WHAT OTHERS SAY
As for young Damian Lewis (just a year out of drama school) as Hamlet, everything he does has the audience firmly held. Strikingly equipped with a tide of Tudor red hair, burning blue eyes, heroic bones and good build, this Hamlet works hard to win his authority over the play, but win it he does. He speaks the lines "with good accent and good discretion," and he has both virility and stillness. He is a Hamlet both Romantic (frozen in melancholy, vivid in action) and modern (playing at crude aperies in his "madness," sardonically rude). He manages both to relate freshly to everyone else onstage and to suggest that Hamlet's mind is always at one remove from everyone else around him. Remarkably, he achieves this by working within very narrow confines. His vocal register is seldom more than a minor third, he makes no particular play between piano and forte, he employs no great contrasts of speed during his soliloquies. Yet one attends to him. He has not yet bent the role to his will, has not relaxed within its rigours so that we trust his command of it, is still shifting in his way of addressing the audience -- and yet one attends to him.
-- Alastair Macaulay (article author), Financial Times, June 17, 1994
Damian has a sort of flair and panache rare for a British actor.
-- Jonathan Kent (director of The School For Wives), The New York Times, January 1, 1995
Ever since Damian Lewis swatted a fly in the middle of his "What a piece of work is man" speech, an act of irreverence from such a precociously young Hamlet, which neatly captured the vanity of all human action, he has been earmarked by the critics to be a star.
-- Imogen O'Rourke (article author), Plays And Players, April 1995
[In Hamlet at the Belasco Theatre in New York,] Damian Lewis's Laertes is a vastly more interesting character than he was on opening night in London. His affection for Ophelia is real, and his swordfight with Hamlet at the end has an intensity seen more often in a swashbuckler than in a "Hamlet."
-- Vincent Canby, The New York Times, May 3, 1995
Still, every star needs its firmament, and this Hamlet would not glitter without the support of virtuoso players. Annis radiates sexual attraction, but not toward her son. Those who expect the customary Freudian gloss must look elsewhere. Eyre invests Polonius with more dignity than pomposity, reversing the standard interpretation. As Claudius, James Laurenson blends nobility and villainy; Terence Rigby makes an admirably plebeian Gravedigger, doubles as the Ghost and triples as the Player King; Damian Lewis provides a vigorous Laertes and, in the role of Ophelia, Tara FitzGerald is a poignant victim, more affecting in her sane moments than in her scenes of lunacy.
-- Stefan Kanfer (article author), New Leader, June 5, 1995
Productions of "Hamlet" are often distinguished by verse speaking or physical design. Jonathan Kent's current staging, imported from the Almeida Theater Company in London, offers an additional virtue in the face-off between Hamlet (played by Ralph Fiennes) and Laertes (Damian Lewis). Beginning on a white rectangular fencing mat, the fight soon spills beyond it, weaving among the chairs of Claudius's dismayed court as the two combatants become increasingly fevered. Lasting no more than four minutes or so, the duel leaves both the actors and the audience breathless; as Vincent Canby wrote in The New York Times, the sword fight "has an intensity seen more often in a swashbuckler than in a 'Hamlet.'"
-- Matt Wolf (article author), The New York Times, July 2, 1995
[In Much Ado About Nothing,] Damian Lewis makes great use of his opportunities as the bastard brother and looks more sinister because of his red hair which sets him apart from the rest. (If his hair is really this colour, then I'm sure in real life it's very attractive.)
-- Rod Dungate (article author), Plays And Players, December 1996/January 1997
[In Cymbeline] Damian Lewis plays Posthumus, Imogen's illicitly-wed husband, as an effective counterpoint, with plenty of masculine vigour.
-- Birna Helgadottir (article author), What's On Stage, March 26, 1998
[In his performance as Posthumus in the RSC production of Cymbeline at the Brooklyn Academy of Music,] the intense Mr. Lewis brings a haunting feeling of irreparable injury to the scene where he is made to believe that Imogen has betrayed him.
-- Ben Brantley (article author), The New York Times, June 5, 1998
The Wolf [in Into The Woods], in the hands of Damian Lewis, is a sexy, charismatic character whose death robs the piece of one of its greatest assets at an early stage.
-- Kevin Wilson (article author), Theatre Review, December 5, 1998
There are some outstanding performances in this production ... There are many more professional performances [in Into The Woods] from the likes of Matt Rawle, Sheila Reid, Damian Lewis, Sophie Thompson, and in particularly Nick Holder who plays the baker.
-- Darren Dalglish (article author), London Theatre News, January 6, 1999
[In Warriors,] Ioan Gruffudd, as stiff-upper-lip career officer Feeley, Matthew Macfadyen, as football-mad Liverpudlian Private James, and Damian Lewis, as headstrong Lieutenant Loughrey, are particularly compelling, though all the performances are excellent.
-- Kathryn Flett (article author), The Observer, November 21, 1999
The performances [in Warriors] were terrific. Matthew MacFadyen, Ioan Gruffudd and Damian Lewis, in particular, did justice to a difficult subject.
-- Sue Greenaway (article author), Western Daily Press, November 22, 1999
One of our actors [in Life Force], who is absolutely brilliant, is the villain Damian Lewis. I think he's stunning, but I don't think he's necessarily going to be available to us in two years' time. He's just been the lead in Warriors and I think from that and other stuff he's involved in, Damian will probably be a very busy boy.
-- Peter Tabern (writer/director/producer of Life Force), TV Zone, February 2000
[Tom] Hanks concedes that Winters was the hardest character in "Band of Brothers" to match with an actor: "The trick was casting this very enigmatic man, of whom there's a substantial amount of mystery involved. You never know where you stand with Winters. But when we heard Damian read, we'd found our guy. Maybe it's his delivery, a kind of 'less is more' thing."
-- David Gritten (article author), Los Angeles Times, August 20, 2000
Eschewing the graphical violence and coarse language typical of military movies, Warriors is nevertheless one of the most emotionally real movies about the lives of soldiers I've ever seen, thanks to strikingly moving performances -- from [Ioan] Gruffudd and [Damian] Lewis and also Matthew Macfadyen as a private shattered by his service.
-- MaryAnn Johanson (article author), Flickfilosopher.com, September 4, 2000
One who is easy to know through all 10 episodes [of Band of Brothers] is Dick Winters, played nobly by Damian Lewis. ... If there's a star of this miniseries show, it is Lewis, but his performance is anything but loud. From his first appearance, Lewis accomplishes much with a powerful presence and a dignified reserve.
-- John Levesque (article author), Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 8, 2001
The series [Band of Brothers] has no hero, but it does have one character who is most central and enduring: Dick Winters, who starts out as the company commander, a straight-arrow leader who is played with astonishing, unprissy dignity by the British actor Damian Lewis. It is just before D-Day, and a platoon of his troops are sitting in two lines on the tarmac, waiting to board the plane from which they will parachute behind German lines in Normandy. He says a few words -- "Good luck. God bless you. I'll see you in the assembly area" -- which resonate much deeper than you expect them to.
-- Gary Kamiya (article author), Salon.com, September 8, 2001
The English-born Lewis does an outstanding job depicting the American Winters [in Band of Brothers].
-- [article author, name unrecorded], TV Guide, September 9, 2001
As the seemingly stoic Winters, Lewis accomplishes one of an actor's hardest tasks: He makes virtue seem appealing, and even sexy -- and in case you're wondering, you'd never guess he isn't American.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], USA Today, September 13, 2001
[He is] articulate, funny and, unusually for a young actor, quite outspoken.
-- Tom Howard (article author), Time Out, September 19, 2001
As an officer haunted by the bloody cost of victory and uneasy about the promotion that takes him away from his men [in Band Of Brothers: Crossroads], Damian Lewis delivers a subtle yet powerful performance of deep ambivalence.
-- Matt Roush (article author), TV Guide, September 22, 2001
[I] was worried that Steven [Spielberg] and Tom [Hanks] cast an Englishman in the lead role. Then I met him. He's an impactful young man. We've seen loudmouths before, but he's in a Gary Cooper mould. I had trouble catching him out. He was terrific in training, busted his butt. I admire his stamina. He just goes. He's like a wind-up toy ... there's something in that little ginger shit's eyes.
-- Captain Dale Dye (military advisor and trainer on Band of Brothers), Radio Times, September 29, 2001
Over a three-hour lunch in London a couple of weeks after the [Normandy] premiere, Lewis reveals himself to be an engaging 29-year-old. Full of lively anecdotes about the production, he makes for sparkling company. He is far removed from the sometimes sombre and taciturn man we see in Band of Brothers -- which only goes to emphasize what a consummate actor he is.
-- James Rampton (article author), Radio Times, September 29, 2001
As a result of a "silent look" from Lewis that [Tom] Hanks called "unequivocally evocative," the series decided not to rely on voice-overs from Winters. "It wasn't better than what (Damian) was doing with his face," he said.
-- Matt Wolf (article author), Associated Press, October 4, 2001
Scott Grimes, from television's "Party of Five," was among the American actors whose initial skepticism [over the casting of a British actor as Winters in Band of Brothers] was allayed. Playing an Oregonian infantryman named Don Malarkey, Grimes admitted that, "I was like, this is an American accent, we should have American guys do it. I was the hardest to win over." Grimes ended up impressed: "Damian is terrific, man. Sometimes, he's got to talk us into (the fact that) he's British. It's not just about the accent; it's about an American way of holding yourself -- totally no frills. (Damian) is going to be a big star, I hope."
-- Matt Wolf (article author), Associated Press, October 5, 2001
Lewis's success in the multi-million pound mini-series [Band of Brothers], which began on BBC2 last Friday, is observed with an amused eye by his comrades in another field -- the Old Etonian Football Club. "You'd never know what Damian does from speaking to him," says one. "Obviously he can only play for us when he's not filming, but he's a very useful player -- a midfield general who gets from box to box and scores goals."
-- Charlie Methven (article editor), The Daily Telegraph, October 8, 2001
Lewis has a way of pushing himself to the limit, even in good times.
-- Russell Scott Smith (article author), Us, October 15, 2001
They were looking for someone who has a moral uprightness without being uptight. Damian has that. There's something anachronistic about him. Like Henry Fonda.
-- Ron Livingston (co-star in Band of Brothers), Us, October 15, 2001
He stands out. Not just because he plays Major Richard Winters, the leader of Easy Company, who is a significant presence in each episode of Band of Brothers. Damian Lewis grabs your attention even when he says nothing -- the mark of an actor who knows that even when there are no words for you to say on the page, your character can still leave his mark.
-- Theresa G. Corigliano (article author), Dish Magazine, October 2001
We were looking for an enigmatic leader, a guy you can't explain, but who explains himself by his mere presence. We wanted someone with a certain air about him that comes across even before he opens his mouth. Lewis had that without question, as soon as he sat down we knew.
-- Tom Hanks (executive producer of Band of Brothers), BBC, Fall 2001
Briton Damian Lewis was particularly compelling as American Capt. Dick Winters, an average Joe whose composure under fire made him a born soldier.
-- Eric Deggans (article author), St. Petersburg Times, December 23, 2001
Lewis, it's good to see that his taste of working with the cream of the acting industry hasn't gone to his head. It's not that he's not ambitious -- he is -- but he remains down-to-earth while at the same time loving all the adulation being heaped on him. ... Refreshingly, he doesn't mind admitting it's the kind of attention he's dreamed about since he was a kid.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Daily Express, 2001
He was always the person most likely to make it. He was someone who would make the most of a break. He always had his eyes open. He was primed and ready. But he's also very easy going, one of the guys.
-- Rashdan Stone (fellow Royal Shakespeare Company actor), Observer, March 10, 2002
Damian's full of beans. He's classically trained, but what he's also got is this Celtic thing going on. It's not just all neck up. He uses his body. But what was really unusual about him was his dynamism. And he's bright. You don't normally get all of that in one package.
-- Emma Fielding (co-star in School for Wives at the Almeida Theatre), Observer, March 10, 2002
I was doing Hornblower at the time and I heard that Damian Lewis, who's a mate of mine since Warriors, had got the lead [in Band Of Brothers]. If I'd been available and heard about it I'd have gone for it. Damian was amazing. He's out in Hollywood now doing a movie with Morgan Freeman.
-- Ioan Gruffudd (co-star of Warriors and The Forsyte Saga), Express, March 30, 2002
All are extremely good [in The Forsyte Saga] and the supporting cast is peopled with fine actors such as Barbara Flynn and Amanda Root. But your eyes zoom straight to Lewis, formerly of Band of Brothers, Hearts and Bones and Warriors. Funnily, Lewis does very little indeed. One scene has him manipulating events to his way of thinking without actually saying a word. But there is a smouldering power to him and you correctly fear for anyone who tries to confront him.
-- William Gallagher (article author), BBC News, April 7, 2002
He is full of ice breaking mockney banter -- half the time you don't know whether he's teasing or not.
-- Sophie Wilson (interviewer), Marie Claire, April 2002
Damian Lewis plays Soames, who commits the rape. Damian is very charismatic so we hope he'll be able to persuade people to understand what motivates his character.
-- Gillian Kearney (co-star of The Forsyte Saga), Now Magazine, Spring 2002
...Damian Lewis, the only time I'd seen him was in [HBO's] Band of Brothers. He really held the center of that huge project, and I thought, 'Oh, my God. This guy has enormous soul.' His Jonesy character is the soulful center of this group. A lot of crazy and scary things happen around him. [He's] a guy who is essentially a sensitive college professor who then becomes a very dangerous alien all in the same body, so it's kind of fun, and I thought, 'There's the guy that could do it.'
-- Lawrence Kasdan (director of Dreamcatcher), Scifi.com, June 20, 2002
Damian Lewis, the only time I'd seen him was in [HBO's] Band of Brothers . He really held the center of that huge project, and I thought, 'Oh, my God. This guy has enormous soul.' His Jonesy character is the soulful center of this group. A lot of crazy and scary things happen around him. [He's] a guy who is essentially a sensitive college professor who then becomes a very dangerous alien all in the same body, so it's kind of fun, and I thought, 'There's the guy that could do it.'
-- Lawrence Kasdan (director of Dreamcatcher), publication unknown, July 2002
As the wife of possessive Soames Forsyte, she [Gina McKee] has a pound sterling to play against. He is, as his uncle jibes, a "man of property," and if there is a villain in the story it is Soames. But played by Damian Lewis, the actor who was Steve McQueen-steeley in Band of Brothers, he is impossible to hate. In this unlovable man we feel the ache of a poet, a poet who has no words. The power he brings to the final minutes of this amazing series is a breakthrough of blossoming -- a masterpiece.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Vanity Fair, September 2002
Lewis's performance [as Soames in The Forsyte Saga] is a constant marvel. The actor makes Soames's emotional repression so palpable that it's hard to hate him even at his most heartless. When his humanity finally breaks through, you'll feel a surge of hope.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], People, October 3, 2002
Lewis's performance [in The Forsyte Saga], though, is a constant marvel. The actor makes Soames's emotional repression so palpable that it's hard to hate him even at his most heartless. When his humanity finally breaks through, you'll feel a surge of hope.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], People, October 14, 2002
Special note should be made of Damian Lewis, who portrays Lieutenant Dick Winters. As one of the most focused-on characters in the series, Lewis manages to portray the heart and soul of Easy Company, and display some exceptional acting chops, as well.
-- Mike Spring (article author), DVDangle.com, October 23, 2002
[The] familiar themes [of The Forsyte Saga] seem fresh, thanks to three stunning performances. Damian Lewis is Soames Forsyte, a man of property and of excruciating propriety; ... the actor's very presence suggests the complex, deeply buried passion that destroys Soames. ... "Soames, you're such as stick!" Winifred tells her oh-so-proper brother, an irrefutable comment that makes Soames an unlikely character to hold a series together. And the tension between the old and new social orders, which had so obvious a contemporary echo in 1969, seems more remote today. But Mr. Lewis (who was also powerfully subdued as Dick Winters, the laconic hero of "Band of Brothers") overcomes these obstacles, suggesting a passion so profound and repressed that Soames himself cannot fathom it. ... Soames is a self-righteous prig, but in Mr. Lewis's nuanced performance he is also incredibly sad. When Soames despairingly takes to his bed and his mother says, "You feel things too much, you always have," we know she is right, though no one else in the world would guess it.
-- Caryn James (article author), New York Times, October 2002
Lewis ... has plenty of charm and charisma and an inner strength that impressed the Spielberg camp immediately [during the casting process for Band of Brothers]. ... A sense of determination, combined with a natural authority, while at the same time possessing an ability to be easygoing, enabled Lewis to fit in straight away when he turned up for training.
-- Helen Barlow (article author), "Lewis Goes In Boots And All," newspaper unknown, Australian, autumn 2002 (date unknown)
Although most performances here [in The Forsyte Saga] are admirable, the actor to relish most is Lewis, whose Yankspeak was impeccable as American Maj. Richard Winters in last season's "Band of Brothers" on HBO. His repressed Soames is more magnetic and interesting to behold, walking rigidly at attention in his dark suit of clothes, his manner funereal, only his eyes hinting at the implosions beneath his leaden demeanor. In fact, he's Vesuvius ready to blow. A partner in the family's law firm, Soames is a hypocrite who projects moral superiority. He is so tightly coiled that at one point he draws blood while biting his lip in anger. He is diffident, judgmental, cold and superficially arrogant, treating even some members of his family as clerks. "Damn Soames with thousands in the bank and nothing in his soul," the adult June says about her cousin, whose glints of humanity surface only near the end of these eight hours.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Los Angeles Times, Autumn 2002
[Lewis'] electrifying performance in this role [of Soames in The Forsyte Saga] provides most of the dramatic momentum in the miniseries.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Newsday, Autumn 2002
As Soames, Lewis is given the heaviest lifting, for he has to convince us of his imprisoned emotions almost entirely without letting us see how much his heart is breaking. It is testimony to Lewis' extraordinary skill that his is the character we loathe at the outset of "The Forsyte Saga" and in whom we become most interested by the end.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], San Francisco Chronicle, Autumn 2002
Lewis'...precisely calibrated performance forces us to see parts of ourselves in Soames even at his most repulsive moments as when he viciously forces himself upon his wife.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Baltimore Sun, Autumn 2002
Lewis's Soames is almost animalistic in his determination. He's fierce in what he wants. What he wants most is his property. And his wife is his property. We see a slight softening at the very end of the eight hours, but our image of him is formed early on: Imperious, cold, calculating, distant, without a clue as to other people's feelings or suffering. It's quite a contrast with Lewis's portrayal of Dick Winters in Band of Brothers.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], GoMemphis.com, Autumn 2002
Lewis has captured Soames' wretched ambiguity as an essentially moral man whose overweening sense of ownership and rigid view of duty has rendered him unlovable. One doesn't know whether to feel sorry for him in the face of Irene's coldness, or condemn him for treating her like one of his prized paintings.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Autumn 2002
[Lewis's] electrifying performance in this role [of Soames in The Forsyte Saga] provides most of the dramatic momentum in the miniseries.
-- John Crook (article author), Toledo Blade, Autumn 2002
Much of the success of the series [The Forsyte Saga: Series I] is thanks to the wonderful acting of its star Damian Lewis (so good in "Band of Brothers"). ... Lewis lets us see Soames's side in his relationship with Irene and while we do feel sorry for her, we can sympathize with both. At times he seems lost, and it is when Soames is onscreen that the series moves at its swiftest pace. We can see his mind working, turning. We can feel his sadness with every rejection. From the way Lewis raised or lowered an eyebrow to the way he smoked a cigarette, he breathed life into the starched-shirt of Soames and made him much more than a repressed, controlling force hopelessly in love. At the end of the series, Soames has a wonderful, defining moment: a true smile, a true expression of bliss that he had never betrayed before.
-- Jennifer Alpeche (article author), the-trades.com, November 12, 2002
Damian Lewis is charming company and not at all arrogant.
-- Mary Riddell (interviewer), Daily Mail, November 16, 2002
Lewis can't help fizzing with confidence. He is the sort of boy who could charm grannies, dogs and leading ladies, who could walk into any party, onto any set, and make it his own: funny, smart, irreverent and with manners so beautiful you could frame them. Tea with the Queen, one gets the impression, would pose no problem, while his mockney mode would rival Guy Ritchie's. When his savoir-faire accidentally fails him, he looks almost comically stricken. ... There is a restless, reckless quality to Lewis, the sort of daring that no doubt has him riding his motorbike too fast, and has inspired comparisons to Steve McQueen. When he raves that The New York Times devoted a whole page to the thrilling stage fight in his Broadway Hamlet with Ralph Fiennes, you sense he'd like to do it all again -- right now! -- the urgency of the boxer to get back in the ring.
-- Lesley White (interviewer), Sunday Times, November 17, 2002
Having Lewis's name attached to anything is starting to look like a shrewd investment. Something about his aura of self-control, and maybe his cool blue-grey eyes, has prompted comparisons to Steve McQueen from several reviewers.
-- Adam Sweeting (interviewer), Independent, November 24, 2002
[In Jeffrey Archer: The Truth,] Damian Lewis, still in the run of success that has included Band of Brothers and Soames in The Forsyte Saga, finds exactly the right level of self-delusion and caddish mania. Lewis says he made no attempt at all to impersonate Archer, rather he 'saw the role as an audition for the next James Bond'. Even so, he captures enough of the Boy's Own anarchy to make him easily recognisable.
-- Tim Adams (article author), The Observer, November 24, 2002
There are some great performances [in Jeffrey Archer: The Truth], led by a swashbuckling Damian Lewis as Jeffrey Archer.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], The Guardian, November 25, 2002
In person, he is bigger than you'd imagine -- fleshier and surprisingly relaxed and friendly, though he has a noticeable self-assurance and confidence that directors are drawn to. He's 30, but somehow he has the composure of someone older, and he's charming. ... You sense that Damian is not without vanity. He volunteers the information that he was voted one of Britain's 50 sharpest men by Esquire magazine, and mentions being miffed at a critic's description of his small mouth. Yet he has neither the poster-boy looks nor the egocentric approach to acting associated with the professional love interest. He is destined to be a serious quality actor and, though there's a part of him that wants to be chased by screaming girls, deep down he knows it.
-- Shane Watson (article author), Evening Standard Magazine, November 28, 2002
Damian brings fantastic presence to the film [Jeffrey Archer -- The Truth]. We needed someone who would get stuck in and attack the part. He has no fear, plus both Damian and Greta [Scacchi, who plays Margaret Thatcher] are great comic actors, but haven't been given much chance to show it.
-- Guy Jenkin (writer-director of Jeffrey Archer -- The Truth), TV Times, November 30, 2002
It took time to find an actor with sufficient good looks, charm, charisma and stamina to play Jeffrey [in Jeffrey Archer -- The Truth], but we found our man.
-- Jane Tranter (head of BBC Drama), TV Times, November 30, 2002
[In Jeffrey Archer -- The Truth,] Damian Lewis flings himself into the role, turning Archer into the epitome of suave sophistication. Lewis is, in fact, the best thing about Jeffrey Archer -- The Truth. He even manages to make Archer a likeable and sympathetic figure, despite his utterly outrageous claims.
-- Alison Graham (article author), Radio Times, November 30, 2002
Damian Lewis was superb as Soames [in The Forsyte Saga], the emotionally repressed solicitor unable to buy the love of his maddeningly cool wife.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], People, December 19, 2002
I had a few people very clearly in my head when we started the casting. I was looking for a particular type of actor: not necessarily posh actors, but people who could handle a style that is very different from the social realism that you see in most dramas. Television tends to strive towards the way people really behave in the modern world, and I needed actors who could show how people from the upper classes used to behave around the turn of the century. So they've got to have that seriousness, that emotional restraint -- but they've also got to be able to convey to the audience the feelings that are going on under the surface. It's quite a hard trick to pull off. ... Perhaps [Damian Lewis is] not an obvious choice [to play Soames], but for me he's the only man for the job. From the moment we met him I knew he was it, he was Soames. He has tremendous self-assurance and poise, so you're very drawn to him, but he can also give the impression of being quite distant. ... All of that [international attention he's received as a result of Band of Brothers] helps, of course, but I still wouldn't have cast him if he wasn't right for the job. Damian wasn't sure at first. He said to me, 'But surely you don't want a red-haired Soames, do you?' The colour of his hair just doesn't matter! What I like is this chilly, interior quality that he has, combined with the fact that a lot of people find him tremendously attractive. That's the key. You have to see him being cruel and unsympathetic towards Irene, but you have to be sufficiently attracted to him to want to dig a bit deeper and understand why he's behaving this way. Most actors just want to be loved in whatever role they play, but Damian's always been very keen to bring out the cruelty in Soames as well as the more admirable qualities. That way you can see him doing wrong, but you can also understand that he's the architect of his own destruction. I've watched some of the rushes and I've sat there going, 'Oh, no, Soames, please don't do that!' I hope that audiences will be shouting at their televisions in exactly the same way. You can see why Irene hates him, but he just can't stop himself. He never says what he really wants to say, he gets it all wrong and he ends up doing terrible things within that relationship.
-- Sita Williams (producer of The Forsyte Saga), from The Forsyte Saga: The Official Companion, by Rupert Smith, published by Granada Media Group, 2002, pp. 45-46
I'd seen [Damian Lewis and Ioan Gruffudd] in Warriors [Peter Kosminsky's award-winning film about peacekeepers in Bosnia], which I considered to be one of the best films I've seen for a long time. I thought they worked very well together in that, so it's no coincidence that they're both in this. I wanted two young men who were very contrasted in looks and personae, which they are. And they had to be able to bring out all the layers of a character. It would be very easy for some of these characters to come across as one-dimensional, and that would be a disaster, because the whole point of The Forsyte Saga is that the more you get to know about these people, the more you understand and appreciate them. It would be no good if Soames was just a villain, or if Bosinney was just an arty prig. With Damian and Ioan, you've got two actors who can bring out those depths individually, and who spark off each other very well and add a whole new dimension through that contrast.
-- Christopher Menaul (director of The Forsyte Saga), from The Forsyte Saga: The Official Companion, by Rupert Smith, published by Granada Media Group, 2002, p. 45
Soames is absolutely fascinating for any writer to play with, because he's so complex. There's a temptation to rein him back a bit and make him more sympathetic, because for all his faults you do end up loving him. But the producer was always pushing us to go further, to bring out his dark side, and I was worried that people would just hate him. Now I've seen Damian Lewis's performance, though, I'm not worried, because he brings out all the sympathetic sides of the character that the words themselves don't always contain. Soames is a very disturbed individual, and it's interesting for a woman to write for him. I mean, he's a rapist! But you can understand what's driven him to it. You can see the turmoil in his mind that's twisted him into doing a thing like that.
-- Jan McVerry (writer of The Forsyte Saga), from The Forsyte Saga: The Official Companion, by Rupert Smith, published by Granada Media Group, 2002, p. 58
In this unlovable man we feel the ache of a poet, a poet who has no words. The power he brings to the final minutes of this amazing series is a breakthrough of blossoming -- a masterpiece.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Vanity Fair, as quoted at PBS.org (probably 2002)
Your eyes zoom straight to (Damian) Lewis [in The Forsyte Saga] ... There is a smoldering power to him ... he is the cornerstone of the piece.
-- William Gallager, BBC, as quoted at PBS.org (probably 2002)
When "Dreamcatcher" is really good, it's centered on the four main characters. The buddies in the woods. And I liked all of them. ... There was Jonesy (British actor Damian Lewis, in a terrific American debut performance), the redheaded college professor who is the most gifted of the four.
-- Teddy Durgin (article author), Flickville.com, March 19, 2003
Dreamcatcher does have some good performances, especially one from Damian Lewis, who plays a man who may not be who he seems.
-- John Douglas (article author), Grand Rapids Press, March 22, 2003
Damian Lewis is an extraordinary young British actor. He's very magnetic, charismatic and soulful. I was just wildly taken with him, and could see that he played an American very easily; I was just knocked out by his abilities.
-- Lawrence Kasdan (director of Dreamcatcher), Romanticmovies.about.com, March 2003
Damian Lewis, whom I first saw in 'Band of Brothers,' is an extraordinary young British actor. He's very magnetic, charismatic and soulful. I was just wildly taken with him, and could see that he played an American very easily; I was just knocked out by his abilities.
-- Lawrence Kasdan (director of Dreamcatcher), Dreamcatchermovie.Warnerbros.com, Spring 2003
[In Dreamcatcher, Damian Lewis'] character's alien possession leads to some engaging split-personality sequences. The native Briton does a better American accent than most American actors, and has the chops to carry prolonged scenes all by his lonesome, as he often did in Band of Brothers. It's just a matter of time until this talented thespian has a breakout film on this side of the pond.
-- Tor Thorsen (article author), Reelhlyw.net, probably spring 2003
He's certainly got tremendous elegance and total self-assurance while managing to be unexpectedly butch. He does, after all, ride a big old motorbike -- a Honda VFR 750, which I'm told is nicely macho.
-- Annabel Rivkin (interviewer), Evening Standard Magazine, April 11, 2003
[He has] an easy-going manner and a quietly devastating wit.
-- Gabrielle Donnelly (interviewer), Hello, April 15, 2003
Meeting Lewis is a delightful experience. If this is one of Britain's most talked-about emerging superstars, the lad himself has no airs or graces, no trace of self-importance. He jokes and teases -- something of a surprise for someone who's made a speciality of playing it mean and moody on screen, whether as the emotionally crippled Soames of The Forsyte Saga (series two is on its way, folks) or the broodingly heroic Major Richard Winters in Band of Brothers.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], The Western Mail, April 18, 2003
In Dreamcatcher, he plays another American, Prof. Gary "Jonesy" Jones, but his character slips into an aristocratic English voice when Jonesy's body is taken over by an alien. This rather complicated scenario calls on Damian to have conversations with himself using both voices -- and it is to his great credit that he manages to pull it off.
-- Thomas Quinn (article author), The Ticket, April 25, 2003
Damian Lewis wasn't raised to fall apart under pressure. He's an Old Etonian with lots of self-assurance, inner discipline, charm, impeccable manners and so on.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Woman, April 2003
Damian Lewis and I are on our way to lunch. As soon as we step into a lift full of young female executives, you can feel the temperature rise. When somebody asks him which floor he wants, he quips, "Ladies lingerie, please." It's a great illustration of the 32-year-old's cheeky charm, and it's easy to see why he's captured women's hearts.
-- Zoe Seymour (interviewer), She, April 2003
[The Forsyte Saga: Series II is] rich in Edwardian detail and intrigue, and an acting showcase for the three leads, especially Lewis, whose sociopathic character was the polar opposite of his Capt. Winters role in HBO's 2001 miniseries, Band of Brothers.
-- Robert Philpot (article author), Star-Telegram, May 23, 2003
As the dramatic dynasty returns to our screens this Sunday, the sadistic Soames -- played with glorious suppressed fury by Damian Lewis -- is vexed once again.
-- James Rampton (article author), TV & Satellite Week, May 24, 2003
His mesmerizing performance as Major Dick Winters in Band of Brothers matched anything his contemporaries have achieved.
-- Karen Hocksey (article author), Sunday Express, May 25, 2003
What's refreshing about Lewis is that he doesn't mind admitting he adores being a star. ... He unashamedly admits to standing in front of a mirror when he was a kid being "interviewed" by the likes of Terry Wogan. It paid off: these days he gives real interviews with grace and charm. ... When I remind him we met in the days before Hollywood scripts regularly landed on his door mat, he's genuinely anxious to know that he hasn't changed too much. "I'm still the same person, aren't I? I really hope no one thinks I've gone off big headed. I mean, it's just a job, isn't it?" I can tell him with honesty that no, he hasn't changed. He might be wearing a more expensive suit and he's certainly got more people wandering in and out asking if he needs anything, but Lewis is the same friendly and affable guy I met on the set of the BBC drama Hearts and Bones.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], New!, May 26, 2003
Brit Damian Lewis (Band Of Brothers) makes a strong Hollywood debut [in Dreamcatcher].
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Total Film, May 2003
[Emma Griffiths] Malin and [Lee] Williams -- and the rest of the cast -- turn in good, clever performances, but it is Lewis and [Gina] McKee with whom the camera ends up running away. This is part of the nature of the story, with its obsession about the past, but also because Lewis manages to convey Soames's crabbed, volcanic moods, his stiffness of movement and mind and his despairing attempts to bring the world to heel, with such brilliance and understanding that it is impossible not to want to see him in every frame. As an actor, he is better known for his manly, virile army roles (Band of Brothers, Warriors), but in this, he ages before your eyes. It is a tribute to his skill that he manages to convey such sympathy for a man who, in the book, at least, was foul enough to make you want to fling him across the room.
-- Skerryvore (article author), Ionfilm.co.uk, approx. spring/summer 2003
(Damian) Lewis has been remarkable in his portrayal of Galsworthy's monster. Ranting and raving one minute, extraordinarily moving in still, silent sadness the next, he brought to the part a depth and range that was never less than utterly compelling to watch. Both his and McKee's (Irene) transformation from young to old was totally believable, not only physically (thanks to outstanding make-up) but emotionally; in all a brilliant portrayal of the complex nature of love, duty and what it is like simply to be human.
-- Jaci Stephen (article author), Daily Mail, June 22, 2003
The minute Damian walked in the room there was no question he was Soames. He had a complete self-assurance and self-belief, an arrogance, if you like. He understood the character completely.
-- Sita Williams (producer of The Forsyte Saga), Sydney Morning Herald, August 25, 2003
We were looking for an enigmatic leader, a guy you can't explain, but how explains himself by his mere presence. Lewis had that without question, as soon as he sat down we knew.
-- Tom Hanks (executive producer of Band of Brothers), Official London Theatre, November 1, 2003
Michael Attenborough, his director [of Five Gold Rings] at the Almeida, says Lewis's great strengths are emotional accuracy and love of language. "He is very controlled but shows you a wealth of feeling beneath the surface. His scenes with Helen McCrory are lovely."
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Telegraph, December 9, 2003
Damian Lewis' final memorable scene [in Five Gold Rings] when he relates his experience of child abuse is heart breaking as he twitches in distress.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], CurtainUp.com, December 18, 2003
Damian Lewis, who was so good as the tortured Soames Forsyte on TV, has my admiration [for his portrayal of Daniel in Five Gold Rings] as well. ... He manages to make the character of Daniel ... into a believably dignified and tormented figure.
-- Rhoda Koenig (article author), The Independent, December 23, 2003
Helen McCrory movingly captures her character's ache for a baby ... while Will Keen and Damien Lewis play the guilty brothers with a wired intensity.
-- Charles Spencer (article author), The Telegraph, December 24, 2003
He's an extraordinary actor. He's magnetic, charismatic and soulful. And he plays an American very easily. I was knocked out by his ability. This may have been his first film but it won't be his last, that's for sure.
-- Lawrence Kasdan (director of Dreamcatcher), Indielondon.co.uk, 2003
[In Five Gold Rings,] Lewis, for one, confirms his status as one of Britain's most confident young actors. ... Lewis and his colleagues ensure that "Gold Rings" casts an undeniable glow.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], iht.com, Winter 2003-4
"Band of Brothers" star (and Almeida alum) Lewis brings a ravaged intensity to the scheming younger brother, Daniel. ... Lewis is one of the reasons "Five Gold Rings" keeps you glued to the end.
-- Matt Wolf (article author), Variety, January 4, 2004
Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers) gives one of the year's best performances as Soames.
-- Matt Roush (article author), TV Guide, February 7, 2004
[The Forsyte Saga: Series II] was an instance of impeccable casting, particularly the two leads, British actors Damian Lewis and Gina McKee. Lewis is quickly proving himself to be one of the finest young actors of his generation. He was at the center of HBO's "Band of Brothers" as Maj. Winters, and he's the tightly wound, emotionally constricted center of "The Forsyte Saga," Soames Forsyte, a possessive man who loves more than he is loved. ... This installment of "The Forsyte Saga" ends on a high note. It's not entirely happy, but there's a sense of closure and contentedness for some of the characters, particularly Soames, who is both loathsome and pitiful. It's a tribute to the story, writing and Lewis' performance that Soames is more multidimensional than he so easily could have been.
-- Rob Owen (article author), Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 8, 2004
Damian Lewis was hither to not known for his dance moves, but after the Sargent Cancer Research bash at the Sanderson hotel last week he will forever be. A whole host of beautiful ladies made their way into his dance routine ... as fellow guests ... looked on in awe at the prowess of the John Travolta-for-our-times. A raffle played its part in the proceedings, of course. But dancing lessons from Mr. Lewis were regrettably not up for grabs.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Evening Standard, July 17, 2004
The action [in The Forsyte Saga], encompassing 1874 to 1905, centers on Soames Forsyte (played masterfully by Damian Lewis), a man of property whose unhappy marriage to the exquisite but aloof Irene Heron (Gina McKee) is the centerpiece of the series. ... That Soames, with his pallid complexion, milky eyes and haughty demeanor, manages at different times to be sympathetic is a tribute both to the screenwriter and the actor.
-- Elizabeth Guider (article author), Variety, July 26, 2004
Down to earth he is, but spend a short time with Damian Lewis and you realise he says nothing lightly. Every one of his replies is considered and deliberate. In response to each of my questions he pauses, considering its whole meaning before carefully answering. You get the impression he would never say anything he didn't mean.
-- Gaby Roslin (interviewer), Eve, July 2004
This troubled young man [Keane is] dynamically incarnated by British actor Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers).
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Filmlinc.com, August 30, 2004
On screen every minute, Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers) is utterly riveting as William Keane, a mentally disturbed homeless man.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Telluride Film Festival Program, September 3, 2004
If any plotted movie could accurately be called a one-man show, this is it. On screen every minute, Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers) is utterly riveting as William Keane, a mentally disturbed homeless man. ... A disturbing, demanding and remarkably accomplished film.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Filmthreat.com, September 3, 2004
Lodge Kerrigan's third feature offers another stunning lead performance. In "Clean, Shaven" it was Peter Greene and in "Claire Dolan" it was Katrin Cartlidge, while in Kerrigan's latest, Damian Lewis is stellar in the lead role.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Indiewire.com, September 5, 2004
Lewis' performance [in Keane] is intense and inward.
-- Roger Ebert (article author), Chicago Sun-Times, September 7, 2004
Just as "Clean, Shaven" relied to a great extent on the creepy power lead actor Peter Greene brought to it, so does "Keane" rest squarely on the exceptional talent of Damian Lewis to put it across. ... Watching Lewis so thoroughly inhabit the demented Keane, one can only wonder how an actor can live with such a character for weeks and weeks and maintain a semblance of sanity and contact with real life. Thesp amazingly manages to find nuances of character while running his engine above the emotional red line throughout. It's a resonant, haunting performance.
-- Todd McCarthy (article author), Variety, September 7, 2004
[In Keane,] Damian Lewis gives a raw, persistent performance (he's onscreen throughout the film) as a man whose young daughter was abducted on his watch.
-- Lisa Kennedy (article author), Denver Post, September 10, 2004
Lodge Kerrigan's latest is about a near-schizoid man (Band of Brothers' excellent Damian Lewis) whose daughter was abducted from Port Authority six months prior to where the film picks up. ... All players involved, especially Lewis, [do] a terrific job of immersing themselves in this world.
-- Shannon Gee (article author), Toronto Dispatch, September 14, 2004
William Keane, performed exceptionally by Damian Lewis, is a father struggling with the abduction of his own daughter and battling demons as he tries to come to terms with the resulting grief.
-- Eugene Hernandez (article author), Indiewire.com, September 17, 2004
Familiar to those who saw Band of Brothers, Lewis works at full-bore intensity [in Keane], taking us inside the shattered life of a father who can't recover from the abduction of his daughter.
-- Robert Denerstein (article author), Rocky Mountain News, September 18, 2004
[In Keane,] Damian Lewis gives a tour-de-force performance as a man driven insane by the disappearance of his daughter. Shattered, the father takes to the street to retrace his steps on that fateful day. Easily one of the festival's most intense entries.
-- Glenn Lovell (article author), Knight Ridder Newspapers, September 18, 2004
The next movie of the day was Keane, from director Lodge Kerrigan. As riveting as it is disturbing, the film follows a volatile man (Damian Lewis) who wanders the streets of New York talking to himself, one of those mad mumbling guys you cross streets to avoid. Familiar to those who saw Band of Brothers, Lewis works at full-bore intensity, taking us inside the shattered life of a father who can't recover from the abduction of his daughter.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Rocky Mountain News, September 18, 2004
[For his performance in Keane,] Damian Lewis is a lock for an Indie Spirit nod.
-- Dave Poland (article author), Dave Poland's Hot Button, September 20, 2004
[In Keane], the title character (viscerally embodied by Damian Lewis) is constantly in motion but trapped in a psychological impasse. ... Keane [was] the best-received American indie in Toronto [at the Toronto International Film Festival].
-- Dennis Lim (article author), Village Voice, September 21, 2004
British actor Damian Lewis, who's in nearly every frame of the film, inhabits the tormented Keane with bracing abandon, and, as Argento does in Heart Is Deceitful, Kerrigan subtly infers a prematurely self-sufficient child's ability to sympathize with a damaged adult.
-- Jessica Winter (article author), Minneapolis City Pages, September 22, 2004
The little-known Lewis is remarkable in the central role [in Keane].
-- Anthony Kaufman (article author), Time Out New York, September 23-30, 2004
[Lodge] Kerrigan's wondrous Keane is about a man, William Keane (a simply profound Damian Lewis), whose little girl was stolen out from under his nose at a train station the year before.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Film Freak Central, approx. September 30, 2004
Keane doesn't contain much in the way of a plot -- if you've seen Clean, Shaven, you probably have a good idea what to expect -- but that soon becomes irrelevant thanks to Lewis' astounding performance. Lewis, best known for his work in films like Dreamcatcher and various British mini-series, is an absolute revelation as the title character and he delivers a daring and completely riveting performance. It's the sort of role most actors would kill for, though very few would be able to disappear into it as effectively and thoroughly as Lewis. Keane is one of those rare movies that rattles around in your head long after the credits have rolled, and if there were any justice, both [Lodge] Kerrigan and Lewis would receive Academy Awards for their work here.
-- David Nusair (article author), Reelfilm.com, September 2004
Damian Lewis turns in an astonishing performance as Keane. ... [It's] one of the best performances I have seen in years. Lewis reminds me of a young Pacino, still in love with his craft and still searching for reality, before he replaced nuance with bombast. ... [There] isn't a moment where you doubt Lewis as Keane, and there is not a moment here where he is acting. There are no tells, there are no flourishes, there are no scenes where you feel like the guy is playing it up. Keane is vaguely documentary-like in how the camera is active and there is no score, but it's Lewis' performance that convinces you of the gritty reality of this man's life. If there is any justice Lewis will find his name on the shortlist at the upcoming Oscars.
-- Devin Faraci (article author), Chud.com, October 13, 2004
Keane -- another gripping and harrowing tale of loss, desperate depression and redemption seeking. Perhaps two such films over two consecutive nights was a bit much, but this was a powerful piece of filmmaking, a stunning character study and some sublime acting. ... Keane is brilliantly played by British actor Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers). ... As reelfilms says: Keane is one of those rare movies that rattles around in your head long after the credits have rolled, and if there were any justice, both Kerrigan and Lewis would receive Academy Awards for their work here.
-- neilo60 (article author), Life's Rich Pageant, October 14, 2004
Played in a style reminiscent of Dostoyevsky or Chekhov, British actor Damian Lewis is brilliant in the role of William Keane, the driven, half-crazy hero. With just small exceptions, this film is a one-man show.
-- Therese Schwartz (article author), Arts4all.com, October 2004
My nerves were totally fried by the end, but Lewis's performance [in Keane] is so raw and compelling you can't avert your eyes for a moment.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Papermag.com, October 2004
Keane is a movie that is very hard to describe and absolutely mesmerizing. It stars Damian Lewis, who I've never seen before but is a classically trained British actor. He plays a man whose daughter has been kidnapped, while in his car at the Port Authority bus terminal. He is both haunted and haunting. This is a hard sell but a great movie with a fantastic performance in which Lewis is never off screen: a tour de force of very difficult material.
-- Dr. Joy Browne, (article author), drjoy.com, probably October 2004
[In Keane,] Lewis is quite dynamic, especially since the first half of the movie centers on his performance: We are thrown into his character's unsound universe of frustration, loneliness and despair.
-- Stephanie Alberico (article author), NewYorkCool.com, November 2004
British actor Damian Lewis (BAND OF BROTHERS) gives a stunning lead performance in Lodge Kerrigan's powerful drama KEANE. ... He talks to himself, shouts suddenly, and looks over his shoulder with fear and paranoia, an edgy, twitchy, wholly unnerving, and remarkable performance. ... KEANE is like no other movie ever made on the subject of child abduction, a grittily authentic film that will stay with viewers for a very long time.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Movies.yahoo.com, Autumn 2004
Damian Lewis' performance as William Keane is a standout.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], Wendywire, Autumn 2004
The central performance [in Keane] of Damian Lewis (of Band of Brothers) is totally committed and riveting.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], House o' Film, Autumn 2004
If that film [Keane] doesn't break Damian Lewis out in terms of critics' notice, there's something desperately wrong with this system.
-- Bingham Ray (film industry executive), as quoted in Filmmakermagazine.com, Autumn 2004
British-born Damian Lewis (also excellent in Keane this year) gives a soulful performance [in Brides], and the interplay of Greek and non-Greek feels easy and organic.
-- [article author, name unrecorded], leonardo.spidernet.net, Autumn 2004
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