In the Spotlight with.. James from London

[Snarky Oracle!]

The original thread's been lost and I don't really write like that anymore anyway.

And, Jeezus, how I miss that honesty.

 

[Angela Channing]

@James from London, you've answered a lot of questions about acting recently so I will ask you a few more general questions.

1. What’s the best thing that has happened to you this year?
2. If you could give everyone just one piece of advice, what would it be?
3. Do you have a criminal record? By that I mean, what record or song do you like that most other people would think it's criminal to like or they would be embarrassed to admit they like?

 

[James from London]

If you could give everyone just one piece of advice, what would it be?

My advice would be to try to resist the temptation to give anyone advice, especially unsolicited advice. If someone tells you their troubles, let them do the talking. Just try to listen - really listen - to what they're saying, rather than simply waiting for them to shut up so you can deliver the solution you've just formulated in your head while you were pretending to listen. Don't tell someone how to feel or how not to feel. If you have experience of a situation that you think is relevant and might be helpful, maybe share that. Do say, "What I did was ..." Don't say, "What you should do is ..."

People like giving advice cos it makes them feel better (case in point: I feel tip-top now!), but by and large, nobody really takes advice. They mostly just want the space to talk and be heard.

Do you have a criminal record?

I was arrested for being drunk and incapable after I passed out at a bus stop in Halesowen when I was eighteen, but I don't think it's on my record.

By that I mean, what record or song do you like that most other people would think it's criminal to like or they would be embarrassed to admit they like?

Oh, I see.

 

[Angela Channing]

Hi @James from London, thanks for answering my previous questions, I enjoyed reading your answers and those to other questions put to you this week, I have a few final questions for you, if I may.

1. What is expensive but totally worth it?
2. If you opened a business, what type of business would you start?
3. What question do you wish someone asked you think week but no one did?

 

[James from London]

What’s the best thing that has happened to you this year?

It kind of feels nothing has really happened at all, but maybe discovering that New Dallas is as brilliant as I remembered and managing to shift all the fat I put on during the first lockdown.

I enjoyed reading your answers and those to other questions put to you this week

Thanks, Angela. I feel a bit like I've overdosed on myself, but thanks very much for indulging me!

What is expensive but totally worth it?

Good question! My personal trainer and M&S Chicken and Mushroom Tagliatelli.

If you opened a business, what type of business would you start?

Well, I'm self-employed so maybe I've already opened a business, but as the least business-minded person I know, I'm not quite sure.

What question do you wish someone asked you think week but no one did?

I was hoping I'd get the "who in the whole history of the world would you have round for dinner?" question! I'd choose John Peel, Paula Yates, Lennon & McCartney, Akala and the First Time Hearing twins off of YouTube. (That's probably one more than I'm allowed, but you can't have one twin without the other, can you?)

 

[Christine]

Hi James,

What was your favorite forum moment in the 20 years that you've been a member?
Please name one for each year...no, I am just kidding.
I am knot sure if this has been asked already, in this case please name your favorite forum moment you had with Christine...

(Just kidding again. )

But I am truly sorry if this has been asked before, I've been trying to follow this thread but haven't read everything yet and I noticed your week is nearly over.

 

[Angela Channing]

Oh, I see.

Yes, that's definitely a criminal record.

I was hoping I'd get the "who in the whole history of the world would you have round for dinner?"

I was going to ask that question as it's one of my favourites but I figured as you've met so many interesting people already you've probably had a lot of them around for dinner already.

 

[James from London]

What was your favorite forum moment in the 20 years that you've been a member?

Hello, Christine!!

I don't know if I can recall one specific moment, but I do have fond memories of my early days on the Knots forum, when there seemed to be so many interesting and knowledgeable people posting there (not that there aren't interesting and knowledgeable people around today, of course, but things are a lot quieter than they used to be) -- Johnny Rourke did some great interviews with the cast until he went power-mad and had to be tossed out of the airlock, and Joshua Slow used to write some really far-out posts, mostly about the womb-shaped cul-de-sac. He also came up with possibly the only fanfiction I ever really liked, which included an amazing speech by Paige about Starbucks, and Ben and Cathy being discovered living as sexually polygamous cannibals in South America. And then there was sunshineboyuk and mad old Abbylexis, and your good self of course ...

I also really enjoyed the early days of the Top 10 thread on the Music forum when people like Margaret Krebbs and Minx were still around, and I discovered lots of music I'd never heard before. More recently, it's been fun talking about Sons and Daughters again on the Aussie soap thread. There's always something interesting going on.

Anyway, lovely to hear from you, Christine. Hope you're keeping well during this straaaaange time.

I figured as you've met so many interesting people already you've probably had a lot of them around for dinner already.

Ha, not really! For one thing, I can't really cook (although I've improved during lockdown -- I made onion bhajis for the first time the other day) and for another, my flat's so small, they'd only be able to come in one at a time. It'd be like a doctor's surgery -- you've got ten minutes to eat your first course then you've got to back outside again until your name's called.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

How did I ever miss this song? --- I don't even ... ummm... remember it!

 

[Emelee]

If Empire Magazine asked you to make a top 10 list of movies you recommend, which 10 would you list?

If you could only watch 1 Christmas movie for the next 10 holidays, which one would it be?

Which theatre play would you love to star in?

Favourite playwright?

 

[James from London]

If Empire Magazine asked you to make a top 10 list of movies you recommend, which 10 would you list?

Oh, fun! OK, off the top of my head:

The Collector (1965) which I must thank @Richard Channing of this parish for recommending



Manchester by the Sea (2016)



Slade in Flame (1975)



Twin Peaks Fire Walk with Me (1992)



The Deer Hunter (1978)

 

[James from London]

Marriage Story (2019)



Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (2017)



In Bruges (2008)



13th (2016)



A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

 

[James from London]

If you could only watch 1 Christmas movie for the next 10 holidays, which one would it be?

I'll go out on a limb and say Black Christmas

Which theatre play would you love to star in?

'Two' by Jim Cartwright: two actors play fourteen characters - the landlord and landlady of a pub, plus all their customers, over the course of one evening. So it's seven characters each, from an old couple to a little boy who gets left outside the pub by his dad. I saw the original production four times!

Favourite playwright?

 

[Willie Oleson]

If Empire Magazine asked you to make a top 10 list of movies you recommend, which 10 would you list?

Smart thinking, Emelee. I love good suggestions.

The Collector (1965)

Youtube doesn't have it but I noticed that original Maggie Gioberti looks like a young Francesca Colby.

Marriage Story (2019)

Added to MyFlixList.

 

[James from London]

Youtube doesn't have it but I noticed that original Maggie Gioberti looks like a young Francesca Colby.

I watched it on Netflix, but it doesn't appear to be there anymore. Not in the UK anyhow.

 

[Christine]

Hello, Christine!!

I don't know if I can recall one specific moment, but I do have fond memories of my early days on the Knots forum, when there seemed to be so many interesting and knowledgeable people posting there (not that there aren't interesting and knowledgeable people around today, of course, but things are a lot quieter than they used to be) -- Johnny Rourke did some great interviews with the cast until he went power-mad and had to be tossed out of the airlock, and Joshua Slow used to write some really far-out posts, mostly about the womb-shaped cul-de-sac. He also came up with possibly the only fanfiction I ever really liked, which included an amazing speech by Paige about Starbucks, and Ben and Cathy being discovered living as sexually polygamous cannibals in South America. And then there was sunshineboyuk and mad old Abbylexis, and your good self of course ...

I also really enjoyed the early days of the Top 10 thread on the Music forum when people like Margaret Krebbs and Minx were still around, and I discovered lots of music I'd never heard before. More recently, it's been fun talking about Sons and Daughters again on the Aussie soap thread. There's always something interesting going on.

Anyway, lovely to hear from you, Christine. Hope you're keeping well during this straaaaange time.

Ha, not really! For one thing, I can't really cook (although I've improved during lockdown -- I made onion bhajis for the first time the other day) and for another, my flat's so small, they'd only be able to come in one at a time. It'd be like a doctor's surgery -- you've got ten minutes to eat your first course then you've got to back outside again until your name's called.

Thanks for your reply. I agree, the first few years in the Knots Landing forum were a lot of fun, I will treasure these moments forever. Getting in contact with Knots fans all around the world....before that I had only been talking about the show to myself.

For some reason I don't remember Joshua Slow's fan fiction though. I will ask him about it but maybe I should knot. What if he quits a 20 year old friendship and I will become his newest frenemy, LOL!

 

[James from London]

For some reason I don't remember Joshua Slow's fan fiction though. I will ask him about it but maybe I should knot

Go on, ask! I remember there were complaints about him killing characters off and he replied, "Use them or lose them." It's funny, that phrase has stuck in my head all these years.

 

[Long Lashes]

James, I was going to ask you if you've ever appeared in a musical, but after your reply when I asked if you're musical in any way, then I guess the answer would be no although....

do you like to watch musical theatre?

If you were not an actor do you know what else might've been your career?

Have you ever written a Play yourself? or do you ever get the urge to write a book?

Have you ever appeared in a radio drama?

and finally, do you intend to resume your thread - "Listening to my LPs in alphabetical order"? I used to enjoy reading it.

Hope you've enjoyed your week, its been a very good read and thanks for all your interesting replies.

 

[James from London]

I was going to ask you if you've ever appeared in a musical, but after your reply when I asked if you're musical in any way, then I guess the answer would be no

Well, I have done panto for the last five years (not this year, obviously) which has involved a bit of singing and dancing. The singing I can sort of get away with cos it's sort of meant to be bad, but the dancing is just agony - I find following choreography next to impossible!

do you like to watch musical theatre?

Not really, but I sometimes end up going to see friends in them. Most musicals are everything I hate about the theatre, but occasionally I'll see something that's a bit different and I'll surprise myself by really enjoying it.

If you were not an actor do you know what else might've been your career?

God knows! Stand-up comedy is as close as I've ever gotten to doing something else, but I don't think I was good at it as I really needed to be.

Have you ever written a Play yourself?

I co-wrote a one-man play last year called EastEndless. That was a very interesting process.

Have you ever appeared in a radio drama?

I've done a few, but not for a while.

do you intend to resume your thread - "Listening to my LPs in alphabetical order"? I used to enjoy reading it.

Ah, thanks - I'd forgotten about that one. Maybe I will!

Hope you've enjoyed your week, its been a very good read and thanks for all your interesting replies.

Thanks so much. It's been fun. I feel like I need some sort of ego-detox now though. I need to not talk about myself for at least half an hour.

 

[Ome]

A big thank you to everyone who took part in this thread
and to James for sharing with us a special part of his life.

I hope you enjoyed this week as much as everyone else did.

We have had some fantastic questions, with equally impressive answers.​