James McAvoy as Prof Charles Xavier

For you fine ladies and gents who do not dabble in science fiction literature, this post may not be for you. But I'd like to put it here for it talks about our dearest James McAvoy who had excellently portrayed Tom Lefroy (albeit a different version of the real one) in Becoming Jane 2007.

James McAvoy recently played the lead actor of X-Men: First Class and I saw his performance last night. And I remembered once again why I fell in love with his Tom Lefroy. Suffice to say that JMA is really a smart actor, able of expressing various emotional ranges in immediate successions, and very charming as well. Needless to say that his Scottish-turned-British accent was very soothing for my ears.

I recommend X-Men: First Class for you who misses JMA and wants to see him in a big screen again. I avoided him in Wanted because it was too action-packed for me. But X-Men: First Class was different, for it explores a wide variety of human emotions, the notion of being different and how one finds one's place on Earth despite (or because of) his/her uniqueness.

For those who have seen X-Men trilogy and wonder how JMA portrayed the young telepathic professor, you can read this interview. His explanations remind me of the role

Pic: Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), best friends who later became enemies

Baby News for James McAvoy

I know this is slightly unrelated to Jane and her work but as this blog originated based on the film Becoming Jane, I wanted to make you aware that the lovely James McAvoy (our Tom Lefroy in the film) is going to be a daddy.

His very talented wife, Anne-Marie Duff (Notes on a Scandal, Nowhere Boy, and many excellent british tv series), and James are staring in the new film The Last Station with Helen Mirren (who has been nominated for an oscar for her performance) and is released here in the UK in a few weeks. I cant wait.

Read more about the upcoming arrival of the 'Mc-Duff family':

Father-to-be-Mcavoy

Pic: Contact Music

Anne Hathaway is nominated for Academy Award's Best Actress!

I have to apologise for this post for I created bias by not displaying proper Oscar news about James McAvoy's Atonement Oscar achievements last year (didn't mean to... was just too busy with life... and still now...). I should've done or suggested a post about JMA last year, but just didn't think of it. Now I think we should post any exciting news about James MacAvoy and Anne Hathaway as the main actor and actress for Becoming Jane (plus other supporting casts).

Anyway, I also have to apologise for the belated news, for surely many of you have been following Oscar news this year... I just didn't realise that four of five nominees in this year's Oscar is my favourite actresses. This is the complete list of Oscar 2009 nominees for Best Actress in alphabetical order:

Anne Hathaway - 'Rachel Getting Married'
Angelina Jolie - 'Changeling'
Melissa Leo - 'Frozen River'
Meryl Streep - 'Doubt'
Kate Winslet - 'The Reader'

I don't have an opinion about Ms. Leo, but that's more attributed to my lack of knowledge of her. But the other actresses are my fave (particularly Anne, Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet), and I'm so proud of Anne for her achievement! What a great girl she is!

So, I don't care if Annie doesn't win this year's Oscar, which will be announced tomorrow... she's still my fave actress. I wouldn't mind seeing Meryl or Kate winning either...

See this for the complete profile of 'Rachel Getting Married'.

Pic: Anne Hathaway as Kym from Wikipedia's 'Rachel Getting Married'

Old video of James McAvoy and Parkinson

This is non-BJ related (actually, Atonement-related. Good movie. Michelle, where’s that Atonement assignment?!), but since I missed James McAvoy so much (and his Scottish accent!), these are three parts of an interview of James with Michael Parkinson. Oh, Billie Piper was there too, she’s pretty cute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzxfk-GHYTE&feature=related – part one Parkinson

Part 2

Part 3

Enjoy!

Trivia Quiz ANSWERS

I posted a trivia quiz this time last week. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Here are the answers:

1. Of the following characters, who was fictional and who existed:

o Mrs Ann Radcliffe- REAL
o Mr Wisley- FICTIONAL (but based on the real Mr Bigg-Wither)
o Henry Austen- REAL
o Cousin Eliza de Feuillide- REAL
o Lady Gresham- FICTIONAL
o Benjamin Langlois- REAL

2. Which actor plays the character of Mr Wisley?

Laurence Fox

3. Which year did Mr George Austen (Jane’s father) die?

1805

4. Name Jane’s six novels in the order that they were published.

Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815), Northanger Abbey and Persuasion (both 1817)

5. What was the famous book that Tom gave to Jane in the library and told her to read?

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

6. At the end of the film when she is reading an extract from one of her novels to the young Jane Lefroy, which novel is the extract from (clue: see post within the last week)?

Pride and Prejudice

7. Whilst at dinner with Tom’s uncle during their visit to London, Eliza describes how her husband was killed. Was he:- Hung- Guillotined- Missing, presumed dead- Drowned- Died of Cholera

Guillotined

8. What colour was the dress that Jane was wearing at the second ball when herself and Tom shared their first kiss?

Pale green

9. When Tom returns to Hampshire after news has broke that he is engaged to someone else, where does Jane learn that Mary, Tom’s new fiancé, is from in Ireland?

County Wexford

10. Which character from a Jane Austen novel is Lady Gresham supposedly modelled upon?

Lady Catherine from Pride and Prejudice

11. Which award did Becoming Jane win at the People’s Choice Awards?

Favourite Independent Movie

12. In the film, who sent the letter to the Judge telling him about Tom’s intentions to marry Jane and consequently ruining their chances of being together?

John Warren (friend of the Austen family)

13. What exactly does Tom say to Jane:- “I love you Jane, with all my heart and soul!”- “I'm yours, Jane, heart and soul!”- “You’re mine, Jane, heart and soul!”- “We are bound Jane, heart and soul!”

“I'm yours, Jane, heart and soul!”

14. When Tom arrives in Hampshire, Jane is reading a speech in celebration of which special event?

The engagement of her sister, Cassandra, to Thomas Fowle

15. What is Jane doing in the opening scene of the film?

Playing the piano

16. What does Jane read which prompts her to change her mind and return home to Steventon after Tom and herself had decided to elope?

A letter from Tom’s family thanking him for the money that he sent them on a regular basis

17. How did Jane communicate with her brother George?

Sign Language

18. What did George Austen (Jane’s father) do for a living?

Rector at Steventon parish

19. What was the name of the wood that Jane met Tom whilst they were both taking a walk?

Selbourne Wood

20. Which of Jane’s novels was influenced most by the work of Mrs Ann Radcliffe?

Northanger Abbey- due to its gothic nature

Pic 1: Jane and Tom

Pic 2: Jane Writing

Pic 3: Tom and Jane dancing

Pic 4: Jane Reading

Pic 5: Tom In Selbourne Wood

Pic 6: In Love

Trivia Quiz

I thought that it would be nice to do a 20-question trivia quiz for our faithful fans who love the film, Becoming Jane, as much as us.

Icha will be doing one of her more difficult, speciality set of questions (with prize) in commemoration of the death of Jane Austen on the anniversary date of 18th July.

Until then, I thought I would keep you occupied with this one.....Enjoy!

Answers will be posted this time next week.

1. Of the following characters, who was fictional and who existed:
- Mrs Ann Radcliffe
- Mr Wisley
- Henry Austen
- Cousin Eliza de Feuillide
- Lady Gresham
- Benjamin Langlois (Tom’s uncle)

2. Which actor plays the character of Mr Wisley?

3. Which year did Mr George Austen (Jane’s father) die?

4. Name Jane’s six novels in the order that they were published.

5. What was the famous book that Tom gave to Jane in the library and told her to read?

6. At the end of the film when she is reading an extract from one of her novels to the young Jane Lefroy, which novel is the extract from (clue: see post within the last week)?

7. Whilst at dinner with Tom’s uncle during their visit to London, Eliza describes how her husband was killed. Was he:
- Hung
- Guillotined
- Missing, presumed dead
- Drowned
- Died of Cholera

8. What colour was the dress that Jane was wearing at the second ball when herself and Tom shared their first kiss?

9. When Tom returns to Hampshire after news has broke that he is engaged to someone else, where does Jane learn that Mary, Tom’s new fiancé, is from in Ireland?

10. Which character from a Jane Austen novel is Lady Gresham supposedly modelled upon?

11. Which award did Becoming Jane win at the People’s Choice Awards?

12. In the film, who sent the letter to the Judge telling him about Tom’s intentions to marry Jane and consequently ruining their chances of being together?

13. What exactly does Tom say to Jane:
- “I love you Jane, with all my heart and soul!”
- “I'm yours, Jane, heart and soul!”
- “You’re mine, Jane, heart and soul!”
- “We are bound Jane, heart and soul!”

14. When Tom arrives in Hampshire, Jane is reading a speech in celebration of which special event?

15. What is Jane doing in the opening scene of the film?

16. What does Jane read which prompts her to change her mind and return home to Steventon after Tom and herself had decided to elope?

17. How did Jane communicate with her brother George?

18. What did George Austen (Jane’s father) do for a living?

19. What was the name of the wood that Jane met Tom whilst they were both taking a walk?

20. Which of Jane’s novels was influenced most by the work of Mrs Ann Radcliffe?

Pics taken from:

Anne Hathaway FanSite

and

US Official Becoming Jane Site

Missing James McAvoy? See this news!

Thanks to SK Barn, we learned that James McAvoy (swoon....) made an appeal to prevent cutbacks at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD). The news is found in BBC here, and the excerpt is below. Ooohh....

Salmond responds to actor's plea

The news comes after the Scots actor James McAvoy joined a campaign to prevent cutbacks at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD).

First Minister Alex Salmond has written to Mr McAvoy saying the government is committed to maintaining "world class drama provision".

A number of high-profile stars have become involved in the RSAMD campaign.

Among those who had put their names to a letter to the first minister were Bill Patterson, Billy Boyd and Alan Cumming.

Doctor Who star David Tennant, who also attended the academy, has already given his support to the campaign.

Mr McAvoy, a former student, described the academy as a "treasure".

He said that without Scotland's only conservatoire, students would be forced to find training south of the border.

Pic: Jane Austen Regency World Magazine, March/April 2007

WINNERS: The Jane Austen Regency World Awards

The results for the Jane Austen Regency World Awards have been announced!!


You can see the results on The Giftshop Page kindly spotted by Linda but I am pleased to announce that Becoming Jane won:

Best New Film Award

Best Actor for James McAvoy

Best Acress for Anne Hathaway

It is clear from the site that other winners include:

Mr and Mrs Darcy by Alexandra Potter for Best New Fiction- click here for our review

Andrew Davies for The Outstanding Contribution Award

Pics: http://www.annie-hathaway.com/

Please sign 'The Hathavoy Petition'!

Dear ladies and gents,

In addition to accommodate various information on Becoming Jane, Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy, one of the purposes of this fansite is to help other fans to promote their fandom on the BJ creative team. Hence, when Nancy and co asked me to post the petition below, I gladly do it.


We Love Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy Petition

To: Directors, Producers, Writers, etc.

A great amount of "Becoming Jane"/Jane Austen & Tom LeFroy/Anne Hathaway & James McAvoy fans have come together to create this petition because we've fallen in love with Jane Austen and Tom LeFroy's tragic love story - whether it was fully true or not. Jane and Tom have really captured our hearts and "Becoming Jane" was a really touching film that we thought Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy portrayed very well. We thought that their chemistry together was magnificiantly beautiful and magical!

Furthermore, we loved Hathaway and McAvoy's onscreen presence and chemistry, but some of us were really saddened by the ending of "Becoming Jane". Even though Jane and Tom have reconciliated and of course, not all love stories end well, we really wanted them to end happily together since their feelings for each other were very strong and remained strong after 20 years.

Therefore, some of us have come together and hope that Hathaway and McAvoy would team up again onscreen for a second film, whether it's an independent film or mainstream, we would just love to see them paired up again - and this time with a HAPPY ENDING because Hathaway and McAvoy have a really undeniable chemistry together which makes it very realistic and entertaining to watch.

In addition, this message is not directed to anyone specifically, but if any directors or screen writers who come by this letter, we really hope you take our idea into consideration and truly touch our hearts once again. We adore Hathaway and McAvoy together in "Becoming Jane", but since it's not our decision to make at the end of the day, it is something we can just hope for in the future.

Overall, we hope the fans will sign this petition, for those who are in support of Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy's reunion for a second film.

Now, I've signed the petition, and it's your turn now! Let's have another Hathaway/McAvoy movie, with happy ending this time, and (to me) preferably in the periodic drama. (Regency, Victorian, whatever).

Pic: www.annie-hathaway.com

Mr Wisley & Fanny Price Tie the Knot

I am an avid reader of the Dailymail (shoot me now) and why I never thought of posting this news sooner I'll never know.

Laurence Fox (Becoming Jane) and Billie Piper (Mansfield Park 2007) tied the knot in a romantic, quintessential English wedding on New Year's Eve. Congratulations to the happy couple! They look so lovely together.

Read the full article with pictures here. :-)


Pic: Billie Piper & Laurence Fox from: The Dailymail

Biography of Julie Walters (Mrs Austen)

She is relatively short at 5ft 3inches and is known to many as a comedienne, being very comfortable and familiar on the stage. She is also a best-selling author but is most recognised for her acting, in which she has managed to achieve 3 BAFTA awards, 1 Golden Globe and 2 Oscar Nominations during her, still flourishing, career. She has universal fame and is highly respected by all in the entertainment industry so we are most honored that she would fulfill such an important role as Mrs Austen in Becoming Jane.

Julie Mary Walters was born on February 22nd 1950 in Smethwick in Birmingham. She is the youngest child to her Irish, Catholic family and has two older brothers. Her parents, Thomas (a builder and decorator) and Mary Bridget (a postal clerk), worked full time when Julie was a child and did not encourage reading or education in their home. Consequently, Julie was a rebellious child and truanted from her school; Holly Lodge Grammar School. She was expelled and this lead Julie to begin training as a nurse at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Half way through her training, however, she decided to leave and pursue the study of English and Drama at Manchester Polytechnic; this fickle behaviour dismayed her parents, but they would later be very proud of their daughter’s achievements.

At the Polytechnic she formed a very strong friendship with a Victoria Wood; little did she know the professional consequences of this relationship. When she had finished studying, Julie joined a theatre company (Everyman) in Liverpool which was headed by Jonathan Pryce and concentrated on bringing live theatre into the heart of the community; a variety of talented actors would perform in a diverse number of venues such as schools, clubs and pubs. She was a member of the Vanload troup and the company eventually expanded and soon started formulating pieces for the television and more recognised stage venues. Julie performed in a number of TV plays, including Breezeblock Park and Me! I’m Afraid of Virginia Woolf. She also appeared in stage productions of As You Like It, The Glad Hand and In At The Death; the latter featuring the rising star Victoria Wood. They had such a strong partnership that the Wood and Walters show (Granada TV, 1982) was launched.

Away from this partnership, at the age of 30, she was about to star in her biggest stage hit, The Royal Shakespeare Company’s version of Willy Russell’s Educating Rita, alongside Mark Kingston, which started in the Warehouse Theatre but upon becoming a hit, was transferred to the Piccadilly. Two years later, in 1983, Educating Rita was adapted into a film, and the leads, Julie and Michael Caine, were both nominated for an Oscar. Julie won a Golden Globe for her role. The 1980’s was a busy decade for this successful actress and her part in Personal Services (1987), the true story of Cynthia Payne, a naïve working woman, would earn her a BAFTA nomination.

In 1985 in a London bar she met a sociology student, Grant Roffey, and they had a child, Maisie in 1988. Maisie suffered from Leukemia at the age of three and this trauma spurred Julie to write a book called Baby Talk. She took time off during Maisie’s illness and did not return to acting until her daughter was in remission. Julie and Grant married in 1997 in New York and they now own a 70-acre organic farm in Sussex.

The 90’s proved to also be a very busy decade for the talented actress. She starred in Stepping Out and Wide-Eyed And Legless (also featuring Jim Broadbent), both of which led to BAFTA nominations. In 1998, Julie and Blenda Blethyn appeared in Girl’s Night, originally made for TV but considered elite enough to feature on the stage. Blethyn’s character was diagnosed with cancer and the opinionated character played by Julie is forced to learn a lot about life.
Julie was reunited with Victoria Wood in the comedy series Dinnerladies (1998) which proved to be very popular here in the UK and received much recognition and many awards. She won an OBE in 1999 for her services to drama.

Next, with a new century, came the mighty success of Billy Elliot, where Julie played the dance teacher to the working class boy who wanted so desperately to become a ballet dancer. She was nominated for an Oscar. In recent years, she is probably most known for her role as Ron Weasley’s mother in the Harry Potter films. Between the success of the Harry Potter franchise, she found time to appear in many powerful TV drama’s such as My Beautiful Son, Murder and The Return; all heart-wrenching performances. She also starred in the film Calendar Girls, playing Annie Clarke in the true story of the power of the Women’s Institute.

The film also starred Helen Mirren and became a success among a variety of audiences, particularly for its originality.

In 2006, she, of course, starred as Mrs Austen in Becoming Jane, the mother of Jane and a firm believer that her daughter must consider the importance of marrying into money. She approached the character so well and there is a very poignant scene in the film between herself and Jane (Anne) regarding the status of women at that time and the consequences of following your heart; it is so well delivered.

Next she will be in the film adaptation of Mamma Mia, the ABBA musical, and the film will also star Meryl Streep. Throughout her career she has made over 72 TV and film appearances and is so popular within the entertainment industry that she is sure to remain so for many years yet.

Pic 1: Julie Walters

Pic 2: A Very Glamorous Julie Walters

Pic 3: Julie Walters as Molly Weasley i n Harry Potter

Pic 4: Julie as Mrs Austen in Becoming Jane

Pic 5: Julie as Mrs Austen in Becoming Jane

Anne Hathaway in Teen Vogue

For you Anne Hathaway fans that read this blog, Medaya from

Teen Vogue has informed us that Anne is appearing on their front cover this month (September issue).

There are many extra features on the teen vogue website about Anne, including photos, an informal chat and a behind the scenes look at her photo shoot.

Here is the link:

http://www.teenvogue.com/style/coverlook/2007/08/annehathaway_20070806

Also there is a quiz of 'Anne trivia' found here:

http://www.teenvogue.com/connect/polls/cover/070806quco

Have fun!

Pic 1: Cover of Teen Vogue

Pic 2: Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen in Becoming Jane. Found on the BBC website

James Cromwell (Rev George Austen)

Back to Becoming Jane. I was watching one of my favourite TV shows last night, Six Feet Under, and I thought that James Cromwell (who plays Ruth’s husband George in the show) was an important person to start with when doing brief biographies of the main characters in Becoming Jane. He plays Reverend George Austen in the film and is therefore one of the most fundamental and influential characters in Jane’s life.


James Oliver Cromwell was born on 27th January 1940 in Los Angeles, California but raised in Manhattan, New York. He attended The Hill School, Middlebury College and later Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon University) for a year. He followed the footsteps of both his parents, actress mother Kay Johnson and film director father John Cromwell, and began acting in plays such as Othello at the American Shakespeare Festival. When he was 31 years old he became noticed in the role of Stretch Cunningham in the popular All in the Family. The next few years involved more TV roles and numerous plays and his film debut in the detective spoof Murder by Death (1976).


He married his first wife Anne Ulvestad with whom he had three children; a daughter Kate (born June 5 1977) and two sons, John Astrup (born August 29 1979) and Colin James (born April 16 1981) but they separated ten years later and he married again, in 1988, this time to Julie Cobb. In recent years he has been attached to Joan MacIntosh.


One of his most famous roles was in 1995 when he starred as Arthur Hoggett in Babe, the film loved by all about the talking pig. He was nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Actor in a Supporting Role. This paved the way for the part of a police captain in L.A. Confidential (1997) which many regarded as his best performance. Other notable roles are the banker Charles Keating in The People vs Larry Flint (1996), Judge Fielding in Snow Falling on Cedars (1999), the warden in The Green Mile (1999), an Emmy nomination performance as William Randolph Hearst in RKO 281, the drama about the making of the 1941 classic Citizen Kane, the geologist George Sibley in Six Feet Under (2003-2005), Prince Phillip in The Queen (2006) and more recently the warm-hearted Reverend George Austen in Becoming Jane (2007).





I think that James portrays Jane's father which such tenderness. He is how we imagine Mr Austen would be; kind, warm, approachable and above all, holding complete adoration for his family. His relationship with his wife is fantastic and he has a very relaxed relationship with Jane, whilst maintaining the role of her father. I think James is so perfectly cast for this role and I hope you agree.


Also this year he can be seen as Captain Stacy in Spiderman 3 and Philip Bauer (father to Jack Bauer) in the sixth season of the hit TV show 24. Throughout his 30 year long career, he has made over 130 appearances in various popular TV shows and films. He is going back to the stage later this year when he is playing James Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey Into Night which is a play by Eugene O’Neill and will be performed in Ireland during the months of September and October.


He is very tall, registering at 6ft 7inches. He is a vegan due to the part he played in the film Babe and its ethical implications. He has since been an active speaker for the organization: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): As I was browsing I came across the site www.savebabe.com/james.php which has a personal pledge, take a look, it is very interesting and gives insight into the type of man that James is. Also in his private life James is somewhat controversial, strongly supporting several liberal causes.


An interesting bit of trivia is that James Cromwell is the only actor to ever have spoken the words "Star Trek": In the film Star Trek: First Contact (1996) his character said to the crew, "...and you're all astronauts, on some kind of....star trek?" He also had parts in two other Star Trek films: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.

Furthermore, he has played a US president three times in The West Wing (1999) The Sum of All Fears (2002) and RFK (TV: 2002).


Pic 1: James Cromwell. Taken from Wikipedia. No original source given.

Pic 2: James Cromwell as Rev George Austen with Julie Walters as Mrs Austen. Taken from http://www.annie-hathaway.com/

Pic 3: James Cromwell as Rev George Austen. Taken from http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018700

Pic 4: James Cromwell and 'Babe'! Taken from http://www.savebabe.com/james.php

Becoming Tom: James McAvoy Takes on Tom Lefroy

I’ve been missing James McAvoy so much, so here’s another copy from the U.S. Official Site about ‘Becoming Tom’, from the Production Notes (under ‘About the Film’). Gosh, I miss James’ Tom...

Becoming Tom: James McAvoy Takes on Tom Lefroy

When Jane Austen falls in love in BECOMING JANE, it is with the consummate Austen-style rogue, a wily young rake with both ambitions and notions. This is Tom Lefroy, about whose personality little is known, so the writers drew both on Austen's male characters and one fact that Lefroy's favorite book was Henry Fielding's comic novel Tom Jones, about a vigorously lusty yet kind-hearted young man, similar to the character Tom Jones himself to create a portrait of a man well aware of the powers of his charisma.

To play him, the filmmaker sought someone who had not been seen in this kind of role before, a modern, sexy, young leading man who could bring something new to the portrait. Julian Jarrold was soon put in mind of rising Scottish star James McAvoy, having directed in him in the British television series "White Teeth," well before McAvoy came to the attention of Hollywood playing the naive and youthful doctor who becomes personal physician to Forest Whittaker's Idi Amin in THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND.

McAvoy was equally keen to work with Jarrold again. "With a lesser director, the film could have become some kind of parallel Pride and Prejudice but Julian made sure that did not happen," he says. "I've wanted to work with him again for years. He's got impeccable taste and elevates an ordinary film into an extraordinary one. He has expertly teased out the romance at the center of BECOMING JANE."

As he learned more about Tom Lefroy's high-stakes position as a young man with his family's hopes pinned on him, McAvoy developed empathy for his character's wild ways in the seedy gentleman's clubs of London. "Tom is under a lot of pressure," says McAvoy. "His job, as the eldest son, is to revive his family's ailing fortunes. He has been aware of that duty since the age of eleven or twelve. His Uncle Langlois took him away from his family and friends at an early age to train in law in London. It was an opportunity to elevate himself, marry well and, although he is a true non-conformist at heart, he does feel the weight of that responsibility on his shoulders. So he is a conflicted person and when you are experiencing that kind of conflict you do strange things." McAvoy continues: "Through his teenage years and early twenties, Lefroy goes off the rails a bit, but then he meets Jane. They are both non-conformists and I think recognize a kindred spirit in each other. Then, in our film, they fall in love."

As much as it is about becoming Jane, the film is also about Tom becoming a man of his times, facing the tragic reality that love must take a back seat to forging one's fortunes and keeping one's family commitments. "The interesting thing is that later in life Tom would conform completely, while Jane becomes a brilliant non-conformist, writing in a revolutionary way," observes McAvoy.

McAvoy knew his portrait of Tom could only come alive with the right Jane, and he found Anne Hathaway almost supernaturally suited for the part. “I don’t think we could have chosen anyone better to play Jane Austen,” he says.

Pic 1: Tom Lefroy, from www.annie-hathaway.com

Pic 2: Tom Lefroy carrying Jane Austen, from Reading Kit of the U.S. Official Site

Anne Hathaway singing!

Well, this is not BJ-related, as in this clip is from the Phantom of the Opera, but with the soundtrack from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Woman in White. BUT, the singer was Anne Hathaway (!). Apparently, Anne once played as Laura Fairlie in the Woman in White musical in Sydmonton Festival in 2003. What an accomplished actress she is, eh?





Oh, by the way, apparently Anne also auditioned for the part of Christine Daae in the 2004 Phantom of the Opera. She almost got the role, but conflicted with her schedule for 'Princess Diary II: Royal Engagement'. A pity that she didn't get this Phantom...

The song also made me wish that we have another Becoming Jane music video with If I could only dream this world away as the soundtrack. So, appealing to any YouTubers, hopefully we'll be treated with another BJ video with Anne's angelic voice. Why oh why she did not sing in Becoming Jane, we might not know the answer...

Thanks to Annefleur for her article, thus I learned of this wonderful YouTube video. The video was made by Jiujiu85, and I thank her to introduce me to the beautiful song as well. A pity that the song is not readily available in CDs though. The original If I could only dream this world away in Woman in White CD was not sung by Anne Hathaway.

Update 26 June 2007:
Jiujiu85 has provided me the song and Josie will make a new BJ music video with Anne Hathaway's If I could only dream this world away. I almost can't wait! Thanks a lot Jiujiu and Josie!

Joe Anderson ('Henry Austen')

Joe Anderson was born in 1981 to his parents who are both involved in the film industry. He grew up on the outskirts of London, acting consistently through childhood. Acting was always his professional direction from a very young age.

He later attended Richmond Upon Thames College where he studied photography and then applied and was accepted to train at London’s Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. It is reported that as a hobby, Joe plays the guitar to a high standard and actively partakes in rugby, gymnastics and skateboarding.

Joe was very active at the Chichester Festival Theatre, contributing to film and stage dramatics. He has always been very conscientious in his work and has now established a rapidly developing, respectable filmography. Early in 2006 he appeared in Copying Beethoven, an account of the life of Beethoven, which stars Ed Harris. Joe plays the nephew of Beethoven. This film had great reviews in the US but is yet to be released in the UK.

His next role was as the charming, loving Henry Austen in Becoming Jane. Joe plays Jane’s brother who became a very supportive, reliable ally to Jane and her writing career. He financially aided the publication of some of her novels and formed a very special place in Jane’s heart. Joe’s performance was perfect and he was the ideal Henry.

After Becoming Jane, Joe has gone from strength to strength with a main role in Across The Universe, a Beatles musical with a plotline involving Joe’s character Max going to the Vietnam War and placing himself in a fight for peace. His latest project makes him a star of the film Control, the biopic of the British band Joy Division. He stars alongside Samantha Morton and the film is released in the UK in October.



Pic 1: Joe Anderson from IMDb (The Internet Movie Database)

Pic2: Filming of Becoming Jane- Joe Anderson (Henry Austen) and James McAvoy (Tom Lefroy)

Anna Maxwell Martin ('Cassandra Austen')

Anna Maxwell Martin was born ‘Anna Martin’ in 1978 in Beverley, East Yorkshire, England. Maxwell is her middle name which is also the name of her Grandfather. She has one older brother, Adam, and her mother gave up her job as a research scientist to be at home for her children whilst they were growing up. She always strived to work in the field of acting even though her family background did not match a pursuit of the arts.


Anna attended Liverpool University and studied history, in particular World War I. When asked about this choice in study she said ‘Drama school is a big test, emotionally, mentally, physically and I just wasn't ready for it at 18. Besides, I had done well at school and wanted a degree. And I had to do some growing up’. At the age of 20, she joined the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and developed her talent as an actress. During this time she acted in plays including Romeo and Juliet, Three Birds Alighting On A Field, Much Ado About Nothing, Mother Clap and The Way Of The World.

Upon graduating she starred in The Little Foxes at the Donmar Warehouse; the director of which, Roger Michell, is now her long-term partner. During this time life was tough for Anna as her father was diagnosed and died of cancer.

Anna played the leading role of the enchanting 12 year old Lyra in Philip Pulman's His Dark Materials at the National Theatre and this role led to national praise of the actress; she was nominated for an Olivier award.

Next, in 2004, Anna was Bessie Higgins in the television production of the novel North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Also this year she made an appearance as Penny in Enduring Love, also starring Daniel Craig.

In 2005 she amazed critics with her performance as Esther Summerson in the television adaptation of Bleak House by Charles Dickens; this is possibly her most acclaimed performance. Of this character Anna said; ‘I read the book, but Esther, my character, annoyed me - there's something very drippy about her. But Andrew [Davies, who adapted the novel] wrote quite a different character, a much feistier person, much more independent. She doesn't take any rubbish from anyone.’

In 2006 Anna appeared more on stage then behind the camera; one part saw her as Hayley in Other Hands by Laura Wade (Olivier nominee) at the Soho theatre. She played an ambitious management consultant who put her career before any personal happiness; this was a challenge as she was used to playing much younger roles but she embraced the challenge successfully. In one interview when asked of her opinion of acting in plays she stated ‘It's really exciting to do something by a young writer. It's great to discover a play together for the first time. There's no previous imprint on the character - you are creating it afresh.’

She then narrated a children’s book by Marcus Sedgwick about World War I called The Foreshadowing. Later in 2006 she filmed Becoming Jane where she played Cassandra Austen, the older sister of Jane. She was an ideal Cassandra; both kind and tender, and is loved and respected by all Becoming Jane fans.

Recently Anna has been seen as Sally Bowles in the West End production of Cabaret at the Lyric Theatre. An article in the BBC London theatre reviews stated 'And, as fully inhabited with real intelligence by this brilliant ensemble cast, led by Maxwell Martin's rivetingly vulnerable Sally and James Dreyfus' grimly sleazy Emcee, this is a fearless, frank production that magnificently renews a classic musical.'

Pic 1: Anna Maxwell Martin. Taken from google images

Pic 2: Anna Maxwell Martin taken from The official Becoming Jane website

Pic 3: Anna Maxwell Martin as Sally Bowles in Caberet. Taken from google images

James McAvoy's birthday

I just want to (again) thank Rachel for the absolutely beautiful bio of James McAvoy and add that in GMTV Entertainment Today, he also said that he was born on January 1st, so it was confirmed.



Thanks, Rachel for notifying me the YouTube link!

James McAvoy ('Tom Lefroy') Biography

There is some debate over the birth month of James McAvoy but many biographies claim that it is January 1st 1979. He was born in Scotstoun, Glasgow to James, a builder, and Elizabeth, a psychiatric nurse. When young James was 7 they separated and James and his younger sister, Joy, went to live with his grandparents.


James was pushed from a young age to be independent and was enrolled at St Thomas Aquinas, a Roman Catholic secondary school. This religious foundation prompted an interest in James to become a priest. At age 16, however, James had an encounter with a film-maker, David Hayman, which was to change his life. Rather confidently he asked David Hayman whether he could be involved in his next project in any capacity. Four months later James was remembered and given a very small role in the thriller, The Near Room.


Whilst working in the bakery at Sainsbury’s supermarket, James decided to apply for a place at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and was accepted. For the next three years James McAvoy’s screen work was limited but he graduated from the Royal Academy and decided to try his luck in London, moving to the East End with his long-term girlfriend, Emma Neilson. James’ career was developing at a fast pace and he was cast in an adaptation of Lorna Doone and soon after, Band of Brothers, produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.


The year of 2001 would see James appearing at the theatre on a couple of occasions. A role in the adaptation of White Teeth, a novel by Zadie Smith, and the miniseries Children of Dune would ensure that James was to become more recognised as a young talent. By 2004 James had amazingly not been out of work since he left drama school and the parts he was playing were all so diverse that he was gaining valuable experience.

A break would come when he played the comical brother of Paul Bettany’s character in Wimbledon, also starring Kirsten Dunst. James then attempted a far more serious challenge by playing the character of Rory O’Shea who suffers from muscular dystrophy in Inside I’m Dancing. Next James returned to TV and starred in Shameless, the series depicting life on a tough estate in Manchester. James reached an emotional low at this point in his life, probably a result of the strains of having no breaks since acting school. Anne-Marie Duff, his Shameless co-star was there to guide him through this difficult time, and they would marry in October 2006.

His next character, Mr Tumnus in The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (the first release from the Chronicles Of Narnia franchise) would bring fame his way; he was now popular across many audiences. He received the Rising Star of 2006 award at the BAFTA’s, and was then to impress Kevin Macdonald, director of The Last King of Scotland, who cast him as the amazing character of Nicolas Garrigan. The film was a triumph.

On a personal side, James made a very important emotional journey whilst tackling the themes of this film. After the film was complete, James returned to Uganda to visit some of the real people who live there and to learn more about them. I think that this shows an amazing side to this talented actor; the roles he takes affect him and he is able to absorb this new knowledge and learn from it. I really respect that. In particular, James visited a project, Tiger’s club, which helps children to get off the streets and allows them to interact with other young people and play games such as football and learn other various skills. James actually narrated a short documentary called ‘On the Tigers Trail’ which has been aired on the community channel in the UK and shows him talking to these young people and allows the world to see the great work that this project is doing in order to helping the young people reintegrate into Ugandan life. Here is the link on youtube where you can see some of the work he did out in Uganda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjt5NDXRbUM
Here is also another short clip of James in Uganda with the Red Cross: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4aVIK2DzkI&mode=related&search=

If you want to find out more about the work that James was trying to promote then it is well worth visiting this site: http://www.retrak.org/

Only a day after returning from Uganda, we would see James start filming Starter For Ten, produced by Tom Hanks and Sam Mendes. Becoming Jane was released in the UK in March 2007 and James has captured the world (and most visiting this site) with his charming and flawless performance of Tom Lefroy. It is only hoped that he receives the praise that he deserves for his tremendous talent. Also this year we are to see the release of Atonement, with Keira Knightley, Penelope, with Christina Ricci and Wanted, with Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie. He is only traveling in one direction and that is up.


I know that both myself and Icha have particular favourite roles that James has played (other than Tom Lefroy of course) so I have included a few other pictures of his characters below.


I also found this article (pasted below) in the ‘Jane Austen Regency World, Issue 26’ magazine. I hope that you enjoy.

Pic 1 and 2: James McAvoy taken from google images
Pic 3: James and his wife Anne-Marie Duff, co-star in Shameless. Taken from google images.
Pic 4: James appealing for donations for the work being done in Uganda. Taken from http://www.retrak.org/
Pic 5: James as Mr Tumnus in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’. Taken from ‘Zap2it’ photo galleries.
Pic 6: James as Tom Lefroy in ‘Becoming Jane’. Taken from http://www.jamesmcavoy.com/
Pic 7: James as Rory O’Shea in ‘Inside I’m Dancing. Taken from http://www.jamesmcavoy.com/