am interested in the imperfections in people,” Damian Lewis says. “I’m interested in the contradictions and in the moral struggle that often exists in all of us.”

This sensibility threads through many of the actor’s film and television characters, particularly his current role as shrewd hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod on “Billions.” The Showtime series returns for its third season tonight, bringing us even closer to understanding what exactly makes Bobby tick.

“He’s a fiercely loyal man,” Lewis says about Bobby. “He’s ruthless. He’s extremely competitive. For him, the game is everything. The playing of the game is the thing — and it is a game, so winning the game is paramount. He enjoys it.”

The role is a big shift for Lewis, 47, who got his start on British television before coming to the attention of American audiences in Steven Spielberg’s World War II epic miniseries “Band of Brothers.” Although Lewis has since had several career-defining roles, particularly as Nicholas Brody in “Homeland,” that project lingers as one of his most important projects.

“Some jobs are just gigs, but some jobs have the ability to be life-changing,” he notes. “They just alter you in some small way. ‘Band of Brothers’ was definitely one of those.”

Here Lewis discusses several of his most pivotal roles:

Bobby Axelrod, “Billions” (2016-2018)

“What attracted me to Bobby Axelrod was to get to play a man who is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants and see where that takes him personally. To find out, during the course of the show, how corrupting that is on a man who is prepared to cross one line after another. What does it do to one’s soul? I saw that as potentially where it was going. And it’s enormous fun. He’s a form of gangster and it’s fun playing that kind of guy.”

Continue reading Damian Lewis’ Path from Band of Brothers to Billions – March 23, 2018

Homeland Print Media

Damian Was Third Choice to Play Homeland’s Nick Brody – Jan 12, 2016

On January 12, 2016February 9, 2018 By Gingersnap Comments Off

Damian Lewis had to fend off Ryan Philippe and Patrick Wilson to play Homeland’s Nicholas Brody

by Sarah Doran – RadioTimes – January 12, 2016

Source: Showtime

Showrunner Alex Gansa reveals the British actor wasn’t top of the list of Showtime’s potential leading men for the espionage thriller.

He may now be one of TV and film’s most famous redheads but did you know Damian Lewis very nearly missed out on his role as Homeland’s Nicholas Brody?

When casting for the US show began, Lewis wasn’t Showtime’s (the network Homeland debuted on) first choice for the role. In fact, he wasn’t even the second, despite showrunner Alex Gansa’s determination to see him step into Brody’s shoes.

“When we first brought him up, everyone was very negative about the suggestion,” Gansa told The New Yorker. Their hesitation had a lot to do with the failure of Life, a cancelled NBC police procedural drama in which the British actor had played the lead character.

“That carries a pretty big stigma,” Gansa said. “The network really wanted Ryan Phillippe; Patrick Wilson passed. I kept talking about Damian until I got a call from the head of the studio saying, ‘Look, Alex, please do not bring up Damian’s name again.’ Hanging up the phone in my office – I think we were two weeks from the start of principal photography – I was like, Are we going to cast Ryan Phillippe in this role?”

That’s right. A non-Lewis Brody very nearly happened. We know, you guys. We know.

Continue reading Damian Was Third Choice to Play Homeland’s Nick Brody – Jan 12, 2016

Homeland Interviews Media Personal and Family Life Print Media

Damian Lewis Interview: Eton, Homeland And Obama – Esquire, September 28, 2013

On September 28, 2013August 15, 2021 By Site Administrator Comments Off

Jay Z, Daft Punk, and Obama

by Johnny Davis | Esquire | September 28, 2013

Confident, charismatic and charming: Damian Lewis’ success is easy to understand

Damian Lewis strides into the Esquire photo shoot fizzing with confidence and charm. “Sorry I’m late,” he announces. “I’ve been bombing down the M4.” He has come from the Hay Festival where he and his wife, the actress Helen McCrory, read aloud selections from the Romantic poets Byron, Keats and Shelley. “We slept in a proper gypsy caravan, futon on the floor,” he enthuses. “Great way to do it.”

Tall and athletically built the person The Sunday Times once described as “the upmarket ginger actor” is a big man, but his presence is overwhelming. He flirts with the studio staff. He commandeers the stereo. He inspects the clothes the fashion team has bought along for him to wear. “Ah! We’re doing ties, are we?”

Continue reading Damian Lewis Interview: Eton, Homeland And Obama – Esquire, September 28, 2013