We Speak Actors

Alexis Rodney stars in new Guy Ritchie Netflix series, ‘The Gentlemen’

Published

2 months ago

March 2, 2024

British actor Alexis Rodney had the time of his life playing an enigmatic lawyer in the new series ‘The Gentleman’, based on Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film of the same name. The series – which launches on Netflix on Thursday 7 March – introduces a new set of characters led by Eddie, an aristocrat with a weed farm, played by ‘The White Lotus’’s Theo James. The star-studded cast also includes Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Giancarlo Esposito, Joely Richardson and Ritchie favourite, Vinnie Jones. Alexis, whose previous credits include ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ and ‘Willow’, shares some behind-the-scenes secrets.

Tell us about your role in ‘The Gentlemen’.

“I play Emory Stevens, often referred to quite simply as Stevens. Stevens is introduced in the series as an American lawyer, who also moonlights as a personal assistant to a very powerful man. He’s a calm and enigmatic figure, a bit of a modern-day Renaissance man, a jack of all trades, if you will, who is as au fait with decanting wine as he would be dissecting an enemy.”

*Photo credit Bertie Watson at The NoMad Hotel* *in London*

What was it like working with Guy Ritchie?

“In 1998 I went to the cinema to see Guy’s first film, ‘Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels’. It was a seminal film, moving the needle from traditional, British kitchen-sink dramas, to a more fresh and exciting storytelling that appealed to the international film community. I made a promise to myself at the time that I would one day work with Guy Ritchie, and some 20 years and loose change later, I finally achieved that dream. Guy is the epitome of a British gentleman: knowledgeable, playful and seemingly as excited about filmmaking as he was all those years ago. He doesn’t over-direct, but when he needs to give actors adjustments, they make complete sense. All in all, a pleasure to work with.”

Was it a fun set to work on?

“Starting work on any project always has the feeling of the first day of school, but when the dust settled on this job it was a wonder to behold. So many great creatives under one roof, all pulling their weight for the greater good.”

“Everyone was in good spirits, both on and off the set, which obviously makes such a huge difference in the work environment.”

“I can’t stress enough just how lovely everyone was. This job will live long in my memory.”

Who will enjoy watching ‘The Gentlemen’?

“The show seamlessly mixes the world of blue-collar and silver-spoon crime, to give audiences a unique, high-octane, high-fashion drama, with a lot of comedy too.

“Ultimately ‘The Gentlemen’ is a show about roles and duties within the family hierarchy, and how families come together when the vultures circle.”

“I would recommend it to anyone who’s the right age to watch it! It’s a truly bonkers adventure.”

What have been your other favourite roles to date?

“I’m grateful to have had a wide variety of roles. The film ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ (2001) with Joaquin Phoenix is special to me, as it was my first international film and of course I was working with one of the best actors of our time. I’ve since gone on to act in the Marvel Universe as Moloka Dar in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ (2014), Simon Peter in the Ridley Scott drama ‘Killing Jesus’ (2015), Arris in another Ridley Scott-produced film, ‘Halo Nightfall’, Tebbe in the Amazon-produced series ‘Outlander’, Lachlan in the Disney reboot of ‘Willow’ (2022), Darren Thompson in HBO series ‘Pennyworth’ and, last but not least, I’m in the soon-to-be-released horror film ‘The Piper’ (2024), from Icelandic filmmaker Erlingur Óttar Thoroddsen.”

Featured photo credit: Bertie Watson at The NoMad Hotel in London

We Speak Actors

Chris Lemmon, Son of Legendary Actor Jack Lemmon Guests On Harvey Brownstone Interviews

Published

1 week ago

April 30, 2024

Jimmy Star

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Chris Lemmon, Son of Legendary Actor, Jack Lemmon, Actor & Author, “A Twist of Lemmon: A Tribute to My Father”.

Chris Lemmon is an actor, producer and author who’s appeared in many movies including “Airport ‘77”, “Seems Like Old Times”, “Uncommon Valor”, “Swing Shift”, “Cannonball Run 2”, “Weekend Warrior”, “Lena’s Holiday”, “Roe vs Wade”, and 2 very special movies, “That’s Life” and “Dad”, in which he appeared with his legendary father, 2-time Academy Award winner Jack Lemmon, who’s been immortalized in movies like “Mr. Roberts”, “Save the Tiger”, “The Apartment”, “Irma LaDouce”, “The Odd Couple”, “The China Syndrome”, “Glengarry Glen Ross”, and of course, the greatest comedy film of all time, “Some Like it Hot”.

In fact, our guest portrayed his father in a re-enactment of his time on the set of “Some Like it Hot”, in the Marilyn Monroe biopic, “Blonde”.

On television, our guest has brought us many memorable roles including “Checko” in “Brothers and Sisters”, “Richard Philips” in “Duet” and “Open House”, “Jeff Cameron” in “Knots Landing”, and “Martin Brubaker”, better known as “Bru”, in “Thunder in Paradise”. On the stage, he’s starred in “Barefoot in the Park”, “Shay”, “Love Letters”, and his highly acclaimed one-man show “Twist of Lemmon”, based on his best-selling, highly compelling and heartwarming 2006 memoir entitled, “A Twist of Lemmon: A Tribute to my Father”.

He also wrote, produced and hosted the wonderful documentary film, “Magic Time”, which is all about the brilliant artistry of Jack Lemmon.

Harvey Brownstone is a retired judge of the Ontario Court of Justice and was the first openly gay judge in Canada. He is also the bestselling author of “Tug of War: A Judge’s Verdict on Separation, Custody Battles and the Bitter Realities of Family Court” and hosted “Family Matters with Justice Harvey Brownstone,” a television talk show on matters involving the family justice system.

After a distinguished legal career, Harvey was appointed a judge at the age of 38 in 1995. He has presided in family and criminal courts. He has been a trailblazer in several ways. He was the first openly gay judge in Canada. He was the first sitting judge in the world to write a national best seller and to host a TV talk show.

Harvey has been a role model and icon in the LGBTQ community. When same-sex marriage was legalized in Canada in 2003, he was the only judge to make himself publicly available to officiate at weddings for lesbian and gay couples travelling to Toronto from all over the world to get married. In 2007, he officiated at the wedding of Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer, the American couple whose marriage triggered the 2013 United States Supreme Court decision overturning the definition of “spouse” in the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

In February 2021, Harvey launched his online talk show “Harvey Brownstone Interviews” on his own YouTube channel. He saw this as an interesting hobby. Within several months, the show attracted hundreds of thousands – and then eventually, millions – of viewers. Because of the overwhelming success of the show, Harvey decided to retire from the judiciary on December 31, 2021 after having presided as a full-time judge for 26 1/2 years. Free from the constraints imposed upon judges regarding the expression of opinions and the endorsement of private enterprise, Harvey now happily devotes his full-time attention to hosting “Harvey Brownstone Interviews” as a regular member of the public – albeit one with a rather illustrious and unique career history.

Watch Chris Lemmon on Harvey Brownstone Interviews on Youtube here:

The official website for Harvey Brownstone Interviews may be found at https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com

Get “The Talk Show Blend” – Coffee For The Modern Day Trailblazer! By Harvey Brownstone from Breakfast At Dominique’s available at https://www.HollywoodBlends.com

For more information about Harvey Brownstone, here’s his Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Brownstone